2025 Faculty Awards
Public Service Professorship
Udita Gupta, Associate Professor (Career Line) - Urban Institute for Teacher Education (UITE), College of Education
This year’s Public Service Professor is Udita Gupta, Associate Professor (Career Line), Urban Institute for Teacher Education (UITE), College of Education. Dr. Gupta’s public service project aims to establish Community Engaged Teaching and Learning Labs (CETLL) for both mentor teachers and their student teachers in public schools in Utah. Through monthly professional development meetings, participants will engage with faculty and community members to integrate cultural knowledge into lesson planning, fostering meaningful connections and inclusive learning environments.
Distinguished Faculty Service Award
Sonia Salari, PhD FGSA, Professor, Department of Family and Consumer Studies
Dr. Sonia Salari has dedicated 30 years to impactful community engagement and campus
service at the University of Utah, focusing on domestic violence prevention, public
policy, and campus safety. She was instrumental in creating the Coordinated Community
Response Team to address sexual assault and intimate partner violence on campus, served
as Board Chair of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition, and advocated for policy change
through legislative engagement and public awareness campaigns. As president of the
Academic Senate, she advocated for faculty well-being. Through leadership in university
governance and media advocacy, she has amplified critical issues and inspired students,
colleagues, and policymakers alike.
Leslie P. Francis, Ph.D., J.D., Alfred C. Emery Professor of Law, and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy
Professor Leslie Francis has dedicated nearly five decades to exceptional community
engagement and campus service at the University of Utah, using her expertise in law
and ethics to advocate for vulnerable populations. Her deep commitment to both legal
advocacy and academic integrity is exhibited through her pro bono work in guardianship
cases for individuals with intellectual disabilities, contributions to judicial ethics,
leadership in the American Philosophical Association, membership on the board of the
Utah Disability Law Center, and extensive university service—including as president
of the Academic Senate. Through this work, she is making a lasting impact on students,
colleagues, and the broader community.