In the News

• KUTV Friday, Feb. 09, 2024

  Utah State University professor analyzes Taylor Swift 'phenomenon'

  SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Thanks to Taylor Swift, this year’s Super Bowl may draw millions of additional fans who otherwise might not normally tune in.

  Swift has become part of NFL headlines simply because she’s dating Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.

  That, coupled with Swift’s own remarkable entries into different areas of pop culture, has one Utah State University (USU) professor examining why and how Swift is the most famous person in the world right now.

• Cache Valley Daily Thursday, Feb. 08, 2024

  USU online Bachelor's programs rank in nation's top 10 percent

  LOGAN – Now in its 29th year offering online education outside the traditional campus setting, USU Online is once again numbered among the leading bachelor’s programs in the country.

  The 2024 rankings, issued this week, were announced by U.S. News & World Report, one of the preeminent college ranking systems.

  In the new numbers from USNWR, USU Online ranks 32nd overall among the leading online bachelor’s programs which puts it in the top 10 percent of American colleges.

• KSL Wednesday, Feb. 07, 2024

  Dust from Great Salt Lake helps algal blooms thrive, study finds

  LOGAN — A new study is putting a large part of the blame for algal blooms on blowing dust.

  Researchers at Utah State University say it's a growing problem, thanks to ongoing drought and construction.

  "We wanted to know where this material is going and how it might be impacting these remote ecosystems," Janice Brahney, an associate professor of environmental biogeochemistry at Utah State University said.

  She began gathering samples from water systems across the western U.S. in 2017.

• Cache Valley Daily Tuesday, Feb. 06, 2024

  Gail Miller to be Commencement speaker at USU in May

  LOGAN – Larry H. Miller Company owner Gail Miller will serve as Utah State University’s commencement speaker for its 137th ceremony taking place on May 2. She becomes the 10th woman to fill that role.

  She will also receive an honorary doctorate degree as will Darren B. Parry, former chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation and retired U.S. Air Force general Bruce Carlson, now chair of the Space Dynamics Lab Board of Directors.

  With the purchase of a single automobile dealership in Murray, Utah in 1979, Larry and Gail Miller started the Larry H. Miller Company. With headquarters now in Sandy, Utah the company has expanded with a growing portfolio of companies and values-guided investments across the United States with involvement in entertainment, sports, real estate and automotive industries.

• Cache Valley Daily Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024

  Utah's outdoor agencies unveil inaugural Outdoor Strategic Plan

  SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State University’s Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation (DOR), and the Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission just released the state’s first Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan.

  The primary mission of the plan goes beyond just the economic benefits of outdoor recreation, said Jason Curry, director of the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation.

  “It’s about cultivating Utah’s outdoor culture that resonates with every Utahn and visitor, and we are setting a precedent with a commitment to the people and places of Utah,” Curry said. “This strategic plan is our promise for a vibrant, diverse outdoor legacy that will thrive for generations, aligning our community’s well-being and economic vitality with our treasured natural landscapes.”

  The purpose of the plan is to balance economic growth with the preservation of Utah’s natural landscapes and the enhancement of outdoor experiences for both residents and visitors. While it could guide legislative decisions on resource allocation, its primary focus is on strategic development, access, conservation, and collaboration in outdoor recreation, rather than solely on funding.

• The Herald Journal Monday, Jan. 22, 2024

  USU to be first in the state to offer new cyber security engineering degree

  Utah State University’s College of Engineering will be offering a new bachelor’s degree program next year. The cyber security engineering program will be the first of its kind offered in Utah.

  The new undergraduate program is on track to begin with the fall 2024 semester, and faculty experienced in the field are currently being hired. According to Jake Gunther, the head of the department of electrical and computer engineering, cyber security engineering is a very broad term.

  Gunther said that cyber security engineering helps to ensure that when engineered systems such as computers are made, they are made with security in mind. He said that currently, there are not enough skills related to making systems secure in the workforce.

• The Guardian Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024

  Carbon released by bottom trawling 'too big to ignore', says study

  Scientists have long known that bottom trawling – the practice of dragging massive nets along the seabed to catch fish – churns up carbon from the sea floor. Now, for the first time, researchers have calculated just how much trawling releases into the atmosphere: 370m tonnes of planet-heating carbon dioxide a year – an amount, they say, that is “too big to ignore”.

  Over the study period, 1996-2020, they estimated the total carbon dioxide released from trawling to the atmosphere to be 8.5 to 9.2bn tonnes. The scientists described trawling as “marine deforestation” that causes “irreparable harm” to the climate, society and wildlife.

  The study – Atmospheric CO2 emissions and ocean acidification from bottom trawling, written by a global team of climate and ocean experts – found that 55-60% of the carbon dioxide in the water released from the seabed by trawlers will make it to the atmosphere within nine years.

• KSL Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024

  Utah undergraduate students present research at Utah Capitol

  SALT LAKE CITY — More than 50 students from the University of Utah and Utah State University gathered in the rotunda of the Capitol Thursday to present research they’ve been working on, some for several years.

  The event, Research on Capitol Hill, has been an annual event since 2000. The event allows students from nearly every college at both universities to present their findings to state legislators and the public.

  “I think the students really value the opportunity to get out and talk to a broad, diverse audience about what they’re doing,” said Alexa Sand, associate vice president for research at USU. “It’s legislators and staffers and the public and people who have no idea the kind of creativity and innovation that’s taking place behind closed doors.”

• Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024

  USU Statewide announces new fall offerings

  LOGAN – In its role as Utah’s land-grant university, Utah State University is responsible for using available resources to make life better for communities, families and individuals throughout the state.

  For that purpose, USU Statewide Campuses announced Tuesday seven new program offerings which will be available by Fall of 2024 at several campus locations. Included is a master of accounting degree, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice plus several certificate programs.

  Certificates include Archaeological Data Analytics; Cultural Resource Management Policy, Advocacy and Business Administration; Museum Administration and Collections Management Policy; and, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant.

  The new degree minor is in Marketing Design.

• Newsweek Tuesday, Jan. 09, 2024

  Watermelon Snow Is Threatening Glaciers in the US

  Snow is turning red across Alaska and much of Canada's Rocky Mountains, threatening the future of the frozen glaciers.

  This "watermelon snow," also known as "glacier blood," is caused by the blooming of a type of pink-colored algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis, which flourishes in freezing temperatures.

  This pink coloring makes glaciers much more prone to melting as the colored algae cause sunlight to be absorbed rather than reflected, heating the surrounding ice.

  A recent study in the journal Science Advances found that this watermelon snow has now crept across 5 percent of the total glacier area in northwestern North America, including mountains in Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Washington State.

• Fox 13 News Friday, Dec. 08, 2023

  USU students raise money for kids to participate in sports programs

  By: Kerri Cronk

  Posted at 7:27 AM, Dec 08, 2023

   

  and last updated 7:27 AM, Dec 08, 2023

  LOGAN, Utah — A pair of Utah State University students are taking advantage of a school project to ensure every child in their community gets the chance to participate in youth sports.

  Haldi Lords and John Coleman explained sports opportunities played a large part in helping them form their own identities.

  "We know the impact that sports can play any young person's life," Coleman reflected. "Acting like an outlet or helping them grow to be big leaders and their teams."

  When they got a class assignment to make a difference in their community, they decided to raise money to sponsor kids to play Junior Jazz.

  "We believe that every kid should be able to play sports, regardless of their family's financial situation. They all deserve that opportunity," Lords said.

  The students started a GoFundMe fundraiser with a modest goal of $500 but thanks to generous donations, they've met their goal nearly two times now, raising just short of $1,000 for kids in need.

• The Herald Journal Monday, Dec. 04, 2023

  'A-Team:' USU students win state battle bot competition

  Utah State University’s Robotics Club took seven teams of students to the Ant Annihilation robot competition at Brigham Young University on Dec. 2.

  Each team brought a battle bot they had designed and made to fight other bots. One of USU’s teams, the “A-team”, won the competition.

  The competition featured 37 teams from schools across Utah. Each team in the competition was comprised of two to four students who did all the engineering of their bot. The bots had to be entirely 3D printed other than the electronic components, and they had to weigh less than one pound total.

• KSL Sunday, Dec. 03, 2023

  New USU police dog being trained to help students with stress

  LOGAN — College has always been a stressful place. Grades, exams, and figuring out what you want to do in life, can take its toll on any student.

  But all that pressure at Utah State University seems to melt away whenever Sage shows up.

  Hannah Whiting, a student at Utah State, came over to pet Sage when she entered the student union building.

• Cache Valley Daily Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023

  Two USU professors contribute to national climate report

  LOGAN – The UN Climate Change Conference begins Thursday and continues until Dec. 12, hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  In advance of the conference the Biden-Harris Administration this month released the Fifth National Climate Assessment, documenting impacts of climate change while assessing the state of climate science in the United States.

  Two of the authors of that report are Utah State University professors Mark Brunson and Peter Howe of the school’s Quinney College of Natural Resources. Brunson authored the section detailing issues in the Southwest, including Utah, and Howe authored the report’s section on human health.

• KSL Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023

  State of Utah to fund medical cannabis research at Utah universities

  LOGAN — A state initiative was announced Wednesday in partnership with University of Utah Health and Utah State University. The partnership is called the Center for Medical Cannabis Research.

  Its purpose will be to understand what is still a very new medical resource in Utah.

  The partnership will tackle questions about how medical cannabis interacts with other drugs and medical conditions. Like any other prescribed medicine, this plays a major role in learning how to use the drug safely.

• The Herald Journal Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

  USU to host first Religious Inclusive Excellence Symposium

  Utah State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be hosting its first Religious Inclusive Excellence Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1. The event will be a continuation of the division’s fifth annual Inclusive Excellence Symposium.

  Isaiah Jones, senior director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Utah State, said this new symposium is the division’s strategy to build on the university’s principals of community and inclusion. He said the symposium will be an annual event.

  “With the Inclusive Excellence Symposium, we were trying to help folks across campus and in the community to be able to identify, recognize and define inclusive excellence across our own university system and in the community,” Jones said. “But there’s a lot of stuff we weren’t able to cover.”

• KSL Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023

  USU Physicists lead NASA mission

  LOGAN — A NASA mission is being run from right here in Utah. Everything from the design and build of some high-tech equipment to mission control and research is based in Logan.

  The researchers hope it could mean more partnerships in the future. For now, they're just excited to see what they can find as NASA takes a first-ever study of gravity waves as seen from space.

  It's called the Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, and it's one of the payloads that just launched en route to the International Space Station last week.

• KSL Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023

  USU program promises better health care outcomes for non-English patients

  LOGAN — A new program at Utah State University will assist non-English speakers achieve better health care outcomes. The program is helping meet the demand for medical interpreters, by offering the training for free.

  That change is important as the demand to help people who are non-English speakers better navigate the health care system is growing.

  This course would normally cost between $400 - $600. Understanding the medical system can be hard enough when you're working through it in your native language. This change is aimed at helping the growing number of those who don't have that luxury.

• USA Today Friday, Nov. 10, 2023

  How do we solve climate change?

  Iceland should be America’s energy model. Not because the small Nordic country generates almost all of its electricity from renewable sources. Rather, because Iceland uses more than twice as much electricity per capita than the United States.

  If America is serious about protecting the environment while transforming people’s lives, we need to produce far more power.

  This solution contradicts the conventional wisdom. Americans have been trained to view electricity usage as a necessary evil, conditioned to flip off the light switch as soon as we leave a room. Such fear helps drive the transition to renewables, which has largely been an effort to replace traditional energy sources instead of increasing overall supply.

• KUER 90.1 Thursday, Nov. 09, 2023

  USU's Expanded Welding Program Opening Door for More Women in the Trades

  Earlier this year, Chloe Wilson launched a Women in Welding workshop at Utah State University’s Moab campus. She’s now at the USU campus in Blanding, where she built a new welding program that opened this fall with the completion of the school’s Technical Education Building.

• The Herald Journal Tuesday, Nov. 07, 2023

  USU Pilot Program Helping Kindergarteners Reading in Logan

  Administration and leadership from the Logan City School District and Utah State University met to discuss the success of a pilot partnership program between LCSD and USU’s Center for the School of the Future on Tuesday.

  The partnership has multiple sections, including the Teacher Academy program which allows USU student teachers to work in elementary schools in the district and a reading proficiency program.

  Since the start of the reading proficiency program, LCSD has reported a 96 percent reading proficiency in their kindergarten classes. Jed Grunig, director of elementary schools for LCSD, said while the kindergarten levels were the most dramatic, all grade levels have increased their reading proficiency rates.

• KSLtv.com Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023

  Utah State University sees a slight increase in its enrollment numbers

  LOGAN — In a report released this week by the Utah System of Higher Education, Utah State University saw a slight increase in student enrollment from a year ago.

  According to the report, the total number of students at USU, including concurrent enrollment, grew by .4% from 2022. For the 2023 fall semester, USU has a little more than 28,000 students, which is the highest number of enrolled students at USU since 2016.

  USU also saw a 10% increase in the number of high school students taking part in concurrent enrollment, that number rose to 400.

  “This increase demonstrates our commitment to access to higher education,” said USU Executive Vice President Robert Wagner in a news release. “Especially in the more rural areas of the state where opportunities for higher education are critical.”

• Fox 13 News Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023

  USU professor discusses devastating civilian casualties in both Israel, Gaza

  SALT LAKE CITY — It's been a week since the Hamas attacks on Israel.

  "The events last Saturday have killed 1,300+ Israeli civilians. In response, 2,000 Palestinians have been killed. That number dwarfs any of the previous military encounters between Israel and Hamas," said Utah State University Assistant Political Science Professor Austin Knuppe.

  In the past few days, Israel has ordered the evacuation of over a million in Gaza — home to over two million people — as the Israeli military prepares for a possible ground operation. Gaza is also facing a humanitarian crisis.

• USA Today Tuesday, Oct. 03, 2023

  New wasp species discovered by Amazon rainforest scientists

  Scientists have discovered a new wasp species in the Amazon rain forests of Peru.

  According to a newly published study in ZooKeys Journal, the discovery was made at the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve by scientists from the University of Turku in Finland who have researched biodiversity in the area for over 20 years. 

  The new wasp genus called amazonica Capitojoppa is one of several species unknown to science which were discovered in what is often described as the most biodiverse rainforest on Earth, said Brandon Claridge from Utah State University in a news release. Claridge also adds that more newly discovered species will be described in future studies. He also states that wasps belonging to the subfamily Ichneumoninae are usually large and colorful, “especially in the tropics,” and each genus’ name often describes the species’ characteristics or range.