Six of 12 new faculty presidential chairs at the University of Utah join Karen Huntsman at the naming event on June 19. The faculty members selected have demonstrated excellence in research, clinical care, and career progression in health sciences.
The University of Utah and the Huntsman Family Foundation announced, on June 19, the creation of twelve presidential faculty chairs in health sciences. The Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chairs provide sweeping support to academic researchers, educators, and clinicians spanning a wide array of fields. The presidential chairs are named for the late businessman, philanthropist, and founder of the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
“The Huntsman Family’s commitment to the University of Utah is profound, and these chairs are yet another testament to their dedication to advancing health research, education, and compassionate care,” said U President Ruth V. Watkins. “They are particularly notable for the breadth of fields and subjects they support. In addition to the honor they confer, faculty across our health campus will have significant additional resources to pursue new research, extend care, and educate the next generation of health care providers. This is a powerful addition to the Huntsman’s legacy and marks a new chapter in our continued relationship with the family. On behalf of the faculty and the entire university community, we are incredibly grateful for these generous awards. Theirs is a gift not just to faculty, but to patients, their families and caregivers, as well as our community, region, and nation.”
“Our family’s existing and steadfast commitment to cancer is well known and with that commitment is a vision to advance a broad array of health and medical research and clinical work at the University of Utah,” said Karen H. Huntsman, Chairwoman of the Huntsman Family Foundation.
Watkins announced that, in consultation with senior administration and the Huntsman family, she had appointed six faculty members as the inaugural chairholders, with six more to be named next year. The appointments began July 1, and will end June 30, 2023, with the possibility of a one-time additional five-year renewal option.
The faculty members selected have demonstrated excellence in research, clinical care, and career progression in health sciences. They reflect diverse academic disciplines, with appointments in dentistry, psychiatry, population health sciences, biomedical informatics, pulmonary medicine, and obstetrics gynecology.