Current Graduate Students
Dr. Courtney Flint
- Ph.D Rural Sociology. Pennsylvania State University (University Park), 2004.
- MS. Geography, University of Colorado (Boulder), 1993.
- BS. Geography, Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff), 1990.
- Scientific Advisory Board, BOKU Doctoral School HR21(Human River Systems in the 21st Century), Vienna, Austria.
- Associate Editor for Socio-Ecological Practice Research
Mike Englert
Michael Englert is a Master’s Student studying Environment and Society, with specific interests in mountain community water resource sustainability and resiliency. Michael is from the Snyderville Basin in Utah. He graduated from Oregon State University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Geography, with a Professional Certificate in Geospatial Information Systems. Michael started working for Dr. Flint in August of 2024, specifically on the I-GUIDE Aging Dams project. Michael has real world experience working in excavation, where he fixed water infrastructure in Park City, Utah. In his free time, Michael enjoys being outdoors, cooking, exercising, and reading books.
Contact Mike at: Michael.Englert@usu.edu
Bailey Holdaway
Bailey recently completed her master’s degree in Environment & Society at Utah State University (USU) and recently began a PhD in Fall 2025. She also holds a B.S. from USU, where she studied seed-based wetland restoration in the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. Her masters thesis research focused on risk perceptions and decision-making among irrigation companies in the Great Salt Lake Basin. Her PhD will explore the intersection of water-related hazards, such as water quality, quantity, and flooding, in Intermountain West communities. She is also currently working on a project to assess Utah agencies’ water data management practices and needs. Bailey is active in campus initiatives, serving on the EcoLunch coordination committee and the Community and Natural Resources Institute (CANRI) Steering Committee as a student representative. In her free time, she enjoys painting, knitting, watching movies, and playing board games.
Contact Bailey at: Bailey.Holdaway@usu.edu
Check out Bailey's Masters Thesis Here
Alex Theophilus
Alex is a Ph.D. student working towards a degree in Sociology with a focus in Environment & Community. Alex completed his Bachelors at Colgate University, where he earned a degree in Environmental Geography with a minor in Sociology. In 2024, Alex completed his M.S. in Sociology at USU, with a thesis titled “Linking Community-Level Food Sovereignty to Subjective Wellbeing: Framing Perspectives on Food Systems in the Upper Yakima River Basin.” Alex’s current research focuses on the impacts of amenity migration on rural community wellbeing, particularly in the Mountain West and Upper Midwest. Alex also serves on the Community and Natural Resource Institute (CANRI) Steering Committee and is the Vice President of USU’s Sociology Graduate Student Association. In his free time, Alex loves nordic skiing, running, and a variety of other outdoor activities.
Contact Alex at A.Theophilus@usu.edu
Check out Alex's Masters Thesis Here
Current Undergraduate Students & Research Technicians
Madison Fjeldsted Thompson
Madison recently graduated from USU as an Environmental Studies major. She wants to become an outdoor therapist and finds particular interest in the therapeutic aspects of nature and their affect on wellbeing. Her goal is to participate in and develop outdoor programs that empower women to understand and take care of themselves and the environment better. She has worked on the Utah Wellbeing Project on and off, developing surveys, creating demographic comparisons, and organizing survey comments. She is from Maple Grove Minnesota and loves the outdoors.
Nicolas Holden
Nicolas is a undergraduate research assistant majoring in Data Science and Mathematics/Statistics at Utah State University. He started working with Dr. Flint on the Utah Wellbeing Project in the Summer of 2023. He is currently helping to automate and deepen the data analysis work in the project and help find insights into the data. His goal is to become a data scientist to help solve environmental, social, and other problems. After he graduates with his Bachelor’s degree, he plans on pursing a graduate degree and furthering research. He is a native of southern Utah and loves to go canyoneering, climbing, and mountain biking when he can.