The School of Dance's Technical Director William Peterson is a recipient of the U Staff Council Summer 2025 Professional Development Award. This award supports staff in advancing their careers while contributing to the University of Utah’s Strategic Priorities. Staff can apply for up to $500 in reimbursement for eligible professional development expenses, including tuition, conference fees, travel costs, materials, association memberships, and certifications.
With deep gratitude to the University of Utah Staff Council, I am the proud recipient of this Professional Development Award. This award helps remove a significant financial barrier to participation in the USITT 2025 conference - a national conference of theatrical-minded designers, technicians, educators, students, and vendors which promotes inclusion, innovation, and equitable collaboration amongst a diverse group of peers.
The specific training in electrical safety, NFPA and ANSI regulations, and OSHA risk-control methods contributes directly to better practices for our working environment and our students and is a critical step in my personal and professional goals of certification in my field. Additionally, staying current with new technologies presented at this conference helps ensure that graduating students from our school are ready to engage technologically with regional and national arts organizations and be in a better position to present their work in an ever-evolving technological world of lighting, audio, and video.
– William Peterson