homenews | College of Science

A Goblin prince among dinosaurs

June 25, 2025

Named for the goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” the new species Bolg amondol also illuminates the sometimes-murky path that life traveled between ancient continents.

“I opened this jar of bones labeled ‘lizard’ at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and was like, oh wow, there’s a fragmentary skeleton here,” said lead author Hank Woolley from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s Dinosaur Institute. “We know very little about large-bodied lizards from the Kaiparowits Formation in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, so I knew this was significant right away.”

Published on June 17, 2025, in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the collaborative research led by the Dinosaur Institute and the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) reveals hidden treasures awaiting future paleontologists in the bowels of museum fossil collections, and the vast potential of paleontological heritage preserved in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and other public lands.

“Discovering a new species of lizard that is an ancestor of modern Gila monsters is pretty cool in and of itself, but what’s particularly exciting is what it tells us about the unique 76-million-year-old ecosystem it lived in,” said co-author Randy Irmis, associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah and curator of paleontology at NHMU. “The fact that Bolg co-existed with several other large lizard species indicates that this was a stable and productive ecosystem where these animals were taking advantage of a wide variety of prey and different micro-habitats.”

A Middle Earth-inspired moniker

Bolg represents an evolutionary lineage that sprouted within a group of large-bodied lizards called monstersaurs, which still roam the deserts from which Bolg was recovered. Woolley knew that a new species of monstersaur called for an appropriate name from an iconic monster creator, Tolkien.

“Bolg is a great sounding name. It’s a goblin prince from ‘The Hobbit,’ and I think of these lizards as goblin-like, especially looking at their skulls,” said Woolley. He used the fictional Tolkien Elvish language Sindarin to craft the species epithet. “Amon” means “mound,” and “dol” means “head,” a reference to the mound-like osteoderms found on Bolg’s and other monstersaur’s skulls. “Mound-headed Bolg” would fit right in with the goblins—and it’s revealing quite a bit about monstersaurs.

Hidden gems in collection drawers

The Bolg amondol discovery highlights the likelihood that more large-bodied lizards existed during the Late Cretaceous Period than previously thought. Bolg, along with other fossils from the Kaiparowits Formation, demonstrates that at least three types of predatory lizards lived in the Late Cretaceous sub-tropical floodplains of what is now Southern Utah. Additionally, this finding shows that unexplored diversity is waiting to be dug up both in the field and in paleontology collections.

“Bolg is a great example of the importance of natural history museum collections,” Irmis said. “Although we knew the specimen was significant when it was discovered back in 2005, it took a specialist in lizard evolution like Hank to truly recognize its scientific importance and take on the task of researching and scientifically describing this new species.”The researchers identified the new species from tiny pieces of skull, limbs, girdles, vertebrae and bony armor called osteoderms. Most fossil lizards from the age of dinosaurs are even scrappier—often just single, isolated bones or teeth—so despite their fragmentary nature, the parts of Bolg’s skeleton that survived contain a stunning amount of information.

“That means more characteristics are available for us to assess and compare to similar-looking lizards. Importantly, we can use those characteristics to understand this animal’s evolutionary relationships and test hypotheses about where it fits on the lizard tree of life,” Woolley said.

New Chair of Chemistry

June 24, 2025

She brings with her a unique blend of computational expertise, interdisciplinary leadership experience and a deep commitment to protecting scientific innovation during challenging times.

Clark, who joined the university three years ago from Washington State University, brings extensive administrative experience to her new role. "I've had roles that are adjacent to being a chair, and am excited to expand upon those experiences," she explains, referencing her previous positions as director an interdisciplinary materials science and engineering Ph.D. program and of a high-performance computing center. Most recently, she helped establish the Joint Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology between Pacific Northwest National Lab and Washington State University, creating formal pathways for student internships and collaborative funding opportunities.

‘A couple fires and one explosion’

Clark's journey to becoming a leading computational chemist began in an unlikely place — the mountains of north central Washington, where "the nearest hospital was an hour and a half away." Raised by a mother who was a spinner, weaver, and natural fiber artist, Clark jokes, "My mom was a dye chemist, but she would deny that vehemently, saying that natural dyes are magic.”

This unconventional upbringing proved formative. "I think that background inspired a lot of creative thought and curiosity, where exploring fields and mountains was encouraged 100%." says Clark.

Her path toward computational work was, in part, propelled by a series of memorable laboratory mishaps. As an undergraduate at Central Washington University, Clark started in synthetic organic chemistry, working behind blast shields with explosive molecules. "I had a couple fires and one explosion, and we decided that maybe I wasn't a good synthetic organic chemist," she recalls with a laugh. A summer research experience at the University of Southern California reinforced this message when she accidentally condensed oxygen in a vacuum line, creating dangerously explosive frozen oxygen. "After that, the postdoc mentoring me let me tune laser optics, but was clear on, ‘we're not gonna let you do experiments.' So really, the universe told me, in many, many ways, that my love of chemistry had to be manifested using computers."

Allaying separation anxieties

Today, Clark leads groundbreaking research in chemical separations of critical minerals and nuclear materials — work that addresses some of society's most pressing challenges. Her focus centers on rare earth elements, which are essential for everything from high-strength magnets to electronics but notoriously difficult to separate from one another.

"The 15 lanthanide elements that make up most critical materials have similar chemical reactivity and often occur in mixtures with each other," Clark explains. "However, the differences in the way their electrons are arranged leads to important uses as high-field magnets in electronics or as qubits in quantum computers. Separating one lanthanide element from others, or from complex mixtures that like E-waste, is notoriously challenging."

Her research tackles this challenge by using computational modeling and simulation to understand the fundamental mechanisms and energetic driving forces that cause a successful separations process – also called “demixing.” What sets Clark's work apart is her innovative approach to data analysis. "One impactful innovation in my group lies within the applied mathematics and data science tools that we use to analyze simulation data, to identify patterns in the cooperative motion of molecules that leads to successful separation. Her team develops "physics informed data analysis and data science" tools that are specifically adapted for the high dimensional and time dependent data found in chemical processes, rather than applying generic analytical approaches.

Modeling chemical processes on a computer provides crucial molecular-level insights that are often impossible to obtain experimentally. "Within a simulation, you can sample every single reaction that occurs, whether there are competitive processes, and learn how the conditions bias one reaction over another," Clark explains. Such modeling can be particularly valuable when studying radioactive materials, allowing researchers to use computers to "decrease the number of experiments that need to be done and increase the safety of experimental scientists."

Innovation first

As Clark prepares to assume the role of chair, she brings a thoughtful approach to balancing research excellence with administrative responsibilities. Her lab management philosophy emphasizes infrastructure and mentorship: "All of our group meetings are recorded, we have a group Wiki, tutorials, and clear lines of communication between group members. I have been able to recruit fantastic students, postdocs and a Research Professor, since joining the U, and we have created a strong collaborative and mentoring environment.”

Beyond managing her own research, Clark sees her time as chair as an opportunity to protect the broader scientific enterprise during uncertain times. "It is my job to support faculty who are feeling existential pressure to their research programs, to create an infrastructure that safeguards the incredible science that's being done in our department and ensure the training and education of the next generation of scientists and citizens," she states.

In the current climate, when U researchers are being asked to shorten gestation times of research and move towards applications and commercializing quicker, Clark advocates for recognizing the full spectrum of scientific impact, noting that "innovation in science can be unpredictable, where unexpected insight and serendipity can require knowledge and an interdisciplinary perspective that is learned on the decade timescale. Commercialization based on short-term wins can be necessary, but without longer-term intellectual investment is unsustainable.”

Clark's leadership approach is grounded in the same values that shaped her rural upbringing: curiosity, bravery, and resilience. "There's a lot of bravery involved in being a scientist, we constantly put ourselves out there to learn new things, to be evaluated and have dialogue about our ideas,” she observes. "This is an essential part of what we teach our Ph.D. students - to be fearless in the face of the unknown."

As she steps into her new role, Aurora Clark brings both the technical expertise to advance cutting-edge research and the philosophical framework to nurture the next generation of scientists in an increasingly complex world.

By David Pace

New Chair of Geology & Geophysics

June 24, 2025

He replaces interim chair Kip Solomon.

Bowen grew up in rural Michigan and spent his childhood outdoors, which grew his love of nature and the earth. He received his bachelor’s in geology at the University of Michigan and went to UC Santa Cruz for a PhD in earth science. Bowen came to the U as a postdoc before joining Purdue University as a faculty member for seven years. He returned to the U through the Global Change and Sustainability Center and is now Professor of Geology & Geophysics and Co-Director of the Stable Isotope Facility for Environmental Research (SIRFER).

Recipient of a College of Science Excellence in Research Award, Bowen founded the Spatio-Temporal Isotope Analytics (SPATIAL) Lab, which uses stable isotope techniques to look at a lot of different areas of application of isotope geochemistry. “Isotope science has been kind of limited by our ability to make measurements,” says Bowen.

The SPATIAL Lab

The SPATIAL group has pushed forward uniting isotope geoscience with data science, which helps facilitate data sharing within and between fields of study. This data can then be leveraged to tackle bigger systems questions.

One focus of work within the SPATIAL group is reconstructing Earth’s climate through its geologic past and using that data to see changes in climate, ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycles, which can then be compared to modern day. The SPATIAL group is also studying how natural cycles operate today, such as the water cycle. Additionally, they also study spatial conductivity, or movement of things on the Earth’s surface, such as water, people, plants, and products.

One example is by using isotopes, Bowen looks at where plants are getting water from in the subsurface of the earth, which can show the stability of water supply within a community and help predict how water resources will change due to climate change.

“There’s an intimate coupling between the physical and biological processes that constitute a system,” Bowen says. “Isotopes are a common currency. The elements and isotopes that go through the water cycle or rock cycle are the same ones that go into an elephant or ponderosa pine. We can really bridge the gap and understand the connection across these spheres.”

Contextualizing current and future trends

“The Earth’s been through a lot,” Bowen says. “There’s a lot of context that shows how unusual what’s happening right now is. We’re pushing the climate system and carbon cycle much faster than it’s ever gone at any point in the geologic record.”

Bowen’s climate change research includes tracking the sources of water, such as where water originates before it makes its way to southern California. The isotopes of water in the Imperial Valley in California look more like isotopes in Colorado water than in water elsewhere in southern California. Most of the Imperial Valley water is irrigation water diverted from the Colorado River. The irrigation water becomes wastewater from irritation because of overwatering, and then it enters the groundwater. This has implications when agricultural runoff affects groundwater, as it could contain pesticides and other chemicals used in agricultural work.

The SPATIAL lab runs an annual summer course for graduate students, which provides training and experience in large-scale, data-intensive, geochemically oriented research. The course consists of a discussion and lecture in the morning, delivered by specialists in the field. Laboratory experiences introduce new techniques and hands-on learning.

“We live in a pretty amazing place for geology,” Gabriel Bowen says. He appreciates the geology of Utah from the air, as an amateur pilot. He flies a Cessna 182, mostly for geology sightseeing. He also participates in charity flying, taking people around Antelope Island for sightseeing of the Great Salt Lake. “I try to take my scientist and artist friends out to see things from a different perspective.”

Shape-Shifting Hybrid Materials

June 24, 2025

Connor Bischak, left, and Perry Martin in the Bischak Lab. Photo credit: Todd Anderson.

In today’s energy-intensive environment, designing new devices for more efficient and renewable energy sources is at the forefront of scientific research. A particularly interesting approach utilizes Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites—a type of layered material made from alternating sheets of inorganic and organic components.

These materials are potentially ideal for several applications, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), thermal energy storage and solar-panel technology.

Recent research led by University of Utah graduate student Perry Martin in the Bischak Lab, housed in the Department of Chemistry, utilized temperature-dependent absorption and emission spectroscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction, to study the phase transition behaviors of perovskites. A phase transition is a discrete change from one state of matter to another (such as ice to liquid water). Some substances, including water and perovskites, have multiple solid states with different properties.

The Bischak Lab demonstrated a connection between phase transitions and the material’s emissive properties. This introduces a form of dynamic control, or tunability, that offers multiple benefits for technological applications. Specifically, because perovskites contain both organic and inorganic components, the organic layers undergo phase transitions that influence the structure of the inorganic layers. The interplay of the organic and inorganic layers drastically alters the material’s properties.

“There are these almost greasy chains that kind of crystallize together. When you hit a certain temperature, those will essentially melt and become more disordered,” said Assistant Professor Connor Bischak, senior author on the new study. “The melting process influences the structure of the inorganic component, which controls how much light is emitted from the material and its wavelength.”

New Math Faculty

June 19, 2025

Knowing your audience: Uri Shapira

“When wearing the teacher’s hat and not the researcher’s, I believe it is my job to give service. I do not look at myself; I look at the people in class that I currently serve. It’s an attitude that says ‘Ok, let’s look and see what is best for this audience.’”

This is the approach that Uri Shapira takes towards teaching his classes. He’s well aware there is no one-size-fits-all approach that students can learn from, as different students are going to learn in fundamentally different ways. As Shapira describes, a biologist doesn’t need to understand the history of a formula or how it was developed. They just need to know how to use it as a tool. So give them the tool, teach them how it works and where to apply it.

But a math major would benefit from that history, understanding what the original problem was and how a new tool was created to solve it. And by understanding that process —how such discoveries came to be — students will be better suited to make their own breakthroughs in the future.

It’s a refreshing and realistic approach to teaching, inspired by a lifetime of exposure to mathematics. Introduced to the subject by his older brother, Shapira would go on to graduate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem then spend his postdoc at ETH Zurich, which paved the way for a faculty position at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He brings over a decade of teaching experience, paired with research into how questions in number theory can be approached with the tools of dynamical systems.

Be it the researcher or the teacher, Uri Shapira fully devotes himself to playing whichever role is before him. After a lifetime of being inspired by mentors and colleagues, he looks forward to contributing to the U’s math community in kind, to learn, to research and to provide the invaluable service of teaching.

Community and Utility: David Schwein

We’ve all heard the stereotypes about math: That it’s a study exclusively for prodigies, that it’s an isolated career. And then there is the classic complaint of “When am I going to use this?”

But in reality, such complex studies need communication and communities to work alongside them. As for utility, the problem-solving skills math develops are incredibly useful to any walk of life.

These are the kind of ideals David Schwein hopes to impart to his students.

An assistant professor at the University of Utah, Schwein is fresh off a postdoctoral research journey across Europe, starting at Cambridge and ending at the University of Bonn in Germany His research primarily deals with symmetry, using the Langlands program to study connections between the representation of p-adic groups, number theory and Galois theory. Across this educational arc he’s traveled to almost 20 countries, giving him a wide range of exposure to how math is approached across the globe.

This experience is not unique in the world of math, as Schwein describes “an interesting and stimulating community in this field, all across the globe, that is all working on various aspects of a single problem”— an international network of professional puzzle solvers who can (and usually need) to work together to pursue new breakthroughs. It’s an aspect of the field that often goes unnoticed in what he calls the stupor of complicated lectures, which Schwein hopes to avoid. “You’ve got to break students out of that stupor and get them communicating about ideas, coming up with examples,” he says. “It helps if they’re a little skeptical, questioning how something can be true. I’m looking forward to helping students see the beauty and structure of math, how it’s another science that tells us about the real world.”

With experience teaching both introductory and high-level courses in multiple cultures, Schwein is well equipped to start teaching number theory and complex analysis in the fall. Having grown up in Denver, Colorado, he’s happy to return to his roots in the Rocky Mountains and is eager to explore the beautiful natural environments Utah has to offer.

Wilkes Center names leadership team for expanded climate mission

June 19, 2025

The Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy at the University of Utah has selected Fielding Norton as its new managing director and John Lin as scientific director to lead the center’s increasing focus on translating climate research into real-world solutions. Norton, a climate scientist and startup investor and advisor, will head the center's overall strategy and operations, while Lin, a U atmospheric sciences professor, will oversee its research initiatives and academic programs.

The Wilkes Center, founded in 2022 by philanthropists Clay and Marie Wilkes, connects rigorous climate research with practical solutions to address environmental and human health challenges.

A vision for broader impact

Fielding Norton at Climate Roundtable

Norton began his career as a science and math educator, then earned his M.S. in applied physics and Ph.D. in earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University before working in the global insurance/reinsurance industry for more than 25 years. There, his teams used science and engineering-based models to manage and price the risk of extreme disasters including floods, hurricanes and wildfires. Norton’s most recent executive role was chief enterprise risk officer of XL Group, a Fortune 100 global insurer and reinsurer based in Bermuda. Now, Norton invests in and advises startups in the insurtech (insurance technology) and climatech (climate technology) space, and serves as senior fellow at the U’s College of Science.

As managing director, Norton’s ambition is to expand the Wilkes Center's benefits to society in several ways. For example, building on the success of the Wilkes Climate Prize, which has funded three promising climate solutions, Norton envisions the center supporting the innovation ecosystem more broadly.

“Now that the Climate Launch Prize attracts more than 1,000 applicants per year, we’re looking to partner with U students, faculty, and alumni, and with investors in Utah, the U.S., and worldwide to fund, incubate, and accelerate the growth of innovative startups that promote growth and energy abundance while decreasing the carbon intensity of our economy.”

Norton also sees opportunities for the Wilkes Center to support communities’ climate resiliency. As wildfires increasingly threaten homes and livelihoods across the West, Norton is working across the U and with external partners to pilot programs that help homeowners and businesses assess and cost-effectively mitigate their risk, both to protect their property and to be more insurable. This demonstrates how the center's research and partnerships can directly address the ways climate change impacts people's daily lives.

"A changing climate is not an abstract scientific challenge—it amplifies risk for communities and increases uncertainty about the future,” said Norton. “We bridge cutting-edge research with practical solutions that make a real difference in people's lives."

Expanding scientific leadership

John Lin. Credit: Todd Anderson

Having served as associate director for the past three years, John Lin brings deep expertise to his new role as scientific director. A Harvard University-trained atmospheric scientist, Lin has led innovative research projects on greenhouse gases and air pollution, including partnering with Google to equip their street view cars to measure air pollution street-by-street across Salt Lake County. His research group oversees greenhouse gas and air quality observations in the Salt Lake area and the Uinta Basin, and works regularly with satellite observations from NASA to determine carbon emissions from cities around the world.

As the Wilkes Center prepares to move into the new L. S. Skaggs Applied Science Building this fall, Lin sees the transition as more than just a change of address. Beyond providing more space and visibility on campus, the move will enable deeper collaboration with students, faculty and researchers across disciplines. This increased capacity arrives at a critical moment, as significant opportunities await the center's attention—like supporting efforts to improve air quality along the Wasatch Front ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympic Games.

Lin's expertise positions the Wilkes Center to play a leading role in developing solutions for the region's air quality challenges. As a trusted leader and collaborator on complex policy issues such as the receding Great Salt Lake, the Wilkes Center is well-positioned to bring together stakeholders and drive meaningful progress on air quality.

“I'm incredibly honored and excited to step into the scientific director role and help guide the center's research initiatives forward,” said Lin. “The Wilkes Center has incredible momentum. I will continue building on this foundation and work with the managing director to expand the center’s impact.”

The new positions come as founding director William Anderegg prepares to step down on June 30 after three years of establishing the center as a national leader in climate research and collaboration.

A unified vision

“With Fielding and John at the helm, we’re entering an exciting new chapter extending the Wilkes Center’s international prominence in bridging academic research with actionable solutions,” said Peter Trapa, vice provost and senior dean of the Colleges and Schools of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the U. “I’m confident their leadership will drive meaningful, lasting change.”

Pearl Sandick, interim dean of the U’s College of Science, also praised the center’s new direction. "John's scientific expertise paired with Fielding's vision for practical climate solutions creates an ideal leadership team for the Wilkes Center," said Sandick. "Their complementary strengths will help the organization continue its trajectory as a leader in climate research and innovation.”

Wilkes Center Leadership Transition

June 19, 2025

After three years as the founding director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy at the University of Utah, William Anderegg, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, will step down as the center’s director on June 30th.

Fielding Norton, a venture investor with a climate background, will lead the center’s overall strategy and operations as managing director, while John Lin, a University of Utah atmospheric sciences professor, will oversee the center’s research initiatives and academic programs.

“It has been an incredible privilege to launch the Wilkes Center and guide it through these foundational years,” said Anderegg. “I remain deeply optimistic about addressing climate challenges, and that optimism is fueled by the remarkable work of our faculty, students, and team. They continue to inspire me with their innovative research and commitment to developing real-world climate solutions.”

A solid foundation for climate innovation

Under Anderegg’s leadership, the Wilkes Center positioned the U as a state, national and international leader in science-based climate solutions. Created in 2022 and founded by Clay and Marie Wilkes, the center was designed to promote research, inform public policy and support entrepreneurial solutions to the challenges that climate change poses to society and ecosystems.

Among its major accomplishments, the center launched the annual international Wilkes Climate Prize and several annual events including the Climate Solutions Hackathon for students, the Wilkes Climate Summit and a public speaker series. The center also supported the hires of new climate-focused faculty across campus as well as the creation of the Great Salt Lake Strike Team, a task force designed to inform strategies to increase the lake’s water level, extending its influence beyond the U campus.

Anderegg’s deep expertise in climate change impacts on forests and society in the western U.S. and around the world helped steer the center’s focus during its initial years. He oversaw nation-wide collaborations to develop policy recommendations for nature-based climate solutions, which included partnerships with Microsoft, among others.

“I’m excited to continue and expand our research at the science-policy interface, particularly around the climate risks to forests and society of wildfire, drought, and other disturbances,” Anderegg said.

“It has been an incredible privilege to launch the Wilkes Center and guide it through these foundational years. I remain deeply optimistic about addressing climate challenges, and that optimism is fueled by the remarkable work of our faculty, students, and team. They continue to inspire me with their innovative research and commitment to developing real-world climate solutions.”
~ William Anderegg

Anderegg’s tenure as director solidified his reputation as a world-renowned climate scientist. In 2023, he was awarded both the National Science Foundation’s Alan T. Waterman Award and the Blavatnik Foundation’s National Laureate in Life Sciences award for his work on forest ecosystems and climate change. Anderegg was also recognized as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers by Clarivate.

Anderegg will be remembered not only for his own research and his expert convening of climate innovators but his skill at communicating science to a wide variety of audiences. He demonstrated this routinely, whether as a moderator of a panel on Utah’s energy future, crafting the messaging of center publications or, each year, insightfully framing the annual Wilkes Summit as a forum for thoughtful, real-life, real-time solutions to one of the defining issues of our time. In his final Summit appearance, for example, he memorably summarized the “three pillars of urgency” related to climate change: “it’s here, it’s us, it’s damaging.”

Anderegg’s signature of conveying data-driven science in a concise and clear way continually resonated with academics, industry leaders and policy makers alike.

“Bill’s leadership of the Wilkes Center has inspired so many young science scholars and future innovators across the University of Utah,” said Pearl Sandick, dean of the College of Science. “We are grateful for his leadership for helping launch the center and we’re excited to see what new research projects and partnerships will emerge in the coming years.”

This story originally appeared on the Wilkes Center website here.

LA Stories: Kennedie Wilder ’25

June 18, 2025

Talk at any length with Kennedie Wilding BS’25, and the takeaway might be this: beware of becoming a learning assistant; it may transform your life. For Wilding that transformation has proven to be nothing short of thrilling.

A comprehensive physics major (with a minor in mathematics), Wilding currently works in the Gamma-Ray group under Qi Feng where she analyzes telescope data to better understand the properties of a kind of black holes called a blazar and consequently has learned to use tools for data spectral analysis. The blazar is a supermassive black hole that exists in the center of a galaxy and emits powerful, highly variable jets of particles moving close to the speed of light. Because these jets of light are pointed directly towards Earth, the blazar appears exceptionally bright and luminous.

Blazar jets are not the only phenomenon moving close to the speed of light: so is Wilding. Research, classwork and working as a learning assistant have converged for her into a bright and luminous trajectory for herself. “I became a Learning Assistant because I wanted to deepen my understanding of physics while also building connections with faculty and other students,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people with their homework and explaining science, so it felt like a natural fit.”

The role gave her the opportunity to support students in their learning, making physics more approachable and helping them gain confidence in their problem-solving skills. “It also allowed me to form many new connections within the physics community — from fellow students to faculty members — which has been incredibly valuable both academically and personally.”

Being knee-deep in this galactic environment has inspired her to share her understanding as an LA in both introductory and upper-division physics classes, covering lab and discussion sections. Sometimes she keeps office hours where she provides one-on-one support for students.

Wilding’s ambition grew directly out of her experience as an LA for one of her heroes: physics PhD candidate Anna Christopherson. “She has been an incredible mentor,” says Wilding, “both in teaching and research, and played a big role in inspiring me to pursue my own Ph.D. in physics. Her passion for the subject and dedication to helping students succeed have shown me the kind of educator and researcher I hope to become.”

That kind of life / career transformation for Kennedie Wilding tracks back through much of the time she’s spent as an LA as well as in other pivotal roles and opportunities at the U.

SRI Stories: Dance of Discovery

June 12, 2025

The same property is there for fish too. They know exactly where they're swimming in a three dimensional space, and that helps them navigate.”

When explaining his work with cone snail venom, Shrinivasan “Cheenu” Raghuraman uses this simple example to explain the concept of proprioception, an aspect of the fish’s neurology that the snail’s venom targets. It’s a term most wouldn’t recognize upon hearing it, but with such a relatable comparison the path to understanding is made clear.

Finding such comparisons is a vital science communication skill in both teaching students and presenting findings, but it wasn’t science that taught this example to Raghuraman. It was dancing. As part of the ensemble of Nitya Nritya Foundation, which promotes (and performs) classical Indian dance and music, he needs to understand how one’s limbs are positioned. This in turn inspired the comparison to his scientific work.

Ironic as it may seem, it’s these aspects outside of the scientific fields that bring better clarity of the concepts within them. And Raghuraman has taken these paths of understanding to heart within his Science Research Initiative (SRI) streams. Students are given projects tailored to their goals to better streamline their learning process. Interested in discovering new drugs? A project is set up specifically focused on peptides (chains of amino acids within the snail venom) that all have therapeutic potential and what the drug testing process is like. Drawn to the bioelectricity of the brain itself? Or the policies and science writing around the health sciences? In each case a project is set up using snail venom as the subject model in a way that encourages those interests.

Such practices benefit both students and teacher, for as the young scientists receive teaching streamlined towards their interests, Raghuraman in turn learns a new way to approach and understand his field of study. He’s quick to explain this importance, that, “It’s becoming crucial that our science communication is stronger than it’s been before. We need to realize that if something makes sense to us, it’s possible for it to make sense to everyone!”

He takes special care to instill this value in students, taking them on field trips to elementary and middle schools to do small experiments and show them how to simplify (NOT dumb down, he clarifies!) their work for different audiences.

These values of adaptation and communication are largely inspired by Raghuraman’s own journey through education. Having completed his undergrad in South India at Sastra Deemed University, an opportunity was presented to work alongside Toto Olivera here at the U. In doing so, was catapulted to the other side of the globe, across cultures and into a climate that gleefully greeted him with a terrible snowstorm just to rub things in.

But adaptation begets adaptation! Entering the Olivera lab, Raghuraman’s interest in industrial biotechnology spun off towards marine biology, evolving into a focus on neuroscience and its relationship to snail venom. Exploring a single peptide within one snail's venom set a template that could be adapted not only to Raghuraman’s interest but to those of all other fellow researchers. It was a powerful template that formed the dynamic learning environment found in the celebrated lab today.

It’s been several years since that Utah snowstorm “welcomed” Raghuraman who is commemorating his 15th year at the U. He mentors over a dozen students while continuing his own research pursuits. He hopes his work will lead to a better understanding of how to medicinally work with the brain, that by following how snail venom targets specific areas of the mind, we can create drugs that do the same in a positive manner. It’s a chaotic path that changes constantly, but at this stage in his career, Cheenu Raghuraman is well versed to its rhythm, happily teaching students to move and sway accordingly to this ever moving dance of discovery.

Thriving in the cadences of college

June 12, 2025

Gone fishin' during Jake White's 32-hour MSHA training in Salina

“This was a wonderful idea because it allowed me to learn the cadences of college and begin that transition early. Tackling the learning curve of college early is indispensable in my young college career.”

Later at an engineering showcase, White met mining academic advisor Pam Hoffman who introduced him to some mining basics. “It wasn’t until I attended one of the open house events that decided to major in mining.”

Since then, he has found his passion. “I would love to change how mining is perceived in the public,” he says. “I believe the future is unlocked through mining, which requires public support. Not to mention, that mining is getting more sustainable which is a major selling point but seems to get neglected.”

Both a touchstone and an inspiration for that passion has been Aaron Witt, a heavy machinery influencer of sorts who markets a microlearning platform specifically designed for the heavy civil and critical infrastructure construction industries. Perhaps more important to White, though, is that Witt, through his online presence, is determined to change how earth-moving industries are viewed in the public, which “resonates with me because—before I started at the U—I was oblivious to how these industries operated.”

Recipient of the William Browning Scholarship at the U, White is spending the summer interning at Wolverine Fuels’ Skyline coal mine twelve miles outside Price, Utah where he's been working as a laborer on various projects throughout the mine, most recently developing a belt line for the new section of the mine. "Getting hands-on experience is one of (if not the most) valuable things a mining engineer can have," he reports from the field. "That’s what has surprised me the most — every experienced coal miner is something of an engineer in their own right. Especially in a mine as unique as Skyline, where faults and sandstone aquifers are the norm. I’m one lucky fella!“

"Something I think that people don’t understand," concludes Jake White, "is how ahead the mining industry is. Public perception depicts mining as harmful and wasteful, a danger to the environment. In reality, mining has been a leader in sustainability and has set the standard for similar industries.”

a ‘goblin prince’ among dinosaurs

A newly discovered, raccoon-sized armored monstersaurian from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah, United States, reveals a surprising diversity of large lizards at the pinnacle of the age of dinosaurs.

A Middle Earth-inspired moniker

Hidden gems in collection drawers

New Chair of Chemistry

The University of Utah Department of Chemistry welcomes Aurora Clark as its new chair beginning July 1, replacing interim chair Peter Armentrout.

‘A couple fires and one explosion’

Allaying separation anxieties

Innovation first

New Chair of Geology & Geophysics

Gabriel "Gabe" Bowen assumes the position of chair in the Department of Geology & Geophysics beginning July 1, 2025

The SPATIAL Lab

Contextualizing current and future trends

Shape-Shifting Hybrid Materials

New research by the Bischak Lab in the Department of Chemistry shows how wafer-thin perovskites’ optical properties shift with temperature changes, offering bright future for solar and LED innovation.

New Math Faculty

The Department of Mathematics is hiring a bumper crop of new faculty members for the 2025-26 academic year. Two of them are profiled here: Uri Shapira and David Schwein.

Knowing your audience: Uri Shapira

Community and Utility: David Schwein

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Wilkes Center names leadership team for expanded climate mission

Climate physicist Fielding Norton and U atmospheric scientist John Lin take new positions.

A vision for broader impact

A unified vision

Inaugural Director William Anderegg has established a legacy of communicating science and convening innovators at The Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy

A solid foundation for climate innovation

LA Stories: Kennedie Wilding'25

“Beware of becoming a learning assistant; it may transform your life”

SRI Stories: Dance of Discovery

“If you close your eyes and put your fingers together above your head, you know exactly where the tips of your fingers are, right? That property is called ‘proprioception’, your body knows where your limbs are in three dimensional space."

Thriving in the Cadences of College