Education and Outreach News
February 6, 2017
iUTAH Students Present Research on Capitol Hill
Undergraduate students from the University of Utah and Utah State University presented their research for Utah lawmakers in the rotunda of the state Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. Due to weather-related issues, USU did not make it down for the event, and will showcase their work at a later date. Two iUTAH students were selected to present research:
Hyrum Tennant, USU student & iUTAH trainee, (mentor Beth Neilson)
Project title: Groundwater Influences on the Logan River Watershed
Adam Whalen, UU student & 2016 iUTAH iFellow (mentor Sara Yeo)
Project title: A Comparative Analysis of Attitudes Toward Drinking Water Between Utah and the Nation
The iUTAH project involves students in a wide range of academic disciplines all related to water research in the state. While participating in research, students learn valuable skills on poster development and engaging in one-on-one and group presentations. As a double major in Communication and Political Science, Adam Whalen said he was especially “excited about how involvement with research can have real world implications in government, and by extension, society,” adding that “this presentation was a wonderful hybrid of my academic interests."
“Capitol Hill also proved to be a fantastic venue, it had an aura of importance and historicity that made me feel like I was a part of something greater for the state of Utah,” said Whalen. “It one of the best experiences in my undergraduate career. It sparked the same creative drive I had during my time as an iFellow, and reminded me of why I got started in research in the first place.”
More information on the event and participants is available in the articles listed below.
Press: UU News | Utah State Today | Deseret News | Daily Utah Chronicle
Credit: UU Office of Undergraduate Research
January 12, 2017
iUTAH Making a Difference Brochure
Our state faces water issues that have economic, ecological, and human consequences. To sustain Utah’s water resources, we must be prepared to address a highly complex array of environmental processes and social concerns. Since 2012, the researchers, educators, and resource managers in iUTAH have been working together to understand the water issues that have economic, ecological, and human consequences. Our research is contributing to predicting the effects of natural events and human choices on water systems, creating better understanding of threats and measurements of Utah’s water systems, and informing citizens and policy makers about water and the ways we can sustain it for future generations.
With the help of the iUTAH Leadership Team, we have recently put together a 16-page brochure on “Utah’s Water Future.” The brochure features the efforts and successes of the iUTAH project while outlining “how iUTAH is making a difference” in the state. Features in the piece include the concerns, consequences, and contributions that are being made through your research, training, and educational efforts. While printed copies of the brochure are available for distribution, a digital version is available online in the brochures sections of the website, here.
Creating the piece is just the first step in raising awareness of these efforts. We ask that you review this piece, use it in your presentations, and let us know new ways that it should be used to reach key stakeholders in the state. The knowledge we’re gaining and the tools we’re developing will help water professionals and other decision makers make informed choices and take appropriate action to secure Utah's water future.
January 10, 2017
UTAH iFellows Now Accepting Applications For Summer 2017
iUTAH is offering the iFellows Undergraduate Research Program for the fifth straight year on May 15 - July 28, 2017. The iFellows Program provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to gain first-hand research experience in the labs of iUTAH project scientists. iFellows are placed at either the U of U, USU, or BYU for the summer, and participate in valuable research, mentorship, science training and communication opportunities throughout the program.
We are recruiting undergraduate students from any Utah institution of higher learning. Students from institutions that primarily serve undergraduates and students of diverse cultural backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. The program recruits students to assist with iUTAH-related research, which cover a wide range of academic disciplines. Applicants from any university major who are interested in research and water-related issues in Utah are welcome to apply.
Visit the iFellows Program page for information and to apply:
• The 2017 Program Application
• Information on the program, which offers a $4,500 stipend
• Recruitment materials (including printable flyers and a brief presentation)
Applications are due on February 10, 2017. Please contact Ellen Eiriksson, iUTAH Education, Outreach and Diversity Coordinator, for more information. We welcome you to share this exciting opportunity with students and faculty in your network.
October 18, 2016
iUTAH Researchers Involved In New NSF Grants
Three projects totaling nearly $3.3 million were among those selected to receive National Science Foundation (NSF) awards in September 2016. iUTAH researchers are involved as principal or collaborating investigators to advance three projects funded at three Utah universities.
Utah State University received $2.7 million to fund the NSF Research Traineeships over the next five years. A university press release stated that the program, named “Graduate Climate Adaptation Research that Enhances Education and Responsiveness of Science at the Management-Policy Interface” — or Grad-CAREER for short —anticipates training 80 master’s and doctoral students.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for graduate students to be involved in a dynamic, cross-disciplinary research environment,” says Nancy Huntly, professor in USU’s Department of Biology, director of the USU Ecology Center, and principal investigator and project director for Grad-CAREER. When asked about how her experience with iUTAH contributed to this award, Huntly said “The new Climate Adaptation Science specialization builds on the foundation of interdisciplinary collaboration that iUTAH has fostered.”
Additionally, two projects at Utah Valley University and the University of Utah have been selected to receive first-ever NSF INCLUDES funding. These projects hope to develop new approaches to diversifying the science and engineering workforce of the United States. NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) granted two-year awards to 37 proposals nationwide with a goal of increasing the number of individuals from underserved groups in the science and engineering workforce to sustain U.S. leadership in those disciplines. Both projects are working to improve access to STEM education and career pathways, making them more widely available to underserved populations in Utah.
Huntly leads the project team, which includes iUTAH researchers Courtney Flint, Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology and the USU Ecology Center; David Rosenberg, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Utah Water Research Laboratory; Simon Wang, Department of Plants, Soils and Climate and the Utah Climate Center and Sarah Null, Department of Watershed Sciences.
Utah Valley University received $300,000 to fund a project titled “Design & Development Launch Pilots: UTAH PREP.” through the NSF INCLUDES initiative. By partnering with Weber State University (WSU) and American Indian Services (AIS), PREParation for STEM Careers, UTAH PREP for short, aims to address the need for early preparation in mathematics to strengthen the secondary-to-postsecondary-to-career STEM pipeline. iUTAH researcher Daniel Horns, a professor in Earth Science and associate dean of the college of College of Science & Health, is the principal investigator of the project, along with co-investigators Andrew Stone, an assistant vice president of Recruitment and Outreach, and Violeta Vasilevska, an associate professor in Mathematics, all from UVU.
The University of Utah received nearly $300,000 in funding to launch a two-year pilot project through the NSF INCLUDES program. The project titled “Alliance to Strengthen the STEM Tapestry (ASSisT): Motivating Critical Identity Shifts to Weave the STEM Disenfranchised into Science and the Sustainability Workforce.” focuses on three STEM-disenfranchised groups: 1) adults who have been recently released from incarceration; 2) youth who have been released from juvenile custody; and 3) refugee youth, and builds on existing science education programs. iUTAH researcher Diane Pataki, a professor in UU’s biology department, and associate dean of student affairs in the College of Science, is a co-investigator on the project led by UU Professor of Biology Nalini Nadkarni. Others co-investigators from UU include Jordan Gerton, adjunct assistant professor, Bioengineering and associate professor, Physics and Astronomy, Sydney Cheek-O'Donnell, assistant professor and head of the Department of Theatre, and Russell Isabella, associate professor in Family and Consumer Studies and adjunct associate professor and Department of Psychology.
iUTAH is an NSF-funded project aimed at building statewide capacity to conduct research on vital environmental issues facing our state, specifically water sustainability. The project integrates research, training, and education to support Utah’s next generation STEM workforce and contribute to the education of and engagement with an informed, water-wise citizenry.
Press: Utah State Today | EurekAlert | NSF PR 16-129 | @theU
investigators for projects awarded NSF INCLUDES funding
August 3, 2016
Just Add Water: iUTAH's Summer Institute Engages Students and Teachers
As the fourth and final year of the iUTAH Summer Research Institute came to a close in July 2016, students, teachers, and faculty members reflected on the impact the program has had on them. Among the articles written about the weeklong program, the U’s article said that “A week of hands-on science projects changed the way Jose Galang, a junior at Juan Diego High School in Draper, thought about science. ‘I used to think that scientists were really smart people just doing research and experiments by themselves,’ he said. ‘I never realized there were so many people working together to solve problems.’ ”
Galang was among nine high school students who participated in the National Science Foundation funded-iUTAH summer research institute July 11-15, 2016. The institute brought together high school students, secondary education teachers and undergraduate students to conduct research on water sustainability in Utah under the direction of faculty, postdocs and graduate students from universities across the state.
The group got a firsthand look at what research looks like in several disciplines. On the first day, they recorded observations about the conditions along Emigration Creek and collected water samples. The second day, they learned how to trace the origin of fruits and vegetables by analyzing isotopes in the water content. The third day, they divided into groups across the valley and conducted social science research by surveying people about their access to water. The week culminated in a poster session, where participants presented their work and findings.
‘This program provides a really unique opportunity to bring together students and educators from all along the STEM pipeline,’ said Louisa Stark, director of the iUTAH Summer Research Institute and U professor. ‘There was a lot of peer mentoring going on between the high school students and undergraduates and among the secondary education teachers and the university faculty.’ ”
The article includes comments by other students and Rachel Gabor, iUTAH postdoctoral researcher, and can be read in its entirely below.
Press: UU News | Deseret News | KUSU Radio
