FIELD NOTES GEOSCIENCES
FALL 2025
Geosciences Transitions into a New Era at USU Utah’s higher education landscape underwent significant changes this past year. In 2025, higher education was a top priority for the Utah Legislature, and the passage of House Bill 265 set in motion restructuring efforts across the state’s universities in response to mandated 10% across-the-board budget cuts and strategic reinvestment to earn these resources back over three years. At Utah State University, this legislation coincided with the early and unexpected departure of President Cantwell, contributing to a period of uncertainty for faculty, staff, and students alike. To address ongoing financial pressures, USU introduced a voluntary separation incentive program, enacted a series of programmatic changes, and undertook a substantial reorganization of its academic colleges. I’m pleased to report that the Department of Geosciences has emerged from this process as strong as ever, albeit in a new academic home. We are now part of the newly formed S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (QANR), the result of a merger between the former College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and the Quinney College of Natural Resources. Our previous home, the College of Science, has joined with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to create the new College of Arts and Sciences, an organizational model found at many peer institutions. Looking ahead, the future is bright for USU Geosciences. With most of the university’s Earth scientists now housed under one roof in our new college, QANR, new opportunities for interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and innovation are already emerging. We anticipate growth in our graduate and undergraduate programs and expect to report additional departmental restructuring efforts within our new college in the coming year. Stay tuned! Dennis Newell Interim Department Head