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The National Center for Veterans Studies has received a grant of just over $124,000 from the Bob Woodruff Foundation for its R&R Program.

The grant will allow the center to accept 36 veterans into the innovative, two-week treatment program aimed at reducing severity of PTSD symptoms, suicidal thinking and improving family relationships. The R&R Program, operated in partnership with the National Ability Center in Park City, combines individual cognitive processing therapy and recreational activities for service members and veterans with PTSD. More than 70 percent of veterans who complete the program report significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and more than half can no longer be diagnosed with PTSD. Over half of veterans who begin the program with suicidal thoughts report complete remission of these thoughts when reassessed six months later.

The center’s executive director is Craig J. Bryan, who also is a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the U.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation supports programs that help post-9/11 impacted veterans, service members and their families thrive.

A storyteller and avid fly fisherman, Jeff Metcalf, assistant professor of English, is an enhanced observer of the human condition, who finds himself often in the streams of the American West. Not only rivers run through his new book of essays, his cancer does too. But so do camaraderie, adventures, reveling in nature and outdoor devotions, and the sheer bliss of focused engagement with the fish and the cast. Metcalf’s keenly observed companions are river guides, small-town locals, academics and other city folk, all like him among those who run to the river for solace and joy.

Read more about his book here.

The University of Utah is showing its PRIDE for our LGBTQI community by entering a float into the Pride Festival Parade Sunday, June 3, 2018. Through word of mouth alone, a large number of people have shown interest. We want to continue that momentum and formally ask for more people to participate. Registration is required and spots are limited. A one-of-a-kind shirt has been made for the occasion so sign up early here.

On July 17, 2018, Duo phone call and text message options for two-factor authentication (2FA) will be discontinued. Users need to select another method for Duo 2FA to log in to the majority of university applications after July 17.

The Strategic Information Technology Committee approved this decision for a number of reasons – most importantly, recent industry guidance and practice has indicated that phone calls and text messages are vulnerable and not considered secure methods of authentication. There is also a significant cost associated with providing these authentication methods. The phone call option was intended to be a backup or emergency method for using Duo, yet for many it has become their primary method. The new backup option for Duo authentication will now be completed through the central university help desks (contact information below).

You may choose one of the following options for 2FA, which are used by the majority of campus and U Health users:

Duo mobile app:

• Easiest and fastest method
• Install on a smartphone or tablet (includes Apple, Android, and Windows mobile devices)
• Two options to authenticate:
  1. Mobile push notification (select “approve” or “deny” from your device’s home screen or Duo notification page — no need to type in a code)
  2. Type in a passcode (network connectivity is not required for this option)

Duo hardware token:

• Available for purchase at the University Campus Store and the Health Sciences Store

Visit the 2FA webpage, Duo 2FA overview article, and Duo tutorial video found in Pulse (U Health) or Bridge (campus) for more information. If you have questions, contact the UIT Help Desk (801-581-4000, option 1) or ITS Service Desk (801-587-6000) for assistance.

The University of Utah Veterans Day Committee honors veterans each year based on their honor, courage, commitment and sacrifice during their military service to our nation. Nominations for this year’s ceremony are due by July 31, 2018.

For more information or to nominate a veteran to be honored, go to veteransday.utah.edu or call 801-587-7722.