By Xoel Cardenas, Sr. Communications Specialist, Office of the Vice President for Research
Creatives. Mentors. Leaders. Innovators. Optimists.
These are just some of the words that describe the University of Utah’s research community.
At the U, research isn’t just about discovery—it’s about people. Students, faculty, and leaders from diverse backgrounds come together to explore big ideas, support one another, and drive real-world impact.
This collaborative spirit has helped the U’s research enterprise grow year after year—advancing new knowledge, tackling society’s toughest challenges, and preparing the next generation of thinkers and problem-solvers.
But what makes this ecosystem thrive? We spoke with three members of the U’s research community—a graduate student, a professor, and an associate dean—to hear how mentorship, leadership, and shared purpose fuel discovery at the U.
We spoke with:
- Caden Hamrick, Graduate Research Assistant, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Jacob Hochhalter, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Annie Fukushima, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research
Together, they reflect the powerful connection between students, mentors, and leaders—and how those relationships form the foundation of the University of Utah’s thriving research culture.
Student’s experience & mentoring up-and-coming researchers
Caden, how has your research experience at the U prepared you for the next chapter in either your professional career or your continuing research journey?
Answer: “My research at the U has given me access to an invaluable network of professionals in my field, as well as allowed me the space to grow my technical skills and foster my identity as a researcher. These skills will directly support my success in graduate school and beyond.”
Dr. Hochhalter, what’s the most rewarding thing about mentoring up-and-coming researchers?
Answer: “I can’t say there is a single ‘most rewarding’ aspect of mentoring up-and-coming researchers. During the progression of a graduate research student there are rewarding aspects at various stages. Early on, joining a research lab can be intimidating for an incoming graduate student because there is an overload of new information, terminology, concepts, etc. However, that stage shortly precedes the rewarding point when those concepts become manageable and begin to click. That point when things start to fall into place, and intimidation becomes confidence, is very rewarding. Similarly rewarding milestones are passing the various exams, defending the dissertation, and the excitement when that student lands their first dream job.”
Dr. Fukushima, what has mentoring student researchers taught you about yourself as both a teacher and U department leader?
Answer: “Mentoring is an ever-evolving concept, practice, and relationship, where mentors are trusted people who guide a mentee’s process. Mentoring is something we learn not only by doing, but by experiencing it…. Research mentoring is not about individuals, but about a collective commitment to each other and our promise that we can collectively thrive in research environments — peer-mentors, students, staff, faculty, and community, together.”
The impact of research professors and mentors
Dr. Hochhalter, what has mentoring student researchers taught you about yourself as a teacher/professor?
Answer: “It’s taught me that I love the challenge of presenting complex concepts in a way that is accessible, especially to those who do not already work in the area. Finding ways to relate the often-advanced research topics in this way not only helps a broader group understand the possibilities but going through this exercise also helps give new perspectives to a domain expert.”
Dr. Fukushima, as a U department leader and advocate of research, how do you see your role in supporting professors and mentors who work with students so both can have research success at the U?
Answer: “I am fortunate to work with an amazing team of staff at the Office of Undergraduate Research, where we work with nearly 600 faculty across the University of Utah who have committed mentoring undergraduate researchers. We cannot do this work alone. Therefore, I see my role as part of the support systems to create infrastructure to support mentoring through funding opportunities, educational content, presentation and publication, and promoting opportunities. We know that the work of OUR and undergraduate research is successful because of mentoring partnerships and collaborations where 94% of our students graduate in 6 years, 68% in 4 years, and nearly 80% find work within a year after graduating with eventually 25% going on to graduate school at the U.”
Caden, how have the professors you’ve had as a student helped educate you in how the research process works and what it takes to become an excellent researcher?
Answer: “All my mentors have been alike in their ability to take complicated and very technical research and distill from it compelling and important research questions. They can survey a field of scientific inquiry and craft a narrative around their work, simultaneously developing a vision for their work and convincing others of the worth of that vision. That skill is instrumental in research, and I have been fortunate to learn from excellent researchers at the U how this process works. Their feedback and guidance helped me understand not just how to do research, but how to approach it with curiosity and resilience.”
The U’s passionate research culture, leadership and community
Dr. Fukushima, how important is advocacy from U leadership to help foster a fruitful research culture at the U that impacts all levels — students, faculty, staff and leadership?
Answer: “What I have learned through our undergraduate research leaders who serve as ambassadors of research at the University of Utah – is that we all lead to create a culture that supports research – students, faculty, postdocs, staff, family members, and community. As we lead by doing research, our students become ambassadors of our institution because of the positive impacts they have with science, engineering, humanistic inquiry and even dancing through a problem. I am grateful to leadership at the University of Utah, and look forward to growing this collective commitment at all levels of our institution from student to president, from faculty to staff, from community at the U and beyond. Because we do this work together to solve societal problems across the disciplines.”
Dr. Hochhalter, how important is having support from department leadership as well as other U of U leaders to help create an impactful research culture at the U while making your job as a professor a bit easier?
Answer: “Simple — it is critical. The broader support of the department, college, and university leadership helps everyone understand that being a university researcher means that you are part of something bigger than yourself. As a university faculty, research student, staff, etc., you are part of a long-standing and proven mechanism for impacting society and economy to realize an exciting future. This concerted effort and long-term vision is founded on the support and advocacy of our university leadership.”
Caden, as a graduate research student, what would you say is the best thing about the research culture at the U?
Answer: “The U has a tremendous institutional focus on supporting cutting-edge research. A countless number of support staff, offices, and programs this institution supports enables its researchers to pursue the highest caliber of research agendas while minimizing drains on their time.”
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Across disciplines and departments, the University of Utah’s research culture is defined by trust, mentorship, and shared purpose. As the U continues to invest in its people and infrastructure, students, faculty, and leaders alike are working side by side to shape a future powered by curiosity, collaboration, and real-world impact.
To learn more about U of U Research, click here.