Utah State University President Stan Albrecht, who is retiring this year, poses for a portrait outside of the Old Main building at USU in Logan on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.

LOGAN Stan Albrecht’s journey from growing up as a ranch kid in Fremont, Utah, to the conclusion of an 11-year presidency at Utah State University is the kind that few have experienced.

That influence is part of the vision for land grant institutions to meet the needs of the state, a vision that began with 19th century federal legislation that has expanded under Albrecht’s leadership further beyond USU’s trademark agricultural focus.

“He defined the land grant in what I think is the true meaning of the land grant, which is we are the state’s institution of higher learning.

While USU’s regional campus presence has more than doubled during Albrecht’s tenure, the land grant mission also drives growth in local research.