LOGAN, Utah — The President of Utah State University will step down from her role at USU next year.

Noelle E. Cockett announced the end of her presidency in a letter to the USU community by saying she was grateful for the opportunity to lead the school as president for the past six years.

“The decades I have been at USU have convinced me that all of our amazing institutional accomplishments have been possible because of the hard work and commitment of each one of you and those who preceded you as university faculty, staff, and supporters,” Cockett said in the letter.

The Utah Board of Higher Education is tasked with appointing presidents within the Utah System of Higher Education, and it will reportedly begin a national search immediately.

“President Cockett’s tenure included great advancements for the university, its statewide campuses and the community in the areas of research; diversity, equity and inclusion; and educational excellence,” said Lisa Michele Church, the board of higher education chair.

“We appreciate her tireless advocacy for transformative projects such as the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air and the USU College of Veterinary Medicine.”

Accomplishments

In her letter to USU faculty and staff, Cockett noted recent achievements by Utah State University, including what she called the largest ever first-time student enrollment in fall 2022, the designation of USU, by Carnegie, as an R1 research institution in 2021, and the creation of the USU College of Veterinary Medicine.

During her time at Utah State, Cockett served in multiple roles. She was a research faculty member in the Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science. Cockett was also the dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. She was appointed executive vice president and provost in 2013.  And in 2017 she became USU’s 16th president and the school’s first female president.

She has served as the United States coordinator for sheep genome mapping since 1993 and is a member of the International Sheep Genomics Consortium.

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