Olivia Brock

Portrait of Olivia Brock. Olivia graduated from USU with degrees in statistics and art history. She began pursuing research after her mentor and art history professor, Alexa Sand, encouraged her to explore research that combined her interests in math and art history. Focusing on the art of medieval and Renaissance Europe, she studied how scientists used artistic imagery and scientific instrumentation to make their work more accessible for non-scientists. Brock’s research consisted of investigating scientific books, manuscripts, and instruments in the collections of USU’s library, the Adler Planetarium, Morgan Library, and several other institutions across the country. USU’s undergraduate research programs funded her travels to these collections as well as the CAA national conference in 2020 where she was able to present her work. Brock’s work culminated in an exhibition in USU’s Special Collections and Archives aimed at showing audiences how impactful science can be when scientists and artists work together to communicate – a lesson she hopes everyone learns from her work. She remarked, “These grants allowed me unique research experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise access. [...] There is a whole community of undergraduates doing research who I was able to connect with and feel supported by. My work felt important and worthwhile despite me being ‘just an undergrad.’” Olivia feels that doing undergraduate research provided her with freedom to control her education, explore new ideas, and gain insights into what she wants out of her education and career. As an educator now, Brock noted, “I feel inspired by my research experience at USU to be a good mentor and advocate for my students. I want to inspire them to pursue their own paths and interests and to see their educations as invaluable opportunities for learning and personal growth.