R e se arc h Re p o r t o f t h e U n ive r s i t y o f U t a h C o l l e ge o f S c i e n c e 2 0 2 0
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
T H E
C O L L E G E
A T
A
1 x MacArthur Genius Grant
658 SCIENCE
Established 1970
75 PhD
Physics & Astronomy
graduates
2 x Willards Gibbs Awards
92
Centers: Center for Science & Mathematics Education, Center for Cell & Genome Science, Global Change & Sustainability Center, Materials Research, Science, & Engineering Center, Center for Quantitative Biology Degrees of Study Bachelor of Arts, B.A.,
49% 51%
student parity
STUDENT Scholarships
1x Nobel Prize
166 TENURED
491
BACHELOR graduates
Master of Philosophy, M.Phil.,
science faculty
$602 M
university research
Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.
For more information visit science.utah.edu.
$830,000
graduates
Master of Arts, M.A., Master of Science, M.S.,
8 x NAS M
MASTER
Bachelor of Science, B.S.,
Master of Statistics, M. Stat.,
1 x Breakthrough prize
graduates
Departments: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics,
G L A N C E
3 x National Medals of Science
FUNDING
4 x Churchill Scholarships
Members
2 x Priestly Medals
Rese arch R e p o r t o f t h e U n ive r s i t y o f U t ah Co lle ge o f Scie n ce 2020
3
Message from Dean Peter Trapa
5
Research Statistics
7
Research Roundup - Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy
15 Year One of the Science Research Initiative - SRI 19 Connecting During COVID 21 Frontiers of Science 23 Crimson Laureate Society 25 U.S. News & World Report College Rankings
Discover Magazine is published by the University of Utah College of Science - email: events@science.utah.edu Editor: Matt Crawley Layout: Randall Royter royter-snow.com Printing: seagullprinting.com On the cover: College of Science Ambassador Sophia Schuman. Photo: Matt Crawley
1
D E A N ’ S
M E S S A G E
Dear Alumni and Friends,
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that science is critical to solving the world’s challenges. The recent discovery
of effective COVID-19 vaccines, developed so swiftly and safely, will rank among the great scientific triumphs of the century, and the new mRNA technologies underlying them will usher in a new era of fighting disease.
We still have a very difficult time ahead of us. I am incredibly proud of our students, faculty, staff and alumni
who are meeting the challenges and uncertainties posed by the pandemic. We continue to deliver innovative online content, virtual symposia, remote experiments and, when possible, in-person laboratories. Our exceptional faculty are finding new ways to advance their research priorities. What they learn today will make our world both safer and healthier in the years to come.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has led to serious economic hardship for some of our students. Recognizing the
need, we created an emergency student support fund so that College of Science alumni and supporters can assist our students facing difficulties. Please consider donating to this worthy cause and making a lasting difference in the lives of our remarkable students. The first $50,000 in donations will be matched by generous science supporters! We believe in our students and their ability to change the world for the better.
My best wishes for a safe and healthy 2021.
Peter Trapa Dean, College of Science Dean Peter Trapa at the east entrance to the Crocker Science Center.
3
Research Funding Tops $ 602 Million
Two years after achieving a $500 million funding milestone and with the
61% of federal research dollars.
added boost of funding for research related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
The milestone was achieved due to a proliferation of research related to the
University of Utah reports $603 million in research funding for fiscal year 2020.
medical, economic and social aspects of COVID-19. Following seed grants totaling
$1.3 million, U researchers in various disciplines secured additional external
The 2020 fiscal year saw the U invited to join the prestigious Association of
American Universities, a group of 65 top-tier research universities in the U.S. and
funding, which contributed to passing the $600 million mark.
Canada. Together, AAU universities receive $25.6 billion in research funding, and
2018
$515M State Gov’t 3%
2019
$547M
Industry 19%
2020
Total STEM Degrees
Other 17%
Federal Gov’t 61%
79%
Graduate STEM Degrees
49%
$602M GROWTH
SOURCES
DEGREES
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, the
Extramural funding comes mostly from federal
The University of Utah produces 49% of total STEM
University of Utah received $602,596,946 in new
agencies such as the National Science Foundation
degrees from Utah System of Higher Education
awards for sponsored activities.
and National Institutes of Health.
schools and 72% of STEM graduate degrees.
This surpasses the previous record for sponsored
The U’s increase in federal funding builds on the
projects, recorded in 2019, by approximately
remarkable achievement of Max Wintrobe in 1945
$54.4 million.
who received the very first grant from NIH to study muscular dystrophy.
$36.2 $602 Million In Million In Research Funding Science - 2020 Research Awards FY
$517
Million In Local Economic Impact - FY2020
- FY2019
56
U.S. Patents - FY2019
5
C O L L E G E
H I G H L I G H T
Biology
B Y
PAU L
G A B R I E L S O N
William Anderegg FOREST FUTURES
This paper, part of that roadmap, calls attention to the risks
oxide from the atmosphere, some governments are counting on
forests face from myriad consequences of rising global tem-
planted forests as offsets for greenhouse gas emissions—a sort of
peratures, including fire, drought, insect damage and human
climate investment. But as with any investment, it’s important to
disturbance—a call to action, Anderegg says, to bridge the divide
understand the risks. If a forest goes bust, researchers say, much
between the data and models produced by scientists and the
of that stored carbon could go up in smoke.
actions taken by policymakers.
6
Given the tremendous ability of forests to absorb carbon di-
In a paper published in Science, University of Utah biologist
William Anderegg and his colleagues say that forests can be
ACCUMULATING RISK
best deployed in the fight against climate change with a proper
understanding of the risks to that forest that climate change
that’s emitted into the atmosphere—just under a third, Anderegg
itself imposes. “As long as this is done wisely and based on the
says. “And this sponge for CO2 is incredibly valuable to us.”
best available science, that’s fantastic,” Anderegg says. “But there
hasn’t been adequate attention to the risks of climate change to
to “forest-based natural climate solutions” that include prevent-
forests right now.”
ing deforestation, managing natural forests and reforesting.
In 2019, Anderegg, a recipient of the Packard Fellowship
Forests could be some of the more cost-effective climate mitiga-
for Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard
tion strategies, with co-benefits for biodiversity, conservation and
Foundation, convened a workshop in Salt Lake City to gather
local communities.
some of the foremost experts on climate change risks to forests.
The diverse group represented various disciplines: law, econom-
store carbon relatively “permanently,” or on the time scales of 50
ics, science and public policy, among others. “This was designed
to 100 years—or longer. Such permanence is not always a given.
to bring some of the people who had thought about this the
“There’s a very real chance that many of those forest projects
most together and to start talking and come up with a roadmap,”
could go up in flames or to bugs or drought stress or hurricanes
Anderegg says.
in the coming decades,” Anderegg says.
Forests absorb a significant amount of the carbon dioxide
Because of this, governments in many countries are looking
But built into this strategy is the idea that forests are able to
“Without good science we’re flying blind and not making the best policy decisions.”
Forests have long been vulnerable to all of those fac-
tors, and have been able to recover from them when they
detailed and cutting-edge, but aren’t widely used outside the scientific community. So, policy decisions can rely on
are episodic or come one at a time. But the risks
science that may be decades old.
connected with climate change, includ-
ing drought and fire, increase over
“There are at least two key things you can do with this
time. Multiple threats at once,
information,” Anderegg says.
or insufficient time for
The first is to optimize
forests to recover from
investment in forests
those threats, can kill
and minimize risks.
the trees, release the
“Science can guide
carbon, and un-
and inform where
dermine the entire
we ought to be
premise of forest-
investing to achieve
based natural climate
different climate
solutions.
aims and avoid risks.”
“Without good
The second, he says, is
science to tell us what
to mitigate risks through
those risks are,” Anderegg
forest management. “If we’re
says, “we’re flying blind and not
worried about fire as a major
making the best policy decisions.”
risk in a certain area, we can start to think about what are the management tools
MITIGATING RISK
In the paper, Anderegg and his colleagues encourage
that make a forest more resilient to that disturbance.” More research, he says, is needed in this field, and he and his
scientists to focus increased attention on assessing forest
colleagues plan to work toward answering those questions.
climate risks and share the best of their data and predictive
models with policymakers so that climate strategies includ-
and the scientific community,” Anderegg says, “to study this
ing forests can have the best long-term impact. For example,
more, and improve in sharing tools and information across
he says, the climate risk computer models scientists use are
different groups.” Read the full paper @ sciencemag.org
“We view this paper as an urgent call to both policymakers
7
C O L L E G E
H I G H L I G H T
Chemistry
B Y
TAKING SYNTHETIC ORGANIC ELECTROCHEMISTRY MAINSTREAM
8
The Center for Synthetic Organic
adapting approaches and hardware from the
Electrochemistry received a $20 Million grant from
electrochemistry lab.” He further noted that “the
the National Science Foundation this past summer
CSOE team has already expanded the realm of
that will fund their mission over the next five
the possible, and going forward, the impacts are
years to make synthetic organic electrochemistry
expected to be far-reaching, from simplifying
mainstream. “The CSOE has brought together
sophisticated syntheses to retooling large scale
a unique multi-disciplinary team to develop
industrial processes, and could help revolutionize
next-generation chemical transformations for
industries of the future.”
chemical synthesis,” said Shelley Minteer, professor
of chemistry and CSOE director. Research
in the chemical manufacturing process which
groups here on campus are working with peers
involve toxic or dangerous substances. The
and colleagues from The Scripps Research
CSOE is committed to improve the safety and
Institute, Brown University, California Institute of
sustainability of chemical production. Minteer
Technology, University of Michigan, and many
and her colleagues recognized that
other reputable programs to pioneer green,
“neither synthetic organic chemists
safe, and economic new reactions as well as to
nor electrochemists can solve
demystify fundamental electrochemical reactivity.
[these problems] by themselves.”
In 2017, Phase I was launched
When Dave Berkowitz, division director for
There are many problems to be solved
the NSF Division of Chemistry, announced the
as they built a multidisciplinary
award of the $20 Million grant, he celebrated
team of synthetic organic
the mission and vision of such a “internationally
chemists, electrochemists,
recognized team of chemists [who are] rewriting
material scientists, computational
the methods for modern synthetic chemistry by
scientists, and surface scientists. With
C.S.O.E. Home of The Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry Revolution
Tommy Primo
A N N E
M A R I E
V I V I E N N E
“CSOE has brought a very unique aspect to my research career as it allowed me to work on several projects and collaborate with six different research groups within and outside the U.”
each new phase, collaborations
backgrounds to contribute to and significantly
in order to engage audiences of all ages and
expand and diversify, allowing the
impact the future of science. Through the
backgrounds. They’ve also partnered with the ACCESS
center to continue to make significant
Science Research Initiative Program, Tommy was
Program here at the University of Utah to perform an
introduced to the Center for Synthetic Organic
electrochemistry experiment with incoming freshman
Electrochemistry. As an undergrad, he was able to
where they built galvanic cells to power LEDs.
join a research group there where he is learning
stable electrodes.
electrochemical and analytical techniques, and,
creates a space for scientists of many backgrounds
yes, synthesizing molecules. This opportunity firmly
to come together to solve problems in a way that
well-positioned toward their vision “to revolutionize
orients Tommy on the path to achieve his dreams
amplifies their expertise and creates pioneering
the practice and education of organic synthesis
to create genomes, design proteins, and engage in
pathways for generations to come. Discussions
at the nexus of fundamental and translational
other facets of building artificial biology.
between the different disciplines are often
research, such that green electrosynthetic
lively and challenge each scientist to consider
techniques play an essential role in the daily
faculty as well as by postdoctoral scholar Christian
perspectives previously unconsidered. This diversity
lives of a diverse array of academic, government,
Malapit. Malapit came to the U to integrate his
at the heart of the CSOE’s mission and vision is
and industrial chemists creating society-shaping
organic synthesis expertise with electrochemistry
producing science that will continue to not only
applications spanning medicine and materials, to
in the Minteer lab as well as with distinguished
garner well-deserved awards, but
agrochemicals and beyond.”
professor Matt Sigman. “CSOE has brought a very
will lead the chemistry
unique aspect to my research career as it allowed
scientific community
EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND
me to work on several projects and collaborate with
to safer, greener,
DIVERSITY
six different research groups within and outside the
and more
U,” said Malapit.
innovative
a research group to learn how to create molecules.
applications that
As a member from a Sudanese community, he
campus, the CSOE has developed fun and educational
have far-reaching
knew that he could influence others with similar
electrochemistry kits using easily obtainable items
impact.
advances. Recently, CSOE scientists Angus Wu
used the same designs that made lithium ion batteries safer and more stable to build
With its Phase II funding secure, the CSOE is
Undergraduate Tommy Primo wanted to join
Primo has been mentored by his peers and
In addition to its core research and education on
The center’s multi-disciplinary approach
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Mathematics
C O L L E G E
H I G H L I G H T
Imagine a surface that looks like a hollow doughnut. The “skin” of the doughnut has no thickness and is
made of stretchy, flexible material. “Some of my favorite mathematical problems deal with objects like this— surfaces and curves or loops on such surfaces,” said Priyam Patel, assistant professor of mathematics, who joined the Math Department in 2019. “I like how artistic and creative my work feels, and it’s also very tangible since I can draw pictures representing different parts of a problem I’m working on.”
Patel works in geometry and topology. The two areas differ in that geometry focuses on rigid
objects where there is a notion of distance, while topological objects are much more fluid. Patel likes studying a geometrical or topological object extensively so that she’s able to get to know the space, how it behaves, and what sort of phenomena it exhibits. In her research, Patel’s goals are to study and understand curves on surfaces, symmetries of surfaces, and objects called hyperbolic manifolds and their finite covering spaces. Topology and geometry are used in a variety of fields, including data analysis, neuroscience, and facial recognition technology. Patel’s research doesn’t focus on these applications directly since she works in pure mathematics.
CHALLENGES AS A MINORITY
Patel became fascinated with mathematics in high school while learning to do
proofs. She was fortunate to have excellent high school math teachers, who encouraged her to consider majoring in math in college. “When I was an undergraduate at New York University (NYU), I had a female professor for multivariable calculus who spent a lot of time with me in office hours and gave me challenging problems to work on,” said Patel. “She was very encouraging and had a huge impact on me.”
As a woman of color, Patel often felt out of place in many of her classes at NYU. Later, she was
one of a handful of women accepted into a Ph.D. program at Rutgers University. Unfortunately, these experiences led to strong feelings of “impostor syndrome” for her as a graduate student. Eventually, she overcame them and learned to celebrate her successes, focusing on the joy that mathematics brings 10
Priyam Patel
Visualizing the
B Y
M I C H E L E
S WA N E R
Topology of Surf aces to her life. She has also worked to find a community of mathematicians to help support her through the tough times. “I’ve received a lot of encouragement from friends and mentors both in and outside of my math community,” she said. “I feel especially fortunate to have connected with strong women mentors in recent years.”
MENTORS AND OUTSIDE INTERESTS
Feng Luo, professor of mathematics at Rutgers, was Patel’s Ph.D. advisor, and he played an active role in the early years of her math career. “Talking about math with Dr. Luo is always a positive experience, and his encouragement has been pivotal to my success as a mathematician,” said Patel. Another mentor is Alan Reid, chair and professor of the Department of Mathematics at Rice University. Patel notes that there are many aspects to being a mathematician outside of math itself, and these mentors have helped her navigate her career and offered support, encouragement, and advice. Patel loves mathematics but makes time for other things in life. She enjoys rock
“I like how artistic and creative my work feels, and it’s also very tangible since I can draw pictures representing different parts of a problem I’m working on.”
climbing, yoga, dancing, and painting. Music is also a huge part of her life, and she sings and plays the guitar.
FUTURE RESEARCH
Patel is currently working on problems concerning groups of symmetries of certain
surfaces. Specifically, she has been studying the mapping class groups of infinite-type surfaces, which is a new and quickly growing field of topology. “It’s quite exciting to be at the forefront of it. I would like to tackle some of the biggest open problems in this area in the next few years, such as producing a Nielsen-Thurston type classification for infinite-type surfaces,” she said. She is also interested in the work of Ian Agol, professor of mathematics at Berkeley, who won a Breakthrough Prize in 2012 for solving an open problem in low-dimensional topology. Patel would like to build on Agol’s work in proving a quantitative version of his results. Other areas she’d like to explore are the combinatorics of 3-manifolds and the theory of translation surfaces. 11
C O L L E G E
H I G H L I G H T
Physics & Astronomy Anil Seth Tiny Galaxies, Massive Black Holes
On his office wall is a photograph that shows in
B Y M I C H E L E S WA N E R
low-mass dwarf galaxies have black holes.”
research paid off with a big discovery. In 2014, he and his
detail an area of the Andromeda Galaxy, a spiral galaxy
collaborators found the first black hole at the center of an
located approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth,
cutting-edge telescopes to monitor the effect of gravity
“ultra-compact dwarf” galaxy.
Hemisphere, you can see them with the naked eye. What
on the motions of the stars that surround it. Seth had
I’m trying to find out through my work is whether these
been studying black holes for nearly a decade when his
“Once we were able to track the speed of the stars orbiting
Finding a black hole requires observations with
and the nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way. Anil Seth, associate professor of Physics & Astronomy, fell in love with astronomy in high school in Lincoln, Nebraska. Now, when he isn’t teaching classes at the U, or mentoring students, he spends his time searching for black holes at the centers of low-mass galaxies.
For every large galaxy like the Milky Way there
are many smaller galaxies. Some of these smaller galaxies are satellites that orbit around the larger galaxies, and they can be torn apart by the bigger galaxy’s gravity. This process takes millions of years.
DWARF GALAXIES HOLD SECRETS
“These are the galaxies that I study,” says
Seth. “For example, orbiting around our Milky Way galaxy are companion dwarf galaxies called the Magellanic Clouds. If you go to the Southern “It was pretty exciting for my team and me,” says Seth.
in the galaxy, we were able to prove the presence of a black
galaxies also hints at a solution to an even bigger mystery
chose astronomy.” He completed his Ph.D. at the University
hole. This particular one is 21 million times the mass of our
— how the giant black holes at the centers of galaxies
of Washington. Seth has received a number of awards from
sun, or 15 percent of the total mass of the galaxy itself.”
form. His groups observations suggest that they may have
the U—he was given an Early Career Teaching Award in
formed from the remnants of the first stars in the universe
2018 and was named a Presidential Scholar in 2019.
Since then, Seth’s research has progressed. He and
his group have found black holes in nine additional dwarf
galaxies. This work has shown for the first time that black
Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. At
DARK SKIES AND OUTREACH
holes with masses less than 1 million solar masses exist
Wesleyan, he played cello, in addition to his work in
at the centers of galaxies. Furthermore, they have found
astronomy. “I began playing cello as a young child,” he
people see the Milky Way for the first time from a dark place,
that black holes are common even at the centers of smaller
said. “My mother is a pianist, and she encouraged my
it’s an amazing opportunity to get people excited about
Seth received his undergraduate degree from
Utah’s dark skies made a big impact on Seth. “When
science.” Seth has been involved in the Physics & Astronomy Department’s community outreach program since his arrival. These activities include traveling to dark sky spots, including national parks, as well as weekly Wednesday night star parties at the Physics & Astronomy department’s on-campus
“I still get excited by the fact that we can look through a telescope and find things in the universe that can tell us how and why we got here.”
observatory. As part of an NSF funded grant, Seth started an astronomy outreach summer internship at Bryce Canyon National Park, now in its 6th year (https://www.physics.utah.edu/~aseth/Bryce_ Internship.html). This program has also received funding from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation and the Willard L. Eccles Foundation. More recently, Seth has been involved in starting the University of Utah’s unique and interdisciplinary dark sky minor program. In this program, students learn about light pollution and its impacts on humans and ecosystems from
galaxies with roughly ten times fewer stars than the Milky
musical abilities, so I continued to play through college. I
a wide range of perspectives, including the sciences, urban
Way. The presence of black holes in these low- mass
considered pursuing a career in music, but I’m happy that I
design, and the arts.
13
S C I E N C E
R E S E A R C H
I N I T I A T I V E
A CATALYST FOR SAFETY In June 2019, a chemical spill in a Department of Chemistry laboratory led to a full department shutdown until a comprehensive safety assessment could be completed. Within days, most laboratories re-opened. Within weeks, the department had put into motion an unprecedented safety makeover in partnership with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and the College of Science. Since then, the college and EHS have enacted creative solutions to rebuild a culture of lab safety from the ground up—and it has paid dividends in implementing safeguards related to COVID-19. 14
Angus Wu
“Everyone from the department level up to the President’s Office has made significant changes to how the U regulates laboratory safety, by the time COVID-19 hit, we had the right infrastructure, the right coordination between EHS and our own folks, so that we could quickly lead out in the COVID era.”
COMMITTED COMMITTEES
addressed. They’ve also expanded their scope to include postdocs
and graduate students who can make suggestions for outdated
At the time of the spill, the U’s laboratory safety culture had
been through a series of internal and external audits, including one
practices or areas that need attention. In the coming weeks, safety
by the Utah State Legislature. The reports identified crucial gaps
committees will be required in all university colleges.
in safety and made recommendations for improvement. The U has
made significant progress addressing these recommendations,
it has to be a grassroots effort,” said Matthew Sigman, Peter J. Christine
including establishing and expanding the number and authority
S. Stang Presidential Endowed Chair of Chemistry. “This is a success be-
of college and departmental-level safety committees. Within the
cause it’s collaborative, it’s conversational, and it’s pragmatic. It’s about
College of Science, the Departments of Chemistry, Mathematics,
building relationships and getting buy-in from the top down.”
Physics & Astronomy and the School of Biological Sciences all have
committees made up of staff and faculty who performed routine
Morris-Benavides as the first associate director of safety for the
lab inspections and reported violations. The previous safety system’s
College. Morris-Benavides facilitates communication between
structure allowed some violations to remain unresolved. Now, the
researchers, and helps translate regulatory protocols between the
committees are empowered to recommend how violations get
college and EHS. She also heads the College of Science’s safety
“To change the safety culture, there has to be the motivation, and
In January, EHS and the College of Science jointly hired Sarah
committee that is made up of the department committee chairs. She and the committees have worked closely to ensure that classes and research are conducted safely in light of the coronavirus restrictions. “I can’t tell you how valuable they’ve been,” said Morris-Benavides of the Matthew Sigman
Sarah Morris-Benavides
Shelley Minteer
response to COVID-19. “We 15
had a great benefit that these committees were already established and in place.”
of 20 new refrigerator/freezers rated for storage of flammable chemicals to
Every month, the college safety committee meets to discuss each
Working with the College of Science, the VPR Office facilitated the purchase
department’s safety protocols. “We have the ability to say, ‘Well, here’s something
replace units that failed to meet regulatory requirements, sharing the cost 50/50
that they’re doing in biology. Does that make sense for physics?” she said.
with the PIs. These initiatives demonstrated the administration’s commitment to
“Chemistry learned a lot from their amazing safety turnaround, and they’ve
promoting a culture of safety across the university.
shared their best practices. It all benefits every department.” FROM THE GROUND UP PRECIPITATING SOLUTIONS
aims to incorporate safety in all aspects of academic life. Every speaker, seminar
The U overhauled the previous laboratory safety system by restructuring
As another example of a changed safety culture, the Department of Chemistry
EHS directly under the Vice President for Research Office, and Frederick Monette
and many group meetings now incorporate a ‘safety moment,’ with each presenter
became its new director. This helped rebuild trust between the EHS and
asked to share an example of a safety incident and how they addressed it.
researchers, who had historically been at odds.
moments. They’ll walk through that experience, then walk through the lab
“Fred Monette was all in right away. His willingness to sit down with people,
“We have upwards of 30 or 40 external visitors a year. That’s a lot of safety
listen to their concerns, and back it up financially meant a lot to the people in the
procedures to fix the problem,” Sigman said. “It’s a lessons learned, but also it’s an
department,” said Holly Sebahar, professor of chemistry who was the chair of the
open conversation. We want to have the lowest risk, but we know when you sign
chemistry safety committee at the time of the shutdown.
up to be a chemist, you have the danger. Even when you cross the t’s, dot the i’s,
something can happen.”
Safety violations can be complicated; some are easy fixes, such as ensuring
lab members wear proper PPE, but other issues are expensive, such as electrical
or ventilation upgrades within older buildings. Traditionally, the burden of
Science and the College of Mines and Earth Sciences co-hosted a two-day lab
arranging infrastructure upgrades and their cost often fell solely on the principal
safety symposium with speakers and training sessions that addressed all types
investigator (PI) of the laboratory in question.
of issues, from chemical storage to creating effective safety committees. More
than 400 staff, students and faculty attended the mandatory event to emphasize
To change that, EHS and the College of Science lobbied for an infrastructure
The collaborations go beyond the science—last year, EHS, the College of
improvement project to fund overdue, expensive safety upgrades in College
that every individual is responsible to making their environment safe. The U is
of Science buildings, many of which were identified as deficiencies during the
applying that same philosophy for COVID-19.
chemistry shutdown. The resulting $1 million capital improvement project will
address electrical upgrades, seismic bracing, and ventilation improvements in
that students or post docs or faculty won’t follow safety protocols, they will, if they
several buildings, beginning in January 2021. Addressing these deficiencies in one
know where they are, if they can find the paperwork,” said Shelley Minteer, associate
comprehensive project will be much quicker, more economical, and result in less
chair for faculty for the Department of Chemistry and COVID-19 coordinator for the
disruption to laboratory operations compared with the past approach of fixing each
department. “We learned a lot from the safety ramp up. We need clear guidelines and
issues one by one at the request of individual laboratories.
good communication. We’ve been applying those same principles to COVID.”
“As we started going through the safety culture changes, we realized that it’s not
Tanner Stone
“We want to have the lowest risk, but we know when you sign up to be a chemist, you have the danger. “
Selma Kadic and Ryan Smith 17
Connecting during COVID C RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
talented first-year student scientists the opportunity to
normally saw about 200 guests. In contrast, the virtual
showcase their research, in spite of social distancing.
symposium reeled in nearly 6,000-page views in three
Science is about preparing the next generation
of innovators, explorers, and
days and 260 guests attended the live
connoisseurs of curiosity. For the last
zoom presentations.
29 years the College of Science ACCESS program has been the “first step” on
THINKING DIFFERENTLY
this journey of discovery. The ACCESS
COVID-19 upended and reshaped
program runs from June to August
our everyday lives and challenged
and is open only to first-year students
everyone to find new approaches to
(freshmen and transfers).
routine activities and novel fixes for
nascent problems, much like scientists
A cornerstone of the ACCESS
experience is the opportunity for the
do on a regular basis.
student cohort to share their work with
When the on-campus student
faculty and peers during a research
research experience was cut short
poster symposium. The symposium is
in March, it didn’t mark the end of learning for the 2019-2020 ACCESS
a powerful learning experience that mirrors professional
With just six weeks until the event we decided
cohort. Research faculty agreed to continue mentoring
to design, build, and launch a novel virtual research
remotely, which included helping the students report
in the field, and plays a key role
symposium platform. The sudden shift and short
their research in a scientific poster they would present
in the program.
time-frame presented a real challenge, but it was
virtually. Unfortunately, the technology for a virtual
When COVID-19 hit the U.S.,
also an opportunity to pursue and explore innovative
research poster presentation did not exist.
the longstanding tradition of
approaches to current standards that, if not for COVID-19,
the Spring Research Symposium
would have been stagnant.
creating the Virtual Symposium platform, as it’s now
was in jeopardy. As the director
known. I started with identifying the critical elements of
science conferences and a career
of ACCESS, I was driven to find a way to continue the capstone symposium, and provide
It’s been six months since the Virtual Symposium,
That’s when I began the process of envisioning and
and we are still surprised by its success. The merits and
an in-person research symposium and considering how
results of the virtual platform challenged the notion
to transpose them to a virtual model. My experience
that in-person is best. The in-person symposium
teaching and using Canvas (used to deliver course
B Y TA N YA
V I C K E R S
REATING A VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM content) shaped the content, and with the collaboration
board, or the 30-minute Zoom live session scheduled on
outreach platform SCIENCE NOW—engaging students,
and support of Micah Murdock, Associate Director
the last day—to ask questions or comment.
presenters, and elite scientists from across the U.S. and
of Teaching and Learning
around the world.
Technologists (TLT), a novel
virtual research symposium
scientists, we always look
was fully realized.
forward to new ideas and what
As a species and as
can be done. In our darkest
EMBRACING
hours, we find a space for new
TECHNOLOGY
forms of unity and growth,
and can challenge ourselves
The platform was a lofty
goal that required three
to create and expand. COVID
defining features: a webpage
has been undeniably difficult,
for students to introduce their
but the development of new
project, a message board for
platforms and technologies, like
peers, guests, and mentors
the Virtual Research Symposium,
to pose questions, and a
show that sometimes, when
live Zoom presentation with
we are forced to make changes
question and answer.
to long held traditions, the
Each student had a personal webpage that included
BUILDING
FOR THE FUTURE
their research poster, a 3-minute video summary of
their research project, and a short personal bio. These
tool with the future, as well as other disciplines and
elements provided guests with an introduction and
applications, in mind. We are proud to announce that the
Manager, Samantha Shaw, and to the ACCESS students
interactions analogous to an in-person symposium.
platform has already seen use for the School of Biological
and mentors for believing in the vision of a Virtual
Sciences Virtual Retreat, ACCESS Alumni Career Panel,
Research Symposium.
platform offered the advantage of providing guests more
and a number of campus-wide projects. Most recently,
time to preview projects on their own, before using one,
the Virtual Symposium was chosen to serve as the
platform contact: tanya.vickers@utah.edu, or visit
or both, forum tools—the student scientist’s discussion
cornerstone of the new College of Science high school
science.utah.edu/access.
In-person symposia can feel rushed, but the virtual
Throughout this process, we wanted to build a
outcome goes beyond finding an equivalent, making what we thought was “best” even better. Special thanks to Dean Peter Trapa, ACCESS Program
For more information on the Virtual Symposium
19
Frontiers of Science
FA C I L I T Y
F E AT U R E
The Frontiers of Science lecture series was established in 1967 by University of Utah alumnus and Physics Professor Peter Gibbs. By 1970, the University had hosted 10 Nobel laureates for public Frontiers lectures. By 1993, when Gibbs retired, the Frontiers organizers had hosted another 20 laureates. Today, Frontiers of Science is the longest continuously-running lecture series at the University of Utah. For 2020/21 all Frontiers of Science lectures have moved to a virtual format. Visit science.utah.edu/frontiers for more information. 20
Nature is the Future of Chemistry.
The Future of Western Forests in a Changing Climate.
Dr. Shelley Minteer, professor of Analytical, bio-
Assistant Professor, Dr. William “Bill” Anderegg’s
logical & materials chemistry, uses nature as an
research centers on the intersection of ecosys-
inspiration and solution to chemistry problems.
tems and climate change. In particular, he strives
Her group focuses on improving the abiotic-biotic
to understand the future of the Earth’s forests
interface between biocatalysts and electrode
in a changing climate. Massive mortality events
surfaces for enhanced bioelectrocatalysis and
of many tree species in the last decade prompt
designs electrode structures for enhanced flux
concerns that drought, insects, and wildfire may
at electrode surfaces for biosensor and biofuel
devastate forests in the coming decades. Widely
cell applications. In addition to holding the Dale
published, most recently in Science and PNAS, An-
and Susan Poulter Chair in Biological Chemistry,
deregg studies how drought and climate change
Dr. Minteer is the Director of the U’s Center for
affect forest ecosystems, including tree physiol-
Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry which was
ogy, species interactions, carbon cycling, and
just awarded a $20 Million NSF grant.
biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks.
Schedule Thursday, October 22, 2020 Shelley Minteer Nature is the Future of Chemistry
Thursday, November 19, 2020 Bill Anderegg
On Thinning Ice - Modeling sea ice in a warming climate.
The Center of the Galaxy.
Precipitous declines of sea ice are writing a new narra-
Dr. Anil Seth, associate professor of Physics & As-
tive for the polar marine environment. Earth’s sea ice
tronomy at the U, studies the formation and evolu-
covers can tell us a lot about climate change—they are
tion of nearby galaxies by detecting individual stars
canaries in the coal mine. Predicting what may happen
and clusters of stars whose ages, composition, and
Thursday, February 18, 2021 Ken Golden
to sea ice and the ecosystems it supports over the next
motions can be measured. His research focuses on
On Thinning Ice
ten, fifty, or one hundred years requires extensive math-
understanding the centers of galaxies and the black
ematical modeling of key physical and biological pro-
holes and massive star clusters found there. He
cesses, and the role that sea ice plays in global climate.
also studies the large surveys of our nearest spiral
Ken Golden, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics,
neighbors, Andromeda and Triangulum, and is in-
will discuss his research, his Arctic and Antarctic ad-
volved with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s APOGEE
ventures, and how mathematics is currently playing an
project. He was named a Presidential Scholar by the
important role in addressing these fundamental issues
U and has been awarded several National Science
and will likely play an even greater role in the future.
Foundation grants.
Forest Futures
Thursday, March 18, 2021 Anil Seth The Center of the Galaxy science.utah.edu/frontiers 21
CRIMSON
CRIMSON LAUREATE SOCIETY UPDATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND The recent pandemic has created serious economic disruptions worldwide. These changes have been especially hard on some of our students. For these students, family support has dwindled and many of the sectors that traditionally hired working students have been severely hit. Recognizing the need, we launched an emergency student support fund before the fall semester and found the demand was enormous. As one recipient that received help from the initiative wrote: “My household went from having three incomes to just one. I tried to help my family financially, but I was limited in what I could do. It was really hard having to worry about family finances while still trying to pay for school. The student emergency funds I received allowed me to continue my education at the U. I am forever grateful to the donors who made this possible.� As we close 2020, we are reaching out to alumni and supporters of the College of Science and inviting you to assist our students facing difficulties. Generous supporters will match the first $10,000 in donations to the College and each department, for a total of $50,000 in matching grants. Please help us make a lasting difference in the lives of our remarkable students.
22
WAYS TO GIVE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE $10,000 Matching Grant by Don & Rebecca Reese. giving.utah.edu/science BIOLOGY $10,000 Matching donation is given from an anonymous donor. giving.utah.edu/biology CHEMISTRY $10,000 Matching Grant by Tom & Kathy Thatcher. giving.utah.edu/chemistry MATHEMATICS $10,000 Matching Grant by various department champions. giving.utah.edu/mathematics PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY $10,000 Matching Grant by Nicholas & Courtney Gibbs and other department champions. giving.utah.edu/physics Double your impact! The first $10,000 in donations to each department will be matched
LAWRENCE THATCHER
Friend of the Department of Chemistry, Lawrence Everett Thatcher 96, passed away on October 9, 2020.
Lawrence graduated from the University of Utah in 1945 with
a degree in Chemical Engineering. He started Thatcher Chemical Company with his brother Winston in 1967. He remained active in the company for 50 years and came to the office every day until he formally retired at age 93.
In 2017, Lawrence received the prestigious Utah
Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology from Governor Gary R. Herbert. And in February 2020, Lawrence was inducted into the University of Utah College of Science Hall of Fame.
Henry White, former Dean of the University of Utah,
stated: “Lawrence was committed to enriching the scientific, business, and educational community of the University of Utah. The Thatcher family, led by Lawrence and Helen, have been steadfast supporters of chemistry research and education. It was an absolute pleasure to work with him, and he will be missed.”
23
U.S. News College Rankings
46
# U.S. News & World Report has
University Rankings. The University of Utah is now ranked No. 1 in Utah, No. 104 nationally, and No. 44 nationally among public universities. The College of Science fared even
better. National rankings for science
Astronomy at No. 37. An aggregate of these rankings puts the College of Science at No. 46 nationally and No. 27 nationally among public universities.
There are many factors used to
determine a school’s final ranking in the U.S. News & World Report but
#46 #54
50K
#57
40K #62
30K 20K
one factor that is not considered is
few universities that challenge the University of Utah.
$9,498 Utah in-state tuition
Utah
cost. When cost is factored, there are
#51
#49 University of Southern California - $58,195
Mathematics at No. 16 and Physics &
60K
Dartmouth College $57,204
Biology at No. 27, Chemistry at No. 18,
Oregon $31,314
departments at public universities put
National Ranking
Notre Dame $55,553
The College of Science in-state tuition is 1/5 the average tutition of other AAU schools.
BEST Science College
released their 2019-2020 National
UC Santa Cruz $43,046
AAU Comparison
Utah In-State Tuition $37,992
Association of American Universities Average out-of-state Tuition $200,000
27
#
BEST Public Science College
Annual Tuition
* U.S. News & World Report does not rank Science Colleges. The rankings published here are an aggregate of the national department rankings.
16
#
18 37
BEST Public Chemistry
#
#
#
BEST Public Physics
BEST Public Mathematics
27
BEST Public Biology
T U I T I O N A S L OW A S $ 9 4 9 8 / Y E A R
25
1430 Presidents Circle Rm 220 Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0140
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