BETHANY BUCK

Bethany is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Associate Member of the Huntsman Cancer Institute Cancer Center, and currently serving as Associate Dean for Graduate Student Affairs within the Graduate School. Between February 2021 - June 2025, Bethany served as Director of the campus-wide Biological Chemistry Program. Since joining the Department of Chemistry in 2011, the research in her independent laboratory has been focused on utilizing parallel in vitro biophysical/biochemical and in cell genomics approaches to delineate the mechanisms by which the ZBTB family of methyl-CpG binding proteins (MBPs) recognize their cognate DNA and protein targets to regulate epigenetic-based transcription in the cancerous state. As evidence for the potential and impact of this research, Bethany was awarded a prestigious American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant, as well as recognized with a University of Utah Extraordinary Faculty Achievement Recognition Award. In addition to her research recognitions, Bethany has been awarded mentoring and teaching awards including a Career Services Faculty Recognition Award and a Sigma Chi Fraternity Outstanding Faculty Award.