Digital Commons Network^™

Using A Community Garden Program To Promote Positive Youth Development, Melanie B. Dabb

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Wayne County 4-H used grant funding to develop a community garden to encourage youth in agriculture and promote positive youth development in the county. Positive outcomes of the garden include increased sense of community belonging, knowledge of local agriculture, and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Faculty Senate Agenda, February 28, 2022, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Agenda

• Call to Order- Boyd Edwards
• Approval of Minutes – January 31, 2022
• University Business- Noelle Cockett, President | Frank Galey, Provost
• Information
• Educational Policies Committee – February 3, 2022- Paul Barr
• USU Internal Audit Services- Jodi Bailey
• Reports
• Parking and Transportation Committee Annual Report- Tracy Hulse
• Sustainability Council Annual Report- Alexi Lamm
• Old Business
• Faculty Code 402 Track Changes | Final Version (second reading)- Scott Hunsaker
• New Business
• Faculty Code 401 Track Changes | Final Version (first reading)- Scott Hunsaker
• Faculty Senate President Elect Process and Nominee Submissions- Boyd Edwards

Factors Contributing To Bee Decline, Ann Mull, Jaydee Gunnell, Sheriden M. Hansen, Ricardo Ramirez, Andree' Walker Bravo, Cody Zesiger, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Bees provide an important ecosystem service by contributing to the pollination of crop and wild plant species. Many factors have been attributed to bee declines, including habitat loss, improper apiary management, pesticide usage, climate change, pests and pathogens, competition among native and introduced bee species, poor nutrition, and other factors (Koh et al., 2016; Goulson et al., 2015; Graves et al., 2020; Soroye et al., 2020). Acting together, these factors intensify the pressure for survival beyond the adaptability of many species. This fact sheet reviews the factors contributing to decline in bee populations and what can be done to protect …

The Utah Statesman, February 21, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

The Economic Circumstances Of Sexual Minority Women In Utah, Claudia Geist, Marin Christensen, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

When thinking of gender inequality in Utah, many people immediately consider the difficulties of combining motherhood and employment,¹ sexism in everyday life,² or recent studies that have deemed Utah to be the “worst” state for gender equality.³ Further, women of color have different experiences than white women, as they experience racism and gender discrimination at the intersection of both.⁴ Inequalities in economic outcomes based on race and ethnicity are well documented⁵ and shed light on the fact that “women” are not a monolithic category. This snapshot focuses on an axis of inequality that has been …

Community-Based Rangeland Management In Namibia Improves Resource Governance But Not Environmental And Economic Outcomes, D. Layne Coppock, Luke Crowley, Susan L. Durham, Dylan Groves, Julian C. Jamison, Dean Karlan, Brien E. Norton, R. Douglas Ramsey

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Classic theories suggest that common pool resources are subject to overexploitation. Community-based resource management approaches may ameliorate tragedy of the commons effects. Here we use a randomized evaluation in Namibia’s communal rangelands to study a comprehensive four-year program to support community-based rangeland and cattle management. We find that the program led to persistent and large improvements for eight of thirteen indices of social and behavioral outcomes. Effects on rangeland health, cattle productivity and household economics, however, were either negative or nil. Positive impacts on community resource management may have been offset by communities’ inability to control grazing by non-participating herds …

Pride In The Field, Hay Pradell, Steph Crowell, River Johnson, Oluwadamilola Opayemi, Elizabeth Grace Wong

Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations about the Academy

Many USU students, staff, and faculty are engaged in projects and research focused on the LGBTQIA+ community, as explored in the Utah State Today series, “Celebrating Pride.” Join us for a panel discussing approaches to research about, with, and by the LGBTQIA+ community. What key considerations should researchers center when studying gender and sexuality? From research design, to language use, to avoiding bias, to supporting researchers, what do inclusion, equity, and justice look like in practice? Panelists and attendees will reflect together on positionality, privilege, and marginalization, while taking away actionable practices for future research.

How To Promote Intuitive Eating In Adolescents, Madeline Peterson, Stacy Bevan, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Brooke Parker

All Current Publications

Intuitive eating is a pattern of eating that includes awareness of hunger and fullness cues and encourages an appropriate and respectful response to them. It is a non-diet approach to eating and is not focused on weight loss or weight gain—although changes in weight can occur for individuals who adopt or practice intuitive eating. This fact sheet discusses how to promote intuitive eating in adolescents as a way to build a healthier relationship with food and improve body image.

Fusarium And Verticillium Wilts Of Vegetables, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt are soilborne plant diseases that attack vascular tissue. They cause similar symptoms in their hosts and are difficult to manage as they can survive in the soil for many years. Once a plant is infected, there is no treatment or cure. Therefore, management should focus on preventive and cultural control practices. This fact sheet identifies the many vegetables susceptible to these pathogens in Utah and reviews symptoms, diagnosis, and ways to prevent these diseases.

The Utah Statesman, February 14, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Assessing The Psychometric Properties Of The Who-Das 2.0 In An American Indian Community, Thoin F. Begum, Gayle Skawennio Morse, Dedra Buchwald, David O. Carpenter

Journal of Indigenous Research

American Indians and Alaska Natives report disability at rates higher than the general United States population. This disproportionate prevalence of disability warrants further investigation. We therefore administered the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) to 119 Akwesasne Mohawk adults over 50 years of age residing along the St. Lawrence River in New York. We used exploratory factor analysis to summarize the 36-items comprising the WHODAS 2.0. The 7 factors retained by the analyses correspond to the 6 summary domains of disability, suggesting that the data are sound and measure the intended constructs. Our assessment concludes that WHODAS 2.0 …

American Indian Student Internships And The Pursuit Of Equity In Education, Allyson Kelley, Morgan Witzel, Bethany Fatupaito, Dyani Bingham, Desiree Restad, Sadie Posey

Journal of Indigenous Research

Abstract

In 2003, the US Commission on Civil Rights found that American Indian students do not receive the same educational opportunities as other American students. To address this inequality, the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, in partnership with Allyson Kelley and Associates PLLC led an American Indian college student evaluation internship experience from May 2015 to August 2017. Methods: A qualitative case study design was used to examine how the summer evaluation internship impacted students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by the first author in February 2018. Interview questions focused on skills and knowledge gained, interest in public health-related professions, and …

The Usambara Knowledge Project: Place As Archive In A Tanzanian Mountain Range, Chris A. Conte

History Faculty Publications

The essay chronicles the early phases of a digital history project on landscape change in the mountains of eastern Tanzania. In collecting sources for a land and culture narrative, the project aims ultimately to create an archive that is locally produced in Tanzania and maintained by Utah State University Library's Special Collections and Archives division. The project draws on more than thirty early twentieth-century landscape photographs from the Usambara Mountains in northeastern Tanzania by Walther Dobbertin, a professional photographer living in German East Africa. In the fall of 2015, team members scouted the sites for repeat photographs. The following summer, …

Houston College Sport Programs’ Hurricane Harvey Communication: A Twitter Content Analysis, Chris Hanna, Robert Thompson, James T. Morton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study provides a Twitter content analysis of tweets by Houston-based Division I college sport programs during Hurricane Harvey. A content analysis was performed on the tweets appearing on the main intercollegiate athletics Twitter pages of University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, and Texas Southern University in response to Hurricane Harvey. The researchers based their study on grounded theory informed by a study conducted by Inoue and Havard (2015). While this study examined tweets rather than newspaper and magazine articles like Inoue and Havard (2015), this study confirmed the theme findings in Inoue and …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, February 14, 2022, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Agenda

• Call to Order- Boyd Edwards
• Approval of Minutes – January 18, 2022
• University Business- Noelle Cockett, President | Frank Galey, Provost
• Information
• Education Policies Committee – February 3, 2022- Paul Barr
• USU Internal Audit Services- Jodi Bailey
• Micromobility Policy- Dwight Davis
• Reports
• Parking and Transportation Committee Annual Report- Tracy Hulse
• Sustainability Council Annual Report- Alexi Lamm
• Old Business
• Faculty Code 402 Track Changes | Final Version (second reading)- Scott Hunsaker
• New Business
• Faculty Code 401 Track Changes | Final Version (first reading)- Scott Hunsaker
• Faculty Senate President Elect Process and Nominee Submissions- Boyd Edwards

What Drug Candidates Exist For Treating Covid-19 Variants?, Kolton Hauck

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Kolton studies biological engineering and led this project with funding from a student grant. Kolton’s project has been mapping out all possible protein interactions from known SARS-CoV-2 variants and identifying possible drug treatments. Viruses function through these interactions between their proteins and the host cell’s proteins, and this project is especially valuable because the candidates identified are predicted to help treat all known variants, making them more likely to be effective against future mutations.Kolton’s interest in biological research stems from his own experience managing a genetic health disorder. Past medical research greatly benefited him, and he sees his …

Oral Histories Help Document The Impact Of Covid-19 On Cache Valley's Latinx Community, Virginia Hernandez, Jasmine Morales

Research on Capitol Hill

Sophomore Jasmine, of Box Elder, is president of the USU LatinX Creative Society, the Parent Committee for Centro de la Familia in Box Elder, and the Region Policy Council for the Migrant Program. She studies social work and Spanish. Junior Virginia is a Spanish teaching major and recipient of an Institute for Mexicans Abroad scholarship for her studies in Mexican language and culture. Jasmine led this project to interview a dozen Cache Valley families about their personal experiences during the pandemic as members of the Latinx community. The documentary these students are producing will discuss the ways that their culture …

Can Cannibinoids Be Used To Prevent Lung Damage From Utah Air Pollution?, Emily Brothersen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Emily, a Mantua native, is an Honors student and Undergraduate Research Fellow. She studies Biological Engineering and has funded and led this project herself with multiple student grants. Emily has been investigating a way to study cell health that can help future researchers test treatments more quickly and affordably. She has used this method to research the potential of cannabinoids to help protect people from lung damage caused by pollution, an issue topical to Utah with our frequent inversions and growing medical cannabis industry. Emily has been involved in research throughout her time at USU and sees it …

Precipitation Is A Strong Predictor Of Airborne Ammonia Levels., Bridger Jorgensen, Casey Olson, Connor Snow

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Connor has lived in the Uintah Basin all his life and studies kinesiology. Senior Casey, a Cache Valley native, studies climate science and works at the Utah Climate Center. Junior Bridger, also of Cache Valley, studies nutrition science. They led and funded this project through a student grant. Casey was alarmed by the ammonia data he was collecting at the Climate Center. “I immediately began to wonder how this issue would evolve over the coming decades.” The three teamed up to take a look at how Logan’s record-breaking amount of ammonia in our air is impacting those who …

Phosphomimetic Tyrosine Mutations In Spa47 Inhibit Type Three Secretion Atpase Activity And Shigella Virulence Phenotype, Koleton D. Hardy, Nicholas E. Dickenson

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Shigella is a highly infectious human pathogen responsible for 269 million infections and 200,000 deaths per year. Shigella virulence is absolutely reliant on the injection of effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm via its type three secretion system (T3SS). The protein Spa47 is a T3SS ATPase whose activity is essential for the proper function of the Shigella T3SS needle-like apparatus through which effectors are secreted. A phosphoproteomics study recently found several Shigella T3SS proteins, including Spa47, to be tyrosine phosphorylated, suggesting a means of regulating Spa47 enzymatic activity, T3SS function, and overall Shigella virulence. The work presented here employs …

The Status Of Women In Utah Politics: A 2022 Update, Hannah Payne, Marin Christensen, Susan R. Madsen, Kim Buesser, Lindsey Palmer

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Although Utah has a rich heritage of women’s involvement in voting, advocacy, and various types of political involvement, Utah has lagged behind most states in terms of women running for and serving in elected political roles for decades. To track progress, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) began reporting on the status of women in Utah politics in 2014, with updates in 2017, 2021, and now 2022. Although strides have been made in increasing the number of women serving in political roles in recent years, there is still work to be done. Research continues to confirm that when both …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes
  
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences ADVS = 8 APEC = 3 ASTE = 11 AVTE = 49 (BCIS & BUSN hold all requests | including BCIS & BUSN all) LAEP = 30 NDFS = 21 OPDD = 1 PSC = 1
• Caine College of the Arts MUSC = 1 THEA = 9
• Jon M. Huntsman School of Business ACCT = 10 ECN = 9 DATA = 35 MSLE = 1
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services COMD = 10 HDFS = 1 …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes Minutes approved as distributed.
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Matthew Sanders Course Approvals – 280
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords)
• Other Business

Curriculum Adoption In U.S. Schools: An Exploratory, Qualitative Analysis, Sarah E. Pinkelman, Kristen R. Rolf, Trenton Landon, Ronnie Detrich, Carrie Mclaughlin, Amy Peterson, Michelle Mcknight-Lizotte

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The process of adopting curricula and programs in U.S. schools is an understudied topic. Given the importance of selecting evidence-based and contextually relevant programs that meet the needs of the school, additional research to examine this process is critical. In this exploratory investigation, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ten building-level and ten district-level school administrators to learn (a) how they identify needs for a new program and (b) the perceived factors that influence decisions in selecting a program to adopt. Qualitative data from interview transcripts were analyzed through thematic analysis as outlined by Braun and Clarke (3(2):77, 2006), and saturation …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, 2022 Special Issue (Vol. 5, Iss. 3)

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length 2022 Special Issue (Volume 5, Issue 3) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

Editorial: We're Going Remote!?! A University's Tale Of Two Cities, Robert Wagner

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The COVID-19 global pandemic created a dichotomous construct for higher education between delivery formats and maintaining quality pedagogy. The variables and obstacles seemed, at times, insurmountable but, Utah State University's team rose to the occasion. In this op-ed, Robert Wagner discusses the resilience and commitment shown by USU's instructors, staff, and students as they navigated, and continue to navigate, this unprecedented event.

Enhancing Technology-Based Distance Education Delivery Using Collaborative Team-Teaching Methods, Susan Egbert, Sean Camp

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Present pandemic-related circumstances have created unique challenges for educators and students alike. Information and communication technology (ICT) based team-teaching and collaborative course design can effectively mitigate feelings of isolation and disconnection, and enhance student engagement within a remote education context. This article presents a theory-driven framework and ‘how-to’ practical strategies for utilizing team-teaching methodology through web-based delivery platforms. Content focuses on student participation and active learning, curriculum- and technology-related issues, and challenges inherent in synchronous web-based course delivery.

Student And Instructor Perceptions Of Online Teaching Related To Covid-19: The Need For Reflective Practices, Mary Bowne, Melissa Wuellner, Jessie H. Hendricks, John Howard

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Although online learning has been in existence for over 20 years, not all instructors have been trained to teach online or had the desire to teach online. The recent COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed typical face-to-face instruction and disrupted the current educational system by requiring all college courses be delivered online, either asynchronous or synchronous using various software platforms. This paper investigated both instructors’ and students’ perceptions of faculty online teaching preparedness as well as their thoughts related to various technological resources and issues that arose during this time period. Results indicated …

Covid Anxiety And Stress In Higher Ed (Cash), Letitia Bergantz, Christopher E. Curtis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

College is a time of increased stress and anxiety. The current changes in attendance and methods of instruction due to COVID-19 have demonstrated even higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health issues. Tailoring interventions to the specific needs of a campus community has been proposed as an appropriate means to the current crisis. This study identifies the mental health needs of students at a rural college as they pertain to the effects of the pandemic.

Questionnaires collected data from college students (N=33) at Athens State University, a rural university in …