June | 2024 | College of Science

Tony Hawk : The Intuitive Physicist of Vert Skating

June 13, 2024

Conscious of the Planet

June 13, 2024

Hannah Rogers, co-founder of the climate app Conscious

A student at the University of Utah, she along with co-founders Hannah Rogers and Ishita Juluru have been awarded the prestigious Wilkes Student Climate Innovation Prize. The prize was awarded at the second annual Wilkes Climate Summit at the U in May.. The innovative project aims to reform consumer behavior towards sustainability by empowering individuals to make informed choices and take meaningful action against climate change.

Conscious seeks to bridge the gap between producers and consumers in the realm of sustainable consumption. Set to undergo development this summer, the app will provide users with essential information about the environmental footprint of products through a simple barcode scanning feature. From carbon emissions and water usage to sustainable alternatives, Conscious will equip consumers with the knowledge needed to make eco-conscious purchasing decisions.

"Basically, we just want to make climate conscious consumption really easy for people because there's a huge information gap between producers and consumers," explains Frances Benfell, one of the Conscious’s creators. "So we're creating an app that will allow you to scan a barcode and see a product's carbon footprint, how much water was used, where it was made, and where it's shipping from. And then it will give you a list of third-party vetted alternatives that have a lower carbon footprint that you can purchase directly within the app."

Beyond its goal to provide consumers with easily accessible information, Conscious aims to foster engagement among its users to drive real change. In addition to its barcode scanning feature, the app will incorporate gamification elements, allowing users to participate in challenges and competitions with friends, colleagues, and community members.

"We're also ‘gamifying’ the process so you can be on different leaderboards, at your workplace or at your school or with your friends," adds Juluru, "and also compete with your friends in different challenges, like a Clean Air Challenge or sustainable Christmas shopping challenge. You’ll be able to see your contributions in comparison with others, which will motivate people to be more engaged."

Reducing ego anxiety

The project started with its creators’ frustrations surrounding the difficulty and hopelessness they felt trying to take climate action. "I think climate change is really isolating sometimes, especially in Utah," shares Benfell. "There's a lot of times where I feel like I'm in a room where I'm the only person who cares. And it's really nice to be able to see all the other efforts people are making. You can reduce ego anxiety by making better decisions, but also seeing that other people are trying too, and not feeling like you're alone in the fight."

The Wilkes Student Climate Innovation Prize will provide crucial support for the development and launch of Conscious. Despite initial setbacks with their software developer, the team is now back on track with two dedicated software engineers, including founder Juluru.

Launching initially in the U.S., Conscious will focus on wealthy industrial countries where companies and consumers play significant roles in driving climate change. With plans to expand globally, the app will eventually provide tailored resources and information unique to every state.

“We want to have comprehensive resources that show, ‘here’s all the places you can learn about the legislative session; here's where you can learn about where your representatives stand on climate issues,” says Benfell.

Disrupting the status quo

The Conscious team

Conscious aims to disrupt the status quo of consumerism by empowering individuals to leverage their purchasing power against major climate contributors. By steering consumers away from unsustainable companies, Conscious seeks to send a powerful message and drive systemic change. “The idea is not about people ‘righting their wrongs’ or not being ‘sustainable enough.’ It's more about sending a message to those major climate contributors. Because if we're shifting demand away from high-polluting companies, then we're hurting their bottom line, which they care about a lot more than the environment,” explains Rogers. “There is huge value in putting your money where your mouth is. Yes, you can vote for change in our government. But the biggest way that you vote is what you buy.”

Conscious represents a new frontier in sustainable consumerism, where every purchase becomes an opportunity for positive environmental impact. As the app gears up for development, its creators are poised to lead a movement towards a more sustainable future, one purchase at a time.

The College of Science Welcomes New Faculty Fellows

June 12, 2024

The College of Science welcomes Associate Professor Lauren Birgenheier and Professor Akil Narayan as its inaugural class of Faculty Fellows. By working closely with colleagues on key projects, the new Fellows Program is designed to develop emerging academic leaders who are interested in learning more about college administration.

Lauren Birgenheier

Birgenheier is a sedimentary geologist and geochemist. Her research studies fluvial, shallow marine and lacustrine systems, shedding light on the processes that shaped our planet's past with a view toward implications for energy development, critical mineral exploration, carbon storage and paleoclimate reconstruction. Previously, Birgenheier served as Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair for the Department of Geology & Geophysics.

Akil Narayan

Narayan is an applied mathematician specializing in numerical analysis. As a member of the University of Utah's Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, his broad research agenda at the forefront of computational innovation includes machine learning, model reduction and uncertainty quantification, among others. Narayan has previously held many departmental and university roles, including serving on an Academic Senate subcommittee and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Department of Mathematics.

"Lauren and Akil are exceptional scholars and leaders," said Dean Peter Trapa. "Their diverse expertise, coupled with their commitment to excellence, will be put to good use in these new Faculty Fellow roles. I look forward to working with them both."

How Earth’s oceans were oxygenated

June 12, 2024

About 2.5 billion years ago, free oxygen, or O₂, first started to accumulate to meaningful levels in Earth’s atmosphere, setting the stage for the rise of complex life on our evolving planet.

Scientists refers to this phenomenon as the Great Oxidation Event, or GOE for short. But the initial accumulation of O₂ on Earth was not nearly as straightforward as that moniker suggests, according to new research led by a University of Utah geochemist.

This “event” lasted at least 200 million years. And tracking the accumulation of O₂ in the oceans has been very difficult until now, said Chadlin Ostrander, an assistant professor in the Department of Geology & Geophysics.

“Emerging data suggest that the initial rise of O₂ in Earth’s atmosphere was dynamic, unfolding in fits-and-starts until perhaps 2.2. billion years ago,” said Ostrander, lead author on the study published June 12 in the journal Nature. “Our data validate this hypothesis, even going one step further by extending these dynamics to the ocean.”

His international research team, which is supported by the NASA Exobiology program, focused on marine shales from South Africa’s Transvaal Supergroup, yielding insights into the dynamics of ocean oxygenation during this crucial period in Earth’s history. By analyzing stable thallium (Tl) isotope ratios and redox-sensitive elements, they uncovered evidence of fluctuations in marine O₂ levels that coincided with changes in atmospheric oxygen.

These findings help advance the understanding of the complex processes that shaped Earth’s O₂ levels during a critical period in the planet’s history that paved the way for the evolution of life as we know it.

“We really don’t know what was going on in the oceans, where Earth’s earliest lifeforms likely originated and evolved,” said Ostrander, who joined the U faculty last year from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. “So knowing the O₂ content of the oceans and how that evolved with time is probably more important for early life than the atmosphere.”

Championing Representation & Advocacy in Healthcare

June 12, 2024

Participating in the English as a Second Language (ESL) Express Registration event at SLCC as a peer mentor leader.

Gamarra’s exciting educational milestone boils down to personal triumph, mentorship, and resilience. Navigating her family’s adopted home of the U.S., she began her undergraduate studies early during high school, completing concurrent enrollment classes through Salt Lake Community College before finishing her degree at the U.

In the university setting Gamarra found guidance and community through the Refugees Exploring the Foundations of Undergraduate Education In Science (REFUGES) Bridge Program (REFUGES), designed to support students with tools for college and career readiness. Founded by physics faculty member Tino Nyawelo, the program proved to be a pivotal support system for Gamarra. “From the start, I've always wanted to do medicine," she reflects. “That was my goal. And so having Tino’s program, there was a huge help in acclimating to the new campus and getting to know faculty, staff, and other students. And it really helped me network really well from the start, and feel more comfortable.” Through the program, she not only found her footing in the academic landscape but also discovered her capacity for leadership and mentorship, being able to give back as a science and mathematics tutor.

Gamarra is quick to open up about her upbringing and how her family’s challenges during her childhood impacted her present journey: “My parents are immigrants from Peru and their transition to the U.S, especially navigating healthcare, was a challenge. I suffered from a brain tumor as a child, so a big motivation for them moving to the U.S. was to make sure I received the best treatment possible. This whole process opened my eyes to the strengths and struggles of our current healthcare system, and ways I can help make it better.”

Drawing from her family's experiences, Gamarra is prepared to think beyond traditional healthcare expectations by providing care for her future patients on more than just a physical level, emphasizing the importance of equity, inclusion, and community on health and well-being. She has been involved in several projects that provide guidance to Latinx families about free health-related resources and volunteers her time as a Spanish and English translator. Her interactions with patients, families and mentors are what fueled her determination to continue pursuing medicine. She is particularly interested in helping foster a greater sense of trust between physicians and their patients, which she sees as key to success.

At the Mitaka Picture Book initiative in Japan, reading Spanish to Japanese children and their families.

Transcending cultural and linguistic barriers

With an interest in global health and social justice, Gamarra envisions a career that transcends borders and barriers. In her final year at the U, she attended the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights based in the UK, where she drew a strong parallel between health and human rights. With her group she presented on climate refugees and the barriers to accessing healthcare, as well as discussing health from a cultural point of view considering the existence of traditional medicine. Upon returning to Utah, she helped create the podcast RadioNatura, opening up these discussions to a global audience. This commitment to removing cultural and linguistic barriers defines Gamarra's vision for her future in medicine.

With a degree in biology and a minor in pediatric clinical research, Gamarra will begin medical school this August with an interest in pediatrics. She hopes to expand on her expertise and knowledge: “Presenting different studies that doctors in the University of Utah health community are doing really opened my eyes to the vulnerability of children,” she states. “I see the field of pediatrics as a promising one because I can have a long-term impact and build strong relationships with families, providing comprehensive care that considers the well-being of both the child and the family unit.”

‘Doing More’ is a subjective term

Though Gamarra has experienced many ups and downs on her path, she has always remained focused on her goals. “I would be lying if I said this whole journey was smooth,” she admits. “It was actually extremely rocky. There were times I doubted myself because there was always a thought in my mind that I could be doing more. But I realized that ‘more’ is subjective. It is less about accumulating experiences and more about the reflections and growth that comes out of those experiences.” While Gamarra admits that she once admired people with busy calendars, she no longer glamorizes it: “Being ‘busy’ without time to self-reflect is not the path I want to take in my life.”

As she prepares to embark on the next chapter of her life — medical school — Gamarra carries with her the support of those who helped her along the way. “I just focus on the people that were there for me, and I think that because of the REFUGES Program, Tino is a wonderful person that was there for me. He was someone that saw me through this journey, and that is still with me through this next journey, which I value a lot.”

In Kimberly Gamarra, the U’s School of Medicine has found more than just a future doctor, but an individual who will undoubtedly create change and strengthen communities wherever she goes.

By Julia St. Andre

Immersive VR: A New Era in Mining Safety

June 11, 2024

Before you panic, remember that this is a practice scenario in an innovative simulation that prepares for the worst in a virtual world.

The Center for Mine Safety and Health at the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Utah, in collaboration with the Chile-based company Minverso, has developed the initial phase of a first-ever metaverse platform that includes a mining training program using virtual reality (VR). This collaborative initiative blends cutting-edge technology with academic expertise for the benefits of both students and the mining industry.

“This mining metaverse is not just technological innovation,” said mining department chair Charles Kocsis. “It is, most importantly, a product of shared experience and dedication to providing students and the mining industry a holistic and immersive learning experience.”

Screenshot of a module to learn safety techniques in an underground mine. PHOTO CREDIT: MINVERSO/UNIVERSITY OF UTAH.

Qualified faculty and research assistants from the U and Minverso, a VR training company, created a team to build, test and validate the innovative health and safety program to be coupled with an evacuation training system for mine workers. The initial phase of the system was made available to the public in early February of 2024. It provides real-time guidance to underground mine workers in case of emergency. The goals are to save lives while establishing a far-reaching culture of health and safety in mines around the world.“The technology promises to deliver ‘training without risks,’” said Minverso commercial director Dallin Wood.

For the next phase, the research team will include experts in psychology, education, and health sciences from the U.

This collaborative initiative will next add the immersive mine evacuation training module to the metaverse platform. This will help model and understand workers’ behavior during emergencies while increasing the miners’ confidence to reach the closest refuge station or exit the mine.

“This metaverse platform maximizes educational efficiency by offering a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical mining applications,” explained Kocsis. In addition, the simulated space for high-complexity mining operations prepares students for the dynamic challenges offered by the mining industry.

Read the Full Article By David Pace @The U.

ACCESS Excellence in Leadership

June 11, 2024

Excellence in Leadership

ACCESS alums have a long history of paying it forward as mentors and leaders, and it was this commitment that ensured programming continued, uninterrupted, during periods of remote learning due to COVID-19.

Over the past few years, ACCESS program alums continued to reach out to volunteer or offer support as a Teaching Assistant (TA). The alums were a resource for individual students, assisted in adapting the curriculum, and created online program socials that were innovative and fun. The leaders powered through adversity with positivity, emotional intelligence, and creative solutions that not only allowed ACCESS to survive and adapt through the pandemic, but thrive. Their contributions and ideas resulted in changes that will remain part of the program’s core moving forward.

These leaders discovered just how much they can achieve and drive positive change, even in times of adversity – while we gained a glimpse into the bright future of ACCESS alumni and the ripple effect their commitment to community will continue to have.

We continue the tradition of recognizing and rewarding excellent leadership and mentorship each year based on community care, resilience, determination, and positivity.

It is with gratitude, that we recognize the following students with the Excellence in Leadership Award, presented by the College of Science.

2023

2022

2021

2020

Kip Solomon announced as interim chair, Geology & Geophysics

June 6, 2024

Solomon in Greenland to measure fresh water aquifer below deep ice in 2016.

Solomon holds the Frank Brown Presidential Chair in the department and will replace William Johnson as department chair beginning July 1, 2024.

Johnson served as department chair beginning April 2022. “I’m satisfied to have spurred new infrastructure (SIRFER and clean room), new faculty and two new positions in play, as well as salary transparency and staff domain clarity,” says Johnson of his term. “Kip will be a steady lead as the above changes settle and as additional institutional changes occur.”

Solomon has a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo and BS and MS degrees from the U’s Department of Geology and Geophysics. He joined the department in 1993 and served as chair from 2009-2013.

His research includes the use of environmental tracers to evaluate groundwater flow and solute transport processes in local-to regional-scale aquifers. He has developed the use of dissolved gases including helium-3, CFCs and SF₆ to evaluate groundwater travel times, location and rates of recharge, and the sustainability of groundwater resources. He constructed and operates one of only a few labs in the world that measures noble gases in groundwater. His research results have been documented in more than 120 journal articles, book chapters, and technical reports.

Solomon will also receive the 2024 O.E Meinzer Annual Award by the Geological Society of America in September.

“Geology and Geophysics is a great department and has been strengthened considerably by the hard work and dedication of previous chairs Thure Cerling and Bill Johnson,” said Solomon. “With new hires and academic programs, the future looks very bright.”

By Ashley Herman

Finding new ant species in a SLC backyard

June 5, 2024

Jack Longino likes to spend his weekends close to the ground. He often wears a vest that holds fifteen tiny vials filled with alcohol and a backpack with about 100 more.

“People look at me and they think I’ve got a bullet belt,” he said.

Longino uses the vials to carefully collect and preserve ants. “I end up with thousands of tiny little bottles of alcohol with dead ants in them,” he said.

He has traveled and documented ants extensively in Central America, but Longino is “interested in ant diversity anywhere I am.”

Luckily, ants are just about everywhere and each zone — from the marshes of the Great Salt Lake to high elevation Alta to the West Desert — has its own set of species.

In 2018 Longino was hanging out in the backyard of his Salt Lake City home when he noticed an unusual group of ants normally found in tropical habitats. Very few of that particular species were recorded in the Western U.S. At first he assumed they had come from Southern Arizona, perhaps hitched a ride on potting soil.

Read the full article by reporter Sofia Jeremias in the Salt Lake Tribune. (Pay wall)

A Tale of Two Worms: Advancing Epigenetics

June 4, 2024

Have you ever wondered how a cell knows whether it’s supposed to be skin or muscle? Or philosophized about “nature vs. nurture,” that is, how contributions from both genetics and the environment influence physical phenotypes? Epigenetics, a relatively new field in biology, helps explain the mechanistic basis for this phenomenon—and is the field I have chosen to dedicate my doctoral studies at the University of Utah.

Audrey Brown

I sometimes find the easiest way to describe epigenetics is using a metaphor. Imagine that the DNA within a cell is an instruction manual. It contains all the instructions necessary for cellular functions — but this manual can also be modified. Epigenetic modifications (“epi” meaning “on top of”) are like “sticky-notes,” a set of additional instructions on top of the manual. These notes contain directions like “make more of this gene here” or “turn this gene off completely.” In reality, these notes take the form of chemical tags added to the DNA itself or to proteins associated with the DNA. Scientists like myself and my colleagues in Michael Werner’s lab at the School of Biological Sciences are trying to understand what type of information each of these modifications encodes, and how the set of modifications is changed by external environmental factors.

I recently co-authored a paper in Genetics addressing this last point. For this study, we created and compared lists of all the epigenetic genes present in these two worms. For the most part they contained a similar repertoire of epigenetic genes, yet we found one striking difference: P. pacificus is missing an epigenetic protein complex called PRC2. This was a surprising result since PRC2 is one of the most conserved epigenetic protein complexes, and is essential for various cellular functions, including cell differentiation and gene repression. So how is P. pacificus able to survive without it? We found one clue with the help of Ofer Rog’s lab at the U. We were able to detect the enzymatic output of the PRC2 complex (i.e. the specific “sticky-note” it writes), which led us to conclude that a different, yet unknown enzyme has taken over the function of PRC2 in P. pacificus.

Read more of Audrey Brown's article about these advancements in epigenetics in @The U.

The Intuitive Physicist of Vert Skating

'Would you consider Tony Hawk a physicist?'

'I would consider Tony Hawk a physicist. If nothing else, he’s an intuitive scientist, right?'

'Conscious' of the Planet

Reducing ego anxiety

Disrupting the status quo

>> HOME <<

THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE WELCOMES NEW FACULTY FELLOWS

Geologist and mathematician to serve during the coming academic year.

How Earth's oceans were oxygenated

New research led by U geochemist uses thallium isotopes to track the rise and fall of free oxygen on Earth 2.5 billion years ago, the process that enabled life as we know it.

Championing Representation & Advocacy in Healthcare

Transcending cultural and linguistic barriers

‘Doing More’ is a subjective term

Immersive VR : A New Era in Mining Safety

It’s the end of a shift in an underground mine, and you’re midway through a safety checklist. Suddenly, smoke fills the cavern and emergency lights flash. Your co-workers yell and chaos ensues. What do you do?

Excellence in Leadership

Ella Bleak

Margaret Call

Kylie DeNiro

Audrey Glende

Riley Murray

Kennedie Wilding

America Cox

Sarah Crago

Autumn Hartley

Alex Leavitt

Rachel Muhlestein

Savannah Romney

Michelle Tin

Dua Azhar

Andelin Beishline

Emma Kerr

Ava Peitz

Elle Tanner

Audrey Brown

Caitlin Coplan

Shaistah Din

Tessa McNamee

Akemi Nguyen

Kai Pruyn

Nikita Rabbitt

Kip Solomon tapped as Interim Chair

D. Kip Solomon has been selected as the new interim chair of the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah.

Utah’s ant man found a new species in his backyard

University of Utah professor Jack Longino’s research mainly takes him to Central America, but on the weekend he collects and examines the diverse ant species around him.

A Tale of Two Worms : Advancing Epigenetics

Why an important epigenetic gene is missing in some species of roundworm.