2024 Year in Review: College of Health
After joining University of Utah Health in July 2023, I completed my first full calendar year as Dean of the College of Health in 2024. It’s been a year of exciting growth. Our enrollment numbers shot up more than 10%, we welcomed new renowned faculty members, and we continued to reach new heights in research. As one of the biggest colleges at the University of Utah, our faculty, staff, and students continually celebrate new accomplishments. Here are a few of the highlights.
New Campaign Championing the College of Health
One of our priorities for 2024 has been launching the “More Life” marketing campaign. The campaign’s goal is to attract more excellent students to our college and better explain what each department offers.
The college is redefining the human healthspan by “adding more years to our life and more life to those years.” We worked with a local agency on a video highlighting each of our six departments and career opportunities that bring more life to our communities.
We also partnered with U of U Health’s marketing team to roll out other facets of the campaign: printed materials—including some very popular stickers—social media ads, and a new landing page. Stay tuned for a continued rollout in 2025.
Research Rising and Startup Fund Support
The College of Health continued to set new standards in research in FY2024:
- We saw a record level of funding requests, with just over $125 million requested in funding submissions from 38 individual faculty members. This represents a 26% increase in requested funding from FY2023 and a 65% increase from FY2020.
- Our faculty received more than $17 million from 73 funding awards.
- Research expenditures reached nearly $19 million, the highest level of research expenditures ever in the College of Health. It’s a 12% increase from FY2023 and a 60% increase from FY2022.
As dean, I’m invested in the success and career growth of our faculty. I used my own startup funds to support seven new individual faculty members and a new research facility. The faculty members I supported received nine external research funding awards during the 2023-2024 academic year, totaling $1,001,339.
Continued Community Support
Community service is a cornerstone of the College of Health mission. We continue to cast a wide net across Utah and beyond, helping our citizens live longer and healthier lives:
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We estimate that 30,645+ community members benefitted from college teaching and learning activities, while another 6,872 community members benefitted from research activities.
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About 700 students (grad and undergrad) were involved in teaching and learning, while 200 more were involved in research.
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We have 169 reported partnerships. More than half of them engage with our staff and faculty at least quarterly.
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Community engaged work has procured 15 federal grants, 20 additional funding sources, and 23 publications. This includes a $5 million grant to open the Mountain West Prevention Research Center.
A Chair Transition and New Leadership
Over the summer, Michael Blomgren, PhD, CCC-SLP, longtime chair of the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, stepped down from his leadership position. During his 16-year tenure, he took the department to new heights. We are very grateful for his excellent service.
This fall, Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer, PhD, CCC-SLP, assumed duties as the new department chair. A talented researcher, clinician, teacher, and leader, Barkmeier-Kraemer is a tenured professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, director of the Voice, Airway, Swallowing Translational (VAST) Research Lab, clinic director for the Voice Disorders Center, and adjunct CSD faculty at the University of Utah.
Initiatives and Awards
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Paul Estabrooks, PhD, and Julie Lucero, PhD, received a $5 million grant from the CDC to launch the Mountain West Prevention Research Center, with an ultimate goal of finding ways to reduce childhood obesity.
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Lucero and Tim Brusseau, PhD, chair of the Department of Health & Kinesiology, secured an R25 educational pathway grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. The grant will allow the College of Health to serve as the coordinating center for the STEP-UP Project, a summer research opportunity project for high school juniors and seniors.
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Anandh Babu Pon Velayutham, PhD, professor in the Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology, received the University of Utah’s Distinguished Teaching Award. He’s the second College of Health faculty member in two years to receive this honor.
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Brett Myers, PhD, CCC-SLP, associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, established a new graduate course titled Gender-Affirming Voice Care. The course is the first of its kind in the United States.
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Joelle Rasmussen, MS, SLP, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, was awarded an NSSLHA Advisor Honor from the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, recognizing advising excellence.
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The Master of Occupational Therapy program had 100% of its graduates pass the national exam.
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U of U Health’s Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center (DMRC), co-led by Scott Summers, PhD, had its largest retreat ever, welcoming more than 200 attendees.
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The Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology, led by Theresa Dvorak, PhD, helped host the inaugural Teaching Kitchen Symposium, bringing together more than 250 professionals from 40 states and six countries.
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Maggie French, PT, DPT, NCS, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, received a K01 award for mentored research from the National Institutes of Health.
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Three interdisciplinary research teams with multiple College of Health researchers received seed grants from the 2024 Inspiring Digital Health Innovations program.
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Stephan Bodkin, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, published an opinion piece in one of the field’s leading journals, Sports Medicine. He presented literature suggesting that athletes suffering from ACL injuries may do more harm than good if they rush their recovery process.
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Scott Ward, PhD, former COH interim dean and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, received the 2024 Rodney Miyasaki Lifetime Leadership Award from the Utah Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
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Steven Bell, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award from the University of Utah. The award recognizes those who had the vision to develop a program highlighting the significance of the work Dr. King fought for during the civil rights era.
Two College of Health students made a national splash with their athletic accomplishments:
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Kaden Brown, a student in the Department of Athletic Training, won the U.S. tumbling championship.
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Aly Larson, a student in the Department of Health & Kinesiology, competed on the most recent season of “American Ninja Warrior.”
2024 Annual Excellence Awards
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Distinguished Teaching Award: Kirk Nichols, Department of Parks, Recreation, & Tourism; and Ryan Burns, PhD, Department of Health & Kinesiology
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Distinguished Mentoring Award: Micah Drummond, PhD, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
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Staff and Advising Excellence: Tammy Sheffield and Sonya Dinsdale
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Senior Investigator Award: Paul Estabrooks, PhD, Department of Health & Kinesiology
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New Investigator Award: Kota Takahashi, PhD, Department of Health & Kinesiology
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Graduate Student Researcher Award: Sean Tatum, PhD, Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology
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Post Doctoral Fellow Award: Daniel Davis, PhD, Department of Health & Kinesiology
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Inclusive Excellence Award: Will Holland, PhD, Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology; and Ramiro Mora, Jr., DPT, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
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Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award: Chad Romoser, Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies
Looking Ahead
Beyond these achievements, College of Health faculty, staff, and students have worked every day to powerfully impact the community. We serve more than 100,000 community members every year through clinics, presentations, workshops, and initiatives. And continue to set the table for a bright future ahead as we pursue our goal to add more years to our lives and more life to those years.
