Hello, welcome to a special summer edition of the Randall Recap.

Summer always brings a different cadence to campus. It’s quieter. But behind the scenes, this is one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year.

Since celebrating the Class of 2026 this spring—9,506 graduates representing all 50 states and over 60 countries around the world—we’ve been hard at work preparing for another incredible year to advance our mission to improve lives through education, research, health care and overall impact.

One area of focus this summer has been around critical minerals and energy innovation.

In April, we announced the launch of the Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals, bringing together world-class researchers to help strengthen America’s energy future and secure the materials that power everything from advanced manufacturing to national defense.

Since then, we’ve signed a new three-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Laboratory of the Rockies to expand collaboration in energy, advanced computing, critical minerals and national security research.

We also launched our new DARPA-backed Strategic Materials Accelerator and Research Testbed, helping move breakthrough discoveries from the laboratory into real-world solutions even faster.

And I had the opportunity to participate in both the Idaho National Laboratory’s Digital Engineering Conference and Governor Cox’s Operation Gigawatt Summit, where I joined experts to discuss the remarkable geothermal energy breakthroughs happening right here in Utah through our Utah FORGE project.

Taken together, these efforts reflect the University of Utah’s commitment to be a leader in innovation and the important role we can play in building our state’s and nation’s energy future.

We’ve also taken an important step in positioning Utah Athletics for long-term success.

This summer we formally launched Crimson Brand Partners, an innovative new financial model designed to create sustainable resources to support Utah Athletics and the university’s broader academic mission.

Another exciting milestone is our continued investment in the future of health care.

The University of Utah and University of Utah Health have entered into an agreement to acquire land at The Point, in Draper, creating the opportunity for a future health and education campus that will bring world-class care, research and educational opportunities even closer to where Utahns live.

Later this summer, we’ll celebrate another historic milestone as Fort Douglas property officially transfers to the University of Utah. This transition marks the beginning of a new chapter for the university. Long term planning for the fort property is underway but right-off we will be utilizing the area to create nearly 1,000 new parking stalls this fall.

Before I close, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the firefighters, first responders and emergency management professionals who protected our campus and surrounding neighborhoods during the Bonneville Fire.

Their professionalism and hard work safeguarded our facilities and campus community. On behalf of the entire University of Utah, thank you.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to welcome students back to campus for what promises to be another extraordinary academic year.

This fall we open Trailhead, our newest student housing community, providing over 1,400 additional beds and creating even more opportunities for students to live, learn and build community on campus.

And…we’ll also celebrate the opening of the new Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, a transformational investment in the future of medical education, research and patient care that will serve generations of Utahns.

Every fall brings new energy to campus, new ideas, and new possibilities. I couldn’t be more optimistic about the year ahead or more grateful to everyone who makes this university such a remarkable place.

Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer.

We’ll see you back on campus soon.

Go Utah!