Are you or your colleague a university faculty member and engage in work with high potential to benefit the public?
Nominations for the President Societal Impact Scholar Award are now open. Nominations from all colleges and departments are strongly encouraged and self-nominations are welcome.
Presidential Societal Impact Scholars translate their ideas, scholarship, research and creative activities to non-academic audiences outside the university in ways that transform society. These scholars have a positive influence on people and institutions. They help make our world a better, more equitable place—one where all can thrive.
The President Societal Impact Scholar Award is designed to incentivize public engagement and is supported by a gift from Randy Dryer, a professor in the Honors College and S.J. Quinney College of Law. Faculty considered for this prestigious award may be either tenure-track or career-line.
Each receives a $10,000 honorarium and support from the University Marketing & Communications office that includes media training and promotion of their expertise and scholarship in local and national media outlets. They are invited to meet as a group several times a year, are recognized at signature events such as commencement and are invited to attend events as guests of the president of the University of Utah.
If you or a colleague who is a university faculty member meet the following criteria, please submit a nomination by Dec. 1.
Applicants must be full-time tenure or career-line faculty who have worked at the University of Utah for at least three years. Nominations must include examples of works that demonstrate the faculty member’s reach beyond the university and academia, including op-eds, guest columns, media interviews, books, articles, podcasts, videos, public exhibits, performances, artwork and presentations. Submissions should demonstrate how the nominee has enhanced public discourse, influenced public policy, informed or shaped public opinion or otherwise affected individual lives and society.
A committee, which includes the current scholars, will review applications, select finalists and make recommendations to President Randall, who will choose the new cohort. The 2024-25 Presidential Societal Impact Scholars will be announced no later than December 2024.
The current scholars—Kevin Perry, Emily Salisbury, Amberly Johnson, V. Kim Martinez and Baodong Liu—will serve through May 2025 and then continue as members of the permanent scholars network.