Utah State University Utah State University ( USU ) is a public research university located in Logan , Utah . It is a land - grant and space - grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities . Founded in 1888 as Utah ' s agricultural college , USU focused on agriculture , domestic arts , and mechanic arts . The university now offers programs in liberal arts , engineering , business , economics , natural resource sciences , as well as nationally ranked elementary & secondary education programs . The university has eight colleges and offers a total of 176 bachelor ' s degree s , 97 master ' s degrees , and 38 doctoral degree s . USU has grown extensively in the 21st century , which has been marked by a successful $ 400 million fundraising campaign and record levels of enrollment . USU ' s main campus is located in Logan with regional campuses in Brigham City , Tooele , and the Uintah Basin . In 2010 , the College of Eastern Utah , located in Price , Utah joined the USU system becoming Utah State University College of Eastern Utah ( USU Eastern ) . Throughout Utah , USU operates more than 20 distance education centers . Regional campuses , USU Eastern , and distance education centers provide degrees to more than 40 % of the students enrolled . In total , USU has more than 180 , 000 alumni in all 50 states and more than 100 countries . With more than 16 , 000 students living on or near campus , USU is the largest public residential campus in Utah . USU ' s athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the Utah State Aggies . They are currently members of the Western Athletic Conference , but will join the Mountain West Conference in 2013 . History . Background and founding . On December 16 , 1861 , Justin Morrill ( VT ) introduced a bill into the U . S . House of Representatives , " to establish at least one college in each state upon a sure and perpetual foundation , accessible to all , but especially to the sons of toil . . . " President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land - Grant Colleges Act into effect in July of the following year . Meanwhile , after visiting a few rural agricultural schools in his native Denmark , Anthon H . Lund of the Utah Territorial Legislature decided that there existed in Utah a need for such a school fusing the highest in scientific and academic research with agriculture , the way of life for the vast majority of locals . Upon returning to the states , Lund heard about the Morrill Act , and pitched a vision for the college that would receive widespread support among the Territorial Legislature , who was at the time seeking to reapply for statehood . Now there came the question of location . According to historian Joel Ricks in 1938 , " Provo had received the Insane Asylum , Salt Lake City had the University and Capitol , and the majority of the legislature felt that the new institutions should be given to Weber and Cache Counties . " Citizens in Logan , Cache County , banded together and successfully lobbied representatives for the honor . The bill to establish the Agricultural College of Utah was passed on March 8 , 1888 , and on September 2 , 1890 , 14 - year - old Miss Vendla Berntson enrolled as its first student . Consolidation controversies . In its early years , the college narrowly dodged two major campaigns to consolidate its operations with the University of Utah . Much controversy arose in response to President William J . Kerr ' s expansion of the college ' s scope beyond its agricultural roots . Detractors in Salt Lake City feared that such an expansion would come at the expense of the University of Utah , and pushed consolidation as a counter . In 1907 , an agreement was struck to instead limit the curricula of the Agricultural College strictly to agriculture , domestic science , and mechanic arts . This meant closing all departments in Logan , including the already - impressive music department , which did not fall under that umbrella . Consequently , the University of Utah became solely responsible , for a time , for courses in engineering , law , medicine , fine arts , and pedagogy , despite the Agricultural College ' s initial charter in 1888 which mandated that it offer instruction in such things . The bulk of the curricular restrictions were lifted over the next two decades , with the exception of law and medicine , which have since remained the sole property of the University of Utah . Widespread growth . Amid the tumult , the Agricultural College grew modestly , adding its statewide Extension program in 1914 . A year later , the first master ' s degrees were awarded . UAC , as it was commonly abbreviated , also received a notable boost as a direct result of World War I . Colleges and universities nationwide were temporarily transformed into training grounds for the short - lived Student Army Training Corps , composed of students who received military instruction and could then return to their educations following their military service . As the then - tiny campus could not otherwise support such large numbers of new students , college president Elmer Peterson convinced the state in 1918 to appropriate funds for permanent brick buildings , which could be used as barracks for SATC students during the war , and instruction afterward . Though the war was soon to end , the campus essentially doubled in size . The 1920s and 1930s saw the genesis of major growth . A School of Education was added in 1928 , a prelude to the institution being renamed Utah State Agricultural College in 1929 . Doctoral degrees were first granted in 1950 . In 1957 , the school was granted university status as Utah State University of Agriculture and Applied Science ; but the short name Utah State University is used even in official documents . At the beginning of World War II , Utah State was one of six colleges selected by the United States Navy to give a Primary School in the highly unusual Electronics Training Program ( ETP ) . Starting 23 March 1942 , and each month thereafter , a new group of 100 Navy students arrived for three months of 14 - hour days in concentrated electrical engineering study . Smart Gymnasium was converted to a dormitory , and Old Main was fitted out for classrooms and laboratories . Larry S . Cole was named Program Director and Waldo G . Hobson was the Director of Instruction . ETP admission required passing the Eddy Test , one of the most selective qualifying exams given during the war years . At a given time , some 300 Navy students were on the campus , greatly augmenting the war - years regular enrollment of 1000 . Sidney R . Stock had earlier developed the Radio and Aviation Department , and entered the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander to assist in organizing electronics training . He was a member of the committee in Washington that planned the ETP , and shortly returned to Utah State as the Officer - in - Charge . The ETP Primary School continued at Utah State until August 1944 , graduating about 2 , 750 students in 30 classes . During the late 1970s , controversy again erupted on campus surrounding the school ' s historically large Iranian population . As U . S . relations with Iran began to deteriorate throughout the decade , Iranian students on campus began staging protests against the Shah , which protests met with some backlash in the community . Following the outbreak of the hostage crisis of 1979 , immigration officials arrived on campus to interview each Iranian , an event which alienated many international and domestic students . For a time , the population of Middle Eastern students declined sharply and has only recently begun to rise again . Toward the end of the 20th century , Utah State began taking more strides to shed its reputation as a small regional college and transform itself into a nationally prominent university . Under the auspices of President George Emert , who served at USU ' s helm from 1992 to 2000 , the university ' s endowment increased from $ 7 million to $ 80 million . Scholarships , contracts , and grants increased substantially as well . 21st century . Recently , especially under the tenure of current president Stan Albrecht , USU has forged collaborations with several foreign institutions and governments . The university is continuing to grow in terms of enrollment , endowment , and research . The Merrill - Cazier Library opened in 2005 , and other facilities have followed . In 2010 , USU acquired both the Swaner EcoCenter outside Park City as well as the former College of Eastern Utah , with its two campuses and various undergraduate and vocational programs . In 2012 , the university successfully concluded a $ 400 million fundraising campaign — the largest ever at USU — which Albrecht said will go down in history as one of USU ' s most pivotal moments . System . As Utah ' s land grant university , the Utah State University system operates throughout the state of Utah . The earliest roots of USU ' s distance education go back to 1904 when USU professors traveled by train from Logan to Burley , Idaho to deliver dairy lectures . In 1919 , USU began offering courses that allowed students to stay at home . Then , in the 1950 ' s , professors regularly drove around the state to teach courses and advise students . The first regional campus , Uintah Basin , was designated by the Utah State Legislature in 1967 . The next year , " flying professors " traveled weekly to teach at USU ' s various campuses and centers . Traveling to - and - from the centers was necessary until satellite systems were installed in 1996 . In 2005 , University President Stan Albrecht established USU Regional Campuses and Distance Education . The system grew in 2010 with the addition of USU Eastern to nearly one half of USU ' s enrollment . Today , the USU system includes the College of Eastern Utah , 3 Regional Campuses , 21 Distance Education centers , and 30 Extension sites . In 2012 , RCDE completed construction of the Distance Education Building which houses broadcast classrooms , RCDE offices , and the Utah Education Network . USU - College of Eastern Utah . Located in Price , Utah , the former College of Eastern Utah joined the USU system in 2010 and became Utah State University College of Eastern Utah ( USU Eastern ) . USU Eastern operates a satellite campus , known as the San Juan campus , in Blanding , Utah . Before the merger , USU taught courses at the college through Regional Campuses and Distance Education ( RCDE ) . USU Eastern is a junior college and offers Associate ' s degrees , certificates , and vocational programs however Bachelor ' s , Master ' s and Doctoral courses are available on site through RCDE . USU Eastern competes as the Eastern Utah Golden Eagles and is the only campus besides Logan that has an athletics program . Regional Campuses and Distance Education . Regional Campuses and Distance Education ( RCDE ) work to fulfill USU ' s land - grant mission to increase access to a high quality education throughout the state of Utah . Growth of RCDE is outpacing that of the Logan campus with enrollment up 4 . 5 % to 12 , 650 students enrolled in RCDE courses in 2011 . Regional campuses exist in Brigham City , Tooele , and the Uintah Basin ( Vernal and Roosevelt ) . RCDE offers courses at Price and San Juan campuses that constituted the former College of Eastern Utah ( now known as USU - College of Eastern Utah ) . Distance Education operates 21 education centers throughout the state including Moab , Kaysville , Ephraim , Orem , and Salt Lake City . At each of these locations , students may receive a wide selection of degrees without ever stepping foot on the Logan campus . Courses and degrees are also made available online through Distance Education . USU has a growing presence in Moab , which had 295 students in 2011 . A new 20 - acre campus is planned on donated land and fueled by a $ 15 million gift from the Wendy Walker - Tibbetts Family . The City of Moab committed up to $ 75 , 000 per year over the next 10 years to promote the development of the campus . Degrees specific to the needs of the community , including social work and recreation resource management , are planned for the new campus . Cooperative Extension . Started in 1914 , Utah State University Cooperative Extension , referred to simply as Extension , provides research - based , unbiased information to communities through their county offices and are an integral part of a land - grant institution . Extension operates 30 offices throughout the state , which include Swaner EcoCenter , Thanksgiving Point , and the Utah Botanical Center . With a focus on teaching , research , and public service , Extension programs include 4 - H , agribusiness , Expanded Food and Nutrition Education , gardening and yard care , personal finance , and animal health . Logan Campus . USU ' s main campus in Logan is considered one of the university ' s greatest assets . It is situated on about , approximately one mile northeast of downtown Logan , at the mouth of Logan Canyon . The campus lies on a " bench , " or shelf - like foothill overlooking the valley to the west . Mount Logan and the Bear River Range rise sharply to the immediate east . The campus contains over a hundred major buildings . Most student activity is centered around the south end of campus , which is home to the vast majority of academic departments , the quad , the Taggart Student Center , and the Old Main building . Notable structures include Old Main , the college ' s first building , as well as the Merrill - Cazier Library , the ultra - modern main university library , which houses over 1 , 549 , 000 total volumes . The library also boasts an extensive special collections and archives area , an automated storage and retrieval system , and over 150 workstations and 33 group study rooms . Also notable is the Manon Caine Russell - Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall , an architectural marvel which is said to contain some of the best acoustics in the entire Western United States . The Logan City Cemetery splits much of the campus in half . To the south lie most academic buildings , and to the west and north are situated the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and Romney Stadium , respectively . Many scientific and agricultural research buildings are located even farther north . Nearby Logan Canyon is a popular recreation destination for students , with a system of trails and parks running along the river . In addition to camping and hiking , the canyon also serves as the primary route to nearby Beaver Mountain Ski Resort and Bear Lake . The university ' s Outdoor Recreation Program rents camping , water sports , mountain sports , and winter sports equipment to students , as well as providing them with area trail maps and expertise for their ventures into the canyon and elsewhere . Student life . Utah State is the largest public residential campus in the state , and nearly 16 , 000 students live on or directly adjacent to campus . The university is the center of activity for the entire area , and the campus community is considered very close - knit . 21 widely varying on - campus buildings house single students , and 39 buildings on the north side of campus are available for married housing . Many more students live in the multitude of off - campus housing options nearby . Students on campus may choose to dine in one of two cafeterias , as well as the Quadside Cafe at Merrill - Cazier Library , the full - service Skyroom restaurant , and the Hub , which includes fast - food restaurants such as Hogi Yogi and Taco Time . On the east edge of campus sits Aggie Ice Cream , a local tourist hotspot dating back to 1888 , which produces " world - famous " ice cream and cheese products , as well as sandwiches and soups . Starting out in Old Main , USU has had a creamery since its founding in 1888 . Students studying dairying and domestic arts applied to learn how to make both ice cream and cheeses . In 1921 , Gustav Wilster began working with the College of Agriculture , and by 1922 , students were studying dairy technology , fluid milk processing , ice cream manufacture , dairy engineering , cheese manufacture , butter making , dairy facility inspection , and dairy product judging . Wilster ' s students would go on to create Casper ' s Ice Cream , Farr ' s Ice Cream , and Snelgrove ' s Ice Cream . In 1975 , the Nutrition and Food Sciences building was built , which is where Aggie Ice Cream is housed today . Aggie Ice Cream receives its milk from the Caine Dairy Research and Teaching Center located near the Wellsville Mountains . Along with Aggie Ice Cream , well - known traditions include the rite of passage of becoming a True Aggie , which requires a student to kiss someone who is already a True Aggie on top of the Block " A . " Two students may also become True Aggies together on Homecoming night or on A - Day . At one point recently , USU held the title in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most couples kissing at the same place at the same time . Nearby the Block " A " is the lighted " A " atop the Old Main tower , which shines white throughout the entire valley , and blue on nights when a varsity sport has picked up a victory , or other special events have occurred on campus . Students have full access to the HPER ( pronounced " hyper " ) and the Nelson Fieldhouse , exercise facilities which include basketball courts , indoor rock climbing , gymnastics equipment , two swimming pools , racquetball , squash , and outdoor field space for lacrosse , rugby , soccer , ultimate , and other sports . USU students are also involved in more than 100 clubs , an active and influential student government , five fraternities and three sororities , multiple intramural and club sports , and a student - run radio station . In 1970 , Utah State student Sue Brown and Director of Student Activities Val R . Christensen created one of the first service organization in the nation . VOICE , Volunteer Organization for Involvement in the Community and Environment , worked to improve the environment and social issues in Cache Valley . VOICE became The Val R . Christensen Service Center in 1999 in honor of Dr . Christensen ’ s efforts and support of the organization . Today , students are involved in more than 20 service organizations including Aggie Special Olympics , Aggies for Africa , Alternative Breaks , and Senior University . Colleges . Founded in 1888 , Utah State University is the agricultural college and land grant institution for Utah . In 1903 , USU was divided into five schools : the School of Agriculture , the School of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanical Arts , the School of Home Economics , the School of General Science , and the School of Commerce . In 1907 , the State of Utah prohibited USU from providing degrees in teaching and engineering ( to prevent competition with the University of Utah ) . In 1923 , the University expanded to six academic colleges : Agriculture , Home Economics , Agricultural Engineering , Commerce and Business Administration , Mechanic Arts , and General Science . In 1924 , the institution added a School of Education , and restructured the School of General Science to include a School of Basic Arts and Sciences . Today , USU is organized into eight academic colleges : Caine College of the Arts . Formerly existing as a non - degree - granting institution within the College of Humanities , Arts & Social Sciences , the Caine College became a free - standing college on July 1 , 2010 . The Caine College of the Arts houses the departments of Art & Design , Music , and Theatre Arts , along with the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art . Performance facilities include the Chase Fine Arts Center , which houses the Kent Concert Hall among other venues , and the free - standing Manon Caine Russell - Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall , completed in 2006 . The 400 - seat Performance Hall , designed by the architectural firm Sasaki Associates , has been praised as one of the best acoustic performance spaces in the American West , and received an Honor Award from the Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects . The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art , designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes and opened in 1982 , contains one of the largest art collections in the Intermountain Region . Its holdings include nationally significant collections of ceramics , Native American art , and especially artworks produced in the American West since 1945 . USU ' s music program is particularly renowned in the region . Prominent faculty include Dean Craig Jessop , longtime director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir , as well as opera singer Michael Ballam , Juilliard - trained pianist Gary Amano , and the Fry Street Quartet , USU ' s string quartet - in - residence . College of Agriculture . The College of Agriculture is known for Nutrition and Food Science research , as well as significant breakthroughs and global outreach in plants and soil science , animal science , veterinary science and economics . College researchers were instrumental in the creation of the first cloned equines ( horses ) , in a project collaboration with researchers at the University of Idaho . The college is also a leader in the international project to classify and research the sheep genome . The College of Agriculture includes six departments : Applied Sciences , Technology & Education ; Animal , Dairy & Veterinary Sciences ; Applied Economics ; Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning ; Nutrition , Dietetics & Food Sciences ; and Plants , Soils & Climate . The College is also home to Utah ' s first Doctor of Veterinary Medicine ( DVM ) program . The program is a regional program in collaboration with Washington State University in Pullman , Wash . Each year , the program accepts 20 Utah residents and 10 non - Utah residents . Students spend their first two years receiving pre - clinical training at USU ’ s Logan campus . They spend the final two years at WSU ’ s College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman , Washington completing the clinical portion of their veterinary education . College of Engineering . Much of USU ' s most widespread academic renown stems directly from the College of Engineering . USU houses the Space Dynamics Laboratory ( SDL ) , which is a research facility focusing on military and science applications . The SDL frequently submits projects to the Department of Defense and NASA . According to recent National Science Foundation statistics , USU ranked first among all universities in the U . S . in funding for aerospace research . USU has also won multiple national aerospace engineering competitions in the past , including two in the 2008 – 09 academic year alone . The Utah Water Research Laboratory is the oldest and largest facility of its kind in the nation . USU is considered the world ' s No . 1 university in a number of water - related engineering and scientific disciplines due in large part to the UWRL . The lab heads and contributes to numerous international projects , particularly in arid Middle Eastern nations . College of Humanities and Social Sciences . The College of Humanities and Social Sciences , the largest college at Utah State University , is also its most diverse and touches nearly every student on campus through its teaching of required general education classes . The College houses eight departments and more than 30 programs . Departments include English , history , journalism and communication , languages , philosophy and speech communication , military science , political science , sociology , social work and anthropology . In the Humanities , USU has long history in the study of the American West . The university , through its departments of English and History , respectively , is the host institution for the scholarly journals " Western American Literature " and the " Western Historical Quarterly " , the official publications of the Western Literature Association and the Western History Association , respectively . The Mountain West Center for Regional Studies , a Humanities outreach center at USU , sponsors public events and research focusing on the cultures and history of the Interior West and larger American West . University Special Collections and Archives , located at the Merrill - Cazier Library , has extensive archival holdings documenting the histories of Utah , the Intermountain West , and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints , as well as one of the nation ' s largest collections pertaining to American folklore , and the lives and works of western authors such as Jack London and poet May Swenson , a Logan native and USU alumna . The college also houses the USU Museum of Anthropology , currently located in Old Main . College of Science . Among the most notable aspects of USU ' s College of Science includes the rate at which its students are accepted into medical and dental schools . Despite the absence of such professional schools on site in Logan , students are admitted to medical and dental programs at a rate of nearly 30 percent above the national average each year . This is due in large part to the rigorous Prehealth Advising Program and resources like the Cadaver Lab , to which undergraduates have access . In the past decade , the Physics Department alone has produced a Rhodes Scholar , a Marshall Scholar , a Fulbright Student Scholar , nine Goldwater Scholars , and two Carnegie Professors of the Year . The College of Science houses the Departments of Biology , Chemistry & Biochemistry , Physics , Computer Science , Mathematics & Statistics , and Geology . The Department of Mathematics & Statistics includes one of only three actuarial science programs in the West . Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services . USU ' s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services has been ranked by " U . S . News and World Report " in the top 2 % of prestigious graduate schools of education in the U . S . for the past decade . The college houses one of America ' s few combined programs in graduate psychology training , which integrates doctoral - level training across clinical , counseling , and school psychology , and is accredited by the American Psychological Association . Faculty are active in many of areas of psychological research , including neuropsychology , child development , health psychology , and behavior therapy . Department of Psychology professor Karl R . White is director of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management , which focuses on the early identification and intervention of hearing loss in infants and young children . USU is the only university in the state of Utah to have a Housing & Financial Counseling program offered through the college ' s department of Family , Consumer , and Human Development . This program offers debt counseling , budget counseling , mortgage default prevention counseling , and reverse mortgage counseling through the USU Family Life Center , which also houses the Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic . Jon M . Huntsman School of Business . In 2007 , Utah State ' s College of Business became the Jon M . Huntsman School of Business after a $ 26 million donation by the philanthropist Jon Huntsman , Sr . The School hopes to model itself after Huntsman ' s alma mater , the prestigious Wharton School of Business located at the University of Pennsylvania . The Huntsman School of Business offers a number of graduate and undergraduate degrees in fields including management , accounting , economics , finance , and management information systems ( MIS ) . The bachelor ' s degrees in entrepreneurship and international business are unique to USU within the state . The prestigious School of Accountancy is distinguished by perennial Top 5 rankings in CPA exam scores by its grad students , as well as its Institute of Management Accountants , which has received a " Gold Level Award of Excellence " for each of the past 14 years , essentially making it the top such institute in the nation . The Huntsman School widely touts its travel programs , including the unique Huntsman Scholar Program , and the impressive transformation it is undergoing as it puts its new resources to use . This effort has included the hiring of high - profile faculty , such as Stephen R . Covey , influential management scholar and author of the wildly popular best - seller " The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People " . Covey taught classes from 2010 until his death in 2012 . In 2011 , the Utah Legislature approved funding for a new business building to be located south of the Eccles Business Building . The new building was funded by $ 16 million in private funds and $ 14 million in state funds . The building will include classrooms , faculty offices , a business library and three new business centers . S . J . and Jessie E . Quinney College of Natural Resources . USU has a long and illustrious history in the science and management of forests , rangeland , wildlife , and fisheries and watersheds . Many graduates of the Quinney College of Natural Resources have gone on to high - level careers in the National Forest Service , National Park Service , and the Bureau of Land Management , and its graduate programs attract high numbers of international students . The college also operates the Quinney Library , which houses collections relevant for natural resources education , management , and research . The college was formally renamed the S . J . and Jessie E . Quinney College of Natural Resources in 2012 after a $ 10 million donation was received by the S . J . and Jessie E . Quinney Foundation . The Quinneys were both graduates of USU ( then the Agricultural College of Utah ) , and their foundation has supported the College of Natural Resources for 40 years , contributing more than $ 40 million in all . The Quinney College of Natural Resources includes the departments of Watershed Sciences , Environment and Society , and Wildland Resources . Academics . As of Fall 2010 , Utah State University enrolled 22 , 100 undergraduate students and 3 , 667 graduate students . 9 , 295 of these students were enrolled exclusively at regional campuses or in distance education . USU is home to more Carnegie Professors of the Year than any other school in Utah , and boasts nine of the last 15 for the state . The Carnegie is a teaching award , and in fact , USU strongly stresses close undergraduate involvement for even their most prestigious faculty . According to a recent survey , 49 . 7 % of all faculty teach undergraduates , and 63 . 5 % say they ' ve worked with an undergraduate on a research project in the last two years . The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities . USU is also home to a dynamic and successful Honors Program . Rankings . In recent years , Utah State University has received high national rankings in a diverse array of categories , especially in regards to overall value . In 2010 , " Forbes " listed USU as the No . 1 highest - ranked public university in the nation within its category of most inexpensive places to go to school . It is also the No . 1 public university in the West ( and in the top 5 public universities nationwide ) on the similar " Forbes " list of " America ' s Best College Buys . " USU has also in the past been ranked 1st in the nation among public universities , by " U . S . News and World Report " , for graduates with the least amount of debt . " The Princeton Review " has ranked Utah State among the " Best Western " schools for many years , and " Popular Science " called it one of the Top 10 Smartest Schools in the nation . The university also leads the nation in funding for aerospace research and the number of student experiments actually sent out into space . Various entities within the university have received high departmental rankings , such as the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services , which ranks 2nd in the nation for total research dollars received by any one college , and in the top 2 % for all graduate colleges of education . The athletics program recently won a National Championship for most sports success per dollar spent . Logan and the surrounding communities also feature prominently on national lists , including No . 1 safest U . S . metropolitan area , No . 3 in " Best Cities to Find a Job " , and No . 10 in " Best Small Places for Business and Careers " . Research and environmentalism . Utah State University is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a research university with " high research activity . " It received a record $ 187 million in research awards during the 2010 fiscal year , a 29 percent increase over the previous year . In addition to its faculty and graduate work , the university strongly emphasizes the importance of undergraduate research . USU ' s Undergraduate Research program recently celebrated its 35th anniversary , making it one of the oldest such organizations in the nation . Along with the University of Utah , USU is an anchor in the Utah Science Technology and Research ( USTAR ) program , which is aimed at optimizing the university and region ' s most marketable strengths with the goal of bolstering Utah ' s high - tech economy . Nine USTAR teams currently perform research at Utah State . USTAR and USU ' s Advanced Transportation Institute developed charging technology for electric buses . Now , buses can be powered through wireless induction technology . The bus stops over magnetic pads that will charge the bus while passengers load and unload . A prototype of the technology began service on the University of Utah campus in 2012 . Notable research centers based at USU include the Space Dynamics Laboratory , Energy Dynamics Laboratory , Utah Water Research Laboratory , Center for High Performance Computing , Utah Climate Center , Center for Advanced Nutrition , Center for the School of the Future , National Aquatic Monitoring Center , Intermountain Center for River Rehabilitation and Restoration , Mountain West Center for Regional Studies , and Utah Botanical Center , among others . In 2010 , the university received ownership of the more than $ 30 million Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter outside of Park City . The center consists of a land trust and a , state - of - the - art facility dedicated to environmental education . The preserve protects critical wetland and foothill terrain in the heart of one of the state ’ s fastest - growing areas , and the EcoCenter , completed in 2009 , is a multi - use facility with space for educational and community activities . The facility is LEED Platinum Certified , the highest standard for design , construction and operation of high - performance green buildings . Through the Department of Physics ( College of Science ) , Utah State University has placed more student experiments into space than any educational institution in the world . A team of USU and University of Idaho researchers were the first in the world to successfully clone an equine . The baby mule , named Idaho Gem , was born May 4 , 2003 . USU researchers made headlines in 2011 after breeding transgenic goats . Utah State University professor Randy Lewis ' " spider goats " , the milk of which contains spider silk , are being studied for uses including human muscle tissue and light - weight bulletproof vests . Research efforts are underway to produce a cost - competitive bio - diesel from algae . Lance Seefeldt and other professors formed the Biofuels Program at Energy Dynamics Laboratory to develop new and emerging technologies that will produce methane , biodiesel , hydrogen and alcohols from renewable , carbon - dioxide - neutral energy sources , such as consumer and agricultural waste and sunlight . Dallas Hanks , a doctoral student , has initiated a program at the university called FreeWays to Fuel , which is growing oilseed crops for biodiesel in previously unused municipal land such as highway roadsides . Hanks estimates that in the U . S . , of such unused land exists — land which generally serves no other purpose and currently costs tax dollars to maintain . Early yields from the crops are promising , and the program has spread to other land - grant universities across the nation . He has a goal to produce of biofuel in five years . Utah State University promotes the OpenCourseWare ( OCW ) Project ( open and free university courses ) and is developing an open content management system for OCW called eduCommons . This open source content management system is one of the important technology projects in the MIT OpenCourseWare Initiative . eduCommons aids in the creation of OCW sites and has already been adopted by several universities for this purpose . Athletics . USU ' s sports teams are known as the Aggie s and are a part of the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) . They will join the Mountain West Conference in 2013 . The university sponsors football , men ' s and women ' s basketball , volleyball , softball , women ' s soccer , track and field , golf , tennis , cross country , and gymnastics . An array of club sports exist as well , and among them , lacrosse , hockey and baseball teams are particularly popular with students . The crown jewel of Aggie athletics has long been the men ' s basketball team , which plays in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum , which has been called one of the nation ' s top 5 loudest and most difficult places for opposing teams to play . ESPN has also named USU ' s student section among the smartest in the nation . During the 2008 – 09 season , USU ' s ranking in the ESPN / USA Today Coaches ' Poll rose as high as # 17 . USU basketball is 157 – 12 at home during the Stew Morrill era , has received 6 NCAA Tournament berths in the last ten years , and has amassed more wins than any team in the nation except Duke , Kansas , and Gonzaga during that time . After many years of futility in football , USU has risen to new heights under head coach Gary Andersen , ending the 2012 regular season with its USU ' s first - ever 10 - win season , its first WAC championship , and nationwide Top 25 rankings in all three major polls . In addition to Andersen ' s hiring , the football program ' s renaissance can be attributed in part to a recent emphasis , under Athletics Director Scott Barnes , on recruiting , TV coverage , fundraising , facilities upgrades , and internal reorganization , despite the athletics department ' s dismal budget in comparison with other state and WAC schools . In recognition of these efforts , USU Athletics was crowned the 2009 National Champion of the Excellence in Management Cup , which seeks to identify the university that wins the most championships with the lowest expenses . The Aggies have been members of the WAC since 2005 and have won several conference championships in that time , including men ' s basketball in 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , and 2011 , football in 2012 , indoor track in 2008 , outdoor track in 2007 and 2009 , and cross country for numerous years . Women ' s cross country has also won WAC championships in 2006 and 2008 , and women ' s soccer won in 2008 . Utah State has won numerous conference championships in previous conferences . National championships include women ' s volleyball in 1978 and softball in 1980 and 1981 . Media . Journals published by the university include " Utah Science , Western Historical Quarterly " , and " Western American Literature " . The Utah State University Press publishes works in composition studies , folklore , Mormon history , Native American studies , nature and environment , and western history . " The Utah Statesman " , or simply " The Statesman " , and " Hard News Cafe " are the primary news outlets that serve the USU student body . " The Statesman " is a student - run paper with a faculty adviser . The paper is funded partly by a student fee of $ 2 per semester and partly by the sale of advertisements . " The Statesman " is published three times per week and distributed free of charge on campus and to certain off - campus USU offices . " The Statesman " won the Society for Professional Journalist ' s Best Column Writing award in 2002 and Best Non - Daily Student Paper in 2005 . " Hard News Cafe " is a news website operated by USU ' s Department of Journalism and Communications . Utah Public Radio , based at the university , is heard on KUSU ( 91 . 5 FM ) and KUSR ( 89 . 5 FM ) in Logan , and throughout Utah on a system of 26 translators . UPR broadcasts " a mix of information , public affairs , and fine arts programming . " KUSU is a National Public Radio member station , and an affiliate of Public Radio International . In addition , an entirely student - run radio station called Fusion HD3 broadcasts on the third HD channel of 89 . 5 in Cache Valley and online . Aggie Television ( ATV ) is a cable service lineup of approximately 110 channels offered free of charge to all on - campus residents . ATV produces Crossroads , a bulletin / announcement channel ; and Aggie Advantage , providing local and student video programming . Notable people . On June 13 , 1899 , graduates of the Agricultural College of Utah met to create the Alumni Association . Today , the Alumni Association is located in the historic David B . Haight Alumni Center , which was dedicated July 11 , 1991 . Alumni chapters exist in Arizona , California , Colorado , Idaho , Nevada , Oregon , Utah , Washington , and Washington DC . USU boasts more than 180 , 000 alumni in each U . S . state and more than 100 countries . Particularly notable alumni include Harry Reid , current U . S . Senate Majority Leader ; May Swenson , poet ; Merlin Olsen , pro football hall - of - famer , actor , and TV personality ; Rick Bass , writer and environmental activist ; Charlie Denson , President of Nike Brand ; Chris Cooley , pro - football tight - end for the Washington Redskins ; and Mary L . Cleave , NASA astronaut . Particularly notable faculty include Stephen R . Covey , author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ; Michael Ballam , renowned tenor and general director of the Utah Festival Opera ; and Don L . Lind , NASA Astronaut and member of " The Original 19 " .