USU Uintah Basin Welcomes Daphne Blanchard to Campus Faculty

VERNAL, Utah — Utah State University Uintah Basin has announced the addition of Daphne Blanchard to the campus faculty. Blanchard joined the university on July 1 as an entrepreneurship lecturer and director of the Bingham Entrepreneurship Center.

“We are thrilled to welcome Daphne to our campus family and community,” said David Law, associate vice president for USU Uintah Basin. “Within the short time Daphne has been in the Uintah Basin, she has already started to meet with key community leaders to learn from them about how she can expand business opportunities for both our students and community members. Daphne’s passion for entrepreneurship is contagious. Her positive energy and knowledge will help our business program and the Bingham Entrepreneurship Center thrive. Daphne will serve both Uintah and Duchesne counties.”

Blanchard holds a master’s degree in international relations with an emphasis in economic development in Latin America from the University of San Diego and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Southern Utah University.

Blanchard is excited to help students bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world and believes that entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful tools to accomplish just that. She looks forward to working with both students and community members to foster entrepreneurship in the region.

“I’m honored to join Utah State University as faculty and the new director of the Bingham Entrepreneurship Center,” she said. “It’s a privilege to become part of both the USU and Uintah Basin communities — places that have already shown tremendous warmth, support, and a deep commitment to student success. I believe business and education are powerful tools for upward mobility, and I’ve made it my mission to help people unlock meaningful opportunities through both.”

Blanchard’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1999, as she was the first female sales rep for Pro Look Sports. She has since built multiple businesses across several borders, including designing an educational system in a Tijuana factory and launching social enterprises in Ecuador. She also has ventures such as a yellow dragon fruit farm in Ecuador and a property management company in Utah.

“At the heart of all my work is the belief that business and education can be a force for good — empowering individuals and strengthening communities,” she said.

Blanchard got her start in teaching as an ESL teacher in 2012 and has taught middle school English in Costa Rica as well as business lecturing at Brigham Young University, English at the Universidad de las Américas, and business courses through USU Online.

She feels that this opportunity to both teach and lead the Bingham Entrepreneurship Center will allow her to combine her background in innovation and social enterprise with her love for student and community engagement. She hopes to expand the entrepreneurship program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business in the region and make sure students have full access to the resources and opportunities through USU.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to connect individuals with the excellent resources already available through USU and the community and help turn ideas into action that benefits both individuals and the region as a whole,” she said. “I plan to connect students to a lecture series and internship programs, and I’m excited to get students involved in case competitions that provide hands-on experience, mentorship, and coaching from business leaders. Ultimately, I hope the Center for Entrepreneurship becomes a vibrant gathering place where students and community members can bring their business ideas to life.”

Blanchard remembers how challenging it was to begin down the entrepreneur path more than 20 years ago. She is committed to helping aspiring business owners find the knowledge, support, and opportunities they need to bring their ideas to life.

“I’m excited to share with students the resources and tools I wish I had known about when I was starting out,” she said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to come full circle and now be in a position to mentor and support the next generation of business builders.”

Operating campuses in Vernal and Roosevelt for more than 50 years, Utah State University Uintah Basin gives students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university, all in the backdrop of the outdoor oasis that is the Uinta Mountains and Ashley National Forest. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees and more than 125 programs available, as well as access to the renowned Bingham Research Center, USU Uintah Basin offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at uintahbasin.usu.edu.