RioMesaCenterisnowtheBondermanFieldStationatRioMesa!
AftersuccessfullyoperatingtheRioMesaCenterfieldstationforseveralyearsunderalease
agreement,thepropertyatRioMesawasrecentlygiftedtotheUniversityofUtahby
philanthropist,DavidBonderman.Mr.Bondermanisasupporterofenvironmentaleducation
andconservationandhasgiftedthepropertyfortheongoingpurposeofsupportingresearch,
education,andotheracademicpursuitsthathelptobuildunderstandingandappreciationof
ecology,theenvironment,andhuman-environmentinteractionsontheColoradoPlateau.
TorecognizeMr.Bonderman’sgenerosity,RioMesaCenterhasbeenrenamedtheBonderman
FieldStationatRioMesa.ThedonationofthepropertyatRioMesarepresentsatremendous
opportunityforscholarsattheUniversityofUtahandbeyond.Renamingthestationisone
smallwaythattheUniversityisabletoshowitsgratitudetoMr.Bonderman.
InadditiontorecognizingMr.Bonderman,thenewnamealsodescribesmoreaccuratelywhat
thefacilityrepresents.The“Center”designationintheUniversitycontextistypicallyassociated
withafacilityorbodyofexpertsthatstudyaparticularfieldorsub-field.TheBondermanField
StationatRioMesaisquitetheopposite.Thestationpromotesmulti-disciplinaryresearchand
learning,withopportunitiesforthenaturalandsocialsciences,humanities,arts,engineering,
andcampusserviceorganizations.Weareafieldstationthatprovidesopportunityfor
experiencesofmanykindsinmanyfieldsofstudy,sotheCenterdesignationwasnotagoodfit.
WehavemaintainedRioMesainthenamebecauseformanyofourusersandindividualsinthe
community,RioMesahasbecomeaplaceofsignificanceandmeaning.Theplacehasmeaning
forthem.Thefacilities,thepeople,andtheadministrativeorganizationofthefieldstationare
distinctfromlocation.Torecognizethoseemotionaltiestoplace,wehavemaintainedRio
Mesainournewname.
Welookforwardtomovingaheadwithournewidentityaswecontinuetoofferunique
opportunitiesforoutdooreducationandresearchinthestunningredrocksofsoutheastUtah!