The Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Confirmation Committee on a voice vote unanimously recommended Dr. Robert Goldberg to the full Senate for appointment to the Board of State History.

Dr. Goldberg, introduced by the chair, summarized a decades-long academic career and explained his interest in public history. "It is my home and it is my community," Goldberg said of Utah, where he has lived for 45 years. He described earning a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, serving on the University of Utah faculty, and directing the Tanner Humanities Center, which raised nearly $5,000,000 under his leadership.

Goldberg told the committee he has written nine books, authored scholarly articles, and supervised more than 40 theses and dissertations. He said his recent work includes a book on Clarion, a short-lived Jewish colony west of Gunnison, and a project with graduate students to visit and document Utah cemeteries.

Committee members praised Goldberg's background and asked how his scholarship would inform the state board's work. Goldberg said he hoped to strengthen ties between academic and public historians and to support grassroots historical research across the state.

Senator Kwan moved to recommend Dr. Robert Goldberg to the full Senate; the committee approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript. The chair thanked Goldberg for his willingness to serve; the nomination will move to the full Senate for confirmation.

Why it matters: The Board of State History advises on preservation, public history programs and outreach statewide; a member with extensive academic and fundraising experience could influence how the board engages universities and community historical projects.