Noelle Cockett: at the helm of Utah's land-grant university.

• Author: Goodsell, Brittny
• Position: Around Utah: Spotlight

The night Noelle Cockett became the first female president of Utah State University, someone asked her what it felt like. Cockett says she wasn't thinking that clearly at the time but later realized she correctly answered the question. "It's not so much that I'm the female president of USU--the specialness is that I'm the first."

There's no doubt that she's different than former USU presidents.

"But I don't know if that's because I'm a female or because I'm Noelle," she says.

Cockett says she talks quite a bit. She listens to how people feel. It's common for her to compliment someone on their haircut or tell them she likes their shoes. "I will do that to anybody. So maybe I'm a little easier to approach. I like to think that students find me easy to talk to. But again: is that because I'm Noelle or because I'm female? Don't know."

Overall, she wants young females to realize they can reach for what they want--and that it can happen.

Cockett started at USU 26 years ago as an assistant professor. As her academic experience grew past professorship, she held positions such as the interim dean for the School of Graduate Studies and the executive vice president. In January, she replaced former president Stan Albrecht, who spent 12 years at the helm.

"It's an incredible honor for me. People said, 'Did you always see yourself as a president?' Heck no," she says with a laugh.

Cockett says it was like she experienced the stages of grief--denial, anger, acceptance--when she heard Albrecht was stepping down. That's because Cockett and Albrecht spent many years working together.

"Stan has always been there, whether he was a dean while I was an intern dean, or I served as dean when he was provost. So it was a freak-out. What are we going to do?"

When the job opened up, people suggested she apply. Cockett's initially reacted by saying she...