By virtually every measure, the University of Utah is on the rise. What makes this such a great university? It’s the people—students, faculty, researchers, staff and community stakeholders— who are engaged in carrying out the mission of the University of Utah.

President Ruth Watkins is bringing the incredible people, research and impact of the U into the spotlight in the new “U Rising” podcast, launched on Feb. 7, 2020. You can find episodes on the “Get to Know the President” page on president.utah.edu, on attheu.utah.edu and also on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and other podcast streaming services.

“U Rising offers” unique access to people at the University of Utah and also supplements other information channels used to keep campus members and community stakeholders apprised of university news. The anytime, anywhere accessibility of a podcast made it an ideal medium for the president to use, particularly to reach students.

The first episode featured an interview with Jason Perry, vice president for government relations and director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics. Perry provided insights about the 2020 legislative process and experiences of students serving Hinckley internships in Utah and throughout the world.

The president’s second guest was Marlon Lynch, the U’s new chief safety officer, who shared his priorities and plans for engaging with students, our campus and the broader community.

Upcoming guests include Chris Linder, special assistant to the president for interpersonal violence prevention and education, and Juliette Tennert, director of Economic and Public Policy Research for the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.

Watkins also plans to engage with other higher education leaders on U Rising to give listeners a fresh take on top issues and innovations occurring in Utah and across the country.

Need more information about the U Rising podcast? Contact Brooke Adams at brooke.adams@utah.edu.