Andy Anderson runs the most intimate lab at Utah State University. Every year, students in his human anatomy courses participate in the cadaver lab to disassemble the dead, removing their heads, brains, eyeballs, livers, intestines, and lungs. Every part is touched, squeezed, and inspected for evidence of disease. The lab is a place of transformation for aspiring physicians. That's why Anderson encourages high school students and college students to tour the facility and learn from the world's best anatomy teachers—the dead. The lab is where Anderson spends his days and where, ultimately, he will spend his afterlife.
From the Judges
This was a unique topic driven by a fantastic narrative. The writing was exquisite; we felt as though we were right there in the room, and we were hooked from the beginning. We were impressed how the writer used such an interesting perspective to tell a story about science that didn't feel overly scientific or inaccessible. It married the ethical and personal approach taken by the director of the lab to draw us in. It encouraged us to go and find out about our cadaver labs. We also really like that the story was a subtle reminder about donation—but not the sort of donation you would normally see universities asking for—and that had a lasting impression on us.
