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STEM Ambassadors

The STEM Ambassador Program began in 2016 as a training program for a small cohort of University of Utah scientists. Since then, we have grown to work with over 170 graduate students, post-docs, faculty, staff, and undergraduate students. Scroll down to learn about the scientists who have participated. Contact us if you would like to reach out to a STEM Ambassador.

Note that many Ambassador bios were uploaded when the Ambassador joined the program and may not be current.

Keaton Tremble

Photo of Keaton Tremble

Keaton Tremble works in the Dentinger Lab at the Natural History Museum of Utah and studies the drivers of speciation and genome evolution in the globally prized porcini mushroom (Boletus edulis group). Keaton is specifically interested in a group of ecologically important fungi called ectomycorrhizae, which associate with trees and provide nutrients in exchange for energy. There are over 20,000 species of ectomycorrhizae, and we have little understanding of why the group is so diverse and what different roles these fungi may play in the ecosystem. In his work, Keaton is in constant collaboration with citizen mycologists around the world and is excited to improve his science communication skills through the STEM Ambassador Program. When not wandering around looking for porcini, Keaton is an avid skier, rafter, and mountain biker and can often be found chasing his enthusiastic boston terrier, Evie, down a trail somewhere.