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SRI-CAP

November 22, 2024

SRI - CAREER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM (SRI-CAP)

Looking for your next step in life science research? Do you want to participate in cutting-edge research and learn skills that local biotech companies are seeking? The mission of the SRI Career Accelerator Program (SRI-CAP) is to bridge the gap between life science research and careers by providing students with hands-on projects, industry connections, and personalized career support. SRI-CAP empowers students to gain real-world experience and build successful futures in Utah’s biotech and health sciences fields. The initiative is supported by the Talent Ready Utah Life Science Initiative passed by the Utah Legislature in 2024.

The program is designed for College of Science students with more than 60 credits at the University of Utah, and ideally, at least some of the required lab courses completed (see details below). SRI-CAP students will be placed in a research stream with their peers and will conduct research on a real-world project. While participating in SRI CAP, students may enroll in independent research credit. In addition to research, students will hear from industry experts, participate in panels and networking events, visit local industries, and receive expert feedback on their resumes. This program is designed to help advanced College of Science students engage in project-based research experiences and professional development.

Who should apply?

  • SRI-CAP is designed to support students interested in life science research and careers.
  • Applicants must be a declared College of Science major with 60+ credits.

How does SRI-CAP work?

  • We have a limited number of spots available for Fall 2025. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis until capacity is met.
  • Students should complete the application linked below, where they can indicate specific skills they would like to develop through SRI-CAP.
  • To be eligible, you must be a full-time undergraduate in the College of Science with a minimum of 60 college credits completed. Time commitment is variable but on average 5-10 hours per week.

Program benefits include:

  • Faculty/industry mentored research
  • Networking with biotech industry leaders
  • Professional development workshops (resume building, interviewing)
  • Merit-based scholarship funding
  • Career-focused skill development in biotechnology and life sciences

 

APPLICATIONS WILL BE REVIEWED ON A ROLLING BASIS.

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SRI Team

January 3, 2022

SRI Team

Josh Steffen, Ph.D.

SRI Director; Associate Professor Lecturer

Josh Steffen, Ph.D.

SRI Director; Associate Professor Lecturer
Josh received his BA in biology and secondary education from St. Olaf College. He carried his Ph.D. and post-doctoral research at the University of Utah where he studied plant reproductive development with Gary in the lab of Gary Drews. He carried out post-doctoral research in the lab of Richard Clark where he studied natural variation in gene expression. Over the past 8 years he has held faculty positions at Colby-Sawyer College and Utah Valley University where he focussed on undergraduate education. In 2018 he accepted a position in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah. Currently, Josh manages the Science Research Initiative (SRI), teaches courses associated with the SRI, and mentors multiple undergraduate research groups. Undergraduates working with Josh are using metagenomic approaches to characterize pollinator foraging behaviors, attempting to identify novel antimicrobials, and carry out genetic analysis of maize mutants.
 joshua.steffen@utah.edu

Heather Briggs, Ph.D.

SRI Associate Director; Associate Instructor

Heather Briggs, Ph.D.

SRI Associate Director; Associate Instructor
Heather completed a M.S. at the University of Michigan (Natural Resources) and a Ph.D at the University of California, Santa Cruz (Environmental Studies & Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). She went on to complete two postdoctoral positions, first at Harvard, then at UC Irvine. As an evolutionary community ecologist, Heather’s research is motivated by the desire to understand how variation in community context influences the outcome of biotic interactions. Through the exploration of the various determinants of insect behavior, plant ecology, and floral evolution, her research considers the importance of context-dependent interactions from both the plant and pollinator perspectives.
 heather.briggs@utah.edu

Ryan M. Stolley, Ph.D.

SRI Associate Director; Associate Instructor

Ryan M. Stolley, Ph.D.

SRI Associate Director; Associate Instructor
Ryan received his BS in chemistry from Fort Lewis College and Ph.D in organic chemistry from the University of Utah. He then conducted a post-doctoral appointment at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’ Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis. After PNNL, he was a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the US Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies office. Ryan is currently an assistant research professor in the chemistry department where he works with numerous groups as a synthetic chemistry specialist, co-director of the SRI, and chairperson of the Salt Lake section of the American Chemical Society. Ryan’s research is in fundamental organic and organometallic chemistry uncovering new reaction paradigms using underexplored or entirely new functional groups, exotic ligands for rare-earth element coordination, and a variety of exotic conducting materials.
 801-581-6538
 ryan.stolley@utah.edu

Laura Rupert

SRI Program Manager

Laura Rupert

SRI Program Manager
Laura received B.S. degrees in Geography (climate change and landscape dynamics) and Environmental Studies (air, water and health) from the University of Utah. Within the SRI, she coordinates and provides support for daily operations at all levels of program engagement, including students, staff, postdocs, faculty, and college leadership.
 L.rupert@utah.edu

SRI Fellows

 

Sara Wong, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Sara Wong, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Sara earned a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan, where she studied how organelles are moved to the right place at the right time in Dr. Lois Weisman’s lab. She then joined Dr. Adam Hughes’s lab at the University of Utah where she studied remodeling of the outer mitochondrial membrane. As an SRI Fellow, she is broadly interested in understanding how cells adapt to lipid stress. Her research uses genetics, microscopy, molecular biology, and biochemistry to understand the effects of unsaturated lipids on the composition and function of organelle membranes. Lipid saturation can change with temperature, oxygen availability, and diet, so investigating these fundamental mechanisms helps us better understand human health and disease.
 sara.wong@biochem.utah.edu

Maira Alves Constantino, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Maira Alves Constantino, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Maíra completed her undergraduate studies in Physics with emphasis in Biomedical Physics at State University of Campinas (Unicamp) in her home country, Brazil. She continued her studies at Boston University where she received a MS and PhD in Physics, working under mentoring of Prof. Rama Bansil on the motility of cancer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori. During her PhD she developed a deep interest in Cancer Biology and switched gears to learn genetics of cancer at Dr. Glenn Merlino lab in the National Cancer Institute at NIH as a postdoctoral fellow. Her multidisciplinary career path gave her the ability to apply her Physics training to study the mechanical properties of cancer, a recently growing topic in cancer biology. Her research focuses on investigating how stiffness of tissue can influence the development of non-malignant nevus into melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.
 maira.alves.constantino@utah.edu

Daniel Souto Vilarós, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Daniel Souto Vilarós, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Daniel earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Outdoor Education from the University of Stirling, UK, followed by a master’s in Evolutionary Biology through the MEME consortium of the European Union. He completed his Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of South Bohemia (Czech Republic), where he investigated population genomics and the drivers of speciation in the fig and fig-wasp mutualism along an elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. He completed two postdocs focused on plant-animal interactions across ecosystems, from tropical rainforests in Panama to alpine meadows in the Rocky Mountains before joining the SRI. Combining fieldwork with molecular techniques, Daniel explores the ecological and evolutionary relationships between species, particularly in pollination systems. Driven by a deep curiosity about insect diversity, he also leads large-scale biodiversity surveys using DNA (meta)barcoding to identify species from bulk insect samples, helping to uncover the hidden richness of arthropod communities.
 daniel.souto@utah.edu

Kendra Autumn, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Kendra Autumn, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Kendra completed her BA in Biology at Willamette University and her PhD in Biology at the University of Utah. She is broadly interested in the evolution of symbioses, particularly in fungi. Her graduate work focused on using phylogenetics and genomics to investigate the evolution of parasitism of fungi by other fungi (mycoparasitism) in the agriculturally and industrially important order Hypocreales. She is currently working to characterize undiscovered diversity in the mycoparasitic genus Hypomyces and exploring poorly understood associations between Hypomyces molds and their mushroom hosts. Her mentorship style welcomes students to ask questions and make mistakes as they gain experience and confidence in a laboratory setting. She is invested in public science communication and prioritizes student involvement in outreach projects.
 kendra.autumn@utah.edu

Corrin Laposki, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Corrin Laposki, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Corrin earned her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota, where she explored the applications of mass spectrometry in archaeological residue analysis. She went on to complete an M.A. in Archaeological Studies at Yale University, focusing on biomolecular evidence of malaria in the ancient past. She later earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Connecticut, where her research combined biological anthropology, stable isotope chemistry, and environmental health to study how human and animal tissues record ecological and metabolic stresses. As an SRI Fellow, she explores how climate change impacts animal metabolism and how our immune defenses leave behind chemical “fingerprints” that can be read in the skeleton. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, biking, and caring for her two snakes.
 corrin.laposki@utah.edu

Kasey Cole, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Kasey Cole, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Kasey recently received a Ph.D. in Anthropology, with an emphasis in zooarchaeology (the study of animal bones from archaeological sites) and paleoecology, at the University of Utah. As a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Science Research Initiative, she is studying the fossil animal remains recovered from Utah’s high-elevation cave deposits to establish what animal communities looked like prior to anthropogenic climate change. Using this data, her work compares these past records with recent zoological survey data to evaluate whether ongoing climate change has contributed to range shifts or local extinctions, as has been predicted for the region’s montane mammals. Her research is interdisciplinary, incorporating theory and methods from Anthropology, Ecology, Geology, and Climate and Environmental Sciences. As a mentor, she strives to build a collaborative research environment aimed at equipping students with transferable skills and experience with science communication.
 kasey.cole@utah.edu
 Find more about Kasey at: https://sites.google.com/view/k-cole?usp=sharing

Alexis Rousek

SRI Fellow

Alexis Rousek

SRI Fellow
Alexis completed her undergraduate studies in Biology in her home state of California at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. While at Cal Poly she fell in love with the epic world of microbes and joined the lab of Dr. Alejandra Yep exploring the connection between commonly used antiseptics and the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. She decided to continue pursuing her passion for microbiology by joining the lab of Dr. Matthew Mulvey here at the University of Utah. Under his mentorship Alexis became an expert on Extraintestinal Pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) the main cause of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and one of the most common bacterial infections on this planet! Driven by a fascination for host pathogen interactions Alexis employed a Zebrafish embryo model to watch infections progress in real time and learn more about ExPEC pathogenesis. As an SRI Fellow Alexis continues to study ExPEC. She is specifically interested in learning more about the special type of antibiotic resistant bacterial cells known as Persister Cells that likely contribute to the growing problem of recurrent UTIs. In her free time Alexis likes to find the best spots to eat, frolic and ski in the mountains with her friends, and experience new cultures while traveling the globe.
 alexis.rousek@biology.utah.edu

Robyn Brooks, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Robyn Brooks, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Robyn Brooks received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Tulane University in 2020. She was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Boston College from 2020-2023, and in the Fall of 2023, is a Postdoctoral scholar at Brown University at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics. Her research interests lie in Algebraic and Computational Topology, including multi-parameter persistence, as well as in Knot Theory, Functor Calculus, and most recently, in using topology to understand feed forward neural networks. As a fellow at the University of Utah, she will continue to research the theory and applications of Topological Data Analysis. TDA can be used to tackle any scientific question with associated data, and has broad applications in finding meaning shapes and patterns within data from any field. As a mentor, she encourages creativity when approaching problem solving, and hopes to build confidence in technical communication and collaboration skills.
 robyn.brooks@utah.edu
 Find more about Robyn at: https://sites.google.com/view/robynkayebrooks/home

Rachel Havranek, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Rachel Havranek, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Rodolfo Probst, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Rodolfo Probst, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Rodolfo received his B.Sc. in Biology at the State University of São Paulo and an M.Sc. in Systematics, Taxonomy, and Biodiversity at the University of São Paulo, both in Brazil. He recently obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Utah (Ecology, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology), where he investigated the evolution of ant-plant mutualistic interactions while working in the lab of Jack Longino. His research uses genomic tools, taxonomy, and natural history to understand ant-plant symbioses. He is led by his interest in insect evolution and his passion for tropical fieldwork, teaching the public about bugs and conservation, and exploring the outdoors. When not at the lab or collecting ants, he likes going road biking and hiking around Utah, cooking, and writing poetry.
 rodolfo.probst@utah.edu

Thilina De Silva, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Thilina De Silva, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Spenser Babb-Biernacki

SRI Fellow

Spenser Babb-Biernacki

SRI Fellow

Andrea Halling, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Andrea Halling, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Andrea completed dual B.Sc. degrees in Physics and Biology with an education emphasis from Utah State University. She taught high school physics for two years before pursuing a Ph.D. in Geobiology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research focused on the origin and evolution of multicellular life, using experimental evolution to better understand the interaction between single cells and their physical environment 700 million years ago, and how the cold viscous oceans during that time might have selected for simple life to become more complex. As an SRI Fellow, she continues to study the interplay between life and the physical environment by using the Great Salt Lake to understand how planktonic life adapts to the changing ecosystem today. She is passionate about science education and outreach, and in her free time loves to climb mountains, ski, and cuddle her cat Penelope.
 andrea.halling@utah.edu

Austin Green, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow

Austin Green, Ph.D.

SRI Fellow
Austin Green is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Utah under the Science Research Initiative (SRI) and one of the leaders of Wasatch Wildlife Watch (WWW). Both the SRI and WWW are all about providing experiential and research-based learning and mentorship opportunities to undergraduate students and volunteer citizen scientists. Austin’s research goals are to help elucidate how human influence affects wildlife distribution and behavior in an effort to apply this knowledge to on-the-ground wildlife conservation. Austin is passionate about teaching and interacting with people, and he firmly believes that the best way to protect the wild lands we all love is to approach it with inclusive community engagement. He is excited to not only contribute to science and conservation on a local level, but it also help provide valuable evidence about human-wildlife interactions across the globe.
 austin.m.green@utah.edu

SRI Timeline

January 3, 2022

What to Expect in the SRI

Want to learn how to conduct research and create connections with faculty and other College of Science students? Join the Science Research Initiative (SRI)!

SRI offers College of Science students the opportunity to participate in discovery-based scientific research starting on your first day on campus, with no prior research experience required. You will gain research skills that will help you in science classes, learn with College of Science peers, and connect with faculty across the University. The SRI will jumpstart your path academic success, and give you needed skills to prepare for an internship or a career - whether that's in a research lab, an office, or one of the many other opportunities open to our graduates. Find out more below, or email us for more information.

Fall Year 1

Enroll in a 1-credit class in which you will learn about how science happens, join a community of researchers, and determine placement in a lab based on your research interests.

1
Spring Year 1

Begin the scientific journey in your selected lab. Students will engage in research activities for approximately 10 hours per week.

2
Fall Year 2

Continue in your selected stream and keep building upon your skills as a researcher. Students are given various opportunities to share research findings and mentor new students.

3
Beyond

Stay involved with the SRI community. Connect with new research and professional development opportunities in both SRI & College of Science.

4

FAQ