U of U receives $150 million donation for mental health institute

[sweetgrass]

largest gift ever to the U

https://www.ksl.com/article/46667227/huntsman-family-pledges-historic-150m-gift-to-university-of-utah-to-establish-mental-health-institute

 

[ProudUte]

I like it.  Many people shy away from mental health issues.  A friend’s grandson committed suicide this last summer.  It has been very difficult on their family.  I am pleased that the Huntsman family is doing this.

 

[GameForAnyFuss]

The beer is flowing like wine up here today. This is a transformational type of donation. This new center will be to mental health what HCI is to cancer and will be a huge boost to the University in general.

[Utesbyfive]

I wonder if it gets us into AAU territory.

[PhiladelphiaUte]

One of the things that had been talked about — back when the Pac-10 was still vetting Utah for membership — was Utah’s chances of receiving an invitation to join the AAU.  The positives are the amount of research grants Utah annually wins, and the fact that it’s the flagship institution in the state.  The Pac-12 likes AAU schools, but it would require a majority vote by member institutions for Utah to get in.  Stanford and Cal helped bring Arizona into the fold about a few years after joining the Pac-10, so our chances look promising.  Even more so considering we aren’t likely going to get any pushback from Texas A&M (Pres. Young) or the Univ. of Florida (Pres. Machen) either.

I seriously hope we can get it done.  We belong.

[GameForAnyFuss]

As an administrative employee of the U, let me reiterate: The benefits of being in the PAC12 go so far beyond athletics. In fact, I would say that what you see in athletics is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of PAC12 membership.

[shakeitsugaree]

This is wonderful news – truly worth celebrating!