By May Hunter, For Iron County Today  Southern Utah University (SUU) was founded in 1897 in Cedar City, Utah. It was originally established as a teacher-training school known as the Branch Normal School. Location Classes first began in September 1897 inside an existing downtown building known as Ward Hall. At the time, constructing a new…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah University officially opened the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Music Center on Thursday, Sept. 24, marking a transformative milestone for its growing music program. Located at the corner of 300 West and University Boulevard, the 51,250-square-foot building bridges campus history with modern,…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University Southern Utah University (SUU) alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to celebrate Homecoming 2026 during a week full of Thunderbird pride and tradition from Sept. 21 – 26. Monday, Sept. 21  Homecoming week kicks off with free food and activities from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University Southern Utah University (SUU) mechanical engineering student Calvin Hadley spent his summer putting classroom lessons to work in the fast-growing energy sector through a hands-on internship with Valar Atomics. Working at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Orangeville, Utah, Hadley helped advance clean energy technology while building the…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University NASA has awarded approximately $10.5 million to launch seven new workforce hubs across the nation, selecting Southern Utah University (SUU) to establish and lead the Utah NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hub (Utah NAS_Hub). Funded through the NASA Office of STEM Engagement’s Next Gen STEM Project, this multi-year initiative…

By Booke Heath, Southern Utah University Southern Utah University (SUU) has appointed Mary Jo Anderson as its new Vice President of Finance and Administration, effective Sept. 1, 2026. Anderson’s appointment follows an extensive nationwide search that attracted a strong pool of candidates from across the country. A trusted campus leader with more than 20 years…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University At a time when students, families, and communities are looking closer at the real-world value of a college degree, Colleges of Distinction has recognized Southern Utah University (SUU) as one of the most valuable higher education experiences in the nation for the 2026-2027 academic year. Colleges of Distinction is…

By Regan Hunsaker, Southern Utah University On any given game day at Southern Utah University, long before kickoff, tipoff, or the first routine begins, you’ll find familiar faces making their way through the gates. They’ve watched championship teams celebrate on the biggest stages. They’ve endured heartbreaking losses. They’ve welcomed generations of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University Marking a major milestone in university history, the Southern Utah University (SUU) Men’s Rodeo Team captured the 2026 Rocky Mountain Regional Championship for the first time since the program’s inception. The T-birds capitalized on that momentum at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper, Wyoming last week, finishing…

By Regan Hunsaker, Southern Utah University Southern Utah University student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom during the 2025-26 academic year, earning a combined 108 selections on the Western Athletic Conference’s Spring Academic All-WAC teams, including Freshmen/Transfer Academic All-WAC honorees. The WAC recognized student-athletes for their academic achievements in spring championship sports and honored outstanding…

From Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University To meet the growing need for student affairs professionals in higher education, Southern Utah University (SUU) is proud to announce its redesigned Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Higher Education and Student Affairs degree program. This graduate program provides a unique combination of practitioner-learning in student development. Launching in fall…

By Brooke Heath, Southern Utah University CEDAR CITY, Utah – Demonstrating outstanding technical skill and forward-thinking innovation, Southern Utah University’s (SUU) student engineering team captured second place overall at the fourth annual 2026 Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC). Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O), the national contest challenges the…