USU names new president

LOGAN — Donors to Utah State University, faculty, staff and students cheered Tuesday after Stan L. Albrecht was named USU's 15th president.

After the State Board of Regents made the announcement, Albrecht, 61, said in an interview that he is no Superman or miracle worker and that there are high expectations for him as incoming president.

Albrecht also said he recommended to regents that they do a national search if it wasn't clear that there was "overwhelming" support for him.

Regents voted unanimously to sidestep the usual search process and to keep the "momentum" going at USU.

"It's the loveliest thing that could have happened," USU donor Kathryn Caine Wanlass said.

Last year at this time outgoing USU President Kermit Hall announced that Wanlass and her sister, Manon Caine Russell, were donating about $6.3 million to USU toward construction of a "world class" recital hall. It was the biggest-ever individual gift to USU.

"This is the best thing they could have done," Russell said.

Regents revealed Albrecht as their choice Tuesday after a brief open meeting by phone and on a stage in front of about 300 people gathered in USU's Taggart Student Center. Albrecht will begin with the same annual salary, $232,000, that Hall earns.

Hall will remain president until Feb. 1 and then will begin his new job as president of New York's state university at Albany. On that same day, Albrecht, USU provost, said his first meeting as president will be with the students.

The day's news sent tears of joy into the eyes of Joyce Kinkead, USU vice provost for undergraduate studies and research. There was plenty of "tension" and "speculation" around her office in the days prior to the announcement.

Hall announced last month he would be leaving USU, and faculty at the school began a phone, letter and e-mail campaign that called for Albrecht to be USU's next leader.

"Stan is so deserving," Kinkead said, noting that Albrecht is part of a leadership "team" that includes his wife, Joyce, who is associate vice president for university advancement. "This is such a natural for them."

Stan Albrecht was the USU Board of Trustees' choice for the job when in March 2004, it looked as if Hall would win the president's post at the University of Tennessee, according to USU Board of Trustees chairman and former Lt. Gov. Gayle McKeachnie.