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How one Utah university is trying to embrace artificial intelligence

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How one Utah university is trying to embrace artificial intelligence


OREM — The world is changing quickly as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent, including in the classroom.

Utah Valley University is trying to embrace it, despite its potential pitfalls and the speed at which AI is developing.

“It’s a brave new world,” Astrid Tuminez, UVU’s president, said in an interview with KSL TV. “Technology – you can never stop it, and so knowing and understanding its uses is really important.”

Using AI in the classroom

Noah Myers teaches accounting at Utah Valley University’s main campus in Orem. More and more, he finds himself using AI in the classroom.

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“It’s really a net gain for education,” Myers said.

This semester he’s teaching students how to use ChatGPT to create a spreadsheet that will make their jobs as accountants easier.

Before AI made it easier to input coding and programming instructions, Myers said, this would have taken a lot longer.

“Students can rely on it as their assistant,” he said, “and it can help them learn.”

This is just one example of how UVU – which has roughly 45,000 students – is trying to get a better handle on artificial intelligence.

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“We need to understand how AI works,” Tuminez said.

She pointed out that UVU has recently started using it in many ways. That includes courses like computer science and sociology, and helping students learn to identify “deepfake” images and videos in political messaging.

Plus, Tuminez said, the university has created an institute to look at how to train faculty on AI, how to prevent cheating, and how to make human resources processes better.

“And we have pioneered a chatbot – a teaching assistant – that is available 24/7 for some of our largest courses,” Tuminez added.

Concerns about AI

But there are concerns about artificial intelligence on campus like plagiarism, or students letting a computer do their thinking for them.

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“It’s a real concern,” acknowledged Barclay Burns, UVU’s new assistant dean of applied AI. “Sometimes it’s easier to just let it do it for you and not go through all of the discipline of learning how to be a good writer, a good thinker, a good problem solver.”

But AI isn’t going away, and Burns said it’s important to understand how to better use it – even though it feels like the “wild, wild west” right now, with artificial intelligence technology constantly changing and improving.

Burns said UVU is launching an initiative that will gather feedback from professors and come up with new guidelines for AI use going forward.

“If students lean into, and the faculty lean into it, I think we’ll end up having smarter students,” Burns said.

Preparing for the workforce

Tuminez, UVU’s president, said students today need to understand how to use artificial intelligence as they prepare for full-time jobs.

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“We want them to be workforce-ready,” Tuminez said. “Whatever field you’re going to be in – whether that’s entertainment or computer science or engineering or politics – AI is going to apply to all of these fields.”

Accounting student Conner Mariluch is about to graduate in a few months. He said using AI in Professor Myers’s class helped him learn.

As a result, Mariluch said, he feels better prepared for the workforce.

“From a practical perspective,” he said, “this was probably one of the most relevant experiences I had here at UVU.”

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Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say

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Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say


SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.

The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.

According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.

SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.

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Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.

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Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.





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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah

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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah


Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.

Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.

Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.

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Police stand outside the Salt Lake City church where at least eight people were shot, including two fatally on Jan. 7, 2026. AP
People hug outside the church after the shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah. AP

There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.

However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.

“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters. 

The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified. 

Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead. 

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The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.

Funeral attendees walk out of the meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 7, 2026. AP

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The incident remains under investigation.

With Post wires.

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming


The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.

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Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.

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But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”

“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”

Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz

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Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career. 

During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.

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Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (left) speaks with Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (right) before the game at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



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