Digital Commons Network^™

Forage Sampling Guide For Agronomic Crops, Jody Gale, Matt Yost, Megan Baker, Michael Pace, Earl Creech, Grant Cardon, Kalen Taylor, Cody Zesiger, Tiffany Evans, Rhonda Miller, Clara Anderson

All Current Publications

Forage sampling is a valuable tool that provides producers with quality information for calculating feed rations and marketing their forages. To ensure that this information is accurate and reliable, it is important to understand how to collect these samples correctly. Sampling tools have been developed that simplify this process and improve accuracy.

Utahns’ Perceptions Of Risk Related To Poor Air Quality Differ By Demographics & Location, Bailey Hughlett, Sydney O'Shay, Cris Meier

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Air pollution poses a significant threat to Utahns’ health, shortening Utahns’ life expectancy by two years (1). Air pollution can cause and worsen many illnesses and conditions (1). Individuals’ perceptions of how susceptible they are to health risks related to air pollution and how severe these risks are for them vary across demographic characteristics. This study investigated demographic differences in Utahns’ perceptions of health risks related to air pollution in the state. Specifically, we examined differences in how Utahns perceive risk based on their political identity, gender, education level, geographic location, and disability status. Understanding how people perceive risk across …

The Nourished Initiative: Lessons From A Pilot Program On Food Access And Education, Palak Gupta, Cara Murray, Cindy Jenkins, Kristi Strongo, Macey Bunn, Lea Palmer, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

NourishEd addresses food insecurity in Utah through nutrition education, community partnerships, and the distribution of fresh produce. This article highlights program outcomes, volunteer insights, and strategies for expanding impact and sustainability.

From Insight To Action: Advancing Extension Programming For Utah Agriculture, Melanie Heaton, Cheyenne Reid, Reganne K. Briggs, Rebekah E. Iverson, Kara Thornton-Kurth, Brooke Holgate

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension programs, including evening events and a hands-on cattle boot camp, address gender disparities in Utah agriculture education. While open to everyone, these initiatives empower women through skill-building, peer support, and expert instruction, leading to increased confidence and knowledge, which ultimately enhances their roles and profitability in livestock production.

Evaluating The “What’S Up Down South” Economic Summit: Accelerating Growth And Expanding Impact, Paul A. Hill

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the 2025 What’s Up Down South economic summit, a platform for regional economic development. Data were collected through an online exit survey with a 30% response rate (n = 176), incorporating quantitative ratings and open-ended feedback to assess learning outcomes and program quality. The evaluation examined attendees’ perceptions of keynote and breakout sessions, overall satisfaction, and suggestions for improving the event. Findings indicate that the summit delivered valuable economic insights and programming while citing opportunities to improve speaker diversity, event logistics, and data collection. These insights will guide future planning to sustain the summit’s …

Analytical Solutions For Transitional Flow Around Hydrometeors: Implications For Particle Dynamics And Atmospheric Modeling, Ahmad Talaei, Timothy J. Garrett

Physics Student Research

Accurate modeling of hydrometeor dynamics is critical for advancing weather and climate predictions. However, this remains a long-standing challenge in atmospheric science, particularly within the transitional Reynolds number regime, due to the lack of analytical solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations. This study presents two analytical solutions for two-dimensional, incompressible, and viscous flow around a sphere, addressing the gap between low and high Reynolds number regimes. The first framework, an extension of classical expansion methods using hypergeometric, provides a direct analytical relation that characterizes separation angle across the transitional regime. To address post- separation dynamics, a second formulation based on a …

Rethinking Behavior - Fall 2025, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

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

Fall 2025, Volume 9, Issue 1

Pathways To Higher Education: Expanding College And Career Access For Rural Youth, Kelsey Romney, Celina Wille, Maria Jose Velasco Burgos, Ryan Benally

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

In June 2025, Utah State University (USU) Extension hosted a two-day event, Pathways to Higher Education. The event introduced 31 rural youth from Grand County and San Juan County to USU educational opportunities and careers through immersive tours and workshops, visiting the Price, Moab, and Logan campuses. Participants reported increased college confidence, financial aid awareness, and career interest. Evaluation showed strong engagement, improved participants’ understanding of higher education pathways, and increased confidence in preparing for postsecondary education.

Building Financial Resilience In Utah: The Outcomes Of The Empowering Financial Wellness Program, Amanda H. Christensen, Melanie Jewkes, Andrea Schmutz, Lendel K. Narine

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The Utah State University Extension Empowering Financial Wellness (EFW) program demonstrated improvement in Utahns’ financial behaviors and understanding while creating a positive impact on participants’ quality of life and financial confidence. Through research-based education and ongoing evaluation, EFW continues to deliver measurable, meaningful outcomes to improve the lives of Utahns.

Evaluating Online Naloxone Trainings Targeting Rural And Tribal Communities, Cara Murray, Lily Ward, Tim Keady, Cris Meier

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Drug overdose deaths have been a persistent problem within tribal and rural Utah communities. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the need to pivot to online programming was imperative to provide important lifesaving training on how to administer Naloxone. In response, Utah State University Extension created an online Naloxone training. Evaluation results found increases in knowledge and attitude at the end of the training. Results suggest that online Naloxone training can be an effective way to reach rural and tribal community members.

Statice Cut Flower Production In Utah, Kellie Webb, Melanie Stock, Benjamin Scow, Cheyenne Reid, Victoria Xiong, Ali Harrison, Lorin Harrison, Amanda Pratt, Claudia Nischwitz, Nick Volesky

All Current Publications

Statice is a cut-and-come-again, full-sun annual with clustered, papery blooms. Plants have lower water needs and a moderate tolerance to salinity, making this crop a sustainable choice for cut flower production in Utah and other states with water and soil limitations. This fact sheet provides information on statice cultivars, site preparation, germination, transplanting and spacing, trellising, nutrient management, harvest, economics for producers, and pest and disease management.

Fact Sheet For Parents: What You Need To Know About Alcohol, Aaron Hunt, Gabriela Murza, Alyssa Ferrin

All Current Publications

This fact sheet explains what alcohol is and why it is dangerous for kids and teens. It offers ideas for how parents can help prevent underage drinking and provides resources to help parents..

Using Drone And Ai To Map Leaf Water Potential And Stem Water Potential For Water Stress Management In Commercial Vineyards, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Creating Wildfire-Resilient Communities In Utah: Fuel Treatments In The Wildland-Urban Interface, Luke Dutson, Kendall Becker, Katlyn Stemmler, J. Bradley Washa, Larissa L. Yocom Kent, Aish Chandrasekaran, Joseph D. Birch, Scott Hotaling

All Current Publications

In the western United States, decades of wildfire suppression and grazing have led to changes in the amount and type of wildland fuels. In many lower montane forests, fuels such as logs, dead trees, and fallen leaves have accumulated. In many sagebrush-dominated rangelands, annual grasses have invaded, and pinyon pine and juniper woodlands have encroached. These areas now threaten to burn at uncharacteristically high fire severity, a metric based on how much vegetation is killed. Climate change and rapid population growth have exacerbated this issue in Utah, increasing the threat wildfire poses to the state’s communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Fuel …

What Motives Influence Parents’ Commitment To Their Children’S Sport Participation In The United States?, Katherine N. Alexander, Daniel J. M. Fleming, Mitchell Olsen, Travis E. Dorsch, Kat V. Adams

Human Development and Family Studies Student Research

Background: The public often places value on youth sport involvement in the United States due to its potential to foster positive outcomes for participants. Although sport parents are key socializers and provide access to appropriate participation opportunities for children, less is known about how their perceptions of their child’s motives influence their sport commitments. Purpose: Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to understand how parents’ perceptions of their child’s motives for sport participation were associated with time/travel sport commitments. Methods: Participants (N = 1250) were parents in the United States reporting on their child’s youth sport participation. Measures …

Where The Buffalo Roam: Ungulate Influences On Quaking Aspen And Willow Communities In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, J. Boone Kauffman, Dian L. Cummings, Robert L. Beschta, William J. Ripple

Aspen Bibliography

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and willows (Salix spp.) are keystone species of montane and shrub-steppe landscapes of the Western United States. Intact communities dominated by these species provide a wide range of ecosystem services, harboring an exceptional proportion of landscape biodiversity. Land use, especially overgrazing by large ungulates, is among the greatest threats to these ecosystems. To examine the effects of wild ungulates and levels of grazing at Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and the adjacent Gallatin National Forest, we sampled plant community composition and vegetation structure of aspen and willow communities both inside and outside of exclosures. …

Eng- Semicon: Understanding Nanoscale Heat Transport In Wide- And Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductors Using Novel Deep Ultraviolet Tools, Joshua Lee Knobloch

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

An Online Scientific Twitter World: Social Network Analysis Of #Sciencetwitter, #Scicomm, And #Academictwitter, Man Zhang, Lisa Lundgren, Ha Nguyen

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Student Research

Understanding who makes up online affinity spaces as well as how information flows within those spaces is important as more people access news, research topics, collaborate with others, and entertain themselves. During a month-long period in summer 2021, we collected 100,000 tweets from 53,311 Twitter users who used the hashtags #ScienceTwitter, #SciComm, and #AcademicTwitter. We then classified users and determined the type of social network they formed. Scientists, the public, and educators formed this affinity space. They built connections by initiating activities and interacting with others, which created a Community Clusters social network structure, characterized by several medium-sized groups of …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes September 22, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - August 25, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - September 4, 2025
• Report
• EPC Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda September 22, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes August 25, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - September 4, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• EPC Annual Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Seamless Transitions: Enhancing Information Literacy Through Collaborative Professional Development, Katie Strand, Jen Kirk, Paul Daybell

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper presents a case study of an initiative to create an open dialogue between secondary educators and academic librarians through the establishment of the biennial conference “Bridging the Gap” (BtG). The conference fosters collaboration, promotes professional development, and enhances the continuity of Information Literacy (IL) instruction through three distinct tracks: IL, Primary Source Literacy, and Digital Resources. The IL track focuses on collaborative strategies to enhance IL instruction and address the challenges faced by first-year university students. The Primary Source Literacy track highlights the importance of primary sources and how to integrate them into coursework. The Digital Resources track …

Analysis Of Modifications To An Outdoor Field-Scale Rotating Algal Biofilm Reactor With A Focus On Biomass Productivity And Power Usage, Davis R. Haag, Phillip E. Heck, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Student Research

Filtrate from dewatering anaerobically digested biosolids is a side-stream of wastewater treatment that contains high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds that can serve as nutrients for cultivating microalgae biomass as biofilms for bioproduct production at Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). One system used to cultivate attached microalgae biofilms is the rotating algal biofilm reactor (RABR). A pilot RABR with 72 m² growth surface area, 11.5 m² footprint area, and a liquid volume of 11,500 L was operated in an outdoor environment at the largest WRRF in Utah, U.S.A, the Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (CVWRF). The configuration …

Academic Standards Subcommittee Agenda September 18, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Welcome and approval of March 2025 Minutes
• Follow-up Topics:
• Withdrawal policy proposed adjustments
• New Topics:
• Introduction of proposed change of catalog year policy
• Proposed minimum university requirements for post-bachelor's certificates and post-master's certificates
• Potential Topics for 2025-2026 Academic Standard Subcommittee
• Next Meeting: Thursday, October 16, 2025

Academic Standards Subcommittee Minutes September 18, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Welcome and approval of March 2025 Minutes
• Follow-up Topic: Withdrawal policy proposed adjustments
• New Topics
• Topic 1: Introduction of proposed change of catalog year policy
• Topic 2: Proposed minimum university requirements for post-bachelor's certificates and post-master's certificates
• Potential Topics for 2025-2026 Academic Standard Subcommittee
• Next Meeting: Thursday, October 16, 2025

Bioresources And Bioproducts: A New Open Access Journal, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Greetings to the bioresource and bioproducts community! I will serve as the Editor-in-Chief to collaborate with you as we promote the aims and scope of this new MDPI journal [1], with the help of its distinguished Editorial Board, by publishing Special Issues, Topics, Topical Collections, and Editorials, and by providing high-impact scholarship through the outstanding published work of each of our contributors.

Cryogenic Gas Cell For Infrared Space Instrumentation, Trent Newswander, Scott Bailey, Mark Hervig, Phillip Scott, Ryan Luder, Mike Watson, Mike Oksness, Cody Secrist, Zack Hatfield

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS) is being developed for flight on NASA’s Dynamical Neutral Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (DYNAMIC) satellite. DWTS will view the Earth limb orthogonal to the spacecraft ram and uses gas-filter correlation radiometry to detect the Doppler shift of atmospheric emission. The observations yield horizontal winds and kinetic temperature with high precision, excellent spatial resolution, and altitude coverage from 40–250 km. DWTS detects Doppler shifting of NO and 13CO2 atmospheric emission lines by passing the incident light through an onboard cell containing both gases that is cooled to near cryogenic temperatures. This work describes the DWTS instrument, …

A Single-Dose Long-Lasting Live-Attenuated Chimeric Vaccine Candidate Against The Emerging Tick-Borne Kyasanur Forest Disease, Young-Min Lee

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Be Your Own Brain Advocate: Why Older People Should Request Routine Cognitive Testing, Josey M. Batura, Elizabeth B. Fauth

All Current Publications

Your primary care physician can conduct regular screenings and track cognitive changes; however, patients may need to advocate for and request testing. If there is noticeable loss in cognitive function, you may benefit from a more accurate diagnosis and a treatment plan or care plan from a medical specialist. Detecting cognitive changes early is better than knowing too late.

Reeds Run Amok: A Practical Guide To Managing Phragmites-Invaded Wetlands, Christine Rohal, Keith Hambrecht, Chad Cranney, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Phragmites australis (common reed or simply “phragmites”) is a tall-statured, highly productive wetland grass. It spreads rapidly, often displacing native plants and degrading critical habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl by reducing the availability of nesting, loafing, and foraging areas. Phragmites also consumes large amounts of water, adding pressure to already scarce water resources. Additionally, the accumulation of standing dead biomass can be a fire hazard. Phragmites makes large areas of wetlands inaccessible to both wildlife and humans. This guide provides guidance on managing phragmites.

Educational Policies Committee Agenda September 4, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - April 3, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm