Open to all Utah youth and their families, the program is designed to help participants increase activity and gain confidence through completing the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) by doing physical activity. The program is part of the National Marathon Kids program with the mission of getting kids moving.

Participants can run, walk, play or do any type of heart-pumping activity, and every mile or minute counts toward their marathons. Miles and minutes are tracked in a free digital platform or with paper tracking sheets, available at marathonkids.usu.edu. For each marathon of activity completed, participants’ names will go into a drawing for a prize.

Emma Parkhurst, Utah State University Extension associate professor and program organizer, said research shows that when children participate in Marathon Kids, they have a better chance of getting the recommended amount of daily physical activity.

“Last summer, we had over 400 youth from around the state complete a total of 17,000 miles,” Parkhurst said. “That’s 650 marathons.”

For questions or further information, contact Parkhurst at emma.parkhurst@usu.edu.

The celebration offers an opportunity for the community to gather and reflect on a significant moment in American history while enjoying an evening of food, music and cultural activities. The program will feature family-friendly activities, cultural performances, live storytelling and African drumming. A complimentary BBQ meal, including vegetarian options, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced enslaved people were free — more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Many individuals in Texas were not informed of their freedom until federal forces arrived at the end of the Civil War because the proclamation could only be enforced where Union troops were present.

The first Juneteenth observances began in Texas in 1866, originally known as “Jubilee Day.” 2026 heralds the 160th year of these observances. Communities across the country continue to recognize the occasion through gatherings, cultural events, educational programs and shared meals. It remains the longest-running observance connected to the end of slavery in the United States.

Texas became the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1979, followed by national recognition as a federal holiday in 2021. In March 2022, Utah officially designated Juneteenth as a state holiday, and Utah State University recognizes it as an official campus holiday.

Utah has a long history of Juneteenth observances, including celebrations dating back to 1892. Today, events take place across the state, building on traditions of music, storytelling and community gatherings.

Utah State University has observed Juneteenth annually since 2021, with the community BBQ as a central gathering.

Justin, founder of Maximum Senior Benefits, and Leslie, who studied international business, immediately connected with SEED’s mission of empowering entrepreneurs in developing communities.

In homes and small communities across the Dominican Republic, Utah State University students sat side by side with aspiring entrepreneurs working to build better lives for their families. Some sold homemade treats from their kitchens. Others raised animals or managed small neighborhood businesses. What they often lacked were resources, mentorship and business training — the very skills SEED students were learning in the classroom at Utah State.

Through the Small Enterprise Education and Development (SEED) program, students apply those lessons in real-world settings, teaching entrepreneurial principles, mentoring business owners and helping individuals develop sustainable paths out of poverty. The experience is immersive, deeply personal and often life-changing for everyone involved.

For the Haskells, watching those interactions unfold left a lasting impression.

“I loved seeing how much the students cared about assisting these entrepreneurs and improving their lives,” Justin said. “You could feel the connection forming immediately. The students realized they weren’t just learning business principles; they were using those skills to truly help people.”

During one visit, students worked with a woman trying to sell popsicles and ice cream from her home. Together, they discussed budgeting, pricing and marketing strategies. On another trip, they helped a woman who bred and sold puppies better understand expenses, profits and long-term planning.

The effects were sometimes small at first, but the potential impact was enormous.

“We saw how much people learned from even one visit,” Leslie said. “When families can improve their businesses, they can better support their children and create opportunities they may never have had before. You start to realize this doesn’t just change one life — it can change generations.”

That belief inspired the creation of the Justin & Leslie Haskell Family SEED Endowment, designed to provide lasting assistance to future Utah State students participating in the program. But for the Haskells, the focus has never been on recognition. Instead, they hope the spotlight remains on the students, faculty leaders and communities that make the program possible.

“We really want the attention on the students and on the people who built this program,” Leslie said. “Faculty advisors Mike Glauser and Andy Thunell are doing something truly special. We simply want to give more students access to this experience and continue the work for years to come.”

Founded within the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, SEED lets students live abroad for a semester while working directly with entrepreneurs in developing regions around the world. Students from a variety of disciplines teach business development skills, mentor small business owners and help communities create sustainable economic opportunities.

The experiential learning component is what makes the program so powerful.

Students quickly discover that solving real-world challenges requires more than theories and textbooks. It requires empathy, adaptability, collaboration and the ability to listen.

“I look back on my own life and think about the experiences that affected me,” Justin said. “One of the biggest was an internship abroad when I was a student at Utah State. Living in poverty-stricken areas made me see the world differently. Experiences like SEED pull students outside of their normal routines and help them understand both the needs that exist and the difference they can make.”

For Leslie, the program’s impact is also deeply personal. Growing up in Peru, she experienced firsthand how support from others could alter the trajectory of a life.

“I came from a middle-to-low-income family, and I received scholarships that changed my future completely,” Leslie said. “Now, being able to assist students who will go on to help others feels incredibly meaningful. If we continue that chain of service, we really can improve lives.”

The Haskells believe SEED not only equips students with professional skills but also encourages them to become more outward-focused, which they feel is especially important for young people navigating today’s challenges.

“When you help other people, it changes you,” Leslie said. “Students learn that life is not only about themselves. They gain confidence, perspective and purpose. They begin to see how their talents can bless others.”

That perspective is exactly what SEED hopes students carry with them long after graduation.

For some participants, the experience sparks a passion for entrepreneurship. For others, it shapes careers in international business, nonprofit leadership, community development or service.

Many return home with a broader understanding of the world — and their ability to create meaningful change within it.

“As an entrepreneur, I see the value of creating opportunities that allow people to provide for themselves and their families,” Justin said. “SEED helps students understand that business can be a force for good. They leave inspired to build, to serve and to lift others along the way.”

Through the Haskells’ endowment, future Aggies will continue to gain those transformative experiences, learning both how to succeed professionally and how to use their education to improve lives around the world.

“This program has the potential to impact thousands of people for generations,” Justin said. “That’s what excites us most.”

Programs like SEED provide Utah State students with experiential learning opportunities that broaden their perspectives, strengthen their leadership skills, and empower them to create meaningful change in communities around the world. Your support helps students access life-changing internships and hands-on experiences that shape not only their education but also the lives they will impact for years to come. Create Your Aggie Impact by giving to student programs and opportunities that inspire learning through service, leadership, and global engagement.

• Discontinue harvesting asparagus spears in early June to allow the fronds to form for the rest of the growing season.
• Prune tomatoes to open the canopy of the plant.
• Consider drip irrigation in the garden to conserve water.
• Consider planting sweet corn in the garden every other week (until early July) to extend the harvest.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs (those that bloom before June) after they have bloomed to encourage new flower buds for next season.
• Deadhead (cut off) spent blossoms of perennial and annual flowers.
• Thin the fruit of apples, peaches, and apricots to approximately one fruit every 5-6 inches.
• Apply a second application of pre-emergent herbicides in late May to early June to control annual weeds in the lawn such as crabgrass and spurge.
• Remember that turfgrass only needs 1 to 1 ½ inches of irrigation per week. See irrigation needs in your area.

Pests and Problems

• Monitor vegetables and herbs for earwig damage.
• Protect ash trees with a registered chemical to prevent lilac/ash borer damage.
• Use control measures in apples and pears to reduce wormy fruit. For specific timing, see the Utah Pests Advisories.
• Treat for powdery mildew on apples beginning when leaves are emerging (at 1/2 inch green) until June.
• Watch for insect pests in raspberries from mid-May thru early June. For specific timing, see our Utah Pests Advisories.
• Control the Western cherry fruit fly when fruit changes color from straw color to pink to avoid maggots in cherries.
• Control the peach twig borer in peaches, nectarines, and apricot trees. For specific timing see our Utah Pests Advisories.
• Monitor for damaging turfgrass insects. In areas previously damaged, consider a preventative (systemic) insecticide.
• Consider taking an online gardening course. Courses cover everything from container vegetable gardening and creating the perfect soil to planting trees and controlling pests. They are geared to both beginning and professional gardeners. Use code "Sunshine" for 33% off gardening courses. Explore more gardening tips on Extension’s yard and garden website.
• Click here to see a video of June gardening tips.

On that date, scientists detected a major solar energetic particle event — known as an SEP event — that sent high-energy charged particles through near-Earth and cislunar space. Had radiation from such an event struck astronauts during travel to or from the moon or working on the lunar surface, the human explorers could have suffered acute radiation sickness or worse.

As NASA ramps up the Artemis program to return humans to the moon and prepare for further deep-space exploration, astronauts’ exposure to solar radiation remains a top concern.

“Solar energetic particle events are among the most intense solar events, posing serious risks to astronaut safety and space-based infrastructure, including spacecraft and satellites,” says Utah State University computer scientist Shah Muhammad Hamdi. “Therefore, predicting SEP events is a national security priority for protecting personnel and critical space-based assets.”

Hamdi, associate professor in USU’s School of Computing, along with USU colleagues Soukaina Filali Boubrahimi, computer scientist, and Ludger Scherliess, physicist, are recipients of a three-year, $750,000 Research, Innovation, Synergies and Education (RISE) grant from the National Science Foundation for the project “Synthetic Data Generation for Solar Energetic Particle Events by Multimodal Augmentation,” through which the team will create synthetic datasets of SEP events to build a robust machine-learning prediction model.

“Although SEP events pose a continuing threat, their relative rarity limits the availability of training data, making synthetic datasets essential for developing accurate prediction tools,” says Hamdi, who is principal investigator for the project.

Boubrahimi, associate professor in the School of Computing, and a co-PI with Scherliess, professor in USU’s Department of Physics, says the project’s aim is to create widely accessible predictive tools.

“Our goal is to create open-source datasets, along with a robust and accurate online predictive model that can be used by researchers and space operations personnel throughout the world,” says Boubrahimi, who is the recent recipient of a complementary NSF SHINE grant.

Scherliess, a longtime space weather researcher and PI on the NASA-funded AWE Mission, brings expertise in space physics to the project.

“In using machine learning to create synthetic data, we need to mimic reality as closely as possible,” he says. “To do this, we need to bring as much physics into this process as we can. That’s where my experience and expertise as a space physicist comes into the picture. I can help to guide development and validate the data.”

Hamdi says the grant supports a doctoral student in the School of Computing and another in the Department of Physics, who will be actively involved in the project. The project also creates opportunities for master’s level and undergraduate researchers.

“The grant program includes participation in the NSF SHINE Workshop, which will provide students with research presentation experience and opportunities to network with NASA, NOAA, and space industry professionals,” he says. “Our students will also be involved in STEM outreach at USU Physics Day at Lagoon and Science Unwrapped.”

Hamdi adds that data and models from the project will be used in USU computer science and physics courses at the Logan campus, along with classes offered at statewide campuses.

“The NSF funding enables us to provide experiential learning for students, where they will study novel machine learning model design for real-world challenges,” he says. “Advancing our ability to predict solar events and take timely action is critical, as society is now more dependent on satellite technology than at any time in the past.”

Hamdi notes past geomagnetic storm events that caused widespread technological disruption, including the March 1989 storm that led to a nine-hour blackout of Hydro-Québec’s power grid and the May 2024 Gannon storm, which increased atmospheric drag on low-Earth-orbit satellites and prompted large-scale satellite orbit-adjustment maneuvers.

“Understanding and preparing for these events is crucial, as disruptions can cause costly power outages and infrastructure damage, and also threaten the safety and lives of people traveling in the upper atmosphere and outer space,” he says. “Our efforts are aimed at advancing our ability to protect personnel and assets to keep pace with space exploration advances.”

Research by USU graduate student Abigail Lazier focuses on how dwarf and micro-dwarf crops can address challenges in urban agriculture such as limited space and lighting. As urban populations continue to expand, local food production is becoming an important strategy to reduce transportation costs, minimize food waste and improve food security.

“Urban agriculture offers powerful opportunities,” Lazier said. “But it comes with limitations, especially when it comes to space and light. Our research looks at how plant genetics can help overcome these challenges.”

Dwarf crops are specifically bred to be smaller in size while maintaining productivity. Researchers evaluated 10 dwarf tomato cultivars grown under three different light levels to better understand how plant size and light interact. The results showed clear differences among varieties, with certain plants exhibiting highly compact growth while still producing significant yields.

One key finding is that while larger dwarf plants produced more fruit per plant, smaller cultivars often outperformed them when efficient use of space was considered. When measured by yield per unit area or volume, highly compact varieties, such as “Twiggy” and “Red Velvet,” proved to be highly efficient, making them ideal for container gardening, vertical farms and indoor growing systems.

Light availability also played a critical role. Researchers found that increasing light levels not only boosted overall yields but also accelerated fruit maturity. Plants grown under higher-intensity light produced more ripe fruit in less time, highlighting the importance of adequate lighting in indoor and greenhouse systems.

Interestingly, higher light levels were also associated with smaller plant sizes in some cultivars. This suggests that plants require less vegetative growth when sufficient light is available for photosynthesis. This combination of higher yield and reduced size further enhances the suitability of dwarf crops for confined spaces.

The research also points to practical considerations for potential growers. For growers with limited space, compact varieties that maximize yield per square foot may be the best choice. Meanwhile, ensuring sufficient light, whether from natural sunlight or supplemental lighting, is essential for achieving optimal results.

Beyond tomatoes, researchers expect similar trends to apply to other dwarf crops, including peppers and peas. The goal is to develop accessible, low-maintenance systems that allow individuals, schools and communities to grow fresh produce year-round.

“This work is about making food production more accessible,” Lazier said. “Even small-scale growers can produce meaningful amounts of food with the right tools and plant varieties.”

For more information about this and related projects, visit the Sustainable Environment Agriculture Laboratory website.

As part of the collaboration, a team of USU geoscience students and faculty recently completed on-site fieldwork at the Calvert Mine site, collecting geological, geochemical and spatial data that will support ongoing analysis of the property's surface material and help inform future economic evaluation efforts.

The project combines hands-on educational experience with practical resource evaluation. USU undergraduate researchers will conduct geological mapping, sampling, geochemical analyses, resource modeling and data interpretation across priority areas of the property. The resulting data will provide valuable technical insight into the distribution, grade and development potential of historic tungsten-bearing material while giving students real-world experience in critical minerals research, exploration and applied economic geology.

"Tungsten is a strategic mineral essential to America's manufacturing, infrastructure, and defense industries," said Taylor Sulik, CEO of Mithril Mining Corp. "This collaboration reflects our commitment to disciplined, data-driven development. By partnering with USU, we are advancing our understanding of the Calvert Tungsten Mine while helping prepare the next generation of geoscientists who will play a role in rebuilding America's domestic critical minerals supply chain."

The Calvert Tungsten Mine is one of the highest-grade tungsten resources in the United States and remains a strategically important asset as policymakers, manufacturers and defense stakeholders seek to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains.

The collaboration represents another step in Mithril Mining's ongoing effort to verify and evaluate historic mining assets using modern geological methods and contemporary analytical tools. Findings from the project will help inform future technical studies and operational planning at the Calvert Tungsten Mine.

"This project gives our students the opportunity to apply advanced geological and analytical techniques in a real-world critical minerals setting," said Katie Potter, professional practice assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at USU. "We're excited to work alongside Mithril Mining and contribute research that supports responsible resource development while providing valuable educational experiences for our students."

The collaboration benefits both organizations because it combines academic research with practical industry application. The research project also highlights the growing importance of partnerships between higher education and the mining industry as the United States seeks to secure reliable domestic sources of critical minerals and develop the workforce and technical knowledge necessary to strengthen the nation's resource independence.

About Mithril Mining Corp.

Mithril Mining Corp. is a U.S. and veteran-owned critical minerals exploration and development company focused on rebuilding America’s domestic tungsten supply chain and strengthening long-term resource independence.

Strategically located near existing infrastructure, processing corridors and rail access, Mithril Mining is advancing verified American tungsten assets through disciplined exploration, responsible stewardship and modern operational standards. The company is committed to supporting U.S. manufacturing, defense readiness and the creation of sustainable, high-value American jobs.

About Utah State University Department of Geosciences

Utah State University is a premier public land-grant research university founded in 1888. Headquartered in Logan, Utah, it is classified as a Carnegie R1 university and enrolls over 29,000 students across statewide campuses and online. USU offers elite graduate and undergraduate research opportunities in disciplines including agriculture, natural resources and aerospace.

The USU Department of Geosciences offers hands-on field instruction, computational modeling and in-house laboratory research on Earth's materials and systems within the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. The department is a recognized leader in water science, paleontology, earthquake geohazards, and energy and critical minerals research and provides degree options tailored to various career paths and specializations.

Age-related macular degeneration, often called AMD, is difficult to study because replicating the conditions of the aging eye in a laboratory is challenging. Researchers at Utah State University are working to change that.

USU Associate Professor Elizabeth Vargis and her doctoral student Dillon Weatherston, along with Associate Professor Justin Jones, developed a model to mimic the effects of aging to improve prevention and treatment to advance research in other age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

After years of exploring how to control cell growth, Vargis and Weatherston’s latest research breakthrough came after they discovered that a membrane developed from hagfish proteins could be tuned to mimic natural aging. They then observed how retinal pigment epithelium cells from pig eyes responded to the changing hagfish membrane, with the goal of identifying early indicators of AMD.

The team’s findings were published in GeroScience, a leading journal covering aging and age-related diseases.

Using the new model, the researchers successfully replicated the onset of AMD the same way it develops in a human eye. Similar to naturally occurring AMD, the model produced fatty deposits and protein markers that signal early stages of the disease.

“AMD affects so many people, and the way to treat it is with vitamins or monthly injections into the eyeball,” said Vargis, the project’s principal investigator. “It's 2026, and I feel like we should have something better.”

Vitamin treatments can reduce the likelihood of developing AMD, but they are not as effective once progressive vision loss begins, and injections only work during the late stage of the disease.

“Now we've got this model, where over the course of a month of growing cells on it, the cells are behaving similarly to what happens to a person’s eye over the course of 60 years,” Weatherston said.

While the specific findings of the AMD study are important, Vargis says the real breakthrough comes in developing a model that is better able to mimic aging in cells.

Jones’ role in this project was to develop the tunable protein platform upon which the RPE cells grow and which more accurately mimics human eyes. He said by achieving a way to imitate human physiology, future discoveries made with the model will be transferable to other fields of study.

“The power of this research is that it developed a model system that we can test drugs against to help treat and cure AMD,” he said.

The team’s latest research is central to MyxTek Bio, a USU technology spin-out company guided by Jones and Vargis. The company has been recommended for funding from the National Science Foundation for its work in developing and commercializing the AMD model system. The team has filed a non-provisional patent for the technology in hopes of making it more widely available.

“We are incredibly hopeful that between our efforts we can successfully transition this model system to find a cure or more effective treatment for AMD,” Jones said.

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Retina Research Foundation and Utah State University’s Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Research Center.

USU’s Office of Research will offer “Recovering from a Century of Fire Suppression,” a USU Research Landscapes presentation featuring Larissa Yocom, director of the Utah Forest Restoration Institute.

The presentation will begin 5:30 p.m. June 10 at the O.C. Tanner headquarters in Salt Lake City. The event is open to the public, and those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP.

For decades, fire management techniques have primarily focused on fire suppression, which involves containing wildfires quickly, before they can significantly damage property or ecosystems.

“Often, we need to do suppression,” Yocom said. “We have to suppress, especially near population centers, in critical watersheds or habitats, in extreme fire weather conditions, and also in the Great Basin and other areas with invasive plant risk.

But suppression of all fires is a bad idea, Yocom added.

“By suppressing fire today, we increase fuel loads,” she said, “making fires harder to suppress in the future.”

Wildfires cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars annually through a combination of direct property damage and long-term economic harm. The risk is especially potent in dry states in the West. While Utah has largely avoided disastrous mega-fires in recent years, the state is the second-driest in the nation, and climate change is exacerbating extreme temperatures and dry seasons.

“I think the best evidence for temperatures influencing fires is that fire seasons are getting longer,” Yocom said. “Every decade, we’ve gotten about a month longer in terms of fire season in the West.”

Given the cost and long-term consequences of fire suppression as the sole fire management technique, other methods of fire management must be developed and implemented, Yocom said. For instance, modifying the fuel available in a forest can reduce the severity of fires when they do occur, and encouraging communities to prepare can improve responses to wildfires when they do occur. Historically, natural wildfires and controlled burns set by Indigenous Americans have maintained ecosystem equilibrium.

“To really make a difference and change, anything that we’re doing is going to take something outside of science,” Yocom said. “Education, public support and more funding. We all have to get together and make a change.”

This USU Research Landscapes event will begin with Yocom’s 30-minute presentation, followed by time for Q&A and networking with other attendees. Light refreshments will be provided.

USU Research Landscapes is an event series hosted by the Utah State University Office of Research and sponsored by O.C. Tanner. The series connects decision-makers across the Wasatch Front with the researchers exploring Utah’s land, water and air.

Learn more about past events and RSVP for future events at researchlandscapes.usu.edu.

The report combines national data, Utah-specific trends and insights from community partners to highlight both the challenges new American women face and the vital contributions they make to Utah’s economy and communities.

“New American women are essential to Utah’s present and future,” said Susan R. Madsen, founding director of UWLP and a co-author of the report. “They strengthen our workforce, enrich our communities and contribute billions to our economy. Yet many face significant barriers that limit their ability to thrive. Understanding their experiences is key to building a more inclusive and prosperous Utah.”

Utah is home to more than 341,000 foreign-born residents, representing 9.8% of the state’s population. The number of immigrants has grown steadily over the past three decades, and nearly half of these individuals are women and girls. Together, Utah’s new Americans come from more than 40 countries, speak over 120 languages and contribute diverse skills, cultural strengths and economic value to the state.

The report highlights three categories of immigrants: humanitarian immigrants (refugees and asylum seekers), immigrants with legal authorization and immigrants without legal authorization. The term “new Americans” is used to refer to all three groups. The report highlights several key findings:

• Immigrant and refugee women make up 4.8% of Utah’s total population and 12.3% of all adult women in the state.
• Utah ranks 11th in the nation for refugee arrivals per capita, with more than 7,000 refugees resettled in the past decade.
• New Americans contributed $3.1 billion in state and local taxes in 2023, including $235 million from unauthorized immigrants.
• The challenges faced by new American women in Utah parallel those faced by immigrants throughout the U.S., including language and cultural barriers, issues accessing health care and other services, social isolation, lack of transportation and obstacles to accessing educational and occupational opportunities.
• Refugee women, in particular, experience heightened vulnerability due to language barriers and fewer formal qualifications.
• Despite these challenges, new American women demonstrate resilience and leadership, with thousands starting businesses, supporting Utah’s aging workforce and contributing to community well-being.

The report emphasizes that new American women are disproportionately affected by economic downturns, policy shifts and gaps in access to services. At the same time, they are central to Utah’s long-term economic sustainability, especially as the state’s population ages and workforce needs grow.

Actionable steps are outlined for individuals, organizations and policymakers, including:

• Supporting local organizations that serve immigrants and refugees.
• Expanding access to child care, transportation and English-language instruction.
• Strengthening pathways to education, employment and credential recognition.
• Promoting inclusive community spaces and reducing discrimination.
• Ensuring policies that enhance access to food assistance, housing and health care.

“Utah’s future depends on our ability to welcome, support and fully integrate new American women and their families,” said Robyn Blackburn, UWLP research fellow and lead author. “When we remove barriers and expand opportunities, everyone benefits.”

Vanessa Tuttle, UWLP research associate, and Yvette Young, UWLP research manager, are also co-authors of the report.

The mission of the UWLP is to strengthen the impact of Utah girls, women and families. Its premier initiative — A Bolder Way Forward — creates opportunities for Utahns to learn, engage, and contribute to meaningful change across 18 areas of focus. The UWLP is affiliated with USU Extension.

Webster will present her proposal to reform Utah’s criminal debt collection system before a live audience and a bipartisan panel of legislators, policy experts, and practitioners at The Policy Pitch Summit on June 12 at the Kiln in Salt Lake City.

Webster is a Master of Social Work student in USU’s Department of Social Work.

Chosen from 115 submissions, Webster’s pitch addresses a challenge she has seen firsthand in her work as a Community Justice Advocate: Utahns trying to rebuild their lives after court involvement often face a debt collection system in which fines, fees and penalties grow faster than they can realistically pay.

Trained as part of an internship with USU’s Transforming Communities Institute, Webster completed her community justice advocate certification in debt navigation in fall 2025. Soon after, she joined Nonprofit Legal Services of Utah as a volunteer to help clients with costs that accumulated during incarceration, treatment and unemployment, which can create significant barriers to housing, employment and recovery, among other areas.

“Melaine is a dedicated student who is deeply committed to making society a more equitable and inclusive space for everyone,” said Sean Camp, a clinical professor of social work. “She focuses on systemic-level change, recognizing that addressing the root causes of societal problems — poverty, healthcare disparities, etc. — ultimately impacts large segments of society at once.”

Webster’s proposal aims to fix the system without abandoning accountability. It would protect victim restitution, pause interest and penalties during incarceration, require clear ability-to-pay standards, and allow verified rehabilitation, such as treatment, education, job training, sobriety and community service, to count toward compliance. She argues the reforms would create a fairer, more effective system that increases real repayment, supports reentry and helps people become stable, contributing members of their communities.

Shianne Anderson — Exit Strategies and Reentry Program coordinator for the Tooele County Sheriff’s Department of Corrections and for USU Tooele Extension — connected with Webster to explore how to improve the system and process for others.

“Working with Melaine and her team made me feel seen and heard,” Anderson said. “She honored my experience, both past and present, without dismissing the facts or diminishing the strain (the Office of State Debt Collection) puts on individuals who are earnestly trying to do the right thing. Not only did the team help me navigate ideas for a solution, but Melaine was genuine in her desire to understand how these practices and policies are unfair, and she is diligently seeking a reasonable policy solution.”

Similarly, Destiny Garcia, executive director of Clean Slate Utah, which connected Anderson to community justice advocates through a referral system, said: “We are very proud of Melaine and the work she is doing to support meaningful reform in Utah’s criminal legal system. By helping people connected to Clean Slate Utah, she has seen how criminal debt can make it hard for people to find housing, employment and successfully reenter their communities.”

The competition’s top three finalists each present their ideas to the experts and audience, with cash prizes awarded to support the winning proposals. Reflecting on the work and the opportunity to present at the Summit, Webster shared her own perspective.

“Accountability and personal responsibility are important Utah values, and my goal is not to erase accountability, but to help our systems produce it in a way that is realistic, meaningful and sustainable,” she said.

“When people are working to rebuild their lives, Webster said, policies should support — not undermine — their ability to become stable, employed, housed and responsible contributors to their families and communities.

“I believe we can create a system that is both compassionate and fiscally responsible by making accountability more proportional, realistic and rehabilitative,” she said.

To learn more about USU’s Community Justice Advocate Program through the College of Arts and Sciences, visit: https://artsci.usu.edu/social-work/transforming-communities-institute/projects/community-justice-advocate-program/

Leaves crunched underfoot as the 10-year-old stepped off the mowed safety of her front lawn to pick her way through the abandoned chaos. She bent to collect an interesting rock, paused to snap a twig that looked like it needed snapping, gave spiders a wide berth — and then stopped dead.

Lodged into a hummock of dirt near her sneakers she saw something smooth, round and glinting of gold. When she picked it up, it felt heavy in her hand — a coin — but not like any she’d seen before. She rubbed away the crusted dirt and found an image of a fierce bird and what looked like an ocean wave arching over bold text. 50 GROSZY, it read.

Squeezing the find in a tight fist, she scanned the area with wide-eyed wonder. What was this place?

News of the discovery spread like wildfire. Kids from across the neighborhood poured in to scavenge for treasure, turning stones, crawling under branches, sifting dirt with kitchen colanders. It had been an international bank heist, some said (since the first coin turned out to be Polish), and this is where they stashed the loot. Or perhaps a miser buried his life savings and then died.

It could have happened.

More coins turned up. Silver, bronze, copper, all with foreign lettering, all with unfamiliar images stamped into bright metal — baffling, tantalizing and out in the sun for anyone to find.

Through a nearby window Dave Francis peeked occasionally at the action, entirely pleased with himself. He had come across the forgotten Mason jar of foreign coins (worth a total of $1.50, he estimates) and decided to scatter them into the empty lot across from his house. He wouldn’t say that he had no idea that this act would cause such a local kerfuffle. He knew it would. Had hoped for it, in fact.

By day, Francis is USU Extension’s director of Utah 4-H and Youth Programs. In his free time, he is a conniving mystery-builder in his Woods Cross neighborhood. In both roles, he said, he is after “the Spark.”

There is a certain moment in childhood — you might remember it — when you forget about the toil, the checklist to complete. You set aside the uncomfortable burn of muscle, the strain of thought. It’s that moment when you feel something propelling your actions forward, like a bird riding an updraft of air.

The term “fun” is inadequate here. This is not entertainment or distraction alone. For some kids it is a sense of discovery, for others it's adventure, danger, or creativity. In 4-H youth development parlance, this moment is called “the Spark.” It is an event or activity that pulls forward a passion, deep interest or a sense of calling that provides a kid joy, purpose and a direction. It’s a force to be reckoned with.

Children tend to be quite good at finding the Spark, if circumstances allow. It offers them the drive to push themselves to try something new, to put themselves “out there” despite discomfort or challenge. If they can tap into that powerful internal motivation, a kid can be a veritable engine of learning, Francis said.

Without it, though, picking up the skills necessary to be a functioning adult feels more like drudgery. So finding the Spark is pretty important.

But the world where kids can do so is shrinking. Reasons for this are complex: play spaces are getting smaller, kids’ lives are increasingly programmed, screens are ubiquitous. But there is another significant contributor: adults.

Kids and adults tend to have significantly different goals for play. Many adults design opportunities for play based primarily on keeping children safe — which is certainly a reasonable goal. But the Spark is most often found in activities that are unsupervised, exploratory and outdoors, Francis said. It involves minor physical and emotional challenges. It’s risky.

“Risky play can sometimes be hard for parents to swallow,” Francis said. “They think, ‘I’m not OK with this.’ The kids are going to get dirty, they might get hurt, or … get some disease"

And it can be especially hard for some, he said, because in risky play, the chance of those worrisome things happening is not zero. But they also aren’t zero in your own backyard, he is quick to add. When you consider that the skills earned through engaging in risky play are essential to a child’s development — confidence, decision-making, social nuance, finding connections to the larger world — the equation for risk begins to balance quite differently.

Life on the Lot

Consider that vacant lot across from Francis’ house. Once the kids are actually present (digging for coins, say), perhaps two groups will both want to build forts to protect their treasure, but there aren’t enough sticks to go around. How do they negotiate this?

Whatever your ideas are on this point, adults, keep them to yourself. A parent might be very skilled at swooping in with tailored, practiced solutions to these kinds of complex problems — but what a huge loss it would be to take that away from a child, Francis said.

Life doesn’t revolve around dictated rules. This is a chance for kids to learn negotiation, power dynamics and compromise; to practice boundaries and small group structure; to learn about how a community works and feels. If nothing else, this might be their chance to perfect the design and construction of a tiny house — who knows where else it might lead.

That tree that is too high to climb? Children need a chance to learn how to assess risk, Francis said, to experiment, solve problems and develop both confidence and a healthy knowledge of their own limits. If they try to jump from a tree that is too high, they’ll know next time what a too-high-tree looks like. If they don’t get that chance … well, they’ll only be facing bigger “trees” as they become teens and adults. It’s better to try it now.

Scrapes and bruises are badges of honor in Francis’ world, earned in “learning accidents” that can teach children what works and what doesn't. They are experiences that could ultimately prevent catastrophic accidents later through rich, nuanced practice with decision-making.

This, of course, shouldn’t turn into a “Lord of the Flies” situation. Mentors are essential in the process. Parents and other caregivers should intervene when a situation is clearly dangerous, rather than just uncertain, said Lacee Boschetto, an assistant professor in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. They could remove obvious hazards like broken glass, but let children navigate for themselves thorny bushes and pokey sticks. Before intervening, adults could consider counting to 30, to give children a chance to assess the situation and attempt to solve it for themselves.

“It’s reasonable for parents to want to protect their children,” Boschetto said, “but risky play establishes a space for children to have authentic experiences that build their own resilience.”

The right kind of mentorship for risky play requires the humility to ask yourself, “Is it wrong, or is it simply not how I would do it?” said Michelle Clouse, also an assistant professor in Family and Consumer Sciences Education.

The key, both say, is not eliminating risk altogether, but creating boundaries where exploration can freely happen. Parents and caregivers can talk through their own decision-making processes and observations to help children build their own skills in that area.

“There are so many long-term benefits of this type of skill-building,” Boschetto said.

Stick with it, and parents will begin to see beyond their own discomfort and begin to get a glimpse of the long-term benefits for their kids.

Another tip: Adults can work on shifting their language away from fear-based warnings (You’ll crack your head open) to facilitating assessment (What do you think will happen when you try that?) and work together with other parents and caregivers to foster environments where independent play can thrive.

It takes a village to facilitate this kind of learning. The goal is to move from an "as safe as possible" mindset to an "as safe as necessary" approach, letting children navigate challenges and build their own skills, confidence and emotional regulation, Clouse said.

“Adults shouldn’t let their own fears keep a child from exploring and creating meaning in the world around them,” she said.

But the challenge of making space for more risky play is not just a parent problem. There are deep-seated legal, design and cultural challenges that keep our kids’ lives a little too scripted.

“The hills and hedgerows where we ran around as kids, the places that risky play could naturally happen, are persistently disappearing,” said Jake Powell, associate professor and USU Extension specialist in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning.

Powell, an expert in designing outdoor spaces for learning and play, has core memories of scrambling up steep red-rock slopes in Southern Utah, jumping off crumbling ledges into emerald pools, digging toes into the thick mud along flooded side-canyons.

“It’s that kind of deep connection from my own childhood that defines who am, what I’ve chosen to focus on professionally, how I think about these spaces and advocate for them now,” he said.

Often, professional designers tend to prioritize safety over adventure, he said, and often this results in designing play spaces with limited options for risk.

“We spend thousands and thousands of dollars on highly designed manufactured playground equipment, safety mats and splash pads, and then the most popular thing at the park is the broken sprinkler and resulting mud pit,” Powell said.

But he is careful not to oversimplify the situation. There are real barriers to purposefully creating risky play opportunities in an open space design. Legal liability constantly looms for those who manage public spaces. Playgrounds are designed to be safe for any child who dares approach — and are interesting, unfortunately, for about 10 minutes to most kids, he said. It’s easy to roll your eyes at that from a distance but much harder when you begin to ask yourself what your expectations really are when you show up in such spaces with your children.

The shortage of risky play opportunities can be especially pronounced among low-income communities, where children have fewer chances to engage with nature. We tend to outsource these kinds of enriching experiences to faraway places like public lands and national parks, which in reality are only available to a subset of kids whose parents can afford to take long and increasingly expensive vacations.

“We’ve taken the opportunity away from a lot of these children to go out and find experiences on their own,” Powell said.

As a result, a deficit of learning risk assessment causes many emerging adults to withdraw from the idea of managing risk altogether, which can lead to facing adulthood with lots of anxiety or seeking out risky experiences in less constructive ways.

As communities we’ve got some tough questions to ask ourselves, Powell said. Who, ultimately, is responsible for keeping us safe? Which kids get to access open spaces to build these deep connections to the larger world?

There aren’t simple answers.

But there are a few very obtainable things communities can do now to create more opportunities for important and appropriate risky play, he said. At the top of Powell's wish list is having new neighborhoods reserve small sections of land as undeveloped open space and connect them as corridors that lead to even bigger open spaces like canyons or hillsides to provide “empty lot” experiences.

When you consider that Henry David Thoreau’s famous Spark, Walden Pond, was just two short miles from a nearby town, the prospect of keeping designated spaces for kids’ inspiration, growth, learning and maturity seems like it could be both valuable and obtainable.

Leave No Trace Meets Risky Play

The Leave No Trace campaign offers a framework of outdoor ethics to minimize people's impact on natural environment, but the principles have the potential to intimidate kids’ sense of exploration and adventure. When visiting natural places, especially protected ones like state and national parks and forests, there are ways to combine the best of both worlds, according to Jordan Smith, director of USU’s Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism.

Plan Ahead

Visit in smaller groups and choose quiet times to minimize disruptions. Bring the supplies you need to be self-sufficient, pack out trash and know your way around.

Choose Durable Surfaces

When you are bringing kids into the backcountry, use established trails and campsites. Front-country areas (near visitor centers, in established campgrounds) can take much more of a child-exploratory beating. Teach kids the difference between these types of sites.

Dispose of Waste Properly

Go before you go. Visit a bathroom before you head out. In many places in the West, it’s best to dig a cat hole 6-8 inches deep for solid waste, away from water, trails and campsites. In delicate environments, such as deserts and alpine forests, it’s best to pack it out.

Enjoy, and Then Leave Behind What You Find

Enjoy that stick, stone or pinecone, but then set it down for others to enjoy and for the environment to use. This can help your child build a sense of community around shared spaces — and offers a chance to explain cycles in natural environments.

Be Considerate

Be mindful of your impact on others’ experience. Help your children share space with the people you see now and the other adventure-seekers who will come after you and far into the future.

Risky Play: What Can Parents Do?

Make Space: Carve out time, help kids find the space, offer tools and resources.

Talk it Out: Use language that encourages risk assessment rather than fear.

Encourage Spark: Leave random things around for kids to explore independently.

Offer Freedom: Let kids figure things out, resolve their own disputes, handle their own setbacks.

The Laundry: Don’t be afraid of a little mess.

Learn how Utah 4-H programs can help kids find their Spark.

USU President Brad Mortensen signed a memorandum of understanding to participate in the cohort in March, joining Utah’s other eight public degree granting institutions in the Utah System of Higher Education and formalizing a collaborative effort with Interfaith America.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with our partner institutions throughout Utah in advancing a culture of cooperation and constructive engagement across differences,” Mortensen said of USU’s participation. He pointed to USU’s unique mission as a land-grant, positioning it to help strengthen cooperation, civic trust and community resilience across the state.

USU recently named Chad Ford as the university’s campus lead in the cohort. Ford is an associate professor of religious studies in the history, cultures and ideas department, specializing in intercultural and religious peacebuilding. He also serves on the faculty advising board for the Heravi Peace Institute.

“As a land-grant university, USU is committed to preparing students not only for successful careers, but also for thoughtful citizenship in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world,” Ford said. “We believe that learning to engage constructively with people of different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and perspectives is an essential skill for both personal and professional success.”

Through the Utah Cooperation Cohort, USU will work with Interfaith America and higher education institutions throughout Utah to support innovative student-centered projects that strengthen collaboration, encourage curiosity, build understanding and help students develop the skills needed to work across political, religious, cultural and ideological differences.

USU has worked with Interfaith America since fall 2014 when the university hosted Eboo Patel on campus and offers an Interfaith Initiative through the USU College of Arts and Sciences.

“While many know Karen Huntsman for her extraordinary philanthropy and public service,” USU President Brad Mortensen said, “those connected to Utah State remember her as a steadfast champion of education, opportunity and the values that define great leaders. We extend our deepest condolences to the Huntsman family and express our profound gratitude for Karen's remarkable life, enduring example, and lasting contributions to Utah State University.”

In 2007, Jon and Karen Huntsman made what was then the largest gift in Utah State University history, contributing nearly $26 million to support students and strengthen business education. The transformational gift led to the naming of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business and helped establish a foundation that would shape the lives of thousands of students for generations to come.

The announcement marked a pivotal moment in the university's history. Gary Herbert, Utah’s governor at the time, reflected on the impact of the couple's generosity.

"We cannot say enough about the Huntsman family,” Herbert said. “We appreciate the great contributions that have been made in so many ways. We cannot overstate the blessing that Utah receives because Jon and Karen Huntsman call Utah home."

Huntsman’s support of the Huntsman School extended far beyond philanthropy. She believed deeply in the responsibility of higher education to develop not only capable professionals, but people of character.

At the opening of Huntsman Hall in 2016, she shared the values she hoped students would carry into their careers and communities.

"I hope they teach that honesty, and integrity, and your word is your bond,” Huntsman said. “Nothing else is going to be as important as teaching that to these students."

Those words continue to reflect the mission and culture of the Huntsman School today.

Huntsman's most recent visit to the Huntsman School came during the opening of the Carolyn and Kem Gardner Learning and Leadership Building on Aug. 29, 2025. During the celebration, she spoke warmly of her late husband's friendship with Kem Gardner, their shared vision for strengthening Utah's future, and her admiration for the opportunities the Huntsman School and Utah State University creates for students.

In her remarks on that occasion, she reflected on her family’s long ties with the university, dating to the years her father, David B. Haight, spent here as a student. He would go on to become mayor of Palo Alto, California, and serve as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was in Palo Alto that Karen met her future husband, Jon, whose family had moved there from rural Idaho for his father’s graduate education at Stanford. She recalled that her father, who was also from Idaho, would invariably say of the boys she was dating, “Yes, but they are not from Idaho.” That changed when she met Jon Huntsman.

The two were great partners: parents of nine children, they were inseparable in their commitment to use their extraordinary gifts for the betterment of society. Karen often told the story of how she discovered that Jon, as a young naval officer, was making contributions to a sailor’s fund out of their base pay when they really didn’t have a lot to spare. As their fortune increased, they both took joy in the opportunity to give.

Reflecting on their relationship to each other and to the students, faculty and alumni of the College of Business at Utah State University, Dean Douglas Anderson said: “Karen and Jon never did anything halfway. They were either all in or not in. Before I became dean, my wife Kathy and I were near neighbors of Karen and Jon in Salt Lake City, and we remained that way during the last 20 years. We saw her regularly and were privileged to be in their home frequently. Both were dear friends, inspirational role models, and a personal source of great encouragement. Before our recent USU 2026 Commencement, Karen sent a personal message to me, even though she was not feeling well physically. She wanted me to know how proud she was of Huntsman School. It meant the world to me.

“Karen Huntsman believed deeply in the power of education to change lives and strengthen communities. Karen served on the Utah State Board of Regents for 12 years. She often attended Board of Regents meetings with her son Mark by her side, and that image has stayed with me over the years. It reflected the way she approached life, serving as a respected higher education policy leader while remaining deeply devoted to her family. Through her generosity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to helping others, she and Jon created opportunities that have benefited generations of Utah State University students and will continue to do so for years to come.”

The Huntsman School that exists today stands as part of the legacy that Karen and Jon Huntsman helped make possible. Thousands of students have benefited from opportunities, scholarships, programs and experiences that trace back to their belief in education and in the potential of future generations.

Karen Huntsman's influence will continue to be felt in classrooms, boardrooms (she also later served on the USU Board of Trustees for a short time), communities and lives touched by the institution she helped build.

Nischwitz, a USU associate professor and Extension plant pathologist, said the core accreditation ensures that NPDN labs meet stringent quality standards, thus exhibiting a strong commitment to excellence in plant diagnostics.

“We can do a lot of testing, ranging from microscopy to molecular and antibody-based analyses in our lab, in part because of grants from NPDN that let us purchase needed equipment,” Nischwitz said. “However, if we cannot do a specific test, we can now send the sample to another accredited lab within NPDN, and they can provide the testing. The funds from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, NPDN, and Extension have allowed us to keep costs for clients low, and with the accreditation, we can continue to keep them low.”

The NPDN is an internationally respected consortium of plant diagnostic laboratories. It was established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Office of Homeland Security to enhance agricultural biosecurity by detecting instances of biological attacks. The NPDN works to protect the plant health and productivity of U.S. agricultural and natural ecosystems by providing early detection and identification of plant pests and diseases in all 50 states and four U.S. territories.

In 2024 alone, nearly 226,000 diagnoses were entered into the National Data Repository by NPDN labs covering 78% of the counties in the U.S., and labs reported 193 first detections, which are organisms found for the first time in a state.

Justen Smith, USU Extension interim vice president, said under Nischwitz’s leadership, the UPPDL has shown a strong commitment to quality diagnostics, highlighting its position at the forefront of the field and, most of all, as an integral laboratory for Utah.

“This designation represents a significant milestone for both the university and the NPDN, underscoring the great work of Dr. Nischwitz and Dr. Vieira-Neto,” Smith said. “The UPPDL is an essential part of Extension’s mission in Utah, and we couldn’t be more proud of this prestigious designation.”

Osqueezadeh, a resident of Logan, originally planned to pursue a career in medicine due to cultural and family reasons. However, after looking back at her high school and early college English classes, she found her true passion.

"I realized that's kind of where I was the happiest," Osqueezadeh said. "I enjoyed reading and writing. I enjoyed connecting my reading to current world issues. I enjoyed being involved in my local and global communities. That's where I found the most joy."

This realization was bolstered by her experience at InTech Collegiate Academy, where an early college program let her spend two years on the USU Logan campus as a high schooler. By the time she officially enrolled, Osqueezadeh had already established a place within the Department of English and solidified her goal to pursue literature and eventually a career in academia.

Since committing to the humanities, Osqueezadeh focused on building a well-rounded skill set that she believes is essential for success in today’s job market. Her academic career was marked by diverse experiences that extended far beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Osqueezadeh traveled to South Carolina to conduct hands-on research regarding the presentation of history at plantation sites. This project allowed her to tackle contemporary issues of historical censorship and public education, using skills she’d learned in the classroom.

"When you leave that academic space and engage with the community, you get to learn how to apply that academic knowledge to the real world," Osqueezadeh said. "Getting those hands-on experiences allows you to interact with the literature that's being presented in front of you in a much deeper way."

In addition to her travel research, Osqueezadeh presented at multiple conferences, including the USU Research Symposium and with the Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation. Her presentations often focused on historical figures like David Oliver, the third Black lawyer in Utah, highlighting his advocacy against police brutality and for civil rights.

Another key focus for Osqueezadeh was community engagement, highlighted by her work with Sunrise High School students to explore Black history in Utah.

Now a graduate, Osqueezadeh encourages current students in the College of Arts and Sciences to remain confident in their career prospects by focusing on the versatile skills their degrees provide.

Osqueezadeh plans to transition directly into graduate studies with the goal of pursuing a career in academia. By continuing to present her research at symposia and building upon her professional CV, she intends to leverage her skills in research, analysis and education to bridge the gap between academic theory and community impact.

"Try your best to develop a well-rounded skill set that can be applied everywhere," Osqueezadeh said. "The humanities and arts already do that for you. The skill sets that you are learning while going into school can be applied to so many different jobs, so many different roles."

Anderson currently serves as vice president and chief of staff to the provost, providing senior leadership and strategic coordination in support of the university’s academic mission. Prior to this role, she served as senior vice provost and senior associate vice president, with primary responsibility for undergraduate student success and retention.

In her senior administrative roles, Anderson oversaw key student success units, including University and Exploratory Advising, the Career Design Center, Student Orientation and Transition Services, and the Office of Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence. She also chaired the Student Achievement Collaborative, a cross-institutional group of student success professionals working together to advance data-informed initiatives focused on retention, completion and the removal of barriers to student success.

“I have always believed that higher education changes lives — not just for students, but for their families and communities,” Anderson said. “When students feel a sense of belonging in the classroom and know that faculty and staff truly care about their success, they persist, they thrive and they graduate. Supporting that experience has been the most meaningful work of my career.”

Prior to her central administrative appointments, Anderson served for five years as academic associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. She also recently concluded a 28-year teaching career in the dietetics program, where she earned the rank of professional practice professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. Her achievements were further recognized with her designation as a distinguished professor in the College of Agriculture.

A widely respected educator, Anderson received numerous teaching honors throughout her career, including the Eldon J. Gardner Teacher of the Year Award — Utah State University’s highest teaching recognition — and the USDA Food and Agriculture Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award.

As a registered dietitian, Anderson’s professional expertise focused on food service management and food safety. Her nationally recognized consumer food safety research made significant contributions to the field and was published in leading peer-reviewed journals. Her work also resulted in extensive national and international media coverage, reaching millions through print, radio and television.

“Janet has had a remarkably successful USU career,” said Larry Smith, provost of Utah State University. “She made significant contributions to her field of nutrition in the classroom and the profession, earning her USU's premier teaching award. In the next chapter of her career, she channeled her passion for higher education in leadership and administration roles. She made huge impacts on student support and success in many ways, especially incorporating best practices in student advising. She served tirelessly in the provost's office to constantly improve student-facing elements of the USU academic enterprise. USU owes her a giant debt of gratitude for her many outstanding achievements and unwavering dedication to higher education. Janet's energy and her passion and example for doing the right thing will be greatly missed.”

A reception honoring Anderson will be from 3:30-5 p.m. June 11 in the garden of the David B. Haight Center at Utah State University. All are welcome to attend. Guests are also invited to share memories and messages for Janet at the event or via this link.

The funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will help Zhou and his colleagues develop new learning technologies to increase youth understanding of agricultural processes and careers through hands-on experiences using instrument-driven learning. The duration of the project is May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2029.

Zhou, a biological engineering professor at Utah State, will collaborate on the project with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the USU Extension 4-H program to develop curriculum and kits for educators to use in local programs.

“We are enthusiastic about this opportunity for multiple departments and colleges from USU to work together in developing this hands-on agricultural STEM training program for the benefit of youth throughout Utah,” said Christopher Fox, associate dean of research for the College of Engineering.

Through non-formal education, students in 11th and 12th grade can participate in one of four agricultural tracks: dairy product processing, animal care and common disease, plant physiology and monitoring, and bio-assay and biosensors.

Students interested in diving deeper can participate in weeklong intensive certificate programs, use specialized university labs and instruments and participate in outreach programs to introduce agriculture topics to youth in their communities.

“We have long collaborated with the Utah office of STEM education to help Utah students grow food hydroponically,” said Bruce Bugbee, director of the USU Crop Physiology Laboratory and co-project director. “This new funding brings students to campus for hands-on training.”

Prateek Sharma, associate professor from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences, will work as a co-project director to develop hands-on learning modules to train K-12 students in dairy product processing.

Students in grades K-8 can participate through afterschool and traditional 4-H clubs.

“We are excited that this proposal was funded in collaboration with Deborah Ivie, Extension faculty; Lendel Narine, program evaluator; and Joshua Dallin, executive director of the Bastian Agricultural Center,” said David Francis, director of the USU Extension 4-H Program.

Community and industrial partners have also committed to collaborating with Utah State to provide hands-on experiences for high school students participating in the program.

“This project brings together a multidisciplinary team to educate Utah’s youth about emerging technologies in agriculture and food systems,” said Zhou, the project’s principal investigator. “This serves the land-grant university mission of preparing students to meet the evolving needs of industry.”

“Calculus is a gatekeeper course,” says Utah State University undergraduate Emily Nielson. “If you can’t pass calculus, you can’t move on in a wide range of majors and fulfill career dreams.”

Nielson, who is majoring in applied mathematics and was named a 2026 Peak Undergraduate Summer Research Fellow, aims to reduce learning barriers that discourage aspiring scientists, engineers, physicians and others from forging ahead in occupational pathways.

With USU Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty mentor Sindura Kularajan, Nielson is evaluating the effectiveness of a modeling-based calculus course for life science majors initiated by Kularajan and faculty colleague Brynja Kohler, professor and associate dean.

“Sindura and Brynja took me under their wing last fall as I joined them in examining the effectiveness of MATH 1100 — Calculus Techniques,” Nielson says. “The intent of the course’s modeling emphasis is to bridge the gap between people and their future careers.”

Calculus, she says, is often a difficult first course for college students.

“Our goal is to make this alternative course a very approachable course,” Nielson says. “Sometimes in math class, you feel like you’re staring at a wall of equations and none of it makes sense, because it’s all so abstract. The idea of a modeling-based course is to remind everyone that we use math every day in the everyday world and to give students practical experience in applying mathematical concepts.”

Kularajan, assistant professor, says she and Kohler collaborated with life science faculty members throughout the university whose degree programs require calculus as a prerequisite.

“We spoke with faculty in biology, ecology, engineering, public health, agricultural sciences, natural resources, watershed science, wildlife science and others,” she says. “From those conversations, we were able to develop models and example-based learning relevant to those disciplines.”

Nielson, who has served as a college algebra recitation leader for several semesters, says the modeling approach appeals to many students.

“Some students in mathematics and engineering enjoy immersion in abstract math, but people planning to pursue careers like nursing, wildlife management, industrial hygiene or other fields tend to appreciate application-driven examples,” she says. “They benefit from experiential learning — understanding how to estimate things, how to perform analyses — where they can clearly see the benefits of application of mathematical knowledge.”

Nielson, who graduated from Utah’s Layton High School in 2021 and received a USU Presidential Scholarship, says she’s grateful for the Peak Fellowship, which is allowing her, over the summer, to pursue research full-time.

“I’ve enjoyed my teaching experiences, but I wanted to gain more experience in research as well,” she says. “The financial support from the Peak Fellowship allows me to do that. Plus, I get to work with Sindura, who is an amazing mentor.”

As a bonus, Nielson will travel to the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics Conference on Applied Mathematics Education in July in Cleveland, Ohio, where she’ll present her research and network with other scholars in her field.

“Among my goals is to pursue graduate studies and secure a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship,” Nielson says. “I love research and teaching. I want to be able to impact students and the greater community and to help people fall in love with math.”

Quantitative literacy is important, she says, because it helps people understand the world around them.

“We have a lot of facts and figures constantly thrown at us, and if you don’t know how to interpret them, you might be misled,” Nielson says. “Take personal finance, for example. You need to understand exponential growth, and you need to be able to perform cost-benefit analyses to make sound decisions. The better you can problem-solve, the better answers you can come up with. Understanding math helps you do this.”

USU professors David Peak (Physics) and Terry Peak (School of Social Sciences) initiated and endowed the Peak Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program in 2019.

“Unfortunately, we experienced some late frosts,” said Ben Scow, Utah State University Extension horticulturist. “In the fruit tree world, that means we are at high risk for losing our fruit crop for the year, which happened in most of the state.”

Temperatures dropped low enough to kill blossoms and newly setting fruit, he said, leading to what he described as a statewide “fruit famine.”

“This is unfortunate because we grow some amazing fruit across the state,” he said. “This year we’re just going to have very, very little.”

Scow said the best advice for homeowners is to continue normal tree care practices, despite reduced fruit production. He gives these suggestions:

• Proper watering, fertilization and pest monitoring remain important to support next year’s crop.
• Reduce nitrogen fertilizer applications to avoid excessive vegetative growth.
• Watering may be reduced slightly, but trees should not be allowed to become drought-stressed.
• Spraying for codling moth in apples and pears may not be necessary this year due to the lack of fruit.
• Stone fruits such as peaches, apricots, cherries and plums should still be treated for peach twig borer.
• Continue caring for fruit trees throughout the season to maintain long-term tree health and improve production potential for next year.

For more information, visit gardening.usu.edu.

Shawn Whiteman, executive associate dean, said this will be a landmark for the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services and the first of what's hoped to be an annual event.

“Showcasing cutting-edge research at the intersection of healthy aging, cognitive and physical development and behavioral care, this event celebrates the innovative health-related work happening across our college,” Whiteman said. “Paired with the extensive clinical services offered through the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence, the fair highlights our strong commitment to applied research and learning as well as meaningful community impact.”

The USU Brain Health Fair aims to provide resources for anyone wanting to know about healthy aging, as well for people who are experiencing memory loss and those who care for them. Attendees can expect to learn about modifiable lifestyle behaviors to help combat cognitive decline, discover strategies to reduce their risk of dementia, and learn actionable steps to promote healthy aging and improve overall brain health.

The event is a collaboration between the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, Intermountain Health, USU’s Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Research Center (ADRC), and the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence. It will feature community partners and USU experts in psychology, aging, nursing, neuroscience, balance, hearing and more.

“Many people are aware of how to take care of their heart and their muscles as they age, but fewer people have knowledge and resources for maintaining their brain health,” said Beth Fauth, executive director of the ADRC. “We want to offer some of that education for our community through this event.”

Fauth said this event will showcase the research and services available at USU and with our community partners. The organizers want to help people understand where to go when they suspect memory changes might be occurring, or even where to go for support after a diagnosis.

“With healthy food, photography, and a variety of activities, we are also hoping it will be a fun event,” she added.

Attendees can

• Benefit from cooking demonstrations and sample diets focused on food for brain health.
• Receive free hearing screenings from local audiologists.
• View the human side of cognitive health at the Faces of Dementia photo exhibit.
• Participate in tai chi, chair yoga, and laughter yoga sessions.
• Visit a dedicated space just for family caregivers to find support, local resources and professional guidance for concerns they may have now or in the future.

Experts from Logan Regional Hospital, an Intermountain Health provider, will be on hand to share information on overall heart health, strokes, stopping the bleed, physical therapy and gerontology services.

Other community resources at the fair will include:

• The Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice.
• USU Extension.
• Alzheimer’s Association.
• Bear River Association on Aging.
• Cache Senior Center.
• The Utah Assistive Technology Program.

A highlight of the event will be a panel discussion led by Fauth and Landon Watts, physician of geriatric medicine and internal medicine at Intermountain Health. Their discussion is entitled “Memory Matters: How to Spot the Signs and Where to Find Support.” It will include a general overview of cognitive decline, early detection, cognitive tests, post-diagnosis support, caregiving resources and community support. The panel will be presented twice, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and each will conclude with a Q&A segment.

Both panelists are leading experts in aging and cognition. Passionate about helping his patients live healthy lives, Watts supports older adults in Northern Utah and Southeastern Idaho by treating frailty, gait disorders, falls, polypharmacy, malnutrition and more. Fauth, a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, researches stress related to dementia caregiving and ways to support quality of life for persons living with dementia. She also assesses caregiver interventions.

Another major component of the Brain Health Fair is voluntary participation in an ongoing study — Prevent Alzheimer’s For Life Study, or PALS. The study is being conducted by an extensive team of USU researchers and led by JoAnn Tschanz, clinical neuropsychologist and professor in the Department of Psychology at USU. The second floor of the Sorenson Center will be dedicated to PALS.

The study is examining the impact of modifiable lifestyle factors on Alzheimer’s Disease. Participating experts will provide research-based strategies to prevent cognitive decline, encourage healthy lifestyles and enhance overall well-being. Eleven lifestyle factors — the backbone of the data being collected — will be highlighted at the fair. These lifestyle factors are diet, strength and physical activity, balance, stress and wellbeing, sleep, chronic pain, aging, social activity, cognition, hearing, and overall health.

Fair attendees may visit booths that focus on each of these factors and speak directly with researchers. All informational booths and study-related activities on the second floor of the Sorenson Center will be available to fair attendees, even if they are not enrolled in the study.

Entrance to the Brain Health Fair and on-campus parking at the Sorenson Center are free of charge. Visit the USU Brain Health Fair website to access driving directions, a schedule of events and more. Visit the PALS website to learn how to enroll in the study prior to the USU Brain Health Fair.

Administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, the exam is widely recognized as the first major step toward professional engineering licensure and serves as a national benchmark for engineering competency.

To support student success and professional readiness, Utah State University requires students earning degrees in biological engineering, civil engineering and environmental engineering to pass the FE Exam before graduating with a bachelor’s degree — a distinction unique among Utah universities.

According to NCEES, current national FE Exam pass rates are:

• Electrical & Computer Engineering: 69%.
• Environmental Engineering: 68%.
• Civil Engineering: 63%.
• Mechanical Engineering: 72%.
• Biological Engineering: 61%.

Utah State’s most recent cohort significantly outperformed these national benchmarks:

• Electrical & Computer Engineering students achieved a 100% pass rate.
• Environmental Engineering students achieved a 100% pass rate.
• Civil Engineering students earned a 95% pass rate.
• Mechanical Engineering students earned a 94% pass rate.
• Biological Engineering students achieved a 60% pass rate, aligning with the national average.

The college’s success extends well beyond a single testing cycle. Since 2019, several engineering programs have maintained exceptionally strong long-term performance, with many cohorts earning pass rates between 80% and 100%, including numerous perfect pass-rate cohorts.

Average USU FE Exam pass rates since 2019 include:

• Biological Engineering: 89%.
• Mechanical Engineering: 88%.
• Civil Engineering: 85%.

Over the previous seven exam cycles, USU students have achieved a 100% pass rate 10 different times across several disciplines, including:

• Biological Engineering: Spring 2024, Fall 2024.
• Civil Engineering: Spring 2025.
• Electrical Engineering: Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025.
• Environmental Engineering: Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2025.

For reporting purposes, the January-June testing period is considered the spring exam cycle, while the July-December testing period is considered the fall exam cycle. Results are updated each January and July.

The FE Exam is typically taken by students nearing completion of an EAC/ABET-accredited engineering degree and by recent graduates pursuing professional engineer licensure. The computer-based exam consists of 110 questions administered over a 6-hour testing appointment.

These results reflect the college’s continued commitment to rigorous academic preparation, student support and producing graduates who are well prepared for professional engineering practice.

Donated by his wife, Winnie Kingsbury, the Skip Yowell papers preserve decades of innovation, creativity and community-building that helped shape one of the world's most recognizable outdoor brands.

Yowell’s cousin, Murray Pletz (later McCory), and his girlfriend, Jan Lewis, founded JanSport in 1967 and soon brought in Skip to handle sales and marketing, helping transform a small backpacking venture into a global company known for its functional design and cultural impact. Widely recognized for his energy, humor and unconventional leadership style, Yowell played a central role in fostering a company culture rooted in storytelling, exploration and personal connection, values that continue to influence the outdoor industry today.

The Skip Yowell papers span roughly four decades and offer a rich, multifaceted view of his professional and personal pursuits. The collection includes correspondence, internal communications, product development files, advertising and branding materials, photographs, and ephemera. Together, these materials document JanSport's evolution, from early design concepts and field testing to marketing strategies and large-scale events that helped define the company's identity.

In addition to business records, the collection reflects Yowell's wide-ranging interests and creative endeavors. Researchers will find materials related to his writing, including his book The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder & Other Mountains, as well as documentation of ventures such as "Skip's Popcorn" and his philanthropic activities. The papers also capture Yowell's deep engagement with the outdoor community, including his involvement in events, expeditions, and industry initiatives that fostered collaboration and innovation.

The collection is significant for scholars of outdoor recreation, business history, marketing and design. It provides rare insight into the human side of entrepreneurship and illustrates how personal values and relationships can influence the growth of a global brand. More broadly, the papers help document the cultural and social dimensions of the outdoor industry during a period of rapid expansion and change.

The Skip Yowell papers are now open for research. The collection's finding aid is available online at https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv865895.

“This year’s student election process highlighted several areas where we can and should improve, both within the election process itself and in how we communicate and support students, including the elections committee, throughout it,” Vice President for Student Success Kris Winter said.

“Throughout the process, maintaining student-led elections has remained an important guiding principle. We continue to believe that student governance and elections should be driven by students. At the same time, this experience has prompted important reflection about whether we, as an institution, are providing students with the guidance and support needed for these processes to function effectively and fairly.”

The outside review will help identify opportunities to strengthen transparency, clarify expectations and procedures, and better support student leaders moving forward. The division will work with student leaders, as well as with the student body, to share their perspectives.

This story will be updated as more information about how to share input is available.

The endowment will provide lasting support for student recruitment, national tournament travel expenses, coaching and instructional opportunities through Utah State’s handball classes.

Recently recognized as an official club sport at Utah State University, the Handball Club will coordinate with Campus Recreation to fulfill the requirements of the endowment agreement while expanding opportunities for student participation and competition.

“This extraordinary gift ensures that future generations of students will have the opportunity to discover and excel in a sport that builds discipline, focus, perseverance and lifelong community,” said Matt White, vice president of Advancement and president of the USU Foundation.

The endowment represents years of collaboration among coaches, university leaders and supporters of the sport. Longtime handball coaches Herm Olsen and Stacey Marble worked closely with Utah State Advancement, the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, Campus Recreation, and the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science to bring the endowment to fruition.

“I can’t say enough about the excitement on campus created by this endowment,” Olsen said. “The administration has been superb to work with, including Matt White, Lance Beckert, Julie Gast and Spencer Bitner. Their willingness to support this vision has helped create an incredible opportunity for students.”

Olsen said two individuals played especially meaningful roles in helping make the gift possible:

• Martin Mulkerrins, an Ireland native, Texas A&M University handball coach, and the current No. 1-ranked handball player in the world.
• Donor Doug Randolph, a longtime advocate for the sport.

Olsen and Mulkerrins first crossed paths years ago through the United States Handball Association’s National Collegiate Championships, where Mulkerrins competed as a student-athlete.

“I found Martin to be not only a superb handball player and fierce competitor, but an extraordinary person,” Olsen said. “That has remained true to this day.”

For Mulkerrins, supporting the growth of collegiate handball has long been a passion. He said the opportunity to help strengthen Utah State’s program reflects a shared belief in the sport’s ability to build character, connection and lifelong community.

“I was delighted to assist Doug and Utah State throughout this process and to share experiences from Texas A&M and other collegiate handball programs,” Mulkerrins said. “I have no doubt this gift from Doug and the Randolph Foundation will have a tremendously positive impact on students at Utah State. It is especially meaningful that the endowment honors Herm Olsen, whose decades of dedication have made a lasting difference for handball at USU.”

Mulkerrins said he hopes the endowment encourages more students to explore the sport and experience the strong sense of community it creates.

“Whether students are looking for a social outlet, new friendships, or opportunities to travel and compete, handball offers something for everyone,” he said. “I encourage students to give it a try.”

Mulkerrins introduced Randolph to the Utah State handball program. Randolph, who first discovered handball at age 21, has long championed the sport and its lifelong benefits.

According to coaches, Randolph recognized handball’s unique ability to develop discipline, resilience and connection among participants while fostering a competitive spirit that can last a lifetime.

Randolph said his support for the Utah State program stems from a deep belief in the lasting value of handball and the opportunities it creates for young people.

“I first learned about Utah State handball through conversations with others in the handball community, and after reading about Herm Olsen’s decades of dedication to the program, I was incredibly impressed,” Randolph said. “Herm’s persistence, generosity and commitment to introducing students to the game are what bring us here today. We are proud to establish the Herm Olsen Endowment for Handball Excellence to honor his legacy and support the continued growth of handball at Utah State.”

For Utah State coaches, the endowment represents more than financial support — it signals a long-term investment in students and the future of handball on campus.

“Doug’s generosity will create opportunities for generations of students,” said Stacey Marble, Utah State handball coach. “Because of this gift, more students will be introduced to a sport that teaches persistence, focus and community while creating experiences they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Handball is a fast-paced indoor sport played on a four-wall court in which players use their hands to strike a small ball against the front wall in strategic rallies. Known for its combination of athleticism, endurance and mental focus, the sport has long been a staple of collegiate recreation and competition, including national championship events organized by the United States Handball Association.

Utah State’s Handball Club provides students opportunities to play recreationally throughout the week while competing in tournaments across the country. With the establishment of the endowment, university leaders and coaches believe the club is poised for significant growth as interest in the sport continues to expand.

“This gift comes at an exciting moment for handball at Utah State,” Olsen said. “We are building something that will impact students for decades to come.”

To learn more about the USU Handball Club, visit https://my.usu.edu/communities/handball-club/feed.

Eastern Leaders Academy is designed to develop changemakers, individuals committed to strengthening their communities through collaboration, innovation and informed leadership. Through a nine-month immersive experience, participants gain valuable insight into the issues shaping Carbon and Emery counties, while building meaningful relationships with fellow leaders across industries.

Limited to just 14 participants each year, ELA offers a highly personalized and hands-on learning environment. The program focuses on helping leaders better understand complex community challenges while equipping them with the tools to create positive, lasting change.

Participants engage in monthly “Impact Days,” each centered around a key theme impacting the region. These include topics such as economic development, education, government, tourism and community health. Through behind-the-scenes tours, expert-led discussions and direct interaction with decision-makers, participants gain a comprehensive understanding of how Carbon and Emery counties function, and how they can play a role in shaping their future.

Carbon County Commissioner Jared Haddock, a founding supporter of the program alongside Commissioner Larry Jensen, said the academy has real-world impact.

“As a commissioner, my time is extremely limited, but Eastern Leaders Academy is one of the most valuable places I can invest it,” Haddock said. “I’ve seen firsthand how it changes the way leaders communicate, collaborate and approach complex challenges. The academy brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds; and what they gain here doesn’t stay in the classroom, it carries into their businesses, organizations and communities. That ripple effect is what drives meaningful, positive change across our region.”

The program goes beyond local engagement, offering participants exclusive access to statewide leadership experiences. This includes opportunities such as:

• A two-day Leadership Summit.
• Government Day at the Utah State Capitol.

These experiences connect participants with broader leadership networks and provide insight into policy, infrastructure and statewide collaboration.

At its core, the Eastern Leaders Academy is about unity and progress. The program brings together elected officials, business leaders, educators and community advocates to foster collaboration and a shared vision for the future.

Jennifer Colosimo, growth and outreach director for Castleview Hospital and a 2026 graduate of the program, shared how the experience shaped her personal and professional growth.

“Eastern Leaders Academy helped reshape how I listen, connect and show up for others,” Colosimo said. “It challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and grow into a leader who leads with both confidence and purpose. The relationships and perspective I gained have truly changed how I approach my role in the community.”

Applications for the upcoming cohort are now open and the deadline to apply is June 30. Participant selection will take place in August and the program officially begins with a kickoff retreat in September. Learn more and apply at eastern.usu.edu/ela.

The full program runs through May, concluding with a graduation celebration. Tuition for the academy is $1,500, with limited scholarships available.

For those looking to expand their leadership skills, build powerful connections and make a difference in Carbon and Emery counties, Eastern Leaders Academy offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

The designation recognizes USU for developing a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan that scored 31.5 out of 36 possible points across nine evaluation categories, including leadership, goals, strategy and civic learning outcomes on the Strengthening American Democracy Action Planning Guide Rubric. USU is one of 167 campuses nationwide to earn the recognition for the 2026 cycle.

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is an initiative of Civic Nation, a nonprofit, and works with more than 1,000 colleges and universities across all 50 states. The program provides campuses with structure, support and recognition for their nonpartisan civic engagement efforts. Research shows that campuses highly engaged in ALL IN programming have student voter turnout rates 5 percentage points higher than their peers.

The ALL IN seal is awarded to colleges and universities that demonstrate a strong institutional commitment to nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and democratic participation.

USU's ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge civic engagement efforts relating to voter registration are led through the Institute of Government & Politics, a nonpartisan unit that connects students with internships, seminars and public policy experiences at the local, state and national levels.

Jennifer Seelig, director of the Institute of Government & Politics, said the recognition reflects a campuswide effort to make civic engagement part of the Aggie experience.

"We are very appreciative of the leadership of President Brad Mortensen and his emphasis on civic engagement,” Seelig said. “Drafting this action plan has helped IOGP set clear goals for encouraging and coordinating nonpartisan voter registration efforts across Utah State University as we prepare for the 2026–2027 academic year.”

The action plan has also created an opportunity to highlight the strong civic engagement work already happening across USU, Seelig said, while identifying synergies and new ways to better connect with students.

“We are building a university-wide coalition to align and strengthen these efforts and look forward to incorporating student feedback throughout the process," she added

For more information on how to get involved, email Sydney Lyman at sydney.lyman@usu.edu.

But follow-up after not passing a hearing screening is also critical, and it doesn’t always happen. Specifically, 25% of babies who do not pass a hearing screening do not get a follow up audiological evaluation. Of those diagnosed, nearly 20% are never enrolled into early intervention.

This follow-up is vital to ensuring children meet developmental milestones. Now, four states will work to improve the outcomes of infants who do not pass their newborn hearing screening by getting them the critical follow-up they need to thrive.

Specifically, USU will be working with the Mandy Jay MPH at Arkansas Hands&Voices, Matthew Bush at The University of Kentucky, Kristina Blaiser at Idaho State University, and Andrea Warner-Czyz at The University of Texas at Dallas.

The Family Navigation Consortium to Improve Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Outcomes, funded by the Oberkotter Foundation, will begin in April and continue for three years.

The effort will be led by Alyson Ward, a senior researcher at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice. She collaborates on projects with the IDRPP’s National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management. IDRPP and NCHAM are part of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.

“There is a lot of research that shows that if there is screening by one month of age, diagnostic evaluation by three months, and enrollment into early intervention by six months, milestones known as the 1-3-6, that babies with hearing differences have a much better chance at thriving similarly to their hearing peers,” Ward said. The project will work with groups in Arkansas, Texas, Idaho and Kentucky to help families reach the three- and six-month milestones.

“The overall goal is to get these babies into the services that they need to help them succeed,” Ward said.

The project will streamline the training of family navigators to guide families through getting into a pediatric audiologist and early intervention services if those steps are needed. Throughout the duration of the project, navigators will work to help families feel supported, reduce no-shows at rescheduled appointments and collect process data in order to make program improvements.

Eventually, Ward and her colleagues hope to make their navigator curriculum available to any state looking to improve outcomes for families of children with potential hearing differences.

For more information, contactJoLynne Lyon.

Each guide includes research-based relationship and social-emotional learning activities designed to strengthen communication, trust and family connections.

According to Naomi Brower, USU Extension professor and project lead, spending intentional time together helps strengthen families and supports positive youth development.

“Research shows that children who spend quality time with family often experience better academic outcomes and fewer behavioral problems,” she said. “The purpose of these guides is to strengthen family and relationship connections through having fun together.”

The Hidden Gems Adventure Guides offer inexpensive, engaging experiences families can enjoy at home, outdoors or in their communities. The guides also include activities for couples and individuals that are focused on emotional wellness and healthy relationships.

Brower said each guide is designed as a one-hour activity that focuses on specific life skills or social-emotional concepts such as communication, creativity, confidence, mindfulness, healthy choices, trust and problem-solving.

Examples of activities include scavenger hunts, baking projects, science-themed games, neighborhood adventures, hiking experiences, family history activities and relationship-building date ideas. Specific titles include Amazing Astronauts, Pirate Palooza, Money Talks, Superhero Training, and Baking Connection, among others.

The Hidden Gems program has earned multiple awards, including the 2025 Florence Hall Award from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the 2024 Best of State Award for curriculum development, and the 2024 Innovative Program Award from the Utah Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals.

In addition to family-focused guides, Brower said Extension’s Living Your Best Life series encourages single adults to explore local destinations while reflecting on personal growth, mindfulness and emotional well-being. Several locations include the Wind Caves in Logan Canyon, Ogden Botanical Gardens, the USU Sculpture Walk and others.

Hidden Gems Adventure Guides are free for download at Hidden Gems Adventure Guides.

The 2026 program will begin on May 27 and end on Sept. 7. Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art will offer special weekend hours from 6-9 p.m. Sunday, June 28, in celebration of the nationwide America 250 initiative and the Blue Star Museums program.

Visitors can see The Lure and Lore of the West exhibition, which celebrates American history in conjunction with America 250, sharing the stories about what drew people West and what inspired artists once they were here. The museum’s opening is timed to complement Utah State University’s Alumni Band patriotic concert taking place later that evening at the Daines Concert Hall, creating multiple opportunities for patrons to honor American heritage and service. Guests are invited to explore NEHMA’s galleries before or after the performance.

Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, said museums help military families stay connected to each other, to their communities and to the nation they serve.

“As our country approaches 250 years of independence, Blue Star Museums provides service members and their loved ones with meaningful opportunities to explore history and spark curiosity,” Carted said. “For military families — who often face frequent moves and time apart — these shared museum experiences offer a sense of stability, belonging and connection.”

Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families, said the program has opened doors for military families to connect, explore and feel at home.

“As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we’re proud to continue this partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and museums nationwide — welcoming military families into the heart of our nation’s story and celebrating them every step of the way,” Roth-Douquet said.

This free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States military — Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and members of the Reserves, National Guard,

U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps — and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

Beginning May 27, The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art’s summer hours will be:

• Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m to 8 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

About The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University fosters engagement with American Art from the 20th and 21st centuries, with an emphasis on art in the Western United States, to facilitate learning and promote dialogue about ideas important to the people of Utah and the mission of Utah State University. Admission is free and open to all. Free museum parking is available in the Red surface lot west of the museum, and additional parking is available in the Gateway Terrace. For more information, visit artmuseum.usu.edu or contact Chiara Elwood Sorensen, (435) 797-1564.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts. For more information, click here.

“Samantha brings an exceptional combination of leadership, strategic vision, deep care for students and a genuine passion for both USU and the Moab community,” said Kristian Olsen, deputy vice president for Statewide residential campuses. “Over the past year, she has demonstrated thoughtful leadership, strong relationship building skills and a clear understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges of the campus. She is highly respected by faculty, staff, students and community partners alike.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to be named associate vice president for the Moab campus,” Campbell said. “Having spent more than a decade working in this community, it is a dream to continue with USU in this role and have the privilege of calling Moab home.”

In addition to serving as interim AVP, Campbell also works as associate campus director and director of student services for the USU Moab campus. Known for leading with compassion, care and vision, Campbell has been instrumental in the growth of the Moab campus.

“I truly believe Samantha is the right leader at the right time for USU Moab, and I am excited about the future of the campus under her leadership,” Olsen said.

At 17:04 Coordinated Universal Time on May 21, NASA and ground operators at SDL gave final approval to power down the AWE instrument, which the operators implemented and placed the instrument in a safe configuration, signaling the end of its on-orbit mission.

SDL built the AWE instrument and manages the mission for NASA, partnering with USU Physics Professor Ludger Scherliess, the mission's principal investigator, as well as co-investigators and a multidisciplinary engineering team.

AWE is an International Space Station-mounted Heliophysics Mission of Opportunity designed to study atmospheric gravity waves by imaging Earth's faint airglow and quantifying how energy and momentum propagate from terrestrial weather into the upper atmosphere, where impacts can couple into space weather conditions. The mission builds on the life's work of late USU Professor Michael Taylor, a pioneer in the study of atmospheric gravity waves that included a heritage of more than two decades of airborne observations.

Understanding space weather disturbances is important because conditions in the ionosphere, roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface, influence the performance of satellite-based systems. Variations in atmospheric density and ionospheric structure can disrupt radio signals traveling between satellites and the ground, degrading the accuracy and reliability of navigation, communications and timing services. These effects can impact applications ubiquitous to everyday life, including GPS navigation, aviation operations, telecommunications networks and timing signals used in financial systems.

"During its initial 24-month mission, we've seen atmospheric wave signatures associated with major terrestrial events, including observations tied to Hurricane Helene on September 26, 2024, which provided a clear example of how intense weather systems can generate measurable upper-atmospheric responses," Scherliess said. "Data from AWE will continue to be made public for both professional researchers and citizen scientists."

Based on initial data releases, more than 50 science presentations have been delivered worldwide, and many scientific papers are in the process of being published.

The AWE instrument launched Nov. 9, 2023, and installation on the ISS exterior was completed shortly afterward. Following installation and activation, AWE achieved first light on Nov. 22, 2023, its first successful acquisition of gravity-wave imagery from its operational vantage point, confirming instrument performance in the space environment and enabling routine data collection.

"The SDL-built AWE instrument has captured more than 80 million nighttime images, when airglow can be seen, from over 14,000 orbits that are providing new insights into how weather phenomena in Earth's atmosphere interact with the upper atmosphere and space weather," said AWE Project Manager Russ Kirkham. "SDL has been proud to work with NASA's Heliophysics Division, Professor Scherliess, and the science team from USU, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Colorado Boulder, GATS Inc., the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the Naval Research Laboratory to document atmospheric gravity waves from a global vantage point not previously available."

The AWE payload consists of a single instrument, the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper, attached to the ISS in a nadir-viewing configuration. The mapper consists of four infrared telescopes which measure emission lines of the hydroxyl (OH) band and the atmospheric background. The mapper has a wide field of view that enables data collection of atmospheric gravity waves in the mesopause. AWE measures the temperature disturbances in the OH layer, providing sufficient resolution and precision to measure the size and motion of the waves.

The ISS robotic arm, Canadarm2, will detach the AWE instrument from its location on the station and move it to a temporary location for transfer and disposal. AWE will be loaded into the unpressurized cargo module of a Space-X Dragon spacecraft with other retired station equipment. Once loaded, Dragon will undock from the ISS and perform a deorbit burn, separating the unpressurized portion to reenter Earth's atmosphere, where AWE will burn up during reentry.

AWE is a Mission of Opportunity under NASA's Heliophysics Explorers Program, which conducts innovative, streamlined scientific investigations by developing instrumentation to answer focused science questions that augment and complement the agency's larger missions. AWE was part of a fleet of heliophysics missions positioned at key places around the solar system, observing space weather from its start at the sun to its farthest reaches on the very edge of the sun's influence, the heliosphere — and key locations in between in space. This information not only teaches us more about our astrophysical neighborhood but helps protect astronauts and technology in space.

For more information about the AWE mission, visit www.awemission.org.

USU's Department of Physics is one of 13 academic departments in the College of Arts & Sciences. As part of a land-and space-grant university, the college is a hub where science, humanities and the arts intersect to provide students with durable skills, hands-on experiences and a broad academic foundation. The college fosters discovery, supports creativity and offers academic experiences that prepare students to face future challenges. For more information, visit www.physics.usu.edu.

Headquartered at Utah State University's Innovation Campus in North Logan, SDL is an independent nonprofit corporation owned by USU that solves technical challenges faced by the military, science community, and industry and supports NASA's vision to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. SDL has field offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Chantilly, Virginia; Huntsville, Alabama; Ogden, Utah; and Stafford, Virginia. For more information, visit https://www.sdl.usu.edu/.

Guan has worked in higher ed for more than 20 years, including roles at Indiana University, Kansas State University, University of Vermont, University of Texas, and most recently serving as manager of community standards and commuter engagement at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.

"I believe I speak for the entire USU Blanding community when I say how excited I am for Ken Guan to help us continue the great work being done at our Blanding campus," said Kristian Olsen, deputy vice president for statewide residential campuses. "His decades of higher education experience, and particularly his experience and knowledge of the land-grant mission will be invaluable."

In addition to working experience at land-grant institutions, Guan has vast experience in roles in both resident life, student engagement and curriculum.

"This opportunity to join USU, and specifically USU Blanding, is a dream come true, but more importantly, it is a privilege to serve the Blanding community,” Guan said. “I am grateful for the strong foundation laid by those who led before me, and it will be an honor to bring my experience and work alongside Tribal nations, local leaders, and our dedicated faculty and staff to strengthen student success, expand regional economic opportunity, and advance both USU’s mission and the land-grant mission in this region.”

Guan will take over for Donna Blake who has been serving as interim associate vice president since May 2025.

"We’re grateful all Donna has done for USU and the Blanding community," Olsen said. "Over the years she has worked tirelessly to improve efficiency and solve problems while overseeing campus retreats, and played a vital role in the building of the new Monument Valley Education Building."

Through the establishment of the Rebecca Allen Allred Scholarship Endowment at Utah State University’s Uintah Basin campus, Rebecca’s legacy will live on in the next generation of nurses serving their communities close to home.

“Rebecca loved being a nurse,” said her husband, Clark Allred. “Everyone told me what a good nurse she was. This scholarship helps commemorate her and the work she cared so much about.”

After earning her degree, Rebecca spent years caring for patients in Vernal, where she and Clark built their life and raised their family. Even through profound personal trials, she remained gracious, kind and deeply committed to serving others — qualities that left a lasting impression on everyone she encountered.

For Clark, the decision to create the scholarship was both deeply personal and rooted in community need.

“There has always been a nursing shortage out here,” Clark said. “When Rebecca first looked for a job in Vernal, they asked if she could start immediately. The need has never really gone away.”

That reality — paired with a desire to give back — led Clark and his family to focus their support on local students pursuing nursing degrees through USU’s Statewide Campus system.

“We talked as a family and wanted to do something that would commemorate Rebecca, support Utah State, and benefit the region,” Clark said. “This just checked all the boxes.”

Utah State’s Statewide Campuses play a vital role in communities like the Uintah Basin, providing access to high-quality education without requiring students to leave home. For many, that access makes higher education possible.

“Utah State has been out here in our local community, and it makes a big difference,” Clark said. “Some of my children and now a grandson took college classes through USU while in high school. It also gives people the chance to stay here with their families and still move forward with their education.”

That local access is especially critical in fields like nursing, where communities depend on homegrown talent to meet workforce needs.

For those working directly with nursing students in the basin, scholarships like this are critical to both student success and the long-term health of local communities.

“Scholarships like this remove financial barriers for students who want to serve their own communities,” said Tabitha Cutright, coordinator of nursing at USU Uintah Basin. “We often say we ‘grow our own’ nurses. Many of our graduates stay in the Basin, helping strengthen health care in rural areas that continue to face nursing shortages. This support helps students pursue nursing without overwhelming debt while ensuring local patients receive the care they deserve.”

Clark has seen that impact firsthand through his own family.

“Our daughter is a nurse, and we’ve seen firsthand how important that is,” Clark said. “Programs like this help students get their degree, become registered nurses and serve right here where they’re needed.”

For students, financial support can be just as transformative as the access itself.

“Going to college is an investment,” Clark said. “Our four children all graduated from college, and the costs, like everything else, just keep going up. Scholarships help make it possible for students to pursue what they want to do with their lives.”

It’s a perspective shaped by experience and gratitude.

“When I went to Utah State and later to law school, scholarships helped me a lot,” Clark said. “This is a way to pass that on.”

At its heart, the scholarship is about more than financial support. It is about legacy, ensuring that Rebecca’s life continues to influence others in meaningful ways.

“She was a wonderful person, loved by everyone who knew her,” Clark said. “This creates something in her name that carries her legacy forward.”

Through each student supported, each degree earned and each patient cared for, Rebecca’s impact will continue — not only in memory but in action.

The scholarship also reflects Utah State’s broader commitment to strengthening rural communities through education and workforce development.

“As Utah state’s land-grant university, we are committed to strengthening lives and communities through education,” said David Law, associate vice president for the Uintah Basin region. “Our nursing programs provide pathways to meaningful careers while helping meet critical workforce needs close to home. We are deeply grateful for Clark Allred’s generosity through the Rebecca Allen Allred Endowment, which helps us continue to ‘grow our own’ nurses in the Basin.”

And in communities like the Uintah Basin, that impact will be felt for generations to come.

Utah State’s Statewide Campuses expand access to education and strengthen communities across Utah. Your support helps students succeed, graduate, and give back where they are needed most. Create Your Aggie Impact by supporting scholarships and student-focused programs.

Clutter has a sneaky way of crowding not just your space but your mind.

According to a study by Princeton University, researchers discovered that the environment can positively or negatively impact your ability to complete tasks and your overall mental health.

If the physical space around you feels scattered, it’s likely your mental space will feel the same.

A study by the University of Connecticut found that by removing or controlling clutter, you can directly reduce the stress that stems from the mess.

This can help you feel happier, less anxious and more confident. Decluttering also offers the following mental health benefits:

• Boosts your mood and helps improve your physical health. The ability to complete physical activity while organizing can enhance creativity by allowing the mind to wander. Letting the mind go when organizing clutter can help you relax mentally while your body is active. The combination of the two can boost your mood because you feel less stressed about what was once clutter and more accomplished as you see progress.

• Sharpens your focus. Clutter is chaotic, so it is no wonder that focusing can be a challenge. When your space is de-cluttered, it is much easier to focus because your space is organized and your belongings are easy to find. That sense of organization can help your mind stay on track to complete other tasks.

• Energizes you to become productive. While you are decluttering, you are solving problems and getting things done. You gain energy from the visual accomplishments of de-cluttering. This gained energy can also help tackle other items on your to-do list.

• Relieves anxiety. When things are not organized or clean, it can bring on anxiety. You may feel constantly stressed, worried or afraid of accumulating more clutter. To allow your mind to find peace, decluttering can lift that anxiety and help you think more clearly and feel calmer.

Consider these tips to remove the clutter in your life.

• Start small. You do not need to declutter and clean everything at once. Think of one small area that you can go through each day. For example, today go through the bottom half of the closet and tomorrow go through one of the junk drawers. In a matter of weeks, you will notice a major difference in how organized you feel. It is important to start small so you aren’t overwhelmed. Consider making a list of all the areas in your home that need to be decluttered, and tackle one small space every day or two.

• Ask a friend or family member to help. If it is difficult to start on your own, invite someone to help or just be there to keep you company. Specifically, if you have a major project, the more help you have, the more you will feel that the project is accomplishable. Sometimes outside support is needed.

• Begin cleaning with a positive mind. There is no right way to declutter because we all have different needs. Let your mind freely wander as you straighten up and organize. Shift your focus from perfectionism to simply doing. Practice a positive mind with deep breathing and positive thoughts toward yourself, what you’re about to do, and what you can accomplish.

To see the full article with references, click The Mental Benefits of Decluttering.

An additional resource is the ACT Guide for Decluttering, an online mental health program designed by psychologists at Utah State University.

The Correctional Leadership Development Program, offered through USU Salt Lake, now features more than 120 graduates since its inaugural class in 2024 — featuring UDC staff and officers from Logan to St. George — with each receiving continuing education credits, a certificate and a challenge coin emblazoned with USU and UDC.

The program offers 160 hours of instruction across four week-long modules. Addressing contemporary corrections challenges through a combination of leadership philosophies, decision-making frameworks and organizational culture strategies, the curriculum includes topics such as critical incident management, ethics and media relations to help participants confidently navigate the complexities of leadership roles within the corrections field.

The program is now set to expand with the addition of Salt Lake City Police Department and Utah State University Police in upcoming cohorts.

For more information on USU's Correctional Leadership Development Program or to inquire about future training sessions, please visit https://chass.usu.edu/criminal-justice/cldp/.

The updated research helps Utahns identify and change environments where women’s perspectives, representation and leadership remain underrepresented or missing. These findings shift the conversation away from individual perceptions of women’s experiences and toward what the data show. This reveals patterns, disparities and opportunities for meaningful change.

“This comprehensive report offers an important overview of the current status and experiences of women in Utah in a variety of areas,” said Susan Madsen, UWLP founding director and lead author of the report. “By bringing research together across multiple areas, we can better understand where progress is being made, where challenges remain and what opportunities exist to strengthen outcomes for Utah women, families, communities and the state as a whole.”

Data That Show Continued Challenges

Although Utah performs well on many statewide metrics unrelated to women, the picture changes dramatically when examining indicators focused specifically on Utah women. Across multiple data sources, a consistent pattern emerges — while many Utahns are thriving, women’s experiences with economic opportunity, leadership pathways, safety and even basic belonging diverge significantly. These data make it clear that the state’s overall success masks deep and persistent disparities in how opportunity is distributed and who has access to it. Of the 63 focus areas in the study, several stand out:

1. For the 11th consecutive year, WalletHub has ranked Utah the worst state in the nation for women’s equality in its “Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality” report.
2. U.S. News & World Report placed Utah 46th of 50 for gender equality in 2025.
3. The 2025 U.S. Women, Peace and Security Index ranked Utah 36th of 51, showing no improvement since 2020.
4. Utah continues to lag behind the nation in women’s inclusion, justice and security indicators.
5. One in three Utah women will experience contact sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking in her lifetime.
6. Over 41% will experience psychological aggression.
7. One in five Utah girls and women reports experiencing child sexual abuse.
8. Homelessness among Utah women is rising, increasing from nearly 11,600 in 2022 to more than 12,800 in 2025.
9. Over 36% of Utah single mothers with children under age 5 live in poverty, and in a state known for its family-oriented values, 1 in 3 women will experience some form of domestic violence or sexual assault.

Metrics That Have Improved

Despite these challenges, several indicators show meaningful progress:

1. Political representation is improving. In WalletHub’s 2025 “Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality,” Utah ranked 28th in political empowerment — a notable rise from 42nd in 2022, 49th in 2023 and 41st in 2024.
2. Women’s participation in STEM is increasing. The share of STEM certificates and degrees awarded to women at Utah’s public degree-granting institutions rose from 20.7% in 2017 to 23.2% in 2022.

“Even with these modest gains, the latest research on Utah’s women and girls shows clearly where improvement is still needed,” Madsen said. “To sustain Utah’s long-term success — and to ensure that communities remain places where children and families can truly thrive — meaningful, data-informed change is essential.”

Corinne Clarkson, Utah Women & Leadership Project research associate, co-authored the report.

Introduced last year, the Dean’s Leadership Fellows program provides participants with insight into the college’s administrative and operational structure while helping them develop leadership skills and values.

Fellows are mentored by college leaders, engage with peers, complete leadership-focused assignments, and apply their skills through a capstone project that benefits the college. The program is made possible through resources provided by the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation.

“Our administrative team is excited to support these budding leaders within our college and to watch their projects evolve over the coming year,” said Endowed Dean Al Smith. “Leadership Fellows help strengthen cross-college connection and meaningfully build upon our student, staff and faculty success efforts. I am grateful for their commitment to our college goals and look forward to working with them.”

Kristy Bloxham: Alumni-Student Mentoring Program

Kristy Bloxham, professional practice professor in the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, is piloting an alumni student mentoring program.

The program will connect undergraduate seniors and graduate students with alumni mentors through one-on-one partnerships that last the full academic year. It will include a recruitment and matching process, structured check-ins, and a scalable framework that can be implemented across departments.

“I was inspired by seeing the power of alumni connections in the ITLS department,” Bloxham said. “Our alumni have been remarkably generous in giving back to USU, which has helped students prepare for their careers, land jobs and internships, and build professional confidence. I’ve also seen how re-engaging with alumni helps them feel connected to our program. I want to bring that same energy to the broader college.”

Bloxham’s first steps involve recruiting alumni mentors and opening applications for students interested in the program. From there, she will pair mentors and mentees and establish a simple structure for check-ins to support each partnership throughout the academic year.

Looking ahead, Bloxham said she hopes this program will create a lasting connection between CEHS students and the alumni community.

“For students, I want the program to open doors to careers, networks, and the real-world guidance that makes a difference in those early professional years,” she said. “For alumni, I hope it offers a genuine way to stay connected to USU and to invest in the next generation of graduates.”

Ramy Shaaban: Human-Centered AI Workforce Readiness Initiative

Ramy Shaaban, professional practice associate professor in the ITLS department, is starting an AI workforce readiness initiative. The project will include a professional development workshop series for faculty members, which will help them integrate AI into their teaching. The second part of the project is to create a student certificate in AI applications, allowing undergraduates to gain practical AI skills relevant to their profession.

Shaaban said his inspiration came from his background in medicine and instructional technology as well as working in the Human Experience Design and Interaction program, where he serves as a Bachelor of Science program coordinator. His project is also closely aligned with the Utah System of Higher Education’s new resolution to equip college students with pro-human AI workforce skills.

“Through my experience, I kept seeing the same gap — our students are entering professions that increasingly demand AI literacy, but we don’t have a systematic, college-wide way to prepare them,” Shaaban said. “This fellowship is an opportunity to build that infrastructure across our eight departments rather than leaving it to individual faculty to figure out on their own.”

Shaaban is beginning to build the infrastructure for this initiative by creating a student certificate program, designing workshops for faculty and consulting department heads to identify AI skills their students need.

“I want CEHS students to graduate as AI natives — professionals who are fluent in using AI thoughtfully and ethically in their fields,” Shaaban said. “Beyond the students, I hope the faculty workshops create a lasting culture shift where AI integration becomes part of how we teach across the college. If we do this well, CEHS can be a regional leader in AI workforce readiness.”

Nate Trauntvein: Instructor Support, Teaching Excellence and Workforce Readiness

Nate Trauntvein, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, is developing a project aimed to support CEHS faculty who are not full-time — including adjunct faculty, graduate instructors and other professionals — through online training modules, structured onboarding and ongoing support.“A lot of our programs rely heavily on these instructors who bring incredible professional experience into the classroom, but the systems we have in place to support them are often inconsistent, which impacts the instructors and students,” Trauntvein said. “This project is about strengthening that bridge by helping instructors feel more prepared, connected and supported, which ultimately improves the student experience.”This summer, Trauntvein will begin meeting with department heads and program directors and gathering feedback from instructors through surveys and interviews. He said the goal is to understand what’s working well, identify gaps and find ways to enhance support for non-full-time instructors.“I hope this project helps these instructors succeed by supporting stronger teaching, better student results and a greater sense of belonging within CEHS,” Trauntvein said. “If we build a system that is both supportive and sustainable, it can ease the workload for departments and improve the experience for everyone.”

The series’ fourth and final episode, “Waters,” which premiered May 20, features segments on research in Utah State University’s Department of Watershed Sciences and scientists with the Beaver Ecology & Relocation Collaborative and their work with ranchers and land managers. The series highlights the work of Professor Joe Wheaton, Idaho rancher Jay Wilde and wildlife biologist Nate Norman, whose efforts to relocate “nuisance” beavers have helped revitalize parts of the Wilde family ranch in Franklin County by holding more water on the land.

Wheaton and colleagues’ work with beavers to improve watersheds in many parts of the West was the subject of a Utah State Today article that Wilde read at a time when he was deeply concerned about his family’s ranch, where dry creek and streambeds were remnants of waterways that had once flowed year-round. Deepening drought and rising temperatures in the region had diminished the flow until there was little to no water running on the ranch for most of the year.

It occurred to Wilde that beavers had once built lodges and dams in the area and were widely considered a nuisance, but that he had not seen any on the ranch for many years. He tried on his own to reintroduce beavers, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Wilde contacted Wheaton, who evaluated many parts of the ranch to see whether beavers might be part of a solution to Wilde’s water problems.

The key was giving beavers a safer landing spot by building structures that mimic beaver dams and providing them with choices and the protection of deeper water into which they could be released. Then, once a wet and muddy foundation had been laid by humans, eight “nuisance” beavers that had been live-trapped with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game were released into Birch Creek.

“What excited me when Jay contacted us was that here was a rancher on a creek like tens of thousands across the American West who had come to the conclusion himself that beavers might be part of the solution,” Wheaton said. “And he had already done all the really hard work of improving the grazing management so the vegetation conditions along the creek were such that beavers could thrive and have plenty to work with.”

Shared Planet also features the work Norman and colleagues at the Beaver Bunkhouse do to relocate beavers that might otherwise have been killed. While beavers can damage trees, roads and irrigation systems, in the right areas they can also provide many ecological benefits.

At a site a few miles south of USU’s Logan campus, students and members of the public volunteer to keep the Beaver Bunkhouse efforts alive and work with scientists to support relocating beavers to degraded rivers and surrounding ecosystems. To ensure all beavers are healthy before being relocated, they are given health checks and held safely for 72 hours before being introduced to a new area. See more about the work at the Beaver Bunkhouse here.

Wheaton said the work that Wilde, natural resource agencies, volunteers, students and his own team have done has been a catalyst for rehabilitating riverscapes across the United States and in Canada and Europe.

“Jay’s story has motivated ranchers not just here in the American West, but everywhere from New Mexico to Alberta, and farmers from Kansas and Nebraska to the French countryside,” Wheaton said.

Among the things people generally do not understand about beavers is what motivates them to do the remarkable work they do. It is not just about building or being “busy as a beaver.” It is about individual and family safety. Beavers are easy prey when they are waddling around on land, but they are agile swimmers, and deep water lets them escape predators.

Wheaton said he came away from Shared Planet with a new understanding of the process and an appreciation for the time it requires. Getting shots just right and from different angles means filming for hours when only a few seconds will appear in the final film.

“Knowing how long it takes to do meticulous science to get that one crucial finding and then present it concisely made it fun to see how much intentional thought and work goes into a filmmaker telling their story,” Wheaton said.

Shared Planet is available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and Vizio.

In 2025, USU Eastern’s Eastern Special Collections & Archives was awarded a $5,000 Utah Collections Preservation Grant to improve the preservation, storage and accessibility of valuable historical collections housed within the university’s Library & Learning Commons.

The grant has already created visible progress for the archives, according to Aimee Lauritsen, Archives & Special Collections and Library & Learning Commons building manager at USU Eastern.

“The collections in ESCA were without a completed inventory, and several collections did not have proper storage,” Lauritsen said. “By creating a comprehensive inventory of all ESCA holdings, we can provide ease in access.”

The funding allowed ESCA staff to purchase new shelving for a recently added workroom space as well as archival-safe preservation materials designed to protect delicate historical items from damage caused by light, dust and age.

The new workroom and storage area, located in LLC 103, now serves as a dedicated space for storage, preservation work, research assistance and collection organization. The improvements also enhance the experience for visitors and researchers using the Lee Reading Room in LLC 108.

Several important regional collections were preserved through the project, including:

• College of Eastern Utah Alumni Office scrapbooks (1938-1999).
• Castle Valley Community Theatre scrapbooks (1957-1997).
• Carbon College and College of Eastern Utah Debate scrapbooks (1938-2002).

Additional archival-safe file storage boxes were used to preserve the Utah State University Eastern Theatre Student Actors and Production files along with the College of Eastern Utah Alumni Member files.

As materials were properly preserved and organized, they were also added into a comprehensive inventory system that will improve access for researchers, students, staff and community members.

Lauritsen emphasized the importance of preserving these collections not only for the university, but for the broader Eastern Utah community.

“Preservation of these collections is important not only to our campus but also our community,” Lauritsen said. “Many things have changed over the years, but one thing that has not changed is the connection that our campus has with our community.”

The collections housed within ESCA document decades of local education, theater, student life, leadership and community engagement throughout the Carbon and Emery County region.

“The history and information preserved in these collections is invaluable,” Lauritsen said. “The collections are available to use for research and public engagement.”

While the grant project is nearing completion, Lauritsen said the work of preservation is ongoing.

“There is much continued work needed in our preservation efforts with additional collections waiting to be properly preserved and inventoried,” she said, “but the progress made is truly visible and the grant received gave us a much needed push forward.”

The project represents another step in USU Eastern’s continued commitment to preserving the stories, memories and historical connections that continue to shape Eastern Utah.

The university received a $15,000 prize donation, which will be awarded to the Rocky Mountain Veterans Center.

USU was one of seven finalists chosen based on efforts to fully integrate Operation Hat Trick on and off their campuses through a presence in their bookstores and retail outlets; promoting veterans’ causes through their social media properties and advertising campaigns; and generating additional revenue that will be used to support the recovery of wounded service members and veterans.

“We are incredibly proud of how the Aggie community has embraced the Operation Hat Trick brand,” said Heidi Adams, USU director of licensing and brand activation. “This recognition reflects a massive team effort across our campus and retail partners. It’s an honor to use the power of the USU brand to generate meaningful support for the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.”

Utah State has been recognized by Operation Hat Trick every year since 2018. This most recent donation brings USU’s total contributions to the Rock Mountain Veterans Center to $78,000 over that span.

About Operation Hat Trick

Founded by Dot Sheehan in 2007, Operation Hat Trick generates awareness, support and funding for the recovery of America’s wounded service members and veterans. The 501(c)(3) has been recognized by GuideStar eight years in a row as a Platinum seal of transparency organization for its responsible stewardship.

Dedicated to Nate Hardy and Mike Koch, two Navy SEALs who were killed in Iraq in 2008 and are buried side by side at Arlington National Cemetery, Operation Hat Trick never forgets their sacrifice.

Operation Hat Trick’s innovative operational business model is clearly differentiated from other veteran-focused nonprofits. Operation Hat Trick pioneered the first national philanthropic, co-branded, cause marketing retail apparel licensing program in America. Instead of relying on donations, Operation Hat Trick raises money by selling distinctive headwear and apparel, receiving a royalty from every product purchase. More than 500 American universities and colleges display their logos with Operation Hat Trick’s on co-branded merchandise. Many businesses, NHL, NBA and MiLB teams are also active supporters.

Support and learn more about Operation Hat Trick by visiting operationhattrick.org.

For many, the situation is further compounded by language barriers. Imagine not only struggling to comprehend legal terms, but trying to understand them in a language in which you aren't proficient.

That's a challenge facing thousands of Utah residents, including Hispanic Utahns with limited English proficiency.

"Utah's population has become increasingly linguistically diverse, with Spanish representing the most commonly requested language for court proceedings," says Elsa Pérez, assistant professor in Utah State University's Department of World Languages and Cultures in the College of Arts and Sciences and co-director of the translation and interpretation studies degree program. "Utah's legal system struggles to keep up with the pace. They report more than 4,000 encounters a month involving clients who need interpretation assistance."

Jessica Vázquez-Leavitt, language access program manager for Utah State Courts, says at times, the state has to hire certified interpreters from other states.

"We have a serious shortage of interpreters of varied skill levels and especially of certified interpreters," she says. "This means we experience delays with trials, hearings and court proceedings, causing defendants to remain incarcerated and creating inefficiency in our system."

Vázquez-Leavitt says the state approached USU and proposed a collaboration with the university to develop a comprehensive, statewide training program to prepare students to become credentialed Spanish/English court interpreters.

"USU's translation and interpretation program demonstrated success in training students for medical interpretation," she says. "The university has a statewide reach, and we were impressed with USU faculty members' willingness and eagerness to work toward a court interpreting training program."

Working with USU, Utah State Courts secured funding from the state legislature to initiate the Court Interpreting Training Program. The 11-week program at the Matheson Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City began this spring with 52 students selected from more than 400 applicants.

"Three years ago, we started the medical interpretation program, and in that time, 280 students from our program have been certified and hired by various hospitals and other medical institutions throughout the state," Pérez says. "We took what we learned from this program, including pedagogy, technology, curriculum development, web resources and test preparation, and have applied it to the legal training program."

Pérez's colleague Sofía Monzón Rodríguez, assistant professor in USU's Department of World Languages and Cultures, who co-directs the translation and interpretation studies degree program, serves as principal investigator for the training program. USU faculty member Jason Twede, associate professor of criminal justice in the School of Social Sciences, is also part of the instruction team.

Monzón says the current national test pass rate for court interpreters is dismally low.

"Only about 6 percent of test takers pass the test and gain credentials," she says. "That's not nearly enough to meet the demand. We're working hard to turn that around in Utah."

Among the reasons the test is so difficult is the simultaneous interpretation requirement.

"It's not enough to be bilingual," Monzón says. "And it's not enough to be familiar with legal terminology."

Court interpreting requires specialized skill in simultaneous interpretation, meaning the interpreter must translate and speak, with only a few seconds of delay, as lawyers, judges, witnesses and others continue speaking. In a fast-paced courtroom setting, interpreters typically sit behind the person needing interpretation, with each communicating via a headset. Or they may sit beside each other with the interpreter speaking softly, using a technique known as chuchotage — real-time whispered interpreting.

"It requires practice, practice and more practice," says Monzón, adding that the national standard for simultaneous court interpreting is 130 words per minute. "The courtroom tempo is fast. If you encounter an unfamiliar term, you can only hesitate a few seconds. You have to move on."

Undergraduate Anaid Sánchez, a junior majoring in translation and interpretation on the Logan campus, is among the inaugural cohort of students participating in Saturday classes.

Simultaneous interpretation, she says, is "hard and it isn't."

"I grew up bilingual; both my parents speak only Spanish," says Sánchez, who graduated from Utah's Green Canyon High School in 2023. "As long as I can remember, I was already interpreting, without knowing I was interpreting."

And yet she admits her first attempts at simultaneous court interpreting were "awful."

Sánchez says she's learned not to "hyper-focus" on what a person is saying, but to focus on her own "output."

"You have to passively listen and actively speak," she says. "I'm interpreting in my brain but only speaking one language, so in that sense it's easier than an interpretive situation where you're switching back and forth between speaking two languages."

Sánchez says the repeated practice has made the interpretation process easier and "even my mom says my Spanish is getting better."

The first-generation college student, who was awarded a Utah Promise Scholarship and participated in the Aggie First Scholars program, says she was motivated to pursue the legal interpretation program from her experiences volunteering with the No More a Stranger (NOMAS) Foundation. The statewide nonprofit, which operates in Logan, provides free legal immigration services to immigrants, migrants and refugees.

"From my work with NOMAS, I realized how badly needed legal interpretation is," Sánchez says. "As a volunteer, I'm usually translating simple documents, but people are so grateful even for that small service. I can already see the impact interpretation can make."

She says she's grateful to her USU faculty mentors who are "helping me get to the next level."

"I see their passion and commitment and that motivates me to commit to the court interpreting program, even when it means commuting to Salt Lake every Saturday," Sánchez says. "I tell myself I need to be at every class, make the most of class resources and study hard to pass the state exam. I want to be a certified court interpreter working the in the field before I graduate from Utah State."

Reflecting on students who've completed USU's medical interpretation program, Pérez says seeing graduates succeed and making a difference in communities in one of the most rewarding parts of her job. She looks forward to similar success with the court interpreting training program.

"Even though technology is advancing and AI tools are available, human interpreters are still crucial," she says. "Humans understand cultural nuances, ensure privacy, adhere to a strict code of ethics and have the emotional intelligence to accomplish the important work of interpretation."

Credentialed interpreters, she says, play a vital role in promoting fairness, efficiency and trust in the legal system. Interpreters' participation in legal proceedings improves communication accuracy, reduces delays and appeals, and ultimately enhances court efficiency for everyone.

"Utah needs us and its courts are super-ready to hire our graduates across the state," Pérez says. "We want to be part of the solution. We want to train people who can make a positive difference in our communities."

Vásquez-Leavitt says the state is hopeful it can grow its roster of certified court interpreters.

"We can usually put students who pass everything but the oral exam to work as Approved-level interpreters within a couple of months," she says. "Candidates can apply for full-time, benefited positions when available or, if they choose, they can pursue work as independent contractors with more flexible schedules."

Working with USU, Vásquez-Leavitt says, has been a pleasure.

"We hope to continue this partnership," she says. "USU faculty have made a concerted effort to ensure the training program is efficient and meets our needs."

The day began with several local experiences exploring the region’s history and culture. Participants visited the Historic Coke Ovens, an attraction that honors the mining history of Carbon County. They also hiked the Buried Forest Concretions Trail, a trail leading to a hillside with large circular formations that resemble cross sections of trees, formed by mineral deposits in the rock. These experiences encouraged participants to reflect on the people, industries and cultures that have shaped the region over time.

Throughout the day, the academy also heard from a variety of local artists who shared insights into the complexities of the art community in Helper, Utah. They spoke about the challenges and rewards of working as artists in the area, as well as the personal stories that led them to pursue art in Carbon County.

The academy reconvened in the evening for graduation, where the 14 participants walked across the stage to mark the completion of the nine-month leadership development program. Graduates were joined by board members, champions and previous program participants as they celebrated both the newest graduates and the continued impact of the program.

The evening emphasized gratitude for the experience and the year as a whole. While this year’s cohort had come to a close, graduates were encouraged to carry the lessons forward and apply them in their personal and professional lives to continue contributing to the growth of Carbon and Emery counties.

“The lessons I’ve learned here are things I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” said ELA graduate Ashley Vincent, “and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this program.”

The ceremony included reflections from graduates on their experience in the program, highlighting both the growth and lasting connections made over the past nine months.

“I feel incredibly grateful; grateful for the opportunities, the lessons, the friendship, the mentors and the growth,” said graduate Kenzie Burnett. “The relationships built and lessons learned over these last nine months will stay with me for years to come.”

“We had a great day and were excited to see so many students getting involved in hands-on science learning fun,” says J.R. Dennison, professor in USU’s Department of Physics, a Physics Day founder and a longtime coordinator of the event. “It takes a lot of dedicated people to pull off an event like this, so we’re very grateful to our generous sponsors, our staff and our volunteers who return again and again to help us make the magic happen.”

Dennison says more than a hundred volunteers sign up and show up each year to set up activities, lead competitions, serve as judges, coordinate prizes, hand out T-shirts and lunch tickets, and pitch in with the myriad of tasks needed to help the massive event run smoothly.

“Our volunteers are students, alumni, employees from corporate and government sponsors, staff members from USU and INL, and often family members and friends of all of the above,” he says. “In addition, USU colleges, departments and student clubs show up with exhibits and demonstrations to share. It’s a labor of love and we greatly appreciate it.”

Caleb Black, who graduated from USU with a bachelor’s degree in physics in December 2025 and is currently a graduate student at the University of Utah, first experienced Physics Day while attending as a student from Riverview Junior High School in Murray, Utah.

“I remember how much fun I had and how the experience influenced my decision to attend Utah State,” says Black, who volunteered for the 2026 event along with brother Micah Black, a U. student. “I love returning to be involved with outreach at Physics Day, because I learn so much from the questions students ask me. There’s always something new to learn and think about when it comes to physics.”

USU undergraduate Gabriel Decker, a dual physics and computer science major, returned for a second year of volunteer service at Physics Day.

“It’s a fun experience and a great opportunity for teens to learn about how science can be applied to everyday things,” says Decker, who assisted teens measuring G-forces with self-built accelerometers on the Wicked vertical launch roller coaster. “Helping students learn about physics also helps me think about concepts from different perspectives and improves my communication skills.”

Physics undergraduate Reed Fuller stayed busy throughout the daylong event helping teens check in for competitions and in setting up amusement park ride designs they’d labored over for months to bring to Lagoon.

“It’s a lot of fun to talk with students and hear about the process they went through to design an amusement park ride of the future,” Fuller says. “They put a lot of thought and effort into their projects, and it’s interesting to hear their insights. Physics Day is also a good time to talk about their future interests and how they can benefit from continuing their studies at Utah State.”

Utah State Admissions awarded $18,000 in scholarships to high school students participating in the day’s annual Physics Bowl competition. Members of the first-place team, Paul Larsen, Elliott Dunlap and Aloyn Westcott of Green Canyon High School in North Logan, Utah, each received $4,000 scholarships to Utah State. Members of the second-place team, Addyson Boren, Oliver Collings and William Anderson of Alta High School in Sandy, Utah, each received $2,000 scholarships to USU. These scholarships, to be disbursed over four years, will be added to any other USU academic scholarships the incoming first-year students may be awarded.

“Award recipients in the day’s other competitions, including amusement park ride design, logo design, the G-forces competition and the Egg Drop competition, received science-themed prizes donated by our sponsors,” Dennison says. “We’re grateful to all the organizations and individuals who make this event possible, fun and enriching each year.”

Utah State University Extension has released a comprehensive guide to help consumers safely and effectively freeze-dry foods at home. Can I Freeze-Dry That? A Practical Guide to Safe and Effective Freeze-Drying provides research-based recommendations on how freeze-drying works, what foods are suitable and how to avoid common food safety risks.

According to Jose Brandao, Extension food safety specialist, one of the most important messages in the guide is that freeze-drying does not kill bacteria. Instead, it preserves microorganisms in a dormant state. If moisture is reintroduced, such as during rehydration or improper storage, bacteria can become active again. This means foods such as meat and eggs must be fully cooked either before freeze-drying or after rehydration to ensure they are safe to eat.

“Lyophilization” is the technical term for the process of freezing a product's water, placing it under a vacuum, and raising the temperature to allow water to change directly from solid to vapor — thus creating freeze-drying. There are three key steps: freezing the food, converting ice directly into vapor and removing remaining moisture with gentle heat. The cycle can take hours or sometimes days, depending on the quantity and type of food.

Consider this information to have the best results when freeze-drying.

• Many freeze-dried meals are indistinguishable from fresh home cooking but require careful attention to food safety and proper technique. Proper freeze-drying reduces water activity to levels at which bacteria and mold can’t grow, significantly extending shelf-life to several years when properly packaged and stored.
• Not all foods are ideal candidates for freeze-drying. High-fat foods such as mayonnaise do not freeze-dry well and can become unsafe. Raw animal products, including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and unpasteurized dairy also pose food safety risks and should not be freeze-dried without proper preparation.
• Foods that perform best are fruits, vegetables, cooked meats, grains and beans. The guide recommends cutting food into small, uniform pieces and pre-freezing items to improve drying efficiency and final quality.
• Proper equipment use and sanitation are critical. Home freeze-dryers require controlled temperatures, good ventilation and significant energy use. Some models are also quite loud. Experts emphasize the importance of clean surfaces, complete drying and immediate packaging to prevent contamination and moisture reabsorption.
• Freeze-drying is a space-age preservation tool now available to the average consumer, but it’s important to remember that these machines require the same attention to food safety protocols as other food preservation methods.

The process helps retain food’s original flavor, texture and nutrients more effectively than traditional drying methods, making it increasingly popular among home users, backpackers and “preppers,” or those people preparing for unforeseen food shortages.

This three-year grant of nearly $600,000 will support new research focused on improving the prediction of dangerous solar radiation storms, known as solar energetic particle events, using artificial intelligence and advanced data science techniques.

“By leveraging multimodal machine learning, this award will support the development of more accurate and interpretable forecasts of solar energetic particle events, helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI and real-world space weather operations,” Filali Boubrahimi said.

These solar events occur when the sun releases bursts of high-energy particles into space, potentially disrupting satellites, GPS and navigation systems, radio communications, and power infrastructure, while also posing risks to astronauts during space missions. Because these events are complex and difficult to predict, Filali Boubrahimi is working to better understand the warning signs and solar conditions that occur before they happen.

“This project ultimately seeks to improve our ability to understand and mitigate the impacts of extreme solar activity on modern technological infrastructure,” Filali Boubrahimi added.

The research will analyze data collected over the past two solar cycles from several major space missions and observatories, including NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, Wind, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites and the Advanced Composition Explorer. These instruments continuously monitor the sun and the space environment around Earth.

Filali Boubrahimi will combine multiple types of solar data — including images of the sun, measurements of solar magnetic activity, solar wind conditions and energetic particle observations — into one large, organized database. By studying this information together, she hopes to identify patterns that signal when a solar energetic particle event may be about to occur.

She will then develop advanced artificial intelligence models that can learn from these patterns and improve forecasting accuracy. Some models will examine the “big picture” across all available data, while others will focus on specific types of observations to detect smaller but important clues. Together, these systems will analyze solar activity from multiple perspectives.

In addition to predicting solar energetic particle events, the project will investigate how these solar particles are accelerated and travel through space after an eruption occurs. Machine-learning tools will help group similar events together and improve understanding of the physical processes that drive the most dangerous radiation storms.

The final forecasting system will be made publicly available through the Community Coordinated Modeling Center, helping researchers, government agencies and space weather forecasters improve monitoring and preparedness efforts.

Beyond its scientific goals, the research will also support student training by incorporating real-world space weather data and artificial intelligence methods into data science coursework. Students will gain hands-on experience working with large scientific datasets and modern analytical tools that are increasingly important across science and technology fields.

Filali Boubrahimi has received more than $2.3 million in research funding from the National Science Foundation over the past four years, serving as both a principal investigator and co-principal investigator.

The National Science Foundation was established by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science, advance national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure national defense. It supports science and engineering research across all 50 states and U.S. territories.

The SHINE program supports about $3 million in research awards each year to study how the sun produces and sends energy and particles through space toward Earth. Its goal is to improve understanding and prediction of space weather by bringing scientists together to collaborate on these questions.

Johnson returned to the classroom in 2020 after a 23-year break spent raising children and traveling the country for her husband’s Air Force career. Now, she is utilizing USU’s specialized resources to bring her lifelong passion to a professional music career.

"I don't know that I ever planned to go back, but we ended up retiring in Logan," Johnson said. "I just came across a couple of people who had graduated from piano performance at the university here, and it just got me thinking … I do want to go back and do that."

While Johnson has played piano for most of her life, she noted that the program in USU’s Department of Music has provided her with a more "well-rounded skill set" than her initial studies in the late 1990s. The curriculum combines traditional performance with pedagogy and collaborative work, such as accompanying singers and instrumentalists. Beyond the practice room, Johnson credits the university’s focus on music history and analysis for boosting her professional confidence as an instructor.

"It has influenced my piano teaching in a very good way," Johnson said. "Having a better background in piano music history, and a lot more confidence in being able to look at a piece of music and analyze it with a student, has been remarkably helpful."

A hallmark of Johnson’s time at USU was receiving a Summer Arts research grant, which allowed her to travel to Arkansas to study the manuscripts of African American composer Florence Price. The project culminated in a lecture-recital involving local youths and USU faculty.

Johnson also highlighted the piano program’s interdisciplinary efforts, including "piano area concerts" that integrate art students, dancers and even silent film accompaniment.

"I love how the piano faculty has reached out to other departments," Johnson said. "There's been just really great collaborative effort there."

With her coursework complete and her senior recital on the horizon, Johnson is now looking toward entrepreneurship. While she plans to continue teaching, she is also developing plans for a new music-focused business where she hopes to hire fellow pianists.

As she prepares for her senior recital next year, the final step toward completing her degree, Johnson’s return to higher education continues to shape both her musicianship and her ambitions, reaffirming the commitment that brought her back to finish what she started.

“We used to have this more traditional way of doing things, and now we have all these new, disruptive technologies,” Esteghamati said. “I think it's very important to understand how we can adopt this technology and use it for engineering.”

After taking research, teaching, graduate student mentorship and service into consideration, Esteghamati, a first-generation student and assistant professor of structural engineering at Utah State, has won three major awards in a single academic year:

• 2026 Winner of the Engineering Educator of the Year, Structural Engineers Association of Utah.
• 2026 Winner of the Terry Peshia Early Career Faculty Award, American Institute of Steel Construction.
• 2026 Winner of the Engineering Educator of the Year, Utah Engineers Council.

"Sometimes we wonder about our roles and the impact that we have as professors,” Esteghamati said. “To me, a good educator is somebody that serves people. One that nourishes and serves people and elevates them in life. I feel like getting these awards kind of reinforced that I had an impact. So that was meaningful.”

As a first-generation student, Esteghamati wasn’t sure he fit in as an academic because he didn’t see many people like himself. It was a struggle, but he appreciates the way his education shaped him and the people that encouraged him.

“I feel like our college is very supportive,” Esteghamati said. “I was lucky to have a department head, Marvin Halling, that has been a great example of what an educator should be.”

Now Esteghamati sees an opportunity to give back.

“Being an immigrant, you know, that's always in the back of your head,” Esteghamati said. “You are trained to have a bit of a global perspective. I think science by nature is an international effort.”

Esteghamati believes that students from the College of Engineering are well-positioned to contribute on a state, national and global level.

“I want my students to be able to adopt these technologies and really help us and help our field move towards the next stop,” Esteghamati said. “I don't know what that looks like, but I am hopeful that we can figure it out together.”

Esteghamati is the co-leader of the new Utah Earthquake Engineering Research Center and is the center’s leader in earthquake resilience, focused on the growing concerns of the Wasatch Fault.

At the Utah Transportation Center, Esteghamati is helping to develop AI models to prioritize maintenance, repair, and ensure that bridges and beyond stay in quality condition.

Esteghamati earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology, a master's degree in structural engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology, a master's degree in statistics from the University of Akron, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering at Virginia Tech.

The CIMA Mentor Award celebrates members who actively cultivate career development within the archival community by advocating for students and new professionals, providing sustained guidance in professional growth and self-assessment, fostering collaborative networks and creating productive, supportive work environments in the archival profession. Davis exemplifies these values through decades of committed service, teaching and mentorship.Since joining Utah State University Libraries in 2000, Davis has served as a central figure in archival instruction and outreach. As a longtime instructor for the archives management course, he has guided USU undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in history, museum studies and archives, while also coordinating experiential learning opportunities such as hands-on internships and practicum placements. His work provides essential professional training opportunities, particularly in a region without an in-state MLIS program.

Beyond the classroom, Davis mentors students, staff and faculty through individualized guidance, including supporting thesis work, advising on career pathways, facilitating conference participation and championing colleagues through promotion and tenure processes. His advocacy has had lasting impact, with many of his mentees going on to successful careers in archives, libraries and related fields.

Colleagues consistently note Davis’s thoughtful, generous approach to mentorship and his unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive, collaborative and intellectually supportive environment. Through decades of service, he has helped open doors, build professional confidence and strengthen connections across the archival community.

The CIMA Mentor Award was formally presented on May 15 during the 2026 Conference of Intermountain Archivists Annual Conference.

Dan Davis’s selection for the CIMA Mentor Award reflects his profound influence on the next generation of archivists and his enduring contributions to the profession through teaching, mentorship and leadership.