Elizabeth Cantwell was announced as the next WSU System president during a ceremony Thursday.

Cantwell, who currently serves as the president of Utah State University, will succeed President Kirk Schulz as the 12th president of the WSU System. She will be the first woman to serve in this role.

Cantwell’s contract begins April 1 and extends to June 2030, though it may be extended further. She is set to earn $735,000 a year and will live on the Pullman campus.

This announcement ends a nearly year-long, closed-door search for the next WSU System president. The closed-door selection process has garnered criticism from some state legislators who are seeking to enforce more transparency, according to an earlier Daily Evergreen article.

During the announcement ceremony in the Compton Union Building, Cantwell spoke words of hope and enthusiasm.

“Together we will shape the future of this institution, and it will be our Washington State University, and we will, in fact, deliver the future for our students and for our state,” she said in her speech.

Cantwell said she wants to communicate with students and will hold listening sessions, as she has done in the past.

“I’m committed to working with all of you,” Cantwell said. “I do value transparency incredibly, and that means every aspect of our community and our ability to communicate with one another. I’m very eager to actually meet all of you.”

Schulz, the current system president and soon-to-be predecessor of Cantwell, has served as the WSU System president since 2016. In April 2024, amid system-wide calls for him to step down, Schulz announced his retirement.

“It has been an incredible honor and the highlight of my career to serve at WSU,” Schulz said during a video announcing his retirement. “As I reflect on my time as WSU president, I am proud of the many positive achievements we have accomplished together.”