Recognition Award, Uintah Basin Research Internship

The Uintah Basin Student Research Internship (UBRI) program transforms undergraduate students from consumers to producers of knowledge. For the last 12 years, science faculty members at the Uintah Basin campus of Utah State University have provided research opportunities for undergraduates in an 8-1/2 week paid, summer internship program. Undergraduates can complete research projects that span a wide range of disciplines including geology, chemistry, natural resources and biology. Each summer, three to six students are selected to help design a research project and work alongside their mentor both in the field and in the laboratory.

The UBRI program provides research experiences that encourage students to complete science degrees at USU. Many of the undergraduates at Uintah Basin are knowledgeable about and interested in science but have little experience doing scientific research. This program fills that knowledge gap and provides a foundation for a successful career. These successes include co-authoring research articles with faculty mentors as well as completing medical and graduate school programs.

UBRI participants consistently describe their experiences as transformative. One student noted, “It has made me more excited, and passionate about going into science.” Another student wrote, “The research that I did over the past few months opened me up to different possible careers that I otherwise might not have thought about pursuing.” Finally, one student wrote "I intend on attending vet school … I believe this program will help me accomplish that goal.""

USU Board of Trustees recognize the science faculty at the Uintah Basin campus of Utah State University for building an undergraduate research program that transforms lives. The success of this program is driven by the work of faculty research mentors and student researchers. The Board recognizes summer 2025 UBRI student and faculty participants including Maycee Cox and Hal Searle who are working on Wildlife Ecology projects with Dr. Mark Chynoweth, Britany Lamb who is working on a project to develop new tools for ecologists with Dr. Charles Hanifin, Ethan Sharp who is working on a chemical synthesis project with Dr. Mike Christiansen, as well as Bekah Ward and Addison Woodford who are developing models of nerve and muscle cell function with Dr. Shana Geffeney.