Trailblazer Nation

As 2022 winds down, I can’t help but be amazed by the achievements that have been accomplished on the Utah Tech University campus and in southern Utah in one year alone. This has been made possible by the continued support of our community.

The explosive growth Utah Tech has experienced for the better part of the last half-decade has continued this year to add up to a 47 percent increase in student enrollment since 2014. To support our growing student body’s academic goals, we have added twenty-six academic programs.

As part of select classes’ curriculum, we partnered with the City of St. George to offer students real-world learning opportunities that address local challenges. As part of this City Alliance program, students helped St. George route new bike paths, streamline staff scheduling for the St. George Police Department, conserve water on golf courses, design signage for the IRONMAN World Championship, and audit the city’s promotions and marketing. This commitment to active learning is paying off, as 91 percent of all UT graduates were employed, attending grad school, or serving in the military within six months of graduating.

Active learning opportunities aren’t exclusive to UT students, as we continue our commitment to offering educational experiences expanded to the community. We added education centers with concurrent enrollment and college-level classes in Water Canyon and Panguitch to better serve our surrounding communities. To prepare the youth of southern Utah to eventually fill careers that fuel the regional economy, we offered 154 STEM programs to 11,344 local kindergarten through twelfth grade students. Leading the way in innovation and entrepreneurism, Atwood Innovation Plaza applied for forty patents and thirty-three trademarks this year alone.

To meet the needs of our expanding student body, we are working to add our third on-campus housing in eight years. Set to open in Fall 2024, Campus View Suites III will be home to 563 students and feature suite-style apartments with community spaces and close access to campus resources. We’re also adding a General Classroom Building with forty-five classrooms, 105 faculty offices, and twenty study rooms in Fall 2025.

Keeping our expanding campus safe, the UT Police Department earned international accreditation that is held by only 7 percent of universities in the country and signifies they meet a high standard in policing procedures.

Seeing this momentum, our generous community really showed their support of our institution. The Marc C. and Deborah H. Bingham Family foundation has generously pledged $5 million to update our student center. The $5 million is a matching pledge, and the foundation has committed to help us secure the other $5 million. We appreciate Marc and Debbie, their family, and the foundation board members for their commitment to higher education, our students, and the southern Utah community. Additionally, overall giving increased by 33 percent from last year to nearly $3.6 million this year, helping contribute to the $28.5 million that students received in scholarships.

Having accomplished so many significant successes in the last year alone, we have a lot to celebrate as a community. Please join us in wrapping up 2022 and celebrating the most wonderful time of year at the annual Trailblazer Nation Tree Lighting Celebration. Set to take place on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the intersection of Trailblazer Boulevard and University Avenue on the Utah Tech campus, the celebration will include performances from local groups, an appearance by Santa and Mrs. Clause, and holiday games and activities in addition to the lighting of the forty-foot tree. I’d love to see you there, so get all the details at utahtech.edu/treelighting.

Again, thank you for making 2022 a banner year for Utah Tech University! Together, we will continue to blaze trails for our community and make every day a great day to be a Trailblazer.

Richard B. Williams, President, Utah Tech University