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Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Review
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Educational Policies Committee Agenda January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Educational Policies Committee Minutes January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Center for Civic Excellence
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:25 pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• R401 - Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• UCC and EPC Handbook updates
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

An Investigation Of A Mach 15 Flow Over A Blunt Wedge Using First-Principles Potential Energy Surfaces: Influence Of Wall Temperature, Paolo Valentini, Zach Davis, Maninder S. Grover, Nicholas J. Bisek

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The simulation of a Mach 15 air flow over a blunt wedge is conducted using the direct molecular simulation (DMS) method. Due to partial dissociation of the air mixture at the imposed free stream conditions, the shock layer contains N₂, O₂, NO, N, and O. All potential energy surfaces (PESs) used to model the various molecular interactions only describe electronic ground states energetics. Thus, no electronic excitation is modeled. An isothermal wall boundary condition is imposed, with full momentum and energy accommodation. Two wall temperatures are considered in this work, namely 1,000 K and 2,000 K. …

Women In The Workplace In 2025: Utahns' 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 …

Utahns' Low Concern About Wildfire Does Not Align With Growing Risk To Communities Statewide, Ashley Young, Kirsten Vinyeta, Catrin Edgeley

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

According to a national 2022 study published in the New York Times, the state of Utah bears the highest risk of property damage due to to wildfires when measured as a share of all properties.¹ These findings, coupled with Utah’s rapid population growth and accompanying residential development in fire-prone environments, present a pressing emergency preparedness challenge for federal, state and local officials. Utahns who live in the St. George metro area, which includes Dameron Valley and Washington County, face the highest possibility of harm across the state.² On July 31st, 2025, Governor Cox declared a thirty-day state of …

Growth And Development Of Lettuce And Mizuna Under Urrm-Representative Conditions, Claudia Garrido-Ruiz, Bruce Bugbee, Juan D. González-Teruel, Alexandra Cartwright, Scott B. Jones

NASA

The Utah Reusable Root Module (URRM) is a zero-discharge plant growth system under development for operation in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Qualification of the URRM requires defining expected crop performance under representative operating conditions to evaluate nominal biological behavior. This study presents experimental results documenting the growth of mizuna (Brassica rapa var. japonica) and Outredgeous lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under URRM-representative conditions defined by the use of a silicone rubber fringe top cover for root-zone containment. 

Ground-based experiments were conducted using the Greenhouse System, URRM Simulator – Replicate 1, and URRM Simulator – Replicate 2, …

Rethinking Behavior - Winter 2026, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Winter 2026, Volume 9, Issue 2

The Utah Reusable Root Module: Evapotranspiration Dynamics And Moisture Sensor Performance In Five-Month Reused Peat-Based Media, Claudia Garrido-Ruiz, Bruce Bugbee, Juan D. González-Teruel, Scott B. Jones

Controlled Environments

Efficient water management is essential for closed-loop food production in space applications. The Utah Reusable Root Module (URRM) is designed to support repeated cropping in the same peat-based growth media. Here, we report moisture sensor performance, nighttime-to-daytime evapotranspiration (ET) rate, yield, and water-use efficiency (WUE) in the Engineering Development Unit (EDU) using Outredgeous lettuce. Five previous crops had been planted in the same media, and this study reports growth and ET from the final crop cycle. Volumetric water content (θ_ᵥ) was monitored using two electromagnetic moisture sensors (CS650 and TEROS ONE) across five root modules (RMs) with multiple …

History And Design Overview Of The Utah State University 16-Chamber Photobiology System, Abby Laughlin, Alec Hay, Bruce Bugbee

Controlled Environments

The USU Crop Physiology Laboratory has developed a 16-chamber system for photobiology research. At the time of the design in 2004, the CPL was collaborating with the Russian space agency on plant research and the chambers were constructed to match the dimensions of the Russian LADA plant growth system being flown on the International Space Station.

Summary Of Beaver And Iron Counties’ Water Conservation And Provisioning Strategies, Lisa Welsh, Joanna Endter-Wada, Burdette Barker, Bethany Neilson, Anna Mcentire, Melissa Stamp, Brian Steed

Reports

This report focuses on water conservation and provisioning strategies that both Beaver and Iron Counties are pursuing to help meet their citizens’ current and future water needs and to contribute to statewide water conservation efforts. It primarily relies on publicly available data from state, county, conservancy district, and city databases, plans, and documents. The purposes of this document are to provide regional context for understanding water use in Beaver and Iron Counties and to describe water conservation strategies that can influence the trajectories of their future water use. 

In both Beaver and Iron Counties, agriculture remains the primary user of …

Enhancing Student Engagement In Numerical Methods: The Impact Of Alternative Grading Practices, Vivek Singhal, Kenan Baltaci, Oai Ha

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

Student engagement is critical for achieving positive academic and social outcomes. However, maintaining high engagement levels in challenging math-based courses like numerical methods can be difficult. This study addresses this challenge by implementing two assessment-based strategies: a bonus point self-assessment rubric and peer evaluations. These interventions aim to incentivize engagement and reward essential skills such as effort and teamwork, which are often overlooked by traditional grading systems but are crucial for success beyond the classroom. While existing research highlights the potential benefits of self-assessments and peer evaluations, there is limited evidence …

Virtual Teaching During Covid-19: Attitudes, Abilities, And Educational Needs Of Cooperative Extension Staff, Kathryn Yerxa, Kayla L. Parsons, Jennifer Lobley

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This study aimed to 1) identify the attitudes and abilities of Cooperative Extension staff regarding the delivery of virtual educational programming based on their characteristics and 2) identify professional development priorities to effectively deliver programming virtually. We disseminated an adapted Faculty Readiness to Teach Online questionnaire to Cooperative Extension staff via Qualtrics. Mean and standard deviation were calculated from complete surveys (n = 67) for each virtual programming competency in the self-reported attitude and ability sections, categorized by position type, years of teaching, and program area. We conducted a MANCOVA to …

Examining The Role Of Early Bilingualism On Interference Suppression And Prefrontal Connectivity, Matthew L. Cook, Lisa K. Boyce, Allison S. Hancock, Mackenzy S. Turner, Spencer D. Bradshaw

Human Development and Family Studies Student Research

Inhibitory control is a core cognitive function that is primarily associated with activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and is the cognitive function that inhibits impulses, thoughts, and suppresses irrelevant information to an identified goal or task. Prior research suggests that bilingualism may affect brain activity related to inhibitory control, yet few studies have compared functional activity between monolingual and bilingual children. The current study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine region of interest comparisons and task-state functional connectivity across the PFC during an interference suppression Simon task with 13 bilingual (East Asian or Ibero-romance paired with English) and …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda December 15, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes November 17, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - December 4, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• Council on Teacher Education
• Scholarship Annual Report
• University Studies Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Collaborative Research: Evolving Thicker Skin: Understanding How Adaptations To A Universal Trade-Off Dictate The Climate Vulnerability And Ecology Of An Imperiled Vertebrate Clade, Molly Womack

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Usu Subaward: Creation Of A Cooperative Bs Degree Program For The Marianas Islands And Beyond, Abby Benninghoff

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Research: Fair + R: Building The Future Of More Reproducible Water Research Through Community Best Practices, Software Tools, Cohort Building, And Policy Change., James H. Stagge, David E. Rosenberg, Sierra Young

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This project aims to create a pathway towards a future, ten years from now, when a majority of published research across geosciences is not only FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), but reproducible by a third party. Building on the Center for Open Science framework for cultural change, this project is organized around four scaffolded goals: improving infrastructure and tools, building community support, aligning incentives, and minimizing barriers to policy change. We will systematically analyze 300-500 publications from leading hydrology and water resources journal to quantify changes in reproducibility rates since 2017 and identify the tools and practices that best …

Space Agriculture: A Comprehensive Systems-Level Review Of Challenges And Opportunities, Hassan Fazayeli, Aaron Lee M. Daigh, Cassandra Palmer, Santosh Pitla, David Jones, Yufeng Ge

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

As humanity prepares for prolonged space missions and future extraterrestrial settlements, developing reliable and resilient food-production systems is becoming a critical priority. Space agriculture, the cultivation of plants beyond Earth (particularly on the Moon and Mars), faces a constellation of interdependent environmental, biological, and engineering challenges. These include limited solar radiation, elevated ionizing radiation, large thermal variability, non-Earth atmospheric pressures, reduced gravity, regolith substrates with low nutrient-holding capacity, high-CO₂/low-O₂ atmospheres, pervasive dust, constrained water and nutrient availability, altered plant physiology, and the overarching need for closed-loop, resource-efficient systems. These stressors create an exceptionally challenging environment for plant …

Nsf Convergence Accelerator Track (H): Automating Transportation Affordances For People Living With Disabilities Using A Machine Learning Approach, Brent Chamberlain

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

A Framework For Improving Analysis And Modeling Of Earth System And Intersectoral Dynamics At Regional Scales, Shih-Yu Wang

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Research: Rapid: Fault Rupture And Spring Sampling Of The 2023 Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Earthquake Sequence Ruptures, Alexis Ault, Dennis Lowell Newell

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Research Bpe Track 2: Disability Dcl - Capturing Narratives That Characterize Neurodivergent Strengths And Weaknesses, Marissa A. Tsugawa

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Beginning Agriculture Teacher Support And Education Program (Base), Tyson Joel Sorensen

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Wasatch Front Multi-Modal Corridor Electrification Plan, Regan Zane

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Healthy Living As A Critical Part Of Emergency Preparedness, Callahan K. Ward, April Litchford

All Current Publications

This resource presents practical, health-focused actions that individuals and caregivers can take to strengthen resilience before, during, and after emergencies. By integrating long-term wellness habits and short-term readiness strategies, it supports a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to disaster preparedness, enhancing not only personal outcomes but also community-wide response capacity.

Bringing Mutuality And Reciprocity Into Focus: A Case Study On Sustaining University-Community Partnerships For Local Systems Change And Student Learning, Jessica L. Lucero, Lucas Martin, Jayme Walters

Transforming Communities

This case study explores a long-term university-community partnership focused on addressing homelessness, highlighting the principles of mutuality and reciprocity in achieving systemic change. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has evolved to engage university resources, faculty, and social work students through research, courses, and outreach activities, such as community surveys, the Point-in-Time Count, strategic planning, advocacy, and service system expansion. These collaborative efforts have contributed to enhanced public awareness, increased state funding, and the establishment of vital services, including a warming center. The case study also underscores the challenges inherent in community-engaged scholarship, including capacity constraints like funding and staffing …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda December 4, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - November 6, 2025
• R401 - Program Proposals
• Other Business
• Catalog Updates
• CIP Codes
• Adjourn 3:00 pm

Educational Policies Committee Minutes December 4, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - November 6, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Center for Civic Excellence Updates
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:15 pm