homenews

Dmitry Bedrov, new Chair of the Materials Science & Engineering

February 6, 2025

MSE, with two ABET accreditations, is seated in two colleges: the College of Science (Metallurgical Engineering program) and the College of Engineering (Materials Science & Engineering program).

The merger of metallurgical and material science departments in 2018 was designed to streamline operations for faculty and students with significant funding from the Department of Energy for critical materials research. Metallurgical engineering faculty collaborate extensively with material science faculty. Many MSE students enroll in classes from chemistry and physics, bridging science and engineering.

Bedrov earned his BS with honors in 1995 from Odessa State Academy of Refrigeration in Odessa, Ukraine, followed by a PhD (1999) and postdoctoral work (1999-2002) in Chemical & Fuels Engineering and Computational Modeling of Materials at the University of Utah, respectively. His research interest lies in the area of multiscale modeling of soft-condensed matter systems that exhibit complex, multiscale structure often arising from molecular and super-molecular self-assembly.

New lab, new equipment

Metallurgical engineer and scientist Jiaqi Jin in front of the XRM-900 in the William Browning building. Credit: Todd Anderson

Bedrov’s arrival as chair is happening at an auspicious time for the department which has recently acquired a new, state-of-the-art additive manufacturing research center featuring a multi-million-dollar titanium 3D printing machine. The lab will serve as a hub for the collaboration between Metallurgical Engineering Professor Zak Fang's powder metallurgy research team and the company IperionX as they work to advance metallurgical technologies for producing primary metals focused on titanium.

Other new equipment includes an X-ray Instrument to keep pace with the global-leading high-resolution 3D imaging research in metallurgical engineering at the U.

The X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) in 3D characterization of particulate systems significantly strengthens researcher capability in mineral processing studies. Together, these new acquisitions have helped maintain the U's metallurgical engineering program as arguably the best in the country. Bedrov will lead MSE at a time when extensive collaboration is occurring on campus in the areas of materials informatics, additive manufacturing, and biomaterials and interfaces..

A key project emblematic of the department’s interdisciplinary research involves collaborating with the U’s School of Dentistry to use machine learning to optimize dental materials, like filler composites. Currently the evaluation of dental materials is predominantly qualitative, relying heavily on the experience and subjective judgment. Imaging of extracted teeth with deployed polymers followed by machine learning analysis in MSE can help clinicians, like dentists, understand the best formulations and application practices at work.

Attracting new students

Fronting the interdisciplinary research like that in collaboration with the School of Dentistry, the department aims to attract students who often only learn about what the department offers after they’ve arrived at the U and sometimes after they’ve already declared a major. High school outreach and competitions, highlighting MSE’s small, diverse student body and interdisciplinary research will be a priority for Bedrov along with enhancing faculty support and increasing collaboration with other departments.

“It is an exciting time to lead the department to address new research challenges, e.g. in critical materials, quantum materials, and biomedical applications, and new learning opportunities for students, e.g. incorporation of AI and machine learning tools into the education process,” said Bedrov.

"I am delighted to welcome Dmitry Bedrov as a new department chair," said Trapa. "Dmitry's extensive expertise in materials modeling and commitment to interdisciplinary research positions him perfectly to lead Materials Science and Engineering as the department continues to expand its cutting-edge research capabilities and educational programs."

Trapa continued, "I want to express my deep gratitude to past chair Mike Free for his outstanding leadership. His collaboration between metallurgical engineering and materials science has created a stronger, more integrated department. His contributions have laid a strong foundation for our continued growth and excellence."

by David Pace

Widening Our Cosmic View

February 6, 2025

Gail Zasowski

Teams are valued within scientific communities, but when it comes to broader public recognition it’s rare for anything more than an organization or singular leader to step into the spotlight.

But times are changing at breakneck speeds, the value of these enablers of science becoming more and more apparent as the spotlight grows to encompass them. With the upcoming launch of the Roman Space Telescope we are seeing a shift towards broader perspectives, bringing more voices into decision-making processes to optimize the pursuit of scientific advancement.

Taking a novel approach for NASA’s missions, where observations with telescopes like Hubble and James Webb were largely proposal-based (scientists writing competing proposals to win time using the telescopes’ instruments), Roman will be predominantly driven by surveys designed by the astronomical community as a whole. That community is made up of an extensive structure of committees involving hundreds (if not thousands) of astronomers who have spent years analyzing which observational designs would be the most useful for their community at large. This will create an archive of data which anyone in the world can access to do science.

A wider range of expertise

An undertaking like this requires organizational expertise which is where Gail Zasowski, an associate professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, comes into play. Co-chairing the Roman Observations Time Allocation Committee (ROTAC) alongside Saurabh Jha (Rutgers University), she and the committee of 13 scientists are tasked with taking all of these proposed survey designs and constructing a plan that best balances the scientific goals of the astronomical community. For example, some time will be spent studying black holes and stellar explosions dating back to the early universe, while other observations will focus closer to home, on stars and planets in our own Milky Way and even asteroids in our Solar System. Thus the ROTAC is faced with the challenge (or opportunity) to plan a multi-year observing program that includes everything from solar system formation to dark matter and dark energy.

“Our committee was deliberately chosen to span a wide range of science expertise,” Zasowski explains. “It’s our job to evaluate from a scientific perspective how to maximize the observational output of the telescope. Is there somewhere everybody wants to look, where an observation could kill two birds with one stone? Given other telescope missions around the world, where can Roman have the largest unique impact?”

It’s an impressive task to keep all these plates spinning at once, but that’s the beauty of moving these decisions to a communal level. By enabling collaboration, the community can plan far more efficiently than any one individual team or project could do on its own.

A wider range of voices

Yerkes Observatory Roman Workshop. Zasowski is pictured center left. Credit: Yerkes Observatory. Inset: Nancy Roman.

Zasowski was chosen for her background in ground-based astronomy surveys, a priority shared by the U’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. She explains that “Where many larger institutions will devote their time and money buying into one large telescope, we have elected to spend our time and energy participating in surveys. We feel it gets more bang for your buck, more photons per dollar, as being in these surveys not only grants access to data, but also access to the scientific community who makes the survey happen.”

This pattern repeats across campus, investing in building core skills and wider networking to get a foot into every door, rather than definitively propping only one open. Everything from the Science Research Initiative which builds research connections for students far earlier than most; to the Early Exploration Scholars which broadens those connections for all campus students; and to the ACCESS Scholars program working to eliminate social barriers that have traditionally existed in STEM.

By investing in the community aspect of science so early, the U’s students and faculty are perfectly suited to fill these organizational roles, bring people together and lay the groundwork that enables future science to be conducted.

Zasowski describes an inspiring experience at Yerkes Observatory last year. “We were at the observatory where Nancy Grace Roman [the telescope’s namesake] did her Ph.D.” she describes. ”We were in the rooms where she worked, talking about designing a survey to study the science she was interested in while using a space telescope named after her.”

As a woman in astronomy starting in the 1940s, Roman had faced significant uphill battles in securing her place in the astronomical community. For the “Mother of Hubble” to be honored in such a way — for the first telescope named after a woman to be so organized around working together — it's a beautiful full-circle moment. It's a symbol of progress, of our expanding view of the night sky mirrored in a scientific field expanding to include and celebrate those who historically struggled to find their place within it.

The Roman Telescope is scheduled to be launched in October of next year, to journey around the Sun for at least five years and provide the astronomical community with data to study for many more years to follow.

by Michael Jacobsen

Exploring the frontiers of frozen water

February 6, 2025

As a consequence of its chemical properties, H₂O is one of the most incredible substances, able to form into 20 known separate crystalline ice phases. Now researchers are seeking to expand that number even further.

Ingrid de Almeida Ribeiro, a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry, and her lab partners in the Molinero Research Group at the University of Utah’s department of chemistry have published a study detailing their work advancing the science of amorphous ice using computer simulations. Often characterized as glass, amorphous ice had long been known to appear in either a low-density amorphous (LDA) or high-density amorphous (HDA) state. A recent study demonstrated the existence of medium-density amorphous (MDA) ice through the application of ball milling. Ribeiro’s work expanded upon this by examining the consequences of shear in addition to other variables, including temperature and pressure.

Amorphous ice is distinguished from typical crystalline ice by its non-periodic atomic arrangement. It is still classified as a solid material, which can be alternatively described as “a liquid that has lost its ability to flow.”

“Think about walking into a movie theater. All the seats are lined up in perfect rows and columns. That’s like crystalline ice—atoms arranged in a structured, repeating pattern. Now, picture a music festival, people are just scattered everywhere—some packed closely together, others with more space between them, no clear arrangement. That’s like amorphous ice.” Ribeiro said. “Now, picture a liquid, where atoms move freely. If you were to freeze that disordered structure without allowing the atoms to rearrange into a crystal, you’d get a glass. It’s like a frozen snapshot of a liquid.”

Read the full story by Ethan Hood in @ The U.

GSL Strike Team Update

February 3, 2025

The Great Salt Lake Strike Team — a collaboration of technical experts from Utah’s research universities and state agencies – today released their 2025 data and insights summary. Their authoritative analysis makes eminently clear four critical points:

Benefits of the lake — Utah receives numerous economic, ecological and human health benefits from the lake. The costs of inaction to the economy, human health, and ecological conditions remain significant.
Making progress — The state of Utah continues to make meaningful progress, including water conservation, infrastructure investment (including measurement and monitoring), statutory and regulatory reforms, berm management, and other actions. The state’s multi-year, data-driven strategy to conserve, dedicate, and deliver water to the lake is on track.
Long-term endeavor — Stabilizing and raising lake levels; managing salinity; and protecting economic, human, and species health will require many years of stewardship leading up to the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and beyond. Success requires everyone in the Great Salt Lake Basin to participate in conserving, dedicating, and delivering water to the lake every year.
Utah’s plan — Later this month the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office will release the 2034 Plan for a Healthy Great Salt Lake. The plan builds upon the Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan, released in January 2024, by identifying actions needed over the next ten years to preserve the benefits Great Salt Lake provides to Utah and the world. This plan is informed by data developed by the Strike Team.3

“All indications demonstrate that delivering more water to the lake is a far more cost-effective solution than managing the impacts of a lake at a perpetually low level,” said Brian Steed, co-chair of the Great Salt Lake Strike Team and Great Salt Lake Commissioner. “We can invest time and financial resources now or pay a lot more later. Fortunately, we have great data and a balanced and workable plan to succeed.”

Utah’s research universities – Utah State University and University of Utah — formed the Great Salt Lake Strike Team to provide a primary point of contact for policymakers as they address the economic, health, and ecological challenges created by the low elevation levels of the lake. Together with state agency professionals, the Strike Team brings together experts in public policy, hydrology, water management, climatology, dust, and economics to provide impartial, data-informed, and solution-oriented support for the Commissioner’s Office and other Utah decision-makers. The Strike Team does not advocate but rather functions in a technical, policy-advisory role as a service to the state.

“Low lake elevations created by rising temperatures and human water depletions continue to put at risk the benefits created by the lake,” said William Anderegg, Strike Team co-chair and Director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy at the University of Utah. “Our review of the data confirms that with steady and deliberate actions we can first stabilize and then raise lake elevation to levels that protect the benefits provided by the lake.”

The Strike Team’s report includes reporting on lake elevation, reservoir storage, salinity, streamflow, human water use, water rights and change applications, and mineral extraction. Importantly, the report identifies over 30 major milestones from 2024, including but not limited to the following:

Lake elevation — Increased inflows during 2024 were spread across both arms of the lake, resulting in a stable elevation for the south arm and larger gains for the north arm (2.8-foot rise). The lake remains well below the healthy range.
Ecosystem recovery/bring shrimp — Brine shrimp populations increased, with egg numbers up 50% from last year.
Invasive species — The state removed 15,600 acres of water-intensive phragmites, plus many more by other entities.
Funding – The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation directed $50 million toward Great Salt Lake preservation projects. Utah awarded $5.4 million to support 6,000 acres of Great Salt Lake wetlands and allocated $22 million for Great Salt Lake water infrastructure projects and $15 million to the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office for planning and water leasing.
Water donations and releases — Jordan Valley Water Conservancy, Welby Jacob Water Users, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released approximately 10,000 acre-feet from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake via the Jordan River. Compass Minerals agreed to forgo 200,000 acre-feet of future water use, and Morton Salt agreed to forgo 54,000 acre-feet of future water use. Both companies also agreed to cease all usage if the lake drops to 2022 levels. Water conservancy districts released stored water during the winter, including approximately 700,000 acre-feet of water that was released through the Jordan and Weber river systems.

The Strike Team acknowledges and appreciates the support of Gov. Spencer Cox and his Cabinet, Senate President Stuart Adams, Speaker Mike Schultz, the full Utah Legislature, Presidents Elizabeth Cantwell and Taylor Randall, and other colleagues and partners who support data-informed solutions for the lake. The leaders of the Strike Team affirmed in their opening letter that “actions to ensure a healthy Great Salt Lake are both necessary and possible.”

Recent average daily elevation of Great Salt Lake north and south arms (1903-2024)

Source: US Geological Survey Historical Elevation at Saltair Boat Harbor and Saline, UT.

The full report is now available online.

Tino Nyawelo, Presidential Societal Impact Scholar

February 3, 2025

Nyawelo is a professor (lecturer) in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. His main area of research is physics education with the focus on equity/access in education. He is the Director of Undergraduate Research and coordinates the NSF Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program.

In 2012, he founded the REFUGES program, a robust STEM-focused refugee and minority student support program with two distinct components: 1) an after-school program for middle- and high-school students; and 2) a summer bridge program for students transitioning to the University of Utah. REFUGES addresses the academic and cultural challenges of refugee youth in fifteen hours of programming per week on the U of U campus. Participants receive individual tutoring and mentoring, science enrichment activities, college and career readiness interventions, and workshops promoting healthy lifestyles. The program has impacted the lives of over 1,000 refugee youth living in the Salt Lake Valley.

In 2020, he joined the High School Project on Astrophysics Research with Cosmics (HiSPARC), a project in which high schools and academic institutions join forces and form a network to observe and measure ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with a ground-based scintillation detector. HiSPARC project started in the Netherlands in 2003, and in 2024 HiSPARC moved to University of Utah under his leadership and provided the initial infrastructure to imagine new research opportunities in K-12 science education. There are currently two projects that deploy HiSPARC cosmic ray detectors with high school students and teachers in Utah: 1) The InSPIRE Program (Investigating the Development of STEM-Positive Identities of Refugee Teens in a Physics Out-of-School Time Experience); and 2) A Research Experiences for Teachers (RET).

He obtained his master’s degree in theoretical high energy physics at the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Free University of Amsterdam.

Other awardees include David Wetter, professor, population health sciences and adjunct professor, psychology, and director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Population Equity (HOPE); Matthew Basso, associate professor, gender studies and history; Divya Chandrasekhar, associate professor, Department of City and Metropolitan Planning; and Sameer Rao, assistant professor, mechanical engineering.

'Incredible impact'

"As Presidential Societal Impact Scholars, these exceptional faculty demonstrate how public engagement and scholarship can have a broad impact on the world around us,” said President Taylor Randall. “As one of the nation’s leading research universities, we aim to improve the communities we serve by sharing our research and expertise in meaningful ways. The recipients of this award embody this mission, translating their work into efforts that not only shape their fields but also positively transform society.”

Each scholar will receive a one-time cash award of $10,000 and support from University Marketing & Communications to promote their research, scholarship and initiatives.

To be considered, the faculty member’s area of focus must address a major societal issue, such as physical health and well-being, mental illness, poverty, the housing crisis, an environmental problem, etc. The nominee’s work should have the potential to inform public debate and positively impact individuals, institutions and communities.

“This year’s scholars represent the incredible impact that faculty can have beyond the classroom through service and public engagement,” said law professor Randy Dryer, who established the award in 2022 through a gift to the university. “Their work not only advances their respective fields but also demonstrates a deep commitment to improving the lives of individuals and communities. These scholars translate their research and expertise into real-world solutions, making a tangible difference in society, using their knowledge to create a more just and equitable world for all.”

The 2025-26 Presidential Societal Impact Scholars will serve through May 2026 and then continue as members of the permanent scholars’ network. All scholars are highlighted here.

SRI Stories: Genesis Aquino

February 3, 2025

Since joining the Student Research Initiative (SRI) as a freshman, Genesis has found her stride in the lab and the exciting world of chemistry. Under the mentorship of SRI fellow Ryan Stolley, she is contributing to new research on vinyl cyanamides, molecules with the potential to advance the production of plastics, fibers, and rubber.

“Chemistry always interested me, and I knew Ryan Stolley would be a great mentor from the start,” Genesis recalls. “I wasn’t very confident in labs, so by putting myself in an ‘uncomfortable’ setting, I was able to gain confidence and grow as both a student and researcher.”

Genesis’s research focuses on fundamental chemical transformations and synthesis — breaking bonds and creating new ones to develop molecules with unique properties. “We are able to achieve this by adjusting several variables, such as the choice of chemicals, their quantities and the temperature we run the reaction at,” she explains. The team’s goal is to synthesize a molecule called vinyl cyanamides, which has never been done before. Successful synthesis of the molecule would serve as an intermediate stage and open the door for developing other molecules with unique applications.

‘All in the same boat’

At the beginning of her academic journey, Genesis remembers feeling unsure of herself. However, her feelings quickly changed when she was met by SRI’s welcoming research environment: “When I first joined, I thought, there's no way I could do this.” she recalls.
“But the environment is really friendly, and the students you're working with are all in the same boat. We all just kind of work together, and so it's not as intimidating as it might seem.”

Outside of academics, Genesis loves to embrace Utah’s outdoors, finding joy through hiking, trail running and skiing. Looking towards the future, Genesis is planning her future in dentistry. As a pre-dental student, she values the skills and knowledge gained through her research experience. “In dental school, there’s a lot of chemistry and reactions that I’m going to be working with,” she says. “So it's definitely helped me to get more comfortable in the lab.”

For students who are hesitant about getting involved in research, Genesis offers encouragement: “At first it can be super intimidating, but the coordinators are really flexible,” she says. “I think everyone should just give it a shot because then you'll learn if you like it. I knew I wanted to do research in college, and SRI really opened the door for me to get started.”

by Julia St. Andre

Water resiliency and the Olympics

January 29, 2025

Because of a warming climate, future winter Olympic Games will contend with declining snowpacks that may prevent the world’s best athletes from competing on the global stage. Host cities are strategizing how to reduce carbon emissions and protect their precious water resources.

Anticipating these challenges, a group of graduate students from Université Côte d'Azur in Nice, France, will travel to the University of Utah this week to participate in a climate solutions “hackathon” focused on addressing water resiliency.

France’s Région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur will host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2030, and Salt Lake City will host the games in 2034.

“Water resiliency is one of the defining challenges of our time. U researchers are tackling it head-on by exploring critical questions across water science, policy, engineering, and health sciences and addressing issues like water access, quality, and sustainability,” said Erin Rothwell, Vice President for Research at the U. “By working collaboratively with policymakers, organizations, and communities, we’re driving innovative solutions to ensure a sustainable water future—locally and globally—for generations to come.”

The U and Université Côte d'Azur have grown their strategic partnership since a successful Film & Media Arts learning abroad program that launched in 2017. Last year, the universities kicked off a collaborative international research program geared toward sustainable and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“It is truly inspiring to witness the flourishing bond between the University of Utah and Université Côte d'Azur, both in its purpose and its dynamic potential,” said President of Université Côte d’Azur, M. Jeanick Brisswalter. “This collaboration exemplifies our shared commitment to addressing global challenges, particularly through the lens of the sustainable development goals. With our students participating in the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy international hackathon on climate change, focused on tackling water management, we will be looking forward to seeing their innovative contributions at the intersection of education, sustainability, and global action.”

The Climate Solutions Hackathon, organized annually by the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy at the U, provides an ideal venue for collaboration and creativity in addressing current and forecasted climate change-driven conditions.

Undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline are encouraged to team-up and develop proposals in a slide deck within 24 hours. They will pitch their projects to their peers on Saturday and meet again Monday, Feb. 3 for an awards reception event. Last year the hackathon focused on wildfire, and urban heat was the focus in 2023.

“The French Alps and the Wasatch range are both experiencing changes in hydrology, rates of snowmelt, and rising temperatures,” noted William Anderegg, director of the Wilkes Center. “The challenges facing water resilience and winter sports have no boundaries, and thus this collaboration to generate creative solutions is essential.”

Schedule of hackathon activities:

Friday, Jan. 31, 12:00 noon, the 24-hour hackathon begins. (Crocker Science Center, Room 206, 1390 Presidents' Cir, Salt Lake City, UT 84112)
Saturday, Feb. 1, 10:30 p.m., the hackathon ends.
Saturday, Feb. 1, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon, teams present their solutions to a panel of judges. (Crocker Science Center, Room 206)
Monday, Feb. 3, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., reception and awards ceremony for all participants at Red Butte Gardens and Arboretum.

More information about the event is online here.

January 21, 2025
Above: Atmospheric instrumentation on the roof of the Browning Building, University of Utah.

Humans of the U: Megan DuVal

January 29, 2025

Army ant (Labidus praedator) viewed through a dissecting scope. Photo credit: Todd Anderson

I first became interested in ants when I was matched with the Longino lab through the University of Utah ACCESS Scholars program my freshman year of college. I started working on a project investigating the flight seasonality of male army ants, comparing sites in Costa Rica, Ecuador and southern Brazil. As with insects in general, ants are fascinating. There are many questions to be explored about their evolution, how they’ve spread geographically and their social behaviors.

Working with army ants has made me appreciate their value as indicators of ecosystem health by virtue of their presence, absence or abundance. With large, predatory and nomadic colonies, army ants need intact habitat and are some of the first ant species to disappear when an area becomes too degraded or fragmented to support them. This makes them a strong indicator species of ecosystem health, which could help us identify areas in need of conservation.

I have been able to make real contributions to research on ants by working on projects led by John (Jack) Longino, a professor of biology, and Rodolfo Probst, a biology alum and postdoctoral researcher for the Science Research Initiative (SRI). I never imagined science would take me beyond the borders of Utah to Brazil, Canada and Oregon, where I have presented at scientific conferences. Nor did I imagine ever working alongside scientists collecting and studying ants and insects in New Mexico, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo in São Paulo and the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia in Manaus, also in Brazil.

I am autistic and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout high school, I often felt isolated and different from my peers. Being a part of ACCESS Scholars, SACNAS and the myrmecology community has helped me feel I belong and have the support needed to succeed in my field. As an undergraduate researcher, the College of Science–SRI learning assistant and a teaching assistant for entomology, I’ve seen my peers and I grow a lot through these unique experiences.

Undergraduate Megan DuVal working with one of the many ant specimen collections in the Longino lab. Photo credit: Todd Anderson

My goal is to become a professor at a top R1 research university or a scientist at a natural history museum so that I can pursue research in ant systematics and taxonomy. I’m planning to take a fifth year to finish my classes and undergraduate research before I move on to graduate school. I’ve learned that I would rather go at a slower pace and have more time to process and do my best work.”

—Megan DuVal is a senior honors student from Salt Lake City majoring in biology, with an emphasis in ecology, evolution and environment, and a minor in mathematics

ACCESS Scholar: Jackie Timothy

January 27, 2025

In the lab. Getting out the otoliths

A picture of a striking new horizon, balancing a rambunctious social life with academic goals, and likely not sleeping as much as they should!

But reality often paints a very different picture, as many students are forced to take a more complicated route in the pursuit of higher education. Some of them are older, others working long hours alongside online classes, many with dependents that rely on them for care. These aspects of life construct obstacles that can seem impossible to hurdle, which makes those that rise to the challenge that much more impressive.

And of stories such as these, Jackie Timothy's (BS’95, biology) is one of the most inspiring.

As a single mother of four children, Timothy was not in a position where most would consider an education feasible to pursue—doubly so given the rare liver disease of her youngest (9 months) and the developmental disability of another. But while she was working as a babysitter to support her family she met a friend named Susan Gudmundsen, another single mother who was currently taking science classes at the U. Reminiscing about that time Timothy explains, “I remember just thinking, why would anybody want to go to school at this point in their life, you know? I just thought it was so bizarre! But eventually, I had this epiphany that the only person who could change my life—and when I would do so— was me. And so I followed my friend’s lead.”

That path would lead both women into the ACCESS Scholars program, providing critical support to finance their educational journeys while their shared experiences helped lift each other up. To say Timothy made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement. “I took a full course load every single quarter,” she describes. “I never skipped a summer, never took time off because I was going to get through this.” Laughing over how she wouldn’t recommend that, she pauses then follows with, “But I kept going. I realized that my children’s lives improved when my life improved, as funding and insurance became more feasible. It gave me a clear goal, and I knew I was going to meet this goal.”

And meet the goal she did. ACCESS connected her with the Prescott Lab where she worked as an intern, enabling further connections that would eventually net Timothy a full tuition scholarship. She would be chosen as a convocation speaker for the College of Science and ultimately graduated with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry.

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)2024

This success catapulted her north to the University of Alaska in Juneau, adding a Masters in Public Administration that kickstarted a stellar 23-year career. Timothy would work across government agencies to balance resource development with resource protection, develop habitat enhancement and restoration projects and ultimately become a valuable leader that cultivated and cared for critical environmental projects that still hold high importance to the State of Alaska. Going on 7 years in retirement she still serves as a valued consultant in the biological sciences, which she balances while caring for a child with cerebral palsy that she adopted last year.

Timothy’s impressive life would stretch the limits of our imagination were she not living proof that her accomplishments had been achieved. But perhaps that’s only because more people like her haven’t been given these opportunities as well? Tradition likes to paint these pictures of how the world should be—that parenthood and university cannot coexist. But Jackie Timothy and many others have shown us a more hopeful, more ambitious canvas. Responsibilities don’t have to be roadblocks, their sturdiness can just as easily act as the supportive pillars of success.

After all, when compared to raising multiple children on your own… well, how hard could college really be?

Anderegg Receives White House Early-Career Award

January 23, 2025

William Anderegg, professor of biology and director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy at the U, is one of the newest PECASE recipients.

The PECASE Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers. The awards are conferred annually at the White House following recommendations from participating agencies. Established by President Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers.

The award recognizes innovative and far-reaching developments in science and technology, expands awareness of careers in science and engineering, recognizes the scientific missions of participating agencies, enhances connections between research and impacts on society, and highlights the importance of science and technology for our nation’s future.

The White House website reported the names of all 400 awardees, explaining that "From Day One of his Administration, President Biden has recognized the important role that science and technology plays in creating a better society. He made historic progress, increasing federally funded research and development and deploying past research and development at an unprecedented scale through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act."

“I am honored to have received this award,” said Anderegg upon learning of the announcement in mid-January. “As I look over the names and institutions of the other recipients I am struck by the breadth and depth of scientific talent in the U.S. I am humbled to be among them.”

“Bill is thoroughly deserving of this prestigious recognition,” said the U’s College of Science Dean Peter Trapa. “As one of the world’s leading forest ecologists and climate scientists, his research has advanced our understanding of the most important environmental issues of our time. His leadership of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy has amplified the impact of scientific research at the U – including his own – through actionable recommendations to government and industry leaders. ”

Anderegg’s nomination along with 111 other awardees were recommended by the National Science Foundation. "These honorees embody the excellence and innovation that drive STEM education and research forward," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "We are proud to support these educators and scientists whose transformative work inspires students, cultivates a passion for learning and advances the frontiers of discovery. Notably, two of this year's PECASE honorees, Anderegg and Melanie Matchett-Wood, are former winners of the NSF Alan T. Waterman Award, underscoring their exceptional contributions to science and engineering.”

Joining Anderegg in this prestigious recognition from the University of Utah are Amir Arzani, Kate Isaacs, Ryan Stutsman, and Ben Wang Philips from the College of Engineering, who were also honored with PECASE awards this year.

This year’s awardees are employed or funded by 14 participating agencies within the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency, the intelligence community, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution.

College of Science

Dmitry Bedrov, new Chair of the Materials Science & Engineering

Dmitry Bedrov, new Chair of Materials Science and Engineering

New lab, new equipment

Attracting new students

Widening Our Cosmic View

Widening our Cosmic View

A wider range of expertise

A wider range of voices

Exploring the frontiers of frozen water

Exploring the frontiers of frozen water

Water is ubiquitous and seemingly ordinary, possessing no distinct color or odor. Though we often take water for granted, it is by no means a simple substance.

GSL Strike Team Update

making progress on Great Salt Lake

Low water levels at Great Salt Lake continue to threaten Utah’s economic, ecological and human health.

Tino Nyawelo, Presidential Societal Impact Scholar

Presidential Societal Impact Award

'Incredible impact'

SRI Stories: Genesis Aquino

SRI Stories: Giving it a shot

For Genesis Aquino, a junior majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry, stepping into a research lab as a freshman was both daunting and transformative.

‘All in the same boat’

Water resiliency and the Olympics

Water resiliency challenges and the Olympics

Students from the University of Utah and Université Côte d'Azur, France, will tackle water resource challenges with Climate Solutions Hackathon

Humans of the U: Megan DuVal

Humans of the U: Megan DuVal

“Through research, I’ve been able to find a community at the U, build relationships with mentors, learn valuable research skills and I’ve worked with some really amazing ants in some really cool places!

ACCESS Scholar: Jackie Timothy

ACCESS SCHOLARS: Breaking Tradition

Picture a college student. What comes to mind? Tradition paints a picture of a teenager fresh out of high school, eagerly taking their next step forward in life.

Anderegg Receives White House Early-Career Award

Anderegg Receives White House Early-Career Award

In his last week in office, President Biden awarded nearly 400 scientists and engineers the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.