CHaSS News

LOGAN, UTAH — When you picture a technology company, it’s the coders, analysts, and marketers — most likely clad in hoodies — that come to mind. But at Tarifflo, a Utah State University student-led startup recently awarded the $20,000 grand prize at the T...

Kyla Dahle, a senior graduating with a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing, is the 2025 ChaSS and USU Valedictorian.

The Japanese program at Utah State University has been selected to host a Japan Outreach Initiative coordinator. Jointly organized by the Japan Foundation and the Laurasian Institution, this program aims to provide access to Japanese culture through grass...

Nowrin Fatema’s work bridges the gap between academia and community, policy and lived experience, offering a human lens on environmental justice. It’s this work that earned her the 2025 USU Community-Engaged Student Presidential Award.

Utah State University’s Transforming Communities Institute will officially launch the Community Justice Advocate Program, a cutting-edge initiative in Utah that will train social workers to provide limited legal services to individuals navigating debt-rel...

Susan M. Cogan, associate professor in Utah State University’s Department of History, has been named the 2025 Norm Jones Faculty Fellow.

May Swenson (1913-1989) is widely celebrated as one of the best-known poets of the 20th century, with 59 poems published in The New Yorker, several books of poetry, and a nine-year service as chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences congratulates our faculty on their recent promotions! 21 faculty — all of the candidates in CHaSS for the 2025-26 academic year — successfully made it through the promotion and tenure process. Congratulations ...

Stephen Nelson came from Brigham City to attend Utah State University and earn a degree in political science in 2013. He began working for Nibley City before graduation and has worked for cities and towns ever since.

One researcher at Utah State University set out to dismantle barriers in a process that is often seen as a necessary but grueling rite of passage.

On the afternoon of July 6, 2018, listeners tuned into Utah Public Radio heard a few bubbly bars of a song called "Little Idea" for the first time.

Utah State University’s Center for Anticipatory Intelligence recently celebrated the launch of a landmark partnership with Strider Technologies, a Utah-based data security company founded by USU alumni Eric and Greg Levesque.

Utah State University Southwest clinical assistant professor Julie Stevens has earned the Teacher of the Year award in the USU College of Humanities & Social Sciences. Stevens teaches courses in the Department of Social Work. The award will be presented i...

Following impressive first- and fourth-place wins at the Wasatch Regional Ethics Bowl in November, Utah State University is preparing to compete in the 2025 Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Competition.

A discovery at Utah State University is unraveling mysteries that could have ties to ancient Egypt.

After graduating and getting married on the same day in May 2021, Peter Taylor and his spouse moved to Denver so Peter could complete a dual master’s in public health and social work with a certificate in climate and disaster resilience.

Seven students spent fall 2024 in Córdoba, Argentina participating in Utah State University's first semester-long faculty-led study abroad program.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in American Studies, Amanda Lundberg ‘17, who hails from Murray, Utah, found herself at Thanksgiving Point Institute, where she currently works as a signature experiences manager.

Last December, representatives from Utah State University’s Heravi Peace Institute (HPI) traveled to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to present its programs at the Educating Character Across Difference Conference.

The National Climate Assessment is set to return in 2027, reaffirming its vital role in shaping U.S. climate policy and adaptation strategies — and two Utah State University faculty will contribute.

It’s one of the biggest nights for TV news awards and two Utah State University professors brought home gold. At the 47th Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Emmy Awards, Professor Brian Champagne and Assistant Professor Erin Cox won for their work in the Dive...

Utah State University’s Digital Folklore Project has announced that the Chicago Rat Hole meme, which is the imprint of a rat in the concrete sidewalk, has won Digital Lore of the Year for 2024.

Students at Utah State University’s Center for Anticipatory Intelligence (CAI) recently stepped into a high-stakes scenario that tested their ability to analyze, adapt and communicate under pressure.

Science and journalism might be considered sibling fields - Yet scientists do not often engage in journalistic storytelling, and it is almost unheard of for journalists to explicitly engage the scientific method in their explorations of the world.

Utah State University, in partnership with the Utah Department of Corrections, is set to graduate the first cohort of participants from its newly developed leadership training program.

What does it mean to practice “dangerous love”? On Friday, Nov. 22, Utah State University’s Heravi Peace Institute hosted its first workshop on this topic, led by conflict resolution expert and Associate Professor Chad Ford.

The retired Marine Gen. highlighted bridge-building during a visit organized by USU’s Center for Anticipatory Intelligence

How did you learn about this internship? I heard about my internship through the Department of State's website. I was interested in opportunities working [with them] my freshman year, and I stumbled upon their new paid student internship.

Several days after the first snow of the season arrived in Logan, 23 middle and nine high-school-aged students from California found themselves at Utah State University. They were at USU’s main campus to explore programs, meet with clubs, discover researc...

Amanda Katz is an assistant professor of U.S. History, specializing in science, technology, and environment. Within these fields, she focuses on rural and municipal infrastructure, transportation equity, and historical continuities among interconnected gl...

Faculty from the USU Department of Communication Studies and Philosophy and the Logan Library will celebrate World Philosophy Day on Nov. 21. In the spirit of philosophers everywhere, they invite the public to “Ask Us Anything.”

Utah State University’s Department of Social Work has earned recent recognition in the field of community impact, thanks to the work of the Transforming Communities Institute and Assistant Professor Chesney Ward.

Utah State University’s Heravi Peace Institute wants to talk about conflict.

Last month, Utah State University’s Department of English hosted its Brewer Festival of Writing, an event held in partnership with the Utah Humanities Book Festival each October.

Five recent broadcast journalism graduates from the Journalism and Communications department attended an event in New York City last week to accept their Edward R. Murrow Award.

Last summer, five Utah State University students were invited to pilot a new internship program with Young Community Developers — a nonprofit designed to break cycles of generational poverty in communities of color.

Megan Miner Thiriot '18 is the strategic communications manager on the Content and Brand Marketing team at Visa in Lehi, Utah.

International conflict mediator Chad Ford is embarking on his first semester as an associate professor of religious studies at Utah State University.

Last week, USU’s iconic Quad celebrated its newest landmark — the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching & Learning Center — with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The state-of-the-art facility is set...

A signing ceremony on Wednesday honored multiple historic gift pledges made by Utah State University alumnus and philanthropist Mehdi Heravi. Heravi’s most recent donation will endow scholarships in multiple colleges and programs at USU and provide a majo...

Utah State University is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center on Friday, Oct. 11. This state-of-the-art facility adjacent to USU’s historic Quad will elevate the university’s language programs, p

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Raelynn Randall, she hails from Las Vegas, Nevada and earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Utah State University before completing her MHR and MBA through t...

The Utah Department of Corrections has partnered with Utah State University’s Criminal Justice program to launch a new leadership training initiative designed specifically for corrections officers. This innovative partnership, offered through USU Salt Lak...

High school can be a daunting experience, especially for students who are the first in their families to consider college or those from low-income backgrounds. CHaSS interns with the Upward Bound program are making a difference.

Utah State University will host an academic symposium on the intersection of artificial intelligence and ethics. Featuring top scholars from the humanities and sciences, the upcoming “AI Revolutions: From Machines to Morals” event will facilitate criti

A proposal development specialist, an interdisciplinary research initiative, and a research framework are among new developments aimed at bringing awareness and expanding resources for research in Utah State University’s College of Humanities and Social S...

Utah State University students in the Journalism and Communication department made program history, winning a national Edward R. Murrow Award for their half-hour program “Cache Rendezvous: Better Than We Found It”. This is the first Murrow Award at this l...

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Bryson Behm, the Cache County Clerk/Auditor. Bryson holds a degree in political science from Utah State University.

Utah State University’s Heravi Peace Institute has gained national recognition with the announcement of a $50,000 capacity building grant from the Educating Character Initiative (ECI), a new funding opportunity from the Program for Leadership and Characte...

The Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University has announced the 2024 Evans Awards.This year’s two recipients are authors whose selected works focus on the importance of documenting individual lives and collective history. One capt...

Casey T. Allen (English ’07) is a CHaSS alum and Utah Public Radio’s resident movie critic. Need film recommendations this summer? Learn how Allen decides what’s fantastic and what’s a flop at the box office and how he came to love movies in the first pla...

At Utah State University, amidst bustling student life, a story of resilience, dedication, and giving back unfolded – woven into the very fabric of Bob ’64, ’66 MS, and DeAnn Fehlman’s lives.

Utah State University graduate student Alex Theophilus was recently recognized for his research on the connection between food access, changes in agriculture, and the welfare of communities and individuals.

Utah State University’s new Bridging the Gap program recently finished training a third group of medical interpreters. At the end of June, 17 students completed the four-week health care interpreter course offered for the first time through USU’s Salt Lak...

Dale Z. Kirby earned an undergraduate degree in German in 1963. Here he reflects on a rather "explosive" campus event he helped to pull off in 1961.

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Sam Reeder, a data analyst focused on opinion polling for political campaigns. Sam holds degrees in political science from Utah State University and teaches at the Col...

Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante, a professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Utah State University, is a recipient of a Fulbright Specialist Program Award for 2024-2027.

After an intense day of competition, the Utah State University Speech & Debate Team won the College Public Forum League National Championship. The championship took place virtually on May 4 and featured the country’s best novice college debate programs.

Social workers in the state may soon have access to a new certificationto provide legal guidance to underserved individuals facing debt collection.

Tammy M. Proctor, distinguished professor of history at Utah State University, is an inaugural recipient of the Hillcourt Silver Medal.

USU researchers and students led a project to better understand the impacts of increased tourism on Bear Lake ecosystems and communities.

Utah State Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess L. Anderson recently spent a day visiting with students and faculty at Utah State University while discussing careers in law enforcement.

Seven Utah State University student-athlete alumni returned to the Logan campus as honored guests for Beyond Sport, an event that aimed to inspire student-athletes for life after graduation. It was hosted by CHaSS, BSAA, and USU Athletics.

USU’s Community and Natural Resources Institute (CANRI) is taking a more sustainable approach to this year’s ceremonies — and helping students in need — by recycling graduation gowns.

Amber Caron and Jennifer Sinor are among this year’s authors selected for inclusion in 2024 “best of” collections, placing them alongside some of America’s most notable storytellers and essayists.

15 undergraduate English students from Logan, Vernal, and Ephraim campuses presented at the 100th Sigma Tau Delta International English Honors Society Convention and won awards in three categories.

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Kat Webb, content director for the Aspire NSF Engineering Research Center on USU’s Innovation campus. When not working, Kat can be found playing soccer with her son, u...

On Friday, April 5, 2024, the USU Board of Trustees approved promotions for 15 faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The newly promoted faculty represent six departments in the college.

Susan Grayzel, history professor at Utah State University, has been selected as the 2024 Norm Jones Faculty Fellow. The 2024 Norm Jones Graduate Student Fellow has been awarded to Deven Salisbury.

The Bringing War Home project welcomes community members with an object and a story to share to preserve them in a digital archive.

Utah State University has been chosen to receive a $30,000 Advancing Religious Pluralism Grant from Interfaith America. This grant is a testament to USU's commitment to fostering interfaith cooperation and learning as reflected in the Interfaith Initiativ...

Meet Mayu Mecham, a student pursuing a dual major in international studies and sociology, complemented by minors in French and anticipatory intelligence. Mayu is a recipient of the CHaSS Experiential Learning Fund.

CHaSS sponsored Utah State University’s first-ever nonprofit career fair on March 21, 2024, which drew more than 225 students who had the opportunity to network with 29 organizations.

A new exhibition at Utah State University will spotlight Iranian international students who attended USU.

Daniel Wray ’14 is paying it forward by establishing a scholarship in the Department of English, aiming to help make the humanities and social sciences more accessible for future Aggies.

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Emilee Harmon '22, a political science graduate currently working for Congressman Steny Hoyer in Washington, DC, where she enjoys creative hobbies in fashion, plant-ba...

Meet Hannah Castro, the student behind USU's first-ever presidential podcast, “Future Casting With Utah State.” President Elizabeth Cantwell will discuss higher education, and Castro, the podcast's producer, will ensure each episode is ready for listeners...

The Tanner Symposium aims to shed light on the experiences of these women by inviting students, scholars, creative artists, and community members to learn from those sharing diverse perspectives about the Vietnam War.

To help elevate the faculty who have authored books, Julia M. Gossard, associate dean of research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS), created CHaSS Book Talks. This series invites faculty with recent publications to share their resea...

During the fall 2023 semester, USU Blanding administrators saw impressive results in the pass rates of students who were taught by Danielle Ross. The campus will now see the associate professor in history extend her stay at the campus for a second academi...

Three students from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences came prepared to engage with legislators and share the results of their research with attendees at this year’s ROCH in the Utah State Capitol rotunda on Jan.18, 2024.

Professor Joshua Thoms’ recent publication was selected for this year’s Kenneth W. Mildenberger honorable mention by the Modern Language Association (MLA).

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Celina Sevilla Johnson ’21. A former English major with a technical communications emphasis, who currently enjoys living in Logan and working remotely as an editorial ...

Department of English faculty and several CHaSS co-sponsors are hosting an African American Read-In during February 2024, and students, faculty, and staff are invited to collectively read "Sing, Unburied, Sing."

Utah State University Master of Second Language Teaching student Aminata Sylla is the latest recipient of a Future Immersion Teacher (FIT) Fellowship through the Albertine Foundation.

Utah State University’s Digital Folklore Project has announced that two forms of digital folklore tied for Digital Lore of the Year 2023: “Barbie” memes and OceanGate memes.

Utah State University’s Transforming Communities Institute (TCI) announces the launch of two new initiatives: the “Transforming Communities” open-access journal and the Community-Engaged Scholar Network.

Utah State University President’s Office recently held receptions for this year’s round of inaugural lectures. Three recently promoted faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented thoughtful reflections on their research and the even...

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Lakesia Lopez ‘20. After majoring in sociology-criminal justice at USU Blanding, Lakesia now finds herself the sole full-time clerk for the Blanding Justice Court.

USU’s Philosophy Club, Effective Altruism Club, and ethics classes joined forces to organize a walk-a-thon in support of the Malaria Consortium, garnering $2,085 in donations.

Earlier this semester, the Utah State University Political Science Department hosted Utah Court of Appeals proceedings on the Logan campus. Three judges including John D. Luthy, a College of Humanities and Social Sciences alumnus, heard two property dispu...

USU Associate Professor of History Danielle Ross is the recent recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) stipend to conduct research in Kazakhstan.

A dozen students were the first to complete a free eight-week course offered to community members through USU’s new “Bridging the Gap” interpreter training program.

Beau Jenson is a double major in history and political science who interned at the Utah State Capitol this summer. Jenson was awarded support from the Experiential Learning Fund to facilitate the internship.

Every student in Utah State University’s Japanese Language and Culture program has been paired with a Japanese-speaking tutor for weekly conversations as a part of regular coursework.

On Sept. 21, Utah State University’s Department of English held its annual Brewer Festival of Writing. The 2023 event featured readings from visiting writer Bojan Louis and English alum Stacie Denetsosie.

5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad highlights the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Sydney Dahle ’21. A double major in history and political science, Sydney is a public relations specialist for the College of Engineering.

Professor Patrick Mason interviewed Father James Martin, Jesuit Catholic priest, New York Times best-selling author, and former “chaplain” of The Colbert Report. Catch up with their conversation to learn more about the Jesuits and the practice of finding ...

We spoke with Assistant Professor of Political Science Austin Knuppe about the war in Israel and Gaza to provide context and understanding to the university community.

Aspiring writers and storytelling enthusiasts are invited to attend the 2023 Evans Writers' Workshop for Auto/Biography, Memoir and Family History. Utah State University’s Mountain West Center for Regional Studies will host its biennial writing event on O...

USU student Collin Carter spent his summer in a German chocolate factory. The Halloren Chocolate Factory’s internship is selective, but Carter made the cut and spent the summer working and living on the factory premises.

Utah State University professors in the Department of Social Work have been researching how to adapt university-level instruction for Indigenous students.

The Utah State University history club, Phi Alpha Theta, gathered students from across USU Statewide Campuses for a weekend of history. Students traveled to the Uintah Basin to learn local history from USU faculty and experience the region’s natural wonde...

Catch up with one of our esteemed College of Humanities and Social Sciences graduates. Introducing 5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad — a series highlighting the awesome things our alumni go on to do. Meet Darcy Ritchie ’23.

The Utah Historical Society and the Bringing War Home project are collaborating to preserve and share historical materials that represent one’s past, family, and community.

The Utah Court of Appeals will hear cases on the Logan campus of Utah State University. The special oral argument session, which is open to the USU community and general public, will be held on Sept. 20, 2023.

USU’s Department of English is partnering with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to celebrate Utah’s local folklore through the Legends & Lore Marker Grant Program, which helps communities promote cultural tourism through roadside markers.

Introducing 5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad — a new series highlighting the awesome things our graduates go on to do. Meet Davis Cragun ’18 an associate at Goldman Sachs who flies airplanes in his spare time.

Utah State University’s Community and Natural Resources Institute (CANRI) recently released the findings of its 2023 Utah People and the Environment Poll (UPEP).

Introducing 5 Questions for a CHaSS Grad — a new series highlighting the awesome things our graduates go on to do. Meet Brontë Forsgren ’19, a graduate student at Princeton who is interning in Africa this summer.

Sociology's Christy Glass and Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde belong to a team of researchers taking a closer look at race in the NFL.

Research co-authored by Assistant Professor of Sociology Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde and her students to was recently published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Associate Professor of English Jared Colton has been selected as the new associate dean of undergraduate academic affairs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS). Colton’s new appointment is effective on July 1, 2023.

Joseph Myers is the CEO of a nonprofit serving displaced communities in Afghanistan and Syria while pursuing a degree in international studies at Utah State University. Learn more about Allies2Refugees and hear how Myers is already applying what he’s lear...

Effective this fall, Utah State University will offer a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science in criminal justice alongside its existing associate degree.

MSW student Nicole Burnard started the Willam A. Burnard Warming Center to provide temporary overnight accommodations during Cache Valley’s freezing winter months.

Assistant Professor Sydney O’Shay is studying the way communication impacts substance addiction and, more specifically, how family members are affected by the social stigmas associated with substance abuse.

Following several years of coordination and support from donors, faculty, and staff, Utah State University’s Swenson Park will open during an official celebration event hosted by the Department of English on April 26.

Two faculty members in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Utah State University, Principal Lecturer Karin deJonge-Kannan and Professor Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante, are recipients of Fulbright Awards for the 2023-2024 season.

14 faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences were promoted in 2023. They received notice of their promotions on April 7 and represent six departments and a variety of positions with emphases in teaching, research, and professional practice....

Utah State University will hold multiple events in celebration of Ramadan from April 12-14, 2023. On the initiative of Muslim students, there are numerous departments, centers, and colleges working together with student volunteers to offer events honoring...

Susan Stryker and Taylor Petrey will visit Utah State University as part of the LGBTQIA+ Health and History Series. Coordinated by USU History faculty, the series was created to augment awareness of LGBTQ issues through visiting speakers.

Utah State University Assistant Professor of Social Work Brian Droubay was recently awarded $40,000 for a project focused on developing religious and spiritual competency among students pursuing advanced degrees in mental health.

A group of USU researchers from CHaSS is one of two teams in the state selected to participate in the 2022-23 Scholars Transforming Through Research (STR) Program.

The Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research (Intersections) at Utah State University will host renowned feminist scholar Sara Ahmed for a virtual event on Feb. 22, 2023.

USU’s Institute of Government and Politics helped 20 students from across the university secure internships in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C. this spring, and all but four of them have connections to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS) is helping to host and organize a series of events in honor of Black History Month at Utah State University. These began on February 3 and will continue throughout the month of February.

Rebecca Walton has recently been honored with two Conference on College Composition and Communication awards, winning the 2023 awards for Best Article on Philosophy or Theory and Best Original Collection of Essays in the technical or scientific communicat...

USU’s MSLT is an interdisciplinary program requiring coursework focused on language, literacy, and culture, emphasizing methodology, curriculum development, and assessment. Many enrolled students are already in-service language teachers who desire access ...

Claudia Wright is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology working on a dissertation project about migrant motherhood, specifically, the experience of Colombian mothers.

USU's Digital Folklore Project has named the hashtag #MahsaAmini, which launched a significant grassroots protest of the Iranian government’s treatment of women, the #DigitalLoreoftheYear for 2022. The Corn Kid video was a contender for the serious fun ca...

Julia Gossard, associate professor in the Department of History at Utah State University and associate dean for research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, has been named the 2023 Norm Jones Faculty Fellow.

After researching current shortcomings and evaluating systems in other countries, students in POLS 4800/4990: Constitutional Design/Senior Research Seminar drafted and debated a new document intended to address issues at the forefront of American politics...

The Ancient Language Working Group or “Latin Lab”, part of the Ancient Languages and Cultures graduate program in History at Utah State University, just completed a yearslong project translating a unique, untranslated manuscript called “Heroica Eulogia” w...

Utah State University students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recently traveled off campus to meet alumni working for the Space Dynamics Laboratory. A dozen CHaSS students and staff visited the SDL facility with five current employees wh...

A new series was recently introduced to promote the creative work and research conducted in the college. The CHaSS Book Talk series was designed to help facilitate a more robust intellectual community among faculty, staff, and graduate students, centering...

A list of the books recently published by faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The 2022 Inaugural Lecture Series saw four faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences recognized as full professors: Christopher Conte (History), Patrick Mason (Religious Studies), Brian McCuskey (English), and Rebecca Walton (Technical Comm...

Polster currently serves as the department head for USU’s journalism and communication department. Uniquely, Polster is USU’s first department head not based at the Logan campus.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Peace Initiative will now be known as the Heravi Peace Institute. The President’s Office hosted a reception to honor Heravi’s gift to CHaSS and to formally recognize the launch of the Institute, which will be ...

Assistant Professor of Sociology Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde is a health disparities researcher and argues that if we shifted attitudes around health from the individual to the community, the chronic issues that lead to health inequities might be improved....

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Rocky Mountain Chapter, hosted the 2022 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards in Phoenix, Arizona, recently and honored students and a broadcast professor from USU’s JCOM.

Utah State University’s Bringing War Home project recently held a roadshow at the USU Moab Center on Oct. 22. The event resulted in the chance to archive an additional 49 objects and five oral histories.

CHaSS alumnus Michael Harmon ‘63 has recently published “INVINCIBILIS: A William Occam Mystery."

Alex Lambert is currently a Boren scholar studying Turkish and Azerbaijani in Baku

USU Professor of Hispanic Studies JP Spicer-Escalante's artwork is now on view during the West Valley Arts' Day of the Dead events taking place Oct. 17 through Nov. 3, 2022.

CHaSS Lecturer Cree Taylor will serve as the first special assistant to the dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

USU’s Transforming Communities Institute recently hosted a special launch event to reflect on their achievements to date, honor community advocates, and share their plans for the year ahead.

Social Work student, Porscha Doucette hopes to diversify the social work curriculum. 

CHaSS has created a new fund to help Utah State University students take advantage of learning outside of the classroom.

Julia Gossard is the new associate dean for research in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Chris Babits and graduate student Jace Jones set out to create a master course for HIST 1700 concurrent enrollment.

The NSF has funded a study to understand how behavioral changes affect health outcomes. Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology, François Dengah, will conduct a three-year project looking at the impact of gender roles and family life on an individual...

Pi Sigma Alpha, USU’s political science honors society, has been named the best chapter in the nation, the fifth time since 2013 that USU’s chapter has been recognized with this award.

Administered by the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University, the 2022 Evans Biography Award went to Terryl L. Givens, and Judy Y. Kawamoto won the 2022 Evans Handcart Award.

Rails East to Ogden: Utah’s Transcontinental Railroad Story,” a publication in the Bureau of Land Management’s cultural resources series, has been recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Dozens of Utah State University students, alumni and faculty members have been honored by the state chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

A senior graduating in global communication with five additional minors receives two prestigious college awards.

USU Moab faculty member honored with distinguished Teacher of the Year awards

A long-running tradition in the classics program makes a triumphant return after a 2-year long break.

CHaSS and the Department of World Languages and Cultures are excited to announce the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center coming to USU's campus.

CHaSS faculty members are partnering with USU's Merrill-Cazier Library to develop Open Educational Resources (OER) and drive down the cost of course materials.

Donated by longtime faculty members Lawrence "Larry" O. and Helen B. Cannon, this award is representative of Larry's desire for excellent teachers to be recognized

International experiences bridge generational gaps as a current USU student and a USU alum find value in their pilgrimages across the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

This USU history grad student seeks to illuminate women’s contribution in past national conflicts. In recent years, the number of women enlisted in the United States military has increased dramatically.

Following Mehdi Heravi's legacy, CHaSS has created a campaign, called “Friends of Languages,” where patrons can donate to fund a world languages and cultures student’s international study opportunities.

USU is hosting a private, virtual screening of the new documentary film Cured, a film covering the fight against the American Psychiatric Association to get them to remove homosexuality from their manual of mental illnesses.

USU’s Mountain West Center for Regional Studies hosted its annual Bennion Teachers’ Workshop for the Perpetuation of Democratic Principles on June 21-25. This workshop was held virtually and featured discussions about racial injustice in the classroom.

Brian Champagne and Matthew LaPlante were recipients of multiple awards for television, radio and podcast reporting from the Utah Society of Professional Journalists.

In partnership with Brigham Young University, Utah State University is offering a 7-week intensive course on the ancient Greek language.

Rebecca Walton, USU English associate professor in the technical communication and rhetoric program and associate dean in CHaSS, recently co-edited a book titled Equipping Technical Communicators for Social Justice Work: Theories, Methodologies, and Pedag...

Brian McCuskey, associate professor and associate department head of English at Utah State, recently published a book titled How Sherlock Pulled the Trick, which examines how a belief in spiritualism influenced the well-known Sherlock Holmes series.

Colin Flint defines geopolitics as “the struggle over the control of geographical entities with an international and global dimension and the use of such geographical entities for political advantage.”

As the 2020-21 CHaSS sustainability intern, Madeleine Alder, then a junior in the Department of International Studies, created new resources to educate about methods of sustainable living and to promote what members of the CHaSS community were already doi...

In honor of Top of Utah Museum Week, which will take place Sept. 13-18, all USU main campus and USU Eastern museums, as well as the Cache Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) Museum, will offer free admission and special programming to patrons.

Utah Public Radio (UPR) is hosting a fundraiser from July 26 through Aug. 6, 2021, to raise money for the new John W. Morris Scholarship. The scholarship will fund a paid student intern at UPR beginning fall 2021.

Susan Polster has taken over as head of the Department of Journalism in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Polster earned her master’s degree from Utah State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming.

USU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS) now offers eight academic departments. Four new departments became available July 1, 2021.

Avery Edenfield, an assistant professor of technical communications and Jared-Jamal Alexander, a USU CHaSS grad student, published a research paper which explores barriers to health care for individuals who are both African American and transgender.

Avery Edenfield, USU assistant professor of technical communication and rhetoric in the Department of English, recently received an award for his research paper Queering Tactical Technical Communication: DIY HRT

Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde, professor of sociology at Utah State, researches issues in intersectional population health and how structural systems of inequality affect the health outcomes of diverse social groups.

Eric Reither, a USU sociologist, has received a $2.1 million grant from the NIH to find links between sleep and weight gain

USU history professor Chris Babits’ forthcoming book, To Cure a Sinful Nation: A History of Conversion Therapy in the U.S., will explore the history and research behind conversion therapy in the LGBTQ+ community.

Mark Damen, a professor of history at USU, is hosting a book club in June to discuss The Swerve, a Pulitzer Prize winning book by Stephen Greenblatt.

Intersections will offer a minors in Intersectional Gender Studies and Sexuality Studies as well as a certificate of study in Inclusive Leadership.

This spring, Palfreyman conducted an undergrad research project analyzing the dissonance that USU undergrad students feel between their religious values and their personal beliefs about queer sexual identities.

Dr. Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde, assistant professor of sociology at Utah State University, has recently been named a Career Enhancement Fellow by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars.

Recent demand for law enforcement officials who understand mental health has led USU administrators to create an interdisciplinary program that combines social work and criminal justice.

USU English Professor Edits Two Issues of Langston Hughes Review. I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.

The Intensive English Language Institute enables students from around the world to pursue their dreams.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded two Utah State University CHaSS faculty members $99,891 for a two-year, community-facing project.

The Utah State University history department has created a series of events in order to show off their impressive historic cookbook collection.

Jennifer Sinor’s Essays on Loving a Broken World - In these essays Sinor takes us through the mountains, deserts, and rivers of the West and along with her travels to India.

Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology at Utah State University makes way for two new departments.

Department of Languages, Philosophy and Communication Studies at Utah State University dissolves into two new departments.

USU Uintah Basin’s professor of English, Alan Blackstock, in collaboration with Roman & Littlefield, Willa Cather, and E.M. Forester published a book titled Transatlantic Transcendentalism.

USU researchers examine how interpersonal communication has changed due to the COVD-19 pandemic and what that means for CDC guidelines.

USU fiction writing instructor Amber Caron shares her writing process foundations and offers insight into how to grow as a writer.

The Kite Sisters book More Than a Body reached #1 on Amazon’s Eating Disorder and Self-Help new release section and aims to help readers understand truths about their bodies.

Tara Westover, author of Educated A Memoir gives insight to honors writing class.

Is the pandemic an urban or a rural problem? What about both? USU's Tom Mueller, Sociology, was part of a study to find out just that; What are the effects of the pandemic on rural areas of the United States.

2020 had a lot of material for good memes so which one won the award for meme of the year?

The essay, titled “Managing Gender Care in Precarity: Trans Communities Respond to COVID-19,” addresses the effects of the pandemic on health care precarity of trans people, especially those in gender transition.

Temporary Professor Michael Otteson has designed a new philosophy course that gives students the opportunity to make real-world decisions using skills developed in the class.

A study conducted concluded that there was a significant bias in Utah against women in the law career.

Don't miss your chance to catch this exhibit done by Hispanic Studies Prof. J.P. Spicer-Escalante.

The USU College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHaSS) is hosting its first Sustainability Intern for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Recently, service-learning projects have been becoming an important trend in higher education. Ekaterina Arshavskaya, PhD, associate professor, explains how it is used with exchange students.

The impacts of the group’s research have been many and varied. W4001’s researchers have shown that the rural population was shrinking for the first time on record, due to young adult outmigration, fewer births, and increased mortality.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't stopped students in the USU Native American Summer Mentorship Program (NASMP) from making the most of their summer.

Dr. Shane Graham, who was recently promoted to professor of English at USU, has just published Cultural Entanglements: Langston Hughes and the Rise of African and Caribbean Literature with the University of Virginia Press.

Every year CHaSS honors some of our best and brightest students, faculty, and staff. This year is no different.

Every year CHaSS honors some of our best and brightest students, faculty, and staff. This year is no different.

In 2016, Jacob Freeman, assistant professor of Anthropology, asked a simple question: Do communities flourish more when composed of very smart people — or a more emphatic people.

Dr. Jason Gilmore suggests that we react to today's chaos by looking outward and finding ways we can contribute to the global community of which we're all a part.

Learn about the I-Systems Institute a new center at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at USU.

With guidance from research mentors, Koralene Tapoof redefines ‘nontraditional’ in a culture known for tradition

Alum RonNell Andersen Jones gives advice on how to use your education to become a more productive professional and citizen.

Alumni Sharee Haggan came back to give advice to students about making a meaningful network for a professional career.

Utah State University's longtime speech and debate coach turns in his stopwatch to retire

New Arrington Chair of Mormon Scholars is a scholar of American religious history first.

Utah State University grad student links modern medicine and obscure 17th century autopsy

Vonda Jump Norman, an assistant professor of Social Work at USU's Brigham City campus, says uncertain and tense times of spring 2020 can be considered times to make memories for kids.

A reading from Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. The novella is set in 1918 during the influenza epidemic. Read by Evelyn Funda, Professor of History

Dean Joe Ward addresses how the college has been changing due to the recent pandemic and expresses concern for current students during these trouble times.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences urges alumni to connect with students, who would love their input and encouragement.

Broadcast students in USU's Department of Journalism and Communication earned awards in an annual contest of the Society for Professional Journalists. They were especially strong in television reporting.

Utah State University’s Speech and Debate Team was awarded third place overall at a January 2020 competition at the U of U.

Utah State University’s Speech and Debate Team was awarded second place a recent competition at Linfield College, Oregon, part of the Northwest region.

C-SPAN filmed a class on the Civil War taught by Asst. Professor Angela Diaz for a history series to be aired in spring.

During a visit to the Utah State Capitol, 40 Army ROTC cadets from USU met with Utah Lt. Gen. Spencer Cox, as well as officers from the Utah National Guard

Cadets of Utah State University's AF ROTC have been ranked by the U.S. Air Force as having the third highest GPA of the 145 ROTC detachments across the country.

Authors Matthew LaPlante, journalism professor at USU, and geneticist David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, look at what can rejuvenate human cells in their new book, "Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To."

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers seven states and is based in Denver, visited the USU campus Oct. 22 and held two hearings open to students and the public

A group of students representing many CHaSS majors took part in a day-long visit to Lehi to visit Visa and HealthEquity, leaders in Utah's Silicon Slopes.

USU social work program was ranked by a national company that only looked at tuition and expected tuition after graduation. The statewide program actually has a lot more things that explain its excellence.

The new Center for Intersectional Gender Studies and Research will build upon the highly successful history of the university’s Center for Women and Gender. The new center will be directed by sociology professor Dr. Christy Glass.

Shanan Ballam, a senior lecturer in the USU Dept of English, will be named Logan City Poet Laureate Aug. 20, 20919, for a five-year term.

A USU philosophy prof, Dr. Charlie Huenemann, was asked by BBC4 radio to explain centuries-old 'thought experiment' about whether our true selves endure over time

New Center for Anticipatory Intelligence trains students in multiple disciplines to be able to spot possible security threats, mostly likely from emerging technologirs, and know how to respond.

Utah State University's office for Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) provides therapists and advocates for students who've encountered any type of sexual violence.

USU's Museum of Anthropology hosts "Women Speaking to Women: The Political Art of Nina Allender," an exhibit of the political cartoons Allender created for The Suffragist.

The Cache Valley's first-ever celebration of World Refugee Day included a picnic in the park, with USU faculty such as Jess Lucero of Social Work.

'Living historians' will portray two larger-than-life persons from the suffrage/abolitionist movement of the 1800s: Orator Frederick Douglass and suffragist Lucretia Mott.

Star Coulbrooke and Shanan Ballam, the current and incoming poet laureates for Logan City, will be among a dozen or so writing specialists from USU at a June 15 symposium hosted by the League of Utah Writers.

John Seiter of Communication Studies honored as a CHaSS Distinguished Professor

An open house will bring the public into a week long conference of archaeologists worldwide discussing climate sustainable food systems at USU Uintah Basin in Vernal.

USU Eastern's Police Officer Academy graduates first class of cadets after the program's expansion to USU Blanding in a new video and hands on format that is the first-of-its-kind.

A half-hour documentary on the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike will be shown on KUED7.

CHaSS 2019 commencement has nearly 790 seniors who are potential gradates (pending spring grades). This includes graduates in the humanities and social sciences statewide.

Mehdi Heravi, who has long been generous to CHaSS, is among those receiving honorary degrees at USU's May 2019 commencement.

With a varied offering of degrees, LPCS is becoming more popular among students looking to have a career in the medical field.

Students in an upper level Technical Communications class have created projects designed to find solutions to under-addressed issues in Cache Valley. They will share ideas for community projects April 23, 2019, at the Logan Library.

CHaSS Criminal Justice Professor Rachel Walton is an expert on solving very cold cases.

Alumnus Greg Waddoups, senior counsel for Raytheon Co., offers students the details he wishes he'd known in college.

A list of the books published by faculty of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences over the past school year.

This Alaskan Native finds a home for herself, and her culture. USU commencement policy tweaked to add ethnic identities to graduation robes.

Ara Serjoie has been welcomed as a new member to CHaSS Advancement Board, which oversees development in the college.

In memory of Barre Toelken, the world-class folklorists who died in November 2018.

Yun Kim Population Lab marks its 50th anniversary. It has been a great asset to demographers in USU's Sociology Department and in training students.

The presidents of two Utah universities, Brad Mortensen of Weber State University and Scott Wyatt of Southern Utah University, are both alumni of CHaSS.

An essay by USU's own Professor McGonagill about the beginnings of the USU Quidditch team and its growth into an official university club sport.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences Joseph Dean writes that artificial intelligence should always be managed by humanities-focused humans, in this regular Letter from the Dean.

Daniel Bertrand and Frankie Urrutia-Smith, both seniors, earned the rare distinction of presenting their work at the American Historical Association.

Meet the new faculty that joined CHaSS in 2018 and into the spring of 2019.

Edgar R. Lewandowski came to America in 1959. Now his family is honoring him with an endowment benefiting generations of German majors

Popular Q&A lunches bring students, CHaSS alumni to the table to plot possible paths into the future

Dr. Norm Jones, longtime USU History professor, will retire this semester. Two gatherings will be held to allow the many students he mentored over the years to reconnect with him. April 16 in Logan, April 26 in Salt lake City.

Ten College of Humanities and Social Sciences faculty have received promotions for the 2019-20 school year, including as new professors: Christa Jones, Charles Waugh, Scott Henry

“They Shall Not Grow Old” will be shown at 7 p.m. for three nights, Tuesday, April 9, and Thursday and Friday, April 11-12, at the Utah Theatre, 18 W. Center, Logan. Tickets are $4 at the door. Prof. Ross Peterson will lead discussions beforehand.

USU Speech and Debate won the top spot at the nation’s largest comprehensive speech and debate tournament. The nine-member team finished in first place at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament.

“The Ethics of Shaming” will be the topic of the first-ever Ethics Slam in Logan, set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at The Crepery restaurant, 25 W. Center St., Logan. Sponsored by USU Department of Philosophy.

Hundreds of language students from Cache Valley high schools gathered at USU March 18 for the Cache Valley World Languages Fair 2019.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is hosting “Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes: Kicking Off a Yearlong Celebration of Women’s Suffrage and Voting Rights,” to mark the 100-year anniversary of passage of the 19th Amendment.

The 26th annual USU Creative Writing and Art Contest recognizes the best creative work by USU students.

CHaSS alumni, Tyler Buswell, Ben Kolendar and Jessie Lynn Richards, have been named in Utah Business magazine's '40 Under 40’ list as top business leaders

Things are changing behind the scenes at Utah Public Radio, but listeners will still hear a seamless stream of national and local news, original programs and lots of music.

Political Science Professor Jeannie Johnson's new book, 'The Marines, Counterinsurgency and Strategic Culture,' relates the Marine Corps' history since 1915, with special emphasis placed on the Combined Action Patrol formed during the Vietnam War.

The research and creative works symposium, now in its second year, is titled "Our Mediated World: The Many Facets of Media Research and Creative Development at Utah State."

Tori Bodine, a USU political science grad working on a statistics degree, heads to Utah's Undergraduate Research Day at the State Capitol, to report on untraceable weapons created on a 3-D printer.

Anthropology Professor Bonnie Glass-Coffin says the Interfaith Initiative has launched a new support group on campus to help students improve their mental health by discussing their religious identities.

A new exhibit at Utah State University-Blanding focuses on the tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants who labored to bring the transcontinental race to a finish line at Promontory Point in Box Elder County.

CHaSS faculty members take part in lunch series sponsored by USU's new Latinx Center, hosted by Chris Gonzalez, the center's Director and English associate professor.

Poet Gunsberg, assistant professor of English, reads from new collection of poems, "Welcome, Dangerous Life."

The winners of the CHaSS awards of excellence for 2019 have been named, including faculty and students. The awards will be presented at the CHaSS Awards Society in March.

The Point-in-Time Homelessness Count for 2019 in Cache Valley will take place the week of Jan. 21. USU assistant professor of Social Work Jess Lucero is an organizer.

Professor Cathy Bullock has been named interim department head of the Department of Journalism and Communication at USU, replacing Kim Hixson, who is leaving to be a dean at a Maryland University.

Utah State University's Digital Folklore Project has named the most influential and wide-spread memes of 2018, including the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport and the Tide Pod Challenges.

Sophomore Carlos Andres Gutierrez Gutierrez, who is majoring in Spanish and Political Science, has won the Sor Juana Award, a Utah Humanities statewide prize for original writing in Spanish.

Comm Studies’ John Seiter has been honored as a CHaSS Distinguished Professor, an honorary title that reflects his consistent excellence in teaching and research.

Patrick Q. Mason, a history professor who holds the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University, has been named the new Leonard J. Arrington Chair for Mormon History and Culture.

English students of Prof. Phebe Jensen have curated an exhibit of how Shakespeare's era looked at medicine and science. “Secrets: Shakespeare and the Connected World” continues through Jan. 5 in the Merrill-Cazier Library at USU.

Students in the CHaSS Social Work Program canvassed for donations and cash to build more than a hundred Thanksgiving dinners for Logan-based family service centers. The Thanksgiving Project is about 12 years old.

Barre Toelken died Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, in Logan at age 83. He spent nearly 20 years at Utah State University as a professor of English and a folklorist, eventually retiring in 2003.

Nathaniel Boehme, a history alumnus of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is the nation's first fulltime coordinator for veterans. He works for the Oregon Dept. of Veterans Affairs

Records of artifacts and recorded remembrances to be included in a WWI archive

Members of USU Speech and Debate team begin the 2018-19 academic year’s tournament season with three sweepstakes and other top wins on Oct. 12-14 at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore.

Radio personality Krista Tippett to speak on "Mystery and the Art of Living"

The annual AFROTC POW/MIA vigil on November 8-9 offers U.S. flags as reminders

Dr. Steve Shively to lead discussion of important Willa Cather novel during exhibit.

Yun Kim demography laboratory celebrates its 50th anniversary with symposium

The Religious Studies Program at Utah State University has named three finalists in its search for the next Leonard J. Arrington Chair in Mormon History and Culture.

The Global Renaissance is the title of a series of presentations, hosted throughout this academic year, included in the 2018-2019 Tanner Talks series in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Last Lecture series aims to share a faculty member's last words before leaving USU.

Three Utah State University archaeologists process massive amounts of brand-new data

Construction of the Swenson House, an artists and writers' retreat that honors the childhood home of poet May Swenson, began with a fitting kickoff: award-winning poetry.

The long-planned Swenson House comes closer to reality with ceremony, gathering

Kolbie Blume, English 2014, answered hundreds of letters with calls for compassion and attention from Americans to Pres. Obama

The re-imagined Swenson family home will welcome community, writers and learners.

Hundreds of new and not-so-old CHaSSies gathered for this annual ritual to kick off the school year

Innovative, new 'instinctual' method of learning Ancient Greek finds success

Contest winners will read their poems at ground- breaking ceremony Sept. 18

This awards show won’t be shown on television, and evening dress isn’t required. But nine Utah State University students are seeing plenty of glitter.

Authors explore polygamy through women's diaries and the story-telling of Native Americans.

Utah Supreme Court's visit to Logan campus allows USU Tooele lecturer to see his daughter, the newest justice, at work.

English prof edits two journals on Dickinson, the anti-celebrity and environmentalist.

LaPlante wins ethics award for decision to keep sources safe in their wartorn world.

He’s both a pro soccer referee and Spanish lit professor. The same skills apply.

When you come across artifacts on the trail, leave it in place. And, oh, that old sliver of purple glass? It’s an artifact, too.

Those skeptical about children’s influence in the past need only read today’s headlines, says historian

JCOM major Alison Berg received the CHaSS Legacy Award for courage in her student career and personal life.

Justin Barton paid for his college tuition through scrimping and an occasional overnight in the park. He now wants to hear other stories of others' college hacks

Aggies GO student analysts offer tools for making sense of crazy world events

Internships at Utah's Capitol Hill not only helps the students get a taste for their aspirations but actually makes Utah's governing body run smoother.

After years of education, Technical Communication graduate student Cana Itchuaqiyaq has come to discover her real passion: studying her native Inuit people in northern Alaska.

Generations of students in Ray B. West come to terms with boxelder bugs, maybe even grow to love them and the building

English professor Joyce Kinkead earns USU’s top award for her scholarship and advocacy of student inquiry

A walk in her shoes: May Swenson Poetry Path maps Swenson sites in Logan and beyond

Viral-video creator Travis Chambers, JCOM grad, named in Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ young innovators

Utah Public Radio and Utah Statesman reporters win a shelf of SPJ awards for 2018.

Alumni Darlene Carter, Amanda Owen and Kathleen Tobey are named in magazine's recognition of state's most influential women in business.

Now that everyone's in on Utah's beautiful secrets, where do we go from here?

Respected annual conference brings folklorists to USU to study today's digital folklore.

Who started the fire? Early revolutions topic of June 4-8 event sponsored by Mountain West Center.