USU president applications open
By STATESMAN STAFF
On July 14, Geoffrey Landward, the Utah System of Higher Education commissioner, sent an email to the Utah State University student body on behalf of the Presidential Search Committee. The committee, composed of Utah Board of Higher Education members, USU representatives and community members, announced the opening of the application for the next president of USU.
“Over the past several weeks, the USU Presidential Search Committee gathered feedback from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members through listening sessions, online comments, and anonymous submissions,” the email stated. “That input directly shaped the official job posting now included in the leadership profile and will continue to guide the committee as it evaluates nominations and applications.”
Currently, Alan L. Smith is the interim USU president. The email said the board expects to publicly name the next USU president during the 2025-26 academic year.
Matt Richey, 2024-25 USU student body president, is a member of the search committee.
“Student voice is paramount. Though there are several layers of leadership between us and the presi-
dent, the decisions they make have an enormous effect on us,” Richey wrote in a message to The Utah Statesman. “Having a strong president means better programs, better strategic direction, and better life long engagement as alumni.”
Students or other stakeholders are invited to share suggestions or comments by submitting an email to usupresidentialsearch@ushe.edu or anonymously filling out the form at ushe.edu/usu-presidential-search-feedback.
Anyone interested in reviewing the presidential search timeline or the leadership profile, which outlines desired qualities in USU’s next president and the priorities they should recognize in the position, can stay updated at usu.edu/president-search.
“The Utah Board of Higher Education is seeking a dedicated leader who can lead with vision, balancing the innovation and stability, while embracing the unique role of USU to expand the reputation, visibility, and influence of the institution locally, nationally, and internationally,” the email stated.
“Now that the application is open, the committee will begin reviewing materials from candidates who align with the university’s land-grant mission, statewide reach, and forward-looking goals.”
July 16
Officers responded to a report of a suspicious person in the women’s locker room of the HPER. No suspects were found.
July 16
USU Police responded to the report of an emergency at the mouth of Logan Canyon.
July 17
Officers responded to a medically sick person at Central Suites. The complainant was assessed and cleared by medical officials.
July 21
USU Police located an unauthorized sign in the Blue Parking Lot south of the Chase Fine Arts Center. Due to the university sign policy, it was removed and placed into safe keep storage for the owner to pick it up if they so choose.
STATESMAN FILE PHOTO
The Lyric Repertory Company performs for nearly 60 years
By Brook Wood STATESMAN REPORTER
For almost 60 years, the Lyric Repertory Company has been performing a variety of professional theater productions during the summers, offering opportunities for USU theater students and cultural enrichment for the Cache Valley community despite recent construction to the Caine Lyric Theatre.
Fern Trousdale is a stage management intern with the company and assists in managing and organizing rehearsals and communication. Trousdale emphasized the opportunity the company provides for Utahn or out-of-state actors to try union-based or repertory theater.
Repertory theater is when an acting company produces a rotating repertoire of plays. A different show is put on each night of the week, and that cycle repeats for the whole summer. Each show consists of the same pool of actors whose roles differ for each production.
“Since repertory is mainly done in the summer with most programs, it really gives a lot of people an opportunity to really get to know shows in a very quick manner,” Trousdale said. “‘Bright Star,’ for example, we had about five weeks of rehearsal, and then we had tech week, and then we were up in six weeks.”
Trousdale said there are around 20 actors in this year’s group.
“Our lead actor is Stefan Espinosa,” Trousdale said. “He’s John Worthing in ‘The Importance of Being Earnest. He plays Jimmy Ray in ‘Bright Star,’ and he plays Sherlock Holmes in ‘Sherlock Holmes.’”
Renovations for the theater began this summer and are projected to be completed by 2026. The company traditionally performs in the historic theater, but due to the construction, it’s relocated to the Morgan Theatre and Black Box Theatre on Utah State University campus. Despite this change in theaters, community response has been encouraging, according to Trousdale.
Emily Alvey-Despain is an actor with the company and understudies for two major roles in “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Home, I’m Darling.” An understudy steps into the role and performs the part when the main actor is unable to.
“It’s kind of a bridge between professional theater but also still working with people that I know, and it was a really great opportunity to have actors come down from out of town who have actually graduated from Utah State University in the program,” Alvey-Despain said. “Seeing how they apply the work that they learned there to their acting now and how everything they’ve learned are things that I’m learning now and just watch them apply it in real time.”
Alvey-Despain emphasized how Utah State provides students with connections to the professional acting world as well as the opportunity to work with professional actors.
“It’s just amazing to see all the different career opportunities that there are for me when I graduate and all the different things I can do and places I can go,” Alvey-Despain said.
The company gives the actors professional credit and prepares them for auditioning in the professional community. The company has also progressively gained popularity. The response from
the community has been record-breaking, according to Alvey-Despain.
“This has been one of the highest grossing seasons since the Lyric was founded,” Alvey-Despain said. “We actually sold over 300 tickets for a house [audience] for the first time since 2017.”
Alvey-Despain said the company is committed to offering excellent performances and everyone has shown dedication and passion for the productions this year. The closely-knit community not only helps student careers but founds connection and sanctuary.
Brook Wood is working towards receiving a bachelor’s degree in literature. When they aren’t writing or reading, they enjoy playing the violin in the USU Symphony Orchestra and the occasional sweet treat.
— b.wood@usu.edu
PHOTO BY Brook Wood
Theater attendees get ready for “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde put on by the Lyric Repertory Company.
Utah State Women’s Basketball retools roster ahead of 25-26 season
By Carson Frost STATESMAN REPORTER
Heading into the 2025–26 season, Utah State women’s basketball is undergoing a significant roster revamp under second-year head coach Wesley Brooks. With only three players returning from last season, the Aggies have brought in nine newcomers through transfers, international recruiting and incoming freshmen.
Brooks aims to improve the team’s competitiveness by bringing in an influx of players with NCAA tournament experience, national recognition and high basketball IQ.
“We have landed players that this program has never seen before,” Brooks said. “So now it should translate into more wins. It should translate into a better product on the floor.”
The overhaul began with the addition of three first-year players.
Guards Aitana Rosello Lopez and Paloma Muñoz join the program with competitive backgrounds from Spain’s club circuits. Lopez, 5 feet 9 inches, competed in the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, while the 6-foot-1 Muñoz brings a mix of shooting and rebounding from the forward position. Bella Cosme, a 5-foot-5 guard from Rancho Christian High School in California, joins the 2025 class with a knack for pushing the pace and hitting 3-pointers.
Senior forward Jamisyn Heaton, one of the three returning players, believes the young recruits can make an immediate impact on the court.
“The girls that I met on their visits were amazing,” Heaton said. “I’m just excited, and I can tell that they’re determined and ready to come play at this level.”
Brooks then prioritized experience, adding four Division I transfers, including two who competed in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Marina Asensio is a 5-foot-8 guard from Spain who spent last season at Western Michigan. With an elite step-back jumper and exceptional court vision, Asensio’s talents earned her a spot representing her country at the FIBA 3x3 U21 Nations League. In her junior year, she started every game and averaged 13.6 points and 4.9 assists while shooting nearly 38% from 3-point range. Beginning her collegiate career at South Florida, Asensio was named AllMAC Honorable Mention in 2024.
Another backcourt addition is Aaliyah Gayles, a 5-foot-9 guard who transfers from USC. Once ranked as the No. 8 overall recruit in the country by ESPN, Gayles made headlines as a McDonald’s All-American in 2022 before being seriously injured in a shooting later that year. After recovering, she appeared in 22 games across two seasons with the Trojans and now looks to continue her comeback in Logan.
Joining them is Karyn Sanford, a 6-foot guard who arrives from Tarleton State. Sanford averaged 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds last season and previously played at Albany. Her size and versatility are expected to add depth and flexibility to Utah State’s perimeter rotation.
The Aggies also added local ties with the signing of Macie Brown, a 6-foot forward from the College of Southern Idaho. A Ridgeline High School graduate and daughter of former Utah State player Tony Brown, Macie averaged 4.4 points and 4.0 rebounds last season at CSI. She joins her former high school teammate Elise Livingston, who returns to the Aggies for her sophomore year.
International recruiting has played a prominent role in this year’s class. From Germany, forward Saskia Kruger comes to Utah State after averaging 6.9 points and 5.8 rebounds with ASC Theresianum Mainz in the Bundesliga. Serbia’s Andjela Marojevic, a 5-foot-10 wing, brings additional experience after playing 37 games for ZKK Partizan 1953 Beograd and averaging 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.
“We’re going to have a higher level of talent because we cast a broader net,” Brooks said. “We’re not just looking in the United States.”
Only three players return from last year’s team: Heaton, Livingston and Sophie Sene. With the current roster at 12
players, Brooks noted one scholarship remains open and will likely be used to add another post player before the fall.
Heaton, a former junior college athlete at CSI, is poised to take on a leadership role due to her familiarity with Brooks’ system.
“I don’t feel like I’m in a senior role, but I have been kind of put into more of leadership role being a two-year vet,” Heaton said. “Being here for the last two years is going to be crucial for this team, and so I’m trying to set the bar for the other girls coming in.”
In addition to the roster changes, Utah State’s coaching staff and management have also been restructured.
Jasmine Hotchkins-Parker joins as an assistant after helping San Diego State make its first NCAA tournament since 2012. Michael Teasley was hired as chief of staff, bringing 25 years of experience coaching some of the nation’s top high school players. Quim Gomez, who coached Asensio during her youth development years in Spain, was hired as an international recruiting and player development specialist. His presence reflects the program’s growing emphasis on recruiting talent from overseas.
“We’re in a good spot with our staff,” Brooks said. “Hiring Jas [Hotchkins-Parker] allows us to really tap into West Coast opportunities and connections with EYBL [Elite Youth Basketball League] programs. Mike [Teasley] is a veteran who’s been around for 20 years, and he’s developed over 18 NBA and WNBA players. Quim Gomez is huge with our international piece that we’re going after — a very big-time coach in Spain development.”
The roster rebuild comes at a time when women’s sports are gaining more visibility and support across the country — and on campus.
Carson Frost is a transfer student from Denver studying journalism. His family originally hails from Los Angeles, and he is a passionate fan of the Lakers, Dodgers and Philadelphia Eagles. He loves writing, making music, hitting the gym and taking road trips.
PHOTO COURTESY OF USU Athletics
Head Coach Wesley Brooks instructs his team at an open practice on July 9.
Malory Rau is a senior who has spent her summer tanning, going to concerts and becoming a photoshop pro. Despite loving the Logan summer weather, she could not be more excited for fall semester to start.
— m.rau@usu.edu
