The Inauguration of President Cameron K. Martin
2nd President of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
"Improving the human condition"
Cameron K. Martin, PhD, became RMU’s second president on January 1, 2023. He previously served as Vice President of Operations and Chief of Staff at RMU. President Martin is committed to continuing the growth of RMU and its mission to improve the human condition.
“RMU is perfectly aligned and positioned to meet the graduate educational healthcare needs throughout our nation,” Martin said. “I am deeply humbled to lead and build upon RMU’s mission and vision to improve the human condition. Serving with the phenomenal faculty, staff, and students at this dynamic institution, we will together further elevate the prominence and stature of our advanced modern healthcare curriculum, experiential learning, and world-class facilities.”
History of Presidential Inaugurations
The inauguration is a ceremonial induction into office. For a new president, this is a planned event to celebrate officially taking office and serves as a rite of passage that formally acknowledges a change in leadership within the university. During the installation
ceremony, the new president is “vested” with the official powers of office.
University presidential inaugurations in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century when the nation’s nine colonial colleges first established this practice. A hallmark of higher education is the academic traditions and the pomp and circumstance of those events, including the inauguration of a new president. The regalia worn by university administration, faculty, and other program participants, such as the cap, gown, and hood, are patterned after the attire of monks and students in the Middle Ages. Other ceremonial traditions of inauguration include the president’s medallion and chain, the president’s regalia, the university mace, and the university seal, all physical symbols of the institution.
Regalia Symbolism
The presidential medallion and chain are bestowed upon each President of the University
during the official inauguration ceremony. The University President wears the medallion at all Commencement ceremonies and official occasions that require wearing academic regalia. The medallion and chain is passed down to each new president of the University.
The Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Medallion and Chain is cast in
bronze. It consists of a chain with a medallion engraved with the University Seal and
smaller medallions engraved with each president’s name and tenure.
RMU’s Founders (from left to right) Dr. Larry T. Hall, Dr. Richard P. Nielsen, and Dr. Michael Skurja, Jr.
The mace is a symbol of the University’s governing authority & is present only when the President & Board of Trustees are in attendance.
Importance of the Mace
The tradition of the mace derives from medieval England when the mace bearer held
the mace for dignitaries at the beginning of the ceremonial functions.
Typically, the mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood. The mace is
a symbol of the University’s governing authority and is present only when the President
and Board of Trustees are in attendance. It signifies the proceedings have
official sanction. The person carrying the University mace leads the academic
procession at Commencement and other ceremonial functions.
The Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU) Mace is a wood base, with
the handle representing the solid and firm foundation on which RMU is built. Separating
the handle from the top of the mace is a brass disc engraved with RMU’s foundational
purpose of Advancing Knowledge, Advancing Healthcare. The head of the mace represents the founding of the University and is comprised of four three – inch brass medallions-one engraved with the University Seal and the other three engraved with a likeness of each original Founder of the University – Dr. Richard P. Nelson, Dr. Michael Skurja, Jr., and Dr. Larry T. Hall. The top of the mace recognizes Academics with a representation of the eternal flame, which honors the commitment to learning and expansion of knowledge.
Gifts & Program
Scuplture
World-renowned local artist, Tom Holdman, surprised President Martin with a handcrafted crystal sculpture of a golden heart in an open hand, artistically emphasizing the hand in RMU’s logo and symbolizing an everlasting pursuit of loving and lifting one another. “This handcrafted, one-of-a-kind crystal sculpture that we have created symbolizes how there are lots of different hands that have come together using their knowledge and skills that they can love and lift in times of need,” Holdman said at the event. “The mountains at the base of this sculpture symbolize the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions’ solid foundation nestled in the beautiful mountains of Provo. The golden heart inside is a reminder that love is the most powerful force in the whole world.”
The crystal sculpture of a golden heart in an open hand, artistically emphasizing the hand in RMU’s logo and symbolizing an everlasting pursuit of loving and lifting one another.
Each Commencement attendee was gifted an RMU chocolate bar custom-created by local artisan chocolate company, Taste.