Paleontologist Randy Irmis seeks to solve mysteries dating back 300 million years. In August, he received a Fulbright Fellowship for collaborative research in Argentina.

The American Psychological Association found that more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health program based on its Healthy Mind survey, which included the University of Utah. And earlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for action to address what he described as an “epidemic of loneliness.”  Loneliness, isolation and lack of social connection is a public health crisis, he said, experienced by about half the adults in the U.S., with impacts on physical and mental health. This is especially true among college-age people, the report said. Such findings are no…

Professor Brenda Bowen examines what the traces left by an ever-changing planet can tell us about what’s to come   As a professor of geology and geophysics, Brenda Bowen wants her students to understand how long the planet Earth has been around and that there’s nothing static about its surface or subsurface. “Our planet is 4.6 billion years old and, throughout that time, it’s been continually changing. The only constant is change,” Bowen says. “The current configuration of where continents, mountains, and oceans are is just this moment in time.” Bowen is the chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences…

After more than 50 years of sending interns to Washington, D.C., the University of Utah is officially opening a permanent physical home in the nation’s capital.

The University of Utah Food Drive, organized by the Student Alumni Board (SAB), is a longstanding tradition at the U. Started over 40 years ago, SAB is a campus organization with a focus on philanthropy, leadership development and connecting students with successful alumni. The board, led by senior Abukar Hassan, has 30 current members. Other campus organizations, including The MUSS, ASUU and LDSSA have also contributed to collecting donations over the years. This year, all donations will be given to the University of Utah Feed U Food Pantry, a change from previous years when donations went to the Utah Food Bank.…

The Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah (HMHI), and Huntsman Mental Health Foundation broke ground on the new Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building, east of HMHI in Research Park.