School of Biological Sciences

Funds provide for a visiting lectureship, undergraduate research, and support an Endowed Chair of Biology (to an outstanding faculty researcher in biology). Lark was the inaugural chairperson of the Department of Biology at the U of U and successfully recruited 27 exceptional faculty members over 7 years, including Utah's Nobel Laureate, Mario Capecchi. A renowned geneticist himself, Lark made discoveries in DNA replication and genetics across various systems, from bacteria to soybeans to dogs. Read more about Lark’s research and legacy, as the father of modern biology at the University of Utah.

Supports undergraduate and graduate student field-work and research. George Riser’s generosity has contributed to the success of 1000s of biology majors at the University of Utah. Riser’s legacy is marked by science, generosity and some truly incredible connections to Utah’s history.
In 2017 Riser, BS’47, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Biological Sciences. Read more about the late George Riser here.

This endowment supports graduate students conducting field studies. Phyllis Coley and the late Thomas Kursar, tropical ecologists and conservationists whose research and outreach with communities in central and south America is legendary. The couple blended her training in ecology and his in biophysics to work in multiple countries in both the African Congo and the Amazon as well as in Panama, Borneo and Malaysia. Their ambitions extended beyond field research to economic opportunities for communities in Central America and measures that would reduce deforestation, including establishing programming for bioprospecting for novel drug discoveries. Read more about Professors Coley and Kursar here.

This scholarship supports one or more anatomy students and teaching assistants. Nielsen taught anatomy to over 32,000 students and established a peer-to-peer training program to address high enrollments. Over 1,600 student leaders (TAs) were trained during his tenure, and his innovative approach has become a model for similar courses across the country. Nielsen is credited with 48 educational publications, 20 instructional videos, novel software, and more. With 35 teaching awards, his legacy endures, so it’s no surprise anatomy alumni started an endowed scholarship in his honor.
Read more about Professor Mark Nielsen and Human Anatomy in the School of Biological Sciences here.