Elizabeth Cantwell Named First Woman President of Washington State University

Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell has been named the twelfth president of Washington State University. When she assumes her presidency on April 1, she will become the institution’s first woman president.

Washington State University enrolls nearly 22,000 undergraduate and 4,500 graduate students. Women present 53 present of the undergraduate student body.

For the past two years, Dr. Cantwell has served as president of Utah State University. During this time, she has guided the university through record-breaking research expenditures, an increase in student scholarships, and several campus infrastructure updates.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Cantwell was the senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of Arizona. Earlier, she was vice president for research development at Arizona State University and CEO of the ASU Research Foundation. In addition to her career in academia, she has an extensive background in United States national security, including leadership positions with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Her work has helped advance the country’s missions in energy, defense, and space exploration.

“I am deeply honored by the trust the board of regents has placed in me to lead this incredible institution,” said Dr. Cantwell. “To be selected to lead this esteemed institution as its twelfth president is a profound privilege. I’ve long admired Washington State University, and a couple of years ago my family’s connection to the university deepened when my daughter became a Coug, enrolling in one of WSU’s graduate programs. This opportunity to serve WSU as president is truly a dream come true!”

Dr. Cantwell is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where she majored in human behavior. She holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.