September/October 2025 - Student Spotlights

1st Year Spotlight- Nohelly

Nohelly is from Pueblo, CO, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Colorado State University Pueblo. Before graduate school, she worked as an emergency room technician at UCHealth and served nine years as a medic in the Colorado National Guard, where she also acted as an Equal Opportunity Leader and conducted rope rescue. Nohelly was drawn to genetic counseling through her passion for genetics, her experience advocating for Spanish-speaking patients, and her commitment to making genetic counseling more equitable and accessible.
In her free time, Nohelly loves spending hours in the gym, challenging herself with hikes, and exploring the outdoors. She also has a creative side and enjoys painting, poetry, and fashion as outlets for expression. Growing up around horses sparked a lifelong appreciation for them, and she continues to find peace and joy in spending time with them.

2nd Year Spotlight- Jacqueline

Jacqueline is a second-year genetic counseling student from Chicago, IL. She graduated with a B.S. in molecular biology from Loyola University Chicago in 2024, where she studied psychology, bioethics, and worked on genetics research with polygenic risk scores. She found her passion for the field of genetics during her time at Loyola and her interest in the health care field after becoming a medical interpreter, bridging the communication gap between patients and providers in Polish and English.
In her free time, Jacqueline enjoys teaching at the Polish School in Utah, biking, skiing, and hiking while exploring Utah’s national parks and summiting local peaks!

September/October 2025 - Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Lynn Jorde

Dr. Lynn Jorde has been on the faculty of the University of Utah School of Medicine since 1979 and holds the Mark and Kathie Miller Presidential Endowed Chair in Human Genetics. He served as Chair of the Department of Human Genetics from 2009 to 2024. Dr. Jorde’s laboratory has published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific articles on human genetic variation, high-altitude adaptation, the genetic basis of human limb malformations, and the genetics of common diseases such as autism, hypertension, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Dr. Jorde is the lead author of Medical Genetics, a textbook that is now in its 6th edition and translated into five foreign languages. He has received 12 teaching awards at the University of Utah School of Medicine, including the Outstanding Pre-Clinical Professor Awards from the graduating medical classes of 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005; the Leonard W. Jarcho Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003; the University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006; and the 2008 Award for Excellence in Education from the American Society of Human Genetics.

Dr. Jorde was elected as President of the 8,000-member American Society of Human Genetics in 2011, and he became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2012. In 2024, he completed a four-year term with the National Advisory Council of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH. He is the Co-Director of the University of Utah Center for Genomic Medicine

In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Jorde is an avid hiker and cross-country skier, and he enjoys photography, gardening, traveling, and playing the piano. He has the peculiar distinction of once having been invited to appear on the Jerry Springer Show.