The UVU Chemistry Program is celebrating a standout moment this year, with student researcher Caitlin West and Associate Professor Elena Laricheva, Ph.D., being recognized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Utah Chapter for excellence in their fields.
The UVU Chemistry Program is celebrating a standout moment this year, with student researcher Caitlin West and Associate Professor Elena Laricheva, Ph.D., being recognized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Utah Chapter for excellence in their fields.
West, a chemistry major, received the ACS Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award for her contributions to cutting-edge lab work with Associate Professor Ming Yu, Ph.D. Over the past year, she studied how quantum dots can be used for early disease detection.
Quantum dots are tiny nanoparticles that emit light that changes color or intensity based on their size, structure, or interaction with proteins. Quantum dots are powerful tools for detecting biomarkers associated with cancer, kidney disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and other diseases.
West’s research has focused on testing how quantum dots behave in realistic biological environments, particularly urine samples. Her work has shown:
Through this research, West is helping push forward fast, sensitive diagnostic tools that could one day assist in early disease detection.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to do research at UVU, especially in Dr. Yu’s group,” West said. “It means a lot to contribute to solutions for real-world problems while continuing to grow as a scientist.”
Alongside West’s achievements, Elena N. Laricheva, Ph.D., associate professor of physical chemistry, was awarded the 2025 ACS Utah Award for Outstanding Educator at a Primarily Teaching Institution. This honor highlights Laricheva’s exceptional teaching, curriculum innovation, and commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers.
Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Laricheva’s academic journey has taken her from organic analytical chemistry to photochemical sciences to computational biophysics — expertise she now brings into UVU classrooms and labs. Known for breaking down complex chemistry into ideas students can confidently tackle, she teaches everything from general chemistry to upper-division physical chemistry and advanced electives.
At UVU, she developed the university’s first computational chemistry course (CHEM 3300: Biomolecular Modeling and Simulations), now one of the most popular upper-division electives for chemistry majors. The course continually evolves to integrate emerging tools, including machine-learning models for predicting material properties.
Laricheva has mentored over 20 undergraduate researchers whose work has been presented at national conferences such as ACS, the Protein Society, and NCUR. Her students go on to top graduate programs, including recent award-winner Eugene Leung, now pursuing a Ph.D. at Purdue University.
These dual ACS recognitions highlight UVU College of Science students who are curious, ambitious, and eager to contribute, as well as the college’s faculty mentors, who create pathways for students to succeed.
