The University of Utah has officially submitted its 2026 reclassification application for the Carnegie Foundation Elective Classification for Community Engagement—a significant milestone representing over a year of collaborative work across campus. This achievement reflects the university’s deep and ongoing commitment to public engagement, mutually beneficial community partnerships and advancing societal impact across teaching, research and service.
The application process was guided by a cross-campus task force of staff, faculty and administrators who generously offered their time, expertise and insights. Their collective contributions helped ensure that the narrative and evidence included in the application reflected the breadth, depth and impact of community engagement across the U.
This celebration continued on April 9 with the Community Engagement Showcase, sponsored by Mitzi Montoya, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, and Bob Carter, senior vice president for Health Sciences and CEO of University of Utah Health. Held in the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex, the showcase brought together community-engaged scholars, partners and supporters to highlight impactful university-community partnerships.
The event featured lightning presentations from nine finalist teams whose work exemplifies reciprocal, asset-based partnerships. Each finalist delivered a five-minute presentation underscoring the value of collaboration and community impact. Awards totaling $11,000 were distributed to support the continuation of these transformative projects.
Award Recipients:
$4,000
Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation Archive Project
A collaborative effort to preserve, digitize and make accessible the historical records and cultural materials of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation.
$3,000
Guidelines for Conducting Research on Homelessness in Partnership with Lived Experts
This project develops and disseminates best practices for engaging individuals with lived experience of homelessness as co-researchers and partners.
West Side Community Review Board
A model of shared governance and community input, this board works in partnership with the U to shape research agendas relevant to west-side Salt Lake communities.
$1,000
Meeting Students Where They Are—Literally: An Innovative School-Based Health Collaborative with Salt Lake City School District
An initiative bringing health care directly into schools to support student well-being and academic success through an accessible and integrated model.
The showcase and the successful submission of the reclassification application both exemplify the University of Utah’s strategic priority to foster transformative community partnerships and institutional accountability. As we await the 2026 Carnegie classification results, we celebrate the work already underway—and the people who make it possible.
Sincere gratitude to each member of the Carnegie Community Engagement Taskforce:
- Jim Agutter, senior associate dean, faculty/innovation, co-chair
- Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, associate vice president, Health Sciences Education, co-chair
- Megan Medina, director, Community Engaged Learning, Undergraduate Studies
- Danielle Susi-Dittmore, assistant dean, College Access & Community Engagement, Undergraduate Studies
- Randy Dryer, associate dean, S.J. Quinney College of Law
- Jennifer Mayer-Glen, director, University Neighborhood Partners
- Miguel Trujillo, associate director, Community Engaged Scholarship & Evaluation, University Neighborhood Partners
- Bryce Williams, associate director, Student Engagement & Outreach, Bennion Center
- Paul Estabrooks, associate dean, Community Engagement, College of Health
- BobbiJo Kanter, director, Bennion Center
- Rylee Curtis, senior director, Community Collaboration, U of U Health
- Morgan Lyon Cotti, associate director, Hinckley Institute of Politics
- Mercedes Ward, associate director, Research Development
- Kim Clark, director, Office of the AVP for Health Sciences Education
- Sierra Canela, director, Student Governance & Leadership