WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE SPRING 2012 Weber State University News for Alumni & Friends Weber State University Magazine Vol. 17, No. 1, Spring 2012 Contents editor in chief art director Amy Hendricks Hillary Wallace ’98 Contributing designer writers Emily Caraballo Amy Hendricks photographers Allison Barlow Hess 10 After 10 Years, WSU President Says Farewell Bryan Butterfield ’13 Karin Hurst Ann Millner reflects on her time at Weber State. Robert Casey John Kowalewski Jonathan McBride ’08 Jonathan McBride ’08 Zac Williams ’01 15 Research and the Undergraduate Brice Wallace WSU faculty and students take learning to another level. contributing editors Margie Esquibel 22 Only Online Lynell Gardner WSU alumnus Daniel Hubler discusses relationships, teaching and research. Comments and questions about Weber State University Magazine may be sent to the editor at the address below or forwarded by phone: 801-626-7359, fax: 801-626-7069 or email: [email protected] postmaster: Send address changes to Weber State University Magazine, Weber State University, 4025 University Circle, Ogden UT 84408-4025. weber state university web weber.edu wsu alumni association web alumni.weber.edu weber state university board of trustees 2011-2012 Alan Hall ’69, Chair Jim C. Beardall, Vice-Chair W. Bryan Bowles Kyle Braithwaite ’12 24 When Harry Met Sally Camille Cain Mary Hall ’85 An alumnus shares a student housing story from Kathryn Lindquist the past while the future — Wildcat Village — goes up. Scott Parson Steven E. Starks ’03 Gen. Kevin Sullivan (ret.) 27 Class Notes We hope you enjoy the Classmates check in. extra content, including videos and slideshows, only available in this digital fomat. Watch for the highlighted links. On the cover, left to right: WSU chemistry professors Robert Beishline and Edward Walker in the lab; WSU undergraduate researcher Preston Kerr at NCUR 2012; WSU undergraduate researcher Amanda Truong in the DNA Lab Delve into 2012 and uncover all Weber Now the fun things happening at WSU! WILDCAT TRAVEL HOMECOMING 2012 WSU vs. Eastern Washington, Sept. 22, 2012 weber.edu/ homecoming September 15–23, 2012 Experience village life in England’s Cotswolds. Charming countryside. Rich cultural traditions. Historic landmarks. Starting at $2,995 plus air For more information, visit alumni.weber.edu/Cotswolds WEBER WATCH wsu news & events john kowalewski and brice wallace, university communications running away with a title In dramatic fashion, the WSU women’s indoor track team won the 2012 Big Sky Track and Field Championship in late February. The Wildcats edged two-time defending champs Sacramento State 132-131 to claim their ninth title in 25 years, and first since 2007. Following the win, head coach Jim Blaisdell was named the Big Sky Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year. Sarah Callister, Women's MVP of the Big Sky Championship trailblazer Living the Dream Heather Wokurka ’05, ’11 didn’t just earn her diploma in December. She also became the first graduate of WSU’s new electronics engineering (EE) degree WSU’s Dream Weber program program. Wokurka, whose first degree was in the electronics engineering is expanding to help even more technology program, pursued her latest studies while working full time as students pursue their educations, an electrical test engineer at ATK’s Promontory plant. Designed to meet the needs of local industry, the new EE degree program has attracted more than without worrying about the price 140 students, far exceeding orginal enrollment projections. The program is tag. The Dream Weber program preparing for its accreditation review. Wokurka looks to be the first in a long and steady line of newly minted electronics engineers. provides free tuition and fees to Utah resident students whose annual household income is equal to or less than $27,000 and who are Pell Grant eligible. The increase in qualifying household income and the addition of fees are the result of a $1 million gift from Kem and Carolyn Gardner. Since its inception in 2010, the program has weber.edu/wsumagazine supported 1,445 students. spring 2012 spring | wsu magazine wsu 4 5 The first day of December 2011 was a bad-hair day at WSU, to put it mildly. A blast of arctic air came ripping down the mountains with winds of 40-50 mph and some gusts topping 80 mph. In its aftermath, the Ogden and Davis campuses sustained $1.84 million in damages and toppled trees. Fortunately, there were few injuries. Check out a VIDEO Wizard of Oz- inspired video of the windstorm. what’s up, doc? Did you know that Utah is home to the world’s smallest rabbit? Jennifer Schmalz ’11, who graduated with majors in zoology and botany, has spent parts of the past two years studying pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) and their habitat, with her “classroom” being remote, windswept rangeland near Woodruff, Utah. Schmalz first risky business learned of the little creatures, which typically weigh less than a pound, as part of a research project Parents, take heart. Research conducted by funded by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. WSU psychology professors Eric Amsel and Leigh Shaw indicates that teenage risk- taking may not be simply the inevitable consequence of adolescents’ raging hormones weber.edu/wsumagazine or immature brain development. Instead, the findings reported in theJournal of Research on spring 2012 spring Adolescence suggest that parents and others can | help adolescents anticipate the ramifications and regret that they will experience if they undertake risky activity. Amsel says proactive parenting can help teens learn how to make better decisions. wsu magazine wsu 4 (IDFG) H. Ulmshneider (BLM) and R. Dixon Photo: 5 WEBER WATCH wsu news & events across the pond Assistant economics professor Mary Wrenn is trading the Goddard School of Business & Economics for Great Britain — Girton College at the University of Cambridge to be precise. Wrenn was selected for the Joan Robinson Research Fellowship in mobile mentality Heterodox Economics, one of the first of its kind in With smartphones, tablets, e-readers and the world. During her stay laptops, it is difficult to disconnect in today’s world. Against that backdrop, WSU faculty in the United Kingdom, Scott Rogers, Susan Matt and Luke Fernandez she’ll pursue her research taught a course this spring asking “Are agenda and also teach an Machines Making Us Stupid?” The course, funded by the National Endowment for the array of economic courses. Humanities, featured directed readings and explored whether constantly being connected prevented more in-depth, reflective thoughts. As part of the course, William Powers, author of New York Times bestseller Hamlet’s Blackberry, spoke on campus and offered advice on how to balance our digital lives. making connections More than 180 youth came to WSU in challenges by having them build January to play with LEGOS® — all LEGO robots to complete specific part of a qualifying competition put tasks. Participants design, build, on by the nonprofit organization test and program the robots; FIRST (For Inspiration and apply math and science concepts; Recognition of Science and research challenges; learn critical- Technology). FIRST stages thinking, team-building and weber.edu/wsumagazine robotic competition programs presentation skills; and compete encouraging students to at tournaments. This was the spring 2012 spring | excel in math and science. The first time that WSU has hosted a competitions introduce school- qualifying event. age children to real-world engineering wsu magazine wsu 6 7 WSU athletic training students had front row seats for assisting in treating some of the most extreme athletic injuries on the planet. A contract between WSU and Winning Medicine International Corp. allowed students to work with athletes competing at Dew Tour stops in Utah. Valerie Herzog, associate athletic training professor PROFESSIONAL and director of the Graduate Athletic COMMUNICATION. Training Program, said that during these four-day competitions, students witnessed injuries that they might not see in 10 years MASTER IT. working with football teams. In addition to helping medical staff treat injuries, the agreement allowed WSU students to weber.edu/mpc conduct research aimed at better diagnosing concussions and other traumas. Such findings 801-626-8924 could eventually lead to better protective weber.edu/wsumagazine equipment. Beyond the Dew Tour, athletic spring 2012 spring training students and graduates work with | athletes in professional baseball, football, ice hockey, soccer and arena football. wsu magazine wsu Master of Professional Communication 6 7 8 wsu magazine | spring 2012 9 weber.edu/wsumagazine Lindquist Family JoinSymphony Pops Usand Fireworks Weber State University Sunday, July 15, 2012 Click the icons for extra PICTURES online only content. weber.edu/wsumagazine spring 2012 spring | wsu magazine wsu 8 9 10 AN UNFORGETTABLEA Memabl Deca, PRESIDENT Millner announces plans to step down Amy Hendricks, University Communications Photos by Zac Williams ’01 Wearing her signature purple suit, Ann Millner stood in front of the Wattis Business Smith Lecture Hall and gazed into a crowd of 200+ Weber State University faculty and staff. They filled every seat, packed onto stairs, and spilled out doorways. She took a deep breath and began, “When I first became president of Weber State, I told everyone I’d like to serve eight to 10 years.” One sentence. That’s all it took. What happened next was a testament to Millner’s leadership and a show of appreciation for her years of dedicated service. he crowd let out a collective, president — talked about others who audible gasp. Millner looked have made the institution, in her Making a Difference in Tdown for a moment, smiled words, “great, great, great!” and continued: “This October marks , dean of WSU’s Dr. AskedStu de about nts’ universityLive s accomplish- th Yasmen Simonian my 10 year. I’ve asked the Board of Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health ments that have made her proud, Regents to form a search committee Professions, was emotional during Millner laughed and said, “Where do to select a new president for Weber Millner’s announcement.