The Research Institute with the Women’s Program was formed to address the glaring disparity between the number of male and female tenured faculty. We strive to embed scholars at UVU in a culture of support that enables them to flourish and build connections. We work to give faculty the support needed to increase their scholarship and tenure portfolios while creating connections with other faculty members. We seek to amplify research done by, for, and about women through fellowships and marketing efforts.
We can support you through:
The Research Institute is always looking to amplify the faculty work being done by, for, and about women at UVU. We highlight this work in the Faculty Newsletter, Women's Council Newsletter, and here on the Research Institute website. If you would like to be featured, submit your work in progress, presentation, poster, exhibit, or paper. Your submission will help with faculty Retention, Tenure, and Promotion (FTR).
Submit Your Research To Be Highlighted
Breanna Lambert, Priscilla Villaseñor-Navarro, and Addison Hansen recently competed in the University of Oxford’s Map the System research competition hosted by the Skoll Centre of Social Entrepreneurship. This research competition encourages student leaders to develop deep understanding of the unjust systems they attempt to dismantle.
The UVU student team researched “The Lack of Comprehensive Sex Education for Utah Youth.” Their research took an equity-centered system-thinking approach and highlighted some of the primary health and safety concerns prevalent throughout the state of Utah. The Saïd Business School of Oxford awarded the UVU team with the Underrepresented Community Voices Award for their efforts to highlight how local communities have been affected.
The Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill Endowed Fellowship (BBSEF) aims to support women scholars and their collaborators, scholars of any gender who mentor women students, and scholars of any gender whose work focuses on women. The BBSEF provides up to $10,000 in scholarship funding to selected applicants.
Bonnie-Ballif-Spanvill, Ph.D. is a Professor Emerita of Psychology at Brigham Young University, where she was the Director of the Women’s Research Institute for sixteen years. Previously, she served 25 years as a professor and department chair in the Graduate School of Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City. Her professional accomplishments earned her Fellow status in both the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science.
Arnold, M., Ballif-Spanvill, B., & Tracey, K. (2002). A chorus for peace: A global anthology of poetry by women. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press.
Ballif-Spanvill, B. & Clayton, C. (2010). The PEACEABILITIES Program: Compelling stories and activities that develop abilities of children to live peacefully with others. Provo, Utah: Creative Works, Brigham Young University.
Hudson, V. M., Ballif-Spanvill, B., Caprioli, M., & Emmett, C. F. (2013). Sex and world peace. New York: Columbia University Press.
Dr. Heather Wilson-Ashworth is a Professor of Biology at Utah Valley University, where she has taught for 24 years. She is a UVU chapter representative on the state Utah Women in Higher Education Network Board and a co-investigator for the National Science Foundation Grant: Faculty-Mentored Experiences for Improving Undergraduate Biology Student Outcomes. Her research interests include understanding the issues influencing UVU student success, retention, and motivation, emphasizing investigating the complexities that underrepresented students (women, minorities, and non-traditional students) face in STEM.
Her recent awards include first place UVU Design of a UVU Online Course (2023), the UVU Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award (2021), a national award, the POGIL Early Career Achievement Award (2020), UVU Student Advocate Award (2019), UVU Design of a UVU Online Course, 3rd place (2019) and UVU Presidential Award of Excellence in Engagement (2018). Heather earned her Doctor of Science in Zoology at Brigham Young University.
Students with the Research Institute are
currently working on The Gender Pay Gap in FinTech: An Analysis of Women’s Compensation in the Industry.
Major: Spanish
“I grew up in Kanab, Utah and am now a senior student at UVU pursuing a major in Spanish, a minor in Biology, and plans to further my education at medical school and become a doctor by 2030. I love spending time with my family, learning about how things and people work, traveling, nature, and dancing bachata."
Major: Pre-Med
“I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I received my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and worked in the technology field for a year and a half before deciding to come back to school. I am currently completing my prerequisites for medical school and plan to apply in Spring 2025. My end goal is to be an Ob/Gyn and help people who have traditionally not been heard. My hobbies include reading, anything with food, and going on adventures with loved ones. ”
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