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BYU Students Showcase Real-World Solutions in SIOY 2026 competition

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By McKinsleigh Smith
Photos by Ellie Alder, BYU Photo

Students from across campus at Brigham Young University participated throughout the semester in the 2026 Student Innovator of the Year (SIOY) competition, an annual program highlighting student-led solutions to practical problems.

The competition included multiple events, from mentoring sessions to a public showcase and a final round held February 26, 2026. Attendance remained high throughout the semester, with students filling venues to watch presentations and demonstrations. The final event also featured remarks from James Perry, a BYU Engineering alumnus and former cast member of BYUtv’s Studio C.

Participants in the competition shared a common focus: developing innovations designed to address specific needs or challenges in the real world.

This year’s top prize was awarded to Spencer Stowell for FidgiTech, a customizable sensory device designed for individuals with atypical sensory needs. The idea originated from observing his daughter’s interest in interacting with light switches. Stowell said the product evolved through multiple iterations to accommodate a wider range of sensory preferences by allowing users to interchange components.

The project earned Stowell $12,000 and interest from potential business partners. However, he noted that future development will depend on balancing the venture with his responsibilities as a doctoral student and parent.

Other participants also focused on accessibility and independence. Joseph Garcia, a senior studying entrepreneurial management, developed MOBI, a height-adjustable kitchen workstation intended for individuals with limited mobility. Inspired by family experiences, Garcia continued the project after initially starting it as a group assignment. He received an honorable mention and $500 at the SIOY Showcase and plans to pursue manufacturing partnerships to bring the product to market.

Another team, Clarion Sense, presented a sensor designed to assist caregivers by detecting indicators of bowel movements and providing alerts for timely care in assisted living environments. The team is currently pursuing a patent.

The competition helped teams see the importance of testing their products in real-world settings. Members of Sori Technologies demonstrated a smart stuffed animal designed to help children with autism transition between tasks. According to team members, interactions with families and children helped validate the product’s effectiveness.

The event was filled to capacity, even spilling into the overflow seating in the lobby.

Participants said the competition encouraged collaboration across disciplines and skill sets. EJ Smith, a senior in global supply chain management whose team placed third, noted that the experience helped students develop teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Students presented their ideas to judges, professionals and peers, using critiques to improve their designs. When asked, audience members said they appreciated the practical impact of the projects as a highlight of the competition, noting the focus on addressing real-world problems and the potential for broader community benefit.

The final competition was recorded in its entirety and is available on the BYU Engineering YouTube channel, with results also published on the SIOY website.

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Google.org Awards $3.5M Grant to BYU for Global Water Forecasting Project

2020-10 160 2020-10 Jim Nelson at Provo River Portrait of BYU Professor Jim Nelson at the Provo River. Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU © BYU PHOTO 2020 All Rights Reserved photo@byu.edu (801)422-7322
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By McKinsleigh Smith
Photos by Jaren Wilkey/BYU

Google.org has awarded a $3.5 million grant to Brigham Young University to support a global water-data project led by civil and construction engineering professor Jim Nelson, the university announced via the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering.

The grant will fund research connected to the Group on Earth Observations Global Water Sustainability initiative, known as GEOGLOWS, which provides hydrologic data and forecasting tools to communities worldwide.

Nelson, a hydrologic modeling researcher at BYU, works with international partners and students to maintain the GEOGLOWS River Forecast System, a platform that compiles global water data into forecasting tools. The system includes an 85-year historical record and 15-day streamflow forecasts across more than 7 million river segments worldwide.

The publicly available forecasts are used by National Hydrological Services, particularly in developing regions where access to advanced hydrologic technology and research is limited. The system helps agencies make decisions related to water infrastructure, flood and drought preparedness, and water-resource management.

Dr. Jim Nelson.

Communities in several countries have used the data to improve planning and disaster response. In Ecuador, water-scarce communities used historical forecast data to guide irrigation investments that improved agricultural productivity. In Malawi, officials reported improved flood-warning accuracy and response times after adopting GEOGLOWS data; in one recent year, the government reported no flood-related deaths and significant reductions in property losses compared with previous flooding events.

BYU researchers and students regularly travel abroad to train government agencies and local organizations to use the forecasting system. The GEOGLOWS team is currently working with Kenya’s national hydrological services and continues partnerships in Jamaica and Cuba, where forecast data provided guidance during Hurricane Melissa-related flooding.

The Google.org funding will support continued development of GEOGLOWS, student training efforts, and collaboration with international hydrologic-modeling partners. It will also help transition the initiative into a nonprofit organization aimed at sustaining long-term global access to water-forecast data.

The River Forecast System was developed over the past decade through collaboration with organizations including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Esri and Amazon Web Services. The platform now receives more than 40 million data-download requests annually.

BYU President C. Shane Reese said projects such as GEOGLOWS align with the university’s broader efforts to address global poverty and humanitarian challenges.

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BYU Engineers Collaborate with Toyota on Advanced Welding Technique

Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo
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By Mike Romero

Brigham Young University engineers have partnered with Toyota to develop a new welding method aimed at improving automotive manufacturing. The technique, called refill friction stir spot welding, uses 40 times less energy, reduces emissions, and creates welds 10 times stronger than traditional methods.

Designed for aluminum body panels, the process helps address challenges in joining lightweight materials like those used in Toyota’s popular Sienna minivan. Unlike conventional welding, which melts metal, the new method joins aluminum without melting, resulting in stronger, more efficient bonds. The innovation also reduces the need for filler material, making the process more sustainable.

“Ultimately, we’re focused on doing things more efficiently, greener, and cleaner,” said BYU professor Yuri Hovanski, who led the project.

The collaboration began after Toyota saw a demonstration of the technology at a conference. BYU researchers and Toyota engineers tested the new process at Toyota’s Indiana plant, finding that the method could enhance the production of aluminum sliding doors, used in the Sienna and other vehicles.

BYU graduate student Damon Gale, who contributed to the research, said the method could become the new standard for joining aluminum body panels in the automotive industry.

The project aligns with Toyota’s commitment to clean technologies, Hovanski said, adding that the partnership reflects BYU’s mission to foster environmentally conscious engineering.

Learn more at engineering.byu.edu.

Refill friction stir spot welding joins the metal without ever melting it.
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UVU Dance Teams Place In The Top 3 at National UDA Competition

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By McKinsleigh Smith

The Utah Valley University Spirit Squad performed at the Universal Dance Association’s 2024 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship January 12-14. Held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, their hip-hop team and jazz team placed in the top 3 of their respective categories. UVU was the only school to place in the top 3 in both categories.

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The UVU hip-hop finished less than a point behind the University of Delaware, winning second place in Division I hip-hop. The UVU jazz team placed third.

“Our UVU Spirit Squad represented our university with incredible talent, inspiring routines, and tremendous class,” said Kati Marsing, UVU Spirit Squad assistant director in a press release. “Our teams have been working incredibly hard over the past six months to prepare for this level of competition. Their hard work paid off in big ways.”

You can watch the Utah Valley University Jazz performance from the competition below. Video courtesy of Universal Dance Association.

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UVU’s CARE Hub Food Access Program Receives Award

Photo by August Miller.
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By Mike Romero

In another win for Utah Valley University, the Orem-based school has received the 2023 NASPA Region V Innovative Program Award, which is “given to a college or university that has developed an outstanding program that has benefited students and enhanced campus life.”

Local news is brought to you in part by Spengler Industries.

NASPA is an association of student affairs administrators in higher education. Region V consists of seven states: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia are also included.

The name of the UVU program that won the award? The Utah Valley University CARE Hub’s student food access program.

The CARE Hub helps students who are struggling with mental health, safety, housing problems, and food insecurity. The CARE Hub pantry served more than 1,000 students and over 25,000 pounds of food in 2022. By focusing on students’ basic needs first, UVU helps students stay in school, complete their education, and graduate.

It’s located in UVU’s Student Life & Wellness Center on the Orem Campus. Food is distributed from both the office and from a mobile pantry vehicle that drops food off to UVU’s other satellite campuses. Students can receive fresh, packaged, and canned foods, as well as food vouchers for a hot meal at a campus restaurant.

Students can also order food online and have it delivered free of charge due to a partnership between UVU and DoorDash. This is one of many partnerships that make the CARE Hub work. Partnerships with the Community Action Services & Food Bank, the school’s GRIT Garden on the Orem Campus (run by UVU volunteers), and a fruit tree gleaning program (also run by UVU volunteers) keep the pantry stocked for those in need.

You can learn more about this sustainable ecosystem below.

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New President of BYU Inaugurated

Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU.
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By Charlie G. Patreus

On September 19, 2023, C. Shane Reese officially became the 14th president of Brigham Young University (BYU). This occasion not only marked his formal inauguration but also unveiled his unwavering commitment to help BYU realize its full potential, which Latter-day Saints believe is divine.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, along with President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first vice chairman of the Board of Trustees, presided over President Reese’s installation.

After taking office, President Reese gave a speech that emphasized his dedication to the university and the crucial role that faculty and students play in fulfilling BYU’s “spiritual mission.” He reiterated the visions of previous leaders (regarded as prophets in the faith) regarding BYU’s future.

Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU.

BYU is unique from other educational institutions because it was founded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is still overseen by the government and leadership of the faith. President Reese explained that this unique connection allows the university to benefit from the guidance of the faith’s prophets, including the vision of President Spencer W. Kimball, who articulated a compelling roadmap for BYU’s future.

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“Our task is to become the university that prophets foretold — to become the world’s ‘greatest institution of learning,’ ‘the fully anointed university of the Lord about which so much has been spoken in the past,’ to become the BYU of prophecy and promise,” Reese said. “This, then, is the challenge of our generation and the burden of my administration: becoming BYU.”

President Reese stressed that achieving this vision requires enhancing the student experience and reinforcing the student-centric approach. Each student’s “eternal progression” remains BYU’s top priority. He also emphasized the Latter-day Saint belief that each person is a child of God who can be connected to Jesus Christ, and the importance of inclusion and kindness.

Those in attendance in the BYU Marriott Center for the inauguration of C. Shane Reese. Photo by Brooklynn Jarvis Kelson/BYU.

According to Reese’s philosophy, “Becoming BYU” will also demand maintaining a strong religious identity, even when it means standing alone. That means supporting research aligned with the Church’s mission. It will be interesting to watch BYU pioneer discovery and innovation while balancing tradition, transparency, and intellectual honesty.

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Expressing his love and dedication to the BYU community, President Reese committed to making Provo’s university a unique learning environment, fostering peacemakers in an increasingly divided society.

Following President Reese’s remarks, Elder Christofferson and Elder Ronald A. Rasband recognized BYU’s special connection with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and expressed confidence in President Reese’s leadership.

C. Shane Reese took the place of Kevin J. Worthen, who served from 2014-2023. Watch highlights from the inauguration below.

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BYU Secures Top Spot for Best Library in the US

The BYU Harold B. Lee Library. Photography by Nate Edwards/BYU © BYU PHOTO 2023.
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By Charlie G. Patreus

The latest edition of The Princeton Review’s renowned “Best Colleges” rankings for 2024 has been unveiled, and Brigham Young University (BYU) has made the list. The annual rankings, now in their 32nd year, are produced by The Princeton Review, a prominent education services company. Unlike traditional rankings that rely solely on academic data and input from college administrators, The Princeton Review’s rankings are exclusively based on surveys completed by college students, providing an authentic reflection of their experiences.

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Presented in 50 distinct categories since 1992, the “Best Colleges” lists spotlight 25 outstanding institutions in each category. These lists are accessible on PrincetonReview.com, and they are also published in the latest edition of The Princeton Review’s college guide, titled The Best 389 Colleges, published by Penguin Random House.

Photography by Nate Edwards/BYU © BYU PHOTO 2023

The data operations team at The Princeton Review processed a substantial 165,000 student surveys from The Best 389 Colleges. On average, this translates to approximately 424 surveys per school. The surveys were administered over the academic years 2022-23 and the two preceding years, with students offering insights into their professors, campus amenities, administrative support, financial aid, and various other aspects of their college lives. Detailed information about the survey methodology and ranking criteria is available on PrincetonReview.com.

This year, Brigham Young University was awarded the top spot in the Best Library category, solidifying its reputation as the premier destination for library resources in the nation. BYU also ranked #1 in another (less surprising) category: Most Religious Students.

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UVU Professor Helps Find CO2 on Distant Exoplanet

Photos courtesy of NASA, Space Telescope Science Institute
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By Mike Romero

In a remarkable achievement, Utah Valley University science professor Joshua Lothringer helped an international team of planetary researchers discover carbon dioxide (CO2) on an exoplanet. It’s located an astonishing 700 light-years away from Earth. Employing NASA’s state-of-the-art James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), this revelation has potential compelling ramifications for our understanding of distant planetary systems.

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How did they pull this off? Through meticulous observation orchestrated by Lothringer and his fellow scientists. By intently focusing the JWST on a remote star and closely tracking its luminosity over time, a dimming pattern emerged. This phenomenon was the telltale sign of an exoplanet, known as Hot Jupiter WASP-39b, casting a shadow as it passed between the star and the telescope.

The light emitted by stars near the exoplanets that orbit them presents a formidable challenge to direct observation. But infrared cameras, similar to the tech behind night vision technology, track variations in the infrared spectrum emanating from these faraway worlds.

Lothringer’s job was to determine if carbon dioxide was present on the planet. Gases absorb light in distinct fashions, manifesting in discernable color combinations. Carbon dioxide, in particular, absorbs a specific wavelength of red infrared light, a phenomenon that escapes the naked eye. Infrared cameras decode this crucial information.

Joshua Lothringer of UVU

Lothringer used sophisticated computer programs and algorithms to document the light spectrum. “It took months to assemble and sort the data,” said Lothringer about finding CO2. “It is a painstaking process because the wavelengths of the light are measured between 3 and 5.5 microns, and the data has to be exact. However, when all was said and done, it was thrilling to know that we have this ability and that we are contributing to a science that will hopefully someday lead us to habitable planets.”

Hot Jupiter WAS-39b lives up to its name. Made up of hot gas, its temperature is approximately 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit or 900 degrees Celsius. Lothringer’s research has already been published on NASA’s Early Release Science program website: “NASA’s Webb Detects Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet Atmosphere,” and in Nature: “Identification of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere,” a weekly international journal that publishes peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology.

WAS stands for “Wide Angle Search for Planets.” Scientists use number and letter designations coupled with the WASP descriptions to keep track of the exoplanets.

Lothringer worked with more than 100 other scientists, who, in addition to CO2, found water vapor, sodium, and potassium in the atmosphere. These findings establish a foundation pivotal for the exploration of smaller, potentially habitable planets. This is especially relevant, given recent congressional discussions surrounding the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.

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BYU Engineering Releases Spaceport America Documentary

Photo by BYU Rocketry
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By Mike Romero

What does it take to compete in the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket engineering competition? A new documentary from the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering answers that question. Shot by BYU students and filmmakers Sawyer Nunley and Heber Stanton, it tells the story of BYU’s High-Power Rocketry Team as their rocket, Maverick, prepares for launch at the 2022 Spaceport America Cup.

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Maverick was built with an Aerotech M2400 motor and a machine-learning module to prevent water from sloshing within the rocket’s payload. Despite mechanical difficulties ahead of launch, the rocket reached a height of 10,432 feet, earning the BYU team a rank of 11th out of 46 teams in their category at the 2022 Spaceport competition. The team also received 2nd place for the Barrowman Award for Flight Dynamics and 2nd place for the Sportsmanship Award.

The BYU rocketry team returned to take 1st place in the 2023 Spaceport America Cup with their rocket, Solitude (named for the Utah-based ski resort). They also received 1st place for Modeling and Simulation. BYU beat out 157 other collegiate teams from 24 countries for the title.

Check out the documentary below.

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BYU Is Finally In The Big 12

BYU fans celebrated at an on-campus party on June 30, 2023. Photo courtesy of BYU Athletics
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By Mike Romero

It’s been a long 22 months. After nearly 2 years of waiting, BYU will end its era of independence by uniting with the elite Big 12 for the 2023-2024 season. Celebrations among students, fans, and alumni took place this past weekend.

A massive gathering was held in Provo, Utah. Fans gathered and counted down until midnight, when the BYU Cougars were officially admitted into the conference. BYU even made a massive announcement on a digital display at Times Square in New York City.

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BYU’s sports teams will compete in 20 of the 23 sports sponsored by the Big 12. The school won’t participate in wrestling, rowing, or equestrian. Since the Big 12 doesn’t support men’s volleyball, BYU’s men’s volleyball team will stay in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

In a major win for Latter-day Saints and a gracious move on the part of the Big 12, BYU will not compete in athletic events on Sundays – a holy day for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

BYU football begins their 2023 season with three non-conference home games. Then they’ll hit the road to take on Kansas on September 23. Home games this year include Cincinnati on September 29, Texas Tech on October 21, Iowa State on November 11, and Oklahoma on November 18.

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