News About the U A World of Data to Help Your Plans to Go Skiing - New York Times - 3/11/08 After a weekend of unusually wet snow, Jim Steenburgh stood atop Alta’s Sugarloaf Pass, surveying the mostly blue sky. Clouds were forming to the south, moving in over Sundance. But no, Dr. Steenburgh predicted, the weather would not come this way. Real Life CSI Is Hair - TIME - 3/07/08 Analysis of hair has always been a good way of telling what's going on in the body that grew it, but now it's being used more creatively than ever by forensic scientists, such as James Ehleringer and Thure Cerling, two University of Utah professors. Ehleringer, a biologist, and Cerling, who studies geology, geophysics and biology, co-founded Isoforensics, Inc. three years ago. Their company uses stable isotope analysis of forensic substances to find slight variations in chemical elements' various isotopes. (Isotopes are forms of the same chemical element with different atomic weights.) Cell Phones Prolong Your Commute - TIME - 01/07/08 Drivers on cell phones, even on hands-free devices, travel more slowly than other drivers, are less likely to pass sluggish vehicles and ultimately take longer to complete their commute — researchers estimate that such distracted drivers lengthen the average car commute by about 5% to 10%. That amounts to only a few extra minutes a day, but those minutes add up. Say your hour-long commute were cut by 10% a day — or 6 mins. — in each direction; the savings would translate to an entire weekend of free time a year. An additional 30 to 50 hours of yearly commuting time per person costs society broadly too — in fuel consumption, poorer air quality, and lost productivity at work. "When you take all the delays and aggregate them on a national level it is a staggering cost," says Peter Martin, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the University of Utah Traffic Lab. Marital Spats, Taken to Heart - New York Times - 10/02/07 Recent studies show that how often couples fight or what they fight about usually doesn’t matter. Instead, it’s the nuanced interactions between men and women, and how they react to and resolve conflict, that appear to make a meaningful difference in the health of the marriage and the health of the couple.

Recent News Releases

Releases from the last 45 days (Mar 29th, '08 to May 13th, '08)...

May 9, 2008

Linda Dunn Named New Director of U's Bennion Center
Linda Poulson Dunn, vice president of Dunn Communications and recent executive director of Utah Campus Compact, has been named director of the University of Utah's Lowell Bennion Community Service Center. She succeeds Marshall Welch, who served as the program's director since 2001. Dunn will assume the position on May 12.
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May 8, 2008

University of Utah’s Alumni Association Announces Eight New Board Members

The University of Utah Alumni Association welcomed eight new board members during its annual meeting Wednesday night. The Association also named a new board president, Michele Mattsson, and vice president, Rex Thornton.

May 8, 2008

University of Utah Announces Appointments to American Indian Programs

The University of Utah announced today the appointment of  Nola Lodge as the director of American Indian Teacher Education (AITE) in the College of Education and Lena Judee as the coordinator for American Indian students in the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs (CESA).

May 7, 2008

The Future of Coal in a Carbon-Constrained World
Headlines abound that challenge countries, companies and even individuals to reduce their carbon footprint - while at the same time, ever more electricity-hungry equipment, gadgets and appliances are touted to make life easier and more efficient.
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May 6, 2008

U of U Invites Nominations for Annual Veterans Day Commemoration Program

The University of Utah will host its eleventh annual Veterans Day Commemoration Program on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 to honor Utah veterans who have served our country in the military. Again this year, the U is inviting nominations for honorees residing in Utah.

May 5, 2008

Moran Eye Center Researchers Identify Gene Linked to Risk of Severe Diabetic Eye and Kidney Diseases
Researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah and collaborative institutions have identified a gene called erythropoietin (EPO) that contributes to increased risk of severe diabetic eye and kidney diseases, called retinopathy and nephropathy.
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May 5, 2008

Ed Catmull, Head of Pixar and U Alum, to Lead U’s Engineering Advisors
Edwin C. Catmull, Ph.D., President Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, is the new chair of the University of Utah Engineering National Advisory Council. Catmull is a founding member of the Council which was established in 2001 to support and guide the strategic direction of the college.
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May 2, 2008

U Graduates More Than 7,300 Students
This morning, the University of Utah graduated 7,332 students from 73 countries, 50 U.S. states and 26 of Utah's 29 counties. University President Michael K. Young officiated at the commencement ceremony, held in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
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May 2, 2008

2008 Rosenblatt Prize Awarded to Historian and Director of Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center

Robert A. Goldberg, professor of history and director of the Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah, was honored at today's University commencement ceremonies with the Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, the U's most prestigious award. The $40,000 gift is presented annually to a faculty member who displays excellence in teaching, research and administrative efforts.

May 2, 2008

Commencement Remarks from Student Speaker Luciano Pesci

The privilege to stand before this entire graduating class as Valedictorian is an immense one. With such an opportunity comes an equally immense responsibility or obligation. And it is these two conditions, privilege and obligation, which I desire to speak about today.

April 30, 2008

Medal of Honor Recipient to Receive Diploma

Medal of Honor Recipient Colonel Bernard Francis Fisher, retired USAF, will receive his diploma from the University of Utah 57 years after attending classes at the U as a student. Colonel Fisher was not able to complete his undergraduate degree before receiving his Air Force commission and entering active duty Air Force into the Aviation Program.

April 30, 2008

Job Market Welcomes Class of 2008

Although the national economy has hit some speed bumps, this year's graduates should still find that they are eagerly awaited in the labor market. This is the healthiest job market in three years, according to many of the employers who are recruiting members of the class of 2008.

April 29, 2008

U Ranks 8th in the Nation for Green Power on Campus
The University of Utah's annual purchase of green power places the school among the top 10 in the nation under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's College & University Green Power Challenge. The university's annual voluntary purchase of 36,666,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind power has the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of more than 5,000 vehicles. The school has been in the top 10 for the past three years.
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April 28, 2008

U of U Service-Learning Scholars to be Honored for 10,320 Hours of Community Service
Twenty-three University of Utah students who completed 400 hours of community service each will be honored at the U's commencement ceremonies on May 2, at 9 a.m., in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
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April 28, 2008

U Student Awarded Fulbright Scholarship
Lynnette Averill, a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah studying counseling psychology, will take her work to Melbourne, Australia for a year beginning this fall, funded as a Fulbright Scholar.
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April 24, 2008

U of U Commencement on May 2 to Graduate More Than 7,300
Commencement ceremonies at the University of Utah will be held on Friday, May 2, at 9 a.m. in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The class of 2008, comprised of 7,331 graduates, will receive degrees that morning. The procession of diverse students, who come from 73 countries, 50 U.S. states and 26 of Utah's 29 counties, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Guests should plan to be in their seats prior to 8:30 a.m. Tickets are not required.
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April 18, 2008

Cinema from Video Games, April 23

Video games aren't just for play anymore. On Wednesday, April 23, University of Utah students will screen short animated films they made using video games - a technique known as "machinima," or machine cinema.

April 18, 2008

Neighborhood House Children Enjoy Musical “Spell-a-bration” with University of Utah Students
Music, laughter, and smiles await the public at a free "Spell-a-bration" performance on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the University of Utah Fine Arts Auditorium.  LEAP students at the University of Utah are working with Salt Lake City's Neighborhood House to host an event that mixes music, dance, painting, photography, and video.
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April 17, 2008

Two Environmental Initiatives to be Announced on Earth Day
Utah's environment will be the beneficiary of two major university events this coming Earth Day. University of Utah President Michael K. Young will cut the ribbon on the campus's new cogeneration heat and electricity system and, just minutes later, he will sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. The dual ceremony will be held outside the university's High Temperature Water Plant on Tues., April 22 beginning at 11:00 a.m.
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April 17, 2008

Alone in the Ivory Tower
A new study from the University of Utah shows that women in academia have fewer children compared to other professional women -- primarily because it takes longer to achieve the job security of tenure -- and concludes that gender equality in the "ivory tower" has come at a cost.
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April 16, 2008

A Nano-Imaging Open House
The University of Utah will hold an open house on Thursday, April 24 to explain and demonstrate two new state-of-the-art electron microscopes that local industries may use for a fee.
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April 15, 2008

Robot Chariots of Fire
Robots will race chariots and carry eggs, and students will display a spy plane, a moon buggy and other projects as the University of Utah's Department of Mechanical Engineering holds its 11^th annual Design Day this Thursday, April 17.
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April 15, 2008

Arctic gives Insight to Climate Change at Polar Palooza
Scientists—explorers as well as Arctic residents—will share personal stories of life, research, and adventure in the polar regions during two events sponsored by the Utah Museum of Natural History. Their stories are supported by a 2-3,000 year old ice core, high-definition documentary video, graphics, animation, original artifacts, research tools, and equipment.
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April 15, 2008

Getting Wired for Terahertz
University of Utah engineers took an early step toward building superfast computers that run on far-infrared light instead of electricity: They made the equivalent of wires that carried and bent this form of light, also known as terahertz radiation, which is the last unexploited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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April 14, 2008

Careers in Aging Week
The University of Utah, along with 100 universities across the nation, will participate in the seventh annual "Careers in Aging Week," April 8-14. The event is organized to introduce the wide-ranging career opportunities that exist in aging and aging research and to create awareness of the programs that offer educational and research opportunities in aging at the University of Utah.
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April 14, 2008

Art Graduates Exhibit Work at Senior Show

The graduating senior students from the department of art and art history at the University of Utah will present their work at the 2008 BFA show, to run May 2-May 31. The exhibition will take place at the Contemporary Design and Art Gallery, 127 South Main St., downtown Salt Lake City. A reception celebrating the exhibit's opening will be held Friday, May 2, from 6-10 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

April 11, 2008

University of Utah to Perform Regional Premiere of Award-Winning Treasure

The University of Utah's Department of Theatre will produce faculty playwright Tim Slover's award-winning historical drama, Treasure, April 17-20. The play was awarded the 2006 Christopher Brian Wolk Award for Excellence in Playwriting, a unanimous selection from among 700 entries. In connection with winning the award, Treasure was given a staged reading at the Off-Broadway Abingdon Theatre. Treasure also won the Fulton Opera House's award for Best Play of 2004.

April 10, 2008

University Of Utah Singers Perform Monteverdi’s “Vespers” and More
The University of Utah Singers will complete their spring season with three choral concerts, showcasing the wide range of musical scope and ability of the talented troupe. The April Choral Concerts, featuring the University of Utah Singers and the A Cappella Choir, are directed by professor and conductor Brady Allred and will take place April 12, 25 and 26. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Libby Gardner Concert hall at the University of Utah. Tickets are $3 for students, $7 for adults.
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April 10, 2008

Bear Hugs for Babies
Researchers say that a person needs four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and 12 for growth. This week, University of Utah students, faculty, and staff join with the community in providing hugs for Utah children in this year's Bear Hugs for Babies project, March 31 - April 18.
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April 9, 2008

University of Utah Celebrates Rededication of the American Indian Resource Center
An open house celebration and ceremony to rededicate the University of Utah American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 11, 2008 at the center, 1925 E. DeTrobriand Street in Fort Douglas.
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April 9, 2008

Human Rights: The Struggle for Iran

"If the 21^st century wishes to free itself from the cycle of violence, acts of terror and war, and avoid repetition of the experience of the 20^th century… there is no other way except by understanding and putting into practice every human right for all mankind," remarked Dr. Shirin Ebadi in her 2003 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.

April 8, 2008

Fledgling Program Fully Endowed

"In science, the crucial balance is between seeing things whole and seeing them in part," wrote Nobel Laureate John Polyani. "These linkages are the stuff of science. But in the process of delving for hidden patterns, the larger pattern called a forest can be lost to view. Then the strength of science, which lies in its sharp but narrow focus, becomes its weakness."

April 2, 2008

Models Look Good when Predicting Climate Change
The accuracy of computer models that predict climate change over the coming decades has been the subject of debate among politicians, environmentalists, and even scientists. A new study by meteorologists at the University of Utah shows that current climate models are quite accurate and can be valuable tools for those seeking solutions on reversing global warming trends.  Most of these models project a global warming trend that amounts to about 7 degrees Fahrenheit over the next 100 years.
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April 1, 2008

What is Good Work?
 Most Americans learn at a young age that they live in a performance-based society. From the first gold star, to the first letter grade in school, "good work" has been equated more with meeting standards than making connections.
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March 31, 2008

Did Dr. King Die in Vain?
April 4 marks the 40^th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death.  To commemorate his impact on life in America now and in the future, the University of Utah law school is bringing together a diverse group of authorities to examine provocative questions about race, education, housing and security in light of current American legal issues.  The program will feature Julian Bond, National Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Avery Friedman, civil rights attorney and CNN National Correspondent; and Col. Morris Davis, the former chief military prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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March 31, 2008

ALLIES ACT OUT

Allies of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer movement will be celebrated at this year's annual Awareness Campaign at the University of Utah. "ACT OUT," the theme of this year's Ally Week, will run March 31 through April 4. All events are free and open to the public.

News Archives