Utah State University is your hometown university, offering a variety of educational opportunities to residents of the Uintah Basin. We are excited to bring the Uintah Basin Speaker Series, providing insightful, relevant community topics to spark conversations. Each speaker's presentation will be broadcast live via AggieCast. Videos from the series will be published on this page a few days after the event.
The series is supported in partnership with the Center of Intersectional Gender Studies and Research.
More Information
Presentations begin at 7:00 pm and are free and open to the public.
Video recordings can be viewed on this page after the live events.
2022-2023 Schedule
September 13, 2022 Larry Cesspooch
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Biography
Larry Cesspooch is one of the Ute Storytellers who shares stories with film, music, and lectures. Larry grew up on the Uintah & Ouray Ute Reservation in Northeastern Utah. He served in the Vietnam War as a Radioman 3rd Class in the U.S. Navy. Cesspooch gives talks on Native Spirituality, concepts and history. Cesspooch created the "Ute Tribe Audio-Visual Department," one of the first tribal production groups in the states in 1979. The group produced over 600 films for the Ute Indian Tribe on the culture, language and history. During his 23-year tenure, he also served as the editor for the Ute Bulletin tribal newspaper. Cesspooch also did public relations for the tribe and was coordinator for the tribe in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He served over twelve years as a Utah Humanities Public Square Speaker, presenting “Utah History Through Native Eyes,” as one of his many topics. He is often called on by his tribe to represent their view point. As a filmmaker, Cesspooch has been a part of the Sundance Institute family for 28 years. In 2002, he created his own production company, "Through Native Eyes Productions." Today, he continues to produce documentaries telling Native stories. His latest project, UteTube.org, is the Ute Tribe’s main source of multi-media historical photos, films, and history on the Internet. |
October 11, 2022 Abby Cox |
November 8, 2022 Rick Woodford
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Biography
Rick Woodford began his career as a special education teacher and coach in Logan, Utah, where he specialized in the development of systems for inclusion and secondary transition. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the field of special education, and he completed an administrative/supervisory certification program from Utah State University. |
January 10, 2023 Judson Finley
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Biography
Judson Finley is currently a professor of anthropology and the head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Utah State University. Judson has worked at USU since 2012, and before that, he spent three years as assistant professor of archaeology in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Memphis. |
February 14, 2023 Mario I. Suárez
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Biography
Mario I. Suárez (he/him/él) is an assistant professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University. He holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction from the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University. He comes to the field with teaching experience in high school mathematics and a specialization in teaching English Language Learners, as well as with Advanced Placement teaching experience. As an "out" and visible Latinx transgender man, he is an advocate for LGBTIQIA+ youth and educators and has presented on issues relevant to the community. Suárez was born and raised on the Texas-Mexico border. Prior to doctoral work, he taught high school mathematics in Austin, TX. His work has been featured on nprEd and Univision. |
March 14, 2023 Christy Glass
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Biography
Christy Glass earned her PhD from Yale University in 2005. Glass is professor in the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology and is known by her colleagues as a scholar activist who works tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusion in our institution and our community. Glass’s teaching and research focus on workplace justice. Her research analyzes the ways gender and race shape access to and mobility in professional work organizations. With Alison Cook, she has pioneered work on the glass cliff and the impact of representation on organizational practice. |
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