College of Science Awards 2023

Valedictorian

Dylan Julander, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Faculty Escort: Dr. Missy Kofoed

A long-distance, daily commuter for most of his USU years, Dylan Julander offers advice for snowy, white-knuckled driving through Utah’s Sardine Canyon: 1) Leave early (Be punctual); 2) Have snow tires (Be prepared); and, if conditions are really treacherous, 3) Attend class remotely or catch a later class (Be safe). Those bits of advice – Be Punctual, Be Prepared, Be Safe – bode well for a lot of life’s situations, he says, and are likely among the wisdom Dylan will impart to students, as he embarks on a high school science teaching career. The Perry, Utah native fell in love with chemistry during introductory courses, and chose a Chemistry Teaching major, along with a Physics Teaching minor, for his academic pursuits. Teaching, he says, is an opportunity to change lives for the better. Beyond the classroom, Dylan enjoys camping, hunting and hiking – “anything outdoors” – building things, playing chess with wife, Sadie, and working on the couple’s “fixer-upper” home.

Bruce Brewer, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

A native of American Fork, Utah, Bruce studies partial differential equations and nonlinear waves with faculty mentor Nghiem Nguyen in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Among his current projects is examining the interaction of long and short waves in dispersive media. He presented at the 2022 Science (IMACS) International Conference on Nonlinear Evolution Equations and Wave Phenomena: Computation and Theory. Bruce was named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar and pursued a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates internship at North Carolina State University, where he studied adversarial machine learning. He was employed with a web development bootcamp for junior high and high school students, where he supervised hundreds of students from Utah and Idaho. Bruce plans graduate studies in mathematics and an academic career.

Nicola Baird, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Nicola Baird has two big post-graduation plans: 1) Continuing as a 7th grade math teacher in Utah’s Box Elder School District and 2) Welcoming her first baby. The Heber City, Utah native is completing a bachelor’s degree in Math Education, with a minor in Music. During her undergraduate career, Nicola has served as an America Reads Math Tutor Manager and also as president of the USU Student Chapter of Association for Women in Mathematics. The friendships she’s made as part of USU’s AWM chapter, she says, are among her most cherished memories at Utah State.

Aaron Cox, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Mountlake Terrace, Washington native Aaron Cox is an Actuarial Science major in USU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The recipient of a USU Martha Hoyt Scholarship, Aaron is an intern with Select Health. He says he enjoys applying the many statistical and financial processes he’s learned in USU classes to real-world applications, which give him the opportunity to make a positive impact within an organization.  Aaron has accepted a position as an Actuarial Analyst with managed healthcare provider, Centene Corporation.

Kenyon Gale, Department of Biology

On the road the medical school, Kenyon Gale, a Human Biology major and Chemistry minor, has undertaken a busy load as a teaching assistant for BIOL 1030 and supplemental instruction leader. The Littleton, Colorado native performed these much-needed services during the challenging pandemic period, while achieving an impressive academic record. Kenyon received the Thomas M. Farley Award in Chemistry, one of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry’s top undergraduate awards, in Spring 2020. Among the Aggie’s favorite memories of his undergraduate career, are adventures running with the USU Trail Running Club.

Joshua Kay, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Joshua Kay’s undergraduate pursuits include research focused on fast computation of the friction stir welding process with model order reduction and machine learning, with faculty mentor Zilong Song. Joshua was awarded USU’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities grant to pursue the research. A Mathematics major with an emphasis in computational mathematics, Joshua is a recipient of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ Outstanding Undergraduate Computational Mathematics Award. The Syracuse, Utah native plans to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics from Utah State.

Rebekah Scott, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

As a math and statistics tutor in USU’s Aggie Math Learning Center, Rebekah Scott says helping others master challenging concepts is among her most cherished memories at Utah State. The Mathematics and Statistics Composite major has also racked up an impressive list of her own achievements, including receiving the Edwin Meese Award for Excellence in American Politics, participating in the Auschwitz Jewish Center’s American Service Academies Program, receiving the West Point Annual Mathematics Student Award and being selected as a Los Alamos National Laboratory Community Data Science Fellow. At Los Alamos, Rebekah spent a summer working on experimental design. The Sarver, Pennsylvania native plans to enter an M.S. degree program in statistics at Iowa State University in Fall 2023.

Andrew Williams, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Andrew Williams, a biochemistry major with a music minor, has pursued an exciting undergraduate research career focused on newly discovered CRISPR technology. Specifically, Andrew studies anti-CRISPR genes that act against these sophisticated bacterial immune systems. The Sandy, Utah native says his work in this field with Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty mentor Ryan Jackson has fueled his passion for research, which he plans to continue in a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree program following graduation from USU. To support his research, Andrew secured a College of Science Undergraduate Research Minigrant in 2020 and was a 2021 Peak Fellow. He presented his research findings at an international CRISPR meeting in 2021.

Sarah Nielson, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

Sarah Nielson was the 2022 recipient of the Harris O. and Eleanor Y. Van Orden Award in Biochemistry, given to the top undergraduate in USU’s biochemistry lecture series. That honor gave her a key edge in becoming an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for the series, along with her infectious enthusiasm for the subject. Along with her teaching excellence, Sarah is an avid researcher. The biochemistry major, who minors in biology, studies protein arginine methyltransferases – enzymes important to cardiovascular health – with faculty mentor Joanie Hevel. To fund her research, Sarah was awarded two USU URCO grants and was selected as a Peak Fellow. She presented her research at USU’s 2022 Hansen Life Sciences Retreat. Following graduation from Utah State, Sarah, who has lived in Utah, Missouri and Indiana, will pursue a doctoral degree in biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, where she’ll continue research in enzymology.

Heather Allen, Department of Physics

The youngest of six children, Heather Allen grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah, where she says she “developed a strong sense of curiosity of the natural world.” A research assistant in USU’s Materials Physics Group led by Professor J.R. Dennison, Heather investigates the electrostatic properties of lunar dust, pursuing knowledge that could make spacecraft and spacesuit design safer. Heather has been involved in research on several NASA-funded projects and, within her first year of research, designed, funded and implemented her own project, along with overseeing operation of the Dennison group’s primary data collection vacuum chamber, including rebuilding and designing custom equipment. She is an URCO grant recipient, was a 2022 Peak Summer Research Fellow and a 2022 Goldwater Scholar nominee, and received the Outstanding Undergraduate Oral Presentation award at the 2021 Four Corners Region Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society. Heather plans to pursue graduate studies in physics.

Gabriella Cale, Department of Biology

Student leader, evolutionary biologist, entrepreneur: During her undergraduate career Gabriella Cale has pursued challenging, innovative projects, aimed at improving lives and developing opportunities for others. Just out of high school, Gabriella and a partner opened an acai bowl café to provide healthy food options for the Cache Valley community. A year later, Cale entered Utah State as a Biology major, with a chemistry minor, with a focus on integrative evolutionary biology. She served as a teaching assistant for the Evolutionary Biology Course, BIOL 3020, and was selected for a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduate summer internship in the Tseng Functional Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution Lab at UC-Berkeley. At USU, Gabriella has conducted research in the Herpetology Lab of Dr. Al Savitzky. Elected Science Senator by her peers, Gabriella has led a range of activities, including Science Week, Rapid Fire Research, Women in STEM Night and the college’s Peer Mentorship Program. The college applauds her leadership and generous service as an advocate for students and representative of USU’s Academic Senate.

Rachel Tong, Department of Biology

Rachel Tong traveled more than 8,000 miles from her native Singapore to begin her undergraduate career at Utah State, but the campus didn’t seem entirely unfamiliar: Both of her parents graduated from USU in 1993. Still, getting used to Cache Valley’s cold winters was an adjustment. “Okay, it’s cold and I did experience some ‘climate shock,’” Rachel says. “But I love the scenery and exploring the local area.” An Honors student, Rachel is an Undergraduate Research Fellow, and received a College of Science Minigrant to support her research in Dr. Sara Freeman’s Neurobiology Lab, where she has worked since Fall 2021. The aspiring physician, who speaks both English and Mandarin, is majoring in Human Biology and Communication Studies (Pre-program). During the pandemic shutdown, Rachel shadowed an OBGYN and a pediatrician online. “Those were eye-opening experiences, from which I learned how doctors were able to act fast in times of crisis,” she says. Active in campus activities, Rachel serves as social chair of the Biology Undergraduate Students Association and is currently the liaison for USUSA’s Clubs and Diversity Committee. She previously served on USU’s Asian Student Association as secretary. Rachel is also employed in the Department of Biology office. “It’s a great place to work,” she says. “My co-workers make my day, every day.”

USU Get Away Special Team, Department of Physics

The student-led USU Get Away Special (GAS) Team, comprised of primarily undergrad scholars of varied majors, was awarded Utah State’s 2023 Robins Award for “Achievement of the Year.” After securing competitive NASA funding, the team designed and built a CubeSat (cube satellite) named GASPACS (Get Away Special Passive Attitude Control Satellite) that was successfully launched into space and transported to the International Space Station. It was subsequently deployed into space from the ISS, and successfully carried out its mission, including activating an innovative boom and transmitting data back to Earth, for a phenomenal 117 days. The GAS Team, which flew more than 30 experiments on NASA space shuttles from 1982-2001, is largely responsible for USU sending more student-built experiments into space than any university in the world.

Kate Richardson, Department of Biology

Kate Richardson is a master’s student, working toward an Ecology degree from the Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center. Her research is focused on conserving and enhancing beneficial parasitoid wasps for the biological control of the invasive pest, the brown marmorated stink bung. Kate’s thesis research emphasizes effective scientific communication and sustainable approaches to pest management. She graduated Cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Utah State in 2020, with minors in chemistry and equine-assisted activities and therapies. Active in research and outreach since her undergraduate career, Kate has authored articles and fact sheets published by Utah Pests Extension and presented at conferences, workshops and field days. She is a recipient of a Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Student Grant and is an active volunteer for USU’s Science Unwrapped public outreach program. Beyond campus, Kate enjoys birding adventures with her dad, capturing and sharing nature’s beauty through photography, and knitting while watching movies with her husband and two cats, Avocado and Coconut.

Nikolay Tkachenko, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

A doctoral student in the lab of R. Gaurth Hansen Professor Alex Boldyrev in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Nikolay Tkachenko has garnered numerous impressive accolades during his USU career. Named the 2022 Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year by the Utah Chapter of the American Chemical Society, Nikolay is a recipient of USU’s Claude E. ZoBell Scholarship, the Stephen Bialkowski Award in Environmental Chemistry, the Early Research Progress in Chemistry Award and the Marjorie H. Gardner Teaching Award. In addition, he was selected for a prestigious summer internship with Los Alamos National Laboratory, which led to an ongoing research collaboration focused on developing new techniques for reducing complexity of quantum chemistry calculations on quantum computers. Nikolay has published more than 40 peer-reviewed paper in major scientific journals during this academic career. A native of the “cold and snowy” Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, Nikolay says his grandmother, his mother, a mathematician; and his father, a nuclear physicist, instilled his love of science at an early age. He and his wife, Anastasiia Tkachenko, a USU doctoral student in computer science, enjoy board games, gardening, cooking, cycling and hiking. 

Mallory A. Hagadorn, Department of Biology

Biology doctoral student Mal Hagadorn’s enthusiasm for science started when she was a child chasing fireflies. She’s funneled that passion toward a career that “asks questions and pursues the answers.” In the lab of Biology/Ecology Center faculty mentor Karen Kapheim, Mal, a recipient of USU’s Graduate Research and Creative Opportunities grant, studies how social behavior influences the brains of bees. She has published findings in peer-reviewed journals demonstrating male bee brains change with social experience and shift in morphology with age. Mal’s findings also suggest queen and worker bee brains differ in their response to maternal behaviors. Beyond research, Mal is a passionate educator and advocate. She taught an undergraduate biology course for non-majors and earned an Explore College Teaching certificate through USU’s Empowered Teaching Excellence program. Mal served on the Department of Biology’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, which seeks to promote systemic change, and was a featured speaker for the College of Science’s 2020 Fall Convocation honoring donors and scholarship recipients. Beyond campus, Mal is an avid soccer fan and enjoys spending time with her wife, cats and friends.

Matt Burnham, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Currently a master’s student and graduate student teacher in USU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Matt Burnham’s love of teaching began during his undergraduate years at Utah State. While earning a bachelor’s degree, Matt led six recitations and was a grader for two upper-level undergraduate modern algebra courses. As a grad student, he has served as an instructor for three sections of MATH 1210 and one section of MATH 2210. Matt says teaching and elevating students to mathematical proficiency is “highly rewarding.” In addition to teaching, Matt pursued research with Professor David Brown on the relationship between the number of three cycles in tournaments, and the singularity of their corresponding adjacency matrices. He is currently conducting research with faculty mentor Aysel Erey on the maximal matching polynomial. Matt, who enjoys cooking, learning French, playing video games, watching YouTube and spending time with his wife, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics and an academic career at a research university.

Dr. Brent Thomas, Director, Aggie Math Learning Center

Dr. Brent Thomas serves as director of the Aggie Math Learning Center, a free mathematics and statistics learning and tutoring center that serves Aggies of all majors. Brent has been instrumental in developing this highly regarded, university-wide resource, including expanding its online capabilities to effectively serve students during the COVID pandemic. Brent says his favorite part of his position is engaging with the many students served by the AMLC, along with the tutors and recitation leaders employed by the center. A graduate of Utah State, Brent taught high school mathematics, before pursuing graduate studies at the University of Colorado, Denver, where he earned a doctoral degree and engaged in outreach opportunities with middle schools and high schools in the local community. Beyond campus, Brent loves camping, cycling, woodworking and fixing everything from electronics to cars. He enjoys spending time with his wife and children, especially when he can talk them into watching a sci-fi movie with him. 

Dr. T. C. (Tsung-Cheng) Shen, Professor, Department of Physics

A professor in the Department of Physics, Dr. T-C Shen has mentored more than 45 undergraduate students, many of whom have garnered top academic awards and opportunities. Shen’s mentees include two Goldwater Scholars, two National Institute of Standards and Technology Summer Undergrad Research Fellows, a Sandia National Lab undergrad intern, three Peak Fellows, four College of Science minigrant recipients and 11 URCO grant recipients. Focused on carbon nanotube research, Shen created new courses and established two shared research facilities at USU: the Nanoscale Device Laboratory and the Microscopy Core Facility, both of which create robust, interdisciplinary research opportunities for undergrads, grad students and faculty. Recognizing the importance of phototonics in quantum technology, he is developing an integrated photonics research program, including a phototonics class and a teaching lab, at Utah State. 

Dr. Noelle Beckman, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center

Dr. Noelle Beckman is an assistant professor in Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center, and affiliated with the Mathematical Biology and Climate Adaptation Science Programs at Utah State. She integrates empirical ecology with mathematical, computational and statistical approaches to investigate seed dispersal and seedscape ecology. Towards this end, Noelle examines the influence of spatial, ecological interactions of plants and their disruption under global change on plant performance, populations, community diversity, and ecosystem function. She aims to conduct transdisciplinary and actionable research that contributes to solutions of socio-environmental problems, disseminate results to a broad audience, and promote an inclusive community that welcomes and respects diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Noelle earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington and Lee University, and completed a doctorate in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, with a minor in statistics, from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) and the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESNYC). 

Dr. Yi Rao, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Dr. Yi Rao is an assistant professor of analytical and physical chemistry in USU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research is focused on interfacial physical chemistry for environmental issues, solar energy conversion and catalysis. A 2021 recipient of a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, Yi has pioneered several state-of-the-art interface-specific, nonlinear optical spectroscopies for structures and dynamics at different interfaces. Among his projects is developing laser techniques to advance photoelectrical chemical reduction of carbon dioxide for energy production. Yi earned a doctoral degree in 2003, under the supervision of Dr. Hong-fei Wang, from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science. In 2004, he pursued a postdoctoral fellowship in experimental nonlinear interfacial spectroscopy with Dr. Kenneth Eisenthal’s group at Columbia University, and continued as a research associate in collaboration with Eisenthal and Dr. Nicholas Turro at Columbia. Prior to joining USU in 2017, Yi was a research associate professor at Temple University.

Dr. Hannah Mae Lewis, Lecturer, Mathematics at Utah State University Eastern

A lecturer of mathematics at Utah State University Eastern, Dr. Hannah Mae Lewis instills her students with a love of math, she hopes they’ll pass on to their future students. Hannah incorporates technology into her lesson plans, to enable students to explore many applications of mathematics. Her professional interests include development and implementation of growth mindset-structured assessments, validation of assessments, faculty and graduate student professional development, faculty-to-student mentorship and the classification of semi-simple Lie algebras. Hannah has received multiple Excellence in Teaching Awards from Utah State. Beyond the classroom, she enjoys long-distance bike riding, reading, and spending time with her husband, two children and four goats. 

Dr. Alan “Al” Savitzky , Professor, Department of Biology and USU Ecology Center

A professor in USU’s Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center, Dr. Al Savitzky’s research focuses largely on the anatomy, development and chemical defenses of snakes. In addition, he conducted a long-term ecological study of the Timber Rattlesnake in southeastern Virginia, to develop conservation strategies for that state-endangered species. Al joined USU as department head in 2011, and served in that post for 11 years. At Utah State, he has contributed to the development of programs that promote equitable access to higher education for students, including helping to initiate USU’s Native American Summer Mentorship Program and to secure a $1M grant through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Inclusive Excellence Initiative to establish USU’s Mentoring and Encouraging Student Academic Success (MESAS) program. In 2021, Al led a successful effort to receive a National Science Foundation grant to fund a high-resolution 3D, micro-computed tomographic X-ray system for Utah State, which was installed in 2022 and serves USU researchers across the university in the life sciences, geosciences, physics, engineering, art and anthropology. 

Dr. David Peak, Professor, Department of Physics

A professor in the Department of Physics, David Peak was instrumental formalizing the university’s undergraduate research program and introducing Aggie scholars to national research opportunities. Since 2006, David has conducted an annual “boot camp” for prospective Goldwater Scholars—the preeminent national scholarship for undergraduates majoring in science, math, and engineering. The success rate of his program has placed USU in the top 25 of participating institutions. David has served as the Physics Department’s Associate Head, taught 16 separate courses (introducing 10 of them), supervised USU’s Society of Physics Students chapter, which won national acclaim as Outstanding Chapter for 10 consecutive years, and wrote winning proposals for the University’s Outstanding Teaching Department and the American Physical Society’s National Department of Distinction Awards. He was named the Carnegie Foundation Utah Professor of the Year in 2009, and received the Council on Undergraduate Research Goldwater Scholars Faculty Mentor Award in 2018. He and his wife, USU Professor Terry Peak, established the annual, university-wide “Peak Prize Undergraduate Researcher of the Year’ awards and the Peak Summer Research Fellowship program.   

Dr. Michelle Baker, Dean, College of Science and Professor, Department of Biology and the USU Ecology Center

Dr. Michelle Baker has made significant contributions toward enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion at Utah State, first as a faculty member and, subsequently, as Dean of the College of Science. While still Interim Dean, Michelle established the college’s JEDI-STEM Collaboratory, which addresses the need for greater justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the college and throughout the university. The initiative included a recent cluster-hire of five faculty positions to increase diversity among faculty ranks. As a faculty member, Michelle was a strong proponent of the Native American Mentorship Program (NASMP) from its inception, and hosted indigenous student interns in her lab for several summers. One of Michelle’s graduate students served as lead facilitator for the program, a position of great responsibility, which Michelle supported. A biologist whose research focuses on the physical, chemical and biological processes that affect water quality, Michelle has long encouraged faculty members and students to pursue opportunities that focus on diversity, including the NSF Research and Mentoring for Post-Baccalaureates in Biological Sciences Grant. Michelle received Utah’s Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Science and Technology, the state’s top STEM award, in 2015. She was awarded Utah’s prestigious Pioneers of Progress Award in 2017, in recognition of her contributions to water science and leadership in the statewide, NSF-funded iUTAH water project.

Kristian Valles, Manager, Intermountain Herbarium, Department of Biology

Kristian Valles, manager of USU’s Intermountain Herbarium, began his association with the herbarium as a volunteer in 2013. A botany undergraduate at Weber State University, Kris made the weekly canyon commute to Utah State’s Logan campus, where he pursued research on the genus Eriogonum, a flowering plant endemic to the Intermountain West. When a position at the herbarium opened in 2019, Kris leapt at the opportunity to “help the place that offered me my first introduction to the botanical world thriving.” Kris assists visitors, including USU students and researchers, along with public agency personnel and amateur plant enthusiasts, with the herbarium’s vast collection and accompanies researchers on field outings. “It’s a privilege to work with the state’s largest herbarium and to celebrate when people make their first accurate plant identification,” he says. “I hope to continue outreach that shows people how awesome plants are, as well as the landscape surrounding them.”

Science Unwrapped, College of Science 

Initiated in 2009, Science Unwrapped is the College of Science’s public outreach program. Crafted with the motto, “We Provide the Scientists, You Provide the Questions,” Science Unwrapped was established with the goal of making scientific knowledge and discovery more accessible. The monthly program, held during the academic year, is free and open to all ages. Gatherings begin with a talk by a USU STEM scholar, followed by hands-on learning activities led by student and community groups. Over the years, Science Unwrapped has welcomed thousands of guests ranging in age from preschoolers to senior citizens, while providing hundreds of USU and high school students with the opportunities to engage in public STEM outreach. During the 2020 pandemic, Science Unwrapped quickly pivoted to online presentations, featuring video learning activities created by volunteers, continuing to provide meaningful outreach. The popular program is back to in-person gatherings, while also providing a library of recorded presentations to remain accessible to inquiring minds of all ages and abilities.