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Educational Policies Committee Agenda November 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Ai Recipe Blog Is Evaluated Similarly To A Recipe Blog Created By Nutrition And Dietetic Students, Katie N. Kraus, Stacy L. Bevan, Sarah Moore Smith, Maeci H. Armstrong, Brooke Campbell Jeppesen, Catherine Fish, Heidi J. Wengreen

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

With the growing use of AI, it is important to know target audiences’ perceptions of its use. A convenience sample of students were invited to take an online survey in which they were randomly assigned to Group 1 (evaluated a student-generated blog; n = 456) or Group 2 (evaluated an AI-generated blog; n = 492). The results of independent t-tests and chi-squared tests indicated no group differences in ratings of ease of recipe preparation, time to prepare the recipe, utilization of common ingredients, and frequency of intended use of the blog. The student-generated blog was rated higher on budget …

Strategies For Increasing Methane Removal In Methanotroph Stirred-Tank Reactors For The Production Of Ectoine, Jaden Storrer, Tansley M. Mazurkiewicz, Bodee Hancock, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Student Research

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that requires its emissions to be mitigated. A significant source for methane emissions is in the form of the biogas that is produced from anaerobic digestion in wastewater reclamation and landfill facilities. Biogas has a high valorization potential in the form of its bioconversion into ectoines, an active ingredient in skin care products, by halotolerant alkaliphilic methanotrophs. Cultures of Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z were grown in bench scale stirred-tank reactors to determine factors to improve methane uptake and removal. Tangential flow filtration was also implemented for a bio-milking method to recover ectoine from culture media. …

General Education Subcommittee Agenda November 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025
• Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals
• New Business
• Depth Discussion
• Additional Items
• Adjourn: 9:30 am

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda November 6, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025
• Program Proposals
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Faculty Senate Agenda November 3, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes October 6, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:30 Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• 3:45 Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• 4:10 Old Business
• 4:15 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Awe Amtm Geolocation Algorithms, Eric Mckinney, Keith Blonquist, Zack Hatfield, Connor Waite, Pedro Sevilla, Ludger Scherliess, Harri Latvakoski, Greg Cantwell

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Mission Introduction

The AWE instrument images atmospheric gravity waves from the ISS, quantifying energy and momentum fluxes into the ionosphere-thermosphere system to better understand how tropospheric weather influences space weather.

Mission of Opportunity for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Heliophysics Division.

Designing Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure To Benefit Residents In A Near-Port Community, Polly Parkinson, Emma Mecham, Fawn Groves, Amy Wilson, Ivonne Santiago

Teacher Education and Leadership Student Research

In the rush to meet electric vehicle (EV) adoption goals that address environmental and health concerns, transportation planners, engineers, and community policy experts cannot separate the context of socioeconomic factors from transportation needs. This data analysis indicates that because transportation decisions are backgrounded by health, work, and housing, EV adoption must also address multifaceted human needs. Communities focused on building more electric vehicle charging stations motivated this research to find ways for all households to benefit. This primarily qualitative study, including a community survey and individual interviews, engaged residents in the planning process. The inductive research project grew from a …

Capacity Of Microbial Strains And Communities To Degrade Sewerage Fats, Oils, And Grease Clog Deposits, Allondra M. Woods, Catherine J. Pettinger, Catherine Harris, Tanya Soule, Garth Farley, Erica L.-W. Majumder

Biological Engineering Student Research

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) deposits are hardened, sticky, insoluble solids that accumulate in sewage systems globally. These deposits contribute to pipe blockages and sanitary sewer overflows, releasing pathogens and pollutants into the environment, posing significant environmental and public health risks. Current removal methods are labor-intensive and costly, emphasizing the need for alternatives. While biological strategies offer a viable alternative, the microbial breakdown of FOG is poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the potential of individual microbial strains and synthetic microbial communities to biodegrade wastewater-derived FOG deposit samples. These biological agents were applied to a range of FOG samples, …

Visible Image-Based Machine Learning For Identifying Abiotic Stress In Sugar Beet Crops, Seyed Reza Haddadi, Masoumeh Hashemi, Richard C. Peralta, Masoud Soltani

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Previous researches have proved that the synchronized use of inexpensive RGB images, image processing, and machine learning (ML) can accurately identify crop stress. Four Machine Learning Image Modules (MLIMs) were developed to enable the rapid and cost-effective identification of sugar beet stresses caused by water and/or nitrogen deficiencies. RGB images representing stressed and non-stressed crops were used in the analysis. To improve robustness, data augmentation was applied, generating six variations on each image and expanding the dataset from 150 to 900 images for training and testing. Each MLIM was trained and tested using 54 combinations derived from nine canopy and …

Systems Intelligence Manager: Warfighter Dominance 2025 Technical Review Key Program, Daniel Hornberger

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Objective & Background

• Objective
• Provide a governing network framework that reduces network congestion and improves connectivity, stability, and resilience
• Provide a single point for systems to connect to on varied networks, which also federates data to required entities
• Manage complex military CONOPs, controlling one or many heterogeneous unmanned platforms while coordinating collection efforts of varying sensor suites on each platform

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Minutes October 20, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - September 22, 2025
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• Old Business
• New Business
• Adjourn: 3:55 pm

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda October 20, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes September 22, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - October 2, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• Athletics Council Annual Report
• Library Advisory Council Annual Report
• Academic Freedom and Tenure Annual Report
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Reliability Targeted Snow Loads And Winter Wind Parameters For Locations Outside Of The Conterminous United States, Brennan L. Bean, Nicholas Brimhall, Bikram Bhusal, Marc Maguire, Maha Moussa

Browse all Datasets

The national building standard ASCE 7 moved to reliability-targeted snow loads (RTSLs) in the 2022 version. This necessitates the development of RTSLs for international locations. This repository contains the data and code needed to produce RTSLs and Winter Wind Parameters for locations outside of the Conterminous United States (OCONUS). It relies on annual maximum snow loads provided in a separate data release (see Brimhall et al. 2025).

Electron Yields Of Lunar Regolith Simulant Layers, Christopher Vega, Matthew Robertson, Thomas Keaton, Heather Allen, Jr Dennison

Journal Articles

The charging of bulk lunar regolith has been recognized since the Apollo era as an immediate and critical issue facing our return to the moon. Accurate electron yield (EY) measurements of bulk highly insulating granular materials—which largely determine how such particles charge through interactions with space environments—are lacking due to many experimental complexities that have led to a critical knowledge gap. Such knowledge is essential for addressing fundamental science and myriad important lunar applications and simulations related to lunar dust and regolith electrostatic charging. The few prior EY studies of lunar dust were limited due to severe charging effects and …

Assessing Riparian Evapotranspiration Dynamics In A Water Conflict Region In Nebraska, Usa, Ivo Z. Gonçalves, Burdette Barker, Christopher M. U. Neale, Derrel L. Martin, Sammy Z. Akasheh

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The escalating pressure on water resources in agricultural regions has become a catalyst for water conflicts. The adoption of innovative approaches to estimate actual evapotranspiration (ETa) offers potential solutions to mitigate conflicts related to water usage. This research presents the application of a remote sensing-based methodology for estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa) based on a two-source energy balance model (TSEB) for riparian vegetation in Nebraska, US using the Spatial EvapoTranspiration Modeling Interface (SETMI). Estimated results through SETMI and field data using the eddy covariance system (EC) considering the period 2008–2013 were used to validate the energy balance components and ETa. Modeled …

Improved Streamflow Forecasting Through Swe-Augmented Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Networks, Akhila Akkala, Soukaina Filali Boubrahimi, Shah Muhammad Hamdi, Pouya Hosseinzadeh, Ayman Nassar

Computer Science Student Research

Streamflow forecasting in snowmelt-dominated basins is essential for water resource planning, flood mitigation, and ecological sustainability. This study presents a comparative evaluation of statistical, machine learning (Random Forest), and deep learning models (Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Network (STGNN)) using 30 years of data from 20 monitoring stations across the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). We assess the impact of integrating meteorological variables—particularly, the Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)—and spatial dependencies on predictive performance. Among all models, the Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Network (STGNN) achieved the highest accuracy, with a Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.84 …

Interface Catalysts Of In Situ-Grown Tio2/Mxenes For High-Faraday-Efficiency Co2 Reduction, Shaun Debow, Zichen Shen, Arjun Sathyan Kulathuvayal, Fuzhan Song, Tong Zhang, Haley Fisher, Jesse B. Brown, Yuqin Qian, Zhi-Chao Huang-Fu, Hui Wang, Zachary Zander, Mark S. Mirotznik, Robert L. Opila, Yanqing Su, Yi Rao

Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Research

Climate change and the global energy crisis have led to an increasing need for greenhouse gas remediation and clean energy sources. The electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) is a promising solution for both issues as it harvests waste CO₂ and chemically reduces it to more useful forms. However, the high overpotential required for the reaction makes it electrochemically unfavorable. Here, we fabricate a novel electrode composed of TiO₂ nanoparticles grown in situ on MXene charge acceptor 2D sheets with excellent CO₂RR characteristics. A straightforward solvothermal method was used to grow the nanoparticles on …

Stainless-Steel Piano Key Weir, Y. Fournié, H. Tralli, J. Alendé, S. Erpicum

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The spillway of the Oule dam (Pyrénées, France) was successfully modified and uprated in 2018. Its discharge capacity has been increased in accordance with the updated hydrological analysis and French regulations. In order to achieve a significant increase of the total discharge capacity, the dam operator (Société Hydroélectrique du Midi - ENGIE) has re-designed the whole spillway. A 1 m high type-A piano key weir solution was selected and implemented to replace the existing ogee crest. This solution is unique since it is made of stainless steel, precast, transported by helicopter on site and assembled by bolting. This paper focuses …

High Altitude Labyrinth Design And Construction, Nick Miller, Margaret Provencher, Eric Holmstead

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

GEI worked with a Colorado district to design and construct a labyrinth spillway at a high-altitude reservoir west of Denver. The labyrinth spillway increased the reservoir normal water surface elevation 10 feet, increasing reservoir storage capacity by 120 acre-feet. This additional storage was achieved with the labyrinth with minimal modification to the existing embankment dam. The site presented challenges including significant ice loading on the weir structure, complex rock conditions requiring seepage control measures, and unique construction techniques.

A labyrinth weir configuration was chosen to increase discharge capacity with minimal adjustment to the existing spillway footprint and to pass the …

Nachtigal Dam: A 4917 M Long Labyrinth Spillway, F. Laugier, Denis Magnan, B. Blancher, Arnaud Chapius, Thibaut Guillemot, Sebastien Erpicum

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The Nachtigal Dam, part of the Nachtigal Amont Hydropower Project in Cameroon, features a 4917-meter-long labyrinth spillway, designed to safely manage floodwaters. This spillway was optimized for hydraulic safety, cost efficiency, and environmental considerations. Physical scale modeling (at a relatively rare 1:12.5 scale) and detailed design adjustments ensured robust performance under various flow conditions. Despite construction challenges for such a large-scale nonlinear structure, the project achieved reliable spillway operations, demonstrating the suitability of labyrinth weirs for large-scale hydraulic infrastructure.

World Register Of Piano Key Weirs, Sebastien Erpicum, Tohid Jamali Rovesht, Brian M. Crookston, Pierre Archambeau

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Piano Key Weirs have been proposed in 2003. Since then, more than 40 projects have been commissioned over the world. This presentation details a world register of piano key weir prototypes, freely available online. It also analyses the main characteristics of these structures in operation to highlight trends in design.

Value Added 3d Modeling – Lower Crow Dam Spillway Modification And Rehabilitation Project, Justin Bartels

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) have been operating Lower Crow Dam under restricted reservoir levels since 2008 due to significant structural and spillway capacity deficiencies that have increased risk to dam safety. Stantec was contracted by the CSKT to evaluate rehabilitation options and provide final design for the new spillway. The focus of this paper is to describe the design methodology and spillway selection process with an emphasis on the hydraulic modeling completed to support the final spillway arrangement. The design approach included the evaluation of various spillway types including gated, Obermeyer, fuse gate, ogee, labyrinth, and piano …

Design Approach For Labyrinth Weir: Case Study Of La Laye Dam, M. Roy, S. Derrien, J. Schaguene, G. Dautois

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

This paper presents ARTELIA’s gradual approach for the design and construction of labyrinth weirs, from the preliminary concept design to the commissioning. It is illustrated with the case of La Laye dam, where an additional lateral spillway with labyrinth weir has been developed to increase the existing discharge capacity. The design process involved preliminary hydraulic calculations, 3D numerical modeling and a physical scale model. The paper elaborates on the technical solutions and optimizations which were considered to provide the Client with the most hydro-economical solution.

Advances In Arced Labyrinth Weir Research And Application At The Springton Spillway Project, Seth Thompson, Blake Tullis, Brian M. Crookston

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Arced labyrinth weirs, characterized by a curved cycle orientation, can enhance discharge efficiency compared to linear labyrinth weirs by taking advantage of the approaching flow field in reservoirs. This paper summarizes some of the Utah State University arced labyrinth weir hydraulic efficiency research findings, including sidewall and cycle arc angle influences, nappe aeration, and local submergence. Recent CFD modeling that replicates some of the experimental findings is also highlighted, demonstrating CFD utility for design. The Springton Spillway project, owned by Aqua Pennsylvania, leveraged this research when designing a two-stage, eight-cycle arced labyrinth weir to replace an aging ogee crest spillway …

Piano Key Weir With Orifice Sluice, Dau Xuan Thuy

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

In recent years, many Piano Key Weirs (PKW) have been built around the world. In Vietnam there are more than 18 PKWs in operation to the present. However, during the operation, some experience has been drawn on the design and application conditions. This paper is about the Dak Mi 3 reservoir with a PKW that operated well for more than 4 years until an exceptional flood following typhoons in October 2020, making reservoir fully filled with mud and sand. The result is the PKW became ineffective and the hydropower plant unable to operate. In order to dredge the reservoir and …

Honey, I Shrunk The Pk Weir: A Case Study Of Burton Pond Dam, David Bisio

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Between a low-head tidal environment, razor-thin hydraulic margins, and a long list of site restrictions, the Burton Pond Dam Rehabilitation project offered the chance to pursue a one-of-a-kind solution: a miniature stainless steel piano key weir as part of a new mixed active-passive spillway. This case study will explore how established hydraulic designs were modified specifically for the site and verified with computational flow dynamics; how the innovative cantilevered geometry was analyzed structurally with finite element modeling; and how detailing, fabrication and constructability were considered throughout the design process. From conceptual-level design submissions to the final construction walkthrough, the whole …

Research And Application Of Piano Key Weirs In Vietnam (2025), M. Ho Ta Khanh, Dau Xuan Thuy

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Since the Piano Key Weirs (PKW) were introduced by F. Lempérière and A. Ouamane (2003) many such structures have been built for irrigation, hydroelectricity and water regulation due to their outstanding efficiency. In Vietnam, PKWs have also attracted significant attention. There have been several laboratory hydraulic model studies to test the discharge capacity, flow characteristics, and energy dissipation downstream the spillway. Vietnam had also issued PKW design standard for easy of application in 2018. This paper describes shortly 18 Piano Key Weirs in operation in Vietnam (among other existing PKWs) : Dak Mi 4B, Dak Mi 3, Dak Rong 3, …

Lessons Learned From The Hydraulic Design Of The Prado Dam Labyrinth Spillway, Yajayra Diaz, Mike Phillips, Brian M. Crookston, Julie D. Allen

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed the design of a new labyrinth weir spillway at Prado Dam, in southern California. The proposed labyrinth weir would consist of an arced configuration, 7-cycles, with varying weir wall height from 28 ft to 41 ft with upstream head over the weir cycles of up to 30 ft. This paper highlights the key lessons learned from the hydraulic design of the new labyrinth weir, including significant fluctuating negative pressures at the weir wall resulting in hydrodynamic loads that should be considered during structural design and submergence of the weir at high heads.

Time-Dependent Radiation Induced Conductivity Of Polyimide: Effects Of Dose Rate And Temperature On Dynamic Ric, Tyler Heggenes, Jenny R. Whiteley, Jodie Gillespie, Jr Dennison

Journal Articles

Radiation induced conductivity (RIC) can impact charge dissipation within highly insulating materials used in spacecraft in harsh space plasma environments. Previous Utah State University (USU) research analyzed only the equilibrium portions of an extensive RIC database for polymeric materials, including Kapton HN (Trademark). This confirmed that equilibrium RIC follows a standard theoretical model that is temperature and dose rate dependent. The current study provides a new analysis of RIC’s time-dependent behavior of the Kapton HN data from this database. With the onset of radiation, the material response is characterized by an exponential increase in conductivity, while a hyperbolic inverse time-dependent …