Nationwide Search Launched for Next Leader of USU Eastern

PRICE, Utah — Utah State University has launched a nationwide search for the next associate vice president & chief campus administrator for Utah State University Eastern. This follows the announcement that Greg Dart will step down from the position on June 30. The search will remain open until the position is filled.

“We are committed to finding an excellent leader for the campus who will be strongly engaged with both the university and the local community,” said Rich Etchberger, interim vice president for Statewide Campuses.

Kristian Olsen, senior associate vice president for USU Blanding and USU Moab, will chair the search. Prior to taking the position as associate vice president of USU Blanding, Olsen was director of students at USU Eastern and is very familiar with the campus and its stakeholders.

In addition to Olsen, the search committee will be composed of the following individuals: Gina Gagon, vice chair of the USU Board of Trustees; Brian Warnick, interim department head for Technology, Design, and Technical Education; Derrik Tollefson, professor and director of the I-System Institute for Transdisciplinary Studies; Jan Thornton, clinical associate professor; Crissy Downs Cisneros; financial officer; Andrea Hunt, assistant vice president; and Sydney Ho, event coordinator.

The search committee is hopeful to announce a finalist prior to June 30, but is prepared to continue its search until a leader is named. Should the committee not name a finalist for the position prior to this date, James Y. Taylor, senior associate vice president for USU Uintah Basin, will serve as interim chief campus administrator.

The search committee will host two one-hour public forums to solicit input from the USU Eastern community on June 5, 2023. The committee with hold a meeting with USU Eastern faculty and staff at 10 a.m., as well as a meeting with community members at 11:30 a.m. in order to gather their thoughts prior to performing interviews with potential candidates. Both meetings will be held in room 123 of the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. The sessions will also be available on a live stream.

The associate vice president & chief campus administrator position is now open for applications. Application review will begin taking place in mid-June and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit a letter describing their qualifications for the position and a statement regarding their vision of the role and responsibilities of the associate vice president of USU Eastern. For the complete job posting and to apply for the position, visit aggie.link/eastern-avp.

Located in picturesque Price, Utah State University Eastern provides the best of both worlds for students­– the personalized attention and small student-to-faculty ratio of a small-town college, with the educational opportunities and resources of a large university. USU Eastern boasts student government opportunities, clubs and programs like theater, choir, and the award-winning student newspaper “The Eagle”, as well as its own athletic program. USU Eastern provides personal or professional development training, technical education in Health Professions, Technical Careers and Business, as well as associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees and certificates of proficiency. Learn more at eastern.usu.edu.