The David Eccles School of Business, in partnership with the Salt Lake Chamber and the Deseret News, today announced the 2014 Economic Opportunity Forum as part of The Economic Club of Utah. The forum will recognize the significant economic impact in creating new opportunities for first generation college graduates.

The forum will share ideas that expand economic opportunities for our community and our society. This first event will focus on the importance of first generation college students. The forum will be held Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. on the seventh floor of the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building.

Paul Edwards, editor of the Deseret News, will introduce a panel discussion surrounding this topic. Taylor Randall, dean of the David Eccles School of Business, will moderate the session. Other members of the panel include the following distinguished guests:

  • David W. Pershing, president of the University of Utah. Named Utah’s 15th president in 2012, Pershing first joined the University of Utah as an assistant professor of chemical engineering in 1977. Pershing continues his commitment to the undergraduate experience with new initiatives and programs aimed at enriching academic excellence on campus.
  • Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University. Crow became the 16th president of Arizona State University in 2002. Crow was previously executive vice provost of Columbia University. There he established what is now Columbia Science and Technology Ventures, as well as advanced interdisciplinary program development.
  • Kim Clark, president of Brigham Young University-Idaho. Clark became the 15th president of Brigham Young University–Idaho in August 2005. In 1978 President Clark became a member of the faculty at the Harvard Business School and was named the dean of the school in 1995. He served in that capacity until he became president of BYU–Idaho in 2005.
  • Deneece Huftalin, president of Salt Lake Community College. Huftalin is the eighth president of Salt Lake Community College, having joined SLCC in 1992 as the director of academic and career advising. Huftalin is a faculty member for Leadershape, Inc. an international nonprofit focused on student leadership development program at the University of Utah.

“We began this club in an effort to share research, data and analysis important to the success of the Utah economy,” said Taylor Randall, dean at the David Eccles School of Business. “We are honored to be welcoming such esteemed guests to help us discuss these topics that are so important to not only Utah, but also the economy as a whole.”

To attend the event, register here. For additional information, please contact economicclubofutah@utah.edu.