Olivia Frary

I'm a

About

I am currently attending Utah Valley University and pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics. Bioinformatics combines the disciplines of biology and computer science. I love this major because it allows me to utilize improving computational tools to better understand evolution and genomics.

Bioinformatician

Preferred Pronouns: She/Her

I grew up in Provo, Utah where I got to enjoy lots of beautiful scenery while traveling and hiking around the national parks with my family. My journey into STEM started with programming and robotics. As a kid, I really enjoyed building small games and robots that could perform tasks for me. I started to fall in love with biology and chemistry in highschool. There, I was supported by great teachers and became Science Sterling Scholar for the school. I was also able to get my Associates in Science during highschool. Utah Valley University awarded me their Presidential Merit Scholarship and I now study all my favorite subjects there as a bioinformatics major. Since starting at UVU, I have had opportunities to participate in scientific research and community outreach. I have discovered that I love research! I am specifically interested in the evolution of sex, sex chromosomes, and sex determining genes. As I approach graduate school, I hope to have the opportunity to spend my career studying these subjects.

Outside of study, I enjoy:

  • Dancing: I'm trained in ballet and modern dance and still love to choreograph pieces.
  • Painting: I enjoy painting small figurines and clay characters that I make.
  • Reading: My recent favorites are Weyward by Emilia Hart and A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Stats

Here are some numbers to demonstrate my current progress in research and computer science.

Months of Experience in programming and lab work

Current R Projects to do with gemonics and phylogenies

Paper in progress

Awards in scholarships and grants

Projects

Here are some projects I've been a part of:

Do the differences in size between heteromorphic sex chromosomes influence organism longevity?

The purpose of this project is to consider the predictors of longevity in organisms across the tree of life. I am particularly interested in whether there is a correlation between the degree of difference in size of heteromorphic sex chromosomes and organism lifespan. Work done in Hjelmen Lab at UVU.

Investigating genome size variation through Hymenoptera phylogeny

The purpose of this project is to utilize available genome size data in Hymentoptera and see if phylogenetic relationships or species traits display correlation to genome size. Work ongoing in Hjelmen Lab at UVU. I will be presenting this research at the Entomological Society of America's National Conference this November.

Sex Determination in New Zealand Mud Snails: Identifying Genes and Chromosomal Regions with Sex-limited Features

How do asexual species produce male offspring? What is the sex determination system that allows this? Click on my face in the link to find my poster and video explanations of the project. Work done in the Logsdon Lab at the University of Iowa's Research Experience for Undergraduates.

Resume

Click here to view my updated CV

Bio

Olivia Frary

Majoring in Bioinformatics at Utah Valley University with the Presidential Merit scholarship.

  • 800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058
  • oliviafrary1@gmail.com

Education

Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics

Fall 2022 - Present

Utah Valley University, Orem, UT

  • Current GPA: 4.0
  • Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2025
  • Experience

    Hjelmen Lab Research

    Fall 2023 - Present

    Utah Valley University, Orem, UT

    • Researching heteromorphic sex chromosomes and their relationship to organism longevity
    • Working on a reproducible pipeline to produce large-scale phylogenies in R
    • Gaining experience in bioinformatic skills

    Logsdon Lab Internship

    Summer 2024

    University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

    • Researched the sex system and sex determining genomic regions of an asexual species
    • Presented research at the University of Iowa's Summer Undergratuate Research Conference
    • Instructed colleagues in Linux programming, virtual environments, and supercomputing

    Biology Study Abroad

    Summer 2023

    Aeolian Islands, Italy

    • Immersed in culturally rich environment to learn about the biology and geology of the Aeolian Islands
    • Learned how locals and endemic plants and animals coexist with active volcanoes
    • Researched and presented on the population genetics of the islands

    General Biology Teaching Assistant

    Spring 2023

    Utah Valley University, Orem, UT

    • Worked with students to answer questions and provide support
    • Reviewed and graded college-level work and provided constructive feedback
    • Gave insights into ways to improve the material for students

    Stability Intern

    2022

    doTERRA Quality Control, Pleasant Grove, UT

    • Gained experience in lab work and safety procedures as I tested the quality of products
    • Regulated various reports through Microsoft Office Suite and Information Management Software
    • Managed numerous studies and samples

    Skills

    I am actively learning Python and R. I'm currently at a basic level but am exercising my programming skills as I work on projects for my lab.

    R 60%
    Python45%
    Bash Scripting/Linux60%
    SQL40%

    Here are the classes I'm currently taking:

    • Discrete Mathematics
    • Intro to Systems Administration - Linux/UNIX
    • Ecology
    • Principles of Evolution

    Here are some of the recent classes I've taken:

    • Object Oriented Programming - Python
    • Database Fundamentals - SQL
    • Design of Experiment - Statistics and R
    • Bioinformatics Data Skills - Bash Scripting, Linux, & Supercomputing
    • Global Social and Ethical Issues in Computing
    • Fundamentals of Programming - Python
    • Genomics
    • Principles of Statistics
    • Intro to Data Analysis for Biologists - Data Modeling & Visualization in R
    • Molecular Biology

    Photos

    Here is my photo album of presentation, study abroad, and travel experiences.

    • All
    • Presentations
    • Study Abroad
    • Travel

    Genome Size Evolution

    Oral presention at the Entomological Society of America's conference in 2024

    Ancient Genomics

    Group presentation with Remington Motte and Jacob Prescott

    Sex Chromosomes and Lifespan

    Presentation of poster at Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2024

    Sex Chromosomes and Lifespan

    Presentation of poster at Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2024

    Asexual Sex Determination

    Poster at University of Iowa's Summer Undergraduate Research Conference (2024) alongside lab partner Lake Palmeri and PI John Logsdon

    Asexual Sex Determination

    Presentation of poster at University of Iowa's Summer Undergraduate Research Conference 2024

    The Shire

    Visiting family in Hobbiton

    Mt.Etna, Italy

    2920 meters up a recently erupted Mt. Etna

    Vulcano, Italy

    View of Vulcano from geophysics lab on Lipari

    Lipari, Italy

    Study abroad group hiking for fossils at Timpone Pataso paleolake

    Milford Sound, NZ

    Gorgeous New Zealand fiord, but a very rainy day!

    Salina, Italy

    Collapsed caldera of Salina and small islet where endemic species of lizard resides

    Salina, Italy

    Local conservation biologist teaching group about the island Salina

    Tamborine Mountain, AU

    Checking out some fun trees in Australia!

    Iowa City, IA

    Enjoying Iowa City Pride with my Evolution REU cohort!

    Phoenix, AZ

    Current and past lab members of the Hjelmen and Ogden labs at ESA 2024!

    SLC, UT

    Exploring Tracy Aviary with the Hjelmen lab!

    Stromboli, Italy

    Stromboli erupting

    Contact

    Location:

    800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058