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2026 Career Connections

At US Synthetic, our vision is to improve lives. That’s why, we’re working hard to support the development of tomorrow’s problem solvers in our local schools through STEM education programs. Through our Engineering Good initiative, we’re teaming up with like-minded local partners—Utah Underwater Robotics, Thanksgiving Point, Mission.io, Ken Garff for Good, Quartzdyne, & Ulterra to donate thousands of hours of service yearly to make a difference.

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Beyond the Code

Looking Up: An Astrophysicist’s Journey from Park City to the Stars

Every Bird Tells a Story

Connecting Generations Through Radio

Beyond the Code How Alison Walsh bridges technology, business, and human connection

WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS BUSINESS When you think of an architect, you might imagine someone designing buildings, drawing blueprints, and overseeing construction. But what if architects could design more than buildings? What if they could build solutions using technology instead of bricks and concrete? That is exactly what a solutions architect does. Rather than designing physical structures, solutions architects create technical blueprints that help businesses solve problems, connect systems, and bring innovative ideas to life.

The word architect comes from the Latin word architectus, meaning “master builder.” Just as builders combine materials and tools to create structures, solutions architects bring together technology, creativity, and problem-solving skills to tackle real-world challenges, creating a bridge the gap between technology and business.

“If you don’t know something, it’s okay to acknowledge it and offer to find the answer.”

Alison Walsh Solutions Architect

For Alison Walsh, being a solutions architect means understanding how different IT systems work together and finding technologies that best meet customers’ needs. But the role goes beyond technical expertise. Curiosity, continuous learning, communication, and relationship-building are just as important. Through her experience, Alison shows that building the future of technology isn’t just about understanding systems, it’s about understanding people, asking the right questions, and turning possibilities into real-world impact. I N SI DE THE R OLE OF A S O LUTIONS ARCHITECT This role is ideal for people who want a technical career and love working with people and improving the quality of life. Solutions architecture

combines technical knowledge with the relationship-building skills used in sales, marketing, and many other service-based careers. You collaborate with colleagues, learn from specialists, and apply your knowledge of software and hardware to develop solutions together. Customers drive innovation in industries such as financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing. We engage with the customer and determine their needs and identify barriers to meet those needs. You analyze the customer information, identify patterns, and collaborate with specialists to design the right infrastructure, hardware, and software solutions. Then you build and become the architect of a product that brings value to customers. THE MANY C’S OF A SOLUTION ARCHITECT Curiosity and a desire to keep learning are essential. Technology is constantly evolving, and creative thinking can help customers improve efficiency and drive innovation. Critical thinking matters, too. You need to evaluate solutions, understand how technologies work together, and ask the right questions to uncover customer needs. This requires a fourth, “hidden C,”

creativity. Critical thinking and creativity are the powerhouse partners of finding solutions. Connection with people, through strong interpersonal skills is equally important. You must communicate professionally with different audiences and build relationships based on mutual respect and trust. You can’t expect people to respond positively without first establishing that trust. You also need to handle criticism and pushback constructively. When someone challenges you, remain composed and consider their perspective. If you don’t know something, it’s okay to acknowledge it and offer to find the answer. Responding thoughtfully and confidently is a valuable skill.

combine them effectively, and which tools can achieve the best results. With cloud platforms, hardware, and software evolving rapidly, relying on outdated methods can lead to slower, more expensive, or less secure systems.

Criticism and constructive learning are the often overlooked C’s. You need to handle criticism and pushback constructively. When someone challenges you, remain composed and consider their perspective. If you don’t know something, it’s okay to acknowledge it and offer to find the answer. Responding thoughtfully and confidently is a valuable skill.

STORYTELLING-THE SURPRISING SUPER POWER OF A SOLUTION ARCHITECT Our job is to be storytellers, turning complex technical ideas into relatable stories that connect with customers. Communication is a skill you develop alongside technical expertise, and many companies offer training to help employees explain ideas clearly and confidently. I even took a storytelling class through my company! Much like teaching a difficult subject, explaining technology means connecting unfamiliar concepts to something people already understand. It requires putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and thinking about how you would explain an idea to someone without a technical background.

BALANCING TECHNOLOGY AND CUSTOMER NEEDS Customers want to stay at the forefront of technology, which means solutions architects must constantly learn and adapt. Staying informed about emerging trends helps them understand how different technologies work together, how to

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a perfect example. From AI agents that can perform tasks independently to the powerful hardware and data storage systems that support them, new technologies are transforming how businesses operate. Solutions architects must understand these developments to identify opportunities, make informed decisions, and design solutions that are ready for the future.

Take Adobe, for example. Rather than simply listing what its products can do, Adobe shares stories about how its technology helps people bring creative ideas to life and businesses overcome challenges. By highlighting real-world examples and the results achieved by major companies, Adobe shows the value of its solutions in a way customers can relate to. This is the power of storytelling in solutions architecture: it’s not just about explaining how technology works, but showing why it matters.

As Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies, shares in his book Play Nice But Win, “Always be learning. You want to have big ears. To listen, to learn, and to be curious.” His words remind us that success in technology isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about listening, asking questions, and staying curious enough to keep learning.

“Our job is to be storytellers who explain complex technical ideas through relatable analogies.”

LEARNING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY It’s important to be comfortable not knowing every answer and to recognize these moments as opportunities to learn about the technology, your customers, and yourself. You need to feel comfortable saying, “I might not know that, but I’ll follow up with you.” When you research the question and respond promptly, you build trust. Customers understand that no one has every answer immediately. Sometimes, getting back to someone a few hours later or the next day is just as valuable as answering on the spot. Ultimately, it’s better to be right than to have an answer right away. Taking time to research answers also expands your knowledge. You may discover new areas of the business or technologies you haven’t worked with before, helping you become better equipped to support your customers in the future.

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Looking Up: An Astrophysicist’s Journey from Park City to the Stars

Emma Louden Astrophysicist

“Hey, look up! Do you see Kite Minor?” Those were the words my friends and I used to say to each other as we laid atop the roof of a (slightly dented) blue Subaru, parked outside the Utah Olympic Park, looking up at the night sky. My friends who also loved math and science, the “front row girls”, and I made a habit of driving up to the UOP at night to stargaze, talk, and laugh. We all were ambitious and big dreamers (and still are! Each of us are now doctors of some kind.). The starwatching nights were our way to connect and unwind. We could lay there gazing up at the star encrusted sky and briefly forget about the stress of AP tests, ACT exams, and college applications. Growing up in Park City, Utah I took for granted that we could see the Milky Way stretched out overhead glistening across the sky. The constellations, Orion’s Belt, Cassiopeais throne, the Big Dipper, were all part of my daily experience. That connection to the night sky became the foundation of my STEM journey. I was in 8th grade when I set my sights on being an astrophysicist. I had just finished my physics unit and was entranced by how elegant equations could explain the behavior of the world. My teacher, Ms. Duis, helped me make the connection between physics and my love for the night sky and showed me the world of astrophysics: the study of how the universe works. To learn about this career path I turned to my favorite resource: books! I read every pop science book I could find on astrophysics from the library and the local Dolly’s Bookstore. I went to signings at the King’s English for histories of women in STEM and practically bought out the store of the Clark Planetarium – I loved everything they sold.

“Not everyone grows up under a Utah sky. But everyone is born curious, and the universe belongs to anyone willing to look up.” Emma Louden

“That connection to the night sky became the foundation of my STEM journey.” This newfound love for astrophysics turned into applications to the best astrophysics departments in the world, eventually finding me moved all the way to New Jersey to attend Princeton University where I got my first real taste of astrophysics.’ At Princeton, the night sky I’d grown up taking for granted became something I could actually study. I learned to read starlight: to pull a planet’s mass, a star’s age, even the chemistry of a distant atmosphere out of nothing but photons that had traveled thousands of light years to reach a telescope here on Earth. From Princeton I went on to earn my PhD in astrophysics at Yale, chasing a question in one of the fastest growing field in astrophysics: exoplanetary science. I studied exoplanets — worlds orbiting other stars — and today I help lead the working group designing NASA’s next flagship space telescope, one built to search distant planets for signs of life. I love studying exoplanets because every time I learn about a planet orbiting another star, I am filled with gratitude

for the existence of our own pale blue dot and all the life on it. The planets I studied are all inhospitable to life and farther than humans will venture in the near future and bring home how special our home really is. Following graduate school, I t ra ns i t i o ne d i nto a ro l e at th e intersection of science, society, and education: I’m now President of Slooh, where we hand anyone who wants to learn about and love space the keys to real robotic research grade telescopes. A kid in a bright, sky-glow city who has never once seen the Milky Way can point a telescope at Saturn, capture their own image of a galaxy, and feel exactly what I felt in Park City laying on top of that Subaru with my friends. Not everyone grows up under a Utah sky. But everyone is born curious, and the universe belongs to anyone willing to look up. My career started with a few words my friends and I called out from the roof of a dented blue Subaru and they’re still the best advice I have. “Hey, look up.” You never know what you’ll find when you do.

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Connecting STEM Learning to Career Opportunity Through high school and college internships, Haskell gives students hands-on experience and exposure to careers in design and construction, helping build the next generation of industry professionals.

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Every Bird Tells a Story “We’re involved in many other projects, too. No two days are the same, which I love.”

READING NATURE’S SIGNS THROUGH THE WORK OF A WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST By identifying patterns in ecosystems, we can better understand environmental changes and where conservation efforts are needed. At Tracy Aviary, Conservation Ecologist Gaby Karakcheyeva works with data, tracks animal activity, and identifies trends that help develop strategies for healthier ecosystems. Through research and data analysis, Gaby supports conservation efforts that protect wildlife and promote a healthy ecosystem. She also connects community members with science through Tracy Aviary’s community science initiatives, helping people contribute to research, collect valuable data, and build scientific skills.

INSIDE THE WORK OF A CONSERVATION ECOLOGIST I work at Tracy Aviary as a conservation ecologist, with an applied focus as a technician. Data is key to understanding and learning about the conditions that impact birds and their populations. Thus, I spend a lot of my time conducting surveys and collecting and preparing data

for reports. There is so much to learn about birds including studying their populations and the environmental factors that influence them, such as insects, plants, and habitat conditions. One of our year-round projects is bird banding. We capture birds, attach identifying bands with unique USGS codes, and record measurements to learn about their populations and movements. Our banding station is at a restoration site where we’re developing habitat for birds, insects, and other wildlife. The data helps us understand which birds are attracted to the site over time. We also monitor birds in urban parks and share our findings with park managers. This helps them identify population changes, investigate potential causes of declines, and explore ways to increase biodiversity and reduce disturbances. Another project I’m passionate about is our Salt Lake Avenue collision surveys. During migration season, we search downtown Salt Lake City for birds that have collided with windows

How wildlife ecologist Gaby uses science, research, and community involvement to protect the natural world.

overnight. This is a major problem across the country, and our research helps fill data gaps along migration routes through the Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West.

Did you know that nearly 1 billion birds die from hitting windows in the US? And 44-50% of these collisions happen at residential homes.

The project has been running since 2017, so we’re approaching 10 years of data collection. In ecology, longterm data is especially valuable for identifying meaningful trends. No two days are the same, which I love. I’m not naturally a statistics person, but I’ve learned that data analysis is essential for identifying trends and making an impact. One of my datasets had a few hundred thousand lines of data. Whether you’re banding birds, conducting surveys, or trapping animals, you need enough data to identify meaningful patterns. Birds are useful for understanding large-scale environmental changes because they’re well-studied and respond to changes in plants, insects, and habitat. If a species declines, we can ask whether food sources are changing or unusual weather is affecting its presence. Recently, we’ve seen more elevational migrants coming into downtown Salt Lake City, potentially because

The Science of Saving Species poor snow and water conditions have reduced food availability at higher elevations. By comparing bird population trends with changes in climate, construction, and other environmental factors, we can investigate potential causes and better understand what’s happening across the ecosystem. UNDERSTANDING THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF WILDLIFE DECLINE Everything in an ecosystem is connected, and human activities can disrupt that balance. Every species has a role, from scavengers that remove dead animals and help prevent disease to birds that pollinate flowers and disperse seeds. Mammals, insects, and fish also contribute to healthy ecosystems. When wildlife populations decline, the consequences can extend throughout the system, affecting food crops, vegetation, and other species. That’s why studying wildlife and tracking population changes is so important.

One example is the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park after they disappeared from the area. Without wolves, elk placed increased pressure on riverside habitats, affecting vegetation and animals that depend on healthy waterways, including beavers. This shows how removing a top predator can trigger

Have you heard of elevational migration? It is also known as altitudinal or vertical migration. This is the seasonal movement of birds up and down mountain slopes rather than across long, latitudinal distances.

cascading effects throughout an ecosystem. Studying biodiversity helps us recognize warning signs and guide conservation efforts, from habitat restoration to captive breeding programs. At Tracy Aviary, we support breeding programs for certain species, with the goal of eventually reintroducing them into the wild. THE SCIENCE OF SAVING SPECIES The Power of Community in Conservation One thing I love about Tracy Aviary is how much we involve the community in our research. Anyone can participate in projects such as bird collision surveys, bird banding, and wildlife monitoring. You don’t need formal ornithological (the study of birds) training to help with collision surveys. You can document birds that have hit windows, complete a data form, and share your findings with us. If you

Gaby Karakcheyeva Conservation Ecology

can’t identify a bird, we can help. Volunteers also contribute to bird surveys and other research projects. We work with children through summer camps, field trips, and educational programs, too. I help with outreach, by supporting field trips or visiting classrooms. It’s a joy to do science while engaging with the community. LEARNING, NETWORKING, AND FINDING YOUR PATH IN CONSERVATION Salt Lake City offers many opportunities to gain practical conservation skills. Tracy Aviary is a great place to start, while other groups such as Sageland Collaborative offer projects involving beaver dam restoration, pollinators, toad monitoring, and more.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills matter, too. Being reliable, personable, and comfortable connecting with people can help you stand out in a competitive field. A friend of mine often says, “The squeaky wheel gets oiled.” If you show up, advocate for yourself, express interest in opportunities, and consistently do good work, people are more likely to notice you and help you move forward in your career.

“Data collection is only part of the Field experience is valuable, and I’d recommend taking statistics, Geospatial Information Systems, and coding classes if you’re planning to pursue a conservation career. Data collection is only part of the process; analyzing and applying that data is what makes it useful.

process; analyzing and applying that data is what makes it useful.”

The Utah Office of Energy Development understands that energy education in grades K-12 is essential for Utah’s energy future. We are excited to support students in understanding the important role energy plays in their daily lives through hands-on demonstrations and activities. Our education initiatives include attendance at STEM events, free lesson plans, professional development for educators, classroom presentations, scholarships, internships, and career connections. Together, we are bridging industry and education to shape Utah’s future workforce.

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Connecting Generations Through Radio: How Ham Radio Inspires the Next Generation of STEM Innovators

Amateur radio connects communities, inspires curiosity, and opens doors to science, technology, and emergency communications through the power of radio waves and hands-on learning. As Section Youth Coordinator, Lisa Cook works with school districts and clubs to promote amateur radio. She regularly attends local club meetings and ham radio conventions throughout the region, connecting with students and teachers to expand awareness and participation. She also promotes the National Association for Amateur Radio’s excellent teacher training opportunities. Lisa has provided radios for classrooms of teachers who hold radio licenses, bringing the idea directly to students.

HAM RADIO EXPLAINED: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE CONNECTION Communication connects our world and drives innovation. But what happens when an emergency strikes, the power goes out, and our landlines and cell phones stop working? That’s where radio communication comes in.

Using radio waves, we can send signals down the street or even around the world without relying on traditional networks. While different communication devices have their own capabilities, amateur radio stands out for its ability to connect people across long distances without depending on commercial infrastructure. Best of all, exploring this hobby can start with something as simple as a $30 radio.

“What happens when an emergency strikes, the power goes out, and our landlines and cell phones stop working? That’s where radio communication comes in.”

Cell phones use commercial infrastructure. If a cell phone tower goes down, so do the phones. Ham radio can work independently of cell towers and internet connections, allowing people to communicate even when traditional networks fail.

For Walkie-talkies, they typically range 1-2 miles and are license free. They are usually referred to as FMRS radios.

General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios can reach approximately 30 miles without a repeater and potentially over 100 miles with one, depending on conditions.

Lisa Cook HAM Radio

Amateur Radio requires a government license. There are three levels: the starting level is the Technician, followed by the General, and the highest level is the Extra Class license.

You can learn to read circuit diagrams, practice soldering, and even build your own radio small enough to fit inside an Altoids tin. The higher the license the greater the privileges. The other modes have low power restrictions, the most being 50 watts, amateur radio can go up to 1500 watts depending on license class. THE SCIENCE OF RADIO WAVES To understand how ham radio works, it helps to explore the science behind the signals traveling through the air. Physics is where the radio waves come to play. There are different waves used in amateur radio and knowing physics helps you understand the key differences. This is how we can talk around the world. Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic energy that travel at the speed of light. Their relatively long wavelengths allow them to diffract around obstacles and, depending on the frequency and material, penetrate some walls and furniture. To communicate, you need three essential components: a transmitter to send a signal, such as voice or Morse code; an antenna to transmit and receive radio waves; and a receiver to pick up the signal and convert it into information you can understand. THE CONNECTION TO STEM CAREERS Physics: Physics explains how radio waves behave and why different frequencies travel in different ways. Understanding these principles helps amateur radio operators communicate across town or even around the world.

ELECTRONICS: The technology behind ham radio introduces you to

capacitors, resistors, and transistors, including what they do and how they work together. You can learn to read circuit diagrams, practice soldering, and even build your own radio small enough to fit inside an Altoids tin. MATHEMATICS: The algebra you thought you would never use becomes practical when working with Ohm’s law, calculating electrical values, and determining the correct wire length for a properly tuned antenna. ENGINEERING AND ENERGY: Another exciting aspect of amateur radio is designing and building antennas, experimenting with different configurations, and exploring alternative power sources, such as solar panels and homemade battery packs. BUILDING SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE Ham radio allows you to learn proper communication techniques, how to communicate with other users, and how to problem-solve and isolate the source of a problem. As students learn about and explore radio frequencies, they develop skills used in wireless communication and

hardware development. Companies like NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom have satellites and communicate with them. Raspberry Pi and Linux are also popular among amateur radio operators and provide skills that translate into the workforce. NASA and major defense contractors look for employees with amateur radio experience. Emergency management and public safety organizations also regularly seek employees with amateur radio experience. As we look toward colonizing the moon and Mars, I see radio communication becoming an essential part of the framework for communication between occupants on these worlds, as well as communication back to Earth. As students dive into amateur radio and explore its different aspects, I see them bringing fresh eyes to a hobby that has been around for a long time. Amateur radio is more than talking to someone halfway around the world. It is often said that once you earn your Technician license, you have earned your license to begin to play.

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