2. U engineers are tackling ‘forever chemicals.’ 

A new material removes nearly 100 percent of toxic “forever chemicals” from water in five minutes—and glows like a tiny beacon to show contamination levels. The breakthrough from U engineers tackles PFOA contamination that’s been linked to cancer and found in water supplies nationwide.

3. A new center plans to cut stillbirths in half.

Every year, 24,000 U.S. families lose a baby to stillbirth. University of Utah Health’s new Stillbirth Center of Excellence—the first in the nation—aims to cut that number in half through partnerships with local, national, and global health organizations.

4. The Wilkes Climate Launch Prize is effecting real-world solutions. 

The U’s Wilkes Climate Launch Prize backs bold climate solutions that are delivering results, awarding $2.25 million to innovative startups with potential for wide impact over just the last three years. This year’s winner is a Kathmandu-based company replacing coal-fired bricks with eco-technology that slashes emissions and costs. Previous winners tackled cow methane with algae and used robots to turn crop waste into carbon-trapping biochar.

5. The Moran Eye Center is fighting a form of blindness at its source.

Each year, age-related macular degeneration steals sight from millions as the leading cause of blindness in people over 65, with limited treatments and no cure available. But researchers at the U’s John A. Moran Eye Center have been working to change that. They have unraveled the disease’s genetic roots and developed a gene therapy—now in clinical trials—designed to slow or even halt a common form of the disease with a single injection.

6. A new program is providing mental health crisis care to youth.

When children and teenagers are in mental health crisis, Utah families now have an alternative to the emergency room. Huntsman Mental Health Institute’s new 24/7 youth crisis care program gets most youth assessed and stabilized with a plan within hours instead of waiting for answers in an emergency room. This specialized program complements the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center, which serves adults in crisis.

7. U research is helping bring an end to HIV transmission.

A twice-yearly injection can now prevent HIV infection—a game-changing breakthrough, especially for regions where daily prevention pills are difficult to access. The drug lenacapavir builds on decades of basic research by U Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry Wesley Sundquist, who holds the Dr. Leo T. Samuels and Barbara K. Samuels Presidential Endowed Chair in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, bringing us closer to ending new HIV infections worldwide.

9. Student volunteers are logging millions of hours of service.

Since the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center was founded in 1987, more than 240,000 volunteers have given their time to local, national, and global projects—racking up over 4.8 million hours of volunteer service and making community engagement a cornerstone of the U experience.

10. Law students are setting a record for pro bono service.

At the U, law students don’t just study casebooks. They also put their legal skills to work in the real world through the Pro Bono Initiative, helping to answer legal questions free of charge in areas like eviction, debt, immigration, and estate planning. This year, law students served more than 2,000 community members—the most in school history—as part of a culture where service comes standard.

11. Students are helping preserve Indigenous stories.

U students in the College of Humanities are working alongside Northwestern Band of Shoshone Nation elders to digitize 160+ years of historical records, helping the tribe reclaim their own stories after decades of extractive research. The archive has uncovered crucial materials—including a list of survivors from the 1863 Bear River Massacre. Students have participated in tree-planting ceremonies at the massacre site, learning what true collaboration looks like.

12. Arts programs are lighting up classrooms and communities.

U students and faculty are bringing creativity directly to the community—from Salt Lake area elementary schools, where 500 students each year forgo a few worksheets to instead explore paint and rhythm, to Glendale’s Community Learning Center, where young people from all over the world create dances, theater productions, and music while their parents attend classes such as English language instruction. For over 15 years, these programs have shown how art can build community connections.

13. Surgeons are restoring hope and sight across the globe.

A 10-year-old girl in Tanzania survived a terrifying hyena attack but lost vision in one eye. That is, until surgeons from the U’s John A. Moran Eye Center performed the first oculoplastic surgery ever done in that region of Africa, a critical step in fully restoring her vision. Funded entirely by donors, Moran Eye Center’s Global Outreach Division provides sight-restoring care locally and worldwide in countries like Tanzania, which has fewer than one ophthalmologist per million people.

15. Rural miners are receiving hearing care closer to home. 

For miners in rural Utah, a routine hearing check can mean hours of travel to Salt Lake City. The College of Health’s Tele-Audiology Clinic for Rural Miners brings that care closer, offering free follow-up appointments to ensure that hearing aids are meeting the hearing goals of the patient. With more than 60 percent of miners facing noise-induced hearing loss, the clinic is helping protect both livelihoods and quality of life. 

16. The Three Wishes program is providing dignity in final days.

One patient spent her last days surrounded by holiday decorations; another reached out to stroke a beloved dog brought to the bedside. At U of U Health, the Three Wishes Project has created more than 700 such moments—and meaningful mementos like recorded heartbeats and locks of hair—for 300 patients in intensive care, softening the hardest goodbyes while also contributing to the sense of purpose for the ICU staff who make them possible.

17. Neighbors are leading lasting change.

Through University Neighborhood Partners (UNP), westside residents and the U work side by side to tackle challenges like health care, education, and job access. Instead of top-down programs, UNP backs neighborhood-driven solutions—supporting community coalitions, local educational pathways, and workforce training designed by the community itself. This model bridges divides across Salt Lake and the west valley, proving that when neighbors lead, lasting change follows.

18. The School of Dentistry is expanding access to dental care.

From a mobile clinic reaching rural towns to Salt Lake area partnerships serving refugees, people in substance abuse treatment, schoolkids, and those with special needs, the U’s School of Dentistry is filling critical gaps in care. Clinics across the state provide affordable treatment for Medicaid recipients and uninsured patients, while the Oral Health Assistance Program has delivered over $3 million in care to those with nowhere else to turn. By coordinating with over 400 Medicaid providers statewide, the school is making oral health accessible to more Utahns.