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SALT LAKE CITY -- Seven years is enough time to bring about noticeable change - in people, places and organizations. But the change that has occurred in the last seven years at the University of Utah is nothing short of stunning.
It is a period that coincides with the tenure of President Michael Young, who will be leaving shortly to take the helm of the University of Washington. Under his watch, the state's flagship public university has flourished. Among the ranks of respected institutions of higher learning in the United States, indeed the world, the "U" has truly come of age.
Much of this maturation is obvious, even garish. A Nobel Prize, an invitation to the Pac 12 conference, the designation as the nation's top research institution in terms of its nourishing of entrepreneurism.
Walking the campus, one notices other changes. Several major building projects have brought a more modern visage to the institution; it is more pedestrian-friendly and there are more ways for students and visitors to get around than by automobile.
Partly because of the school's high-profile athletic accomplishments, and partly because of its emphasis on popular new technology (it's one of the best places to study if you want a career designing video games) the "U" is more and more regarded in and out of Utah as a cool place to go to school.
The credit for all this can't be laid at the feet of one individual, but as paterfamilias, President Young has been an exceptional escort along a path of remarkable trajectory. With a management style that is calm and collegial, he has navigated many challenges with an artful dexterity.
Now, as he moves to the Pacific Northwest, KSL offers congratulations to President Young for a job well done, and commendations to the Washington Board of Regents for its wisdom and foresight in selecting such a gifted leader for that state's flagship university.
Email: cpsarras@ksl.com
