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General Catalog 2025-2026, Utah State University

University Catalogs

This catalog contains information on the Academic Departments and Programs as well as Course Descriptions for the above school year at Utah State University.

Verification Of Real-Time Smoke Simulations: A Case Study On Early Summer North American Wildfire Events, Daniel Bonilla

Pitzer Senior Theses

As wildfire intensity and frequency escalate in times of unprecedented climate change and severe droughts, it is important to enhance forecasting models that accurately and efficiently predict wildfire smoke movement. NOAA’s experimental Rapid-Refresh Forecasting System with Smoke and Dust (RRFS-SD) aims to improve upon the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh- Smoke (HRRR-Smoke), by extending the domain to include all of North America and incorporating new developments in physics and wildfire parameterizations. Our work explores the process of adding satellite Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data, through AERONET, as an additional method of verification of the RRFS-SD experimental model. Using a case study on …

Breathing A New Life Into Industrialized Cities: Adapting Warehouses In The Inland Empire, Mazzy Rosenast

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis explores adaptive reuse as a design strategy to repurpose aging warehouse infrastructure in the Inland Empire, specifically Rancho Cucamonga, in order to reclaim and reintegrate the urban fabric around community needs, rather than defaulting to demolition and erasure. As urban spaces become increasingly saturated, resources dwindle, and environmental concerns escalate, the need to creatively build and repurpose our urban fabric becomes a critical conversation among architects, urban planners, and designers. The Inland Empire (IE) - comprising Riverside and San Bernardino Counties - has been overtaken by the logistics industry, transforming its landscape into a patchwork of freeways, cargo …

Wellbeing Against The Odds: Confronting Obstacles To Collective Wellbeing In Greater Los Angeles, Ethan H. Yao

Pitzer Senior Theses

Governments and organizations at the national, regional, and city levels are increasingly adopting wellbeing measurements and objectives to redefine progress. However, despite the inspiring successes of some wellbeing-based governance efforts worldwide, emerging initiatives face significant barriers and challenges, especially in the United States. This research employs a case study approach to examine the obstacles that have faced three collective wellbeing projects in the Greater Los Angeles region: the Pomona Valley Wellbeing Project, the Santa Monica Wellbeing Project, and the LA Regional Wellbeing Summit. Through a multi-methods qualitative approach (archival research and semi-structured interviews), this thesis finds that institutional fragmentation, limited …

Optimizing Decision-Making In A Cerebral Palsy Model Using Reinforcement Learning, Richard Ampah

Pitzer Senior Theses

This study presents an original interdisciplinary investigation into how reinforcement learning (RL) can model motor and cognitive defects and potentially improve motor and cognitive functions in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), a non-progressive neurological disorder that impairs movement and adaptability. Integrating computational neuroscience and machine learning, the research applies policy gradient methods and Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) to simulate adaptive learning in agents with and without CP-related constraints.

The central aim is to compare the cumulative rewards of optimal policies, derived from value iteration, and human-like learning policies using the REINFORCE algorithm, both with and without the Bellman baseline. The …

The Chesapeake Pearl: A Proposal For An Environmental Public Art Installation, Samuel I. Reichard

Pitzer Senior Theses

In this thesis, I lay the foundation for an environmental art project along Chesapeake Bay. It includes an analysis of relevant literature and case studies, as well as a proposal for the project. The Chesapeake Pearl (working title) would be a 20-foot spherical aquarium that will visually display the water filtration capacity of eastern oysters and native seagrass, aiming to inspire curiosity around these organisms and the greater Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The project exists at the intersection of environmental art and environmental education and seeks to promote learning and public engagement through visually demonstrating a scientific process, the water filtration …

Visions Of The Garden: Transforming The Former Claremont Golf Course Into The Coastal Sage Mosaic, Ella C. Kim

Pitzer Senior Theses

A thirty-three-acre parcel of land sits at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains at a vulnerable wildland-urban interface (WUI), raising key ecological concerns. This parcel, a former golf course, is the focused site for this conceptual landscape and restoration plan. The now-neglected site has no proposed plans for restoration or development yet holds significant potential for transformation. Stakeholders’ conflicting visions range from land preservation, ecological restoration, Indigenous land rights, commodification for revenue and development, and prioritizing the needs of the natural environment in coexistence with modern human enjoyment. The conceptual plan addresses these critical considerations in verbal and visual …

Would You Recommend This Picture To Your Friends? A History Of Hollywood Test Screenings, Myles Mikulic

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines Americans’ relationship with information gathering in the 20th century through the lens of the Hollywood market research technique of movie test screenings. During the post-production phase of a narrative commercial film, a studio will typically hold a test (or preview) screening to gauge audience reaction. An unfinished version of the film is screened before an audience of nonprofessional “regular moviegoers,” after which viewers fill out questionnaires. These can range from the generalized, such as favorite characters or whether you would recommend the film to friends, to the granular, such as the depiction of violence in a war …

Integrating Play Into Work: Top-Down And Bottom-Up Approaches To Building Work Engagement Through Play, Jordan Hamilton

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Evolving expectations of what work should look like among employees have inspired companies to revisit working conditions and find a balance between driving organizational outcomes and creating a positive work environment. Work engagement is a positive outcome for organizations and individuals (Bakker et al., 2020). However, interventions centered around driving engagement often are isolated programs that remove individuals from their typical work experience. Integrating play into work offers a strategy to develop employee resources, assisting in actualizing organizational goals and cultivating a positive workplace culture through enhancing work engagement. In this mixed methods dissertation, which involves interviews with leaders (Study …

Queen: The Remaking Of Character In The Modernist Novel, Ann L. Wilson Green

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Virginia Woolf famously declared that, “on or about 1910 human character changed,” prompting her to call for a change in the way novelists depicted character. I study one such character, Queen Victoria, to trace how Woolf and James Joyce reimagined how to depict a historical figure in a novel. What is Queen Victoria in the Modernist novel and why does she begin to appear? She is a symptom and symbol of a problem the Modern writers were trying to work out. Despite having an ambivalent or even hostile relationship with the Queen, she is one of the most represented historical …

Facilitating The College Transition Of Undocumented And Citizen Students Of Mixed-Status Families: A Mixed Methods Study Of The Role Of Public High School Counselors As Social Capital Agents, Jenifer L. Kelson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Undocumented and citizen students from mixed-status families (UCM students) encounter numerous obstacles when transitioning to college due to their citizenship status or that of an immediate family member. Due to the current anti-immigrant political environment, these college-going obstacles have been exacerbated. Public high school counselors play a vital role in facilitating the college transition of UCM students, yet their work remains understudied. This mixed-methods dissertation positions counselors as social capital agents, building upon and expanding social capital theory, the concept of the institutional agent, and the role of significant others from the Wisconsin Model of Status Attainment. This study explores …

Ditching Deference: Redefining Particular Social Groups In The Wake Of Loper Bright, Claire E. Pellegrin

Emory Law Journal

Thousands of individuals flee gang-related violence and seek asylum in the United States every year. Many of these asylum seekers claim they suffer persecution because of their membership in a “particular social group” targeted by the gang’s brutality. Left undefined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, “social group” is interpreted by U.S. immigration agencies in an increasingly restrictive manner. Over the years, the Board of Immigration Appeals has adopted a three-part test for social group membership, and using these criteria, immigration courts often deny social groups based on opposition to gang recruitment. Thus, the United States is at odds with prevailing …

Bs Public Health Emdp Option, Public Health

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Electrical Engineering, Physics

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

True Threats And The Neuroscience Of Fear, Paul E. Mcgreal

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Expressive Power Of Protecting Intimate Privacy: A Comparative Study Of Legal And Platform Measures, Danielle Keats Citron, Jonathon W. Penney, Alexis Shore Ingber

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Deepfakes, Deep Skepticism, And The Privacy Dividends Of A Default Of Distrust, Marc Jonathan Blitz

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Under The Influence: Duties, Deception, Disclosures, And Due Diligence Of Social Media Influencers, Arianna Kiaei

Washington and Lee Law Review

The encroachment of social media into the daily lives of society reflects a major shift in consumer behavior. As social media moves from providing platforms of narrow connectivity among friends and family to social connection beyond one’s personal network, novel channels are being formed for consumers to absorb and share information. It opens opportunity for corporations to market their products beyond traditional methods and establishes the “influencer” sharing personal thoughts and recommendations on such products.

Social media’s immense purchasing power has a direct effect on the decision-making processes of individuals and the profit margins of corporations, and thus, the capacity …

Parent Social Media Use And Gaming On Mobile Phones, Technoference In Family Time, And Parenting Stress., Brandon Mcdaniel, Alison K. Ventura, Michelle Drouin

Health Services and Informatics Research

Possible effects of parent phone use on parent–child interactions and child behavior are of concern, warranting research to understand parent phone use. In this survey study of 183 families with a young child (M = 2.89 years), we examined parents’ phone use for texting/calling, social media (SM) use, mobile gaming (MG), and perceptions of cutting into family time; we also examined differences between mothers and fathers and associations with parenting stress. Mothers engaged in greater SM use but less MG compared to fathers; 61% of mothers and 38% of fathers used SM 31+ min per day, while 23% of …

Parent & Family Newsletter, March 2025, Illinois State University, Parent And Family Services

Parent & Family Newsletter

Parent and Family Newsletter

Why Community: The Potentials And Limitations Of Community Engagement In Restorative Justice, Emily P. Chauhan

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of community in restorative justice through both the criminologist and practitioner perspectives. Through investigating the limitations of the U.S. penal system, which ranks highest globally in incarceration rates yet fails to ensure public safety, the research investigates restorative justice as a victim-cantered, harm-driven alternative. It emphasizes how restorative justice redefines crime by focusing on healing and accountability rather than punishment of the criminals/harm-doers. This thesis examines how communities are essential to restorative processes and how restorative justice, in turn, helps to build communities. Drawing from case studies, models, and interviews this thesis questions the assumptions …

Reframe: A New Interpretive Framework For Non-Governmental Entity Responsibility In Outer Space, Steven E. Bartz

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

The mainstream interpretation of State responsibility for Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) with respect to their commercial operations in outer space may hinder the further development of the commercial space industry. Specifically, that interpretation produces broad responsibility for nation-states (States) under international law and derivative consequences for States and NGEs, but the international space community might avoid the otherwise harsh practical consequences that are likely to hamper the continued growth of commercial activities by NGEs in outer space by reexamining and reinterpreting a few aspects of existing law. This article (1) examines mainstream interpretations of State responsibility for NGEs with respect to …

Space Agriculture, Biotechnology, And Terraforming: Rethinking The Paradigm Of Harmful Contamination, Francesca Giannoni-Crystal

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

As humanity transitions from sporadic exploratory space missions to permanent settlements on celestial bodies (like the Moon or Mars), agriculture biotechnology, and, potentially, terraforming projects will be essential for establishing self-sustaining settlements.

These activities raise critical issues concerning the interpretation of the principle of harmful contamination under Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty (OST) and its implementation through the Committee on Space Research’s Policy on Planetary Protection (COSPAR Policy) referred together in this article as the “Planetary Protection Framework,” which is primarily oriented toward exploration with scientific integrity rather than permanent habitation.

The challenge lies in the fact that …

The Heavy Odds For A Weaponized And Lawless Outer Space, Rob Frieden

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Just as space commerce appears to have reached a critical mass, competing national government interests can thwart progress with strategies and tactics that increase market risk, volatility, and uncertainty. Despite universal support for a treaty-level commitment to pursue only peaceful activities, for the benefit of everyone, unilateral actions by the governments of China, Russia, and the United States have the potential to disrupt markets and render space a new theater of warfare. These nations appear disinclined to embrace the unenforceable goals contained in five international treaties governing activities in outer space.

So-called Great Power Competition has generated high stakes rivalry …

Guilty Until Proven Innocent - Litigating Shy Bladder Cases Before The National Transportation Safety Board, Alan Armstrong

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

For airmen, the drug testing regulations and procedures in the United States are dispiriting, oppressive, and unjust. Evidencing contempt for basic physiology, an airman unable to produce forty-five milliliters of urine within three hours is deemed to have “refused” a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug test. While the regulations require the airman to be briefed on the shy bladder protocol, this requirement is not enforced by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The FAA, after losing a case where the airman left the drug testing facility without being warned that such conduct would be deemed a refusal, simply abolished the …

Institutionalized Ostracism, Danieli Evans

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

Belonging is a fundamental need, like food or water. Hundreds of social psychology studies find that people who are ostracized (excluded, rejected, or ignored) experience severe pain and suffering. Ostracism threatens basic needs, triggers the same neurocognitive processing system as physical pain, and impairs functioning. Furthermore, ostracized people may cope in ways that beget “deviant” labeling and further ostracism.

Belonging and ostracism are prevalent themes in social psychology research, but these constructs have received relatively little attention in law. This Article begins to explore the implications of this research for law. I make three contributions: First, I name and describe …

Police Gatekeeping, Emily M. Poor

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

The role of policing in American society is more pervasive (and less visible) than many acknowledge. Police do not just patrol, arrest, and keep peace – they also gatekeep. Many and varied ostensibly non-criminal processes rely on police fact-finding to adjudicate claims, establish eligibility for resources, and take adverse action against individuals. This Article examines the phenomenon of police gatekeeping, both as a practical barrier to resources and remedies and as a hegemonic mechanism to construct the social conception of truth.

Recognizing the ways in which civil society relies upon police as gatekeepers of both practical resources and the social …

2024 Oregon Statewide Homelessness Estimates, Franklin H. Spurbeck, Jacen Greene, Marisa Zapata

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a census of people experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night in January. The federal government requires this at least every other year as a condition of funding it distributes to Continuums of Care (CoCs), networks of government agencies and service providers that manage homelessness services and funding in specific regions. The unsheltered PIT Count is only required during odd-numbered years. Because of the cost and complexity involved, not all CoCs conduct an unsheltered count in even-numbered years. In 2024, all Oregon CoCs submitted sheltered PIT Count data. Only some conducted an …

Women Of Color In K-12 Educational Leadership Pursuing Higher-Level District Advancement In Public Education, Telicia R. Leonard

Theses and Dissertations

This paper focuses on the inequities in leadership along with gender and racial intersections that may contribute to barriers for Women of Color who have already acquired mid-level leadership positions and are seeking opportunities to acquire positions deemed as senior district-level positions. This qualitative case study was explored through the lens of feminist poststructuralist and equity theories. The objective was to research the participants and ascertain participant perspectives on the role that race, and gender constructs have played in their ability to attain their current positions and how any barriers encountered impact their attempts at new levels of career advancement …

Perinatal Policy Disparities And Their Impact On Maternal, Paternal, And Child Health, D'Ashanae Y. Pippens

Theses and Dissertations

This systematic review synthesized evidence on perinatal policy framework to evaluate their public health significance and impact on family outcomes. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and corporate data from 2015-2025 were reviewed across national, state, and global levels. The analysis revealed seven thematic domains, (1) policy design and duration, (2) wage replacement, (3) insurance continuity, (4) workplace breastfeeding accommodations, (5) parental leave, (6) equity in access, and (7) policy enforcement. Evidence shows that integrated and inclusive policies particularly those in Sweden, Germany, and progressive U.S. states (NY and CA), yield substantial …