In the News

Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 27, 2021

USU's UWLP sponsors free Fall Women's Leadership Forum

The Utah State University Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) sponsors a fireside chat with Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson on women and leadership. The second annual Fall Women’s Leadership Forum is held Friday, October 1, from noon to 1:15 p.m. on the USU Brigham City campus and virtually. The event is free.
Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Sep. 22, 2021

USU Theatre Arts Department announces 2021-22 season

After a year of dark stages and virtual presentations due to the coronavirus, the Theatre Arts Department at Utah State University has announced a full schedule of shows for its 2021-2022 season.

The first main stage production of the season will be Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare in mid-October, following an unusual digital showcase by the department’s light and projection design students.
The Herald Journal Friday, Sep. 17, 2021

USU equine science program gets new horseback riding simulator

Students studying equine science at Utah State University now have access to a new, rare horseback riding simulator. Kelli Munns, a senior lecturer of equine science at USU who facilitated the purchase of the simulator, said the unit is one of fewer than 10 stateside, and the first to be used in a university setting in the U.S. Munns said the simulator not only helps students understand horseback riding fundamentals, it also helps more advanced riders elevate their understanding.
Cache Valley Daily Sunday, Sep. 12, 2021

USU football ranks top 50 teams in the nation in 14 statistical categories
Following its 48-24 non-conference home win against North Dakota last weekend, Utah State football ranks among the top 50 teams in the nation in 14 different statistical categories, including being one of 50 teams that has yet to lose a game.
Utah Public Radio Friday, Sep. 10, 2021

USUPD Becomes Accredited Police Department

The Utah State University Police Department received its accreditation from the Utah Chiefs of Police Association on Wednesday.

According to a press release from the university, USU Police is the second university police department in the state to receive such accreditation. The accreditation required “compliance with all standards and requirements set forth in the state’s 32-chapter accreditation standards manual. In total, the manual has 173 standards, each with its own set of requirements.”
Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 06, 2021

Extension Water Quality Program leads statewide trails and waterways cleanup

Utah State University Water Quality Extension leads Pack It Out Utah, Utah’s second statewide trails and waterways volunteer cleanup, Sept. 11 to 19. Local governments, nonprofits, organizations and volunteers across Utah will partner to remove garbage from public lands and near waterways to help improve water quality.
Utah Public Radio Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2021

USU Team Awarded MIRA Grant For Cerebral Shaping Research

Yu Huang, an assistant professor in biological engineering at Utah State University, and his team received a $1.8 million grant to conduct research that will potentially answer questions that have been asked in the biological engineering field for decades. They were the only researchers in Utah awarded the Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award in 2021.
Navajo Times Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021

6-week STEM program sees success (USU Blanding)

American Indian Services, a nonprofit organization, offered a six-week program for incoming seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders known as American Indian Services Pre-Freshman Engineering Program, or AIS PREP. AIS PREP Blanding is one of six sites that offer this summer program, located at Utah State University-Blanding campus led by Hunter Warren.
ABC4 News Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021

USU students want to save the monarch butterfly in new project

The majestic monarch butterfly is facing unprecedented decline and Utah State University wants to make sure that doesn’t happen. To aid the struggling species, Utah State University students have been capturing and tagging monarch butterflies in the Uintah Basin region to better understand the decline.
KSLtv.com Friday, Aug. 27, 2021

USU establishes plan to keep classrooms safe from COVID-19

Seating charts and contact tracing are among the tools being used as classes start up on Monday at Utah State and Weber State. Both schools are approaching the situation by, ideally, keeping a close eye on COVID-19 cases in each class.
The Herald Journal Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021

18th annual 'Blood Battle' pits USU, Weber students in friendly competition

While the nation continues to face a blood shortage, two universities in Utah are hoping to collect 2,000 units of blood as part of a friendly competition.

As part of the 18th annual Blood Battle, Utah State University and Weber State University are each working to collect 1,000 units of blood. Timothy Schwen is the North American account manager for the American Red Cross and said this blood drive is unlike any other.
Salt Lake Tribune Monday, Aug. 23, 2021

USU to help look for Paiute children believed buried at former school

The bodies of Paiute children are likely buried below summer grasses at the site of an Indigenous boarding school they were forced to attend in Panguitch, Utah tribal leaders and history experts say. Utah State University plans to apply ground-penetrating radar to the 150-acre site.
The Herald Journal Monday, Aug. 02, 2021

USU Extension leads effort to get farmers' market produce to food pantries

Through the “Buy Produce for Your Neighbor” program, Cache Valley residents can buy fresh produce for people in need.

LaCee Jimenez, social marketing coordinator at Utah State University Extension Create Better Health, said what makes this program different from other food drives is the focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, which can be harder to come by at food pantries.
KSL Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2021

USU Donates Space To Charity Helping Disabled Express Themselves With Art

CACHE VALLEY, Utah – “Jump The Moon” had to move in February after falling behind on a lease. The charity, which helps people with disabilities express themselves through art, couldn’t help as many people in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I tried to stay real positive, optimistic that something good would work out,” owner Michael Bingham said.

Now, something positive is coming out of the closure. Bingham said Utah State University’s Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice has offered his nonprofit a space in their building.
Fox 13 News Thursday, Jul. 22, 2021

USU Botanical Center cuts watering in half during drought

The USU Extension Botanical Center in Kaysville has let the lawn go brown, or at least slightly brown to save water.

The center has been able to cut watering by half this year, Jerry Goodspeed, Director Utah State University Botanical Center, said.
The Herald Journal Friday, Jul. 16, 2021

Task Force Chaired by USU President Proposes Modernizing FDA Regulations
A joint report released by a national task force of experts and chaired by Utah State University President Noelle E. Cockett has recommended federal regulations around gene-edited animals be updated significantly.
Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Jul. 14, 2021

Utah State student-athletes earn 229 Academic All-Mountain West honors

Utah State student-athletes earned a combined 229 academic all-Mountain West citations in the spring, as announced by the conference offices on Wednesday. The total represented the third-highest in the league as UNLV led the way with 243 and Colorado State followed with 235.

The Aggies had the most honored among the MW in men’s cross country (19), men’s track & field (46) and women’s track & field (50). Utah State’s women’s cross country and women’s tennis teams each finished second in the league with 19 and eight honorees, respectively, while softball finished third with 18 honorees. Utah State was also represented in men’s basketball (9), women’s basketball (10), men’s golf (7), women’s soccer (25), men’s tennis (6) and women’s volleyball (12).
Beef Magazine Monday, Jul. 12, 2021

Regulatory changes needed for gene-edited animals
“Gene editing has the capacity to create transformational change in our food production systems,” says Dr. Noelle Cockett, president of Utah State University, a renowned geneticist and chair of the task force. “But in order to realize those benefits in production and safety, we need a regulatory structure that has kept pace with technology. Our task force has thoughtfully and carefully considered many different aspects of this issue, including perspectives from the scientific and agricultural communities, and we have made our recommendations. We hope this work will meaningfully inform the work of government officials as they develop the best public policy in this area.”
Cache Valley Daily Saturday, Jul. 10, 2021

USU Extension ROI program receives national award
Utah State University Extension’s Rural Online Initiative (ROI) program received the Creative Excellence Award from the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) at their 2021 annual conference in May.
YAHOO Finance Tuesday, Jun. 08, 2021

Mia Love, former U.S. Representative, joins The CGO at USU

The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University (CGO) is excited to welcome Mia Love, former U.S. Representative (R-UT04), as National Outreach Director. Elected in 2014, serving two terms, she was the first Republican black woman to serve in The United States Congress, and beginning in June, she will drive the CGO's national coalition-building efforts in immigration, the environment, and technology & innovation.
"I'm excited to be joining such a great group of people," said Mia Love. "The CGO's data-driven, non-partisan approach to research is a breath of fresh air and exactly what we need in DC right now. I'm excited to get the data from the research out there and work with students to give them a unique perspective of how policymaking works."
Standard Examiner Thursday, May. 27, 2021

Aggie Chocolate Factory makes USU a foodie triple threat

For over a century, Utah State University has been known for its ice cream- and cheese-making expertise. More recently, chocolate has been added to its educational repertoire.

The Aggie Chocolate Factory is the only bean-to-bar facility operated by an academic institution in the western United States, according to Silvana Martini, the food sciences professor who directs the program.

“Bean-to-bar” refers to starting with the cocoa beans through the processes of roasting, winnowing, grinding, mixing, tempering and molding into a finished chocolate bar. Most of the factory’s small-batch artisan chocolate is made with only two ingredients, cocoa and sugar, to showcase the flavor of the beans.
YAHOO Finance Wednesday, May. 26, 2021

SDL President H. Scott Hinton Announces Retirement, Hancock Named Successor
Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory announced today that President H. Scott Hinton will retire effective June 30, 2021. SDL and industry veteran Dr. Jed Hancock will succeed Hinton as SDL President.
Cache Valley Daily Thursday, May. 06, 2021

USU'S 134th commencement ceremony Wednesday was virtual

LOGAN – Wednesday night Utah State University celebrated its 134th commencement, with what is likely the shortest such event in school history.

The virtual 40-minute evening featured comments from both President Noelle Cockett and USU alumna and honorary degree recipient Julie Robinson, as well as brief remarks from honorary degree recipients Karen Morse and Linda Daines.

President Cockett encouraged graduates to remember those who helped them along the way.

“Many of you have experienced life-changing moments and forged lifelong friendships during your time at USU,” Cockett exclaimed. “I also anticipate that you had a professor or mentor who provided guidance and inspiration for your future endeavors. I encourage you to let those people know of your regard and your thanks.”
The Herald Journal Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2021

USU project among finalists for $3 million solar energy tech prize

A team of USU researchers is getting some national attention for a project that could give electric vehicle batteries a second life as solar energy storage.

The team from USU’s Utah Power Electronics Lab includes professors Hongjie Wang and Regan Zane as well as doctoral students Marium Rasheed and Mohamed Kamel. Working with Maryland-based research firm Dream Team, the researchers are developing technology that could adapt batteries retired from electrical vehicles for storing solar energy.