Utah State Research Highlighted During 2026 Research Week

Next week, April 6-10, is Utah State University’s annual Research Week. Several opportunities have been added to the calendar this year, making this USU’s biggest Research Week yet.

During the week, visitors can participate in a series of presentations, exhibits, symposia and workshops to celebrate and learn from the outstanding faculty, graduate students and undergraduates who conduct research at USU.

Discovery is a core part of USU’s land-grant mission, and Research Week aims to spotlight the discoveries happening at the university. Those interested in attending can view the full calendar for the week or learn more and RSVP for the events on the Research Week website.

What Disney Didn’t Tell You — A Tour of the Original Grimm Fairy Tales: An Aggie Talks Event

Monday, April 6 | 6 p.m. | Logan City Library, Community Room.

Think you know Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty? Think again. For most Americans, these stories feel like Disney inventions, but their true origins are far older, stranger and more fascinating.

During this presentation, USU researcher Claudia Schwabe will take the audience on a journey back 200 years to discover the “original” fairy tales collected by two German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. You’ll learn that these tales were filled with sharp moral lessons, psychological terror and bizarre magic.

The Grimms’ world is a place where justice is brutal, the woods are truly terrifying, and “happily ever after” often comes with a dark price. RSVP for the presentation here.

Student Research Symposium

Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7-8 | 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Merrill-Cazier Library.

The Student Research Symposium is an annual celebration of student research at Utah State. This year’s symposium features more than 400 presenters and represents every college and department at USU.

Presenters will share their work in the form of a poster, oral presentation accompanied by a slide deck, creative performance or art exhibit. Students who participate in the event receive feedback from evaluators to improve their presentation and research skills. The full symposium schedule is available to view online.

Statewide Campuses Research Symposium

Thursday, April 9 | 1-3:30 p.m. | Statewide Campuses.

Students gather at their individual campuses to present their research and connect across campuses. Students will give short presentations online, followed by in-person poster sessions at some campuses. Learn more about the Statewide Symposium here.

Research Summit

Thursday, April 9 | 3-5 p.m. | Merrill-Cazier Library, Room 154, Zoom | FACULTY ONLY.

Research Summits are dynamic events where faculty can converge to discuss critical topics. For this special summit, the topic will be strategic proposal submission.

During this time of external funding disruption, it is more important than ever to be strategic in planning proposal submissions.

A panel of faculty and proposal development experts will provide suggestions on how to strategically approach proposal submissions in this new funding landscape. RSVP for the Summit here.

Innovation Pathways: Research to Reality

Friday, April 10 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Merrill-Cazier Library, New Books Lounge.

Come celebrate incredible USU innovations in this new multi-focus event. This year will feature USU patent award recognitions showcasing 2025 USU faculty inventions, and micro-talks from some of USU’s premier innovators about making the most of your research efforts at USU. RSVP for Innovation Pathways here.

Workshops

All workshops will take place on Monday in Room 101 of the Merrill-Cazier Library. Learn more about workshop topics on the Research Week calendar or RSVP for a workshop here.

First Aid for your Research Data | Noon.
The Why and How of Open Access Publishing | 1 p.m.
Bad Prompt = Bad Output: Learn AI Prompting | 2:30 p.m.
Agentic AI in Practice | 4 p.m.

Other Featured Events

USU Opera: “The Abduction from the Seraglio” by Mozart | Monday, April 6, and Thursday, April 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Utah Theatre | Learn More.
Child’s Play — A Book Arts Reception & Exhibition | Tuesday, April 7 | 3 p.m. | Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections | Learn More.
Entrepreneur Leadership Series Shark Tank Night | Wednesday, April 8 | 6 p.m. | Eccles Conference Center Auditorium | Learn More.
ENVS Graduate Student Pre-Project Research Symposium | Friday, April 10 | 1-5 p.m. | Huntsman Hall, Room 130.
LAEP Speaker Series: Nick Jabs, Beyond Projects: Practice, Research, and Leadership in the Public Realms | Friday, April 10 | 4 p.m. | Fine Arts Visual Room 150 | Learn More.
Science Unwrapped: Earthquakes | Friday, April 10 | 7 p.m. | Eccles Science Learning Center 130 | Learn More.
USU Theatre: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Morgan Theatre, Chase Fine Arts Center | Learn More.