Clearing the Air a U INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM AIMS to BECOME a NATIONAL RESOURCE on IMPROVING AIR QUALITY

winter gazette 14-15 NEWS OF THE UNIVERSITY

THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH VOL. 24 NO. 3 Clearing the Air A U INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM AIMS TO BECOME A NATIONAL RESOURCE ON IMPROVING AIR QUALITY.

PTC’S PLANS: A NEW DIRECTOR STRIVES FOR ECLECTIC THEATER ‘REMEMBER ME’: TWO U ALUMS’ WORK IN GHANA MARKETING INNOVATION: FROM INVENTIONS TO COMMERCE CLEAN AIR’S CRUSADER: A MEDICAL ADVOCATE fall 06 Continuum 1

Continuum_Winter14_cover.v2.indd 1 11/13/14 3:28 PM For ﬁve years in a row University of Utah Health Care has been recognized by the University HealthSystem Consortium as one of the Top 10 academic medical centers in the country for quality* and as one of the top health systems for improving quality while reducing costs.

What does this mean for you? When you choose University of Utah Health Care you are selecting quality, safety, and value from a team devoted to providing each individual patient with an exceptional experience.

Learn more at quality.uofuhealth.org

*University HealthSystem Consortium 2014 Quality Leadership Award and 2014 UHC Supply Chain Performance Excellence Award

Continuum_Winter14_cover.v2.indd 2 11/14/14 3:57 PM winter 14-15 contents

2 Feedback 32 Alumn Proﬁle Your comments Two U alumni are leading 4 Campus Notebook a nonprot e “Ute Proud” foundation in campaign, a Ghana that new graduation aims to ensure initiative, no child is secrets of Utah forgotten. snow, and more By Stephen Speckman

8 Discovery Online tool 38 Association News for tracking Merit of Honor asthma, winners, research to help Homecoming, ght Ebola, and more and a material 42 Through the Years for superfast University of Utah computers researcher Krista A U alum’s Carlson tests her crusade for 10 Spotlight SolaPur invention clean air, and Karen Azenberg at Salt Lake City’s more is crafting a Liberty Park. Photo by Keith Johnson careful path to bring more FEATURES cutting-edge works to Pioneer eatre Marketing Innovation 16 Company. e University of Utah’s Technology and Venture Commercialization Oce is moving By Elaine Jarvik ideas from discovery to practical application. By Kim M. Horiuchi

48 And Finally… Clearing the Air 24 Fussing Over the Fight Song An interdisciplinary program at the University of Utah aims to become a national resource on improving air quality. By Jennifer Dobner Visit continuum.utah. edu for additional photos, videos, Cover photo: Air pollution hovers along the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains near the University of and more. Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library. (Photo by Sebastian Hoch)

Continuum_Winter14_feedback.v3.indd 1 11/13/14 4:44 PM feedback

Publisher William Warren

Executive Editor Your Comments M. John Ashton BS’66 JD’69 Editor Julianne Basinger BA’87 MA’91 RAISING UTE AWARENESS REFLECTIONS ON THE PARK BUILDING Managing Editor I would like to thank the University of Utah Oh, how excited and inspired I was, standing Marcia C. Dibble and the Ute tribe for their eorts in educating the in front of the Park Building in 1948-49 as the Associate Editors Ann Floor BFA’85 public on this issue [“ e Heartbeat of the People,” new, four-year Nursing Program began [“An Icon’s Kim M. Horiuchi Fall 2012; “University Renews Agreement with Ute Centennial,” Fall 2014]. We were assigned to movable Advertising Manager Indian Tribe,” Summer 2014]. I am currently taking metal, hot, half-dome shaped classrooms, a crowded David Viveiros a college course through another university on campus due to soldiers enrolled after the war. Being Art Direction/Design Native American history. is is not your typical one of three [nursing] graduates in 1951, I was most David E. Titensor BFA’91 history class that we have all been through. is is fortunate as I had a year at BYU lling all my science Corporate Sponsors history from the Native Americans’ viewpoint that credits, thus graduating ahead of most of the class. Arches Health Plan dispels the myths and untruths we are accustomed My B.S degree in nursing has made all the ARUP Laboratories to. I have read the webpage [uteproud.utah.edu] dierence in my life. Homestead and Zermatt Resort Intermountain Healthcare developed by the University [of Utah] and watched Physician Recruiting the videos. I now have a deeper understanding Marilyn Lambert Higgins Ball BS’51 Mountain America Credit Union of the meaning of the logo, and it brings an even St. George, Utah University Credit Union University of Utah Health Care deeper sense of pride when I aectionately say “Go APPRECIATION FOR OPTICS Editorial Advisory Committee Utes.” I look forward to further educating myself Sonya Alemán PhD’09 on the cultures and meanings of the logo and the I look forward to Stephen Wilk’s column every Julie Barrett BA’70 Collin B. Barrett BA’05 history behind the Ute tribes. Being in the military, month in Optics and Photonics News. I had no idea Marc E. Day BS’76 Tal Harry BS’87 I travel a lot and am one of those that proudly wear that he is my U co-alum [“Stories in the Study of Rosemarie Hunter PhD’04 Mike Lageschulte the Utah Ute apparel…. Light,” Fall 2014]. We both received our PhDs in 1983. Je Metcalf BS’74 MEd’77 Again, thank you, Mr. [Forrest] Cuch for your Holly Mullen BS’81 Mary Lee Peters information and educational eorts. I look forward Akhlesh Lakhtakia MS’81 PhD’83 Taylor Scalley BA’98 Randall Smith BFA’72 BS’72 to more. State College, Pennsylvania

Douglas Taylor BIONICS’ POSSIBILITIES Continuum is published in summer, fall, winter, and spring Comment submitted via continuum.utah.edu ank you, Dr. [Richard] Normann—this is by the University of Utah Alumni remarkable and oers such hope to so many people Association and University Marketing & Communications. e Ute logo is one of the most unique logos out [“ e Bionics Man,” Summer 2014]. anks also Subscriptions are available to U faculty/sta (visit continuum.utah. there…. If it is a circle or a drum, it is clearly being to those who work with you and invest time and edu/subscribe.php) and through membership in honored by the [University of Utah] sta and most mental energy into each tiny step in the process the Alumni Association ($50/year). Call (801) 581-6995 of the Ute fans. Everyone has been heard. e nal of acquiring adequate information to make this a for more information. say is with the Ute Tribe, and they have spoken. workable solution. AMAZING! Opinions expressed in Continuum are not neccessarily those of the ey love the logo and have no desire to change to University of Utah administration. the block U. I am very proud of how the U has taken Rebecka Page Copyright ©2014 by the University of Utah Alumni Association. e full responsibility and made the necessary changes Comment submitted via continuum.utah.edu University of Utah is an equal opportunity/armative to accommodate the tribe’s MOU [Memorandum action institution. of Understanding]. For those who lost the battle,

please nd something more important to protest We’re eager to hear from you. Please For advertising opportunities, that would really make a dierence to the indige- please call David Viveiros, go to continuum.utah.edu/contact-us/ (801) 581-3718. nous people here in Utah. Like maybe quit ignoring for our contact information. or hiding the facts of history and the visibility that Standard postage paid at Salt Lake they were here rst. City and additional mailing oces.

Shauna Engen Send address changes to: Continuum Roosevelt, Utah University of Utah 155 S. Central Campus Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84112 [email protected]

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Continuum_Winter14_feedback.v3.indd 2 11/13/14 4:44 PM Continuum_Winter14_feedback.v3.indd 3 11/17/14 9:51 AM campus notebook University Begins ‘Ute Proud’ Campaign With Tribe

As part of the 2014 Memorandum Cuch is featured in an of Understanding between the Ute educational video that the Indian Tribe and the University of Utah, U Athletics Department a scholarship fund for eligible tribal launched in August. e members has been established through video has been played on the University’s Scholarship O ce. e U the video board at all Utah Athletics Department and the Ute Tribe home sports events. U also began a “Ute Proud” campaign in late Athletics also created Ute August to raise awareness at sports events Proud T-shirts, bearing a about what it means to be a Ute. And the design that incorporates University launched a website, uteproud. a graphic by a Ute artist, utah.edu, to educate the U community and the circle and feather fans about the tribe’s culture and history. logo, and the Ute Tribe’s e University and the tribe signed o cial seal. All proceeds the new agreement in April, allowing the from the T-shirt sales will U to continue using the name “Utes” for its scholarships, it is the University’s aim to benet Ute Indian scholarships and youth sports teams. e ve-year agreement will make college as aordable and acces- programs. Utah Athletics also has been be reviewed annually. sible to as many bright and motivated distributing Ute Proud information cards University departments have long students as we can.” at all athletics events, to encourage fans to oered a variety of scholarships for Scholarships will be awarded by learn more about the Ute Indian Tribe. Native American students. e scholar- the Scholarship Selection Committee, e Ute Proud campaign included ships created in September are the rst composed of two members of the Ute Native American heritage awareness specically for Ute students and in part Indian Tribe and three members of promotion at a Utah football game and recognize the tribe’s permission to use the University administration—the asso- a U men’s basketball game in November. “Utes” name for the U’s athletics teams. ciate vice president for enrollment, the For the football game, the U team wore “e University community is proud of scholarship director, and the director of helmets with the Ute tribal seal, and the its ongoing relationship with the Ute the American Indian Resource Center. game ball was given to a representa- Indian Tribe, and the scholarship fund is e number of scholarships available tive of the tribe. At both the football and one step in our eorts to promote educa- each year will depend on the number basketball games, the Ute Honor Guard tional benets for tribal youth,” says Mary of eligible applicants and the amounts presented the U.S. ag, and a special half- Parker, the U’s associate vice president of available. Applicants for the scholarships, time performance was arranged by the enrollment management. which will amount to $8,000 for the year Ute Tribe’s Pow Wow Committee. “We feel Franci Taylor, director of the ($4,000 per semester), will be evaluated honored to represent the Ute Tribe,” says University’s American Indian Resource on academic merit, leadership, commit- U Athletics Director Chris Hill MEd’74 Center, says that according to student ment to citizenship, school activities, and PhD’82. “Our teams, coaches, sta, and surveys and comments, lack of funding community engagement, in addition to the entire University community hope our is what a majority of American Indian tribal a liation. fans will join us in representing the Utes students list as the most signicant “We welcome all positive educational with dignity and respect at all times, and barrier to completion of a college degree. opportunities for Ute and other American proudly saying ‘Go Utes!’ ” “Many people have a misconception Indian youth,” says Forrest Cuch, a that Native American students are member of the Ute Indian Tribe and the Visit continuum.utah.edu to fully funded by the U.S. government, scholarship committee. “Scholarships will watch two videos from the Ute the state, or their tribes. Unfortunately, be a strong encouragement to our kids to Proud campaign. this is untrue,” she says. “rough these continue their educations.”

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Continuum_Winter14_Notebook.v3.indd 4 11/13/14 3:35 PM campus notebook U Initiative Aims to Help U Professor’s More Women Graduate Book Explores e University of Utah began an 2014, 54 percent of initiative in October to recruit, retain, women applicants Secrets of and graduate more women students. were accepted, Debra Daniels MSW’84, director of the U’s but just 47 Utah Snow Women’s Resource Center since 2003, was percent enrolled. named to an additional role as assistant Meanwhile, Utah Utah vice president of the Women’s Enrollment has the fourth and its ski Initiative and will lead the new eorts. largest wage gap in industry have “In her expanded role, we will estab- the country, with Debra Daniels long claimed lish more connections across campus, women earning 30 percent less than men. to have the in schools, and with business leaders in e U initiative aims to meet the needs of greatest snow our community to help remove obstacles girls and women from high school through on Earth— that prevent women from going to school college and to provide the information, the state has and achieving,” says Barbara Snyder, the services, and support to help them realize even trade- U’s vice president for student aairs. “e their academic goals. “Graduate degrees marked the entire community will be richer for it.” that lead to professional careers increase phrase. In Currently, although the percentage a woman’s opportunities for advancement Secrets of the of women graduates from the U is about and higher earning power,” Daniels says. Greatest Snow equal to that of men, women’s enroll- “All lead to a more prosperous and just on Earth, University of Utah professor Jim ment lags behind men’s by 20 percent. In community for everyone.” Steenburgh investigates weather in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and shows how and why Utah’s powder lives up to its reputation. e book, published in November by University Community Utah State University Press, also examines ski and snowboard regions beyond Remembers Chase Peterson Utah, providing a meteorological guide to mountain weather and snow climates Chase N. Visit continuum.utah.edu to around the world. “Secrets of the Greatest Peterson, who view two videos about Peterson. Snow on Earth covers all of the essential served as the topics for Utah powder lovers of every University of Utah’s bachelor’s degree in 1952 and a medical stripe,” wrote Nathan Raerty, president president from doctorate in 1956, both from Harvard of Ski Utah, in reviewing the book for the 1983 to 1991, died University. He and his wife, Grethe, publisher. September 14 in returned in 1961 to Salt Lake City, where Steenburgh, a U professor of atmo- Salt Lake City. He spheric sciences, is an avid backcountry Chase Peterson he accepted a position as an endocrinolo- was 84. gist at the Salt Lake Clinic. In 1967, he and and resort skier. He also created a popular “Chase Peterson loved the University his family returned to Harvard, where blog, Wasatch Weather Weenies. Chapters of Utah,” current U President David W. Peterson was dean of admissions. Five in his new book explore mountain Pershing wrote in a tribute. “His eorts years later, he became Harvard’s vice pres- weather, avalanches and snow safety, to enhance the U’s teaching and research ident for alumni aairs and development. historical accounts of weather events and mission will be his legacy, evident always In 1977, Peterson was tapped to be the U’s snow conditions, and the basics of climate in the careers and contributions of thou- vice president of health sciences, and in and weather forecasting. e book also sands of students whose lives were made 1983, he became the U’s 14th president. features 150 color photographs. better by his service,” After his retirement in 1991, he stayed Peterson was born in Logan, Utah, involved with the University and medical Visit continuum.utah.edu to watch a to E.G. and Phebe Peterson. His father school and ended his career as a physician video of Steenburgh talking was president of what is now Utah State working at Salt Lake City’s Fourth Street University. Chase Peterson received a Clinic for the homeless. about his new book.

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Continuum_Winter14_Notebook.v3.indd 5 11/13/14 3:35 PM campus notebook

U Health Care Wins Fifth Arboreta, Botanic Gardens Conservation Wiggins, the asteroid also known as 391795 Straight Top Award International, the American Horticultural (2008 RV77) this past September was University of Utah Health Care Society, and other public data sources. renamed Univofutah by the International has won the University HealthSystem Evaluations were made based on garden Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center Consortium’s Quality Leadership Award for size, variety of plant species, special in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wiggins the fth year in a row. accreditations, and unique attributes that says names must be limited to 16 charac- The U placed among the top 10 in contribute to the garden’s atmosphere. ters, ruling out the U’s full name. “There the prestigious quality and safety rank- aren’t too many other universities on the ings, which compare teaching hospitals University Solar Plaza Provides whole planet with asteroids named after based on quality measures, patient safety Sustainable Gathering Space them,” says Wiggins, who works as a part- and satisfaction indictors, mortality rates, time public education assistant in the U’s and readmissions. This year, the University Department of Physics and Astronomy. “So ranked sixth out of 104 participating that puts the U in rather rare ed company.” medical centers. The asteroid “is no more than 2 kilo- “Being in the top 10 in quality means meters (1.2 miles) across,” he says. Because our community has access to some of of its small size and distance, it is “too far the best health care in the country,” says away for even the Hubble Space Telescope Vivian S. Lee, the U’s senior vice president to determine the shape.” for Health Sciences, dean of the School of The University of Utah in September Medicine, and CEO of U Health Care. completed construction on an environ- American West Center The centers ranked among the top mentally friendly community gathering Celebrates 50 Years at the U ve were New York University’s Langone space for students living on campus. The University of Utah’s American Medical Center; the Mayo Clinic Hospital, Located near the Peterson Heritage Center West Center marked its 50th anniversary Rochester; Ohio State University’s Wexner and between the Shoreline Ridge apart- in 2014. The center, the oldest regional Rewarding You and the U Medical Center; Beaumont Hospital, Royal ments, the Student Solar Plaza includes studies center in the West, focuses on Oak; and Rush University Medical Center. solar panel canopies with built-in tables preserving the region’s history through oral and chairs, gas barbecue, re pit, and elec- histories, documentary archives, historical u * Red Butte Garden Ranked trical outlets. and policy analyses, textbooks, and a state- Showing your support for the U is easy Rates as low as 8.99% ® Second Most Stunning in World “Students spearheaded this project wide curriculum. with the University of Utah Visa Rewards u Generous rewards program because we were lacking an outdoor “Regional studies illustrate both the Credit Card from Mountain America. common area where we can comfort- unique aspects of a place as well as the u No balance transfer fees ably study, hold activities, and visit with dierent ways national and global changes u Multiple design options available friends,” says Jenna Matsumura, a student are felt in communities,” says the center’s Not only can you show your school leader working with the project. “This director, Gregory Smoak PhD’99, a U asso- u No annual fee space will not only help create a more ciate professor of history. The center’s work pride every time you use the card, but cohesive community among the apart- has included collecting and archiving more a percentage of every purchase you ment residents, but it will also be a visual Apply for your Mountain America make will beneﬁt the University of The University of Utah’s Red Butte representation of our commitment to Visa Rewards Credit Card today Garden has been ranked by Best Masters sustainability eorts.” Utah Alumni Association. It’s an easy Programs as No. 2 among 50 of the most Constructed into eight canopies, the at www.macu.com/Ucard. stunning university arboretums and 32 bifacial solar panels, which provide up to way to give back to the U, supporting gardens. Best Masters is an independent 35 percent more kWh than their standard student scholarships and much more. online guide to master’s degree programs. module counterparts, will oset the elec- The list includes universities that empha- tricity used by the residence halls. size conservation, sustainability, and than 7,000 oral histories, many from Native education within their greenhouses, land- Tiny Asteroid Now Bears Americans, Japanese Americans, and scapes, and nature preserves. The gardens University of Utah Name Utah’s Latino and Latina residents; creating in the list are located around the world. An asteroid has been named an extensive digital archive of documents Gardens and arboretums consid- “Univofutah” after the University of Utah. pertaining to Utah’s American Indian tribes; ered for the list were identi ed using Discovered in September 2008 by long- and providing educational support to the information from the Morton Register of time Utah astronomy educator Patrick tribes and to school districts. * Variable APR. On approved credit. Actual card design may vary.

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Continuum_Winter14_Notebook.v3.indd 6 11/13/14 3:35 PM Rewarding You and the U

Showing your support for the U is easy u Rates as low as 8.99%* ® with the University of Utah Visa Rewards u Generous rewards program Credit Card from Mountain America. u No balance transfer fees u Multiple design options available Not only can you show your school u pride every time you use the card, but No annual fee a percentage of every purchase you Apply for your Mountain America make will beneﬁt the University of Visa Rewards Credit Card today Utah Alumni Association. It’s an easy way to give back to the U, supporting at www.macu.com/Ucard. student scholarships and much more.

* Variable APR. On approved credit. Actual card design may vary.

Continuum_Winter14_Notebook.v3.indd 7 11/13/14 3:35 PM discovery eAsthmaTracker Helps Children and Caregivers A new online asthma tracking tool control score” that illustrates if patients States. In Utah, 6.9 percent of children developed by researchers at the University are doing well, or when an action is and 9.1 percent of adults suer from it. of Utah focuses on preventing rather than needed, such as use of an inhaler or even a According to the Centers for Disease managing exacerbations and has been visit to the doctor. Control, the exact cause is unknown, but shown to reduce emergency-room read- “ e e-AT changes current ambu- asthma triggers include tobacco smoke, missions for patients who have used it. latory asthma care delivery to a new pet dander, mold, pesticides, wood smoke, e tracker, which has a responsive model that is continuous and proactive, and overall poor air quality. design that adapts to any size computer focusing on prevention and control, As of October, the eAsthma tracker screen, including phones, is currently rather than reactive and focusing on was being used by about 200 pediatric being tested by children, their parents, management of asthma attacks,” says Dr. patients in the Salt Lake area. Nkoy and their health care providers in the Flory Nkoy, research director for the U’s and colleagues will compare the e-AT Salt Lake Valley in a study exploring how Division of Pediatric Inpatient Medicine study’s results with those in an existing better monitoring of the disease could and associate research professor in care model, with the hope that the e-AT improve quality of life. the Department of Pediatrics, who is will produce better outcomes, such as e eAsthma Tracker (e-AT) is leading the research project. As of the a reduced number of missed school designed to aid medical decision- end of 2014, Nkoy and his colleagues are days and fewer acute care visits. “Our making through regular gauging of closing the rst year of a three-year, $1.9 research enables and empowers families asthma control, early identication of million research award from the Patient- and their providers to take charge of a deteriorating symptoms, and ongoing Centered Outcomes Research Institute to dicult to control condition and creates communication between parents and conduct the study. a model for sustainable, cost-eective their child’s primary care providers. e eAsthma Tracker helps parents patient care and smart utilization of e tracker creates an “asthma monitor their child’s chronic asthma information technology in a health care symptoms on a weekly basis and guides setting,” says Nkoy. “ is model is repli- users to recognize warning signs of asthma cable across the country and has the attacks. e tool also provides primary care potential to shape the future of asthma providers with real-time, objective patient care delivery in the nation.” information to monitor the eective- ness of asthma therapy. e e-AT oers age-specic educational resources for Asthma Facts both parents and patients, including 18.9 million adults and 7.1 million asthma-related games and interactive children in the United States su er from tools, and allows patients to person- the chronic lung disease alize their prole in order to receive 6.9 percent of children and 9.1 percent reminders and alerts. of adults in Utah have asthma An early version of the tracker, 29 percent more people in Utah developed by Nkoy’s team in have asthma now than a decade collaboration with Primary ago, compared with 28 percent more nationally Children’s Medical Center, was found to result in a signicant 60 percent of children with asthma visit emergency rooms reduction in emergency-room because of the disease, at a cost readmissions within six months of about $8,500 per visit of discharge. In a study of its use 2 percent of patients using the from 2008 to 2010, the researchers eAsthma Tracker were found to have observed that users of the tracker had been readmitted to emergency rooms, readmission rates of only 2 percent, compared with 15 percent for those compared with 15 percent for non-users. who didn’t use the online tool Asthma is a chronic lung disease that —From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Asthma in Utah Burden Report 2012, and the eAsthma aects an estimated 18.9 million adults Tracker team and 7.1 million children in the United

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Continuum_Winter14_Discovery.v4.indd 8 11/14/14 11:15 AM discovery A Universal Tool in the Fight Against Ebola? University of Utah biochemists have number of promising experimental drugs discovered a potential new tool to combat are being aggressively advanced to clinical the Ebola virus. e U researchers have trials to address the current crisis. produced a molecule related to a critical e newly produced peptide mimic region of the virus that is found in all has shown promise in leading to new known strains. e molecule, known as D-peptide inhibitor drug candidates. a peptide mimic, could be used in the D-peptides are much simpler and less development of anti-Ebola agents that are expensive to produce than the other eective against both current strains and currently most promising approach, likely future strains. antibodies. e Utah group has previously e U research, funded by the developed highly potent and broadly acting National Institutes of Health, was D-peptide inhibitors of HIV entry, currently conducted by a large collaborative team agent to protect against natural outbreaks in preclinical studies, and is adapting this led by Debra Eckert, research assistant and potential bioterror exposures is an approach to Ebola. e U and Navigen are professor of biochemistry, and Dr. Michael urgent global health need. No anti-Ebola now seeking additional funding to opti- S. Kay, professor of biochemistry, with agents have yet been approved by the U.S. mize these inhibitors and advance them contributions from other laboratories Food and Drug Administration, but a into clinical trials in humans. and the pharmaceutical discovery and development company Navigen. e researchers have been working on the discovery for years and published their New Material Could Be Key to ndings in October in Protein Science. “Although the current push of clinical Superfast Computers trials will hopefully lead to an eective treatment for the Zaire species causing Quantum computers could revolu- a large energy gap. An energy gap is the the present epidemic, the same treatments tionize the electronics industry, oering amount of energy it takes for electrons are unlikely to be eective against future processing speeds many times faster to conduct electricity in a given mate- outbreaks of a dierent or new Ebola than today’s technology, but until now, rial. A larger gap allows electricity to be species,” Eckert says. “Development of a no design has been able to overcome one conducted on a material’s surface so a broadly acting therapy is an important serious drawback: overheating. University computer can operate at room tempera- long-term goal that would allow cost- of Utah engineers have found a way to ture while remaining stable. eective stockpiling of a universal Ebola create a special material that could lead Liu and his team found that bismuth treatment.” to cost-eective, superfast computers that metal deposited on the silicon can result Christopher Basler, a scientist with perform lightning-fast calculations but in a more stable large-gap topological the Mount Sinai Global Health and don’t overheat. insulator. e process also can be cost- Emerging Pathogens Institute who was is new “topological insulator”—a eective and readily integrated with not involved in the U study, notes that metal layer on top of a silicon semicon- current widespread silicon semiconductor the U researchers are taking a dierent ductor—behaves like an insulator on manufacturing techniques. approach than others looking for Ebola the inside but conducts electricity on treatments. “It’s more likely to broadly the outside and may pave the way for block multiple Ebola viruses,” he told e quantum computers and fast spintronic Salt Lake Tribune. devices. e research was led by Feng Liu, Ebola is a lethal virus that causes professor and chair of the U’s Department severe hemorrhagic fever with a 50 of Materials Science and Engineering. percent to 90 percent mortality rate. Since the discovery of topological ere are ve known species of the virus, insulators almost a decade ago as a and outbreaks have been occurring with class of material designed to speed up increasing frequency in recent years. e computers, scientists have been trying to development of an eective anti-Ebola create a topological insulator that creates

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Continuum_Winter14_Discovery.v3.indd 9 11/12/14 8:38 AM spotlight

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Continuum_Fall14_Spotlight_v3.indd 10 11/12/14 8:51 AM A FINELine Karen Azenberg is crafting a careful path to bring more cutting-edge works to Pioneer Theatre Company.

Story by Elaine Jarvik Photos by Brian Nicholson

f you run a regional theater in theater experience, she mostly opted for the America, you can sometimes nd “distraction” version. Still, she pointed out, yourself in trouble. Not trouble with there were many audience members who felt a capital T that rhymes with P and just as strongly that Pioneer should have used standsI for pool, because that would be e the “less mild” version. Just the week before, Music Man, which is always a safe bet. No, in fact, a subscriber had called to say he was we’re talking about trouble that can make giving back all his future tickets in protest. you lose season subscribers. Now in her third season as artistic Which brings us to the stage of Pioneer director of PTC, Azenberg knows that if you eatre Company at the University of Utah, run a big theater in a place like Salt Lake where one afternoon this past fall artistic City, sometimes you’re caught in the middle, director Karen Azenberg sat elding ques- trying to please everyone. tions from a talkback audience that had **** just seen e 25th Annual Putnam County Azenberg is a New Yorker to her core but Spelling Bee, which Azenberg also directed. is no stranger to American regional theater, e funny, softhearted musical includes having worked as a freelance choreogra- a song in which a middle-school speller pher and director for three decades in 28 bemoans his “unfortunate erection” as he states. When she heard that Pioneer eatre waits his turn at the microphone. At PTC, Company’s artistic director Charles Morey though, a milder version of the song, this would be retiring after a 25-year career, she one called “My Unfortunate Distraction,” put her name in the running, along with was used for all but two shows of the two- nearly 100 other applicants. week run. “Why?” wondered an audience Azenberg was chosen in 2011 and member in row D. ocially took the reins the next summer. Azenberg smiled and jumped right in She was the unanimous choice, says Chris with a little lesson on the politics of theater. Lino, PTC’s managing director, who sat on e musical’s lyricist, she explained, provided the selection committee. Azenberg was well two versions of the script. So at PTC, where known to the PTC sta because she had many season-ticket holders expect a tame been guest director and choreographer of

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Continuum_Fall14_Spotlight_v3.indd 11 11/12/14 8:51 AM Rent, Next to Normal, and Miss Saigon, and choreographer of the sell-out Les Miz in 2007. “We knew how smart she was,” says Lino. “Plus she knew every director in the country, including the up-and-coming directors, and that was very attractive to us.” At the time, Azenberg was president of the board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the national union for her crafts. She currently serves on the advisory board and is also a board member of the New York Musical eatre Festival, a launching pad for new musicals. “A lot of the applicants, on paper you’d think this is your dream candidate,” Lino Karen Azenberg works with performers in a Pioneer Theatre Company rehearsal for The Rocky Horror Show. says. (Some, in fact, had worked as artistic directors at well-known theaters, and was producer of most of Neil Simon’s plays, “As a kid,” she says, “this is how I Azenberg had never run a theater of any as well as producer or general manager translated ‘Don’t go into theater’: Don’t be size.) “But none of them matched what for blockbusters including Rent, George an actor. So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll be a dancer!’” Karen brought to the table.” M!, and Sunday in the Park with George. Of course she meant dancing in musical David Ivers, artistic director of the Ten of the plays he has either produced or theater, and the showdown came when it Utah Shakespeare Festival, who directed managed have won Tony Awards, and in was time to go to college. One Man, Two Guvnors at PTC this year, 2012 Azenberg himself won a “Lifetime “ ere were lots of tears, and me describes Azenberg this way: “ e thing Achievement in eatre” Tony. saying ‘I can’t just dance three times a that sets her apart is she has theater in Long before there were take-your- week! I have to dance all day every day!’ ” her DNA. She has in her bones an innate daughter-to-work days, Manny took little She ended up majoring in dance at New understanding of how the theater world Karen to the theater (and also sometimes York University, and she wonders now if works”—including years of tagging along to watch him play softball with Robert her father’s opposition was a kind of test, with her father. Redford in the Broadway Show League). to see if she had the drive to make it in a Emanuel “Manny” Azenberg began “You sit there,” her dad would instruct her, business that can be brutal. his career as company manager for and so from a chair backstage she would **** touring and Broadway shows, and later watch the show behind the show. You might think that the daughter of “How I work a Broadway producer would have an easy here,” she says entrée to Broadway. “Oh, no,” she says. “He about her life now hates nepotism… Dad’s theory is, anything at PTC, “is how I you achieve, you achieve on your own.” perceive he worked; So he gave her a job answering phones it’s my model.” at in his oce, which helped pay the bills as means dropping she auditioned for dance roles. In her early in every day to 20s, she got her rst choreography job, in chat with scenic a summer stock theater in Connecticut. carpenters and the en her work was noticed at a commu- costume shop, and nity theater in Manhattan, and from that wanting to know came a chance to choreograph a revue all the details about at the Smithsonian, and that led to a gig lighting and sound choreographing Sweeney Todd at Michigan boards and props. Opera eatre, and the next year, at age But Manny 24, choreographing West Side Story. Azenberg told his But there were also plenty of dry daughter over and periods. And this is where being Manny over: “Don’t go into Azenberg’s daughter did get her a foot in Pioneer Memorial Theatre is aﬃliated with the U's College of Fine Arts. theater.” the door. When one of his shows moved

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Continuum_Fall14_Spotlight_v3.indd 12 11/13/14 10:17 AM to Broadway and in a pinch they needed Broadway company of Wicked. And it A person driven like that can some- an assistant stage manager, they hired meant uprooting their son and daughter, times get stressed out, of course. “I have her because they knew she was adept then 12 and 15. On the other hand, a barometer of how stressed she is by her at coordinating sound, lighting, and their home was an hour commute into hair,” says PTC managing director Lino. “It scene-change cues for performances. And Manhattan for Augie, and her job as a free- has its own emotional life.” from there came other o ers, including lance choreographer and director meant PTC runs a “very lean ship,” says Brighton Beach Memoirs and Master being gone for long stretches of time. On the Lino. “Our peers—large middle-America Harold and the Boys. other other hand, her daughter hated the theaters with at least a $4 million “Pay her minimum,” Manny insisted. idea of moving so much that she o ered to budget—all have larger budgets but don’t Her next big break came in 1989 live in their car in the garage of their house. produce work as big as ours. A greater when she was choreographing Guys and In the end, though, Utah won out. percentage of our operating budget goes Dolls at Indiana Repertory eatre. “You “ere are a lot of theaters in the into what you see on stage.” (e 932-seat think like a director,” the artistic director U.S., but not of this size, with this kind theater is aliated with the University told her, and the next year he o ered of facility, with this kind of nancial of Utah’s College of Fine Arts but gets no her a job directing. “Like many things, I stability,” Azenberg explains. direct funding from the U.) “Karen knows thought, ‘Oh, I can do that,’ and so I did,” **** how to stick to a budget,” Lino adds, Azenberg remembers. “I was winging it.” Like her favorite musicals, Azenberg “because she instinctively prioritizes. Not Later, that same self-condence led her is high-voltage and straightforward. “You every artistic director can also think like to apply for the artistic director job at always know where you stand with her, a producer.” Pioneer eatre Company. which is a rarity in the theater,” says the Azenberg travels back to New York e Utah job felt like a once-in-a- Shakespeare Festival’s Ivers. Adds PTC seven or eight times a year, to do audi- lifetime chance. But it also meant that resident scenic designer George Maxwell: tions for PTC shows (most hires are New her husband, Augie Mericola, would have “She’s very precise, and she doesn’t give up York actors, although she also auditions to give up his job as head of props for the until she gets what she wants.” in Salt Lake and hires a fair number of

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Continuum_Fall14_Spotlight_v3.indd 13 11/12/14 8:51 AM locals), and to see what’s new on Broadway and o —a requirement since she’s a Tony Awards voter. at also puts her in the loop for what new plays and musicals Will next fall be the start of school? might be a good t for PTC. In sheer volume of potential audience members, Pioneer’s biggest rival is Broadway Across America and the “Broadway-style” 2,500-seat mega-theater now under construction three miles away in downtown Salt Lake City. Here’s how Azenberg and Lino explain the di erence between the two venues: e caliber of the actors is equal, but PTC’s stage design, costuming, and other crews are Utahns who pay Utah taxes; the tickets are less than half the price; and, says Azenberg, “our productions are staged for this theater and this cast, so everything is fresh for this production.” Of course, convincing Utahns to pick PTC over the tour is a hard sell, especially when the tour is Wicked or e Book of Mormon. Would Pioneer eatre Company ever stage the irreverent, award-winning Book Karen Azenberg recently started a new play-development reading series at PTC, called Play-by-Play. of Mormon? e theater chose not to stage incrementally included newer works, not scaled-down version of the camp Tony Kushner’s Angels in America two just the old chestnuts. musical e Rocky Horror Show) and a Or the start of a lifetime? decades ago. “ere was no way we could Azenberg strives for a balance in each new-play-development reading series, do that in this theater, named after the theater season: mysteries and musi- Play-by-Play—no sets, no costumes, just pioneers, and not have a large part of our cals, comedies and drama, familiar and actors reading from scripts she has culled audience think we were attacking them,” surprising. “I like doing fun and good and from the hundreds sent to her from play- Lino recalls. Azenberg says she gures eclectic theater,” she says. But she knows wrights across the United States. that by the time the rights to e Book of “not everyone is going to like everything.” She hopes Play-by-Play will draw a Mormon become available for regional Sometimes there are nasty letters and new Utah audience. But she also knows theaters, she’ll “be sitting in an old-age phone calls. that new play development can boost home somewhere.” During her second season, some Pioneer’s standing among actors, direc- **** audience members called and wrote tors, and writers nationwide, as PTC eater audiences in general are a to say they had blanched at the inter- launches world premieres that might have graying lot. But the average age of season- racial casting of Elf: e Musical. And a chance of making their way to New York ticket holders at PTC has dropped from there was a ap over a three-second gay because of Azenberg’s connections. “When 65 to 55 in the past 10 years, and from kiss in the murder mystery Deathtrap. I arrived, Pioneer eatre Company had a 55 to 45 for single-ticket sales—perhaps (Twenty years ago, PTC became one wonderful but quiet reputation—which is because, over the years, the shows have of the rst big regional theaters to starting to change,” she says. “Now we are Come see for yourself how a singular focus on the K-8 years institute a “content advisory,” but to still wonderful, but a little more raucous." can define a lifetime of success – academically and socially. ‘‘I like doing fun and have warned the audience about this kiss would have been a plot spoiler, —Elaine Jarvik is a Salt Lake City-based freelance Where children become a part of something greater than themselves. good and eclectic Azenberg says.) “I’m not producing journalist and playwright and a frequent these plays and musicals to o end contributor to Continuum. Visit us soon to see our school in action, and find out how your child theater... I'm trying to people,” she adds. “I’m trying to cover as wide a range of content as possible.” can have the best start of all. One that lasts their whole life. cover as wide a range of To reach newer audiences, Visit continuum.utah.edu to view Azenberg has also instituted “concert” a gallery with more photos. content as possible.’’ performances (including the recent mcgillisschool.org (801) 583-0094 668 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

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Continuum_Fall14_Spotlight_v3.indd 14 11/12/14 8:51 AM McGillis_Winter14.indd 1 10/28/14 4:40 PM Will next fall be the start of school?

Or the start of a lifetime?

Come see for yourself how a singular focus on the K-8 years can define a lifetime of success – academically and socially. Where children become a part of something greater than themselves. Visit us soon to see our school in action, and find out how your child can have the best start of all. One that lasts their whole life.

mcgillisschool.org (801) 583-0094 668 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Continuum_Fall14_Spotlight_v3.inddMcGillis_Winter14.indd 1 15 11/12/1410/28/14 8:514:40 AMPM U researchers Krista Carlson and Swomitra Mohanty run water samples taken from the pond at Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park through their SolaPur water puriﬁcation device.

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Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 16 11/14/14 10:40 AM MARKETING INNOVATION The U’s Technology and Venture Commercialization oﬃce is moving ideas from discovery to practical application. Story by Kim M. Horiuchi Photos by Keith Johnson

he canning jar containing a quart of murky, brownish-yellow water sits at the front of the room. e water has been disinfected with iodine and is unquestionably unappealing. “If anyone Twants to try it, we’ve got cups,” Jason Young calls out to the 50 or so investors, inventors, entrepreneurs, and industry executives gathered to hear about some of the latest technologies discovered and developed at the University of Utah. No one grabs a paper cup from the stack for a drink of the cloudy water. But there is plenty of interest in an invention that will make iodine-treated drinking water unneces- sary. Young BS’01 MD’10, a business development manager with the University of Utah’s Technology and Venture Commercialization (TVC) oce, passes around a prototype of the solar-powered water purication device. No bigger than a cell phone, the white plastic rectangle contains a maze-like

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Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 17 11/14/14 10:40 AM 1967, that oce and its precursors have been responsible for managing all of the University’s intellectual assets, as well as those of its medical centers and hospitals, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and ARUP Laboratories. e technology commercialization oce has helped launch leading companies such as Myriad Genetics, BioFire Diagnostics, and Anesta, as well as hundreds of lesser-known, smaller start-ups. Each year, the U oce manages dozens of new patents and licenses, invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in technology development, and brings to the mainstream inventions that range from a compound that could prove to be the next major class of antibiotic to a new type of radiant oor heating. In the last 45 years, 5,500 inventions have been disclosed by researchers and faculty at the University of 279 Utah, and 230 spin-o companies have been launched from those237 technologies. Ninghai Su, left, a University of Utah postdoctoral researcher, and Megan Bulte, an undergraduate 207 212 student, run tests on Nanoxene, a nanocomposite that may change the way homes are heated. “If you think about a modern univer-179 sity, there are traditionally two really big framework holding a coiled metal wire arrayed with micro- legs of a stool: teaching and research; and those are really scopic titanium dioxide nanotubes. Using ultraviolet light to important,” says Bryan Ritchie, who has led the University’s produce free radicals, the device can decontaminate a liter TVC oce since 2011 as the U’s associate vice president for of water in ve minutes. It weighs about one ounce and is research commercialization. “What the U has done is legiti- 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 expected to retail for around $40. mize a third leg of the stool, which is commercialization.” e water puri er was invented a year ago by Krista Like its counterparts at mostinvention universities disclosures across the Carlson, a research associate with the U’s Metallurgical country, the U oce has historically handled “technology Engineering Department, and Swomitra Mohanty, a transfer” and been responsible for licensing inventions to 279 99 research assistant professor in the Department of Chemical existing companies and start-ups. At that point,89 it was the 237 77 Engineering, and they are looking for help to get it207 to market licensees’212 job to develop and ultimately70 commercialize71 the through their company SolaPur. More than a hundred inven- technology.179 During the past three years, however, the U oce tions such as their water puri er are disclosed each year at has been focusing on building value for inventors and the the University, and more than a dozen start-up companies University through not only licensing and patenting intellec- are formed annually to market them. Assisting them is the tual property but building sustainable ventures and nding U’s Technology and Venture Commercialization oce. Since viable markets for those inventions. Since the oce’s incep-

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 U Technology Commercializationinvention disclosures Numbers licenses

279 99 88 89 81 78 237 77 207 212 70 71 179 51 44

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 invention disclosures licenses issued patents Source: U Technology and Venture Commercialization Oﬃce

99 88 89 81 78 18 continuum.utah.edu 77 70 71 51 44

Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 18 11/14/14 10:40 AM

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 licenses issued patents

88 81 78

51 44

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 issued patents tion in 1967, 21 faculty for entrepreneurship for members have become the fourth straight year. millionaires by commer- e U tech commercializa- cializing their inventions, tion oce collaborates, including 15 or 16 in the too, with the Lassonde last decade, and revenue Entrepreneur Institute, back to the U from the which broke ground companies and technolo- in October on the new gies totals tens of millions Lassonde Studios student of dollars each year. “We’re center. Each year, about 40 not just transferring but students also work with the also commercializing and TVC oce as interns who creating ventures,” Ritchie assist in the commercial- says. “I think we’re really ization process. leading the country in how Darrel M. West, this happens.” founding director of the Because the University Bryan Ritchie, whose oﬃce is in Research Park at the University of Utah, has been the Center for Technology owns all intellectual prop- University’s associate vice president for research commercialization since 2011. Innovation at the erty at the U, faculty and Brookings Institution, a researchers must disclose their inventions to the U Technology Washington, D.C.-based nonpro t public policy organiza- and Venture Commercialization oce. e University does tion, applauds the U’s focus on giving faculty the tools they not own the intellectual property of student inventors, so need to create a successful business around their inven- their work with the TVC oce is optional. e oce currently tions. “at’s where faculty members need help,” he says. assists about ve to 10 student-led companies. It also works “Professors are great coming up with ideas, but it’s hard for closely with the U’s David Eccles School of Business, which them to develop a business and nd capital and bring their just this fall was ranked by Princeton Review as a top-25 school ideas to market.”

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Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 19 11/14/14 10:40 AM Like the U, universi- by itself, it doesn’t mean all ties across the country are that much because we could recognizing that successfully “We want to start a lot of good start a hundred companies commercializing technolo- that weren’t worth anything, gies goes beyond tracking companies. We want to create the and who cares, right? So we do the number of patents led want to start a lot of compa- and start-ups launched each foundation for those companies nies, but we want to start a lot year, he says. “Universities of good companies. We want are putting much more eort to succeed.” to create the foundation for into commercialization. ey these companies to succeed.” know there is value in what is e focus is now less on being created by faculty and the number of start-ups and students.” Commercializing technologies also brings money. more on the quality of management, investment, and structure “Almost every university is looking for new revenue sources,” of the start-up, he says. e University’s new vision also came West says. “Research and development is a big growth area.” with a new name. Formerly the Technology Commercialization e U has consistently ranked near the top among universi- Oce, TCO became TVC last year to emphasize its dedication ties in the United States for the number of spin-o companies to building ventures. it has created, according to the Association of University Past practice too often shelved inventions after they Technology Managers. In 2010, the U ranked rst in the country, were disclosed, and that was the end, Ritchie says. Now, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in after an invention is disclosed, his oce makes contact with creating new start-up companies around research-based inven- the inventor within two weeks and begins assessing the tions, and it was rst again in 2011. But the recognition also technology, its possible applications, and options for commer- came with questions about whether the University was starting cializing it. e oce then helps protect the intellectual companies that would last, and Ritchie notes that only 3.4 property by completing patent lings. Next, sta members percent of inventions at the U have produced revenue and just .7 gather feedback from experts and de ne milestones to help percent have returned more than $1 million to the University. bring the invention to market. “At some level, I do think it is important that we are a Ritchie also has started an “engine process” at the U. Every leader in start-ups, but we don’t have to be No. 1,” Ritchie says. eight weeks, the Technology and Venture Commercialization “If we’re in the top ve, I’m really pretty happy. It’s only one oce brings in about 100 industry executives, entrepreneurs, metric; it’s only one measurement. It’s an important one, but and private investors from across the country to attend “engine meetings.” ere, researchers and inventors present their latest inventions and technologies. e company executives sometimes decide one of the inventions is worth their investment, but mostly they advise TVC sta on how to assess the potential of the technology, and they aid with networking and identifying markets. e business leaders even advise on whether an invention is worth continued investment from the TVC oce. Last year, the oce put more than $500,000 into University of Utah technologies for development. Bradley Collings, a busi- nessman who has launched several of his own information technology and records Cynthia Furse, the U’s associate vice president for research, stands in an electromagnetic anechoic chamber for storage companies, is a measuring antennas, at the U’s College of Engineering, where she is a professor of electrical and computer engineering. regular at the engine meet-

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Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 20 11/14/14 10:40 AM ings. Collings, who lives in South Jordan, Utah, began attending a way that made us very much after TVC leaders invited him, because he thought it would be money. I learned far more from Economic Impact a good networking outlet. He now volunteers tens of hours each the second venture than I did week as a business mentor to faculty members and TVC sta . from the rst.” 16,000 jobs created e thrill of starting up a company and moving inventions After launching his from lab to market keeps him coming back, he says. “Don’t kid companies, Ritchie worked $300M in investment yourself: ere are some amazing technologies coming out of as an economics professor at funding that U the University, and I think people are recognizing that.” Michigan State University for spin-offs have e “engine process” also is used to identify inventions a decade before coming to the secured since 2011 and technologies that have no chance at commercialization, U. He has a patent pending at Ritchie says. “Some people see us as a gardener over here, and Michigan State for technology 234 spin-offs maybe that’s true to some degree, but we’re also an execu- he invented to convert biomass created since 1970 tioner. We want to make sure we’re not putting resources and into alternative energy and time into things that don’t have an opportunity, and we want is currently going through 59% higher average to learn that as fast as we can.” that institution’s technology salaries at U spin-off Ritchie knows rsthand the intricacies of creating a transfer process. “Michigan companies than the company. He began his career in the computer industry, devel- State is like most universi- statewide average oping products for companies including Iomega, Megahertz, ties. ey’re almost waiting Sources: U Bureau of Economic and and Novell. Fluent in ai and Laotian, he spent a year in Asia for a lucky bounce of the ball Business Research and U Technology and Venture Commercialization Office working under a Fulbright-Hays fellowship. He also owned to have someone come in and and sold two of his own companies, both in the computer pick it up.” industry. “My rst company was wildly successful and took o , Cynthia Furse BS’86 just exploded. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this entrepreneur- MS’88 PhD’94, associate vice president for research at the U ship thing is pretty easy.’ My second company was a slog,” says and a professor of electrical and computer engineering, agrees Ritchie, who holds an MBA from Brigham Young University that the TVC oce’s work is much di erent than what other and a doctorate in political economy from Emory University. universities are doing. “I originally had this delusion, and it is a “It was so hard, and we ended up exiting and selling, but not in delusion, that the scientist takes their idea and tosses it over the

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Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 21 11/14/14 2:49 PM fence to the business community, who then markets it,” says Furse, who started her own company, LiveWire Innovation, in 2002. “at’s a brilliant idea, but it doesn’t work. So you have to do a combination of teaching the technologists about business and teaching the business side about technology, and that’s when you see how it starts tting together.” Furse is working with TVC to nd markets for LiveWire, which produces handheld devices that detect faults in electrical wires. e technology is replacing outdated, cumbersome, and sometimes dangerous equipment in mines and could be used by the airline Dustin Williams, left, a U professor of orthopedics, and Ryan Looper, an associate professor of chemistry, worked with industry to nd faulty wiring the Technology and Venture Commercialization oﬃce to create a company to market their antimicrobial compounds. in planes. Another start-up company the TVC oce is assisting, next two years to the high-end home market through his new Curza, was created last year to commercialize antimicrobial company, Life-E. research by Dustin Williams PhD’12, a U research professor of SolaPur’s Carlson and Mohanty expect to begin taking orthopedics, and Ryan Looper, U associate professor of chem- orders for their water puri cation device next July, and plan to istry. Curza is in the process of commercializing more than market it to backpackers and other outdoor enthusiasts. e 130 classes of the chemical compounds that kill, disperse, and puri er was a huge hit at last year’s Outdoor Retailer show in inhibit growth of bacterial bio lms, including those that have Salt Lake City, where they showed a prototype. e solar device developed antibiotic resistance. e researchers have secured also may eventually be used on a larger scale to help in devel- two patents and 12 provisional patents and are working with oping nations that lack ready sources of clean drinking water. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prepare for clinical At the recent U meeting where the device was presented trials. e hope is that the compounds can be used in an oint- to investors and industry leaders, Young, from the U’s ment to treat serious wounds, Technology and Venture such as diabetic foot ulcers Commercialization oce, or military injuries. e noted that it could be very compounds could also be appealing to the 8.7 million used in industrial settings to “You have to do a combination backpackers in the United disperse bacteria buildup. States who make up an esti- Feng Liu, chair of the of teaching the technologists about mated $435 million market, or U’s Department of Materials to anyone for that matter who Science and Engineering, is business and teaching the business doesn’t like the taste of iodine. working with the TVC oce At the end of his pitch, he to commercialize Nanoxene, side about technology.” pointed once again to the jar a multi-component nano- of discolored liquid. “Anyone composite he discovered that thirsty? We still have this may change the way homes water up here.” are heated. e substance graphene is a key ingredient of —Kim M. Horiuchi is an associate editor of Continuum. the material, which Liu paints onto plastic sheets that have electrodes on each end to conduct heat. e sheets can be laid Visit continuum.utah.edu to view a gallery with more under ooring to provide radiant heating. Liu has received a photos of the researchers and their work. provisional patent and hopes to market his technology in the

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Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 22 11/14/14 10:40 AM Continuum_Winter14_TCO.v4.indd 23 11/14/14 10:40 AM Clearing THE Air Sebastian Hoch by A haze of air pollution due to a Photo winter weather inversion hangs over the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library and other nearby campus buildings.

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v5.indd 24 11/14/14 10:15 AM A U interdisciplinary program aims to become a national resource on improving air quality. By Jennifer Dobner

very day, Ron Fessenden clicks open the in-box for his email account and looks for the daily air quality indicator messages distributed by the Utah Division of Air Quality. Depending on the reading—red, yellow, or green—the retired local television Esales executive and onetime University of Utah sports information director decides how he’ll spend his day. “When the air quality starts to get bad, I just don’t go outside,” the Midvale, Utah, resident says. Fessenden su ers from idiopathic pulmonary brosis (IPF), a little- known, progressive disease that is slowly scarring and hardening his lungs. His disease has progressed more rapidly over the last year, and eventually, IPF will kill him, just as it does roughly 40,000 people annually in the United States. Diagnosed seven years ago after seeking a doctor’s care for a persistent dry cough, Fessenden uses supplemental oxygen round the clock and has had to give up many of the things he loves. at includes

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v5.indd 25 11/13/14 10:23 AM Photo by August Miller

Dr. Robert Paine, professor and chief of pulmonary medicine in the University of Utah School of Medicine, co-founded the U's Program for Air Quality, Health, and Society and serves as its director. The program brings together University researchers from diverse disciplines to study the various impacts of air pollution.

his beloved golf game, just when he “was nally getting good,” of improving our air quality,” says Vivian S. Lee, senior vice he jokes. “I can’t take a deep breath,” he says, and he also must president of University of Utah Health Sciences, dean of the U pause at the halfway mark when coming up the stairs from his Medical School, and chief executive ocer of U Health Care. basement. “It really limits the things you would like to be able to “We view this as both an opportunity and an obligation.” do and hampers your quality of life.” Fessenden has been a willing participant in ve dierent University of Utah-based drug trials that sought to cure his disease. None provided any relief, but Fessenden says he’s encouraged by news that U researchers across a wide range of elds—from biology and bioinformatics to engineering, epidemiology, medicine, meteorology, and more—are now working together on projects aimed at understanding the connections between pollution and health. e research is part of the University’s Program for Air Quality, Health, and Society, a two-year-old initiative designed to foster cross-disciplinary, collaborative study of all facets of air quality in hopes of identifying pathways for reducing pollution and improving quality of life for those in Utah and beyond. University leaders hope the program will establish the U as the national leader in research and information on air pollution and health, as well as innova- tive ways to help solve the problems. “As a major research institution, we at the University of Utah are uniquely positioned to bring together the expertise Photo by Erik Crosman from health and epidemiology to engineering, atmospheric Winter weather inversions are common along Utah's Wasatch Front and science, urban planning, and more to tackle the challenge occur when a layer of warm air traps cold air, and pollution, in the valleys.

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v5.indd 26 11/13/14 10:23 AM of legislative solutions, although only a handful passed and "As a public research none include regulatory standards that are tougher than those already imposed by the EPA. university, it is imperative that Beyond its impact on health, the pollution has economic costs, including lost work days due to illness and increased we lead in eﬀorts to address health care costs. e air pollution also has an impact on employee recruiting for Utah businesses. And it can present societal challenges." costly regulatory challenges for industries large and small. It’s a problem Lee knows about rsthand. When she was hired at the University of Utah in 2011, she had planned to bring three New York University faculty members with her as members Ruth Watkins, senior vice president of academic a airs, of her research team. To her dismay, however, one declined, shares Lee’s view on the importance of interdisciplinary collabo- citing signicant concerns about air quality. “I know I’m not ration in the endeavor. “Air quality is a signicant issue for the alone: Many other Utah business leaders frequently report about people of this region, the state of Utah, and beyond,” Watkins the challenges they face in convincing companies to relocate to says. “As a public research university, it is imperative that we our wonderful state,” Lee says. “And as a health care institution, lead in e orts to address societal challenges. e quality of our we are particularly concerned about the impact of air pollution air and environment is closely linked to quality of life, and this is on the health of our patients and on the broader community, core business for the University of Utah.” including our employees.” Utah has attracted national attention in recent years for its e U’s Program for Air Quality, Health, and Society is the air quality problems. Winter inversions trap pollutants in the brainchild of Dr. Robert Paine, chief of pulmonary medicine at Cache and Salt Lake valleys, and ozone levels leave a haze over University Hospital, and Kerry Kelly, a College of Engineering much of the Wasatch Front, primarily in the summer but also researcher. e pair met by chance in 1999, when both were across the Uintah Basin in winter months. At times, pollution appointed to the state’s Air Quality Board and were assigned to levels have been so high during a single 24-hour period that the sit next to each other at a meeting. e appointments launched U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has placed some Utah a friendship and a conversation about the need for University communities at the top of its list for cities with the nation’s worst air. In 2013, daily EPA monitoring in 10 Utah coun- ties found air pollution levels exceeded national healthy air standards a combined 99 times. e problem has raised the ire of Utahns worried about the impact of breathing bad air, which has been linked to a range of health problems, including increased incidence of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and dementia, as well as adverse outcomes for babies in utero, including low birth weight and high infant mortality. In January 2014, more than 4,000 concerned Utah residents, many wearing Miller gas or surgical masks, August

rallied at the Utah Capitol, by demanding more aggressive state action on the issue. State Photo lawmakers responded by Kerry Kelly, a University of Utah chemical engineering researcher who helped co-found the University's Program for Air proposing a record number Quality, Health, and Society, works with U student Timothy Carter on some sensor equipment in a campus laboratory.

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v4.indd 27 11/12/14 9:12 AM where we bring all these pieces together and say, ‘How do we go from what’s emitted to what the health consequences are?’ ” e pair believed that the U’s academic experts and researchers were well suited to the challenge. So after six years of conversation, Paine and Kelly in 2011 crafted a proposal for the Program for Air Quality, Health, and Society and began a conversation with University leaders. “e idea was that we’re much stronger together,” says Kelly. “It’s not just a health problem and also an engineering problem, it’s an atmospheric science problem, and we’re going to come up with better solutions if we all get together and take advantage of everyone’s expertise.” University leaders agreed. By 2012, Paine and Kelly had secured enthusiastic support, as well as some funding, from Lee, Watkins, the oce of the vice president for research, and the College of Engineering. Paine now serves as the program director, and Kelly is the associate director. e program’s steering committee also includes representatives from atmo- Miller spheric sciences, biology, chemical engineering, internal medicine, law, and pediatrics. August

by e program’s rst event, a spring 2013 retreat designed to stir up interest in cross-disciplinary projects, drew nearly 100 Photo curious U investigators and spurred a number of grant requests. Robert Adler, dean of the U College of Law, says scientiﬁc advances from the U Research began in earnest in January 2014, when the program air quality research may help lead to better environmental law and policy. distributed $165,000 in grants from the University’s Funding Incentive Seed Grant Program, which is administered by the collaboration between academic disciplines, many of which oce of the vice president for research. Kelly says the six projects were already, albeit separately, engaged in cutting-edge air were selected based on their potential to advance science and quality science. “We needed an umbrella, and we needed a draw additional large grants from organizations such as the catalyst to greatly enhance what we do,” says Paine. “One of National Institutes of Health or the EPA. the key things about air pollution is that it’s easy to do pieces e seed grants have supported both rst-time research of research. It’s much harder to come up with opportunities and ongoing work. One grant, to obstetrician and gynecologist

Salt Lake County Days Above the Standards Cache County Number of days that are and those that would have been above the current federal standards Utah County

0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Days with monitored values above the level of the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards combined for PM2.5 and ozone (PM2.5 standard revised in 2006, ozone standard revised in 2008) Source: Utah Department of Environmental Quality

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v4.indd 28 11/12/14 9:12 AM "Good decisions about complex issues are always informed by better science and related policy analysis."

Jeanette Carpenter-Chin, is allowing her to study a suspected link between in utero exposure to air pollution and children’s health. e study focuses on children whose pregnant mothers were exposed to air pollution from Utah County’s Geneva Steel Mill in the 1980s. Another study, led by Russ Richardson PhD’92, a U professor with joint appointments in internal medicine and exercise and sport science, examines the e ects of particulate air pollution on vascular function in chronic pulmonary disease. And Hanseup Miller Kim, a USTAR professor of electrical and computer engineering, August

is using his grant to develop a wireless system for detecting vola- by tile organic compounds that are part of air pollution. Photo e U program’s grant funding has also furthered study of correlations between air quality data and the number of patients Dr. Cheryl Pirozzi, a U pulmonologist, is leading a cross-disciplinary study of su ering from diseases with known connections to pollution the eﬀects of air pollution on patients with idiopathic pulmonary ﬁbrosis.

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v4.indd 29 11/12/14 9:12 AM Crosman Erik

by Photo

Winter air pollution cloaks the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium and the rest of the Salt Lake Valley, while the mountains above the inversion remain clear and sunny. The U currently has six cross-disciplinary research projects that include installing more sensors across the valley to help the state's air monitoring.

exposure, such as some cancers and respiratory illnesses. Led Dr. Cheryl Pirozzi, a U pulmonologist, is another grantee, by U bioinformatics professor Ramkiran Gouripeddi, a team and she shares Bakian’s enthusiasm for cross-disciplinary work. that includes experts in meteorology, atmospheric science, Pirozzi is studying the e ects of air pollution on individuals chemical engineering, medicine, and informatics is working with with idiopathic pulmonary brosis, the disease from which combined data sets to analyze any possible links between disease Fessenden su ers. is winter, the pilot study will place 20 air occurrence and air pollution concentrations. quality sensors in patient homes across the Salt Lake Valley to Amanda Bakian, a U research assistant professor of gather data about indoor air pollution exposure, daily respira- psychiatry, has used her grant to study links between air pollu- tory symptoms, and lung function during an eight-week period. tion and suicide. e project, believed to be the rst study of its To meet Pirozzi’s data-gathering needs, Kelly is working with kind nationwide, combines the expertise of a diverse group of Tony Buttereld BS’96 PhD’07, an assistant professor of chemical psychiatrists, suicidologists, environmental and genetic epide- engineering with an expertise in prototyping and data analysis. miologists, psychologists, and biostatisticians. “Assembling He and a team of students are retooling a commercially available a team composed of individuals with diverse expertise helps sensor for Pirozzi’s study. “ere are people in all aspects of the guarantee that the problem or question is approached from University who are interested in air pollution and have expertise the best angles possible and ensures that the study design is in areas I know nothing about, so I think getting people together maximized appropriately,” says Bakian. “is is how science is to work on projects like this is a huge opportunity,” Pirozzi says. moving forward in this day and age and how gains in scientic Buttereld also is working on a separate community understanding are being made.” outreach e ort that would place the sensors in K-12 schools across the Salt Lake Valley, increasing the number of locations where air quality measurements are gathered for the state’s monitoring. About 30 teachers have already expressed interest in using the sensors as curriculum tools in a wide range of subjects, "The eﬀort reﬂects shared from mathematics to biology. “People are really interested in doing citizen scientist work,” says Buttereld. “ey like being a commitment to advancing part of the process that helps us in discovering how we can make the world a better a place.” knowledge and helping the Watkins says the University has also begun a hiring initiative to recruit faculty members—four over the next two academic community." years—for the colleges of Social and Behavioral Science, Mines and Earth Science, and Engineering to enhance the work of the U's

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v4.indd 30 11/12/14 9:12 AM air quality program while also advancing scholarship and under- awards from national institutions and organizations. e Program standing of broader environmental issues. “ at will accelerate our for Air Quality, Health, and Society currently has no ongoing potential to address challenging problems, including water and air funding and needs those grants and private funding to further quality, and relationships with climate and weather,” she says. its goals. Years down the road, Paine says, “success would be a e increased environmental focus the faculty members robust research enterprise here so that people around the nation will bring, along with the work of the air quality program, will and around the world think about Utah as the place that produces enhance the academic experiences and opportunities for students high-quality air pollution research.” who work with those professors, says Robert Adler, dean of the U’s Fessenden says he’ll be happy if researchers are nally able to S.J. Quinney College of Law and a member of the Program for Air answer the question that so many Utahns nd themselves asking Quality, Health, and Society’s steering committee. “ e program each time they wake up to another day of gray, mucky winter air reects the best of what universities can be,” he says. “Rather than or summer haze: What is breathing this stu doing to my body? “I working in isolated disciplinary silos, the eort reects shared have thought about moving, but my life is here, my family and my commitment to advancing knowledge and helping the community doctors,” says Fessenden. “When the pollution is bad, my breathing through collaboration within the U and beyond.” e law college’s is just more labored, and if I do go outside, I nd myself constantly Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment coughing.” In life, you “play the cards you are dealt,” he says, but recently has hosted events examining regulatory changes he welcomes any advances in science and medicine that will help regarding air pollution, and the annual Stegner Symposium this cure or even ease the struggles of patients like him. “Anything that coming March will examine air quality as it relates to health, would buy some time would obviously be great.” energy, and economics. Adler and Watkins also say the scientic advances expected —Jennifer Dobner is a Salt Lake City-based writer and a frequent contributor from the U air quality research may ultimately help lead to innova- to Continuum. tions in industry practices and environmental regulation and law, as well as better public policy. “Good decisions about complex issues are always informed by better science and related policy Visit continuum.utah.edu to view a gallery with analysis,” Adler says. more photos and watch videos on Utah’s air For now, Paine and Kelly hope the program’s initial research pollution and its health impacts. projects will result in promising ndings to draw in large grant

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Continuum_Winter14_Air Quality.v5.indd 31 11/13/14 10:27 AM alumpro le Foundation Kaeme courtesy photos All

Two children rush to join a group play activity at an orphanage in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana in 2013.

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Continuum_Winter14_AlumProfile.v2.indd 32 11/12/14 9:24 AM alumpro le REMEMBER

MeBy Stephen Speckman

niversity of Utah alumni Two U alumni are John and Marci Stevens were quite happy raising leading a nonproﬁt their four children in Palo Alto,U California, in 2007 when they foundation in visited Ghana to research the possibility of nancing construction of an Ghana that works orphanage there. ey wanted to see examples of orphanages already up and to ensure no child running, and during their rst visit to one, they walked into an open area lled is forgotten. with children. Some of them couldn’t walk. Some were almost naked. e building was lthy, with babies sharing cribs lined up in rows, and some of the children didn’t want to be picked up and held. Piles of donations were stacked nearby, going unused. “It was heart- breaking,” John recalls. “Depressing.”

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attending a University of Utah football game. ey both graduated from the U in 1982, he with a magna cum laude bachelor’s degree in psychology, and she cum laude in university studies with a social and behavioral science emphasis. ey married two days after graduation and moved to Palo Alto, where John began medical school at Stanford University and Marci had an internship with a commercial design company. She eventually became chief executive ocer of an architectural design rm in the Bay Area for a decade while John nished his medical training and went on to work as an adult and pediatric cardiac surgeon at Stanford University Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Stanford, California. He also co-founded three technology-focused compa- Marci Kirk Stevens, left, and her husband, John, adopted their daughter Perpetua in Ghana in 2007. nies: Heartport, Amp Resources, and Sundrop Fuels. In 1998, the U Alumni Among the children was a girl who of a little boy forced to work on a small Association’s Young Alumni Board appeared to be about 6 years old. Her leaky shing boat on Lake Volta that awarded him its Par Excellence Award, name was Perpetua, and no one at the caught his eye. In the article, “Africa’s when he was working with Heartport orphanage had a record of her last name. World of Forced Labor, in a 6-Year-Old’s in creating technology for minimally “She had so much exuberance, so much Eyes,” Sharon LaFraniere wrote that the invasive cardiac surgery. He is currently enthusiasm,” Marci says. “She seemed so boy, Mark Kwadwo, was one of thou- chairman and chief executive ocer of di erent.” Within the year, the Stevenses sands of children in west and central Silicon Valley-based HeartFlow, Inc., adopted her and brought her back to Africa who are sold into servitude and which provides physicians with a nonin- Palo Alto. e couple also resolved to forced to work in horrifying labor camps. vasive test that produces functional and try to help children like the others they “It was just moving to me,” John Stevens anatomical data to assist in the diag- had seen at the orphanage. In 2008, they recalls, and after he had Marci read the nosis of coronary artery disease. became leaders of a nonprot group, the article, they both agreed they wanted Along came that article on child Kaeme Foundation, which provides sta to try to help. But their experience in tracking in Africa, and soon after the and logistical support to help the Ghana assisting others then related mainly to Stevenses read it, a friend told them Department of Social Welfare survey donating time and money to local chari- about two Ghanaians, Stephen Abu and orphanages countrywide and gather ties and fundraisers at their children’s his son Stephen Abu, Jr., who had been information about each child’s history, schools in the Palo Alto area. working with Helena Obeng Asamoah, health, and welfare. e department John had met Marci Kirk when an ocial with the Ghana Department of then uses that information to reunite he was a student at East High School Social Welfare, to reform the orphanage children with their families or place and she was attending Highland High situation in their country. Ghana’s them in other family-based care—and to in Salt Lake City. eir rst date was government had been taking steps to help keep the children from falling prey reduce child tracking, by making it to human trackers. e word kaeme Ghana has 1.1 million easier for children to attend and stay in the Twi dialect of Ghana means in school and by giving small loans to “remember me.” “Kaeme is truly a labor “orphans,” and the poor women to reduce the incentive to of love for us” John Stevens says. “It “lease” out their children. e govern- never feels like real work.” government believes 80 ment also had created a system, through e Stevenses’ initial trip to Ghana an endeavor called the Care Reform traces back to a 2006 article that John percent could be reunited Initiative, to maintain a more accurate read in e New York Times Magazine, and complete paper trail of children’s about child tracking. It was the photo with families, with support. identities, in hopes that fewer of them

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would become lost in the shadows of John and Marci visited more Social Welfare believed that 80 percent the slave trade. Asamoah had created a orphanages on that trip, and more trips of those children, many handed over Ghanaian-based nongovernmental orga- followed. As they began to pro le the to orphanages ultimately because of nization called Kaeme in 2007, with the children in these places, they found that poverty, could be reunited with families aim of better record keeping on children hundreds of children had been aban- if support was available to help them. and reuniting them with their families, if doned or taken in by orphanages after e consensus was that rather than possible, or nding them good alternative their parents or caretakers had died, building more orphanages, a database homes with families in Ghana, but the but not all of the children in orphan- was needed that would have pro les on group was still in the planning phase and ages were orphans. Some had been given each child in every orphanage in the 10 hadn’t yet begun any work. She had run a up because they were disabled or had regions of Ghana. Over the years, Kaeme few government orphanages and helped behavioral problems. Others had been has helped implement that work. “is formulate the Care Reform Initiative, and abused and taken from families, and has helped the government to identify— the Abus were helping her seek funding still more were placed in orphanages and shut down—many orphanages that in the United States for a new orphanage. in hopes they would receive a better abused children for their personal gains,” John and Marci Stevens’ friend told education. Stephen Abu, Jr., says. them the Abus would be in Salt Lake By 2009, Kaeme and the Stevenses As Kaeme’s involvement in Ghana City, so the couple ew from California had begun working with the Ghanaian grew, the Stevenses were trying to to meet with them. “If I hadn’t read Department of Social Welfare on Ghana’s comprehend the problems there. John the article, I’m not sure we would have Care Reform Initiative. ey were imme- recalls nding an orphanage funded by been drawn to the request,” John says diately up against staggering odds that sources in the United States and run by now. e Abus invited them to Ghana, Kaeme would be able to make an impact, a Ghanaian, a pedophile who was using and John and Marci made their rst with 1.1 million children living in the facility to sell kids as “sex slaves.” trip there in January 2007, and met orphanages in Ghana, along with thou- Other orphanages would “recruit” Perpetua. Early in 2008, Asamoah and sands of “vulnerable” children, according children from their families with the the Stevenses decided that rather than to UNICEF. But Ghana’s Department of promise of a better home, but the building a new orphanage, they would incorporate Kaeme as a U.S. nonpro t organization, with John and Marci as its new leaders, and begin a more compli- cated endeavor. “e rst time they came to Ghana, they fell in love with the people, especially the orphans and the vulnerable children in the country,” says Stephen Abu, Jr., who is currently chairman of the Kaeme board in Ghana. “eir belief is that every child deserves and should be in a home with good, caring parents.” Children in an orphanage in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region gather to meet Kaeme Foundation interns who will be working with them.

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proprietors’ only interest was to use the operating budgets from government and private sources to line their own pockets. And still more orphanages were selling children as “slaves” to work in the Lake Volta area and elsewhere for paltry sums that were collected by their families. With the help of volunteers from the United States and paid sta ers in Ghana, Kaeme has been visiting orphanages in all but one of Ghana’s 10 districts to create and store records on each child. To help coordinate that work, John Stevens has been to Ghana 16 times, and Marci has made 10 visits. Nearly 60 student volunteers, mostly from Stanford University, have logged almost 13,000 At home in Palo Alto, California, John Stevens, left, says his daughter Perpetua helped motivate him and hours to gather as much information as his wife, Marci, to lead Kaeme. Perpetua, now a teenager, is an A student who enjoys playing volleyball. possible on the children. One of those students, a Stanford this past October, database records had evidence is overwhelming that family is freshman named Kava Abu, spent been created for about 2,460 orphans. the best environment for raising children a summer in Ghana with Kaeme. A e government now knows who these who will be emotionally and socially “major” issue in Ghana’s orphanages, he children are and how they landed in healthy in the long run. Kaeme works says, is that they don’t prepare children orphanages, and can take the rst steps to support the government’s stated for life after institutionalization. “For toward possibly reuniting them with policy on care reform, which is very the most part, orphanages are raising their families or getting them placed commendable. Many NGOs do their own kids that have trouble nding jobs, with other families in Ghana. thing, regardless of government policy living independently, and establishing “Kaeme is a model for an NGO/ or overall direction that has been laid long-term relationships,” he says. “Most governmental partnership that seems out. Kaeme, in many ways, is coaching of the directors of orphanages in Ghana to be working, solving a problem that is and mentoring government actors in know this, but their nancial interests very common in the developing world,” carrying out their policies.” are best served by perpetuating the John Stevens says. “We have heard John and Marci Stevens now existence of the orphanage system. from several international experts that talk about closing that “last mile” Kaeme is helping the Ghanaian govern- this model would be of great benet in in Kaeme’s work, which is to gather ment to combat this type of child many, many countries.” better numbers on exactly how many exploitation.” e work of Kaeme also has become children, as a result of creating accu- Kaeme’s work has helped lead to the subject of research by a Brigham rate data, are transferring out of the closure of seven of the most egre- Young University professor of social orphanages and into homes. Today, the gious orphanages in Ghana, and as of work, Jini Roby, who in recent years has government in Ghana is at least able been conducting a study to compare to connect rst and last names to the outcomes on several well-being indica- faces of many more children in orphan- ”Kaeme is a model for tors between the Ghanaian children ages, thanks to the e orts of Kaeme. who have been returned to a home and “One child at a time, we’re making a an NGO/governmental those who remain in orphanages. is di erence,” John Stevens says. past spring, Roby, along with colleagues and students from BYU, spent several —Stephen Speckman is a Salt Lake City-based partnership that seems to be weeks in Ghana, collecting data on writer and photographer and a frequent children in orphanages and homes. contributer to Continuum. working, solving a problem “Kaeme is one of the few organizations that understand the importance of that is very common in the keeping children in their families, with Visit continuum.utah.edu to support when necessary, rather than in view a gallery with more photos. developing world.” an institutional setting,” Roby says. “e

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Continuum_Winter14_AlumProfile.v3.indd 36 11/13/14 12:17 PM Continuum_Winter14_AlumProfile.v2.indd 37 11/12/14 9:24 AM alumni ASSOCIATION NEWS Six Alumni Receive Merit of Honor Awards

e University of Utah Emeritus Alumni sociology and doctorate in history at the University of Board chose six exemplary alumni to receive Utah. As an undergrad, he was a member of the U football its 2014 Merit of Honor Awards. e annual team and was named the Outstanding Back in the 1964 awards recognize U alumni who graduated Liberty Bowl. As a professor, his primary research focus 40 or more years ago (or who have reached is African American history. He has received the Salt age 65) whose careers have been marked by Lake Chapter of the NAACP Albert Fritz Civil Rights outstanding service to the University, their Worker of the Year Award, the Utah Humanities Council’s professions, and their communities. is Governors Award, and the Days of ’47 Pioneers of Progress Jeﬀrey L. Anderson year’s winners were Je rey L. Anderson Award for Historic and Creative Arts. BA’68, Ronald G. Coleman BS’66 PhD’80, Ron Henriksen received his bachelor’s degree from the Henriksen BA’71, Betsy Ross Young Newton U in political science. He co-founded Henriksen/Butler BS’46, John C. Pingree BS’64, and Heidi Design, a contract furniture business, with Steve Butler Sorensen Swinton BA’71. BFA’70 in 1980, and the company went on to become one To recognize them, the Emeritus Alumni of the leading distributors in the Intermountain West. Board hosted a Merit of Honor Awards Banquet Henriksen helped initiate a lecture series for the U School in November at Rice-Eccles Stadium and Tower, of Architecture that brings in designers from across the with Barbara Snyder, the U’s vice president United States to talk about architectural trends. His other Ronald G. Coleman for student aairs, as the featured speaker and U and community service has included being chair of the Spencer Kinard BS’66, a former broadcast U President’s Club. journalist and past president of the U Alumni Newton graduated with a degree in speech commu- Association’s Board of Directors, as the nication from the U. She went on to become the mother evening’s master of ceremonies. of six children, and she was a real estate property and Anderson graduated Phi Beta Kappa in nance manager for 20 years. Her community service chemistry, magna cum laude, as valedicto- has included working with her husband, Joseph Newton rian of the U’s class of 1968 and received the BA’44 MD’46, to campaign and raise funds for water Bonner Award (for outstanding chemistry uoridation, which was approved by voters in 2000. She student). He went on to Harvard University’s also has served on the Ronald McDonald House Board of Ron Henriksen Medical School, where he graduated with Trustees, and she was a member of the Assistance League honors in 1972. After two years as an assis- of Salt Lake City for more than 30 years. tant professor at the University of Michigan, Pingree received his undergraduate degree from he joined the U Medical School’s faculty. He the U in economics and went on to get his MBA from went on to become director of coronary care Harvard University in 1966. He was regional manager for and later chief of cardiology at LDS Hospital, sales planning for Xerox Corporation and then moved and then a professor and chief of cardiology on to Memorex Corporation, where he was director at the University of Utah. He is past presi- of marketing. He served as general manager and chief dent or governor for the Utah chapters of the executive ocer of the Utah Transit Authority from 1977 American College of Physicians, the American to 1997. He later was executive director of the Semnani Betsy Ross Young Newton College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Foundation, from 2001 to 2004. He also is a former Association. member of the Utah State Board of Education. Coleman has Swinton graduated with a bachelor’s degree in been a faculty journalism from the University of Utah. She has written member in the U’s several books that have been published by Deseret Book, History Department and she has been a screenwriter for ve documentaries and the Ethnic about Mormon history, for PBS. In 2000, she won an Studies Program Independent Book Publishers First Place Award for her since 1973. He book Joseph Smith: American Prophet. She also is the received his under- author of LDS Church President omas S. Monson’s Heidi Sorensen Swinton John C. Pingree graduate degree in ocial biography To the Rescue.

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Continuum_Winter14_AA News.v5.indd 38 11/14/14 11:03 AM alumni ASSOCIATION NEWS Homecoming Events Net Record $82,000 for Scholarships

e University of Utah Alumni Association’s pre-game tailgate party Association raised a record amount— and then watched the Utes play about $82,000 —for U scholarships for Washington State in a one-point deserving students through its events heartbreaker. during Homecoming week. e Young Alumni 5K and KidsK on Saturday, September 27, raised a new high of about $52,000 for U scholarships. e day before, under the leadership of tournament chairman David Allred BA’84, the Homecoming Scholarship Scramble, a golf tourney at Bonneville Golf Course, netted about $30,000 for U scholarships. Homecoming began Friday, September 19, with Redfest, a fall concert on the Union Lawn featuring B.o.B, a.k.a. Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. On Saturday, scores of volunteers participated in the Legacy of Lowell Community Service Day. e following Tuesday, campus groups decorated their areas to reect this year’s Homecoming theme, “Believe In U.” e U’s emeritus alumni—those who graduated 40 or more years ago or who are age 65 or older—gathered for a reunion on Wednesday evening, with dinner and then tours of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex. Fraternity and sorority members competed in Songfest on ursday. Students and alumni then gathered for a pep rally at the Union Building that night. Friday began with the golf tournament. Later, students celebrated at the Homecoming dance, held at e Gateway shopping center. On Saturday, runners braved the rainy morning with the 5K and KidsK. e crowds headed to Rice-Eccles Stadium in the afternoon for the Alumni Photos by Anna Pocaro

Continuum Winter2014 39

Continuum_Winter14_AA News.v5.indd 39 11/14/14 11:05 AM alumni ASSOCIATION NEWS U Graduates Mountain America Teams Financial security feels this good. Form With Alumni Association Mongolia The University of Utah Alumni has no annual fee, also o ers customers Association has partnered with Mountain rewards points that can be redeemed for America Credit Union to o er the U Rewards cash, gift cards, rebates, or travel discounts. Alumni Club Credit Card. Learn more at www.macu.com/ucard. Under the agreement, the credit The union will pay the Alumni University of Association royalties based Utah Alumni on the number of customers Association now who use the credit card and has a Mongolia how much they spend. The Alumni Club. U proceeds will help support graduates in and student scholarships and from Mongolia association programs. formed the Two design options Onon Soninbayar club in August, for the card are available, bringing the total number of U international both with U logos, so that alumni clubs to 10. customers can show their The U currently has 15 alumni from U loyalty. The card, which Mongolia, and 14 students from Mongolia are enrolled at the University this year. The president of the new Mongolia Alumni Club is Onon Soninbayar BS’11, who graduated from the U’s David Eccles School of Save the Date for Business with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration with an international emphasis. Soninbayar lives in Salt Founders Day 2015 Lake City and works for Goldman Sachs & Company as an analyst in private wealth The University of Utah Alumni management. Association will hold a Founders The Mongolia Alumni Club also Day Banquet on February 24 at the has two board members: Enkhjin Little America Hotel to honor four Munkhjargal BS’13 and Tseveenbolor outstanding graduates of the U and You can enter into a contract with the University of Utah to transfer your cash or Davaa PhD’11. Munkhjargal received a two honorary alumni who are receiving securities and in exchange receive a guaranteed lifetime income. This type of gift bachelor of science degree in mining engi- 2015 Founders Day Awards. A scholar- provides security for you today and a brighter future for the University tomorrow. neering at the U and was recognized as the ship winner also will be recognized. The John E. Wilson Distinguished Student of the For more information, contact: 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recip- Year. He now lives in Mongolia and works ients are Greg Go BS’78 MBA’81, Brent Karin Hardy as a mining engineer for the Oyu Tolgoi James BS’74 BS’75 MD’78 MStat’84, Director of Planned Giving Copper Mine. Davaa received a doctorate in Gretchen McClain BS’84, and Clayton 801-585-6220 or 800-716-0377 economics at the U. She works as a national giving.utah.edu/plannedgiving consultant in Mongolia for the United Parr BS’60 MS’65 JD’68. John and Nations Population Fund. Melody Taft will be recognized with The U currently has nine other interna- the Honorary Alumni Award. The scholarship winner will be announced at a later date. Have you included the University in your will or trust? If so, please let us know. tional alumni clubs, in China, India, Europe, (Read more about them in the upcoming Spring 2015 issue of Continuum.) If you’d like We want to thank you now and celebrate your commitment. Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, to attend the banquet, go online to www.alumni.utah.edu/foundersday to register. Turkey, and Vietnam.

40 continuum.utah.edu

Continuum_Winter14_AA News.v5.indd 40 11/14/14 11:13 AM Financial security feels this good.

You can enter into a contract with the University of Utah to transfer your cash or securities and in exchange receive a guaranteed lifetime income. This type of gift provides security for you today and a brighter future for the University tomorrow. For more information, contact: Karin Hardy Director of Planned Giving 801-585-6220 or 800-716-0377 giving.utah.edu/plannedgiving

Have you included the University in your will or trust? If so, please let us know. We want to thank you now and celebrate your commitment.

Continuum_Winter14_AA News.v5.indd 41 11/13/14 12:47 PM through the years Utah’s Crusader for CLEAN AIR By Ann Floor

University of Utah alum Brian Moench is galvanizing political advocacy to Diamond clean up Utah’s air. Austen by Photo

ne hazy afternoon in spring one mother with a baby in her arms stood County to newly discovered health risks 2007, a group of community up and asked to speak. Her baby had of breathing wood smoke and California members concerned about asthma, she said, making it hard for the studies linking air pollution on freeways the deteriorating air quality infant to breathe, and she asked what to autism in kids. e group’s member- alongO Utah’s Wasatch Front gathered in could be done. For those at the meeting, ship has reached close to 300 health care a meeting room at LDS Hospital in Salt that example of the eects of poor air professionals, with growing support from Lake City. e meeting was organized by quality helped spur them to continue their the community. “It is the largest civic Dr. Brian Moench, an anesthesiologist advocacy. organization of health care professionals and University of Utah alumnus who had Since then, Moench MD’77 and other in the state of Utah,” he says. recently founded the advocacy group Utah members of Utah Physicians for a Healthy While Moench is not without critics Physicians for a Healthy Environment. Environment have testied at hearings, who might call him an extremist, a Consisting of eight doctors and a commu- spoken at rallies, and written opinion pot-stirrer, and a little o the wall, he nity organizer who were concerned about pieces in e Salt Lake Tribune and and his Utah Physicians for a Healthy the negative health impacts of bad air, the elsewhere. ey have informed the public Environment colleagues have been new group was determined to do some- on a variety of air quality concerns, from credited more than any other local organi- thing about it. the toxic emissions of a medical waste zation for raising public awareness of the After nearly two hours discussing incinerator in North Salt Lake and the sources of air pollution and its disastrous ideas for how to get legislators to pay inevitable increase in air pollution sure eects on health. “Recent polls conrm attention to bad air and how to inform the to come from additional vehicles that will that the Utah public is more concerned public of its devastating health impacts, use a possible new freeway in west Davis now about air pollution than ever before,

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and I think that has been our most signi - to share the results of their research clean air ever in Utah, more than 4,000 cant success,” Moench says. with the public. Shortly after that, Utah people united at the front steps of the “People who challenge the status Physicians for a Healthy Environment Utah State Capitol to urge lawmakers to quo will always have detractors, speci - was formalized. “UPHE has been stuck in take action. e board members of Utah cally those who are heavily invested in overdrive ever since,” he says. Physicians had organized the rally, and the status quo—like politicians, and Moench grew up in Salt Lake City, Moench welcomed the crowd. “Clean air employees of government and industry,” graduated from Olympus High School, is an inherent right of all Utah residents, he says. “I’ve never had another doctor and then studied chemistry for a year and everyone shares in being stewards to dispute any of the public statements that I at Stanford University. He left to serve a protect it,” he said. “Air pollution tarnishes or Utah Physicians have made. We coined mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of our community reputation; it erodes our the slogan ‘Clean Air, Clean Energy, Clean Latter-day Saints. Afterward, he resumed quality of life and sties our economy as Future.’ Leaving a legacy to my grand- his education at the University of Utah and much as it does our lungs.” e crowd— daughter that protects all three is the went on to the U’s School of Medicine. He some carrying signs, some wearing gas most important thing I can do.” completed an internship and residency at masks—responded with a roaring chant of Moench’s decision to establish Utah Massachusetts General Hospital and spent “clean air, no excuses!” Physicians had two catalysts. “e rst a year on the faculty at Harvard Medical “If we are ever to have clean air in for me personally was the day in 2000 School. He returned to Salt Lake City in Utah,” says Moench, “it will be because that I found out my 27-year-old daughter 1981 and has been in private practice as an the people, showing moral courage, had breast cancer. e two of us studied anesthesiologist ever since. Along the way, demand it.” everything we could about cancer in he and his wife, Shauna, had four children, general and hers in particular. at’s when and his concern about environmental —Ann Floor is an associate editor of Continuum. I learned that 80 to 90 percent of cancer problems grew. is environmentally caused.” e second Moench says was a prolonged winter inversion in 2007 he learned from that lasted almost the entire month of his mother at a January. Pollution levels in Salt Lake City very early age that and Logan, Utah, were worse that month injustice should be than in any other U.S. city. “I was shocked vigorously opposed. and frustrated that no one in govern- “I have always been ment or the medical community was concerned about speaking out about what a health crisis environmental this was, so I started talking to some of issues, hated air my colleagues,” he says. A small group of pollution for as long them joined together and researched the as I can remember, medical literature on air pollution. “After but when I started a couple of months, we were stunned at seeing it through the what we found,” he says: Air pollution has lens of injustice, I felt a systemic eect on the entire body, quali- compelled to try and tatively and quantitatively similar to what intervene,” he says. is experienced with chronic exposure to “I often say in my secondhand cigarette smoke. “All organ lectures that ‘I see the systems are aected, and the diseases human consequences provoked can cause sudden death or of our environmental silently shorten life spans by accelerating degradation in the the aging process.” faces of the patients e doctors developed a presenta- I take care of,’ and tion based on the results of their research that personi es the and briefed then Utah Governor Jon M. injustice of our inade- Huntsman, Jr., on their ndings. After the quate public policies.”

meeting, Moench says, Huntsman made is past Brown

improving air quality one of his admin- January, in what Tim by

istration’s top three priorities. A few days was the largest Photo later, the doctors held a news conference demonstration for Dr. Brian Moench speaks about air pollution at a rally at the Utah State Capitol.

Continuum Winter 2014 43

Continuum_Winter14_TTY.v3.indd 43 11/14/14 3:22 PM through the years From Starbucks to Service By Ann Floor

niversity of Utah alum Larry and asked the and the opportunity to take classes Gluth was a busy Starbucks question, ‘What and ski in the same day!” he says. He executive in 2001 when he will you do in played on the rugby team and received a volunteered to bring coee the second half bachelor’s degree from the U in physical toU volunteers at the site of a 20-house of your life?’ ” education. building project for the East King County says Gluth. e As a new graduate, he went to Habitat for Humanity in Washington. question stayed work for Peter Piper Pizza, starting as After serving lattes, coee, and tea to the with him. an assistant manager and moving up to volunteers, and even arranging for about After a store manager, district manager, and then

80 Starbucks employees to sponsor a brief return Larry Gluth director of franchised operations. In 1991, home and help with the construction, he to Starbucks, he began what would become a 15-year decided to become a volunteer himself he talked to his wife, Gailynn, and their stint at Starbucks. He worked in manage- at his local Habitat aliate in Seattle. He son Connor about the possibility of rial positions in California and Colorado, went on to serve as a board member for leaving Starbucks to work for Habitat for negotiated the rst licensed agreement ve years, including two as chair. “ ere Humanity. Gailynn laughed and asked, to develop Starbucks stores within was something magical about having the “What took you so long?” So Gluth left North American airports, and expanded opportunity to provide a hand up and not Starbucks and moved with his family in Starbucks’ licensed store presence into a hand out to deserving families,” he says. January 2007 to Atlanta, Georgia, to serve venues such as bookstores, college In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck as Habitat for Humanity International’s campuses, and hotels. the Gulf Coast, and Gluth took a one- senior vice president for the United States Beginning in those years with year sabbatical from Starbucks to serve and Canada. Starbucks, Gluth became a member of the with Habitat’s Operation Home Delivery, “Having been so fortunate to work at University of Utah’s National Advisory which ultimately built more than 2,000 a company like Starbucks at the time that Council in 2002 and served as council homes throughout the Gulf region. During I did allowed me the exibility to make president from 2010 to 2012. He received a that year, he read Halftime: Moving from the decision to give back, possibly a bit Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Success to Signicance, a book by Bob earlier in life than many others are able to University of Utah Alumni Association Buford that explores life transitions. “ e do,” says Gluth. “ e opportunity to serve during Founders Day in 2010. book challenged me to assess my priorities others through Habitat’s ministry has At Habitat for Humanity made me a better International, Gluth’s responsibilities person in more ways include overseeing the eorts of more than than I could have 1,500 aliated organizations throughout ever imagined.” the United States and Canada that help Gluth BS’83 coordinate the eorts of volunteers who grew up in New build simple, decent housing for people Ulm, Minnesota. in need. His division provides consulting After attending services and technical assistance on St. Cloud State construction technology, family support University in services, board development, mergers, and Minnesota for a advocacy. “I’m not sure if any one day at couple of years, Habitat is like the next for me,” says Gluth. Larry Gluth he transferred to “With more than 200 sta providing such the University of varied support to an incredibly diverse courtesy Utah. “I chose the group of aliates, each day is a new

Photos U because of its adventure.” close proximity to Larry Gluth now works as a senior vice president for Habitat for Humanity. multiple ski areas —Ann Floor is an associate editor of Continuum.

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Continuum_Winter14_TTY.v3.indd 44 11/14/14 10:48 AM through the years

Award from the National his simple gesture of drop- tional nonprot organization Recycling Coalition. e ping candy from his plane to focused on student leadership award, recognizing his children waiting below during development. And she teaches ’60s decades of leadership in in the education, leadership, Manny Fernandez ex’68 has the eld of recycling, was and policy program at the been selected to be inducted as presented at a ceremony in University of Utah. Huftalin the 27th member of the Miami New Orleans in September. received a bachelor’s degree Dolphins Honor Roll in late Crawford is executive director in humanities from the December. Fernandez spent all of the Steel Recycling Institute University of Utah, a master’s eight of his National Football of the American Iron and Steel degree in education from the League seasons (1968-75) with Institute, which advocates University of California, Los the Dolphins and was named for the North American steel Angeles, and a doctorate in the team’s Most Outstanding industry in the public policy education, leadership, and Defensive Lineman his rst arena and advances the case policy from the University of six years in Miami. He was for steel in the marketplace Utah. selected to the Dolphins’ Silver as the preferred material of Anniversary team in 1990 and choice. Crawford has spent the Berlin Airlift made him was named to the team’s Walk much of his career leading an international hero. Searles of Fame in 2012. He joined was also the producer of the the Dolphins in 1968 as an four-part series Utah World undrafted rookie free agent War II Stories for KUED. Each from the University of Utah. episode of the series received a Fernandez played in three Rocky Mountain Emmy Award Super Bowls for the Dolphins. for best historical documen- His career highlights included tary. She received a bachelor his performance in Super of arts degree in history and Bowl VII, when he recorded 17 a bachelor’s of science in communication, both from the University of Utah.

national eorts to maximize the recycling of post-consumer materials. He received a ’90s master’s degree in business ’80s Daniel W. Campbell BA’93 administration from the U. Deneece Huftalin BS’84 MEd’06 has been elected chair PhD’06 has been selected to of the Utah State Board of Elizabeth Searles BA’79 BS’82 serve as the eighth president of Regents. He has been a board was the producer of a KUED Salt Lake Community College. member since 2010 and is a documentary, e Candy Huftalin has worked for the longtime advocate for higher tackles. e 14-7 victory that Bomber, which recently won college for more than two day against the Washington an Outstanding Documentary decades and most recently Redskins capped the Dolphins’ Award from the Utah Society served as interim president. perfect 17-0 season. of Professional Journalists. Joining the college in 1992 Searles received the award as the director of academic on behalf of the production and career advising, she team this past summer at the was named dean of students group’s annual awards event. in 1994. She became vice e Candy Bomber tells the president of student services ’70s story of Utah’s Gail Halvorsen, in 2004 and served in that Gregory L. Crawford MBA’78 a retired colonel and command capacity until 2014. Huftalin has received a Lifetime pilot in the U.S. Air Force also is a faculty member for Achievement in Recycling during World War II, and how Leadershape, Inc., an interna-

LM Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association AM Annual Member of the Alumni Association Continuum Winter 2014 45

Continuum_Winter14_TTY.v3.indd 45 11/14/14 10:48 AM through the years

education in Utah. Campbell progression, and completion Salt Lake City, has received Miriah Meyer PhD’08, assis- is a managing general partner of college for students in the the Women Tech Council’s tant professor of computer at EsNet Group, a privately north Georgia region. Leavitt Education Excellence Award. science and a Utah Science held investment company. He received a bachelor’s degree in e award recognizes Technology and Research chaired the regents’ Resource chemistry from the University technology-focused women initiative researcher, has and Review Committee for of Arizona and a doctorate in who are driving innovation, been awarded a National the University of Utah and chemistry from the University leading technology compa- Science Foundation CAREER has served as a member of the of Utah. nies, and are key contributors Award for her proposal Governor’s Commission on to the community. rough Design Decision Patterns Education Excellence. As the a three-year, $800,000 grant for Visualizing Multivariate regents’ chair, he plans to work to improve computer science with college presidents on the education in Utah high schools governor’s initiative to have 66 from the National Science percent of the adult population Foundation, Hu introduced a in Utah earn a post-secondary new course titled Exploring degree or certi cation by the Computer Science to more year 2020. Campbell received than 50 Utah schools. e bachelor’s degrees in ne arts program already has better and humanities in 1993 and a gender equity than any other master’s degree in education Utah high school computer in 2006, all from the University science course. rough of Utah. Brad C. Smith BS’90 JD’93 another grant she received this has been selected by the Utah year, a Teaching to Increase State Board of Education as Diversity and Equity in STEM the next State Superintendent (science, technology, engi- of Public Instruction. Smith, neering, and math) education who worked as an attorney grant from the Association for nearly 20 years, had served Graphs, a series of visual as superintendent of the data displays that involve Ogden School District since more than one variable. e 2011. When he began, Ogden $400,000 award supports was the lowest-performing junior faculty who exemplify district in Utah by nearly the role of teacher-scholars every measure. Under his through outstanding research, leadership, the district saw excellent education, and the signi cant improvements in integration of education and Andrew J. Leavitt PhD’94 math and English language research within the context has been named chancellor of arts pro ciency rates, in addi- of the mission of their orga- the University of Wisconsin- tion to graduation rates. Smith nizations. Meyer is a faculty Oshkosh. He had been vice received a bachelor’s degree in member in the Scienti c president for university social and behavioral science Computing and Imaging advancement at the University from the University of Utah Institute at the U and was of North Georgia and chief and a juris doctorate from the of American Colleges and previously named a 2013 TED executive ocer of the U’s S.J. Quinney College of Law. Universities, she will create Fellow and a PopTech Science University of North Georgia new course combinations Fellow for 2013. She received a Foundation Inc. In Georgia, designed to interest rst- doctorate in computer science he led a fundraising campaign year college students in the from the U. that concluded in 2012 after versatility of technology. Hu raising $44 million toward received a bachelor’s degree a $40 million goal. He also ’00s from Princeton University and We want to hear from you! chaired a committee that Helen Hu PhD’03, a a doctorate from the University Please submit entries to Ann spearheaded an initiative to computer science professor of Utah, both in computer Floor, ann.ﬂ[email protected]. increase access, retention, at Westminster College in science.

46 continuum.utah.edu LM Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association AM Annual Member of the Alumni Association

Continuum_Winter14_TTY.v3.indd 46 11/14/14 4:01 PM Continuum_Winter14_TTY.v3.indd 47 11/14/14 10:48 AM andﬁnally Fussing Over the Fight Song By Marcia C. Dibble Utah

ts authorship is unclear. Its date of origin is murky. of

Its lyrics have been modi ed several times. Yet Utah many of those who currently belt out “Utah Man” of are ercely loyal to “how it’s always been.” Turns out

“always”I isn’t necessarily such a long time. University Library, “Utah Man” became the University of Utah athletics “ ght song” in the early 1900s. With only minor changes, the University Library, song lyrics very closely resemble an 1885 fraternity song, “My Willard Marriott Willard

Name is Sigma Chi,” likewise sung to the tune of the old folk J.

song “Solomon Levi.” Marriott Willard Exactly how and when “Utah Man” became the U’s ght J. song is unknown. In a 1978 Daily Utah Chronicle article, U Collections,

professor emeritus Mary Webster asserted that the 1904 Collections, Special U football team composed “Utah Man” during improvisa- tional sing-alongs on Head Coach Joe Maddock’s porch. Special courtesy Others insisted the song originated with his predecessor, Photo Coach Harvey Holmes (1900-1903). e rst currently known courtesy

mentions in print are a May 1907 Chronicle item noting that Photo “A Utah Man” was sung during an outing of the U’s Normal University of Utah fans sing and cheer at a football game during the 1950s. The (public school teaching) Department, and a page in the U’s song “Utah Man” has undergone several evolutions since it ﬁrst came into use. 1907 Utonian yearbook that included the song’s lyrics. Like the Sigma Chi song, the original version of “Utah “Utah Man” and would merely supplement it. In 2000—the Man” included the line “We drink our stein of lager and we smoke year sportswriter Rick Reilly famously mocked the “jolly” our big cigar.” By 1942, that had been changed in the U ght song references and tone of “Utah Man” in Sports Illustrated—the to “our coeds are the fairest and each one’s a shining star.” ose University of Utah debuted a new “Utah Fight Song,” with lyrics became the new standard until this past summer, when music by Mormon Tabernacle organist emeritus Robert the rst part of the phrase was modi ed to “our students are the Cundick BA’49 MFA’50 PhD’55. But again, Cundick and others nest.” e ocial 2014 version includes “fan” as an alternative emphasized that the song “was not a threat to the status anywhere “man” was originally used in the lyrics, and “no other quo—it was just an addition.” gang of college men” became “no other band of college fans.” e latest evolution in the lyrics to “Utah Man” was approved Several other universities nationwide also have updated this year after faculty members and student leaders spearheaded their ght songs over the years to reect modern sensibilities. eorts to modernize the lyrics and address concerns expressed e University of Mississippi in 2009 trimmed one of its ght in recent decades that certain words and phrases were sexist songs to discourage fans from chanting “the South will rise or racist. e new lyrics will be printed in all current versions of again.” In 2007, the University of Hawaii at Manoa changed the song, but U President David Pershing has said fans can sing “Here’s to each valiant son” to “Here’s to each valiant one.” whichever version they prefer. And Michigan State University, originally known as Michigan So sing it loud, sing it proud, and realize that “traditions” do Agricultural College, modi ed “its specialty is farming” to “its change. Perhaps one day, “jolly” Utah fans will even decide it’s specialty is winning,” among other changes. time to toughen up that line. At the U, alternatives to “Utah Man” have been proposed in the past but didn’t prevail. In May 1934, e Utah Alumnus —Marcia Dibble is managing editor of Continuum. announced that “the students of the University have become tired of singing ‘Utah Man’… [and] they are after a new Alma Visit continuum.utah.edu to view a gallery with more Mater song.” A contest oered awards for both words and photos and read the complete lyrics to the “Utah Man” music, and by 1937, the song “Fair Utah” was on oer, but by and Sigma Chi songs. popular sentiment, it was decided the song wouldn’t replace

48 continuum.utah.edu

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