Dear Aggie Family, a Letter from USU's Newly-Appointed Provost

Thank you for giving me such a warm welcome to Utah State University. I am delighted to be here and look forward to working with everyone in the Aggie family. 

My recent arrival reaffirmed my initial impression of the beautiful campus where I am proud to be included among the faculty shaping the future of the university. Academic initiatives and pioneering new research at USU are giving way toward the next phase of the university’s storied history, and, as the students began arriving on campus over the past few weeks, I know they are coming to a place of continued excellence thanks to the foundation set forth by this faculty. 

It is a privilege for me to have been given a leadership role in the academic enterprise at Utah State University, and I am looking forward to becoming better acquainted with my many faculty colleagues, the exceptionally distinguished and capable deans and my fellow administrators. Attending the annual department heads meeting earlier this month allowed me to gain a sense of camaraderie and really immerse myself in the USU culture. 

As executive vice president and provost, I am honored to be working alongside USU President Noelle Cockett. I look forward to the coming year and hope to create an effective partnership that continues to advance USU in its academic mission. 

As a native of Wyoming, and having attended Colorado State University for most of my formal education, coming to northern Utah seems to complete the circle. My wife Donna and I, are looking forward to exploring Cache Valley and the surrounding areas. We look forward to making new friends and many great memories during our time at USU.

Thank you,

Francis D. Galey
Executive Vice President and Provost
Utah State University

ABOUT FRANCIS D. GALEY

Francis D. Galey has served as a veterinarian, researcher, author, teacher and administrator over the past 34 years having most recently served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming.

Galey, who is second in command and the university’s chief academic officer, said his many years of working at land-grant institutions, including 17 years as dean, and his oversight of the University of Wyoming Extension and Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station, has prepared him well for the job. 

More than 22 pages of biographical accomplishments demonstrate Galey’s personal penchant for goal-setting, including serving as director of the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, and teaching and administrative posts at both the University of California at Davis and the University of Illinois. He has been teaching since 1988, received a dozen honors, has refereed 72 publications, produced 27 non-refereed publications and books, authored or contributed to 17 books, presented 129 papers and has led 11 major research projects during his career.

Galey, born in Big Horn, Wyoming, earned a bachelor’s in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University in 1981, and a doctor of veterinary medicine at CSU two years later. He earned a doctorate in veterinary biosciences from the University of Illinois in 1988. 

He is married to Donna Brown. They brought with them their two cats. Their four adult children, however, remain in the Laramie and Denver areas for school and work.