Academic/Research — Dr. M. Denise Dearing

Dr. Dearing is a renowned ecologist whose pioneering research has advanced the field of ecology and helped position Utah as a leader in scientific innovation. She embodies the highest standards of excellence, educational leadership, and service to Utah’s values.  

As the inaugural associate dean for research for the College of Science and later chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Utah, her leadership and vision have been instrumental in transforming the department into the School of Biological Sciences. Some of her many honors include the Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award, the C. Hart Merriam Award, and being named a distinguished professor by the University of Utah. Dearing has published more than 180 peer-reviewed publications with over 11,500 citations and has received extensive external funding to support her research projects. Her contributions continue to inspire students, peers, and future generations of scientists.

Industry — Mr. Sidney J. Green

Sidney Green is an engineer and entrepreneur who helped shape Utah’s high-tech industry. As founder, president, and CEO of TerraTek, he positioned Utah as a leader in geomechanics analysis, sparking economic growth that led to the development of other technology companies across the state.

Green has played a pivotal role in advancing science and engineering in Utah. He advised the governor and Legislature as a member of the Utah Science Council and was the founding chair of the Utah Technology Finance Corporation. In 1994, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering — one of only 15 members from Utah to serve in this capacity. He holds 24 patents, has published 119 peer-reviewed papers, and is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking technical achievements.

K-12 Education — Dr. Nicola Hack 

Dr. Hack started her career in education after earning a Ph.D. in developmental neurobiology and working as a research scientist. Realizing a need for early STEM education, she collaborated with fellow experts to launch a science-focused charter school. Her commitment to interdisciplinary, science-based learning continues to shape students’ educational journeys.

Over the years, Hack’s visionary leadership has created impactful opportunities for students to excel while supporting future educators and leaders. Her leadership, unwavering commitment to equitable STEM education, ability to develop teacher capacity, and transformative impact on students exemplify excellence in education.

We congratulate these awardees for their dedication, passion, and commitment to science and technology and look forward to their continued impact on our community and the world.

K-12 Education

Juliette Bautista Barahona, Founder and Director, Club Ability

Juliette Bautista is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment. As the founder and director of Club Ability, she instituted a transformative approach to teaching technology. She began her journey working with children with disabilities. From there, Club Ability expanded to fill a void in providing STEM education to girls and women and their families, especially those in Hispanic families that are sorely underrepresented in the field, where Latinos make up only 7% of Utah tech jobs despite being 15% of the Utah population. She has served nearly 1,000 K-12 students, primarily from low-income families. Since Club Ability’s 2019 inception, the educational programs have served a Utah population that’s 93% low-income, 98% Latinx, and 20% have a disability.

Academic/Research

Cornelia Ulrich, Ph.D., M.S., Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah

Dr. Cornelia Ulrich is an internationally recognized cancer epidemiologist/cancer prevention scientist and an accomplished leader. She is the chief scientific officer and the executive director of the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and the Jon and Karen Huntsman Presidential Professor in Cancer Research in Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. Dr. Ulrich’s research focuses on lifestyle and biological factors in cancer prevention and prognosis. Throughout her career, she has committed herself to developing and leading organizations, multidisciplinary teams, and international consortia that seek to advance scientific discovery focused on cancer prevention in critical areas. Her leadership of HCI has led to its growing impact on cancer prevention, care, and control in Utah and beyond.

Industry

Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., EarlyDiagnostics, Inc., Sera Prognostics, Inc., Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Dr. Critchfield is a successful business executive. In 1995, he became senior vice president and chief medical and science officer of Corning Clinical Laboratories/Quest Diagnostics, responsible for science, medicine, and innovation across the U.S. In 1998, he became president of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, building Myriad into one of the world’s leading molecular diagnostics companies, launching seven molecular diagnostic products, and contributing to numerous related publications.

Appointed to the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Science and Technology by Gov. Michael Leavitt, Dr. Critchfield became chair in 2006-07 during the term of Gov. Jon Huntsman. In 2010, he joined the board of Sera Prognostics, and in 2011, he became chair and CEO. His team discovered proteomic biomarker predictors of pregnancy outcomes, generating multiple U.S. and international patents. Dr. Critchfield currently serves as co-CEO of EarlyDiagnostics, Inc., a leading biotech diagnostics company devoted to providing accurate, affordable, and noninvasive tests for early cancer detection and precision medicine.

Dr. Critchfield has decades of experience as an author, patent-holder, and business executive in private and public companies. He and his teams have made significant contributions to the health of women, newborns, and underserved populations.

K-12 Education

Lora Gibbons, Educator, Mountain Heights Academy

Lora Gibbons knows students are our future and inspires countless students through her teaching, mentorship, and fostering a love of learning with all students, from accelerated learners to those who require more support.

A teacher at Mountain Heights Academy with over 23 years of experience. Gibbons strongly supports STEM education in Utah, as shown by her involvement in various state and national STEM competitions. She has mentored nationally-winning eCYBERMISSION teams, state and national finalist Samsung Solve for Tomorrow teams, Lexus Eco Challenge teams, and Thomas Edison Pitch students. She’s on the Utah Science Teachers Association board and works on various Utah State Board of Education projects.

Academia/Research

Julie L. Valentine, Ph.D., RN, SANE-A, FAAN, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Research, Brigham Young University – College of Nursing

Dr. Julie Valentine’s groundbreaking research on sexual assault has driven Utah’s improvements in addressing sexual violence.

Dr. Valentine’s collaborative research study with the Utah Bureau of Forensic Sciences, starting in 2011, captures data on sexual assault cases to help reduce sexual violence. This growing dataset of approximately 10,000 sexual assault cases in Utah is the largest database of its kind, tracking information from evidence collection through sexual assault kit submission rates to DNA analysis findings.

Dr. Valentine’s research has informed national standards in sexual assault evidence collection and kit submissions. Her research has been foundational for several legislative bills, including House Bill 200 Sexual Assault Kit Processing Amendments mandating the submission and testing of all sexual assault kits resulting in statewide submission rates improving from 38% to 98%.

Dr. Valentine was the primary author of Utah’s original Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant and District Attorney of New York grant, which awarded about $3.2 million to Utah to fund testing of over 11,000 backlogged sexual assault kits and identification of over 2,000 suspects. Dr. Valentine’s research has resulted in multidisciplinary reforms in education, practice, and policy in Utah and the United States.

Industry

David J. Bearss, Ph.D. , President, Chairman & CEO, Halia Therapeutics

Dr. David Bearss has a limitless and inspiring entrepreneurial spirit. His mentorship and achievements are transforming therapeutics, spawning discovery, seeding startups, and strengthening Utah’s life sciences community. His successful entrepreneurial track record of drug development spans the last 25 years in academics and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Bearss has discovered 16 compounds that have moved forward in clinical development, started numerous companies, and, notably, Tolero Pharmaceuticals in Lehi, Utah, that resulted in a successful exit to Sumitomo Dainippon of nearly $1 billion (a state industry record). Dr. Bearss helped establish the research arm of Huntsman Cancer Institute and the U2TAH Therapeutics Accelerator at the University of Utah, where investigators and researchers receive guided help to move their programs toward clinical studies and licensing opportunities.

In addition to being the current CEO of Halia Therapeutics, Dr. Bearss serves on the board of Halia Therapeutics, Biolexis Therapeutics, Canary Speech, Xenthera, and Galvan Health. Dr. Bearss is involved in many mentorship capacities, frequently being asked to contribute to panels and serve on advisory boards and task forces. He was one of the science experts Gov. Cox consulted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

K-12 Education

Kelli Booth, Executive Director, Principal – Davis Campus, Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science

Under the direction of Kelli Booth, NUAMES has earned a respected reputation as a premier STEM high school in Utah. During her tenure as executive director, science offerings have increased, providing more concurrent enrollment, AP courses, and greater health occupation opportunities, and the students’ test scores have improved. Faculty, staff, parents, and students all respect her abilities. She’s mindful of economic driving forces and the skills students need to succeed.

Academic/Research

Bruce Gale, Professor; Chair, Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah

Dr. Bruce Kent Gale is a professor and chair of mechanical engineering and adjunct professor in bioengineering, electrical and computer engineering, and materials science and engineering at the University of Utah. He has graduated 28 Ph.D. and 23 MS students and supervised 11 post-docs. Dr. Gale and his students have published 150 journal articles, five book chapters, and roughly 300 conference papers. He and his associates have 26 patents, with seven pending in biomechanics, microfluidics, and medical devices. Dr. Gale and his students have spun off six companies based on these patents.

Industry

Christopher Gibson,  Co-Founder and CEO, Recursion 

Dr. Christopher Gibson is a brilliant scientist and natural leader who has dedicated himself to building and sustaining Utah’s life science ecosystem. As a graduate student at the University of Utah in 2013, Dr. Gibson uncovered an opportunity to apply machine learning to cell images, which became the foundation for Recursion – a Salt Lake City-based company with the audacious mission to decode biology and industrialize drug discovery. As Recursion’s co-founder and CEO, Gibson has led the company through exponential growth, including raising more than $1 billion in private and public capital, delivering four clinical-stage programs and more than 50 pre-clinical and discovery programs, and hiring over 400 highly skilled employees spread across life sciences, technology and operations.

Dinesh C. Patel, PhD LIFE

Fred Lampropoulos LIFE

Diane Crim Bryant Middle School ED

Randall J Olson University of Utah ACA

Intermountain Healthcare Precision Genomics IND

Russell M. Nelson LIFE

Tyson Grover Davis School District ED

Dana Carroll University of Utah ACA

George Hansen Conductive Composites IND

Debra Spielmaker Utah State University ED

Adam Beehler University of Utah ED

Cynthia Burrows University of Utah ACA

Cynthia Furse University of Utah ACA

Timothy McLain Brigham Young University ACA

Terry Messmer Utah State University ACA

John Morrey Utah State University ACA

Kyle Rollins Brigham Young University ACA

Lawrence Thatcher The Thatcher Company IND

ENVE, ENVE IND

Robert Baskin US Geological Survey GOV

Dr. Vivian S. Lee University of Utah SPEC

Noelle Cockett Utah State University ACA

Joel Harris University of Utah ACA

Michelle Baker Utah State University ED

Christine Hailey Utah State University ED

Rich Brown University of Utah ED

Paul Hill Utah State University ED

Susan Opp L-3 IND

Rich Linder CoNextions Medical IND

Nelson Laboratories Nelson Laboratories IND

Sarah George University of Utah SPEC

Tom Parks University of Utah SPEC

Phyllis Coley University of Utah ACA

Erik Jorgensen University of Utah ACA

Christine Celestino Juan Diego Catholic High School ED

Helen Hu Westminster College ED

Niel Holt Space Dynamics Laboratory IND

Ronald Weiss University of Utah /ARUP IND

US Synthetic US Synthetic IND

Troy D’Ambrosio University of Utah SPEC

Aloysius S. Church University of Utah ED

Tamara Goetz Utah Valley University GOV

Larry Grandia Health Catalyst IND

Larry Rigby Larada Sciences IND

Henry S. White University of Utah ACA

Kenneth L. White Utah State University ACA

IM Flash Technologies IM Flash Technologies IND

Dale Taylor Ceramics Material Technologies IND

Theodore Stanley Anesta and ZARS IND

David Kieda University of Utah ACA

Geraldine Mineau University of Utah ACA

Thure Cerling University of Utah ACA

Adam Johnston Weber State University ED

Amy Pace Open High School of Utah ED

Scott Anderson Zions Bank SPEC

Ted McAleer USTAR GOV

Nicole Toomey-Davis Enclavix, LLC GOV

Byard D. Wood Utah State University ACA

Bruce Bugbee Utah State University ACA

Edward M. Eyring University of Utah ACA

Tim Miller Echelon Biosciences IND

Kelly B. Powers CR Bard Access Systems IND

Amanda Smith Dept. of Environmental Quality GOV

Hugo Rossi University of Utah ED

Richard R. Nelson Utah Technology Council SPEC

Gary Harter GOED SPEC

Jeff Edwards EDCUtah SPEC

Steve Rodgers EmergenTek SPEC

Dennis Farrar Upstart Ventures IND

Kevin Jensen Forage & Range Research Lab GOV

D. Clark Turner Aribex, Inc IND

Louisa Stark Genetic Science Learning Center ED

Paul Israelsen Utah State University ACA

Peter Armentront University of Utah ACA

Doug Panee Oak Canyon Jr. High ED

Randall J. Olsen Moran Eye Center ACA

Farrell Edwards Utah State University ED

Glen Westbroek Alpine School District ED

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives Utah State University ED – Group

Ashok C. Khandkar Amedica Corp IND

Reaveley Engineers & Associates Reaveley Engineers & Associates IND

William R. Lund Utah Geological Survey GOV

Mario Capecchi University of Utah SPEC

H. Dewayne Ashmead Albion Laboratories, Inc. IND

Lee Siegel University of Utah ED

Bonnie Bourgeous Clearfield High School ED

Vickie Ahlstrom Sego Lily Elementary ED

Brent Adams Brigham Young University ACA

David S. Chapman University of Utah ACA

David Wakefield Utah Dept. of Public Safety/Forensic Srvcs GOV

Jack Sunderlage ContentWatch SPEC

Jerry R. Nelson Nelson Laboratories, Inc. IND

Josh James Omniture IND

Paul Nance Jordan School District ED

Greg Jones Moran Eye Center GOV

Thomas Wilkerson Utah State University ACA

Bonnie Baxter Westminster College ACA

Chris Ireland University of Utah ACA

Glenn D. Prestwich Carbylan BioSurgry, Inc./U of U IND

Gina Sanzenbacher Jordan Applied Technology Center SCI ED

Theron Miller Utah DEQ/DWQ GOV

Merrill W. Beckstead Brigham Young University ED/Research

Jan D. Miller University of Utah ED/Research

Pierre Sokolsky University of Utah ED/Research

Anil V. Virkar University of Utah ED/Research

Barbara Gentry Jordan School District ED

Daniel L. Simmons Brigham Young University ACA

David W. Hoeppner University of Utah ACA

Donna Lee Trease Davis County School District ED

Richard W. Grow University of Utah SPEC

James L. Sorensen Sorenson Companies IND

Loren Morton Department of Environmental Quality GOV

Richard K. Koehn SentrX Surgical, Inc. SPEC

Valy Vardeny University of Utah ACA

Dean Lester ATK Thiokol IND

Michael Glass Dugway Proving Ground GOV

Richard Halterman Retired Granite School District ED

Lorris Betz University of Utah ACA

Noelle E. Cockett Utah State University ACA

Karl Gordon Lark University of Utah ACA

Joel S. Miller University of Utah ACA

Arden Pope Brigham Young University ACA

Wynn R. Walker Utah State University ACA

Stephen R. Carter Novell, Inc. IND

Rex S. Spendlove HyClone SPEC

Jerry Miller US Bureau of Reclamation GOV

Brett Moulding Utah State Office of Education GOV

Virginia Ord Davis School District ED

William Smith Granite School District ED

Clair Batty Utah State University ACA

David Bowles Utah State University ACA

Carl Wittwer University of Utah ACA

Fred Lampropoulos Merit Medical Systems, Inc. IND

Ashok Joshi Ceramatec, Inc. IND

Steven D. Aust Utah State University ACA

Randall W. Burt University of Utah ACA

Om P. Gandhi University of Utah ACA

Larry J. Ashton Rocky Mountain Composites, Inc. IND

Hunter Jackson NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. IND

Bill Jordan Pope Diamicron, Inc. IND

Kathleen P. Ochsenbein Roy Junior High School ED

Mario Renato Capecchi University of Utah SPEC

Mary Beckerle University of Utah ACA

Gail Bingham Utah State University ACA

Janet Ross Four Corners School ED

Doyle Stephens U.S. Geological Survey, deceased GOV

Bob Randolph Alliant Techsystems, ret. IND

Thomas Henderson University of Utah ACA

William Carroll University of Utah ACA

Gary Belovsky Utah State University ACA

Richard Tolman Brigham Young University ED

Donald Burge College of Eastern Utah ED

Donald Jensen Utah State University ED

James Kohler BLM (Team) GOV

Stanley Perkes BLM (Team) GOV

James Bowers Dugway Proving Grounds GOV

Suzanne Winters The Escalante Center GOV

Bradley Gilson Gilson Newman Bingham Team IND

Judd Lawrence Gilson Newman Bingham Team IND

Mark Newman Gilson Newman Bingham Team IND

Scott Hill Gilson Newman Bingham Team IND

James Boye Varian Medical Systems IND

James R. Ehleringer University of Utah ACA

Stephen M. Prescott University of Utah ACA

Marvin N. Tolman Brigham Young University ED

Don Carl Smellie Utah State University ED

Eva C. Nieminski Dept. of Environmental Quality GOV

Alan J. Mohr Dugway Proving Grounds GOV

Bruce Barrett U.S. Bureau of Reclamation GOV

Robert F. Keller Alliant Techsystems IND

Marlin Shelley Cirris Systems Corporation IND

Spotswood Spruance University of Utah ACA

John O. Evans Utah State University ACA

Joseph Hugh Baird Brigham Young University ED

Duane Merrell Emery High School ED

David Madsen Utah Geological Survey GOV

David Burt Space Dynamics Laboratory IND

Gerald B. Stringfellow University of Utah ACA

Rose Marie Voce Jackson Elementary ED

Bryant F. Anderson Lockheed Martin IND

Peter Meldrum Myriad Genetics. Inc. IND

Dan Fischer Ultradent Products, Inc. IND

Morris Robbins Brigham Young University ACA

Richard Normann University of Utah ACA

Anthon Ernstrom Utah State University ACA

Walter Saunders Utah State University ED

Von Del Chamberlain Hansen Planetarium GOV

Walter Arabasz University of Utah GOV

Dinesh Patel Thera Tech, Inc. IND

Harold Ritchey Thiokol IND

Laurence Reaveley University of Utah IND

Charles Dale Poulter University of Utah ACA

David W. Pershing University of Utah ACA

Thomas G. Stockham University of Utah ACA

Peter F. Gerity Utah State University ACA

Sherman Dickman SLC School District ED

Charles B. Hunt U.S. Geological Survey GOV

Mark Skolnick Myriad Genetics IND

Tracy Hall Brigham Young University ACA

Raymond F. Gesteland University of Utah ACA

Sherman Coleman University of Utah ACA

William Lee Stokes University of Utah ACA

Linda Powers Utah State University ACA

Ty Robinson Spanish Fork Intermediate ED

Kevin T. Jones State of Utah State History GOV

Keith Wilson Dynix IND

Errol P. EerNisse Quartztronics IND

L. DeVries University of Utah ACA

Raymond L. White University of Utah ACA

Helga E. T. Kolb University of Utah ACA

Peter Stang University of Utah ACA

Ronald Sims Utah State University ACA

Larry J. Peterson Bonneville High School ED

LaMont Jensen Clearfield High School ED

Hellmut H. Doelling Utah Geological Survey GOV

McKay Anderson Hercules, Inc. IND

LewWood Quartztronics, Inc. IND

Raymond J. Ganowsky Ram Company IND

Bevan Ott Brigham Young University ACA

Levi Hintze Brigham Young University ACA

David M. Grant University of Utah ACA

Joseph Andrade University of Utah ACA

Karin Caldwell University of Utah ACA

Bruce Bishop Utah State University ACA

Bartell Jensen Utah State University ACA

Edward B. Walker Weber State University ACA

Jan Vander Hooft Brighton High School ED

Larry Larson North Cache Middle School ED

Vern W. Bangerter Timpview High School ED

Homer R. Warner Am. Coll. of Medical Informatics IND

J.D. Mortensen Midmid, Inc. IND

Raymond Noorda Novell, Inc. IND

Jerald Bradshaw Brigham Young University ACA

Verlaine McPhie Salt Lake Community College ACA

Baldomero Olivera University of Utah ACA

J.C. Giddings University of Utah ACA

Douglas James Utah State University ACA

Frank Redd Utah State University ACA

Gilbert Moore Utah State University ACA

Marcie Wolfe Mt. Ogden Middle School ED

Gene Amman U.S. Forest Service GOV

Ruth Novak Hercules, Inc. IND

Reed M. Izatt Brigham Young University ACA

Fritz Luty University of Utah ACA

John A. Dixon University of Utah ACA

Ronald Ragsdale University of Utah ACA

Stephen Charles Jacobsen University of Utah ACA

John Paul Riley Utah State University ACA

Cyrus M. Mckell Weber State College ACA

Dwight O. Brown Bountiful High School ED

John W. Barainca Brighton High School ED

Michael B. Harris Layton High School ED

Allan Steed Space Dynamics Lab IND

William Partridge TRA IND

James W. Cronin University of Utah ACA

Doran J. Baker Utah State University ACA

Dean F. Peterson, Jr. Utah State University , deceased ACA

Pamela P. Giles Brighton High School ED

Gerald B. Lord Granger High School ED

Robert A. Schumacker Evan & Sutherland IND

Aaron W. Farr Jetway Systems IND

Ronald K. Bell UNYSIS IND

Douglas Chabries Brigham Young University ACA

Don Olsen University of Utah ACA

Sung Wan Kim University of Utah ACA

William J. Higuchi University of Utah ACA

Eldon Gardner Utah State University ACA

Jack Keller Utah State University ACA

Robert W. Schunk Utah State University ACA

Robert W. Sidwell Utah State University ACA

Carl D. Marti, Jr. Weber State College ACA

Rober Cefalo Box Elder High School ED

RuthAnn Yahne Layton High School ED

David G. Rettie Olympus High School ED

Linda Jean Preston Park City High School ED

Merrill Webb Provo High School ED

Alan Ashton WordPerfect IND

L.Douglas Smoot Brigham Young University ACA

Del Allen Brigham Young University ACA

Eugene C. Loh University of Utah ACA

John Roth University of Utah ACA

Milton Wadsworth University of Utah ACA

Richard Riesenfeld University of Utah ACA

Robert W. Parry University of Utah ACA

William Odell University of Utah ACA

Homer Walker Utah State University ACA

James Mac Mahon Utah State University ACA

Wilford Hansen Utah State University ACA

Sidney R. Ash Weber State College ACA

Richard Dix Cloward Bonneville High School ED

Shu Ming Chang Clearfield High School ED

Wade W. Gleary Davis High School ED

Rachelle Argyle Park City High School ED

Wendy Hendrickson Richfield High School ED

David Evans Evans & Sutherland IND

Milton Lee Lee Scientific IND

Michael Alder NPI IND

Benjamin V. Cox UNYSIS IND

Wayne Brown Utah Innovation Center IND