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Mahyar Aboutalebi Uwrl Outstanding Student Spotlight, Utah Water Research Laboratory

News

Each month, the UWRL takes the opportunity to recognize a student, alumni, or staff member who displays extraordinary passion dedication and leadership.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes, March 18, 2019, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 2019-2020 Faculty Senate Calendar
• Budget Faculty Welfare Annual Report
• Research and Graduate Studies Annual Report
• Library Discussion (Subscription Costs) - Jeanne Davidson
• Spring Break 2020 Calendar Update
• Parking Committee Annual Report
• Koch Task Force Resolution

Chronosequence And Direct Observation Approaches Reveal Complementary Community Dynamics In A Novel Ecosystem, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard

Ecology Center Publications

Non-native, early-successional plants have been observed to maintain dominance for decades, particularly in semi-arid systems. Here, two approaches were used to detect potentially slow successional patterns in an invaded semi-arid system: chronosequence and direct observation. Plant communities in 25 shrub-steppe sites that represented a 50-year chronosequence of agricultural abandonment were monitored for 13 years. Each site contained a field abandoned from agriculture (ex-arable) and an adjacent never-tilled field. Ex-arable fields were dominated by short-lived, non-native plants. These ‘weedy’ communities had lower species richness, diversity and ground cover, and greater annual and forb cover than communities in never-tilled fields. Never-tilled fields …

Restoration For Multiple Use, Mark W. Paschke, Lora B. Perkins, Kari E. Veblen

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Management of restored ecosystems for multiple use is a modern necessity given a growing human population and dwindling supplies of ecosystem goods and services. Multiple use management refers to managing resources simultaneously for sustainable output of many goods and services. Within any restoration, thoughtful planning and early stakeholder engagement can help harmonize seemingly competing multiple uses. Although the field of ecological restoration is young and there are few long-term lessons to draw from, we can infer from ecological theory that maximization of native biodiversity can impart resilience in the restored ecosystem and can buffer against the stress of multiple use …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, March 18, 2019, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report - March 7, 2019
• 2019-2020 Faculty Senate Calendar
• Budget and Faculty Welfare Annual Report
• Research and Graduate Studies Annual Report
• 405.11.2 Term Appointment Promotions (second reading)
• Library Discussion (subscription costs)
• Call for Nominations - Faculty Senate President Elect

The Antiquities Act, National Monuments, And The Regional Economy, Paul M. Jakus, Sherzod B. Akhundjanov

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Large, landscape-scale national monuments have long been controversial. It has been claimed that large monuments harm local economies by restricting growth of the grazing, timber, mining, and energy industries. Others have asserted that large monuments aid economic growth by reducing reliance on volatile commodity markets and fostering tourism growth. In this study, we use a synthetic control approach to measure the average causal effect of nine national monument designations on county-level per capita income. We find no evidence that monument designation affected per capita income in any of 20 counties hosting nine large (>50,000 acres) national monuments established …

Examining Quadratic Relationships Between Traits And Methods In Two Multitrait-Multimethod Models, Fred A. Hintz, Christian Geiser, G. Leonard Burns, Mateu Servera

Psychology Faculty Publications

Multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analysis is one of the most frequently employed methods to examine the validity of psychological measures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is a commonly used analytic tool for examining MTMM data through the specification of trait and method latent variables. Most contemporary CFA-MTMM models either do not allow estimating correlations between the trait and method factors or they are restricted to linear trait-method relationships. There is no theoretical reason why trait and method relationships should always be linear, and quadratic relationships are frequently proposed in the social sciences. In this article, we present two approaches for examining quadratic relations …

Public Perceptions Of The Health Risks Of Extreme Heat Across Us States, Counties, And Neighborhoods, Peter D. Howe, Jennifer R. Marlon, Xinran Wang, Anthony Leiserowitz

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. Many individuals, however, fail to perceive this risk, which will be exacerbated by global warming. Given that awareness of one’s physical and social vulnerability is a critical precursor to preparedness for extreme weather events, understanding Americans’ perceptions of heat risk and their geographic variability is essential for promoting adaptive behaviors during heat waves. Using a large original survey dataset of 9,217 respondents, we create and validate a model of Americans’ perceived risk to their health from extreme heat in all 50 US states, 3,142 counties, and 72,429 …

Queering Consent: Design And Sexual Consent Messaging, Avery C. Edenfield

English Faculty Publications

For decades, sexual violence prevention and sexual consent have been a recurrent topic on college campuses and in popular media, most recently because of the success of the #MeToo movement. As a result, institutions are deeply invested in communicating consent information. This article problematizes those institutional attempts to teach consent by comparing them to an alternative grounded in queer politics. This alternative information may provide a useful path to redesigning consent information by destabilizing categories of gender, sexuality, and even consent itself.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Agriculture And Applied Sciences, March 8, 2019 - Ranch Horse Management Certificate, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences proposes offering a Ranch Horse Management Certificate of Completion.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, Emma Eccles Jones College Of Education And Human Services, March 8, 2019, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

The Department of Nursing and Health Professions in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services proposes offering an Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology.

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, March 7, 2019, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Program Proposals

• Establishing a Division of Career and Technical Education
• Offering a BA/BS in Finance with emphases
• Offering an online BS degree in Technology
• Changing the name from Parks and Recreation to Recreation Administration
• Offering an undergraduate Anticipatory Intelligence Minor
• Changing the name from English: Professional and Technical Writing Emphasis to English: Technical Communication and Rhetoric Emphasis

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other

• EPC/Curriculum Handbook

A Rolling Perspective: Running On Empty, Jennifer Holland

Blog Posts

The blog post is about food nutrition.

Educational Policies Committee Agenda, March 7, 2019, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, March 7, 2019, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Program Proposals

• Establishing a Division of Career and Technical Education
• Offering a BA/BS in Finance with emphases
• Offering an online BS degree in Technology, Design and Interaction
• Changing the name from Parks and Recreation to Recreation Administration
• Offering an undergraduate Anticipatory Intelligence Minor
• Changing the name from English: Professional and Technical Writing Emphasis to English: Technical Communication and Rhetoric Emphasis

Semester Course Approval Reviews

Other

• EPC/Curriculum Handbook
• General Education Assessment

Lack Of Antinociceptive Cross-Tolerance With Co-Administration Of Morphine And Fentanyl Into The Periaqueductal Gray Of Male Sprague-Dawley Rats, Erin N. Bobeck, Shauna M. Schoo, Susan L. Ingram, Michael M. Morgan

Biology Faculty Publications

Tolerance to the antinociceptive effect of mu-opioid receptor (MOPr) agonists, such as morphine and fentanyl, greatly limits their effectiveness for long-term use to treat pain. Clinical studies have shown that combination therapy and opioid rotation can be used to enhance opioid-induced antinociception once tolerance has developed. The mechanism and brain regions involved in these processes are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) to antinociceptive tolerance and cross-tolerance between administration and co- administration of morphine and fentanyl. Tolerance was induced by pretreating rats with morphine or fentanyl or low-dose combination …

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, March 7, 2019, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Curriculum Subcommittee report
• Academic Standards Subcommittee report
• General Education Subcommittee report
• Request from the Department of Geology in the College of Science to change the department name from Geology to Earth Sciences
• EPC/Curriculum Handbook

Park And Neighborhood Attributes Associated With Park Use: An Observational Study Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Keunhyun Park

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

As the world becomes more urbanized, neighborhood parks are becoming an increasingly important venue where people engage in physical and social activities. Using park-use data collected by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the aim of this study is to account for park use in light of park attributes and neighborhood conditions. The role of the built environment near a park receives particular attention as it is understudied in the literature. A regression model shows that neighborhood park utilization is positively associated with park attributes (i.e., larger area, a playground, a creek/pond, quality maintenance, and organized activities) and neighborhood attributes (i.e., fewer …

Evaluating Commonalities Between Different Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Dan Guo, Maria Kleinstäuber, Malcolm Henry Johnson, Frederick Sundram

Psychology Faculty Publications

This commentary presents commonalities in medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) across multiple organ systems, including symptoms, aetiological mechanisms, comorbidity with mental health disorders, symptom burden and impact on quality of life. Further, treatment outcomes and barriers in the clinician–patient relationship, and cross-cultural experiences are highlighted. This discussion is necessary in aiding an improved understanding and management of MUS due to the interconnectedness underlying MUS presentations across the spectrum of medical specialties.

The Utah Statesman, March 5, 2019, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Fermentation Of Prebiotics In Whole Food Powders By Probiotic Bacteria Strains, Michaela Brubaker, Sumira Phatak

Research on Capitol Hill

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Modification of the gut microbiome offers potential for CRC prevention.

Developing A Computer Game For Measuring Delay Discounting, Haylee Downey, Ryan L. Becker

Research on Capitol Hill

Would you prefer $75 now or $100 in the future? What about an unhealthy dessert now or good health in the future? Both of these questions involve a smaller sooner reward option and a larger later reward option. These types of choices can be described in part by delay discounting.

• Delay discounting is the tendency for rewards to lose value when they are presented after a delay .
• Impulsivity is defined as a pattern of choosing smaller sooner rewards. High levels of impulsivity are associated with problematic behaviors.

High levels of impulsivity are associated with high levels of delay discounting. …

Motivations For Women’S Activism In Hydraulic Fracking, Taya Godfrey

Research on Capitol Hill

Research Question: What motivates females to become anti-fracking activists?

Hydraulic fracturing is a way of obtaining natural gas and oil from deep within the earth by injecting high powered water and chemicals into shale rock to fracture it, and therefore release natural resources (Manfreda, 2015).

We have seen much activism surrounding the issue of fracking because of the environmental and health controversies associated with it. We have also noted an increasing number of female activists and hope to determine the cause. By understanding what motivates women to become anti-fracking activist we can further encourage female activism in many other spheres. …

Environmental Insights From A Utah Pilot Study On Well-Being, Casey Trout

Research on Capitol Hill

This project focuses on the importance of the natural environment to the well-being of those surveyed during a 2018 pilot study. The pilot study marked the beginning of the Utah Well-being Project, a 5-year study to assess well-being across Utah communities.

The survey asked participants questions about their overall well-being and their well-being in relation to twelve commonly articulated “domains”, including those that are listed in Figures 1 and 2.

The Art Of Seduction: Male Perceptions Of Sexual Willingness, Lisa Starrett

Research on Capitol Hill

The United States continues to have the highest sexual assault rates of any developed nation.

The vast majority of sexual assault research studies exclusively female survivors. This overlooks half of the nation’s population. To find holistic solutions, we must address both genders.

The current study addresses:

• The male experience
  Recent research shows significant numbers of men react with shock, guilt, shame, and depression when confronted with sexual assault charges. This opens questions of intent.
• Confirmation bias & “echo chambers”
  Social media and preference tracking amplify our tendency to see information that confirms our existing worldview. This further separates genders.
• Environmental …

Germ Cell-Depleted Ovaries Improve Metabolic Health In Post-Reproductive Mice, Kyleigh Tyler

Research on Capitol Hill

Reproductive senescence is correlated with many deleterious heath conditions. In human females, the decline of health associated with reproductive function is termed “menopause.“ One of the declining health factors is metabolism.

In order to understand how ovaries contribute to metabolic health, we further studied the structure of ovaries. Within ovaries, there are two main types of cells:

• Germ Cells (oocyte): Play a central role in reproduction (egg)
• Somatic Cells: Supporting cells for germ cells

This study aimed to understand the relationship between germ cells and somatic cells and how this relationship influenced metabolism.

The Effect Of Dental Therapists On Access To Dental Care, Jacob Caldwell

Research on Capitol Hill

Oral health is an important indicator of overall individual health and general well-being. Unfortunately, there is a lack of dental care availability and access in many parts of the United States. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, as of December 31, 2018 there were nearly 6,000 Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in the US. Around 58 million people live in these shortage areas and it is estimated that over 10,000 practitioners are necessary to meet the needs of these populations.

What Elementary School Administrators Can Do To Strengthen The Impact Of Utah Girls, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

This idea sheet is based on a 2019 gathering of 25 elementary school principals and other administrators who met to discuss ways they can support girls in Utah, both in educational success and in many other areas of life.

Faculty Senate Agenda, March 4, 2019, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Monthly Report - February 7, 2019
• Spring Break 2020 Calendar Update
• Parking Committee Annual Report
• Koch Task Force Resolution
• 405.11.2 Term Appointment Promotions (second reading)
• 405.12.2 Review of Faculty (first reading)

Faculty Senate Minutes, March 4, 2019, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Spring Break 2020 Calendar
• Parking Committee Annual Report
• Koch Task Force Resolution
• Academic Freedom and Tenure
• Council on Teacher Education
• Greenhouse Gas Resolution