Featured Post from Southern Utah University

Bringing Green Infrastructure Home

Jul 2, 2018

3 min

A cost-effective and resilient way to manage weather impact, green infrastructure provides many environmental, social, and economic benefits. Green infrastructure can be as complicated as a large city park, or as simple as trees planted along a sidewalk. While infrastructure includes roads, bridges, buildings, and lights, green infrastructure is built to incorporate nature.


Southern Utah University (SUU) is utilizing green infrastructure as a resource for the Cedar City community and a place for SUU students to conduct research. Found on the roof of the L.S. & Aline W. Skaggs Center for Health & Molecular Sciences on SUU’s upper campus, the green roof is covered with plants and a thin layer of material in which the plants grow. This green roof helps to insulate the building from the extreme cold and hot temperatures of Cedar City, as well as soaking up rain to prevent flooding.


Dr. Jacqualine Grant is an associate professor of biology at SUU and the director of the Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History. As a conservation biologist, her work focuses on green infrastructure and organismal biology related to insects, mammals, and amphibians.


“A green roof is covered with plants and a special soil-like matrix in which tough plants can grow,” said Dr. Grant. “The green roof at SUU was created in 2010 as part of the national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process that gives us national recognition for sustainability on campus. The green roof helps to insulate our building and protect it from the damaging rays of the sun. Other benefits include the ability of green roofs to soak up stormwater runoff that might lead to flooding, and to provide habitat for urban pollinators.”


The first years of SUU’s research, supported by the National Science Foundation, showed that very few pollinators were attracted to the non-native plants on the roof, so in 2016 native plants were added.


“In urban areas, green roofs can be important for connecting wild habitats to each other and for providing urban habitat,” said Dr. Grant. “The most studied green roof inhabitants are insects, but birds, lizards, and even bats have been known to use green roofs if they are furnished with shelter and the right plants.”



SUU students gain research experience by studying the green roof and have built a special piece of equipment called a lysimeter, used to measure how much water is used on the green roof. Their research will help determine if, in addition to insulating the building, green roofs can also be used to grow food.


Providing urban biodiversity, reducing noise and air pollution, and increasing the lifetime of the roof, a green roof offers countless environmental benefits and are very cost-effective in dense areas where stormwater management costs are high and energy conservation is a priority. Green infrastructure may seem to have an urban focus and feel out of reach to the average homeowner, but by repurposing the flow of stormwater, homeowners can help reduce the flow of water into storm drains and save on water bills too.


Dr. Grant has three simple suggestions to create green infrastructure and water conservation improvements around your home:


1. Build a green roof on a dog house or backyard shade shelter. Remember that green roofs are heavy so your construction needs extra support to hold the weight of plants, matrix, and water. Need instructions? Check out Pet Project's DIY Green Roof Dog House.

2. Map where the water flows in your yard after a rainstorm. Is the water flowing away from yard and down the street? You might consider a landscape design that encompasses rainwater harvesting to nourish your plants. Check your local regulations and read Brad Lancaster's great book, Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond.

3. Ask your local extension agent to measure how effective your irrigation system is. They can help you determine how much to water and possibly recommend some low-water native grasses for the lawn.


As a conservation biologist, Dr. Grant’s work focuses on green infrastructure and organismal biology related to insects, mammals, and amphibians. She is familiar with the media and available for an interview. Simply visit her profile.

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Southern Utah University

1 min

Persuasive Attack: Threatening Reputations in Public Discourse

The Department of Communications at Southern Utah University has been busy with a recent book launch garnering attention. Dr. Kevin Stein and Dr. Matt Barton recently published Persuasive Attack: Threatening Reputations in Public Discourse. The book investigates the nature of persuasive attack by examining the strategies used in various cases to denigrate an individual or organization for their behavior and/or character. This groundbreaking book explores the intricate dynamics of persuasive communication, offering a critical framework for understanding how rhetorical strategies can influence public perception and discourse. Dr. Matthew H. Barton teaches courses in Persuasion, Communication Theory, Critical Thinking, Health Communication, and Interpersonal Communication. Dr. Kevin A. Stein's research focuses primarily on the rhetoric of attack (kategoria), defense (apologia), and persuasive responses to defense (antapologia). Other academic interests include political campaign communication and popular culture. Interested in learning more about this topic or looking to speak with either Barton or Stein - then let us help. Simply click on either expert's icon now to arrange an interview today.

3 min

SUU Professor and Author Todd Petersen meets with Utah Prison Book Club

Southern Utah University Professor of English and Cedar City-based author Todd Robert Petersen shared his most recent novel with the Utah Prison Education Project’s (UPEP) book club. Petersen joined the club to discuss his book, Picnic in the Ruins, and engage with readers eager to share their thoughts and questions. “The book club program at the Utah State Prison is such an interesting program, and I was so grateful to be invited to join the group for an evening as they discussed my novel,” said Petersen. “The readers in the group were so well prepared and had so many amazing insights and perspectives to share. I love knowing that these students were so dedicated to reading carefully and well, and preparing themselves to participate in a very high-level discussion.” Petersen has found literacy, creative thinking, and analytical thinking to be crucial skills for the future and tries to teach those skills in his courses at SUU. Petersen currently teaches Writing for the Screen, Screen Aesthetics, Advanced Fiction Writing, and Creative Writing Capstone. “It’s a thrill to know that my book can be a tool for that kind of teaching in this special education program,” said Petersen. “It feels like a wonderful way to explore how my creative work and teaching goals can intersect in a meaningful way.” The UPEP book club, established in 2019, has grown from three initial participants to a thriving community of readers from diverse backgrounds. The club meets every week to explore literature centered around a chosen theme. This fall, the theme, “Deseret Dreamers,” highlights works by authors with ties to Utah. The group relies on donations to provide members with copies of the books they discuss, and afterward, the books are donated to the prison library. “Having new books in here is like a treasure for a lot of guys,” said “Craig,” a long-standing club participant. “We get to escape, explore, and see things from a different perspective.” The club members not only brought annotated copies of the book, but also notes, questions, and quotes that resonated with them. “I was so impressed with how carefully they had read it and how much they had researched the issues the book brings up,” Petersen said. “You drive by these buildings and form perceptions based on what you’ve seen on television or in movies,” said Petersen. “But spending time with these individuals changes everything. I want them to know they are valued, capable of change, and that learning can transform their lives.” The English Department at SUU engages students through quality teaching and dynamic learning communities that foster an understanding of diverse literature and a command of essential writing skills. SUU is dedicated to promoting learning and personal growth in diverse communities and is proud to have had this interaction with the Utah Prison Education Project. By connecting educators, authors, and incarcerated individuals, SUU strives to empower lives through education and literature. If you want to know more about Todd Robert Petersen's recent book, he is available to speak with the the media. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

2 min

Fervo Energy, Southern Utah University, and Elemental Impact Launch Geothermal Drilling & Completions Apprenticeship Program

Fervo Energy (“Fervo”), the leader in next-generation geothermal development, along with Southern Utah University (SUU), an institution known for its personalized approach to learning, and Elemental Impact (“Elemental”), a non-profit investing platform that invests in climate companies and projects with deep local impact, today announced the launch of a geothermal apprenticeship program to help oil and gas workers and Southwest Utah residents join the rapidly growing enhanced geothermal industry. The first-of-a-kind geothermal apprenticeship program advances labor momentum spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act. The program, administered by SUU and funded in part by Elemental, will provide those seeking new skill sets with the opportunity to learn geothermal directional drilling and well completions, while combining on-the-job training with college-level coursework on geology and energy systems. This unique approach offers pathways for traditional college students as well as adult and working learners interested in careers in the geothermal energy industry. “Thousands of Americans work in upstream oil and gas, and with the right tools, they can easily apply their skill sets to geothermal production,” said Tim Latimer, Fervo CEO and Co-Founder. “We can harness the full potential of this existing talent pool and attract new talent beyond current fossil fuel workers by providing on-the-ground and in-classroom training opportunities. We believe that our apprenticeship program with SUU can ignite that process, supporting local job growth across Southwest Utah.” Already, 22 individuals working with ten different oilfield service providers operating in the area have registered for the geothermal apprenticeship program. By the end of 2024, the program aims to enroll at least 40 apprentices, providing them with an opportunity to fill an immediate workforce need upon completion of the apprenticeship. “Southwest Utah has the resource potential to become a national clean energy hub, and we have the human potential to make that vision a reality,” said Dr. Bill Heyborne, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Professor of Biology. “Our new apprenticeship program will prepare Utahns to drive much-needed energy innovation in the communities they call home.” Funding from Elemental Impact, a nonprofit investor in climate technology and community focused initiatives, enabled Fervo to offer this workforce training program. "Demand for electricity is surging and expected to double in the US by 2030; geothermal sources, like those being deployed by Fervo, have the potential to meet that demand while boosting local jobs,” said Dawn Lippert, Founder and CEO of Elemental Impact. “We are thrilled to support this geothermal apprenticeship program and help power the transfer of valuable skills from oil and gas professionals to the geothermal industry. This initiative, in partnership with SUU, is an essential bridge to building a local workforce and advancing the clean energy transition." Dr. Heyborne is available to speak with the media. For more information click on his icon to arrange an interview.

View all posts
Powered by