We prepare graduate researchers for careers that integrate science with management and policy while advancing Climate Adaptation Science for the threatened landscape of the Interior West.
The Climate Adaptation Science (CAS) Program is a 9-credit interdisciplinary graduate specialization/minor that is available within MS and PhD programs in 10 departments at Utah State University. The program provides students with direct experience in actionable science through internships and research.
Skills emphasized in the CAS program align with many of the attributes of an “ideal, student-centered STEM graduate education system,” as described in the Consensus Study Report, “Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century”, which was produced in 2018 by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Key attributes of revitalized graduate STEM education include the potential for students to: acquire broad technical literacy, encounter a variety of points of view about science, have multiple mentors including those from beyond academia, have opportunities to communicate their results to diverse audiences, think about broader impacts, work on projects in teams, and explore diverse career options in a context where nonacademic careers are not stigmatized.
Recent News
New Model Improves Management of Wetland, Floodplain and River Habitats
USU Associate Professor David Rosenberg and Ayman Alafifi, a water resources engineer at Brown and Caldwell, have developed an innovative computer model that helps water and wetland managers make better, data-based decisions.
February 5th, 2020
Richie Call Professor of Acting and Creative Director of the Lyric Repertory Company richie.call@usu.edu Presentation: Communicating Truthfully and With a Purpose. Click here to view the presentation.
January 8th, 2020
Dr. Steve Daniels Professor, Community Resource and Economic Development Statewide specialist, USU Extension steve.daniels@usu.edu Presentation: An Inside-Out Look at the Use of Science in Policy Formation: Drawing Parallels Between the Northwest Forest Plan and Climate Politics. Click here to view the presentation.
November 6, 2019
Dr. Nicole Allen USU Communication Studies Professor Nicole.allen@usu.edu Presentation: Shifting Genre: Accommodating Scientific Findings to Popular Audiences Click here to view the presentation.
Matt Yost Recognized for Early Career Research/Outreach on Utah’s Water Use
Matt Yost, an assistant professor and Extension agroclimate specialist at Utah State University, has been recognized by the American Society of Agronomy with the organization’s Early Career Award.
Land-use and Personal Wellbeing is Topic for USU’s Research Landscapes
Researcher Courtney Flint, a natural resources sociologist, will address how understanding the relationship between Utah's lands and personal well being, as well as the importance of including the goals and objectives of key stakeholders in [...]
Against the Current: Trisha Atwood Receives Early-Career Research Fellowship
Trisha Atwood of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center is a recipient of a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellowship.
Mekong River at its lowest in 100 years, threatening food supply.
A severe drought that has caused water levels in Southeast Asia’s Mekong River to drop to their lowest in more than 100 years could have devastating consequences for fish, as well as the tens of [...]
USU Ecologist Receives DOE Grant to Study Soil’s Role in Carbon Cycle
Utah State University ecologist Bonnie Waring heads one of seven projects chosen nationally by competitive peer review for a U.S. Department of Energy Terrestrial Ecological Sciences grant.
