In the News

• The Herald Journal Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024

  USU holding events in celebration of Day of the Dead

  Utah State University is participating in the celebration of Day of the Dead with displays in the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, a lecture by Antonio Cruz Santos of the Latinx Cultural Center, and a Día de los Muertos procession.

  The NEHMA will feature an ofrenda created by Professor Maria Luisa Spicer Escalante and will be on display until Nov. 1. An ofrenda is an altar set up in honor of loved ones who have passed away and often contains favorite foods or drinks of the loved one, pictures, marigolds, and pan de muerto, among other things. Pan de muerto can take on several different looks but is typically baked in such a way to represent the circle of life and death, according to Mexican Food Journal.

  Cruz Santos, a student in the Master of Human Resources Program at USU, said though these traditions don’t play a role in his life at this time, he understands the symbolism.

• The Salt Lake Tribune Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024

  Utah State is launching the state's first marine biology program.

  The pages of the deep sea book that his grandma gave him when he was 5 years old are now weathered and worn.

  Brent Andersen remembers how he would flip through them for hours while his brother was watching cartoons on TV. He’d stare instead at the divers, read about the 10-foot-long sunfish and pull open the foldout page — his favorite — again and again to trace over the painting of rich red coral and a giant squid.

  He decided then: He was going to study marine biology. The only thing he wasn’t sure of was how to make that happen growing up in Utah, a deeply landlocked, dry desert state 700 miles away from the nearest coast.In a landmark partnership for the state, the aquarium that Andersen founded and Utah State University are diving in together to offer a degree in marine biology — the first and only such program available in Utah.

• The Guardian Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024

  Overwhelming majority of young Americans worry about climate crisis

  The overwhelming majority of young Americans worry about the climate crisis, and more than half say their concerns about the environment will affect where they decide to live and whether to have children, new research finds.

  The study comes just weeks after back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, pummeled the south-eastern US. Flooding from Helene caused more than 600 miles of destruction, from Florida’s west coast to the mountains of North Carolina, while Milton raked across the Florida peninsula less than two weeks later.

  “One of the most striking findings of the survey was that this was across the political spectrum,” said the lead author, Eric Lewandowski, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “There was no state sample where the endorsement of climate anxiety came in less than 75%.”The study was published in the Lancet Planetary Health, and follows a 2021 study covering 10 countries. Both the previous and current study were paid for by Avaaz, an advocacy group.

  The new study was conducted by researchers from NYU School of Medicine, Stanford University, Utah State University, the University of Washington and George Washington University, among others.

• Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024

  Aggies register strong enrollment growth in Fall 2024

  LOGAN - Helped by the enrollment of first-time and transfer students into Utah State University’s statewide campuses, the school’s student headcount grew by about three percent from the fall 2023 numbers.

  Across USU’s 30 education locations in its statewide system, first-time and transfer student numbers grew by 27 percent. Also, USU’s Utah State Promise scholarship ensures that Pell Grant-eligible students have their full tuition and fees covered, further supporting student enrollment.

• The Herald Journal Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024

  USU unveils new Global Teaching and Learning Center

  Utah State University held a grand opening for its Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center Friday, aimed at supporting the many different cultures present on campus.

  After nearly a decade since the building’s official approval, students from all over the world now have a place to go where they can hope to connect with their culture. The building exhibits rooms representing Spain, Portugal, China, Japan, Germany, France, the Middle East and Russia.

  USU’s Dean, Joseph P. Ward said, “It is fitting that a building that will give students opportunities to develop advanced linguistic and cultural competencies bears the name of a person who has dedicated decades of his life to promoting peace and understanding around the world.”

• Utah Public Radio Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024

  USU expert offers water saving tips

  We sprinkle water over our lawns, we wash ourselves with it, and we even drink it.

  Water is a source of life for all of us. That's why water scarcity here in Utah and most of the West, is so threatening. Professor David Anderson teaches landscape architecture at Utah State University and is an expert on water scarcity and irrigation.

  “Our ability to distribute water and our ability to store water is limited and so the challenge is, is there enough water to support a growing population that then supports a healthy economy and other things?" said Anderson.

  But how can we protect our water supplies in the future?

  “I tend to suggest that the easiest way to address that is to teach people how to use less water,” said Anderson.

• Cache Valley Daily Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024

  USU celebrates President Cantwell's first year on campus

  LOGAN - As a celebration of Dr. Elizabeth Cantwell’s first year as Utah State University President, USU Monday issued a colorful publication “A Year of Transformation and Growth, Aug. 2023 - Aug. 2024.”

  In essence it is a review of the school’s last 12 months, emphasizing Utah State’s commitment to education and research.

  Included are USU’s record-setting $405 million in sponsored research expenditures while awarding almost $86 million in scholarships to over 12,000 students and initiatives that include the ground breaking for the school’s new Veterinary Medical Education Building to house Utah’s only degree program for veterinary medicine.

• NPR Monday, Sep. 30, 2024

  Why the most climate-resistant glaciers are hiding in plain sight

  In the Wasatch mountains near Salt Lake City, Utah, a popular hiking trail winds up through aspen and spruce trees to reach White Pine Lake.

  Scott Hotaling is marching up this familiar path, but passes by the lake. He continues uphill and, after crossing a mossy stream, starts picking his way through a field of boulders.

  His goal is looming above: a steep, 80-foot-tall wall of what looks like loose rock.

  This is the source of the lake’s water, a so-called rock glacier.

  While the word “glacier” may conjure up images of white slopes and snowy expanses, rock glaciers are big masses of flowing ice that are covered up by, well, rocks. 

• KSL Monday, Sep. 23, 2024

  Utah State expected to accept an invitation to join the Pac-12

  LOGAN — Utah State is reportedly headed to the Pac-12.

  After a dizzying day of statements, reports and speculation, the Aggies accepted an invitation to join a reconstituted version of the Pac-12, according to multiple reports.

  The news was first reported by ESPN.

  The development came as the Pac-12 moved from a trio of expansion targets in the American Athletic Conference, doubled back to a group in the Mountain West that included UNLV, and landed on the Aggies as the Rebels — along with Air Force and others from the Mountain West — recommit to the 25-year-old conference to keep the league intact. News of the pivot was initially reported Saturday by The Action Network's Brett McMurphy.

• KSL Thursday, Sep. 19, 2024

  USU student wins bronze at the WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France

  SALT LAKE CITY — Over the weekend, Utah State University Eastern student Wyatt Hansen earned a bronze medal in welding at the WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France. This comes just after he took first place at the National SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Georgia in March.

  “The cool thing about doing really good and being successful is that it makes people more aware,” Hansen said. “A lot of people… I don’t think they really have an idea what I’m actually doing.”

  Hansen said when he got to France, he only had a few hours to get used to their equipment.

  “The welder is different. The gas, everything is slightly different. It could be the same machine and allegedly the same gas and whatnot, but it’s not ever really going to be the same as it would be here in Utah.”

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 16, 2024

  USU opens Dementia Caregiver Clinic

  LOGAN - With much of Utah’s population living along the Wasatch Front there are more supportive services there to help people living with memory impairment.

  Recently Utah State University started a new Dementia Caregiver Clinic for Utahns in Northern Utah who care for people with dementia. The services are free of charge.

  With a grant from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, USU’s new Dementia Caregiver Clinic is available to residents of Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties.

• Cache Valley Daily Friday, Sep. 13, 2024

  USU surpasses fundraising goals

  LOGAN - From the time Utah State University launched the “Create Your Aggie Impact” campaign in the fall of 2022, significant donor contributions have led to an increase of $10.9 million from the prior year in addition to over $44.7 million for “Building a University of Distinction.”

  The school reached an important fundraising milestone from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024 when nearly 26,000 contributions secured $63 million. It marked a significant rise in donations since 2018.

  This year USU welcomed 40 first-time endowment donors and 57 new endowed scholarships were created which allowed distribution of $5.5 million to assist more than 2,000 students.

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 09, 2024

  USU Broadcast Journalism students win Murrow award

  LOGAN - The efforts of a group of 10 Utah State University journalism and communication graduates were recognized recently when they won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for a half-hour program they produced examining Cache Valley’s environmental challenges.

  “Cache Rendezvous: Better Than We Found It” includes in-depth conversations about water, land and air issues in the valley.

  Working in pairs, students were in a JCOM class taught by Brian Champagne and Chris Garff, who said the class culture became one of challenging each other to do better.

• UPR Friday, Sep. 06, 2024

  USU looks to improve early identification of autism in children

  Utah lags behind the national average of identifying children for autism.

  In an effort to improve the state's standing, the Institute for Disability, Research, Policy and Practice at Utah State University will offer free, remote early identification of autism training for Utah service providers.

  Janel Preston, special educator at the university, said when early identification is missed, children and families are not getting critical services to increase overall quality of life.

  "It is really important for providers, as well as just the general public, to have a better understanding of what autism is," Preston urged. "And how we can help support and increase that awareness, acceptance."

• KSL Wednesday, Sep. 04, 2024

  Utah State hosts artepaño art exhibit rooted in the Latino prison experience

  LOGAN — What began as a form of expression for Latinos caught up in the U.S. prison system is the focus of a new art exhibit at Utah State University.

  "We collect different art and try to highlight stories of people who are generally underrepresented at art museums," said Shaylee Briones, who handles marketing for the museum.

  "Artepaño: Chicano Prisoner Kerchief Art" has been on display since Aug. 4, but a formal opening and program on the exhibit at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art is scheduled for Saturday from 5-8 p.m. at 650 N. 1100 East in Logan.

• The Herald Journal Tuesday, Sep. 03, 2024

  USU hosting art therapy event for dementia patients and their caregivers

  USU’s “Museum and Memory” will allow dementia patients and their caregivers to create art and explore their memories,  from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m Friday. at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art Building.

  The university is hosting the event in conjunction with the museum itself and the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Research Center.

  Beth Fauth, the director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center, says the organization is excited to partner with the museum.

• The Herald Journal Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024

  USU Day on the Quad connects students and the community

  Utah State University’s annual Day on the Quad went from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, giving new and returning students a chance to explore ways to get involved on campus and in the community.

  It also provided a respite from the stress of the first week of school.

  Three days into the semester, freshman Trinity Hale said things are going well, just really busy.
  “Seventeen credits is a lot more than I thought it was going to be,” Hale said.

  Hale was exploring the Quad with her friend, Indi Bangerter, a fellow freshman and mechanical engineering student.

  
   

• National Geographic Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024

  Wildfire smoke threatens lakes, too. How will it impact Lake Tahoe's future?

  California’s many mountain lakes, which are typically low in nutrients, may be especially vulnerable to large influxes of nutrient-rich ash. “Any addition can mean a doubling or tripling of the amount of nutrients [in mountain lakes], and that can really shift these fragile ecosystems,” says Janice Brahney, an environmental biogeochemist at Utah State University in Logan.

• Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024

  Utah State wins new dairy product competition two consecutive years

  SUN VALLEY - A team of food science students from Utah State University won the 2024 Idaho Milk Processors Association’s new product competition, held last week. USU’s Cache Cookies with a dairy dip earned them bragging rights and $10,000. Their product was introduced at IMPA’s annual meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho.

  The contest was sponsored by Dairy West and judged by leading dairy farmers and industry experts. The annual contest challenges universities with strong nutrition and food science programs to create the most promising new food product containing at least 50 percent dairy ingredients.

• Salt Lake Tribune Monday, Aug. 19, 2024

  Cache Valley to the cosmos: Satellite that mapped the universe powers down

  NASA’s universe-mapping and asteroid-hunting satellite — assembled in Logan nearly 15 years ago — has officially been powered down, leaving a piece of Cache Valley among the stars.

  Until, of course, it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year.

  The final command to shut off the satellite’s transmitter was sent this month, marking the end of a mission that exceeded expectations, according to a NASA news release.

• KSL Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024

  Researchers study the toxicity and airborne spread of algal blooms

  PROVO — University students are investigating whether algal blooms in Utah Lake could be airborne in a study that started this week.

  Utah State University students will repeatedly send a drone boat into the lake's water during the week. This is not only safer for students when the water is rough but might also be healthier for them as they study the algal blooms.

  "The thing is, if, let's say, the boat tips over or they get to come in contact with it, they do get sick. You don't want that to happen," said Dylan McPeake, a Master's student in civil and environmental engineering at USU.

• Navajo-Hopi Observer Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024

  USU breaks ground on Monument Valley academic center

  MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah — Representatives of Utah State University (USU) and the Navajo Nation broke ground for a long-awaited academic building in a ceremony on the morning of Aug. 2. The education building, which will be located just northwest of Monument Valley High School, will serve students and community members of the Navajo Nation.

  “The new USU Monument Valley Education Building strengthens the commitment to higher education and opportunities to rural and Indigenous communities,” said Kristian Olsen, senior associate vice president for USU Blanding.

  The education building will include modern classrooms, computer labs, a nursing and CNA lab, a career and technical education lab, a small business development space, a welding lab, spaces for adult education and more.

• UPR Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024

  USU rolls out new engineering tech degree

  Utah State University approved a new engineering technology degree, in hopes of giving students more opportunities.

  The degree is intended to bridge the gap between academia and industry. The program was designed with input from both areas to give students more knowledge and experiences.

  Richard Hawkes is the director of programs at Northrop Grumman and was vital in the conception and development of this new degree.

• Salt Lake Tribune Saturday, Jul. 27, 2024

  A look into Utah's favorite ice cream brand

  After witnessing all the steps taken to create one of Utah’s favorite ice cream brands, Cache Valley resident Savanna Mccay learned an important lesson.

  “Cows,” Mccay said, “are the best things on earth.”

  Earlier this month, Utah State University held its annual “Cow to Cone” event, where community members had the chance to peek into the entire process behind the delectable taste of Aggie Ice Cream, deemed by many (aside from the devotees of BYU Creamery) as Utah’s most mouth-watering campus confection.