Using algae as an alternative biofuel is not new, but two undergraduates in chemical engineering may have found a way to commercialize it on a large scale — something that researchers have not yet figured out how to do. Sophomores Tyler Lee and Samuel Doane are developing a bioreactor system capable of extracting oil from […]
When Anne Schaeffer, a Ph.D. candidate in physics, wanted to study the properties of materials, specifically superconductors, under extreme conditions, she realized that she wouldn’t know the true effects unless they were tested concurrently. Her solution: create a method herself. With grant support, she created a pressure chamber that tested two different samples of a […]
When a class project asked students to design a library in Arizona, Caitlin Thissen, a recent architecture graduate, wanted to not only design a usable library but one that embraced the community’s traditions. Thissen used the traditions of the Hohokam tribe, who settled in northern Arizona, as a precedent for developing a building system and […]
What began as a basic science research project for Aude Peden evolved to a much more complex study to help people. Peden, a post-doctoral fellow with the department of biology, came to the U to identify new genes that regulate the nervous system using genetic screens and small roundworms as a modal system. Peden’s project […]
Are certain tasks more distracting than others while driving? For three years, James Coleman, a graduate student in psychology, has been working with professor David Strayer to identify types of distracted driving. Measuring physiological and subjective levels, Coleman created a rating scale. He is currently using his results to meet with advocacy groups who have […]
Small helicopters propelled by four rotors are used to collect data for agriculture and military uses. But they lack the battery power for continuous flight. Beau Freckleton, a student majoring in mechanical engineering, has been working on that problem for almost three years. He is creating a way helicopters can perch like birds, so they […]
While some students are struggling to keep up their grades and social life, Kendahl Melvin is a track and field star, full-time student, Associated Students senior class president, and a major advocate for women in politics. A major in political science and international studies, Melvin has seen that while half of the Utah population is […]
Derek Jewell, a biomedical engineering major at the U, and Courtney Doyle, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, are proving that LEGOs are for people of any age. They joined forces with the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, Utah’s operational partner for FIRST LEGO League, to start a mentor program. FIRST LEGO League teams consist of kids […]
Lindsey Wright, a doctoral student in piano performance at the U, is making learning the piano easy and affordable for elementary school students in Utah. Wright observed that Utah schools were cutting the funding for music programs. In response, Wright created U-Play Piano, an online computer-based piano curriculum that is much more affordable and engaging […]
Students in the College of Fine Arts already push the boundaries of what’s possible, but they are challenging themselves to do even more through a new program called ArtsForce. This two-day conference organized by and for students was the response to a student survey that showed an overwhelming desire to supplement the education about their […]
