Rooted in Purpose: Utah State University Graduate Finds Voice Through Research, Community

For one Utah State University master’s student, the path to research was never about data alone, but about the people.

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.

“This award means so much to me,” she said. “It reminds me that what I’m doing matters not just in an academic sense, but in a human one. It’s a reminder that passion and compassion can go hand in hand.”

Fatema’s research focuses on the unique environmental challenges immigrant and refugee communities face in Utah. In her research, Fatema conducted in-depth interviews with community-based organizations across the state. Through these conversations, a larger story began to emerge — one of resilience, resourcefulness and advocacy.

“My work centers communities that are so often pushed to the margins,” she said. “These groups are navigating exposure to environmental hazards, language barriers and systemic inequities, but they’re also creating solutions. I wanted to document that.”

Her research roots trace back to her time with the United Nations World Food Programme in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where she witnessed firsthand how environmental pressures compound hardship for displaced populations. At USU, Fatema’s academic journey has extended into related projects like the Bear Lake community study and the Utah Soil Health Project.

Research is only half the story.

The other half is found in her boots-on-the-ground commitment to community engagement. While juggling her studies, she’s also been volunteering with newly arrived refugee families, helping them adjust to life in a new country, navigate essential services and find a sense of belonging.

“I’ve always been driven by a desire to help people. That started in childhood,” Fatema said. “So when I came to Utah and saw how hard it was for many families to settle in, I knew I had to step in.”

When it comes to measuring the impact of her work, she points to both data and something more intangible. She tracks participation, outcomes and community responses using tools like GIS mapping and qualitative analysis. But the most powerful feedback, she says, comes from people.

“When someone tells me they feel heard, or when I see a family finally feel stable, that’s when I know the work is having an impact,” she said. “That’s the kind of measurement that keeps me going.”

Looking ahead, Fatema is in the process of preparing her research findings for publication, with the goal of influencing both scholarship and policy.

“I don’t see this work ever ending,” she said. “Community engagement isn’t just a phase, but the life I’ve chosen. I want to be part of organizations and initiatives where action and research go hand in hand, where voices are uplifted and policy is shaped by lived experience.”

This year, Fatema was recognized as CHaSS’s Master's Student Researcher of the Year and one of six CHaSS awardees at the USU Robin’s Awards. She was also recognized as a finalist and received a certificate for the Achievement of the Year at the Robins Awards, highlighting her continued commitment to research excellence and meaningful community impact.

Additional winners in other categories include Dorcas Anabire, Kaitlyn Richins, Mufti Nadimul Quamar, Ta'Mariah Jenkins and Ashlynn Smith.

“In everything I do,” Fatema said, “I hope to honor both the data and the people behind it. Because at the heart of this work is a simple goal: to make life a little more just, a little more inclusive, and a little more hopeful for the people who need it most.”