1 Introduction This is a special time for Utah State University. The year 2007 portends a bright and promising future for Utah’s land-grant university. We are grateful to the many donors for the unprecedented generosity during this first year of our comprehensive fund-raising campaign. These gifts reflect tremendous confidence in Utah State University as a top research university with an exciting and solid future. You will see in this booklet a reflection of some of the great work being done at USU. You will see how our students, both undergraduate and graduate, benefit through hands-on learning. You will see how educational opportunities are now more accessible to our students than ever before in the history of USU. These are the stories of Utah State University. They reflect who we are, the strides we are making, and the tremendous reach and impact of USU throughout the world. I am confident that after reading through these stories you will better understand what I mean when I say that this is, indeed, a very special time for Utah State University. Stan L. Albrecht President From the Office of the President 2 3 Table of Contents 5 Pond Scum: Fueling Our Future? 7 CDP: 35 Years of Making a Difference 9 USU #1 in Nation for Space Research Funding 11 Fast Food to Fast Track: USU Distance Ed Business Students Excel 13 Understanding Obesity: USU Undergrad Partners with USTAR Researcher to Explore Molecular Process 15 USU’s “Smart Library” Tops List of 101 Best Practices 17 Waterwise: USU is a World Water Leader 19 USU Helping Children with Autism 21 River Whisperer: Intel Scholar Joins Mentor in USU’s Watershed Program 23 USU Ranked in Top 25 of Public Universities in Nation 25 What’s in Your Water? 27 USU Team Keeps it Clean at 2007 Clean Snowmobile Challenge 29 The Yin and Yang of Cell Signaling 31 The Problem of the Uninsured: Is There a Silver Bullet? 33 A Breath of Fresh Air: USU Scientist Studying Ways to Clear up Utah’s Inversion Problem 35 Getting More Information Out of Information: Statistician Adele Cutler Offers In- sights on Facts, Figures and Finding Your Life’s Passion 37 Unique Exchange Gives USU International MBA Students International Perspective 39 Virtual Math Tutor Aiding Students Worldwide: USU Researchers Ready to Market eMATH@USU 41 USU to Unveil Innovative Program for Deaf Children 43 Gearing Up for College 45 Serving Students in Distance Education 47 Life in the Fast Lane 49 An Engineering Innovator 51 Walking Through a Photo: Three-Dimensional Photography Offers Worlds of New Possibilities 53 Gotta’ Have It 55 Summer Break Without Missing a Beat 57 Hands-On Learning 59 A Few Degrees Cooler 61 Uncovering Secrets: The Answer’s in the Books 4 POND SCUM: 63 Young Historian is on the Map Fueling Our Future? 65 Our Backyard 67 They Come to Play 69 Soaring to Success s higher gas prices, larger 71 Pioneers of Progress: Karl White Honored for Worldwide Impact on the Newborn Autility bills and Hearing Screening skyrocketing 73 Lessons from Icarus: Undergrad Physicist Pushes the Limits energy costs plague the nation, 75 Tracking Space Invaders Utah State Univer- 77 Path to Success sity researchers are looking for 79 Exploring What Lies Beneath: USU Geophysicist Connects Deep Fault Movement solutions to ease to Climate Cycles consumer heart- ache while, at the 81 The Scoop on Aggie Ice Cream same time, sustain- 83 Fun Park Physics ing the world. USU researchers (from left) Ron Sims, Lance Seefeldt, Byard Wood and Conly 85 Chemical Reaction Hansen reflected in a solar collector on the roof of USU’s Engineering Building. The researchers, 87 Advancing Diversity funded in part by Seefeldt said usage is predicted to double to 89 Best in the West the Utah Science, Technology and Research Initiative, are working together to come up 26 terawatts by the year 2050. Fossil fuels are 91 Small Satellite Competition Equals Big Money with a secure, clean and sustainable energy expensive, finite and generate greenhouse 93 A Life Changing Experience source. gasses that many believe are harming the environment, said Seefeldt. 95 Art Leads Young Alum Around the Globe “This is perhaps the most important scientific 97 Summer Plunge challenge facing humanity in the 21st “It is obvious that we need to do more century,” said Lance Seefeldt, professor of research,” he said. 99 Research Funding Up chemistry and biochemistry. 101 USU Computer Engineering Student Makes Winning Business Through School Lotteries One of the options USU is working on is what Seefeldt describes as a second-generation 103 The Journalist as Researcher Seefeldt, along with several fellow USU professors, formed the Biofuels Program to solution – that is, taking oil from algae and 105 USU Fall Enrollment Largest in History develop new and emerging technologies converting it to biodiesel fuel. Algae, plainly referred to as pond scum, can produce up to 107 Making a Difference in the World that will produce methane, biodiesel, hydro- gen and alcohols from renewable, carbon- 10,000 gallons of oil per acre and can be 109 And For Homework Today... Explore Machu Picchu dioxide-neutral energy sources, such as grown virtually anywhere. 111 Carnegie Professor of the Year 2007 consumer and agricultural waste and sunlight. Biodiesel is a clean and carbon-dioxide- 113 Caught in the Act: USU Biochemists Catch Life-Critical Enzyme in Action neutral fuel that is becoming more popular, 115 Shaky Research Brings Solid Results for USU Engineering Professor “There are several options for solving the but most of the current product comes from world’s energy problem, but at this point, soybean and corn oil. As supply and demand none of them are realistically viable for grows, so does the price of soybeans and long-term use,” said Seefeldt. corn. People and animals rely on soybean and corn as a food commodity, eventually The world today relies on fossil fuels to causing competition between commodities supply much of its energy, and there are and growing enough product. Meeting this currently 13 terawatts of energy used per demand would require the world to use year. A terawatt is 1,000 billion watts, and virtually all of its arable land, said Seefeldt. 5 POND SCUM: Fueling Our Future? s higher gas prices, larger Autility bills and skyrocketing energy costs plague the nation, Utah State Univer- sity researchers are looking for solutions to ease consumer heart- ache while, at the same time, sustain- ing the world. USU researchers (from left) Ron Sims, Lance Seefeldt, Byard Wood and Conly Hansen reflected in a solar collector on the roof of USU’s Engineering Building. The researchers, funded in part by the Utah Science, Technology and Research Seefeldt said usage is predicted to double to Initiative, are working together to come up 26 terawatts by the year 2050. Fossil fuels are with a secure, clean and sustainable energy expensive, finite and generate greenhouse source. gasses that many believe are harming the environment, said Seefeldt. “This is perhaps the most important scientific challenge facing humanity in the 21st “It is obvious that we need to do more century,” said Lance Seefeldt, professor of research,” he said. chemistry and biochemistry. One of the options USU is working on is what Seefeldt, along with several fellow USU Seefeldt describes as a second-generation professors, formed the Biofuels Program to solution – that is, taking oil from algae and develop new and emerging technologies converting it to biodiesel fuel. Algae, plainly that will produce methane, biodiesel, hydro- referred to as pond scum, can produce up to gen and alcohols from renewable, carbon- 10,000 gallons of oil per acre and can be dioxide-neutral energy sources, such as grown virtually anywhere. consumer and agricultural waste and sunlight. Biodiesel is a clean and carbon-dioxide- neutral fuel that is becoming more popular, “There are several options for solving the but most of the current product comes from world’s energy problem, but at this point, soybean and corn oil. As supply and demand none of them are realistically viable for grows, so does the price of soybeans and long-term use,” said Seefeldt. corn. People and animals rely on soybean and corn as a food commodity, eventually The world today relies on fossil fuels to causing competition between commodities supply much of its energy, and there are and growing enough product. Meeting this currently 13 terawatts of energy used per demand would require the world to use year. A terawatt is 1,000 billion watts, and virtually all of its arable land, said Seefeldt. 6 USU is currently conducting research on The state of Utah, and especially USU, has algae and plans to produce an algae- positioned itself to be a key player in the biodiesel that is cost-competitive by 2009. future for this type of research thanks to the foresight of the Utah legislature, said The state of Utah sees so much promise in Seefeldt. the research that it has given the USU The research has already set in motion Biofuels Program $6 million for five years several spin-out and industry relationships, through the USTAR program. USTAR makes and one patent has already been issued, highly-selective, strategic investments in with four others pending. research with the potential to benefit Utah’s economy. “We are looking toward the world’s future energy solutions and USU is part of it,” said “This has moved from a purely environmen- Seefeldt. ith a 35th birthday tal issue to a global economics issue,” said party coming in June 2007, Seefeldt. The research takes a tremendous amount of WUSU’s Center for Persons with investment and energy, but the payoffs will Disabilities will celebrate the Sir Nicholas Stern, chief economist for the be worth it, he said.