The U was fortunate to have many distinguished speakers and visitors on campus in 2016: From retired U.S. Navy captain, astronaut and engineer Mark Kelly’s visit to the Natural History Museum of Utah in February; to foreign policy expert and work-life balance thought leader Anne-Marie Slaughter speaking at commencement in May; to the Dalai Lama’s talk on compassion and universal responsibility in June.

This year we said fond farewells and enthusiastic greetings to iconic campus buildings and the future they represent.

Click here to read more about the buildings we said “hello” to and to the ones we’ve said “goodbye.”

As usual the U was the leader in discoveries and discussions on many research topics in 2016.

We started the year off with Vice President Joe Biden visiting the Huntsman Cancer Institute to discuss ways to share “big data” across disciplines, hospital systems and state borders in his quest to defeat cancer.

Click here to see other important research done at the U.

Seven former University of Utah student-athletes competed in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, held Aug. 5-21, 2016. The Utes also had one alternate and one coach at the games.

Read the full story here.

The U created a new school to provide an intellectual foundation for understanding and addressing some of the most pressing issues surrounding race and gender in American society.

That goal is reflected in its name: School for Cultural and Social Transformation—the first school in the Intermountain West to make the intersection of race, gender and social justice its focus.

Go here to read the full story.

In 2014, the University of Utah Asia Campus opened its doors in Incheon, South Korea to students looking for a global and culturally diverse education. On Aug. 22, 2016, the U welcomed the first group of students to Salt Lake City to complete their degrees.

The full story can be found here.

In May 2016, in front of national television cameras, 44-year old University of Utah chemistry professor Janis Louie, with two degrees and three children behind her, stared down the toughest obstacle course she’d faced yet: “American Ninja Warrior.”

Click here to read the full story.