Faculty Across Multiple Institutions Rally to Save a Summer High School Research Experience
- Utah Cultivating Research Experience and Workforce (UCREW), formerly STEP-UP, survived a major funding setback thanks to faculty collaboration across Utah institutions.
- Students gained hands-on experience in health research and technology, with many continuing beyond the summer.
- Fiona Chen, Aadhi Umamageswaran, and Ruchiraa Chinta share how UCREW shaped their academic and career goals.
- The program opens doors to Utah health degrees, STEM careers, and real-world research opportunities.
When a key grant fell through, the University of Utah’s UCREW program could have ended. Instead, faculty across Utah—including leaders from the College of Health—stepped up to ensure high school students didn’t lose their chance at a transformative research experience.
Julie Lucero, associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, recalls the urgency: “Everyone came together and stepped up so young people could have this experience.” Faculty from multiple institutions, including Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, worked tirelessly to secure stipends, find mentors, and create placements for students. In total, 10–12 faculty members across Utah took on interns, proving that collaboration can overcome even the toughest funding challenges.
Tim Brusseau, associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, emphasizes the program’s broader impact: “Many turned this experience into continuing research opportunities. Everyone said we want to make sure these young people have this research experience.”
The goal was simple but powerful: give high school students meaningful research opportunities that could shape their academic and career paths. For many, this was a rare chance to access research before college.
Fiona Chen: Community Health Research
Fiona Chen initially applied for a biomedical-focused program but ended up conducting community health research through UCREW. She worked on the Move Together for Health project, where she supported community-based research focused on understanding how social and environmental factors influence physical activity and health. The project included getting the perspective of physical activity program participants, instructors, and community partners on a group-based physical activity program. The goal was to have broad reach into the community, be effective, and have the potential for sustainability.
Paul Estabrooks, professor and associate dean of community engagement, worked with Chen on the project and says she was an asset to the program and impressed him with her abilities.
“Throughout the project, I observed her quickly develop strong qualitative research skills, engage thoughtfully with community members, and contribute meaningfully to data collection and analysis well beyond what is typical for a high school student,” Estabrooks says.
“While this was different from what I initially expected, it became an incredibly meaningful experience,” Chen says. “I gained hands-on exposure to qualitative research methods, learned how to engage with community members respectfully and effectively, and developed a deeper understanding of how health outcomes are shaped by social and environmental factors.”
Today, Chen continues working on the “Move Together for Health” project, seeing firsthand how data translates into community impact. “Continuing my work beyond the summer has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this experience,” she shares. “I have been able to remain involved with the Move Together for Health project, continuing to work with the same research team and many of the same participants. This continuity has allowed me to see how the program has grown both in size and geographic reach. It has been especially fulfilling actively engage in the research that I previously spent the summer analyzing, and to witness firsthand how the data translates into tangible community impact.”
Not only is Chen grateful to continue with the project, but Estabrooks appreciates her contributions as well. “Having Fiona continue with the project has been especially valuable, as her continuity, institutional knowledge, and reflective approach have strengthened both our research processes and our connection to the community,” Estabrooks says.
Aadhi Umamageswaran: AI and Medicine
Another student, Aadhi Umamageswaran from West High School, joined UCREW with a passion for AI and a personal connection to health challenges.
“My family has a long history of diabetes and kidney disease,” Umamageswaran explains. “I wanted to combine AI and medicine to make life easier for people like my grandparents and parents.”
Her summer project involved using AI to process images from the world’s smallest hyperspectral microscope—a tool that could revolutionize biomedical research by mapping biomolecules without costly staining methods.
“This was my first time working in a lab,” she says. “I’ve learned that the world has a lot of complex problems, but solutions can start at home with simple materials.”
And Umamageswaran’s work didn’t stop when summer ended. Aadhi continues programming and refining models in Professor Regisman’s electrical engineering lab, gaining multidisciplinary experience that blends computer science and health innovation.
Ruchiraa Chinta: Hands-On Microbiology and a Vision for Biomedical Innovation
Ruchiraa Chinta first learned about UCREW from her high school biotechnology teacher while searching for summer research opportunities. “What drew me to UCREW was the fact that it was a structured research program,” she says. “Both the student and the mentor have a clear idea of what the following weeks of research would look like and what would be expected from each of them. That clarity was especially appealing to me because it removes a lot of the uncertainty that can make research feel inaccessible at first.”
Her expectations matched the reality. Ruchiraa wanted hands-on wet lab experience, and UCREW delivered. “I was definitely taught the application of microbiology lab basics,” she explains. “With hands-on experience, I became more comfortable with the research process and gained an understanding of a larger experimental workflow.”
Continuing her work in the Summers and Holland Lab has been both challenging and rewarding. “Learning how to budget time for experiments alongside my classes has taught me the practical realities of research,” she says. “But it’s quite rewarding when things finally work!”
Her ultimate career goal is to work at the intersection of biomedical engineering and pharmaceutical chemistry, focusing on drug delivery systems. “I’ve always been fascinated with how the design of materials at the molecular and cellular level can directly influence patient outcomes,” she says. “Contributing to that field would be a dream.”
Collaboration Creates Lasting Opportunities for Utah Students
Thanks to faculty across Utah who rallied to keep the program alive, students like Chen, Chinta and Umamageswaran are not only gaining hands-on experience but continuing their work well beyond the summer. Their journeys show how early exposure to research can inspire educational paths in public health, biophysics, and biomedical innovation—fields that are in high demand and offer rewarding careers. For Utah high school students dreaming of making a difference in health or technology, programs like UCREW prove that the first step toward a future in science starts with opportunity.