OREM, Utah — At its 33rd annual President’s Scholarship Ball Saturday night, Utah Valley University (UVU) unveiled a bold new initiative that will include an innovative Health and Wellness Village on its Vineyard Campus.
The village will provide health services to Utah County’s growing community and will be a training ground for the next generation of healthcare professionals. The university also celebrated a major milestone with its endowment nearly doubling during the past five years to $100 million.
“There is great momentum on our campus as we deliver high-quality education to more and more Utahns and as the community embraces our mission and supports our students through generous donations and partnerships,” said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. “Our community recognizes that UVU is educating Utah’s dynamic workforce. The majority of our students remain in Utah after graduation and become engaged members of society, voting, paying taxes, raising families, and strengthening our communities.”
The UVU Health and Wellness Village
The UVU Health and Wellness Village is part of the master plan for the university’s 225-acre Vineyard Campus. It will be a place for hands-on learning and clinical training for students in health and wellness disciplines. It will also serve as a location for providing those services to the community.
“With the explosive growth coming to Utah County over the next three decades, the need for nurses, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, mental health professionals, and other health and wellness workers is significant,” President Tuminez said. “This Health and Wellness Village will play an important role in meeting the state’s workforce needs of tomorrow and will align with the university’s model of engaged learning, which continues to set UVU apart.”
The university also announced a new student training collaboration with Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). Earlier this year Huntsman Cancer Institute announced plans to establish a comprehensive cancer center in Vineyard, Utah.
“UVU is excited to partner with Huntsman Cancer Institute and has a deep appreciation for their commitment to our students and their work in cancer care. Partnerships like this one are the key to providing valuable hands-on opportunities for our students,” President Tuminez said.
Through the HCI-UVU Health Collaborative, UVU students will participate in clinical, administrative, and research internships at Huntsman Cancer Institute, which has pledged $1 million to fund the partnership. Initial student engagement will occur at their Salt Lake City facility until their new facility opens in Vineyard, directly across the street from UVU’s Vineyard Campus.
“Our goal is to equip promising students with the knowledge and skills needed to confront the complex challenges of the cancer health and science landscape to bring hope and healing to all people impacted by cancer,” said Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute. “It is wonderful to see a partnership between the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute and Utah Valley University that is driven by a commitment to deliver a cancer-free frontier and advance health for our region.”
Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer expressed her support for UVU’s Health and Wellness Village and lauded the HCI-UVU Collaborative.
“We are thrilled to see plans coming together for Utah Valley University’s campus in our city,” Fullmer said. “We are looking forward to this new, innovative higher-education village and the collaboration it creates with Vineyard’s Huntsman Cancer Institute. Vineyard will play an important role in meeting the health needs of Utah County over the next three decades, bolstering and building quality of life for generations to come.”
UVU’s Endowment Nearly Doubles
UVU also made public another major philanthropic milestone at Saturday’s event. UVU’s endowment has reached the $100 million mark. UVU is in the middle of a comprehensive campaign called EverGREEN, which aims to raise $350 million to transform the lives of UVU students.
“Universities rely on endowments to provide funding stability as enrollments fluctuate and to support new or expanding educational programs,” said Kyle Reyes, vice president of Institutional Advancement and CEO of the UVU Foundation. “This is a significant accomplishment for UVU, which has only been a university for 15 years. It’s also a testament to the generosity of so many in Utah and beyond who are investing in future generations.”
Presidential Scholarships Grow
Since its inception more than three decades ago, the President’s Scholarship Ball has provided scholarships to 2,758 students, with nearly $3 million in funding. Saturday night’s event raised more than $667,000, with donations continuing to come in. Contributions can still be made at uvu.edu/give.
“As we continue to grow, the needs of our students and the university will expand, and we invite the community to join with us in investing in our future,” Reyes said.
