Elizabeth Cantwell | |
|---|---|
| 12th President of Washington State University | |
| Assumed office April 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Kirk Schulz |
| 17th President of Utah State University | |
| In office August 1,2023 –February 19,2025 | |
| Preceded by | Noelle E. Cockett |
| Succeeded by | Alan L. Smith (Interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 26,1955 |
| Education | University of Chicago (BA) University of California,Berkeley (MA,PhD) University of Pennsylvania (MBA) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mechanical engineering |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Buoyancy and heat loss effects in near interface smoldering combustion (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | Carlos Fernández-Pello |
Elizabeth R. Cantwell is the president of Washington State University. From August 1, 2023 to April 1, 2025, she was president of Utah State University. [1]
Cantwell has a B.A. in human behavior from the University of Chicago (1976). In 1992, she received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2003, she earned a M.B.A. in finance & entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School. [2]
Cantwell worked for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she was director for economic development [3] and focused on developing research programs for the U.S. Department of Defense. [2] From 2015 to 2019, she was at Arizona State University. [4] Prior to her appointment at Utah State University, Cantwell was an American professor of aerospace-mechanical engineering and the senior vice president for research and Innovation at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. [5] [2] At the University of Arizona, she oversaw twelve major university research centers and facilities, including Biosphere 2, Bio5 Institute, Arizona State Museum, and the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy. [2] Cantwell was named president of Utah State University on May 19, 2023. [6] She became president of Washington State University on April 1, 2025. [7]
In April of 2025, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that during her 18-month tenure at Utah State University, Cantwell spent $661,800 of university funds on new cars, an apartment in Salt Lake City (84 miles away from campus), national travel, and "lavish office furnishings". This included a $750 bidet for her office, a $28,000 golf cart to drive around campus, and furniture for her office totaling $184,400. Her "executive chair" cost $3000 alone. This spending was more than her salary of $581,585, though not if one includes the $233,000 she was receiving in benefits. This spending came at a time when the state was asking the university to cut $12.6 million in spending and the university asked employees to voluntarily retire or resign. Lay-offs were planned next. [8]
She was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2019. [9] [10] In 2020, she was presented with the Transformational Leadership Award at the Arizona Governor's Celebration of Innovation Awards. [11]