Career of Compassion: USU Southwest AVP Nancy Glomb Reflects on Retirement

NEPHI, Utah — After 21 years at USU and seven years as the inaugural leader of the Southwest Region of USU Statewide Campuses, Nancy Glomb has announced her retirement at the end of June 2025.

A special education teacher educator and researcher, advocate for student success and educational access, and leader of the Utah State University Southwest Region, Glomb leaves behind a legacy of education access, community engagement, and selfless leadership.

“I love Utah State, our land grant mission, and the people of southwest Utah,” Glomb said. “I believe in the power of education, and it’s been my honor to help people who are place-bound access a high-quality, meaningful education through Utah State University. I’ve loved my work, but it’s time for me to take time to do other things while my body is still willing.”

A retirement celebration will for Glomb will be from 5-7 p.m. June 12 at the USU Nephi center (346 E. 600 North.) All members of the community are invited and welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.

“Over the years I have continually been impressed with Nancy’s commitment to students, empathy for others, and strong desire for success of the system,” said James Y. Taylor, vice president for Statewide Campuses. “She is balanced and wise in her approach to problem solving and meeting individuals where they are in order to bring them along. I have seen her work miracles with staff members and students. She will be greatly missed, and she is irreplaceable as a faculty member and administrator. We will miss her deeply, but her impact will be felt for years to come.”

Originally from New Jersey, Glomb came upon her passion for special education unexpectedly. In high school, Glomb had the dream of studying art and acting.

However, in the summer between her junior and senior years, she helped a family friend in his summer school class. This man was a special education teacher at a private school and taught students who would now be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

At the end of her first day there, she knew she had found her calling.

“I loved working with those kids, and although I did not realize it at the time, I had found my passion,” she said. “At the time, educational access wasn’t guaranteed for students with special needs and I decided to pursue a degree that would allow me to advocate for these kids.”

Helping others access education has been a driving force for Glomb. After pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York- Binghamton, Glomb found her way to Southern Utah, as a special education preschool teacher at the Early Intervention Center at Southern Utah University in 1980. As part of this role, Glomb spent time visiting a number of communities in the Southwest, where she worked with families and children with disabilities.

In 1985 Glomb began pursuing a master’s degree in special education from USU and worked as a graduate assistant for the university, helping to teach undergraduate classes. She was also involved in groundbreaking remote special education consultations that used microwave connections between the USU main campus faculty in Logan and classrooms in southwest Utah.

Glomb loved the idea of helping develop teachers with the skills and knowledge to help students with disabilities learn and gain access to meaningful education. After graduating in 1989 with her master’s degree, and while completing her doctorate degree in Special Education, she became an assistant professor at SUU in 1990.

After earning her doctorate degree from USU in 1992, Glomb taught for 10 years at universities in Arizona and Virginia before having an opportunity to return to Utah State in 2004. She joined the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation as an assistant professor and director of the distance education degree and licensure program.

“Nancy was a highly productive and valued member of our faculty for many years,” said Thomas Higbee, professor and department head of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling. “As a lifelong special educator, she brought real-world credibility to her classes and inspired her students to dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. She was a pioneer in distance education and helped spread our special education teacher certification programs throughout the state of Utah.

“Even after transitioning into a full-time administrative role with USU Statewide, she continued to support our department by chairing promotion and tenure committees for junior faculty in our department. Her dedication to preparing the next generation of special education teachers and faculty is very impressive. While we will miss her valuable contributions to our department, we wish her well in this next stage of her journey.”

In 2015, Glomb was encouraged to apply for a position working for Regional Campuses (now Statewide Campuses). The only “drawback” was it would require her to move to southwest Utah. According to Glomb, this was no drawback at all. She jumped at the opportunity and was hired as the Associate Dean for the Southwest Region. In 2018, former USU President Noelle Cockett announced that the Southwest Region would become its own independent region, with Glomb as its inaugural associate vice president. Glomb has relished every second of the position and loves serving the communities in southwestern Utah.

“I love this job as much as I loved being a special education teacher and teacher educator,” she said. “I help people access an education — people who can’t just stop the world and go to a brick and mortar university for four years. My career has always been about that — helping children, youth and adults access a meaningful education and realizing the power of that education.”

Entering retirement, Glomb looks forward to spending more time with her family and friends, as well as doing all the things she can that involve animals, being in nature, and being on water.

With locations in Beaver, Bicknell, Cedar City, Delta, Ephraim, Junction, Kanab, Nephi, Panguitch, Richfield, and St. George, Utah State University provides higher education access to rural communities via USU Southwest. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees and technical education opportunities, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at southwest.usu.edu.