Chuck and Cathy Williamson Science Communication Fellowship

The Williamson Fellowship is aimed at increasing geoscience communications and encouraging diversity in the geosciences. The Williamson Fellows will develop relationships with 7-12 public school programs, engage youth in geoscience, increase public science literacy, and provide opportunities for U of U geoscience students to gain outreach and science communication experience.

Apply to the Williamson Assistantship Program for Spring 2026

All teaching resources & activities

Thomas and Ailani!

2025-2026 Williamson Fellows

THOMAS DELGADO

Thomas Delgado is a queer and Latiné scholar whose research highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of (forensic) anthropology both scientifically and culturally. They’re a graduate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (B.A. in Anthropology, 2018) and California State University, Chico (M.A. in Anthropology, 2023). Their thesis explored the utility of multiple machine learning and artificial intelligence methodologies to classify water (H and O) isotope ratios into geographically distinct regions of Mesoamerica to assist in the identification of deceased migrants.

They have served in a variety of research and field positions including as a research specialist for UTK’s Forensic Anthropology Center where they oversaw research on the effects of toxicological and pathological loading on the decay process, a technician at CSU, Chico’s Stable Isotope Preparation Lab where they prepared human tissue samples for isotopic analysis for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), and as a field director for a large archaeological excavation project in downtown Sacramento, CA.

Their work is affiliated with Project FIND-EM where they will explore how isotope variation can be used to estimate the lived histories of individuals and developing new interpretive toolkits for isotopic data, providing investigative information that can assist in human identification. Outside of isotopes, their research also includes ethics within forensic anthropology, necroviolence and human rights, advocacy and activism, and methods development for gender-inclusive forensic sex estimation.

Thomas in the field

Ailani

AILANI BONILLA

Ailani Bonilla is a 1st year PhD student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics working with Dr. Juan Carlos de Obeso. Her research aims to understand the mobilization of nickel and cobalt in ultramafic rocks using petrological and stable isotope geochemical analyses. Her main interests are to understand how the planet has evolved through geologic time, but she hopes to use her skills in isotope geochemistry to study a broad range of scientific topics in her future career. Ailani completed a bachelor's degree in Geological Sciences with a minor in Marine Biology at the University of Southern California. As an undergraduate, she had the opportunity to work in marine invertebrate collections and the mineral sciences lab at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, and it was here that she discovered her passion to increase accessibility to science in underrepresented communities. In her free time, Ailani enjoys going to parks and spending time with her guinea pig. Being a Williamson Fellow, Ailani desires to learn from young students while also encouraging them to chase their dreams.

Ailani in front of rocks

The Great Salt Lake

By Thomas Delgado

I had the pleasure of assisting with the Salt Lake Center for Science Education, Bryant’s field trip to the Great Salt Lake State Park. This trip was a fantastic opportunity to engage with students outside the traditional classroom setting and enjoy a beautiful autumn day in the process. Out of the four stations designed to introduce the students to the unique features of the GSL’s biology, weather, water, and geology, I got to lead the geology station which highlighted the historic shorelines of Lake Bonneville that are still visible in the Oquirrh Mountains that are south of the Park and the formation process of the GSL’s oolitic sands. The students really surprised me with their prior knowledge of Lake Bonneville and the level of engagement they gave when discussing the expanse of the Lake and how Indigenous people cohabitated with the land at the same time the lake was present – it was great opportunity to bring in my anthropological background! Examining the oolitic sand required a bit of naturally lit light microscopy, which I felt was a great chance for students to engage with “lab” observations in a natural setting. With each group, time seemed to fly by with all of the activities, discussion, and questions, but I hope that they were able to learn something new during the time, I know I did!

The Salt Lake City Crime Laboratory

By Thomas Delgado

The Medical Forensics class I’m working with at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education was able to tour Salt Lake City’s Forensics and Crime Laboratory. The tour was led by the Laboratory’s Director, Derek Mears who was a wealth of information and a skilled communicator that could articulate and demonstrate advanced technical knowledge to a high school audience. The lab maintains an ANSI ISO/IEC 17020 Accreditation for the Forensic Inspection of Firearms and Toolmarks (e.g., ballistics), Friction Ridge (fingerprinting), and Scene Investigation – a challenging and ever-important assurance of standards and investigative quality. This was a wonderful opportunity to put some of the concepts that the student’s have been learning in class into a real setting. As a forensic practitioner, I often feel that much of the work is abstract, hard to envision, and/or unrealistically colored by popular media and exposure to an actual lab space is a great chance to clarify and realize difference aspects of forensic casework. This is especially crucial early in education as forensics is not quite what it seems on TV and the broadness in application of forensic disciplines is easy (but fascinating) to get lost in. Our students were excited and largely engaged and I hope this trip helped them see that this science is interesting and real that can simultaneously be both fun and serious. It also provides a good set up to the movement beyond physical evidence and to my specialty, the body itself.

Blood Drops & Data Plots: Forensic Science in Action

By Thomas Delgado

I recently had the opportunity to design and implement a blood pattern analysis section for the medical forensics course I have been embedded in at SLCSE-Rose Park. The goal of this section was to introduce the core concept of blood pattern analysis (e.g., fluid dynamics, pattern classifications) as well as to stimulate critical thinking regarding its implementation in the legal process, a topic I’m particularly keen on discussing especially at the introductory level. This discussion stems from a 2009 National Academy of Sciences report that highlights the shortcomings of the science behind forensic “science” and the breadth of disparity between the forensic science communities (of which blood pattern analysis is specifically discussed). While not something that tends to be brought up at an introductory level, I believe it is an important point of transparency that hopefully motivates science-orientated students to see that there is a real need for more research that can motivate their future studies. Serendipitously, SLCSE also instructs a Current Issues variation that covers some of these topics and I had the pleasure to meet with that instructor following our class.

Following our discussion, we moved into the lab for some practical experimenting with fluid (blood) dynamics as they relate to the height and angle of deposition. The lab was meant to be fun and interactive but also stimulate interaction with data visualization and interpretation. Student groups were tasked with 1) dropping blood onto a flat surface at multiple heights and 2) dropping blood onto a surface of varying angles from the same height. They were then asked to measure the droplet size (diameter and then length and width), plot those sizes versus height or angle, and then provide a short write up their observations. Aside the writing and plotting portion, the dropping of simulated blood certainly seemed to be a good time! This was not without seeing some ways in which the lab could be improved (trying to drop blood into a small square from ~5 feet is harder than it sounds!) but that’s the fun part for me – every misstep is a learning experience.

Meet Tommy Good

Tommy Good, a science teacher at SLCSE Bryant Middle School, will oversee this year’s cohort of the Williamson Science Communication Fellows. Tommy received his Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Geoscience from DePauw University (2010), his Master’s of Science in Geology from the University of Utah (2013), and his Master’s of Education from DePaul University (2015). He taught in Chicago Public Schools before moving back to Utah to help further the mission and expansion of the Salt Lake Center for Science Education within the Salt Lake City School District.

Goal: Our main goal this year is to develop and organize a variety of field trips around the Salt Lake City area. Research shows clearly that experiential, in-situ experiences help students make connections to academic learning, increases student awareness of our community, and helps to shrink the opportunity gap. These field trip plans will be widely shared to be accessed by educators in Salt Lake and beyond.