LEGISL ATIVE CHAMPION
DIS TINGUISHED FACULT Y LEC TURER
R. Adam Dastrup
Kirk A. Cullimore
School of Science, Mathematics & Engineering
Salt Lake County
Geographic education is important because it gives people a sense of place and belonging in a complex and ever-changing world, says R. Adam Dastrup, SLCC’s 2022 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. Everyone has a unique world view, and society needs people who understand both physical and cultural environments and who are committed to being good stewards of the planet. Adam’s faculty lecture will focus on his efforts in using data and geographic information systems (GIS) to spatially and historically analyze racial, economic and environmental segregation along the Wasatch Front. The data will come from a variety of sources, including the Utah State Board of Education, the 2020 Census, the University of Utah and local community organizations. During the course of his research, Adam has already found that diverse communities in Salt Lake County and students who do not speak English as their primary language live in economically suppressed regions of the valley. Further, his research shows these areas generate less property tax revenue, which results in underserved populations not having the same access to education as students from the county’s predominately
white regions. “This could impact our future economy and lead to large-scale gentrification within the valley,” he says. During his more than 15 years at SLCC, Adam has taught courses in natural disasters, physical and world geography, GIS, environmental science and global positioning systems. In 2019, he created the Utah System of Higher Education’s first drone certificate program, and he is also the founder of Open Geography Education (OGE), where he developed online textbooks and made them available at no cost to students. With the three textbooks that he created, Adam has saved SLCC students roughly $1.3 million since 2015. The books are also available to students worldwide. Adam holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Utah, and he is a certified GIS and drone professional. He has led multiple organizations at the college, including the school’s Sustainability Committee and Faculty Senate. With the help of students, the Thayne Center for Service and Learning and SLCC’s Facilities Department, Adam also created the school’s community gardens and recycling programs.
The DISTINGUISHED FACULTY LECTURER is a recognition of quality work by one of Salt Lake Community College’s full-time faculty and a charge to develop that work over an academic year into a public presentation. A committee chosen by the Associate Provost for Learning Advancement selects the faculty lecturer each year. The lecture takes place in the spring. 12
Utah State Senate District 9
Professor, Geosciences
Senator Kirk A. Cullimore began his service in the Utah State Senate in 2019. In a short period of time, he quickly earned the confidence of his colleagues and assumed key leadership positions in the legislature. As a first-year lawmaker, Senator Cullimore was appointed chair of the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Committee. More recently, he was elected to serve in Senate leadership as the Majority Assistant Whip. In that role, he helps set the agenda for the Senate and serves as a member of the Executive Appropriations Committee. Since taking office, Senator Cullimore has been a strong champion for Salt Lake Community College and its students. He has met with college leadership on numerous occasions and has taken the time to visit and learn more about SLCC’s Miller Campus, which is located in his legislative district. He also played a critical role in helping the college receive state funding for SLCC’s future Juniper Canyon Campus in Herriman and worked tirelessly for two
years to ensure it was prioritized and ultimately funded by the Utah Legislature. Senator Cullimore graduated from Utah Valley University with an associate’s degree in music and from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s in music. He taught and played music professionally for six years, including teaching private lessons, leading youth ensemble groups and starting his own music studio. The senator eventually went on to pursue a law degree from the University of Oklahoma, and he currently practices at a firm located in Draper. Besides his work in the Utah Legislature, Senator Cullimore is active in the community and has served in many volunteer positions, including chairing the Brookwood Elementary School Community Council and the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute. He is married to Heather Cullimore and they have six children, who are all deeply involved in music and sports.
The Salt Lake Community College LEGISLATIVE CHAMPION AWARD honors state legislators who demonstrate through their legislative activities a commitment to advancing and improving higher education for the state. The college’s Legislative Champion is selected at the conclusion of every legislative session. 13
