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Brilliant Faculty & Staff

Microbiology Professor Speaks About The Origin Of Life at NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES CONFERENCE in Japan

Emerging Researcher Award 2024
NASA Space Grant Recipient

Weber State University microbiology professor Katrina Twing spoke about her research into the origins of life at a prestigious National Academy of Sciences conference in Japan in October 2024.

Twing was one of six Americans who presented at the 2024 Japanese-American-German Kavli Frontiers of Science conference in Kyoto, Japan. Twing was asked to talk about the origins of life — specifically her research into “life molecules” found in deep sea volcano vents.

Twing studies unique deep sea vents that are home to a special geochemical process that can release organic molecules starting from just water and rocks. These organic molecules (hydrogen and methane, among others) could have helped create and sustain life in an extreme environment without sunlight.

Studying the microbes found in extreme environments is important to understanding not only the origin of life on Earth but may also lead to finding life on other planets, Twing said.

“I think it’s human nature to ask where we come from. But we’re closer to being able to answer it than ever before,” she said. “I don’t know if we’re going to find a conclusive answer … but I think that each little piece of this puzzle that we can kind of click into place can help us understand where we’ve been, maybe understand the world around us now a little bit better and understand the future.”

Twing was awarded the WSU Emerging Researcher Award in 2024. She also recently received a Utah NASA Space Grant to try to grow a bacterium relevant to the origin of life from the Great Salt Lake.
 

‘Transformative’ Leadership in Higher Education

Former Vice Provost Brenda Kowalewski received the 2024 Barbara A. Holland Scholar-Administrator Award from the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, which honors a scholar-administrator whose leadership and intellectual voice illuminates the transformative power of urban and metropolitan higher education.

Until May 2025, Kowalewski served as vice provost of high impact educational experiences, faculty excellence, and international and graduate studies at WSU. Kowalewski co-created the Office of Community Development and championed faculty development in inclusive pedagogy through the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning.

In 2016, she convened a coalition of seven institutions in Ogden to help revitalize East Central Ogden. That coalition, the Ogden Civic Action Network, strengthens local partnerships in health, education, built environment, economic stability, and social fabric.

Since WSU opened the Center for Community Engaged Learning in 2006, Kowalewski has garnered national attention for Weber’s commitment to connecting coursework with university-community engaged work. Under her leadership as founding director, the center became a national model for such collaborative efforts.

Brenda Kowalewski
Barbara A. Holland Scholar-Administrator Award from the Coalition of Urban Metropolitan Universities

NEW FACES
On Campus

 

WEBER STATE WELCOMED NEW LEADERS FOR A
VARIETY OF AREAS THIS SUMMER FOLLOWING NATIONWIDE SEARCHES.

Provost & Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs

Leslie Durham, who previously served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Boise State University, has joined Weber State as provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs. Among her successes as dean, Durham launched four new academic programs and three new schools within her college. WSU’s student-focused mission brought her to Utah. “I see Weber State thriving despite the challenges due to its deep commitment to student success,” she said. “It’s a big deal moving to Utah from Boise State because I’ve been there for 24 years, so only a place as special as Weber State could convince me to pull up those deep roots.”

“I see Weber State thriving despite the challenges due to its deep commitment to student success.” — Leslie Durham

Mark Halverson

VICE PRESIDENT OF

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Mark Halverson, who has held leadership roles at WSU in facilities management, campus planning, and information technology, was selected as the new vice president of Administrative Services in July. In his new role, Halverson oversees essential administrative functions, including information technology, financial services, facilities management, public safety, human resources, and athletics. “Administrative Services has some amazing people supporting our faculty and staff,” he said. “My wish is to continuously improve this support so they can continue to make Weber State great.”

Jeremy Oller

Dean of the

JOHN B. GODDARD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Jeremy Oller, WSU’s new John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics dean, previously served as dean of the College of Business at the University of Central Oklahoma, where he led initiatives to strengthen academic quality, student engagement, and industry partnerships. Oller was drawn to WSU’s commitment to student success and high-quality staff and faculty. “The Goddard School is already doing a great job, so what I’m hoping to bring is excitement and the ability to keep the momentum going,” he said. “I see the Goddard School’s vision, and I know we can be known as a top regional school in the western United States.”

Brian Rague

DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF

ENGINEERING, APPLIED SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Brian Rague assumed the role of dean of the College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology in July. Rague, who brings more than 21 years of experience guiding and promoting Weber State to the role, previously served as associate dean of EAST and chair of the Department of Computer Science. As dean, Rague oversees seven academic programs, nine college centers, 100 faculty members, 30 staff members, and about 3,200 student majors. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have interacted with quite a few folks across the university,” Rague said. “And everyone is invested in student success across the board, so I’m excited to leverage that existing camaraderie.”

Ali Threet

DEAN OF

STUDENTS

Ali Threet started her role as Weber State’s dean of students last summer. During her 15 years of higher education leadership experience, including a recent role as assistant vice president and dean of students at Utah Tech University, she has been known for her commitment to a welcoming environment, collaboration, and student success. “My primary goal for students at WSU is to ensure that every student feels like they belong,” Threet said. “I love spending time with students, asking them questions, and getting to know their various circumstances and what’s happening in their lives. I love getting to know what makes them feel like they fit, where they’re excited, and where they’re struggling.”

College of Science professors
EARN TOP AWARDS FOR 2024

Heather Root, associate professor of botany and plant ecology, was named the 2024 Hinckley Fellow for excellence in teaching, service, and research. Since 2014, Root has uplifted WSU students through education and mentorship. Her ties to the U.S. Geological Survey Moab Office and Ogden Nature Center create opportunities for students to participate in research alongside professionals in the field. Root also has a national reputation as an expert in lichenology, with 44 peer-reviewed manuscripts that have been cited 826 times.

Professors Bridget Hilbig and James Cohen from the Department of Botany & Plant Ecology earned the Exemplary Interdisciplinary Collaboration Award for collaborative efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education through two highly successful projects: the BOTANY Scientists and PROGRESS Postdoctoral Fellow programs. Over the past two years, these projects have helped increase recruitment to STEM programs at WSU. Both projects received National Science Foundation grants, resulting in $1.5 million in funds.

Associate Professor of Botany and Plant Ecology Heather Root received the 2024 John S. Hinckley Fellow Award

Professor commits to student success, service learning

When students in the Department of Health, Physical Education & Recreation talk about how Weber State changed their lives for the better, many have professor James Zagrodnik in mind.

Along with his passionate and engaging teaching style, Zagrodnik is known as founder and director of Children’s Adaptive Physical Education Society — better known as CAPES! — a skill development initiative for children with developmental disabilities in and around Ogden.

Through CAPES, Zagrodnik has created opportunities for WSU students to earn more than 22,000 service-learning hours in preparation for their careers as educators, while also uplifting the lives of local families.

Committed to student success and mentorship, Zagrodnik has positively shaped students’ college experience through New Zealand Adventures, a study abroad program that immerses students in Maori culture and perspectives on health, physical activity, and environmental stewardship.

His groundbreaking research on the physiological effects of pickleball has opened new avenues in the field and provided undergraduate students with valuable hands-on experience.

Zagrodnik’s advocacy for both faculty and students has strengthened programs and streamlined university operations. This year, along with sociology professor Marjukka Ollilainen, he was named Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor. He has also earned the Career Champion Award in 2024 and Crystal Crest Master Teacher Award in 2018.

Weber State professor developing at-home cancer detection device

Bharath Babu Nunna, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, dreams of a world where early cancer detection helps save lives — before any doctor’s appointment.

For the past decade, Nunna has worked on a device to do just that.

“The objective of this research is to develop a self-evaluation tool, which is a standalone device that can help to detect cancer by the patient instantaneously,” he said.

Nunna collaborates with researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Hackensack University Medical Center, and Weill Cornell Medical College on the project. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the team is in the planning stages for FDA approval and clinical trials. They plan to complete trials and receive approval in the next three years and are working with reimbursement and regulatory strategists in hopes of making it sooner.

The device functions similarly to a glucometer (a device diabetes patients use to measure the concentration of glucose in the blood). The results are integrated into a smartphone app, enabling the data to be tracked, correlated, and analyzed to generate timely alerts that prompt the patient to take the next steps in cancer screening and treatment.

Nunna’s innovation has received multiple national honors, including the TechConnect National Innovation Award and the Defense Innovation Award. He also received an international Best Design Award for Healthcare Innovations and Point-of-Care Technologies from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and its Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, presented at the National Institutes of Health.

Mechanical engineering major Shanti Bahik, who has supported Nunna in his cancer screening research, said the experience has taught her more than textbooks ever could.

“I’ve learned how research really works — from forming a hypothesis and testing ideas to refining solutions that have real impact,” she said. “This experience has helped me grow not just as a student but as an aspiring engineer committed to making a difference.”