Digital Commons Network^™

Human–Alligator Incidents In The United States: Risky Human Behaviors Cause Most “Attacks”, Mark S. Teshera, Azar Kordbacheh, Frank J. Mazzotti

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Interactions between humans and American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), often resulting in negative outcomes for both participants, have occurred for centuries in the United States. As both populations increased over time, contact and conflict with one another became inevitable. Although human–alligator conflicts have been well documented, there has been no detailed classification of risk factors associated with human activities immediately preceding, and in most cases precipitating, an encounter. Herein, we provide a ranking system to categorize different human activities, based on risk levels, immediately preceding an encounter with an alligator. To complete our review in 2021, we initially gleaned …

Chapter 3- Improving The General Education Experience Through Equitable And Inclusive Pedagogical Practices, Cree Phillips Taylor

Habits of Mind

General education courses sometimes have the reputation among students of being obstacles to overcome, wastes of time, and a squander of tuition. In my opinion, student dislike of general education courses is fueled by two factors: 1) students’ misunderstanding of the purpose of general education and 2) general education instructors designing courses with a gatekeeping mentality. Traditionally, general education courses have served as the gatekeepers of the university experience by—intentionally or unintentionally—funneling out students who “don’t belong” through poor course design. Racially minoritized students, women, and first-generation college students are disproportionately affected by the gatekeeping mentality of general education instructors.

Chapter 15- Leap And The Net Will Appear: Risk-Taking And Creative Flexibility In The Face Of The Unknown, Raymond Veon

Habits of Mind

Risk-taking is a leap into a space that has not been mapped. Who knows where or how you will land? Consider the following:

• A student completes a portrait drawing, then cuts it into strips and weaves it into another drawing. The result is an intricate yet beautiful image that addresses the complexity of identity that viewers can reassemble in multiple ways, beyond the control of the artist. The art student had never attempted such a work before.
• A wall of torn-out book pages that are pinned and collaged together. Most of the words on the pages are redacted by marker, …

2023 Finance Calendar, Amanda Christensen, Melanie Jewkes, Andrea Schmutz, Alicia Nelson-Bell, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, Lisa Cox

All Current Publications

This 2023 calendar from Empowering Financial Wellness, Utah State University Extension, outlines small monthly steps to improve personal finances throughout the year.

Two Sides To Every Psyche: Implications Of Positive Psychology For "Mental Health" Research In Engineering Education, Muhammad Asghar, Angela Minichiello

Engineering Education Student Research

“Mental Health.” Throughout the 20th century, these familiar words have been quietly commandeered by a physiological model of health (Greenspoon & Saklofske, 2001). Unknowingly, society conspired to use these words—colloquially, academically, and scientifically—for the sole purpose of depicting (or implying) negative states of the human mind. Since the origins of psychological research over 100 years ago, our understanding of what mental health is has been conflated with notions of mental illness. Resultantly, we have tacitly agreed that the presence or absence of suffering is the sole implication of our mental health (Horwitz & Scheid, 1999).

Greenhouse Biocontrol In Utah: Beneficial Insects And The Pests They Target, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

This guide provides information on biocontrol in Utah and pests that are targeted by beneficial pests, such as aphids, fungus gnats, mealybugs, scales, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies. Symptoms, monitoring, lifecycles, and biocontrol options are included.

The Utah Statesman, December 12, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Addressing The Dangers Of The Online Alt-Right, Paul Harrison

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

This presentation aims to establish how the online alt-right phenomenon is a problem for the United States and propose multiple potential solutions to that problem.Evidence was gathered through online academic databases and media organizations' publications of personal accounts of people who have had encounters with the alt-right or experienced the problems it causes.The online far right is built on violence and extremism, far from mainstream American politics. In appealing to young American men through the alt-right pipeline, far right online communities are harmful to American society because of their spreading hateful messages against minorities and their promotion of violence, which …

Los Miércoles De Mier...Coles, Paige Smith, Smith Larsen, Aubrey Andrews, Carson Dushku

Student Spanish Newspapers Collection

These daring authors cover topics from the Hurricane Fiona disaster in Puerto Rico, to a comical interview with Superman. An interview with acclaimed PhD of climate soil studies Jessica Murray acts as the crowning jewel of Los Miércoles... Other bold articles include: The World Cup, Logan’s Latin Festival, and Lawn Mower Racing. In Los Miércoles de Mier...coles there is something for everyone. Read through the opinions of these Spanish and English aspiring minds.

¡Entre Líneas!, Anne Yardley, Jakob Newlon, Natalie Johnson

Student Spanish Newspapers Collection

¡Entre Líneas!, and the stories captured within, seek to inform readers on the stories and issues that allow readers to read between the lines of society and allow them a rare view of the world that lies beneath the surface of regularity. Within the pages of the present volume readers may find themselves interviewing Bigfoot himself, celebrating the Day of the Dead in a special, annual procession on the campus of Utah State University, or getting a glance at a hidden world beneath our own through an exclusive interview with Jessica Murray in addition to so much more! Come …

Hipermetropía, Gabriela Christiansen, Jessica Murray, Olivia Roane, Hayden Webster

Student Spanish Newspapers Collection

Hipermetropia directly translates into far-sighted which is the focus of our newspaper, we decided to showcase topics on the science, news, and history that affects us now and into the future. In our newspaper, you will find articles about the climate effects of the rain forest, the historical figure of César Chávez, and the events like Día de Los Muertos. We hope you enjoy and are enlightened with a new far-sighted perspective created by our authors, Gabriela Christiansen, Jessica Murray, Olivia Roane, and Hayden Webster.

Social Media's Effect On Youth, Joshua Gardner

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

This paper goes in depth about social media and the effect it has had on the mental health of youth in todays society. Compiling research from several peer reviewed journals and personal experiences, the conclusion reached seems to point that there is a correlation between social media and less emotional stability, toxic and harmful body image comparisons, as well as higher rates of depression depending on the amount of time spent on social media platforms. Although there are consistent studies demonstrating that social media has a negative impact, there are also studies showing that social media provides healthy outlets, more …

The Effects Of True Crime Media, Zoe Patton

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

True crime is a media genre of growing popularity, and also of growing controversy. Recent media production has sparked debate over how the genre affects the public's perception on crime, as well as how it affects the victims family. I wanted to discover how true crime media can be a genre that helps the public more than it hurts, and offers information and education rather than romanticization of terrible people and events, and discover all the ways that it can cause harm, so we can learn how to stop and understand the parts that can be harmful. Research was conducted …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, December 12, 2022, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order: Approval of Minutes- Nov 14, 2022
• University Business
• Information: Educational Policies Committee
• Reports: Council on Teacher Education; Scholarship Advisory Board
• Old Business: Athletic Spending
• New Business: Divestment Proposal
• Adjourn

Examining Cultural And Chemical Treatments To Fusarium Bulb Rot In Onions, Tim Miller

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Onions are grown in 1,500 acres in northern Utah and are a large part of growers' income. In the fall of 2021, 30% of a grower's onion yield was affected by Fusarium bulb rot (caused by a fungus known as Fusarium proliferatum) and the onions were unmarketable. The literature surrounding this pathogen is sparse and losses of this magnitude could cause growers to lose between six and seven thousand dollars per acre. Samples of the fungus were plated onto potato dextrose agar at half strength and maintained fresh throughout the winter. In vitro experiments were performed with various fungicides at …

Reversing The Gaze: Using Indigenous And Western Media Frames To Compare Coverage Of Climate Change And Indigenous Peoples In The News Media, Eric Wilkes

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The news media acts as an important conduit for shaping societal views of the socio-politics of climate change. While climate change will indeed affect everyone, it will not affect everyone equally. Indigenous peoples are among the populations whose well-being is threatened the most by climate change. International scholarship finds it is not uncommon for Indigenous cultures, communities, and perspectives to be underrepresented and misrepresented in Western climate change media. Research also indicates that fair Indigenous representation occurs when Indigenous peoples are the authors of news articles themselves. We performed a comparative content analysis of media coverage of climate change, environmental …

Laughing All The While: Race, Gender, And Recreational Violence In The Mechanisms Fanwork, Katelyn Allred

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

From 1960s housewives exchanging Star Trek zines, to early-internet Harry Potter message boards, to small pockets of community on modern social media, fans have been connecting over their shared love of a source material for decades, and the Internet has made creating and finding both original and fan content more accessible around the globe. This kind of worldwide connection brings people into contact with people they might not meet otherwise and can foster an awareness of others' lives and perspectives. Though fandom has always been at least subtextually political, the last few years have brought more and more conscious use …

Isolation Of Bacterial And Fungal Microbes From The Rhizosphere Of Shepherdia Utahensis 'Torrey', Ty Wilson, Katie Hewitt

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

My presentation is on the Isolation of Bacterial and Fungal Microbes from the Rhizosphere of Shepherdia x utahensis 'Torrey' also known as Hybrid Buffaloberry. Hybrid Buffaloberry is a combination between two varieties native to the Intermountain West: Shepherdia argentea, a highly drought tolerant variety, and Shepherdia rotundifolia, a common more aesthetically pleasing variety. Both native varieties are well documented to have nodule forming microbes that help aid their development in such harsh conditions. We acquired our Rhizosphere sample by shaking the roots and nodules from our sample in a phosphate buffer and serially diluted it to a useful concentration. We …

Latinx Culture Centers At Utah Universities: An Analysis Of Services And Web Presence, Vanessa Garcia Vazquez

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Many universities offer culture centers for their minority students to support them as they navigate school. The purpose of this research is to see what student services are being offered to minority students, specifically Latinx students, at public universities in Utah. The universities analyzed were Utah State University, Weber State Univeresity, University of Utah, and Utah Tech University. The argument is framed using an analysis of the websites of the centers at these 4 universities, and interviews of staff and faculty overseeing these centers in the state of Utah. The findings of this research should push for future discourse about …

Tissue Engineered Representation Of Human Blood Vessel Using Hagfish Protein, Parker Goldsberry, Hayden Johns, Jaden Storrer, Jessop Oliver

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Scaffolds used in in vitro cellular growth are a common method of more accurately representing the structure and extracellular matrix of the tissue being grown. Tissue engineers are constantly testing novel biomaterials as scaffolds to determine their representativity of native tissue. One of these such biomaterials is hagfish protein, which when bound together or cross-linked has properties similar to many tissues found in the body. Specifically, there are some properties that could make it a viable option for human blood vessels. Being a simpler organ than most, comparatively, it is also a prime selection for in vitro studies attempting to …

Ten Considerations For Solar-Powered Irrigation In Utah, Ngonidzashe Mufute, Matt Yost, Burdette Barker, Kalen Taylor, Mark Nelson, Randall Violett, Jody Gale

All Current Publications

This fact sheet outlines considerations for using solar-powered irrigation in Utah:

• Solar powered irrigation (SPI) is becoming more cost effective and practical to consider on the farm as the cost of alternative sources of energy are rising.
• Irrigators can now benefit from incentives such as tax credits to help offset costs.
• Investing in solar provides more independence from price fluctuations and energy shortages.
• Considerations for SPI systems include energy demand of the irrigation system, type and value of crops grown, available incentives and support, cost and accessibility of alternative energy sources, and multiple uses of the …

Listening To Music While Studying, Does It Help Or Not?, Kaleb Phillips

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Many college students listen to music. Many say that it helps them focus on their schoolwork and helps them retain knowledge. When I started this research, I wanted to find ways for me to help focus on my schoolwork. I get distracted easily and find joy when I listen to some kinds of music. Does music help you focus? Does it depend on the type of music, or can it be any type? Does it work for everyone? Research was conducted using library and internet resources to locate both primary and secondary research. For this study, I also performed my …

Spooks And Spanks; Unraveling Paranormal Romance's Presence On Booktok, Lizzy Bermudez

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

This research project examines the frequency at which the romance subgenre, paranormal romance, appears on the online social media subcommunity BookTok. The term paranormal romance refers to any title containing a protagonist or associate who is deemed to be unnatural or supernatural in species, ability, presence, or otherwise wherein a romance containing the supernatural character is prominently featured. Collecting data from top BookTok accounts, we found that paranormal romance appeared more often within BookTok creator content. However, surveys from BookTok users asserted that the contemporary romance subgenre dominated their 'For You Pages.' Interviews with BookTok creators suggest that BookTok viewers …

Collagen And Pdms Scaffolds For C2c12 Muscle Tissue Cell Line, Alisa Dabb, Sariah Jardine, Clayton Lords

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

In tissue engineering, scaffolds are vital materials for cell growth. Scaffolds are used to provide the structural support for cell attachment and eventually tissue development. Although scaffold properties need to change to suit the nature and properties of the cells, most scaffolds need to simulate the extracellular matrix of the cells. Collagen is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in most tissues. Therefore, collagen is a favorable scaffold material for most tissues, including muscle tissue. However, collagen has poor mechanical properties; it is sometimes combined with synthetic polymers such as poly-Lactic Acid (PLA) for structural support. Furthermore, poly(dimethyl …

Who Are We When What We Are Changes: The Transhumanism Movement, Logan Mattson

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The concept of humanity is changing and will continue to change as we develop technologically. Improvements in artificial limbs, the ability to print organs using stem cells, and direct neural interfaces will progress the option to improve on what people are capable of technologically and biologically to the point of raising the question 'what is human?' We must consider this question and its possible answers to know how we as a society may meet these coming changes to many of our base conceptions of identity. This paper addresses the concepts behind some of these changes and how they may impact …

Disability Communication And How Society Needs To Be More Inclusive, Olivia Colton

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

Historically people with disabilities have been discriminated against and oppressed by the dominant culture of "normal" people. During this project, I wanted to look more into how people with disabilities have been treated by society, are currently being treated in today's society, and how society needs to/should change to become more inclusive. For this project, my research was done using both library and internet sources to find both primary and secondary research. With this research, I was able to find and review both studies of people with disabilities and personal accounts and stories. After evaluating the sources I found that …

Indigenous Citizens And Black Republicans: Continuities And Evolutions Of Subalterns’ Political Visions And Repertoires In Post-Independence Colombia And Mexico, James Sanders

History Faculty Publications

This essay focuses on how Indigenous peoples in Colombia and Mexico sought to create a distinct politics, in which they could protect their colonial identities and local customs, within the new independent and republican nation-states of the Americas. Indigenous communities succeed in combining universal republican citizenship and particular colonial identities, maintaining more of a connection with the past, but nevertheless creating innovative solutions to adapt to the republican present. In contrast, popular African-Colombian actors eagerly embraced the possibilities of citizenship in new republican nation states, seeking to abandon a colonial identity associated with slavery. Both Afro-Colombians and Indígenas adapted traditional …

When Death Strikes: How The Criminal Justice System Lets Members Of Marginalized Communities Be Victimized By Serial Killers, Crius Paulus

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

The variables within criminal investigations predispose members of marginalized populations to be victimized by serial killers. In this paper secondary and primary sources from the Merrill-Cazier library and internet were studied to understand the variables in and out of law enforcement control within criminal homicide investigations. Primarily, the focus was on the variables in police control–highly focused on cognitive biases. Police biases surrounding a victim's identity(ies) impacts their perceptions and responses to an investigation. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia within law enforcement can have explicit negative effects on investigations. The case studies of Samuel Little, the West Mesa Murders, and …

The Correlation Between Social Media And Body Image In Adolescent Girls, Molly Plummer

Fall Student Research Symposium 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bHIFEXRrek

The Utah Statesman, December 5, 2022, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.