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. My goal with this major is to learn computer and data skills within the context of 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 loved 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.

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: I love when I have time to read a good fantasy or sci-fi book.

Stats

Here are some numbers to demonstrate my current progress in learning computer science and applying it to biology.

Months of Experience in programming and lab work

Current R Projects to do with gemonics and phylogenies

Github Commits per month on average

Awards in scholarships and grants

Projects

Here are the projects I am currently working on for the Hjelmen Lab.

Investigating the Relationship between Heteromorphic Sex Chromosomes and 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.

Building a Large-Scale Phylogeny in R

The purpose of this project is to make a nice pipeline for creating massive phylogenies. I am currently working on a script that makes a supermatrix of the species and genes available for the phylogeny.

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

    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%

    Here are the classes I'm currently taking:

    • Object Oriented Programming
    • Database Fundamentals
    • Design of Experiment
    • Bioinformatics Data Skills
    • Global Social and Ethical Issues in Computing

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

    • Fundamentals of Programming
    • Genomics
    • Principles of Statistics
    • Intro to Data Analysis for Biologists
    • Molecular Biology

    Photos

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

    • All
    • Presentations
    • Study Abroad
    • Travel

    Ancient Genomics

    Group presentation with Remington Motte and Jacob Prescott

    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 were 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!

    Stromboli, Italy

    Stromboli erupting

    Contact

    Location:

    800 W University Pkwy, Orem, UT 84058