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 50 faculty, graduate students, and post-docs. 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.
Travis is a 4th year Ph.D. student working for Dr. Marc Calaf and Dr. Eric Pardyjak in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Utah. His thesis work has been on understanding the physical processes in the atmospheric boundary layer (bottom 1 km of the atmosphere) which are driven by spatial differences in surface temperature. Thus far, his studies have been conducted through field experiments, where he collects basic meteorological data in an idealized setting in Utah’s West Desert. The overall goal of this research is to improve the parameterization of land surface interactions in numerical weather prediction models.
Dara Niketic studies bacterial genetics at the University of Utah. She is interested in the genetics of bacterial movement, specifically in the origins and mechanics of the flagellum.
Judy Ou received her PhD from Boston University School of Public Health and BS and MPH from Brigham Young University. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in epidemiology at the University of Utah, where she works on a variety of studies in the cancer field. Her projects include identifying the late health effects of pediatric cancer treatments, examining patterns and trends in environmental exposure and cancers among adults, and identifying barriers to adherence in cancer screenings among Latinos.
She enjoys climbing, gardening, hiking, and eating desserts.
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Lace Padilla works in an interdisciplinary Visual Perception and Spatial Cognition perception research group run by Dr. Sarah Creem-Regehr, Dr. Jeanine Stefanucci, and Dr. William B. Thompson at the University of Utah. She works on two NSF funded projects; Uncertainty Visualization Project, and Spatial Cognition and Navigation (SCAN) Project. |
Lace is a strong advocate for minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She is the founder and president of the Diversity Graduate School Application Advisory, which helps underrepresented undergraduate students—specifically female, minority, LGBTQ, non-US citizens, and differently-abled students— apply for graduate school. For her diversity in STEM work, she has received the Martin Harris Hiatt Memorial Graduate Fellowship, For Underrepresented Populations and the Clayton Fellowship, For Excellence In Research with Underrepresented Populations.
To learn more about her work, please visit LacePadilla.com.
David Parrott studies a tiny mutant of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Thale Cress; discovered in Leslie Sieburth’s laboratory at the University of Utah). Using a combination of genetics, genomics, and plant physiology, David is investigating how an as-of-yet unknown signaling molecule made in the root of the mutant plant (but present in all plants) might alert the shoot and slow growth when there is too much salt or not enough water in the soil. This research could be important in understanding how plants cope with drought.
David loves to telemark ski, mountain bike, and work in his garden.
Brandon Patterson is the Technology Engagement Librarian at the University of Utah’s Eccles Health Sciences Library. His role connects students, staff and faculty to digital tools and emerging technologies to support teaching and learning. His research interests include increasing information literacy in the health sciences and creating simulation tools in extended reality (VR/MR/XR) platforms for health sciences learners.
Brandon enjoys quality time in the great outdoors, cooking good food, cycling up canyon roads, and hanging out with family.
Ariadne Penalva works at the University of Utah where she studies neural development, as well as the origins of neurodevelopmental disorders. She has a background in biochemistry and psychology.
Cecilia Prator is an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology and works in Dr. William Brazelton’s lab at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on examining the role of viruses in the Lost City hydrothermal field chimneys. Cecilia completed her PhD at UC Berkeley and has also worked on plant and human viruses. Her scientific interests include virus transmission biology, virus diversity, and host-virus interactions. She enjoys horseback riding, camping, skiing, and cooking.
Rodolfo Probst works in Dr. Jack Longino’s Lab at the University of Utah where he investigates the evolution of ant-plan mutualistic interactions. Specifically, he studies how fast (evolutionary speaking) does it take for arboreal ants to evolve a “true friendship” with their plant hosts. Roodolfo received his B.S. and Master’s from The State University of São Paulo and the Zoology Museum of the University of São Paulo respectively. He is led by his interest in ant evolution, as well as his passion for tropical fieldwork, teaching the public about bugs and conservation, and exploring the outdoors – or complex mallard reactions in his kitchen.
Shrinivasan (Cheenu) works with Dr. Toto Olivera at the University of Utah where he investigates different types of brain cells found in rodent nervous system and tracks how these cells change their properties under chronic pain conditions. Cheenu uses microscopy and fluorescence imaging techniques to study these brain cells and to search for novel pharmacological interventions that could alleviate chronic pain.
Cheenu likes to experiment with different cuisines that he shares with his hiking and trail running friends.
Kathleen Ritterbush is a paleontologist at the University of Utah. She studies what ocean life was like during and before the time of the dinosaurs. Recent projects include modeling sea shells of extinct squid-like ammonite fossils to test if the animals could swim, and hunting for fossil sea sponges in ancient rocks. Because these ancient rocks are pushed into mountains by the Earth’s shifting surface, fossil hunting takes her across deserts of the American West and up into the Peruvian Andes. She is most interested in what animals flourish after global mass extinction events, and how this is related to world-wide environmental changes.
Victoria Russell works at the University of Utah where she studies biological fuel cells, which use catalysts derived from biological components to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. These catalysts include components from living cells (enzymatic fuel cells), or even entire cells (microbial fuel cells). Her research involves using genetic engineering to develop and improve upon biological catalysts used in enzymatic fuel cells.
A native of New York City, Victoria dove enthusiastically into all that Utah’s outdoors have to offer. She can often be found hiking, snowshoeing, backpacking, or canyoneering. She also enjoys reading and traveling, and is always up for planning her next adventure.
| Joanna Bettmann Schaefer is a Professor at the University of Utah College of Social Work. She received her B.A. with honors from Dartmouth College in 1993, her MSW from the University of Utah in 1999, and her Ph.D from Smith College School for Social Work in 2005. Dr. Schaefer has received numerous honors, including the 2013 Dean’s Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, the 2011 Psychoanalytic Psychodynamic Research Society Award, a 2006-2007 fellowship with the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the 1993 Lawrence Marx Jr. Award of Dartmouth College.
She worked as a field staff, field therapist, director, and researcher at wilderness therapy and residential treatment settings for troubled youth from 1994 to 2016. She has also worked as a clinical social worker in several community mental health agencies, the University of Utah Counseling Center, and in private practice. She is trained in disaster response and served as a social worker for the American Red Cross response to Hurricane Katrina in Utah and Mississippi. Dr. Schaefer writes and researches on a range of topics, including nature’s impact on mental health, wilderness therapy, residential treatment, and attachment. She has published articles in Psychological Services, Journal of Child and Family Studies, Research on Social Work Practice, Journal of Counseling Psychology, International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, Journal of Experiential Education, Child and Youth Care Forum, Clinical Social Work Journal, Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, the Journal of Teaching in Social Work, Smith College Studies in Social Work, and the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. She has presented her research nationally and internationally at professional conferences over the last 20 years. Dr. Schaefer has received grant funding to support her research agenda, including grants recently from the Sierra Club to investigate the mental health and psychosocial outcomes of peer-led immersive wilderness trips for military veterans. |
Emily works in Dr. Strayer’s Applied Cognition Laboratory studying how neural biomarkers of attention and physiological stress are modulated by exposure to natural environments. Using multiple methodologies in her research has also sparked her interest in the coupling between neurophysiological measures (e.g., EEG) and peripheral physiological measures (e.g., ECG) during restorative interventions.
Emily enjoys putting her research into practice by venturing outdoors as much as possible!
Abrianna, or “Abbey”, works with Dr. Phyllis Coley in the Biology Department at the University of Utah. She is a chemical ecologist broadly interested in plant-herbivore interactions, plant chemical defenses, botany, entomology, and defense sequestration. In the Coley lab, she helps investigate and identify defensive compounds found in the leaves of the tropical tree genus Inga.
Abbey also worked with Dr. Mark Hunter at the University of Michigan to study how dietary plant chemistry and environmental change affect flight ability in the monarch butterfly. She currently works as a lab tech for Dr. Coley, but hopes to move on to a PhD program in the near future and pursue a career in research and academia.
Abbey loves backpacking, camping, hiking, and generally appreciating in the natural world with her friends and dog, Korra. She also enjoys reading, writing, singing, live music, and good food.
Pratiti Tagore holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a master’s degree in Urban Planning, both from India. Her work at the University of Utah focuses on human behavior and perceptions on western water conservation and conservation habits in general. She is interested in research on outdoor landscape and water use in single family homes. Pratiti is also interested in the built environment and human perceptions, and how the built environment influences conservation behavior. She is an active member in the Metro Water Lab. Her research is interdisciplinary, connecting planning, sociology, policy, and landscape architecture. Pratiti is enthusiastic about continuing to work on resource management and human perceptions with a multipronged approach.
Anna Vickrey works in Dr. Michael Shapiro’s lab at the University of Utah. She is interested in understanding the genetic, developmental, and evolutionary basis of variation. Birds in particular display an enormous amount of variation that has evolved under natural, sexual, and artificial selection. Relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms that produce this variation. In order to identify genes, mutations, and developmental pathways that produce particular traits in birds, her lab studies the rock pigeon. Rock pigeons are an ideal species in which to study variation because of the tremendous phenotypic diversity present among over 350 breeds.
The lab is currently investigating a variety of traits in rock pigeons, including colors and color patterns, feather ornaments, and flying behaviors. Similar traits are present in wild species of birds, and learning about the molecular and evolutionary basis of these traits in pigeons helps her learn about the same traits in wild species.
Anna has about 40 pet pigeons, and loves birding, bird banding, road biking, trail running, and cooking in her free time.
Morgan Wambaugh works in the lab of Dr. Jessica Brown at the University of Utah. She is using a screening method to identify drugs that work synergistically (having a greater effect together) with the common antifungal fluconazole. She then investigates the mechanism of why these two drugs work better together to identify the potential new fungal target and more treatment options for invasive fungal infections.
Morgan enjoys craft breweries, hiking, and traveling with friends.
Dr. Bryan Welm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah and breast cancer researcher at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. His laboratory is developing a method, called Functional Precision Oncology, where live cancer cells are removed from a patient and studied in the lab to evaluate therapeutic vulnerabilities. The goal of his research is to determine whether the response of a person’s cancer cells to different drugs can help physicians determine the best treatment for the patient. Dr. Welm is also an artist and builds metal sculptures that symbolize elements of science and biology. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys skiing and mountain biking in the mountains around Salt Lake City.
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