Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing Health Inequities For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In The Hospital Through Partnerships In Nurse Training, Suzannah Iadarola, Amanda Laprime, Samantha Hochheimer, Tabby Anvari, Carrie Baker, Jacqueline Goodman

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

People with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) deserve the same access to quality healthcare yet are at increased risk of medical and/or psychiatric conditions as compared to the general population. Patients with IDD have less health satisfaction, shorter life expectancy, less access to preventative care, higher chronic health conditions, overuse of certain medications, and increased mortality. This population and their caregivers report high levels of dissatisfaction with emergency/inpatient care. Nurses also express frustration with lack of training, limited resources, and competing priorities.

We developed the Advancing Supportive Care through Education for Nurses on Disability (ASCEND) Program, to build the capacity of inpatient/Emergency …

Parents’ Lived Experiences With Competitive Integrated Employment For Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disability, Dr. Aisha J. Omar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Kentucky parents seeking Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Guided by the research questions—How do parents experience this process, and what barriers or supports do they encounter?—the study highlights systemic challenges despite legislative efforts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In-depth interviews with five parents revealed three themes: (a) parental transformation and the pursuit of meaningful work, (b) systemic challenges in accessing CIE, and (c) overcoming protective instincts: navigating fear, independence, and self-advocacy. Findings suggest a …

Early Detection Of Harmful Algal Blooms (Habs) Using Qpcr And Predictive Modeling, Emily Samuels

Research on Capitol Hill

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) threaten drinking water, recreation, and public health in Utah Lake and waterbodies due to cyanotoxin production. Current monitoring methods detect toxins only after blooms are already established.

Energy Drinks Maintain High Motivational Value Even When Access Becomes Costly, Tyler Hansen

Research on Capitol Hill

Energy drinks are extremely popular among adolescents and young adults in the United States. These beverages contain high amounts of caffeine and sugar. Consuming energy drinks, especially in large quantities, has been shown to pose health risks.

The Loneliness Epidemic: Decreased Social Connectedness Influences Misogyny, Eva Jones, Hannah Jensen, Sophia Baumann

Research on Capitol Hill

This project investigates the relationship between how socially connected (or lonely) someone is and their gender beliefs.

Act Therapy Benefits Diverse Racial, Ethnic & Disabled Groups, Jared Vance

Research on Capitol Hill

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been widely studied, but most research has focused on white, western populations. We need to know if ACT works equally well for people from diverse racial, ethnic, and disability backgrounds to know if it is a helpful tool for these groups. This meta-analysis brings together studies from around the world to answer that question.

Utah Wildflower Microbes Boost Plant Growth Without Using Chemical Fertilizers, Rebecca Thorley

Research on Capitol Hill

Modern agriculture relies on chemical fertilizers to boost crop yields, but these short-term gains come at a steep cost:

Soil degradation: Chemicals kill beneficial soil organisms and damage soil structure over time

Water pollution: Fertilizer runoff contaminates rivers and lakes, creating toxic algae blooms

Rising costs: Fertilizer expenses now account for 30-50% of crop production costs

Climate impact: Fertilizer production and use generate significant greenhouse gas emissions

The challenge: Feed growing populations while restoring soil health and protecting the environment.

We Can Use Coyotes As A Model To Understand How Social Loss Alters The Brain, Rebekah Rowe

Research on Capitol Hill

While we understand some factors that increase psychological distress for grieving individuals, little is known about this biological basis.

Ovarian Transplants Drastically Improved The Health Of Post-Menopausal Mice, Nathan Mccoy

Research on Capitol Hill

Women generally experience health advantages compared to men before menopause. Following menopause, this advantage diminishes, and women become more susceptible to metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Pavlovian Cues Promote Self-Control Choices In Rats And Kindergarteners, Emily Kuehnl

Research on Capitol Hill

Impulsive choices occur when we prefer a small reward now over a larger reward later and is predictive of substance-use disorders, pathological gambling, and other behaviors that negatively impact health.

Could Gene Editing Increase Chicken Resistance To Avian Influenza?, Alta Crane

Research on Capitol Hill

Avian Influenza is a viral infection that causes outbreaks of "bird flu," greatly affecting avian health. Influenza A virus (IAV) relies on various host factors for efficient replication. Previous studies in human cells have identified four genes as critical host factors required for IAV infection. To investigate whether similar host– virus interactions exist in avian species, we utilized gene editing systems to generate knockout fibroblast cell lines targeting those four genes and then applied these techniques to germ cells.

Aspen Graffiti Are Close To Trails And On Large-Diameter Trees, James A. Lutz, Soren Struckman, Joseph D. Birch

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Key results

1. Close to the trail

75% of all graffiti was within 60 feet of the trail.

2. On the largest trees

Graffiti was concentrated on the largest diameter aspen (larger than 8 in diameter).

3. Higher growth in marked aspen

Aspen with graffiti had 24% higher radial growth, relative to unmarked aspen. This is likely because people carve the healthiest aspen.

Pest Management For Utah Cut Flower Production: Insects And Their Relatives, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray, Melanie Stock

All Current Publications

Pest management is important in cut flower production, marketability, and farm profitability. This fact sheet focuses on animal pests (insects, arthropods, mollusks, and vertebrates), not diseases or weeds, and has two parts. Part 1 applies Integrated Pest Management (IPM): using preventive techniques, pest thresholds, and best management practices with pests in cut flower crop production. Part 2 highlights the top 10 common pests of cut flowers in Utah and their management.

Factors Associated With Substance Use Treatment Seeking During Covid-19: A Cross-Sectional Study Applying The Gelberg–Andersen Model For Vulnerable Populations, Dorothy Wallis

Social Work Faculty Publications

Treatment seeking among individuals who misuse substances can be a complex process, with many factors contributing to treatment seeking. Guided by Gelberg–Andersen’s Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, this research seeks to establish predisposing, enabling, and need factors contributing to treatment seeking during COVID-19. A total of 201 individuals participated in the study. Contrary to existing literature, no predisposing factors were associated with treatment seeking during COVID-19. However, variations were seen in enabling and need factors. Perceiving a need for treatment and having reliable transportation to treatment were associated with treatment seeking during COVID-19, underlying the importance of addressing both physical …

Decolonizing Postpartum Depression: A Review Of Postpartum Depression In Adolescent American Indian Mothers, Brandi A. Richardson, Christopher J. Cutter, Mark Beitel

Journal of Indigenous Research

Postpartum depression (PPD), defined as at least two weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest in daily activities accompanied by symptoms such as altered eating habits, suicidal or infanticidal thoughts, feelings of inadequacy, and low energy, is a significant public health problem in the United States. Poor infant and maternal health increase risk for PPD. In addition, adolescent mothers are at higher risk of prenatal depression, birth complications, and PPD. Current research fails to address adolescent American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) mothers experiencing PPD. This review seeks to integrate what has been discovered about PPD within Native communities …

A Pre-Service Māori Educator's Perspective On Māori Influence On Education In New Zealand, Ashleigh Franco

Journal of Indigenous Research

Māori students have historically performed below mainstream students in New Zealand (PISA 2018, 2019). This narrative inquiry spotlights Tahi, whose lived experiences reverberate issues facing the Māori curriculum – Te reo Māori – in New Zealand (Barr & Seals; 2018; Macfarlane, 2015; Manning; 2018; Ritchie, 2012 Stewart, 2016; Torepe et al., 2018). Additionally, Tahi's narrative underscores social and democratic issues of systemic injustice and white privilege, including the influence of both on education in New Zealand.

Preparando Para Su Edad Y Su Futuro: Latina Mothers’ Perspectives Of Navigating Postsecondary Transition For Autistic Youth, Kristina Rios Dr., Katherine R. Brendli Brown, Genna Kieper, Cynthia Velasquez, Amber Brown Ruiz

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Families play a critical role in the education and service provision of Autistic students. However, much of the existing research on family involvement and expectations has centered on families of younger Autistic children and has disproportionately reflected the experiences of White families, even though Latinx families may include individuals of any racial background. Furthermore, while there is growing transition literature focused on families of color, Latinx families—particularly those with Spanish-speaking caregivers—remain underrepresented in studies examining the postsecondary transition. There is a critical need for research that captures Latinx caregivers’ perspectives on navigating the transition process and identifies how educators can …

Clinician Tele-Mental Health Attitudes In North American Indigenous Communities, Elleh A. Driscoll, Justin Douglas Mcdonald

Journal of Indigenous Research

This study examined mental health clinicians (n=104) serving North American Indigenous clients and how tele-mental health (TMH) factors during and after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted future willingness to continue TMH. Results indicated predictors of future TMH usage were not statistically significant due to the high baseline of willingness to utilize TMH, regardless of factors. The goal of this study was to investigate awareness of clinician attitudes of TMH and promote continued research and training for tele-mental health care with Indigenous populations.

Conditioned Feed Aversion As A Means Of Conditioning Livestock To Avoid Consuming Toxic Plants Growing In South Africa : An Overview, Leendert D. Snyman, Frederick D. Provenza

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Significant economic losses to the livestock industry are caused by the ingestion of toxic plants in South Africa, among which the most dangerous ones are Moraea pallida (geeltulp), Urginea/Drimea sanguinea (rooislangkop), Senecio latifolius (Staggers Ragwort), and Geigeria ornativa (vermeerbos). Conditioned feed aversion is a potential means to address this issue. Treating animals with an aversive substance along with an extract of the sensory characteristics of a specific plant conditions animals to avoid the plant. Geigeria ornativa, unlike the other three plants, is non-aversive. Following treatment for aversion, the induced aversion fades with time and eventually breaks down. Continuous exposure …

A Case Study Of Suspected Sheep Losses Due To Chokecherry Not Death Camas, Kevin D. Welch, Clint A. Stonecipher, Stephen T. Lee, Daniel Cook, Benedict T. Green

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Death camas (Zigadenus paniculatus) is a toxic plant often associated with poisoning cases in livestock, especially in sheep, in the spring on mountain foothills. Consequently, when sheep are found dead in mountain foothills, and death camas is present, it is often implicated as the potential cause of death. However, this may be over simplistic as there may be other plants that may also contribute to, or are the cause of, death in sheep. In this study, we present a case of approximately 200 sheep out of a band of 400 that died within 24 hours of beginning to …

The Status Of Women In Utah Politics: A 2026 Update, Corinne Clarkson, Jamie Faux, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Given the beauty of Utah’s mountains and deserts, its strong economy, thriving arts community, and range of urban and rural living environments, the state has much to offer Utahns. In terms of overall quality of life, WalletHub’s most recent rankings place Utah eighth among the states—second in education and health, and sixth in affordability.¹ The state’s WalletHub ranking peaked at 4th in 2024,² but Utah hovers among the top 10 best states to live.

Utah's Value-Added Food Processing Options, Karin E. Allen, Kynda R. Curtis, Makaylie Langford

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides an overview of the benefits of producing and marketing value-added foods and outlines key considerations for new ventures. It also details the two primary programs available to smaller-scale processing in Utah—the Cottage Food Program and the Homemade Food Act—assisting producers in evaluating their products, markets, and resources to choose the best path forward.

Children And Youth With Special Health Care Needs (Cyshcn) Regional Support Centers (Rsc): A Framework For Effectively Engaging Stakeholders, Jenna Lequia, Susan Burlazzi, Abby Beer, Miriam Franco, Kathleen Mcgrath, Angel Morales, Joanne Siegel, Susan Hetherington, Tricia Patrick

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The three University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) in New York served as Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Regional Support Centers (RSC). The RSCs aimed to increase the capacity of local CYSHCN programs to connect with and support CYSHCN and their families in their community. RSCs conducted activities in the areas of family engagement, training and educational materials development, and technical assistance. RSCs engaged in ongoing dialogue with CYSHCN and their families to learn about experiences to inform systemic improvements through focus groups, interviews, and surveys. This article describes a statewide framework to serve …

From Strain To Strength: A Narrative Review Of Wellness Dimensions In Caregiving, Valerie Perkoski

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This narrative review investigates the positive aspects of being a family caregiver for individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs) using the National Wellness Institute’s Six Dimensions of Wellness (Emotional, Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Spiritual, and Social). While much research has traditionally focused on “caregiver burden,” this review highlights the often-overlooked beneficial outcomes of caregiving. Emotional wellness is enhanced through gratitude and resilience. Physical wellness is discussed through interventions like physical activity, which can reduce caregiver distress. Intellectual wellness emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization, helping caregivers find fulfillment in their roles. Occupational wellness shows that employment and community engagement can reduce anxiety among …

Menopause 101, Stephanie Carlson, Emma Parkhurst, Ashley Yaugher, Cris Meier

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides women with basic information about perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, along with helpful tips and resources to better prepare for or manage these phases of life.

Improving Ground Cover Crop Fractional Vegetation Mapping Via Causality-Based Deep Representation Learning, Atif Latif, Masoumeh Hashemi, Matt Yost, Somayeh Esmaeili, Xiaojun Qi

Computer Science Student Research

Semantic segmentation and deep learning methods have rarely been applied to fractional vegetation cover (FVC) segmentation tasks due to the lack of publicly available datasets for training deep learning models. FVC is a key indicator for assessing vegetation distribution, crop density, and crop responses to water availability and fertilizer application, yet conventional field-based measurement methods are time consuming, costly, labor intensive, and may lack the accuracy required for critical applications such as drought stress evaluation and water productivity. In this paper, we introduced causality-based deep learning techniques for FVC segmentation on a publicly available RGB dataset that consists of four …

The Effect Of A Preclinical Disability Elective On Medical Student Awareness, Attitudes, And Clinical Competency, Emily Hillmer, Willi Horner-Johnson, Rhonda Eppelsheimer

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Opportunities for education on disability are sparse in many medical school curricula, leaving students ill-prepared to address the needs of patients with disabilities in their future careers. The purpose of our study was to design and implement a novel elective course on disability for medical students and evaluate the effect of the course on student awareness, attitudes, and clinical skills. Medical students were surveyed to assess interest in a new disability elective and to understand in what areas they felt their knowledge and skills were most lacking. With support from our University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disability, we utilized …

Psychological Correlates Of Audiological And Self-Report Indicators Of Hyperacusis In Adults With Misophonia, Mercedes G. Woolley, Karen F. Muñoz, Guadalupe G. San Miguel, Anderson Clements, Julie M. Petersen, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Purpose:

Misophonia and hyperacusis are distinct sound sensitivity conditions that can co-occur and are linked to heightened emotional distress and impaired functioning. This study investigated the convergence between audiometric-based and self-reported indicators of hyperacusis and examined how each related to misophonia severity and psychological outcomes in adults with misophonia.

Method:

Participants (N = 60) completed self-report measures and underwent loudness discomfort level (LDL) testing.

Results:

Analyses revealed discrepancies between self-reported and LDL-defined hyperacusis, with no significant associations between LDL-based classifications and psychological or misophonia-related outcomes. In contrast, hyperacusis identified via a standardized self-report measure was significantly …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda February 5, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - January 8, 2026
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Center for Civic Excellence
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Women's Safety & Security 2025: Utahn's Awareness, Understanding, And Attitudes, Susan R. Madsen, April Townsend

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 (see Nos. 9–28). Next, in the fall of 2024, we administered this survey, with slight changes, around the state of Utah for the second time. Six comprehensive research white papers were then published on the results (see Nos. 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, and …