About
Established in 2012, Utah Underwater Robotics (UUR) is an underwater robotics outreach program in Utah middle schools and elementary schools. The program provides students with a hands-on opportunity to build tethered, underwater robots (remotely operated vehicles or ROVs), while learning valuable concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Participating groups are directed by local, volunteer teachers who help their students construct their own ROVs using materials that are readily available and inexpensive. Through building their own ROVs, students learn about basic circuits, buoyancy, simple robotics, material science and innovation. In conjunction with Brigham Young University’s Technology Engineering Education department, UUR has been studying the effectiveness of this program, and its ability to educate students in STEM.
UUR History
UUR was originally run out of Brigham Young University’s “Splash Lab”. Professor Tadd Truscott, Ph.D. student Randy Hurd, and Kip Hacking founded the program. Funding for the program was initially provided by the Office of Naval Research. The program has since been funded by the generous donations of local sponsors. Currently the program is under the direction of BYU Professor Geoff Wright.
Annual Competition
Every March, students have the chance to participate in the annual UUR competition, held in Lehi, Utah. During the competition, student teams put their ROVs to the test by completing underwater simulations and obstacles. Preparation for the UUR competition begins each fall. See Competition Event for further details.
Y - Serve
Instruction and help on robot construction and design is available from BYU college students through the Y-Serve program. These students volunteer their time and talents to visit schools as needed and host build days at BYU on occasion. Contact Y-Serve here, or email them at: underwaterrobotics@byu.edu
CURRENT DIRECTORS
Geoff Wright
Geoff Wright is the managing director of Utah Underwater Robotics. Geoff directs and implements the research behind the program, including measuring the educational effectiveness of the program, specifically STEM outcomes. He is also responsible for program funding and budget management.
Geoff is currently a Technology and Engineering Education professor at Brigham Young University. His research primarily focuses on the effectiveness of STEM programs in K-12 students. Geoff received a B.S. in Technology Teaching Education and a Ph.D. in Instructional Psychology and Technology from Brigham Young University.
Casey Gooch
Casey is the Executive Director and is trying her best. She also helps her teammates plan the competition scenarios and scoring rubric for the annual event.
Casey is a senior in the mechanical engineering program at BYU. She is the proud Vice President of the BYU Rocketry Association, and will tell you all about the club.
Outside of her technical pursuits, Casey enjoys listening to and making music: she plays four instruments! But not all at once.
Brock Sundet
Brock, one of our dedicated hardware managers and competition designers, plays a key role in developing the advanced kit at UUR. He joined the team in January 2024.
Currently a sophomore at BYU majoring in Computer Engineering, Brock brings a passion for both technology and teamwork.
Outside of his work, he enjoys playing lacrosse, watching movies, and riding dirt bikes.
Madelinde Hayes
Maddie is the Website Manager at UUR and contributes to other projects as needed.
A sophomore studying Computer Engineering, Maddie also works with BYU’s Field Robotics Systems Lab (FRoSt Lab), where she further explores her passion for robotics.
Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys baking, listening to music, and playing both video and board games.
Brooklyn Clarke
Brooklyn is one of our Competition Designers. She plans the scoring, sequence, and construction for our rovers and the course.
Brooklyn is studying mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University. She is passionate about getting others excited about engineering and science and loves to learn new things. You can find her building legos or exploring outside.
Daniel Wong
Daniel is one of our Competition Designers. He is also a hardware manager, keeping track of tools and parts for the robots. He is currently developing the advanced kit for older students.
Daniel is a research assistant on the Utah Underwater Robotics team and is a sophomore at Brigham Young University.
He loves remote control vehicles and everything outdoors. Depending on the season you will always find him mountain biking, climbing or skiing!
McKenna Day
McKenna is the Assistant Communications officer. She keeps our network of resources, mentors, and students tangle-free.
McKenna is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering at BYU. She is also pursuing a minor in art. McKenna loves photography, CAD modeling and design, and enjoys rock climbing in her free time.
Tyler Ditto
Tyler is one of the research assistants at UUR, and a creative director. He works closely with the UUR team to help spread the importance of integrating STEM into the youth quickly.
He is a Junior at BYU and in the Technology and Engineering Technical Studies program. He loves to be a part of the local community, and works hard to teach the local youth about how critual and fun STEM is.
He loves spending time on mountains and photographing nature.
past directors
Kip Hacking
Founder & Director
Kip Hacking is a founder of Utah Underwater Robotics, and served as the program director from 2014 to 2018. In his time as director, Kip oversaw many refinements and innovations in the management and operation of the program and competition, including improvements to the ROV kit. Under his direction, the program grew from 250 students to over one thousand students in four years.
Kip is also the CEO of Capture Beyond Limits, a photography and videography technology company. He was recognized as one of the top 3 student entrepreneurs at Brigham Young University, and one of the top 10 student entrepreneurs in the state of Utah. Kip is pursuing a B.S in Computer Science from Brigham Young University.
Tadd T. Truscott
Founder
Tadd T. Truscott was a founder and original managing director of Utah Underwater Robotics. The STEM-focused program was a result of his vision to provide young students with an affordable and effective way to get hands-on experience in science and engineering. To bring the program to fruition, Tadd secured an Office of Naval Research grant in 2012. Since then, thousands of students have been given access to engineering resources and the opportunity to compete at a state and national level in underwater robotics.
Tadd is currently a professor at Utah State University, where he researches the field of fluid dynamics. He received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah, and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for research in the field of hydrodynamics.
Randy Hurd
Founder
Randy Hurd is a founder and former director of Utah Underwater Robotics. He designed the original infrastructure of the program, including competition rules and processes. Additionally, he oversaw relationships with all participating schools and was a frequent visitor in classrooms across the state of Utah to help students build their ROVs.
Randy received his B.S. and Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the same field at Utah State University. His research focuses on investigating the impact dynamics of highly deformable spheres with the water free surface.
Jessa Robinson
Jessa was our Executive Director. She kept things organized and running smoothly. She helped plan the competitions.
She graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering at Brigham Young University with a minor in Linguistics.
She loves anything outdoors and is always ready for an adventure.
Brent George
Brent was the executive director of Utah Underwater Robotics. Brent oversaw the work of the team and had a hand in competition organization, managing online resources, marketing and outreach, and planning future Utah Underwater Robotics expansion.
Brent graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Brigham Young University. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Ben Brenkman
Ben Brenkman was one of the program directors for Utah Underwater Robotics. Ben worked on various tasks in the program, from sending emails to working on the website to helping with the competition.
Ben graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering with a minor in Math.
Benjamin Jensen
Benjamin Jensen was the student program director in charge of communications and coordinating with the teachers and other volunteers.
He graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
Brady Moon
Brady Moon is a former Student Director of Utah Underwater Robotics and was with the program from 2015-2019. He started at a student volunteer in a local school but wanted to give more. As a director, Brady took care of the everyday operations and kept the program moving forward. This includes ROV kit design, teacher and school communications, and running the annual competition.
Brady received his undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University and is pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He enjoys photography, piano, triathlons, podcasts, and continual learning.
Justen Gardner
Justen was involved in Utah Underwater Robotics starting in 2017. He had the opportunity to help design the competition challenges, run the competition, and communicate with the teachers throughout the process of building the ROV’s.
He studied Electrical Engineering at BYU, with a focus on wireless communication. He started at BYU in 2016.
Devon Sookhoo
Devon is a BYU graduate who worked with UUR from 2017-2019. He made the scoring system for the competition as well as trained the judges.