At Utah State University's recently established College of Arts and Sciences, student senator and undergraduate researcher Breanna Cahoon is settling into her new academic environment with a vigor that matches the ambitious spirit of the new college. Cahoon, majoring in cellular and molecular biology with a minor in sociology, finds her involvement in both areas dovetailing neatly within the College of Arts and Sciences, or ArtSci, as it’s fast becoming known among students. "I’ve already completed classes and gotten to know faculty, staff, and students in the former colleges, so it feels like everything is coming together smoothly," Cahoon told USU Today.
Following a memorable opening event dubbed Plaza Palooza, the 2025-26 Science Senator looks forward to engaging with peers and faculty in ongoing activities. ArtSci's Dean’s Forum is set to take place later this month, uniting students with the college leadership for breakfast and dialogue. Moreover, the "You Belong in STEM" event aims to underscore wellness and community involvement, bridging the engagement gap between students and the sciences. While taking on her senatorial role, Cahoon leapfrogged from a busy summer at USU Brigham City, where she was a teaching assistant, to a full slate of fall classes in Logan. The commute through Sardine Canyon, painted with nature's serene beauty, was enjoyed, even though she had to navigate it back and forth for her teaching duties.
Her teaching role, while at the USU Brigham City campus, also stretched her understanding of human anatomy and opened up the collegial network of fellow teaching assistants. "It’s such a supportive atmosphere, which has really benefitted by academic experience," Cahoon said of her camaraderie with her peers and her mentors, biology faculty members Kevin Young and Andy Anderson, as obtained by USU Today. Her medical ambitions, ignited in high school through a vivid EMT course and ambulance ride-alongs, now find further expression in her undergraduate research role. In the lab of Zhongde Wang, a professor at USU's Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Cahoon assists with groundbreaking genome engineering research, tackling human diseases with cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 technologies.
Hitting the books hard, Cahoon credits classes like the biochemistry series for preparing her well for research's rigors. "Those classes were difficult but among the most rewarding I’ve taken at Utah State," as per USU Today. She admits that they helped scale her to the next level in her academic journey. Apart from campus work, Cahoon manages a caregiving staff of five for a private firm. She also maintains a connection with the student body, having been influenced to run for senator by former student leaders. Sharing leadership duties with senators from the former arts and humanities colleges, Cahoon is part of the triumvirate guiding ArtSci into a new era. "We’re all in this together, building a new sense of community," she told USU Today, focusing on initiatives like peer mentorship that are crucial for incoming students. In light of her first-generation college student background, Cahoon sees the value in these support networks.
