Honors Alumni Success

Paulina Martinez-Koury is originally from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Utah. She is passionate about science outreach and is involved with organizations like STEM Community Alliance Program and Science With You.  She is an NSF GRFP recipient whose research focuses on understanding how genetic and neuronal mechanisms shape innate behavior. Paulina is a former McNair and First Scholar at Westminster University, where she earned dual bachelor's degrees in Biology and Neuroscience. As an undergraduate, she conducted research with Great Salt Lake Institute, exploring how Great Salt Lake can serve as a model for astrobiology, the study of life in the universe.

Chris works in federal government affairs and health care policy for Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. He previously worked in government relations for Boehringer Ingelheim and California Life Sciences, and spent more than 6 years on Capitol Hill working for 4 members of Congress, including Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT), advising legislators on domestic policy. Chris earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance with an Honors degree at Westminster. He lives in Washington, DC and previously served as president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association.

Taylor Stevens (’18) is an investigative reporter at FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City, a station owned by the E.W. Scripps Company. Before trying her hand at broadcast news, she worked as a freelance reporter on the “Lethal Restraint” project, a 3-year investigation by the Associated Press’ Global Investigations Team into police force that wasn't meant to kill. That project received an Edward R. Murrow award in the "News Series" category in 2025 and was also a finalist the same year for the Pulitzer Prize in Investigative reporting. Taylor also spent nearly 5 years working as a government and politics reporter at The Salt Lake Tribune. She holds a master’s of investigative journalism from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a bachelor’s of arts in communication from Westminster University. While at Westminster, she was an involved member of the Honors College and served for 2 years as the editor-in-chief of The Forum, the university's student-run news organization.

Kate is a graduate of Westminster University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and an Honors degree. While a student at Westminster, Kate was a member of the women's volleyball and basketball teams and a member of the Westminster University Republicans Club. She is a past chair of the university's Alumni Board of Directors where she served for 6 years. Politically, she has been engaged in civic service for several years on the Bountiful City Council and in 2025, was elected mayor of Bountiful, Utah. Professionally, Kate provides government relations services, assisting clients with bringing business concerns and issues before the Utah State Legislature, governor, and state agencies. For more than 20 years, Kate has been deeply involved in government and public relations, campaign strategy, PAC fundraising, and media relations in Utah.