We prepare graduate researchers for careers that integrate science with management and policy while advancing Climate Adaptation Science for the threatened landscape of the Interior West.
The Climate Adaptation Science (CAS) Program is a 9-credit interdisciplinary graduate specialization/minor that is available within MS and PhD programs in 10 departments at Utah State University. The program provides students with direct experience in actionable science through internships and research.
Skills emphasized in the CAS program align with many of the attributes of an “ideal, student-centered STEM graduate education system,” as described in the Consensus Study Report, “Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century”, which was produced in 2018 by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Key attributes of revitalized graduate STEM education include the potential for students to: acquire broad technical literacy, encounter a variety of points of view about science, have multiple mentors including those from beyond academia, have opportunities to communicate their results to diverse audiences, think about broader impacts, work on projects in teams, and explore diverse career options in a context where nonacademic careers are not stigmatized.
Utah is commonly known for its "greatest snow on earth" claim to fame. Home to 15 well-revered ski resorts, both residents and tourists alike spend the winter months on the slopes. However, this title of "greatest snow" is at risk due to climate change.
The Decisions Downstream exhibit at the Swaner EcoCenter in Park city uses art and science to illustrate how management decisions about rivers could be improved by incorporating information about the ecosystem.
The Great Salt Lake is following a similar pattern to central Chile's former Lake Aculeo. Will Munger, a PhD student at USU, compares the two lakes and provides possible solutions to prevent the Great Salt Lake from the fate of Lake Aculeo.
Although savannas already hold substantial belowground carbon, new research, conducted by USU's Yong Zhou, found that increasing tree cover through fire suppression captures much less carbon than projected.
