U Utah Joins the Association of American Universities – Global Change & Sustainability Center

The University of Utah joins the most prestigious universities on the continent as a member of the Association of American Universities. Membership in AAU is by invitation only and is based on an extensive set of quantitative indicators and qualitative judgments that assess the breadth and quality of a university’s research, graduate, and undergraduate education programs. One criterion is having faculty elected to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Today, the GCSC has three faculty affiliates who have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, Thure Cerling, Jim Ehleringer, and James O’Connell.

University President Ruth Watkins said that this invitation “is a confirmation of the quality and caliber of our faculty and the innovative work they are doing to advance knowledge and address grand societal challenges. This will open new paths for our researchers and our institution to be at the forefront of higher education research, education, programs and policies.”