In the News

• The Herald Journal Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

  At USU, the trees speak for themselves

  Select members of Utah State University’s tree population gained their autonomy recently, as a USU Extension staff member launched the “Talking Trees Project” Wednesday, which gave 13 trees a name, personality and phone number passers-by can message and have a conversation with.

  Project organizer and USU Extension Urban Forestry Specialist Miles Becker said the project is inspired by a then-graduate student, Julietta Sorensen Kass, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, who “wanted to strengthen peoples’ connections to nature” with a similar project in 2019.

  “Trees, rivers and mountains offer such a rich environment for learning and developing skills not taught inside a classroom,” Becker said. “All the attention on screens is depriving people, especially younger people, of the sensations and views nature brings.”

• The Herald Journal Monday, Oct. 06, 2025

  USU's Aviation Technology program welcomes three new simulators

  After nearly a year of being at the mercy of a complex shipping process, Utah State University’s Aviation Technology program’s three newest simulators have touched down and are actively being used.

  Welcoming two versions of a 737 Jet Simulator from the New Zealand-based PacSim and a real-time air traffic control simulator, the program, its students, instructors and professors are all overjoyed to finally see the whole setup in working order.

  Chief Instructor Tristan Whittenburg said a recent career fair, in which airline representatives visited the new simulators, served as justification for the wait.

  “They opened the door and were like, ‘You guys have this level of simulators here? Why is that at a university-level? We use that at the airlines,’” Whittenburg said. “It was the justification of how long we’ve had to wait and yeah, it was a struggle, but I think this group’s as resilient as any.

• Deseret News Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2025

  Utah State's Space Dynamics Lab sharing meteor detection software

  Shortly after first light on Feb. 15, 2013, a meteor blazed across the western Siberian sky before exploding with an estimated blast yield of up to 500 kilotons of TNT — far more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II.

  Approximately 1,500 people from the Russian city of Chelyabinsk were injured — mostly caused by flying glass.

  Meanwhile, thousands of buildings across the region were damaged.

  The Chelyabinsk meteor (or bolide) event was a rarity. But folks at Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory say it’s a reminder of the importance of rapidly detecting, characterizing and issuing notification of so-called “natural Earth impactors.”

  To boost detection of potentially dangerous meteors such as the one that exploded over Chelyabinsk, the Space Dynamics Laboratory is sharing its open-source bolide detection software dubbed “StarFall.”

• The Herald Journal Friday, Sep. 26, 2025

  Nobel Peace Prize laureate outlines steps to overcome division at USU event

  Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee spoke to students and community members on the importance of empathy and compassion in times of division during an event at Utah State University Thursday evening.

  Gbowee is a founder of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace initiative, a nonviolent movement considered pivotal in helping to end Liberia’s 14-year civil war in 2003. Gbowee has continued her work as a peace builder throughout her life. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, along with fellow Liberian Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Yemeni human rights activist Tawakkol Karman.

  In an interview style conversation with religious studies professor Patrick Mason, Gbowee shared her experience living through the civil war, which started when she was 17 years old.

  “We were grateful to wake up in the morning, and fearful to go to bed at night,” Gbowee said.

• KSL Friday, Sep. 26, 2025

  USU researchers want you to carry bear spray

  SALT LAKE CITY — There are a lot more people running into bears around Yellowstone National Park, and a Utah researcher said people need to seriously consider carrying bear spray.

  Assistant Professor Anna Miller and her team at Utah State University found that between 2012 and 2019, the number of bear encounters more than doubled. But despite that, only one in four hikers carry bear spray.

  When asked why they don’t, some said the spray is just too expensive or they might have a hard time finding it. Others said they didn’t even know until they got to the park that they needed it.

• The Herald Journal Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

  USU anthropologists present research on mummified remains

  As part of Utah State University’s Science Unwrapped program, anthropologists Sascha Baldauf and Molly Cannon presented their research on recently obtained mummified remains Friday night in the Eccles Science Learning Center, unveiling a discovery neither woman expected.

  Though their studies rendered unwrapping the remains impossible, due to a worry of compromising what laid within, they did unwrap the process in which they conducted research on the artifact.

  With roughly 150 people in attendance, Baldauf and Cannon provided a brief background on the mummification practices in ancient Egypt before recounting their studies of what they believed to be a mummified cat estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.

• KSL Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

  Utah State University events to encourage 'healthy conflict'

  LOGAN — While a series of events, focused on healthy conflict at Utah State University, may seem like a response to the recent murder of Charlie Kirk, organizers said it was all planned months in advance. Still, they are hopeful people will be receptive to opportunities to disagree better.

  On Wednesday, starting at 4:30 p.m., USU’s Heravi Peace Institute will host a discussion centered on A Braver Campus Dialogue inside the President’s Hall of the David B. Haight Center.

  “What we try to do is be proactive with giving students the character traits, theories and tools for navigating conflict as opposed to being reactive,” Heravi Peace Institute Director, Austin Knuppe said.

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 22, 2025

  USU completes all requirements of Department of Justice resolution agreement

  LOGAN — The U.S. Department of Justice has formally confirmed that Utah State University has fulfilled every requirement of a 2020 resolution agreement regarding its response to sexual harassment.

  Interim President Alan Smith said the completion of the agreement marks "an important moment for our university" and reflects years of effort to strengthen policies, training, and support systems.

  Since the agreement was put in place, USU has made sweeping changes to its policies, training, campus culture, and organizational structure. The university revised its sexual misconduct, grievance, and reporting policies and clarified employee responsibilities for reporting.

• Deseret News Thursday, Sep. 18, 2025

  USU is leading the country in the NCAA's community engagement challenge

  Right now, there isn’t an athletic department at the Division I level that is more involved in the community than Utah State’s. And per Bronco Mendenhall, it is the Aggies’ football program that is leading the way.

  Last week, Helper Helper — a community service tracking app that partners with the NCAA — posted on social media that Utah State athletics leads all Division I programs in this year’s NCAA Community Engagement Impact Challenge, which began earlier this month.

• Cache Valley Daily Sunday, Sep. 14, 2025

  Washington Monthly names USU best college for tuition in Utah

  LOGAN - According to Washington Monthly, Utah State University is among the top 100 2025 Best Colleges for Your Tuition Dollars. USU is also ranked 90th nationwide and received the best ranking for public institutions in Utah and 44th in the West for for Washington’s Monthly’s Best Bang for your Buck College.

  The rankings are determined by considering university access, median earnings for graduates, student loan debt and eight year graduation rates. Interim President Alan L. Smith said the recognition showcases USU’s commitment to making a high-quality education accessible and affordable for all students.

• The Wall Street Journal Saturday, Sep. 06, 2025

  At Utah State University, a Building Finds Strength in Smallness

  The Wanlass Center for Art Education and Research is that rarity in contemporary academic architecture, the small well-built thing. Rare because modern construction codes have made it difficult to make a decent small building. They have made walls and roofs thicker; doors, corridors and restrooms larger; and stairs wider and more strategically placed. That last provision alone can increase a building’s footprint by some 15% to 20%. When a college tears a building down today, its replacement will always be larger. 

  Yet the Wanlass Center, which opened this April at Utah State University, is admirably compact. Its 9,450 square feet are just enough to squeeze in two study rooms and a small library, plus art storage for the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. It doubles the space for the overcrowded museum, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. Since it opened in 1982 its collection has grown to some 5,900 objects, which concentrate on modern and contemporary art of the American West. Among them is a collection of poignant photographs of Depression-era Utah, taken by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration.

• The Herald Journal Monday, Sep. 01, 2025

  USU unveils Carolyn & Kem Gardner Learning & Leadership Building

  Dubbed the “Center of Centers,” the Carolyn & Kem Gardner Learning & Leadership Building at Utah State University opened to the masses Friday afternoon during its open house.

  Standing three stories tall and occupying 45,000 square-feet, the building operates as the home base for five USU programs – The Stephen R. Covey Leadership Center, The Center for Entrepreneurship, the Analytics Solutions Center, The Huntsman Scholar Program and the Huntsman Hive/Freshmen Academy.

  “The idea of putting all of those together is that those are outside-of-class experiences and they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes,” USU interim-President Alan Smith said. “When you put them together, people have the opportunity to discover the many alternative opportunities for them.

• KSL Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025

  Fall colors starting to show in Utah, but this season may not be as vibrant

  SALT LAKE CITY — Every fall, the show starts slowly. A hint of gold here. A streak of orange there.

  But even in its earliest acts, it’s enough to make you pause and take it all in.

  “Well, I mean, fall is just such a beautiful time of year,” said Katie Wagner, a horticulturist with Utah State University Extension.

  It is so beautiful, in fact, that going to see the colors is a tradition for many Utahns.

  “There are infamous canyons and places where people go and they call it leaf peeping,” said Wagner. “Yeah. So they go and they peep at the leaves.”

• ABC 4 News Friday, Aug. 22, 2025

  Fire science expert talks about wildfire causes and this year's fire season

  LAMB’S CANYON, Utah (ABC4) — A wildland fire science expert spoke on what causes wildfires and why we are experiencing the wildfire season we’ve had so far this year- with over 500 human caused fires.

  Brad Washa, Assistant Professor of Wildland Fire Science at Utah State University told ABC4.com that in Utah, 40% of wildfires are caused by lightning, and the remaining 60% are human caused, anything from campfires to vehicle fires.

• Nature Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

  'A double-whammy problem': how plastic dust is altering natural processes

  Researcher Karin Kvale first became interested in plastic pollution when she was living in Kiel, Germany, where her young children spent part of their school days on Falckenstein beach. “Every day they would come back with their pockets full of plastic fragments,” she says.

  That was about five years ago, and, as an Earth-systems modeller, Kvale was intrigued by the idea that shards of degrading plastic might have become prevalent enough in nature to begin altering Earth systems. At the time, this concept was understudied, particularly in the oceans, on which Kvale focused her efforts.

  In 2021, Kvale relocated to New Zealand and launched a consultancy called Aotearoa Blue Ocean Research, in Lower Hutt. She is now part of a community of scientists who study the plastic cycle — how plastic enters Earth systems, moves through the environment and affects its surroundings.

• KSL Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025

  Professor gives back to Logan students in need

  LOGAN — If you buy into stereotypes, the typical American college student has little to worry about besides passing finals, finding a good seat at Saturday afternoon football games and maybe staying awake during all-night study sessions — after a raucous frat party.

  But the realities for many college students — including Utahns — don't mirror the stereotypes.

  Some degree-seeking students are often uncertain where their next meal is coming from. They're facing food insecurity even while pursuing their education.

  In Utah, several campus-based food pantries are operating alongside union buildings, libraries, classrooms and dormitories.

• Utah Public Radio Thursday, Aug. 07, 2025

  USU using research award money to fight student hunger

  A Utah State University professor is encouraging the Aggie community to help fight student hunger by matching his recent donation to the campus food pantry.

  Earlier this year, Michael Twohig received the D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award, one of USU’s highest honors for faculty research. It came with a $7,500 prize, which he donated entirely to the Student Nutrition Access Center (SNAC).

  Now, he’s inviting others to join him in doubling that amount to $15,000. The funds will support SNAC’s mission to provide free, nutritious food to any student in need — no questions asked. Students can receive pantry staples, fresh produce, and meals from campus and local eateries. SNAC also works to reduce food waste and promote food sustainability.

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Jul. 28, 2025

  USU finishes 2nd in MW with school record 481 academic honors in 2024-25

  LOGAN, Utah – Utah State’s student-athletes combined to earn a school-record 481 total academic awards during the 2024-25 academic year, which rank as the second-most in the Mountain West.

  In all, Utah State student-athletes finished second in the MW with 254 academic honors and was second in the conference with a school-record 227 scholar-athletes during the past academic year.

  New Mexico finished first in the MW with 504 total academic honors, followed by Utah State (481), Fresno State (395), Boise State (356), Colorado State (348), UNLV (345), San José State (291), Nevada (278), Wyoming (272), San Diego State (260) and Air Force (223).

• The Hill Wednesday, Jul. 16, 2025

  Removing aging dams could help strengthen communities facing extreme weather

  Eliminating obsolete or unsafe dams could help bolster community safety amid climate-induced weather extremes, watershed experts are recommending.

  Storms and floods have intensified in both frequency and severity, since the construction of the dams — many of which are now in a state of disrepair, according to a new white paper, published by Utah State University.

  “Removing dangerous and obsolete dams and barriers improves resilience to flooding, drought, increasing temperatures, sea level rise, and changing rivers,” said lead author Sarah Null, a professor of watershed sciences at Utah State University, in a statement.

  “Many dams provide useful services and should not be removed,” Null acknowledged. “But for those structures that are outdated or unsafe, removal can be a smart decision for communities.”

• Cache Valley Daily Friday, Jul. 11, 2025

  The power of USU's nursing program is growing

  LOGAN - Last year the Utah State University nursing program doubled in size by unveiling a state-of-the-art nursing education facility.

  Responding to growing evidence that more students than ever are seeking nursing training, USU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is now able to admit up to 60 students every year — or 30 each semester — so it can accommodate 120 students at any given time within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.

  Pam Anderson, interim head of the Department of Nursing, said the program offers the opportunity to be both a highly skilled professional and a compassionate presence in the lives of others.

• KSL Thursday, Jul. 10, 2025

  Utah State University to open veteran housing center in Cache Valley

  HYDE PARK, Cache County — Since Andy Allen took the role as executive director of Utah State University's Veterans Resource Office three years ago, he has personally witnessed three instances of student veterans experiencing homelessness.

  In the most recent example, Allen said a student came to USU trying to use their GI Bill — a law that provides educational benefits, among other benefits, to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces — but ran into problems.

  "The GI Bill benefits don't kick in until the end of the month, and sometimes students find themselves without those financial benefits for a 30-day period. They may or may not, for various reasons, have a place to stay or be able to afford renting a place in town until they receive those benefits," Allen said.

  Having an up-close and personal experience with the struggle many student veterans face, Allen's office is teaming up with Cache Valley entrepreneur Nathan Ruben and USA Project Valor to open a dedicated housing complex for student veterans in Hyde Park. The complex is set to welcome its first students in August.

• KSL Tuesday, Jul. 08, 2025

  STEM camp focuses on teens who may be first-generation college grads

  LOGAN — A group of middle school students from the Cache and Salt Lake valleys is taking part in a two-day camp at Utah State University. The camp is mostly focused on kids who may become first-generation college grads for their families.

  USU Biochemistry Professor Ryan Jackson was giving the group of 29 kids a brief introduction to gene editing Tuesday, showing them how bacteria can be turned bioluminescent like jellyfish.

  “This is how bacteria gain antibiotic resistance,” Jackson explained. “But scientists have been leveraging this to make products that we would call natural products, like sometimes food dyes or food flavors are actually made by a gene getting put into bacteria, and then the bacteria make that for you.”

  The lesson is one of many the students will have during the two-day-long camp. All of the activities are aimed at getting them interested in going to college, with a special emphasis on kids whose family members might not have done so themselves.

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Jun. 30, 2025

  USU Board of Trustees elects chair, vice chair

  LOGAN - Effective this week, the Utah State University Board of Trustees will be under new leadership.

  In a vote Friday, board members elected Trustee Tessa White as the new chair while Trustee Gina Gagon was elected to continue as vice chair.

  Their terms begin Tuesday, July 1.

• Deseret News Thursday, Jun. 26, 2025

  Utah State weeks away from launching state's 1st 4-year 'animal doc' program

  The opening of Utah’s first-of-its-kind veterinary program is — in equine parlance — officially “in the home stretch.”

  In August, Utah State University will welcome its inaugural cohort to the state’s first four-year veterinary degree program.

  The Logan-based school’s doctor of veterinary medicine program arrives at a moment when licensed vets are in high demand in Utah’s rural ranching communities — and across the state where more and more people own cats, dogs and other so-called pocket pets.

  Forty-two future veterinarians are expected to report for the first day of instruction — including 27 Utahns. More than 300 applied for USU’s maiden DVM program class.