Congrats to Yao-Yuan Mao, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, on being named a recipient of a 2026 Cottrell Scholar Award!

Astrophysicist Yao-Yuan Mao announced as a Cottrell Scholar - College of Science

Shaping the future of science and science teaching

science.utah.edu

Banning lead in gas worked. The proof is in our hair. #UofU researchers analyzed samples of Utahns' hair going back a century to document a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations.

Banning lead in gas worked. The proof is in our hair - @theU

Researchers analyzed samples of Utahns' hair going back a century to document a 100-fold decrease in lead concentrations.

attheu.utah.edu

Students! A single application now covers up to 250 scholarships across the College of Humanities, the College of Science, and the College of Social and Behavioral Science for 26-27. Apply by Feb 15, 2026! utah.scholarshipuniverse.com/student/appl...

A mushroom that makes you hallucinate tiny people? Colin Domnauer, a doctoral candidate in biology at the U and the Natural History Museum of Utah, studied Lanmaoa asiatica, a locally popular food in the Philippines that if not cooked thoroughly, might just make you see hundreds of tiny people.

The hallucinogenic mushroom that makes you see hundreds of tiny people

YouTube video by Natural History Museum of Utah

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The University of Utah was awarded the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. REFUGES, a Center for Science and Mathematics Education program under the direction of U Physics Professor Tino Nyawelo, is a feature of the classification.

U’s unsurpassed societal impact recognized nationally - College of Science

U’s unsurpassed societal impact recognized nationally January 20, 2026 Above: The University of Utah Wellness Bus is a free mobile health clinic that brings chronic disease...

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The University of Utah announced today that Pearl Sandick has accepted an offer to serve as dean of the College of Science. Sandick has been serving as interim dean of the college since March 2025. Congrats Dean Sandick! 🎉

Pearl Sandick Named Dean of College - College of Science

Pearl Sandick Named Dean of College January 26, 2026 Above: Pearl Sandick, photo by Todd Anderson University of Utah Provost Mitzi M. Montoya announced today...

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A breakthrough from Zhigang Zak Fang called the HAMR (Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction) process may finally remove barriers that have held titanium back from being a more commonly-used material.

Face of Scientific Innovation: Zak Fang - College of Science

Face of Scientific Innovation: Zak Fang September 20, 2025 Above: Zhigang "Zak" Fang Titanium should have taken over the world by now. It’s light, strong,...

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Utah's Great Salt Lake Strike Team's annual report highlights successes in controlling salinity despite the lake's levels remaining low. The report emphasizes four points: water contributions, dust mitigation advances, updated water budget, and long-term outlook.

New research examines Earth 66 million years ago during the Paleogene Period when carbon dioxide levels were two to four times higher to understand how global warming could influence future climate. Research found that rainfall occurred in intense downpours with prolonged dry spells.

What past global warming reveals about future rainfall - College of Science

"Proxies" in geologic record show rainfall was more intense, but less regular during the Paleogene

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If you heard the sound of falling droplets striking water out in the wild, you probably wouldn't assume it came from a bird. Yet that watery sound may just belong to the brown-headed cowbird.

Only cowbirds sing the watery blues - College of Science

A biologist, a physicist and a psychologist walk into a lab …

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“We have exposed more than 800 square miles of lake bed to the atmosphere. That lake bed has become a source of frequent dust events that are coming off the lake and moving into the surrounding communities."

Mapping the Great Salt Lake’s Dust Hotspots - College of Science

Reality check to agencies considering such proposals as a way to stave off climate change

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To a 300-plus crowd in the L. S. Skaggs Applied Science Building, celebrated astrophysicist Katherine Freese captivated the auditorium with an exploration into the mystery of dark matter in the universe. Check out our recording of last week's Frontiers of Science: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SqU...

Frontiers of Science - Katherine Freese

YouTube video by University of Utah College of Science

youtube.com

David Pace—widely recognized for his unique talent in translating complex scientific discoveries in accessible and engaging ways, is also a published fiction author with many of his stories based right here in Utah. From @utah.edu's Humans of the U:

Humans of the U: David Pace - College of Science

“[America] can feel segmented…but we’re all in the same bucket of gumbo, and I think fiction is one way to discover our place and reach...

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“I hope my work will lead to a better understanding of how medicines interact with the brain, and that by following how snail venom targets specific areas of the mind, we can create drugs that do the same in a positive manner.” #HumansOfTheU 📰 attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff...

Chris Miles, an associate professor of mathematics, is bridging mathematics and biology. In his Science @ Breakfast lecture, Miles showed how mathematical modeling can do much more than interpret biological data—it can guide experiments and reveal the hidden dynamics of living systems.

Modeling Life — Using Math to Understand Biology - College of Science

Chris Miles brings a mathematician’s precision to one of science’s most complex frontiers: biology.

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A team of math students ventured into the Arctic to explore how physics, biology, and mathematics shape life on and within sea ice. From braving –20°F wind chills to testing tools like the PlanktoScope, students gained rare hands-on experience connecting mathematical models with the real world.

Equations on ice - College of Science

Equations on Ice October 31, 2025 Above: Nash Ward, an undergraduate student in mathematics, drilling his first sea ice core. Credit: Nash Ward A trip...

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Frontiers of Science is back! Come explore the mystery of dark matter with us on Dec. 3 with theoretical astrophysicist Katherine Freese in the new L. S. Skaggs Applied Science Building. RSVP here: science.utah.edu/events/front...

Frontiers of Science: Katherine Freese | College of Science

Frontiers of Science Lecture Series Presents The Mystery of Dark Matter in the Universe with Dr. Katherine Freese Director, Weinberg Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Texas at Austin Ev...

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🧪✨ Science Cafe is back! Get a taste of inspiring research happening right here in Utah at our informal, cafe-style talks. 🗓️ Nov. 12: Environmental science, geology, biological anthropology, & air quality science In collaboration with @uofu-science.bsky.social. Learn more: bit.ly/444UItR

New NASA-funded research from Issaku Kohl (Department of Geology & Geophysics) shows oxygen in sulfate deposits could identify microbial activity in Earth's rock—and possibly on its planetary neighbor Mars.

Preserving atmospheric oxygen in sulfate | College of Science

Preserving atmospheric oxygen in sulfate October 22, 2025 New research led by U geoscientist shows O₂ in sulfate deposits, coupled with geochemical clues, could help identify microbial activity in Ear...

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Atmospheric Sciences professor and associate chair Gannet Hallar has been elected as trustee to the UCAR board. “UCAR allows for the atmospheric science community to speak with one voice, with expertise across the nation,” says Hallar. Read more ⬇️

Hub For Earth System Sciences Amplifies Impact | College of Science

Hub For Earth System Sciences Amplifies Impact October 20, 2025 Above: The team at Storm Peak Laboratory, Colorado, which partners with UCAR.   Atmospheric scientist Gannet Hallar elected as trustee t...

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College of Science faculty and researchers won three awards at the annual Innovation Awards. Check them out ⬇️ Startup of the Year: Trace AQ (Derek Mallia, Taylor (Kai) Wilmot) Founders of the Year: Vahe Bandarian and Karsten Eastman (Sethera Therapeutics) Lifetime Achievement Award: Bob Palais

2025 Innovation Awards Recipients | College of Science

2025 Innovation Awards REcipients October 16, 2025 Above: On October 10, 2025 the University of Utah’ Technology Licensing Office announced the recipients of the third annual Innovation Awards. The aw...

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Mathematics professor Fernando Guevara Vasquez teamed up with the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering to develop a new way of taking a high-definition snapshot that encodes spectral data into images, much like a traditional camera encodes color.

A novel high-speed, high-def hyperspectral video camera | College of Science

A novel high-speed, high-def hyperspectral video camera October 2, 2025 Above: Instead of a filter that divides light into three color channels, the University of Utah scientists have developed a diff...

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The semi-annual IceCube Neutrino Collaboration took place at the U last week, bringing together an international group of scientists that use the Antarctica-based observatory to detect high-energy neutrinos from cosmic sources and to study dark matter, cosmic rays and neutrino properties.

Detecting the elusive neutrino in Antarctica | College of Science

Detecting the elusive neutrino in Antarctica October 8, 2025 Above: IceCube Lab, 2017 The U hosts the semi-annual IceCube Neutrino Collaboration Vivian O’Dell, Upgrade Project Director at the IceCube ...

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Distinguished Professor Thure Cerling has been awarded the Penrose Medal by the Geological Society of America. The GSA bestows medals and awards to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the geosciences. Check out his work so far in 2025 ⬇️

Penrose Medalist Thure Cerling: A year of exceptional accomplishments | College of Science

Penrose Medalist Thure Cerling: A year of exceptional accomplishments October 9 2025 Above: Geoscientist Thure Cerling In a year of exceptional accomplishments Thure Cerling has been been awarded the ...

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New research highlights Marquandomyces marquandii, a common soil fungus, as a promising material for biomedical applications. Researchers found that this fungus can grow into hydrogels—soft, water-rich materials that mimic human tissues.

Could a fungus provide a blueprint for next-gen hydrogels? | College of Science

Could a fungus provide a blueprint for next-gen hydrogels? October 3, 2025 Above: Steven Naleway, left, and Atul Agrawal examine a fungal culture growing in a liquid medium in Naleway’s lab at the Uni...

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From U biochemists Ming Hammond and Madeline Bodin: the world's first single-dyed ratiometric biosensor for glycine imaging, "Golden Broccoli."

Breakthrough Biosensor Tracks Glycine in Living Cells | College of Science

Breakthrough Biosensor Tracks Glycine in Living Cells September 22, 2025 Above: The pop art-inspired illustration highlights a new light-up RNA aptamer called Golden Broccoli that was developed throug...

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"The second I open my door I hear a loud roar. The team runs back to our car, but the back door is still open. The bear tries its best to infiltrate. Luckily, our car horn scares it away." Read more about Nathan Murphy's research experience in Turkey ⬇️

Field Notes: Large Carnivores of Sarıkamiş in Turkey | College of Science

Field Notes: Large Carnivores of Sarıkamiş in Turkey September 8, 2025 Above: A 36 kg male wolf (Canis lupus) named "Shaggy" by taggers with the environmental organization Kuzey Doga. Not more than fi...

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U of U's College of Science@uofu-science.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Our new student writer Nathan Murthy spent his summer in Turkey studying bird migration. The team documented 118 species this spring. His advice: "Take that step. Take flight. You will never regret it." science.utah.edu/cos/field-no... @uofubiology.bsky.social

Incredible honor for @utah.edu Professor Emerita Phyllis Coley! The Smithsonian renamed a trail on Panama's Barro Colorado Island as the Phyllis D. Coley Trail, recognizing her 50+ years of groundbreaking research linking rainforest health to human health. science.utah.edu/biology/liss...

‘Greatest honor I could possibly receive’ | College of Science

'Greatest honor I could possibly receive' September 12, 2025 Above: Phyllis "Lissy" Coley at the newly named Phyllis D. Coley Trail on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Credit: Jorge Aleman "I first went...

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Most celestial flashes of gamma rays usually last just milliseconds to minutes. A recent event, unlike anything witnessed before, lasted about a day.

Mysterious gamma-ray explosion unlike any discovered before | College of Science

Mysterious gamma-ray explosion unlike any discovered before September 11, 2025 Above: The orange dot at the center is the powerful explosion that repeated several times over the course of a day. Credi...

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A molecule that enables microbes to eat methane: read the story from attheU highlighting our chemists' discovery of critical steps bacteria take to oxidize potent greenhouse gas and how they interact in larger microbial communities. attheu.utah.edu/research/a-m...

A molecule that enables microbes to eat methane - @theU

U chemists discover critical steps bacteria take to oxidize potent greenhouse gas and how they interact in larger microbial communities.

attheu.utah.edu