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At the conclusion of its partnership with the University of Utah, Coca-Cola would like to express appreciation to faculty and staff by offering free T-shirts at the Student Union front desk. Beginning June 26, these limited-edition shirts will be available for any student, faculty or staff member who can present a valid UCard.

Shirts are limited to one per person. Department admins may request shirts for pick-up or delivery. Available as long as supplies last. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind Coca-Cola – University of Utah souvenir.

The University of Utah will begin sponsoring men’s lacrosse as an NCAA sport starting in 2018-19, Utah director of athletics Chris Hill announced today. The University of Utah Board of Trustees approved the decision. The men’s lacrosse team will continue to compete as a club sport in 2017-18.

Men’s lacrosse is the U.’s first completely new NCAA sport since women’s soccer was added back in 1995. The Utes began fielding a beach volleyball team this past spring, drawing its members and coaches from the existing volleyball program. With the addition of men’s lacrosse, Utah will support 20 total NCAA sports—eight men’s and 12 women’s.

“A lot of research and effort went into our decision to add men’s lacrosse,” said Hill. “With several great club sports expressing an interest in achieving NCAA status, a working committee was formed to determine the parameters for adding a new sport. Among the factors considered were the potential impact on our other teams, financial self sustainability, compliance with Title IX and popularity in our community. Men’s lacrosse met those criteria. It is the first endowed program for University of Utah athletics. Nowadays, adding sports at the college level almost always requires an endowment, which resonated with the University-appointed committee.”

The program was endowed through a $15.6 million gift funded by an anonymous lead donor and other benefactors he enlisted. No state or university funds will be used to support the program.

Read the full story here.

The Global Change and Sustainability Center has expanded to include a partnership with two new centers; the University Water Center and the Center for Ecological Planning and Design. These centers bring scholars together around specific research themes to facilitate interdisciplinary strategies and solutions for local and global challenges.

The Center for Ecological Planning and Design at the University of Utah is the fusion of the existing Ecological Planning Center (EPC) and the Integrated Technology in Architecture Center (ITAC), both in the College of Architecture and Planning, and an expansion into the interdisciplinary territory of the GCSC. The new CEPD focuses on research on the built environment and communities by interweaving research and practice in human, biophysical, and built systems – people, place, and design.

The University Water Center combines the research trajectory of the USAID-funded U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW) and the NSF-funded iUTAH project, forming a catalyzing hub for water research and associated activities at the University.

The GCSC has played a pivotal role in the creation of these two centers, helping connect expertise and interest from disparate departments across campus and offer infrastructure that supports the formation of these two new centers.

The GCSC and these two new centers are inclusive, interdisciplinary hubs for research and all faculty engaged in related work are invited to participate.  For more information contact: Steve Burian, Director of the Water Center, and Sarah Hinners, Director of the Center for Ecological Planning and Design.

Anne Lair, associate professor and lecturer of French in World Languages & Cultures in the College of Humanities’ Second Language Teaching and Resource Center, has been recognized as Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Knight in the Order of Academic Palms) by the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of France. The Order of Academic Palms is a national order and medal originally created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808 to recognize outstanding members of the University of Paris. In its modern form, the award is granted to individuals making extraordinary achievements in the realms of French education and culture.

More information here.

Advertising awards are a recognition of and honor creativity. University of Utah Marketing and Communication has piled up such recognition for their outstanding video work. This year, UMC received nine trophies from the Telly Awards. The Telly’s are a national recognition “honoring the best in TV and Cable, Digital and Streaming, and Non-Broadcast productions.”

UMC won awards two statues for the “Fly” video for the Office of the President and statues for “MLK Week for the Office of Equity and Diversity, “9 to 5” for Parks and Recreation, “Kara Scholarship” for the Office of Institutional Advancement, “Planets & Pedagogy” for the Honors College, “Recreational Therapy” for Parks and Recreation, “Red Butte Creek” for the Office of Sustainability and “That’s not consent,” for ASUU. “We are proud of the work we have been able to produce this year. It certainly helps that we such a wealth of great stories to tell here on campus,” said Jeff Bagley, chief creative officer for UMC.

Thomas L. Guinney, a founding partner of Gastronomy Inc., donated a one-of-a-kind 1908 Steinway & Sons piano to the University of Utah. The piano has been beautifully restored and features carved, figured mahogany and a custom front piece, legs and strut bar.

The piano will be housed at the Thomas S. Monson Center, which serves as an embassy for the university in downtown Salt Lake City and as a community gathering place. The center, home to the U’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, provides a world-class venue for both university and private functions.

Guinney joined forces in 1980 with John Wiliams and Tom Sieg, who had opened The New Yorker restaurant two years earlier. The trio formed Gastronomy Inc., which in addition to The New Yorker, operated Market Street Grill and Oyster Bar (with locations downtown, in Cottonwood and in South Jordan) and Market Street Broiler (sold in 2014).

Utah junior pitcher and outfielder Andre Jackson was drafted in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft on Wednesday as the 370th overall pick to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Utah’s four total draft selections – joining Riley Ottesen, Jayson Rose and Dallas Carroll, who were chosen on the second day of the draft – ties for the most the Utes have had in a draft.

Jackson redshirted the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the offseason. He has played in 78 career games as a two-way player for the Utes with 55 career starts, making 12 career appearances on the mound. In 2016, he pitched in 11 games in relief with a 6.41 ERA, throwing 19 2/3 total innings with 22 strikeouts.

Jackson has also hit .236 for the Utes in his career with 10 doubles and 25 RBI.

It is the second time that Jackson has been drafted. He was a 32nd round selection by the Texas Rangers coming out of high school.

Also drafted was Utah signee Brett Brocoff out of Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was selected in the 28th round to the Atlanta Braves, the 830th overall pick.

Players have until July 15 to decide whether to sign with Major League Baseball or proceed with their collegiate careers

Read more here.

Want money? We are recruiting participants (students or otherwise) for a study being conducted in the College of Social Work on ways to improve attention among students. Participants will be paid up to $60 for their time, which will involve a one-hour pre-testing session, one-hour post-testing session and four 15-minute attention training sessions. Yep, that’s basically $20 an hour!

If you are interested, please send an email with your name and contact information to utahattentionstudy@gmail.com.