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r e s e a r c h h a n d s - o n l e a r n i n g o u t r e a c h a l u m n i l o c a t i o n
Utah State GREATSwww.usu.edu/greats 2008
The Measure and Means for All that is GreatThe year 2008 has been another great year for Utah State University. We have good reason to celebrate the many accomplishments of our students and faculty. We are proud of the continued excellence and contributions this great university makes to the state and the world. It is a tribute to the spirit and pride that identifies and distinguishes us as Aggies. It is a reflection of world-class research and teaching that provides our students exceptional value through high-quality, hands-on experiences. It is a promise of a higher education in the truest sense of that word.
Compiled in this booklet, you will find examples of great heights achieved by our students and faculty that are well worth noting. Accomplishments such as:
• A grand prize rocket launch win from NASA. Our engineering students took home five of seven awards at the national competition.
• The recognition of more than 500 USU students who, since 1975, have conducted research supported by the Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities grant program. From metal sculpture to chokecherry seed propagation and whirling disease in trout, real-life problems are explored and solved by our undergraduates.
• USU alum Brandon Schrand received the Barnes & Noble ‘Discover Great New Writers’ Award for his memoir, The Enders Hotel.
• Top prize earned by undergraduate Katie Fotheringham for an impressive kitchen design in the student category of the Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance, Inc. Kitchen Design Competition.
• USU-licensed technology that now allows road crews to replace entire bridges in a single weekend. The reduced road closures and detours of a bridge installed at I-215 in Salt Lake City saved $4 million in road construction costs and cut construction time down from six months to a single weekend.
• USU’s world-acclaimed Fry Street Quartet performed Utah’s first complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle. It was a musical marathon this fall that would normally occur over the course of a year but was accomplished in just two weeks.
• Deserved recognition for a student-run organization, Aggie Blue Bikes, that benefits the environment and promotes good health. The idea started in 2005 to attack air quality problems in Cache Valley. The program that checks bikes out to students free of charge, has grown from nine to approximately 120 bicycles in just three years.
These highlights showcase the varied and diverse abilities of the students, faculty and staff at our great institution. In an effort to increase USU’s success, I was pleased to announce a comprehensive fundraising campaign with a goal of $200 million in March 2007. We successfully reached and surpassed that four-year goal in the first year of the campaign. As a result of the early success, the university has extended the length and increased the dollar amount of the campaign’s goals to $400 million.
I deeply appreciate the generous gifts and donations, large and small, that have come to USU over the past 12 months. At any time, particularly during these challenging economic times, we know that giving is not done without careful thought. The decision to invest in higher education is truly a reflection of foresight and vision — for it is a gift to the future that benefits students for generations to come.
My special thanks to our students, faculty, staff, alumni and all our generous supporters of the past year. It is you who provided the measure and means for all we know that is great about Utah State.
Stan L. AlbrechtPresident, Utah State University
Table of Contents
5 USU-Logan Recognized for Academics, Safety, Affordability
7 Three Great Gifts for Utah State University
9 Sculpture Completes Award-Winning Building
11 Sharing the Roaded Landscape
13 A Fighting Chance
15 Minding the (Sediment) Budget: Watershed Sciences Student Honored for Snake River Study
17 Discovering Wetlands: New Building at Utah Botanical Center will Engage Children in Learning and
Environmental Stewardship
19 English Department Alum Receives Barnes & Noble ‘Discover Great New Writers’ Award
21 USU Paramount in Life of 100-Year-Old Graduate
23 USU-Licensed Technology Saves Utah Drivers Time and Money
25 Utah State University’s Interior Design Program is Cookin’
27 A Great, Pretty Place: Logan Makes Several “Best Places” Lists
29 What Diet? Dietetic Students Teach Community How to Eat Healthier without Dieting
31 A New Name, A New Era of Leadership: USU Renames its Highly Ranked College: Emma Eccles
Jones College of Education and Human Services
33 Wiki Textbook Teaches Students More than Physiology
35 ‘Green’ Plastic: Engineering Student Recycles Dairy Waste to Create Biodegradable Plastic
37 A Multicultural Messiah: Well-Known Production Takes on New Dimensions for USU Students,
Community
39 Seeking Weapons of Mass Reduction
41 All Paths Lead to Art
43 Mr. September: USU Engineering Student Takes Home Best of Show
45 USU Engineering Student Gets Smart with Prestigious $75,000 Scholarship
47 The Landscape of Success — Legendary Teaching
49 A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
51 USU Students Lift Off with Grand Prize Rocket Launch Win from NASA
53 Teaching from Experience
55 USU Home to ‘Golden Scholars’
57 Taking Music to the Community
59 Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground
61 Undergraduate Research Reigns at USU
63 A Lifelong Gift
65 Art Alum Sculpts Memories into Memorial Tribute
67 Challenging Science, Challenging Students
69 Regional Campus Opens Path to Med School
71 The Price is Right
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73 Taking Aggie Athletics to New Heights
75 Ignoring Limits
77 Aggie Blue Bikes: Student-Run Organization Benefits the Environment and Promotes Good Health
79 Blue Goes Green
81 Students Participate in International Service Project While Preserving USU History
83 Ag Gymnast Founds Nonprofit to Fight Poverty in Africa
85 USU Students Head to Mexico and Make a Difference
87 WRDC at USU Improving Rural America
89 Changing the World One Drop at a Time
Editor’s Note: Utah State Greats 2008 is a compilation of news and feature stories from
December 2007 through November 2008. Dates referenced in these stories reflect the time in
which they were written.
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with prime location – scenic and safe,” Coward
said. “We know our safe and beautiful mountain
valley setting is a sure draw for both our faculty
and students. How fortunate we are to be able to
combine these distinctions with our impressive list
of academic achievements, including this year’s
(2007) Carnegie Professor of the Year.”
Parents of prospective students, take note:
Utah State University and Logan City are sure,
affordable and safe bets.
The Logan region topped the
rankings, once again, as the safest
U.S. metropolitan area for 2007,
according to City Crime Rankings:
Crime in Metropolitan America.
In addition, Logan is also ranked
among the Top 10 of the nation’s
“most secure places to live,”
according to rankings compiled by
the Farmers Insurance Group.
USU was also ranked in the Top 10
“most affordable” college markets in
the nation, according to a new report.
Best yet, students can combine a
safe environment with an outstanding
learning environment in light of
other notable national academic
recognitions during the past year,
including U.S. News and World
Report magazine once again naming
USU’s College of Education and
Human Services among the top tier
of colleges of education in the nation,
said Raymond T. Coward, USU
executive vice president and provost.
“We enjoy an enviable pairing of world-
class research and hands-on learning
USU-LOGAN RECOGNIZED FOR
ACADEMICS, SAFETY,AFFORDABILITY
The Logan region topped the rankings, once again, as the safest U.S. metropolitan area for 2007, according to City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America.
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Report: America’s Best Graduate Schools, 2008 edition)
• Top 10 most affordable college markets for home prices in 2007 (Third Annual Coldwell Banker College Home Price Comparison Index, Nov. 6, 2007)
• Top 35 overall score among public national universities based on social mobility, research and service (The Washington Monthly, September 2007)
• Top 20 among land-grant universities in the nation and in the top 10 non-medical land-grant universities for federal research revenue generated (National Science Foundation’s report based on fiscal year 2004 research expenditures)
• Top 100 among all public institutions in the nation for total research revenue generated (National Science Foundation’s report based on fiscal year 2004 research expenditures)
• Best Value College (The Princeton Review, 2008 edition)
Writer: John DeVilbiss, 435-797-1358, [email protected] 2007
2007 Rankings of Note:
• 1st in the nation as the safest U.S. metropolitan area (City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, 14th edition, November, 2007)
• 5th in the nation as the most secure among small towns (Farmers Insurance Group, December, 2007)
• 1st among all universities in the nation in money spent on aerospace research and development (National Science Foundation’s report based on fiscal year 2004 research expenditures)
• 1st among all national public universities for graduates with least debt (U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges, 2008 edition)
• 2nd in the nation in total research dollars received by a college: USU’s College of Education and Human Services (U.S. News and World Report: America’s Best Graduate Schools, 2008 edition)
• 26th in the nation overall against all graduate colleges of education (U.S. News and World
1stin the nation as the safest U.S. metropolitan area (City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, 14th edition, November, 2007)
among all universities in the nation in money spent on aerospace research and development (National Science Foundation’s report based on fiscal year 2004 research expenditures)
among all national public universities for graduates with least debt (U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges, 2008 edition)
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Research Center.
The building will become a state-of-the-art,
high-tech educational facility to train students
in business, entrepreneurship, accounting,
engineering, water management, natural resources,
environmental policy and other programs.
“Mr. Bingham’s contribution will have lasting effects
on the educational culture and environment in the
Uintah Basin,” said USU President Stan L. Albrecht.
“It will raise the level of education and the quality
of life in the Basin. But, most important for the
community, it will support Utah State University’s
broader effort to help the Basin recruit its own,
educate its own and return them to the local
community as educated citizens, business people
and leaders.”
The design and programming phase of the
Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center
begins in fall 2007 with construction starting in early
2008 and occupancy expected in 2009.
The building will create a dynamic new research
component for the Uintah Basin, Albrecht said.
Huntsmans Give Nearly $26 Million to Utah State University (December 2007)
Jon M. Huntsman announced that he and his wife,
Karen H. Huntsman, are giving nearly $26 million to
Utah State University had a record
year in fundraising thanks to many generous
donations from givers at all levels. USU President
Stan L. Albrecht announced in March 2007 that
the university would launch a comprehensive
campaign with a goal of raising $200 million to
fund people, programs and places at the university.
Now, nine months into the campaign (December
2007), the outpouring of support has exceeded all
expectations.
The campaign reached momentum in October
2007 with a $15 million gift from Marc and Debbie
Bingham for the Uintah Basin Campus, followed by
a nearly $26 million gift from Jon M. Huntsman in
early December 2007 to start the Jon M. Huntsman
School of Business at USU. The year has topped off
with a $25 million gift from The Emma Eccles Jones
Foundation that is going to support USU’s College
of Education and Human Services.
USU Receives $15 Million Gift for Uintah Basin Campus Center (October 2007)
Utah entrepreneur and businessman Marc Bingham
and his wife, Debbie, donated $15 million to Utah
State University’s Uintah Basin campus to fund
construction of an Entrepreneurship and Energy
THREE GREAT GIFTS FOR UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
An architectural drawing of the Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center in Vernal.
Jon and Karen Huntsman announce $26 million gift in December 2007.
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“The College of Education and Human Services is
already renowned nationally, and this gift culminates
a long-term relationship between the College, the
Foundation, and its founder, Emma Eccles Jones,”
said USU President Stan L. Albrecht.
“Jones’s legacy is one of dedication to the
education of teachers and children,” said Albrecht.
“This gift is a fitting tribute to her.”
“This College is among the elites in the country in
both academics and in the impact of its programs
on people in our state and across the nation,” said
Albrecht. “This gift will allow the College to continue
to excel — and continue the work that Emma loved.”
Carol Strong, dean of the College, said this
significant gift reflects the strengths of the programs
and the commitment of faculty in the College to
making a difference in peoples’ lives.
Strong said the support of The Emma Eccles Jones
Foundation has been a key factor in the national
accolades the college has received. For the past
nine years, the college has been ranked in the top
two percent of graduate programs nationally by
U.S. News and World Report. This past year, it
ranked 26th in a field of more than 1,200 colleges of
education, and was second in the nation in research
funding generated by its faculty.
Writer: Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355, [email protected] 2007
Utah State University.
USU President Stan L. Albrecht said $25
million will go to the School of Business,
and approximately $1 million will be used
as scholarship support for USU students
from Armenia.
In recognition of the gift, the College of
Business has changed its name to the
Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.
Albrecht called Huntsman one of
the nation’s outstanding leaders and
philanthropists.
“We are deeply appreciative of the
Huntsman family and their dedication to higher
education in Utah,” Albrecht said. “The impact of
this generous gift will be felt not only by the College
of Business but by the entire university. The Jon
M. Huntsman School of Business will help our
students prepare to become tomorrow’s leaders —
locally, regionally, nationally and globally.”
Jon Huntsman praised the university and its
College of Business.
“Utah State University is a beautiful and most-
unique academy for higher education in America,”
Huntsman said. “Our family is deeply honored to be
intricately bonded with its school of business. We
shall provide every possible means to continue its
growth toward a world-class institution.”
The Emma Eccles Jones Foundation Gives $25 Million Gift to USU’s College of Education and Human Services (December 2007)
Utah State University announced that The Emma
Eccles Jones Foundation is making a $25 million
gift to USU’s College of Education and Human
Services. The gift will be used for construction of an
additional education and research building and to
fund a number of endowed professorships in early
childhood education.
Emma Eccles Jones reading to children.
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SCULPTURE COMPLETES AWARD-WINNING BUILDING
and the arts at Utah State. As individuals and as founding members of the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation, they have contributed to the education of hundreds, if not thousands, of the university’s students while providing the foundation of the region’s cultural offerings. They were instrumental, through the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation, in the establishment of the Caine School of the Arts in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at USU. But their gift of the Performance Hall to the university was a private one, one they believed in from the project’s inception. At the time, it was the largest individual gift in the university’s history.
While “Passacaglia” completes the Performance Hall, the structure has already earned accolades for its design. The building opened Thursday,
Jan. 12, 2006, and is the first on campus designed specifically for chamber music. It seats 431 audience members and a maximum of 22 musicians on its stage. And, its technical elements are astounding. There are 18-inch thick concrete walls that fully insulate the interior of the hall. There are adjustable curtains and canopies that contribute to the acoustic excellence. Small vents under every seat ensure silent air flow. The details of the building’s planning and construction go on and on.
Lead architect for the Performance Hall was Vinicius Gorgati of Sasaki Associates, Inc. He said he designed the building as if it were a public work of art. In a tribute to the
The Manon Caine Russell Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall at Utah State University has been called the jewel of the university’s arts facilities. Now, the completion of the sculptural installation “Passacaglia” puts an exclamation point on a project that came straight from the heart.
Perhaps that should be hearts — plural — because many were involved. But it was the love, dedication and vision of two women that inspired many, guaranteeing a beautiful addition to the campus environment.
Kathryn Caine Wanlass and Manon Caine Russell, sisters, have long supported education
Guests view the completed sculpture in the lobby of the Performance Hall. (Photo provided by USU’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art)
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distinctive scenery of Cache Valley, the front façade is wrapped in a wrinkled zinc skin that mimics the folds of the Bear River Mountains.
“We wanted the hall to look like it grew out of the landscape,” said Gorgati’s colleague, master planner Ricardo Dumont.
“The Performance Hall has a vulnerability, an openness, a delicacy to it,” “Passacaglia” creator and Bay Area artist Ann Preston said. “It doesn’t sit there like a bank or a city hall with four feet planted on the ground. It allows you to think your own thoughts and feel your own feelings.”
With its detailed planning and painstaking installation, “Passacaglia” was completed in September 2007. Elements of the sculpture extend from the wall into the floor of the lobby and continue beyond the interior of the building and its glass walls into the plaza. The piece is constructed of geometric forms that evolve in a mathematical and organic sequence.
“The sculpture takes on a presence of mechanical accuracy balanced against organic, nature-like forms rendered in burnished and molded steel and mottled suede-like grey panels,” said Victoria Rowe, director of USU’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art.
The museum, under Rowe’s leadership, has curatorial oversight of the sculpture.
The sculpture’s name — “Passacaglia” — derives from a musical form related to dance. The sculpture is composed of geometric forms — a dance of triangles transform into larger geometric units that then expand into a counter rhythm of contoured panels, Rowe said.
“The steel elements sparkle, reflecting light and provide a contrast of texture with the velvety warm grey patina of the tetrahedral forms,” she said. “Standing before it, the viewer is simultaneously awed by its scale and captivated by its presence. Yet, somehow it intrigues more than overpowers, entreating its audience to return and look again.”
“The benefits of this gift will be experienced in perpetuity,” USU President Stan L. Albrecht said at the Performance Hall dedication. “We want to thank Kathryn Caine Wanlass and Manon Caine Russell for the generous gift that makes this world-class performance hall possible. This premier venue will make an enormous difference in the academic, professional and personal lives of our students and faculty.”
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354,[email protected] 2008
Critical acclaim and honors for the Manon Caine Russell Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall:
•“Achieving the Art of Acoustics – The grand opening of Utah State University’s new performance hall was just that — grand — because the building fits that description in every way.” Intermountain Contractor (March 1, 2006)
•Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects, California Council. (Oct. 2007)
•Outstanding Campus Architecture, Chronicle of Higher Education. (Feb. 23, 2007)
•“Great architecture is not born solely from a drafting table and blueprints. More often it originates from a delicate mix of visionary benefactors, a dedicated purpose, a supportive community, and, of course, talented design professionals. All these elements contributed to the construction of the Manon Caine Russell Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall.” Jeremy Pugh, Utah Style and Design Magazine (Winter 2007)
•Honor Award, Utah Chapter of the American Institutes of Architects. (Oct. 2006)
(photo by Robert Preston)
•AmericanInstitutesofArchitects,UtahChapter,listof Utah’s Best Buildings (along with Old Main, a campus landmark). (April 2007)
•Best Architecture Project, Intermountain Contractor.
•Best Mechanical/Electrical Project, Intermountain Contractor.
•“Coolest Cache Structures,” (number six), The Herald Journal.
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SHARING THE ROADED
LANDSCAPEMost motorists
can offer a deer-in-the-
headlights story, in which
they’ve been forced to hit the
brakes, swerve or survey the
damage of a sudden, white-
knuckle encounter with wildlife
in the roadway.
Utah State University
researchers are exploring
solutions to make the nation’s
four million miles of roaded
landscape safer for all
creatures – human and beast.
Wildlife-vehicle collisions account for an
average of 200 human deaths in the United
States each year, says Patricia Cramer, a
research ecologist with USU’s Department of
Wildland Resources. Nonhuman vertebrates
fare much worse. According to research
published by Wildland Resources professor
Michael Conover, more than a million die on
American roads each day.
Beyond mortality, each mile of pavement signals
destruction and fragmentation of wildlife habitat,
Cramer says. For most animals, roads mean
reduced access to water, food, mates and
protective habitat.
“This is a much more complex problem than
some roadkill here and there,” she says. “Roads
can impact critical ecological processes and
influence the demographics and evolution of
animals and plants.”
Cramer and colleague John Bissonette, professor
in the Department of Wildland Resources and
unit leader with the U.S. Geological Survey Utah
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit,
recently completed a three-year study to evaluate
the use and effectiveness of wildlife crossings
in the United States and Canada. The project,
which includes the efforts of student researchers
and team members from governmental agencies
and other universities, was funded by the
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
of the National Academies of Science and
Engineering’s Transportation Research Board.
As part of the project, the researchers conducted
an exhaustive survey of efforts by transportation
and wildlife officials in the United States and
USU wildlife ecologist Patricia Cramer pauses at a wildlife crossing installed under Highway 89-91 in Utah’s Wellsville Canyon.
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Canada to determine what measures state and
provincial agencies are conducting to mitigate
wildlife-vehicle collisions.
“What we’ve discovered is some states and
provinces are using innovative measures, such
as construction of wildlife passages, and others
aren’t taking much action,” Cramer says.
Conventional tools, such as yellow warning
signs, that warn motorists of areas prone to
wildlife crossing, have minimal impact, says
Bissonette, principal investigator on the project.
“Motorists simply aren’t slowing down enough to
prevent collisions.”
New pavement-level animal crossings, such as
those near Park City, Utah, are also ineffective,
Bissonette says. “They simply do not work. The
traffic volume is too great and the speeds are
too high.”
What is working, the researchers say, are
animal overpasses and underpasses that keep
wildlife out of harm’s way. Such solutions
may seem costly, but Bissonette argues
they’re worth it. “Construction of a specially
designed overpass or underpass is a sizable
investment,” he says. “But if you amortize the
cost of the investment against the cost of not
doing it – and factor in human mortalities – I
think that puts it into perspective.”
Bissonette and Cramer also note that the issue
is much broader than concern for large mammals
that cause highly destructive accidents.
Obviously, a collision with an elk will put a bigger
damper on your day than a bug splattering your
windshield, they say, but all creatures great and
small are impacted by impenetrable terrain.
“When approaching this problem and
considering solutions you need to think about
the permeability of the landscape,” Bissonette
says. “We need to consider accessibility not only
for deer and elk, but for smaller mammals, fish,
birds, reptiles – even insects.”
Bissonette says conventional solutions have
favored a “funnel” approach; that is, forcing
wildlife into progressively narrower options for
safe passage. “What we need to be doing is
thinking of a ‘sieve’ approach,” he says.
Solutions that accommodate a broad spectrum
of species are needed, Cramer says. That bug
on the windshield may seem an insignificant
annoyance, but the decline of American bee
populations and the corresponding impact on
agriculture is not. So much so that the state of
Washington posts reduced speed limits in alfalfa
production areas during periods of pollination.
What the researchers have also gleaned from the
study is that wildlife collision mitigation needs to
begin at the start of the road-planning process.
Cramer advises students preparing for careers
in wildland management that they must be
prepared to get involved in long-range roadway
planning and offer environmentally friendly
solutions. And she warns that the process could
span their entire careers. “A single highway
project may require 20 to 30 years of planning,”
she says.
“Transportation projects are not ‘done deals,’”
Cramer says. “Recent plans for highway
construction in Wyoming and Ohio, for example,
were altered to better accommodate wildlife.”
When scientifically sound, fiscally feasible
alternatives are offered, she says, highway
officials are ready to listen.
Contacts: John Bissonette, 435-797-2511, john.
[email protected]; Patricia Cramer, 435-797-
1289; [email protected]
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517,
January 2008
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A FIGHTING CHANCE Wading through Antelope Island’s
chest-high stalks of yellow-blossomed mullein
and gazing out across the shifting, sun-washed
colors of the Great Salt Lake, you can almost
trick yourself into believing you’ve stumbled
into an impossibly remote, exotic land. But the
clockwork roar of jet engines departing nearby
Salt Lake International repeatedly intrudes upon
your thoughts – a rude reminder of your proximity
to Utah’s bustling Wasatch Front.
In this high desert refuge, Utah State University
doctoral student
Amanda Murray
keeps a solitary vigil.
Perched on Antelope’s
craggy, western ridges
from dawn to dusk,
the wildlife biologist
meticulously records
the activities of some
of the island’s most
elusive inhabitants –
bighorn sheep.
Murray’s research aims
to bolster conservation
of the imperiled
ovines and contribute
to worldwide efforts
to successfully
relocate other fragile,
large mammals.
Though necessary
as a conservation practice, she says, animal
relocation doesn’t come cheap – either in terms
of the cost of physically moving the animals or
the impact on the animals’ health.
“Moving a bighorn is like an organ transplant,” says
Murray, a Quinney Fellow in the College of Natural
Resources’ Wildland Resources Department. “The
procedure is necessary to maintain the health
and survival of the species, but the stress on the
animals is high. The risks are tremendous and you
want to ensure the best possible outcome.”
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
introduced California mountain sheep, drawn
Wildlife biologist Amanda Murray is studying bighorn sheep on Utah’s Antelope Island.
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research, funded by the Utah chapter of the
Foundation for North American Wild Sheep,
focuses on identifying the class of animals
within a source population that is most
successful in a relocation operation.
Ultimately, Murray says, the bighorns’ survival
depends on their behavior.
“Our goal is to learn more about these animals
and to find the recipe for successful relocation
that will allow the animals to thrive in a rapidly
changing environment,” she says. “We want to
give the sheep a fighting chance.”
Contacts: Amanda Murray, 435-760-6971,
[email protected]; Johan du Toit,
435-797-0242; [email protected].
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517,
January 2008
from herds in British Columbia and
Nevada, to Antelope Island about
ten years ago. An ideal oasis, it
seems, to protect the animals
from human-introduced threats
and create a thriving nursery herd
to replenish areas throughout the
American West.
Though the island’s bighorns are
not endangered, the species has
a precarious history in the Rocky
Mountain West.
“The sheep nearly disappeared from
Utah by the 1960s,” Murray says.
Overhunting, disease and
fragmentation of the animals’ habitat by
urbanization and highways led to their decline,
she says.
Antelope Island’s sheep have flourished but the
secluded nursery presents a distinct challenge
for the animals once they venture into the
outside world. The island has no cougars.
True, mountain lions are natural predators of
the sheep and a certain number of bighorns are
expected to provide sustenance for the hungry
cats. “But if the sheep have no innate fear or
knowledge of predators, the relocated animals
can become an instant feast,” Murray says.
Murray’s work paves the way for continuing
study that could one day allow biologists to
identify sheep lacking anti-predator behavior
and develop anti-predator cues to teach the
animals to fear beasts of prey. For now, her
Bighorn sheep, captured in this photo through Murray’s spotting scope, encounter unfamiliar predators when relocated from their safe haven on Antelope Island.
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MINDING THE (Sediment)
BUDGETprimarily by water release schedules of the Jackson Lake Dam.
“The dam disrupts not just the flow of water but the movement of sediment,” she says. “This im-pacts the river’s physical template, which is the foundation for everything that lives in it.”
Built in stages starting in 1910, Jackson Lake Dam rises to a crest elevation of 6,777 feet. The dam enables storage of water in Jackson Lake beyond the glacial lake’s natural elevation. The additional water stored by the concrete and earthen structure irrigates farms throughout Idaho’s Snake River basin.
Erwin was honored for her research in fall 2007 by the National Park Service’s Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. She was selected for the inaugural Student Award, established this year, which recognizes outstanding accomplishments made by students involved in RM-CESU projects.
Her work is part of series of ongoing projects led by faculty mentor Jack Schmidt, a geomorphologist and professor in Watershed
Running a solvent business or household requires keeping an eye on what comes in and what goes out. Maintaining a healthy river involves a similar line of thinking, says Utah State University doctoral student and Water Fellow Susannah Erwin.
“It’s sort of like balancing a checkbook,” says Erwin, who recently returned to Logan following a third field research season on the Snake River
in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
An S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation Ph.D. Fellowship recipient in USU’s Department of Watershed Sciences, Erwin studies channel change in the river caused
Watershed Sciences Student Honored for Snake River Study
From left, Watershed Sciences students Susannah Erwin, Matthew Shannon and Jason Alexander collect sediment samples on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park.
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Sciences. The research is funded by a variety of sources, including the NPS and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Rockies Science Center.
“I’ve been thoroughly impressed by Susannah’s organizational and field skills that resulted in collection of unique data concerning gravel transport by the Snake River and its tributaries,” Schmidt says. “These data allow us to make recommendations to the National Park Service and the Bureau of Reclamation regarding how releases from Jackson Lake Dam can better maintain the health of the riverine ecosystem throughout Grand Teton National Park.”
Monitoring a river’s channel change is critical, Erwin says, because the balance of water and sediment determines the river’s form and characteristics of animal and plant habitats.
She and her team wield a 200-pound Toutle River sampler, deployed from a raft attached to a large steel cable strung across the river from bank to bank, to measure gravel transport rates and collect samples at various points in the river.
“It’s a heavy piece of equipment and the cable sometimes stretches as far as 300 feet,” Erwin says. “It’s physically challenging to take measurements and collect samples during high flow conditions.”
The bedload sampling technique is unique. “Only one other group in the nation uses the Toutle River sampler and they’re a California consulting firm that taught us how to use it,” she says.
What Erwin’s research reveals is that, given the current dam release schedule, the Snake River may not be capable of moving sediment supplied by tributaries downstream.
“This may mean that gravel is accumulating near some tributary mouths or other areas and could interfere with river navigation,” she says. “It also impacts vegetation, fish and other aquatic life.”
Damming a river doesn’t always result in sediment accumulation, she says. Glen Canyon Dam and the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, for example, have caused the opposite effect – sediment deficit.
The main reason for this difference, Erwin says, is that Jackson Lake is a natural lake, whereas those Colorado River dams formed manmade reservoirs, namely Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Between field seasons, Erwin returns to USU to analyze collected samples and create computer models of the river to determine the predicted impact of varied dam release schedules.
“With our data, we’ve created a sediment budget that can be tied to dam release schedules,” she says. “This helps the National Park Service determine what flows are necessary to move sediment and maintain equilibrium.”
During October 2007, Erwin presented her research at the annual RM-CESU Managers’ Meeting in Salt Lake City and afterward, traveled to Denver to present a poster at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.
“Our lab group is involved in several projects in support of the National Park Service’s efforts to manage complex, large river ecosystems,” says Schmidt, director of the USU-based Intermountain Center for River Rehabilitation and Restoration and the USU Water Initiative.
“We are privileged to work in some of the most beautiful, natural landscapes that our nation pro-tects, and I am proud of the recognition gained by Susannah, her technicians and her supportive fellow grad students,” he says.
Contacts: Susannah Erwin, [email protected]; Jack Schmidt, [email protected], 435-797-1791
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517, [email protected] 2008
A Quinney Fellow in USU’s College of Natural Resources, Erwin was selected for the National Park Service’s Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit’s inaugural Student Award.
18 19
DISCOVERINGWETLANDS
Center’s education program to expand its
reach well beyond the nearly 4,000 students
and teachers who currently visit the center on
field trips each year. With the addition of this
unique facility, 8,000-10,000 students will be
accommodated, and the building will be available
for other public events.
EducationUBC field trips are tied to the state’s
science core curriculum and activities
are centered on learning goals for each
grade level. Teachers are provided
with curriculum and activities to use in
their classrooms to encourage more
investigation and learning before and
after UBC field trips.
Utah State University is moving
forward with construction of Wetland Discovery
Point, a year-round, indoor and outdoor
classroom at the Utah
Botanical Center (UBC)
in Kaysville.
The Utah Legislature
provided $950,000 in
2007 to advance the
creation of this facility.
The 2007 legislative
appropriation,
partnership with
Kaysville City and
significant support
from private donors
and the Utah Division
of Water Quality are combining to make
Wetland Discovery Point a reality. Construction
begins spring 2008. Completion is scheduled
for fall 2008.
Why Build It?Utah’s growing population, future economic
development and quality of life
depend on wise use of natural
resources. The Utah Botanical
Center plays an important role in
demonstrating and teaching the
kind of sustainable environmental
stewardship that is crucial to
Utah’s future. Wetland Discovery
Point will allow the Utah Botanical
New Building at Utah Botanical Center will Engage Children in Learning and Environmental Stewardship
Wetland Discovery Point will be the centerpiece of the Utah Botanical Center’s edu-cation program.
20 21
Students explore a range of topics, including:
• Wetland ecology
• Energy conservation
• Wise water use
• Fish and wildlife
• Insects
• Air quality
• Stormwater management
• Horticulture
The BuildingWetland Discovery Point will feature a flexible
classroom space for up to 60 students, a
gathering area with a wide view of the UBC
ponds and the Wasatch Mountains, and a deck
and boardwalks that will serve as outdoor
learning areas.
The 3,200 sq. ft. building will qualify for
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Platinum certification, the highest
certification attainable from the U.S. Green
Building Council. There are currently fewer than
75 LEED Platinum-certified buildings in the
United States and none are in Utah.
The building will
be the centerpiece
of the UBC’s
education program
and a highly
visible example of
sustainable design
and construction
to Center visitors
and the tens of
thousands of
people who pass
the UBC each
day on I-15 in
Kaysville.
Designed by
Salt Lake City-
based AJC Architects, and to be built by
Big-D Construction. Wetland Discovery
Point wil l demonstrate sustainable building
principles, including:
• Collecting and storing rainwater for
landscape irrigation and toilet flushing
• On-site bio-filtration for sewage treatment
• Use of natural light and passive solar
methods to reduce energy needs
• Solar panels to generate electricity
• Ground-source heating and cooling
• Radiant floor transfer of heating and cooling
• Utah native plant landscaping
Wetland Discovery Point will be key to advancing
the mission of the Utah Botanical Center which is
to guide the conservation and wise use of plant,
water and energy resources through research-
based educational experiences, demonstrations
and technologies.
Writer: Tim Vitale, 435-797-1356,
February 2008
Mark Larese-Casanova teaches children at the Utah Botanical Center.
20 21
English Department Alum Receives Barnes And Noble
‘DISCOVER GREAT NEW WRITERS’ AWARD
“If it had not been for my graduate work at USU, I don’t think I would have been able to write the kind of book I did,” Schrand said. “Beneath its narrative and all the sentences and the structure, there lies my training. The average reader won’t see my master’s degree in American Studies behind the curtain, so to speak, but it’s there. I know it’s there.”
Brandon Schrand hasn’t been out of graduate school long, but he is quickly building a reputation in the literary field — just ask booksellers Barnes and Noble.
Schrand’s forthcoming memoir, The Enders Hotel, has been picked as a Barnes and Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection for summer 2008.
The author earned a master’s degree at USU in 2003 in American Studies, where he focused on western American literature.
According to the Barnes and Noble Web site, The Discover Great New Writers Program helps publishers introduce dynamic new literary writers to the reading public and highlights the most impressive new works published each season. Schrand’s memoir was one of 150 books submitted and among the 18 selected for summer 2008.
Schrand began work on The Enders Hotel, published by the University of Nebraska Press (planned release in May 2008), as an assignment for a class at the University of Idaho, where he earned a master’s of fine arts and where he now coordinates the same MFA program he completed. The assignment just grew, he said, as he followed the story.
USU alum Brandon Schrand received the Barnes and Noble ‘Discover Great New Writers’ Award for his memoir The Enders Hotel.
22 23
Schrand attended Utah State University from 2001-03, and the road that led him to the Logan campus was one of chance, he said. Schrand’s bachelor’s degree is in English literature from Southern Utah University (’98).
“My wife and I moved to Logan because it was close to both our families,” Schrand said. “I took some time out of school and worked, bought a house, had a son and decided I should go to graduate school. USU was right up the hill so I applied there. So while it was chance and chance alone that led me to USU, it turned out to be one of the most extraordinary chances in my life because USU prepared me in no small way to become the writer I am today.”
After walking up the hill, Schrand enrolled in Utah State’s American Studies program, a diverse program that allows students the opportunity to explore American life and cultures from interdisciplinary perspectives.
“The American Studies degree is an immersion in literature, art, folklore, history, anything you want to study on the way to a broad-based, creative, gratifying career,” said Star Coulbrooke, a program alum (’99) and now faculty member in the Department of English. “If you want to work at what you enjoy, create your own career, make your own way in the world, American Studies is the degree for you.”
Faculty who worked with Schrand during his time on campus speak highly of his skill and potential.
“In the tradition of Mary Clearman Blew and Bill Kittredge, Brandon Schrand has written a memoir based on growing up in a determined, perhaps stubborn western family and in a deteriorating construction of the Old West, the Enders Hotel,” said Melody Graulich, editor of Western American Literature and professor of English and American Studies at USU. “Now a historic landmark in Soda Springs, Idaho, the hotel is an emblem of the town’s fantasies of becoming a tourist boomtown in the late 19th century. Brandon’s exploration of the hotel and
its history, based on rich interdisciplinary research, becomes a focal point for a wide-ranging study of the tenacity and dreams of small western towns and their inhabitants.”
Evelyn Funda, an associate professor in the Department of English, also worked with Schrand.
“Brandon never forgets that he started as a small-town Idaho boy, which means he both honors that background and remains refreshingly humble and untainted by inflated ego,” Funda said. “But make no mistake — just because he’s from Soda Springs
doesn’t mean his work is some sentimental picture of a bygone western era. The Enders Hotel is based on his rigorous interdisciplinary research, and the result is a sharp appraisal of how we envision a region and are shaped by family history.”
Schrand’s book will be promoted and featured by Barnes and Noble for 12 weeks, May-July, in 2008. The work has won a number of earlier awards, including the 2007 River Teeth Prize for best book of literary nonfiction, and “The Enders Hotel,” the title piece from the book, was selected as a Notable Essay in the Best American Essays 2007.
“For me, the most rewarding aspect of my education at USU was both the focus on interdisciplinary studies and having access to the dynamic faculty who made interdisciplinary engagement possible,” Schrand said. “My thesis committee — Melody Graulich, Jennifer Sinor and Chris Cokinos — really pushed me intellectually in ways I never thought imaginable. So I am grateful for their work. Others, too, influenced me in important ways. Evelyn Funda, Paul Crumbley, Bob Pyle (a visiting writer), Daniel McInerney and the late Lynn Meeks— each was invaluable in providing me and my peers a first-class education.”
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354,[email protected]
March 2008
The Enders Hotel is an award-winning memoir by USU American Studies alum Brandon Schrand.
22 23
USU PARAMOUNT IN LIFE OF 100-YEAR-OLD GRADUATE
Shortly after Utah State University
celebrated its 120th birthday in March, one
of its early graduates will celebrate her own
birthday—100 years, on April 14. Ruth Davis
Manning said her greatest accomplishment is
graduating from USU with a bachelor’s degree in
foods and nutrition and child development.
Mrs. Manning graduated in 1930 (42 years after the
university was founded) from the School of Home
Economics. Her graduating class had 150 people,
53 of whom were women, and total enrollment at
USU was 1,247, compared to more than 23,000
today. She said there was never a question about
whether she would graduate from college.
“I was determined to graduate from Utah State,”
she said. “And if you’re determined to do
something, you’ve got to do
everything you can to get it
done. But the determination
has to come first.”
Mrs. Manning’s enthusiasm
for education and desire to
share that love with others
is apparent in her children.
Her son, Fred, graduated
from USU with a degree in
elementary education, and
he taught at North Park Elementary in Tremonton
for 28 of his 32-year teaching career.
“All the children loved ‘Mr. Manning,’” said his
sister, Diane Green, who works for USU’s Center
for Persons with Disabilities. “He felt one of
his most important
responsibilities to the
children was to help
them develop a love
for school, and he did
just that.”
While Ruth Manning
was attending USU
in the early 1900s,
scientists were
just beginning to
understand vitamins
and minerals. She said
she remembers doing
research with rats, in
which the students took
away certain vitamins
from the rats, one at
a time, and noted the
effects it had on the rats.
Ruth Davis Manning graduated from USU in 1930 and says graduating with a bachelor’s degree was her greatest accomplishment. She turns 100 on April 14, 2008.
Mrs. Manning’s graduation photo from the 1930 USU yearbook, “The Buzzer.”
24 25
“The rats would be running up and down their
cages, and when we removed vitamin A from
their diets, the rats went downhill in just a few
days,” she said. “Once we gave the rats vitamin
A again, they got their eyesight back and started
running around again.”
Mrs. Manning used the knowledge she gained from
her education to stay healthy throughout her life.
Today, she doesn’t take a single prescription drug,
but adheres to a comprehensive vitamin regimen
she put together herself. She has also managed
to live almost twice as long as was expected for a
woman born in 1908.
Health, vitamins and food were always an interest
to Mrs. Manning and she had the opportunity to
study herbs from Dr. John R. Christopher, a pioneer
herbalist who started a company that continues to
sell herbal supplements today.
“He taught me that taking cayenne pepper is good
for the heart,” she said. “Dr. Christopher would take
a teaspoon of pepper and just swallow it. I have to
take capsules, but it really helps calm you down if
you are feeling stressed.”
After she graduated, Mrs. Manning taught home
economics, English, speech and foods at high
schools throughout the West for about eight years.
“I loved teaching and working with older children,”
she said. She recalled an incident when all the
ovens were removed from the high school where
she taught. The girls were so upset because they
said cooking was the only fun class they had.
After Mrs. Manning married, her dedication to
research at USU continued. Her husband, Hugh
Manning, and a few other farmers put their money
together and bought a piece of ground in Blue
Creek. They deeded the land to the Utah State
University Utah Agricultural Experiment Station.
One of the varieties of wheat developed on this land
was named “Manning Wheat” after Hugh Manning.
“It was a high-yield wheat that proved to be very
good in mechanical mixing and baking high quality
breads,” Green said.
Because of the research done on the farm, Mr.
Manning was asked to speak at many meetings
regarding farms and wheat.
“He was nervous about speaking, so mom enrolled
the whole family in a Dale Carnegie course to better
each one of us in public speaking,” Green said.
During the late 1930s, women’s liberation had
become a large part of Mrs. Manning’s life. She
said she remembered when a group of women
from New York City came to Salt Lake City to
distribute materials about women’s rights. Mrs.
Manning helped distribute the literature farther
west to women in Washington state.
“In those days women couldn’t teach after they got
married so a friend of mine went to Las Vegas to
get married and then came back to Utah to teach,”
Mrs. Manning said. “No one checked for a marriage
license, but people began to wonder who that guy
was coming out of her house each morning.”
During her lifetime, Mrs. Manning has witnessed
many changes in America. When the first airplane
flew over Brigham City, she said word got out in
the local newspaper, and everyone was so excited
to witness it, they started gathering outside an
hour before it was supposed to fly overhead. Mrs.
Manning also recalled the introduction of Jell-O.
“That was the most wonderful food that ever
came out.”
Mrs. Manning’s daughter agrees that after 100 years
of varied and exciting experiences, her mother’s
greatest accomplishment was graduating from USU.
“My mom instilled the desire for education and
continual learning throughout life as a way to better
oneself and those around us,” she said. “I do
believe that is why her greatest accomplishment
was graduating from USU. It sparked her desire to
always be learning and achieving a better you.”
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429,
March 2008
24 25
USU-LICENSED TECHNOLOGY SAVES UTAH DRIVERS
TIME AND MONEY
Road construction causes delays,
detours and confusion, but there is a light at
the end of the tunnel thanks to researchers at
Utah State University. A camera called Texel,
created by USU engineers, is helping to reduce
construction time and cut down traffic jams while
saving the state millions of dollars.
In October 2007, a bridge at I-215 East and
4500 South in Salt Lake City was replaced in
a single weekend, thanks, in part, to USU’s
Texel camera. Using complex 3-D images that
combine lidar (similar to radar, but using light in
place of radio waves), digital photography and a
global positioning system, the Utah Department
of Transportation was able to construct a
prefabricated bridge built off site to fit the
existing bridge’s exact specifications.
The technique used to replace the bridge, called
accelerated bridge construction (ABC), cut road
closures and detours in the area from six months
to a single weekend and saved $4 million in road
construction costs.
“This innovation let us accomplish the work that
needed to be done and not impact the driving
public,” said Shana Lindsey, UDOT’s director of
research and bridge operations.
The camera takes a normal digital photo of
the scene in front of it, while the lidar and GPS
are used at the same time to collect additional
information. Once the 3-D photographic image
is captured, it shows up on the screen like a
normal digital photo. Unlike traditional digital
photography, however, the scene is automatically
embedded with distance, area and volume
information. When multiple Texel photos are
In October 2007, a bridge at I-215 East and 4500 South in Salt Lake City was replaced in a single weekend, thanks, in part, to USU’s Texel camera. Photo courtesy of UDOT.
26 27
combined, a complete
3-D scene is formed
with views from every
desirable position.
“This is what lidar
technology has
going for it,” said
Bob Pack, USU civil
and environmental
engineering professor
and inventor of the
licensed technology.
“The ability to know
every detail of an area
before you start building saves both time and
money, as there are fewer surprises.”
Pack started working on the Texel camera at
the USU Center for Advanced Imaging Ladar, a
former Utah Center of Excellence and current
Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR)
Initiative project. The funding and notoriety
gained from being a USTAR project allowed USU
to license Pack’s camera to a Salt Lake City-
based company, InteliSum.
InteliSum worked closely with UDOT throughout
the bridge replacement process.
“Prefabricated bridges offer significant
advantages over onsite cast-in-place
construction,” said Bob Vashisth of InteliSum.
Bob Pack, USU civil and environmental engineering professor and inventor of the licensed technology.
“Our goal on all future
UDOT ABC projects is
to implement the use
of the Texel camera
through planning,
field survey, design,
modeling, animation
and conflict resolution
before and during the
actual move.”
The October bridge
replacement was so
successful UDOT plans
to replace 13 more
bridges in 2008 using the ABC method.
“The bridge replacement went exactly according
to plan,” said Lindsey. “Utah’s economy is tied
directly to traffic flow. We’re using taxpayer
dollars, and everyone benefits when we
use innovation to prevent lane closures and
accomplish the work faster. It was a good thing
to bring this technology to Utah.”
For more information on USU’s Center for
Advanced Imaging Ladar and the Texel camera,
visit http://cse.usu.edu/cail/index.html.
Writer: Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355,
March 2008
26 27
Utah State University’s INTERIOR DESIGN PROGRAM IS COOKIN’
she completed it. Fotheringham, a junior in Utah State’s Interior Design Program, received the assignment from her professor, Darrin Brooks, during her junior design studio.
“We were in class on a Monday when professor Brooks gave us the assignment,” Fotheringham said. “The designs were due Friday – that Friday.”
“I basically cut sleep from my life,” she said. “I was on campus from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. I spent a lot of time in the design studio.”
Fortheringham’s sleep-depravation paid off with the competition win. She was awarded $2,500 and received a trip to an exclusive resort in Arizona. Utah State University was rewarded as well for her winning effort. The Interior Design program will receive $10,000 from Sub-Zero - Wolf.
While others might be surprised that a student could pull off a win in a national competition in only four days, Fotheringham’s professor said he is not surprised.
“That strength and the diversity that our students have in their education make this possible,”
Brooks said. “All our students have a strong foundation and skills and learn early on about attention to detail. Work by Utah State students garners a lot of attention.”
Providing practical experience comes from having a diverse faculty, Brooks said. Many come to the program with solid experience in the business world. The students also gain a strong background in architecture. USU’s
There is an old political adage that says if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Good advice for a politician, but a number of Utah State University students are just fine taking the heat in the kitchen.
That is, taking the heat in national kitchen design competitions, especially Katie Fotheringham who learned in January 2008 that she had taken the top prize in the Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance, Inc. Student Kitchen Design 2007 Competition.
“Since the inaugural competition in 1993, our Kitchen Design Contest has become the highest-regarded award in the industry,” said Paul Leuthe, corporate marketing manager of Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance. “With each contest we gain insight into kitchen design trends and learn how designers incorporate our appliances into their projects.”
The fact that Fotheringham won the student competition is not surprising when you see her design. What is surprising is the speed in which
Katie Fotheringham’s impressive kitchen design took the top prize in the student category of the 2007 Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance, Inc. Kitchen Design Competition.
28 29
program is also extremely graphic, using the most up-to-date graphic programs.
“Our students are able to design, market and present their ideas in a strong fashion,” Brooks said.
Looking at Fotheringham’s design confirms that. The sleek, modern design is as breathtaking as was the budget for creating the space. There were a number of rules and requirements for the Sub-Zero - Wolf competition, but the budget to produce the award-winning kitchen was an eye-popping $200,000.
There were other rules and guidelines, like using National Kitchen Bath Association standards. Fotheringham had to know the standard height of countertops and many other industry and code standards. Of course, the use of Sub-Zero and Wolf products was a given.
The result is a dream kitchen that anyone — young or old — would like to have.
An emphasis by Fotheringham in her design was to combine the many elements with a nod to sustainability. All her product choices and finishes are eco-friendly, from concrete counter tops stained with soycrete, to the bamboo cabinets and the energy efficient appliances. The brick walls showcase the use of an existing material.
Fotheringham is modest about her win, but firm in her career choice.
“Design something you love, something you are passionate about,” she said. “You can then sell it to others.”
Fotheringham was involved in interior design as a high school student at Taylorsville High School. She also participated in concurrent enrollment courses offered through Weber State. It was after a tour to Utah State and its Interior Design program that she made the decision to study at USU.
“That tour made my decision easy,” she said. “The USU students worked at a completely different level than the other schools and programs I’d visited.”
Fotheringham credits the USU program and her professors with her success.
“The classes have definitely prepared me,” she said. “The professors do push us, but they truly prepare us for ‘real-life’ experience.”
Fotheringham hopes to work at a large commercial design firm once she graduates. She said she likes commercial designs, so bring on more kitchens. Fotheringham can stand the heat.
Students in Utah State’s Interior Design program excel in many competitions. Students have received international honors two years in a row at the Tasmeen Doha, winning week-long trips to Qatar. A complete listing of design competition winners is found on the Interior Design Web site (http://interiordesign.usu.edu/comp.htm).
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354,[email protected] 2008
Katie Fotheringham was a junior in USU’s Interior Design Program when she won the national competition.
ADDITIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN KITCHEN DESIGN WINS …
Megan Ridge2007 GE Monogram - Dream Kitchen Design Contest
Best Student Concept1st Place ($5,000 scholarship)
Audrey Cummings2007 GE Monogram - Dream Kitchen Design Contest
Best Student Concept3rd Place ($1,000 scholarship)
28 29
A GREAT, PRETTY PLACE
Utah State University is a special place —
a major research university where a human touch
still prevails. You’ve arrived at a setting described
by the legendary mountain man Jim Bridger as “the
most beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains.”
The university’s stellar faculty, staff and
students continually strive to make new
discoveries and opportunities for themselves,
and USU’s reputation as a national center
for academic excellence has continued with
increasing momentum.
Located in the city of Logan in northern Utah’s
Cache Valley, Utah State is 80 miles northeast
of Salt Lake City and is within a day’s driving
distance of six national parks. The surrounding
area, including ski resorts, lakes, rivers and
mountains, makes Utah State one of the finest
recreational environments in the nation.
“Logan is a vibrant college town and a
great place to live for multiple reasons,”
said Jay Nielson, Logan City’s community
development director. “We have a great
combination of waterways, traditional streets,
urban forests, good buildings and nice
neighborhoods — and we are surrounded by
breathtaking mountains.”
Logan Makes Several “Best Places” Lists
Located in the city of Logan in northern Utah’s Cache Valley, Utah State is 80 miles northeast of Salt Lake City and is within a day’s driving distance of six national parks.
30 31
Hollist said that in just five minutes one can
be fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing or rock
climbing in the surrounding mountains. She
also mentioned several sporting events held in
the Logan area each year that attract national
attention including LOTOJA Bike Race, Wasatch
Back Relay Race and Top of Utah Marathon.
Nielson believes many people live in the
Logan area because of its beautiful, natural
setting. Logan canyon is a spectacular natural
resource, just minutes from campus, and is
a backyard playground for all. It is a place of
legend, history, recreation and more, and it is
the subject of a new book published in 2007
by Utah State University faculty member and
Journalism and Communication Department
Head Michael S. Sweeney.
“Last Unspoiled Place — Utah’s Logan Canyon”
is Sweeney’s tribute to the geologic wonder he
was drawn to from his first visit to Logan. The
book was published by National Geographic.
Sweeney thinks Logan Canyon is truly a
unique place.
“I have lived in many states and have seen
places that are beautiful and wild,” he said. “But
if you think of those places — Yellowstone, for
instance — they are commercialized or crowded.
There are traffic jams and difficulties getting a
room or campsite reservation.”
Logan Canyon’s beauty rivals that of
Yellowstone, Sweeney said, but it doesn’t
have the commercial development and the
crowds. The highway makes the canyon easily
accessible, and soon a visitor can become lost in
the canyon’s wonders.
“You can drive a few minutes into the canyon,
then park the car and get into a quiet area of
almost pure wilderness,” Sweeney said. “It’s
a unique place, unspoiled, and it’s a place to
restore the soul.”
Not a bad thing to have in your backyard.
Writer: Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355,
April 2008
The Cache Valley area has recently appeared on
several “best places” lists:
• No. 1 safest U.S. Metropolitan Area for 2007,
according to City Crime Rankings: Crime in
Metropolitan America.
• One of Top 10 of the nation’s “Most Secure
places to Live” by Farmers Insurance
Group, 2007.
• One of the Top 50 “Cities for Overall
Economic Vitality” by the Wall Street
Journal, 2007.
• No. 3 on Money Magazine’s “Best Places to
Retire Young,” 2007.
• No. 12 on Forbes Magazine’s “Best Small
Places for Business and Careers,” 2007.
• No. 3 in an MSN real estate article listing
“Low-Cost Locales Where Jobs are
Plenty,” 2007.
• One of 15 “Great Cities for Job
Seekers” by CareerBuilder.com.
Taking the No. 2 spot, Logan has an
unemployment rate of 2 percent.
• No. 5 in the Top 5 Real Estate Markets for
College Towns from a 2008 report by College
Real Estate LLC, a Texas-based company
established in 2004.
• If Norman Rockwell and Daniel Boone built a town together, it would be Logan. The May/June 2008 issue of Where To Retire magazine features Logan as an “undiscovered haven.”
Julie Hollist, director of the Cache Valley Visitors
Bureau, said Logan provides a well-rounded,
integrated experience that is multi-faceted. She
said the area has multiple offerings, especially in
the areas of the arts and outdoors.
“Logan is an incredible resource for those
who enjoy the arts,” Hollist said. “We have an
internationally renowned opera, several local
and visiting performing artists throughout the
year, an incredible chamber music group and
several art galleries.”
30 31
WHAT DIET?
More times than
not, poor eating habits bring
low self-esteem, high blood
pressure, weight gain and the
resulting never-ending question
about whether to start a diet
this Monday or the next.
USU Dietetics students
say skip the diet question
completely — start eating
healthy not only this coming
Monday, but today and
every day!
Students in the Nutrition and Food Sciences
Department at USU plan, promote and present
an annual Health and Nutrition Expo for USU
students, faculty and community. In spring 2008,
students chose to concentrate on teaching
people that there are no magic diets, no magic
foods and no magic supplements to learning how
to eat healthy.
The expo is part of the Advanced Dietetics
Practicum class. Senior dietetics students are
taught in-depth ways to plan and carry out
events, while learning principles for research
and teaching. Senior students also mentor junior
Dietetics students as they help with booths and
present food demonstrations.
Tamara Vitale, USU Dietetics clinical associate
professor, said the expo not only gives students
the opportunity to show off their research
findings, but it also gives them the hands-on
experience they will need in the real world for
event planning and teaching methods.
Vitale approximated there were 1,700 people
who attended the 2008 expo. The attendees
could learn from a variety of booths sponsored
by USU Dietetics students, USU clubs,
community vendors and health professionals.
Junior Dietetics students participated in the
expo through food demonstrations. Every 10
minutes samples of delicious snacks were
offered to whet the appetites of the participants
and to encourage the idea that healthy eating is
easy, fun and appetizing.
Patrick Shepherd, senior Dietetics student, could be
seen at his booth concentrating on cancer-causing
vegetables. He wore a breastplate made from carrots
and mushrooms, shields of squash and a headdress
made of a variety of vegetables. His diet “secret”
was that the vegetables people don’t eat are the
only cancer-causing ones. Students like Shepherd
learned fun and exciting ways to present their
research and also answer questions.
Jessie Oliver (left) and Tamara Vitale at the USU Health and Nutrition Expo.
Dietetic Students Teach Community How to Eat Healthier without Dieting
32 33
“People have questions we have to know
how to answer,” said Nicole Beuhler, a senior
Dietetics student. “We need to research topics
aside from our primary presentation. We want to
help people learn all aspects of our topic.”
Beuhler said she never thought she would need
to learn advertising and communication skills to
work as a dietitian. She now feels that planning
for the expo taught her a variety of skills she will
use in her future career.
According to Vitale, the Service Learning
Program at USU encourages hands-on learning
by giving credit and recognition to students
participating in applied learning courses and
projects throughout campus. The expo gives
the Service Learning Program a perfect example
of how students should be getting involved in
hands-on learning.
“The Health and Nutrition Expo is an excellent
way for students to gain confidence in their
knowledge about nutrition,” said Vitale. “It
also gives them experience in qualities that
employers value — communication skills,
teamwork skills, flexibility and adaptability,
analytical skills, motivation and many more.”
Vitale said the qualities students learn while
planning the expo are not typically included on
exams, but they are qualities asked about in
job interviews and reference checks. It is easier
to recommend a student for a job if she sees
them in action. Through this practice, students
are able to gain confidence and competence in
other aspects of their field of study.
“The expo provides practice in many skills,” said
Vitale. “The students develop nutrition-related
materials and activities. They plan, market,
organize, form sub-committees and maintain
a budget. They also obtain a temporary food
handler’s permit from the Health Department and
make sure all regulations are followed.”
Jessica Draper, a senior in Dietetics,
concentrated on contacting booth vendors. She
also helped design a time-management tool
used to keep every aspect of the expo on track,
as well as researching her own topic on organic
foods. The main goal of her presentation was to
get people thinking about organic foods and the
impacts they can have, good or bad, on health,
the environment and a college student’s budget.
“I had no idea how hard it was to plan an event,”
said Draper. “When I helped plan the expo, I
realized how every little detail mattered. A topic
such as mine can cause some controversy, and
you have to be prepared with answers.”
Vitale explained that students take it upon
themselves to promote the event the best way
they can. Students write press releases and
design posters, among other promotional tools
they use. They are encouraged to work with
broadcast groups and newspapers throughout
the community to promote the event.
The work isn’t all finished when the final
presentation is given at the end of the expo.
Students are required to write a one-page
reflection paper describing what they felt the
pros were, what they could have done better
and what new roles they took on. The papers are
used to help future students planning the event.
“This year’s expo was a great success,” said
Vitale. “All the students work hard and see it pay
off in the end. I never cease to be amazed as it
all comes together.”
Writer: Ben Hibshman, [email protected] 2008
Patrick Shepherd, senior dietetics student, presents his research on cancer-causing vegetables at the Health and Nutrition Expo.
32 33
A NEW NAME, A NEW ERA OF LEADERSHIP
U tah State University celebrated two
significant gifts April 23, 2008 and announced at
the same time that it will rename it prestigious
college of education the Emma Eccles Jones
College of Education and Human Services.
The $25 million gift from the Emma Eccles Jones
Foundation, announced in December 2007,
will support design and construction of a new
building and five endowed faculty chairs in early
childhood education. An additional $1 million gift
announced Wednesday from the George S. and
Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation will support a
new Center for Early Care and Education named
for Dolores Doré Eccles.
Carol Strong, dean of the Emma Eccles Jones
College of Education and Human Services, said
the gifts will allow the already highly ranked
college to affirm even further its status as one
the nation’s leaders in early childhood education,
research and service.
“The synergy created by these generous gifts
will serve as a powerful catalyst, helping to
transform early childhood education not only
regionally and nationally but internationally,”
she said.
The new building will house all of the college’s
important programs and research in early
childhood education, including the Emma Eccles
Jones Center for Early Childhood Education
and its endowed chair, Ray Reutzel. It will also
be home to the Sound Beginnings Preschool, a
one-of-a-kind program in the Intermountain West
where children with cochlear implants or digital
hearing aids can learn spoken language.
Also under the same roof, the Dolores Doré Eccles
Center for Early Care and Education will provide
much-needed child-care facilities for infants and
young children whose parents are USU students,
staff or faculty. In addition, the facility will offer
early childhood education, student and parent
training, a model research environment and endless
opportunities for USU undergraduate and graduate
students to observe, tutor and experience hands-
on learning internships.
“These will be the critical training grounds for students
who will become our nation’s best teachers, deaf
USU Renames its Highly Ranked College: Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
The Very Reverend Frederick Q. Lawson, (from left to right), Clark Giles and Spencer F. Eccles.
34 35
educators, speech-language
pathologists and audiologists,”
Strong said. “These gifts have
far-reaching potential — they aim
to create a bright future for our
children and grandchildren, and
theirs as well.”
Spencer F. Eccles, chairman
of the board and CEO for the
George S. and Dolores Doré
Eccles Foundation, said the
celebration was a reminder
of commitment to education
by Emma Eccles Jones and
Dolores Doré Eccles, who were sisters-in-law.
“This is a great day to celebrate and honor the
contributions of two incredible women,” Eccles
said. “Both were strong and spirited women who
shared a firm belief in the value of education.
They would be pleased to know what they have
contributed to, and I believe that here at USU in the
College of Education, the best is yet to come.”
Clark Giles, chair of the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation, echoed those thoughts.
“We are pleased to provide this gift to further
enhance the early childhood education program
at USU, and we are honored they are naming the
college after Emma,” Giles said. “Aunt Em focused
her career on providing training and education for
teachers of early childhood education, and the
new center at USU will be a great benefit to the
university, the state and the nation.”
The Very Reverend Frederick Q. Lawson, trustee of
the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation, told a packed
Sunburst Lounge in USU’s Taggart Student Center
that Emma Eccles Jones, Logan’s first kindergarten
teacher, was a model teacher with a progressive
spirit that is reflected today in USU’s College of
Education and Human Services.
“She was a dedicated teacher and a loyal friend
to the teaching profession,” Lawson said. “She
serves as a model for this wonderful school of
education, and we are privileged to know that
every teacher who graduates from this program
will carry on that great tradition.”
USU President Stan L. Albrecht said Emma
Eccles Jones touched the lives of many children
when she was a teacher herself, and the college,
named after her, will extend that touch to
countless generations of young children.
“These gifts are a reflection of the great confidence
these foundations have in us,” Albrecht said.
“We are humbled by that confidence, but we
enthusiastically embrace this great challenge.”
Writer: Tim Vitale, 435-797-1356,
April 2008The Very Reverend Frederick Q. Lawson presented Dean Carol Strong with books from Emma Eccles Jones’ personal collection.
Students from Edith Bowen Laboratory School sang during the ceremony.
Spencer F. Eccles stands with a plaque that will hang in the atrium of the Emma Eccles Jones Education Building.
34 35
WIKI TEXTBOOK TEACHES STUDENTS MORE THAN PHYSIOLOGY
All students understand the pain of
paying hundreds of dollars for textbooks each
semester, but few likely realize the effort their
instructors put into choosing a quality book.
When Kevin Young, lecturer at Utah State
University’s Brigham City campus, couldn’t find a
book he liked for the physiology class he taught
during summer 2006, he decided to work with his
students to create their own wiki textbook using
Wikibooks, a companion site to Wikipedia that
allows users to create a free library of textbooks
anyone can edit.
Young’s idea to incorporate wikis into the
classroom was fueled by Brigham City Executive
Director Andy Shinkle’s enthusiasm for innovation
and new technology.
“I believe technology has the
capability to improve the quality
of education, especially for our
nontraditional students because
it offers flexibility with both time
and location that isn’t available
traditionally,” Shinkle said. “Kevin
has been very enthusiastic and
innovative with his teaching. He
has been successful with taking
a difficult subject matter and
ensuring that students excel, and
he’s used technology to make it
fun and exciting at the same time.”
The class was taught remotely
through IP broadcast technology
to students enrolled in Provo
College’s pre-nursing program.
The students needed to take several basic courses
from an accredited institution before continuing with
the program, and USU stepped up to fulfill that role.
“It was an interesting experience having students
who were there to learn, taking the role of
textbook writers,” Young said. “But the students
learned physiology through this collaborative
project, and they all progressed into the nursing
program and passed their nursing exams.”
Young created the basic outline for the textbook by
establishing 18 chapter headings. Then he divided the
class into 18 teams and assigned each to research
and write one chapter. By involving the students in
their education through creating their own textbook,
they learned more than just physiology.
Kevin Young, biology lecturer at USU’s Brigham City campus, helped his physiology class create a wiki textbook.
36 37
or other organizations to which he belongs. Not only
did the project get the students more involved in
their coursework, it also gave Young the opportunity
to get to know his students better.
When teaching from a distance, it can be difficult to
personalize each student’s experience, he said. But
through wikis, he can learn about and interact with
each student through their profiles and contributions.
He was concerned about vandalism to the wiki.
But he remembered Penchina saying most cases
of vandalism at Wikipedia are corrected within
four minutes. This seemed unbelievable, but then
he experienced it firsthand.
One day during class, students started reporting
that their pages had been deleted or filled with
profanity. He started to compose an e-mail to a
wiki-enthusiast who had been helping, but before
he had even sent the e-mail, everything had been
fixed. He looked at his watch and it had been less
than four minutes.
Young’s fascination with wikis extends beyond
the classroom. In November 2007, he won a
weeklong trip to Australia with his wife through a
contest promoting the new Australia Travel wiki
on Wetpaint.com.
Meanwhile, he has transitioned his class to using
Wetpaint’s wiki site because it is easier to insert
images and videos, which students enjoy. He
created the “physiwiki” site for students to write
class notes and practice questions for each other.
“I once heard someone say, ‘If you never fail,
you’re not trying enough new things,’” Young
said. “That’s what I try to instill in my students
as I aim to prepare them for an uncertain future. I
want them to learn how to take risks and how to
discover in new ways.”
To view and contribute to Human Physiology, visit
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Human_Physiology.
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429, [email protected] April 2008
“It taught me to not only research, but to verify the
information I use for my classes,” said Stephanie
Greenwood, a student from Young’s spring 2007
class and certified nursing assistant at Utah Valley
Regional Medical Center. “I learned to find multiple
sources for any subject I research.”
Greenwood said she devoted a lot of time to
researching and checking the information for
the book, so by the time she was finished, she
truly understood the material. “It wasn’t just a
memorize-and-regurgitate-for-the-test type of
class,” she said. “The things I learned from that
class stuck with me.”
Today, the textbook, Human Physiology, receives
2,000-3,000 visits per day and holds the prestigious
title of “Featured Book” on Wikibooks. Young has
used the book a few times for his own classes, but
he hopes students in other universities will also use
and improve upon the book.
As a testament to Shinkle’s commitment to
developing the most technologically advanced
campus at USU, he gave the faculty members at
Brigham City video iPods and told them to use
the iPods for something educational.
Young started listening to a podcast sponsored by
Stanford University called “Entrepreneurial Thought
Leaders Seminar.” One morning, the guest speaker
on the podcast was Gil Penchina, former vice
president of eBay, speaking about his recent decision
to leave eBay to become CEO of a company called
Wikia, a commercial company started by the founders
of Wikipedia that provides a place for people to create
wikis about anything.
This sparked Young’s
interest in wikis, and
he said he’ll never
stop using them,
whether it’s
for classes,
hobbies
36 37
‘GREEN’ PLASTIC
Take a look
around and you might
be surprised by how
many things are made
of plastic. Paints,
adhesives, prostheses,
brushes and furniture
name just a few. Since
plastic was created
about 150 years ago,
it has become one of
the most commonly
manufactured materials
in society. About
200 billion pounds of
plastics are produced
annually worldwide.
Libbie Linton, a Utah State University senior
majoring in biological and irrigation engineering,
has been researching bioplastics as an
alternative to conventional plastics since 2004.
Finding alternatives to petroleum-based
products such as plastic will help to increase
sustainability. In the United States alone, some
60 billion pounds of plastics are discarded
annually, and more than 90 percent of the waste
is not yet recycled.
Bioplastics could easily be substituted for
regular plastics because they can be molded
and the strength can be adjusted just like
regular plastics, Linton said. Bioplastics are
biodegradable and aren’t derived from oil,
making them a much more sustainable product.
“When I began working with Libbie the
summer before she started college, she
really dug into the details of the organisms,
processes and previous research by others
concerning bioplastics,” said Ronald
Sims, head of the Biological and Irrigation
Engineering Department. “By the time she
started college, she was well into research
and discovery in the laboratory.”
Bioplastics are made from a compound called
polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA, she said.
Bacteria accumulate PHA in the presence of
excess carbon source, similar to how humans
Engineering Student Recycles Dairy Waste to Create Biodegradable Plastic
Libbie Linton, biological and irrigation engineering student, has been studying ways to make bioplastic production more cost effective.
38 39
accumulate fat deposits on their bodies after
consuming excess food.
The major problem with producing
bioplastics on a large scale is the cost
associated with producing them. Presently,
bioplastics are around 2.5 times more
expensive than plastics produced from oil,
Linton said. But as the cost of oil increases,
that gap gets smaller and smaller.
The sources for the production cost include the
carbon used to help bacteria produce PHAs, the
purifying process and operation costs, such as
tanks to house PHA-producing bacteria.
Linton’s project focuses on ways to eliminate or
reduce one or more of these costs. To make this
green idea even greener, she aims to optimize
naturally-occurring environments and use
byproducts from other production processes.
During her junior year, a research group Linton
was affiliated with was awarded a grant from
the Utah Science, Technology and Research
(USTAR) initiative for the study of biodiesel
produced from algae.
Anaerobically-digested dairy waste is used to
grow the algae used for biodiesel production.
Bioplastic production can be integrated into this
process by using the carbon- and nutrient-rich
dairy waste to harvest PHA-producing organisms
that occur naturally in the dairy waste.
“Using wastes to make bioplastics solves two
problems at the same time,” Sims said. “It
provides sustainable waste treatment and avoids
polluting the environment. Second, by adding
a high-value product like bioplastic to the
biodiesel production process, the cost of both
products can simultaneously be lowered.”
Linton has developed and validated a
method for quantifying PHAs in a sample and
has successfully detected PHA-producing
bacteria in the waste.
Now, we have to look for ways to optimize this
partnership between biodiesel and bioplastic
production to get a lot of PHA for a good
price, she said.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned while working
on this project, it’s that everyone has to work
together,” Linton said. “No one can know
everything, so you have to team up with experts
from various disciplines to get the best results.”
During the 2008 USU Undergraduate Research
Week poster display, Linton claimed the award
for “Best Poster” in the engineering category.
She has also presented her research at national
conferences, including the Inland Northwest
Research Alliance Conference in Big Sky, Mont.,
in 2005, the Institute of Biological Engineering in
Tucson, Ariz., in 2006, the Institute of Biological
Engineering in St. Louis, Mo., in 2007, and the
Institute of Biological Engineering in Chapel Hill,
N.C., in 2008.
Linton plans to stay at USU to get her master’s
degree while continuing this research with Sims.
“I’d like to shift to a systems integration
emphasis for my master’s degree,” Linton
said. “I want to design a system for bioplastic
production that can be incorporated into the
commercial agricultural waste treatment process
without compromising biodiesel production.”
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429,
April 2008
38 39
Utah State University’s Department of
Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education
has partnered with Cache Community
Connections for seven years to sponsor a
production of George F. Handel’s famous
Messiah. This production, however, is a unique
blend of English, Spanish and American Sign
Language, making it a multicultural event for the
more than 100 singers, 50 instrumentalists and
21 theatrical interpreters for the Deaf who were
featured in the production.
A MULTICULTURAL
MESSIAHWell-Known Production Takes on New Dimensions for USU Students, Community
USU student Jaime Tongish interprets USU’s Multicultural Messiah in American Sign Language.
40 41
The director of audiology
in USU’s Department of
Communicative Disorders and
Deaf Education, professor John
Ribera, is the architect behind
this grand production.
“The message, the music and the
man who composed it have always
intrigued me,” said Ribera. “It was
the darkest time in Handel’s life,
when everything seemed against
him, that he came up with a
masterpiece now played all over the
world. It is very inspiring and I never
tire of it. “
This year’s production added an
educational family matinee to the
schedule. It provided fascinating
insight into the life and times of
Handel. Concert etiquette, Baroque music, Deaf
culture and other such topics were also included
in the matinee.
“Seeing a community of many people from many
different ways of life blend together in harmony
is amazing,” said orchestra member Robert
Robinson. “Friendships were built, trust was
established and love was shared with everyone.”
The exposure of American Sign Language to the
community has been one of the greatest benefits
of this Messiah performance. Deaf people
traveled from Salt Lake City and Provo to see
the performance in Logan. Several Deaf people
came with balloons to feel the vibrations of the
orchestra in their hands.
The head of USU’s Deaf Education Program,
Freeman King, asked Deaf education senior
Lacey Scott to become involved with the
production three years ago. “I joined without
knowing what I was getting into,” said Scott.
“But it has become one of the greatest things I’ll
remember about USU.”
Scott volunteered to coach the other Deaf
interpreters, and, despite the challenges of
learning her part and coaching, she found the
experience quite rewarding.
“We don’t follow the lyrics,” said Scott. “We
tell many stories of Christ and we become
the characters. We become the sinners, the
angels, the believers. We also become Christ
as we express the thoughts and feelings that he
must’ve felt.”
Proceeds from the concert series support
the annual international humanitarian hearing
healthcare mission. The mission provides
services to underprivileged men, women and
children from faculty and doctoral students in
audiology. The proceeds from the 2007 Messiah
production allowed the mission to see more
than 300 patients and fit more than 40 hearing
aids in Mexico. This year the humanitarian
team will travel to the Dominican Republic
where they will provide services for children in
schools for the Deaf.
Writer: Ryan Hall
April 2008
Dr. John Ribera, director of audiology, leads the Messiah.
40 41
Each new year
brings renewed rounds
of resolutions, among
which losing weight and
developing healthier
habits consistently rank
in the top five. Just as
predictable are a bevy of
newly released ads touting
the latest in weight loss
diets and tools for wishful
fitness enthusiasts.
Grapefruit, cabbage and
reverse diets … Israeli
Army, Atkins, Eat-Right-
for-Your-Type diets …
and 2008’s offering: the
GenoType Diet.
“The ability to determine a
proper diet based on your
genotype is premature,”
says Utah State University
researcher Michael Lefevre.
“We know that both
genetic and non-genetic
factors play a role in how
an individual responds
to different diets, but we
don’t yet know why.”
Lefevre, who was recruited to USU through
the Utah Science Technology and Research –
USTAR – initiative, has long studied the role
of diet in the development of cardiovascular
disease and Type 2 diabetes.
“We know that lowering saturated fat and
increasing plant sterols and fiber in one’s diet
can lower cholesterol levels,” says Lefevre,
who joined USU’s Center for Advanced
Nutrition in September 2007. “But everyone
SEEKING WEAPONS OF MASS REDUCTION
USU USTAR professor Michael Lefevre explores the role of diet in the development of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
42 43
responds differently to diet changes and we
need tools to help us identify the best diet
match for each person.”
Lefevre believes that a metabalomics approach –
rather than a genomics approach – may provide
those tools. Metabalomics is the systematic
study of the unique chemical ‘fingerprints’ that
specific cellular processes leave behind.
To test his approach, he plans to set up a
metabalomics research kitchen with the ability to
feed up to 25 human subjects at a time.
“We will provide all meals for the people in each
study, the length of which could last from three
to four weeks or up to six months,” he says. “The
findings should help us begin to identify specific
genetic and non-genetic markers and tailor the
appropriate diet to each individual.”
Food is not always the enemy, says Lefevre,
who studies so-called functional foods; that
is, nutritional compounds in foods that inhibit
disease. Examples include antioxidants that
are often lauded for their health benefits. The
compounds, praised for their cancer prevention
and anti-aging properties, are so ubiquitous in
food, he notes, that whether or not they deserve
such credit is open to debate.
His current research focuses on bioactive
compounds, including flavonoids found in many
fruits and vegetables. Early studies indicate that
such compounds may offer protection against
cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Lefevre continues his work with Louisiana State
University’s Pennington Biomedical Research
Center, his former employer, on a National
Institutes of Health-funded botanical research
project that is examining how bioactives in fruits’
plant pigments affect health. The rich blue and
red hues of your favorite berries and grapes
could be doing more good for you than simply
pleasing your senses.
“Plant pigments may provide protection against
metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance – a
precursor to Type 2 diabetes,” he says.
Finding the right tools, including improved
nutrition, to combat modern-day plagues is
critical, he says.
“Today’s obesity epidemic is unprecedented,”
Lefevre says. “We have access to a large supply
of relatively inexpensive food – much of which is
high in fat and salt.”
He also notes that today’s lifestyles
encourage inactivity.
“Consider this: we actually press a button to
remotely start our cars and open their doors,”
Lefevre says. “The simplest tasks have been
reduced to one finger. We have escalators
instead of stairs and we sit at computers all
day. These little things add up in our lives. It’s
amazing how few calories we actually need
when we’re inactive.”
Personal choice is a factor in good health
but public policy encouraging healthy habits,
including pedestrian and bike-friendly
communities, could discourage overly sedentary
lifestyles, he says.
“Reversing current trends requires action from
all of us on personal and communal levels,”
Lefevre says.
Contact: Michael Lefevre, 435-797-3821
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517,
May 2008
42 43
In many cases, Utah State University’s
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art is the
first exposure to art students living in northern
Utah may have. Making art accessible and
offering personal experiences with modern
and contemporary art objects is central to the
museum’s mission. Examining contemporary
issues and art-making specific to the American
scene in the western United States give a
certain flavor to the experience. Contemporary
art, although exciting, can be challenging to
understand, so to help its audience find meaning,
and to serve as a resource for teachers and
students of all kinds, the museum has developed
extensive education programs.
Early exposure to art and outreach to
underserved populations make the museum’s
K-12 education programs fundamental to
building art appreciators for the future and to
the museum’s youth
programs. The museum’s
education personnel are
committed to developing
resource information for
classroom teachers, and
one was recognized for
her dedicated efforts.
Nadra Haffar, education
curator at the Nora Eccles
Harrison Museum of Art,
has been named the
state’s Art Educator of the
Year. Make that years.
Haffar was named
Outstanding Museum
Educator of the Year 2007-08 and 2008-09 by
the Utah Art Education Association at its annual
conference.
“Many public school teachers are frightened and
intimidated or even ill-prepared to incorporate
the arts into the curriculum,” Haffar said.
“Through my work at the museum, I feel it is my
role to help with the process.”
At Utah State, Haffar works at all levels in the
educational world and with a variety of groups that
visit the museum, ranging from children to adults.
“The curator of education is responsible for
developing and supervising the docent program,
planning educational events and public activities
for the museum,” said Victoria Rowe, the
museum’s director and chief curator.
ALL PATHS LEAD TO ART
Nadra Haffar was named Utah’s Art Educator of the Year for 2007-08 and 2008-09. She is the education curator at USU’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art.
44 45
During the
academic
year 2006-
07, more
than 7,000
students
came to the
museum.
Of those,
950 were
public school
students in
35 different
groups.
Among those
groups was
a second-
grade class
from Edith Bowen Laboratory School and its
teacher Marianne Christian. An educator with
more than 13 years experience, Christian said she
takes full advantage of the resources offered at
USU. She brings her students to campus four to
five times a year for a multitude of experiences.
Her class visited the new Performance Hall during
a session on zone tools. The students used the
Performance Hall’s sculpture “Passacaglia” to
study repeating patterns.
“The idea is to give the students a broader
experience,” Christian said. “The classroom is
small, and I like getting the students out. It’s just like
adults who travel. The more you travel, the more
open you are to new ideas and new experiences.
Our field trips provide these experiences.”
Building educational partnerships is important at
the museum.
“We want to help make the connection between
what they are studying and art,” Haffar said.
“We get to build strong relationships with the
teachers at all levels.”
Christian feels especially connected to Haffar
and the museum via the new ArtsBridge program
and its USU director, Laurie Baefsky.
In fall 2007, Utah State became the 23rd university
in the United States to host an ArtsBridge America
program. Through the Caine School of the Arts
and the College of Humanities, Arts and Social
Sciences, USU ArtsBridge provides service-based
instructional scholarships to qualified university
students and hands-on, long-term arts residencies
in classrooms for K-12 students.
With its proximity to campus, the museum has a
close relationship with Edith Bowen Laboratory
School, as well as associations with the Logan
City and Cache County school districts. It also
works with nontraditional groups, including
disabled adults, at risk youth and residential
treatment facilities.
“These hands-on experiences really impact the
students,” Christian said. “Nadra is very involved
with what the children are doing. She is very
professional and is clearly excited about what
she does.”
At USU’s museum, tours arranged and scripted
by Haffar include hands-on activities that
connect the experience to the theme or the
artist the group is studying. However, it is most
important that the students experience this in the
atmosphere of the museum — not the classroom
at their individual schools.
Haffar notes that the pendulum of including
the arts in the curriculum — no matter how you
define the arts — will continue to swing.
“But I think it is coming back,” she said. “Math
and science are included in the arts, we just have
to show how they are included in a creative way.
As an art educator, I need to find the keys to
let students discover how other disciplines are
involved or related. I always enjoy hearing young
students on tours say, ‘I’m so glad I got to come
today. I’m missing math,’ and I get to say, ‘Oh no
you’re not, you are doing math right now,’ and
explain or show how.”
“I appreciate Nadra’s engagement with our
young guests,” Rowe said. “She is dedicated
to reaching these moldable, young minds —
trying to inspire them about the world around
them and the fuzziness of the divisions between
art, science and all learning. Her philosophy is
dynamic. Many things lead to paths of learning
— but all paths lead to art.”
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354,
May 2008
Nadra Haffar, USU’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art education curator, uses the Performance Hall’s sculpture “Passacaglia” in an outreach session with elementary students.
44 45
MR. SEPTEMBERcustomers world-wide. The Siemens Calendar
competition started in 1997 and has become
an annual tradition with entrants from leading
global companies, including Adams Golf, FMC
Technologies and Hill-Rom. Every year, a panel
of industry professionals from around the world
selects the images that appear in the printed
calendar. People from more than 20 countries
entered the 2008 competition.
John DeVitry, a mechanical and aerospace
engineering professor and SDL researcher,
assigned his class with the task of creating an
artistic rendering of the AIM-SOFIE satellite
using Siemen’s Solid Edge software. He told
the students that the best renderings would be
submitted to the contest.
When Utah State University
mechanical and aerospace engineering student
Dennis Olsen sat down in the Engineering
Graphics class in fall 2007, he had no idea that
he was about to create a piece of art that would
be distributed around the world.
Olsen’s graphic rendering of USU’s Space
Dynamics Laboratory’s AIM-SOFIE (Aeronomy
of Ice in the
Mesosphere —
Solar Occultation
for Ice Experiment)
satellite, earned
him Best of
Show in the 2008
Seimens PLM
Software Calendar
competition. The
winning artwork
is featured on the
September page
of the Americas
edition of the
calendar.
“I was so
surprised when
my professor told
me I had won Best
of Show in the
competition — I
didn’t even know that my artwork was one of the
entries that USU submitted,” said Olsen. “Being
featured in the calendar is an honor and it will
look great on my resume.”
Siemens is a leading global provider of product
lifecycle management software with 51,000
USU Engineering Student Takes Home Best of Show
Dennis Olsen’s graphic rendering of USU’s Space Dynamics Laboratory’s AIM-SOFIE satellite, earned him Best of Show in the 2008 Seimens PLM Software Calendar competition.
46 47
“Dennis has a keen eye for being able to see
exactly what needs to be done and doing it,”
said DeVitry. “His ability to visualize and present
a complicated 3D CAD model in the simplest
and most effective manner made him stand
out as a student. I am proud of Dennis, he was
competing against professional engineers from
around the world, quite an accomplishment for a
USU student.”
When Olsen sat down to design the rendering,
he imagined the satellite and what it would look
like in its natural atmosphere. He noticed that the
2007 calendar featured artwork with attention
to detail, including emphasis on lighting and
reflection. Olsen focused his efforts on these
details, and thinks it helped to earn him a place
in the calendar.
“Dennis joins a select group of people from
around the world recognized for delivering
absolute excellence in their work,” said Betty
Hill, manager of the 2008 Siemens PLM Calendar
Program. “The selection process is difficult
to pick the best of the best based on overall
dramatic impact and aesthetics, complexity of the
image, image innovation, image
clarity and resolution and how
much the image represents
maximum usage of Siemens
PLM Software products. Dennis
did a wonderful job in all of
these areas.”
Having a good knowledge of 3D
modeling software is an important
skill for engineers today.
“Companies are creating 3D
models of everything so that
the client can visualize the end
product and if you have the skills
to create the 3D models, you are
more marketable,” said Olsen.
And while the Solid Edge
software was new to Olsen,
he took advantage of the opportunity to learn a
new program.
“USU is a great school,” Olsen said. “It has a
great engineering program and I have enjoyed
the classes and professors.”
Olsen said the engineering program at USU is
a lot of hard work, but has already realized the
pay-off with the honor and notoriety of having
his rendering featured in the Siemens calendar.
Taking home a new digital camera and secure
digital card weren’t too bad either, he said.
To view Olsen’s prize-winning image titled Space
Dynamics Lab, USA, AIM — SOFIE Aeronomy
of Ice in the Mesosphere — Solar Occultation
for Ice Experiment, visit www.siemens.com/plm/
calendar2008.
To learn more about the USU College of
Engineering and the program’s it offers, visit
engineering.usu.edu.
Writer: Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355,
May 2008
Dennis’s winning artwork is featured on the September 2008 page of the Americas edition of the Siemens calendar.
46 47
USU Engineering Student GETS SMART WITH PRESTIGIOUS$75,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Hanks is finishing his junior year at USU and
has focused his studies in the area of aerospace
engineering. The scholarship will allow him to
complete his undergraduate work and then finish
his graduate work at USU. He said he believes
he received the scholarship because of two main
things — hard work and networking.
“No doubt my application, resume and transcript
played a key role in securing the scholarship,”
Utah State University mechanical and
aerospace engineering student Luke Hanks
received a prestigious scholarship from the
Science, Mathematics and Research for
Transformation Program. The scholarship
will total slightly more than $75,000 and be
distributed over a three-year period.
Hanks will receive an annual
stipend of $25,000 per year, full
tuition and related educational
fees, a book allowance of up to
$1,000 per year, health insurance
and a paid internship and post-
graduation employment with
Ogden Air Logistics, located on Hill
Air Force Base.
The SMART Program is managed
by the U.S. Naval Postgraduate
School on behalf of the Office
of the Secretary of Defense. The
American Society for Engineering
Education works with the school to
administer the program.
“This award will provide me with
sufficient funds to concentrate
entirely on my studies in aerospace
engineering,” Hanks said. “This
program will pay for my schooling
until I complete my master’s
degree, while simultaneously
jump-starting my career. I have
secured my future in the career of
my dreams.”USU mechanical and aerospace engineering student Luke Hanks received a scholarship from the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Program.
48 49
said Hanks. “Perhaps even more important is
networking. I would advise all students to take
advantage of the mentoring offered by their
professors. In my experience, they have always
been willing to answer any of my questions,
whether academic or concerning careers. The
letters of recommendation that my professors wrote
for me were no doubt crucial to my being chosen.”
Hanks is actively involved in the student chapter
of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
and has coordinated several activities for the
group. He personally invited employers to give
presentations on campus, whether to recruit
or just publicize their programs. One of the
employers he invited was the civilian engineer
group Ogden Air Logistics at Hill Air Force Base.
After Hanks applied for a summer internship
with the company, it was so impressed with his
resume, it recommended he apply for the SMART
scholarship. From a competitive field of more
than 2,000 applicants, Hanks received one of
only 200 awards.
During his time at USU, Hanks has been involved
in undergraduate research with mechanical and
aerospace engineering professor David Geller.
Other engineering professors he credits for his
success include mentors Barton Smith, Thomas
Fronk and Chris Hailey. He also said USU Career
Services, especially Melissa Scheaffer, has been
invaluable in helping him choose a career path.
“Luke’s analytical skills are outstanding,” Geller
said. “He uses these skills to develop a deeper
understanding of the problems he works on,
and he often goes beyond what is required in
his coursework. He has a desire to learn and
this is reflected in his academic achievements.
His maturity is also evident in how he prepares
for his classes, in his work ethic and how he
conducts himself in all aspects of campus life.”
Ogden Air Logistics specializes in aircraft integrity
— meaning it designs, redesigns and refurbishes
aircrafts. Hanks’s placement with the company
depends primarily on his interests. During his
internship, he will be able to explore his options
and then structure his coursework accordingly.
“The reputation of USU’s engineering program
is a huge advantage to students when it comes
time to apply for scholarships, fellowships and
post-graduation employment,” Hanks said. “The
research opportunities are like nowhere else in
the state, especially in aerospace.”
“The USU Undergraduate Research Program
provides many opportunities for students in any
field of study,” said Joyce Kinkead, associated
vice president for research. “The strength of
our program rests, in part, on the excellent
faculty that enjoys working with and mentoring
undergraduates. Our students are engaged in
important, cutting-edge research that can make
a difference in people’s lives.”
Hanks said the USU faculty is fantastic and that
he particularly enjoys the honors program.
“We are very proud of Luke, who is an exemplary
student with laudable goals,” said Christie Fox,
USU Honors Program director. “The SMART award
demonstrates the kind of scholarships we hope all
Honors students aspire to and which, as Luke has
shown, are attainable. This award is a testament to
Luke’s hard work and the academic mentorship he
has received at Utah State University.”
“USU is a great place to be,” Hanks said. “The
atmosphere is ideal for education. The campus
is beautiful, the culture is tranquil but fun and
there’s even plenty of art and culture. In my
opinion, it’s a great university where a student
can gain a well-rounded education.”
For more information about USU’s College of
Engineering and its many study options, visit
www.engineering.usu.edu/. For more information
about the SMART Program, visit www.asee.org/smart.
Writer: Maren Cartwright, 435-797.1355,
May 2008
48 49
The Landscape of Success—LEGENDARY TEACHING
The fund will provide resources to extend the learning experience for USU’s landscape architecture students. The endowed fund will bring experts to campus for lectures and workshops in the areas of professor Johnson’s expertise.
Johnson joined USU’s Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning faculty in 1966, fresh out of graduate school where he’d just earned a master’s of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois. Earlier he’d earned his bachelor’s in landscape architecture from Michigan State University. His journey into the realm of landscape architecture and design was serendipitous, he said.
“I grew up in a small town in Minnesota that had what was called a lyceum series — noted speakers on a variety of subjects would come to town and present lectures,” Johnson said. “My mother, always interested in education and learning about as many subjects as possible, attended a lecture by the director of the Minnesota Arboretum. He used the term ‘landscape architecture,’ and mother came home and repeated it. I had never heard it before, but I was intrigued. I started to explore. Before you knew it, I was on the campus at Michigan State and into the landscape architecture program there.”
Johnson said the discipline combines many of his interests — art, wildlife, the landscape and conservation.
“The profession said something to me,” he said.
Did it ever. Over the years Johnson shared his passion, experience and expertise with countless students. An estimate provided by USU’s LAEP department said he has touched the lives of nearly 1,400 program graduates. His work in habitat restoration and sustainable landscape design had a profound impact in communities, but also through the students who have
Utah State University has a tradition of caring, sharing faculty. Across campus the personal touch influences the lives of students every day. Over the years, a few — let’s call them legendary teachers — rise to the top. They inspire students from the past, present and well into the future.
So strong is the feeling about landscape architecture and environmental planning professor Craig Johnson that when he announced his retirement, plans were laid to continue his educational influence for students to come. As a department promotional piece said, “the department wants to keep Craig going … and going … and going.”
With that intent, the Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence was established.
“Even if we can’t have his smiling presence, insights and string of one-liners with us, we want Craig’s contributions to LAEP to live in perpetuity,” a brochure announcing Johnson’s retirement said. “The Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence was established to make sure that happens.”
After a 40-plus year career at USU, LAEP faculty member Craig Johnson is retiring. His educational impact continues thanks to the Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence.
50 51
spread his valuable teaching throughout the country and around the world.
Never one to stop learning, Johnson returned to graduate school, and in 1984 he earned a master’s of science in fisheries and wildlife biology from South Dakota State University.
“It was something I always wanted to know more about,” Johnson said. “Adding a background in fisheries and wildlife biology opened opportunities to collaborate with other resource professionals on campus, opportunities to work on a variety of resource related projects.”
He combined his several loves and traditional foundation in planning and design into what he called a “hybrid” career.
“Our discipline is practical and applied,” he said. “We put things into practice. We need a lot of information — the best and most useful, often generated by other disciplines — then combine everything into real-world applications.”
USU’s LAEP program began in 1939 with a defection. A department history reports that at the end of spring term 1939, four students and an assistant professor of landscape architecture packed their bags and equipment and moved the only program in landscape architecture in the Intermountain West from BYU to Utah State Agricultural College. The relocated department opened its doors for business in Logan fall term 1939 and fielded its first graduating class — 50 percent male and 50 percent female (there were two graduates) — in June 1940.
That’s the early history. Today, the program is vigorous, and alumni work around the world in public, private and academic practice.
Johnson, as noted, has worked with thousands of students. With a 40-plus year career and with that many students, project upon project stack up. Among his favorites? The early work on the Jordan River Parkway in Salt Lake County.
“We were on the ground floor with the planning process,” Johnson said. “You can go there today and see what the students proposed and suggested in the design, layout and use. I’m really proud of the students’ work. Today, the Jordan River Parkway is a reality. We restored habitat for wildlife and created a memorable place for people.”
Other project highlights for Johnson include an open space plan for the City of Bluffdale and a habitat conservation study at the southern end of Cache County.
The key to Johnson’s teaching success?
“It’s best to teach by example,” he said. “Stay current, get out in the field and work in the profession. Bring ideas back to the classroom. Successful teaching is a combination of applied research, staying current using solid ‘people’ skills” and being passionate about your subject.”
Oh, and it has to be fun. “Enjoy what you are doing. That is key.”
So, it’s goodbye and congratulations to Craig Johnson, but his influence will continue through the Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence.
“I’ve been able to see former students doing amazing things, making a difference in the world, creating better, more sustainable environments,” Johnson said. “After all, we’ve got to be responsible citizens and stewards of the amazing landscape gift we’ve been given.”
That’s teaching by example.
For information on the Craig Johnson Fund for Excellence, contact USU’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, (435) 797-0501, or write: USU/LAEP, 4005 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4005.
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354,[email protected] 2008
And what have the students said about Johnson and his teaching?
• “Craig showed me that landscape architecture was a field of study, a profession, a way of life where culture, society and the reality and romance of nature do converge.” Charles S. Carter
• “I salute Craig for his steadfast commitment to informing design with conservation and passing it on to the next generation. Applying conservation principles to the human environment is one of the most important things we can do as landscape architects, and thanks to Craig, this has been part of the LAEP curriculum for … well, decades.” Susan Marsh
• “Craig’s gift to his students went well beyond his course curriculum. Craig taught us by example how to be patient, caring and understanding. His passion for his work, his commitment to his students and his strong environmental ethics inspired us all to be better people. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study under such a great teacher and, more importantly, such a great person.” Todd Sherman
And, as one anonymous student wrote in a recent evaluation, “Download Craig’s entire brain into a database so we can have his insight and expertise after he’s gone.”
50 51
A PICTURE’S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Once upon a time there was a man
named Scott who loved to paint pictures. He loved
it so much that he decided to paint for a living.
Well, something like that.
Scott Wakefield is a master’s student studying
art at Utah State University. While going to
school and working as the director of the
Alliance for the Varied Arts in Cache Valley, he is
also preparing to self-publish a children’s book
he illustrated called Woodchuck Chuck.
The concept for the book came from the
well-known tongue twister “How Much
Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck if a
Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?”
“My dad used to say that rhyme really
fast when I was a kid,” Wakefield said.
“I thought it would be fun to take that
concept and turn it into a storybook.”
While attending the Art Center College
of Design in Pasadena, Calif., where
he received his bachelor’s degree in
illustration, Wakefield’s idea started to
become a reality.
He had the unique opportunity to
meet with Arthur Levine, the editor
at Scholastic Corp. who edited the
Harry Potter series. Wakefield told him
about the idea, and Levine named the
woodchuck “Chuck.”
This meeting gave Wakefield the
confidence to pursue his venture. He
teamed up with his friend Richard
McDermott who had a talent for writing
rhymes and was a dental student at the
University of Southern California at the time.
“When Scott told me he needed help creating a
story based on the woodchuck tongue twister,
I was ecstatic,” McDermott said. “I had always
watched Scott work from the sidelines because
I have no art talent in me. When I got involved
in the project with him, it was like I had been a
bench warmer who was suddenly promoted to the
quarterback position with my best friend as the
receiver. The best part about the process was the
synergy we created as the rhyme came together.”
McDermott’s story has the same rhyme and
rhythm as the original tongue twister. Their story
The artwork from Wakefield’s thesis will be on display at the Alliance for the Varied Arts gallery in Logan, spring 2009. His book is scheduled for release summer 2009.
52 53
is about a little
woodchuck who
starts chucking
all of his friends
because the
woodchuck
rulebook deems
him too young
to chuck wood
with the grown
woodchucks.
“I always loved
children’s
books,”
Wakefield said. “My mom teases me that I
stopped reading when the pictures disappeared.”
Creating a book is a more laborious process
than people might think. The book has gone
through more than four revisions since its start
in 2003. Wakefield has also worked on several
illustrations for the book, starting with black-and-
white sketches and progressing to 12 inch by 16
inch full-color paintings.
Despite all the work that has already gone into
the book, there is still more to be done.
With the help of Robert Winward, USU art
professor and his faculty advisor, Wakefield
has decided to focus his master’s thesis on
exploring and developing style.
It is important to develop a distinct style in order
to be competitive as a children’s book illustrator,
Wakefield said.
“I’m going to take eight scenes from the book
and redo each one using a completely different
style and different mediums,” he said. “For
example, I’ll do one in a Dr. Seuss style with oil
paint and another in a Bill Watterson style using
linoleum cut and Photoshop.”
Once he has completed all eight styles, he will
choose his favorite and illustrate the entire book
using that style.
Through his experience working to self-publish
a children’s book, Wakefield has developed an
online company called Illustratemybook.com.
The site serves to connect writers with illustrators
and helps both parties set up a contract and
administers all monetary transactions. It also
helps self-publishers find printers and distributors
for their books.
In January 2008, David Herrmann, lecturer in the
Management and Human Resources Department
at USU, encouraged Wakefield to enter his
Web-based company into a competition called
“Opportunity Quest” sponsored by the Jon M.
Huntsman School of Business.
The contestants wrote business plans, and a
panel of judges from community leadership
positions judged them. Wakefield’s team won
first place among contestants from USU and was
given $3,000 to put toward the business. He went
on to compete with contestants throughout Utah
and was one of 27 semifinalists out of 180 teams.
With the prize money, he was able to get the site
designed and hosted.
Wakefield plans to teach art at the college level once
he has finished his master’s degree and continue to
freelance as an illustrator for children’s books. As
a master’s student, Wakefield had the opportunity
to teach Illustration Studio and work as a teaching
assistant for other classes in the Art Department.
“Because of Scott’s unique teaching methods,
I now take into consideration why I create
and don’t simply focus on what I create,” said
Michelle Zundel, a senior studying graphic design
and student in Wakefield’s spring 2008 Illustration
Studio class. “While taking his class, he briefly
discussed the creative process of Woodchuck
Chuck and even used one of his scenes as
a technical demonstration on how to more
effectively use and manipulate acrylic paint.”
While she only got a glimpse of his project during
class, Zundel has become one of his biggest fans.
“When the book is completed, I’ll be the first
to reserve a copy,” Zundel said. “Not only is
the artwork stunning, but the story is fresh and
original. I am definitely excited about this book.”
Thanks to the support from his fans, the artist
lived happily ever after.
The End.
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429,[email protected]
June 2008
Woodchuck Chuck chucks his mole friend up to the sky.
52 53
USU Students Lift Off WITH GRAND PRIZE ROCKET LAUNCH WIN FROM NASA
“The competition was a great experience
because we got to interact with other universities
and see what ideas they had for their rockets,”
said John Parrish, a USU rocket team member.
The drag device the USU team designed drew a
lot of attention from NASA and the other teams
involved in the competition.
“Our drag device was the only payload at the
competition that would actually ensure that the
rocket would reach a mile above ground level,”
Parrish said. “NASA paid us a high complement
with our reports, saying they were far above what
they expected at a university level.”
Utah State University engineering
students received lift-off from NASA after taking
home the grand prize at the annual University
Student Launch Initiative in Alabama April 19.
The team took home five awards out of seven at
the competition, including “Grand Prize,” “Best
Manufacturing and Quality Control,” “Most
Innovative Payload Design,” “Best Design
Documentation and Presentation” and “Best
Team Spirit.” As winners, the team received
$5,000 from Alliant Techsystems Launch
Systems to attend a space shuttle launch at the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The USU team
had until May
12 to submit
a final report
that included
conclusions
from its science
experiment and
the overall flight
performance. The
preliminary design
review, critical
design review and
flight readiness
review were
conducted by a
panel of scientists
and engineers
from NASA and
from NASA
contactors and
external partners.
USU Engineering students take home grand prize at the NASA rocket competition. Winners are, front (l to r): Bowen Masco, Jeff St. Clair and Jacob Haderlie. Middle (l to r): Michael Phillips, Jed Peters, Shannon Eilers and Dennis Lazaga. Back (l to r): John Parrish, Spencer Chandler, David Winget, Dustin Braithwaite, Nathan Lodder, Tyler Despain, Professor Stephen (Tony) Whitmore, Matthew Fifield, Michael Lewis and Shane Robinson.
54 55
The competition challenged students to design,
build and fly a reusable rocket with a scientific
payload to exactly one mile in altitude. The USU
team submitted a proposal in fall 2007 to the
NASA contest judges, and after being selected to
participate in the challenge, began designing the
rocket and payload under the direction of USU
mechanical and aerospace engineering professor
Stephen (Tony) Whitmore.
“These students are seeing practical applications
for the whole spectrum of their math, science
and technical classroom work,” said Tammy
Rowan, manager of NASA’s Marshall Space
Center Academic Affairs Office. “They’re
managing complex science and technology
research and conducting aerospace and
engineering projects from drawing board
to launch pad. They get to be mechanical
engineers, rocket scientists and theoretical
researchers all at the same time.”
USU’s group decided to incorporate a unique
air brake system on its rocket. As the required
payload, the air brake system allowed the
rocket to reach the required one-mile altitude by
deploying a drag device that slowed the ascent
of the rocket until it reached the desired position.
The USU team was the only school who used
this unique approach.
USU rocket team members include Dustin
Braithwaite, Tyler DeSpain, Shannon Eilers,
Matthew Fifield, Jacob Haderlie, James Kelsey,
Dennis Lazaga, Mike Lewis, Nathan Lodder,
Bowen Masco, John Parrish, Jed Peters,
Michael Phillips, Jeff St. Clair, David Winget and
Shane Robinson.
“I’d like to congratulate all the teams that
participated in this year’s rocketry challenge,”
said Mike Rudolphi, vice president of ATK
Launch Systems Site Operations and Integration
in Huntsville. “These students are without a
doubt America’s next generation of rocket
scientists. I applaud each team for its efforts.”
Other teams competing in the 2008 event were
Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.; Alabama A&M
University in Huntsville, Ala.; the University of
Alabama in Huntsville, Ala.; Harding University in
Searcy, Ark; Missouri University of Science and
Technology in Rolla, Mo.; the University of North
Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D.; Fisk University
in Nashville, Tenn.; Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tenn.; and the College of Menominee
Nation in Green Bay, Wis.
For more information about USU’s mechanical
and aerospace engineering program, visit www.
mae.usu.edu. For more information about NASA
education programs, go to education.nasa.gov.
Writer: Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355,
June 2008
54 55
TEACHING FROM
EXPERIENCEThe string faculty at Utah State University
takes on more than usual in 2008. Besides working
as teachers, the members are also a professional
string quartet and are preparing to present Utah’s
first complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle.
A Beethoven Cycle is a performance of all 17 of
Beethoven’s quartets, which are representative
of his most innovative and creative works and
span the breadth of his career as a composer. A
typical quartet might perform the series over the
course of a year, but USU’s Fry Street Quartet
will perform them all in just two weeks, from
Oct. 2-11, 2008, in the Manon Caine Russell
Kathryn Caine Wanlass Performance Hall.
“We’re taking on this challenge because that’s
how we would want to experience it,” said
Rebecca McFaul, FSQ second violinist. “When
it’s done in such a short time, the listener can
experience a different kind of connection with
William Fedkenheuer, first violin Anne Francis, cello
Rebecca McFaul, second violin Russell Fallstad, viola
56 57
Beethoven and with his music and can sense the
scope of his extremes.”
Doing it this way also allowed the Department of
Music to invite Beethoven expert and renowned
scholar/pianist/media author Robert Winter to be
a guest lecturer before each performance.
In addition to Winters’ pre-concert lectures, the
FSQ secured a grant from the Marie Eccles Caine
Foundation that will fund a companion USU Honors
course, “The Arts in Cultural Context: Beethoven
and Cultural Heritage.” The fall 2008 class will
explore the music, life and legacy of Beethoven
in a broad cultural context. It will initially focus on
the string quartets and then consider Beethoven’s
influence by studying trends in various disciplines,
including music, history and politics, philosophy,
literature, art and film.
“Not only will the audience be able to hear all 17
quartets in less than two weeks, it will also be able
to gain knowledge to understand and appreciate
the works of a man who has been a pivotal figure
in music and who is still influencing us today —
more than 200 years later,” McFaul said. “All these
added dimensions to the cycle have really shaped
it into an event with a festival atmosphere.”
The FSQ came to USU in 2002 and has had an
impressive impact on the string program and the
Cache Valley community.
Shortly after its arrival, the members saw the
need for a pedagogy, or teaching, program
that would benefit USU students and younger
musicians in the community. They have been
instrumental in setting up USU’s String Academy,
a program that allows students to teach younger
children how to play string instruments. Today
there are approximately 80 String Academy
students from 3 to 18 years old.
“While some students will go on to pursue higher
education in musical performance or become
members of a professional quartet, many will likely
become private teachers and will need to know
how to teach,” said William Fedkenheuer, FSQ first
violinist. “When we graduated, none of us had any
teaching experience, and it can be a challenge to
figure out how to teach a 3-year-old something
you’ve taken for granted for so many years.”
This program is unique in the state of Utah
and gives the young people of Cache Valley an
opportunity that isn’t readily available to them
due to the lack of full-time, certified music
specialists working in the school districts.
“Because the USU String Academy is linked
with the USU Music Department, it gives the
children access to theory classes,” said Nina
Jorgensen, parent of two String Academy
students. “It also offers group lessons, which
gives them opportunities to see other children,
to play together, review pieces and it just makes
it more fun. I really value the Fry Street Quartet’s
involvement in the community and the chance
they give us to inspire our kids.”
The FSQ was born in 1997 in Chicago when
McFaul and violist Russell Fallstad decided to
pursue a professional quartet career. After finding
two more members, they traveled to Israel as
one of two groups from the United States to
participate in Isaac Stern’s Encounters Chamber
Music Seminar. There, they studied with Stern as
well as with luminaries such as Leon Fleischer
and members of the Emerson and Juilliard
quartets. As a result of that experience, the
group was invited to give its Carnegie Hall debut
and participate in the Carnegie Fellows program.
While it is unusual for a community the size of
Logan to have a string quartet residency, Logan
is unique in its great support for the arts. When
the university was first established, many local
newspapers referred to the area as the “Athens
of the West.”
“The kind of impact you can have on a
community this size versus a place like Chicago
is amazing,” Fedkenheuer said. “The Cache
Valley audience is sophisticated, made up of
astute listeners who are really ready to go to the
next level — to experience a Beethoven Cycle.”
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429,
June 2008
56 57
USU HOME TO ‘GOLDEN SCHOLARS’
Utah State University students
Tamara Jeppson and Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes
were named 2008 Goldwater Scholars
by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
and Excellence in Education Foundation.
Aggies Sydney Chamberlin and Cody Tramp
were awarded honorable mentions in the
prestigious competition.
“For the first time in the university’s history, all
of the candidates we submitted were accepted
for awards,” says Joyce Kinkead, USU associate
vice president for research. “We’re very proud of
these outstanding students.”
USU’s 2008 Goldwater Honorees. (left to right) Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes (scholarship recipient), Sydney Chamberlin (honorable mention), Cody Tramp (honorable mention) and Tamara Jeppson (scholarship recipient).
In addition to this year’s award recipients, Utah
State boasts nine Goldwater Scholars and two
honorable mention recipients from previous
years. The award includes a two-year scholarship
of up to $7,500 per year.
“This is a testament to the fantastic research
mentorship provided to these students by faculty
at USU,” says Mary S. Hubbard, dean of USU’s
College of Science. “These awards confirm that
our students are prepared to compete with the
best nationwide. I applaud the accomplishments
of these young scholars.”
58 59
Jeppson, a graduate of Bear River High School
in Garland, Utah, is majoring in geology and
physics. With faculty mentor Jim Evans, she is
studying how earthquake energy is partitioned
along the San Andreas Fault.
Jeppson completed a summer internship in
applied geophysics at the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory in 2007. Following
graduation from USU, she plans to pursue a
doctorate in geophysics, conduct research and
teach at the university level.
Salt Lake City native Barker-Tvedtnes was
named a Goldwater Honorable Mention recipient
in 2007. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in
physics with a minor in classics.
In summer 2007, Barker-Tvedtnes attended the
Polar Aeronomy Radio Science Summer School
in Alaska, where she conducted research on
noctilucent clouds with faculty mentor Mike
Taylor. She received a 2008 Outstanding Student
Award for Undergraduate Research from the
National Society of Physics Students and travels
to the International Conference of Physics
Students in Cracow, Poland in August 2008 to
present her research.
Barker-Tvedtnes plans to continue her studies
at the graduate level and conduct research in
upper atmospheric physics at a government or
academic institution.
Chamberlin, a physics, mathematics and political
science major from South Jordan, Utah, achieved
the rank of cadet colonel in the Civil Air Patrol.
She received the patrol’s highest honor, the
General Carl A. Spaatz Award, in 2007.
While at USU, Chamberlin earned a scholarship
for summer study at Germany’s Friedrich Schiller
University. She plans to pursue a doctorate in
mathematical physics and an academic career.
Lander, Wyo., native Cody Tramp is a sophomore
majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry.
The USU Undergraduate Research Fellow is
pursuing four ongoing research projects. He was
named a 2008 Governor’s Scholar by Gov. Jon
Huntsman, Jr.
Tramp’s goals include earning a doctorate in
both molecular and cellular biology. He plans to
conduct research in stem cell biology and work in
a national research laboratory.
USU’s 2008 honorees are among 321 award
recipients selected from a field of 1,035 math,
science and engineering students nominated by
colleges and universities nationwide.
The Goldwater Scholar program was established
by U.S. Congress in 1986 to foster academic
excellence in science, engineering and
mathematics in the nation’s universities.
Contact: Christie Fox (435) 797-3940,
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517,
June 2008
2007Jennifer Albretsen, physics
Arthur Mahoney, computer scienceJodie Barker-Tvedtnes
(Honorable Mention), physics
2006Logan McKenna, electrical engineering
Heidi Wheelwright, physicsKeith Warnick (Honorable Mention), physics
2004Stephanie J. Chambers, biology
David Hatch, physics
2002Jamie B. Jorgensen, physics
2001Lara B. Anderson, physics
1998Jeff Jacobs, mechanical engineering
PREVIOUS AGGIE GOLDWATER HONOREES...
58 59
In keeping with Utah State University’s
land-grant mission of service to all people,
the Department of Music sponsors several
community music programs. These programs
provide a wealth of learning and performing
opportunities for young and old alike.
Talented student musicians fill the halls of Utah
State University’s Chase Fine Arts Center and
appear on concert stages on campus year-
round. These students study with some of the
best faculty members in the region. Promising
string musicians can study with professionals
— the members of the Fry Street Quartet. Gary
Amano’s piano students are always at the top
of their game and operate in the rarified realm
of international competition. Guitarists are able
to study in one of the few guitar performance
and education programs in the region with its
nationally known director Mike Christiansen.
And while it is the mission of the Music
Department to train and graduate the best
students possible, it does not forget its roots as a
land-grant institution and its ties to the community.
Here’s a roundup of the programs available to
the community:
Youth Conservatory – The Key to a Musical Future
The conservatory’s tag line is “The key to a
musical future,” and that’s certainly true for
aspiring young pianists. For three decades,
the Youth Conservatory has assisted parents
in providing the best for their children by
fostering the standards of musical excellence
in a learning environment filled with enthusiasm
and enjoyment.
Founded in 1978
by internationally
recognized
pianist and
pedagogue
Gary Amano,
the YC occupies
a central role
among Cache
Valley’s cultural
programs for
young people.
Each week,
more than 300
pianists, ages
4-18, come to
the Chase Fine The Fry Street Quartet, including Russell Fallstad (center), participates in outreach efforts for the Department of Music throughout the year.
TAKING MUSIC TO THE COMMUNITY
60 61
Arts Center for piano lessons and musicianship
classes. Activities, recitals and fun-filled learning
take place throughout the academic year. Multiple
young pianists got their start to the concert stage
through USU’s Youth Conservatory.
Cache Chamber Orchestra
If you haven’t picked up that fiddle since
graduating from high school or college, don’t
worry. The Cache Chamber Orchestra is perfect
for you. This all-volunteer, college-community
ensemble gathers musicians from all walks of
life to perform in the chamber music tradition.
The orchestra gets together once a week to
rehearse, then presents three concerts during
the academic year. Several summer concert
appearances have just been added. The
orchestra is under the direction of composer
and retired educator Robert Frost. The Music
Department’s outreach efforts make this Cache
Valley’s only community-based orchestra.
Cache Children’s Choir
The fine tradition of children’s choirs is a part of
Cache Valley’s musical heritage thanks to the efforts
of those who established the Cache Children’s
Choir, an organization whose members have
performed internationally. A goal of the choir is to
prepare children for a lifetime of singing through
quality musical training. Children, ages 3-15, can
join one of four choirs and a preschool class. From
the beginning level Caprice Choir, to the advanced,
auditioned Cantate Choir, young singers develop
talent and self-esteem through guided musical
experiences thanks to the choir’s trained and
professional staff. The Cache Children’s Choir was
founded by Bonnie Slade in 1988.
String Academy
Young string players are not forgotten thanks to
the USU String Academy, an organization that
serves a dual purpose — providing instruction
on string instruments to young musicians while
providing a laboratory teaching program for
USU’s string music majors. The USU students
receive teacher training courses provided
by master teachers, several who have been
nationally recognized Suzuki pedagogues, then
take these techniques directly to the young string
musicians in the community. Private instruction,
from beginning to artist level, in violin, viola and
cello, is offered. In addition, there are group
classes, chamber music, instruction in music
theory and plenty of performance opportunities.
American Festival Chorus
The Music Department doesn’t forget the adult
singers in the community, and the American
Festival Chorus fills the bill. The choir replaces
the Northern Utah Choral Society, a group
with a long and distinguished history in the
community and the Music Department. The new
choir is open to community residents and USU
students alike. It is an auditioned group that
meets once a week and plans to present choral
masterworks twice a year. Music Department
Head Craig Jessop, former music director and
conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
leads the American Festival Chorus, teaming with
the group’s General Manager Jay Richards, a
professional composer, musician and member of
the Cache Valley community.
Alumni Band
While membership is only open to those who
performed with the department’s concert bands
over the years, this flagship organization shares
its musical talents with the community every
summer. Established in 1963 by long-time music
educator and former Department Head Max
Dalby — a legend in the state’s band history —
the band and its members share the music-in-
the-park tradition five times during the summer.
Concerts are a popular treat for everyone.
More information about the Department of Music
is available at its Web site (music.usu.edu).
Writer: Patrick Williams, 435-797-1354,
June 2008
60 61
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, FEET ON THE GROUND
Cirrus clouds, stratus clouds, cumulus
clouds – since ancient times, people have gazed
skyward and pondered fluffy wisps of white and
angry, gray thunderheads.
Utah State University Goldwater Scholar Jodie
Barker-Tvedtnes looks beyond the Earth’s visual
atmosphere to the mesosphere, where the
highest clouds, polar mesospheric clouds or
PMCs, form at the edge of space.
“PMCs are ice clouds that form in the summer
months near the extremely cold mesopause
region – some 50 miles above the earth,” says
Barker-Tvedtnes, physics major and Willard L.
Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellow. “From
the ground, these noctilucent or ‘night-shining’
clouds are only visible during twilight hours at
high latitudes.”
In addition to her previous academic accolades,
Barker-Tvedtnes’ was honored with a 2008
Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate
Research from the Society for Physics
Students. One of just three undergrads in the
nation honored with the award, she receives
an all-expenses-paid trip to the International
Conference of Physics Students in Cracow,
Poland, in August 2008.
“I’m very excited about this honor and the
opportunity to meet with physics students from
around the world,” says Barker-Tvedtnes, who
has been invited to present her research on
noctilucent clouds in Poland and at the national
SPS meeting in spring 2009.
She spent five weeks in Alaska in summer 2007
studying the elusive formations with faculty
mentor Mike Taylor and fellow students. Taylor
is a member of NASA’s science team for the
Aeronomy of Ice in
the Mesosphere or
“AIM” mission.
NASA launched
the AIM satellite
into orbit April 25,
2007, to collect
information on
how and why
PMCs form. During
their summer
trip, Taylor and
his student team
captured data from
two field sites,
located about
30 miles apart
on the tundra of
eastern Alaska and
USU Goldwater Scholar Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes and daughter Kalila marvel at the wonders of the night sky. While juggling studies and family responsibilities, Barker-Tvedtnes revived Utah State’s Society of Physics Students chapter.
62 63
western Canada, to compare with data received
from the AIM satellite.
“We became nocturnal,” Barker-Tvedtnes says,
although, because of the latitude of the areas in
which the team was working, it never became
completely dark.
“Starting at midnight each day, we’d have about
five hours of twilight,” she says. “We’d spend
those hours tracking PMCs across the horizon
and photographing the formations with digital
and video cameras.”
Back in Logan, Barker-Tvedtnes is comparing the
ground-based data with information captured by
the satellite. She has presented her research in
a number of forums, including regional physics
conferences and USU’s 2008 Undergraduate
Research Showcase. Following graduation in
spring 2009, she plans to continue her studies
at the graduate level and conduct research in
upper atmospheric physics at a government or
academic institution.
“Jodie is a ‘power house’ of activity and
capability,” Taylor says. “She’s an excellent
leader, displays exceptional poise and has a
strong experimental aptitude.”
He notes that, while tackling a significant
academic load and research efforts, Barker-
Tvedtnes revived Utah State’s Society of
Physics Students chapter. In addition to offering
gatherings and field trips for students, the
chapter conducts community outreach projects,
including the chapter’s popular stargazing parties
on the USU quad.
“The chapter was essentially dormant when
I arrived on campus,” says Barker-Tvedtnes,
who began her undergrad career at Salt Lake
Community College and entered Utah State after
receiving a Presidential Transfer Scholarship.
“But when I learned about the opportunities
SPS offered – national scholarships, projects,
activities – I worked with faculty and fellow
students to get it going again.”
Barker-Tvedtnes’ dedication is all the more
remarkable considering she’s a single mom,
juggling work, research and study with the care
of her 7-year-old daughter, Kalila.
Balancing responsibilities is a challenge, the
Salt Lake City native admits, but receiving the
Willard L. Eccles fellowship has afforded her the
opportunity to spend time in the lab and have
greater control of her schedule.
“My work allows me the flexibility to conduct
research while my daughter is in school and
keep my evenings free for her,” Barker-Tvedtnes
says. “I’ve also appreciated the support from my
professors. They really make an effort to involve
students in undergraduate research.”
Contacts: Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes, jodie13@
comcast.net; Mike Taylor, 435-797-3919,
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517,
July 2008
Barker-Tvedtnes, one of just three undergraduates in the nation to receive the Society of Physics Students’ 2008 Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate Research, studies the mesosphere’s mysterious noctilucent clouds.
AWARDS AND PRESENTATIONS:
Goldwater Scholar, 2008
Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate Research from the Society of Physics Students, 2008
Goldwater Honorable Mention, 2007
Willard L. Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellowship, 2007-08
USU Presidential Transfer Scholarship, 2005
Presented research at:
Regional physics conferences, 2006, 2007
USU’s Undergraduate Research Showcase, 2008
62 63
Since its inception in 1975, more
than 500 students have conducted research
supported by the Undergraduate Research and
Creative Opportunities (URCO) Grant program.
From metal sculpture to chokecherry seed
propagation and whirling disease in trout, real-
life problems have been explored and solved by
USU undergraduates.
Today, the results of these URCO projects
are generating national recognition for USU’s
student researchers.
Experience Speaks
“URCO grants are designed to give students a
chance to do independent research on a project
of their own design,” said Joyce Kinkead, USU’s
associate vice president for research. “Research
is broadly defined;
it encompasses
creating a sculpture,
composing a piece of
music, doing archival
scholarly work
and working at the
laboratory bench.”
The grants,
given by the Vice
President for
Research Office,
award up to $500
per student and
their academic
department
matches the award.
By providing
financial support to undergraduates for
research or creative projects that are not routine
requirements for a course or degree program,
URCO grants encourage students to engage in
independent projects.
“I soon discovered that my undergraduate
research experience paid dividends I was not
expecting,” said Kyle Tubbs, a former URCO
grant recipient. “My URCO grant helped me
springboard into an exciting part of my life. I
believe the research background I gained at USU
was the key factor in my acceptance to medical
school at the University of Washington.”
Students applying for URCO grants are
required to complete a formal research
proposal, which teaches them the process
of seeking funding, a vital part of graduate
research. Many URCO alumni credit their
undergraduate research experience for helping
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH REIGNS AT USU
Emily Stoker (left) and Forrest Purser present their research about the effects of carbon nanotubes on the human lung at Research on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City.
64 65
them get further funding for their projects, as
well as prestigious scholarships.
“The URCO grant program taught me how to
apply for funding and convey technical material
to a varied audience,” said Stephanie Chambers,
a former URCO grant recipient. “Because of the
USU faculty providing fantastic research and
training opportunities, I received the Barry M.
Goldwater scholarship, which also led to my
acceptance at the University of Utah School of
Medicine.” Chambers also recently received a
National Institutes of Health (NIH) medical student
fellowship to study the genetic causes of infertility.
Past Tells
USU was ahead of its time in implementing
URCO grants in 1975, when few institutions had
organized student-faculty cooperative research
activities. That spring, USU launched an URCO
experiment with 60 student participants through
the College of Agriculture and the College of
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. The
experiment elicited such positive responses
that a plan was made to launch URCO on a
universitywide basis.
By fall 1975, the USU Office of the Vice President
for Research had allocated a small sum of money
to support student projects, and URCO was
officially made available to all undergraduate
students at USU.
Impact Confirms
Each URCO experience helps students learn how
to learn, develop critical skills, create important
one-on-one connections with professors and
get an academic step ahead of the competition.
Additionally, projects often result in a professional
conference presentation, a scholarly journal
publication or an award.
“Not only did I learn a tremendous amount of
chemistry during those years, I also gained a
profound appreciation for the scientific method,”
Tubbs said. “I saw firsthand how literature
review, hypothesis testing and data analysis all
work together to advance knowledge.”
“The URCO grant made it possible for me to
conduct my senior honors thesis,” said Robert
Wright, former grant recipient. “In large part, due
to my senior paper, I was accepted into Portland
State University’s Applied Social Psychology
doctoral program.”
Wright also presented his senior thesis at the
Rocky Mountain Psychological Conference,
where he was informed that his paper was
accepted for publication by the editor of the Psi
Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research.
Faculty also benefit from mentoring
undergraduates in the research process.
“Few undergraduate researchers realize the
stimulating effect they have on the faculty they
work with,” said Bruce Bugbee, professor of crop
physiology. “Science relies on fresh approaches
and new ways of seeing the world. I have
always preferred the errors of enthusiasm to the
indifference of wisdom.
“For 26 years, my URCO student researchers
have kept me at the lab into the evening hours,”
Bugbee said. “I am gratified to know that
they will carry on an inquisitive, impassioned
approach long after I am retired.”
“As a land-grant and research university, USU
takes pride in the fact that students learn science
by doing science, learn art by producing art and
learn scholarship by writing history,” Kinkead
said. “Hands-on inquiry and study builds on
classroom knowledge and goes beyond what
can be accomplished through lecture. The
application of knowledge is a hallmark of a land-
grant university. URCO is a critical component of
that mission.”
Writer: Mary Sundblom, [email protected]
July 2008
64 65
When Marie Veibell graduated from
Utah State University in 1947, the campus had
29 buildings and 4,068 students, up from 920
in 1944 during World War II. During the last 61
years, USU has seen tremendous growth in these
areas. Today there are nearly 200 buildings and
more than 23,000 students, and Ms. Veibell has
enjoyed playing a small part in this growth.
“People need a little help sometimes, and if
you can help one person, then they can help
somebody else, and it’s a great cycle,” she
said. “I started giving just a little bit to Utah
State a few years after I
graduated, once I’d had
time to get established,
and I’ve given every
year since.”
She enjoys reading about
USU in the newspapers
and seeing how it
has grown and all the
research its students and
faculty are doing.
“It is interesting to see
the campus grow and
see all the new buildings
popping up because
that’s the reason I give—
to help the university
build itself up and offer
more to its students and
to the world. It can’t
grow without money,
and it takes donations
from a lot of people to
make a difference.”
The vice president for university advancement,
Ross Peterson, agrees.
“The heart of donating at Utah State is the
consistent annual gifts from alumni and
friends that add up to make a big difference
for individual departments and for students,”
Peterson said. “We appreciate their willingness
to give back to help the university become a
place where students can earn scholarships,
work with renowned professors and learn in
state-of-the-art facilities.”
Ms. Veibell graduated with a degree in chemistry
and worked for 41 years as the laboratory manager
at Logan Regional Hospital until she retired in 1990.
Marie Veibell graduated from Utah State University in 1947 and enjoys playing a small part in the university’s growth through the modest annual donations she has made over the past 50 years.
A LIFELONG GIFT
66 67
The Herald Journal
lauded her hard work
in its 1986 article
“‘Invisible’ Laboratory
Technologists Honored.”
When she first started,
she was the only one in
the lab, it said. Thirty-
seven years later, she
was responsible for a
33-member staff that
performed an average
of 60,000 tests each
month, and Veibell began using an increasingly
technological approach to the painstaking work
she once did by hand.
Before using her degree to manage the lab at the
hospital, Ms. Veibell got her working experience
at the Aggie Dairy.
She was an odds-n-ends girl at the dairy. She
helped make cheese, cut butter into squares and
then wrap it and, of course, made and served
ice cream.
“We had this coffee ice cream in the store and
nobody would buy it,” she said. “So one day,
we decided to change the name to ‘Hawaiian
Delight’ and we sold out in about 20 minutes.
The chief wasn’t too happy though and told me if
I ever tried that again, I was outta there.”
Ms. Veibell paid heed to his warning so she
wouldn’t lose her high-paying job — 75 cents an
hour, up from 50 cents an hour the year before.
Even after she graduated, Ms. Veibell stayed
loyal to her alma mater. She would continue to
attend plays at the outdoor amphitheatre, see
productions at the Caine Lyric Theatre, and her
favorite — watch USU sports.
For her 80th birthday in 2005, her family gave her
a framed picture of the Hall of Fame basketball
players from 1950-2005 that she proudly displays
in her home.
She remembers watching the Homecoming
football game against Idaho State during Merlin
Olsen’s senior year in 1961 when the Aggies
won 69-0.
The next day’s Herald Journal article makes it
easy to see why this game stands out in the mind
of an 83-year-old fan.
“The game featured a little bit of everything,
from a slush-and-snow covered field to three
senior linemen playing in the backfield,”
it said. “The Aggies pushed for their first
touchdown just five minutes into the game …
Aggie defensive tactics were so effective that
during the first quarter the snow was not even
disturbed on the north end of the field … Tommy
Larscheid’s performance made him the most
productive ball carrier in history, as he eclipsed
the record set by Jack Hill.”
This Cornish native has spent her life in
Cache Valley and wants USU students to
know how lucky they are to have a good
place to go to school.
“You can get the same quality education, if
not better, at Utah State as you can anywhere
else,” Ms. Veibell said. “It’s also got a great
location — it’s clean, close to the mountains,
and if you look around, there’s always
something going on somewhere.”
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429,
July 2008
Marie Veibell’s graduation photo from the 1947 USU yearbook, The Buzzer.
66 67
ART ALUM SCULPTS MEMORIES INTO
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE
Sculptor Mark DeGraffenried developed
a passion for art at an early age. Today, that
passion is easily seen and is translated directly
into a recent project — a memorial sculpture that
honors eight Utah State University agriculture
students and their professor who died in a tragic
van accident in 2005.
DeGraffenried, a 1993 USU art graduate, is
working in a collaborative effort with Monument
Arts of Sandy, Utah, to create the commissioned
tribute to the accident victims.
The memorial is composed of black granite,
bronze and steel. DeGraffenried is first sculpting
clay panels that will be cast in bronze. These
nine panels, 3 feet by 3 feet, represent an
agricultural interest of each of the nine men.
Two half-circles, above and below the panels,
include the men’s names. At the lower left of
the installation is a bronze rubbing element that
allows visitors to make a paper rubbing as a
personal memento of the memorial.
To create the panels, DeGraffenried set up a
temporary studio on the USU campus in the
Chase Fine Arts Center/Fine Arts Visual sculpture
area. It’s there, working on the panels, that
DeGraffenried’s passion shines brightly. Whether
working alone or sharing the experience with the
accident victims’ families, he brings an intimate,
human touch to the work.
“These panels not only represent the students
and their teacher, they also represent the people
whose lives were changed so drastically,” he
said. “I want the panels to be visually stimulating,
but they are also tributes to the accident victims
and a tribute to agriculture.”
DeGraffenried has a private studio in Clarkston,
Utah, and works fulltime as an artist.
“As a resident of Cache Valley and a USU graduate,
it is a great honor to sculpt this monument,” he
said. “I hope those affected by the loss will receive
comfort and inspiration from this memorial.”
The artist brings a human touch and connection
to his work in several ways. He wanted his studio
space open to all — he encouraged visitors to
Mark DeGraffenried, a USU alum, works on a clay panel prior to casting in bronze for the memorial.
About the USU Memorial:
• Artist Dan Cummings, owner of
Spectrum Studio, Salt Lake City,
will create the granite elements.
• Chief designer for Monument
Arts Perry Van Schelt designed
the memorial.
• Mark DeGraffenried sculpted
the bonze elements.
• The memorial project received
financial support from
alumni and friends, the Utah
Farm Bureau, USU student
government, USU Student
Services, departments in the
College of Agriculture, the
Agriculture Experiment Station
and others.
68 69
stop at the lab and participate in the creative
process to offer feedback about the sculpture
and the students and professor it honors.
“I spent a great deal of time as a student in this
very lab,” DeGraffenried said. “Because USU
students provided the initial request for the
memorial, I welcome having an open studio that
is accessible to them.”
DeGraffenried also opened his studio and his
heart to the families of those being memorialized.
He felt it important to not only listen to feedback
from family members, but to allow them to
contribute — actually touch and carve areas in
the clay panels before they were cast.
In a story for KSL television in Salt Lake City, arts
reporter Carol Mikita met with the sculptor and
family members of the victims.
“Each tear and each stroke of the sculptor’s tool
helps Merlynn Gunnell remember her son Justin,”
Mikita reported.
“His favotie saying was,
‘plow to the end of the
furrow,’ Gunnell told
Mikita. “He loved what
he did … I feel it such an
honor to be his mom.”
A plowed furrow was
incorporated into the
panel memorializing
Justin, and that’s a
personal touch the
artist appreciates.
“I want the families to be
happy,” DeGraffenried
said. “That is why I can
re-work and adjust, even
let them add a personal
touch. This is a memorial
to their loved ones.”
When complete, the
memorial will find a
temporary home in the
Taggart Student Center,
where it will be unveiled
in fall 2008. When the
planned College of
Agriculture research
and teaching building is
completed on the USU campus, the memorial will
be permanently located in the building’s foyer.
“We are pleased to recognize these students and
their professor who were such vital parts of our
college,” said Noelle E. Cockett, vice president
and dean for USU Extension and Agriculture.
“In the end, this monument will be an incredibly
fitting part of our new agriculture building.”
The memorial commemorates the lives of
Steven D. Bair, 22, Moses Lake, Wash.; Dusty
Dean Fuhriman, 22, Tremonton, Utah; Justin W.
Gunnell, 24, Wellsville, Utah; Justin Huggins,
22, Bear River City, Utah; Jonathan Dennis
Jorgensen, 22, Peoa, Utah; Curt A. Madsen, 23,
Payson, Utah; Ryan Wayne McEntire, 22, West
Point, Utah; Bradley G. Wilcox, 26, Salt Lake
City, Utah; and instructor Evan Parel Parker, 45,
Hooper, Utah. All of the students were studying
in the College of Agriculture.
Writer: Patrick Williams 435-797-1354,[email protected] 2008
Artist Mark DeGraffenried has worked on a number of impressive
projects. Among his favorites are:
• 2008 “Marriner S. Eccles” commissioned by Utah State Capitol
Preservation Board and Mariner S. Eccles Commission to sculpt an 8’
bronze statue for the Utah State Capitol and a 6’ statue for the Federal
Reserve Building in Washington, D.C.
• 1994 “Sea Farer” life-size bronze memorial to those who lost lives at sea,
Homer, Ala.
• 2001 “The Crossing” commission awarded by Seatrek Foundation. Four,
life-size emigrant families (each family includes a mother, father and two
children), cast in bronze to commemorate Utah’s pioneer heritage from
Europe. Permanent locations at Mersey Side Dock Maritime Museum,
Liverpool, England; Broad Street, Portsmouth, England; and Albert Dock,
Hull, England. One life-size bronze on loan at Utah Cultural Celebration
Center; Salt Lake City, Utah. The artist sculpted each piece and assisted
with the bronze casting and installation of the finished sculptures.
68 69
A team of Utah State University
chemists, led by Professor Alex Boldyrev, is at
the forefront of a discussion that’s causing the
scientific community to rethink long-held ideas
about the nature of inorganic compounds. In
the process, Boldyrev is priming his student
team members for challenging and successful
research careers.
“Dr. Boldyrev is absolutely passionate about
science and training his students,” says Dmitry
Zubarev, who recently earned his doctorate
in chemistry from USU and is headed to a
coveted postdoctoral position at the University
of California-Berkeley. “For him, instilling
independent thinking and scientific expertise in his
students is as important as the research itself.”
Boldyrev, Zubarev and colleagues Boris
Averkiev and Alina Sergeeva, both doctoral
students in USU’s Department of Chemistry
and Biochemistry, are investigating chemical
bonding properties of metallic systems. The team
asserts that characteristics believed to apply
only to organic compounds can be extended to
some metallic compounds. It’s an idea that, until
recently, was thought to be impossible.
“Our studies make people argue with us
constantly as we defend our point of view,”
Zubarev says. “What we’re discovering about
certain metals is unexpected.”
With colleagues at Washington State University
and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
the USU researchers have published their
findings in a number of academic journals
including Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics,
the American
Chemical
Society’s
Journal of
Physical
Chemistry,
Inorganic
Chemistry,
the Journal
of Chemical
Physics and
the Journal of
the American
Chemical
Society. Team
members have
also presented
their findings
at national and
international
conferences.
Chemistry professor Alex Boldyrev, second from right, and his doctoral students, from left, Dmitry Zubarev, Boris Averkiev and Alina Sergeeva, are challenging long-held ideas about the chemical bonding properties of metallic systems.
CHALLENGING SCIENCE, CHALLENGING STUDENTS
70 71
To understand the Aggie team’s research requires
a brief history lesson. Since the 19th century,
chemists have used the term “aromaticity” to
describe the chemical bonding properties of
organic compounds. The term is a bit misleading to
the lay person, as the concept has little to do with
the “aroma” associated with varied compounds.
In a nutshell, aromaticity refers to a chemical
property in which atoms bond in rings to form
stable organic compounds. By developing
chemical-bonding models capable of explaining
and predicting the structures of metallic clusters,
the USU researchers are revealing that metals,
too, exhibit aromaticity.
“It’s a big step,” Boldyrev says. “What we’re
discovering is that metal systems have properties
that allow them to bond in ways that mimic
organic materials.”
Ascertaining the existence of this type of bonding
is important, Boldyrev says, as it could improve
scientists’ understanding of the nature of catalytic
activity and lead to the design of new catalysts.
“The development of chemical bonding models
that display this process could have a significant
impact on rational design of nanocatalysts,
nanomaterials with tailored properties, nano-
scale electronic devices and more,” he says.
“That’s our goal.”
Beyond his scientific aims, Boldyrev is mentoring
a new generation of scientists confidently poised
to tackle new levels of thought.
“The atmosphere you work in is one of the most
important keys for success,” Sergeeva says. “Dr.
Boldyrev inspires us to work hard every day. He’s
a shining example of the professor I am eager to
become one day.”
Averkiev says Boldyrev’s support and
encouragement helped him publish more than
nine papers in three years and afforded him the
opportunity to present his research and make
career-building contacts in academic forums
throughout the country.
And his support goes beyond the lab, says
Averkiev, a native of Moscow, Russia.
“Dr. Boldyrev met me at the Salt Lake airport
when I first arrived in Utah and helped me get
settled in my new home.”
“What I admire most about Dr. Boldyrev is that he
treats our research team as if we were his own
family,” Sergeeva says. “He’s concerned about
us. He feels responsible for us. He stays in touch
with former team members who have graduated
to offer his support.”
Zubarev credits his professor with guiding and
motivating him toward significant academic and
research achievements during his years at Utah
State. Zubarev was named USU’s 2008 Graduate
Student Researcher of the Year; he says the
award is recognition of Boldyrev’s mentoring
talent and dedication.
“Dr. Boldyrev invested a lot of time in me,” he
says. “If I ever happen to associate myself with a
school of scientific thought, it will be the ‘School
of Professor Boldyrev.’”
Contact: Alexander Boldyrev, 435-797-1630
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto 435-797-3517,
August 2008
“Dr. Boldyrev inspires us to work hard every day,” Alina Sergeeva says. “He’s a shining example of the professor I am eager to become one day.”
70 71
Clint McKee’s
unconventional path to
medical school included
several unplanned
detours, a flat tire or two
and more than a few
potholes. Before earning
his undergraduate
biology degree in 2005
at Utah State University’s
Uintah Basin Campus, he
nearly shelved his dream
of becoming a physician.
But encouragement
from his professors,
coupled with McKee’s
gritty tenacity and a few
bane-turned-blessing
moments, fueled his
passion toward what he
considers his true calling.
“I decided at age 14 that I wanted to become a
doctor,” says McKee, one of 12 children raised
on a family dairy farm in eastern Utah. “But I’d
never met anyone who went to med school and
had no idea what it took to get there.”
Now in his second year of medical school at the
University of Utah, the 30-year-old husband and
father of five revels in opportunities to immerse
himself in the study of the intricacies and
nuances of the human body.
“Despite the academic demands, it feels like
a luxury,” McKee says. “I wasn’t sure what to
expect when I entered med school but I feel I
was exceptionally well prepared and I’ve done
very well in my classes.”
His undergraduate career began less favorably.
Just a year or so into his studies at an urban
campus in Utah, McKee, newly married and
eager to start a family, struggled to balance the
demands of work, school and home. Something
had to give, and that something was school.
“Most of the classes I needed were offered during
the daytime and it was hard to find a job with the
flexibility to accommodate school,” he says.
During a visit home to his parents’ farm, McKee
spied a class schedule his sister was reading
Study at USU Uintah Basin propelled farmer Clint McKee toward his dream of entering medical school.
REGIONAL CAMPUS OPENS PATH TO MED SCHOOL
72 73
about USU’s Uintah Basin Campus. “I noticed
that a number of courses in biology, chemistry
and calculus were offered in the evenings.”
The timing was auspicious. McKee’s father,
Mike, was elected to serve on the Uintah County
Commission and needed help with the family
farm. Managing the farm by day and studying by
night seemed like a good fit for McKee.
“The advisors at USU were great,” he says.
“They looked at my fractured transcripts and
helped me get back on an academic track.”
The scheduling worked but the workload
wasn’t easy.
“I remember Clint occasionally being late because
a tractor got stuck or he had to handle some other
incident on the farm,” says Lianna Etchberger,
assistant professor of biology at USU Uintah
Basin. “Yet he was a bright and dedicated student
– eager to learn and full of perceptive questions.”
“I’d show up for class straight off the farm –
filthy, tired,” McKee says. “But the professors
were phenomenal. I loved the small classes, one-
on-one instruction and flexibility.”
Upon graduation, McKee still wanted to pursue
medicine but wondered if a less arduous
academic path might be better suited to his
growing family. His planning was interrupted
when he and his wife, Kathryn, learned that
their unborn child had serious heart problems.
Delivered by emergency caesarean section,
baby Sarah was rushed to Salt Lake’s Primary
Children’s Medical Center for treatment.
The outcome was joyous, and McKee marveled
at the physicians’ skills. “It dawned on me that,
if not for doctors, my daughter, my wife, and my
twin sons – who also faced a medical crisis at
birth – would not be here,” he says. “It was an
epiphany and reinforced my determination to
become a doctor.”
McKee embarked on the detailed medical school
application process, including studying for the
medical school entrance exam or ‘MCAT.’ “I had
about a year’s worth of preparation to complete
and realized that I needed more research
experience,” he says.
Etchberger urged him to contact biologist
Paul Cliften at USU’s Logan campus, who was
seeking a research technician.
“Clint had only a fraction of the experience of
the other applicants,” Cliften says. “But I was
impressed with his curiosity and knowledge and
hired him. I figured I would likely never have another
opportunity to help train someone of his caliber.”
Months later, glowing recommendations from Cliften
and Etchberger were included in McKee’s successful
medical school application.
“I feel like I received a
great education from
USU,” McKee says. “And
the support I received from
my professors helped me
achieve my dream.”
Contact: Clint McKee,
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto,
435-797-3517, maryann.
August 2008McKee with his family, from left, wife Kathryn holding baby Miriam, sons David, Joseph and Joshua and daughter Sarah.
72 73
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Accounting professor Jay Price has
left an impressionable mark on Utah State
University’s Jon M. Huntsman School of
Business. Students call him a “great teacher,”
“mentor” and an “example.” What began as a
part-time retirement pastime has turned into a
full-time commitment for Price, who joined the
USU faculty 20 years ago.
Price worked in the
Chicago office of
Arthur Andersen for
39 years and was
a partner when
he reached
mandatory retirement age of 62 in 1988. If
the firm thought Price was ready to kick back
and relax at 62, it was wrong. Price said other
partners he knew went off to Florida to retire and
play golf, but Price didn’t play golf.
“All my life I’ve always been a person who likes
to keep busy,” he said. “I’ve never been very
good at recreational activities.”
Before Price retired, Utah Power/PacificCorp had
been one of his clients. Orrin Colby, who was, at
the time, the controller for Utah Power, suggested
he consider teaching at USU. That appealed to
Price because he had once thought about going
into teaching. He paid a visit to the USU campus
and met with Larzette Hale, head of the School of
Accountancy, Dean David Stephens and several
other faculty members. He was very impressed
with the quality of the faculty and the program
and decided to teach for a couple of years.
Twenty years later, Price is still teaching USU
accounting students as a volunteer. He hasn’t
received a paycheck since beginning at the
university and volunteers his time because he
enjoys teaching.
The University of Wisconsin, his alma mater,
asked him to teach there as well, and from 1990
to 2000 he taught in Wisconsin in the fall and
at USU in the spring. In 2000, he decided to
“semi-retire,” but he continues to teach at USU
in the spring.
USU accounting professor Jay Price hasn’t picked up a paycheck since he started teaching at USU 20 years ago. The University of Wisconsin alum has been volunteering at the university since he retired from the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen in 1988.
74 75
Price seems a little puzzled when pushed to
explain why he has volunteered his time for 20
years.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “I seem to be doing an
adequate job.”
An “adequate job” is an understatement,
according to his students and those he has
worked with.
He was named accounting teacher of the
year three times. He received the School of
Accountancy Outstanding Service Award in 2001
and was honored with the USU Founders Day
Distinguished Service Award that same year.
He was named the Distinguished Accounting
Alumnus at the University of Wisconsin in 1998.
He got an honorary doctorate from USU in 1993.
Richard Jenson, head of the School of
Accountancy, said it would be difficult to
measure the many benefits that have come from
having Price as a faculty member.
“What an amazing gift Jay has been to our
students,” he said. “When you take the
experience and expertise Jay has and combine
that with the way he cares about our students,
we all benefit immensely from his contributions.”
Jenson said that Price was once in the hospital
for a few days and that he went to visit him. Price
was being given a unit of blood.
“I noticed that spread out on the bedside table
was one of the exams for the intermediate
accounting class,” Jenson said. “It impressed
me that he did not want to let his students down.
On the schedule it showed that there was an
exam, and he wanted to make sure it took place.
He didn’t want to impose on another faculty
member to make up that exam. He wanted to do
it himself.”
Price has contributed more than his time. He
helped establish the Arthur Andersen Alumni
Professorship in accounting and funded the
largest scholarship endowment in the School of
Accountancy, the Jay H. Price Scholarship. He
has also funded scholarships at the University
of Wisconsin. Students receiving scholarships
are required to commit to giving back to their
university after graduation.
The importance of volunteering your time and
contributing to a worthy cause is something
Price said he teaches his students.
“The chances are that you are going to be asked
to serve on not-for-profit boards,” he tells them.
“Many employers encourage that, and it’s a fine
thing to do anyway.”
He said once drafted to serve on such boards,
the first thing that will happen to an accountant
is that he or she will be asked to be the treasurer.
Price has been a volunteer overseer of finances
at St. Peter’s church in Chicago since 1959 and
now serves on the Board of Trustees of a small
college in Chicago.
Price thinks accountants should be willing
to share their understanding of important
financial issues that are often in the news but
misunderstood.
Price said he doesn’t have any plans to retire
from the School of Accountancy unless he
eventually has to do so for health reasons.
Writer: Steve Eaton, 435-797-8640
September 2008
74 75
TAKING AGGIE ATHLETICS TO
NEW HEIGHTS
While often looked at as one of the
little guys in a conference, Utah State University
can boast one area in which it can compete with
the “big boys” of college athletics.
The completion of the new Jim and Carol Laub
Athletics-Academics Complex, at the south end
of Romney Stadium, gives USU student athletes
and coaches access to top-notch training
equipment, locker rooms, digital technology and
academic resources.
Although the facility has been in full use for less
than a month, its effects have already been felt.
“It’s such a great teaching tool in all facets
because we have the ability to teach football in
our classrooms,” said head football coach Brent
Guy. “Every room is enhanced by a computer
and has digital capabilities, allowing the players
to break down film just like coaches break it
down – by down and distance, by personnel,
by the type of blitz or anything they want to do.
Even our snappers and kickers have a room they
can go in and watch plays every day, which is
something we’ve never had the ability to do.”
The three-story complex has a number of
features that benefit USU student athletes of all
sports. The first floor is home to locker rooms for
the football, women’s track and field, softball and
women’s soccer teams. It also hosts the Steve
Mothersell Hall of Fame, named after the former
The completion of the new Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex, at the south end of Romney Stadium, gives USU student athletes and coaches access to top-notch training equipment, locker rooms, digital technology and academic resources.
76 77
Aggie tight end who made a sizeable donation to
the project.
Spacious offices and conference rooms are
located on the second floor, which Guy said have
helped prepare his team this season.
“Being right above the locker room is
convenient,” he said. “It gives me the ability to
have a team meeting every day where I can talk
and show film and then meet individually with
them in different rooms.”
The third floor contains the academic center,
which is equipped with classrooms, computer
labs and tutoring areas that help student athletes
perform well in the classroom.
“The added bonus is having the academic center
on the third level so athletes can go up and study
and get their work done during the day,” Guy
said. “In the past, we didn’t have a study hall
area. We now have it all during the day, which is
more convenient for not just football, but for all
of our athletes.”
The facility also hosts the 11,000-square-foot
Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine Complex,
the Dr. John Worley Sports Medicine Research
Center and a 7,000-square-foot equipment room.
For athletes such as senior
offensive lineman Derek
Hoke, who experienced the
outdated facilities at the
school for most of his career,
the new building has been a
night-and-day difference.
“It’s extremely nice, even
just for morale,” Hoke said.
“It helps you to feel a little
more important, that things
are going the right way and
that things are improving.
It’s been a great help, and
it’s made football a lot easier
and a lot more fun at times.”
On top of helping athletes reach their full
potential on the field and in the classroom, the
facility is also a way to attract and recruit top
student athletes to the school. Guy said with
the new facility in place, he’s excited to walk
students through and show them what the school
has to offer.
“It’s a great recruiting tool,” he said. “We’ll walk
parents and recruits through and set them in the
classroom they’re going to be in, set them in the
meeting rooms, the coaching offices and show
them the academic center. It’s going to be an
added bonus this year.”
Completion of the facility was boosted by
donations from more than 400 Aggie alumni
and friends of the program, including 120
former student athletes. These donors reflect
a commitment to USU athletics that manifests
itself today in a structure that will benefit athletes
for seasons to come. It’s a place where Aggie
student athletes will be able to take advantage
of the state-of-the-art facilities and take Aggie
athletics to new heights.
Writer: Dave Archer, 435-797-3714,
October 2008
The Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex features the 11,000-square-foot Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine Complex.
76 77
IGNORING LIMITS
Utah State University undergraduate
biochemist Bradley Hintze is not only excelling
in his studies, he’s a 2007 finisher of the nation’s
longest one-day bicycle race sanctioned by the
United States Cycling Federation.
Impressive, yes. But even more remarkable is
Hintze’s perseverance in the face of significant
physical obstacles. He has difficulty holding his
head upright and walks with a limp. Lack of fine
motor skills makes writing difficult and precision
lab techniques impossible.
“I’d be a disaster at the lab bench,” says Hintze,
revealing his characteristically subtle sense of humor.
Born with mild cerebral palsy, Hintze’s physical
disabilities initially seemed minor. But at puberty,
he developed cervical dystonia that became
progressively worse. The neurological movement
disorder of the neck, for which there is no known
cure, causes Hintze’s head to involuntarily twist
and turn to one side.
“Brad has a great enthusiasm
for science and I love having him
in our lab,” says Sean Johnson,
Hintze’s faculty mentor and R.
Gaurth Hansen Assistant Professor
of Biochemistry. “I am constantly
amazed at his abilities and drive.
I have never heard a word of
complaint or frustration regarding
his physical challenges. He doesn’t
seem to let anything prevent him
from succeeding in whatever it is he
wants to do.”
In spring 2008, USU honored the
Aggie senior with the university’s
Legacy of Utah State Award. The
honor was created in memory
of the agricultural students and
instructor involved in the 2005 USU
van accident. It is given annually to
a student who embodies the true
spirit, heart and soul of Utah State
and demonstrates love and support
for the university family, while leading
with a vision of hope for the future.
“Brad’s dedication to science is clear,” says
Johnson. “He is one of the most inquisitive
students I have ever met, and his influence is
felt throughout our department. One of the top
performing students in our departmental courses,
Brad is constantly sought out by other students
who are struggling to understand the coursework.”
Undergrad Brad Hintze (left) and USU mathematics lecturer, Bryan Bornholdt, competed in the 206-mile, 2007 LOTOJA bike race.
78 79
Hintze, a Willard L. Eccles Undergraduate
Research Fellow, has carved his niche in
computer-based biochemistry research in
Johnson’s x-ray crystallography lab. Along the
way he’s proven to himself and others that, with
determination and persistence, individual strengths
and talents can emerge in spite of physical limits.
Despite a busy academic schedule Hintze found
time to squeeze in nearly 4,000 training miles
with USU mathematics lecturer and tandem bike
partner Bryan Bornholdt in preparation for the
grueling LOTOJA. The 206-mile bike race starts
in Logan, Utah and finishes in Jackson Hole,
Wyoming. Participants climb and descend three
mountain passes in the race’s first 110 miles in
unpredictable September weather that can range
from scorching heat to sudden snow squalls.
“Our Logan to Jackson ride was remarkable,”
Bornholdt says. “Yes, we prepared for it but it still
demanded a great deal of heart and determination.
Bradley has these traits in spades.”
Bornholdt recounts that, at the LOTOJA awards
ceremony, a race participant walked up to Hintze
and thanked the Aggie student for his inspiration.
“The man told Bradley that, when we passed him, he was about ready to give up,” Bornholdt says. “But he decided if Bradley was still riding, he would keep riding. He moved in behind us and rode with our group the last 11 miles. He was in tears as he spoke to Bradley.”
In Johnson’s lab, Hintze uses x-ray crystallography techniques in combination with biochemical analysis to understand the structure and mechanism of proteins.
“Our goal is to get a picture of the protein
based on x-ray diffraction,” he says.
During USU’s 2008 Research Week, Hintze
presented his lab’s efforts in determining the
crystal structure of a protein complex called
TRAMP, found in brewer’s yeast.
“TRAMP is a protein complex that’s involved
in RNA degradation in the nucleus,” he says.
“It identifies RNA substrates that need to
be degraded and labels them – much like a
lumberjack identifies and tags trees in a forest
that need to be cut down.”
The project gives scientists a structural view
of cell components that play a central role in
nuclear RNA surveillance, Hintze says. “RNA
surveillance is a widespread cellular process that
is critical for cell function and viability.”
A 2001 graduate of Utah’s Alta High School,
Hintze was initially timid about pursuing
university studies. “I thought college wasn’t an
option for me; that it would be way too difficult.”
With encouragement from a Salt Lake vocational
rehabilitation center, he entered USU in fall 2003.
Testing the waters with 10 credits, he earned a 4.0
GPA during his first semester. A general biology
course his second year, taught by professors Keith
Mott and Greg Podgorski, captured his interest
but, at first, shook his confidence.
“I was nervous but my advisor, Cathy Myers-Roche,
encouraged me to keep trying,” Hintze says.
After his first big test, he emerged with a nearly
perfect score. “That, right there, gave me more
confidence in my collegiate career than anything
else,” he says.
The course, along with subsequent science
courses, steered him to biochemistry.
“I thought, ‘this is so cool’ and I wanted to do
research,” Hintze says. “The research we’re doing
now, determining the structure of TRAMP, has
never been done before. We’re getting information
that’s never been known. That fascinates me.”
Contact: Bradley Hintze, bradley.h@aggiemail.
usu.edu
Writer: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517,
October 2008
Biochemistry student Brad Hintze, right, and faculty mentor Sean Johnson are deciphering the structure and mechanism of proteins.
78 79
AGGIE BLUE BIKES
Air pollution is caused by many
factors, but with approximately two million miles
driven in Cache County every day, some of the
pollution is inevitably linked to greenhouse gas
emissions from cars.
In 2005, a group of students and faculty
members at Utah State University in the USU
Community Bike Coalition started brainstorming
ways to attack the air quality problem in Cache
Valley. The winning idea was a community bike
program that evolved into Aggie Blue Bikes,
which officially began serving students in
September 2005.
Aggie Blue Bikes is a student-managed and
student-run program that checks bikes out to
students free of charge for up to a
semester at a time. It also offers
free, one-on-one maintenance
counseling and provides bike
tools to help students take
care of their own bikes.
The program started
with nine bikes and one
employee and has grown in
just three years to include
more than 100 bikes and 10
employees annually.
“Our mission is to get more
people on more bikes
more often to promote
health, sustainable communities, reduce vehicle
congestion and to better the air quality in
Cache Valley,” said Adam Christiansen, Aggie
Blue Bikes program coordinator and senior in
mechanical engineering.
In spring 2007, they realized they would not
be able to serve the amount of students they
desired because the demand for Blue Bikes
far exceeded the supply. So they adopted this
mission and have been developing ways to make
this happen ever since.
In an effort to get people on bikes more often,
whether on a Blue Bike or not, Aggie Blue Bikes
has expanded the educational side of its services
to include one-on-one tutorials, community
weekly classes, League of American Bicyclists
classes and the
student tool
board.
Student-Run Organization Benefits the Environment and Promotes Good Health
When Aggie Blue Bikes was established in fall
2005, it had nine bikes. Through generous
donations from students and
community members, the number of bikes
has grown to approximately 120 in
just three years.
80 81
The tool board is a full set of bicycle tools and
stands that students can use any time. If the
student doesn’t know how to use the tools, a
Blue Bikes employee will teach the student how
to use the tools and maintain a bike, but will not
fix the problem.
“By doing this, we take concepts and turn them
into hands-on skills that students will have
throughout their lives,” Christiansen said. “This
teaches students how to take care of themselves
rather than relying on someone else and gives
them the ability to pass their knowledge on to
others. The success of the student tool board
has been phenomenal.”
The lucky students who get to borrow a bike enjoy
the benefits of this sustainable form of transportation.
“I was so excited when I got my Aggie Blue Bike
last summer — I showed it to everyone at work
as soon as I got it,” said Loni Pilcher, senior
graphic design student. “I lived really close to
campus and work so it didn’t make sense to
drive my car. I got great exercise riding up the
hill to work a few times a week, and I loved being
able to ride to my friends’ houses instead of
spending money on gas.”
By fall 2006, just one year after Aggie Blue Bikes was
established, the bike supply had doubled from nine
to 18 bikes. A year later it had more than tripled to
65, and a year later it had about 120 bikes.
The Blue Bikes come from students and
community members who donate their old bikes
to the program. Aggie Blue Bikes employees
restore the bikes or use them for parts and paint
the frames aggie blue. Christiansen has also
been able to coordinate with the USU police to
recycle abandoned bikes around campus. After
an abandoned bike is taken by the police, it’s
held for three months to give the owner ample
time to claim it. After the three months, Aggie
Blue Bikes adds it to its fleet.
“This program is completely original,”
Christiansen said. “We studied different models
used at other schools and in other communities,
but no other program runs at virtually no cost to
the students.”
Aggie Blue Bikes has been able to function
due to generous donations and grants from
AmeriCorps, the Utah Conservation Core,
Provost Raymond Coward, Vice President of
Student Services Gary Chambers and Dean of
the College of Natural Resources and Director of
the Sustainability Council Nat Frazer.
“Aggie Blue Bikes is a fantastic program for
sustainability at USU — not only does it help
lower carbon emissions in Cache Valley, but
the students who use the bikes are sustaining
their own bodies by getting exercise as they
ride them,” Frazer said. “I can think of no
other student-managed initiative that has such
tremendous benefits. I am delighted that the
Sustainability Council has been able to support
its efforts.”
Beginning in 2007, Blue Bikes started a Friends
of Santa program in which its employees collect
donated children’s bikes and refurbish them to give
to needy children in the community. Aggie Blue
Bikes also plans and hosts the Cache Valley bike
festival each spring in an effort to give community
members a chance to learn about bikes, biking
etiquette and local bike businesses, etc.
“We’re so grateful for everyone who has helped us
and everything that’s been given to us,” Christiansen
said. “We are glad we’ve found a way to give back
to the community to show our gratitude.”
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429, [email protected] October 2008
Aggie Blue Bikes employee Dave Griffin fixes the brakes on a bike to get it ready to become an official Blue Bike.
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Ninety percent of USU’s Aggie Shuttles run on natural gas, and the fleet is the only alternative-fuel bus system in higher education in Utah.
“Sustainability is ingrained in our organization, it’s something we continually do,” said Ben Berrett, director of facilities operations. “Aside from the social responsibility aspect, saving energy saves money, and we strive to give taxpayers the highest value for their dollar.”
The chilled water plant, also known as the central cooling plant, was installed in 2003. For this project, facilities staff removed 25 old chillers from individual buildings around campus and replaced them with the most efficient electric chillers available. All the chillers were relocated to a central building where they are under 24-hour efficiency surveillance. The
FacilitiesSince its beginning, the Facilities division at USU has had at least one engineer dedicated to issues impacting energy consumption. Today there is a sustainability coordinator who is supported by a staff of engineers working on projects to make USU more sustainable. Major projects include the chilled water plant, the co-generation/central heating unit and the transition to more efficient lighting.
BLUE GOES GREEN
Google produces more than 33 million results for the word “sustainability”— a word that seems to be popping up everywhere these days.
So what’s all the hype about?
Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. At a time when the world consumes more quickly than the earth can replenish, it is important to do everything possible to become more efficient.
Utah State University formed its Sustainability Council in spring 2007 after President Stan Albrecht was the first in Utah to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, a document that holds the university responsible for developing a plan to work toward climate neutrality.
While this document emphasizes the university’s move toward sustainability, Utah State has been instituting green practices around campus for more than 15 years and continues to implement new practices and utilize new technology to further this cause.
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cool air generated from the coolers is pumped to buildings around campus through existing underground tunnels.
The co-generation/central heating unit is a gas turbine generator that burns natural gas and turns an electric generator that can generate about half of the electricity used on campus.
The waste heat from this process goes through a heat exchanger to make steam used to heat the buildings around campus.
While the facilities staff has been changing light bulbs all over campus to replace existing ones with more efficient T8 bulbs, it has also been updating some rooms on campus with occupancy sensors that automatically shut off the lights when there’s no one in the room. The same concept saves on heating and cooling bills by using electronic sensors to automatically shut off some systems during the night.
Aggie ShuttleIn 1999 USU got its first set of Aggie Shuttles that run on natural gas. Natural gas is an excellent alternative because it only costs 65 to 70 cents per gallon and hardly emits any carbon dioxide, said Alden Erickson, shuttle supervisor. It can be difficult to maintain a fleet of natural gas vehicles because it requires increased mechanical maintenance and better-trained technicians. It can also be difficult to find a natural gas fueling station.
USU overcame both setbacks with its stellar maintenance crew and a grant that made possible the installation of two natural gas fueling stations on campus. Because of this, 90 percent of the Aggie Shuttles now run on natural gas and have become the only alternative-fuel bus system in higher education in Utah.
Besides using eco-friendly fuel, Aggie Shuttles transport up to 6,500 people per day during the school year, totaling 850,000-950,000 people per year. It does all this with just $11 per semester in student fees, which are offset with a charter service and revenue from ad space it provides to local vendors that generate approximately $25,000 each year.
Landscaping In 1993 the landscaping crew at USU began working on ways to use water more efficiently around campus. Pressure regulators were installed on irrigation valves to reduce the droplet size of the water coming out of sprinklers. This
allowed more water to hit the ground instead of getting carried off by the wind.
More sprinkler water at USU is lost to wind
than to evaporation, according to Jim Huppi, USU landscape architect/manager.
Five years later, a computerized central control system for irrigation was installed that allows the landscape crew to shut down the entire system in just five minutes to save water during a rain storm as well as save power for pumps and shorten watering windows. Huppi said that before this upgrade took place, it would take about a day and a half to shut off the approximately 140 clocks around campus and the same amount of time to turn them back on.
The landscaping staff has also worked to organize plants around campus by their water requirements so the central control system can be programmed to water only what needs to be watered. The staff also began planting native plants and dedicated some spots around campus as demonstration gardens that have been planned and built by horticulture students.
“Since these changes were made, USU uses half as much water as it did in 1993, even though the landscape area has increased,” Huppi said. For more information, visit www.sustainability.usu.edu Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429, [email protected] 2008
The area in front of the Merrill-Cazier Library features native grasses.
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The Renovation:
Unfortunately, the amphitheater has become
worn down over its 70-year lifespan and was
recently deemed unsafe said Stanley Kane,
director of campus maintenance operations and
USU architect. He said it would cost at least a
half a million to get it into tip-top shape.
Because of the lack of funding to renovate the
amphitheater, Facilities made a few repairs to get
the amphitheater up to code. The concrete wall
was removed and replaced with a guard railing to
make it safer.
Students in a management and human resources class revitalized USU’s historic amphitheater for a benefit concert where proceeds went to the Huntsman School of Business Micro Loan program to finance new businesses in Peru.
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT WHILE
PRESERVING USU HISTORY
The MHR class took it from there. The
students revitalized the historic site for
the concert, which featured guitarist
Katie Lewis, Grafted and other artists.
The class spent two hours sanding
benches, sweeping walkways
and painting benches to
prepare the amphitheater for
its debut.
It is a Utah State University landmark that is often overlooked. The amphitheater on Old Main Hill
has become dilapidated and underutilized. Students from a Management and Human Resources class
hope to change this.
The amphitheater was reconstructed by the MHR 3110 class in October 2008 so it could be used for
a benefit concert where all proceeds went to aid people in Peru, said Nicole Brown, a junior majoring
in public relations and a member of the class.
The proceeds went to the Huntsman School of Business-sponsored Micro/Small Business-Loan
account program. The micro-loan program provides small loans of $50 to $100 to individuals and
small businesses in Peru while educating them on how to run a business, said David Herrmann,
senior lecturer in the Management and Human Resources Department.
“The recipients of the loans are able to start small businesses to increase their income levels,” he
added. “We believe this project will make a lasting difference in the lives of those who need it most.”
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“We wanted the amphitheater to look good
for the concert,” Brown said. “It’s a beautiful
spot, and we wanted people to be aware of
its existence.”
Brown is not the only one to deem the
amphitheater a beautiful spot on campus. USU
Facilities documented the amphitheater as being
perceived as “one of the most attractive sites in
America with its overlook of Cache Valley” when
it was first built.
The amphitheater’s long-lasting history
stems back to 1924. According to USU
Facilities’ documents, many class gifts
were taken to pay for the materials and
construction of the amphitheater. The
construction was done by students
employed through the Federal Emergency
Relief Administration.
After its completion, the amphitheater was
put to good use, Brown said.
“It has been used over the years for
commencement exercises, summer classes,
music festivals and a major summer theater
program,” she said.
The MHR 3110 class has been able to
preserve a piece of USU history while
helping people across the globe.
“Our project not only benefits USU, but Peru
benefits at the same time,” she said. “I hope it
will make a big impact on many people here in
Logan and in Peru.”
Writer: Chelsie Hansen, chelsie.hansen@
aggiemail.usu.edu
October 2008
“Our project not only benefits USU, but Peru benefits at the same time. I hope it will make a big impact on many people here in Logan and in Peru.”
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AG GYMNAST FOUNDS NONPROFIT TO FIGHT POVERTY IN
A FRICAKatie Rutherford, a former Utah State
University gymnast (2001-05), is reaching for
new heights and pushing above and beyond her
typical routines.
A year after graduating from USU in
anthropology, Rutherford established “Dollars for
Change,” a nonprofit organization with a goal of
reaching out to millions.
“Dollars for Change” raises money by asking each
person to give just $1 to fight poverty in Africa.
“I am not asking you to sign up for anything and
I am not asking for all of your money,” Rutherford
explains on her “Dollars for Change” Web site.
“I’m asking that you do without that can of soda
just once. I’m asking that you find a small piece
of your life where you can save just one dollar
and put it to better use. Prove to your kids, your
siblings, anyone you have ever told, that one
person really can make a difference. You don’t
have to be a millionaire to change the world as
long as we all
work together.”
Through her
involvement
with the Student
Athletic Advisory
Committee, a
community-based
service club
for athletes at
USU, Rutherford
helped the USU
gymnastics team
start fundraising
for children’s
education in Africa.
“When I realized
what a difference
our proceeds
made in a child’s “It’s hard to imagine what one dollar can actually do, but it’s more powerful than people realize,” Rutherford said.
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life, it made
me want to do
something more,”
Rutherford said.
She quit her job
in government
banking and
began to focus
on developing
her own nonprofit
organization.
“I really didn’t
have much,”
said Rutherford.
“It took a while
to become tax-
exempt and go
through all of the
requirements, but
it has proven to be
well worth it.”
After spending three months fundraising, Rutherford
took her first trip to begin her routine in Africa. After
spending more than five months building schools
and helping with irrigation and education, she
realized her potential to make a difference.
“When I saw what a difference my efforts made,
I began to research what more I could do,”
Rutherford said. “I came across a life-changing
statistic. America’s population in the year 2007
reached more than 300 million. If I could get at
least $1 from every American family or student,
funding for schools and projects in Africa would
be possible.”
This is how the philosophy for Rutherford’s
organization, “Dollars for Change”, was created.
“It’s hard to imagine
what one dollar can
actually do, but it’s
more powerful than
people realize,”
Rutherford said. “So
far, I have raised
enough to build one
school through Dollars
for Change.”
Today, Rutherford
flies across the nation
sharing her stories
to inspire students,
communities and
families to join
the cause.
“All donations go
directly toward
the cause,” said
Rutherford. “The
money isn’t used for
anything other than the schools.”
Rutherford’s efforts have made an impression on
members of USU’s current gymnastics team.
“I look up to Katie,” said Lindsey Boone,
sophomore on the gymnastics team majoring
in business, “I hope more athletes and people
come together to donate.”
“Join the challenge to prove that together, we
can make a difference,” said Rutherford.
Writer: Celia Child, [email protected]
November 2008
Katie Rutherford, former USU gymnast, established “Dollars for Change,” a nonprofit organization that helps develop schools in Africa.
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USU STUDENTS HEAD TO MEXICO AND MAKE A
DIFFERENCEOrphaned children with disabilities in
Manaedero, Mexico, got a new chance to play
and learn, and Utah State University students
who went to the orphanage in May 2008 to help
got a new perspective.
The staff at the Gabriel House orphanage
received training to help them work with the
children, and the orphanage itself got a new
septic system.
The Mexico trip has become an annual tradition
over the past four years for students in the
Department of Communicative Disorders and
Deaf Education, and Department Head Beth
Foley has seen the same story repeat itself.
When students arrive, they are “shell shocked” to
see the needs at the orphanage and the severity
of the children’s disabilities; but when it’s time to
head back to the U.S., the students
don’t want to go.
In 2008, more than 90 students
from three different USU
departments contributed work to
the orphanage. About 20 of them
made the trip to Manaedero with
several faculty members. Gabriel
House is an orphanage for children
who have disabilities or who
are HIV positive. The orphanage
houses about 40 children.
Sonia Manuel-Dupont, a professor
in English, communicative
disorders and civil engineering, has
worked with Gabriel House for two
years. She has involved students
from all three of her disciplines in
projects for the orphanage.
Her English students created
teaching units with books
in Spanish. Students in the
Communicative Disorders and
Deaf Education Department made
toys and communication systems
as part of an assistive technology
course. They added tactile symbols USU students traveled to Manaedero, Mexico, to help make improvements to an orphanage for children with disabilities.
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to books in Spanish for children with visual
impairments and adapted books to stimulate
language development.
Representatives from the USU chapter of
Engineers Without Borders also designed a new
septic system for the orphanage since the old
one was overwhelmed by its massive laundry
demands. They installed the system in May
during their joint visit with other USU students.
Jordan Meek, a junior from Sandy majoring in
Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education,
built an indoor jungle gym that included a
detachable swing. Swinging is good for a
child’s development, said Stan Clelland, the
Assistive Technology Lab coordinator at the
USU Center for Persons with Disabilities.
Meek’s play equipment was built as an
independent study project, and it was
among the most ambitious works that
made the trip to Manaedero.
“I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned
out,” he said. Like many other student
contributions, the jungle gym was
assembled in the lab, which specializes in
adapting, repairing and building assistive
technology for people with disabilities.
Foley, one of the professors who teaches
the assistive technology class, began going
to the orphanage five years ago. The next
year and each year after, she began bringing
students with her.
In addition to bringing assistive technology
and toys with them, the students and faculty
members help train the Gabriel House staff on
ways to work with children who have conditions
including autism, muscular dystrophy, cerebral
palsy and Down syndrome. Many of the children
are unable to communicate using speech.
The students stay a week, but more than
once Foley has watched as the children at the
orphanage stand in front of the gate, trying to
keep their visitors from leaving. By then, the
students don’t want to leave either.
Writer: JoLynne Lyon, [email protected]
November 2008
Jordan Meek, a junior from Sandy majoring in Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, built an indoor jungle gym for the orphanage.
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WRDC AT USU IMPROVING
RURAL AMERICA
The Western Rural
Development Center’s
latest publications — a
series of population
briefs — are one more
effort by the center to
deliver resources to
improve the quality of
life in the rural West.
Located at Utah State
University, the WRDC
is one of four regional
centers nationwide
designed to strengthen
the capacity of local
citizens to guide the
future of their rural communities. Each of the four
centers links the research and Extension capacity
of regional land-grant universities with local
decision makers to address a wide range of rural
development issues.
“We try to provide whatever is necessary to improve
the lives of people in rural America,” said Don
Albrecht, director of the Western Center. “Better
information will lead to better decision making,
so it is our job to be the source of complete and
accurate information about their communities.”
Albrecht said the center has a multi-dimensional
focus. It initiates projects by bringing resources
and people together to jump-start innovative
concepts. It also brings eclectic groups of people
together to explore issues, learn about one
another’s values and goals and think creatively
about how to shape the rural West. The center
also supports the creation of businesses and
the development of desirable assets using a
sustainable approach, supporting local cultures
and creating the ability to seize emerging
opportunities and solve problems.
That means communities can come to the WRDC
for the latest information about issues such as
economic development, energy development,
public policy, rural health, sustainable
development, natural resources and more.
The “population briefs” summarize population
trends and how those trends might affect health,
employment, poverty, minorities, education and
land use.
The series was developed in response to
requests from researchers and nonprofits
throughout the 13 Western states that were in
Don Albrecht is the director of the Western Rural Development Center, which aims to deliver resources to improve the quality of life in the rural West.
90 91
need of demographic
data pertaining to
the rapidly changing
populations in the
region. The series
includes regional
overviews about
“The Changing
West,” “Employment,
Income and Poverty,”
“Education,” “Health
and Longevity,”
and “Land Use and
Resources” and one
brief for each of the 13
Western states.
“The size and composition of the population in
the Western states is rapidly changing,” Albrecht
said. “Accurate and timely information is
essential to our stakeholders. These population
briefs provide this information in a readily
accessible and easy-to-read format.”
Albrecht served as the researcher and author for
the briefs. His goal is to make this information
available to researchers, community leaders and
nonprofits that otherwise may not have access to
this important demographic data.
“Rural community developers throughout the
West face many challenges, and before they
begin to shape their communities for future
success, they must have an understanding of
their current populations and conditions,” he
said. “These population briefs provide them with
that baseline information.”
Statistics pertaining to health insurance coverage
among residents of the Western states are of
particular concern at the moment, he said. The
Health and Longevity brief, for example, said
the residents of Western states are much more
likely to be without health insurance than the
average American. Only in Hawaii (9.6 percent)
do a smaller percentage of people lack health
insurance than the national average. Four
Western states (New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona
and Montana) and several Southern states
(Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Oklahoma and Texas), are among the 10 states
with the highest rates of uninsured individuals in
the nation.
The Western Rural Development Center links the
research and extension capacity of land-grant
universities in 13 Western states and four U.S.
territories. The WRDC is funded by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State
Research, Education and Extension Services. It
also receives substantial support from several
USU units, including Cooperative Extension, the
Agricultural Experiment Station and the College
of Natural Resources.
Writer: Tim Vitale, 435-797-1356,
November 2008
Hispanic
9,080,131; 50.0%
Asian
3,015,343; 16.6%
Black
686,368; 3.8%
Native American
374,040; 2.1%
White
5,008,524; 27.6%
Population Changes from 1980-2000 for the Western Region
A sample of the information found in the population briefs.
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CHANGING THE WORLD
ONE DROP AT A TIME
Utah State University’s Utah Water Research Laboratory has projects and training efforts in all of Utah’s 29 counties and has conducted water resources projects and training programs in nearly 70 countries throughout the world.
Before the building was even dedicated in 1965, faculty at the Water Lab were already working on international projects.
“These international projects have helped establish a close relationship between the UWRL and water agencies and universities in many parts of the world,” said Mac McKee, director of the Water Lab. “Through these relationships, USU has recruited students from around the world, many of whom now work as the world’s water leaders. Today, international students make up approximately 75 percent of the graduate students working at the Water Lab.”
In the 1990s the UWRL began working with An Najah National University in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine. Because few doctoral degrees are offered in Palestine, many ANNU students come to USU to obtain a doctoral degree, and they frequently return to work as professors and experts in their fields.
In summer 2007, associate professor in Environmental Engineering Laurie McNeill began her sabbatical at ANNU, where she taught and researched water problems the area currently faces. The city of Nablus has a population of nearly 200,000 people, and during much of the year there isn’t enough drinking water available to the Palestinian people.
Due to the shortage, the city can only provide drinking water every few days, and residents have to stock up on water by storing it in large tanks on their roofs to use during the in-between days. While she was there, the time between water days increased from three to five to 10 days by the time she left in July 2008.
This system, in which water runs through pipes only once every few days, is called “intermittent pumping,” and many developing countries use this system instead of continuous pumping, which is used in America. Intermittent pumping can cause a
Associate professor in Environmental Engineering Laurie McNeill spent a year at An Najah National University in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine, where she taught and researched water problems the area currently faces.
variety of water problems that do not occur with continuous pumping.
McNeill and her students at ANNU worked to develop a model for intermittent pumping so they can understand how it influences water quality and predict future problems. They are also working to develop a model to analyze water quality in the storage tanks.
Not only does intermittent pumping pose potential hazards to the water quality, but the area is also susceptible to water contamination and potential cancer-causing agents.
Just as many water treatment plants in the United States add a small amount of chlorine to water to kill pathogens, chlorine is also added to the drinking water in Nablus. However, in less-than-ideal hygienic circumstances, this chlorine can pose a potential hazard.
When chlorine reacts with organic matter (such as raw sewage), it forms a disinfection by-product, or DBP, which can cause cancer. This is a real concern because some clean-water pipes in Nablus are submerged in flows of raw sewage.
McNeill and her students are trying to model this scenario as well so they can track how the chlorine changes in this system. Then they can determine when and how much chlorine to add.
“It’s a balancing act,” she said. “You need to add chlorine to keep the water clean and safe, but you don’t want to add too much in case organic matter comes into contact with the water and forms cancer-causing disinfection by-products.”
Nabeel Hamdan worked most closely with McNeill on this project. He is working toward a master’s degree and currently works as head of the engineering department in Beita, a town of about 10,000 people located south of Nablus.
“I’ve always been interested in everything related to water quality, and presently there is no information to help identify or quantify the location and extent of DBPs in the Nablus system,” he said. “I hope this research will help decision makers improve water quality here and benefit people around the world.”
The final projects McNeill worked on during her sabbatical dealt with wastewater treatment. One project tested a pilot-scale wastewater treatment process for removing contaminants.
The second project looked into how to run a sewage collection system where none existed previously, the logistics of installing a full-scale treatment plant and what opportunities were available for reusing the treated wastewater for irrigation. This is important because it is not uncommon for Palestinians to have cesspits,
allowing sewage to seep into the ground and contaminate the ground water.
“This is just one example of what our faculty does daily,” said McKee. “Our mission involves helping solve water-related problems at the state, national and global levels, and our dedicated faculty make this goal a reality.”
Writer: Annalisa Fox, 435-797-1429 [email protected] 2008
• The Logan River can be diverted directly through the Utah Water
Research Laboratory’s hydraulics lab.
• The lab works on more than 300 water-related projects each year, and
its annual research expenditures equal $9 million.
• In 2005, National Geographic visited the UWRL to film its faculty and
lab resources for a documentary it produced about flooding.
• The UWRL is home to one of the nation’s few large-rainfall simulators.
With approximately 66,000 droppers, this machine can recreate the
rainfall conditions of a specific storm.
• A new hydraulics modeling laboratory is under construction at the
UWRL that will have approximately 10,000-square-feet of floor space. It
will be completed January 2009 and will allow researchers at the UWRL
to more effectively compete for large physical modeling projects.
Utah Water Research Laboratory
Due to the water shortage in Nablus, the city can only provide drinking water every few days. Residents have to stock up on water by storing it in large tanks on their roofs to use during the in-between days.
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