Amplifying Indigenous Wellbeing: ‘Imi Pono Survey Development And Validation, Brandon C. Ledward, Wendy Kekahio, Pālama Lee, Katherine Tibbetts, Carla Hostetter, Lisa Watkins-Victorino, Trudy Cherasaro, Steven Tedeschi, Carrie Germeroth

Journal of Indigenous Research

The growth of indigenous research methodologies and calls for data sovereignty are reshaping the discourse around evidence-based policymaking. This article summarizes the development and validation of the ‘Imi Pono Hawai‘i Wellbeing Survey, which examines wellbeing from indigenous, holistic, and strengths-based perspectives. The survey is anchored to a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) model of wellbeing created through a community-participatory process involving diverse stakeholders. Early results show Native Hawaiians to be major contributors to Hawai‘i’s wellbeing, consistently reporting higher rates than non-Hawaiians for civic engagement, family relationships, and spirituality, as well as connections to culture, ‘āina, and community. This project informs strategic …

The Status Of Women In Utah Politics: A 2025 Update, Corinne Clarkson, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Utah is exceptional in many ways, with its beautiful nature, high quality of life, and growing economy. WalletHub recently ranked Utah as the fourth best state to live based on 51 key indicators.¹ While scoring above average on many metrics, Utah lags far behind in one crucial area—gender equality, which includes the presence of women in elected posts. The Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) began reporting on the status of women in Utah politics in 2014, with updates in 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025. Research shows that when both men and women serve together in …

Education Policy Committee Agenda March 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - February 6, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Weed Incursion Of Irrigated Forage–Forb Mixtures Under Mob Grazing Or Mowing In The Mountain West Usa, Jennifer Macadam, Jared Gibbons, Xin Dai

Browse all Datasets

Improving the quality of irrigated pastures can increase the profitability of ruminant production systems. Increasing pasture plant biodiversity is beneficial for ruminants, pollinators, and soil health, but it is challenging to manage weed incursion in seeded mixed-species pastures. This study assessed the weed incursion that resulted when forage legumes or grasses were seeded as binary mixtures with one of four non-legume forbs. Defoliation occurred at 6-week intervals as either mowing or mob grazing. Forbs were chicory, plantain, Lewis flax, or small burnet and forages were alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, creeping foxtail, intermediate wheatgrass, kura clover, meadow bromegrass, orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, reed …

It's Time To Re-Evaluate The Reporting Of Common Measures From Isokinetic Dynamometers: Isokinetic For Torque, Isotonic For Power, Brennan J. Thompson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Isokinetic dynamometry is commonly used to provide an objective and reliable assessment of muscle function across a variety of clinical, athletic and research settings. Important muscle function variables that are commonly assessed are torque- and power-related measures. Isokinetic mode is overwhelmingly used to provide these variables, and has been so for decades; however, this mode may not be the best suited to examine power variables. The article aims to explore this issue through conceptual evaluation and empirical results using unpublished data. The implication is that due to the almost complete lack of unique information that power provides additional to torque …

Thriving Hives: Processing And Using Beeswax - Candles And Cosmetics, Brynn Meredith, Teresa Hunsaker, Andree' Walker Bravo

All Current Publications

Beeswax is a substance produced by bees for constructing honeycomb in a hive. When raw wax is harvested from the hive, it may be quite dirty and can have many different kinds of debris stuck in it. Because of this, it is important that you clean and process the wax before using it. This fact sheet will teach you how to process the wax that you harvest and provide some suggestions on how you can use it in your home.

Faculty Senate Agenda February 3, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Revised Minutes
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report
• 3:40 Report
• Office of Research Annual Report
• 3:45 New Business
• 3:50 Old Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

The Utah Statesman, February 3, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Impacts Of Changing Temperatures On The Water Budget In The Great Salt Lake Basin, Grace Affram, Jihad Othman, Reza Morovati, Saddy Pineda Castellanos, Sajad Khoshnoodmotlagh, Diana Dunn, Braedon Dority, Katherine Osorio Diaz, Cody Ratterman, Wei Zhang

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Quantifying the water budget in the Great Salt Lake (GSL) basin is a nontrivial task, especially under a changing climate that contributes to increasing temperatures and a shift towards more rainfall and less snowfall. This study examines the potential impacts of temperature thresholds on the water budget in the GSL, emphasizing the influence on snowmelt, evapotranspiration (ET), and runoff under varying climate warming scenarios. Current hydrological models such as the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model use a universal temperature threshold to partition snowfall and rainfall across different regions. Previous studies have argued that there is a wide range of thresholds …

Product Testing: Research Shows Benefits Of Biostimulants May Vary By Variety, Prakriti Nepal, Youping Sun, Milena Oliveira

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

The use of plant biostimulants is showing some promise as a potential means of helping onion crops thrive despite certain environmental challenges, according to new research at Utah State University.

Plasmids Encode And Can Mobilize Onion Pathogenicity In Pantoea Agglomerans, Gi Yoon Shin, Jo Ann Asselin, Amy Smith, Brenna Aegerter, Teresa Coutinho, Mei Zhao, Bhabesh Dutta, Jennie Mazzone, Ram Neupane, Beth Gugino, Christy Hoepting, Manzeal Khanal, Subas Malla, Claudia Nischwitz, Jaspreet Sidhu, Antoinette Machado Burke, Jane Davey, Mark Uchanski, Michael L. Derie, Lindsey J. Du Toit, Stephen Stresow-Cortez, Jean M. Bonasera, Paul Stodghill, Brian Kvitko

Biology Faculty Publications

Pantoea agglomerans is one of four Pantoea species reported in the USA to cause bacterial rot of onion bulbs. However, not all P. agglomerans strains are pathogenic to onion. We characterized onion-associated strains of P. agglomerans to elucidate the genetic and genomic signatures of onion-pathogenic P. agglomerans. We collected > 300 P. agglomerans strains associated with symptomatic onion plants and bulbs from public culture collections, research laboratories, and a multi-year survey in 11 states in the USA. Combining the 87 genome assemblies with 100 high-quality, public P. agglomerans genome assemblies we identified two well-supported P. agglomerans phylogroups. Strains causing severe …

Act-Enhanced Peer Coaching For Online Act Self-Help: Feasibility And Acceptability With College Students, Korena S. Klimczak, Michael P. Twohig, Gretchen G. Peacock, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

Objective: This secondary analysis examined the feasibility and acceptability of a novel peer coaching model designed to improve adherence to an online self-help program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), called ACT Guide. Participants: All participants (N = 152) and peer coaches were undergraduate students attending the same university. Methods: Participants were instructed to use ACT Guide for 10 weeks and were randomly assigned to receive weekly peer coaching through either phone calls or text messaging. Results: We found our peer coaching model to be feasible for delivery via phone and text, however acceptability …

“It Was Oddly Cathartic And Just Good - Freeing”: An Adaptation Of A Cognitive Restructuring Task For Non-Binary People Experiencing Sexual Objectification, Lee R. Pradell, Joshua G. Parmenter, Renee V. Galliher, Elizabeth Grace Wong, Kevin Chi, Hanna Huenemann, Lindsey Rowley, Sadie South

Psychology Student Research

The present study uses action research and critical trans theory frameworks to adapt a cognitive restructuring task to assist non-binary people in minimizing internalization from sexual objectification experiences (SOEs). Nine non-binary participants completed process charts documenting their experiences with SOEs. Participants also completed interviews about their experience with the process chart. Findings explored the nine categories of the process chart and the process of completing the process charts, highlighting the power participants reclaimed by interrogating objectifying sentiments and managing their environments in the wake of SOEs. We discuss utilizing our study’s process chart to better support marginalized people through SOEs.

Long-Term Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Crop Water Supply–Demand Relationship In Response To Climate Change And Vegetation Greening In Sanjiang Plain, China, Chi Xu, Wanchang Zhang, Zhenghui Fu, Hao Chen, Xia Jiang, Shuhang Wang, Bo Zhang, Zhijie Zhang

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

The Sanjiang Plain (SJP) in Northeast China, a crucial black soil region, serves as a quintessential example of a high-intensity agricultural development zone and stands as China's largest commercial grain production base. In the context of global climate change, pronounced global warming and increased vegetation greening are expected to significantly impact the agricultural water resource supply and its alignment with crop water requirements in the SJP. This study assesses how climate change and vegetation greening affect the crop water supply–demand relationship in the SJP, addressing the critical question of whether natural precipitation can sustain regional agricultural development. Using the extensively …

The Utah Statesman, January 27, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Managed Honey Bees, Apis Mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Face Greater Risk From Parasites And Pathogens Than Mosquito Control Insecticide Applications, Jenna Crowder, Ilia Rochlin, Christopher S. Bibbs, Emily Pennock, Mike Browning, Cody Lott, Amanda Barth, Gregory S. White, Ary Faraji

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

As the primary pollinator for many crops, honey bees (Apis mellifera) are critically important to food production and the agricultural economy. Adult mosquito control is often suspected by the public and commercial beekeepers to harm honey bees, creating conflicts between industries. To investigate this matter, a two-year field study was conducted on vegetated wetlands in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. where honey bee colonies were placed in areas subjected to aerial adult mosquito control applications using the organophosphate naled. Comparison colonies were placed in areas not exposed to insecticides. Colony conditions were documented over the two-year period to …

Lipoprotein(A) Response To Dietary Saturated Fat Reduction: Relationship To Apolipoprotein(A) Size Polymorphism In African Americans, Hayley G. Law, Munkhtuya Myagmarsuren, Heejung Bang, Wei Zhang, Michael Lefevre, Lars Berglund, Byambaa Enkhmaa

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: An elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] level, which is a prevalent cardiovascular risk factor, is genetically determined by a size polymorphism of its apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] component. Despite its genetic control, Lp(a) level increases in response to dietary saturated fat (SFA) reduction. We tested the roles of apo(a) size and characteristics in modulating Lp(a) response to SFA reduction. Methods: We assessed apo(a) characteristics in 165 African Americans experiencing a 24% Lp(a) increase resulting from SFA reduction [16% at an average American Diet diet (AAD) to 6% at a DASH-type diet]. Apo(a) effects were tested based on the following factors: (1) the presence …

Proximal Remote Sensing: An Essential Tool For Bridging The Gap Between High-Resolution Ecosystem Monitoring And Global Ecology, Zoe Amie Pierrat, Troy S. Magney, Will P. Richardson, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Jen L. Diehl, Xi Yang, William Woodgate, William K. Smith, Miriam R. Johnston, Yohanes R. S. Ginting, Gerbrand Koren, Loren P. Albert, Christopher L. Kibler, Bryn E. Morgan, Mallory Barnes, Adriana Uscanga, Charles Devine, Mostafa Javadian, Karem Meza, Tommaso Julitta, Giulia Tagliabue, Matthew P. Dannenberg, Michal Antala, Christopher Y. S. Wong, Andre L. D. Santos, Koen Hufkens, Julia K, Marrs, Atticus E. L. Stovall, Yujie Liu, Joshua B. Fisher, John A. Gamon, Kerry Cawse-Nicholson

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

A new proliferation of optical instruments that can be attached to towers over or within ecosystems, or ‘proximal’ remote sensing, enables a comprehensive characterization of terrestrial ecosystem structure, function, and fluxes of energy, water, and carbon. Proximal remote sensing can bridge the gap between individual plants, site-level eddy-covariance fluxes, and airborne and spaceborne remote sensing by providing continuous data at a high-spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we review recent advances in proximal remote sensing for improving our mechanistic understanding of plant and ecosystem processes, model development, and validation of current and upcoming satellite missions. We provide current best practices for data availability …

Women In The Workplace: Part 2: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, And Attitudes, Susan R. Madsen, Deborah Lin

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

During the fall of 2023, Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) researchers conducted a statewide study to establish a baseline for public perceptions related to the awareness, understanding, and attitudes about challenges that Utah women and girls face. In early 2024, we published 20 short research summaries¹ that shared the results of this comprehensive study. Then, in the fall of 2024, we administered this survey, with slight changes, around the state of Utah for the second time. This is the second of six white papers to share the results of the new data.

Overall, this comprehensive study was designed …

The Utah Statesman, January 20, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Great Salt Lake Data And Insights Summary: A Synthesized Resource Document For The 2025 General Legislative Session, William Anderegg, Craig Buttars, Joel Ferry, Natalie Gochnour, Kim Shelley, Brian Steed, David G. Tarboton, Leila Ahmadi, Eric Albers, Blake Bingham, Paul D. Brooks, Tim Davis, Eric Dixon, Joanna Endter-Wada, Tage Flint, Candice Hasenyager, Timothy Hawkes, William Johnson, John Lin, John Mackey, Anna Mcentire, Bethany T. Neilson, Sarah Null, Kevin Perry, Ben Stireman, Courenay Strong, Laura Vernon, Marisa Weinberg, Matt Yost

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

In 2024, Great Salt Lake continued to rise from the record-low elevation reached in 2022, aided by two years of above-average precipitation and the adaptive management berm. Economic activity, public health, and the lake's ecosystems continue to be adversely impacted by low water levels. This summary synthesizes essential data and insights so decision-makers have the information they need to improve water management, increase water deliveries to the lake, mitigate adverse impacts, and recover the lake to a healthy range.

Refurbishing Used Gps Transmitters Improves Performance For Subsequent Deployments On Greater Sage-Grouse, Melissa S. Chelak, Michel T. Kohl, Justin R. Small, Kurt T. Smith, Aaron C. Pratt, Jeffrey L. Beck, Codi R. Backen, M. Brandon Flack, Hailey P. Wayment, Jason A. Wood, Ryan Howell, Trevon D. Strange, Lucian R. Mcdonald, Kezia R. Manlove, Shandra N. Frey, Randy T. Larsen, Brian A. Maxfield, David K. Dahlgren, Terry A. Messmer, David C. Stoner

Wildland Resources Student Research

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) radio transmitters are increasingly used across taxa to monitor animal populations. However, GPS transmitters can be susceptible to malfunctions that may result in location errors or data loss causing potential inferential bias that can have important implications for monitored species. Research using GPS transmitters on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) has increased, but few sage-grouse studies have evaluated GPS performance. Because sage-grouse management has been subject to intense legal and political scrutiny with consequential economic implications, reliable data acquisition is central to informed decision-making for the species. We evaluated differences in the performance of …

Keeping Kids Safe At Meals: Preventing And Responding To Choking, Mia Dustin, Savannah Daines, Stacy Bevan, Palak Gupta, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos

All Current Publications

Introducing solid foods is an exciting developmental milestone, but it can also raise concerns about choking for parents and caregivers. Choking occurs when an object, such as food or a toy, blocks a child’s airway and prevents air from moving in and out of the lungs. This fact sheet offers practical guidance on how to prevent food-related choking, recognize the signs of a choking emergency, and what to do if a child is choking.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Single-Session Digital Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Intervention, Michael E. Levin, Miriam N. Mukasa, Emily M. Bowers, Korena S. Klimczak, Ty B. Aller

Psychology Faculty Publications

Adherence challenges are common among digital mental health interventions (DMHIs). Single-session DMHIs may help by providing a low-intensity intervention that takes less time to complete. This pilot randomized controlled trial sought to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a single-session DMHI based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in a non-clinical sample of college students. The trial was pre-registered (NCT06139718). A total of 61 students were recruited, which was below the target of 100 participants. The participants were randomized to the single-session ACT DMHI or to a waitlist condition, with assessments completed at 1-week and 1-month follow-ups. The vast …

The Utah Statesman, January 13, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Agricultural Producers' Motivations And Challenges With Improving Soil Health In Utah, Peggy Petrzelka, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, Matt Yost, Jenae Dean, Tony Richards, Kristy Davis

All Current Publications

The Utah Soil Health Program (USHP) developed a five-year project to increase understanding of how best to implement soil health practices into Utah’s diverse farming systems. Fifteen producers were selected to participate in the USHP On-Farm Soil Health Demonstration Project. During 2022, the trial’s first year, the participating farmers and ranchers were interviewed. We begin by discussing participant demographics and operation characteristics. Next, we turn to challenges the producers faced in implementing soil health practices in the IMW and then turn to motivations for the producers to enroll in the USHP trial. This will help (1) document what is currently …

Role Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Maintaining Sustainable Agroecosystems, Anju Chaudhary, Shital Poudyal, Amita Kaundal

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play a crucial role in maintaining sustainable agroecosystems by forming mutualistic relationships with plant roots, improving soil health, facilitating nutrient uptake, and enhancing resilience to abiotic stresses. The mutualistic relationship between AM fungi and plants promotes a balanced microbial community and improves soil structure by forming stable soil aggregates. Additionally, AM fungi can lower the adverse effects of high soil phosphorus (P) while also enhancing plant tolerance to drought, salinity, and heavy metal toxicity through osmotic regulation and antioxidant production. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi also support beneficial microorganisms, such as potassium (K)-solubilizing microbes and nitrogen (N)-transforming bacteria, …

"It's Definitely New And Different...It's Really Engaging": Understanding The Power Of Storytelling Towards Secure Password Creation, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

There is a dearth in existing literature to attain systematic understanding of leveraging digital storytelling in security designs. As we begin to address this gap, we focused on user authentication where the existing password composition policies and password meters often fail to help users around creating a strong and memorable password. To this end, we conducted a lab study with 19 participants, where we updated our initial designs in an iterative manner based on their feedback. We then conducted a between-subject online study with 104 participants over Amazon Mechanical Turk to evaluate our designs. We found that all of our …

Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Iii Program, Ty Aller

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Species Differences In The Biotransformation Of Aflatoxin B1: Primary Determinants Of Relative Carcinogenic Potency In Different Animal Species, David L. Eaton, David E. Williams, Roger A. Coulombe

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

It has been known since the early days of the discovery of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) that there were large species differences in susceptibility to AFB1. It was also evident early on that AFB1 itself was not toxic but required bioactivation to a reactive form. Over the past 60 years there have been thousands of studies to delineate the role of ~10 specific biotransformation pathways of AFB1, both phase I (oxidation, reduction) and phase II (hydrolysis, conjugation, secondary oxidations, and reductions of phase I metabolites). This review provides a historical context and substantive analysis of each of these pathways as contributors …