University of Utah biology professor Michael Werner explains how his lab found several species of roundworms, known as nematodes, in the reef-like bacteria-built rocks on the bed of the large saline lake. Previously just two multicellular animals were known to inhabit the lake’s waters, brine shrimp and brine flies. Now there is a third, underscoring how much scientists have yet learn about the lake. Nematodes are the most widespread animal on Earth, occupying extreme environments. The U discovery is the most saline environment nematodes are known to inhabit.

Adam Looney, a nationally recognized economist and executive director of the Marriner S. Eccles Institute, and Yung-Yu Ma (Ph.D. '09), chief investment officer for BMO Wealth Management-U.S. dive deep into the market outlook for 2024 and provide insights into navigating the economic complexities of an election year and ongoing global turbulence.

Steven G. Parker has a long list of “firsts” and “bests” in the field of computer science, where he is celebrated as one of the most talented researchers in the world. Today, he is the vice president of professional graphics at NVIDIA, a semiconductor company that makes high-end graphics processors. Parker gave this address in March 2023 at the 50th anniversary of the computer science department at the U, and packed it with lots of tips for students. Parker will receive an honorary degree at the 2024 general commencement.

During the spring and fall semesters, the Hinckley Institute produces and hosts forums featuring local, national, and global activists, lobbyists, thinkers, and political leaders. Past forum guests include major figures, such as Bill Clinton, Dolores Huerta, Mitt Romney, and Thomas Friedman. They are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. The Hinckley Institute does not endorse the views expressed during any Hinckley Forums nor should the opinions expressed during Hinckley Forums be understood to be the views of the Hinckley Institute.

The U's Wilkes Center and S.J. Quinney College of Law co-hosted a climate change panel discussion between Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Mayor Yoshinao Gaun of Matsumoto, Japan. In recognizing the 65th anniversary of successful collaborations between these two sister cities, the mayors discussed ways the cities can share innovations for mitigating and adapting to global climate change.

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah is pleased to host award winning science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson for The Tanner Lecture on Human Values. Robinson will be discussing his exploration of a near-future world facing a global crisis caused by climate change in “The Ministry for the Future.” He has been praised for his ambitious and vivid portrayal of a world struggling to cope with the consequences of their collective actions.

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah will host McGhee for the annual Tanner Lecture on Human Values, Thursday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m., in the S.J. Quinney College of Law Moot Courtroom. In her original lecture, McGhee will address structural racism, the economy and the benefits gained when people come together to practice what McGhee calls The Solidarity Dividend: working together across racial lines to accomplish what they can't do on their own.

What does it mean to do genuinely intersectional research on disability, race, Indigeneity and ethnicity? Five scholars explain their current projects and discuss their intersectional topics and methods in this panel discussion hosted by the Disability Studies Program in the U's School for Cultural and Social Transformation.

Holding colleagues and institutions accountable for inappropriate behavior can be challenging on many levels. “Everyone knows” something inexcusable is going on, but often nothing seems to come of it. Consequences are not communicated and accountability is not upheld. The 2023 Edie Kochenour Memorial Event featured a panel discussion about personal and institutional accountability in these situations. The panel addressed questions such as, What is our responsibility to speak up? What are our rights in terms of transparency to due process? If nobody does anything, are we collectively condoning bad behavior?

Jessica Fanzo is the Bloomberg Distinguished Associate Professor of Global Food and Agriculture Policy and Ethics at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. In this lecture, Fanzo addresses what countries need to do to make a dent in the multiple burdens of malnutrition.

In the past two years of navigating the pandemic, racial injustices and so much more, we’ve all been encouraged to be resilient. What happens when that means giving up too much of ourselves? What if there was something beyond resilience? Our panel will explore strategies to help us build the life we really want to live, drawing from the wisdom of leaders who are working to reimagine resilience and success.