Dee Foundation

The Lawrence T. Dee and Janet T. Dee Foundation was established by Lawrence Taylor and Janet Teller Dee in 1971 for the purpose of promoting charitable activities in Ogden and the surrounding area. Now in its 44th year, it remains a family foundation dedicated to furthering the growth and well-being of the people of northern Utah. The winners receive automatic renewal of their UROP for either the following Summer or Fall semester and are recognized at the annual Undergraduate Research Awards Luncheon. The automatic renewal semester means that the student does not need to compete for a renewal–however, it does not increase the number of UROP semesters beyond the maximum of two.

• The availability of this program and number of awards offered may vary from year to year, depending on funding.
• Eligibility – First-semester UROP students whose research contributes to the well-being of the residents of northern Utah.
• To Apply – The call for self-nominations for the Dee Foundation UROP Award is announced in early Spring semester.

Chevron Foundation

Chevron’s University Partnership Program (UPP) works with more than 100 college and university partners around the world to help attract and develop talented students and teachers who can help achieve a more technically proficient global workforce. In AY 2015-2016, Chevron  partnered with the Office of Undergraduate Research to support female students working on STEM-specific projects. The winners receive automatic renewal of their UROP for either the following Summer or Fall semester and are recognized at the annual Undergraduate Research Awards Luncheon. The automatic renewal semester means that the student does not need to compete for a renewal–however, it does not increase the number of UROP semesters beyond the maximum of two.

• The availability of this program and number of awards offered may vary from year to year, depending on funding.
• Eligibility – First-semester female UROP students who are working on STEM-specific projects.
• To Apply – The call for self-nominations for the Chevron Foundation UROP Award is announced in early Spring semester.

Francis Family Foundation

The John A. and Irene F. Francis Endowment Fund was established by John A. Francis in memory of his wife, Irene F. Francis, and to acknowledge the work of his son, John G. Francis, professor of political science at the University of Utah. The Francis Endowment Fund recognizes outstanding undergraduate researchers in the arts, social sciences, and the humanities. The winners receive automatic renewal of their UROP for the following Spring semester and are recognized at the annual Undergraduate Research Awards Luncheon. The automatic renewal semester means that the student does not need to compete for a renewal–however, it does not increase the number of UROP semesters beyond the maximum of two.

• Eligiblity – First-semester UROP students majoring in the arts, social sciences, or the humanities.
• To Apply – The call for self-nominations for the Francis Family Foundation UROP Award is announced each year in early Fall.

Undergraduate Advancement

Undergraduate Advancement is a mutual effort by Academic and Student Affairs to provide programs that both support and retain undergraduate students at the University of Utah. The winners receives automatic renewal of their UROP for either the following Spring or Summer semester and are recognized at the annual Undergraduate Research Awards Luncheon. The automatic renewal semester means that the student does not need to compete for a renewal–however, it does not increase the number of UROP semesters beyond the maximum of two.

• The availability of this program and number of awards offered may vary from year to year, depending on funding.
• Eligiblity – First-semester UROP student.
• To Apply -The call for self-nominations for the Undergraduate Advancement UROP Award is announced in early Fall. 

Parent Fund

The Parent Fund is sustained by parents and supports student-centered programs and initiatives. The Parent Fund plays an integral role in the University of Utah’s ability to provide students with exceptional opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Each year, depending on funding, first-semester UROP students are selected to receive the Parent Fund UROP Award. The winners receives automatic renewal of their UROP for either the following Spring or Summer semester and are recognized at the annual Undergraduate Research Awards Luncheon. The automatic renewal semester means that the student does not need to compete for a renewal–however, it does not increase the number of UROP semesters beyond the maximum of two.

• The availability of this program and number of awards offered may vary from year to year, depending on funding.
• Eligiblity – First-semester UROP student.
• To Apply -The call for self-nominations for the Parent Fund UROP Award is announced in early Fall. 

 

2016-2017 Recipients

Dee Foundation

Gemma Clark (Prof. Jennifer Weidhaas) – Effects of Temperature on Microbial Processes Influencing the Performance of Treatment Wetlands

Warren Jensen (Prof. Claudia Geist) – Expressions of Masculinity Among LDS Men

Zoe Kozlowski (Prof. Lori Gawron) – Assessing the Unmet Contraceptive Need in Homeless Women in Salt Lake City

Sarah Patterson (Prof. Danielle Endres) – Utes Nickname Research Project

Chevron Foundation

Margaux Klingensmith (Prof. Dale Clayton) – The influence of neighbors on allopreening rates in mating pairs

Elaine Ong (Prof. Clement Chow) – Identifying genetic modifiers influencing retinal degeneration diseases

Asma Rokhaneevna (Prof. Clayton Williams) – Preparation of Single Mode Optical Fibers for Application in 3D Interferometry 

Annie Rowley (Prof. Kai Kuck) – Designing and Developing a Capnograph for Use in Developing Countries and Low-Resource Areas

Sydney Stephens (Prof. Denise Dearing) – Dietary Changes in the Chisel-Toothed Kangaroo Rat: Reflections Through Stable Isotope Analysis

Shalauna Thompson (Prof. Kevin Whitty) – Investigation of Carbon Dioxide Capture by Titanium Sorbents Using Thermogravimetric Analysis

Francis Family Foundation

Emily Brixey (Prof. Lien Shen) – The Magical Girl’s Influence on Female Empowerment

Sally Goodger (Prof. Maeera Shreiber) – The Ethics of Fairy Tale Retellings of the Holocaust in Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Tyler Herrera (Prof. James Curry) – United States House of Representatives: Understanding the Self-Executing Rule

Emma Martin (Prof. Jerry Root) – Medieval Perspectives in Religious and Secular Contexts: the Legend of Theoplilus and the Romance of the Rose

Tyler Mattinson (Prof. Paul Bernstein) – Mechanism Behind the Improvement of Visual Performance by Carotenoids

Eve Olson (Prof. Rachel Hayes-Harb) – Voice Onset Time in Arabic and English Stop Consonants

Ashma Shrestha (Prof. Elisabeth Conradt) – A Biobehavioral Approach to Measuring Emotion Dysregulation in Pregnancy

Vai Suliafu (Prof. Eric G. Poitras) – Using Mouse Cursor Coordinates to Predict the Learners’ Usefulness Rankings of Online Resources with an Intelligent Web Browser

Undergraduate Advancement

Christina Jones (Prof. Lela Graybill) – The Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood: Artist and Muse

Jace Jones (Prof. Marc Calaf) – Modeling of Vertical and Horizontal Axis Wind Tubines to Improve Efficiency

2015-2016 Recipients

Dee Foundation

Cole Richards (Prof. Keith Koper) – Physical Mineral Characteristics of Fault Zones as a Function of Distance from the Core

Colton Leavitt (Prof. Sujee Jeyapalina) – The Inherent Properties of Fluorohydroxyapatite: Decreasing Downgrowth and Infection in Percutaneous Intraosseous Implants

William Nguyen (Prof. Milind Deo) – Flow in Nanoporous Rocks

Alberto Martinez (Prof. Milind Deo) – Effect of Nanoporous Materials on Saturation Pressure in Shale Reservoirs

Chevron Foundation

LeAnn Lam (Prof. Robert Bowles) – CRISPR Genome Editing of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells for Controlled Extracellular Matrix Deposition in Tissue Engineered Intervertebral Disc

Emily Dennis (Prof. Srividya Bhashara) – Effect of HDAC Inhibition on Genome Stability

LeAundra Jeffs (Prof. William Brazelton) – Comparative Metagenomics of Serpentinization Powered Microbes

Christina Hyer (Prof. Susan Bock) – Influenza Vaccine Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Production in Trichoplusia Ni

Deanne Yugawa (Prof. Charles Murtaugh) – Determining the Effect of Sox9 Deletion in PTF1A Knockouts

Francis Family Foundation

Ali Mitchell (Prof. Alison Denyer & Prof. Paul Monty Paret) – Art, Ecology and the Politics of Land Use

Ciria Alvarez (Prof. Kim Hackford-Peer) – Dream Defenders-An analysis of Federal, State and Institutional Policy affecting Undocumented Students

Margaret Carlson (Prof. Akiko Kamimura) – Perceptions of Violence Against Women Among College Students in the US, Japan, India, Vietnam, and China

Parent Fund

Christie Morgan (Prof. Lindsay Gezinski) – Is There a Sex Trafficking Problem in Salt Lake County?

Shaswat Chapagain (Prof. Ravi Ranjan) – Relationship of Catheter Contact Force with Acute and Final Radiofrequency Lesion Size

Jenny Le (Prof. Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir) – Autism spectrum disorder: The development of a comprehensive approach for the molecular diagnosis of autism

2014-2015 Recipients

Dee Foundation

Adam Whitney (Prof. Charlie Hicks-Little) – Assessing the Need for Physical Therapy Among the Homeless Population of Salt Lake City

 Joseph Fuell (Prof. Daniel Leung) – Identification and Evaluation of Antidiarrheal Drugs from Native American Herbal Remedies

Francis Family Foundation

Sam Katz (Prof. Michael Cottle) – Stockham: The father of digital audio recording

Erika Longino (Prof. Jose Galarza) – A sustainability master plan for navajo communities in need

Juliana Penham (Prof. Katharine Coles) – Poemage: visualization of sonic elements in poetry

Parent Fund

Micah Crapo (Prof. Jason Watson) – Honors Thesis: Behavioral transitioning and cognitive controls