Portrait of Courtney Flint. Dr. Courtney Flint is a professor specializing in the social sciences, focusing on the intersection of communities and natural resources. She currently leads two research projects: one examines Utah residents’ wellbeing and sense of community in relation to municipal growth, and the other explores the human dimensions of water resource management in Utah and the broader Intermountain West. Dr. Flint encourages students interested in research to reach out to professors whose work excites them and ask whether there are opportunities to contribute as a research assistant. She emphasizes two key qualities for successful undergraduate research: “A willingness to learn new things and take on leadership in research inquiry are essential. We can teach the ‘how,’ but we can’t teach motivation and initiative.” Over the course of her time at USU, Dr. Flint has mentored more than 60 undergraduate researchers, an experience she describes as “instrumental to my research efforts and, in many cases, a source of insights I never would’ve discovered on my own.” Her ongoing work with students assesses communities’ adaptive capacity to change and risk, fostering proactive community-building.
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