Utah State University student Aubreyona Migliori has been named a finalist in for a national nutritional science award. The Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Abstract Recognition Award Program by the American Society for Nutrition recognizes the highest quality research presented by students and young investigators at Nutrition 2022 Live Online. The event is the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition and the premier educational event for nutrition professionals around the globe. The virtual meeting brings together lab scientists, practicing clinicians, population health researchers and community intervention investigators to identify solutions to today's greatest nutrition challenges and includes undergraduate, graduate and medical students. More than 700 abstracts were submitted by students and postdoctoral fellows, and the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Abstract Recognition Award Program recognizes the top 15% highest-scored abstracts as reviewed and rated by more than 400 nutrition scientists. Migliori will be recognized during Nutrition 2022 Live Online and has also been invited to present her research: "Effect of Replacing Cellulose with Primarily Insoluble Fiber on the Microbiome and Short Chain Fatty Acids, and Fecal Calprotectin in Mice Fed a High Fat Diet." "Through this program, the American Society for Nutrition celebrates the achievements of our rising stars," said the organization's president, Paul Coates. "The society looks forward to watching their future contributions to advance our understanding of nutrition science and practice." Migliori, who graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in nutrition science and a minor in chemistry, completed her laboratory research with faculty mentors Robert Ward and Korry Hintze, both in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. Earlier she did research on fatty acids in Ward's lab with support from a USU Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant. "We began this fiber-mouse model last summer where I fed and collected data from the mice," Migliori said. "Afterward, I helped analyze microbiome composition and inflammation from the mouse fecal samples throughout this last year." To collect the samples and data, Migliori first had to catch the mice to perform glucose tests and MRIs. "Funny enough, the hardest part of the project was catching them out of their little homes to analyze," Migliori said. "I remember that in the beginning of the project, all the mice were young and lean, and it was almost impossible to catch them out of their little cage. They ran marathons around my hand. At the end of the project, either I became quicker, or they had stored up a bit of weight and became much slower." Migliori will continue to work with Ward on projects through the summer, including a second part of the mouse-fiber study. In the fall, Migliori is continuing at USU as a master's degree student in the nutrition and food sciences program. She hopes to attend medical school in the future and to become a physician. "USU's NDFS department has amazing faculty who try to help students find academic and career opportunities for future success," Migliori said. "Through them, I learned of an opportunity to work on a project in the department researching probiotics. It seemed like the perfect fit and meant I got to stay at USU for a bit longer. It will be a great learning opportunity and help me prepare for a medical career in the future."

In March, Jordan Packer, a Utah State University Eastern student, won second place in the American Welding Society Weld Trials after placing 11th in the SkillsUSA National Welding Competition. The competition was by invitation only and involved several levels of elimination before culminating in a final weld-off that took place in Huntsville, Alabama. Packer, who has been welding competitively since his sophomore year in high school, including three years as Provo High School's SkillsUSA representative in the secondary school competition, discovered the USU Eastern welding program while researching opportunities at Weber State University. "On a tour of USU Eastern, I saw just how involved the school was with SkillsUSA and it convinced me that this was the place for me," said Packer. "I can say with all the conviction in the world that USU Eastern is the place to learn how to weld. If you are trying to choose from being close to home or attending USU Eastern, you should buy a plane ticket, drive across the country, or do anything in your power to attend USU Eastern's welding program." Although Packer still plans to pursue a bachelor's of science in manufacturing engineering with an emphasis in welding at Weber State, he learned that obtaining an associate degree in Welding Technology first would not only allow him to compete in the SkillsUSA collegiate level competitions but would also make him more competitive when it came time to search for a job. "I learned that USU Eastern's welding alumni have built a reputation for being the best at what they do, and I had to be part of that group," said Packer. Packer was selected as USU Eastern's contestant for the 2021 Utah SkillsUSA welding competition where he took first place. That win propelled him to the SkillsUSA National competition where he placed 11th, qualifying him to compete in the USA Weld Trials - the competition used to select the welding contestant representing the United States at the international WorldSkills competition to be held in Shanghai in October 2022. After receiving the invitation to compete at the USA Trials, Packer actively practiced, competed, and did everything he could to prepare, including spending close to 75 hours a week in the shop welding and mastering the four main processes of welding. All his preparation was in addition to keeping up with schooling and family responsibilities. Since the USA Trials are at the same competitive level as an Olympic event, the same level of dedication and training was required to remain in the running. Packer's preparation paid off, carrying him through elimination rounds that reduced 50 contestants down to the top four. His competitors included former gold medalists from the 2019 and 2021 SkillsUSA national competitions - none of whom made it to the final round. "To compete in SkillsUSA you need all the support you can get," said Packer. "Without a doubt, the USU Eastern instructors and program is the most supportive group you will find. Not only has USU Eastern spent a great deal of program funds on material, but the instructors have put in their personal time to make sure my practice time is as efficient as possible. I have come to know all three of the instructors better than anyone in the program and there is not a group of men I respect more." The Final Weld-Off consisted of four different modules with 18 hours allotted to finish the modules over a three-day period. The first module tested five separate test coupons: two open-root V-grooves (one 10 mm and one 16 mm), two fillet-weld break tests, and one open-root 6G 4" schedule 80 pipe coupon. All five then underwent visual inspection before being destructively tested. The fillet welds were broken, and the v-grooves and pipe were cut into sections for bend testing. For the first module, Packer used the shielded metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and flux-cored arc welding processes, but any of the four welding processes (including gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, flux-cored arc welding, or shielded metal arc welding) can be randomly selected for any of the five test coupons, making it so a contestant has to be prepared to weld any of the five tests with all four processes at any given time. Module 2 consisted of welding a steel pressure vessel that consisted of a variety of welding positions and all four welding processes, which was then hydrostatically tested. To achieve full points, no leaks can be observed when the vessel is filled with water and 1000 PSI of pressure is applied for one minute. Packer's vessel passed with flying colors. Finally, Module 3 was an aluminum project welded exclusively with gas tungsten arc welding and Module 4 was a stainless-steel project welded with the same process. "The judges are essentially looking for perfection, which is honestly unobtainable," said Austin Welch, assistant professor of welding at USUE. "To be competitive at this level, a contestant has to have a beyond-expert level of welding skill in all four welding processes, and the scoring is absurdly strict - indescribably stricter than any industry standard that I know of. It is debatably unreasonable to expect even welding robots to have the ability to consistently maintain such tight tolerances." Packer ultimately took second place in the competition, joining the legacy of other USUE welding alumni including Jordan Wynn who took second place at the USA Trials in 2019 and Chandler Vincent who placed fifth at the WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, after winning the USA Weld Trials in 2017. Vincent now serves as the United States Expert on the USA Weld Trials committee. Even with the intense preparation and stress caused by the competition, Packer is glad he participated. "Despite the hard days, this has been the greatest opportunity of my life," said Packer. "I have come from just being able to stick two plates of steel together to now being able to keep up with the best welders in the nation. Not only that, but participating in SkillsUSA helped me to meet some of the best people in the industry."

Utah State University students Bruce Brewer, Cristina Chirvasa and Wesley Mills are 2022 Goldwater Scholars, named in a prestigious national competition that recognizes outstanding achievements by undergraduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The awards were announced March 25 by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, which administers the program. The Aggies are among 475 awardees selected this year from more than 1,242 nominees representing 433 institutions. With this year's award recipients, USU boasts 37 Goldwater Scholars and 15 honorable mention recipients since 1998; numbers that rival the nation's top universities. "Goldwater Scholars are selected from among the nation's top STEM undergraduate scholars," said USU President Noelle E. Cockett. "This well-deserved recognition is a testament to the exceptional achievements of our students in academics, research and service, as well as the outstanding mentorship by our faculty." Each year, USU may submit up to four nominations for the award; a process, coordinated by the USU Honors Program, that begins in November. Nominated this year, in addition to the award recipients, was physics major Heather Allen. Award recipients receive one- or two-year scholarships of up to $7,500 per year toward annual tuition and expenses. "All of the students who participated in this year's Goldwater application process are outstanding undergraduate researchers, and our four nominees have demonstrated exceptional scientific research potential," said professor Kristine Miller, Honors Program executive director. "USU's consistent success in the Goldwater competition results from a strong culture of undergraduate research and faculty mentoring, and the individual commitment of Physics Professor David Peak, who guides students through the application process. We are proud of all these students, and very pleased three have joined the ranks of Goldwater Scholars."

Much of Utah State University doctoral student Jessica Murray's field experience has been spent high above the ground - studying carbon cycling from soils some 80 feet up in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve tree canopy of Costa Rica, to be exact. With recent research, Murray is exploring "normal, on-the-ground soils" within the mountainous Central American nation's tropical alpine ecosystem - known as paramo - within Chirripo National Park. Travel to her field sites begins with a six-hour car ride, followed by a seven-hour trek on foot to the park's field station, which is her base, before further challenging hikes to remote research areas. National recognition from the Ecological Society of America affords the ecologist yet another, quite different form of field experience as a recipient of the society's Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award. As part of the 2022 nationwide cohort of 44 scholars, the Lawrenceville, Georgia native will meet with a to-be-determined member of Utah's national congressional delegation to discuss the importance of federal investments in the biological and ecological sciences. Murray is the first Aggie to receive the award, which was established about a decade ago to honor McCarter's efforts as ESA executive director, in promoting the society's engagement with policymakers and the public. "I haven't much experience in political or policy-making processes, but my research has fueled my concern about climate change," says Murray, who is mentored by former USU faculty member Bonnie Waring, now with England's Imperial College London, and John Stark, professor in USU's Department of Biology and the Ecology Center. "We tend to think of trees and forests as the main reservoirs of carbon storage, but even more carbon is stored in the world's soils. Climate change is accelerating the loss of soil carbon throughout the globe, which could accelerate climate change even more." The McCarter Award is designed to equip Murray with skills and opportunities to share her scientific knowledge, including participating in real-world engagement in the fast-paced, rough-and-tumble policy realm. "Very few of our elected representatives are scientists, yet they're called upon to make impactful decisions urgently in need of sound science," Murray says. "With our ESA training, my fellow awardees and I are learning how to establish relationships with policymakers and offer our expertise with policy decisions." Mitigation of climate change is among policy decisions requiring increasingly pressing attention, she says. "I understand our Utah representatives are focused on the needs and concerns of their constituents, and the effects of climate change may seem like a distant issue - a more immediate concern for developing, coastal countries like Myanmar or Bangladesh than a land-locked U.S. state," Murray says. "But, during my virtual congressional visit, I plan to cite research by USU climate scientist Simon Wang and his team linking human activity to a series of typhoons in Southeast Asia and how, last fall, storms from that part of the world appear to have led directly to the unusually fierce windstorm that ravaged our own Utah State campus here in Cache Valley." Murray's doctoral studies in Chirripo National Park have been supported by a Fulbright Scholarship she received in 2020, as well as funding from the USU Ecology Center and a Biology Ecology Graduate Research Award from USU's Department of Biology. "Jessica is a motivated, independent and exemplary graduate student," says Department of Biology Head Diane Alston. "In addition to her research, she is teaching our department's tropical ecology course remotely from Costa Rica. She's an excellent citizen in our department." Nancy Huntly, director of USU's Ecology Center, says she's "delighted and excited" to see a USU student receive the McCarter Award. "It's an excellent award program and I'm confident Jessica will make the most of this opportunity," Huntly says. "This program allows students to put science into action."

Chihiro Naruke, a Ph.D. student in Utah State University's Department of Plants, Soils & Climate, was awarded first prize in her division at the American Geophysical Union conference for presenting her findings on how root growth affects the pore space of soil. Naruke's research is aimed at predicting and designing the ideal plant growth system in microgravity conditions. She was awarded first prize for her presentation in the Unsaturated Zone domain of the student competition, which included a cash prize of $350. Described as "the most influential event in the world dedicated to the advancement of Earth and space sciences," the AGU conference took place virtually and in-person with over 25,000 attendees from more than 100 countries and brought together researchers, scientists, educators, students and policymakers. The organization's members aim to gain and communicate greater understanding of our planet and environment and our role in preserving its future. The AGU conference was the second presentation for Naruke during the fall 2021 semester. She previously won fourth place for a combined oral and poster presentation on related research focused on microgravity growing conditions at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting that took place in Salt Lake City in November. "Presenting at the SSSA conference was a great experience, and I was able to relax a bit more when I was presenting at the AGU," Naruke said. "Presenting at both conferences were milestones in my motivation toward research, and I can use this experience to improve my work and future presentations." Naruke shared that she decided to attend USU because of the agricultural opportunities available in the United States and recommendations from her master's degree adviser, Masaru Sakai, at Mie University in Japan. Sakai previously worked as a post-doctoral fellow at USU in the Environmental Soil Physics Lab. USU has a decadeslong record of research focused on growing plants aboard spacecraft, both in studying specific plants and developing the chambers in which they can grow. The ability to produce food in space is a critical part of preparing for long-term space exploration and presents many challenges, including optimizing lighting, temperature control and delivering nutrients and moisture to plants' root zones when liquids and other materials don't behave in microgravity as they do on Earth. Despite an initial lack of funding for her specific research, Naruke chose to come to USU. She also worked hard on her English skills as it was her second language. "I am impressed with how rapid the transformation in her writing, reading and speaking abilities has been," said Professor Scott Jones, an environmental soils physicist who serves as her faculty adviser. "This award is much more appreciated and deserved considering English is her second language." Jones shared that one of the most rewarding aspects of working as a faculty member comes from mentoring students and helping them publish their first papers. "That feat generally comes with a lot of hard work, frequent frustration, and substantial satisfaction when the final manuscript is finally accepted," Jones said. "Chihiro is now working under a NASA grant and published her first peer-reviewed manuscript in August, and has several other papers in development."

Utah State University student Michael Clayton won the 64th American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians' pathology slide seminar award for his presentation on the 2020 outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in farmed mink in Utah. The presentation showcased the efforts of Clayton, a student in USU's Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences who is completing his doctoral degree and veterinary pathology residency at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and colleagues at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, in diagnosing the outbreak and helping scientists understand why it happened. According to a journal article that Clayton co-authored, and on which his outstanding seminar was based, "It remains unclear which animal species, other than humans, may also be susceptible to (SARS-CoV-2) viral infection and could naturally transmit the virus to susceptible hosts. In this study we describe the early phases of an outbreak of disease and death due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed mink in Utah, United States. The investigation reveals that mink can spread the virus rapidly between animals and that the disease in mink is associated with viral infection and damage to tissues of the upper and lower respiratory system." The article goes on to say that researchers worldwide are continuing to determine which animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and notes that mink farms need strict biosecurity practices to protect animals and humans until more is understood about the virus. "All of the presentations were excellent and I was extremely honored to be selected for this award," Clayton said. The article "An Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 with High Mortality in Mink (Neovison vison) on Multiple Utah Farms" was published in PLOS Pathogens in November 2021.

Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory announced that it has inducted three students into its SDL Student Scholar program. Established in 2015, SDL's Student Scholar program provides unique, substantive, and meaningful real-world experience to increase student knowledge, skills, and abilities. SDL Student Scholars exemplify excellence by maintaining a high grade point average, attending training sessions, participating in outreach, and completing a high-level project within the organization. During a recent ceremony, the following students were recognized as SDL Student Scholars: Matthew Crump Project: Auto Documentation Generation Description: Acceptance Test Procedures for Auto Documentation Generation includes three main sections: testing, reporting results to Jira, and producing an accompanying document. This program speeds up ATP testing, and an ATP document is generated automatically with the results, saving even more time. This process is well documented and easy to maintain for the team's use. Major: Computer Engineering Year: Senior Hometown: Tremonton, Utah Melissa Rasmussen Project: Agilink Communication over a General Purpose Interface Bus Description: The Agilink software in SDL's thermal vacuum chamber formerly communicated via serial ports only. Because this created conflicts with other software, I modified the design to allow it to communicate through serial or GPIB to allow easy extensions to other modes of communication. Major: Physics & Computer Science (double major) Year: Junior Hometown: College Station, Texas David Searle Project: Bakeout Parameters Document Description: To accommodate rising demand for SDL's bakeout lab, I created an official SDL document that categorizes each material we routinely bakeout and its required parameters. This document compiles information from over 40 sources, including previously used contamination control plans from various programs. Major: Kinesiology/Exercise Science Year: Junior Hometown: Shelley, Idaho For more information, visit www.usu.edu/today/story/space-dynamics-laboratory-recognizes-student-scholars.

Jacob Keim, an Animal Science Ph.D. candidate at Utah State University (USU), was awarded first place in the International Embryo Technology Society's Graduate Student Competition for his presentation on the effect of cytokine supplemented maturation medium on bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryo development. Keim came to USU in 2017 after completing his undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University-Idaho, and was interested in cloning research. He joined the Ph.D. program in animal science/reproduction and development under the direction of Professor Irina Polejaeva, and began work on in vitro research. For more information, visit www.usu.edu/today/story/advs-graduate-student-wins-international-research-award.

The American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America hosted an international scientific conference in Salt Lake City in November 2021 that brought together established and emerging voices from industry, government and academia. Seven Utah State University student researchers, including one undergraduate, two master's degree and four doctoral students, won awards for their presentations. Paul Johnson, head of USU's Department of Plants, Soils and Climate Department, described the event as one of the most important conferences for USU students to present research and network with other scientists. "This conference is a wonderful opportunity for students to practice sharing their research with the attendees and the greater agronomic scientific community," Johnson said. "They meet people from other universities and industry, which can lead to the next chapter of their career. These conferences can lead to lifelong friendships, too." The presentations included oral presentations and posters, with many of the projects representing the culmination of more than a year of research and preparation. Professors from the USU Plants, Soils, and Climate Department advised students in their research and helped them refine posters and presentation skills. Megan Getz, a doctoral student in plant science with an emphasis in breeding and genetics, received first place in the Forage and Grazinglands Division and third place in the 2021 CSSA Society-Wide Student Competition for her presentation, "Genetic Association within a Late Flowering, Forage Orchardgrass Population." "Between catching up with old friends, increasing my professional network, and catching up on all the new research, it's really hard for me to choose my favorite part of the conference," Getz said. "It's a great place to grow comfortable sharing your research, and it has really opened my eyes to how big the field of study is and new potential career paths." Noah Langenfeld, who is in his second year as a plant science doctoral student, had the top poster and oral flash talk in the CSSA's Crop Physiology and Metabolism Division. Langenfeld's research focused on managing nutrient solutions to improve crop water use and decrease excess fertilization. "I really enjoyed meeting people from around the country with different interests than mine," Langenfeld said. "These interactions raised great questions and helped me think about my research from different perspectives. Everyone at the conference is there to learn from you, not judge your capabilities." Melanie Mills, an undergraduate student in biological engineering, took third place in the Soil Physics and Hydrology Division's combined five-minute oral and poster competition. Mills' presentation, titled "Characterizing Physical Properties of Novel Soilless Media for Reduced Gravity Applications," featured research into the water retention capabilities of materials for use as plant-growth media in reduced-gravity environments. Another doctoral student, Chihiro Naruke, was the fourth-place winner in the Soil Physics and Hydrology Division's combined five-minute oral and poster competition. Her presentation was entitled "Plant Growth in Candidate Media for Reduced Gravity Applications" and also explored the use of alternative plant growth media in space. Ryan Hodges, a third-year doctoral student studying soil science, won the first-place prize for his poster in the Pedology Division for the SSSA. His presentation, "Predicting the Extent of Andic Soils Across Western Haleakala, Maui," focused on using publicly available climate and soil data to predict soil fertility across the island of Maui. "This conference helps make you visible, helps with public speaking in front of interested and thoughtful researchers, and may open future opportunities for graduate school, employment and collaboration with talented people," Hodges said. "Relationships are important, including academic ones." Eli Oliver, a master's student at USU, took third place in the student oral competition in the Urban and Anthropogenic Soils Division. Justin Deakin, who is also pursuing a master's, took fifth place in the Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management and Soil and Plant Analysis Divisions. Deakin presented on the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles to mitigate drought stress in wheat.