Utah Tech University

Students at Utah Tech University in the spring 2025 semester demonstrated remarkable academic talent, with 854 students earning President's List honors. To qualify, students had to attain a semester GPA of 3.9 or higher and complete at least 15 credits. "I offer my sincere congratulations to all the students who have earned a place on the president's or dean's list," Dr. Michael Lacourse, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Utah Tech, said. "Their dedication, hard work, and pursuit of excellence exemplify the best of Utah Tech University. It is deeply rewarding to see our students making the most of their opportunities and achieving such meaningful academic success. Their accomplishments reflect the perseverance and resilience that define our academic community."

During Utah Tech University's 114th Commencement Ceremonies, Music Department students conducted the Utah Tech Symphonic Band for the prelude and recessional music. Dr. Bryant Smith gave his students the option to conduct the band for their final exam. Each was given the music three weeks before the performance. They studied the music, prepared and conducted the band in two rehearsals and then performed during the ceremony.

Utah Tech University honored eleven students for being outstanding seniors at the Elite 11 ceremony on April 22. All students working toward their bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.65 or higher were invited to apply, demonstrating academic excellence, campus involvement and community service through a written application. Each honoree received a medallion to wear at commencement, a letter of commendation from the university president and a celebratory dinner. Formally known as the Dixie 11 Award, the Elite 11 Award was established in 2014 and is coordinated by the Utah Tech Alumni Ambassadors and Alumni Association Board. This year's recipients join a distinguished group of over 100 past awardees.

Utah Tech University celebrated the 2025 graduating class of 3,088 students at its 114th Commencement ceremonies this week. To accommodate friends and family of the growing collective body of UT graduates, four commencement ceremonies were held on May 1 and 2 in the M. Burns Arena on Utah Tech's campus. With 3,088 individual graduates and 3,547 total degrees and certificates awarded, the 2025 class stands as a testament to the university's commitment to hands-on learning, innovation and student success. "Today, we celebrate not just a milestone in our graduates' academic journeys, but the pioneering spirit of resilience, innovation and purpose that defines Utah Tech University," University President Shane B. Smeed said. "I am confident these graduates are well prepared to enter the workforce and make a difference in their industries and communities."

Utah Tech University hosts a research symposium every year titled the Trailblazer Symposium for Research, Innovation and Creativity. This year, Utah Tech was proud to feature 140 presentations with over 300 presenters, including 39 oral talks and 101 posters. The symposium grows by at least five to ten presentations every year, reflecting the growth and progress Utah Tech achieves annually.

Utah Tech University celebrated the achievements of 19 cadets in its Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy at a graduation ceremony hosted on Saturday. The cadets graduated in the Law Enforcement Officer class after several months of training, including having completed the Special Function Officer training previously. The Special Function Officer training took the cadets roughly 14 to 16 weeks to complete, with a rigorous training schedule Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. After completing the SFO training, the cadets were given a few weeks off before beginning their Law Enforcement Officer training, which followed the same schedule for another 16 weeks.

In a display of academic excellence and leadership across diverse disciplines, Utah Tech University has selected seven valedictorians for the class of 2025. Each selected student has demonstrated exceptional academic achievements and dedication to their field. This year, the university chose one student to represent each college as valedictorian. In years past, there has been one student to represent the entire university. Now, with multiple ceremonies being held for the university's 114th Commencement, more exceptional students get to be recognized for their hard work. The following students were announced as Utah Tech University's 2025 valedictorians. - Evan Thomas, College of Health Sciences - Rachel Krupnek, College of Science, Engineering, & Technology - Victoria R. Wallentine, University College - Teancom Denevan, College of Business - Emma Mancuso, College of Humanities and Social Sciences - Kensington Owens, College of the Arts - Jordan Boyce, College of Education

In a display of excellence in a number of areas, several Utah Tech University students were recognized at Utah Tech's annual Trailblazer Awards event this week. As part of the university's annual D-Week celebration, Trailblazer Awards was held on Thursday at the Eccles Mainstage Theatre on campus to honor those who have helped shape Utah Tech's legacy and recognize their accomplishments. Students honored have displayed dedication in a variety of different areas, like serving the community, being actively involved on and off campus, showing commitment to a club, persevering and overcoming obstacles, demonstrating extraordinary talent or having a unique character, personality, and enthusiasm that contributes to the Trailblazer spirit.

24 Utah Tech University students were recently recognized as finalists for the Elite 11 Award. The Elite 11 Award was introduced by the Utah Tech University Alumni Association just over a decade ago, honoring 11 bachelor's degree graduates who have excelled in academia, university, and community involvement. While only 11 students are chosen for the Elite 11, all 24 finalists are recognized for their achievements as Choice Award recipients.

Utah Tech University has awarded this year's Trailblazer Royalty, including the Trailblazer Queen, as well as First, Second, Third and Fourth Attendants. The pageant consisted of four sections: opening number, talent, evening wear, and onstage question. Lastly, there was a contestant parade. Not only did the women compete for their royalty spot at the pageant, but they were also interviewed the morning of the event. The contestants were judged based on their Service & Involvement Resumes and their essays. Their GPAs are also taken into consideration. All of these items are included with the scores that they are given during the pageant. Contestants had to undergo multiple weeks of training which included interviewing and learning how to answer questions on stage. This training not only helps them become a part of the Trailblazer Queen royalty, but also prepares them for life outside of Utah Tech including job interviews, improving public speaking abilities and building overall confidence.

Spring break isn't always beaches, cruises, and taking a week off - for Utah Tech University's Fusion team, spring break was a great opportunity to share messages of hope, kindness, anti-bullying, and suicide awareness to schools in Las Vegas and New York City. "I can't say enough about how hard these kids have worked," Amy Gleave, director of Entertainment Alliance at Utah Tech, said. "I think we're going places it's more than just singing and dancing. We're building good humans over here."

Utah Tech University has four teams of entrepreneurial students developing companies as part of the Sandbox program, and are pitching to potential investors to support their tech company startup. The program allows students with an entrepreneurial tech startup idea to dedicate one year to developing their business under the guidance of experienced mentors and industry leaders. The companies created by UT students as part of the Sandbox program include: - Vessium, an AI based workflow generator to help with databases - Furnace, an AI-powered platform that emails potential sales prospects - LazyRep, a door-to-door pest control sales took to identify and knock on more doors - FieldReport.io, a field report automation for utility pole maintenance

Mia Cesarek, a sophomore on the Utah Tech women's golf team, won the UGA Women's Winterchamps Championship. The tournament consisted of 12 teams and 77 women competing at Copper Rock golf course. Cesarek's win was a special one and allows her to move onto the EPSON Tour's Copper Rock Championship. The Copper Rock Championship is a stepping stone in qualifying for the LPGA tour. Cesarek's win from the Winterchamps tournament gives her an exemption to play in the professional tournament. Cesarek, along with her fellow teammate, will compete in this championship at Copper Rock golf course May 15-17.

Michael Orr, a student in Utah Tech University's Applied and Computational Mathematics program, recently represented Utah Tech at the Council on Undergraduate Scholars Transforming Through Research Program in Washington, D.C.. Sixty institutional teams across the nation were selected for this competitive application-based opportunity. There were 142 undergraduate researchers and Utah Tech was one of the two Utah schools chosen to attend. Attendees developed their communication and advocacy skills by engaging in meaningful discussions with Utah representatives and senate correspondents, where they emphasized the critical importance of funding and accessibility for undergraduate research.

Six Utah Tech students spent their spring break participating in a service project in Cambodia, making a meaningful impact in the community. Participating students built a house from the ground up in just four days. They began by demolishing the old house on the first day and ended with a couple moving in on the final day of the trip.

Lilliana Rogers, a student at Utah Tech, published a book - "The Dead Dads' Club Workbook" - to help herself and others deal with the grief of losing a loved one. After losing her father to cancer at 16, Lilliana set her mind to creating not only a book but a workbook to help others who have gone through similar scenarios. She had read many other books on the market. They were all very clinical, very sterile and plain. The pages were boring, there was no color and overall, they just seemed very cut and dry. "I didn't think those books encapsulated the human experience of grief," she said. "That's kind of where the grief humor came from. When you're going through something like loss, you need a little bit of humor." "The Dead Dads' Club Workbook" is full of bright colors and a little bit of humor-everything a grief book should include to get you through those tough times. The book also includes interactive activities and places to put pictures and create memories of your loss. Lilliana wanted to make it a little more interactive and more engaging. "If you are struggling with grief or you're struggling with memories, just know that you're not alone," Lilliana said. "The biggest message in this book is to interact with not only yourself but to create community and know that you're not alone."

Talented voice students from Utah Tech University recently competed at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) regional auditions, with five advancing to the first online round of nationals. Students compete in categories based on age, experience and vocal style, performing in front of experienced judges. Advancing to the national rounds is a remarkable achievement, as Utah Tech students had a 62.5 percent advancement rate-more than double the overall regional advancement rate of 27 percent. These five students, if they pass through the online national preliminary and quarterfinal rounds, will travel to Philadelphia, PA, this June for the remaining rounds.

Last month, four Utah Tech University students traveled to Atlanta, GA, to compete in the National Collegiate Sports Sales Competition. Over 90 organizations participate in this competition, including the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls. The National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship is a great example of Utah Tech University's "active learning. active life." mantra, giving students an opportunity to network with industry professionals and gain some exposure to the demands of the industry.

The 2025 Utah Tech Mr. Trailblazer event was a huge success, with Warner Carson, Kybin Al-Mosawi and Noah Rowley being crowned as the new royalty. Mr. Trailblazer is a longstanding tradition at the university. It takes about eight weeks to plan and perfect. Contestants compete in four categories, including an opening number, a question-and-answer panel, a special talent and a final walk in their best dress.

After researching how 3D scanning and mapping technology at crime scenes helps with the investigative process, Utah Tech University student Emma Mancuso will present her results during a poster session at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences conference this month. Mancuso's research began in the Spring 2024 semester and ended at the conclusion of the Fall 2024 semester. She observed law enforcement professionals who use the equipment regularly in cases. All participants were either current or formerly employed crime scene investigators, police officers, detectives and several other occupations. Her research findings showed that including 3D scanning and mapping technology helps with the accuracy, efficiency and volume of data collected.

Utah Tech University's cheer team took first place at the USA National Collegiate Championship. The competition took place on Feb. 15 and 16 in Anaheim, California. The team won in two categories, including College Band Chant and D1 Small Co-Ed Show cheer Advanced. This was the first season in school history that UT competed for a national championship. In her first season as head coach, Marcie Sharp watched one of her biggest goals become a reality as her team won two titles. "This win is huge for our cheer program," said head cheer coach, Marcie Sharp. "This will help get Utah Tech's name out there to be able to bring in more talent and more donors so we can continue supporting and cheering on our Trailblazers, as well as win many more national championships in the future."

Utah Tech University's ROTC program honored five cadets who will be the first class of officers commissioned out of the program. The officers who are commissioned out of the program are given the opportunity to have a head start in their future, including having a higher status when going into the United States Army.

As part of Utah Tech University's commitment to hands-on learning, students Rhys Ward and Natalia Cervantes conducted a two-semester project monitoring the developing aquatic environments in the ponds at Black Desert Resort. Ponds were included in the construction of the Black Desert golf course, creating an environment for many species to develop and flourish. The research conducted by UT students points to how to effectively keep these special and growing insect populations safe. The research also helps Black Desert plan for the future of its outdoor nature center to protect native plants and animals in the area. Dr. Bryan Stevens and Dr. Joseph Platt gave students the opportunity to conduct research on the aquatic insects that were living in the Black Desert Resort ponds. Dr. Platt has continued to work other projects at Black Desert Resort by sanctioning the endangered Virgin River chub fish and creating a partnership with the Utah Department of Agriculture to landscape Black Desert Resort with Utah's native plants.

Utah Tech University students celebrate an educational milestone at their White Coat Ceremony, symbolizing the beginning stages of a student's journey to becoming an occupational therapist. The white coat ceremony is considered the second major milestone for these students. The first is the presentation of a certificate of acceptance and enrollment into the occupational therapy doctoral program during orientation. This is Utah Tech's first doctoral program, making this the school's first white coat ceremony.

Students in Utah Tech University's Physical Therapy Assistant program and the University of Utah's Physical Therapy program gave the gift of mobility this holiday season by customizing and gifting electric kids' cars to area children with mobility disabilities through the Go Baby Go initiative. "Go Baby Go is a way that we, as a program, can give back to the community," Burke Jorgensen, an instructor at Utah Tech, said. "As we modify these cars, we are providing a way for these children to choose to move instead of passively being carried or pushed all day. That independence makes all the difference in that child's development and it changes the family's life."

The dental hygiene program at Utah Tech provided comprehensive oral healthcare services at no cost during their annual Children's Dental Health Day. Under faculty supervision, students delivered dental hygiene therapies, radiographs, fluoride treatments and sealants. This initiative targeted children and families facing barriers to accessing dental care, helping address critical oral health needs in our community. Participating students gained invaluable clinical experience while providing essential preventative services to 38 children, helping reduce dental disease and promoting lifelong oral health.

In November, Utah Tech University Marching Band performed twice at the Red Rocks State Championships and Bands of America Regionals at Greater Zion Stadium. Performing in front of thousands of high school students from across six different states, the band performed classic rock tunes "Immigrant Song" and "Born to be Wild," the theme to "Phantom of the Opera," pep tunes "Hey Baby" and "Land of 1000 Dances," and Utah Tech's fight song, "Rise Up Trailblazers."

Zach Felts recently became Utah Tech University's first active golfer to earn the 2024 UGA Men's Player of the Year award. "Zach is very deserving of this award," Brad Sutterfield, head coach of men's golf at Utah Tech, said. "He had an incredible summer on the golf course and has worked very hard on his game to get to the next level."

The Utah Tech University Art Department had seven juried students representing the Art Department at the All About Arts Festival held in Southern Utah recently. As part of this experience, Utah Tech students learned how to market their intentions and establish their brand as artists. "It was a wonderful experience where the students were able to stand in front of their pieces, discuss their artwork and project their opinions on why it's important for someone to purchase their armor," Utah Tech Art Advisor Van Mangus said. "So it was kind of a big deal for them. It was a very practical experience for students." A combination of mediums was represented at the event, including ceramics, sculpture, watercolor and oil painting. Forty-one curated pieces of art were sold by Utah Tech students, mostly more functional ceramic pieces but also some two-dimensional wall art.

As a part of Homecoming week, Alyssia Johnston was crowned as Miss Utah Tech University along with four attendants: Brooklyn Leifson, Ava Aiona, Kynda Cullimore, and Kennedi Drake. The Miss Utah Tech University pageant was held on Sept. 23 and eligible students participated in a comprehensive competition involving multiple areas. These include talent, interview skills, public speaking, community service, and overall poise.