USU's Smith Acknowledged as Distinguished Alumni by Alma Mater

Utah State University’s Interim Vice President for Statewide Campuses, Laurens “Larry” Smith, has been inducted into Eastern Connecticut State University’s (Eastern) Fellows program. The Eastern Fellows Program is designed to recognize Eastern alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers.

“Eastern appreciates Larry Smith as a loyal alumnus and strong supporter of Eastern, while recognizing his exemplary career as a successful higher education administrator,” said Kenneth DeLisa, Eastern’s vice president of institutional advancement. “Larry’s recent promotion is evidence of his continued achievement and success. As interim vice president of Statewide Campuses for the Utah State University system, Larry now oversees eight regional campuses and more than 30 academic facilities of USU, and is responsible for the effective leadership of all the university’s academic units apart from the flagship location in Logan. Larry Smith is eminently deserving of his selection as an Eastern Fellow, an honor reserved for our most accomplished alumni.”

Smith has served as a scholar, researcher, college professor and longtime senior university administrator. In May 2019, Smith was appointed interim vice president of Statewide Campuses at USU. Smith manages the central Statewide Campuses’ system and works with associate vice presidents who oversees the regions to help them manage student enrollment, operations, budget, personnel and community engagement.

Before his new role, Smith served as interim vice president of Research, and before that he was the interim provost for 19 months. For nearly a decade prior, Smith had been serving as USU’s executive senior vice provost, the second highest-level person carrying a provost title. Smith also served the School of Graduate Studies from 2003-2005 as interim dean.

Smith graduated from Eastern with a bachelor’s in biology in 1977 and earned a master’s in physiology at the University of Kansas in 1979. He earned his doctorate at the University of Maryland. His doctoral work focused on cell membrane physiology. After receiving his doctorate in 1985, Smith held three postdoctoral research positions, one at the UConn Medical Center in Farmington.

In 1989, Smith began his faculty career at Idaho State University (ISU) where he taught human physiology and anatomy, animal physiology, and graduate courses in cell biology and molecular science. He was the founding director of a federally-funded campus Molecular Research Core Facility and became increasingly involved in administrative and leadership roles. After 14 years at ISU, he moved to USU to take on administrative roles.

Smith and his wife, Carol von Dohlen, a biology professor at USU, live in Cove, UT. Smith is an avid fly fisherman, skier and hobby vintner.