Insights, Fall, 2008

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FROM THE DEAN

ter the passing of my first year, I can say chat is has been a true de1ghc to work with the ream of College of Science faculty, students nd office staff to move our college forward. I have seen stellar aculty rise as award winners in teaching and research and I have seen students present cutting-edge research. Working with leaders from across campus has also made it clear to me chat Utah State University is a place with a great past and a bright future.

Academic Excellence College of Science students brought the university recognition with a national award in the field of Physics, Goldwater Scholar awards and a strong presence at Utah's Undergraduate Research on Capitol Hill Day. Our 2007-08 graduates have now gone on to medical school, graduate school and competitive science and mathematics careers. Indicators such as MCAT scores well above the national average attest to the quality education that our College of Science students are receiving. I have heard from employers and graduate advisors from across the country chat our undergraduates are among the best prepared when they arrive in their new positions following graduation from USU. Hats off to our faculty for the role they play in training our students.

Advanced Science Training The national need for more and better scientists has provided us with the nudge to examine our programs to determine even better ways to recruit and train science and math students. Four of the six College of Science departments have just engaged in facilitated priority-setting sessions aimed at identifying niche areas char meet student interests, employer demands and funding opportunities. Over the next few years these departments will work to build strength in areas char will increase their global competitiveness. This is one step toward meeting the national need for science training.

Strengthening STEM Education other effort in which the liege of Science is engagis a partnership with the a Eccles Jones College f Education and Human ices to develop strength ¡n the area of STEM (Science, Engineering and Lil~¡ '-""!'.._.nology, ..,1i1 athemarics) education. College of Science departments play a big role in training secondary educators in the fields of science and mathematics. Utah has a growing demand for highly qualified

science and math teachers and our new partnership will strive to recruit more students to STEM education fields and to work on encouraging some of our strongest students co go into education careers. As we increase degree offerings at regional campuses, we hope chat more and better educacors will come from chose programs as well.

Medical and Health-related Career Education As I have talked with College of Science students and alumni chis year, it has become clear to me that many of our students choose careers in medical and other health-related careers. Further investigation revealed that USU offers many programs, across colleges, that prepare students for these career paths. This realization prompted several meetings with an array of faculty who direct these programs. These meetings led ro the development of a Web site to help guide current and prospective students through the health career pathways offers at USU. See www. usu.edu/medical for the beginnings of this Web portal. I look forward to the 2008-09 academic year as I get to know our alumni, my administrative colleagues, faculty, staff and srudencs better. Ac the beginning of fall semester I had the privilege of spending four days with a section of our freshman orientation Connections program. Ir will be a real treat for me to follow this group of first-year students through their next few years of a wonderful Aggie experience.

Go Aggies!

Dean Mary Hubbard

Dean Mary Hubbard, left, hikes with freshman Connections participant Ashley Ewaniuk to a service project near campus at Logan Canyon's Stokes Nature Center.

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FALL 2008

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ON THE COVER

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17 COLLEGE NEWS

Biochemistry undergraduate Bradley Hintze, right, and his faculty mentor Sean Johnson are deciphering the structure and mechanism of proteins. Cover photo by Donna Barry.

• Ignoring Limits • Simple Boost for the Cognitively • Impaired Geologists Peer into Fault's Pase Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground • Regional Campus Opens Pach to • Med School

Making che Grade, Making a Difference Taking Out the Trash College of Science Unveils New Web Site College of Science Home to 'Golden Scholars' Student Chem/Biochem Club Receives National Recognition USU Physics Day to Celebrate 20th Anniversary Richard Cutler Named Mach/Stat Department Head

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Insights is che alumni magazine of Utah Scare University'sCollege of Science. Our mission is to inform alumni and friends of current events, research, student • Seeking Weapons of Mass activities and news within rhe college. The • Reduction magazine also provides a forum to alumni • to follow the careers and professional 12 ALUMNI FEATURE development of colleagues. A Lifelong Gift Editor and principal writer for !mights is Mary-Ann Muffoletto. Special thanks • 14 ALUMNI NEWS to Dean Mary Hubbard, Associate Dean • USU Rhodes Scholar Marks Richard Mueller and Associate Dean Lisa Berreau for editorial oversight, Bob Wood • Academic Milestone for computer support, Bobbi Chatterton • Physics Alum Named Space for mailing list coordination and univer• Dynamics Lab Head siry photographer Donna Barry. Design Alum Lars Peter Hansen Wins by Holly Broome-Hyer. Printed at USU • National Math Award Publication Design and Production. • © 2008

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USU College of Science 0305 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-0305 USA Tel 435.797.2478 scido@usu.edu

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27 GIVING BACK 28 TRANSITIONS 28 IN MEMORIAM 29 KEEPING IN TOUCH

Visit us on the Web at www . usu. edulscience FALL 2 008 I INSIGHTS

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Undergrad biochemist Brad Hintze (left) and USU mathematics lecturer, Bryan Bornholdt, competed in the 206-mile, 2007 LOTOJA bike race.

LIMITS

Ignoring

Legacy of Utah State Award recipient Bradley Hintze solves molecular puzzles

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tah State University undergraduate biochemist Bradley Hintze is not only excelling in his studies, he's a 2007 finisher of the nation's longest one-day bicycle race sanctioned by the United States Cycling Federation. Impressive, yes. But even more remarkable is Hintze's perseverance in the face of significant physical obstacles. He has difficulty holding his head upright and walks with a limp. Lack of fine motor skills makes writing difficult and precision lab techniques impossible. "I'd be a disaster at the lab bench," says Hintze, revealing his characteristically subtle sense of humor. Born with mild cerebral palsy, Hintze's physical disabilities initially seemed minor. But at puberty, he developed cervical dystonia that became progressively worse. The neurological movement disorder of the neck, for which there is no known cure, causes Hintze 's head to involuntarily twist and turn to one side. "Brad has a great enthusiasm for science and I love having him in our lab," says Sean Johnson , Hintze 's faculty mentor and R. Gaurth Hansen Assistant Professor of Biochemistry. "I am constantly amazed at his abilities and drive. I have never heard a word of complaint or frustration regarding his physical challenges. He doesn't seem to let anything prevent him from succeeding in whatever it is he wants to do." In spring 2008, USU honored the Aggie senior with the university 's Legacy of Utah State Award. The honor was created in memory of the agricultural students and instructor involved in the 2005 USU van ac-

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cident. It is given annually to a student who embodies the true spirit, heart and soul of Utah State and demonstrates love and support for the university family, while leading with a vision of hope for the future. "Brad's dedication to science is clear," says Johnson. "He is one of the most inquisitive students I have ever met, and his influence is felt throughout our department. One of the top performing students in our departmental courses, Brad is constantly sought out by other students who are struggling to understand the coursework." Hintze, a Willard L. Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellow, has carved his niche in computer-based biochemistry research in Johnson 's x-ray crystallography lab. Along che way he's proven to himself and others chat, with determination and persistence, individual strengths and talents can emerge in spice of physical limits. Despite a busy academic schedule Hintze found time to squeeze in nearly 4,000 training miles with USU mathematics lecturer and tandem bike partner Bryan Bornholdr in preparation for the grueling LOTOJA. The 206-mile bike race starts in Logan, Utah and finishes in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Participants climb and descend three mountain passes in the race's first 110 miles in unpredictable September weather that can range from scorching heat to sudden snow squalls . "O ur Logan to Jackson ride was remarkable, " Bornholdt says. "Yes, we prepared for it but it still demanded a great deal of heart and determination. Bradley has these traits in spades." Bornholdt recounts that , at the LOTO JA awards ceremony, a race

participant walked up to Hintze and thanked the Aggie student for his inspiration. "The man told Bradley that, when we passed him, he was about ready to give up ," he says. "Bur he decided if Bradley was still riding, he would keep riding . He moved in behind us and rode with our group the last 11 miles. He was in tears as he spoke to Bradley." In Johnson 's lab, Hintze uses x-ray crystallography techniques in combination with biochemical analysis to understand the structure and mechanism of proteins.

"I AM CONSTANTLY AMAZED AT BRAD'S ABILITIES AND

DRIVE ... HE DOESN'T SEEM TO LET ANYTHING PREVENT HIM FROM SUCCEEDING IN WHATEVER IT IS HE WANTS

To Do." - SEAN JOHNSON,

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GAURTH HANSEN

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOCHEMISTRY

"Our goal is to get a picture of the protein based on x-ray diffraction, " he says. During USU's 2008 Research Week, Hintze presented his lab's effons in determining the crystal structure of a protein complex called TRAMP, found in brewer 's yeast. "T RAMP is a protein complex that's involved in RNA degradation in the nucleus," he says. "Ir identifies RNA substrates chat need to be

degraded and labels them - much like a lumberjack identifies and tags trees in a forest that need to be cut down." The project gives scientists a structural view of cell components that play a central role in nuclear RNA surveillance, Hintze says. "RNA surveillance is a widespread cellular process that is critical for cell function and viability." A 2001 graduate of Utah's Alta High School, Hintze was initially timid about pursuing university studies. "I thought college wasn't an option for me; chat it would be way too difficult. " With encouragement from a Salt Lake vocational rehabilitation center, he entered USU in Fall 2003. Testing the waters with ten credits, he earned a 4.0 GPA during his first semester. A general biology course his second year, taught by professors Keith Mott and Greg Podgorski, captured his interest but , at first, shook his confidence . "I was nervous but my advisor, Cathy Myers-Roche, encouraged me to keep trying," Hintze says. After his first big test, he emerged with a nearly perfect score. "That, right there, gave me more confidence in my collegiate career than anything else," he says. The course, along with subsequent science courses, steered him to biochemistry. "I thought , 'chis is so cool' and I wanted to do research," Hintze says. "The research we're doing now, determining the structure of TRAMP, has never been done before. We're getting information chat's never been known. That fascinates me. " -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

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USU computer scientists Aliasgar Kutiyanawala, left, and Vladimir Kulyukin are developing an intelligent walker for people with cognitive impairments.

Simple Boost for the

Cognitively Impaired A specialized walker developed by USU computer scientists offers greater mobility and independence for Alzheimer's patients roviding a means of maintaining mobilicy and independence to those whose cognitive abilities are failing is a challenge. Utah State Universicy computer scientists are developing a specialized walker that could improve the qualicy of life for individuals affected by Alzheimer's disease and other dementiacausing illnesses. "By 2030 one out of five Americans will be over the age of 65," says Vladimir Kulyukin, associate professor in USU's Department of Computer Science and director of the Computer Science Assistive Technology Laboratory. "One of the faculties people lose with age is cognition." Kulyukin and doctoral student Aliasgar Kutiyanawala created the ''iWalker" - intelligent walker - to help cognitively impaired people complete basic tasks of everyday living. The pair is conducting the project in collaboration with AT Sciences, an assistive technology company based in Pittsburgh, Pa., the Universicy of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and the Universicy of Pittsburgh Department of Rehabilitation Science. Seed money for the project was provided by rwo

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USU Communicy Universicy Research Initiative grants. Subsequent funding has come from a contract with AT Sciences and grants awarded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. "The intention of the iWalker is to take someone where they want to go," Kulyukin says. "Perhaps you leave your room and, halfway there, you forget where you are and where you're going. iWalker reminds you of where you are and the direction you're traveling." The iWalker is a wheeled walker - or rollator - and operates within a smart world perspective. That is, its onboard computer provides visual and audible cues activated by sensors embedded in the user's environment. "As the iWalker rolls over a sensor under the carpet, it announces its location - such as 'water cooler' or 'restroom,"' Kulyukin says. In addition, the walker's screen flashes a picture, words or an arrow with information about the location. "The nurses collaborating on the project tell us that some patients react better to audible feedback and some react better to visual feedback," he says. Kulyukin stresses chat the iWalker is nor a robot. "It doesn't think for itself. Rather, it reads information from radio frequency identification (RFID) tags placed throughout the environment where it is used." The distinction is important, he says. iWalker was designed in this manner to keep its cost low. "Other researchers have designed robots to assist the elderly, but these devices are prohibitively expensive," Kulyukin says. The main cost with implementing the iWalker is installing RFID tags under carpeting and other flooring throughout a facilicy. But once the infrastructure is in place, the cost per user - walker - is relatively inexpensive. Clinical tests conducted with the iWalker at the Universicy of Pittsburgh have received encouraging reviews. "Both caregivers and users reacted positively to the device," Kulyukin says. "They like the simplicicy of the iWalker." 'Simplicicy' was the aim of the project from its inception. "We decided early on chat building a smart device or a device chat could avoid obstacles was unnecessary," he says. "Most people with Alzheimer's can see. They just need help remembering." And a little help can make a big difference when people lose skills most cake for granted. The longer disabled individuals can maintain their independence the better, Kulyukin says. "Postponing the need for institutionalization reduces coses, and it also enables people co remain in a home setting, if they choose." -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

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Geologists Peer into Fault's Past East Cache Fault, site of proposed resort and Ruby Pipeline,feeling developmentpressure

With a grant from the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, geology graduate student Stephanie Davi is studying the East Cache Fault.

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hree trenches scooped out of a northern Utah hillside ~e bringing geolog~sts a bit closer to knowmg when the last big earthquake hit southern Cache Valley and, importantly, when another one could be due. Stephanie Davi, a Utah State University graduate student in geology, is using a grant from the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program to advance the knowledge about the East Cache Fault that runs northsouth for about 50 miles on Cache Valley's east side. So far, she can't say whether an earthquake occurred here in the past 10,000 years. But if one did, it would be considered recent enough to influence how development takes place in this tucked-away part of the valley some 12 miles south of Logan, said her USU faculty advisor, Jim Evans. "This could have an impact on determining the risk." The area is feeling development pressure. There is a proposal to turn Powder Mountain into a year-round

resort with paved access from Cache County. And the proposed Ruby Pipeline would cross the valley's south end, carrying natural gas from Wyoming to Oregon. Though it's too soon for conclusions, Davi believes portions of the fault exposed by her easternmost trench it's on what has been considered the fault's main strand may be far older than 10,000 years. Sediment testing will be used to determine when the area was last disturbed , but the fault could be 4 million or 5 million years old. If so, there may be an unmapped fault nearby that is the true main strand, she said. "Perhaps the energy has been shifted to a fault farther west," she said. "There may be a fault there that is not even on the map." If funding can be arranged and permission from the property owner secured, Evans and Davi would like to extend her trench 30 or 40 feet to the west. With the help of a backhoe crew, Davi dug two trenches on other suspected strands of the fault last fall. She could not find it in her middle trench, either because the sediment was too deep or she missed it by a few feet. That sediment is being tested to determine when it was last disturbed, Davi said. But the westernmost trench, dug at the shoreline of the ancient Lake Bonneville where geologists previously suspected a fault, found none at all. Chris DuRoss, a Utah Geological Survey geologist who toured the trench with Davi and other geologists, said the East Cache Fault has not been nearly as active as the Wasatch Fault, which stretches 220 miles along the Wasatch Front. But little is known about East Cache Fault - except in the central section near Logan, where studies indicate an earthquake occurred in the past 4,000 to 5,000 years. That 's a mere blink in geologic time. Davi's are the first trenches on the southern part of the fault. "The idea is to get in here to piece together the history," DuRoss said. -Kristen Moulton 1he Salt Lake Tribune Reprinted with permission.

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Goldwater Scholar Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes and her young daughter Kalila marvel at the wonders of the night sky.

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oldwater Scholar Jodie Barker-Tvedcnes is a recipient of a 2008 Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate Research from the Society of Physics Students. One of just three undergrads in the nation honored with the award, the physics major received an all-expenses-paid trip to the International Conference of Physics Students Aug. 6-13 in Cracow, Poland. 'Tm very excited about this honor and the opportunity to meet with physics students from around the world, " says Barker-Tvedcnes,

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Goldwater Scholar JodieBarker-Tvedtnes Receives National Physics Award

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who was invited to present her research in Poland and at the SPS national meeting in spring 2009. The undergrad's award also includes a cash award for USU's SPS chapter, a group that BarkerT vedtnes helped revive when she arrived on campus on a Presidential Transfer Scholarship from Salt Lake Community College a few years ago. "The chapter was essentially dormant when I got here," the Salt Lake City native says. "Bur when I learned about the opportunities SPS offered - national scholarships, projects, activities - I worked with faculty and fellow students to get it going again." "Jodie is a power house of activity and capability," says her mentor Mike Taylor, physics professor. "She's an excellent leader, displays exceptional poise and has a strong experimental aptitude." He notes that, while tackling a significant academic load and research efforts, Barker-T vedmes coordinated chapter gatherings and field trips for students along with community outreach projects, including the chapter's popular stargazing parties on the USU quad. With Taylor, Barker-Tvedtnes studies the mesosphere's mysterious

noctilucent clouds - also known as polar mesospheric clouds or PMCs - which form at the edge of space. "PMCs are ice clouds that form in the summer months near the extremely cold mesopause region some 50 miles above the earth," says Barker-T vedtnes, a Willard L. Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellow. "From the ground, these noctilucent or 'night-shining' clouds are only visible during twilight hours at high latitudes."

She spent five weeks in Alaska last summer studying the elusive formations with Taylor and fellow students. Taylor is a member of NASA's science team for the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere or "AIM" mission. NASA launched the AIM satellite into orbit April 25, 2007, to collect information on how and why

"JODIE IS A POWER HOUSE OF ACTIVITY AND CAPABILITY. SHE'S AN EXCELLENT LEADER, DISPLAYS EXCEPTIONAL POISE AND HAS A STRONG EXPERIMENTAL APTITUDE." -MIKE

TAYLOR,

PHYSICS PROFESSOR

PMCs form. During their summer trip, Taylor and his student team captured data from two field sites, located about 30 miles apart on the tundra of eastern Alaska and western Canada, to compare with data received from the AIM satellite. "We became nocturnal," BarkerT vedtnes says, although, because of the latitude of the areas in which the

Back in Logan, Barker-T vedmes is comparing the ground-based data with information captured by the satellite. She presented her research in a number of forums, including regional physics conferences and USU's undergraduate research showcase this past spring. Following graduation next spring she plans to continue her studies at the graduate level and conduct research in upper atmospheric physics at a government or academic institution. Barker-Tvedtnes' dedication is all the more remarkable considering she's a single mom, juggling work, study and physics chapter duties with the care of her 7-year-old daughter, Kalila. Balancing responsibilities is a challenge, she admits, bur receiving the Willard L. Eccles fellowship has afforded her the opportunity to spend time in the lab and have greater control of her schedule. "My work allows me the flexibility to conduct research while my daughter is in school and keep my evenings free for her," BarkerTvedtnes says. "I've also appreciated the support from my professors. They really make an effort to involve students in undergraduate research." -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

team was working, it never became completely dark. "Staning at midnight each day, we'd have about five hours of twilight," she says. "We'd spend those hours tracking noctilucent clouds across the horizon and photographing the formations with digital and

video cameras."

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Regional Campus Opens Path to

MEBSGHOOL Uintah Basin farmer pursues dream of becoming a physician

Study at USU Uintah Basin propelled farmer Clint McKee toward his dream of entering medical school.

lint McKee's unconventional path co medical school included several unplanned detours, a flat tire or two and more than a few potholes. Before earning his undergraduate biology degree in 2005 at Utah State University's Uintah Basin Campus, he nearly shelved his dream of becoming a physician. But encouragement from his professors, coupled with McKee's gritty tenacity and a few bane-turned-blessing moments, fueled his passion coward what he considers his true calling. "I decided at age 14 that I wanted co become a doctor," says McKee, one of 12 children raised on a family dairy farm in eastern Utah. "But I'd never met anyone who went co med school and had no idea what it cook co get there." Now in his second year of medical school at the University of Utah, the 30-year-old husband and father of five revels in opportunities to immerse himself in the study of the intricacies and nuances of the human body. "Despite the academic demands, it feels like a luxury," McKee says. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I entered med school but I feel I was exceptionally well prepared and I've done very well in my classes." His undergraduate career began less favorably. Just a year or so into his studies at an urban campus in Utah, McKee, newly married and eager to start a family, struggled to balance the demands of work, school and home. Something had to give and that something was school. "Most of the classes I needed were offered during the daytime and it was hard to find a job with the flexibility to accommodate school," he says.

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During a visit home to his parents' farm, McKee spied a class schedule his sister was reading about USU's Uintah Basin Campus. "I noticed chat a number of courses in biology, chemistry and calculus were offered in the evenings." The timing was auspicious. McKee's father, Mike , was elected to serve on the Uintah County Commission and needed help with the family farm. Managing the farm by day and study by night seemed like a good fie for McKee. "The advisors at USU were great," he says. "They looked at my fractured transcripts and helped me get back on an academic track." The scheduling worked but the workload wasn't easy. "I remember Clint occasionally being late because a tractor got stuck or he had to handle some other incident on the farm," says Lianna Etch berger, assistant professor of biology at USU Uintah Basin. "Yet he was a bright and dedicated student eager to learn and full of perceptive questions." "I'd show up for class straight off the farm - filthy, tired," McKee

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says. "Bue the professors were phenomenal. I loved the small classes, one-on-one instruction and flexibility." Upon graduation, McKee still wanted to pursue medicine but wondered if a less arduous academic path might be better suited to his growing family. His planning was interrupted when he and his wife, Kathryn, learned that their unborn child had serious heart problems. Delivered by emergency caesarean section, baby Sarah was rushed to Salt Lake's Primary Children's Medical Center for treatment.

The outcome was joyous and McKee marveled at the physicians' skills. "It dawn ed on me that, if not for doctors, my daughter, my wife, and my twin sons - who also faced a medical crisis at birth - would not be here," he says. "le was an epiphany and reinforced my determination to become a doctor." McKee embarked on the detailed medical school application process, including studying for the medical school entrance exam or 'MCAT.' "I had about a year's worth of preparation to complete and realized that I needed more research

experience," he says. Ecchberger urged him to contact biologist Paul Clifcen at USU's Logan campus, who was seeking a research technician. "Cline had only a fraction of the experience of the other applicants," Clifcen says. "Bue I was impressed with his curiosity and knowledge and hired him. I figured I would likely never have another opportunity to help train someone of his caliber." Months lacer, glowing recommendations from Clifcen and Ecchberger were included in McKee's successful medical school application. "I feel like I received a great education from USU," McKee says. "And the support I received from my professors helped me achieve my dream." -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

McKeewithhisfamily,fromleft,wife KathrynholdingbabyMiriam,sons David,JosephandJoshuaand daughterSarah.(Above) Nowin hissecondyearof medical of Utah, schoolat the University to McKeerevelsIn opportunlUes tlim8elfIn the study:otfhEf lmffl81'8& and nuancea-ofi lntrlc:aCies human~.(~

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PONS of Mass

REDUCTION USTAR researcher explores nutritionaltools to combat modern-dayplagues

USU USTAR professor Michael Lefevre explores the role of diet in the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

ach new year brings renewed rounds of resolutions, among which losing weight and developing healthier habits consistently rank in the top five. Just as predictable are a bevy of newly released ads touting the latest in weight loss diets and tools for wishful fitness enthusiasts. Grapefruit, cabbage and reverse diets ... Israeli Army, Atkins, Eat-Right-for-Your-Type diets ... and 2008's offering: the Geno Type Diet. "The ability to determine a proper diet based on your genotype is premature," says Utah State University researcher Michael Lefevre. "We know chat both genetic and non-genetic factors play a role in how an individual responds to different diets, but we don't yet know why." Lefevre, who was recruited to USU through the Utah Science, Technology and Research - USTAR- initiative, has long studied the role of diet in the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. "We know chat lowering saturated fat and increasing plant sterols and fiber in one's diet can lower cholesterol levels," says Lefevre, who joined USU's Center for

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Advanced Nutrition in September 2007. "But everyone responds differently to diet changes and we need tools to help us identify the best diet match for each person." Lefevre believes chat a metabalomics approach rather than a genomics approach - may provide chose tools. Metabalomics is the systematic study of the unique chemical 'fingerprints' chat specific cellular processes leave behind. To test his approach, he's setting up a metabolic research kitchen with the ability to feed up to 25 human subjects at a time. The Center recently hired a research dietitian and a clinic coordinator to help run studies. In related developments: • USU broke ground Oct. 17 on a $60 million, 110,000-square-foot USTAR faculty on the university's Innovation Campus research park in North Logan. The facility, designed to meet high standards of sustainability, will house the Center for Advanced Nutrition as well as USU's Cache County Study on Memory, Heal ch and Aging. • The university has renovated space within 'The Junction' - an on-campus student dining facility - to provide the Center with a research kitchen as the USTAR building project proceeds. • The Center is collaborating with Dr. Jim Davis, medical director of the USU Student Health and Wellness Center, and will be working with Health and Wellness Center for participant screenings and assessments. • The Center has just received Institutional Review Board approval to conduct their first human nutrition study- which will look at the effects of plant compounds on blood cholesterol levels.

"We will provide all meals for the people in each study, the length of which could last from three to four weeks or up to six months, " he says. "The findings should help us begin to identify specific genetic and nongenetic markers and tailor the appropriate diet to each individual ." "If your company is a player in the natural products industry, you need to take notice of the work at USU ," says Ted McAleer, USTAR Executive Director. "The Center for Advanced Nutrition is moving into some research areas that have exciting commercialization potential ." USTAR is excited to facilitate dialogue between industry and the USTAR research teams , McAleer adds. Food is not always the enemy, says Lefevre, who studies so-called functional foods; that is, nutritional compounds in foods that inhibit disease. Examples include antioxidants that are often lauded for their health benefits. The compounds, praised for their cancer prevention and anti-aging properties, are so ubiquitous in food, he notes, that whether or not they deserve such credit is open to debate . His current research focuses on bioactive compounds, incl uding flavonoids found in many fruits and vegetables. Early studies indicate that such compounds may offer protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer . Lefevre continues his work with Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, his former employer, on a National Institutes of Healthfunded botanical research project that is examining how bioactives in fruits' plant pigments affect health. The rich blue and red hues of your favorite berries and grapes could be doing more good for you than simply pleasing your senses. "Plant pigments may provide protection against metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance - a precursor to type 2 diabetes," he says. Finding the right tools, including improved nutrition, to combat modern-day plagues is critical, he says. "Today's obesity epidemic is unprecedented ," Lefevre says. "We have access to a large supply of relatively inexpensive food - much of which is high in fat and salt." He also notes that today's lifestyles encourage inactivity. "Consider this: we actually press a button to remotely start our cars and open their doors ," Lefevre says. "The simplest tasks have been reduced to one finger. We have

escalato rs instead of stairs and we sit at computers all day. These little thing s add up in our lives. Ir's amazing how few calories we actual ly need when we're inactive." Personal choice is a factor in good health but public poli cy encouraging healthy habits, including pedestrian and bike-friendly communities, could discourage overly sedentary lifestyles, he says. "Reversing current trends requires action from all of us on personal and communal levels," Lefevre says. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto with conrr iburions from VSTAR

USU broke ground Oct. 17 on a 110,000-square-foot USTAR building on Innovation Campus in North Logan. Rendering courtesy of AJC Architects.

What is USTAR? ·1he Utah Science, Technology

and Research inicia ti\'e (USTAR) is a long - term, state - funded invest mem ro strengthen Utah's " knowledge economy" and gL·ncrace high-paying jobs. lniciared in March 200(1 by the Srace Legislature, USTAR is based on three program areas. ·the hrsc area involves funding for scratL·gic invescmems ac che Uni,'l'rsicy of Ucah and Utah Scace Universicv co recruit world -class resc1rchcrs. ·1he second area is co build suce-of - d1eart imerdisciplinar~ · facilities ac these inscirntions for the innovation teams. "!he third program area innih-es teams chat work with comp a nies and en trepreneurs across Ucah co promote science, inno\'a cion, and commercialization acti\'ities. For more information, visit www .i1111ovatio11ucah.com.

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en Marie Veibell raduaced from Utah ScaceUniver1ty in 1947, che campus had 29 buildings and 4,068 students, up from 920 in 1944 during World War II. During the lase 61 years, USU has seen tremendous growth in these areas. Today there are nearly 200 buildings and more than 23,000 students, and Veibell has enjoyed playing a small pare in chis growth. "People need a little help sometimes, and if you can help one person, then they can help somebody else, and it's a great cycle," she says. "I started giving just a little bit co Utah Scacea few years after I graduated, once I'd had time co get established, and I've given every year " . smce.

1947 USU graduate Marie Veibell enjoys playing a part in the university's growth through annual donations she has made over the past 50 years.

A LifelongG

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ChemistryAlum Marie Veibell is a longtimesupporterof USU students

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She enjoys reading about USU in the newspapers and seeing how it has grown and all the research its students and faculty are doing. "le is interesting co see the campus grow and see all the new buildings popping up because chat's the reason I give - co help the university build itself up and offer more co its students and to the world. le can't grow without money, and it cakes donations from a lot of people co make a difference." Ross Peterson, USU 's vice president for university advancement, agrees. "The heart of donating at Utah Scaceis the consistent annual gifts from alumni and friends chat add up co make a big difference for individual departments and for students," Peterson says. "We appreciate their willingness co give back to help the university become a place where students can earn scholarships, work

"We had chis coffee ice cream in the store and nobody would buy it," she says. "So one day, we decided to change the name to 'Hawaiian Delight' and we sold out in about 20 minutes. The chief wasn't too happy, though, and cold me if I ever tried chat again, I was outta there."

Ji

"PEOPLE NEED A LITTLE HELP SOMETIMES, AND IF YOU CAN

HELP ONE PERSON, THEN THEY CAN HELP SOMEBODY Veibell's graduation photo from the 1947 USU yearbook, The Buzzer

l

with renowned professors and learn in state-of-the-arc facilities." Veibell graduated with a degree in chemistry and worked for 41 years as the laboratory manager at Logan Regional Hospital until she retired in 1990. In a 1986 newspaper article, 1he Heraldjournal lauded her hard work in '"Invisible' Laboratory Technologists Honored." When she first started her career, Veibell was the lone employee in the lab in the lab, the article read. Thirty-seven years later, she was responsible for a 33-member staff chat performed an average of 60,000 tests each month. During her tenure at the lab, she guided the use of an increasingly technological approach to the painstaking work she once did by hand. Before using her degree to manage the lab at the hospital, Veibell got her working experience at the Aggie Dairy where she was an "odds-n-ends girl." She helped make cheese, cue butter into squares and wrapped it and, of course, made and served ice cream.

ELSE, AND IT'S A GREAT CYCLE."

-MARIE

VEIBELL,

BS'47

CHEMISTRY

Veibell paid heed to his warning so she wouldn't lose her high-paying job - 75 cents an hour, up from 50 cents an hour the year before. After she graduated, Veibell stayed loyal to her alma macer. She continued to attend plays at the outdoor amphitheatre, see productions at the Caine Lyric Theatre, and her favorite - watch USU sports. For her 80th birthday in 2005, Veibell's family gave her a framed picture of the Hall of Fame basketball players from 1950-2005 chat she proudly displays in her home. She remembers watching the Homecoming foocbal game against Idaho Scace during Merlin Olsen's senior year in 1961 when the Aggies won 69-0. The next day's article in 1he Heraldjournal makes it easy co see why chis game stands out in the mind of an 83-year-old fan.

"The game featured a little bit of everything, from a slush-andsnow covered field to three senior linemen playing in the backfield," it read. "The Aggies pushed for their first touchdown just five minutes into the game ... Aggie defensive tactics were so effective chat during the first quarter the snow was not even disturbed on the north end of the field ... Tommy Larscheid's performance made him the most productive ball carrier in history, as he eclipsed the record set by Jack Hill." A native of Cornish, Veibell has spent her life in Cache Valley and wants USU students to know how lucky they are co have a good place to go to school. "You can get the same quality education, if not better, at Utah Scace as you can anywhere else," she says. "It's also got a great location - it's clean, close to the mountains, and if you look around, there's always something going on somewhere." -Annalisa

FALL 2008 I INSIGHTS

Purser

13

j

ALUMNI NE.Y'/5 \

USU RhodesScholarMarks

ACADEMIC MILESTONE Aggie alum and Oxford graduate Lara Anderson explores particlephysics,cosmology

R

At Oxford, USU Rhodes Scholar Lara Anderson wandered the same rose-bordered meadows and dusty passages that students have roamed for centuries. The university, she says, 'offers a kind of History that.i;omes with amal i · g ~n~ f · ontin:• ity.•

:r

Aecting on the past four years, Utah State Uniersity alum and Rhodes cholar Lara Anderson '03 , MS '04 says she's learned to appreciate what an international community can be and what a global viewpoint can accomplish. One of USU's most highly acclaimed scholars, Anderson , who earned degrees in physics and math from Utah State, graduated July 2008 from England's Oxford University with a doctorate in mathematical physics. ''As a theoretical physics student, my days at Oxford were taken up by research, teaching and studying," she says. "In the process, I lived and studied with people from literally everywhere and with nearly every possible ethnicity, philosophy, political creed and eclectic hobby. Being in the middle of such an extraordinarily varied, talented and just plain interesting group of people has been an incredible expe-

rience and one that I am definitely richer for." Graduation day was filled with the pomp, circumstance and odd rituals one might expect from the institution that inspired Rowling's Harry Potter novels. "Nearly the entire ceremony is conducted in Latin," Anderson says. ''Academic gowns are worn all around - complete with bits of fur and fluff and great Aoppy hats, in which key officials hide their Latin crib notes." Depending on the degree, some supplicants - as graduating students are called- get a ceremonial whack on the head with a book. Anderson says she was sorry to learn that the ritual didn't include recipients of doctoral degrees. "But we did get a personal handshake from the head of the university," she says. "And my family was able to join me in Oxford for the ceremony. It was a great way to

celebrate and thank my parents and brother for all their love and support." Anderson, who was named a Goldwater Scholar and a Marshall Scholar during her Aggie years, recently started a postdoctoral position at the University of Pennsylvania. An investigator of String Theory, she's using string theoretical techniques in an effort to provide new insight into particle physics and cosmology. The new Philadelphia resident is also a visiting researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N .J.She hops a train for the two-hour commute about three days a week. "The institute is where Einstein worked," she says. "Ir's an excellent opportunity to work with some of the top minds in my field." Along with her peers, Anderson is excited about the advent of Europe's Large Hadron Collider. "The results of this experiment have the potential to truly revolutionize our .understanding of fundamental physics," she says. 'Tm thrilled to be doing high energy physics at such an excitipg time." In particular, Anderson says, scientist will be watching to see if LH C's e~eriments reveal signs of

'supersymmetry' - that is, the idea chat all particles seen in nature have yet-unseen partner particles at higher energy scales. "Such findings will dramatically impact my field as whole as well as my own research," she says. As she puts her student days behind her and progresses to the next step of her career, Anderson says she's thought a lot about her undergraduate years at Utah State. 'Tm deeply grateful for all the help and support chat my physics

and math professors at USU gave me," she says. "Their kindness, patience and endless enthusiasm for their subjects encouraged me to pursue the things that fascinated me most. " -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

Anderson celebrated her recent graduation from Oxford with her family,from left, mother Sher, brother Luke, a senior mechanical engineering major at USU and father Andy, faculty member in USU's Biology Department.

ALUMNI NEWS

"THE NATION FACES MANY CHALLENGES SUCH AS UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE, DEVELOPING NEW SOURCES OF ENERGY, AND CONTINUING TO PROVIDE NATIONAL AND HOMELAND SECURITY. SOL

CAN

CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE NEEDED SOLUTIONS ...

" -DOUGLAS

LEMON DIRECTOR

SPACE DYNAMICS LABORATORY

Douglas Lemon

Physics Alum Named Space Dynamics Lab Director Douglas Lemon assumed new post Oct. 20

T

he Utah State University Research Foundation announced Sept. 9 the appointment of Douglas Lemon as the Space Dynamics Laboratory's new director. He succeeds Mike Pavich, who is retiring after five years of dedicated service. "The university is extremely pleased that Dr. Lemon has taken on the challenge of leading the Space Dynamics Laboratory in the midst of robust growth," said USU President Stan Albrecht. "Coupled with a deep affection for this university and the community, Dr. Lemon brings decades of scientific and technical vision which positions SDL to continue its impressive record of providing engineering solutions to 16 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2008

problems of national significance." Lemon holds a bachelor's degree and Ph.D. in physics from USU and was awarded the university's coveted Robins Award in 1974. Lemon's career spans nearly 30 years in various roles at Washington's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Since 2007, he has acted as PNNLs director of Laboratory Strategy, responsible for creating an institutional strategy, identifying emerging trends and opportunities, and overseeing the laboratory's R&D initiatives. Lemon also served as CEO of Advanced Geographic Information Systems, Inc., a PNNL technology spin-off company. As SDL looks into the future through its strategic plan, it aims to identify technologies

chat have the potential of development into for-profit companies. Lemon looks forward to returning to che valley and the challenges chat await him at SDL. "I am honored to be selected to lead SDL into its next period of growth and accomplishment," he said. "The nation faces many challenges such as understanding climate change, developing new sources of energy, and continuing to provide national and homeland security. SDL can contribute significantly to the needed solutions through its outstanding people and unique facilities. I am looking forward to returning co Cache Valley where I grew up and to Utah State University where my career in science and technology began." For more information about the laboratory visit www.spacedynamics. org. -Karen Wolfe Space Dynamics Laboratory

Alum Lars Peter Hansen Wins National Math Award Noted economist receives 2008 CME USU alum Lars Peter Hansen, is the Homer J. Livingston Distingu ished Service Professor at the University of Chicago .

tah Scace University alum Lars Peter Han sen is the recipient of a prestigious national award for economics research. Hansen , who serves as the Homer J. Livingston Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Economics and Statistics at the University of Chicago, received che 2008 CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) GroupMSRI Prize in Innovative Quantitative Applications . The annual prize recognizes math ematical or scaciscicalcontributions co the understanding of market behavior. Hansen received the prize medal , along with a $25,000 cash award, in an Oct. 24 ceremony at the Chicago headquarters of CME Group, an international financial services company. CME offers the honor in conjunction with the Mathematical Sciences Research ln scicuce, a research center in Berkeley, Calif Leo Melamed, a member of the prize selection committee and former head of CME Group, said Hansen richly deserves the award , crediting him

U

Hansen completed a doctorate in econom ics from che University of Minnesota in 1978. In 1981 , he join ed che University of Chicago's economics and statistics departm ent, where he excelled in th e field of financial data testing and estimation . "Probability theory and statistics provid e wonderful cools co explore financial economics," Hansen said. "I expect they will continue co provide insights into che understanding of the economic underpinnings of financial markets just as they have served ocher scientific fields of endeavor." Hansen is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American

Group-MS RI

"My TIME AT USU WAS

Prize

VERY IMPORTANT TO

with developing "one of th e cop statistical cools for the analysis of financial dat a." "(His) decades of mathematical research have brought about significant advances in the world of financial economics, " Melamed said. Hansen is che son of renowned former USU academic vice president and biochemistry professor R. Gaurch Hansen and Anna Lou Rees Hansen. He earned a bachelor 's degree in math from USU in 1974. "My time at USU was very important co my development as a scholar," he said. "I remember well the influence of such faculty members as Mike Windham in mathematics, Bartell Jensen and Mike Lyons in economics and Doug Alder in history. " Hansen said that Windham 's classes gave him "a great perspecti ve on mathematics ," while Jensen and Lyons prepared him co pursue graduate studie s in a cop economics program. "Dr . Alder cold me 'Do something special and don 't just imitate ochers,"' he said.

MY DEVELOPMENT AS A SCHOLAR. (HISTORY PROFESSOR) DouG ALDER TOLD ME 'Do

SOMETHING 1

SPECIAL AND DON T JUST IMITATE OTHERS."' - LARS PETER HANSEN Academy of Arcs and Sciences, a fellow of the Econometric Society and a fellow of the American Finance Association. He is a former John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow and Sloan Foundation Fellow. He is the recipient of che 2006 Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in Economics from Northwestern University , a Faculty Award for Excellence in graduate teaching from the University of Chicago, and co-winner of the Frisch Medal from the Econometric Society. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

FALL 2008 I INSIGHTS

17

COLLEGE NEWS

Making the Grade, Making a Difference College of Science Scholars CombineAcademic Excellencewith Service, Campus Involvement Fall '07 Valedictorian Amber Wilk, left, is joined by Dean Mary Hubbard and Wilk's faculty escort, Jim Cangelosi .

Amber Wilk Valedictorian, Fall 2007 From seventh grade on, Amber Wilk aspired to become a math teacher. Her choice was confirmed at Utah's Copper Hills High School, where her teacher for AP calculus was "amazing," she says. "She assigned each of us the project of teaching a class and it was a great experience for me," recalls Wilk. Born in North Carolina and raised in South Carolina, Wilk spent most of her high school years in Utah. "I chose Utah Scaceas my college destination because it offered a friendly campus away from home but not too far," she says. Wilk majored in composite mathematics/statistics education and quickly immersed herself in study. Along the way, she discovered interests in statistics and geology in addition to her love of math. For more than two years, Wilk worked with professor and faculty mentor Jim Cangelosi on the Utah Mathematics Endorsement Project. "This federally funded continuing education project helps teachers gain 18 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2008

their endorsement in mathematics," she says. "It was the best job I've ever had. I spoke with teachers all around the state who are in the mathematics classroom and gained so many new ideas." Wilk had the opportunity to pursue her own teaching experience as a student teacher with eighth and

"I'VE

ESPECIALLY

APPRECIATED THE CLOSE INTERACTION BETWEEN STUDENTS AND FACULTY

IN THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE." -RYAN

CAMPBELL, SPRING

2008

VALEDICTORIAN

ninth grade students at South Cache Center. A challenge with young teens, she says, is bolstering their confidence and convincing them they can succeed at math.

As she looks to the future, Wilk is considering graduate study in biostatistics and public health . "I'd like co travel and cry living in a place I've never been before," she says.

Ryan Campbell Valedictorian, Spring 2008 Exploring ways to improve Cache Valley's air quality , along with the viewscapes of some of the West's celebrated national parks, has been a central focus of Ryan Campbell's undergraduate career. A chemistry major with a Russian minor , Campbell combined his academic studies at USU with applied research in weather sensors at Campbell Scientific, Inc., a company founded by his uncles. Working with mentors at USU and CSI, he developed a mathematical model to match the visibility readings of a CSI present-weather sensor with aerosol readings in Cache Valley. To pursue his project, Campbell studied research conducted by the federally funded lnteragency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) projects in national parks and

COLLEGE NEWS

wilderness areas to understand the relationship between aerosol concentration and light extinction. "I've always liked chemistry and math," Campbell says. "And I've especially appreciated the close interaction between students and faculty in the College of Science." While at USU, the Cache Valley native found ways to integrate his passion for science, along with his love of music and the outdoors, with his interests in international affairs and business . The Phi Kappa Phi Fellow taught kayaking, guided tours in Grand Teton, Yellowstone and the Idaho wilderness, performed and recorded with the folk band, DAH, and participated in East European Student Union and Chemistry Club activities. Campbell is the recipient of numerous academic awards, in-

Spring '08 Valedictorian Ryan Campbell, right, is joined by his faculty escort Stephen Bialkowski and Dean Hubbard.

eluding the Division of Analytical Chemistry American Chemical Society Award and the Harris 0. and Eleanor Y. Van Orden Endowed Scholarship. Beyond USU, Campbell plans to continue his employment with

CSI and explore graduate interdisciplinary graduate study in scientific instrumentation and business. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

Spring 2008 Honors Scholar of the Year Ashley Wilkinson , Biology Honors Graduates William Israelsen , Michael Whyte Biology Peak Prize Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Arthur Mahoney Computer Science Undergraduate Teaching Fellow of the Year Justin Peterson Biology Robins Award - Legacy of Utah State Award Bradley Hintze Chemistry and Biochemistry

Graduate Student (MS) Researcher of the Year Amanda Cangelosi Mathematics and Statistics Graduate Student (PhD) Researcher of the Year Robins Award USU Graduate Research Assistant Award Dmitry Zubarev Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Student Teacher of the Year Nicole Davidson Biology USU Professional Employee of the Year James Coburn , Physics

College of Science Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year Alvan Hengge Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Science Faculty Researcher of the Year James Powell Mathematics and Statistics College of Science Faculty Teacher of the Year Keith Mott . Biology College of Science Faculty Advisor of the Year Robins Award - USU Faculty Advisor of the Year David Peak . Physics

FALL 2008 I INSIGHTS

19

to record re-entry images IN A BRILLIANT RAINBOW of color, the European Space Agency's Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle burst through the Earth's atmosphere Sept. 29 and disintegrated - along with cons of waste picked up from the Internacional Space Station. "That's exactly what it was designed co do," says Utah Scace University physics professor Mike Taylor who, along with USU postdoctoral researcher Jonathan Snively, was among an international team of scientists aboard a NASA jet studying the disposable spacecraft's dramatic re-entry. Taylor and Snively departed NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California Sepe. 26 and headed to Tahiti to prepare for the unmanned space freighter's return co Earth's atmosphere. The Aggie physicists were tapped co capture video of the spacecraft as it plunged from orbit over a deserted swath of the South Pacific. 20 INSIGHTS

I FALL2008

Aboard a NASA DC-8 observation plane, Taylor and Snively mounted five different types of video cameras to record data of the tour bus-sized ATV as it zoomed along a precisely calculated path and splintered into pieces. "It was much brighter and more colorful than we expected," Snively says. "We're typically looking at natural phenomena - meteors in the Earth's atmosphere. To see something large and manmade was a very interesting opportunity ." The pair collected nearly 30 hours of data char they'll be analyzing over the next year. "Studying the spacecraft's re-entry and how it reacted reveals valuable information about the behavior of and emissions from falling satellites - both manmade and natural," Taylor says. In 2006, Taylor photographed the re-entry of NASA's Searduse capsule, which "acted like a giant meteor," he says.

"We recorded carbon emissions from chat craft - something no one else has seen," Taylor says. Named for the famed French science fiction writer, the Jules Verne, the first of Europe 's ATVs, was launched from French Guiana March 9. Ir successfully docked with the ISS about a month later, delivering tons of essential food, water, propellant and equipment. A welcome visitor, it corrected the space station's drifting orbit and even helped the flying lab dodge passing space junk. Upon leaving, it cook out the station's crash. Taylor and Snively's flight was not so flawless. "We barded 160mph head winds, so our pilots had a hard time keeping the NASA plane on a course co enable us co capture images of the ATV," Taylor says. The pair also recounted the challenge of mounting cameras in flight, getting ready co record data and dismancling and scowing equipment before landing - all in a

COLLEGE NEWS

◄ Video still of the European Space Agency's Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle as it returned from its space mission Sept. 29. USU physicists Mike Taylor and Jonathan Snively, with colleague Antoine Banvandi of ESA, captured the image from a NASA observation jet.

confined space with multiple teams of scientists. "Nothing could be mounted until after takeoff, such we had to work quickly and carefully to protect sensitive equipment and avoid any mishaps during turbulence," Taylor says. "We had quite a spaghetti bowl of cables and were worried stiff about something getting disconnected. But everything worked and we're delighted with the results so far." The Jules Verne represents an important milestone for the ESA and future ATV missions. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

Taylor, left, and Snively aboard a NASA DC-8 observation plane . Using five different types of video cameras, the physicists, with colleague Antoine Banvandi of ESA, recorded data from the Jules Verne spacecraft's dramatic re-entry.

UtahState U NIV

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u ii bin 6

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of science a,;

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College of Science Unveils Updated Web Site Visit us at www .usu.edu/sc ience

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:\r rill' q arr of fal l scnh:StlT rhc ( :ollq,~l' of Scil 'llll ' L1u11chnl a nc,, · \'\d1 sitl ' ,It ,, ·,,w .ust1.l'dt1/ scil'llll '. S 1oning an u xla1nl dl'sign ;111dIll"\\' 1ho10s, thl · sire is inll 'llLkd to scrn · as a ga1hning plaLl ' for i11form.1tio11 and ideas. ' lhc home p .1gl' of rill ' Ill'\\' sill' k,Hurcs a cdcnLlar and rl'LL'IHlll·,, ·s ahoul 1hc rnllcgl '. ( )nc of the goals of the nc,, · sitl' is 10 prm idc a Ll"IHral lou1io11 \\'hlTL' stude n ts . alumni. foculi, · and staff can com ·cnicn1h- access lll'\\'S and information about \\'hat's happening in rhc colkgl '. \'\ 'c in, ·itc ,·ou to honkm ;1rk the sire ;111d, ·isi1 us often.

FALL 2008 I INSIGHTS

21

COLLEGE NEWS

College of Science Home to

' ol en Scholars' Two studentsnamed GoldwaterScholars, USU's 2008 Goldwater Scholars . (left to right) Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes (scholarship recipient), Sydney Chamberlin (honorable mention), Cody Tramp (honorable mention) and Tamara Jeppson (scholarship recipient).

Tamara Jeppson and Jodie Barker-Tvedmes were named 2008 Goldwater Scholars by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Aggie scientists Sydney Chamberlin and Cody Tramp were awarded honorable mentions in the prestigious competition. "For the first time in the university's history, all of the candidates we submitted were accepted for awards," said Joyce Kinkead, USU associate vice president for research. "We're very proud of these outstanding students." In addition to this year's award recipients, Utah State boasts nine Goldwater Scholars and two honorable mention recipients from previous years. The scholar award includes a two-year scholarship of up to $7,500 per year. "This is a testament to the fantastic research mentorship provided to these students by faculty at USU," said Mary S. Hubbard, dean ofUSU's College of Science. "These 22 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2008

two receive honorable mention

awards confirm that our students are prepared to compete with the best nationwide. I applaud the accomplishments of these young scholars." Jeppson, a graduate of Bear River High School in Garland, Utah, is majoring in geology and physics. With faculty mentor Jim Evans, she is studying how earthquake energy is partitioned along the San Andreas Fault. Jeppson completed a summer internship in applied geophysics at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2007. Following graduation from USU, she plans to pursue a doctorate in geophysics, conduct research and teach at the university level. Salt Lake City native BarkerTvedtnes was named a Goldwater Honorable Mention recipient in 2007. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in physics with a minor in classics. In summer 2007, Barker-Tvedtnes attended the Polar Aeronomy Radio Science Summer School in Alaska, where she conducted

research on noctilucent clouds with faculty mentor Mike Taylor. She received a 2008 Outstanding Student Award for Undergraduate Research from the National Society of Physics Students and traveled to the International Conference of Physics Students in Cracow, Poland in August 2008 to present her research. Barker-Tvedtnes plans to continue her studies at the graduate level and conduct research in upper atmospheric physics at a government or academic institution. Chamberlin, a physics, mathematics and political science major from South Jordan, Utah, achieved the rank of cadet colonel in the Civil Air Patrol. She received the patrol's highest honor, the General Carl A Spaatz Award, in 2007. While at USU, Chamberlin earned a scholarship for summer study at Germany's Friedrich Schiller University. She plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematical physics and an academic career. Lander, Wyo., native Cody Tramp is a third year student major-

COLLEGE NEWS

Student Chem/ Biochem Club Receives ing in molecular biology and biochemistry. The USU Undergraduate Research Fellow is pursuing four ongoing research projects. He was named a 2008 Governor's Scholar by Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. Tramp's goals include earning a doctorate in both molecular and cellular biology. He plans to conduct research in stem cell biology and work in a national research labora-

tory. USU's 2008 honorees are among 321 award recipients selected from a field of 1,035 math, science and engineering students nominated by colleges and universities nationwide . Previous Aggie honorees are Jennifer Albretsen Roth, physics, Arthur Mahoney, computer science and Barker-T vedtnes (Honorable Mention), physics, in 2007; Logan McKenna, electrical engineering; Heidi Wheelwright, physics; and Keith Warnick (Honorable Mention), physics, in 2006; Stephanie J . Chambers, biology and David Hatch, physics, in 2004; Jamie B. Jorgensen, physics, in 2002; Lara B. Anderson, physics, in 2001 and Jeff Jacobs, mechanical engineering, in 1998. The Goldwater Scholar program was established by Congress in 1986 to foster academic excellence in science, engineering and mathematics in the nation's universities. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

National Recognition Aggie chemists lauded for outreach efforts to K-12 students

•.~ .J

-, • t~

'~ Chem/Biochem Club member Natasha Haslam, left, demonstrates an experiment to youngsters at USU's recent Celebration of Children and Families event.

USU'S CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY CLUB, a st udent affiliate chapter of the American Chemical Society, was among 40 student chapters nationwide selected by the society for an Outstanding Chapter Award for the 2007-08 academic year. ' ]he USU group was chosen from more than 330 student chapters. ll1e Aggies will be recognized in an awards ceremony during the society's annual national meeting thi s spring in Salt Lake City. "Formation of an officially recognized ACS chapter is an achievement in and of itself." says Steve Scheiner, head of USU's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. "To receive an Outstanding Chapter Award is a wonderful testament to efforts and commitment of these students and their faculty mentors, Scott Ensign and Lisa Berreau." ' !he ACS lauded the USU chapter's community service outreach efforts. Referring to the club 's coordination of the university-wide "G oing Green Extravaganza" Earrh Day celebration held April 2008 on the USU Quad, selection committee members wrote, "(c oordinating) a 4500-person extravaganza was an aweso111eachievement. Great job." In addition, the committee applauded the chapter's outreach programs to youngsters . During the 2007-08 academic year, the club presented che111isrry demonstrations at elementary schools throughout Cache Valley and beyond , as well as to preschool and scout groups. ll1e club also presented at USU celebrations, including Aggie Family Day and the Com111unity Children's Halloween Carnival. Club members served as judges for a science fair held at lnTech Collegiate High School. a charter school emphasizing math and science on USU's Innovation Campus. ' !he members have also mentored high school students during on-campus lab field trips and during a su111mer high school internship program hosted by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Our student chapter is raising the level of understanding of chemistry throughom our community," Scheiner says. "USU is setting a fine example for other chapters and preparing the next generation of chemical professionals," says Bruce Bursten, ACS president. -M 111yA1111 /1.111/ji,lctto FALL2008 I INSIGHTS

23

Are YOU a Physics Day Alum? In preparation for this coming spring's 20th anniversary celebration of USU Physics Day, the College of Science would like to hear from past participants. To share your memories of Physics Day, contact college writer Mary-Ann Muffoletto at maryann.muffoletro@usu.edu.

COLLEGE NEWS

Professor Richard Cutler is the new head of USU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Richard Cutler Named Mathematics & Statistics Department Head Mathematician-turned-statistician sees bright future for USU department UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY'S Richard Cutler once thought of himself as a pure mathematician. Borrowing a quote from the legendary Mae West, he says, "I used to be as pure as the driven snow, then I drifted." The temptation? The irresistible lure of graduate study in statistics at the University of California-Berkeley. Cutler's change of academic direction yielded a number of benefits including deepened respect and appreciation for both theoretical and applied disciplines of math and statistics. It's a foundation chat serves him well as he steps in as head of USU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics. 'Tm very comfortable in a joint department," says Cutler, who assumed his new responsibilities June 1. Kenyan-born Cutler spent his formative years in New Zealand, completed undergraduate studies at the University of Auckland and earned master's and doc-

coral degrees from UC-Berkeley before joining USU in 1988. As department head, he succeeds Professor Russell Thompson, who has served in the position since 2000. Cutler notes that university program s embracing both theoretical and applied branches of math and scats are somewhat unusual. "Many statisticians chink of themselves as information scientists and some schools have separate departments where statisticians are grouped with disciplines ocher than math," he says. "But USU's mathematics and statistics department has a broad, inclusive approach chat offers diverse and stimulating learning opportunities." In addition co offerings in statistics and theoretical, applied and computational mathematics, USU offers a robust program in mathematics education . "We're not only training first-time teachers," Cutler says. "We're offering educational programs to enable current teachers to earn math certification as well as recruiting second-career professionals for training as math teachers." Cutler's aims for the department also include bolstering graduate and research programs. "We offer a rich environment of applied research with very few boundaries," he says. "Our researchers work with scientists in varied disciplines throughout the university." Cutler himself pursues diverse research projects with colleagues in USU 's Center for Epidemiological Studies along with ecological studies of threatened and invasive species. All disciplines depend on statisticians to make sense of burgeoning data secs in all kinds of fields, he says. "Statistics is relevant throughout scientific research as well as in industry." Regarding student recruitment, Cutler concedes that math and scats could benefit from an image makeover. "Many find mathematics and statistics boring or intimidating," he says. "But these disciplines offer a huge variety of exciting study and career opportunities. Exploring the causes of hip fractures - an increasingly serious epidemic among the nation's growing elderly population - facial birch defects, autism; predicting rhe disperal of invasive species and the spread of destructive mountain pine beetles; unlocking the mysteries of the Earth's upper atmosphere, forecasting currency exchange rares, exploring genomics and cryptography. These and more, Cutler says, are among the many exciting applied projects faculty in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are currently pursuing. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

FALL 2008 I INSIGHTS

25

COLLEGE NEWS

"We're delighted that Laura is inter ested in helping us and will mak e good use of the StarLab," says Neil Dabb, program coordinator for Junior Engineering. A portion of Swift's grant will purchase a new projection cylinder for the portable dome, whic h is inflated with an electric blower and accom modates about 25 children at a time. 1he remainder of the grant will provide support toward a student int ern and advert isin g of the program. Starting in January 2009, Swift plans to donate her time for evening presentations at local schools.

USU alum Laura Swift, center , accepts a Smart Women Grant check from Scott Anderson , left, president and CEO of Zions Bank, and Cece Mitchell, manage r, Zions Bank Women's Financial Group.

"USU,

Physics Alum Awarded Zions Bank Grant to Boost Science Outreach

IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S

WITH SPACE

DYNAMICS LABORATORY,

PREMIER SPACE RESEARCH

UNIVERSITIES. So,

IT MAKES

SENSE FOR LOGAN TO HAVE

Laura Swift plans planetarium tour for

A PLANETARIUM - TO SHARE

Cache Valley students

THE EXCITEMENT OF SPACE

USU GRADUATE LAURA SWIFT thinks a trip to the planetarium

WITH THE COMMUNITY'S

should be within everyone's reach - and she's on a personal mission to see that residents of Cache Valley can enjoy learning about the wonders of the night sky without a length y trip. Swift, who earned a bachelor 's degree in physics teaching from USU in 2004, is the recipient of a 2008 Zions Bank Smart Women micro-grant. She received a $2,647 award in an Oct . 16 ceremony at the bank 's Salt Lake City headquart ers in response to her proposal to upgrade USU's existing StarLab portabl e planetarium and use it for presentations throughout the community. "Utah ha s several planetariums including Salt Lake City's C lark Planetarium - one of the nation 's best," says Swift. "But getting there is a hardship for man y Cache Valley residents and the distance makes it too costly and timeconsuming for many local schools to arrange as a field trip." Swift learned that USU's Junior Engineering program owned a portable planetarium but the unit needed upgrades along with the manpower to conduct presentations using it. 26 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2008

YOUNG PEOPLE." -PHYSICS

ALUM LAURA SWIFT

"USU, with Space Dynamics Laboratory, is one of the world's premier space research universities," says Swift, who earned a master 's degree from France's International Space University. "So, it makes sense for Logan to have a planetarium - to share the excitement of space with the community's yo ung people. " -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

Thankyou for your

SUPPORT

The Campaign for Utah State UniverJity

THANK YOU FOR THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT you have shared with the College of Science this year. We continue to make progress coward reaching our campaign goal of $10 million. The funds you share with the College of Science are critical to our efforts to provide our students access to a college education and the opporruniry to learn from our talented and dedicated faculry. A number of the students highlighted in chis issue of Insights have benefited from endowed funds supporting scholarships and research experiences . I hope you share our sense of celebration at their accomplishments. Endowments supporting scholarships, research and faculry teaching truly transform lives in perperuiry , and we are grateful for individuals who have established a legacy of supporting academic success and achievement at Utah State . The majoriry of the endowments in the College of Science have been established by people who know us best - our faculry. We invite Science alumni to join our faculry and other generous alumni in supporting th e College of Sci-

ence through an annual gift or by establishing an endowment. Your support, in combination with the dedication and hard work put forth by our students and faculty, resulcs in transformational outcomes. I encourage you to use our secure giving link at https://www .usu.edu/ campaign/ giving to make an annual gift to the College of Science this year. Please contact me if you have questions about establishing an endowment. Thank you for the support you share with the College of Science at Utah State University.

Chris Tallackson College of Science Development Director chris.tallackson@usu.edu 435-797-3510

Homecoming Spirit: Physicists at Work AS PART OF A LONG-STANDING 1\ggil·

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Aggi e phy sicists . from left . Dan Burton , Merissa Himle, Jake Knight . Robert Call . Ethan Lindstrom . Tom Apedaile , Tamara Jeppson . Eve Fowles and Megan Lindstrom , combine work with play.

tr;1ditio11, ( :olk-gl · of Scil'IKl' ,tt1dl'11t Lit1h, joi11nl tl1l· lil\111 with grot1p, across la111pt1, 10 " 1',1i111 I lo1m·lo111i11g\\ 'l·l·k. Blt1l'" during ( ktohn\ USU\ chaptn of till ' Sm il't\ " of l'hnil , \111tk111' ., "did it t1p right " with a11 i11n·11ti\·l·. ht1111nrot1 1:_;l\t <>II~()() tk,ig11 Ul'atio11. ' lht·ir ,trl·l·t p.1i111i11g in rhL· hL·ar1 ofL ;1111pt1,tkpiLtnl " l'll\ ·sili , 1, ;II ·11utiLal n;prn,io11 il1.11i, \\/ork " with thl' 111.11hl of 'w ork · i 11pln-,il ,. io11 I i 11 ddi I he tl·cl111ic;d ' lhl' Aggil· phniLiq, ' lrl·,11io1111.1,k:1111rl·d011 \\ 'l·h ,i IL' till' 11a1io11;d Sm il'I 1· of I'hnil , '--,111tk111, · of il1L·1\lo111h" 1;,r ( )Ltohn 2008. a, thL· " l111;1gl

FALL 2008 I INSIGHTS

27

TRANSITIONS

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 435.797.1619 www.chem.usu.edu DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE 435.797.2451 www.cs.usu.edu DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY 435.797.1273 www.usu.edu/geo

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS 435.797.2809 www.math.usu.edu DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS 435.797.2857 www.physics.usu.edu

Professor Susanne Janecke

Promotions Susanne Janecke, professor, Geology VladimirKulyukin,associate professor, Computer Science Xiaojun Qi, associate professor, Computer Science Linda Du.Hadway, senior lecturer , Computer Science John Flores, senior lecturer, Biology

New Faculty Daniel Bryce, assistant professor, Computer Science Renee Bryce, assistant professor, Computer Science Nathan Geer, assistant professor, Mathematics and Statistics Shane Larson, assistant professor, Physics Nghiem Nguyen, assistant professor, Mathematics and Statistics

\l USU alu111and rn1eritus professor of physics John Karl Wood passed away May 16, 2008, in Logan at the age of 88. Wood graduated fro111Utah State Agricultural College with bachelor's and 111aster'sdegrees in 1941 and 194.1, respectively, and subsequently earned his doctorate degree fro111 Pennsylvania State University. He joined USU's faculty as department head of the Physics Depart111ent in 195(1 and remained with the department unti l his retire111ent in 1975 . Over the course of his distinguished career, Wood taught during USU's post-war srudent boom and rebuilt USU's machine shop. With Nobel Prize-winning physicist Kai Siegbahn, Wood developed an X-ray speurometer that measured energy leve ls of electrons. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, to whom he was married f<>r(10 years. Wood is survived by his ch ildrrn James, Robert, Donald and Llizabeth and their spouses, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, as wel l as his siblings Stephen, Patricia and 1\h:--ine .

28 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2008

ll . :\'

KEEPING IN TOUCH

1970s Mike Simpson (BS 2002) , Blackfoot, Idaho/Washington, DC. Rep. Simpson (R-ldaho), who is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives for Idaho 's Second Congressional District, was awarded honorary membership in the Academy of General Dentistry July 30, 2008. Simpso n, who earned a DDS degree from Washington Universiry School of Deneal Medicine in 1979 and has been a general dentist in private practice for more than 20 years, was cited for his efforts in sponsori ng legislation advancing the importance of preventive oral health care. Simpson left USU in the 1970s before graduating to enter dental schoo l. He was awarded a bachelor's

degree from Utah State during spring commencement in 2002. Simpson is married to USU alum Kathy Simpson, his wife of 36 years. Also of note: Simpson was named to Esquire magazine 's 2008 list of the "Top 10 Most Principled and Committed Members of the U.S Cong ress."

2000s Suzanne Copeland Baker (BS 2001, Physics) , Jacksonville, Florida . In her seventh year of teaching Physics Honors and Advanced Placement at Edward H. White High School in the Duval Counry School District, Baker was named Teacher of the Year 2007-08. This past year, she mentored a student robotics team that placed fifth in regional competition. Baker sponsors

a Junior Civitan communiry service chapter with 120 student members . She was named Outstanding Faculry Advisor of the Year with Junior Civitan International and also received a Civitan International Foundation Junior Fellow Award. In addition, Baker serves as assistant coach for her school's cross country and track team. She and fellow coaches won Women's Team Second Place Overall in the 2008 Gate River Run 15K Championship. Baker is married to USU alum Chris Baker '02 and they have a four-year-o ld daughter, Ellie.

We welcome news from College of Science alumni. Please contact editor Mary-Ann Muffoletto at maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu or 435- 797 -3517 .

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ALUMNET

ALUMNET Dear College of Science Alumni and Friends, We'd like to hear from you! We hope you'll take a moment to drop us a line. No postage is required. Simply clip this page from the magazine, fold on the dotted line, tape shut and drop it in the mail. You can also email information to maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu or fax us at 435.797.3378. Name

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