Month: June 2025

Student-Led Research is Fueling the Future

June 17, 2025

Three Student Researchers Earn National Recognition for Nuclear Engineering

Three University of Utah students from Dr. Michael Simpson’s research group have been named winners in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2025 Innovation in Nuclear Student Competition—placing Utah among just three universities nationwide with more than one student recognized.

The national competition honors student-authored research papers in cutting-edge nuclear energy science. The three U winners—two Ph.D. students and one undergraduate—represent departments across the College of Engineering and are affiliated with the Utah Nuclear Engineering Program (UNEP).

Mario Gonzalez (Ph.D. candidate, Metallurgical Engineering) earned an Award of Excellence for his paper demonstrating a cost-effective way to recycle used nuclear fuel using a novel iron anode in molten salt electrochemical processing. He currently serves as Deputy Director of the Nuclear Pyrometallurgy Laboratory and is preparing to defend his dissertation this summer.

Forest “Indy” Felling (Ph.D. candidate, Materials Science & Engineering) received Special Recognition for his work developing electrochemical techniques to measure calcium oxide concentration in molten salt—a key step in enabling economical used fuel recycling. Forest is completing his Ph.D. while working at TerraPower on the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor.

Jon Dromey (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, ’25) won the Undergraduate Award for a paper developed in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory. His modeling research explores zone refining to separate actinides from fission products in metallic nuclear fuel—a promising method for reducing fuel recycling costs in fast reactors. Jon now works at TerraPower on the Natrium reactor project.

“Each of these projects tackles one of the most critical challenges in nuclear energy—how to close the fuel cycle affordably and at scale,” said Dr. Simpson, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and UNEP-affiliated faculty. “Their work is not only academically rigorous, but it’s immediately relevant to the next generation of nuclear technology.”

The students’ work stems from research in Dr. Simpson’s Nuclear Pyrometallurgy Lab, a UNEP cornerstone dedicated to molten salt chemistry, advanced reactor systems, and fuel cycle innovation. The lab shares facilities with UNEP faculty, including program director Dr. Supathorn Phongikaroon and Dr. Tara Mastren.

These students’ achievements reflect the hands-on, collaborative environment at the University of Utah—where students can gain real research experience across disciplines that prepares them to lead in the evolving landscape of nuclear science and engineering.

 

Nuclear Engineering at the University of Utah

With a commitment to innovation and excellence, the Utah Nuclear Engineering Program (UNEP) aims to push the boundaries of multidisciplinary nuclear-related fields. UNEP’s overarching goal is to continually make strides in the advancement of multidisciplinary nuclear-related fields such as actinide synthesis, electronics nesting, energy, and more.

Explore Nuclear Engineering→

 

 

Fengze Yang at the ITE Conference

Fengze Yang, left, networking at the ITE Conference.

Shouzheng Pan at the ITE Conference

Shouzheng Pan, right, receiving the Best Paper Award.

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University of Utah Recognized at 2025 ITE Mountain District Annual Meeting

June 10, 2025

Two Ph.D. students from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering were honored at the 2025 ITE Mountain District Annual Meeting, held June 4–6 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Shouzheng Pan received the Best Paper Award for his work titled “Strategic Bi-Objective Optimization for Electric Vehicle Fleet Replacement Leveraging Shared Charging Facilities.” His research explores how shared charging infrastructure—such as bus depots—can support cost-effective, sustainable fleet electrification. The project was applied to the University of Utah's own campus fleet and offers a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while optimizing operational efficiency. Pan also presented a poster on this research and had the opportunity to engage with fellow researchers and professionals across the region.

Fengze Yang was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to support his participation in the conference, recognizing his commitment to advancing transportation research.

Both students are advised by Dr. Cathy Liu, recipient of the 2023 ITE Mountain District Outstanding Educator Award, which honors exceptional contributions to student mentorship and engagement in the transportation field.

Congratulations on both of your continued successes in transportation engineering, Shouzheng and Fengze!

Fengze Yang at the ITE Conference

Fengze Yang, left, networking at the ITE Conference.

Shouzheng Pan at the ITE Conference

Shouzheng Pan, right, receiving the Best Paper Award.

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Nuclear Medicine Research Sets New Standards for Treating Alzheimer’s

June 8, 2025

Can We Target Alzheimer’s at the Molecular Level? Dr. Tara Mastren’s Research Says Yes—And Just Received $100K to Prove It

Alzheimer’s Disease affects nearly six million people in the U.S. today, a number expected to more than double by 2050. While current FDA-approved treatments can slow progression, they don’t reverse the disease—and come with serious side effects, including brain swelling. The question researchers are racing to answer is: Can we develop a safer, more effective way to break up the plaques that progress Alzheimer’s, and possibly reverse its course?

Dr. Tara Mastren is tackling this challenge head-on with a new approach: targeted alpha therapy (TAT). This method, often used in cancer treatment, delivers high-energy particles directly to harmful proteins—in this case, the amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregates that form plaques in the Alzheimer’s-affected brain. Dr. Mastren is working with University of Utah collaborators Dr. Andrew Roberts, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Dr. Donna Cross, Professor of Radiology to develop appropriate targeting compounds and study them in genetically engineering mice with Alzheimer’s.

Their research just received a major vote of confidence. The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) has awarded Dr. Mastren and her team $100,000 from its prestigious Mars Shot Fund, which supports bold, potentially game-changing ideas in nuclear medicine.

“We’re exploring whether we can use an alpha-emitting compound to not only break apart the protein clumps in Alzheimer’s, but also stimulate a protective immune response that reduces inflammation in the brain,” said Dr. Mastren.

Her early proof-of-concept studies have already shown promise. Lab tests demonstrated that TAT can reduce Aβ in mouse brain tissue, and a follow-up study using the compound [²¹¹At]3’-At-PIB-OH showed reduced plaque levels in genetically engineered mice with Alzheimer’s. The Mars Shot grant will fund the next stage of research, which will focus on evaluating long-term efficacy and safety of the treatment.

If successful, the implications could extend well beyond Alzheimer’s. The same strategy could potentially be applied to a host of neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein aggregation, including Parkinson’s, ALS, and Huntington’s disease.

In addition to her spearheading consistent breakthroughs in nuclear medicine, Dr. Mastren was recently promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2025—a milestone that reflects her growing leadership in nuclear medicine research.

Dr. Mastren is helping redefine what nuclear medicine can do—not just for cancer, but for brain health and beyond. We’re excited to see her work continue to grow as an Associate Professor in the Utah Nuclear Engineering Program (UNEP).

Frances Hodson explaining her research.

Frances Hodson presenting her civil engineering research.

Mina Golazad receiving her engineering scholarship.

Mina Golazad (right) receiving her scholarship.

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