“In the wilderness is the preservation of the world.” — Henry David Thoreau Art Professor Peter Goin led the Ruby Mountains Wilderness Workshop in July, an eight-day fi eld practicum for advanced photography students. The group packed camping and photo gear on horseback and headed into the mountains near Elko to explore new conceptual and technical skills. Photo by Eric Asistin 2 Nevada Silver & Blue • September/ October 2005 INSIDESEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 Departments From the President, 2 Alumni News, 27 The Way We Are, 44 6 Hardy at the Helm A new leader with new ideas is at the helm of the new College of Liberal Arts. Heather Hardy says it is a rare opportunity for her, the University and the state. 15 War of the Weeds An alien invader that feeds wildfires has forced the University’s resource management experts into a critical effort to save the landscape of Ne- vada and the surrounding Great Basin. 23 Alumni Awards Frank Randall is a man who says, “I’m not that interesting.” A lifelong record of success belies that modesty from the University’s 2005 Alumnus of the Year. 36 On Philantrophy Dr. James Herz and his wife, Elizabeth, have spent much of their adult life amassing art and other treasures of Nevada and the American West. Now, they’re sharing part of their collection. 38 Pack Track Only three autumns ago, Nate Burleson was one of the heroes of Wolf Pack football. This year, he has been given the task of filling some huge shoes in the National Football League. On the Cover As the College of Business Administration prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, ASUN president and senior business major Jeff Champagne prepares to enter the business world. Champagne and his classmates follow the lead of successful COBA alumni like those in the background of this photo: Candace Evart, MBA ’76, Meridian Business Advisors; Wayne Frediani ’72, Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association; Heidi Gansert, MBA ’90, State of Nevada assemblywoman, District 25; Gary Machabee ’62, Machabee Office Environments; Darrell Plummer ’85, Coldwell Banker Plummer & Associates, Inc.; Hal Plummer ’57, Coldwell Banker Plummer & Associates, Inc. (retired); Sharon Quinn ’63, Dickson Realty; Debra G. Smith ’79, Nichols Consulting Engineers, Chtd.; and Wing Sze Wong ’04, Deloitte. Photo by Jeff Ross. Nevada Silver & Blue • September/October 2005 1 From the President SilverNEVADA & Blue Serving the households of our 50,000 University of Nevada, Reno alumni and friends. A University on the Move Vol. XVII, No. 2 © Copyright 2005 www.unr.edu/alumni he University begins this academic year with NEVADA SILVER & BLUE is published six times a year impressive construction by the Offi ce of Marketing and Communications, T Ross PhotoJeff by projects underway. University of Nevada, Reno. It is also online at In the past six weeks, we have www.unr.edu/ur/sb.htm broken ground for the new Jones Visitor Center/108 $105 million Mathewson-IGT University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV 89557-0129 Knowledge Center and the new (775) 784-4941 $65 million student union, side FAX: (775) 784-1422 by side just south of Mackay e-mail: [email protected] Stadium. These two buildings ADDRESS CHANGES are a part of our new campus University of Nevada, Reno Foundation master plan that envisions a MS162, Reno, NV 89557 tripling of our campus footprint (775) 784-1587; [email protected] and a doubling of our student population within the next President John Lilley several decades, requiring hundreds of millions of dollars. Managing Editors We also have just opened the new Redfi eld Campus in south Reno, thanks to the Jim Ellis • Jane Tors • [email protected] leadership of the Redfi eld Foundation and the support of Senator Bill Raggio throughout Graphic Designers multiple legislative sessions. This campus is a collaborative venture with Truckee Claudia Ortega-Lukas • [email protected] Meadows Community College, and it will provide businesses, educators, health science Lucy Walker • [email protected] professionals and other leaders with both customized programs and a range of courses Photo Editor that can address the expanding educational needs of the area’s growing work force. Jean Dixon • [email protected] We have just welcomed a double-digit increase in new students and we have Contributing writers achieved an 8 percent increase—to nearly $130 million—in our externally sponsored Kate Grey • [email protected] research and other projects. Our faculty’s research funding is a major indicator of Patrick McDonnell • [email protected] their stature. Nevada is the state’s only doctoral extensive university, the top research Cindy Pollard • [email protected] university category, and our faculty are nationally competitive with the other 151 such Melanie Robbins • [email protected] institutions. Lucy Walker • [email protected] Our College of Business Administration is entering its 50th year of teaching, research John Wheeler • [email protected] and service, and the statewide outreach of all three. Our business alumni are living Student Writers proof of its quality. The college has one of the top 10 logistics programs in the country, Jason Ching • Jenny Durnan • Cecelia Ghezzi and graduates in this program are snapped up quickly by multinational fi rms such as • Soumitro Sen • Heather Shallenberger Sun Microsystems, DaimlerChrysler and Intel. The college’s international accounting program has become increasingly popular, and has attracted signifi cant interest from Contributing photographers John Byrne • Ted Cook • Theresa Danna- Japanese students. Douglas • Jeff Ross • Matt Theilen In the past year, the college’s Small Business Development Center’s 13 offi ces across the state assisted more than 11,000 businesses through counseling, training and Nevada System of Higher Education information requests that helped these clients acquire $21.5 million of new capital. We Board of Regents will be celebrating this historic milestone in the coming months and welcome your Mark Alden participation. Stavros Anthony Jill Derby Thalia Dondero Go Pack! Dorothy Gallagher, Vice Chair Doug Hill Linda Howard James Leavitt Howard Rosenberg Jack Schofi eld Steve Sisolak John M. Lilley, President Bret Whipple, Chair Michael Wixom James E. Rogers, Chancellor Stay in touch. Subscribe to Nevada News Online at www.unr.edu/nevadanews 2 Nevada Silver & Blue • September/October 2005 Quad&Beyond Director says public health Unprecedented is world without borders recognition for By Pat McDonnell Dean Thawley r. Manuel Bayona looks leven state and federal to change lives for the agencies joined to recog- better in Nevada by re- E D PhotoJeanby Dixon nize David Thawley, dean of lying on a multitude of interna- the College of Agriculture, tional collaborations to improve Biotechnology and Natural physical and mental health and Resources, for his leader- halt the spread of disease. ship, contributions to the Bayona, a former associate college and commitment to professor of epidemiology and collaboration. doctoral program director for the “His ability to communi- University of North Texas Health cate Science Center in Fort Worth with us since 2000, became director of and the the School of Public Health at the agri- University of Nevada, Reno culture July 1. He previously coordinated Manuel Bayona, whose range of international expertise indus- a master’s program in epidemiol- includes work with a World Health Organization initiative try has ogy of vector-borne diseases and improving health service systems, became director of the University’s School of Public Health July 1. really environmental sanitation for a set him Venezuelan university, the Pan involvement with local and international health apart,” American Health Organization and the World Bank. Thawley issues, and his administrative experience make said “I want to continue doing this international him the ideal person to work with faculty eager Nick Pearson former state work and collaborate with other faculty in our to improve the public’s overall well-being. conservationist with the U.S. new School of Public Health,” said Bayona, who Bayona said his involvement in a research proj- Department of Agriculture’s expanded the North Texas doctoral program. ect with Brazil’s FIOCRUZ Foundation is a good Natural Resources Conserva- “Public health doesn’t have any borders. If you example of the ways that international public tion Service. start believing in boundaries, you may never be health initiatives can help Nevadans. In that Pearson credits Thawley able to jump over them.” project, members of the international scientific with upgrading recruitment College of Human and Community Sciences community will use a World Health Organization and development of faculty. Dean Jean Perry, who administers the school, initiative to analyze and then create new methods “We all win,” he said. “The said Bayona’s expertise as an epidemiologist, to improve health service systems. University gets world-class researchers and profes- sors, and the research has Senator on the mound huge economic benefit for Nevada Sen. environmental quality and John Ensign economic benefits for the donned a community.” Nevada uniform The Nevada Association for pitching of Conservation Districts, duty in the 44th Nevada Agricultural Founda- Annual Roll Call tion, Nevada Association Congressional PhotoDonaldby Biggs/Potomac News of Counties, Nevada Board Baseball Game of Agriculture, Nevada in Washington, Cattlemen’s Association, D.C. The game, which benefited Nevada Department of Agri- charities in the culture, Nevada Department capital, was of Wildlife, Nevada Farm won handily by Bureau, U.S. Forest Service Ensign and the and Bureau of Land Manage- Republicans. ment joined the Conserva- tion Service in honoring Thawley. Nevada Silver & Blue • September/October 2005 3 Quad&Beyond To THINK is to soar in new partnership By Pat McDonnell She enjoyed morning classes he Davidson Institute for with University chemistry TTalent Development’s professor Chuck Rose, who told two-year-old THINK Summer his always curious students that PhotoJeanby Dixon Institute helps the gifted begin chemical reactions happen all to soar.