Building a sustainable world starts with individual people and their passions to innovate, change lifestyles, and create awareness for others. Honors student Andrew Tolton is one of these innovators, who is driven to help improve the world with his knowledge in engineering and computer science.

Ever since he took AP Environmental Science in his freshman year of high school, he became interested in learning more about climate change and the impact that society has on different ecosystems.

“One of the things that stood out to me the most were the case studies that were covered in the course, especially ones focusing on developing countries. There was one about malaria, which was a big issue, but they were able to create a device to help diagnose malaria in a simple and cheap way,” explained Andrew.

With these understandings of the possibilities, Andrew continued researching to learn about ways that he could contribute to the field. For his thesis, he was able to participate in research to improve solar panels efficiency.

“The most surprising thing that I learned is that we know a lot less than we thought we did, especially really simple things that have not been explored yet,” said Andrew.

Aside from academics, Andrew is involved on campus through a variety of clubs, organizations, and competitions. This includes the Robotics Club, which teaches people about NASA and hosts competitions to encourage learning and critical thinking, and Science in the Parks, a STEM-based club focused on providing children with spaces to learn and explore science.

“I hope that more people would seek out those types of experiences. It has shaped what I am interested in and what I want to do going forward,” said Andrew.

Learn more about Andrew’s work at the Honors Showcase on April 16th, from 4–7 PM at Kahlert Village.

Aspen Delis | Journalism Intern, University of Utah Honors College