Cantwell will wrap up her time at Utah State over the next few months and become the 12th president of Washington State University on April 1. Cantwell, who has a background in ae

Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell, pictured here on the Pullman campus of Washington State University, was named the university's 12th president Thursday in Pullman. She is the first woman in the role since the university's creation in 1890. (Robert Hubner)

PULLMAN, Wash. — Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell has been appointed the 12th president of Washington State University following a nationwide search. Cantwell will begin on April 1 and will succeed Kirk Schulz, who has served as president since 2016 and will remain on as a senior advisor to support the transition through June 2025.