Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Exploring Variations In High-Resolution Downstream Hydraulic Geometry Of The Logan River, Gabriel V. Benitez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Rivers are dynamic systems that change shape due to natural events like floods, landslides, and wildfires, as well as human-made structures like bridges. These changes create unique and complex river patterns. However, measuring these changes accurately is challenging because traditional field surveys are time-consuming and often focus on easily accessible areas, which may not represent the whole river. Thanks to new high-resolution mapping technology and detailed river flow records, we can now see these changes in greater detail than ever before.

In this study, we focused on the Logan River, which flows through a canyon with a mix of rocky …

Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Dynamics And Grazing, A Study Of Vegetation Indices And Survival, Codi R. Backen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

North American rangelands are vast, open landscapes that support diverse ecosystems and provide many ecosystem services. Many wildlife call sagebrush rangelands home, including the Greater sage-grouse (sage-grouse; Centrocercus urophasianus). Sage-grouse habitat encompasses 165 million acres across western North America, and this bird has been of conservation concern as their populations drastically declined since the 1960s. Rangelands are also grazed by livestock, which has the potential to negatively affect sagebrush ecosystems when overgrazed or overstocked, which could be detrimental to sage-grouse nesting habitat. Additionally, sagebrush rangelands undergo annual variations in precipitation, temperature, growing season length, and vegetation vigor, which has …

Estimation Of Breach Hydrograph Resulting From Dam Embankment Failure Due To Internal Erosion Or Overtopping: Comparison Of Simplified Methods With Real-Case Failure Data And Recommendations, Laurent Del Gatto, Jean-Robert Courivaud

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

The opening of a breach in an embankment dam, whether due to overtopping or internal erosion, is a critical failure mode for these structures. Estimating the resulting breach hydrograph is essential for assessing downstream risks. While no universal physical model covers all dam types, empirical formulas are commonly used. EDF analyzed 14 such formulas, comparing them with rupture data from 32 embankment dam failures. The best formulas - Froehlich 1995, Xu & Zhang 2009, and CLF 2020 - yield a “best estimate” for peak flow. However, due to variability, results should be interpreted cautiously. Consider estimating breach characteristics like width …

Breach Modeling Flume Tests, R. M. Monteiro-Alves, R. Moran, M. Á. Toledo, M. Morris, C. Picault, J-R. Courivaud

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

From previous flume tests conducted in the framework of the OVERCOME Project, intended to investigate the effect of different soil materials, overflow discharges, and upstream face watertightness on the breaching processes of overflowed levee sections, we determined the need for further investigation on the effect of test repeatability, content of fines and armouring caused by the coarser particles. This document presents the results of this new set of tests which have shown an impact of these variables on the breach macro erosion processes, erosion rates and breach dimensions.

Physically Based Assessment Of Flow Resistance In Stepped Chutes, T. L. Wahl, B. J. Heiner, K. R. Smithgall, C. C. Shupe, J. Falkenstine

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Existing physically based methods for estimating stepped chute friction factors or energy dissipation rates consider relative step height and relative step-tip spacing to be key factors, but do not fully account for chute slope and associated step orientation. For slopes steeper than 45° each step acts as an offset into the flow, while for flatter slopes each step presents an offset away from the flow, but methods that consider only the step-tip spacing do not account for this difference. Furthermore, most experimental studies have been performed in open channel spillway models, where two-phase air-water flow and variable flow depths make …

Ahead Of His Time? A Reanalysis Of The Air-Tunnel Stepped Chute Studies Of Marcos José Tozzi, T. L. Wahl, J. A. Higgs, J. Matos

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Stepped spillways offer energy dissipation advantages and construction efficiencies over smooth spillway chutes. Energy dissipation is typically estimated using empirical relations that depend on chute slope, unit discharge and relative step height. Open-channel tests of model spillways experience self-aerated air-water flow downstream from the aeration inception point, and the presence of air dramatically affects energy dissipation and flow depth, making it difficult to separately determine the effects of step geometry and other basic flow properties. The 1992 doctoral dissertation of Marcos José Tozzi from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo included open channel stepped spillway tests with …

2d Probabilistic Scour Model For Predicting The Time-Rate Of Scour For Spillways And Overtopping Dams Based On The Erodibility Index Method, M. F. George, G. W. Annandale

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Time-dependent prediction of rock scour for dams and spillways has largely remained elusive given limited available data on rock erosion rate parameters in literature. Recently, a theoretical framework for determining the rate of rock scour was developed by Annandale (2025), enhancing the Erodibility Index Method (EIM). The EIM is the most commonly used and accepted approach for evaluation of scour in rock for dam applications. This theoretical framework has been incorporated into the 2D probabilistic jet impingement scour model (George & Annandale, 2023) so that scour progression due to head-cutting in a spillway channel (lined or unlined) or overtopping onto …

Utah State University Commencement, 2025 – Uintah Basin Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

2025 Commencement Ceremony for the Uintah Basin Campus of Utah State University.

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

Commencement Programs

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

Plant Diversity Dynamics Over Space And Time In A Warming Arctic, Mariana García Criado, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Anne D. Bjorkman, Sarah C. Elmendorf, Signe Normand, Peter Aastrup, Rien Aerts, Juha M. Alatalo, Lander Baeten, Robert G. Björk, Mats P. Björkman, Noémie Boulanger‐Lapointe, Ethan E. Butler, Elisabeth J. Cooper, J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Gergana N. Daskalova, Belen Fadrique, Bruce C. Forbes, Greg H. R. Henry, Robert D. Hollister, Toke Thomas Høye, Ida Bomholt Dyrholm Jacobsen, Annika K. Jägerbrand, Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir, Elina Kaarlejärvi, Olga Khitun, Kari Klanderud, Tiina H. M. Kolari, Simone I. Lang, Nicolas Lecomte, Jonathan Lenoir, Petr Macek, Julie Messier, Anders Michelsen, Ulf Molau, Robert Muscarella, Marie-Louise Nielsen, Matteo Petit Bon, Eric Post, Katrine Raundrup, Riikka Rinnan, Christian Rixen, Ingvild Ryde, Josep M. Serra‐Diaz, Gabriela Schaepman‐Strub, Niels M. Schmidt, Franziska Schrodt, Sofie Sjögersten, Manuel J. Steinbauer, Lærke Stewart, Beate Strandberg, Anne Tolvanen, Craig E. Tweedie, Mark Vellend

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average¹ and plant communities are responding through shifts in species abundance, composition and distribution^2,3,4. However, the direction and magnitude of local changes in plant diversity in the Arctic have not been quantified. Using a compilation of 42,234 records of 490 vascular plant species from 2,174 plots across the Arctic, here we quantified temporal changes in species richness and composition through repeat surveys between 1981 and 2022. We also identified the geographical, climatic and biotic drivers behind these changes. We found greater species richness …

Skewed Approach Flow To The Spillway Of An Embankment Dam, C. I. Thornton, J. Ellis, F. Alsultan, C. Volt, R. Ettema

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

A contemporary activity in dam engineering is the raising of embankments to increase reservoir storage or flood level in a channel. For embankment dams, the raised position of the spillway must be located on a native soil/rock shoulder of the dam, to avoid geotechnical problems associated with possible embankment settlement. Consequently, for many sites, the approach flow entering a spillway likely will not be acceptably uniform, as the approach flow becomes increasingly skewed to reach the spillway’s entrance with the raised embankment. This concern raises the question of where to position the spillway’s ogee crest within the spillway entrance and …

Design Of A Wave Overtopping Simulator With Variability In Simulated Flows, N. Van Der Vegt, B. Hofland, J. J. Warmink, V. M. Van Bergeijk, S. J. M. H. Hulscher

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

A new experimental setup for conducting large- to full-scale wave overtopping experiments will be constructed at Delft University of Technology. This setup consists of an indoor Wave Overtopping Simulator (iWOS), a landward dike slope, and a transition to the toe. The iWOS, with a height of 3.25 meters, can release volumes of up to 2.67 m³/m of water. A key innovation is its controllable release valve, allowing variability in flow characteristics for the same overtopping volume.

The iWOS is designed based on established relationships between overtopping volume and flow characteristics at the landward crest of a dike. Computational Fluid Dynamics …

Enhancing Understanding Of Breach Processes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics And Laboratory Tests, K. V. Chua, M. Hassan, C. Goff, M. Morris, H. Haddad

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Accurate prediction of dam breach processes is crucial for risk assessment and emergency response planning. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) offers a powerful tool for simulating such complex phenomena. However, the reliability of CFD models hinges on their validation against experimental data. This paper compares numerical simulations by the open-source code, OpenFOAM, to laboratory flume experiments to assess the accuracy of its predictions of dam breach overtopping processes.OpenFOAM is first being used to model the flow characteristics of two key stages of a dam breach experiment that took place in a physical laboratory setup. The two stages are the surface erosion …

Conclusions From The Performance Assessment Of Industry Applicable Internal Erosion Initiated Breach Prediction Models, Mark W. Morris, Jean-Robert Courivaud

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

The EDF funded Performance Assessment of Industry Applicable IE Initiated Breach Prediction Models project was initiated with a workshop at HERU in Stillwater in October 2019. In the following 4 years a team of modelers comprising both model developers and industry model users analyzed the performance of 6 different breach modelling codes against a range of different data sets, including hypothetical, field and real dam failure case studies. Each of the data sets reflected a dam or levee failure initiated by internal erosion, and which subsequently developed into an open breach. Modelers were required to simulate breach formation from the …

Can Computational Fluid Dynamics Be The Basis For The Next Generation Of Breach Models?, M. Hassan, K. V. Chua, C. Goff, S. Haeri, M. Morris, R. Coombs

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Dam and embankment failures can have devastating consequences for communities, infrastructure, and the environment. Therefore, accurate modelling of dam and embankment breaches is crucial for effective flood risk assessment and emergency response planning to precisely estimate areas and people that are prone to risk and plan for reducing the damage to properties and the environment. Recently, many advances have been made to improve the accuracy of breach modelling, including the development of physically based one and two dimensional numerical models that takes into account the various processes that take place during the breach of an embankment dam or a flood …

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 …

Proceedings Of The 5th International Seminar On Dam Protections Against Overtopping, Protections 2025

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

Editors: Sherry Hunt, Bryan Heiner, Tony Wahl, Brian Crookston

Measuring Small Currents At Fast Speeds Using A 2nd Generation Electrometer, Donna Metcalf

Physics Capstone Projects

This project presents the development of a second-generation electrometer designed to measure extremely low currents with improved speed and sensitivity. Based on the foundational architecture developed by Vladimir Zavylov, this iteration focuses on enhancing performance through optimized circuit components, modular configuration, and a custom-designed, battery- powered power supply that enables high-voltage floating measurements. The work encompasses the complete design cycle—creating a full schematic, developing a tailored power delivery system, assembling printed circuit boards (PCBs), constructing wiring harnesses, and integrating components into a protective housing.

One Size Doesn’T Fit All: Towards Design And Evaluation Of Developmentally Appropriate Parental Control Tool, Prakriti Dumaru, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

As children progress through developmental stages, they undergo substantial biological, cognitive, and social changes, creating unique needs for online safety across different age groups (e.g., young children, tweens, teens). The existing parental control tools fail to account for these differences, leaving a notable gap in the literature on parental mediation. To this end, we conducted 10 focus group sessions with a total of 20 parents to understand their preferences for age-appropriate design components that promote self-regulation and open communication, followed by an ideation workshop with four UX design experts to translate these preferences into customized features. We then evaluated these …

The Utah Statesman, April 28, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

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 …

Young Professionals, Zachary Gibson

Journal Articles

Like many of us, I have attended numerous panels, seminars, and workshops geared toward helping young professionals and students. The more senior professionals are gathered for us to question and tap them for wisdom and anecdotes. One such question that inevitably comes up in one form or another is, “How did you get to where you are?” A thinly veiled question intending to ask how can one get to the same or similar position. The response often begins with a soft chuckle and a “well … ” Their answers are caveated by “my path was not the typical path.”

Diverse Dust Sources And Warming Trigger Cyanobacteria Abundance In Freshwater Ecosystems In The Western United States, Juan Manuel González-Olalla, Janice Brahney

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

The rise in global temperature and the increase in atmospheric transport and deposition of dust linked to greater aridity, land abandonment, and wildfires, are placing significant stress on freshwater microbial communities. Temperature increases and the nutrients contained in the dust may independently and together alter the metabolism and structure of these communities. However, dust chemistry is widely variable, and pre-existing lake conditions will likely influence the response of the algal and microbial communities to added nutrients and temperature stress. To fill this gap of knowledge, we tested the metabolic and structural response of phytoplankton in two aquatic ecosystems in the …

Rapid Flips Between Warm And Cold Extremes In A Warming World, Sijia Wu, Ming Luo, Gabriel Ngar-Cheung Lau, Wei Zhang, Lin Wang, Zhen Liu, Lijie Lin, Yijing Wang, Erjia Ge, Jianfeng Li, Yuanchao Fan, Yimin Chen, Weilin Liao, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiaocong Xu, Zhixin Qi, Ziwei Huang, Faith Ka Shun Chan, David Yongqin Chen, Xiaoping Liu, Tao Pei

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Rapid temperature flips are sudden shifts from extreme warm to cold or vice versa–both challenge humans and ecosystems by leaving a very short time to mitigate two contrasting extremes, but are yet to be understood. Here, we provide a global assessment of rapid temperature flips from 1961 to 2100. Warm-to-cold flips favorably follow wetter and cloudier conditions, while cold-to-warm flips exhibit an opposite feature. Of the global areas defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, over 60% have experienced more frequent, intense, and rapid flips since 1961, and this trend will expand to most areas in the future. During …

Evidence-Based Alternative Pain Management Techniques For Chronic Pain, Alise Williams Condie, Ashley Yaugher, Kira Swensen, Maren Wright Voss

All Current Publications

Chronic pain and opioid use have become topics of importance as opioid overdose deaths have risen to epidemic proportions throughout the nation. Chronic pain lasts for long periods of time and can be caused by a past injury or have no known cause. Opioids have been utilized to treat pain in the past, but it has been discovered that opioids are better used to treat acute pain and not chronic pain. Opioids can have negative consequences including changes to the brain, depression, increased pain, constipation, sedation, and even death. This fact sheet reviews and explains some of the most successful …

The Utah Statesman, April 21, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Utah Women, Discrimination, And Sexism: Experiences And Perceptions, April Townsend, Susan R. Madsen

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, UWLP published 20 research summaries¹ that shared the results of this comprehensive study. Then, in the fall of 2024, the survey was administered again around the state of Utah with slight refinements. Between January and April of 2025, we have shared the results of the 2024 data by releasing six white papers, this being the final report in …

Staying Safe When Taking Prescription Opioids, Aaron Hunt, Gabriela Murza, Amy May, Jenna Hawks, Alyssa Ferrin

All Current Publications

Prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, morphine, codeine, and hydrocodone, are often used for short-term pain management, and it is important to know how to keep yourself safe when taking opioids prescribed by a doctor. This fact sheet reviews what opioids are, how they work in the body, and how people become dependent on or overdose on opioids. It also offers how to limit your risk of dependence and suggests alternative pain management options.

The Utah Statesman, April 14, 2025, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.