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Intellect

BYU seeks to develop students of faith, intellect, and character. In addition to teaching classes, most BYU professors also conduct research in their academic field. Students – even at the undergraduate level – participate in research and publish their work alongside a faculty mentor. Here are the stories of what they discover together.

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BYU history professor wins George Washington Prize for book on foreign influence in early America

December 03, 2025
A new book, “Serpent in Eden,” authored by BYU history professor Tyson Reeder, recently received the George Washington Prize at a Union Club ceremony in New York City.
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Making fashion out of art: Students hit the runway with designs inspired by BYU Museum of Art exhibit

November 25, 2025
BYU students recently showcased fashion and makeup designs in a runway show at the Museum of Art. They each designed and modeled a look inspired by one of the paintings on exhibit from an art museum in Puerto Rico. On display until Jan. 3, The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce showcases world-class art that reflects the innate beauty of the human experience.
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A Farmer's Field of Dreams? BYU-built smart tech maps moisture levels, will adjust watering automatically

November 19, 2025
The team of BYU engineers placed 86 Bluetooth devices throughout a 50-hectare field near Elberta, Utah, to measure water levels across every inch of the field. Placing this many sensors in a commercial field is unprecedented and allows researchers to see unique patterns that have never before been captured.
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Forum: BYU 150 president's panel

November 18, 2025
Today’s special forum featured a panel discussion with current BYU President C. Shane Reese and previous Presidents Kevin J Worthen, Cecil O. Samuelson and Merrill J. Bateman.
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Duo of BYU professors named to list of world's most influential researchers

November 13, 2025
Two Brigham Young University professors have been named as two of the most influential researchers in the world, with one earning the distinction for the first time and another extending a years-long streak on the list.
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BYU research: Mega wildfires can actually be a good thing

November 04, 2025
BYU professor Sam St. Clair is the principal investigator on the first study to show positive impacts of megafires (fires greater than 100,000 acres) across different forest types. Megafires can help some forest communities thrive — especially in areas where chronic browsing by elk, deer, and livestock has hindered tree regeneration, a widespread issue that often leads to forest regeneration failure.
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Improving future crop varieties: New BYU research in Nature decodes oat genetics

October 29, 2025
BYU plant and wildlife professors Rick Jellen and Jeff Maughan, together with an international consortium of researchers, have taken a major step toward unraveling the complexity of the oat genome. Their new research — published today in Nature and Nature Communications — ushers in a new era for oat genetics and breeding.
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Why children became useless: Faith and the future of the family

October 28, 2025
Catherine Ruth Pakaluk, a renowned economist and recipient of the Acton Institute's Novak Award, addressed the BYU campus community on Tuesday. She applied her expertise in economics to highlight a shift in the value of having children.
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BYU celebrates 150 years with a scientific twist on a birthday tradition

October 28, 2025
BYU is marking its 150th anniversary with a creative spin on a classic celebration: blowing out birthday candles in BYU style.
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BYU student shines in prestigious Chinese Bridge competition, attracting over 100 million viewers

September 25, 2025
BYU sophomore Ashley Breinholt placed second in the global finals of the Chinese Bridge competition on Aug. 24 in China. Breinholt’s finish marks the highest placement ever achieved by a BYU student in the event’s 24-year history.
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I love to see the temple… but I need a microscope

September 23, 2025
In honor of BYU’s 150th anniversary, electrical engineering professor Greg Nordin and student Callum Galloway have created 150 microscopic replicas of existing LDS temples, all on a 12-by-19 millimeter microchip. Each of these unique temples — 150 different floor plans to celebrate 150 years of BYU — is less than a grain of rice in length.
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New BYU microscopes offer atomic-level imaging, student-led research

September 09, 2025
At many universities, student researchers rarely get the chance to even see a transmission electron microscope, or TEM, up close—let alone use one. At BYU, undergraduate students are about to run the show.
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Learning students’ names boosts belonging at BYU, study finds

August 28, 2025
The start of a new semester brings more than fresh syllabi. It brings the challenge—and opportunity—of learning the names behind each new face in a classroom.
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The next chapter in BYU's origami engineering: Student-discovered patterns unfold like blooming flowers, have major applications

August 19, 2025
BYU Engineering is well known for origami-inspired research and innovations, including foldable antenna systems used in space. Recently, an undergraduate student made a significant discovery—a new family of origami patterns with promising applications across a range of fields, including space systems, medical devices, bulletproof shields, architecture, furniture and aerodynamic components for transportation.
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Impossible Burgers at a summer BBQ? Impossible! Why plant-based alternatives are still just beyond reach for most people

August 14, 2025
Plant-Based Alternatives (PBAs) — such as the Impossible Burger — are becoming more common, and those who try them say they are actually quite good. And while companies are pouring billions into making PBAs taste just like their meat counterparts, they still aren’t catching on. So what’s the hold-up?
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Photographic memory: BYU boasts nation's top student photographer for third year in a row

August 05, 2025
One of BYU’s very own is the best student photographer in all the land. Information systems student Matthew Norton was just named the Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographer’s Association of America.
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Forum: Faith and flourishing in your life and work

July 29, 2025
Paul Lambert, the religion initiative director at the Wheatley Institute, shared in a BYU forum address how faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal foundation. It’s also a powerful force for good in the world around us.
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From Campus to Kayaks: BYU students teach local school children about Utah wetlands

July 28, 2025
Recognizing the wetland treasure of the Provo River Delta and hoping to share it with the rising generation, recent BYU graduate Josh Hammari developed a two-day camp to inspire wonder and environmental stewardship in 8-12 year olds.
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