Utah undergraduate students present research at Utah Capitol

SALT LAKE CITY — More than 50 students from the University of Utah and Utah State University gathered in the rotunda of the Capitol Thursday to present research they’ve been working on, some for several years.

The event, Research on Capitol Hill, has been an annual event since 2000. The event allows students from nearly every college at both universities to present their findings to state legislators and the public.

“I think the students really value the opportunity to get out and talk to a broad, diverse audience about what they’re doing,” said Alexa Sand, associate vice president for research at USU. “It’s legislators and staffers and the public and people who have no idea the kind of creativity and innovation that’s taking place behind closed doors.”

Students even reached out to their state representatives to schedule time to see their presentations.

Organizers said students at both universities are working towards solving real problems. They said their work has also sparked policy change through this event. The goal organizers said is to encourage legislators to invest in higher education.

“It’s really important for the state to invest in higher education because our students become ambassadors of our institutions, but they also become part of our society,” said Dr. Annie Fukushima, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at the U.

To learn more about the work done by USU students, click here. To learn more about the work done by the students at the U., click here.