College of Life Sciences Convocation Brigham Young University April 25
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ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOURTH College of Life Sciences Convocation Brigham Young University April 25, 2019 5:00 p.m. Marriott Center Program University Representative James R. Rasband Academic Vice President Welcome James Porter Dean Invocation Rachel Mayfield Student Address Eric Olsen Musical Number John Wilson, cello “I Need Thee Every Hour” CJ Madsen, piano Music by Robert Lowry Arranged by Marshall McDonald Student Address Emily Romney Presentation of Diplomas Deans and Department Chairs Remarks James Porter Dean Benediction Robert Fender Prelude and Recessional Music Sheri Peterson The audience should remain seated until the recessional is complete. Honored Students The following students were chosen by their departments as exemplary student representatives. The speakers and prayers have been selected from among these students. Robert Zachary Fender, from Moscow, Idaho, is graduating cum laude in nutritional science with a minor in chemistry. He is the son of Robert and Rebecca Fender and husband of Christabel Ethridge Fender. He and Christabel have two children, Rebekah and Ransom. Robert served in the Brazil Salvador Mission. He received an Adelle Davis Student Research Scholarship, Pete and Arline Harman Scholarship, BYU ORCA Grant, Elva Pedersen Jorgenson Scholarship, Woodward-Ritewood Scholarship, Alvina Soffel Barrett Scholarship, Kay Franz Scholarship, Lewis Medical Foundation Scholarship, and two undergraduate research awards from the BYU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing with his children, rebuilding engines, and reading books about social inequality. After graduation he plans to attend medical school and focus his studies on global health. Joshua McIntosh Keller, from Memphis, Missouri, is graduating summa cum laude in physiology and developmental biology and Spanish studies. He is the son of Ronald and Blanche Keller and husband of Kelsey Rae Coy Keller. Joshua served in the Mexico Villahermosa Mission. He received a Brigham Young Scholarship, Alvina Soffel Barrett Scholarship, and Edwin S. Hinckley Scholarship. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and was on the dean’s list. He has enjoyed working as a teaching assistant and research assistant, and he presented a poster of his research at the 77th annual meeting of the Society for Developmental Biology in Portland, Oregon. The title of his project was “High- Resolution Promoter Analysis Using Random Mutation and Sequencing.” Joshua works as a Spanish medical interpreter at a free clinic in Provo and is a big brother for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. He has traveled to 49 US states, all 10 Canadian provinces, 18 European countries, and 6 countries in South and Central America. He loves baseball, fishing, hunting, and watching firework shows. After graduation he plans to attend medical school. Rachel Michelle Mayfield, from Meridian, Idaho, is graduating magna cum laude in wildlife and wildlands conservation. She is the daughter of Mark and Michelle Mayfield and fiancée of Quinton Edwards. Rachel was on the dean’s list and received an experiential learning scholarship from the BYU Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences. She also received a Brigham Young Grant, Elva Pedersen Jorgenson Scholarship, Jay and Fran Bingham Scholarship, and Brigham Young Scholarship. She placed fifth in the national Undergraduate Range Management Examination at the annual Society for Range Management meeting. Rachel considers herself an expert at identifying hoverflies, and she likes hiking, camping, and spending time outdoors. After graduation she plans to work full-time. Eric Christian Olsen, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is graduating magna cum laude in molecular biology with a minor in chemistry. He is the son of Stanford and Jennifer Olsen and husband of Chloe Anderson Olsen. Eric served in the Brazil Vitória Mission. He received a National Merit Scholarship, was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, and was on the dean’s list. He received an ORCA Grant to work on a breast cancer research project of his own design, which he then presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting and St. Jude’s National Symposium for Undergraduate Research. He subsequently won an undergraduate scholar award from the AACR and was named a Goldwater Scholar. Eric pursued internships at both the National Cancer Institute and the University of Michigan, where he coauthored multiple papers. He enjoys making pottery, reading, cooking with his wife, and discussing transcriptional regulation of the genome. After graduation he will attend the University of Michigan Medical School. Emily Rebecca Romney, from Vancouver, Washington, is graduating summa cum laude in public health with an emphasis in health science and a minor in family life. She is the daughter of Justin and Rebecca Jackson and wife of Coltin Romney. Emily was on the dean’s list and received academic scholarships for tuition each semester, including the Abrelia Clarissa Hinckley Scholarship. She went to Samoa for a study abroad program that focused on relieving the burden of childhood rheumatic heart disease through health promotion and education, echocardiographic screening, and genetics research. She received the Ira A. Fulton Scholarship to help fund this trip and a research grant for her work there. She has worked as a research assistant for the past year developing a survey to assess maternal mental health. When she is not working or focusing on schoolwork, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She loves reading, playing volleyball and spikeball, and baking. After graduation she plans to work in the field of maternal and infant health. Casey Tehina Strauss, from Tokyo, Japan, is graduating summa cum laude in exercise science with a minor in Japanese. He is the son of Bruce and Aisa Strauss and husband of Anne Marie Taylor Strauss. Casey served in the Japan Nagoya Mission. He has enjoyed his teaching experiences throughout his undergraduate career, including teaching at the MTC, becoming a teaching assistant for the organic chemistry lab, and tutoring for the MCAT. He received the Garth L. Lee Award for undergraduate teaching two semesters in a row for outstanding student ratings as a teaching assistant in the BYU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Casey appreciates Japanese culture and won first place in a contest sponsored by the BYU Japanese Department for his presentation about a Japanese-American army unit in WWII. Casey has been a recipient of the full-tuition Brigham Young Scholarship throughout his time at BYU. His hobbies include running, reading, and cooking with his wife. After graduation he will attend medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Malia Dawn Tirrell, from Kuna, Idaho, is graduating summa cum laude in biological science education. She is the daughter of Duane and Suzanne Peck and wife of Ryan Tirrell. Malia served in the Thailand Bangkok Mission. She worked as a part-time Thai teacher at the MTC, where she met her husband, who was her co-teacher. While at BYU, Malia received several awards, including a Heritage Scholarship and a Jennie A. Clyde Scholarship. She participated in a number of research groups and served as the service chair for the Golden Key International Honour Society. She loves spending time with family, reading, and being outdoors. Malia looks forward to what life has in store as she continues to make learning and service lifetime pursuits. After graduation she plans to pursue a career in biology education. Music Performers Christopher J. “CJ” Madsen, from West Jordan, Utah, is graduating summa cum laude in piano performance. He is the son of Peter and Laura Madsen and husband of Samantha Boldrin Madsen. He and Samm have two children, Hollis and Charlotte. CJ served in the Spanish-speaking North Carolina Raleigh Mission. He received a Thomas S. Monson Presidential Scholarship and a School of Music scholarship upon entering BYU, where a hallmark of his time has been composing. He has arranged several songs for the BYU Men’s Chorus and composed a body of work based on 3 Nephi titled One Fold, One Shepherd, which has been performed both in the German language in Austria on a study abroad and several times in English in Utah. His piano arrangement of “Master, the Tempest Is Raging” has been viewed 50,000 times on social media, and his piano composition “Creation of Light” won second place in the 2018 Music Teachers National Association student competition. CJ considers his greatest accomplishments to be as a husband and father. He is grateful for the endless support of his family and mentors. After graduation he plans to pursue a master’s degree in choral conducting at BYU and eventually a PhD in music. Sheri L. Peterson, from Springville, Utah, earned a master’s degree in organ performance from BYU. She is the daughter of Mike and Donna Lawyer and widow of Clay Peterson. Sheri is a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and a member of the Music Teachers National Association. She was the dean of the Utah Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and has been published in The American Organist Magazine. Sheri teaches piano and organ lessons and enjoys family history research, gardening, hiking, and spending time with her family. She plans to complete a doctoral degree in musical arts. John Martin Wilson, from Provo, Utah, is graduating magna cum laude in physiology and developmental biology with a minor in music. He is the son of Sven and Nancy Wilson. John served a Cambodian-speaking mission in the California Sacramento Mission. He previously majored in cello performance and has enjoyed performing throughout his life. He soloed with the Utah Valley Symphony and the BYU Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the BYU Honors String Quartet and the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra. He also enjoyed taking courses in organic chemistry and biochemistry and working in Professor Paul Savage’s research lab.