December 2024
Professor Awarded $2.6M NIH Grant for Research on Communication for People with Parkinson’s Disease
Communication is integral to our daily lives. It serves as the foundation for building and maintaining relationships, conducting work, raising children, accessing services, engaging in our communities, and much more. Stephanie Borrie, associate professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, was recently awarded a second multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health to improve communication in people with Parkinson’s disease. This most recent grant is a five-year clinical trial that seeks to provide the necessary efficacy data for a new approach to treat the speech intelligibility challenges that frequently accompany Parkinson’s disease.
Research & News
Leading ACT Experts at USU Awarded a $2.25M CDC Grant to Support the Mental Health of Veterinary Students
USU Professors Michael Twohig and Michael Levin are collaborating with professors at Kent State University to adapt Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for students of veterinary medicine to reduce mental health challenges and improve well-being and work satisfaction. The four-year study aims to train students to respond to the challenging encounters they will inevitably have with clients by providing ACT training via online modules.
The Megan Marie Hamilton Indigenous STEM Scholar Fund: A Legacy of Passion and Advocacy
Assistant Professor Megan Hamilton, a proud member of the White Earth Nation and the Pillager Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, dedicated her life to creating inclusive spaces in STEM education, particularly for Indigenous and marginalized communities. Her legacy lives on through the Megan Marie Hamilton Indigenous STEM Scholar Fund, which aims to continue her groundbreaking work by supporting Indigenous students in their pursuit of STEM careers.
New Aggies Elevated Program at USU Eastern Celebrates Its First Graduating Class
Aggies Elevated, a USU post-secondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities, began offering its program to the students at USU Eastern in Price, Utah, three years ago. Upon completion, Aggies Elevated students earn a certificate of Integrated College and Community Studies and may opt to earn an associate’s degree by staying a third year to fulfill the requirements. The first cohort of students at USU Eastern graduated in May 2024.
Celebrating 50 Years of Undergraduate Research at USU
USU is celebrating a remarkable milestone in 2025 as it commemorates 50 years of groundbreaking undergraduate research. CEHS students are a key feature of this milestone, sharing their research projects at the annual Fall Student Research Symposium held on December 5. The event offers a unique opportunity for undergraduates to work with a faculty mentor and present their own research findings through oral or poster presentations.