News and Highlights
This is a list of past iUTAH EPSCoR news from 2012 to 2018.
March 8, 2017
iUTAH Students Present At Undergraduate Research Conference
Undergraduate students from across the state, including 16 students working on iUTAH research, were selected to present posters/presentations at the 2017 Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR) on Friday, February 17, at Utah Valley University in Orem UT.
Students from Southern Utah University, University of Utah, Utah Valley University, and Westminster College presented iUTAH research, in collaboration with faculty Research Catalyst Grants and the iUTAH iFellows undergraduate research experience. For many students, like SUU senior, Hailey Wallace, this was their first UCUR conference. Wallace worked with mentors from SUU and UU, and other students testing the ability of green roofs to contribute to urban invertebrate biodiversity.
“It has been an amazing experience to be a part of undergraduate research," said Wallace. “I am very grateful have been involved in this project since the beginning, and been able to have multiple projects of my own stemming from the main work, as well as present the research at multiple venues.”
Wallace plans to use what she learned and continue her education as a graduate student in the Environmental Science and Management program at Portland State University in the fall. Below are topics and students presenting at UCUR:
Effect Of Phragmites Australis Control On Utah Lake Water Quality
Student(s): Arthur Evensen, Joshua Jackson, Jake Wood, Paul Morris, Ibrihim Alhassan, Kyle Fordham, and Victor Sanjinez (UVU)
Mentor(s): Eddy L Cadet
A Comparative Analysis On Attitudes Toward Drinking Water Quality Between Utah And The Nation
Student(s): Adam James Whalen (2016 iUTAH iFellow), and Meaghan McKasy (UU)
Mentor(s): Sara Yeo
Quantifying Nutrient And Trace Metal Input To Utah Lake From Orem Wastewater Treatment Effluent
Student(s): Sydney Hoopes and Serena Smith (UVU)
Mentor(s): Weihong Wang, and Eddy Cadet
Use Of Green Infrastructure to Increase Invertebrate Biodiversity In The Built Environment
Student(s): Hailey Wallace and Andrew Carlson (SUU)
Mentor(s): Jacqualine Grant, Matthew Weeg, Youcan Feng, and Steven Burian
Effect Of The Disappearance Of The Deep Brine Layer On Trace Element Uptake Into Great Salt Lake Food Webs
Student(s): Madelene Trentman, Abby Scott, and Alexandria Martin (Westminster College)
Mentor(s): Frank Black
Methylmercury In The Great Salt Lake
Student(s): Alexandria Martin (Westminster College)
Mentor(s): Frank Black
UCUR was created to showcase the best undergraduate work from students across the state of Utah. Undergraduates from all disciplines are invited to apply for the conference. Submissions to UCUR 2018, which held at SUU, will be due in the fall. For more information, visit www.ucur.org.
Press: UVU Press Release
February 23, 2017
Student Research on Utah Water Voices Survey Published
iUTAH undergraduate student researchers Phillip André Valle from Weber State University and Zack Oldroyd from Utah State University, along with sociology professor Courtney Flint and colleagues from USU, featured their work with the Utah Water Voices survey conducted in summer 2015 in a recently released paper. A summary analysis of the study has been published in the Journal of Rural Social Science.
Both Valle and Oldroyd were part of the iFellows program, a research experience for undergraduates focused on iUTAH water projects in the state. The paper and project highlighted public water perspectives in parks in two Utah cities using an interactive form on iPad tablets to guide paperless interviews, which were also audio recorded. More information and audio samples can be found at Utah Water Voices.
The abstract of the paper states that the “undergraduate research assistants played key roles in carrying out this intercept survey project, highlighting potential for future application of this method with students, community groups, or citizen scientists.”
In addition to this paper on “Public Intercept Interviews And Surveys For Gathering Place-Based Perceptions: Observations From Community Water Research In Utah,” the publication includes Carla Trentelman’s research on “The Case for Personal Interaction: Drop-Off/Pick-Up Methodology for Survey Research,” and “Effectiveness of the Drop-Off/Pick-Up Survey Methodology in Different Neighborhood Types,” by Doug Jackson-Smith, Courtney Flint, Carla Trentelman, Grant Holyoak and others.
Journal Reference: Journal of Rural Social Science
February 22, 2017
Welcome iUTAH's New Administrative Assistant
iUTAH welcomes Carol Rosenthal to its staff as our new administrative assistant. We are fortunate to have enticed Carol away from the delights of early retirement to join our team. She retired in 2012, after working 21 years within the Utah State University’s Academic Success Center, where she was extensively involved in teaching, developing academic support programs, materials, and services to support USU students in achieving academic success. She looks forward to supporting iUTAH and its critical and challenging mission during these few months by helping out with clerical, reporting, and event coordination tasks.
Carol is well aware of the value and importance of iUTAH’s mission of water research and sustainability, as she has embraced Cache Valley’s magnificent mountains for 30 years. Since retiring, she has passionately pursued daily hiking, biking, and cross country skiing, as well as many road and camping adventures – all with her previous and current beloved canine companions. If you ever come across a ginger-colored Shepherd Husky cross with orange ribbons flowing from her collar, you have met Bella Rose and her human, Carol.
February 22, 2017
USU Sociologist Returns from Antarctica
Melissa Haeffner, a post-doctoral sociologist at Utah State University and iUTAH researcher, returned from an Antarctica science expedition in early January 2017. She was one of 76 women from 15 countries chosen to take part in the 'Homeward Bound' expedition - a new initiative aiming to boost the impact of female scientists.
The expedition’s purpose was to facilitate research collaboration and leadership development for women in science. Scientists came from a variety of backgrounds, including astronomers, engineers, physicists, and doctors. Haeffner’s goal was to study the human participants. She returned with interviews, pictures, and insight from her participation in the largest ever all-female expedition to Antarctica.
“As a social scientist who is more interested in the strange species of scientists than penguins, I relished the opportunity to study some of the top specimens in their fields" said Haeffner.
Since returning to Utah, she has been preparing reports and presenting her findings to students of all ages, scientists, and the community. Most recently, she presented to high school sophomores in Wisconsin via Skype, and to students and faculty at Utah State University.
When not traveling to far away places, Haeffner is part of iUTAH EPSCoR, a National Science Foundation funded interdisciplinary project where she uses a variety of social science methods to examine how people’s views shape what we know relating to water resources in Utah.
Press: KUSU Radio | The Herald Journal
February 15, 2017
iUTAH Project Administrator Selected as AAAS Fellow
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has selected Andreas (Andy) Leidolf, iUTAH Assistant Director and Project Administrator, as one of 19 inaugural Community Engagement Fellows. The AAAS Community Engagement Fellows pilot program, aimed at improving collaboration and community building in science, provides orientation and support to professionalize and institutionalize the role of community engagement managers in the scientific community.
The initial cohort of fellows attended an orientation session in Washington D. C. for a week in January. At that session, they were introduced to AAAS leadership, content experts, and community managers using established engagement models to engage scientific communities. Among the tools that Andy brings back to Utah is a network of professionals and training in Trellis, a digital communication and collaboration platform developed by AAAS. He will return to AAAS for two additional trainings in 2017.
“USU was very pleased to have Andy Leidolf selected as an AAAS Community Engagement Fellow, and believes this prestigious honor underscores the value of Andy’s contributions to iUTAH, and the critical role that collaborative science can play in helping Utah plan for future growth and development,” said Jeff Broadbent, Associate Vice President for Research and Associate Dean, USU Office of Research and Graduate Studies.
Press: Utah State Today
February 15, 2017
Sarah Null Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Grant
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named Utah State University junior faculty member Sarah Null winner of an Early CAREER award. Sarah is one of four faculty members at USU to be chosen to receive the prestigious CAREER Award this year. Null’s award provides a five-year grant of $510,000.
An excerpt from a USU press release said “ ‘Most water resources models consider flow volume and timing, but I want to look further,’ says Null, who serves with the statewide iUTAH water project and USU’s newly formed Climate Adaptation Science graduate program. ‘My research aim is to explore water management effects on ecosystems and ways to improve aquatic ecosystem representation in water resources models.’
Using water resources systems analysis and physical geography, Null is developing mathematical models to explore processes and interactions of both built and natural water systems. Her research also includes field studies.
‘With undergraduates and graduate students, our team will collect data on multiple aquatic habitat parameters, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, gradients and stream flow on the Intermountain West’s Weber and Bear Rivers,’ she says. ‘We’ll develop mathematical models to estimate processes and interactions of human and environmental water resources objectives and test them with field data.’
Such analysis, she says, will enable her team to quantify water supply, hydropower and aquatic habitat trade-offs to support water resource decision-making. ‘Further, we can use models to predict climate change effects on hydrology, water quality and aquatic habitat,’ Null says. ‘Such information helps us identify promising adaptation and management strategies that are robust to change.’ “
Press: EurekAlert! | Utah State Today
