Meet USU Eastern's New Arts and Sciences Faculty

Editor’s note: In the first of a two-part series introducing new and transitioning faculty at USU Eastern, this feature highlights Jared Arnell, physics lecturer, and David Baca, professional practice assistant professor in criminal justice. Both bring unique professional and academic experiences to the classroom and a shared enthusiasm for helping students discover where their education can take them.

As Utah State University Eastern begins a new academic year, the campus is welcoming faculty members whose experiences extend from exploring the mysteries of the universe to nearly three decades in law enforcement.

For Jared Arnell, a love of teaching began in an unexpected place: high school debate.

Growing up, Arnell was interested in theater and debate while also developing a fascination with science, mathematics and nature. After high school, he volunteered as an assistant debate coach for his former team and discovered how much he enjoyed teaching and mentoring others.

That experience eventually led him toward higher education. Arnell earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Utah Valley University and a master's degree in physics from Utah State University. He is also nearing completion of a Ph.D. in learning sciences.

When a physics teaching position became available at USU Eastern, Arnell saw an opportunity to combine his interests in science and education at the university where he had already continued his own academic journey.

“It was a marvelous stroke of luck that a physics teaching position opened up at my own institution, so I was eager to jump at the opportunity,” Arnell said.

This fall, Arnell is particularly excited to teach Introduction to Astronomy for the first time.

“Who wouldn't love to spend an entire semester talking about the wonders of the cosmos?” he said.

For Arnell, physics offers students more than equations and formulas. It provides a different way of looking at the world.

“At its core, physics is about understanding patterns; how does the material world behave, and why does it behave in that way?” Arnell said.

He hopes students learn to look beyond what they initially see and recognize the connections between everything from atoms to planets.

Outside the classroom, Arnell enjoys cooking and has spent years building his own personal recipe book. He particularly enjoys experimenting with unexpected combinations of flavors. He is also looking forward to exploring southeastern Utah's state and national parks and finding others in the community who share his enthusiasm for the outdoors.

David Baca comes to USU Eastern with nearly 27 years of law enforcement experience and a desire to help students turn their interest in criminal justice into meaningful careers.

Baca joined Utah State University in 2024 as a Lecturer in the Criminal Justice Program at the Blanding campus. After building connections with students, staff and faculty there, he applied for a Professional Practice Assistant Professor position at USU Eastern in 2026.

Eastern's history within USU's criminal justice program was a significant part of that decision.

“USU Eastern is the founding site for the criminal justice degree program,” Baca said. “A desire to train and learn from the program's creators was one of the key factors in my desire to apply for this position.”

Baca's path into law enforcement began after graduating from Brigham Young University in 1991. His original goal was to become an FBI agent, but with the agency not hiring at the time, he applied to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after seeing a recruitment advertisement.

He was hired as a deputy sheriff in 1992 and went on to spend nearly 27 years working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Murrieta Police Department.

After retiring, Baca wanted to bring those experiences into higher education and help prepare the next generation of criminal justice professionals.

“I believe the greatest joy is when a student reaches the threshold of acting on their desires,” Baca said.

For Baca, that might mean seeing a student gain the confidence to apply to law school, pursue a position with a police department or seek a career with a federal agency.

This year, he is especially looking forward to teaching Introduction to Forensic Science — USU Eastern has a dedicated room to simulate indoor and outdoor crime scenes for students.

Baca also hopes to become involved throughout campus. After serving as a faculty and student mentor at USU Blanding, he will chair the mentoring program at Eastern and hopes to encourage participation from both faculty and students. He is also looking forward to attending athletic events and other campus activities.

Baca's connection to eastern Utah also has a family tie. His mother's side, the Howell and Cordell families, were West Virginia coal miners during the 1930s and 1940s — a history that provides a meaningful connection to a region shaped by its own generations of mining families.

Together, Arnell and Baca bring distinctly different backgrounds to USU Eastern, but both share an emphasis on experiential learning, mentorship and helping students recognize new possibilities for their futures.

Whether students are examining the patterns that connect atoms and planets or processing evidence from a mock crime scene, Eastern's newest Arts and Sciences faculty members are ready to help students turn curiosity into knowledge and knowledge into opportunity.

To learn more about USU Eastern Arts and Science programs, visit: artsci.usu.edu.