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Faculty Member

Bonnie Andersen

Biography

Dr. Bonnie Andersen has been a faculty member in the Physics Department since 2008. Her research focus is in thermoacoustic engines, acoustics of the clarinet and the human vocal tract, and noise. Thermoacoustics engines convert heat energy into sound energy. Her research work with students has been presented at regional, national, and international conferences. She is a passionate teacher. Her curriculum currently includes descriptive acoustics and introductory algebra-based physics courses. She employs Team Based Learning or Project Based Learning in her courses to allow the students to work with others while practicing and applying what they learn. She is also the advisor for the Women in Physical Sciences Club and participates in outreach for children and youth. She has been a workshop presenter at Expanding Your Horizons and SheTech for many years. She has received grants to send female UVU physics majors to regional events for undergraduate women in physics. She shares her love of science with her two children. From taking apart toy cars to growing crystals, they are often doing something science-related together. In 2017, she organized the UVU Science Summer Camps for first-sixth graders at UVU as part of UVU's Continuing Education. She has also given presentations at UVU Prep and Wolverine Day. She has volunteered at various physics booths for STEMfest, Expanding Your Horizons, Empowering Your Tomorrow, and other venues.

Education

PhD, University of Utah, 2008

Major: Experimental Physics

BS, Brigham Young University, 2004

Major: Physics

Teaching

PHYS 4890R

Undergraduate Research in Physics, Summer 2026

PHYS 4890R

Undergraduate Research in Physics, Summer 2026

PHYS 2010

College Physics I, Spring 2026

PHYS 4900R

Seminar, Spring 2026

PHYS 4890R

Undergraduate Research in Physics, Spring 2026

PHYS 4890R

Undergraduate Research in Physics, Spring 2026

Presentations

Andersen, Bonnie , Idaho-Utah Section AAPT Meeting, "Project Based Learning in a Descriptive Acoustics Class", American Association of Physics Teachers, Salt Lake City, UT. (April 11, 2026)
Tukuafu, Joshua (Co-Presenter), Rayeneh, Ayla (Co-Presenter), Andersen, Bonnie (Co-Author), UVU Showcase, "Study and Mitigation of Reverberation Time in Two Spaces at UVU", UVU Scholarly and Creative Undergraduate Learning Partnership Team, Orem, UT. (April 7, 2026)
Andersen, Bonnie , Symposium on Teaching and Learning, "Project Based Learning in a Descriptive Acoustics Class", Utah Valley University, virtual. (March 27, 2026)
Tukuafu, Joshua (Co-Presenter), Rayeneh, Ayla (Co-Presenter), Andersen, Bonnie (Co-Author), Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research, "Study and Mitigation of Reverberation Time in Two Spaces at UVU", Ogden, UT. (February 27, 2026)
Shaw, Nathan (Presenter & Author), Andersen, Bonnie (Co-Author), Utah Conference of Undergraduate Research, "Effects of thermoacoustic engine components on performance and frequency". (February 27, 2026)
Settle, Isaac (Co-Author), Raymundo,, Cristian (Co-Author), Paras, Zayden (Co-Author), Patchett, Brian (Co-Author), Amin, Masood (Co-Author), Andersen, Bonnie (Co-Author), 189th Meeting – joint with the Acoustical Society of Japan, Honolulu, Hawaii, "Noise mitigation on the Utah Valley University pedestrian bridge", Acoustical Society of America, Honolulu, HI. (December 4, 2025)

Scholarly/Creative Works

Gunyan, Veronica , Miera, Benjamin , Amin, Abolfazl , Andersen, Bonnie , (2022) "A Thermoacoustically-driven Vocal Tract Model" . Orem: IEEE Xplore 2022 Intermountain Engineering, Technology, and Computing. 800 W University Pkwy Stop 179
Andersen, Bonnie , Wright, Jacob H., Heward, Cory J., Jensen, Emily R., Bridge, Justin S., (2018) "Acoustic frequency splitting in thermoacoustically-driven coupled oscillators" . Acoustical Society of America. https://doi.org/10.1121/2.0000788
Andersen, Bonnie , Pease, David , Wright, Jacob , (2013) "Hysteresis of mode transitions with varying cavity length of bottle-shaped thermoacoustic prime movers" . ASA. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4800979
Andersen, Bonnie , Symko, OG , (2009) "Helmholtz-like resonators for thermoacoustic prime movers" . The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

Awards

SheTech Impact Award

Women Tech Council - October 3, 2025

This recognition is especially meaningful because it celebrates the role you have personally played in the SheTech impact. Over the last 5+ years, you have stood side by side with thousands of high school students — mentoring, volunteering, and showing up as a role model they could look to. Collectively, you and your fellow champions have been there in person with more than 15,000 SheTech students. Your presence has given them a vision of what’s possible and helped them imagine futures in technology they may not have otherwise seen.

Dean's Award of Excellence for Service

College of Science - April 16, 2024

Bonnie [is] the advisor for the Women in Physical Science club, which serves students from most of the departments in our College. She has incorporated Service Learning in her lower-division Acoustics class, which caters to students in Physics, Music, and Digital Media. Last semester her students produced a public event in the Noorda that included musicians from all the major instrument groups, and her students explained to the public audience about how [the instruments] worked interspersed with performances.

Scholarly Activities Committee Award

Utah Valley University

2009 and 2010

Grants from Center for Engaged Learning

Utah Valley University

2009 and 2010

Presidential Scholar Award

Utah Valley University

2009 and 2010

Phi Kappa Phi (National Honor Society)