October 2025 Newsletter

Colleagues,

Good morning! I have a number of Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) announcements for October:

First, I am pleased to announce the release of a new research snapshot today titled “Utah Women and Fertility: Trends and Changes from 1970-2023” (with co-author Dr. April Townsend). It reviews fertility and marital status trends, cultural contexts by decade, and looking ahead. A few weeks ago, we also released a research and policy brief titled “What Utah College Students Think about Teaching as a Career: An Analysis by Gender” (with co-author Dr. Eric Dahlin, BYU). We appreciate Envision Utah for their partnership on this project and their work around the future of education in Utah.

Second, the UWLP is conducting a statewide study to explore more deeply Utahns’ understanding, awareness, attitudes, concerns, and perceptions around challenges that women and girls face (third year in a row). We welcome all individuals living in the state age 18 or older to participate. The survey will take 10-20 minutes to complete. I am the primary researcher for this study. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact me at uwlp@usu.edu (USU IRB 15264). You can participate by clicking here [participants can also take it in Spanish].

Third, we have a few resources to highlight this month:

• UWLP Podcast Episodes (with Utah Public Radio): Women & Finances: What Utahns Need to Know in 2025 and Utah Women and STEM Education.
• Dashboards: Learn more about “Women’s Equality in Utah” by checking out our dashboards that compare Utah to other states.
• Upcoming Events: A Bolder Way Forward hosts, offers, partners, and collaborates on events across the state.
• Community Calendar: View our community calendar for all events in Utah for girls and women.

Fourth, for October, A Bolder Way Forward is highlighting “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” (see the Health Across the Lifespan Spoke), “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” (see the Domestic Violence Spoke), and “National Work and Family Month” (see Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture Spoke). Help us all raise awareness of these issues and learn more about related goals and metrics.

Finally, check out some key articles and media published this past month:

• Voices: In a Place Like Utah, ‘Moral Credits’ Can’t Make Up for How We Treat Women (Salt Lake Tribune, Sep. 26, 2025)
• Morning Brief: What Utah College Students Think about Teaching as a Career (KUER, Sep. 23, 2025)
• Explore your Purpose: Talents, Callings, and Influence (LinkedIn, Sep. 23, 2025)
• Summit County Named one of Utah’s 100 Companies Championing Women (Park Record, Sep. 17, 2025)
• The True Cost of Utah’s Gender Pay Gap? $755K Over a Career, Report Says (St. George News, Sep. 10, 2025)
• Women and STEM − What Utahns Need to Know (LinkedIn, Sep. 9, 2025)
• Utah's Gender Wage Gap Highest in the Nation, USU Report Shows (KSL News, Sep. 6, 2025)
• Study Finds Gender Pay Gap in Utah is Among the Nation's Widest (FOX 13, Sep. 4, 2025)
• Utah Women Face One of the Largest Gender Wage Gaps in the Nation (KSL News, Sep. 4, 2025)
• Mind The Gap: USU Shows Utah’s High Gender Pay Gap in New Research (ABC4, Sep. 4, 2025)

Join us on the UWLP social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. Email uwlp@usu.edu to let us know you want to receive these updates to your own inbox if you received a forwarded email.

Enjoy October!

Susan

Prof./Dr. Susan R. Madsen
Professor of Organizational Leadership
Director, Utah Women & Leadership Project
Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
Utah State University
Phone: 435-797-0873
Web: utwomen.org
Email: susan.madsen@usu.edu