The Herbert Institute for Public Policy is the launching point for civic engagement at Utah Valley University. We provide internship opportunities, we host events, and we provide research to inform the Utah State Legislature.
The Institute partners with UVU faculty and students to author public policy papers focused on topics important to Utah public policy.
The Herbert Public Policy Internship Program sponsors student interns in the Utah State Legislature, in Washington, D.C., and in-house at UVU.
Policymakers and public service leaders will be invited to speak on campus and interact with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Herbert Institute awards scholarships to students in a variety of fields. To learn more, click the link below.
Herbert Institute Interns have created this Voter Guide to help inform students about candidates and issues important to students. Use your voice and make a difference!
Despite the traumatic assassination of Charlie Kirk right outside our windows last fall, the Herbert Institute for Public Policy continues to rise. We hosted Dr. Ben Carson, Ambassador Jeff Flake, Senators John Curtis and Mark Kelly and many others. Read all about our events and opportunities in the 2025 Annual Report.
More Information
November 12, 2025 — Two months after the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, Utah Sen. John Curtis and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly sat down on the other side of campus to confront the nation’s epidemic of political violence and to chart a course toward potential solutions.
The senators spoke at a public event on Wednesday, hosted by UVU’s Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy and moderated by CNN political correspondent Dana Bash.
November 5, 2025 — When Dr. Ben Carson was a young medical student, he did so poorly on his first set of comprehensive exams that he was summoned to speak to his academic counselor.
October 5, 2025 — In February, Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez’s husband collapsed and died on a South American peak. Her anguish was felt by many of the school’s 46,000 students.
August 2, 2025 — Utah lawmakers shifted the future of state election debates away from an independent commission this year, but candidate debates will remain nonpartisan, fair and accessible, according to the two men tasked with leading the transformation.
