Education and Outreach News

What is the best way to help people to understand issues surrounding changing climate and water quality in Utah’s watersheds? If you can’t bring the people to the watershed, the next best way is to bring the watershed to them. That’s what iUTAH has done.

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iUTAH is working hard to address Utah’s need to help students grow their interest in STEM research fields. Through its iFellows program, undergraduate students are involved in cutting-edge research and scholarly work on water-related issues. This program, now in its fourth year, takes place over an 11-week period each summer, beginning in May. Since 2013, the program has funded 63 iFellows undergraduate researchers, bringing students from around the state to Utah’s premier research institutions: the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Brigham Young University.

One of the best parts of the iFellows program is that it stimulates interest among talented undergraduates in research science careers by introducing them to the work researchers are doing. Students are involved in a wide range of research topics, ranging from aquatic biology to urban planning to environmental engineering. A key component of the program is identifying and matching student interests to research projects and mentors. Once they are assigned to a faculty member, graduate and peer mentor, students become involved in current iUTAH research projects.

This year’s 18 iFellows represent iUTAH’s continuing commitment to STEM education and diversity with 71% female and 18% under-represented minority students participating. The 2016 iFellow undergraduate researchers are listed as follows, including hometown, current institution, and iUTAH faculty mentor:

• Joydino Beyale - Red Mesa, UT, USU Eastern – Blanding, with Ryan Dupont, USU
• Heather Bottelberghe - Grantsville, UT, Salt Lake Community College, with Sarah Null, USU
• Katelyn Boyer – Springville, UT, Utah State University, with Sam St. Clair, BYU
• Todd Brown – Hooper, UT, Utah State University, with David Rosenberg, USU
• Darcie Christensen – Tremonton, UT, Utah State University, with Christine Pomeroy, UU 
• Georgie Corkery – Salt Lake City, UT, University of Utah, with Steve Burian, UU
• Cynthia Elliott – Valencia, CA, Weber State University, with Mark Brunson, USU
• Andrew Hackett – Layton, UT, Weber State University, with Sarah Null, USU
• Greta Hamilton – Salt Lake City, UT, Salt Lake Community College, with Greg Carling, BYU
• Stacy Henderson – Salt Lake City, UT, Westminster College, with Joanna Endter-Wada, USU
• Rebecca Lee – San Diego, CA, Brigham Young University, with Zach Aanderud, BYU
• Gabriela Martinez – Salt Lake City, UT, Salt Lake Community College, with Sarah Hinners, UU
• Mitchell Steele – Orem, UT, Utah State University, with Ryan Dupont, USU
• Shanae Tate – Salt Lake City, UT, Brigham Young University, with Scott Jones, USU
• Luis Vidal – Logan, UT, University of Utah, with Mark Brunson, USU
• Lily Wetterlin – Midway, UT, University of Utah, with Diane Pataki, UU
• Adam Whalen – Draper, UT, University of Utah, with Sara Yeo, UU
• Sandra Udy (Young) – Vernal, UT, Utah State University, with Michelle Baker, USU

“This summer’s iFellows Program is off to a great start,” says Ellen Eiriksson, iUTAH Education, Outreach and Diversity Coordinator. “Students have arrived eager to contribute to iUTAH's multi-disciplinary research and to gain valuable experience working with the project's many inspirational faculty and near-peer mentors.” These students come from disciplines ranging from general studies and communications to environmental science and engineering. All are bringing new ideas and insights together to help address Utah’s future water concerns.

iFellow Rebecca Lee collecting soil samples in the Rush Valley, Utah, while working in Zach Aanderud’s lab at BYU. Credit Rebecca Lee.

 

Sandra Young of Vernal, UT, working on iUTAH research in Michelle Baker’s lab, is preparing sampling equipment before deployment in the upper Provo River to collect dissolved oxygen and light levels at the surface and river floor. Credit Sandra Young.

Students from Utah State University Eastern’s Blanding campus presented posters showing what they learned during this summer’s Native American STEM Mentorship program held on USU’s Logan campus. Two students, Leander Rockwell and Anna Sagg, were among the 23 undergraduate researchers. Leander and Anna worked with on iUTAH research in Ryan Dupont’s and Mark Brunson’s labs, alongside graduate, undergraduate, and iFellow peer mentors.

“This is the second year we’ve been involved with the program, and I can’t be more pleased with how it’s gone,” said Mark Brunson, iUTAH Education, Outreach and Diversity director. “Engaging with the Native American Student Mentorship Program is a perfect fit with our iUTAH goals of enhancing the diversity of participants in our state’s STEM workforce and to offer research experiences to students at colleges and universities that primarily serve undergraduates."

The poster session, held on June 6, featured studies ranging from electrochemical water splitting to thermochronology of Utah’s Wasatch Fault together with iUTAH projects involving the effects of vegetation on stormwater and surveys on water perceptions in the state.

"This was a great event, and it was great to see it so well attended, said Andreas Leidolf, iUTAH Assistant Director and Project Administrator. “I was impressed with how excited these students were to present their experiences of participating in this program to the campus community. Hearing first-hand what a difference a faculty or graduate student mentor has made in these students' lives in such a short span of time is really quite awe-inspiring, and a testament to the supportive and inclusive environment Utah State University has created."  

Now in its second year, the NASM program, started with grant funding from the national Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions initiative, encourages to students to explore advanced STEM educational opportunities and careers.

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NASMP participant Leander Rockwell presenting his research iUTAH projects involving the effects of vegetation on stormwater and survey’s on water perceptions in the state.

 

Undergraduate researchers Leander Rockwell and Anna Sagg checking out the Green Meadows stormwater field in Logan, Utah.

iUTAH partner Utah Water Watch (UWW), a Utah State University Water Quality Extension program, was featured recently by KVNU radio, out of Logan Utah. Eli Robinson, an AmeriCorps Volunteer, spoke with reporters about local water education programs. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

Robinson said "We've been busy starting early this spring. We've traveled around to a lot of water fairs for 4th graders throughout the state. Just last week we were doing a water fair in Cache County...we were teaching kids about the watershed and how what they do on land affects the watershed."

UWW is a water quality education and data collection program that seeks to increase awareness about the importance of water quality and promote stewardship of Utah’s aquatic resources. Staff from UWW serve on the iUTAH External Engagement and Outreach team. UWW was the recipient of an iUTAH Education, Outreach, and Diversity Innovation Award in 2014.

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Students participating in one of UWW’s water education programs. Credit: Utah Water Watch, USU Water Quality Extension

Dan Bedford has been selected as the next Honors Program Director at Weber State University. Credit: Dan Bedford

 

Dan Bedford, professor of Geography (WSU), has been selected as the next Honors Program Director at Weber State University. Bedford, who has experience as a teacher and researcher at WSU, has taught in the Honors Program since 2008. He has also served in leadership roles within iUTAH, both receiving and mentoring other researchers connected with the iUTAH Research Catalyst Grant.

“I am looking to build on the excellent work of the previous director, Judy Elsley, by growing a community of scholars who are able to think outside the box,” said Bedford. “Solving today's and tomorrow's problems increasingly requires trans-disciplinary thinking, and I'm looking to foster those interests and skills.” As director, Bedford is committed to an engaged learning environment and impactful research that will benefit the curricular and scholarly interest of faculty and students alike.

Bedford sees the new position as “an opportunity to develop collaborative partnerships across campus, working with faculty from lots of different disciplines to build exciting, engaging, relevant learning experiences for students.” He added that “iUTAH helped prepare me for the job by pushing me out of my comfort zone and into collaborations with other faculty, both within and beyond WSU, exploring new undergraduate research, and giving me and the rest of the WSU iUTAH team a framework in which to hone our student mentoring skills.”