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The Impact Of General And Religious/Spiritual Minority Stressors On Lgbtq Spiritual Health, Adlyn Perez-Figueroa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A great deal of research has focused on the impact of minority stress on the mental and physical health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, but little is known about how minority stress impacts spiritual health. The purpose of this study was to develop a new theory of LGBTQ spiritual health. Another purpose was to explore how the impact of minority stress, such as discrimination, differs in everyday settings vs religious/spiritual (R/S) settings. A total of 227 LGBTQ participants were recruited online using a Prolific Survey Panel. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine: (a) if minority …

Leadership, Identity, And Student Voice In Secondary Schools, Gordon S. Geddes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Many student leadership programs in U.S. high schools operate without clear guidance, often leaving students as passive participants in systems that may not effectively prepare them for leadership roles both in school settings and elsewhere. This study explores how listening to students’ voices can improve leadership programs by better understanding how young people see themselves as leaders. Using a case study approach at one school, I observed student leaders over one school year and analyzed their experiences through leadership development theories. The findings suggest that when schools take students' perspectives into account, they can create leadership programs that are more …

Measuring Support In Couple Relationships: The Psychometrics Properties Of The Couple Support Behavior Questionnaire, Jacqueline Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Couple support, a unique form of social support, as defined in this thesis is the felt sense of being upheld, valued, lifted up, and empowered by your romantic partner, during both times of distress and success. In this master’s thesis, I used secondary data provided by Dr. Ryan Seedall and conducted statistical analyses to develop a new measure, the Couple Support Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ). Using data from 443 individuals who had all been in a relationship for at least three years and were all above the age of 18, I used statistical methods to shorten and provide a 19-item measure, …

A Voice For Unity: The 1947 Freedom Train And Collective Memory Of The American Revolution, Joseph Lewis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

One element of American Revolution memory is how united the colonists were during the Revolution. Many subsequent political groups, such as the American Heritage Foundation (AHF), utilized this idealistic collective memory to advocate for unity and legitimize their agendas. Through the 1947 Freedom Train, the AHF shaped and reinforced a unified, idealistic, national heritage to unite Americans against the perceived threats of communism, disloyalty, and disunity at home, partially by framing the American Revolution as a united endeavor. Some Utahns and Americans at large, while supporting the pro-capitalist message embedded in the train, applied its message to support the protection …

Second Nature: Nurturing Stewardship Through Ecological Presence, Tyler Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Environmental education is essential for preparing students to address today’s ecological challenges. However, many educational approaches focus primarily on individual behavior (e.g., personally conserving water) rather than broader systemic solutions. This research highlights that gap through a review of environmental education and introduces a new framework for designing and evaluating environmental education. This framework aims to help students explore their relationship with the environment in locally relevant and place-based ways. By applying this framework in rural Hawaii, this study examines how students perceive their roles within ecological systems and compares different curricular approaches to see how students’ understanding evolves. This …

Critically Assessing Normative Methods And Their Limitations In Managing Crowding Within Parks And Protected Areas, Glendon R. Vansandt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Visitor experiences in parks and protected areas are shaped by a variety of environmental, managerial, and social factors. To ensure that visitors enjoy their time in these spaces, management agencies often adopt guidelines to establish acceptable levels for different aspects of these experiences. One of the most selected factors is perceived crowding, which reflects how crowded visitors feel in a given area. When perceived crowding exceeds desired levels, it can significantly diminish visitor satisfaction.

This thesis presents two studies aimed at identifying the shortcomings of the management of perceived crowding. The first study conducts a comprehensive literature review that identifies …

Forging Resilient Futures: The Role Of Community Organizations In Addressing Environmental Injustices Faced By Immigrants Along The Wasatch Front, Utah, Nowrin Fatema

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Utah’s Wasatch Front is an urban area with a growing population that faces looming environmental challenges, such as the desiccation of the Great Salt Lake, worsening air quality, water scarcity, and the impacts of urban sprawl. If not prevented, the lake’s desiccation or other environmental challenges could result in dangerous air pollution, biodiversity loss, and disruptions to local economies. Immigrant populations may be uniquely vulnerable to these environmental changes because of economic, social, and political marginalization. For example, 50% of Salt Lake City’s foreign-born residents live on the City’s westside—the area on the frontline of the lake’s toxic dust. My …

Understanding The Impact Of Colloidal Calcium Phosphate On The Ph Variation In Cheddar Cheese During Early Stages Of Aging, Rachel Lindstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Cheddar cheese industry has recently observed variation in the pH of their cheese during the early stage of storage. This variation may be due to the addition of the faster acid producing thermophilic starter culture Streptococcus thermophilus which was recently introduced into the Cheddar cheese making process. This starter culture may impact the calcium buffering properties of the cheese due to more retention of the insoluble calcium (INSOL Ca) within the cheese. To investigate this problem, we studied how insoluble calcium affects cheeses with pH ranging from 4.8 to 6.6 and found that INSOL Ca was positively correlated with …

Determining The Structure And Function Of Type Iv-A Anti-Crisprs, Olivine Redman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Bacteria face a constant existential threat in the form of infection by viruses along with other forms of mobile genetic elements, such as bacteriophage and transposable elements. To survive, bacteria and other prokaryotes have evolved various immune systems to evade these would-be invaders. One such immune system is the CRISPR-Cas system, an adaptive immune system able to record the genetic signature of invading viruses in order to recognize and destroy them should they be encountered again in the future. In this thesis I present data that sheds light on the mechanism of one particular subtype of CRISPR-Cas systems: the type …

Talkin’ Bout A Revolution: A Comparative Analysis Between Hannah Arendt And Frantz Fanon, Nicholas Gleed

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

What is the role of freedom and violence in revolution? This thesis involves a comparative analysis of how two major political theorists – Hannah Arendt and Frantz Fanon – understood and conceptualized the role of violence and freedom in relation to revolution. Due to their differing theoretical frameworks and perspectives, they often come to different conclusions on these points of comparison. However, by placing these two thinkers in conversation with each other, we can better understand the core of their arguments on freedom, violence, and revolution and how they might be similar and different in various ways. For Arendt, violence …

Ethical Concerns And Implications Of Expanded Carrier Screening, Emily Andres

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The rapid evolution in the field of genetics is often met with uncertainty and skepticism. With the advancements in genetic technologies, expanded carrier screening (ECS) has emerged as a powerful tool in reproductive medicine. Traditionally, carrier screening was provided less broadly, often relying on ethnic-based approaches. However, further advancements have deemed this practice no longer equitable or widely accepted. While ECS provides prospective parents with insight into their genetic risk and may prevent severe genetic conditions, it also raises serious ethical questions for many. These concerns span medical, political, and societal facets including medicalization, defining severity, abortion, legislation, insurability, the …

Discovering The True Meaning Of Federalist No. 27, Mckenzie Pedersen-Campbell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Federalist Papers are widely known as they helped explain the Constitution and gather support for its ratification. However, what they mean is not always clear. This is problematic, especially when Supreme Court Justices look to the Federalist Papers to help them make decisions. A particularly fascinating example of this problem arose in the case Printz v. United States (1997). Both the majority and dissent argued that their interpretation was supported by Federalist No. 27. That leads to the question of what Federalist No. 27 actually means. By looking at the context surrounding Alexander Hamilton (the author) and previous Supreme …

Quantifying The Threshold For Fragmentation Of Newtonian And Non-Newtonian Drops, Aditya Parik

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation investigates how the properties of liquid drops influence the minimum aerodynamic forces needed to cause the drop to fragment (breakup). For this work, we focus only on aerodynamic forces that are applied on a stationary drop by a sudden, uniform flow, a process called impulsive acceleration. Previous studies have largely focused on the fragmentation of spherical drops of Newtonian fluids (liquids with constant viscosity, like water), when impulsively accelerated in air-like ambient medium. Such systems only capture a limited range of drop and ambient properties (described by non-dimensional groups). Many real-world applications, such as aerial fire retardant delivery, …

Deterring Gray Zone Activity In A Strategic Flashpoint: U.S. Freedom Of Navigation Operations And China’S Maritime Militias, Joseph D. Potter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In today’s complex world, nations often use irregular forces, such as militias, to achieve political goals without escalating conflicts. This study examines how the United States of America uses its Navy’s Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea to influence the behavior of Chinese maritime militias. These militias are involved in activities such as harassment, assault, and other aggressive or deceptive actions. By analyzing data from 2012 to 2024, this research discovered 239 incidents and discovers that these militias reduce their confrontational activities during Freedom of Navigation Operations to avoid direct conflict while continuing their broader objectives in …

Making Peace Among The People: The Development Of Brigham Young's Political Thought And Activity, 1838-1846, Garrett R. Elkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Brigham Young assumed the role as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838, as the Church began to face extreme persecutions by the state of Missouri. Although he was a mostly apolitical individual preceding his new role, over the next eight years Young would hold political office and help the Church navigate challenging relationships with local, state, and federal governments. By the time he led the Latter-day Saints to the Great Basin and became president of the Church in 1847, Young had gained significant experience over several years …

Optimizing Nutrient Recycling To Achieve Zero–Discharge Management For Controlled Environment Agriculture, Noah James Langenfeld

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) allows for human control of one or more environmental factors affecting crop production. Optimizing nutrient management in such systems allows for translation and predictions of sustainable management strategies in the field. These systems will be used to supply fresh food as public and private space agencies are planning to send humans to the Moon and Mars in the near future. Food resupply becomes increasingly difficult as the distance from Earth increases. Plants can be grown off-Earth as a food source, but their growth must be carefully managed to ensure long-term sustainability. I describe a model used …

Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, And Metacognition: The Influence Of A Professional Development For Grades Three To Five Teachers, Jason Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Formative assessment is a strategy that teachers use to improve student learning. This study explored how professional development focused on assessment for learning practices (AFL), with the main emphasis on learning intentions and success criteria, influences teacher use of those strategies and changes in teacher and student metacognition. The overarching research question was: How does professional development on AFL practices influence teachers' reported use of AFL practices and teacher and student metacognition? This study utilized a mixes-methods research design and provided professional development on AFL practices to 16 in-service elementary mathematics teachers and measured changes to their AFL practices and …

Investigating Stability Of Cone-Derived Hypersonic Waverider Vehicles Via Design Space Exploration, Adam S. Weaver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

It may come as no surprise that man-made objects flying at 5, 10, or even 25 the speed of sound (termed hypersonic) are difficult to design, inefficient in flight, and expensive to deploy. Most hypersonic vehicles are effectuated in ballistics, which simplify aerodynamic considerations owing to their fixed trajectory. However, maneuverable hypersonic vehicles can revolutionize commercial flight, national defense, and space travel. One candidate for such missions are waverider vehicles. Waverider vehicles cruise on a cushion of air generated by its own shock wave, essentially enjoying extra lift without any extra drag penalties (which are usually inherent to extra …

Color Expressions In Euripides’ Ion, Erik Shelley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This analysis explores color expressions in the play Ion by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. Because the ancient Greeks experienced color differently, I examined words used in the play, including light, dark, fire, green, water, blood, and gold. These expressions imply different themes and concepts that Euripides uses to portray the duality between his two main characters, Ion and Creusa. This thesis showed how the mother-son pair acts as a foil for the different aspects of color found throughout the play that reflect ancient Greek culture.

Women’S Evolving Roles: Gender, Authority, And The History Of Latter-Day Saint Patriarchy, Zachary Brady

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This project aims to further understand contemporary women’s issues within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by answering three questions. 1) What social and doctrinal factors have influenced the development of patriarchal structures within the LDS Church, and how have these factors evolved? 2) What are the current leadership and decision-making roles available to LDS women, and how does church membership feel about them? 3) What ideas exist for progress in gender equality and women’s leadership? This discussion provides relevant historical context, outlines current issues regarding LDS women’s authority challenges and theological interpretations, and numerous proposed solutions from …

On The Challenges Posed By Non-Machian Solutions To Relationalism In General Relativity, Zachary Matthew Zito

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The relationship between Mach’s Principle and solutions to Einstein’s field equations is examined, with special attention to Friedmann-Lematre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmology. Mach’s Principle is outlined, and the extent to which general relativity fulfills Machs vision is assessed. It is argued that several important solutions to Einsteins equations, particularly the FLRW cosmological models, embody key Machian features. In order to elucidate the FLRW cosmological model, the associated energy-momentum tensor for a perfect fluid under the assumptions of large-scale homogeneity and isotropy is derived and used to obtain the Friedmann equations that govern cosmic expansion. It is shown that FLRW cosmology can be …

Domestic Challenges, Cultural Factors Driving Ecuador's Authoritarianism Acceleration, Benjamin F. Berlin

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Using the Cultural Topography (CTops) methodology, this paper provides insight to US policymakers into the cultural factors, combined with current domestic challenges, that are driving Ecuadorians toward authoritarianism. The CTops methodology requires practitioners to conduct primary research on a specific group, which is the population of Ecuador in this paper. To conduct this research, cultural texts and artifacts such as newspaper articles, monuments honoring national heroes, websites and blog posts, and many others were analyzed. Secondary research and an evaluation of current operational realities were also used to inform this paper. Once considered an “Island of Peace,” Ecuador is in …

A Survey Of Master's Qualifying Exam Practices And Content In Real Analysis, Zachary M. Coverstone

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Graduate programs in mathematics are intended to develop experts in mathematics. As part of a graduate program, many students are expected to engage in a qualifying examination that can serve myriad purposes. This dissertation investigates real analysis qualifying examinations at the master's level through a nation-wide survey of institutions in the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). This study reveals the practices in administration of real analysis qualifying exams, institutions reported offering traditional, pencil-and-paper exams and generally asked students to prepare individually using previously administered exams. The survey results show that approximately two in three APLU institutions offering master's …

Utah State University Commencement, 2025 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2025 Commencement Ceremony for the Main Campus of Utah State University.

Utah State University Commencement, 2025 – Blanding Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2025 Commencement Ceremony for the Blanding Campus of Utah State University.

The Overcome Project: Overall Perspective And Progress, Jean-Robert Courivaud, Mark W. Morris, Maxime Boucher, Laurent Del Gatto, Christophe Picault, Kamal El Kadi Abderrezzak, Rafael Morán Moya, Miguel Angel Toledo

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

The OVERCOME project is an applied research project that aims to provide the dam and dike engineering profession with an easy-to-use, physically based numerical tool that represents overtopping erosion and failure of homogeneous embankments made up of coarse-grained, gap-graded soils. This project began in 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2028, and was initiated by EDF and CNR, who are the two main owners of embankment dams in France. To achieve this objective, the OVERCOME project is based on an extensive program of experimental tests of various dimensions. The interpretation of these tests will be used to define a …

Data-Driven D Region Model (D3r) Svdd: Software Version Description Document (Svdd), James Vincent Eccles

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

This is the Software Version Description Document of the Data-Driven D Region (D3R) model. There are 2 main distributions: (a) D3R designed for containerized deployments (D3Rc) and (b) D3R designed for testing and development. These two distributions are maintained in parallel, and this document describes both. The D3R for containerization is typically provided to customers. The D3R model is a physics-based model for calculating electron density profiles across the D Region ionosphere altitudes (50 km to 95 km) and E Region altitudes (95 km to 120 km) for any given geolocation. The model has two main programs: one to solve …

"We Had An Amazing Idea, But Then Someone Already Had It": Norming "Novelty" In Early Childhood Computer Science (Poster 31), Deborah Silvis, Ana Ashineh, Jody Clarke-Midura, Jessica Shumway

Spatial Activities and Robot Coding (SPARC)

https://aera25-aera.ipostersessions.com/Default.aspx?s=BF-36-33-8A-0D-DF-81-2C-B8-C6-4F-C6-21-5F-A2-FC

Crop Water Productivity: Within-Field Spatial Variation In Irrigated Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.), Keegan Hammond, Ruth Kerry, Ross Spackman, April Hulet, Bryan G. Hopkins, Matt A. Yost, Neil C. Hanson

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In this study, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is evaluated for suitability of variable rate irrigation (VRI) by analyzing within-field variation in crop water productivity (CWP) under uniform irrigation. The objectives were to (1) measure within-field variation in crop evapotranspiration (ET), (2) quantify spatial variability of alfalfa biomass yield, and (3) assess whether a bivariate analysis of CWP and yield could inform VRI management zones. Research was conducted on a 22.6 ha center-pivot irrigated alfalfa field near Rexburg, Idaho, USA, over three harvest intervals (HIs) in 2021 and 2022. Using a water balance method at 66 field points, ET exhibited …

Discovering The True Meaning Of Federalist No. 27, Mckenzie Pedersen-Campbell

Student Research Symposium

Background

Three of the Founding Fathers wrote the Federalist Papers in order to gain support for and explain the new system of government.

• The Federalist Papers provide valuable insight into the original meaning of the Constitution.

• Supreme Court Justices often look to the Federalist Papers when making decisions but do not always come to the same understanding.

• In Printz v. United States (1997), both the Supreme Court’s majority and dissenting opinions used Federalist No. 27 to support their arguments.

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