Digital Commons Network^™

Utah Producers And Soil Health: Statewide Survey Results, Peggy Petrzelka, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, Matt Yost, Jenae Dean, Earl Creech, Linda Schott, Tony Richards, Kristy Davis

All Current Publications

To gain soil health perspectives and actions from a representative sample of Utah farmers and ranchers, a mail and online survey of Utah producers was conducted in 2024, focused on those who indicated they produced crops in 2023. In this report, we provide an overview of the survey results, with a specific focus on producers’ views on soil health, indicators used for soil health, factors that influence soil health adoption, and information sources used for soil health.

The Continuing Search For A Better Mouse Trap: Two Tests Of A Practical, Low-Cost Camera Trap For Detecting And Observing Small Mammals, Raymond D. Dueser, John H. Porter, Nancy D. Moncrief

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The advent of digital wildlife cameras has led to a dramatic increase in the use of camera traps for mammalian biodiversity surveys, ecological studies and occupancy analyses. For cryptic mammals such as mice and shrews, whose small sizes pose many challenges for unconstrained digital photography, use of camera traps remains relatively infrequent. Here we use a practical, low-cost small mammal camera platform (the “MouseCam”) that is easy and inexpensive to fabricate and deploy and requires little maintenance beyond camera service. We tested the MouseCam in two applications: a study of small mammal species composition on two transects across a barrier …

Women In The Workplace: Part 1: Utahns’ Awareness, Understanding, And Attitudes, Susan R. Madsen, Kolene Anderson

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 first of six white papers to share the results of the new data.

Overall, this comprehensive study was designed …

Key Virulence Factors Responsible For Differences In Pathogenicity Between Clinically Proven Live-Attenuated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine Sa14-14-2 And Its Pre-Attenuated Highly Virulent Parent Sa14, Byung-Hak Song, Sang-Im Yun, Joseph L. Goldhardt, Jiyoun Kim, Young-Min Lee

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a neuroinvasive and neurovirulent orthoflavivirus, can be prevented in humans with the SA₁₄-14-2 vaccine, a live-attenuated version derived from the wild-type SA₁₄ strain. To determine the viral factors responsible for the differences in pathogenicity between SA₁₄ and SA₁₄-14-2, we initially established a reverse genetics system that includes a pair of full-length infectious cDNAs for both strains. Using this cDNA pair, we then systematically exchanged genomic regions between SA14 and SA₁₄-14-2 to generate 20 chimeric viruses and evaluated their replication capability in cell culture and their pathogenic potential in …

The Utah Statesman, January 6, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Spatiotemporal Synchrony Of Climate And Fire Occurrence Across North American Forests (1750–1880), Ellis Margolis, Andreas Wion, John Abatzoglou, Lori Daniels, Donald Falk, Chris Guiterman, James Johnston, Kurt Kipfmueller, Charles Lafon, Rachel Loehman, Maggie Lonergan, Cameron Naficy, Marc-André Parisien, Sean Parks, Jeanne Portier, Michael Stambaugh, Ellen Whitman, A. Park Williams, Larissa Yocom

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Aim: Increasing aridity has driven widespread synchronous fire occurrence in recent decades across North America. The lack of historical (pre-1880) fire records limits our ability to understand long-term continental fire-climate dynamics. The goal of this study is to use tree-ring reconstructions to determine the relationships between spatiotemporal patterns in historical climate and widespread fire occurrence in North American forests, and whether they are stable through time. This information will address a major knowledge gap required to inform projections of future fire.

Location: North American Forests.

Time Period: 1750–1880 CE.

Major Taxa Studied: Trees.

Methods: We applied regionalisation methods to tree-ring …

Education Policy Committee Agenda January 2, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes January 2, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn

Education Policy Committee Minutes January 02, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Subcommittee Reports
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:20pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda January 02, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn

Utah People And Environment Poll 2024/25 Executive Report, Alex Theophilus, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Utah's people and environment are currently experiencing significant changes as the population continues to grow, droughts and flooding pose threats to agriculture, air quality leads to health concerns, energy needs rise, and public lands see increased use. Action is needed to address these changes, especially given how rapidly they are occurring. Political leaders, environmental organizations, Tribal Nations, and universities play a critical role in ensuring Utah’s environment, economy, workforce, and underserved communities have a sustainable path forward. Understanding residents’ views, values, and concerns can help better craft the policy, inform infrastructure, and identify the services needed to do so. With …

Open Educational Resources For And As Assessment, Eliana Elkhoury, Jako Olivier, Travis N. Thurston, Morgan Barker, Steven Clontz, Will Cross, Michael Tadeusz Dabrowski, Teresa Focarile, Hillary Fox, Angela George, Sharona Krinsky, Drew Lewis, Erin Mckenney, Lauren Mcmillan, Nalanda Roy, Zoë Soon, James Thibeault, David Tully, Lydia Watson, Sam Winemiller

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

The need to rethink assessment in higher education has become increasingly urgent due to the shift to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent introduction of various generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. Globally, instructors are called to redesign their assessment practices to make them more innovative, authentic, and empowering.

13. Mentorship Matters: Documenting The Unseen Impact Of Instructor-Student Relationships, Jeff Spears, Amanda Deliman, Hannah Mae Lewis, Jim Lamuth, Kim Hales

Documenting Teaching Excellence

This chapter explores the critical yet often unrecognized role of documenting instructor mentorship as a core component of teaching excellence in higher education. Mentorship encompasses a range of instructor-to-student interactions, including academic guidance, psychosocial support, research support (graduate and undergraduate), and career exploration for students (DeAngelo, Mason, & Winters, 2016; Thiry & Laursen, 2011). Despite its importance, mentorship is rarely documented comprehensively in teaching documentation portfolios (Ocobock et al., 2022). By systematically capturing the multifaceted impacts of mentorship, instructors enhance their teaching portfolio and contribute to the broader discourse on teaching excellence. This chapter aims to empower instructors to demonstrate …

15. Documenting Teaching Excellence: Applying Universal Design For Learning (Udl) In Communication Courses, Shihua Brazill

Documenting Teaching Excellence

As a professor in communications, I know firsthand the challenges and rewards of teaching diverse students in courses such as Presenting Technical Information, Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, and Intercultural Communication. These courses demand not only mastery of content but also the ability of students at varying levels of comfort and expertise to communicate effectively using a variety of media. My approach to teaching has been heavily influenced by the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, which I have found to be an invaluable tool for creating inclusive, engaging, and dynamic learning environments. UDL has become essential to my pedagogy because …

16. Confronting "I Just Don't Have Time": An Argument For Seeking And Documenting Professional Learning, Sharon Lyman, Karin Dejonge-Kannan

Documenting Teaching Excellence

We confess our teaching is not always exemplary and our students often struggle to learn. We argue that intentionally pursuing professional learning is the only way to improve our teaching, and that documenting this learning is imperative when we make the case for teaching excellence. This chapter will examine the common lament of “I just don’t have time” for professional learning, followed by a discussion of how to exchange this self-sabotaging notion for a self-sustaining alternative, and a description of the benefits of documenting professional growth. The aim of this chapter is three-fold: to argue that “I just don’t have …

17. Our Teaching Excellence: Effective Teaching As An Inherently Collective Endeavor To Enhance Student Learning, Melissa E. Ko

Documenting Teaching Excellence

Higher education has long pursued excellence in its core pillars: research, service, and teaching. Yet, public trust in higher education is at an all-time low. In 2024, nearly 1 in 3 Americans reported little to no confidence in higher education (Nietzel, 2024). Another survey revealed that 1 in 2 Americans think a college degree is less important now for getting a well-paying job compared to 20 years ago (Pew Research Center, 2024). Individual faculty continue to secure tenure through demonstrated teaching excellence, yet higher education struggles to convince the American public of its effectiveness. Why does this discrepancy exist?

Contributors, Eliana Elkhoury, Jako Olivier, Travis N. Thurston, Morgan Barker, Steven Clontz, Will Cross, Michael Tadeusz Dabrowski, Teresa Focarile, Hillary Fox, Angela George, Sharona Krinsky, Drew Lewis, Erin Mckenney, Lauren Mcmillan, Nalanda Roy, Zoë Soon, James Thibeault, David Tully, Lydia Watson, Sam Winemiller

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

No abstract provided.

1. Placing Students At The Heart Centre: Using A Compassionate Lens In The Selection And Use Of Open Assessment, Lydia Watson

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

This chapter will discuss the topic of compassion and its role in the selection and application of open educational assessment practices. Drawing on research and practice that centers compassion within assessment activities and everyday life, it will focus on four emerging themes, namely: understanding compassionate assessment, self-compassion and assessment, compassion for students in assessment, and compassion for faculty in assessment practices. It will propose that embracing and integrating open assessment practices offers a meaningful path forward.

3. Checkit Oer Assessment Generator, Steven Clontz, Sharona Krinsky, Drew Lewis

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

The CheckIt framework is an open educational technology for authoring randomized exercises, banks, and assessments for mathematics. Technological means facilitate the easy sharing and modification of open-source templates and generators authored in the framework to be used both in classrooms as well as to support educational research; case studies in this paper illustrate its use in both contexts, and describe its use in both small and large classrooms.

5. Student As Creator + Curator: Transformative Oer Pedagogy Through Student Research In Excel, Morgan Barker

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

This chapter considers ways that basic student research can act as a transformative OER pedagogy. The author examines student co-created lessons and assesses an open pedagogy design model utilized in California Community College Excel courses over the last 10 years. While Excel is a valued academic and job-oriented skill, many students find that spreadsheets are not engaging nor the primary focus in most courses. It is through this design model that students are encouraged to curate “micro” lessons for fellow students, acting as active curators rather than passive learners. The concepts thoughtfully encourage students to have agency/ hope, develop advocacy …

5. Teaching Excellence Fostered Through Institutional Collaboration: A Case For An Effective Assessment Rubric, Amanda Morris, Anna Kuthy

Documenting Teaching Excellence

Teaching excellence is a defining characteristic and ongoing challenge at small liberal arts institutions, where instructor independence and mission-driven education converge. Defining and measuring it in such contexts involves navigating instructor autonomy, institutional mission, administrative oversight, and accreditation requirements. This chapter presents a case-based approach to addressing these challenges at Brescia University, a small liberal arts school in Owensboro, KY. We offer an example of an implementable solution that fosters and documents teaching excellence while aligning with both generally accepted standards and the university’s mission. Additionally, we model a collaborative development process between the offices of the Academic Dean and …

6. The Creation Of A Teaching Excellence Framework: Defining, Measuring, And Facilitating Teaching Excellence, James Agutter, T. Adam Halstrom, Anne Cook

Documenting Teaching Excellence

Defining what constitutes teaching excellence is a crucial focus for faculty development to create deep learning opportunities in our classrooms and ensure our students’ success. However, establishing a single definition is challenging to standardize and quantify. We recognize outstanding teaching when we see and experience it — we all know the faculty members who spark curiosity, foster deep learning, and create memorable experiences for our students. Yet, how do we assess something so complex, nuanced, and profoundly influential? Excellent teaching varies based on the institution, the field, the context, the content, and the demographics of the students in a course. …

Introduction, Eliana Elkhoury, Jako Olivier, Travis N. Thurston

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

The need to rethink assessment in higher education has become increasingly urgent due to the shift to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent introduction of various generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. Globally, instructors are called to redesign their assessment practices to make them more innovative, authentic, and empowering.

10. The Language Of Teaching Excellence: Describing Pedagogical Expertise Through A Framework Of Care, Beth Buyserie

Documenting Teaching Excellence

During my 20 years of college-level teaching, I have engaged in countless conversations where instructors communicate their passion for teaching, their commitment to student learning, the depth of their disciplinary expertise, their continued pedagogical innovations, and their thoughtful reflective practices. Yet often these same teachers confide that they find it quite challenging (sometimes nearly impossible) to write about their teaching for promotion—not because they are not strong teachers, but because the language expectations for documenting teaching accomplishments can be formidable. For example, at my particular institution, teaching-centered instructors are specifically directed in our role statements to “demonstrate excellence” in our …

Contributors, Karin Dejonge-Kannan, Travis N. Thurston, Amanda Deliman, Amanda Morris, Anna Kuthy, Anne Cook, Beth Buyserie, Bethany B. Stone, Caroline Wienhold, Casandra E. Harper, Chris Kilgore, Cynthia Korpan, Elisabeth Schussler, Ferlin Mcgaskey, Gabrielle Stecher Woodward, Hannah Mae Lewis, James Agutter, Janette R. Hill, Jeff Spears, Jim Lamuth, Jordan Shipley, Kate Tregloan, Kim Hales, Letizia Guglielmo, Melissa E. Ko, Michael Morrone, Miranda Yaggi Rodak, Peggy Brickman, Raoul A. Mulder, Shannon M. Sipes, Sharon Lyman, Shihua Brazill, Stephen A. Klien, T. Adam Halstrom, Terri A. Dunbar, Victoria Mondelli, Vijay R. Kannan, Virginia Stormer

Documenting Teaching Excellence

No abstract provided.

Usu Extension Sustainability Permaculture Initiative: 2025 Impact Report, Natalia Bustos, Roslynn Brain Mccann, Jake Powell

Extension Research

• Permaculture Statistics
• Harvest Donations (Organic)
• Participant Response
• 2025 Monthly Educational Events
• Publications
• USU Extension Workshops & Events

General Catalog 2025-2026, Utah State University

University Catalogs

This catalog contains information on the Academic Departments and Programs as well as Course Descriptions for the above school year at Utah State University.

Immersive Modeling Of Water Banking Elicits Local Knowledge To Explore Strategies To Get More Water To Great Salt Lake, Hadia Akbar, David E. Rosenberg

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

This study used immersive online collaborative modeling of water banking to explore strategies to get more water to the declining Great Salt Lake (GSL). In a model session, each collaborator immersed in a water user role. They articulated a strategy to consume and bank water. Then they adapted their strategy in response to their available water, others’ choices, and the real-time discussion of choices. Collaborators included 29 farmers, ranchers, practitioners, and experts. Collaborators who personified agricultural users had the most varied strategies. They balanced economic viability, long-term sustainability, and land preservation. Pricing water was challenging, with prices ranging from $15 …

Factors Influencing The Discovery And Use Of Carrion By Vertebrate Scavengers From Human-Induced Mass-Mortality Events, Samantha J. Leivers, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Tyler A. Campbell, John M. Tomeček

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Scavengers play critical roles in ecosystem health and stability, and both biotic and abiotic factors can influence scavenger guild dynamics. Carrion is often limited both temporally and spatially on the landscape, but mass mortality events (MMEs)—in which there is an influx of carrion biomass on the landscape—may result in different scavenger community dynamics compared to when carrion is scarcely distributed. In this study, we investigated factors affecting the discovery and use of carrion by a natural, unharrassed scavenger guild during wild pig (Sus scrofa) MMEs conducted at East Foundation’s San Antonio Viejo Ranch in South Texas, USA. We …

Racial-Ethnic Differences In The Associations Between Functional Disabilities And Subsequent Depression Among Community-Dwelling Midlife And Older Adults In The Us, Debasree Das Gupta, Uma Kelekar, Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya, Sidney Carl Turner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The intersection of race/ethnicity with disability is a critical dimension of mental health outcomes in later ages that remains under-investigated.

Objective: We examined the role of race-ethnicity in moderating the associations between functional disabilities and subsequent depression among Americans 51 and older and stratified into the two age-groups of midlife (51-64) and older adults (≥65).

Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Americans (≥51; n=7,475) in the 2016-2018 Health and Retirement Study, we conducted bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. Racial-ethnic groups included non-Hispanic (NH) Black, Hispanic, and NH White and a binary (0/1) outcome defined subsequent depression in …