August 2025
USU Psychology Professor Fights Student Hunger With Major Gift
Michael Twohig, a psychology professor and co-creator of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Research Group, has made a significant donation to the Logan campus food pantry, and is inviting others to join him to make an even bigger impact. Twohig recently received the D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award, one of the university’s highest faculty honors, which came with a cash prize of $7,500. He decided to donate the money to the Student Nutrition Access Center, or SNAC, a program for students that provides a bag of food to any student each week. Approximately 38% of USU students experience food insecurity at some time during their academic careers.
Research & News
Professor Sarah Braden Recipient of 2025-2026 Fulbright Scholars Award for STEM Research
Utah State University announced four Fulbright Scholars for the 2025-2026 academic year. Sarah Braden, associate professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership, was named in the prestigious group. Braden will travel to the University of Lisbon in Portugal where she will work collaboratively to develop and pilot a model to adapt engineering curricula in STEM programs for Portuguese students.
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences Boasts Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Programs
The Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education recently changed its name to the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. The change was made in large part to draw greater attention to the department’s impressive offerings, which are nationally recognized for excellence. Department Head Karen Muñoz said about the change, “We want to cast a broader net so more people will learn about the amazing things we are doing here.”
Middle School Students Explore STEM at USU STARS GEAR UP Biotechnology Camp
Utah middle school students from Logan, Ogden, and the Salt Lake City metropolitan area gained hands-on STEM experience during a two-day Biotech Camp in July. The USU STARS GEAR UP program provides students with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) readiness experiences in partnership with the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
USU Study Abroad Opportunities Focused on Education and Human Services
This summer, undergraduate and graduate students in the Departments of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling and Human Development and Family Studies participated in a variety of study abroad programs that took them around the world to Jönköping, Sweden; the Republic of Fiji; and the Sucumbíos Province of Ecuador. Students had the opportunity to research, support, and learn from the people and communities they visited.
Upcoming Events
"I Jump the Moon" Art Exhibit
August 12 – September 12
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Lyndsley Wilkerson Gallery
USU Logan Campus
This event is free of charge and open to the public.
"I Jump the Moon," an exhibit of select artists from the Jump the Moon studio, is now open to the public in the Lyndsley Wilkerson Gallery in the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence at Utah State University. The exhibit showcases the artworks of 12 individuals with differing physical and developmental abilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome.