Digital Commons Network^™

Accepting Uncomfortable Emotions: Learning From Car Dashboards And Manure, Jacob D. Gossner, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Tasha Howard

All Current Publications

Agricultural producers can face many stressors, such as long hours coupled with challenging, unpredictable conditions, which can give rise to challenging thoughts and feelings at times. Phrases you may hear in modern culture as you approach difficulty may be "pull yourself together," "quit worrying," or "get over it." However, these aren't the best processes for working through hard emotions. Cultivating acceptance is a way to combat traditional rationalization and work through emotions.

Social Predictors Of Doctoral Student Mental Health And Well-Being, Feng Zhang, Kaylee Litson, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Graduate students' mental health and well-being is a prominent concern across various disciplines. However, early predictors of mental health and well-being in graduate education, specifically doctoral education, have rarely been studied. The present study evaluated both the underlying latent classification of individuals' mental well-being and predictors of those classifications. Results estimated two latent classes of students' mental health and well-being: one class with generally high levels of mental well-being and one with lower levels of mental well-being. Regression analyses showed that mentoring in the second year of doctoral study, certainty of choice in the thrid year, and both academic development …

Responding To Financial Stress For Agricultural Producers And Couples, Jacob D. Gossner, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Tasha Howard

All Current Publications

Finances are a necessary component of running an agricultural production and with an uncertain economy, drought conditions, and rising costs, financial stress is increasingly common. Although financial stress is linked with poor individual and relationship outcomes, research suggests that there are effective ways to manage financial stress so that it does not reduce personal or relationship well-being. We review the body's response to stressors and how to respond rather than react to stress. We present specific strategies couples can use to navigate financial stress together. We include ideas for practical application for individuals seeking to improve the way they manage …

Suicide Among Utah Girls And Women, Kristy Hodson, Chloe Bhowmick, Cindy Jenkins, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Suicide is a serious, evolving, and complex public health issue¹ that negatively impacts individuals, families, and communities across Utah, the nation, and the world.² Suicide can have lasting and harmful effects on everyone touched in some way, and it carries high economic and human costs.³ In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the US loses almost $70 billion annually as a result of suicide attempts and suicides due to medical and work-loss-related costs.⁴

In 2020, suicide was the 12th-leading cause of death in the US,⁵ and there were double the number of …

The Utah Statesman, September 6, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

A Dashboard To Support Teachers During Students’ Self-Paced Ai-Supported Problem-Solving Practice, Vincent Aleven, Jori Blankestijn, Luettamae Lawrence, Tomohiro Nagashima, Niels Taatgen

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Past research has yielded ample knowledge regarding the design of analytics-based tools for teachers and has found beneficial effects of several tools on teaching and learning. Yet there is relatively little knowledge regarding the design of tools that support teachers when a class of students uses AI-based tutoring software for self-paced learning. To address this challenge, we conducted design-based research with 20 middle school teachers to create a novel real-time dashboard, Tutti, that helps a teacher monitor a class and decide which individual students to help, based on analytics from students’ tutoring software. Tutti is fully implemented and has been …

Orange County Parks Trail Use Designation Pilot Project, Christopher Monz, Noah Creany

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

This report provides an analysis and summary of the survey research findings from the Orange County (OC) Parks Trail Use Designation Pilot Project conducted during the summer of 2021. Repeat ecological monitoring flights were completed in May 2022 and the analysis and findings of the ecological effects of the Trail Use Designation Pilot Project will be delivered in a forthcoming addendum to this report.

Toward Deeper Understanding And Wide-Scale Implementation Of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions, Sophia D'Agostino, Ana D. Dueñas, Alice Bravo, Kelsie Tyson, Diondra Straiton, Giovanna L. Salvatore, Cressida Pacia, Melanie Pellecchia

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Naturalistic Developmental Behavior Interventions (NDBIs) have a strong and growing evidence base. Yet, NDBIs are not implemented on a wide scale within early intervention programs for children on the autism spectrum. Potential reasons for the slow adoption of NDBIs likely stem from the differing theoretical orientations of behavioral and developmental sciences from which NDBI are derived, and a lack of training, knowledge, and support for implementing NDBIs within the behavior analytic community. In support of efforts to promote wide-scale implementation of NDBIs, we clarify their common features, discuss possible misconceptions, offer reasons why NDBIs should be widely implemented, and provide …

Data For: A Global Survey Of The Application Of Sea-Level Projections, Daniella Hirschfeld, David Behar, Robert Nicholls, Niamh Cahill, Thomas James, Ben Horton, Michelle E. Portman, Rob Bell, Matt Campo, Miguel Esteban, Bronwyn Goble, Munsur Rahman, Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Faiz Ahmed, Monique Aunger, Orly Babitsky, Anders Beal, Ray Boyle, Jiayi Fang, Amir Gohar, Susan Hanson, Saul Karamesines, Mj Kim, Hilary Lohmann, Kathy Mcinnes, Nobuo Mimura, Doug Ramsay, Landis Wenger, Hiromune Yokoki

Browse all Datasets

Including sea-level rise (SLR) projections in coastal adaptation is increasingly recognized as crucial. Here we analyze the first global survey on the use of SLR projections comprising 253 coastal practitioners engaged in adaptation/planning from 49 countries with time frames of 2050 and 2100. While recognition of the threat of SLR is almost universally recognized, only 71% of respondents currently utilize SLR projections. Generally, developing countries have lower levels of utilization. There is no global standard in the use of SLR projections: for locations using a standard structure, 53% are planning for a single projection, while the remainder are using multiple …

“I Come Out Because I Love You”: Positive Coming Out Experiences Among Latter-Day Saint Sexual And Gender Minorities, Samuel J. Skidmore, G. Tyler Lefevor, Adlyn M. Perez-Figueroa

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background:

Coming out conversations are pivotal and stressful experiences for sexual and gender minorities (SGMs). Coming out can lead to more affirmation, safety, confidence, and improved relationships. However, adverse coming out experiences can lead to damaged relationships and ostracization, which may be more likely in conservative religious contexts.

Purpose:

The purpose of the current study was to explore what leads to positive coming out experiences for SGM members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Method:

A sample of 25 current or former Latter-day Saint (LDS) SGMs participated in semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: …

A Network Flow Approach For Constellation Planning, Skylar A. Cox, Greg N. Droge, John H. Humble, Konnor D. Andrews

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

A graph-based network flow approach to constellation planning is presented that respects spacecraft resources and mission constraints to arrive at a preliminary operational schedule. The method discretizes task fulfillment opportunity windows into graph nodes and then adds edges based on feasibility of transition between these opportunities, either by slew maneuvers or extended-time task fulfillment during downlink operations. Intelligent graph pruning is applied to improve computation performance and provide a versatile planning capability with a minimal impact on the resulting solution. A network flow formulation allows for a simultaneous search for spacecraft plans using a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP). The …

Faculty Senate Agenda, September 6, 2022, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• HR Policy Changes
• Empowering Teaching Excellence Annual Report
• Faculty Code Changes

The Utah Statesman August 29, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Educational Policies Committee, Agenda, September 1, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Agenda

1. Approval of Minutes - April 7, 2022
2. Subcommittee Reports

   a. Curriculum Subcommittee(Chad Simon) Course Approvals – 83

   b. Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher) No Meeting | Report

   c. General Education Subcommittee (Matt Sanders) Minutes – April 19, 2022

3. Other Business
4. Adjourn: 4:00pm

Program Proposals

• Request from the Departments of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education and Aviation and Technical Education in College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences to create a new Department of Technology, Design and Technical Education.
• Request from the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences to discontinue the Horticulture: …

Precision Irrigation Guide For Center Pivots, Elisa Flint, Matt Yost, Troy Peters, Clara Anderson, Burdette Barker, Neil Hansen

All Current Publications

This factsheet discusses the different variable rate irrigation (VRI) options for center pivots, when they might reduce water use and energy, produce higher crop yields, and when it might be unreasonable to expect these kinds of benefits.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Agenda, August 22, 2022, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• University Business
• HR Policy Changes
• Empowering Teaching Excellence Annual Report
• Old Business
• Academic Freedom
• Standards of Conduct
• Track Changes

Your Syllabus Matters: Creating A Sense Of Belonging On Day 1, Harrison Kleiner, Heidi Kesler

Empowering Teaching Excellence Conference

The pandemic shown a light on the importance of students having a sense of belonging, which research shows is an important indicator of student success. However our syllabi can unintentionally signal "you don't belong" to some of our students. In this presentation, we will discuss ways we can change our course syllabi to better serve as a welcome mat for students, particularly first-generation and historically minoritized students. Relying on the work done in the Student Experience Project, participants will learn about evidence-based changes they can make to their syllabi, with particular focus on "low-lift" changes that can be made in …

Balancing Accountability And Flexibility In Asynchronous Online Courses, Missy Kofoed

Empowering Teaching Excellence Conference

Students choose to take online courses for a variety of reasons, one being the increased flexibility that online courses provide. One of the challenges of a large, asynchronous online course is how to balance requiring accountability from students while also providing much needed flexibility. In this session, I will discuss strategies implemented from my participation in an ACUE course on effective online teaching as well as from the book Empowered at a Distance that help to incorporate both structure and flexibility in an online course. This session will include my lessons learned in modifying my courses over the years and …

Mission Operations, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Overview

• In review – CONOPS

• Mission Planning

• Anomaly Resolution

• Miscellaneous, but important considerations

• Looking forward

Classrooms And Minefields, Jonathan Simmons, Sandra Silva-Enos, Shannon Kelley

Exploring How We Teach

• Graduate school is a time of personal and professional challenges and changes. Engaging in personal reflection about your identity and your goals can help you make sense of these changes.
• Set and enforce your own personal and professional boundaries to protect all the parts of your identity; learn to recognize your own triggers and prioritize your own self-care.
• Create a set of lifelines—people and resources you can be vulnerable with and can turn to for both personal and professional challenges. You will need different lifelines to help with different problems such as identity whiplash or the many landmines you may …

Transferring Knowledge And Opening Pathways: The Unconventional Doctoral Student-Adjunct Instructor, Samantha Prado

Exploring How We Teach

• Doctoral student/adjunct instructor is a unique and important positionality that can provide perspective on the range of graduate student instructor experiences that exist.
• Positionality can be used to break down educational barriers and increase equity in the classroom.
• Transferring knowledge between contexts can be a form of advocating for social justice.
• There are both advantages and challenges to being a doctoral student/adjunct instructor.

Using A Minoritized Graduate Instructor Identity To Cultivate An Inclusive And Diverse Learning Space, Faqryza Ab Latif

Exploring How We Teach

• How to humanize the classroom climate and establish an authentic presence that can challenge the conventional Westernized classroom structure.
• How graduate instructors can use their malleable identity to their advantage in cultivating an inclusive community of diverse learners. There are experiences that are unique to graduate instructors, especially for those of us who come from underrepresented cultural backgrounds. These experiences can be utilized to construct a more inclusive and diverse learning environment, which could then encourage students to do the same.

Navigating The Multiple Roles Of Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants In Pursuit Of Racial Equity, Access, And Justice, Kristyn Lue

Exploring How We Teach

• Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a large role in the socialization of undergraduate students of Color and thus have an impact on their sense of belonging and retention in the STEM fields.
• GTAs occupy a unique role as agents of mathematics socialization, as they are also undergoing their own socialization as doctoral students; in many ways, these roles and this socialization processes constrain GTAs in ways that can be detrimental and marginalizing to students of Color.
• Without being aware of the ways in which systemic racism and white supremacy operate in mathematics spaces, GTAs play a role in upholding …

Teacher As Student: Matters Of Exploration And Radical Vulnerability In The Classroom, Elizabeth Giardina

Exploring How We Teach

• GSIs can find pedagogical value in demonstrating an exploratory learning process, and, in sharing the partialities that come with that process, we can find opportunities for our own intellectual development and well-being.
• Radical vulnerability is a powerful tool for building a community of responsibility and care.
• Acts of transparent vulnerability can reframe course content as relevant to students’ broader lives, while also modeling a method of community- and self-care.

Validating Students' Diverse Identities, Erin Hughes

Exploring How We Teach

• Recognizing and appreciating students’ identities is important for learning and feelings of academic empowerment.
• The ways in which we can amplify students feeling validated is by being responsive to their needs and respecting who they are both inside and outside the classroom.
• The ways students may feel invalidated are by perpetuating the power dynamics between student and teacher, disregarding students’ mental health, and engaging in inflexible standards.
• Students may feel more able to take on the difficulties of academia when we help them take a strengths-based approach to who they are.

Nothing About Us Without Us: Practical Strategies For Accessible Pedagogy, Jennie Baker, Heath J. Wooten

Exploring How We Teach

• This chapter explores practical strategies based on the lived experiences of the authors, who are disabled graduate instructors.
• Theoretical approaches to accessible pedagogy should be rooted in praxis that accounts for the material realities of the disabled people it professes to be for.
• Most classroom interventions at present are accommodations, which are based on the medical model of disability; this chapter describes an approach to accessible pedagogy rooted in the social model of disability, and an ethics of disability justice.
• Instructors can explore ways of implementing accessible praxis by rethinking the ableist assumptions inherent in such areas as time, space, …

Graduate Teaching Communities Of Practice: Fostering A Sense Of Belonging And Professional Development For Graduate Students, By Graduate Students, April Athnos, Tianyi Kou-Herrema, Matthew Langley, Emile Oshima, Harrison Parker, Hima Rawal, Olivia Wilkins, Alexandra Lee, Seth Hunt, Ellen Searle, Nathalie Marinho

Exploring How We Teach

• Communities of Practice provide explicit formal recognition for teaching work and serve as a network of pedagogical resources.
• Communities of Practice create a safe space and a strengthened sense of community.
• Communities of Practice can be formed anywhere to meet any set of needs but always thrive with members’ agency and institutional support.

Don't Forget To Breathe: Advice For Coping With Graduate Teaching Anxiety, Ryan Cheek

Exploring How We Teach

• Graduate teaching anxiety is a unique form of communication apprehension.
• Ignore your overactive amygdala. Teaching will not kill you.
• Teach with empath. Students are more afraid of you than you are of them.
• Don’t forget to breathe. A hospitable atmosphere is key to successful teaching.
• Institutions should better support their graduate student instructors.

How Can Graduate Instructors Promote Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Their Courses?, Taneisha Vilma, Natalie Low

Exploring How We Teach

In this chapter, readers will find

• Strategies to include Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices when designing the course syllabus.
• Considerations for fostering equity among students through the format and scoring of course assessments.
• Methods to include diverse cultures and contexts in course materials to increase representation.
• Strategies for promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in various components of a course by graduate instructors who have different levels of course autonomy.

Teaching For Black Girls: What Every Graduate Student Instructor Can Learn From Balck Girlhood Studies, Theresa Hice-Fromille

Exploring How We Teach

• The neoliberal university undervalues teaching and upholds standardization practices that reproduce harm towards marginalized students. Black Studies approaches to education challenge these education standards.
• Teaching for Black girls is a pedagogical approach derived from Black Girlhood Studies in which the instructor commits to engage students as their co-creator, co-witness, and co-conspirator.
• All graduate student instructors can implement curricular tools and instill pedagogical values, such as instructor responsibility, student agency, collaboration, and reflexivity, to engage a practice of teaching for Black girls. In so doing, instructors model behaviors that promote Black girl thriving within and beyond the classroom.
• Instructors in STEM …