After eight years at the helm, USU President George Emert will step down on Dec. 31.
Institutions evolve and they have different needs at different times.
USU is doing fine, but I think every institution reaches a point where it needs new energy, new support and new leadership. The national search for Emert's successor will be conducted by a committee of regents and trustees with faculty, staff, student and community representation. The regents will make the final decision. While Emert's leadership style and vision for athletics were controversial at times, he was praised, especially by regents, for his achievements in fundraising, alumni relations and lobbying on behalf of critical university needs. USU became a Carnegie I Research Institution, placing it in the top three percent of research institutions in the country, and faculty broke consecutive records in research dollars generated, earning USU a solid ranking among the top 50 universities nationally in this category.