In Brief

The U invited to join the Association of American Universities

In November 2019, the U accepted an invitation to join the prestigious Association of American Universities, which for more than 100 years has recognized the most outstanding academic institutions in the nation. Alongside the University of California, Santa Cruz and Dartmouth College, the U’s acceptance brings the number of AAU institutions to 65. These were the first invitations since 2012. Members are leading research institutions marked by excellence in academic expertise and research impact, student success and securing resources in support of core missions.

8 stories published in the United States
Reach: 3.6 million

$150 million commitment from Huntsman family will establish mental health institute

The Huntsman family committed $150 million to establish the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah. The institute is expected to become a nationally recognized leader in research, care, education and community outreach—a model for other states to follow. The gift will provide financial support to the U’s Department of Psychiatry and full-service psychiatric hospital, to support mental health services and screenings for the university’s 32,000 students, as well as in rural areas across the state. Additionally, it will support university research aimed at identifying genetic risks and other factors that cause or contribute to mental illness.

242 stories published in the United States
Reach: 614 million

“Art, in all its mediums, engages and relaxes my mind in ways nothing else does. When I’m in the zone and the muses are ‘speaking to me,’ I get completely swept up and immersed in whatever painting, ceramics
or sculpture project I’m working on. One thing I’ve learned from my time at the U, as both a student and an employee, is that if you have a talent for something, you need to follow your dream. If you do, you’ll be happy.”

ANN PENMAN, BFA '96, safety and security supervisor for the UMFA Division of Protection Services and 2004 Presidential Staff Award recipient

In October 2019, MIKE L. GOOD, senior vice president for U Health Sciences, was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Association of Academic Health Centers.

Football head coach KYLE WHITTINGHAM was named as Pac-12 Coach of the Year, senior running back ZACK MOSS was recognized as Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, volleyball head coach BETH LAUNIERE, who celebrated her 30th season in October, was named Region Coach of the Year, and DANI DREWS was named Region Player of the Year.

In October 2019, two pharmacy students, ERICA VANDER MAUSE and JULIAN TU, were among just 40 individuals awarded the $10,000 American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Pre-Doctoral Fellowship for the 2019-20 academic year.

The UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, along with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition and more than 10 campus and community partners received a $300,000 grant in November from the Office on Violence Against Women to develop better coordination of services and comprehensive prevention strategies.

In November 2019, Executive Director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts GRETCHEN DIETRICH was invited to join the inaugural board of directors for Art Bridges, a new foundation dedicated to expanding access to American art across the country.

In December, the Modern Language Association announced that DARIUS BOST, assistant professor of ethnic studies, would receive its 18th annual William Sanders Scarborough Prize.

In August, the U announced its membership with COMMON APP, a nonprofit organization that aids prospective students and their supporters in the college selection process.

The U launched the first issue of The Journal of Dark Sky Studies in August—the only academic publication in the world dedicated to understanding and protecting the night skies.

The U kicked off Homecoming Week with the annual Legacy of Lowell Service Project and concluded with a win against Washington State.

The Department of Philosophy established a new interdisciplinary philosophy of science major in fall 2019 to provide students studying a scientific discipline with knowledge in ethical, analytical and logical reasoning.

The U Farmers Market, managed by the Sustainability Office, celebrated its 12th season this fall.

The U’s newest housing project will be the largest building project in campus history, providing housing for nearly 1,000 residents. Thanks to generous support from three women philanthropists, the complex will be named Kahlert Village and will be home to the Gail Miller Community Engagement Tower, the Patricia W. Child Health and Wellness Tower and the Heather Kahlert STEM Tower.

On Sept. 5, the U celebrated the grand opening of its new Black Cultural Center, a transformative space for research, community building and support services for black members of the U community.

U professor in film and media arts, gender studies and communication SARAH PROJANSKY accepted an offer to serve as associate vice president for faculty effective in August.

Professor MIKE KIRBY, who holds multiple appointments at the U, was named the inaugural executive director of the Utah Informatics Initiative in September.

JASON RAMIREZ began his role as dean of students on Sept. 23.

COREY ROACH, who has served as interim chief information security officer since July, was named permanent CISO in September.

In September, BRYAN HUBAIN was named associate vice president for student development and inclusion.

SHOUT OUT FROM MARK HAMILL

After the U developed a way for the “LUKE arm” (named after the robotic hand that Luke Skywalker got in “The Empire Strikes Back”) to mimic the way a human hand feels objects by sending the appropriate signals to the brain, actor Mark Hamill (who played Luke Skywalker) gave the development a shout-out on Twitter.

The U’s “Star Wars”-inspired prosthetic arm story resulted in 403 news stories in 16 countries with a potential reach of more than 1 billion people

READ FULL STORY

@theU

HEADLINES

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2019

The U invited to join the Association of American Universities

$150 million commitment from Huntsman family will establish mental health institute

U to host 2020 vice presidential debate

MORE HEADLINES

HUMANS OF THE U

PAUL WHITE, associate professor, Department of Psychology

ANN PENMAN, BFA '96, safety and security supervisor for the UMFA Division of Protection Services and 2004 Presidential Staff Award recipient

QUAID HARDING, senior majoring in biology, president of the U Beekeeper’s Association

RANKINGS

AWARDS

HAPPENING ON CAMPUS

OF NOTE

GETTING THE WORD OUT

SHOUT OUT FROM MARK HAMILL

In Brief Archive

Oct. – Dec. 2019

July – Sept. 2019

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

CHRIS NELSON,
DIRECTOR

ANNALISA PURSER,
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

IN BRIEF

HEADLINES

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2019

The U invited to join the Association of American Universities

$150 million commitment from Huntsman family will establish mental health institute

U to host 2020 vice presidential debate

MORE HEADLINES

HUMANS OF THE U

PAUL WHITE, associate professor, Department of Psychology

ANN PENMAN, BFA '96, safety and security supervisor for the UMFA Division of Protection Services and 2004 Presidential Staff Award recipient

QUAID HARDING, senior majoring in biology, president of the U Beekeeper’s Association

RANKINGS

AWARDS

HAPPENING ON CAMPUS

OF NOTE

GETTING THE WORD OUT

SHOUT OUT FROM MARK HAMILL

In Brief Archive

Oct. – Dec. 2019

July – Sept. 2019

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

CHRIS NELSON,DIRECTOR

ANNALISA PURSER,ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

CHRIS NELSON,
DIRECTOR

ANNALISA PURSER,
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR