Student Innovation at the U | 2024 Report | University of Utah

Introduction

From the President

Read the welcome message from our president, Taylor Randall.
Read More

About Report & Contributors

Want to know more about who produced this report and why? We have answers.
Read More

Print Edition

This report is also in a print format. Download it, or request a copy.
Download PDF | Contact Us

1. Fashion & Design

Empowering Women Through Fashion

Taby Davila is on a mission to bring inclusivity to the fashion industry. She is the founder of Shop Taby — an inclusive and empowering clothing brand ...

All-Natural Men’s Grooming Products

Ethan McQuarrie, an entrepreneurship student splitting his time between the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College, took notice of the rapidly evolving men’s personal-care market ...

Adventure-Ready Apparel

Brennah Strange, a multi-disciplinary design student at the University of Utah, is designing gear that looks good, feels good, and works hard while being kind to the planet. ...

University of Utah business and ethics student Houston Brackett is an innovative artist with a love of creation and purpose. He is the founder of Juice Artistry, a startup focusing on making fashionable, eco-friendly accessories ...

2. Food

A Tasty and Convenient Breakfast

Getting a balanced breakfast every morning can be hard, especially as a college student with limited time and space. Jack Urness, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Utah, is working on a solution. ...

Gourmet, All-Natural Dog Treats

Idaho Barkery founder Sabrina Sherwood is a clinical pharmacist, dog lover, and entrepreneur who is dedicated to serving our furry friends gourmet all-natural treats. ...

3. Research

Low-Cost Energy Storage

Yana Qin, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering at the University of Utah, has made innovative contributions to the field of low-cost energy storage technologies, including advancements in flow batteries and sodium-ion batteries. ...

Building Resilient Communities

At the Utah Smart Energy Lab, Alex Farley, a fourth-year Ph.D. student, is merging engineering with community resilience principles to strengthen local infrastructure. ...

AI-Powered Rock Strength Analysis

Changdi He, a Ph.D. candidate in mining engineering at the University of Utah, is revolutionizing how rock strength is analyzed using image processing, numerical modeling, and machine learning. ...

Exploring Local Greek History

Salt Lake City has a long and rich history of Greek migration. Alexia Maikidou Poutrino, an MFA candidate in modern dance at the University of Utah, explored this local Greek history through her research. ...

4. Arts

From Atoms to Art

What do chemistry and ballet have in common? For Kirsten Rye, the answer is creativity. A senior double majoring in ballet and chemistry with a minor in ecology and legacy through the Honors College, Rye sees movement not just in dance, but in atoms. ...

Fixing Accessibility Barriers

They say when one door closes, another opens, but that isn’t always the case when it comes to accessibility on campus. At the University of Utah, senior Ada Popham is taking an innovative approach to ensuring that doors ...

Creating Societal Change Through Art

Bachelor of fine arts in art teaching student Courtney Buss is helping create social change through art in a collaboration with Sydney Porter Williams, a community-based teaching artist and professor of art and art education at the University of Utah. ...

A Personal Touch to Wedding Photography

Riley Knautz, a marketing major at the University of Utah, is transforming the world of destination wedding and elopement photography with a deeply personal approach. Through her business, Capturedbyrileyk, she focuses on more than just taking beautiful photos. ...

5. Community

Enhancing Education Through STEM

Marlon Lindsay is committed to ensuring that all students receive a comprehensive STEM education. He is pursuing this goal as the founder of 21stCenturyEd, a company he is growing in the Master of Business Creation program ...

Platforming Student Needs

Within the College of Science, the reestablished Student Council is transforming how students engage with faculty, leadership, and each other. Reactivated in 2023 by Savannah Romney and Rachel Muhlestein, the council fills a void left by the pandemic ...

Strengthening the Law School Community

Law school can be an intense and high-pressure environment, but University of Utah law student Parker Airmet is working to change that through Students Helping Students, an initiative focused on fostering mental well-being, career support, and peer mentorship ...

6. Artificial Intelligence

Transforming Tutoring with AI

During his undergraduate career, Joshua Smith found many opportunities to gain experience in programming and data analytics. These experiences and his fascination with AI, ignited in 2017 in response to innovations in visual style transfer ...

An AI-Powered Meditation App

Master of Business Creation founder Connor Chase is working to make a big impact on the world by bringing artificial intelligence to mental health treatment. The Guided app is an AI-powered meditation app ...

Using AI for Anemia Detection

Anemia, a condition in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to insufficient amounts of hemoglobin, affects roughly a third of the world’s population, threatening long-term health. ...

7. Athletics

Mental Strength Training for Athletes

Poiz is an app changing the mental game for athletes. Founder Chase Austin grew up passionate about sports and athletics. His father coached mental performance for pro athletes, and Austin applied his teachings to his athletic experience. ...

Balancing Olympic Training and Homework

Kristen Santos-Griswold, a physical therapy master’s student, had the unique experience of being a dedicated Olympic speed skater and a student at the University of Utah, and she has achieved many significant milestones along her journey. ...

8. Health

Mobile Breast-Imaging Services

The Boob Bus wants mammograms to be fun. A startup co-founded by Rena Vanzo, The Boob Bus offers mobile breast imaging services, as well as cosmetic injectables and genetic testing. ...

Improving Menstrual Health in India

University of Utah Master of Public Health students Olivia Pratt and Clara Mayfield are reshaping conversations around menstrual health through their research initiative in Spiti Valley, India. ...

Custom Allergy Cards for Worry-Free Dining

Entrepreneurship student Ben McCloskey wants to eliminate the struggle of explaining food allergies when ordering food. He is doing this as the co-founder of The Allergy Card, a startup company that allows users to create and print their own allergy and food restriction cards ...

9. Entertainment

Your Premier Route to Machu Picchu

Jared Snow, a founder in the Master of Business Creation program at the University of Utah, is on a mission to be the top choice for U.S. travelers on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. ...

This Pirate Game Will Rock Your Boat

Have you ever wished your console controllers were more immersive? Imagine controlling your game with a custom-built seesaw, relying on a friend to achieve victory. ...

Publishing African Voices

Kenechi Uzor wants to amplify African voices. That’s why he launched Iskanchi Press, a United States-based publishing house. The name is inspired by “Iskanci,” the Hausa word for non-conformity — something Uzor’s startup lives up to. ...

Revitalizing Movie Posters

University of Utah students Tan Nguyen and Tobias Mache have one goal: revitalize the movie-going experience. They are the founders of Cineractive, a company working to create interactive display technology for movie theaters ...