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.

Skills emphasized in the Climate Adaptation Science (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.” The report 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 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.

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 workplaces 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

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committee Looks to Reduce USU Carbon Footprint

CAS Co-PI Patrick Belmont and other USU faculty bring attention to USU's carbon footprint

Community Conversations on Climate Challenges

CAS students will host an event at the Logan Public Library at 7 p.m. in the Jim Bridger Room. The Fourth National Climate Assessment will be introduced, along with breakout discussions on topics relevant to [...]

What channels and sources do people prefer for information on nature-related topics?

Emily Wilkins and colleagues publish their findings in PLoS ONE

Trisha Atwood and Colleagues Publish in Science

The team reviews how animals move large amounts of carbon across landscapes.

USU Grad Students Gain Cross-Disciplinary Skills to Tackle Climate Change

Cohort 1 and their fire paper are featured in Utah State Today.

CAS Students and Faculty to Present at AGU Fall Meeting

Students and faculty will present research related to the CAS Studio research class, theses, and more. Click the title above for presentation details.

CAS Cohort 1 Publishes Studio Research

The inaugural CAS Cohort's interdisciplinary project on how trends in fire characteristics influence adaptive management and economies in the Intermountain West is published in "fire," an open-access journal.

A Finger on the Pulse of U.S. State Parks

Jordan Smith and colleagues in the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism characterize the operation of the nation’s 50 state park systems between 1984 and 2017.

Fourth National Climate Assessment Released

The National Climate Assessment (NCA) assesses the science of climate change and variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century.

CAS Faculty Work Toward a Resolution on USU Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Patrick Belmont and Chris Monz are leading an effort toward a resolution that would bolster a commitment by former President Albrecht to make USU a carbon neutral university.

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