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Utahns’ Perceptions of Risk Related to Poor Air Quality Differ by Demographics & Location
No full textAir pollution poses a significant threat to Utahns’ health, shortening Utahns’ life expectancy by two years (1). Air pollution can cause and worsen many illnesses and conditions (1). Individuals’ perceptions of how susceptible they are to health risks related to air pollution and how severe these risks are for them vary across demographic characteristics. This study investigated demographic differences in Utahns’ perceptions of health risks related to air pollution in the state. Specifically, we examined differences in how Utahns perceive risk based on their political identity, gender, education level, geographic location, and disability status. Understanding how people perceive risk across demographics can help public health practitioners and legislators craft effective strategic messaging and policies that enable Utahns to appropriately understand the health risks associated with air pollution and enact recommended behaviors that can mitigate these risks
Digital Media and Political Engagement: Shaping Youth Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors in Four European Societies
No full textThis study investigates the relationship between students’ political engagement, civic knowledge, socioeconomic status, gender, and digital media use and their pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors in Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and Romania. To do this, we use data from the International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS:22) and employ hierarchical level modeling. We found that students with higher civic knowledge and greater confidence in their ability to be active citizens were more likely to report both pro-environmental behaviors and positive attitudes in every country studied. Socioeconomic status also showed positive links with environmental engagement. Digital media use was linked to more pro-environmental behaviors in all countries, but to less positive attitudes in Spain. These results demonstrate the need for context-specific strategies that teach students how to engage collectively towards a more sustainable future
Integrating Manager Perspectives Into the Evaluation of Wetland Revegetation Strategies
No full textEcological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded and is dependent on complex and context-specific decisions. The decision-making process influencing restoration is rarely examined alongside ecological processes. There is a need for research that incorporates the social, economic, institutional, and logistical considerations that shape real-world practices, as well as ecological processes. Decisions made by restoration practitioners and land managers (hereon “manager”) are challenged by the lack of information shared regarding the practical constraints (e.g., cost, labor, specialized equipment) they face. Revegetation, particularly in wetlands, poses challenges due to site conditions and degradation history that need consideration alongside practical constraints. Wetlands have suffered significant rates of degradation, are at high risk of invasive species establishment, and benefit from active revegetation to restore native plant communities. Managers tasked with restoring plant communities must choose between multiple revegetation techniques (e.g. seeding, plugs, or sod mat). Each revegetation technique has tradeoffs in cost, labor, and ecological outcome. My thesis investigates how managers make revegetation decisions, identifies the ecological and practical factors that influence those decisions, and evaluates different revegetation techniques on those findings. Following interviews, I found that goals and objectives, capacity, cost, governance and partnership support, site conditions, managing adaptively, and monitoring and evaluation were key decision-making considerations for managers, and that managers strongly prefer peer-to-peer learning opportunities for knowledge exchange. When I evaluated revegetation techniques on manager-identified criteria, I found that no technique outperformed others in all categories (native cover, plant establishment time, installation labor, plant material cost, and equipment needs and cost), highlighting the importance of context-specific assessment of tradeoffs. For instance, seeding is appropriate for large-scale projects with limited budgets and access to specialized equipment. Sod mats are preferred for projects requiring rapid plant establishment. Plugs are ideal when reliable establishment is prioritized, and when large labor sources are available (e.g., volunteer-based projects). These findings offer insight into the complexities of wetland restoration planning and provide practical guidance for selecting revegetation approaches and sharing knowledge with managers
General Education Subcommittee Minutes November 6, 2025
No full textCall to Order Approval of Minutes - October 2, 2025 Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals New Business Depth Discussion Additional Items Adjourn: 9:25 a
Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Non-Rectilinear Weirs -From Labyrinth to PK-Weir
No full textFree-flow rectilinear spillways, while simpler and safer than gated or shaft spillways, have a low specific discharge, requiring a significant water head and resulting in a storage loss of more than 20% for some small reservoirs. To overcome this drawback, labyrinth weirs provide an effective alternative, allowing high discharge under a reduced head while maintaining lower construction and maintenance costs. For several decades, global research has focused on optimizing their design. In this context, a research project was initiated in 1995 at the University of Biskra to enhance the understanding of the hydraulic behavior of these structures. This project was carried out in two phases: the first (1995-2000) was dedicated to theoretical and experimental studies on labyrinth weirs, serving as a key step in the development of the PK-Weir; the second (2001-2003) involved close collaboration with Hydrocoop-France, culminating in 2003 with the final design of the Piano Key Weir (PK-Weir). The present study focuses on the first phase, which led to this innovation
Floating Trees at Co-Existing PKW & Gated Spillway
No full textDuring extreme flood events, floating trees (driftwood) can pose serious risks to the safety and operation of dams. In upgrading an existing dam, a piano key weir (PKW) is introduced to replace the aging embankment dam and to increase the discharge capacity of its gated spillway. This upgrade necessitates a detailed understanding of driftwood behavior at both discharge structures, which differ significantly in design and operating conditions. To investigate this, hydraulic model tests were conducted using small, freshly cut trees—some with branches and roots—to simulate natural trees moving towards the dam. The results indicate that tree accumulation at the gated spillway or PKW depends on flow discharge, cross-sectional position in the reservoir and water levels. Blockage of the gates—or simultaneous blockage of both the gates and the PKW—causes a greater rise in reservoir water level than blockage of the PKW alone. However, the rise is still limited. The study highlights that the combined use of the PKW and the gated spillway is cost-effective, as they complement each other in managing driftwood and mitigating water-level ris
Investigation of Flow Field Near a Type-A Piano Key Weir
No full textPiano Key Weirs (PKWs) enhance spillway capacity and induce complex flow patterns around their inlet and outlet keys. This study investigates the flow near a Type-A PKW using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Velocity fields in the vicinity of the PKW keys were analyzed for different discharges and validated with the experimental results. As flow approaches the inlet key, the streamwise, vertical, and lateral velocity components increase significantly, with the highest velocities near the inlet key. However, near the outlet key the streamwise velocity decreases while the vertical and lateral components increase. For all the discharges, the maximum velocity was observed in the inlet key region. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) was also found to be the highest downstream of the inlet key. The numerical predictions agree well with experimental measurements, demonstrating the reliability of the model. This study enhances understanding of PKW hydraulics, offering insights into optimizing weir performance and mitigating erosion risks
Accessing Community Needs in the Tri-County Area of Rural Utah
No full textUtah State University Extension conducted a needs assessment in the Tri-County area of Utah, encompassing Uintah, Duchesne, and Daggett Counties, to identify key community priorities. Using a three-phased approach, the assessment identified mental health, strengthening relationships, and financial literacy as top concerns. These findings will inform resource allocation to Extension programming to address the region’s most urgent needs
