Hall announces new positions
Utah State University President Kermit L. Hall announced Friday the appointment of Stan Albrecht as new university provost and executive vice president. Hall also announced that Interim Provost Craig Petersen, would accept a newly announced position as chief of staff and special assistant to the president for planning and community relations.
Hall expressed appreciation for the work Petersen did in the past seven-and-a-half years as vice provost and interim provost.
“Craig did a splendid job,” Hall said. “He brings significant skills [to the new job], as well as a distinct history of working with the Cache Valley community.”
Hall also expressed confidence in Albrecht, who is leaving his post as dean of USU’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
“Stan has a strong and ongoing record of success in research and teaching – all qualities important to me,” Hall said.
Both men will begin their new jobs Thursday. As the provost, Albrecht will be second in command after Hall, and he will manage the academic operation of the university, as well as coordinate the academic and administrative budgets. He expressed enthusiasm about USU and working with Hall.
“I am here because of the strength and quality of this institution,” Albrecht said. “I am so impressed by the way people give of themselves, for the genuine care they feel and show for the students, programs and research at USU. It’s a great place to be. I am truly looking forward to being on President Hall’s team and the opportunity to move this institution forward.”
Petersen said he was enthusiastic about his new position, although he acknowledged he was not entirely clear about what the role and responsibilities of the new job would be.
“I know that President Hall has a clear idea of what the job is,” Petersen said. “But until I’m on the ground and doing it, I won’t really know.”
Petersen, 56, started teaching at USU in 1973 after receiving a doctorate in economics from Stanford University.
He was twice named College of Business Professor of the Year, in 1977 and 1989, and he was also Utah State Professor of the Year in 1989. He has published four books and published a number of journal articles.
Albrecht, 58, was one of the finalists in the recently concluded search for a new president at USU. Albrecht’s teaching career began at USU, where he worked as an assistant professor of sociology from 1970 to 1974. He returned to USU in 1998 after having worked at the University of Florida as associate chair of the department of Health Policy and Epidemiology in the College of Medicine, and associate director of the University of Florida Institute for Health Policy Research.
He has co-authored five books, published a number of articles and presented 82 papers nationally.