Weber State University (WSU) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It is the state’s oldest institution of higher education and one of the largest universities in Utah with an enrollment of over 27,000 students. WSU offers associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in a variety of disciplines through its seven colleges: Applied Science and Technology, Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Nursing and Health Professions,Science and Engineering, and Social Work.
Founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Weber State University was Weber County’s first institution of higher education. The school became a junior college in 1933 and began offering four-year degrees in 1940. In 1962 it was renamed Weber State College to reflect its status as a full-fledged four-year institution. The legislature finally approved university status for Weber State College in 1991; it became Weber State University that year.
Weber State University has developed into a significant center for research over the past several years. In 2015 alone the university conducted over $40 million worth of research projects funded by various government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), etc., as well as private companies such as Boeing Corporation or Procter & Gamble Corporation . WSU faculty members are also engaged in many areas outside their discipline that contribute to economic development or improving quality of life in Utah such as water resources management or air quality issues .
The university has eight centers focused on specific areas of research:
The Center for Research on Families , which promotes healthy family functioning through multidisciplinary research;
The Center for STEM Excellence , which strives to increase student success rates and graduation rates in science-, technology-, engineering- ,and mathematics -related fields; The John B. Goddard School for Sustainable Enterprise Development , which focuses on business solutions to environmental problems; The Institute for Outdoor Recreation & Tourism , which studies how people use protected natural areas such as national parks or wilderness areas;
The Water Resources Research Center , which addresses water availability issues in the Western U.S.;
The Wildland Fire Science Laboratory , where firefighters are trained using controlled burns;
The Space Dynamics Laboratory , which designs sensors and instruments for use in space;
And finally, the Advanced Transportation Systems Consortium gathers data from around the world to help solve transportation problems .