Digital Commons Network^™

Midlife Wellness: Building Healthy Lifestyle Habits To Ensure Quality Of Life, Naomi Brower, Elizabeth Davis

All Current Publications

Life expectancy has increased significantly, but women often spend their later years in poor health unless they take proactive steps to build healthy habits early. This fact sheet provides information on healthy habits women can develop to help manage hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause and reduce long-term health risks.

Faculty Senate Minutes February 2, 2026, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Call to Order
• University Business
• Faculty Senate Business
• Reports
• School of Graduate Studies
• Professional Responsibilities and Procedures Committee (PRPC)
• Office of Research
• Old Business
• New Business
• Information
• Adjourn - 4:43 pm

Majority Of Utahns Support Keeping Bears Ears National Monument As Originally Designated, Michaelann Nelson

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Bears Ears National Monument in Southeastern Utah was established in 2016 by President Obama after a coalition of Native American petitioned for its designation. In 2017, during his first administration, President Trump reduced the size of the monument by 85%. It was subsequently restored to the original boundaries in 2021 by President Biden. In 2022, the Utah Legislature provided $5 million in funding for the Attorney General’s office to challenge the Bears Ears National Monument designation, and the State of Utah filed a lawsuit in August 2022 challenging the designation (1).

A Closer Look At Shielding Gas In Laser Powder Bed Fusion: A Review, Tasrif Ul Anwar, Nadia Kouraytem

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

The ongoing advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, particularly in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), is effectively bridging the knowledge gap between AM and conventional manufacturing methods. At present, most of the research is focused on optimizing key process parameters such as laser power, laser speed, hatch spacing, layer thickness, scan pattern, powder size distribution, and so on. These studies help improve the part density and refine the microstructure of LPBF components, thereby enhancing the mechanical properties. Despite these advancements, an area in LPBF that is receiving comparatively less attention is the shielding gas: its flow during the printing process, …

Educating Medical Trainees On Mental Healthcare And Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Andrea Palmieri, Joan B. Beasley, Micah Peace Urquilla, Jennifer Mclaren

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Many children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience mental health conditions and commonly receive treatment with psychotropic medications. Prescribers often overuse these medications in children with IDD, who are frequently treated with polypharmacy and antipsychotics, a trend that continues into adulthood. Medical trainees receive little training regarding the IDD patient population. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an evidence-informed, easy-to-use training curriculum. The 6-hour training establishes a foundation for medical trainees regarding the treatment of mental health conditions in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD-MH) as part of an integrated health, interdisciplinary treatment approach. …

Sparc Grade 2 Integrated Coding-Math Lessons, Spatial Activities And Robot Coding (Sparc)

Spatial Activities and Robot Coding (SPARC)

SPARC-Math Grade 2 Integrated Coding-Math Lessons with related Utah Core Standards and lessons for Spatial and Programming Language and Geometry.

Fact Sheet: Kratom, Cadence Johnnie, Ashley Yaugher, Aaron Hunt, Cara Murray, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

There are many common myths and misunderstandings associated with kratom. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. In recent years, kratom use has grown in the United States. It is sold in various forms, including capsules, powders, and most commonly as liquid extracts or “shots." These kratom products are promoted as health supplements, advertised for benefits such as boosting energy, enhancing mood, or producing opioid-like effects. However, most users may not fully understand what they are consuming or the potential risks it carries. Commercial kratom products vary widely in their chemical composition. Synthetic (human-made) or …

Compilation Of A Nationwide River Image Dataset For Identifying River Channels And River Rapids Via Deep Learning, Nicholas Brimhall, Kelvyn K. Bladen, Thomas Kerby, Carl J. Legleiter, Cameron Swapp, Hannah Fluckiger, Julie Bahr, Makenna Roberts, Kaden Hart, Christina L. Stegman, Brennan L. Bean, Kevin R. Moon

Mathematics and Statistics Student Research and Class Projects

Remote sensing enables large-scale, image-based assessments of river dynamics, offering new opportunities for hydrological monitoring. We present a publicly available dataset consisting of 281,024 satellite and aerial images of U.S. rivers, constructed using an Application Programming Interface (API) and the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrography Dataset. The dataset includes images, primary keys, and ancillary geospatial information. We use a manually labeled subset of the images to train models for detecting rapids, defined as areas where high velocity and turbulence lead to a wavy, rough, or even broken water surface visible in the imagery. To demonstrate the utility of this dataset, …

Production Tax Credits Promote U.S. Wind Power Development With A Rush To Develop Before They Expire, Michelle M. Arnold, Emily Richards, Brennan Bean, Rebekah Scott, Christopher L. Lant

Environment and Society Student Research

A statistical analysis of wind power development in each U.S. state from 2000–2022 shows that the Production Tax Credit strongly promoted wind power development, especially when it was due to expire, and producers rushed to qualify. This implies that the Inflation Reduction Act should also have an important effect in promoting wind power, with an exaggerated effect when developers perceive that tax credits will be discontinued. Physical wind power potential is positively related to wind power development among states. States with high potential selectively pass Renewable Portfolio Standards, but they have no statistically significant influence on capacity developed among the …

Biostimulant Applications In Watermelon Production, Evan A. Christensen, Milena Oliveira, Youping Sun, Grant Cardon, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

Watermelon is a water-intensive vegetable crop that is sensitive to drought and requires adequate nutrient supply for good yield and fruit quality. It is an important vegetable crop grown on 142,000 acres in the United States and 586 acres throughout Utah. Utah experienced its driest year on record in 2020 during a five-year drought (2019 to 2023). This affected local ecosystems, including the Great Salt Lake, which experienced record-low water levels. The drought also negatively affected the agricultural sector, including watermelon growers. Higher-than-average fertilizer prices in recent years have also threatened watermelon production. Growing awareness of agriculture's water use and …

Coastal Conservation And Blue Carbon: Willingness To Pay For Changes To Nearshore Management In Oregon, Arthur Caplan, Marcelo Pignatari, Sarah Klain, Kreg Lindberg

Browse all Datasets

This paper reports results from a discrete choice experiment conducted with Oregon residents regarding possible policy changes in spatial management of nearshore habitat. We evaluate public preferences across several policy scenarios, each characterized by varying levels of marine reserve size (bounded areas where extractive activities are prohibited), coastal jobs generated or lost, and carbon sequestration by seagrass beds, tidal marshes and kelp forests(blue carbon habitat expansion), with models estimated in both utility and willingness to pay (WTP) space. Each of these attributes across all models displays positive, monotonic marginal WTP. Scenario analysis reveals that an “optimistic” policy package (+50 % …

Nitrogen Dynamics And Use Efficiency In Pasture-Based Grazing Systems: A Synthesis Of Ecological And Ruminant Nutrition Perspectives, Bashiri Iddy Muzzo

Wildland Resources Student Research

Pasture-based ruminant systems link nitrogen (N) nutrition with ecosystem N cycling. Grazing ruminants convert fibrous forages into milk and meat but excrete 65 to 80% of ingested N, creating excreta hotspots that drive ammonia volatilization, nitrate leaching, and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. This review synthesizes ecological and ruminant nutrition evidence on N flows, emphasizing microbial processes, biological N₂ fixation, plant diversity, and urine patch biogeochemistry, and evaluates strategies to improve N use efficiency (NUE). We examine rumen N metabolism in relation to microbial protein synthesis, urea recycling, and dietary factors including crude protein concentration, energy supply, forage …

Simulation Study On Nh3 Combustion And NoX Emissions Under Gas Turbine-Relevant Conditions, Kumeesha Arumawadu, Braxton Wiggins, Ziyu Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Ammonia (NH₃) is a zero-carbon fuel and an attractive hydrogen (H₂) carrier for gas turbine power generation due to its high energy density, ease of storage, and transportation. This study numerically investigates NH₃/air combustion using a hybrid Well-Stirred Reactor (WSR) and Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) model in Cantera at pressures of 1–20 atm, temperatures of 1850–2150 K, and equivalence ratios (ϕ) of 0.7–1.2. The effects of pressure, equivalence ratio, and temperature on NH₃ conversion and NO formation are examined. Results show that NH₃ exhibits a non-monotonic conversion curve with pressure after the …

Can I Freeze-Dry That? A Practical Guide To Safe And Effective Freeze-Drying, Victoria Carlile, Morgan Wayment, Jose Brandao

All Current Publications

Freeze-drying can preserve most everyday foods, but not all foods work well. Whether you are preparing for a long trip or are interested in long-term storage, it is important to know which food can be freeze-dried safely and which ones should not be attempted. This knowledge helps ensure food safety, quality, and success. This fact sheet provides information on how freeze-drying works, the risks involved, and which foods can be more challenging to freeze-dry.

A Suite Of Thermal Switches For Surviving Extreme Thermal Environments In Space, Matthew I. Ralphs, Matt Jensen, Alexis Eames, Matt Sinfield

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Thermal switches are a key enabling technology for spacecraft operating in extreme thermal environments. Whether surviving the lunar night, managing intermittent high-power loads from deep space communication systems, or dealing with other extreme thermal environments, high-performance thermal switches allow critical missions to operate beyond conventional thermal design limits. This paper presents the development, testing, and performance of a suite of passive thermal switches designed for both spacecraft- and subsystem-level thermal control. The suite includes: (1) traditional in-line switch placed between sensitive components and radiators; (2) compact designs suitable for integration into standard bolted joint interfaces to modulate the conductance between …

Hypersonic Non-Equilibrium Cfd And Dsmc Model Comparisons With The Varda Reentry Capsule, Jack D. Crespo, Paolo Valentini, Ashwin P. Rao, Zach S. Davis

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Nonequilibrium aerothermodynamic modeling of the Varda hypersonic testbed capsule is conducted with direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers. Flowfield properties at the 78 km reentry trajectory point are extracted to compute line of sight spectral radiance using two radiative emission codes, namely HARA and NEQAIR. Computed spectra are compared to spectral radiance measured by an in situ optical emission spectroscopy payload flown on Varda’s W-2 capsule in 2025. Model comparisons to the experimental data reveal discrepancies between the HARA and NEQAIR radiative emission predictions in both overall magnitude and qualitative behavior. NEQAIR was found to …

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. …

General Education Subcommittee Minutes January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals
• New Business
• Adjourn: 9:30 am

General Education Subcommittee Agenda, January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals
• New Business
• Depth Courses and Engineering Discussion
• Additional Items
• Adjourn: 9:30 am

Faculty Senate Agenda January 5, 2026, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call To Order
• Approval of Minutes December 1, 2025
• Approval of Amended Minutes November 3, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Reports
• Council on Teacher Education
• Scholarship Annual Report
• University Studies Report
• 3:50 Old Business
• 3:55 New Business
• Commencement
• 4:00 Information
• EPC Report - December 4, 2025
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

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 …

Most Utahns Support Affirming Rights Of Great Salt Lake, Sarah A. Woodbury, Kirsten Vinyeta, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Darren Parry

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

A combination of water diversions and climate change-related shifts have led to record low water levels and increasing salinity at Great Salt Lake (GSL) (1, 2).  Low water levels not only impact those directly dependent on the lake—brine shrimpers and migratory birds, for example—but also the millions of individuals living along the Wasatch Front. Increasing toxic dust levels from exposed lakebed and potential shifts to snowpack in the region are of primary concern. Children and marginalized communities are especially vulnerable to the respiratory health impacts of toxic dust (3, 4). According to the 2023 Utah People & Environment Poll (UPEP), …

Methods Of Harvest And Compositional Characterization Of Hemp Fibers From Medical Cannabis Biomass Using Detergent Fiber Analysis, Abigail Lazier, Srishti Banerji, Jennifer Macadam, Bruce Bugbee

Publications

Medical cannabis production generates large quantities of stem biomass that is typically discarded despite its potential as a source of natural hemp fibers. This study developed and evaluated two methods for recovering fibers from greenhouse-grown medical cannabis using water retting and compared their composition with commercially produced industrial hemp fibers. Fiber quality was assessed using detergent fiber analyses to quantify cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin fractions. Both harvest methods produced usable fibers, although one approach (method A) yielded cleaner fibers after shorter retting durations, while the second approach (method B) offered greater potential for large-scale processing. Increasing retting duration improved fiber …

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 …

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 …

Community Science For Enigmatic Ecosystems: Using Ebird To Assess Avian Biodiversity On Glaciers And Snowfields, William E. Brooks, Jordan Boersma, Neil Paprocki, Peter Wimberger, Scott Hotaling

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Mountain glaciers and snowfields are rapidly receding because of climate warming. Species living in these habitats remain poorly studied, likely because of the remoteness and ruggedness of their terrain. We leveraged community science data from eBird—an online database of bird observations from around the world—to characterize bird use of mountain glaciers and snowfields. We estimated total bird biodiversity and preference for glaciers and snowfields over nearby, ice-adjacent habitats. We used field notes from eBird users and breeding codes to extend our data set to include insight into habitat usage and behavior. Finally, we compared our community-science approach to previous studies …

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

Development Of A High-Doppler Shift Optical Simulator To Test Femtosecond-Level Optical Time-Frequency Transfer, Matthew S. Bigelow, Kyle W. Martin, Nolan Matthews, Benjamin K. Stuhl, Richard Gonzales, Alexandre De Pinho E Braga, John Elgin, Kimberly A. Frey

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

We have developed an optical simulator to test real-time optical two-way time–frequency transfer at the femtosecond level capable of simulating relative motion between two linked optical clock nodes up to Mach 1.8 with no moving parts. The technique is enabled by artificially Doppler shifting femtosecond pulses from auxiliary stabilized optical frequency combs. These pulses are exchanged between the nodes to simulate the Doppler shifts observed from a changing optical path length. We can continuously scan the simulated velocity from 14 to 620 m s⁻¹ while simultaneously measuring velocity-dependent clock shifts at much higher velocities than previously recorded. This system …

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 …

Coaching Undergraduates, A Conceptual And Practical Guide, Anna Carissa Rozzo

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

The overall aim of this paper is to provide a holistic orientation to the practice of person-centered coaching while providing tangible methods that faculty and advisors in higher education may be able to integrate into their professional practices. This conceptual paper explores the theoretical and practical intersections of coaching and teaching, presenting a flexible modality to support student-centered learning. The author provides readers with general guidance and templates for goal setting, problem solving, and assessment that practitioners may adapt to their own contexts.