Digital Commons Network^™

Utah State University Commencement, 2025 – Eastern Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2025 Commencement Ceremony for the Eastern Campus of Utah State University.

Association Between Speech Perception In Noise And Sentence Comprehension In School-Age Children, Naveen K. Nagaraj

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Can Computational Fluid Dynamics Be The Basis For The Next Generation Of Breach Models?, M. Hassan, K. V. Chua, C. Goff, S. Haeri, M. Morris, R. Coombs

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Dam and embankment failures can have devastating consequences for communities, infrastructure, and the environment. Therefore, accurate modelling of dam and embankment breaches is crucial for effective flood risk assessment and emergency response planning to precisely estimate areas and people that are prone to risk and plan for reducing the damage to properties and the environment. Recently, many advances have been made to improve the accuracy of breach modelling, including the development of physically based one and two dimensional numerical models that takes into account the various processes that take place during the breach of an embankment dam or a flood …

Enhancing Embankment Dam And Levee Resilience Against Overtopping Erosion: The Muscatine Island Levee Project, W. R. Thompson, J. T. Leyh

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

HydroTurf® is an advanced revetment solution engineered to protect embankment dams and riverine levees from erosion caused by overtopping events. Its design provides an impermeable geomembrane protected by engineered turf with a high strength cementitious infill, resulting in a fiber reinforced high-strength concrete matrix. The system provides a durable and impermeable barrier against erosive forces.

The Muscatine Island Levee Improvement Project, situated along the Mississippi River in Iowa, exemplifies the application of HydroTurf. This initiative aimed to enhance flood protection for approximately 30,000 acres of commercial, industrial, and residential areas. A critical component was the construction of a hardened controlled …

One Size Doesn’T Fit All: Towards Design And Evaluation Of Developmentally Appropriate Parental Control Tool, Prakriti Dumaru, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

As children progress through developmental stages, they undergo substantial biological, cognitive, and social changes, creating unique needs for online safety across different age groups (e.g., young children, tweens, teens). The existing parental control tools fail to account for these differences, leaving a notable gap in the literature on parental mediation. To this end, we conducted 10 focus group sessions with a total of 20 parents to understand their preferences for age-appropriate design components that promote self-regulation and open communication, followed by an ideation workshop with four UX design experts to translate these preferences into customized features. We then evaluated these …

Faculty Senate Agenda April 28, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes March 31, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - April 3, 2025
• The Office of Equity
• 3:45 Report
• Committee on Committees Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Retention Annual Report
• Recruitment Annual Report
• 4:10 Old Business
• 4:15 New Business
• New Faculty Senate President-Elect
• Format & Responsibilities - 2025-2026 Faculty Senate Meetings
• Concluding Remarks, Passing of the Gavel
• College Caucus to Elect FSEC Members
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

The Utah Statesman, April 28, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Integrating Human-Centered Design Into Undergraduate Stem Capstone Courses: A Food Product Development Case Study, Saadeddine Shehab, Dawn Bohn, Lucas O'Bryan, Luettamae Lawrence, Mike Tissenbaum

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examines the integration of human-centered design (HCD) in a Food Science capstone course and explores its impact on students’ learning outcomes and skill development. This case study investigated how 42 undergraduate students engaged with HCD processes—including understanding, synthesizing, ideating, prototyping, and implementing—to develop innovative food products. Through pre- and post-surveys, interaction analysis, and performance assessments, the findings revealed that HCD activities significantly enhanced students’ knowledge, collaboration, creativity, and metacognitive skills. Additionally, students demonstrated improved food science competencies, such as product formulation and sensory evaluation. This study highlights the benefits of embedding HCD within STEM curricula to foster authentic, …

Faculty Senate Minutes April 28, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - March 31, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - April 3, 2025
• The Office of Equity
• Report
• Committee on Committees (CoC) Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Retention Annual Report
• Recruitment Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn - 4:30 pm

Data-Driven D Region Model (D3r) Svdd: Software Version Description Document (Svdd), James Vincent Eccles

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

This is the Software Version Description Document of the Data-Driven D Region (D3R) model. There are 2 main distributions: (a) D3R designed for containerized deployments (D3Rc) and (b) D3R designed for testing and development. These two distributions are maintained in parallel, and this document describes both. The D3R for containerization is typically provided to customers. The D3R model is a physics-based model for calculating electron density profiles across the D Region ionosphere altitudes (50 km to 95 km) and E Region altitudes (95 km to 120 km) for any given geolocation. The model has two main programs: one to solve …

Who Carries Bear Spray? Reducing Risk In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Through Leave No Trace Communication, Anna B. Miller, Clara-Jane Blye, Jennifer Newton, Lauren Miller, Jacob Richards

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

As bear populations increase in areas like the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), human-bear interactions are rising, with grizzly bear encounters more than doubling in the past decade. To reduce conflicts, land management agencies promote Leave No Trace (LNT) behaviors, emphasizing bear awareness, proper food storage, maintaining distance from wildlife, and carrying bear spray. However, a survey of 566 visitors across the GYE found that 27% of respondents report never carrying bear spray. Non-carriers were often first-time visitors, traveling in larger groups, or day-use visitors to front-country areas. They also viewed the message to carry bear spray as less important than …

Rapid Flips Between Warm And Cold Extremes In A Warming World, Sijia Wu, Ming Luo, Gabriel Ngar-Cheung Lau, Wei Zhang, Lin Wang, Zhen Liu, Lijie Lin, Yijing Wang, Erjia Ge, Jianfeng Li, Yuanchao Fan, Yimin Chen, Weilin Liao, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiaocong Xu, Zhixin Qi, Ziwei Huang, Faith Ka Shun Chan, David Yongqin Chen, Xiaoping Liu, Tao Pei

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Rapid temperature flips are sudden shifts from extreme warm to cold or vice versa–both challenge humans and ecosystems by leaving a very short time to mitigate two contrasting extremes, but are yet to be understood. Here, we provide a global assessment of rapid temperature flips from 1961 to 2100. Warm-to-cold flips favorably follow wetter and cloudier conditions, while cold-to-warm flips exhibit an opposite feature. Of the global areas defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, over 60% have experienced more frequent, intense, and rapid flips since 1961, and this trend will expand to most areas in the future. During …

The Utah Statesman, April 21, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Effective Mathematics Instruction In High-Poverty Middle Schools: What Are The "Best" Teachers Doing?, Tye G. Campbell, Jordan Green

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

While there is much literature devoted to mathematics teaching practices, most research does not consider the perspectives of effective teachers in high-poverty schools. This study offers unprecedented access into the teaching practices of the most effective middle school teachers who teach in high-poverty schools. By accessing a state-wide database of thousands of teachers in Utah (USA), we identified middle school teachers whose students consistently showed high growth on standardized assessments compared to other teachers in Utah and taught in high-poverty schools. Our analysis identified seven teachers. We invited these teachers to participate in interviews regarding their teaching practices, and all …

The Utah Statesman, April 14, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, April 14, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - March 17, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - April 3, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• The Office of Equity
• Committee on Committees Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Retention Annual Report
• Recruitment Annual Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• President-Elect Nominations
• Format & Responsibilities - 2025-2026 Faculty Senate Meetings
• Faculty Senate Executive Committee Membership
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes, April 14, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - March 17, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - April 3, 2025
• Report
• Office of Equity
• Committee on Committees Annual Report
• Calendar Committee Annual Report
• Retention Annual Report
• Recruitment Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn 4:26 pm

Social Media And Sports Betting, Mikey Bishop

Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Through The Lens: Analyzing Apple's 'Shot On Iphone' Social Media Marketing Campaign, Awsumb Hardy

Student Research Symposium

While promoting the iPhone 6s, Apple launched the #ShotOniPhone campaign. It encouraged iPhone users to share photos under the tag #ShotOniPhone.

• Was the campaign a success? Why?
• Did the campaign increase iPhone sales?
• What can we learn from #ShotOniPhone?

The Meme-Ification Of Barbie: How Social Media Turned A Movie Into A Cultural Phenomenon, Jayke Martin

Student Research Symposium

The 2023 Barbie movie became a cultural phenomenon, driven by an innovative marketing campaign that leveraged memes and user- generated content, particularly on TikTok. Users embraced the movie's catchy songs and dance routines, sparking widespread excitement. Strategic brand collaborations with Crocs, Cold Stone Creamery, and NYX, combined with the fashion industry's embrace of pink, amplified the film's impact. Notably, the extensive use of fluorescent pink paint led to a global shortage. The teaser trailer, which parodied 2001: A Space Odyssey and premiered before Avatar: The Way of Water, generated early buzz by challenging audience expectations. The “Barbenheimer” phenomenon emerged when …

The Apple Effect: Unveiling The Power Of Social Media Marketing In Apple's Advertising Mastery, Annie Ploehn

Student Research Symposium

This research dives into the top marketing strategies shown by Apple on their Instagram page. Five main themes have been identified: Creativity, people, nature, emotion, and technique. Through each of these themes we see how Apple fosters a sense of belonging and uses this marketing strategy to encourage continued company growth.

Racism On Social Media, Britton Larsen

Student Research Symposium

For centuries, racism has been an issue in society; however, the emergence of social media has drastically altered the landscape of the vulgarity and encounter of racist content. Social media has become a crucial communication, advocacy, and information battleground. While these platforms have provided a voice through which underprivileged populations become equal in terms of advocating for equality and justice, the same platforms have nurtured the breeding ground for hate messages and discriminatory ideologies. This research will look to explore the relationship between social media and racism, doing so to look at how these social media platforms amplify racist content …

Martha Stewart's Enduring Legacy: A Social Media Case Study, Holly Asay

Student Research Symposium

Martha Stewart gained fame in the 1990s and, at 83 years old, remained culturally relevant on her personal Instagram account. Despite early criticism, she had 2.6M followers and high engagement in 2025.

Tiktok Triumph: Unpacking Duolingo's Marketing Success, Kylee Malcolm

Student Research Symposium

Duolingo, a language learning app, has an infamous social media presence across many platforms. Recently, they took their risky humor to the next level by killing their mascot (don’t worry, there’s a happy ending!)

Their platform on TikTok typically receives more engagement from users and brands, because that is where they first went viral for their ‘threats” against users.

The Digital Dairy Diary: Exploring The Emotional Responses Of Utah Social Media Users To Dairy Content, Patryce Eldredge

Student Research Symposium

Social media is powerful in distributing information and helping society to develop perceptions and sentiments. Social media can be a useful tool in community agriculture. However, without an understanding of the emotions held by social media users concerning the dairy content on social media, ag educators can’t effectively use social media as an educational tool.

Sizzling Success: The Impact Of Wendy's Twitter Roast Campaign, Bryan Mortensen

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

The Wendy’s Roast Me social media campaign created massive engagement, increased brand awareness, and improved brand reception. The reason that I choose to analyze this campaign is because I wanted to read more Wendy’s roasts.

The social media platform that I have chosen to analyze is TikTok, however I did do some research on Twitter as well in order to be able to compare their performance.

Today, I am aim to answer three questions:

• How did TikTok compare to Twitter?
• What made this campaign so successful?
• Can we apply anything from this campaign to others

Child Protective Services Accountability And Reform: The Role Of Judicial Oversight, Caseworker Training, And Systemic Failures In Protecting Vulnerable Children, Amiah Kuykendall

Student Research Symposium

Introduction

What is the purpose of this project?

▪ Investigate systemic failures

o Research question:

▪ How does judicial oversight influence CPS caseworker accountability in child abuse cases, and what legal measures can be taken to ensure policy enforcement?

Frequency Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among Women Diagnosed With Gestational Diabetes, Hailey Koster

Student Research Symposium

• Consuming fruits and vegetables has been associated with a reduced risk of gestational diabetes and improved pregnancy outcomes. ¹

• However, the majority do not meet the recommendation of five servings per day or 400 g per day according to the World Health Organization.²

Unveiling The Success: Analyzing The Social Media Marketing Of Hailey Bieber's Rhode Skin 'Lip Shape' Campaign, Kensington Clements

Student Research Symposium

For this project, I’m looking at Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin Lip Shape campaign and how it was marketed on social media. I decided to focus on Instagram because Hailey is the most active there.

Social Media Health Campaign: Combating Rsv In Infants Through Education And Advocacy, Kyndie Jorgensen

Student Research Symposium

Education and awareness surrounding RSV has made people more aware of how it is spread and what it is. Less communication campaign work has been done to help people understand the symptoms of RSV in healthy adults who may pass it to infants and to support parents in advocating for their child's safety.