The Honors College at the University of Utah is proud to welcome the newest cohort of George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Distinguished Scholars—20 exceptionally talented students selected for their academic excellence, leadership potential, and dedication to learning in community.

We are truly grateful for the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation’s continued commitment to the promising undergraduate students selected for this esteemed program. The comprehensive scholarship reflects the Foundation’s enduring belief in the power of education to transform lives and communities.

What is an Eccles Distinguished Scholar?

Eccles Scholars are among the most accomplished and promising students in the Honors College. Each year, a cohort of 20 students is selected through a competitive process that considers academic achievement, leadership, integrity, and the desire to engage with complex ideas in a supportive, diverse learning community.

Together, Eccles Scholars live and learn as a cohort throughout their undergraduate experience. They come from a wide range of majors and represent the best of what Utah students have to offer.

These students consistently outperform their peers academically. Eccles Scholars boast an average GPA of 3.84, surpassing even the already-high average GPA of other Honors College students (3.72), which itself exceeds the University of Utah average (3.41) and the U.S. undergraduate average (3.15).

But their achievements extend far beyond the classroom. Approximately 70% of surveyed Eccles Scholars report having held leadership roles on or off campus, and 23% are first- generation college students—proving that excellence comes in many forms, and often from students who are blazing new trails.

A transformative program, a life-changing award

First launched in 2011, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Distinguished Scholar Award was designed to keep Utah’s top students in-state by offering them a world-class education with unmatched financial and intellectual support. More than 300 students have been named Eccles Scholars to date.

The award covers full tuition, housing, and related costs—removing financial barriers and allowing students to focus entirely on their academic and personal growth. The program’s curriculum challenges students to think critically about their own beliefs, values, and the world around them. Weekly seminars focus on leadership, ethics, critical thinking, and civic responsibility. As described by former Eccles Scholar advisor Jack Newell, the program teaches students to consider “what you believe, why you believe what you believe, and how those beliefs shape the life you will live, the good you can do, and the world you will help to create.”

Rooted in ethics, dialogue, and public responsibility, the Eccles program prepares students “to lead lives of purpose and consequence”—and equips them to meet the most pressing challenges of our time with a well-informed conscience and a commitment to the common good. Students and alumni speak powerfully about how the program has helped them transition to college, find community, challenged them to grow, and honed their skills for respectful dialogue in a supportive environment of diverse views.

About the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

For over four decades, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation has been one of the University of Utah’s most generous and consistent supporters—not only of the Eccles Distinguished Scholar Award, but of numerous programs, projects, and facilities across campus and throughout the state of Utah.

The Foundation’s mission is clear: “to support projects and programs that have the potential to make a significant difference in bettering Utah’s communities and enriching the quality of life of its citizens.” Their investment in the Honors College—especially in the bright, curious, and engaged students who make up the Eccles cohorts—is a direct expression of that mission in action.

Learn more about the Foundation and its philanthropic work at gsecclesfoundation.org.

Celebrating our 2025 Eccles Distinguished Scholars

Please join us in congratulating the 2025 cohort of Eccles Scholars. These students represent the future of innovation, leadership, and engaged learning at the University of Utah. These especially promising students arrive from high schools across the state, bringing with them a remarkable range of experiences, talents, and goals. We look forward to all they will contribute to the Honors College—and to the world.