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Excellence


A tradition of Excellence


1 Nobel Prize

Mario R. Capecchi, 2007

Physiology or Medicine

1 Breakthrough Prize

Christopher D. Hacon, 2018

Mathematics

3 National Medals of Science

Peter J. Stang, 2011

Chemistry

Mario R. Capecchi, 2001

Biological Sciences

Henry Eyring, 1966

Physical Sciences

4 MacArthur Genius Grants

Eric L. Charnov, 1997

Ecology and Evolutionary/Environmental Biology

Sharon B. Emerson, 1995

Ecology and Evolutionary/Environmental Biology

Jon Seger, 1987

Ecology and Evolutionary/Environmental Biology

Michael Ghiselin, 1981

Cell, Developmental, and Systems Biology

5 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor/Investigator

Baldomero Olivera, 2006

Erik M. Jorgensen, 2005 & 2016

Mario R. Capecchi, 1988

Tulle Hazelrigg, 1986

Lionello Bossi, 1981

1 Simons Foundation Investigator

Christopher D. Hacon, 2012

1 Explorers Club Fellow

Kenneth M. Golden, 2014

 

2 National Academy of Medicine Fellows

Mario R. Capecchi, 2015

Baldomero Olivera, 2006

 

16 National Academy of Sciences Members

Fredrick Manthi, 2024

Geology & Geophysics

Phyllis Coley, 2023

Biological Sciences

Erik Jorgensen, 2022

Biological Sciences

Valeria Molinero, 2022

Chemistry

Mary Beckerle, 2021

Cellular & Developmental Biology

Christopher D. Hacon, 2018

Mathematics

James R. Ehleringer, 2016

Environmental Sciences and Ecology

Cynthia J. Burrows, 2014

Chemistry

Baldomero M. Olivera, 2009

Physiology and Pharmacology

C. Dale Poulter, 2009

Chemistry

Thure E. Cerling, 2001

Environmental Sciences and Ecology

Peter J. Stang, 2000

Chemistry

Mario R. Capecchi, 1991

Cellular and Developmental Biology

John Roth, 1988

Genetics

Cheves Walling, 1964

Chemistry

Henry Eyring, 1945

Chemistry

12 American Academy of Arts & Sciences Members

Matt Sigman, 2026

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Valeria Molinero, 2021

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Christopher D. Hacon, 2017

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Henry S. White, 2011

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Mario R. Capecchi, 2009

Biological Sciences

Cynthia J. Burrows, 2009

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Mary C. Beckerle, 2008

Biological Sciences

Baldomero M. Olivera, 2007

Biological Sciences

Phyllis D. Coley, 2006

Biological Sciences

C. Dale Poulter, 2005

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Peter J. Stang, 2002

Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Henry Eyring, 1958

Chemistry

6 Churchill Scholars

The Churchill Scholarship provides funding to American students for a year of Master’s study at the University of Cambridge, based at Churchill College. The program was set up at the request of Sir Winston Churchill in order to fulfill his vision of US–UK scientific exchange with the goal of advancing science and technology on both sides of the Atlantic.

Isaac Martin, 2021

Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy

Michael Xiao, 2020

Biology

Cameron Owen, 2019

Chemistry

Scott Neville, 2018

Mathematics, Computer Science

Michael Zhao, 2017

Mathematics

Mackenzie Simper, 2016

Mathematics

24 Goldwater Scholars

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation provides funding for undergraduates in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

Adeline Hiemstra, 2026

Physics & Astronomy

Sylvia Mesicek, 2025

Physics & Astronomy

Muskan Walia, 2024

Mathematics

Nathan Patchen, 2024

Biochemistry

Eliza Diggins, 2023

Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy

Audrey Glende, 2023

Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy

Daniel Koizumi, 2023

Mathematics

Nichols Crawford Taylor, 2023

Mathematics

Allison Wang, 2022

Chemistry

Tyler Ball, 2021

Chemistry

Lydia Fries, 2020

Chemistry

Isaac Martin, 2020

Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy

Michael Xiao, 2019

Biology

Rachel Cantrell, 2019

Chemistry

Philippe David, 2018

Chemistry

Cameron Owen, 2018

Chemistry

Ethan Lake, 2016

Physics & Astronomy

Michael Zhao, 2016

Mathematics

Alexandra Kent, 2014

Chemistry

Tyler Shimko, 2013

Biology

Tera Nicolo, 2012

Chemistry

Safia Ahmed, 2008

Chemistry

Brent James Hawker, 2008

Mathematics

Bryder Cauch, 2008

Mathematics



ACCESS Scholars 2026 Research Symposium

Four affiliates from the College of Science received acknowledge from the Office of Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Research Awards 2026

Four affiliates from the College of Science received acknowledge from the Office of Undergraduate Research

College of Science Students Featured in RANGE: Undergraduate Research Journal 2026

College of Science Students Featured in RANGE: Undergraduate Research Journal 2026  Range: Undergraduate Research Journal highlights the research...

College of Science Research Symposium Spring 2026

College of Science Research Symposium Spring 2026  The annual College of Science Research Symposium is...

College of Science Students at Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2026

College of Science Students at Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2026  For two decades, the Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR)...

2026 College of Science Awards

The College of Science is committed to recognizing excellence in education, research, and service and...

College of Science Undergraduate Students Present Research on Capitol Hill

College of Science Undergraduate Students Present Research on Capitol Hill  Each year undergraduate students have an...

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Spring 2026

Undergraduate Research Symposium: Spring 2026 Each Semester the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) hosts an Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) featuring student posters and...

For a while, crocodile

For a while, crocodile April 17, 2024 Above:  Some 215 million years ago in what...

2025 College of Science Awards

The College of Science is committed to recognizing excellence in education, research, and service and...

In Detox: Woodrats use ‘quantity over quality’ as a plan

Woodrats use ‘quantity over quality’ as a Detox plan January 9, 2025 Above: A woodrat...

Coyote numbers are often higher in areas where they are hunted

Coyote numbers are often higher in areas where they are hunted January 9, 2025 Above:...

The Next Antibiotic Revolution: Viruses to the Rescue

The Next Antibiotic Revolution: Viruses to the Rescue Dec 09, 2024 Above: Talia Backman –...

2024 Clarivate's Most Cited

Bill Anderegg, Highly Cited Researcher 2024 December 9, 2024 Above: William Anderegg at the One-U...

New tools for peering into cell function.

New tools for peering into cell function Sep 9, 2024 Above: Ming Hammond, professor of...

Scientists Find Hope in Cone Snail Venom

Scientists Find Hope in Cone Snail Venom Aug 23, 2024 Above : Ho Yan Yeung,...

A Framework for Cancer Ecology and Evolution

A Framework for Cancer Ecology and Evolution July 17, 2024 Why do the vast majority...

Journey to the Center of Biotech

Journey to the Center of Biotech  July 8, 2024 Above: Heng Xie “I guess I...

Delve into the puzzle of ice crystallization and uncover its secrets.

Delve into the puzzle of ice crystallization and uncover its secrets July 5, 2024 Above:...

Life On Other Planets … and in a student’s mind

Life On Other Planets … and in a student’s mind June 13, 2024 Above: Mary...

Meet Lokiceratops: Giant Blade-Wielding Dinosaur


Meet Lokiceratops: A Giant Blade Wielding Dinosaur June 21, 2024 Above: Reconstruction of Lokiceratops surprised...

Utah's fir trees at risk from balsam woolly adelgid

Utah's fir trees at risk from balsam woolly adelgid June 20, 2024 Above: A drone...

Bacteriophages: Nature's bacterial killers

Bacteriophages : Nature's bacterial killers June 14, 2024 Above: Talia Karasov Bacteriophages, viruses that attack...

Championing Representation & Advocacy in Healthcare

Championing Representation & Advocacy in Healthcare June 12, 2024 Above: Kimberly Gamarra Kimberly Gamarra, a...

Finding new ant species in a SLC backyard

Utah’s ant man found a new species in his backyard June 5, 2024 Above: John...

A Tale of Two Worms: Advancing Epigenetics

A Tale of Two Worms : Advancing Epigenetics June 4, 2024 Above: Immunofluorescence in round...

Breakthrough in Geothermal Energy at Utah FORGE

Breakthrough in Geothermal Energy at Utah FORGE June 3, 2024 Above: The Utah FORGE site...

Tapping coal mines for rare-earth materials

Tapping coal mines for rare-earth materials May 23, 2024 Above: Michael Vanden Berg, a geologist...

U of U Part of $6.6M National Weather Forecasting Initiative

U of U Included in $6.6M National Weather Forecasting Initiative The partnership with NOAA, other...

Aftermath 2024

A collection of alumni, student and faculty stories from the U Department of Mathematics.

Toxic Thalium: Humans changing the chemistry of the Baltic Sea

changing chemistry of the Baltic Sea May 6, 2024 Above: Assistant Professor of Geology &...

U Atmospheric Scientists Team Up for $4.8M Snowfall Research Project

U atmospheric scientists team up for $4.8M snowfall research project May 6, 2024 Above: Atmospheric...

2024 College of Science Awards

The College of Science is committed to recognizing excellence in education, research, and service and...

Spectrum 2023

A collection of alumni, student and faculty stories from the U Department of Physics &...

Sizing Up Courthouse Crack

Sizing Up Courthouse Crack February 29, 2024 Geohazards, due to the way they constantly change,...

Measuring Black Carbon

Black carbon sensor could fill massive monitoring gaps February 22, 2024 Black carbon is the...

Utah's Warm Wet Winter

A warm, wet winter in Utah but don’t blame El Niño February 22, 2024 For...

Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats Has Long Been in Flux

Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats has long been in flux February 21, 2024 Salt crusts began...

New Tyrannosaurus Species

Scientists Conclude New Mexico Fossil Is New Tyrannosaurus Species January 29, 2024     Scientists...

Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine

Regional Innovations Engine University of Utah part of new NSF-funded initiative to ensure regional climate...

An Unexpected Climate Solution

The Wilkes Center Student Innovation Prize Nicholas Witham is the first-place winner of the Wilkes...

2023 College of Science Awards

The College of Science is committed to recognizing excellence in education, research, and service and...

Weekend Effect

Large-scale citizen science camera trapping helped assess animal behavioral responses across multiple mammal species in...

A.A.U. Membership

The University of Utah is one of the newest members of the prestigious Association of...

Fellow of the AAAS

Jennifer Shumaker-Perry elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Space Sunscreen

Dust launched from the moon’s surface or from a space station positioned between Earth and...

Fellow of the AAAS

Vahe Bandarian elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

$1M Grant to Chemists

Grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation will help chemists learn how molecules crystallize, potentially saving...

Collaboration of the Cited

Biology’s ‘highly cited’ researchers collaborate in forest science.

Pauling Medal

Distinguished Professor Dr. Cynthia Burrows is the 2022 Pauling Medal awardee.

Ichthyosaurs Migrations

Breeding grounds for massive prehistoric marine reptiles.

GSL Meteorite

In order to have a meteorite named, you have to have an institution classify it.

King of the Playa

On a crisp October morning, Kevin Perry pedaled his bike across the Great Salt Lake...

Relativistic Jet

Researchers document a black hole giving off more light than 1,000 trillion suns.

Clarivate's Most Cited

Peter Stang is recognized for his exceptional research influence, demonstrated by the production of multiple...

Bonneville Salt Flats

Search for solutions drives race to save Bonneville Salt Flats.

BioKids

Celebrated childcare and pre-school at the School of Biological Sciences.

Stolen Ivory

What does “bomb carbon” have to do with elephant poaching?

Hedgehog Signaling

U of U undergrads work to break open the biological mystery of Hedgehog Signaling.

Ethiopian Abattoirs

The decline of vultures and rise of dogs carries disease risks.

Utah F.O.R.G.E.

The future of geothermal energy is located in Milford, Utah.

Nuclear Recycling

Michael Simpson wants to recycle spent nuclear fuel rods.

Visualizing the Infinitesimal

Janet Iwasa and Ofer Rog re-imagine the cellular space occupied by condensates.

McMinn Chair

Christopher Hacon appointed to 2nd term as the Trevor James McMinn Professor in the Department...

Planetarium Internship

U students create new presentations during planetarium internship.

Toxic Dust Hot Spots

Where is Great Salt Lake's toxic dust most likely to originate?

NDSEG Fellowship

Aria Ballance Granted 2022 NDSEG Fellowship.

Armentrout Interview

Richard A. J. O’Hair interviews Prof. Peter B. Armentrout for the Journal of the American...

STAR-X Proposal

Astrophysicist Dan Wik proposal selected by NASA.

Research Funding

The University of Utah reports $686 million in research funding for fiscal year 2022.

NuFact 2022

The Department of Physics & Astronomy hosts NuFact 2022 neutrino workshop at Snowbird, Utah.

At-Risk Forests

Bill Anderegg quantifies the risk to forests from climate change along three dimensions.

Crystal Su

Rational engineering of a synthetic insect-bacterial mutualism.

The Wilkes Center

Backed by $20 Million Gift, University of Utah Launches The Wilkes Center for Climate Science...

Air Pollution

Utah’s air quality issues have been with us for a long time.

Ants of the World

Jack Longino sees the world through ants.

Star Trek

To boldly know what no one has known before.

10-year Plan

U astronomers tackle the decade’s biggest questions.

SRI Stories

Atmospheric scientist reveals an increase in the height of wildfire smoke plumes

Arctic Adventures

Rebecca Hardenbrook and Julie Sherman take on the Great White North.

Air Tracker

John Lin, of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, adapted his research group’s atmospheric model to...

Cellular Crosslinking

Caralyn Flack studies cellular crosslinking in chemoreceptor molecules.

Biomimetic Cephalopods

David Peterman is bringing ancient animals back to life—as robots.

Moiré Magic

Ken Golden presents highly tunable composite materials—with a twist.

Interactive Forest Maps

Threats impacting forests are increasing nationwide.

How Trees Grow

William Anderegg explores the relationship between photosynthesis and cell growth.

Carbon Nanotubes

Vikram Deshpande had a hunch that carbon nanotubes held a lot of promise as a...

Galápagos Letters

South American correspondent Nora Clayton reporting from the Galapagos Islands.

Extraordinary Black Hole

Astronomers recently discovered a black hole unlike any other. The only confirmed intermediate-mass black holes,...

Of Mice and Monarchs

Are California mice eating monarch butterflies?

James Webb Space Telescope

The largest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space.

Biological Data

All thinking is done using modeling, whether it’s through language or mathematics.

Theory Meets Intuition

Will Feldman studies things most of us take for granted.

Space Plants

Plants are the future of space travel.

The Frontier of Physics

Physics beyond the Standard Model.

Arctic Adventures

BBC StoryWorks feature with Jody Reimer, Rebecca Hardenbrook, and Ken Golden.

Research Funding

The University of Utah reports $641 million in research funding for fiscal year 2021.

Fabulous Fungi

SBS faculty Bryn Dentiger explores the possibilities of fungi.

Darwin's Pigeon "Enigma"

Darwin's short-beak enigma solved

Physics Innovation

University of Utah faculty Yue Zhao Receives Physics Innovation Award

Be the Light

American Indian Services students visit campus.

Chemistry in Pictures

Chemistry is so much broader than just a list of elements.

Birds of the Philippines

University of Utah study determines extinction risk factors for Philippine birds.

Mysteries of the Universe

A five-year quest to map the universe and unravel the mysteries of dark energy began...

Let's Get Kraken

The Sigman Group launches an open-access tool for chemists.

Camille-Dreyfus Award

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks receives Teacher-Scholar award.

NAS Membership

Mary Beckerle receives the significant recognition of NAS membership.

AAAS Membership

Valeria Molinero joins the prestigious ranks of the American Academy.

Patterns in Sound

Exciting new math research by Fernando Guevara Vasquez.

Allergy Season

Climate change is making allergy season last longer.

Sloan Research Fellow

Luisa Whittaker-Brooks awarded prestigious 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship.

Sea Ice Science

Ken Golden brings the principles of mathematics to some of Earth’s most remote and most...

COVID-19 Vaccine Panel

Panel of experts answer questions on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Priyam Patel

Visualizing the Topology of Surfaces

Lake of Dust

Is Utah’s great lake turning to dust?

Giant Poisonous Rats

The secret social lives of giant poisonous rats.

Next-Gen Astronomy

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey is providing groundbreaking insight into the formation and evolution of...

11 Billion Years

Kyle Dawson and a global consortium of astrophysicists have created the world's largest three-dimensional map...

HIV Microscopy

Ipsita Saha, graduate research assistant at the Department of Physics & Astronomy uses electron microscopy...

Forest Futures

Forests absorb a significant amount of the carbon dioxide that’s emitted into the atmosphere—And this...

Crab Nebula

University of Utah scientists detect Crab Nebula using innovative gamma-ray telescope.

Hedgehogs and Undergrads

Astronomers recently discovered a black hole unlike any other. The only confirmed intermediate-mass black holes,...

Courtship Condos

Dean Castillo Playing to the ethic of pursuing pure science, new...

Discover 2019

Features the Science Research Initiative, College Rankings, Commutative Algebra, and more.

Running with Scissors

Jamie Gagnon One could argue that the age of genomes is divided between before CRISPR-Cas9...

Electrochemistry

Henry S. White - A Positive Force in Electrochemistry   Henry S. White From energy...

Commutative Algebra

Can commutative algebra solve real-world problems? Srikanth Iyengar “When we first...

TreeTop Barbie

When Nalini Nadkarni was a young scientist in the 1980s, she wanted to...

Research Funding

Research Funding Tops $540 Million Total Research Funding Through the accumulated...

Going with the Flow

Going with the Flow John Sperry Retiring botanist studied how plant's...

New Physics

A decision to take a physics class for “fun” During her senior year at New...

Distinguished Research

“Since Professor Molinero joined the Department of Chemistry as Assistant Professor in 2006, she has...

2019 Research Scholar

The College of Science Research Scholar Award is given annually to one graduating student who...

Associate V.P. for Research

The College of Science is pleased to announce the appointment of Diane Pataki, Ph.D., as...

2019 Churchill Scholar

Cameron Owen of Boise, Idaho, a senior honors student majoring in chemistry and physics and...

Insects, Bacteria & Ice

Valeria Molinero Contrary to what you may have been taught, water...

Discover 2018

Research Report Discover Magazine 2018 Research Report for the College of Science   This issue...

Plant Genomics

QUESTION: How does RNA decay contribute to gene expression? Could the RNA decay rate be...

2018 Churchill Scholar

Scott Neville receives Utah's third straight Churchill Scholarship.

Under Pressure

Scientists have solved decades long puzzle about lithium, an essential metal in cellphone and computer...