The University of Utah has announced a new presidential initiative centered on federalism, law, and American governance. The program is designed to situate university research within the national reflection occurring as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.
Presidential vision for university research
President Taylor Randall stated that universities are meant to pursue enduring questions and prepare students for leadership during periods of uncertainty and change. He noted that institutions should provide space for rigorous inquiry into the ideas and values that have defined the American experiment.
Core focus of the initiative
The initiative will focus on advancing understanding of how free societies organize authority, balance power, and sustain democratic institutions. Academic work for the center will encompass resource development, student programs, public engagement, and supporting platforms for open dialogue.
Leadership and directing the program
Two professors from the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Paul Cassell and Jason Iuliano, will serve as co-directors. They will be responsible for coordinating research activities and shaping the scholarly agenda of the initiative.
External advisory board members
The external advisory board will include inaugural members Gordon Gee, former West Virginia University President Emeritus, and Arthur C. Brooks, former American Enterprise Institute president and Harvard Kennedy School Professor. Gee, who will chair the external advisory committee, said the initiative aims to address demands for educational environments that foster careful reasoning and respectful discourse amid global instability and civic fragmentation.
Funding and academic integration
The investment in American federalism was announced in June 2025 as part of a budget reallocation process at the university. The effort is intended to complement existing academic units, including the Hinckley Institute of Politics and the Honors College's Intellectual Traditions courses.
Connection to campus diversity efforts
University leaders indicated that the initiative intersects with recent efforts to expand viewpoint diversity on campus, such as the president’s Viewpoint Representation and Expression Task Force.
