Developing WSU

Moving Weber State forward with new funding and infrastructure

NEW MARS CENTER DIRECTOR WANTS TO SEE real-world solutions

Benjamin Garcia, who became executive director of WSU’s Miller Advanced Research & Solutions Center last fall, wants to help the center take what’s created in labs to real-world production.

“The MARS Center has a pretty big vision, and it’s a unique center for the nation,” Garcia said.

Supported by the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation and the Utah Legislature, the MARS Center provides the space for faculty, staff and students to collaborate on solutions to challenges faced by the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and others.

Garcia earned a bachelor’s degree in materials engineering at California Polytechnic State University and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Cornell University. Before the MARS Center, he spent eight years working with scientists and engineers at Northrop Grumman.

POSTDOCS MAKE PROGRESS in STEM at WSU

Weber State’s first four postdoctoral fellows arrived on campus during summer 2024.

The National Science Foundation awarded WSU a $1.24 million grant to launch the new Postdoctoral Research Opportunities for Greater Retention, Engagement, Scholarship and Success (PROGRESS) in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education Postdoctoral Fellowship.

It was the largest NSF grant received by WSU at the time of the award.

After earning doctoral degrees in their fields, PROGRESS in STEM fellows balance research and teaching while working with the College of Science and Jerry & Vickie Moyes College of Education under the teacher-scholar model.

“Weber State is contributing a lot to the STEM workforce, so this is an opportunity to bring in postdocs who are on the cutting edge of their research and who want to share that with undergraduate students,” said Bridget Hilbig, associate professor of botany and plant ecology.

Hilbig is one of four faculty members who helped secure the grant, along with James Cohen, assistant professor of botany and plant ecology; Kristin Rabosky, associate professor of physics and astronomy; and the late Megan Hamilton, who served as an assistant professor of teacher education.

Hilbig said the goal of the program is to create a group who can be mentored and equipped with the tools to be successful educators. On top of conducting research, the postdocs will start teaching classes in the spring of 2025.

GRANTS RECEIVED, Projects Implemented

Grants of all sizes lead to meaningful projects and incredible student experiences at WSU. Here are three of the 75 projects made possible through competitive grants during the 2024 fiscal year.

NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAM IN SPANISH

Building Puentes, a Spanish-taught program, received $2.5 million from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. WSU soft-launched the program in fall 2024 with classes in entrepreneurship and other topics that could count toward degrees and will further develop it over the next five years.

ENERGIZING THE FUTURE

The Weber State University Industrial Assessment Center, which aims to train the next generation of energy engineers, received $550,000 for three years from the U.S. Department of Energy. The WSU IAC also connects students to jobs and internships, provides technical assistance to manufacturers through assessments, and seeks to serve disadvantaged areas of Weber County.

DIGITIZING HISTORICAL CHURCH RECORDS

Special Collections & University Archives received a $7,200 grant from the Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board to digitize historic records from the New Zion Baptist Church, a predominately Black congregation in Ogden. The collection includes photographs, baptism and membership records books, obituaries, event programs and memorabilia from 1916 to 2020.