The Water, Health, and Microbiology (WHAM) Laboratory

Categories: Environmental

Aging infrastructure, climate change, and an increasing demand for water reuse are exacerbating microbial risks in water systems—especially from opportunistic pathogens. In order to improve drinking water quality and reduce the risk of waterborne disease, Dr. Dowdell is advancing our understanding of how microbial communities behave in complex water environments, from large-scale treatment plants to […]

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September 9, 2026

Student Spotlight: Lauren Hagerty

Categories: Awards, Environmental, Students

Environmental engineering Ph.D. student Lauren Hagerty has been named a 2026–27 ARCS Foundation Fellow, earning prestigious support as she begins her graduate research at the University of Utah. The ARCS Foundation supports promising scientists and engineers whose research has the potential to drive scientific discovery and innovation. Through its partnership with the University of Utah, […]

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September 2, 2026

Student Spotlight: Rupesh Uprety

Categories: Research, Structural Engineering, Students

For Rupesh Uprety, earthquake engineering isn’t just an academic discipline—it’s personal. When the 2015 Gorkha earthquake devastated his home country of Nepal, Uprety was a second-year undergraduate student. Witnessing the destruction inspired him to dedicate his career to designing safer, more resilient buildings for communities in earthquake-prone regions. Today, as a Ph.D. student at the […]

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August 4, 2026

Luis Ibarra Awarded Fulbright Scholarship on Earthquake Resilience

Categories: Awards, Research, Structural Engineering

Luis Ibarra, assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, is one of six professors from the University of Utah that have been named Fulbright Scholars for the 2026-27 academic year. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program selects over 800 […]

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July 17, 2026

What AI Costs the Planet and How Higher Ed Can Help

Categories: Research, Water Resources

Republished on June 17, 2026 from the One-U Responsible AI Initiative. Behind every AI prompt is a chain of physical infrastructure—from data centers and power grids to cooling systems, mined minerals, and discarded hardware—with consequences for people and the planet, University of Utah researchers reminded the campus community during an Earth Month panel discussion. “We […]

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June 17, 2026

The Hidden Engineering Innovation Beneath I-215

Categories: Construction, Materials, Research

To many drivers, construction along the west side of I-215 may seem like another seasonal traffic delay. For researchers at the University of Utah, however, the project represents an opportunity to study cutting-edge pavement technology with the potential to reshape how highways are built and maintained. Last week, members of Dr. Romero’s research group visited […]

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May 27, 2026

The Next Generation of Cancer Therapies

Categories: Awards, Nuclear Engineering, Research

Developing new cancer treatments requires more than breakthrough medicines. It also depends on the ability to safely produce medical isotopes—the specialized radioactive materials that make those therapies possible. Improving access to these critical medical isotopes remains one of the field’s most significant challenges. At the University of Utah, Ph.D. candidate Nicholas Becker is dedicating his […]

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May 19, 2026

Student Spotlight: Xuewen Luo

Categories: Awards, Students, Transportation

Xuewen Luo is helping shape the future of transportation through her research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Her work, grounded in both technical rigor and a clear societal purpose, recently earned her recognition as a 2026 Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) Utah Chapter Scholarship Winner, along with a $3,500 award honoring her […]

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May 11, 2026

Increasing Safety Throughout the Nuclear Energy Lifecycle

Categories: Nuclear Engineering, Research, Transportation

As the global demand for clean energy grows, so does the need to safely manage nuclear waste and ensure the secure transportation of nuclear materials. At the University of Utah, this challenge is being addressed through a unique interdisciplinary model—where nuclear engineering is integrated within the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CvEEN), connecting energy […]

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May 7, 2026

Utah Engineering Team Takes First Place at Statewide Water Design Competition

Categories: Awards, Students, Water Resources

Civil & Environmental Engineering students from the University of Utah earned top honors at the 2026 Water Environment Association of Utah (WEAU) Student Design Competition, held during the WEAU Annual Conference in St. George on April 18. The team’s project focused on global water stewardship, developing innovative and sustainable water treatment solutions for the city […]

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April 18, 2026