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Grant Holyoak is an undergraduate student double majoring in Sociology and Economics at Utah State University. Grant helped supervise and administer an iUTAH-funded sociological survey in 2014 with Drs. Douglas Jackson-Smith and Courtney Flint that asked Utah residents about their water-use behaviors. He has since analyzed the responses with the following research questions: “How are Utahns’ climate change beliefs associated with: concern about climate change impacts, self-reported water use behaviors, and support for water conservation policies?” Holyoak’s findings related to these questions were accepted for presentation at the 19th Annual “Posters on the Hill” undergraduate research conference in Washington, DC on April 22-23, 2015. 

During the event, participants went on a guided tour around the National Archives followed by a meeting and Q&A with professional researchers working for the Obama Administration. On day two of the event, Grant had arranged meetings with staffers from the offices of Utah Senators Hatch and Lee and Utah Representative Rob Bishop to talk about his research, iUTAH, and the undergraduate research program at Utah State University. Grant said, “These meetings were the best part of the conference for me as I had the chance to advocate for causes and people that have shaped my life and my career.”

After the meetings, presenters set up their posters and were able to share their findings with a wide range of academics and politicians. Grant’s poster, entitled “The Influence of Climate Change Beliefs on Water Use and Conservation Policy in Utah”, sparked lively discussion that lasted the entire evening. “It was certainly one of the most engaging conferences I have ever attended,” remarked Holyoak.