Unravelling Nature’s Marine Cloud Brightening

Unravelling Nature’s Marine Cloud Brightening


May 21, 2025
Above:  Antarctic ice sheet

Excerpted from Scientia

In the pristine waters of the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica, scientists have discovered fascinating patterns in cloud formation that could have major implications for understanding Earth’s climate.

Gerald "Jay" Mace

Recent research conducted by Dr Gerald Mace from the University of Utah and colleagues reveals how air masses passing over the Antarctic continent naturally boost cloud brightness through a complex chain of chemical and physical processes. This natural phenomenon may hold important clues for improving climate models and predicting future climate change.

Nature’s Cloud Factory

The Southern Ocean is one of the most remote and pristine regions on Earth, making it an ideal natural laboratory for studying how clouds formed before human industrial activity began altering Earth’s atmosphere. This vast expanse of water encircling Antarctica experiences some of the planet’s strongest winds and stormiest conditions, yet it’s the region’s clouds that have captured scientists’ attention.

These clouds play a crucial role in Earth’s climate by reflecting sunlight back to space, but climate models have struggled to accurately simulate their properties. Understanding the mismatch between models and observations has become increasingly urgent as scientists work to improve predictions of future climate change.

Dr Gerald Mace and an international team of researchers have been investigating an intriguing pattern: clouds near Antarctica’s coast tend to be brighter and more reflective than those further north over the open ocean. This brightness comes from having more numerous but smaller water droplets packed into the clouds – a property that makes them more effective at reflecting sunlight.

Following the Air’s Journey

To understand what creates these especially bright clouds, Dr Mace and his colleagues tracked air masses as they moved across the Antarctic continent and over the Southern Ocean. They combined multiple types of observations, including data from satellites, research ships, and atmospheric measurements, to build a comprehensive picture of how the clouds evolve.

The team’s analysis revealed that air masses which had recently spent time over the Antarctic ice sheets produced clouds with particularly high numbers of droplets. This effect was especially pronounced when the air had travelled over Antarctica’s high-altitude ice domes, where temperatures are extremely cold and the sun’s rays are intense during the summer months.

These conditions, the researchers surmised, create an ideal environment for forming new particles that can later serve as seeds for cloud droplets. When this particle-rich air descends from the Antarctic plateau and moves out over the ocean, it produces clouds with markedly different properties from those formed in air masses that haven’t passed over the continent.

The Chemistry Behind the Clouds

The process begins in the biologically productive waters near Antarctica’s coast, where tiny marine organisms flourish during the summer months. These organisms release a chemical called dimethyl sulphide (DMS) into the air – a process that has been occurring in Earth’s oceans for millions of years. When this DMS-rich air rises and passes over Antarctica’s ice sheets, it undergoes a remarkable transformation.

Research at Australia’s CSIRO research organisation has examined the complex chemistry involved in this process. This work shows that over the ice sheets, where there are very few existing particles in the air and intense sunlight during summer, chemical reactions convert the DMS into sulfuric acid vapour. This vapour can then form completely new particles through a process called nucleation, which eventually become the seeds for cloud droplets.

This natural particle formation process proves particularly efficient because the air over Antarctica’s ice sheets is exceptionally clean – any existing particles have usually been removed by precipitation before the air reaches the continent. The newly formed particles, therefore, have little competition as they grow large enough to serve as cloud condensation nuclei, the essential seeds around which cloud droplets form.

Read the entire story in Scientia here.

Utah’s Energy Future

Utah's Energy Future


May 21, 2025
Above: Wilkes Center energy future panel discussion: from left, Laura Nelson (Idaho National Laboratory), Joe Moore (Utah FORGE), William Anderegg (Wilkes Center for Climate Policy and Policy), Teresa Foley (rPlus Energies), Logan Mitchell (Utah Clean Energy)

At a recent panel discussion at the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy’s annual Summit at the University of Utah, energy experts gathered to discuss the future of alternative energy in Utah.

The panel represented a diverse cross-section of Utah's energy landscape, featuring leaders from a national laboratory, academic research, non-profit advocacy and private industry. What emerged was a picture of a state uniquely positioned to lead in the clean energy transition, with abundant natural resources and a collaborative approach to energy development.

What also became evident during the discussion, moderated by Wilkes Center Director William Anderegg, is that the U continues to be a key player in moving publicly funded research directly and often quickly to market, scaling new technologies for the benefit of all Utahns. “One Utah” and “The University for Utah” are not just aspirational mantras but actual products and services currently materializing in communities across the state. Large-scale energy production and grid expansion and resilience are no exception.

Utah's ‘Energy Royal Flush’

Teresa Foxley

"Utah was dealt the energy royal flush," said Teresa Foxley, Chief of Staff for rPlus Energies, referencing an op-ed her company published recently about Utah's diverse energy resources. Beyond traditional fossil fuels, Utah boasts exceptional renewable resources including solar, wind and geothermal, positioning the state for leadership in the energy transition.

Foxley's company, a Salt Lake City-based renewable energy developer, exemplifies this potential. rPlus Energies is currently constructing the Green River Energy Center in Emery County, a massive 400-megawatt solar project paired with 400 megawatts of battery storage. When completed in 2026, it will be "the second largest project of its type in the country," she said and represents a $1.1 billion investment in rural Utah.

The company is also developing pump storage hydro projects, a technology that pairs well with both renewable and nuclear energy by storing energy when abundant and releasing it during peak demand periods.

World-Leading Geothermal Research

Joe Moore

Joe Moore, a research professor at the U, highlighted the state's leadership in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). He directs the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE), a Department of Energy-funded project in Milford, Utah.

"FORGE is the only facility of its kind in the world, and so people around the world are certainly looking at us," Moore stated. "We are leading the world in enhanced geothermal development already."

Unlike traditional geothermal systems that rely on naturally occurring hot springs, EGS creates geothermal reservoirs by fracturing hot rock deep underground. The FORGE project has made significant advances in reducing drilling costs and developing new stimulation techniques that have attracted interest from major energy companies.

Moore emphasized geothermal's enormous potential: "Tapping even 2% of the energy between two and six miles would give us more than 2000 times the yearly US energy needs. Keep in mind, this is clean. This is benign, very low environmental impact, very low induced seismic risks."

Nuclear's Role in a Clean Energy Future

Laura Nelson

Laura Nelson, Idaho National Laboratory's (INL) regional engagement lead in Utah, discussed how nuclear energy can contribute to a reliable, clean energy future. Often considered "the nation's nuclear energy lab," INL, located in Idaho Falls, has been at the forefront of nuclear energy research for 75 years.

"We have a vision to change the world's energy future," Nelson said, describing INL's mission to create "a resilient and sustainable energy future for everyone... that's affordable, reliable, resilient and accessible."

Nelson highlighted the growing interest in advanced nuclear reactors in Utah and throughout the West. Unlike the large nuclear plants built in the 1970s, she explained, these newer designs include small modular reactors (SMRs) and micro-reactors that offer flexibility for various applications, from providing consistent power for AI data centers to supporting military operations in remote locations.

"We need power that's available when other resources may not be available, that we can call on 24/7, that can be there to meet our energy needs when maybe other resources aren't available, or if we have failures on the system," Nelson explained, emphasizing the importance of "firm power" in an increasingly renewable-heavy grid.

Clean Energy Economics and Climate Action

Logan Mitchell

Logan Mitchell, a climate scientist and energy analyst with Utah Clean Energy, brought the climate perspective to the discussion. As a nonprofit organization that has worked for 25 years to accelerate climate solutions in Utah, Utah Clean Energy focuses on decarbonizing buildings, transportation and the electricity sector.

Mitchell highlighted how economics is now driving the clean energy transition: "Clean energy is the most cost-effective form of energy production. It's just more efficient . . . right now. This is the economics, and the efficiency of it is really overtaking other motivations."

He also emphasized how renewable energy is bringing economic benefits to rural communities through tax revenue: "This pays for the local community center, the pharmacies and the pharmacists and the hospitals in those communities and is giving a lifeline to those communities."

Collaboration as Utah's Strength

A common theme throughout the discussion in front of an appreciative late-afternoon crowd was Utah's collaborative approach to energy development. The panelists agreed that Utah's pragmatism and willingness to work across different energy resources has positioned the state as a leader in energy innovation.

As Mitchell noted, "We all need to get there together. We can't leave behind the communities that powered us in the past. We all need to get there together."

When asked about Utah's electricity mix in 2035, the panelists offered varied predictions but generally agreed that the state would see more renewable energy, storage solutions and potentially nuclear power in its future. Mitchell suggested the grid could ultimately reach about 70% wind and solar with 30% “dispatchable” resources like geothermal, nuclear and hydropower

For Utah to overcome barriers to scaling these technologies, the panelists identified several challenges: misconceptions about renewable energy reliability, regulatory hurdles and permitting timelines, technological limitations and costs. Even so, they remained optimistic about Utah's potential to lead in clean energy development through continued innovation and collaboration.

Higher Education’s Impact Happening Now

As Utah’s flagship RI university, the U is a critical player in the future of energy production in the Beehive State. Beyond hosting the 2025 Wilkes Climate Summit which annually convenes leading policymakers, and nationally-recognized scientists, foundations, and innovators to discuss the most promising and cutting-edge solutions for climate change, the U demonstrates repeatedly how academics and research translate directly and often quickly to public benefits.

As Nelson summarized: "Utah is a special place, and I appreciate that we often come together collaboratively when we disagree upon solutions, and our energy system is a critical part of that, because it's so important to our quality of life, to our economies."

 

By David Pace
Read more about the proceedings of the 2025 Wilkes Summit here.

 

The power of curiosity and collaboration

The power of curiosity and collaboration


May 20, 2025
Above: Thure Cerling

Whether it’s roadkill livestock or his own beard hairs, Thure Cerling’s keen eye for objects to analyze has led to scientific discoveries, both unexpected and groundbreaking.

Over the course of an academic career spanning five decades, the University of Utah geoscientist has developed numerous forensic tools, such as isotope analysis, for understanding geological processes that affected the course of life on Earth, according to presentations given Saturday at a symposium to reflect on the contributions of Cerling, who is retiring this year.

His discoveries have reconstructed the diets of ancient animals, characterized the ecology of early human sites in East Africa, pinpointed when floods incised Grand Canyon, identified a global transition in vegetation types 3 to 10 million years ago, and even helped law enforcement crack cold cases and solve wildlife crimes. He is perhaps best known for exploiting the relative abundance of certain elemental isotopes as a way to date objects or determine where a person or animal lived or what they ate, earning him the moniker The IsoPope.

Cerling “is a profoundly curious and interested individual. He seeks out and he finds systems that are interesting around him and he finds interesting questions and finds ways to bring these fundamentals into new areas,” said symposium moderator Gabe Bowen, a U geology professor and former student of Cerling’s. “He’s not afraid to go out and sample things and just get materials and might not know exactly what they’re going to be good for right at that time, but Thure’s a collector and this pays off.”

The event was held at the Utah Museum on Natural History, where dozens of scientists from around the country gathered to celebrate Cerling’s contributions to science and  his impact on them personally.

Read the full story by Brian Maffly in @TheU

>> HOME <<


Spring runoff is older than you think

Spring RUnoff is Older than You think


May 12, 2025
Above: Head of Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon in spring. Credit: Brian Maffly

Research by U hydrologists finds water flowing out of Western ranges is, on average, more than 5 years old, demonstrating that runoff has a prolonged underground journey.

 

Growing communities and extensive agriculture throughout the Western United States rely on meltwater that spills out of snow-capped mountains every spring. The models for predicting the amount of this streamflow available each year have long assumed that a small fraction of snowmelt each year enters shallow soil, with the remainder rapidly exiting in rivers and creeks.

New research from University of Utah hydrologists, however, suggests that streamflow generation is much more complicated. Most spring runoff heading to reservoirs is actually several years old, indicating that most mountain snowfall has a years-long invisible journey as groundwater before it leaves the mountains.

The findings also indicate there is an order of magnitude more water stored underground than most Western water managers account for, said research leader Paul Brooks, a professor of geology and geophysics.

“On average, it takes over five years for a snowflake that falls in the mountains to exit as streamflow,” Brooks said. “Most of our models, whether for predicting streamflow or predicting how much water trees will have in dry years, are based on the idea that there’s very little water stored in the mountains. Now we know that that’s not the case. Most of the water goes into the ground and it sits there for somewhere between three and 15 years before it’s either used by plants or it goes into the streams.”

The team collected runoff samples at 42 sites and used tritium isotope analysis to determine the age of the water, that is how much time elapsed since it fell from the sky as snow.

Published this week in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, the findings were co-authored by U geology professors Sara Warix and Kip Solomon in collaboration with research scientists around the West.

Read the full story by Brian Maffly in @TheU
Listen to an interview of Paul Brooks on this subject KPCW's Cool Science Radio.

>> HOME <<


The Silence of Safety

The silence of SAfety


May 8, 2025
Above: The U's Mining Rescue Team. From left: Carson Smith, Travis Bach, Joe Rhodes, Hunter Norris, Constance Sauvé, Trey Robison.

The University of Utah's Mine Rescue Team demonstrates the value of safety.

The importance of safety is difficult to state when things are going well. You’re never going to read a news story about the life that wasn’t lost in an accident, or read a statistic about all the disasters that were passively averted. When things are going well safety measures feel downright mundane, but that’s exactly why they are so important to highlight and celebrate. It means they are working, that tragic stories are being averted and lives are being preserved. 

In the realm of mining here at the University of Utah this takes the form of the Mine Rescue Team, a student-led organization that trains and competes with other teams across the country. In this field that’s especially valuable, as Travis Bach explains, “Most mines, especially underground mines, have rescue teams. There are important procedures, it’s a dangerous environment, so specialists are trained to enter the mine, rescue people, and bring them out to first responders.” Mining incidents happen quickly and require immediate attention, and these specialists fill that need to ensure that everyone gets to go home.

Despite being on the younger side of mine rescue teams, the U’s already has incredibly strong performances under its belt, having won the overall competition at the 2020 Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Engineers' annual conference in February. In particular they’ve been lauded for their stellar communication and teamwork, their ability to seamlessly act and react together in high stress situations. 

The mining department is relatively small on campus, meaning these members share classes and have become friends. Forge  this close-knit group of friends with the support of nearby mines (who often donate equipment for the team to use) and the Mining Rescue Team is able to translate their cohesion into even greater success when the competitions start.

As for what those competitions entail, every aspect of rescue is scrutinized to reflect the severity of lives being on the line. Mass casualty simulations will test the team’s reaction to a major collapse in an underground environment. How do they prioritize injuries? Do they have the first aid skills to do so? How efficiently and safely can they get people out of a mine? Also heavily scrutinized is the equipment, as teams are provided malfunctioning equipment and tested to see how well they can both find and fix those issues. 

The teams’ ability to navigate underground is tested with scavenger hunts in real mines. Rope challenges measure the necessity of creating impromptu harnesses in case of a fall…and all while the judges are actively tampering with the environment to mimic an unpredictable crisis. These are incredibly varied competitions, but as Joe Rhoades describes, such breadth is a critical aspect to the outing 

“There’s collapsing walls, there’s toxic gas, malfunctioning equipment, fires, every kind of health emergency,” to name a few. It’s an ever-changing environment where everyone has to stay on their toes, and competitions like this are the perfect way to hone those skills.

But the Mine Rescue Team isn’t just for mining and engineering students. The disaster relief focus has drawn members from across the health sciences, and a geologist joined the ranks to get some proper mineral exploration (a career of searching for future mines) experience. Geology & Geophysics major Constance Suave explains that mining engineers and geologists work “hand-in-glove” constantly. 

“I’d decided I wanted to know more about what comes after the process of my future career,” she says, further explaining that “I didn’t know what to expect at first, but I’ve really come to appreciate the industry and the culture around safety. It’s not just mine rescue — staying mindful and staying safe is important for everyone.”

It may be a relatively silent importance, but thanks to teams like this the message is still carried to the right people. As Mine Rescue Team president Hunter Norris puts it, “The saying that ‘Everyone goes home’ has always rang true to me, and it is a goal I will strive for in my career.” 

Current students participating in rescue teams like this one at the U ensure that the future mining leaders they’ll become will be informed and motivated by those values of safety throughout their career environments. 

By Michael Jacobsen


You can read more about the mine rescue rules and resources offered by the Department of Labor's Mine Safety here

Fredrick Manthi Elected to National Academy of Sciences

FREDRICK MANTHI ELECTED TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES


May 7, 2025
Above: Fredrick Manthi in the field in the Turkana Basin, northern Kenya

 

Fredrick Manthi

University of Utah adjunct professor Fredrick Kyalo Manthi has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Manthi, who serves in the Department of Geology & Geophysics and as Director of Antiquities, Sites and Monuments at the National Museums of Kenya, was formally inducted during a ceremony at NAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. on April 25. His election recognizes his significant contributions to the fields of vertebrate paleontology and human evolution research.

The National Academy of Sciences recognizes scientists who have made outstanding and ongoing contributions to original research. As one of science's most prestigious distinctions, NAS membership represents an exceptional achievement in the scientific community. Current NAS membership totals approximately 2,700 members and over 500 international members, of which approximately 200 have received Nobel prizes. Manthi is the 16th faculty member from the College of Science to be elected to the NAS. He is also the only African scientist elected for 2024 and just the second Kenyan ever to receive this recognition.

"Fredrick Manthi's election to the National Academy of Sciences is incredibly well-deserved and represents decades of meticulous field research and scientific dedication," said Thure Cerling, Distinguished Professor of Geology & Geophysics and Biological Sciences at the University of Utah and fellow NAS member. "His pioneering work has advanced our understanding of early human evolution, and his connection to Utah has enriched our research community immensely."

With a research career spanning nearly four decades, Manthi has established himself as a leading expert in East African paleontology. Since joining the National Museums of Kenya in 1986, he has conducted extensive fieldwork throughout the Lake Turkana Basin and other fossil sites across Kenya. Since 2003, Manthi directed numerous excavations at Plio-Pleistocene sites including Kanapoi, Lomekwi, Nariokotome, and several others in northern Kenya, collectively yielding over 12,000 fossil specimens, including rare hominid remains. His research on fossil and modern micro-vertebrate bone assemblages has provided valuable evidence for early hominin paleoecology. Manthi has also facilitated research opportunities for emerging Kenyan scientists and developed scientific infrastructure and training programs focused on the collections at the National Museums of Kenya, which serve as crucial resources for understanding human evolution.

“This recognition highlights the importance of international scientific collaboration, and I plan to use my NAS membership to strengthen research partnerships with the University of Utah and the National Museums of Kenya,” says Manthi. “To the young Africans and those from other parts of the world, I want to tell you that you can achieve high levels of success in your career paths through focus, resilience and hard work.”

The College of Science celebrates this prestigious recognition of one of its faculty members. "Fredrick Manthi's groundbreaking research in paleontology and his commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists are exemplary," said Interim Dean Pearl Sandick. "His election to the National Academy of Sciences is a tremendous honor, reflecting the extraordinary quality and global impact of his research."

 

by Bianca Lyon

Goldwater Scholarship: Lukas Mesicek

Goldwater Scholar Lukas Mesicek


May 9, 2025
Above: Jazz guitarist and scientist Lukas Mesicek.

At Libby Gardner Hall April 16, when the lights came up on the University of Utah's Jazz Guitar Ensemble, few people would have guessed that one of the eight musicians in the College of Fine Arts group was a budding computational astrophysicist and researcher.

But there she was — Lukas Mesicek — strumming with her fellow guitarists the opening strains of Victor Young's fetching "A Weaver of Dreams."

An honors student double-majoring in physics and mathematics — with minors in music and astronomy — Mesicek herself may be attracted to what's been called the easy-bake blowing tunes of Herbie Hancock or the groundbreaking works of bossa nova impresario Luis Bonfa, but she also follows her bliss in the Department of Physics and Astronomy with Professor John Belz. There she uses recent advancements in numerical analysis to simulate a mathematical model that fuses the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional continuum.

When Mesicek is not navigating (in code) "axisymmetric spacetimes," thus furthering our understanding of the gravitational and cosmological processes which govern our universe, the recently awarded Goldwater Scholar can be found further traversing the academic cosmos at the U. In addition to demonstrating academic excellence in the classroom, including in multiple graduate courses, Mesicek has also contributed to research projects in the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and with Anton Burtsev, assistant professor in the Kahlert School of Computing. In 2023 she was co-author with Burtsev of a published research article demonstrating an approach that significantly lowers "proof-to-code" ratios in formally-verified operating systems.

Extended pursuits

Lukas Mesicek

This rich and energizing pursuit through pure and applied sciences demonstrates, Mesicek says, that "scientific endeavors are a very collaborative process." In her research today, she uses computational simulations to investigate systems on the threshold of black hole formation. "In this regime," she notes, "there are a number of 'critical phenomena' with important implications for cosmic censorship, primordial black holes, and our understanding of the dynamics of general relativity."

Outside research itself, she serves as an officer in the local chapter of the Society of Physics Students while at the same time netted a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the Department of Physics & Astronomy, an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program award from the Office of Undergraduate Research.  She has also been awarded the James B. & Betty Debenham Scholarship by the Honors College, among other accolades. All this while attending practice with her fellow jazz guitarists for performances like the one in April, kicking out bossa nova favorites like "Black Orpheus" and funk tunes "Watermelon Man" and "Breeze."

Her gift on the guitar with the ensemble is not only a perfect accent to her extended science and math pursuits, acknowledged widely, but it also deeply informs the collaborative way she works not only with empirically-derived or scientific findings but promising real-world applications, like coding. These pursuits are also informed by the philosophical. Mesicek has benefited from honors courses in philosophy and literature that, she says, “provided a crucial context for the history of human inquiry and helped me understand what motivates us to do science.” This too is where her musicianship complements the rest of her life in math, physics and astronomy which by design builds on the work of past scientific discoveries like Einstein's theory of relativity. "I am only just beginning to scratch the surface of the world of jazz improvisation, which builds on rich musical theory while also requiring a large degree of spontaneous creativity."

Varied approaches and experiences at the blackboard, in the classroom and in the lab are now creatively culminating in Mesicek's honors thesis which employs numerical simulations to continue her investigation into critical phenomena in black hole formation. The thesis is proof positive that the science isn't done until it's been communicated (or so it is argued) and has, she says, “served as practice for writing academic articles,” and improved “my ability to communicate technical subject matter to both experts and nonscientists.”

"Like so many of the students our office supports," says Ginger Smoak, director of the U's Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships, "Lukas has taken advantage of the rigorous coursework, research and leadership experiences, and faculty mentorship available at the University of Utah. Lukas’ scholarship application was stellar and demonstrated to the Goldwater Foundation that she is nationally competitive and has the capacity to become a leading computational astrophysicist and researcher."

Smoak, whose office helps students and recent alumni navigate complex application processes and develop competitive applications, explains that The Goldwater Scholarship is an endorsed scholarship, which means that U applicants must be vetted and nominated by a faculty committee.

black hole physics

The endgame of Mesicek's sojourn at the U is to propel her towards earning a doctoral degree after graduation and to become a computational astrophysicist and professor at a research university. As for her most recent accolade offered through the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation — the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in its fields — she says that she is honored to be its recipient. "Going through the application process allowed me to clarify my own interests within astrophysics," she says, "and the awarded funding will enable my planned program of study and research in black hole physics."

Back at the concert hall, there is another culmination, a kind of cap-stone to the remarkable mind and person who is Mesicek, sourced by the University of Utah community which this Goldwater recipient has called, of late, "home." The jazz guitar ensemble is a metaphor for the kind of collaboration and inter-disciplinary work, punctuated with short, melodic phrases that can be repeated or varied during improvisation, what in the jazz genre is called "licks." These solos build out the melodic lines, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts, something that in the science-laced composition of the guitarist Lukas Mesicek makes for an arresting whole and start of what promises to be an auspicious career.  

By David Pace

Denise Dearing awarded Governor’s Medal

Denise Dearing Awarded Governor's Medal


May 7, 2025
Above: M. Denise Dearing

The office of the Governor of Utah announced that University of Utah biologist M. Denise Dearing is this year’s recipient of the prestigious 2025 Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in the Academia/Research category.

The selection for this significant honor follows a rigorous process involving peer nominations, evaluation by a panel of qualified judges and Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox’s final approval.

“Your outstanding contributions as an ecologist have established a remarkable international reputation for your innovative research and discoveries, and your leadership at both the university and national levels,” Cox states in his official letter to Dearing. “Your pioneering research, program development that benefits the state of Utah, and numerous awards recognizing your international stature embody the excellence in academia/research this medal celebrates.” He also acknowledges Dearing’s “dedication as an effective mentor and teacher, providing exceptional guidance to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.”

The Governor's Medal is the state’s highest civilian award, celebrating distinguished service and significant contributions to science and technology. Since 1987, this medal has recognized individuals like Dearing, for their impact and achievements.

Dearing will receive the medal at a ceremony on May 21, 2025.

“Being a world-class scientist today requires an extraordinary breadth of skills,” said Fred Adler, Director of the School of Biological Sciences, “and Dr. Dearing has the entire set, ranging from her breadth, creativity and influence as a scientist, her dedicated and innovative teaching, caring and successful mentoring and leadership both at the University of Utah and nationally.”

Woodrats, Toxins and Rattlesnakes

Since 2022 Dearing, a Distinguished Professor in the School of Biological Sciences as well as its former director, has served as the Director of the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems at the National Science Foundation. She and her team study ecological factors and physiological constraints that influence foraging behavior and the evolution of diet breadth in mammalian herbivores.

Currently, her laboratory is investigating the evolution of dietary specialization in herbivores by exploring the detoxification abilities of woodrats (Neotoma species). Woodrats are one of the only animals that can tolerate large quantities of creosote, a shrub with leaves coated in a chemical cocktail of poisonous resin, according to a recent article on Dearing’s research published in @TheU: “The critter’s constitution has astounded biologists and represents a decades-long debate — over evolutionary time, how do animals adapt to a deadly diet? Do detoxification enzymes become more specialized or more abundant?”

In January, Dearing’s team published a landmark paper in the journal Science pinpointing the specific genes and enzymes that allow the woodrats to eat the near-lethal food without obvious harm. They found that creosote feeding woodrats had “doubled down” on detox, having several more key detoxification genes than their counterparts that do not eat creosote.

Dearing’s research has fueled the findings of others, including those presented in a paper published in Biology Letters just three weeks ago. A research team out of the University of Michigan in collaboration with Dearing investigated the immunity of creosote-eating woodrats to rattlesnake venom, a substance that contains hemotoxins that break down blood cells and neurotoxins that cause respiratory paralysis.

Medications like anticoagulants and even Ozempic have resulted from the pharmacologically active molecules discovered in the study of venoms and the animals that resist them. Related to that, coevolutionary relationships between snakes and their prey in one location to another can lead to the discovery of powerful molecules that may have other important applications.

“We are proud to celebrate Denise Dearing’s well-deserved recognition with the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology,” said Pearl Sandick, interim dean of College of Science. “This award recognizes Dearing’s exceptional contributions to science and technology in the state, and we are thrilled to see her join the distinguished group of individuals who have received this honor. Her work has had a profound impact on our academic community and beyond. Her collaborative spirit and dedication have made her an invaluable scientist and colleague.”

by David Pace

 

Jay Quade, Distinguished Alumnus

Jay Quade, Distinguished Alumnus


May 6, 2025
Above: From left: Cari Johnson, Marjorie Chan, Thure Cerling, Jay Quade, Barba (Quade's wife), Kip Solomon, Peter Lippert

 

The Department of Geology and Geophysics is thrilled to present Jay Quade, Ph.D. '90, with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni award.

Jay Quade

One of the outstanding field geologists of the modern day, Jay Quade has provided great insight into the geochemistry of the near-surface (surficial) environment. His Ph.D. work set the stage to document isotope diffusion as the determining factor in soil carbonate profiles. He followed this with work in the Siwaliks of Pakistan and showed that major ecosystem changes, including the expansion of C4 grasslands, are recorded in soils through both d13C and d18O isotopic analysis.

In his distinguished faculty career at the University of Arizona beginning in 1992, he continued to pursue isotope change along the length of the Himalaya. This is the best documented ecological change showing the transition from the mid-Miocene "C3-World" to the Plio-Pleistocene "C4-World."

Quade has made many contributions since then in many aspects of surficial geochemistry, but a few highlights  include the following:

— Strontium isotopes to study calcrete formation and documenting movement of goods by early American cultures in the USA

— Studying packrat middens as long-term climate records

— The Quaternary history in the Yucca Mountain region for implications for nuclear waste disposal

— Demonstrating how earthquakes can influence surface weathering of boulders in desert regions (a very fun read)

— Clumped isotope applications in soils and paleosols

— Conventional and clumped isotopes in paleoaltimetry studies (pioneering work with Carmie Garzione)

Widely Recognized

A celebrated geoscience polymath, Quade has been widely recognized in the sector. He is the recipient of the 2018 Arthur L. Day Medalist from the Geological Society of America in 2018 recognizing “outstanding distinction in the application of physics and chemistry to the solution of geologic problems," and a fellow of the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, the Geochemical Society and the National Academy of Sciences. He has had visiting faculty positions at Hebrew University and the University of Tokyo.

Scopus, the multidisciplinary abstract and citation database produced by Elsevier lists Quade’s 220 publications with nearly 22,000 citations, and an "h-index’" of 78. His contribution to science extends far beyond these metrics with the creativity and care he demonstrates and instills in colleagues and mentees every day.

Through all this work, Quade has been engaged in multiple collaborations, showing enormous generosity of his time and sharing his experience and field sites.

The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Jay Quade by the Department of Geology & Geophysics March 6 by a committee that included Marjorie Chan, professor emerita; Pete Lippert, associate professor; Thure Cerling, distinguished professor; Cari Johnson, professor; Kip Solomon, distinguished professor and interim department chair; Ashley Herman, program manager. 

This story originally appeared on the website of the University of Utah's Department of Geology & Geophysics

2025 Convocation Student Speaker: Marcus Tanner

2025 Convocation Student SPeaker: Marcus Tanner


May 2, 2025

Above: Marcus Tanner at Convocation. All photos by Todd Anderson.

On May 1, Marcus Tanner, an undergraduate in Physics & Astronomy and Geology & Geophysics, spoke at the College of Science's 2025 convocation ceremony staged at the Huntsman Center. His complete remarks are below.


Friends, classmates, scientists, biologists, congratulations on blazing your trail through your undergraduate degrees! No matter how long it took you to get here or what path you took, this is the culmination of all your hard work … but this is not the end of your education, or at least I hope it isn’t, and I don’t mean whatever post-graduate programs you might be attending after we toss our caps. I hope you continue to learn and challenge yourselves long into the future.

I have been a part of many communities on campus during my five-year stay: the physics department, the geology department, the Science Ambassador team, countless teaching and mentoring roles, and I learned something new from each one of them.

Physics taught me that challenging myself is often worth the effort. Geoscience taught me to look at things from new perspectives. Being an Ambassador taught me that science is a team effort, and that not knowing things is more than okay, it’s a part of the job. Being a Teaching Assistant and Learning Assistant has taught me humility (and a lot of physics), because I was once in my students’ shoes seeking help for what now seemed so simple.

But one thing I learned from all of them is that change is an important part of life; I’ve seen friendships wax and wane, I’ve watched fledgling scientists grow into their own and spread their wings towards brighter skies, I’ve seen the world change and shift in ways I would have never dreamed of.

Looking back, I’ve seen that the thing that ties all of this together is the ebb and flow of overwhelming force and renewed strength. A gas cloud must collapse before it shines as a star. A rock must melt before it recrystallizes into something stronger. A mentor must make mistakes and live their life to have advice for people on a similar path. It’s rather parsimonious then, that people too must falter before they can rise higher, and often with support from others to give them some lift.

As we start our new journeys, I hope we can not only learn to grow and shine, but also be willing to take a chance to falter and ask for guidance. We can learn to be proud to admit when we don’t know something. As we do, we can shine when we are strong and borrow some fuel when we are weak. We can wander and wonder, burn and yearn, feel and heal; above all, we can keep learning.

After all, everything ends at some point. There’s no reason to stop changing before we run out of fuel. Our current degree programs may be over, but we can keep being students until we become part of geologic time ourselves.

Thank you.


Marcus Tanner, BS'25 with double degrees in Physics & Astronomy and Geology & Geophysics, is from Draper, Utah.
You can read more about him in his Humans of the U story here

>> HOME <<