Category: News

Utah Tech University has recently expanded its possibilities for students to specialize in digital security. The new cybersecurity bachelor’s degree has opened for all students interested.

New certificates in cybersecurity, and cyber supervisory control and data acquisition (cyber-SCADA) are also available.

Aaron Davis, interim dean for the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, said cybersecurity became a full career path due to the intense demand and the shortage of faculty to offer more specialized, extensive courses.

They now have the support to distribute classes and teach a full program. This enables the university to satisfy that demand.

Davis said, “Talking to employers and trying to figure out what skills [students] need, they could find what areas are in demand where students could graduate with Utah Tech and get a job.”

To help students understand what kinds of jobs they can pursue after graduation, Syed Ali, acting assistant professor of cybersecurity, gave examples of a few related to this program:

• security operations center (SOC) analyst
• network and system administrator
• digital forensics investigator
• firewall and cloud security specialist
• governance, risk and compliance (GRC) analyst

Ali said the best method to learn in this field is not by textbooks but by putting students in real-time cybersecurity scenarios and enterprise-level environments so they graduate ready to contribute from day one.

Ali said, “We connect classroom learning directly to industry standards, including SOC operations, compliance frameworks and enterprise network defense.”

This method of teaching is based on the experience all the professors have had. They use their knowledge to ask students what they would do in situations they themselves have been in before. Acting with what they have been taught, students can either implement it, or the teachers will give them minimal instructions, and they will have to perform the operation from start to finish.

Another skill that helps students be prepared for workplace situations is the use of ethical hacking, so that in the future they know what they are fighting against and know how to mitigate it.

Ali said students get different perspectives on cybersecurity around the world. Aside from his experience in other countries, he said two exchange faculty members from Romania are also coming this semester to teach students what they can learn in various parts of the globe.

The cyber-SCADA certificate is important in today’s market, and students are at an advantage in the job market by building a portfolio with the help of publishing research papers here.

The main idea behind SCADA stems from a system that remotely manages industrial processes such as industrial manufacturing, automation, power plants or energy facilities and collects data from it. Then, it learns and enables the system to automate processes. The risk is that this system can be put in jeopardy by a virtual attack, which would cause a great loss in the production line.

Joe Francom, department chair and professor of computer science, talked about the skills students will learn beyond the technical ones. Problem-solving is the first one students are going to notice. He said that although technology evolves and changes throughout the years, you have to learn how to problem solve, learn how to think outside the box, and learn how to learn.

“The technology is always going to change. It’s changed a lot since I started,” Francom said.

These skills are often needed in jobs where knowledge has advanced since an employee earned their degree, thus their training becomes outdated. This program ensures students can adapt to what the workforce requires.

An advantage of the program is that students learn from faculty with years of hands-on experience and gain insight into the career paths the field offers.

After the Inferno dance on the night of April 12, students arrived at the fountain on Utah Tech University’s campus to find it blocked off by the Utah Tech Police, who told them True Trailblazer had been canceled.

Usually, the True Trailblazer tradition happens at the fountain after the homecoming football game in the fall and the Inferno dance in the spring. 

Luke Kerouac, the interim executive director of student engagement and leadership, said that while there was no administrative action to cancel the event, the Utah Tech Student Association did not sponsor the event.

“I know there are concerns with [True Trailblazer],” he said. “There are always concerns every year… we just asked [UTPD] to be up there and let [students] know the event is not happening.”

A since-deleted video on TikTok about True Trailblazer may have factored into the decision not to hold the event.

Kerouac said student safety is always taken into consideration when planning events.

“I think it’s important to remember that the administrators and those students planning those events really do have the best interest of the students in mind,” Kerouac said. “They want students to have [these] traditions all while being safe and accountable.”

Sergeant Juan Fulgencio is the special events coordinator for the Utah Tech Police Department and spearheaded the effort that night at the fountain. His job is to assess the security and safety needs on campus during large events. 

Fulgencio said that in previous years, there has been a police presence at True Trailblazer to help clear the area once the event is over, but this year was different. Twelve officers were present at Inferno while three were at the fountain, but more were asked to come help clear the students who showed up after expecting the event to take place as usual. 

“Throughout [Inferno], we have multitudes of officers roaming around,” he said. “Really, what we’re watching for is any kind of fights or disorderly activity.”

Fulgencio said using the buddy system at events like True Trailblazer is important to help avoid harmful situations.

“I would just make sure to understand the rules before you go there and have a safety plan,” he said. 

Similarly, Utah Tech’s Title IX Coordinator Hazel Sainsbury, said safety is in numbers.

“Go with people that you care about and friends that you have connections with,” Sainsbury said. “Have a plan on how you’re going to navigate the event together.”

Sainsbury’s job is to provide help to any students who have experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct, and she said the office has seen students struggle with their academic performance after some of these incidents have occurred. 

“My role is intervening in that process by providing them support measures and accommodations that would help them continue focusing on academics,” she said.

Sainsbury said it’s important to find ways to communicate with your friends if you feel unsafe in any situation, and to be aware of your surroundings.

“Let [the Title IX Office] see what we can do for you,” Sainsbury said. “We’re here to make sure that everyone has a productive and safe college experience.”

ChatGPT is offering its Pro subscription for free to university students until May 31. Students will have free access to advanced features like GPT-4 and OpenAI o1. 

AI programs like ChatGPT can be a useful study tool for students. In a survey from the Digital Education Council, 86% of students use AI to study, with 54% using AI on a weekly basis.

Students at Utah Tech University are allowed to use AI as a study aid according to official policies laid out in every course syllabus. UT policy recognizes the opportunities for innovation within AI, but states it cannot be used by students to submit plagiarized work.

“Generative artificial intelligence (AI) and associated technologies (e.g, ChatGPT, Perplexity, DALL-E2, etc.) have already brought to our campus significant opportunities for innovation in teaching and research along with concerns around the ethics of their implementation and utilization,” the policy said.

Alex Cutler, a senior software engineering major from St. George, works as a tutor who specializes in helping students use AI tools like ChatGPT responsibly.

“My advice would be don’t use it [AI] to do a whole final paper, but do use it to review rough drafts and peer reviews,” Cutler said. “AI will be helpful reviewing specific sections or a basic rundown of how a draft is looking.”

Miles Kindred, a junior marketing major from Layton, said he frequently uses AI as a study tool and has already signed up for the Pro subscription with ChatGPT. He uses the bot to make practice tests for exams.

“I’ll say ‘OK Chat, put something on the study guide that will help me solve this equation’ and I’ll keep having ChatGPT make me a study guide until I can take the test and just use the notes it gave me,” Kindred said.

Course policies also state that students may not use generative AI to submit as their own work, or else AI checkers will flag the submission and the student will have to meet with the instructor.

AI detection programs like GPTZero, Winston AI and AI Detector Pro will scan a piece of text and look for characteristics specific to AI writing styles. It flags things like a lack of consistency and coherence, human touch/creativity, and a lack of inconsistencies that show up in human writing.

Concerns about the use of AI detection tools to flag work worry some students on campus. The detection tools are imperfect at picking up AI work every time.

Cameron Dearing, a freshman general studies major from Ogden, said he has had some negative experiences with AI detectors in his courses.

“I plugged in my essay into a software that would read it back to me so I could listen to it, and I repasted it into the submission, so I had to go in and talk to her [my professor],” Dearing said. “It got flagged as 100% AI.”

AI tools can be used to complement the learning done in a classroom setting without replacing it.

Students who are interested in redeeming OpenAI’s offer of a free Pro subscription should be aware of how to use AI software as a tool that aligns with UT’s official policies. This will help them use it responsibly for studying this finals season.

The ninth annual Trailblazer Symposium hosted by the Utah Tech University Research Office celebrates research efforts across campus with the involvement of students, faculty, alumni and community members. It is a space where all can disseminate research projects, learn from other researchers to harness and practice public speaking skills, and make meaningful connections in the academic community.

The purpose of the Trailblazer Symposium is not only for students to be honored for their work, but also a career opportunity and learning experience that students can use to bolster their resume.

Breanna Blount, a senior criminal justice major from Las Vegas and intern for the Research Office, said she was involved in facilitating all parts of the Trailblazer Symposium. Blount said they’ve been preparing since the beginning of the semester, and involved effortful planning of presentation scheduling, registration, raffle prizes and catering.

Blount said, “As the Research Office, we want to be able to showcase student and faculty research in a way that isn’t really seen outside of events like this.”

The Trailblazer Symposium started the evening of April 18 in the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Arts Center auditorium, where Michael Lacourse, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, opened the event with welcoming remarks, reflecting on his commitment to the event over the past nine years and highlighting the importance of undergraduate research and the scientific process.

The recipients of the Distinguished Undergraduate Research Awards were invited on stage to present their research for the Ignite Talks. Each recipient was selected via faculty nomination to represent their college based on the originality, impact and rigor of their research.

Speakers presented their research in a fast-paced manner, with presentation slides that automatically advanced every 30 seconds for a total of five minutes. This challenged them to present their research in a concise and clear manner, showcasing their experience in conducting and presenting research.

Topics ranged from the use of AI in pre-service teachers in elementary education to the use of lighting in refining dance choreography.

After the opening remarks and Ignite Talks, students and faculty facilitated presentations across campus, where researchers presented their work to intimate audiences via oral presentations or fast-paced poster sessions.

Vinodh Chellamuthu, associate professor of math and director of the Research Office, said the Trailblazer Symposium featured over 140 presentations this year. This shows an ever-growing research community on campus, which furthers the mission of the Research Office.

Chellamuthu said: “If you think about it, no jobs are going to ask ‘Hey, do problem five from chapter five and I’ll give you a salary.’ Employers are actually looking for someone to use their classroom knowledge to solve messy real-world problems”.

Emma Johnson, a senior chemistry major from St. George and a presenter at the event, said her research involved finding ways to efficiently harvest water through atmospheric moisture with the intention to help with ongoing water needs, especially in areas like St. George.

“Getting the experience is super valuable to me,” Johnson said. “But I also think that it just helps you learn. I mean, applied learning is better than learning in a classroom, right?”

After more than a decade in business, a downtown St. George shop known for its repurposed furniture, eco-friendly home goods and handmade art is at a crossroads.

Reclaimed has seen a significant decrease in foot traffic, leaving the future in question as the owner faces tough decisions such as selling or liquidating the business. 

Jennifer Hawkins, Reclaimed owner, originally founded the business as a furniture repurposing shop in the St. George Industrial Park, but eventually relocated to downtown St. George Boulevard. This is where the business would thrive as her shop evolved into a diverse storefront, offering handmade art and 3D printed gifts. 

“The definition of reclaimed right out of the dictionary is to take something old, worn, cast out and make it usable again,” Hawkins said.

While the store saw growth with the relocation, recent changes have led to a sharp decline in visitors. Hawkins cited several factors, including parking and the relocation of popular downtown events, like the Downtown Farmers Market and First Friday, which once brought consistent crowds to Ancestor Square.

Kris Carter, co-owner of Shop St. George Boulevard, a social media agency highlighting local businesses, has seen firsthand the difficulties local shop owners face. 

Carter said Reclaimed is not the only business facing these same difficulties, and the goal of their agency is to bring awareness to small shops on the boulevard that offer a unique culture and community to the area.

Carter said, “If there’s no easy parking or poor walkability, it discourages people from stopping by.”

Tristen Osness, co-owner of neighboring business Rock House Records, said he hasn’t experienced the same struggles as Reclaimed.

However, he did cite a notable decline in business in 2024, due to the intense desert heat.

“Nobody wanted to go outside, so it hurt us a little bit,” Osness said.

He also said they get most of their business from tourists, and it’s rare to find locals shopping at Ancestor Square.

“Locals don’t come to downtown,” Osness said. “St. George still has that small town vibe, and the busy sections aren’t interesting. We like our quiet. That’s why I’m living here.”

Not only is parking and foot traffic impacting small businesses, but major retailers like Walmart, Target and the rise of online shopping have an impact as well.

“The thing you’re missing out on is the human experience, and I understand that a lot of people are coming back to that,” Hawkins said. “I just don’t know if it’s in time to save me.”

Carter also said the importance of shopping locally and how it impacts St. George’s economy.

“They [small businesses] are going to hire local [and] source local when they can and they spend local. So, they are the backbone of our economy,” Carter said.

The decline in customers tied to rising rent and operating costs has put Reclaimed in a difficult financial position. Hawkins also said it’s just her and her husband running the shop, as the overhead costs are too high to afford to hire employees.

With her lease ending in September, the future of Reclaimed remains unclear. If Hawkins doesn’t get enough business, she faces the decision of selling the business to preserve “character” on St. George Boulevard or liquidating the business and turning the next page. 

Some locals are expressing their discomfort and sadness if the business were to close down. Sharon, a local of 20 years, said she visits Reclaimed at least twice a year.

“I love the fact that it’s so eclectic and it’s just real fun to walk through, so I would feel bad if it wasn’t here,” Sharon said.

Hawkins said the ideal situation would be to stay and continue running the business, as she has years of curating meaningful connections by sharing her love for art and creativity.

Hawkins said: “If love were money, I’d be on vacation all the time because I’d be a rich woman. It’s because so many people love this place.”

April marks the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and St. George’s DOVE Center partnered with Utah Tech University and the Student Resource Center to display the “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit, which aims to raise awareness about sexual assault and the stigma surrounding it. 

Students and faculty who entered the Holland Centennial Commons March 28 were greeted with a collection of outfits hanging from wheeled display boards, which helped tell the stories of 10 anonymous sexual assault survivors. 

Hailey Henstrom is the rape and sexual assault education advocate for the DOVE Center, and was responsible for setting up this year’s exhibit.

“For my perspective working as an on-campus advocate for Utah Tech… I think there’s also value in holding it at the university for that reason, to raise awareness to students and help them understand the resources that are available to them,” Henstrom said.

Each survivor wrote a short blurb describing what they were wearing at the time they were sexually assaulted, which was displayed next to the clothes. This year’s exhibit showed 10 recreations of outfits raging from a T-shirt and sweatpants to a graduation cap and gown. The display intended to dispel the misconception that sexual assault survivors elicited the attack because of what they were wearing. 

Students passing through Holland’s main lobby have had the chance to stop and view the exhibit, one of whom was Allie Snook, a junior theater major from Corona, California. 

“I think it’s devastating, but it’s completely necessary,” she said when asked about the exhibit’s effectiveness. “It’s not something that’s easy to look at. It’s just important to raise awareness about it.”

Henstrom said they receive stories from survivors through the exhibit itself. There was a QR code posted at the main entrance for survivors to anonymously share their stories, and a few of the stories on display came from last year’s submissions. 

“I think a big goal of the exhibit is to amplify survivor voices and provide a space for people to tell their story,” Henstrom said. “It’s still a very impactful way for some people to share their story and feel heard in that.” 

The DOVE Center had a table with business cards that had their 24/7 hotline as well as a table for anyone to write letters of encouragement and love that will be given to survivors the center aims to help. They were also giving away teal ribbon stickers, as teal is the official color for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Liberty Widmer, a freshman marriage and family therapy major from Highland, expressed similar sentiments to Snook when she viewed the exhibit.

“I think it just helps people not feel alone and be able to share their stories,” Widmer said. “[It helps] people say, ‘Hey, I am not a victim. I am a survivor.’” 

The display will be up until April 11, and Henstrom invites students to explore other events the DOVE Center is hosting during April to continue raising awareness, including a photo scavenger hunt and a prize basket giveaway. Information can be found here or at the exhibit in the Holland.

The DOVE Center’s crisis helpline and Utah Tech’s Title IX office are resources to find help and report incidences of sexual assault.