Bio Page Link Tino Nyawelo, a Professor (Lecturer) in the University of Utah’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been at the U since 2007. In 2012, Tino founded the REFUGES program which supports underrepresented students through an after-school program (grades 7-12) and a summer science “bridge” experience for incoming college freshmen. Tino the Director of Undergraduate Research, and also coordinates the Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. In 1998, Tino obtained his master’s degree in theoretical high energy physics at the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Free University of Amsterdam in 2004. His main area of research deals with (quantum) field theory, supersymmetry and gravity.

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John Matthews is a Research Professor working with the University of Utah’s Cosmic Ray Physics group which he joined in 1995. His current research is the study of the origin and nature of ultra high energy cosmic rays with the Telescope Array. The central Utah observatory measures particle showers induced by cosmic rays arriving at the Earth over an area of 750 square miles. Matthews also serves as Co-Spokesperson of the Telescope Array Collaboration. Before the Telescope Array, some of his previous experiments included The High Resolution Fly’s Eye (HiRes) which also studied ultra high energy cosmic rays and FLASH measuring the fluorescence light yield from cosmic ray air showers. Matthews also works with Prof. Nyawelo’s INSPIRE project, helping to bring science, computing, and technology to young under-represented students through cosmic ray detectors and experiments.

John earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in physics, math, and economics. As an undergraduate he worked on a search for cosmic ray magnetic monopoles. He then moved to the University of Wisconsin where he earned his M.S. while he worked on low mass detectors to measure particles near the collision region at Fermilab and electronics for plasma experiments. John earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University for his studies into CP Violation at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

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I received my Bachelor’s degree (1994) in Engineering Physics from the University of Arizona and Master’s (1998) and Doctorate (2001) degrees in Physics from Rice University under the direction of Prof. Randall Hulet, where I researched Bose-Einstein condensation in low-temperature lithium gases. I spent my postdoctoral years at the California Institute of Technology with Prof. Steve Quake (now at Stanford), where I developed a research program in nanophotonics and molecular biophysics. I have had a number of formative experiences over the years that have stoked my commitment to math and science education and propelled me into leadership roles, including a semester as a visiting instructor at Pomona College, a year as team captain of the swim team at Arizona, and the many interactions with thousands of students at the University of Utah. Becoming a member of the Cottrell Scholar community in 2007 had a major impact on my career and has continued to provide amazing opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from across the US on numerous efforts and projects, some of which can be found on my Education Projects page. I am a committed anti-racist and work to help create a more equitable educational system.

Bio Page Link Kerri is an artist and educator with a background in film and media arts. She received her B.A. in Media Study from the University at Buffalo and went on to complete her M.F.A. in Film Studies at the University of Utah. She has been calling Salt Lake City home for over a decade. Kerri manages the ArtsBridge program in the College of Fine Arts. Over the years she has supervised many exciting university student projects that focus on bringing arts integrated experiences to K-12 classrooms across the valley. She also works as a professional development partner for visual arts specialists in the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.

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Bio Page Link ResearchGate Page Dr. Aryn M. Dotterer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University. Dr. Dotterer earned her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State. My research has examined trajectories of school readiness, school engagement, and academic achievement from childhood through adolescence and has focused on parenting and family correlates of academic trajectories. My current work in this area is on the longitudinal links between parent involvement (home-based involvement, school-based involvement, and academic socialization) and academic achievement and explores variations by adolescent race/ethnicity. Additionally, I am exploring the parenting practices that may buffer against the negative effects of racial/ethnic discrimination on youths’ academic outcomes. My interest in underrepresented students also led me to explore STEM learning and outcomes. My current research project IDEAAS (Identity Development Evaluation with African American Science Students) is in collaboration with Eric Deemer at Purdue University and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF: HRD-1661054, Dotterer PI; HRD-1661201, Deemer PI). In this longitudinal study, we are examining the development of racial identity and science identity among African American STEM majors. Our work explores mediators and moderators of identity development including stereotype threat, racial bias, campus climate, and faculty mentoring.

Bolaji Bamidele is a doctoral student in the Instructional Technology and Learning Science department at Utah State University. In 2015, she received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and obtained her master's degree from the same university in 2017. Her research interest cuts across broadening youth participation in STEM, especially women and minorities. Other research interests are STEM education, equity, Identity, and informal learning. She works as a graduate research assistant on the project.