May 2025
Spencer Foundation Grant Awarded to USU Professor to Investigate Social Studies Literature Selections of Elementary School Teachers
Professor Ryan Knowles was recently awarded a research grant from the Spencer Foundation to investigate ways to improve education and promote student success. The funding will enable Knowles and his team to quantitatively examine the decisions thousands of elementary school teachers nationwide are making about social studies curriculum and what factors might be driving their decisions. In the past 25 years, the nation’s schools have seen a major decline in teacher autonomy that has impacted social studies and civics education in the elementary classroom. Knowles attributes this decline to the increased pressure on educators to excel in standardized testing.
Research & News
Renowned Combined/Clinical Counseling Psychology Graduate Program Celebrates 50 Years
In 1975, Utah State University received accreditation to launch a combined clinical/counseling doctoral program in psychology. Now celebrating its 50th year, the program has evolved into a rigorous, nationally recognized, and competitive program that admits between six and eight students per year. In total, more than 350 graduate students have completed the program, impacting countless thousands of people in varying aspects of psychology.
USU Researchers Find 80 Percent of Adults With Disabilities Report Chronic Illnesses Nationwide
Researchers from USU’s Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice recently found that 80 percent of adults with disabilities nationwide reported having at least 1 of 11 chronic health conditions. They also found that people with hearing- and vision-related disabilities had the lowest prevalence of chronic conditions, and those with self-care and independent living disabilities had the highest.
USU STARS GEAR UP Supports Middle Schoolers as They Navigate Into Higher Education
USU STARS GEAR UP, a federally funded grant housed in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, recently welcomed students from the program’s fourth cohort to decompress from the stress of finals at the Salt Lake Community College Taylorsville campus. Beginning in seventh grade, this GEAR UP program supports cohorts of middle school students by providing them with exposure to rich out-of-school experiences that promote interest in and readiness for higher education.
Physical Therapy Services at USU Now Available to the Cache Valley Community
The Sorenson Center, a community-facing clinical services facility at USU, has recently added physical therapy services focused on manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and aquatic therapy to its service lines. The new clinic features a Hydroworx pool that enables physical therapists to use buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, and drag forces to improve, speed up, or enhance the healing process.
USU Undergrad Earns Elementary Education Degree Following Near Fatal Car Accident
A relaxing weekend trip to Bear Lake, Idaho, turned to horror when a carload of teenagers was struck head-on by a drunk driver. In the aftermath, high school senior Sara Frei lost both of her legs and was paralyzed from the waist down. Five years later, in May 2025, Frei turned tragedy into triumph when she graduated from USU with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She also uses her experiences to champion people with disabilities.
CEHS Awards 1,298 Undergraduate Degrees and 377 Graduate Degrees Across Utah at 2025 Graduation Ceremonies
Congratulations to our graduates! Your hard work, resilience, and dedication have led to this remarkable achievement,” said Interim Dean Shawn Whiteman. “I am confident that your education, professional development, and personal growth has prepared you for the opportunities ahead. We look forward to the meaningful impacts that you will make in your communities and professions.” The college saw the highest number of awarded degrees within the university.
Upcoming Events
Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention Health Fair
Saturday, June 21 | 10 AM – 3:30 PM
Taggart Student Center, USU Logan campus
650 North 800 East
Individuals over the age of 55 and their families are invited to attend.
The Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center (ADRC) is hosting its second annual health fair focused on Alzheimer’s Disease awareness and prevention. The fair will feature USU faculty who have expertise in psychology, aging, neuroscience, balance, hearing, and more.
Free parking available at the Big Blue Parking Terrace.