Survivors of Utah’s Eugenic Sterilization Program Still Alive in 2023

At least 830 men, women and children were coercively sterilized in Utah, approximately 54 of whom may still be alive. They were victims of a sterilization program that lasted for fifty years in the state and targeted people confined to state institutions. Many were teenagers or younger when operated upon; at least one child was under the age of ten.

Water Policy, Agriculture, Climate and Hydrology Experts Available for Insight

Arizona State University has an extensive roster of water policy, agriculture, climate and hydrology experts who can provide insight on the forthcoming Colorado River water cuts to be announced by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation around August 15.  Expert profiles,…

U. of Utah ranked No. 8 for undergrad entrepreneurship (No. 5 among public schools) for 2022 by U.S. News

The University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business continues to be recognized as a top-10 program for entrepreneurship. In new rankings from U.S. News & World Report, its undergraduate program for entrepreneurship ranked No. 8 overall and No. 5 among public schools for 2022.

How society’s inequalities showed up in COVID outcomes

During the 2020 lockdowns, residents of affluent areas in Salt Lake County, Utah were able to stay at home more than residents of the least affluent zip codes, suggesting that the “essential worker” occupations of the least-affluent areas, which are also the highest minority populations, placed them at greater risk for contracting COVID-19. Subsequently, the least-affluent zip codes experienced nearly ten times the COVID incidence rate of affluent areas.

‘Virtual nature’ experiences reduce stress in prisons

For people who are in jails or prisons, experiencing nature virtually is usually their only option. A new study from University of Utah researchers finds that exposure to nature imagery or nature sounds decreased physiological signs of stress in the incarcerated, and spurred their interest in learning more about the habitats they experienced. The researchers also found that, in general, people didn’t strongly prefer visual to auditory nature experiences.

How air pollution changed during COVID-19 in Park City, Utah

Throughout the pandemic, air sensors watched during lockdowns as air pollution fell in residential and commercial areas, and then as pollution rose again with reopenings. The changing levels, the researchers found, which behaved differently in residential and commercial parts of the city, show where pollution is coming from and how it might change in the future under different policies.

Johns Hopkins Expert Available to Discuss Heat Wave in U.S. West

As triple-digit temperatures scorch millions in California and the Desert West, stoking wildfires and exacerbating drought conditions, Johns Hopkins experts can discuss the environmental and health impacts of the heat wave, and how officials can better prepare for the rest…

Taking greenhouse gas analysis on the road, er, rails

Since 2014, the University of Utah has maintained research-grade suites of air quality instruments installed on light rail trains. These mobile sensors cover the same area as 30 stationary sensors, providing the Salt Lake Valley with a highly cost-effective way to monitor its greenhouse emissions and fill in gaps in emissions estimates.

U team offers daily tips for parenting, schooling and e-learning in a pandemic

The Behavior Response Support Team (BRST, pronounced “burst), a joint project of the University of Utah’s Department of Educational Psychology and the Granite School District, provides daily tips and teaches skills for managing kids’ behavior amid remote learning, in-person learning and general pandemic conditions. The animated videos, featuring avatars representing diverse children and families, are provided in seven languages and on five social media platforms.

Know the risks of investing in forests

Some governments are counting on planted forests as offsets for greenhouse gas emissions—a sort of climate investment. But as with any investment, it’s important to understand the risks. If a forest goes bust, researchers say, much of that stored carbon could go up in smoke.
Forests can be best deployed in the fight against climate change with a proper understanding of the risks to that forest that climate change itself imposes.

New species of Allosaurus discovered in Utah

A remarkable new species of meat-eating dinosaur, Allosaurus jimmadseni, was unveiled at the Natural History Museum of Utah. The huge carnivore inhabited the flood plains of western North America during the Late Jurassic Period, between 157-152 million years ago, making it the geologically oldest species of Allosaurus, predating the more well-known state fossil of Utah, Allosaurus fragilis.

A fragile crust protects from dust

From June 2016 to August 2018, Perry traversed the playa by bike, researching how it contributes to dust in the Salt Lake Valley’s air. In a report prepared for the Utah Department of Natural Resources and Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management, Perry details the current dust source regions on the playa and explains how declining lake levels, as well as damage to the playa, could make the problem worse.

U. of Utah ranked No. 10 for undergrad, No. 17 for grad entrepreneurship by U.S. News

The David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah continues to receive top 10 rankings for its entrepreneurship program, which consists of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy.
The latest ranking is from U.S. News and World Report, which listed the school’s undergraduate program No. 10 (or No. 6 among state schools) and graduate program No. 17 for 2020.