In the News

• KSL Tuesday, Dec. 03, 2024

  Pollution has increased along Wasatch Front, but USU study finds good news

  SALT LAKE CITY — Levels of fine particulate matter have decreased along the Wasatch Front in recent years even as the population has grown, according to a report from Utah State University.

  The report, compiled by researchers at USU's Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air, attributes those improvements over the last decade to better monitoring of air quality, clean air legislation and industry upgrades. Researchers presented their annual Land, Water and Air report to the governor, lieutenant governor and several lawmakers Tuesday morning in an effort to guide policy about the environment, land and water use in the state.

• MSN Tuesday, Dec. 03, 2024

  Scientists develop game-changing method to grow crops

  In a win for crucial cereal crops, researchers have developed a way to allow the plants to convert nitrogen gas from the air to fertilizer to help them grow, as reported by Interesting Engineering. 

  The method, which aims to place a series of a minimum of seven genes into the crops' mitochondria and chloroplasts, allows cereal crops, such as corn and rice, to achieve nitrogen fixation through sunlight without applying fertilizer.

• The Salt Lake Tribune Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024

  Grizzly bears vanished from Utah a century ago. They could return soon.

  Utah’s last grizzly bear, lore has it, lumbered about Logan Canyon until meeting his demise at the end of a rifle a century ago. Now, experts say, it likely won’t be long until they return.

  Today, black bears are the only bears that make their dens in Utah, which is home to about 4,000 of the animals. While the Beehive State’s black bear population has rebounded in recent years, the creature’s cousins have also lurked closer.

  “We’ve had grizzlies come fairly close in Wyoming,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Darren DeBloois said. “There’s definitely a habitat connection between where they are in the Greater Yellowstone [Ecosystem], and they do seem to be branching out. But I don’t think it’s imminent. I think if someone did see a grizzly bear in the next decade or so in northern Utah, I probably wouldn’t be shocked.”

• UPR Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024

  Researcher tracks elephant bones to solve one of their weirdest behaviors

  Elephants in South Africa repeatedly visit the carcasses of other elephants, and move the bones around. A team of researchers at Kruger National Park are working to illuminate this mysterious behavior and understand the role of mega-carcasses on the ecosystem.

  Ryan Helcoski, a Ph.D. student in Utah State University's Department of Wildland Resources, and a UPR science reporter, is currently conducting research on this behavior in the remote South African bush. We talked to Helcoski while he stopped to take a break from fixing his field truck.

• Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024

  USU engineering changing the way we think about building materials

  LOGAN - Concrete is one of the largest contributors to global CO2 emissions. The production of cement creates eight percent of human-caused CO2 emissions.

  Erika Espinosa Ortiz is a Utah State University environmental engineer whose research is transforming what we know about building materials. She has produced groundbreaking research into soil pollution and wastewater treatment.

• KUER Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

  USU VR study aims to prepare teachers for tough classroom situations

  Virtual reality could play a greater role in education in the coming decades.

  Now, research is exploring how it can be used to help train future teachers on the best ways to address challenging behaviors from students. This includes aggression, where there’s a possible danger of a student hurting themself or others.

  “Putting teachers in that environment where they're working with challenging behavior, it can be risky,” said Casey Clay, assistant professor in the Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Department at Utah State University. “And so virtual reality offers them that opportunity to practice that in a risk free environment.”

• MSN Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024

  Millions of bees killed daily on highways across US

  Millions of bees are killed daily by cars on the highway, a recent study conducted by Utah State University (USU) revealed.

  While deer or moose, both mammals that are frequently endangered by vehicles on the highway, are protected by wildlife preservationists, bees go completely unnoticed due to their small size. The USU Department of Biology, headed by ecologist and researcher Joseph Wilson, made efforts to further understand the vast amount of bee deaths through vehicle collisions.

• The Salt Lake Tribune Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024

  USU supports Native American students as they pursue their dreams

  November marks Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the history and culture of Indigenous peoples and recognize their strength, resilience and profound contributions. At Utah State University’s Blanding campus, we are reminded daily of the legacy of Native American communities. Our student body reflects the diverse cultural heritage of the Four Corners area, with Native American students making up over half of our student body.

  USU Blanding was founded with the land-grant vision to provide world-class education to all who live in this unique region in Utah, from Indigenous people, including the Navajo and Ute Mountain Ute people who have called this area home for generations, to descendants of more recent pioneer settlers. The USU Blanding campus stands as a beacon of opportunity in a place rich with history, and our commitment to education is deeply rooted in the belief that every individual, regardless of where they live, deserves access to education that empowers and uplifts lives.

• KSL Saturday, Nov. 09, 2024

  Utah State studying the ocean deep at 4,500 feet

  LOGAN — Let's get the obvious query out of the way: Why is landlocked Utah State University (elevation above sea level: 4,500 feet) now offering a minor in marine science?

  "Yes, it's a question we're often asked," said USU watershed sciences professor Trisha Atwood, laughing. "It's part of the preconceived notion that you need to be close to the ocean to study it."

  Decades ago, marine researchers actually needed to, well, get their feet wet to study oceans and other large waterways. But today, oceans are managed and studied at sprawling national scales and often far from the nearest beach.

• Floral Daily Thursday, Nov. 07, 2024

  USU student awarded national horticulture scholarship

  Abby Porter, a Utah State University plant science major, has been awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Horticulture Student Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science. She is one of just two students in the country to receive the scholarship this year.

  Porter's passion for horticulture began at a young age, inspired by her grandfather's orchid collection in her hometown of Fruitland, Idaho, northwest of Boise. This passion grew during her high school years when she joined FFA and competed in floriculture at the state level. Her dedication to plant science led her to USU, where she has maintained top grades while balancing significant work hours and extracurricular responsibilities.

  
   

• The Herald Journal Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024

  USU holding events in celebration of Day of the Dead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• The Guardian Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024

  Overwhelming majority of young Americans worry about climate crisis

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

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

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

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

• Cache Valley Daily Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024

  Aggies register strong enrollment growth in Fall 2024

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

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

• The Herald Journal Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024

  USU unveils new Global Teaching and Learning Center

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

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

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

• Utah Public Radio Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024

  USU expert offers water saving tips

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

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

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

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

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

• Cache Valley Daily Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024

  USU celebrates President Cantwell's first year on campus

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

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

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

• NPR Monday, Sep. 30, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

• KSL Monday, Sep. 23, 2024

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

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

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

  The news was first reported by ESPN.

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

• KSL Thursday, Sep. 19, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 16, 2024

  USU opens Dementia Caregiver Clinic

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

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

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

• Cache Valley Daily Friday, Sep. 13, 2024

  USU surpasses fundraising goals

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

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

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

• Cache Valley Daily Monday, Sep. 09, 2024

  USU Broadcast Journalism students win Murrow award

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

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

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

• UPR Friday, Sep. 06, 2024

  USU looks to improve early identification of autism in children

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

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

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

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