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.

Unique internship-research cycle:

The Climate Adaptation Science program provides trainees with direct experience in actionable science through an internship-research cycle. Each trainee will complete a two-part internship with a government agency, NGO, or industry partner. Internship experiences bracket a year-long research studio course.  Through the internships, and a series of Science-Management-Policy Exchange meetings, trainees learn the cultures, opportunities and constraints, and science needs of the many work-places in which climate adaptation science is created and used.

Skills trainees acquire:

  • Facility with Data and Modeling
  • Facility in Communication with Scientist and Non-scientist Audiences
  • Ability to Collaborate Across Disciplinary and Workplace Boundaries
  • Ability to Work in Diverse Teams, as a Leader or Follower, and to Manage Projects
  • Understanding Risk and Decision-making
  • Ability to Think Comprehensively about climate, geo-hydrology, biology, social sciences and the models, concepts, and analyses that integrate these.

Innovative course formats:

Trainees will have a research-based and experiential curriculum supported with elective short-courses (0.25 to 1 credit) that are flexible in length, timing, and format. These short, focused, content-rich courses respond to interests and needs of students, promote cross-participation of faculty, and deliver emerging tools and perspectives.

Details are given in Program Timetable

About the Program

 

Recent News

  • Sunlight streams through a crack in hoodoos in southern Utah

CAS Trainee Rachel Hager Reports on Climate Change Perceptions for Utah Public Radio

Hager interviewed Peter Howe on a recent paper linking seasonal weather perceptions to climate change perceptions

  • Sunbeams shine through large trees in a forest.

Inequality is Normal: Dominance of the Big Trees

Utah State University researchers used large forest plots from 21 countries and territories to study the invaluable contributions of big trees.

Patrick Belmont Named USU Faculty Researcher of the Year

Belmont’s research is known for translating well into actionable management and policy guidance.

CAS Student Emily Wilkins Presents at National Outdoor Recreation Conference

Wilkins will present on 4/23: "Using social media data to understand the impact of weather on skiing and snowboarding in Utah."

Liz Cook Defends MS Thesis

"An Examination of the Relation Between Climate and Visitation, and Perspectives on Seasonal Shifts and Climate Adaptation Strategies by Tourism and Recreation Businesses for Moab, Utah"

CAS Student Jeff Haight Defends MS Thesis

"Landscape Planning for Climate Change Resilience in the Southern Rockies," LIB 154, 9:00-10:00 a.m., 4/19

Peter Howe Named Recipient of NSF Career Award

Howe has been awarded a National Science Foundation Career Award for a study on climate adaptation and decision making.

CAS Student Jeff Haight Presents on Prioritizing Conservation Based on Climatic Vulnerabilities

Haight presents his results at the US-IALE Annual Meeting in Chicago.

CAS Students and Faculty Present Findings at Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers

The AAG meets April 10-14, 2018, in New Orleans. Click the link for presentation details.

Studying Water Quality on the Mekong River

CAS student Liana Prudencio blogs for the Wonders of the Mekong project.

Utah State University Announces Funding for Climate Adaptation Science NRT Project

 

Utah State University’s Climate Adaptation Science Program is Funded by a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Grant