Inside a giant rolling ball, a hamster is making a break for freedom. That’s the premise behind Udon Uncaged, a larger-than-life alternative control game created by a team of students from the Division of Games at the University of Utah. Instead of using a joystick, players power the action themselves by climbing inside a human-sized […]

While finishing a degree in chemical engineering with a minor in math at the University of Utah, John Peterson pursued a fascination with photolithography and launched the Quasi Stepper, a project that aims to make possible the creation of micro- and nanometer-scale patterns essential for fabricating components used in chips and other advanced devices. With […]

University of Utah computer science students Rishen Cao, Quinn Pritchett, Mel Umble, and Eric Zhuo are streamlining renter communications with their app, Roof. The app connects landlords and renters to streamline payments, maintenance requests, and other communications. The idea came from Umble’s frustrations with her own landlord. “I would have super long text message threads, […]

Spencer Marx, a math student at the University of Utah, and partner Nathaniel Fargo, an electrical engineering and physics student, are the founders of Aloe, and they are currently focused on building a device to prevent rotator cuff injuries. “We built a compact handheld ultrasound device and then incorporated AI to interpret images that would […]

Denisse Martinez, a biology student at the University of Utah, has a vision for making the average gym experience more social and inclusive, and she is pursuing it with her startup, Alchemist. Martinez found that in a typical gym experience there can be a lack of member engagement, feelings of intimidation, low motivation, and limited […]

Tyler Cichelli, founder of Voodoo Pickleball and a business student at the University of Utah, is making the game more fun and affordable for all players. Cichelli’s vision took off when he and his buddies got into pickleball and couldn’t find any fun paddles. Everything they found for sale was expensive, and all the options […]

“Student Innovation at the U” is an annual publication celebrating student innovation and impact at the University of Utah. A digital version is available at lassonde.utah.edu/studentinnovation2026. This publication is produced by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business and the hub for student entrepreneurs and innovators at the […]

Welcome to the 2026 edition of “Student Innovation at the U.” The students featured on these pages are proof that curiosity, courage, and a drive to make the world better are alive and thriving on our campus. At the University of Utah, we believe that a great education is just the beginning. Students here don’t […]