January 2026
ITLS Professor Awarded $3.5M NSF Grant to Build STEM Career Awareness in Rural Mountain Communities in Collaborative Project
A new research initiative led in part by Mimi Recker, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences (ITLS), aims to reshape how rural mountain middle and high school students prepare for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Recker is one of three principal investigators on a recently awarded five-year collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The team's goal is to increase STEM career awareness among middle and high school students in mountain tourism-oriented communities in Colorado by using community partnerships to connect schools with local businesses and mentors.
Research & News
Researchers in Speech and Hearing Sciences Awarded Two Multi-Year Federal Grants
Professors Ron Gillam and Sandi Gillam, Ph.Ds., received two multi-year grants for research investigating Developmental Language Disorders (DLD), a disability that affects about 8 percent of children in the US. In collaboration with Ohio University and the University of Arizona, Ron was awarded a five-year, $2.5M grant from the National Institutes of Health, while Sandi received a four-year $2M grant from the Institute of Education Sciences as part of a collaborative project with Harvard University.
CEHS Professors Awarded Spencer Foundation Grant to Advance Indigenous Perspectives in K-12 Classrooms
Associate Professors Breanne Litts (ITLS) and Melissa Tehee (Psychology) were awarded a three-year $375K Spencer Foundation grant to advance cultural awareness and Indigenous knowledge in K-12 classrooms across Utah. The researchers are implementing a community-focused approach that emphasizes close collaboration with tribal knowledge holders and other partners to create educational tools that share Indigenous perspectives in ways that are interactive, respectful, and meaningful.
11 Statewide Researchers Receive Pilot Grant Funding for Dementia Research for 2026
The Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Research Center, a state-funded initiative, recently awarded its 2026 catalyst grants for research related to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The center is committed to increasing research and providing support for the rapidly growing number of adults in Utah who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and those who care for them. The 2026 ADRC grant funding was awarded to 11 researchers who represent universities throughout Utah.
Psychology Doctoral Student Leads National Effort to Expand Treatment Access for Misophonia
Emily Bowers, a Ph.D. candidate in the Psychology Department, is the principal investigator on a study recently funded by the Misophonia Research Fund. Bowers' team, mentored by Professors Michael Twohig and Michael Levin, Ph.D.s, will develop and test a fully digital, self-guided treatment program for misophonia, an under-researched condition where everyday sounds trigger intense emotional and physical reactions that disrupt daily life. The study is the first randomized controlled trial of a digital intervention for misophonia.
