HEIY Faculty and Staff

Dr. Gregory Prince has spent a half-century career in healthcare, as a clinician and a medical researcher.  Upon earning doctorate degrees at UCLA in dentistry (1973) and pathology (1975), he and his wife JaLynn moved to Maryland, where he spent fifteen years at the National Institutes of Health, focusing on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the primary cause of infant pneumonia throughout the world.  He pioneered the prevention of RSV disease in premature infants using Synagis®, the first monoclonal antibody approved by the FDA for preventing any infectious disease.  Synagis® has been administered to millions of high-risk infants and has saved countless lives.

After four decades in virus research, Dr. Prince shifted his emphasis to “dark bacteria,” an elusive class of microorganisms that may be the cause of important, chronic human diseases for which the cause has yet to be determined, including autoimmune diseases, chronic wounds, multiple sclerosis, and some forms of dementia.  In this activity, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of Soft Cell Biological Research, Inc.

Lea Landaverde is The Latina Wealth Activist, a First-Gen, Queer Finance Creator. She is the founder of The Riqueza Collective est. in 2020, a holistic financial services company offering wealth coaching and financial education for the next generation of wealth builders. Lea is also the host of Mi Riqueza Podcast, a podcast redefining the way we view wealth. Lea has 7+ years of experience in the financial industry from wealth management and investment banking to financial literacy education. She earned her Masters in Finance with a Graduate Certificate in Information Systems at the University of Utah in 2020 and earned her Bachelors in Finance from Utah Tech University in 2016. Her mission is to provide transparency to the financial system and provide the tools to marginalized communities to build wealth. Lea is an advocate for Immigrants, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ rights and mental health awareness.

Dave Syndergaard is a retired Air Officer.  He served in the Air Force for 23 ½ years, as a space and laser systems research and development engineer.  He is a satellite command and control operations expert, conducting operations for five years.  Dave has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Systems Engineering and has completed the coursework necessary for a master’s degree in Astronautics/Astronomy.  After retiring from the Air Force, Dave worked as a defense contractor, the last nine years teaching astronautics at the National Security Space Institute and the Air Force Academy Small Satellite Laboratory, both in Colorado Springs.  He also taught space science courses from 2011 – 2022 for the American Public University System (APUS).  He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Physics at Utah Tech University, teaching a physics lab and astronomy course

Glenn Webb directs the Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, and New Music Ensemble at Utah Tech University. He is Artistic Director of the St George Jazz Festival and leads the Rebel Jazz Band. He leads an active quartet/quintet performing originals and new standards. He is the President of St George Jazz. He was the Founding Chair of the Music Department at Utah Tech. Webb is the leading New Music percussionist in the Intermountain region. He is an endorsed artist for SABIAN cymbals. Webb is the percussionist and Co-Artistic Director of Grand Circle New Music. He is the house drummer/percussionist at Tuacahn performing for 2,000 patrons six shows a week. Dr. Webb has music degrees from UNLV, University of Utah, and Weber State University.

Mollie Hosmer-Dillard is a painter who creates large-scale abstractions from nature. She holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MFA from Indiana University. From 2020 to 2022 Mollie was a Visiting Professor of Art at Utah Tech University. In 2021, she began teaching through UT’s Higher Education for Incarcerated Youth program, and continues to do so today. Mollie has had solo exhibitions in Berlin, Finland, New York, Rhode Island, Indiana, and Utah. She is the recipient of artist grants from the Berlin Office of Cultural Affairs, the Queens Council on the Arts, the Salt Lake City Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Caplin is a co-founder of the Higher Education for Incarcerated Youth Program and its director.  He teaches political science, history, and economics at  Utah Tech University.  Nathan is also  doctoral candidate in education and organizational change at the University of Southern California.  Nathan came to Utah Tech after a professorship at Snow College in history and economics and as an attorney serving underrepresented populations.  Nathan also served as the first principal (校長) of Mikuni International College in Niigata, Japan.