Utah Valley University’s Capitol Reef Field Station (CRFS), located in Capitol Reef National Park, has begun construction on a classroom building as Phase 1 of a major expansion effort that will also include a residence facility for the field station’s year-round site manager and needed upgrades to existing structures. These expansions will enhance the field station experience for all visitors and increase the field station’s ability to support the missions of both Capitol Reef National Park and UVU.

 

The new 1,400 square-foot classroom building will include digital projection, whiteboards, sinks, cabinets, and ample work surfaces. It will be situated on the south side of the mesa top between the solar panels and the existing CRFS campus with an east-west orientation. The new building will open onto a covered patio with additional teaching space and views of the Henry Mountains. There will also be an observation platform for star gazing with multiple high-resolution telescopes in the night sky over Capitol Reef National Park, recently designated as gold-tier by the International Dark-Sky Association because of the park’s lack of light pollution.

 

The site manager’s residence and renovations to existing buildings are Phase 2 of the expansion that will greatly enhance the services provided for the students, faculty, and staff who use the field station. The budget for the project is approximately $750,000, of which more than half has been raised from both private and corporate contributions.

 

“The Capitol Reef Field Station program is an outstanding example of collaborative education and research in National Parks,” said Sue Fritzke, superintendent for Capitol Reef National Park. “The campus expansion will enhance on-site learning opportunities for students and scientists alike, and we look forward to this continued and expanded collaboration between Utah Valley University and Capitol Reef National Park.”

 

CRFS, in partnership with Capitol Reef National Park, promotes and supports engaged learning, research, scholarly, and creative activities, and environmental ethics through the exploration of the Colorado Plateau.

 

For more information on UVU’s Capitol Reef Field Station or how you can support this initiative please contact the field station director, Dr. Michael Stevens, at [email protected] or 801-863-5196.

 

###

About Utah Valley University

At 37,282 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.