Aggie Women Lead: Our President — Dr. Elizabeth Cantwell … Service Oriented and Future Focused

Editor’s Note: As part of a series, Utah State Today is publishing profiles of a variety of leaders. This interview with President Elizabeth R. Cantwell is in observation of March as Women’s History Month.

Elizabeth R. “Betsy” Cantwell was named the 17th president of Utah State University on May 19, 2023, and assumed the role on Aug. 1, 2023.

Before coming to USU, she was the senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of Arizona, where she was responsible for an $825 million annual research portfolio; the 1,268-acre UA Tech Park, one of the nation’s premier university research parks; and a research and innovation enterprise that spanned 20 academic colleges with locations across Arizona, 12 university-level centers and institutes, and other major research-related affiliated organizations conducting classified and contractual work.

Cantwell previously served as Arizona State University’s vice president for research development and CEO of the ASU Research Enterprise. She led an organization of 150 and grew the overall research enterprise at ASU from $435 million to $680 million over three years. In her CEO role, she grew the applied research entity from no contracts to $15 million in annual awards.

Before her work in university research leadership, she served the U.S. national security mission as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s director for economic development and director for engineering mission strategy, and earlier as the deputy associate director for global security at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she worked with the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and NASA.

Cantwell is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School (MBA, 2003); the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 1992); and the University of Chicago (BA, Human Behavior 1976).

The following is the transcript of an interview that Utah State Today conducted with President Cantwell.

Utah State Today: At what age did you know you wanted to enter your current field and leadership role? What sparked your initial interest in your field?

Elizabeth Cantwell: To be honest, my interest in higher education wasn’t sparked until I was in my early 50s. I have five children, and I was on college tours with my fourth child. We visited Arizona State University (ASU), a place she was considering attending.

While at ASU, I met the president, Michael M. Crow, and we chatted a little. At some point after that, he called me and said, very astutely, because I had spent my career in national security, “I know that you think you are serving the most important mission in the country, but I would like to convince you that higher education is the most important mission, and you should think about it.”

Long story short, I ended up working at ASU. What I truly believe about public higher education, particularly public service universities, is that our job is one of service. We are absolutely vital to the future of this nation. That is my mission.

UST: Were there specific individuals or events that inspired and influenced your career choices?

EC: Once I got into higher education, I started to meet all kinds of amazing people. One person who inspired me was Marlene Tromp, who's currently the 7th president of Boise State University. I met her when I was at ASU. She has a passion for academic excellence, has created “pathbreaking” public and private partnerships and holds a flame of fire in the mission of higher education.

I worked for Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, who is currently the 15th Director of the National Science Foundation. He is a deep thinker. I had the opportunity to learn from him also. It is important to let people inspire you. Higher education is full of people from whom you can learn, whether they're your mentor or not.

UST: Was there a major influence that got you down the path you are currently on?

EC: It took me quite some time to discover my voice in life. I believe that women naturally inclined towards leadership often struggle to flourish in a social environment that fails to nurture and support those qualities. It can be a journey of self-discovery to truly understand oneself and find clarity — that was true for me.

For years, I've been asked about the icons I admire, and I often found myself lacking a direct mentor figure. It's not that I lacked caring individuals in my life, but rather the absence of that iconic figure one often reads about in stories. I didn't dwell on it consciously, but there were moments of uncertainty. However, with time and experience, I gained enough wisdom to chart my own path. My father, an engineer himself, offered me phenomenal advice as a young woman.

Finally, there were the incredible women who joined me in the journey of raising children. I collaborated with remarkable women, both peers and others who helped me navigate the complexities of balancing work and family. We relied on each other and they were indispensable.

UST: What is some advice you have been given that helped you on your journey? What advice would you give to other young people who are aspiring to follow their passion?

EC: All leadership is service to the people and institutions you are leading. That service mentality should be central — it enables success, whether or not one feels like they were born to lead.

One last thing I will say is that we all have the capacity to be our own mentors. Sometimes, when there is no one around, you’ve got to challenge yourself to greatness.

UST: What is a major project or initiative you are currently working on in your current field and leadership role?

EC: One of the projects that I'm really motivated by are the very fundamental discussions we're having in higher education about the role of the institution around freedom of speech. Do we provide a platform for all voices — if so, when and how? No matter how challenging it may be, we must take a stand on this topic.

My job as president is to ensure that Utah State University is a place for civil discourse and to create platforms and to listen and learn from many voices, many people and many ideas. At the core of the land grant mission is inclusivity — meaning that everybody has the opportunity to get an education at USU and better their lives and communities — we are here to serve.

UST: What inspires you about your current field (or position) and leadership role? What keeps that inspiration ongoing?

EC: USU’s mission as a public service university is to produce well-informed citizens who think critically and are able to productively contribute to society with valuable ideas and innovations — from many voices with varied life experiences.

And if we don't provide, for instance, that ground for all voices, then our students won't learn to be in those environments where there are multiple opinions. I guess that is what motivated me to get into higher education — and that exciting energy continues every day. I go to work believing that we do the right thing. We do good work. We are critical for the future of the state of Utah and for the nation. Whether we're educating U.S. citizens, or students from around the globe, it is important that we each fulfill our role at Utah State.

I love the land-grant mission, which was born from the mind of Abraham Lincoln. I imagine him asking himself, “How do we take this war-torn land and create a way for every single person — no matter where they live – to better their lives in service and support of their family, community and nation?” The answer is education. The time is now. The place is USU.