Discover - December 2019

Re s e a rc h Re po r t o f the U n iv e rsi t y o f U t a h C o l l e g e o f S c i e n c e 2 0 1 9

Science Research Initiative

t h e

c o l l e g e

A T

A

1 x MacArthur Genius Grant

658 SCIENCE

Established 1970

Physics & Astronomy

92

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.,

graduates

student parity

Master of Arts, M.A., Master of Statistics, M. Stat.,

1x Nobel Prize

166 tenured

491

bachelor graduates

Master of Philosophy, M.Phil.,

science faculty

$35.6 m

external research

Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.

For more information visit science.utah.edu.

Scholarships

master

49% 51%

Bachelor of Science, B.S., Master of Science, M.S.,

$830,000 Student

2 x Willards Gibbs Awards

Center for Science &

8 x AAAS F

graduates

graduates

Centers:

1 x Breakthrough prize

75 PhD

Departments: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics,

GL A N C E

3 x National Medals of Science

funding

4 x Churchill Scholarships

AS Fellows

2 x Priestly Medals

Re s e 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 2019

3

Message from Dean Peter Trapa

4

U.S. News & World Report College Rankings

6

Research Roundup - Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics & Astronomy

14 Science Research Initiative - SRI 17 The Association of American Universities 18 Frontiers of Science - Distinguished Alumni Panel 20 Alumni Profile - McKay Hyde ‘97 22 Crimson Laureate Society 24 Research Statistics

Discover Magazine is published by the University of Utah College of Science Editor: Matt Crawley Layout: royter-snow.com Printing: seagullprinting.com On the cover: Undergraduate biology teaching labs at Crocker Science Center. Photo by Matt Crawley

D e an ’ s

M e ssag e

Dear Alumni, Friends, & Colleagues:

Science has a long and sweeping legacy at the University of Utah,

by a rising tide of faculty and student achievement in the College of Science,

helping to drive many of the U’s most significant advances. The University’s

from faculty membership in the National Academies to the most competitive

first Ph.D. was awarded to Jim Sugihara in Chemistry, who studied under the

students awards (including a string of four consecutive Churchill Scholars).

legendary Henry Eyring. Eyring, the inaugural Dean of the Graduate School,

turned his administrative offices in the Park Building into a laboratory where he

content to accept the status quo, we are working to innovatively intertwine our

educated generations of scientists. Among them was Peter Gibbs, who went

research and education missions. The Science Research Initiative (SRI) will, over time,

on to chair the Physics & Astronomy Department and established the longest-

give every incoming College of Science student the opportunity to participate in

running lecture series on campus; Frontiers of Science. The series featured 30 Nobel

discovery-based research in state-of-the-art space on the third floor of the Crocker

laureates, including Mario Cappechi, who originally joined the U as a faculty member

Science Center. The program will help develop high-demand skills in our students,

in the Department of Biology. Elsewhere in the College, graduates from Physics

preparing them for exciting careers in the fastest-growing segments of today’s

and Mathematics, like Alan Ashton (co-founder of WordPerfect), Ed Catmull (co-

STEM economy.

founder of Pixar), and John Warnock (co-founder of Adobe), went on to pioneering

developments in the nascent field of computer science.

remarkable students we serve, the dedicated faculty in our ranks, and the accomplished

alumni that enhance our reputation nationwide. Extraordinary things are happening at

This spirit of excellence is alive and well today. The College’s research

prominence helped propel the U to ever greater heights, including the University’s

Our passion for knowledge extends from the lab into the classroom. Never

As we continue to build on the College’s legacy, it is an exciting time for the

the College of Science. Thank you for being part of our journey.

recently announced membership in the prestigious American Association of Universities. AAU invitations are infrequent: this year’s invitations are the first since 2012. Membership elevates the University to an exceptional category of

Peter Trapa

64 peer institutions of the highest research caliber. This recognition is supported

Dean, College of Science

Dean Peter Trapa in the future home of the Science Research Initiative on the third floor of the Crocker Science Center.

3

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,

National Ranking

Oregon $31,314

departments at public universities put

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

Tui t i o n as l o w as $ 9 4 9 8 / y e ar

5

Biology

D epartment

6

H ighlight

One could argue that the age of genomes is divided

Jamie Gagnon Running with Scissors b y

D a v id

G .

P ace

“Let’s break a gene and see if you’re right about what it

between before CRISPR-Cas9 and after CRISPR-Cas9 (com-

does”, was pro forma.

monly referred to as “CRISPR”). As a Harvard post-doc

studying the genes involved in embryo development,

pick up where others had ended (and published), us-

James (Jamie) Gagnon remembers in 2012 that “pivotal

ing technology in a creative way to mark cells with a

moment” when these “really nice pair of scissors now easy

genetic barcode that could later be used to trace the

to make” came on the scene.

lineage of cells. Suddenly, they were using data sets of

CRISPR-scissor mutations to figure out how cells actu-

“Before CRISPR,” says Gagnon we were all using the earlier

Instead, the developmental biologist decided to

generation of genome editing tools. Even so, we were able

ally developed in zebrafish.

to determine that after making a mutation in a cell, when it

divided, the change that had been made was inherited.”

use the “scissors” in zebrafish, which then got him and his

collaborators thinking about using mutations to tell them

The new “scissors” rapidly scaled up genome editing,

In 2014 Gagnon published a paper describing how to

allowing researchers to more easily alter DNA sequences

how cells are related in embryos.

and modify gene function. At the same time CRISPR

inspired others to move from the research model of small

went from postdoc to principal investigator. In his lab at

organisms like the c. elegans, a transparent worm made

the Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, Gagnon curates

up of approximately 1,000 cells, to much larger ones like

10,000 fish in 1,000 controlled tanks that are carefully

zebrafish. “The power of genetics,” Gagnon says, “is that

labeled for experiments.

zebrafish are now genetically accessible as a model of

all vertebrates, including humans which share seventy

how does biology build an animal with millions of cells,

percent of genes with fish.”

all sharing information and all shape-shifting at the

same time? And how does science then best go about

The impulse for Gagnon’s current work in vertebrate

When Gagnon arrived at the U in January 2018, he

The prevailing question for Gagnon continues to be

lineage and cell fate choice involved the acknowledg-

studying that?

ment that “if we want to study how embryos grow, we

have to do it in a living animal.” At the time, he continues,

cacophony into a symphony that is the marvel of a

“everyone was mutating genes.” Perhaps still to this day,

living organism?

Furthermore, how does science turn chaos and

“ Every time the oboe plays, we want the player [the cell] to make a record and journal entry on it.”

“For thirty years,” says Gagnon, people have been de-

orchestra, “we want the player [the cell] to make a record

ciphering the genome code … one of the worst computer

and journal entry on it.”

codes ever written.” Just how bad is bad? Imagine three

billion letters in one long line with no punctuation

“In early embryos, there are multiple languages or instruments being used by a finite number of cells

or formatting. Perhaps it’s the engineer

to communicate with other cells and

in him, but to get at that unwieldy

to build an animal,” he continues.

code, he sees his task as

To which language/instru-

finding additional tools to

ment does a cell “listen”

regulate CRISPR activ-

and what choices (ex-

ity. These tools include

pression) does it make

doing base-editing and

as a result?

using self-targeting

guide RNAs to facilitate

Gagnon is no longer

cells themselves making

just trying to “decode”

a record of what they’re

the genome, but to use

doing, what they’re listen-

In a sense, Jamie

CRISPR to make a version,

ing to, as it were, as they play

readable to humans, of what

their own “score” of develop-

cells are doing in real time and

ment. “We want to turn the single,

how. In short, he’s looking for the

really good sharp knife of CRISPR,” he explains

creation of a cell-generated Ninth Symphony,

“into a Swiss Army knife” to figure out the score of an

a complex but coordinated record of how development

organism’s symphonic work.

occurred that a Beethoven would be proud to conduct.

The micro-scissors of CRISPR that appear to have

It may be dangerous to run with scissors, something

issued a sea change in genomic studies, he hopes, can

parents routinely warn their children of, but it turns out that

be used to “force cells to make notes along the way” of

a really good pair of them can do more than the obvious:

their own developmental journey. “Every time the oboe

they can inspire other technologies that promise to bend

plays,” he says, returning to the metaphor of a symphony

the arc of science towards even greater aspirations.

7

D epartment

H ighlight

Chemistry

8

From energy storage and generation to nanoscale 3D battery

Henry S. White A Positive Force in Electrochemistry b y

A nne

M arie

students to do high risk and truly innovative research that they

architectures to the transport of drugs through human skin, Henry

wouldn’t otherwise be able to do.

White’s research is pioneering and highly imaginative within the

field of electrochemistry. His work on nanoscale electrochemistry

electrochemistry says White. Research isn’t just about solving a

was groundbreaking and has developed into a significant field of

problem, it’s about learning how to ask interesting and original

research with various applications. Professor of Chemistry Shelley

questions—something White finds a lot of joy in doing.

Minteer commented that White “greatly enjoys complex problems

and is the electrochemist to go to when you have complex mass

very diverse area, comprising many fundamental research topics

transport phenomena to understand.”

in chemistry, materials science, physics, and engineering. It

is also extremely relevant in providing potential solutions to

There’s an obvious reason why Henry White is considered one of

“There are a lot of great questions” in the field of

“Electrochemistry is a fascinating area of science, and a

the most influential and innovative electrochemists of his generation: he

many problems that society faces, especially in providing means

wears his passion and thoroughness for research on his sleeve. White

for developing sustainable energy sources. I’ve been very

maintained a strong research group funded by the National Institutes

fortunate during my career to have had the necessary funding

of Health, National Science Foundation , the Department of Energy, and

and resources to work on very basic science questions in this

the Department of Defense while serving for six years as Chair of

area. And I’ve been even more fortunate to be able to work with

the Department of Chemistry, then five years as Dean of the College of

incredibly talented students and postdocs at the University of

Science. His administrative service was a commitment back to an institution

Utah, many who have continued to work on electrochemical

that allows him to do what he loves most: teaching and research.

problems in both industry and academics.”

Now that he can once again devote all of his time to

Vi v ienne

Dr. Hang Ren, a former postdoc of White’s who is now an

research and teaching, White is thrilled to be immersed in the

Assistant Professor at Miami University in Ohio, focused on

frontiers of electrochemistry—asking relevant and innovative

electrical measurements on individual DNA molecules trapped

questions for our generation’s complex problems. As the Widtsoe

inside a protein nanopore while training with White. They were

Presidential Chair, he continues to train postdoctoral fellows,

able to trap a single DNA molecule for hours, and watch its

undergraduates, and graduate students in electrochemistry. The

motional dynamics, and monitor chemical reactions via the

Widtsoe Chair specifically is valuable in providing funding for

change in electrical current through the protein.

“ Research isn’t just about solving a problem, it’s about learning how to ask interesting and original questions.”

“ Henry’s research approach is very unique. In addition to solving scientific problems elegantly, he is especially great at asking fundamental scientific questions.”

In a second research project, they used platinum electrodes with radii as small as 5 nanometers to measure the nucleation rates of bubbles. They were able to generate a single nanobubble at the electrode surface, measure the nucleation rate, and infer the geometry of the smallest stable bubble that contained as few as 25 molecules. “This is a fundamentally important problem in the field of electrocatalysis, where bubbles are often formed and disrupt the catalytic processes on the electrode,” says Professor Ren.

White trains his students and postdocs on how to be a researcher, to ask

innovative questions, and to be relentlessly rigorous in their approach. As he works with undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdocs, his methods are significantly influencing the next generation of scientists to continue a legacy of research excellence. After training with White for years, Professor Ren affirms that “Henry’s research approach is very unique. In addition to solving scientific problems elegantly, he is especially great at asking fundamental scientific questions. He is also highly innovative and very good at exploring new directions in electrochemistry. I was greatly influenced by my postdoc training with him.”

Henry White’s research is often cited by other researchers and is

foundational in the fields of electrochemistry and analytical chemistry.

“Henry has an uncommon disposition for innovation in undertaking both experimental and theoretical challenges in his research,” says Joel Harris,

Postdoctoral associates Dr. Rui Gao and Dr. Koushik Barman are integral to White’s research.

Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. White’s research has been recognized in major awards from the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry, and the Electrochemical Society. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

9

Mathematics

D epartment

H ighlight

Srikanth Iyengar – What is Commutative Algebra?

What is commutative algebra? Can it help us solve

M ichele

S waner

to study these objects. One of them is to study functions

motivated by questions in physics.

real-world problems?

on the space of solutions, and algebra is a good way to

begin. These functions form a mathematical structure

began under the name “ideal theory” with the work of

solve linear and quadratic equations, generally a single

called a commutative ring. Commutative algebra

mathematician Richard Dedekind, a giant of the late

equation and in one variable,” said Srikanth Iyengar,

is the study of commutative rings and modules, or

19th and early 20th centuries. In turn, Dedekind’s work

Professor of Mathematics at the U. “But most real-world

algebraic structures over such rings.

relied on the earlier work of Ernst Kummer and Leopold

“When we first study advanced math, we learn to

problems aren’t quite so easy—they often involve multiple equations in mul-

“One of the things I

As a subject on its own, commutative algebra

Iyengar’s research

Kronecker. The mathematician responsible for the

focuses on understanding

modern study of commutative algebra was Wolfgang

these structures, which

Krull, who introduced concepts that are now central to

have links to different

the study of the subject, as well as Oscar Zariski, who

tiple variables.”

enjoy about my research is

how commutative algebra

areas of mathematics,

made commutative algebra a foundation for the study

has so many connections

particularly topology and

of algebraic varieties.

representation theory.

Iyengar joined the

how commutative algebra has so many connections

Mathematics Department

to other things,” said Iyengar. “It makes for rich and

in 2014. He grew up in

lively research. Commutative algebra is continually

Hyderabad, India, and

reinvigorated by problems and perspectives from

received a master’s degree

other fields.”

and Ph.D. from Purdue

University. Before joining the

Science Foundation. The Humboldt Foundation and the

U, he taught at the University

Simons Foundation have also provided support.

of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Finding explicit

solutions to such equations is generally not feasible nor useful—it’s

to other things; it makes

much more helpful to look

for rich and lively research.

for overall structure in the collection of all possible

Commutative algebra is

solutions. These solution

continually reinvigorated by

sets are called algebraic

problems and perspectives

varieties. The word algebraic indicates their

from other fields.”

origin is from polynomial

10

b y

“One of the things I enjoy about my research is

Funding for Iyengar’s research is from the National

Commutative rings arise in diverse

equations, as opposed to equations involving things

like trigonometric and exponential functions. Over the

the work of 20th century German mathematician

and computer science,

centuries, mathematicians have developed various tools

David Hilbert, whose work on invariant theory was

among other

The foundation of commutative algebra lies in

contexts in mathematics, physics,

fields. Within mathematics, besides functions on algebraic

article published in 1960 by Eugene Wigner, a Hungarian-

varieties, examples of commutative rings include rings of

American mathematician and theoretical physicist.

algebraic integers—the stuff of number theory. Commutative

“I work by thinking about a piece of mathematics—perhaps it’s

rings also arise, in myriad ways, in the study of symmetries of objects— algebraic topology, graph theory, and combinatorics, among others. One of the areas of physics where commutative algebra is useful is with string theory.

In recent years, ideas and techniques from commutative algebra have begun to play an increasingly prominent role in coding theory, in reconstructions, and biology with neural networks.

While not everything Iyengar

does day-to-day (or perhaps even in the span of a few years) has a direct impact in the field, mathematicians have a way of impacting other areas far from their original source, often decades later. There are many striking examples of this phenomenon.

The “unreasonable effectiveness of

a research paper or a problem I run into somewhere in a textbook or a talk,” said Iyengar. “This sometimes leads to interesting research projects; at other times, it ends in a dead end. My perspective on research is that it’s more like a garden (or many interconnected

mathematics” is well known.

gardens) waiting to be explored, rather than peaks to be climbed.

The phrase is part of

Sure, there are landmarks but there’s rarely a point when I can say,

a title of an

Well, this is it—there’s nothing more to be achieved.’’

11

D epartment

Claudia De Grandi Meaningfully Engaging Students in STEM b y

M ichele

S waner

H ighlight

Physics & A

How can we make Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields (STEM) more inclusive and accessible? How can we meaningfully engage students in STEM courses?

The retention rate in STEM fields is low—many students who initially plan to pursue a degree in STEM drop out because they don’t identify with the environment they’re exposed to and they don’t enjoy their STEM courses. How can we keep students excited and interested in staying in STEM?

Claudia De Grandi, assistant professor (lecturer)

of educational practice in the Physics and Astronomy Department, spends most of her time thinking about how to make her courses more inclusive and how to encourage every student, independently of their background, abilities and identities, to participate and engage in STEM fields successfully.

“I love teaching because of its challenges,” said De

Grandi. “Something that worked well in one place may not work in another setting. It’s the role of the teacher to listen to the students and adapt to be in tune with them. My goals are to be equitable and inclusive, although I don’t always achieve it.

Unfortunately, we’re all biased, and it’s our responsibility to keep trying to understand how it feels to be someone else.”

De Grandi tries her best to consider the hurdles and inequities each student has to overcome to succeed in school. She has taught at Yale University, Housatonic Community College (Bridgeport, Conn.), and now at the U.

Astronomy

Her teaching style relies on the adoption of evidence-

“ The goal is to start a dialogue among STEM faculty and students to identify issues with the STEM environment and develop interventions to help ameliorate these problems.”

condensed matter physics from Boston University. She was

The course combines academic inquiry and community

based teaching practices and is informed by the latest results

at Yale University first as a research postdoc and continued

engagement to investigate diversity and climate within

from Physics Education Research (PER). PER is the field of

as a teaching postdoc through the Yale Center for Teaching

STEM. Students will examine how diverse personal

physics that aims to understand and assess how students

and Learning. She joined the U in July 2018 as an assistant

backgrounds shape the STEM experience both at the U

learn and make sense of physics concepts and identify

professor (lecturer) in the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

and nationally.

successful teaching practices and instructional approaches.

training on teaching for the past five years and has served

and students to identify issues with the STEM environment

has found that using active learning techniques and

as a facilitator and leader for the Summer Institutes on

and develop interventions to help ameliorate these

providing opportunities to promote group work are key

Scientific Teaching (https://www.summerinstitutes.org/)

problems,” said De Grandi. “I look forward to teaching the

to student success. “I started implementing group quizzes

at several U.S. campuses as well as at University College

course, and learning, from and with the students.”

a few years ago—now I also do group exams. I prompt

London. She is currently collaborating with

student reflections (on exam mistakes, performance, and

the U’s Center for Science and Mathematics

preparation) and on their mindset (growth or fixed),” said De

Education to bring a Summer Institute to the U

Grandi. “I do like to surprise my students by asking them to

next spring. Interested faculty from the College

talk about something not related to physics. Learning is not

of Science will be invited to participate.

just about content—I work to make sure my students are

comfortable sitting in class so they can focus on learning.”

Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation for Physics and

Astronomy graduate students. The training focuses

In support of previous PER research, De Grandi

Here is what one student said about De Grandi’s teaching:

De Grandi has been actively involved in faculty

At the U, De Grandi has redesigned and led the

“Claudia is amazing, and she’s one of the main reasons I enjoy

on preparing incoming graduate students to teach

coming to class. Her drawings are cute, and her examples are

by promoting group work, being aware of student

always fun and silly. She includes everyone and really knows

diversity, and fostering a welcoming environment.

how to make a class fun. I was worried I’d hate physics but she

definitely made me love it. “

“Being Human in STEM,” said De Grandi. “Although

I’ve taught this course before at Yale, this will be

De Grandi grew up in Milan, Italy, where she received

“The goal is to start a dialogue among STEM faculty

“This spring I’ll be teaching a new course called

her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the

my first time teaching it here, along with a team of

University of Milan. In 2011, she obtained a Ph.D. in theoretical

colleagues in math, chemistry, and astronomy.”

Original drawing by Claudia De Grandi.

13

Science Research Initiative

At many universities under-

graduates have the opportunity to engage in scientific research only in their junior or senior

The Science has historically faced is that there Research Initiative are many more science majors Gets Students Into than there are openings in faculty research laboratories. The SRI solves Research

years. Yet successful scientists all

have the same core attributes—curiosity, communication

of one-on-one faculty mentorship in the framework of

skills and a willingness to learn interdisciplinary tech-

vertically integrated research streams,” said Peter Trapa,

niques—traits that many students already possess as

dean of the College of Science.

freshmen. In 2020, College of Science will the give hundreds

of undergraduates the opportunity to contribute to real

opportunity to contribute to scientific discoveries, just like

research projects the year that they step onto campus.

Bridget Phillips, a Crocker Science Scholar and sophomore

biology major with a math minor, had this summer.

The Science Research Initiative (SRI) is a team-based

The SRI aims to give 500 undergraduates per year the

program that will connect students to discovery-based

research early in their education to gain valuable scientific

Pigeon Genetics Lab writing code for a project looking for

skills. The vision is to provide an opportunity to do research

genes that determine the birds’ eye color.

for any incoming student in the College of Science.

Additionally, the cohort model makes research opportunities

quantitative trait locus (QTL) peak. She was comparing the

more equitable for students from all backgrounds.

genotypes of two groups of pigeons with different eye

colors. Because pigeons breeds are the same species, their

The initiative is self-sustaining by design with experienced

Phillips was working in biologist Mike Shapiro’s

She was mining mountains of data searching for a

students tasked with training incoming freshman—a model

genetics should look identical except for the gene locus

that could allow hundreds of students to contribute to a

underpinning eye color.

principal investigator’s research for decades. The initiative has

support from the university, the state, and industry partners

be,” she said, smiling. “It was nice. I impressed the postdocs.”

who see the benefit of producing students who are ready to

thrive in Utah’s STEM workforce.

freshman year. She is an alum of ACCESS, a program

where rising freshman in STEM disciplines join a cohort of

“Research opportunities for undergraduates are

transformative experiences. The problem that the college 14

that problem by scaling up the model

“I got a QTL peak that showed where the gene might

Phillips has been working in Shapiro’s lab since her

like-minded undergrads ahead of their first semester in

“ Research opportunities for undergraduates are transformative experiences.”

college. ACCESS facilitated her placement in the lab where she found her passion—coding and genetics, two things she never knew existed in a one career.

“Starting in a lab as a freshman is so useful, but the fear is that

you don’t know what you’re doing. But you learn the skills really quickly,” Phillips said. “The earlier you can start, the better. If you find out your freshman year that you don’t like research, that’s good to know. If you like research, like I do, then you know what to aim for.”

Scaling up discovery

The college based the SRI on a similar program at the

University of Texas-Austin that impressed Henry White, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and former dean of the college who championed the initiative during his tenure. Since starting the program 20 years ago, UT-Austin has increased enrollment and improved student success, particularly among those from underrepresented groups in STEM fields.

“Students from families who’ve been going to college

for generations come to campus recognizing that research opportunities are just as important as the classes themselves,” said White. “This program is meant to promote students who haven’t had the opportunity to be involved in research.

We hope to introduce underrepresented, first-generation students to research opportunities, enriching their experience at the U.”

During the first semester, a cohort of students will take a

research course to learn basic lab techniques that will replace 15

a traditional prerequisite

SRI brings benefits beyond campus

Goldwater Scholarship recipient. Also an ACCESS alum,

class. The second semester,

Cantrell has worked in Ryan Looper’s organic synthesis lab

the students begin work

student success. Funding has come from many sources,

since her freshman year. At the time, she thought she wanted

in a lab led by a principal

including corporate, foundation and individual gifts

to be a pharmacist. Instead, she fell in love with research.

investigator. They continue

and workforce development funds from the Utah State

the research for their third

Legislature. ARUP Laboratories, a national

and fourth semesters, and

pathology lab, research facility and a

train an incoming cohort to

nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah,

create a “steady-state” model.

and BioFire, a medical diagnostics company,

During their third year, the

are sponsoring SRI because they view the

students can do an internship

partnership as mutually beneficial.

or work on an individual

project that resembles a more

qualified people to work in labs. It’s a career

traditional undergraduate

that’s understaffed—graduates have no

Others outside the university see benefits beyond

She is developing a scaffold for new antibiotic

“We are constantly looking for well-

lab experience. The college aims to have different streams

problem finding a job, but there’s not a good

of research in data science, molecular biology and many

awareness of this as a possible career path,” said Sherrie

candidates, a crucial field of inquiry as bacteria are constantly

disciplines across the College of Science.

Perkins, CEO of ARUP Laboratories and professor of

building resistance to current antibiotics. Cantrell’s molecule

pathology at the U School of Medicine. “We’re so pleased

is modeled after a natural product that kills both bacteria and

SRI journey. White, Shelley Minteer, professor of chemistry,

to be a part of this exciting new program and to continue

human cells. Her project focuses on modifying the molecule

Markus Babst, professor of biology, and Braxton Osting,

the pipeline of excellent students coming out of the

so that it will only kill the bacteria and leave human cells

professor of mathematics, have committed to developing

university that we employ.”

alone. She plans to pursue a PhD after graduating this year.

initial projects. The goal is to eventually have 500 freshmen,

Beyond the research, the community and networking aspects

sophomores and transfer students participate every year.

agreed Rachel Cantrell, a senior chemistry major and

In January 2020, a small pilot cohort will begin the

Research opportunities indeed open many doors,

of ACCESS made a big impact on her life.

“I met a lot of great people there that I’m still

friends with. I got to meet faculty and was selected for a scholarship to study in Germany—the community aspect was huge,” she said. To undergrads thinking about whether they want to work in a lab, Cantrell has this advice, “You have to give it a chance. I worked as a pharmacy technician for a while, but I loved being in the lab more. Check out what you like. It can open some huge doors.

” The new SRI aims to do just that.

Utah joins the Association of American Universities

AAU

The University of Utah is one of the newest members of the

academic research and scholarship and undergraduate,

prestigious Association of American Universities, which for more

graduate and professional education.”

than 100 years has recognized the most outstanding academic

Membership criteria are based on a university’s research

institutions in the nation. Utah joined the association with the University of California, Santa

funding; proportion of faculty elected to the National Academies of Science, Engineering

Cruz and Dartmouth College. AAU invitations are infrequent; this year’s are the first since

and Medicine; impact of research and scholarship; and student outcomes. The U has 21

AAU

2012. The new members bring the number of AAU institutions to 65.

National Academies members, with some elected to more than one academy.

The AAU formed in 1900 to promote and raise standards for university research

Leaders of AAU member universities meet to discuss common challenges and future

and education. Today its mission is to “provide a forum for the development and

directions in higher education. The U’s leaders will now join those meetings, which include

implementation of institutional and national policies promoting strong programs of

the leaders of all the top 10 and 56 of the top 100 universities in the United States.

17

F acilit y

F eature

Frontiers of Science

Homecoming 2019 brought a number of

to provide testing and analytics for developers

alumni and friends back to the U this September.

working in the voice app industry. Pulse Labs was

But before the tailgating and the football, the

one of nine companies chosen for the “Alexa

College of Science fielded an All-Star game of

Accelerator,” Amazon’s first startup accelerator.

their own. The Frontiers of Science Distinguished

Alumni Panel, held September 27, featured five

of Ginkgo Bioworks, a Boston-based biotech com-

science alumni currently working in cutting-edge

pany focused on using software and automation to

Reshma Shetty, BS’02 Engineering, Co-Founder

science and technology.

bring rapid iteration, prototyping and

Kirk M. Ririe, BS’05 Chemistry,

scale to synthetic biology and

Founder of Idaho Technology,

organism design.

(now Biofire), a medical

Biology, CEO and

Ririe since developed

Co-Founder of Denali

new methods for rapid

Therapeutics, a

diagnosis of diseases and

biotechnology company

pathogens ranging from

focused on treatments and

the common cold to anthrax.

cures for neurodegenerative

Doon Gibbs, BS’77

illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s

Mathematics and Physics, currently the Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory

18

Thursday, January 23, 2020 Craig Clements San Jose State University Thursday, February 13, 2020 Dan Rubenstein Princeton University Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Ruth Williams UC San Diego

Dean Peter Trapa acted as moderator

for the evening. The mood was warm and friendly

U.S. Department of Energy laboratory with nearly

and surprisingly personal at times. The panel

3,000 employees, more than 4,000 facility users each

brought a huge range of diverse experiences to

year, and an annual budget of about $600 million.

the discussion while consistently crediting their

scientific education and research training as key

and CPO of Pulse Labs, a startup company working

24

and Parkinson’s disease.

in Upton, New York. Brookhaven is a multi-program

Dylan Zwick, PhD’14 Mathematics, Co-Founder

We hope to see you at this season’s Frontiers of Science lectures.

Ryan Watts, BS’00

device and diagnostics.

Schedule

to their success.

Thursday, April 23, 2020 Terry Plank Columbia University

Peter Gibbs The Father of “Frontiers”

Physics Professor Pete Gibbs and his colleagues

established the Frontiers of Science lecture series as a method to bring notable researchers from around the world to Utah to discuss the current “frontiers” in scientific research. The first Frontiers event was presented by Pete Gibbs himself, on April 1, 1967.

During the following two years, nine of the twentyone FoS lectures were given by current or future Nobel laureates.

The early success of Frontiers was largely due

to Pete’s personal invitations, and also his family’s skill at hosting prominent scientists in their home near the University campus. The Gibbs family offered lodging, food, and world-class skiing, to sweeten the deal.

Pete Gibbs passed away on July 13, 2019

surrounded by family and friends. He was 94.

Frontiers of Science, now in its 52nd year, continues

to be sponsored by the College of Science and the College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The list of speakers now includes some 280 distinguished scientists.

19

McKay Hyde

A lumni

P rofile

BS’97

b y

M ichele

S waner

McKay Hyde (Honors B.A. Mathematics, B.A. Physics

number of trading desks. (“Strat” is a term that originated

’97) always enjoyed math and science, but it was taking a

with Goldman Sachs to describe individuals that use tools

series of physics classes at the U, between his junior and

from mathematics and computer science to build financial

senior year in high school, that changed his life. “I always

models In his Core Quant Strat role, Hyde led the build out

enjoyed mathematics,” he said. “But physics showed me how

of the Strat teams in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India,

mathematics could be used to solve real-world problems.

known as “The Silicon Valley of India.”

That was tremendously exciting to me and still is.”

Photo courtesy of Goldman Sachs.

Today Hyde is managing director in Equities Engineering

Roots in Utah and at the U

for the New York office of Goldman Sachs and is responsible

for building systems to manage securities inventory and

graduating from Woods Cross High School. He met his wife,

collateral, working closely with teams across Engineering, as

Marie, in an “outstanding” honors class taught by Professor

well as the Finance, Operations and Securities divisions. “I like

Emeritus Jack Newell (“Education and Identity”), who served

being part of a cross-functional team, building relationships

as dean and principal architect of the U’s Liberal Education

and working together to find solutions that impact the

Program. In his first two years at the U Hyde was also active

organization and the clients we serve,” he said. “The

in the U’s music program, playing the trumpet in several

combination of using mathematics and computer science

university bands—Concert, Marching, Pep, and Jazz.

applied to practical problems is very rewarding.”

U with helping prepare him for a career in the financial

He joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 and was named

Hyde grew up in Salt Lake City and North Salt Lake,

Hyde gives credit to the education he received at the

managing director in 2010. At Goldman Sachs, Hyde has

sector. “I received a tremendous education in physics and

had a range of responsibilities. He was head of the global

mathematics, including research experience working in

Market Risk Technology team within Finance and Risk

the Cosmic Ray group and in probability theory. The U

Engineering. Before that, Hyde led the Trading Strats team

provides great value as an institution—a quality education

for Interest Rate Products in New York as well as the Core

at a reasonable cost,” he said.

Quant Strats team, which developed models, algorithmic

trading methods, and pricing infrastructure used by a

made a difference for him during his undergraduate years:

He also has great memories of three professors who

“ Engaging and encouraging undergrads to work together in research opportunities provides a far richer educational experience that really pays off in preparing students for demanding careers.”

Davar Khoshnevisan (professor and current chair of the

Math Department), Hyde’s undergraduate research advisor

that encourages a team of people to work toward a

fields applying their skills in the area of finance,” he said.

in mathematics; Martha Bradley, former dean of the Honors

common goal. To that end, a large project or research

“It made me realize the importance of being open to new

College, and the late Professor Gale Dick, whose “physics

problem can be broken down into smaller tasks. A

opportunities—taking the skills and talents you have

lectures were a work of art,” said Hyde.

scrum master or team leader evaluates the special skills

and using them in different fields or industries to build

“It involves developing and supporting a culture

easier transition. “I found smart people from technical

and talents of each individual on the team, assigns

Using Agile Principles in

them to specific tasks, and the team comes together

Undergraduate Research

frequently—typically during a daily stand up —over

focused sprints—typically 2-3 weeks long—to complete

Hyde believes students should be encouraged

to participate in research opportunities early in their

those tasks yielding demonstrable progress at the

undergraduate years, and he applauds the decision of

end of each sprint. By repeating this process, the team

the College of Science to focus on a new program called

improves while building confidence and trust through

the Undergraduate Research Initiative. “Research is very

repeated accomplishment of its goals.”

different from coursework—it’s really a separate skill,” said Hyde. “Engaging and encouraging undergrads to work

Previous Academic Career

together in research opportunities provides a far richer

educational experience that really pays off in preparing

completed a Ph.D. in Applied and Computational

students for demanding careers.”

Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology

relationships with others and do meaningful work. That’s

in 2003. Hyde worked as a postdoc in the School of

really what it’s all about.”

and principles that teams use in Agile software

Mathematics at the University of Minnesota and later

development can effectively be applied to something

joined Rice University as an assistant professor of

and are the parents of four children: a son studying music

like the Undergraduate Research Initiative program.

computational and applied mathematics.

at Berklee College of Music; a daughter at Brigham Young

“Creating an Agile environment—whether in software

University (currently serving a church mission in Peru); and

development or research—is essentially the same,”

Sachs, he wondered if he would need to dress and act like

said Hyde.

a “stereotypical banker.” But he discovered it was a much

To that end, Hyde thinks the same concepts

After earning degrees at the U in 1997 Hyde

When Hyde first left academia to work at Goldman

McKay Hyde and his family

Hyde and his wife, Marie, enjoy living in New Jersey

a son and daughter in high school.

21

CRIMSON

Update: DecEmber 2019 An exciting year for the Crimson Laureate Society and the College of Science

22

In January, Cameron Owen of Boise, Idaho, a senior

and collectively help shape policy for higher education,

Honers student in chemistry, physics, and mathematics,

science, and innovation. Inclusion in AAU is recognition

received the U’s fourth consecutive Churchill Scholarship to

of our unwavering support for science and technology

study at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

and a major achievement for the College of Science.

On May 15, Owen joined 657 of his fellow science

In January 2020 the College will launch the initial

students as they received their degrees. Some of these

streams of the Science Research Initiative (SRI). At

students may have fallen short of this achievement

most institutions, students have to wait until their

without the support of the Crimson Laureate Society.

junior or senior year to get a taste of research, if at all.

The SRI provides every incoming undergraduate the

In July, Dean Peter Trapa assumed the helm of the

College amidst a whirlwind of activity—quickly moving

opportunity to participate in discovery-based scientific

forward with former Dean Henry White’s plans for

research programs. Innovative programs like the SRI

undergraduate research, safety improvements, and a

would not be possible without support from Crimson

new Physical Sciences building. Stay updated on these

Laureate Society members.

projects and more by visiting the new college website

at science.utah.edu.

we will not be resting on our laurels. There are many

new discoveries to be made, and new generations of

On November 6, the University of Utah was invited

While we are overjoyed by our recent accomplishments,

to join the Association of American Universities, an

scientists to be mentored and inspired. Help us continue

exclusive group of 65 universities that University

this journey by joining the Crimson Laureate Society, or

President Ruth V. Watkins calls, “the most prestigious

renewing your membership, today. Your contributions

association in higher education.” AAU member

make a positive impact on our faculty and students.

universities earn the majority of federal research funding

Thank you!

Crimson L e g ac y society

A planned gift is the easiest way to make a

major contribution to help the university advance scientific education and research. Your gift will produce exceptional opportunities for students and faculty.

The Crimson Legacy Society is designed to recognize

those who have made a deep commitment to the future of the college. Members will be recognized on the Crimson Legacy donor wall and in the college’s annual Notebook publication. You will also receive special recognition of your support and be inducted into the University’s Park Society.

How do I become a member?

Designate a gift or pledge of $50,000, or more,

in your will or estate to either the University of Utah College of Science, the School of Biological Sciences, or one of the departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics & Astronomy.

What if I already have the college or one of the departments in my will or estate plan?

First of all, thank you! Second, please contact us so we can record the details of the gift.

Questions?

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jeff Martin at martin@science.utah.edu or 801-581-4852.

23

Research Funding Tops $540 Million

Through the accumulated efforts of University faculty, students and staff, the

In addition to the U’s diverse research portfolio, the institution is also a catalyst for

U achieved its most successful research funding year ever in 2019, passing a $540

economic growth and innovation, creating over 302 spin-out companies—and 16,000

million milestone. The final total is $547 million, composed of grants large and small,

jobs—from the university’s inventions and technologies.

from donors in all 50 states.

of Utah will continue to develop cutting-edge research to enhance the lives of current

Recognized as a Top-Tier 1 research university—The University’s research vision

is to cultivate national and international research community through excellence,

With the determination and support of our research community, the University

and future generations to come.

innovation, and interdisciplinary research at the University of Utah.

2017

$459M State Gov’t 2%

2018

$515M

Industry 14%

2019

Total STEM Degrees

Other 12%

Federal Gov’t 64%

79%

Graduate Stem Degrees

49%

$547M Growth

Sources

DegreEs

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts and quality

Extramural funding comes mostly from federal

The University of Utah produces 49% of total STEM

of faculty, trainees and staff, University of Utah

agencies such as the National Science Foundation

degrees from Utah System of Higher Education

research funding reached $547 million in FY 2019,

and National Institutes of Health.

schools and 72% of STEM graduate degrees.

the highest in the U’s history.

The U’s increase in federal funding builds on the

Funding grew at around 4 percent per year since 2003,

remarkable achievement of Max Wintrobe in 1945

and 7 percent per yer during the past five years. Since

who received the very first grant from NIH to study

2013, funding has consistently increased every year.

muscular dystrophy.

$36.2 $547

Million In Million In Research Funding Science - 2019 Research Awards FY

1600

New Jobs Created - since 1970

- FY2019

56

U.S. Patents - FY2019

25

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