June 2026
USU Professor Tom Higbee Awarded Prestigious 2026 Fellowship from Association for Behavior Analysis International
Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Department Head Tom Higbee, Ph.D., has been named as a Fellow by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). The recognition highlights Higbee’s contributions to the behavior analysis field over the course of his 25-year career in special education. Higbee founded the Autism Support Services: Education, Research, and Training (ASSERT) program at USU in 2003 and has served as its executive director since its inception. The program strives to improve the lives of children who are on the autism spectrum and their families through education, research, and training.
Research & News
USU Celebrates ITLS Department Head Andrew Walker’s Decade of Leadership and Growth
Andrew Walker, Ph.D., has announced his decision to step down as department head of the Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Department after 10 years of dedicated service. Walker credits his faculty, staff, and student colleagues for the department’s past decade of successes as it has expanded its degree offerings, increased enrollment, and created a lasting culture of student support.
Teachers Across Utah Empowered at Third Annual Utah LEARNS Conference
The Utah Learning for Educators and Researchers through Networked Systems (LEARNS) held its third annual conference at Edith Bowen Laboratory School, a K-6 charter school on the USU Logan campus. The conference aims to connect elementary teachers throughout Utah in ways that enable them to share their expertise and engage with research to improve their professional practice and empower student learning.
National Society of Indian Psychologists Holds 39th Annual Convention at USU
Nearly 10 percent of the nation’s American Indian psychologists are graduates of the Psychology Department at USU. Since 1987, USU has hosted the National Society of Indian Psychologist conference on the Logan campus. The event brings together American Indian and Alaska Native psychologists, practitioners, students, and other individuals to advocate for mental health in Indigenous communities.
New Grant to IDRPP Aims to Improve Follow-Up Hearing Screenings for Infants in Four States
Approximately 98 percent of infants born in the US receive hearing screenings within the first month of birth. But follow-up after not passing a hearing screening doesn’t always happen. Alyson Ward, a senior researcher at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice at USU, will lead this new grant-funded work to improve the outcomes of infants who do not pass their newborn hearing screening by getting them the critical follow-up they need. The multistate grant encompasses Arkansas, Texas, Idaho, and Kentucky.
Northern Utah Community Explores Healthy Aging at Inaugural USU Brain Health Fair
The Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services hosted its first annual USU Brain Health Fair on June 13. Members of the community attended the event to learn actionable steps to promote healthy aging and improve overall brain health. The fair featured community partners and USU experts in psychology, aging, nursing, neuroscience, balance, hearing, nutrition, and more.
“The inaugural USU Brain Health Fair was an extraordinary success,” said Executive Associate Dean Shawn Whiteman, Ph.D. “Nearly 400 attendees came together to explore strategies for strengthening cognitive health and enhancing caregiving, while also learning about and engaging with the college’s cutting-edge research and clinical programs. It is truly inspiring to see such strong enthusiasm from our community for brain health and lifelong well-being. We are excited to build on this momentum and look forward to expanding the Brain Health Fair in the years ahead, reaching even more individuals and families.”
Northern Utah community members can look forward to the second annual USU Brain Health Fair in June 2027.
