Radon Lab Members
Leadership
Gavin Ballard (He/Him) is a junior studying both Political Science and Environmental and Sustainability Studies. He is most interested in the environmental justice and policy applications of the Lab. Gavin joined the URL in the summer of 2023 and will participate on the student leadership team this fall.
Andrew Clothier is a senior studying Environmental and Sustainability Studies with minors in both Earth Science and Geography. He is most excited for the data analysis, environmental justice, and community health aspects of the lab. Andrew joined the URL in the summer of 2023 and will participate on the student leadership team this fall.
Kaitlyn Ricks is a junior double majoring in Family Consumer Studies and Environmental Sustainability. The U's Radon Lab helps her explore her passions for environmental justice, public health, child development, and stakeholder involvement. She is thrilled to be working with these incredible people on such an important issue.
Tanya Yu is an Honors College freshman studying Data Science. She was first interested in radon when she discovered elevated levels in her home. Puzzled by Utah's lung cancer rates despite low smoking, Tanya researched radon awareness. Taking action, she raised awareness by organizing community events and teaching elementary students. She can't wait to continue her advocacy work at the Utah Radon Lab.
Team Members
Sydney Allen is an undergraduate student at the University of Utah studying environmental studies with an emphasis in conservation and land management. Sydney is also working on a certificate in data science. She is excited to join the Utah Radon Lab and hopes to learn more about how radon impacts the community.
Amelia Rose Ballard is a senior double-majoring in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Health Society and Policy and minoring in sociology. She is interested in and passionate about air quality and its effects on health as well as health equity and environmental justice. She is excited to learn and research about this important issue.
Jason Clausman is a senior in the environmental and sustainability studies program with an emphasis on conservaiton and land management. He is interested in the Utah Radon Lab because he wants to help spread awareness of this harmful gas and work to gain information to protect communities around the Salt Lake Valley.
Brendan Daley
Danielle Duyst is an undergraduate student at the University of Utah studying Environmental and Sustainability with an emphasis in Air, Water, and Health. Danielle is also minoring in Political Science. She is excited to join the URL and contribute to a healthier environment in Utah.
Jack Gardner is currently in his fourth year of learning at the University of Utah. He is focusing on Environmental Studies, with an emphasis on Food Systems and Community Resilience. His passion for outdoor recreation and showing others the joy of being in nature has led him on this path of fostering sustainability. He is honored to be included in the team of students recording and studying the impacts of radon exposure and hopes this research will aid in meaningful policies for future generations.
Gus Gesteland (He/Him) is a senior studying Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Sociology. He is excited by the new experiences and ability to participate in impactful local research with the Utah Radon Lab.
Michael Komigi is a junior studying Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a minor in Urban Ecology. He is excited to join the Utah Radon Lab, which will be a learning medium of advocacy for healthier air quality in a community.
Colby McLain is an undergraduate student at the University of Utah studying Sociology and Health, Society, and Policy. He has specific interests in environmental sociology and human effects on climate change. He is fortunate to be a part of the Utah Radon Lab and study environmental impacts on human health in his home state!
Chiana Rossiter is a junior majoring in Environmentalism and Sustainability. She joined the Radon lab to learn more about the air quality in Utah and work towards a collectively healthier environment.
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Faculty and Graduate Mentors
Tabitha Benney, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Affiliated Faculty in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program at the Univeristy of Utah. She joined the U in 2013 and established the Lab with Brett Clark in 2023. Tabitha works closely with the URL student teams to study the impacts of radon and to train fellow researchers about this important topic.
Brett Clark, PhD, is a professor of Sociology and Environmental and Sustainability Studies at the University of Utah. His research focuses on the political economy of global environmental change and the philosophy, history, and sociology of science.
Jordan Giese, PhD Candidate; Political Science, is the Graduate Advisor for the URL and has worked with the radon testing team at the U since 2022. His research interests include pollution, contamination, and sovereignty issues in the American West. As a Wyoming native, Jordan tries to spend as much time as possible in the field working on these important issues.
Anna Foulks (she/her) graduated from the University of Utah in 2022 with an HBA in international studies, BAs in philosophy and Spanish, and a minor in music. She was fortunate to begin working with the radon project in 2022 analyzing and organizing testing data, working to build the Utah Radon Lab, writing grants and researching state and federal radon legislation. She now works for Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, supporting the Lab remotely and serving as Professor Benney’s Research Assistant.
Scott Collingwood, PhD, began his research and scholarly activities in earnest at the University of Utah in 2005 when he joined the faculty at the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational & Environmental Health (DFPM)—a graduate training and research program. His research focuses on novel methods of exposure monitoring—specifically using direct reading instrumentation to provide accurate and real-time exposure estimates for airborne contaminants. Scott has been with the radon project since 2022.