The Skills to Walk Any Path: Jeff Herring Creates Scholarship for History Majors

The College of Humanities is pleased to announce the newly created Jeff C. Herring Undergraduate Scholarship in History/Humanities, an annual scholarship supporting Humanities students with a preference for History majors.

Jeff Herring never shied away from intellectual exploration as a non-traditional undergraduate student at the University of Utah, testing out six different majors before setting a history degree. “I was intrigued by the critical thought that history provided,” says Herring. “Specifically, the idea that history is always told from a certain frame of perspective. This realization helped put me on a path of critical thought and inquiry that has served me the rest of my life.”

Jeff’s career has taken him from working as an attorney focused on labor and employment law all the way back to the University of Utah, where Herring has served as the Chief Human Resources Officer since 2013. He sees direct parallels between his undergraduate education in history and his career. “The idea of understanding history provides a context for almost everything that happens in the world, past, present, and future,” he reflects. “I think that critical thought and understanding provides a great foundation for understanding how societies work and how we can interact to solve some of the great challenges of our time and the future.”

Upon receiving the 2024 Donald E. Dickason award for service from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, Herring chose to use the monies towards a scholarship for history students. “I received my History degree in the College of Humanities at the U; it was such a transformative part of my life and career, and I wanted to give back in some small way,” he says.

For students who are currently studying history and contemplating career choices (or perhaps fending off well-intentioned but irritating relatives who underestimate the power of a history degree), Herring offers advice: “Keep yourself open and receptive to any doors that might open. As a humanities major you know why we are human. That will serve you well in any industry where you deal with people. You might not know where those paths are right now, but if you stay open you will have the skills to walk them when they do.”

Students can find more information and the scholarship information here; to contribute to the scholarship fund, please visit the giving page.