Managing Director, Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air
Utah State University
Bio:
Dr. Anna McEntire is the managing director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. The mission of the institute is to help guide Utah land, water, and air policy by connecting decision-makers with high-quality research. Anna is currently overseeing projects on Great Salt Lake, Bear Lake, Colorado River, land use and water planning, and AI’s use in federal permitting. Her research focuses on public opinion, communication, engagement, and policy surrounding natural resource issues, especially Great Salt Lake. She is a co-chair of the Great Salt Lake Strike Team and an academic partner of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, and she sits on several statewide policy committees and programs. Anna was previously executive director of Research Communications at USU. She received a PhD in Environment and Society, a master’s in communication, and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science—all from USU.
Title: From Strike Team to Standing Army: Long-Term Lessons from Coordinated Science at Great Salt Lake
Abstract: In 2022, as Great Salt Lake reached historic lows, researchers mobilized quickly to synthesize data across hydrology, ecology, atmospheric science, and policy. What began as a “strike team”—an urgent effort to coordinate analysis in a moment of crisis—has evolved into something more durable: a sustained, cross-disciplinary approach to understanding the lake and its trajectory. Three years later, the lake has seen some big wins while still being threatened by significant challenges. Through that timescale, the team has been able to synthesize and assess key datasets and research questions to provide a one-stop overview of lake conditions and scenarios.
This presentation revisits Great Salt Lake Strike Team foundational findings while reflecting on the evolution of the work itself. What does it take to effectively inform key discussions, even as the broader organizational landscape has changed? How has coordinated analysis sharpened clarity, reduced uncertainty, and improved communication across disciplines and decision contexts? The experience of the Great Salt Lake Strike Team suggests that the need for issue-oriented working groups will continue, and that we’ll need more “standing armies” to address Utah’s natural resource challenges.
