Jesus Eduardo Aguayo’s interest in Biology was fueled during his high school experience. He recalls sitting in his medical anatomy and physiology class learning about neurons when, suddenly, he learned something that would impact his life’s trajectory forever. Learning about the action potential of neurons was so fascinating that it was as if he was […]
Read More“I was born prematurely at the University of Utah Hospital. My parents would tell me stories about how the doctors had to save my life. Growing up and carrying that really inspired me to be a doctor. I’ve always wanted to go to the U because that’s where I was born and ever since I […]
Read More“A lot of people assume that pigeons are garbage birds and look at them with disdain,” says Bailey Young. “However, pigeons are actually really cool! There are over 300 different breeds with dramatically different phenotypic traits including feather color, eye color, flying patterns, beak and foot size and more.” The biology senior, ready to graduate […]
Read More“Many people who [do] not have previous experience with plant biology,” says Haylee Mathews, “don’t realize that plants have hormones and utilize hormone signaling to communicate environmental conditions to the different structures of the plant. They need a way to regulate growth in response to the environmental conditions they’re experiencing.” The Illinois native, now a […]
Read MoreA few more than 2,000 people currently live in Salina, Utah just north of Interstate 70 and tumbling west of a 217,000-acre geological feature called the San Raphael Swell. It’s a gateway to some of the most remote (and still yet-to-be-permanently settled) land) in the Beehive State. But for Carl “Ty” Mellor, it’s been an […]
Read MoreIt’s de rigeur these days to talk about cross-over science. And to do it. Physicists studying engineering. Chemists learning about quantitative modeling in the department of mathematics, to name just two. It’s the nature of scientific inquiry to mash-up, and it’s how new research gets its footing, new collaborations emerge, new insights blaze forth and […]
Read MoreMost people wouldn’t see a direct line between working on tractors in rural Washington State and working on a DNA repair enzyme that functions to prevent cancer in humans. But that’s the unlikely trajectory of Payton Utzman BS’22 who after graduating from the School of Biological Sciences headed off to join Nabla Bio at a […]
Read More“My hero is my brother,” says Tiffany Do of her brother Anthony. “He’s the first in my family to graduate from the University of Utah. I look up to him because he’s gone through the trials in being a first-generation student and has helped me overcome some of those obstacles.” Those obstacles can be daunting. […]
Read MoreCOLLEGE RANKINGS U.S. News & World Report has released their 2022-2022National University Rankings. The University of Utah is now ranked No. 1 in Utah and No. 42nationally among public universities. The College of Science fared even better. National rankings for public universities put Biology at No. 13, Chemistry at No. 20, Mathematics at No. […]
Read More“One of the biggest things that helped me was connecting with my loved ones.” When the pandemic first emerged in early 2020 Audrey Brown, HBS’21, found that online classes were novel at first, “but I quickly found myself losing motivation and becoming depressed/anxious due to the day-to-day Zoom monotony and the never-ending doomsday news on […]
Read MoreIn celebration of the University of Utah’s birthday in 1850, you have 1850 minutes (March 1-2, 2022) to give to the Science Research Initiative (SRI) for undergraduates. Our goal is participation, not amount. Even a $1 gift make it possible for us to have 100% participation from everyone in the SBS community and beyond. Your […]
Read MoreFor Sarmishta Diraviam Kannan, HBS’17, the journey to her “dream school” – the University’s School of Medicine – spanned about 25 years and some 8,780 miles. Sarmishta was born in Tamil Nadu, India, which is located on the southern tip of the Indian sub-continent. In addition to the long history of the Tamil people, Tamil […]
Read MoreToday, February 17, 2022, Savannah Romney, a double-major in biology and math at the University of Utah, is doing a “take over” of the Access Scholars Instagram account. You can follow her through her day and ask her questions on Instagram here. ACCESS Scholars is a College of Science scholarship program for entering freshman who […]
Read MoreWe invite you to help biology students be part of the Science Research Initiative. We want all students to be able to take advantage of the program this year and in the future. Please consider making a gift today. The College of Science will match all donations up to $50,000. The School of Biological Sciences […]
Read More“I made an impractical decision that I do not regret,” says Danielle Okelberry who goes by “Dani.” The UofU senior who is finishing up her art degree, slowed her graduation considerably by declaring herself a pre-med undergraduate. Truthfully, there are very few pre-med students at the U who are art majors. All the more unusual, […]
Read MoreToday, November 30, 2021, is the national day of giving in the United States. Across the country #GivingTuesday is the hashtag folks are using to get the word out that, whatever you choose to donate to, today’s the day. The School of Biological Sciences (SBS) is no exception. SBS and the College of Science launched […]
Read MoreThe Student Veteran of the Year (SVOY) award is open for nominations. The award is presented annually by the University of Utah Veterans Support Center (VSC) to a U.S. Armed Forces service member or veteran enrolled at the university. The award recognizes academic achievement, community/campus service, and military accomplishments. A committee of peers selects the […]
Read MoreFollowing graduation with honors in 2019 from the SBS, Elmera Azadpour, accepted the Arnhold Environmental Graduate Fellowship that runs in coordination with the Environmental Market Solutions Lab (emLab) at University of California, Santa Barbara and Conservation International (CI). “As we know,” says Azadpour, “climate-driven shifts in both species ranges and in the spatial configuration of […]
Read MoreWhile Rachel Jones has wanted to do medical research since 3rd grade, it wasn’t until high school during her advanced placement class that she fell in love with the cell. “Cells are magnificent machines crafted by evolution, which is pretty cool considering evolution is progress derived [from] random events.” In particular, she remembers being completely fascinated […]
Read MoreFor a scientist it might seem counter-intuitive to value the notion that there is never a correct or final answer to a question. But for Alessandrina (“Alli”) Hoffman, an undergraduate researcher in the Brazelton Lab, this is exactly what she loves most about her work which stems from the Lost City Hydrothermal Field on the […]
Read MoreSahar Kanishka, recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award, remembers daily where her family came from, where they are now, and what opportunity there is for her at the School of Biological Science (SBS). “I’ve always wanted to be a doctor ever since I was younger,” she recently explained in a video interview. “Because […]
Read MoreFor Karrin Tennant, recipient of the College of Science Undergraduate Research Award, the never-ending story of environmental science has plenty of plot twists. A member of the Anderegg lab in the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) which studies the intersection of ecosystems and climate change, Tennant has been busy working in the area of nighttime […]
Read MoreU Biology’s Sonja Sehgal accepted a Beckman Scholarship this past spring to add to the trove of awards that were already sitting on her academic “mantle” at home. Collective kudos include a Biology Research Scholars Award, a College of Science Scholarship and a Utah Flagship Scholarship. The Beckman, however, is a step up from her […]
Read MoreBiology senior Dalley Cutler’s personal hero is Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish activist invited to the United Nations to advocate for reversing man-made climate change and who was subsequently named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Along with this sixteen-year-old, and others like her, the Idaho Falls native wants to see sensible policies and actions […]
Read MoreAlexandra “Alex” Acuna doesn’t even remember her native Venezuela, as she arrived in the U.S. with her parents and two older siblings when she was just a few weeks old. She does recall as a young child huddling in a room for seven months with other families experiencing homelessness at the Road Home Shelter in […]
Read MoreEvery student’s story is one-of-a-kind, and Ana Rosas’ is no exception. Rosas’ desire to become a doctor was deeply personal. She recalls her grandmother dying just one month after being diagnosed with untreatable and advanced liver cancer. “During my grieving, I thought about what, if anything, could have been done to prolong” her grandmother’s life. […]
Read MoreLiving a Science Dream Nestled in Officers’ Circle, at the base of the Wasatch foothills and the Shoreline Trail, the Crocker Science House provides a unique opportunity for science students to live and learn together in a beautifully restored sandstone building once occupied by military officers. Throughout the year, Crocker Science Scholars have the opportunity […]
Read MoreSahar Kanishka Biology student, ACCESS member, College of Science Association for Women in STEM member, and recipient of an undergraduate research scholarship funded by alumnus, Ryan Watts (BS’2000 and founder of Denali Therapeutics), Sahar Kanishka is a force in the Utah student community.Major: Biology Year: Sophomore Lab: Gagnon Lab Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah Interests: Studying anatomy, […]
Read MoreWhat does a former Student Body President and Biology alum do after graduating from the U? You start by moving to New Hampshire as a boots-on-the-ground organizer for a presidential candidate.Connor Morgan (BS,2019) has hung up his cap and gown, and his sojourn at the office of the Associated Students of the University of Utah […]
Read MoreFrom beekeeping to biology, Quaid Harding is looking for a buzz. Name: Quaid Harding Major: Biology Year: Senior Hometown: Garner, North Carolina Interests: President of Beekeeping Association, I also like tennis, and billiards Prior experience with bees? Before joining the club I didn’t have any experience with bees. How did you get into beekeeping? Beekeeping has always been a […]
Read MoreAs one of the University of Utah College of Science‘s Ambassadors, sophomore Bridget Phillips regularly appears at College events hosting alumni and special guests, and working with faculty and staff to promote science teaching and research at the The University of Utah. A team member in the Shapiro Lab, she works studying the genetic causes and […]
Read MoreScience Research Initiative Fox Squirrel Biology Research STREAM Denise Dearing, PhD, Distinguished Professor, School of Biological Sciences Tess Stapleton, PhD Candidate, School of Biological Sciences Biological invaders are one of the key drivers of ecosystem change. Invasion can result in loss of native species, reduction of ecosystem diversity, and even loss of ecosystem services such […]
Read MoreFive for Five. Michael Xiao brings home the U’s fifth straight Churchill Scholarship. Five years after the University of Utah became eligible to compete for the prestigious Churchill Scholarship out of the United Kingdom, the university has sported just as many winners. All of them hail from the College of Science, and all were facilitated […]
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