Digital Commons Network^™

Test-Driving The Next Generation Of Crispr Gene Editing, Olivia Gornichec, Kailey Mayer

Research on Capitol Hill

USU team Kailey, recent graduate of animal science, and Olivia, senior in biochemistry, have led and funded this project through a student grant. CRISPR has been making waves in the scientific community for its potential to help us edit genomes. However, that is just one of the known types of CRISPR, and other types aren’t in forms that are accessible to study. Kailey and Olivia have successfully cloned Type IV-B into a plasmid that can now be used to perform further research into what this system does. The two students never expected that, as undergrads, they would make a foundation-level …

Understanding The Decline In Successful Cattle Pregnancies, Andre Tu Nguyen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Andre, a local Loganer, studies computer science and biology.He has been working in an animal science lab. Over time, we have seen a decline in successful dairy cattle pregnancies. This is a huge cause for concern for Utah, with milk sales at an estimated value of $405 million in 2020. Andre’s work has been in studying a certain protein in pregnant cattle; now that he has determined there is a decrease in this protein over the course of the pregnancy, he hopes to see whether that might impact its viability. Andre got involved in research in a high …

The Surface Conditions Of Spacecraft Panels May Significantly Affect Spacecraft Survivability, Trace Taylor

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Trace grew up in Brigham City and studies physics and electrical engineering. The majority of spacecraft failure is caused by electron charging on the outer surfaces of the craft. Additionally, contaminants on the craft can cause a film over surface panels, increasing the problem. Trace is studying how roughness on panels can mitigate this contamination as it affects the charging that can lead to craft failure. This research will help determine what optimal panel materials should be used in future spacecraft construction. Trace started research almost as soon as he came to campus in his freshman year, and …

Can Cannibinoids Be Used To Prevent Lung Damage From Utah Air Pollution?, Emily Brothersen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Emily, a Mantua native, is an Honors student and Undergraduate Research Fellow. She studies Biological Engineering and has funded and led this project herself with multiple student grants. Emily has been investigating a way to study cell health that can help future researchers test treatments more quickly and affordably. She has used this method to research the potential of cannabinoids to help protect people from lung damage caused by pollution, an issue topical to Utah with our frequent inversions and growing medical cannabis industry. Emily has been involved in research throughout her time at USU and sees it …

Precipitation Is A Strong Predictor Of Airborne Ammonia Levels., Bridger Jorgensen, Casey Olson, Connor Snow

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Connor has lived in the Uintah Basin all his life and studies kinesiology. Senior Casey, a Cache Valley native, studies climate science and works at the Utah Climate Center. Junior Bridger, also of Cache Valley, studies nutrition science. They led and funded this project through a student grant. Casey was alarmed by the ammonia data he was collecting at the Climate Center. “I immediately began to wonder how this issue would evolve over the coming decades.” The three teamed up to take a look at how Logan’s record-breaking amount of ammonia in our air is impacting those who …

A Tale Of Two Sides: Modeling Great Salt Lake Flows To Help Balance Current Ecosystem Influences, Eric Larsen

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Eric, hailing from Spanish Fork, studies mechanical engineering and funded this project through an engineering student grant. While there are several sampling stations that measure the waterflow of the Great Salt Lake, there are gaps in the data they collect that limit our ability to predict how water moves between the north and south sides of the lake. Eric has been developing machine learning models that more accurately portray the flows. This has applications for both GSL ecological preservation and the brine shrimp and salt industries. Eric loved how hands-on this project was, seeing the phenomenon that his …

Does Emotion Training Reduce Implicit Racial Bias?, Marisa Davis, Emma Greenwood

Research on Capitol Hill

USU junior Marisa and senior Emma are Utah natives studying psychology. Both are Honors students and the team is leading this project through a student grant they received. Some people mistakenly perceive Black people as being angry when they are actually showing neutral or fearful expressions, which puts Black individuals at higher risk in police interactions. Marisa and Emma have been developing and testing trainings on emotion recognition to challenge this implicit bias, which they hope will be implemented in police forces in the future. The two see undergraduate research as a way to help other people. While they agree …

Rare Earth Element Supply Chain: China’S Chokehold Creates A Dangerous Us Dependency, Sabrina Ellis

Research on Capitol Hill

USU senior Sabrina, a Cache Valley native, studies international business and got involved in research through the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence.Utah’s Silicon Slopes industry is dependent, like most US technology enterprises, on rare earth elements used to make critical computer components. China holds a near monopoly on these elements and could cause considerable damage to Utah’s economy if its government chose to restrict access to rare earth elements or faced supply chain issues. Sabrina has been studying steps the US can take to minimize the risks our tech industry would face if it lost access to these elements. Sabrina has …

Phosphomimetic Tyrosine Mutations In Spa47 Inhibit Type Three Secretion Atpase Activity And Shigella Virulence Phenotype, Koleton D. Hardy, Nicholas E. Dickenson

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Shigella is a highly infectious human pathogen responsible for 269 million infections and 200,000 deaths per year. Shigella virulence is absolutely reliant on the injection of effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm via its type three secretion system (T3SS). The protein Spa47 is a T3SS ATPase whose activity is essential for the proper function of the Shigella T3SS needle-like apparatus through which effectors are secreted. A phosphoproteomics study recently found several Shigella T3SS proteins, including Spa47, to be tyrosine phosphorylated, suggesting a means of regulating Spa47 enzymatic activity, T3SS function, and overall Shigella virulence. The work presented here employs …

The Status Of Women In Utah Politics: A 2022 Update, Hannah Payne, Marin Christensen, Susan R. Madsen, Kim Buesser, Lindsey Palmer

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Although Utah has a rich heritage of women’s involvement in voting, advocacy, and various types of political involvement, Utah has lagged behind most states in terms of women running for and serving in elected political roles for decades. To track progress, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) began reporting on the status of women in Utah politics in 2014, with updates in 2017, 2021, and now 2022. Although strides have been made in increasing the number of women serving in political roles in recent years, there is still work to be done. Research continues to confirm that when both …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes
  
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews https://usu.curriculog.com/
• College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences ADVS = 8 APEC = 3 ASTE = 11 AVTE = 49 (BCIS & BUSN hold all requests | including BCIS & BUSN all) LAEP = 30 NDFS = 21 OPDD = 1 PSC = 1
• Caine College of the Arts MUSC = 1 THEA = 9
• Jon M. Huntsman School of Business ACCT = 10 ECN = 9 DATA = 35 MSLE = 1
• Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services COMD = 10 HDFS = 1 …

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn

Educational Policies Committee Minutes, February 3, 2022, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Minutes

• Approval of 6 January 2022 Minutes Minutes approved as distributed.
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Matthew Sanders Course Approvals – 280
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Lee Rickords)
• Other Business

Curriculum Adoption In U.S. Schools: An Exploratory, Qualitative Analysis, Sarah E. Pinkelman, Kristen R. Rolf, Trenton Landon, Ronnie Detrich, Carrie Mclaughlin, Amy Peterson, Michelle Mcknight-Lizotte

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

The process of adopting curricula and programs in U.S. schools is an understudied topic. Given the importance of selecting evidence-based and contextually relevant programs that meet the needs of the school, additional research to examine this process is critical. In this exploratory investigation, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ten building-level and ten district-level school administrators to learn (a) how they identify needs for a new program and (b) the perceived factors that influence decisions in selecting a program to adopt. Qualitative data from interview transcripts were analyzed through thematic analysis as outlined by Braun and Clarke (3(2):77, 2006), and saturation …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, 2022 Special Issue (Vol. 5, Iss. 3)

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length 2022 Special Issue (Volume 5, Issue 3) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

Editorial: We're Going Remote!?! A University's Tale Of Two Cities, Robert Wagner

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The COVID-19 global pandemic created a dichotomous construct for higher education between delivery formats and maintaining quality pedagogy. The variables and obstacles seemed, at times, insurmountable but, Utah State University's team rose to the occasion. In this op-ed, Robert Wagner discusses the resilience and commitment shown by USU's instructors, staff, and students as they navigated, and continue to navigate, this unprecedented event.

Improving Performance Through Strategic Teaching Documentation: The Continued Importance Of Seldin, Miller & Seldin’S "The Teaching Portfolio" In The Face Of A New Reality, Antje Graul

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Book Review

Seldin, P., Miller, J. E., & and Seldin, C. A. (2010) The teaching portfolio: A practical guide to improved performance and promotion/tenure decisions. John Wiley & Sons.

416 pages. Available in hardback ($), paperback and digital format ($)

Keywords: teaching, teaching documentation, teaching portfolio, tenure, promotion

Enhancing Technology-Based Distance Education Delivery Using Collaborative Team-Teaching Methods, Susan Egbert, Sean Camp

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Present pandemic-related circumstances have created unique challenges for educators and students alike. Information and communication technology (ICT) based team-teaching and collaborative course design can effectively mitigate feelings of isolation and disconnection, and enhance student engagement within a remote education context. This article presents a theory-driven framework and ‘how-to’ practical strategies for utilizing team-teaching methodology through web-based delivery platforms. Content focuses on student participation and active learning, curriculum- and technology-related issues, and challenges inherent in synchronous web-based course delivery.

Student And Instructor Perceptions Of Online Teaching Related To Covid-19: The Need For Reflective Practices, Mary Bowne, Melissa Wuellner, Jessie H. Hendricks, John Howard

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Although online learning has been in existence for over 20 years, not all instructors have been trained to teach online or had the desire to teach online. The recent COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed typical face-to-face instruction and disrupted the current educational system by requiring all college courses be delivered online, either asynchronous or synchronous using various software platforms. This paper investigated both instructors’ and students’ perceptions of faculty online teaching preparedness as well as their thoughts related to various technological resources and issues that arose during this time period. Results indicated …

Using ‘How To …’ Videos In Feedforward Practices To Support The Development Of Academic Writing, Sally Quinn Dr

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

The transition to Higher Education is full of new challenges for students not least the challenge to develop a style of writing expected within one’s discipline of study at the HE level. Feedback on students’ assessments can be one way that guides students to focus on the aspects of their writing that they should aim to improve at different points of their study but often students report difficulty in understanding markers’ comments and exactly how to improve on these skills. We developed a library of 27 five minute ‘How to…’ videos …

Covid Anxiety And Stress In Higher Ed (Cash), Letitia Bergantz, Christopher E. Curtis

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

College is a time of increased stress and anxiety. The current changes in attendance and methods of instruction due to COVID-19 have demonstrated even higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental health issues. Tailoring interventions to the specific needs of a campus community has been proposed as an appropriate means to the current crisis. This study identifies the mental health needs of students at a rural college as they pertain to the effects of the pandemic.

Questionnaires collected data from college students (N=33) at Athens State University, a rural university in …

Hyperspectral Imaging With Machine Learning To Differentiate Cultivars, Growth Stages, Flowers, And Leaves Of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.), Yuzhen Lu, Sierra N. Young, Eric Linder, Brian Whipker, David Suchoff

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

As an emerging cash crop, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) grown for cannabidiol (CBD) has spurred a surge of interest in the United States. Cultivar selection and harvest timing are important to produce CBD hemp profitably and avoid economic loss resulting from the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration in the crop exceeding regulatory limits. Hence there is a need for differentiating CBD hemp cultivars and growth stages to aid in cultivar and genotype selection and optimization of harvest timing. Current methods that rely on visual assessment of plant phenotypes and chemical procedures are limited because of its subjective and destructive nature. In …

Collaboration And Mentorship In The Organization Of An American Indian Family Collection: A Case Study In Service Learning At The University Of Oklahoma, Ben Keppel, Dolores Subia Bigfoot, Bridget Burke, Kasimir L. Mackey, Tamah Minnis

Journal of Western Archives

This case study examines an experiment in archival practice and mentorship undertaken at the University of Oklahoma (OU) during the spring semester of 2019. The project concerned the inventory of an important privately held archive in American Indian history. The case study describes the process and documentation involved in an institution assuming temporary custody of a private collection, including legal and ethical considerations of temporary custody, and explores the mentorship relationship among group of interdisciplinary faculty and students, as well as the products, both archival and non-archival, that resulted form this collaborative effort.

Tremblings, February 2022, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

Aspen: A Reason for Hope

Robert A. Andrus

Tens of millions of trees have died in recent decades in subalpine forests in the western US. Much of this tree mortality has been caused by two natural disturbances—wildfires and outbreaks of native insects (i.e., bark beetles). The loss of so many trees has left us wondering what is next for these areas. Will they return to forest and if so, what will they look like?

Sex-Related Differences In Aging Rate Are Associated With Sex Chromosome System In Amphibians, Hugo Cayuela, Jean-François Lemaître, Jean-Paul Léna, Victor Ronget, Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Erin Muths, David S. Pilliod, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Gregorio Sánchez-Montes, Jorge Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Graham Pyke, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Jaime Bosch, Karen H. Beard, Lawrence L. Woolbright, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Nathalie Jreidini, Justin M. Garwood, Robert N. Fisher, Kathleen Matthews, David Dudgeon, Anthony Lau, Jeroen Speybroeck, Rebecca Homan, Robert Jehle, Eyup Başkale, Emiliano Mori, Jan W. Arntzen, Pierre Joly, Rochelle M. Stiles, Michael J. Lannoo, John C. Maerz, Winsor H. Lowe, Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez, Ditte G. Christiansen, Claudio Angelini, Jean-Marc Thirion, Juha Merilä, Guarino R. Colli, Mariana M. Vasconcellos, Taissa C.V. Boas, Ísis Da C. Arantes, Pauline Levionnois, Beth A. Reinke, Cristina Vieira, Gabriel A.B. Marais, Jean-Michel Gaillard, David A.W. Miller

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Sex‐related differences in mortality are widespread in the animal kingdom. Although studies have shown that sex determination systems might drive lifespan evolution, sex chromosome influence on aging rates have not been investigated so far, likely due to an apparent lack of demographic data from clades including both XY (with heterogametic males) and ZW (heterogametic females) systems. Taking advantage of a unique collection of capture–recapture datasets in amphibians, a vertebrate group where XY and ZW systems have repeatedly evolved over the past 200 million years, we examined whether sex heterogamy can predict sex differences in aging rates and lifespans. We showed …

Engaging ≠ Engagement: Assessing Students' Behaviors Following Gamified Orientation, Katie Strand, Makenzie Boatright, Pamela N. Martin

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

What do students retain from first-year workshops? In fall 2019, Utah State University Libraries assessed our interactive orientation when it became optional rather than required for USU’s first-year seminar, creating two populations to study, participants and nonparticipants. By convening focus groups and analyzing campus data, we investigated if the orientation helped freshmen engage with library spaces, services, and materials. Findings revealed workshop strengths and weaknesses, as well as broader student preferences, behaviors, and expectations. Join librarians and students to discuss first-year students’ anxieties and needs concerning not only the library, but also campus belonging and student independence.

Interdevice Reliability Of A-Mode Ultrasound To Measure Body Composition, Megan Bigler, Dale R. Wagner, R. Stephan Lowry

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

A-mode ultrasound is a noninvasive, rapid method for measuring subcutaneous fat thickness and estimating body fat percentage (%BF). Validity and reliability of the BodyMetrix BX2000 A-mode ultrasound has been reported; however, this study aimed to compare results from two machines to determine interdevice reliability. Ultrasound measures were repeated with two BX2000 machines at 10 body sites (chest, biceps, triceps, scapula, lower back, hip, waist, thigh, calf, axilla) on 42 males of varying age and leanness (age: 28.6±11.9 y, BMI: 25.4±4.6 kg/m2). The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.939 to 0.998 with standard errors of measurement from 0.31 to 0.58 mm …

Parent Perspectives On Preparing Students With Intellectual Disabilities For Inclusive Postsecondary Education, Jefferson Clark Sheen, Ty Aller, Robert L. Morgan, Kayla Currier Kipping

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Using a three-round Delphi survey, researchers explored parent perspectives regarding the personal competencies students with intellectual disabilities (ID) needed to be better prepared for participation in an Inclusive Postsecondary Education program (IPSE). An expert panel comprised of parents of students with ID in IPSE programs participated. Three Delphi rounds consisted of open-ended questions and cycles of subsequent rating scales on identified perspectives to establish a quantitative basis for consensus. The parent panel reached consensus on a list of 30 personal competencies that support student preparation for IPSE. A description of the methodology, results, and implications for practice are discussed.

Vegetable Diseases Of Utah, Claudia Nischwitz, Marion Murray, Nick Volesky

All Current Publications

This guide provides a list of vegetable crop diseases that have been documented in Utah along with some that are likely to occur. Plant diseases are caused by pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and fungal-like organisms. Diagnosing specific plant diseases takes careful observation of signs, symptoms, and sometimes culturing and molecular testing in a laboratory setting.

Celosia Cut Flower Production In Utah, Anna Collins, Melanie Stock, Maegen A. Lewis, Sheriden M. Hansen

All Current Publications

Celosia is a warm-season annual that can be grown in a field or high tunnel in Utah. Transplant plugs after last frost in the field and 6 to 8 weeks before last frost in a high tunnel. Celosia benefit from trellising to promote straight stems and do best with moderate soil fertility and frequent harvesting. Peak harvest occurs from July – September in the field and begins nearly one month earlier in a high tunnel. Once established, celosia thrive in Utah’s hot summers and can be used in fresh or dried arrangements.