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FROM THE DEAN

l'M HONORED

TO BE ASKED

TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY FOR

USU,

WHICH HAS BEEN MY ACADEMIC HOME FOR NEARLY

f you're looking at my photo and thinking, "He Looksfamiliar .... ," you're right. After nearly nine years, I returned as dean of the College of Science in September - a position I previously held for almost 11 years. My predecessor, Mary Hubbard, was tapped to take a leadership role in the university's increased effons in global engagement and recently stepped into the position of vice provost for international education. I'm honored to be asked to serve in this capacity for USU, which has been my academic home for nearly 38 years. I'm fortunate to be associated with a cadre of scholars and administrators who believe we should seize opportunities to become ever better , despite the current economic climate. My task is to find ways for faculty and students to realize their personal goals while we all work to achieve university-wide objectives. We have much to celebrate, including: • Physics professor David Peak was recently named a 2009 Carnegie Professor of the Year, continuing USU's impressive recognition in this prestigious national competition; • Mathematics professors Larry Cannon and Bob Heal, along with their colleagues Jim Dorward and Joel Duffin, received the 2009 Governor's Medal for Science and Technology in recognition of their effons in the development of

the internationally acclaimed National Library of Virtual Manipulatives; • USU Physics Day ar Lagoon celebrated its 20th anniversary this past May. To date, more than 100,000 teens have taken part in this exciting event char introduces the fun of science; • Science Unwrapped, cl1ecollege's new outreach presentation series initiated by Dean Hubbard, is drawing hundreds of participants of all ages each month; • Geologists John Shervais and Jim Evans were recently awarded $4.9 million in Recovery Act funding to pursue a massive geothermal energy project in Idaho; and • Three of our students are 2009 Goldwater honorees, raising the number

YEARS.

of College of Science awardees co an impressive 11 in recent years. I look forward to working with colleagues, old and new, along with you, our alumni and friends, as we continue the search for excellence in reaching , research and service. These achievements have become a hallmark of this college. While these are difficult times for higher education, I admire the optimism that prevails at USU and within our college and the bright future it promises. Best regards,

Jim MacMahon Dean, College of Science

At this past May's USU Physics Day, Nathan Johnson, right, an eighth grader at Roy, Utah's Sandridge Junior High, describes the popcorn-filled container he's designed to protect his raw egg for the event's Physics Day Sky Drop Contest to Dean Mary Hubbard. 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of USU Physics Day, held at Davis County's Lagoon amusement park.

e of science

Insightsis the alumni magazine of Utah State University's College of Science. Our mission is to inform alumni and friends of current events, research, student activities and news within the college. The magazine also provides a forum to alumni to follow the careers and professional development of colleagues. Editor and principal writer for Insights is Mary-Ann Muffoletto. Special thanks to Dean Jim MacMahon, Dr. Mary Hubbard, Associate Dean Richard Mueller and Associate Dean Lisa Berreau for editorial oversight, Bob Wood for computer support; Bobbi Chatterton and Stephanie Dawson for mailing list coordination; Joseph Jenkins for development information and university photographer Donna Barry. Design by Holly Broome-Hyer. Printed at USU Publication Design and Production. © 2009 USU College of Science 0305 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-0305 USA Tel 435.797.2478 scido@usu.edu

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FALL 2009 2 FEATURES Unlocking Wyoming's Aquarium in Stone 'Fearless Farrell' at 50 in Physics Bottled Sun Challenging Science, Challenging Students Not the Sarne 01' Rodeo Bug Theatre Science Unwrapped

14 ALUMNI FEATURE Hairy Tumors and the Rare 17th Century Text

18 ALUMNI NEWS

19 2008 ROLL OF DONORS

22 COLLEGE NEWS Teaching Excellence Keeping the World Safe from Storms in Space Making the Grade, Making a Difference Striking Gold

27 GIVING BACK Alumni Nonresident Legacy Scholarship Physics Unveils New Observatory

28 TRANSITIONS

• Never Too Late 29 KEEPING IN TOUCH • • • • ON THE COVER • Geology graduate student Blair Larsen, shown at a fossil quarry at Wyoming's Fossil • Butte National Monument, received National Science Foundation funding to create an • online geology teaching module for the Earth System Science Education Alliance. Read more on page 2.

• Coverphoto byDonna Barry. • • Visit us on the Web at www. usu.edulscience

•

FALL2009 I INSIGHTS

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ising from the sagelands like a lonely OC9ll liAel\ Fossil Butte reflects a ,Larsen, who conducted the project 1 rainbow of desert hues along its steep , furrowed waJ,ls. Watching wispy part of the requirements fur her rec~ncly ' clouqs sail past the nati'Qnal monument 's prow, it's not so hard to imagine completed master's degree in Applied ( , / \ I / a vast chain oflakes teeming with ' varied aquatic creatures .' And chat's exEnvironmencll Geosciences, c 'eared an ' ~ccly how the arid , sagebrush-sr4dqed Gre~n River Formation , ofwhich Fossil Burce online learning module for th~ NSF and forms the center, app~red somq 50 ' million years ago:: , 1 ,: }• NASA-supported Earth System Scit n,ce ~ To<4iy,the region generallx o~e;.s blue skies, dry WiQds and freq~ nt glimpses of , ' Education Alliance, bkccer known as ch1pmurtks, squirrel ~ and pronghorn in the high dese rt climate. But locl<, ~d in Fossil ESSEA. Entitled "Analyzing Preservation Buttls walls is a treasure trove of fossils chronicling a progression of early life, n;mch Bias in Greeri River Form'ationF 'sh 'Fosdifferent from today 's irrh.abitants, frozen in stone. sils," the module,cransp~ f cs students and 1 fossi~ Butte offers a.ri''ideal outdoor classroom if you're ~ky ,enough td live teachers to Wyoming 's colossal paleonto-\ V withtn /a manageable 1riving distance of 'outhrestern Wyomipg' and your school has ~ogicalcache. 1 the tilljle and resources to provide Y,OU and y.oui-classmates with a tour. But rry,sc q.f ,, "The modules offer secoqdai;y teachthe nation 's middle scho~ers are ~~'t so fo'rwnace - until n'ow. • ~ :\ , ' ers problem-based learning activities they , With , a grant from the Naciophl _S iende Foundation and can use with their students ," Larsen says. isced by the pbwer · < of the Web, Utah ScaceUniversity geologist Blair Larsen has unlocked Wyoming's ·"~urr ,e1 modules Jnclude such 1/)pics "Aquarium ih Stone," as Fossil Butte is known. Sµidents in far-flung classrooms, in as climate change ,' ice,sheets, cotal reefs, ( ~ \ \ regi<{_ns vastly different from the' Green River Formation , can now experience the , Mount Pinatubo an<\ Hurricane K-a.crina.'' wonders o~Eoce,ne life,\ \' , , ' ' Theintent of eafh module 's learn- ' ' I I 1 ' I· ' ' I 2 INSIGHTS I FAl'..L2009'• 't. • '1 1' • , ('

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The students use data collected by National Park Service scientists ac Fossil Butte co investigate the data sec and brainstorm the possible preservation biases: size, anatom y, class and so forth. Each team member pursues research of one or more of the possible preservation biases and shares their findings , with the group. n "The project offers students the opportunity co work with authentic data ," says Arvid Aase, National Park Service paleontologist at Fossil Butte National Monument , who assisted Larsen in developing the module. "It's a real-world exercise chat. allows students I co experience cutting-edge scientific discovery without leaving the classroom ." 1 '' Students ~espond well to problem~based learning activities," Larsen < says. "They feel like they have,; job co ' n do, no ()jus t an ,~mpcy exercise.") · ) I · I I I , 1f I She sees die ESSEA projec as a I f ,,, I • ing activities, she says, is to introduc e What happened to the ferns, croco• ,, boon '1:0 teacher;; who are trying co pro- ' st 'de~~ co ahan ds-on probleQ1chat ,dile~ stingrays, dog-sized hi rses and ' ·1· { vide 1n ea,riingft,tl learning opportun"ties 1 th;ey ~ave;:co solve. masses of fish captured in stone? with dwindling resourc,es. 1 "1p~ a:=tivities make science rel- , "The, proce ses that lead co fossil "Teachers want co provide excitevant," ~ays Larsen, wh;S caught middle preservation are fu mplex apd integrated iflg learning opportuni .ties for thejr school science for 11 ye.ifs. , ,wrth the foJr~ ~e~~~ /ith~phere , smdents but th f ofteh l~cjc the rime , resources to. de;velop Dhemon their , Larsen's module ,casts students in )· 1, ~iosphere, , cmom ~re, hydrospher e:," 1 t\ie ro)e of raleoncology intern s-:issignd :I 1 teads the1esson module, "You~ tfsk) s to 1, ~;"'Jl," Larsf n say~.l'.'The EssiA mo,d-,' theris k of analyzing act~al quarr i \laca t f ~ · clevelo~anBarch •Sr.scei;nSpie1\le'a}/alf ) ules provid e ,free resd'lrcet' for teachers , , fo~ pbte11tialfossv preservation !>).s~ d J · sis 'tpat explains t~e four sph ·res '• everywhere at the couch\>f a keygoard. " • ,c preparing an exhi~it tpal:tells the stbry ' , .in~eract f O crea& tl\'e mas~ fish rilonhl< i I 'J ' --:-M a~ -Ann Muffoletto I of rp:iss' fish fossil preservation, found in icy)ayers often see in 111heGreen River · I (~: the im'posin~ monument. Foim a'tion."

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FEATURE

/j . Edwards and his wife , Ann , were honored at a surprise banquet this past spring , celebrating his 50th anniversary at USU.

'Fearless Farrell' at

Ac the gathering - attended by Edwards ' ten children and many of his grandchildren, - colleagues, former students and family members reminisced about the longtime professor 's achievements and offered a genero us share of good-natured roasting. Physics department head Jan Sojka recalled an early encounter with Edwards, when the latter cavorted in his trademark orange superhero cape emblazoned with the phrase, "Phearless Farrellthe Fizisist." The occasion was a 1978 gathering of undergraduates , to whom Edwards was demonstrating the lighter side of physics. "He never cakes himself too seriously," said his son Boyd Edwards, USU alum and Russell and Ruth Bolton Professor of Physics at West Virginia University. "He inspires students to think deepl y and question authority. " The younger Edwards describes his father as an innovator and nonconform-

50INPHYSICS USU Physics Department honors longtime professor Farrell Edwards

tah State University physics professor Farrell Edwards entered a spring 2009 banquet in his honor in genuine astonishment. 'Tm overwhelmed, thrilled and thank you so very much, " Edwards told nearly 200 guests who joined him at the Logan Country Club for a surprise celebrat ion of his 50th anniversary at USU. "I wish you a pleasant 50 years to come - I'll still be here ." The 77-year-o ld thought he was going to a fundraiser to aid his grandchildren 's choir program , said Eric Held , associate professor of physics, research colleague of Edwards and a party organizer . "Farrell's wife, Ann , helped us come up with a plan ."

4 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2009

FEATURE

ist, who pursues research "not on the edges where top ics are hot but in the cold, forgotten center." Edwards said his father counsels the same approach to life and research: "Ask deep questions , take risks, enjoy the journey and be sat isfied w ith the result." Douglas Lemon , a former stud ent of Edwa rds and executive vice president and director of laboratories at Utah State University Research Found ation, praised his mentor 's encouragement and inspiration . "He made physics fun - he took the fear out of physics ," said Lemon, who first met Edwards nearly 40 years ago when the professo r spoke to the then-teen and his classmates in Sky View High Schoo l's science club. Lemon noted that Space Dynamics Laboratory is full of Edwards' form er stud ents, ranging from scientists and engineers who took his classes decades ago to current undergraduates . ''As I asked them about their experiences with Farrell, I heard the same things over and over," he said. "They describe him as caring, ent hu siastic and a terrific teacher. " Lemon expressed gratitu de to his former professor, who was instrume ntal in SDI.:s early years and is contributing to research in the recently estab lished USU Energy Dynamics Lab . Edwards' current research on renewable energy, including investigation of plasma containment and the possible development of a fusion neutron generator, will play a key role in the USTAR-funded lab's future, he said . Longtime colleagues Eastman Hatch , emer itu s professor of physics, and USU Vice President of Advanc ement Ross Peterson also spoke at the gathering. "In five decades , Farrell's legacy is his students," Peterson said. ''Aside from his family, hi s imprint is on his ereEdwards , left, in his trademark orange cape, with son, Dr. Boyd Edwards , Bolton Professor of Physics at West Virginia University .

mendous commun ity of students who are making an impact throughout the wo rld ." In Edwards ' honor , the Physics Department announced th e estab lishment of the Farrell and Ann Edwards Scho larship End owment to an nu ally recogni ze outstanding stude nt s pursuing degrees in physics teaching. In augural recipients of the award , anno un ced at the banquet , are current USU students

Jared Gee, Justin Gudmundson, Milo Maughan, Brent Rose and And y Spencer. "Beyond the age when many in his profession have retired , Farrell is amazingly active as a researcher, reacher and mentor, " Held said. "He's a role model, an inspiration and a friend." -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

Physicist Farrell Edwards , pictured in a 1970 photo , is celebrating 50 years as a USU faculty member . An enthusiastic scientist , Edwards counsels students to 'ask deep questions , take risks , enjoy the journey and be satisfied with the result.'

FEATURE

Usinga tokamak, USUphysicists confine plasmato useits energyandneutrons.

he sun gives off enough light to equal four trillion 100watt light bulbs and converts nearly 5,000,000 tons of matter into energy each second. All of this energy is produced in the plasma core of the sun through nuclear fusion. We see the evidence of nuclear fusion energy in the world around

6 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2009

us - warm sunshine streaming in the window , fields of crops growing in th e sunlig ht, sunburn s. "Esse ntiall y, fusion is the source of energy in yo ur breakfast cereal," says Farrell Edwards , Utal1 State University physics professor. "Plants use light and energy from the su n to grow, and we use planes to eat. Thus, we consume the products of nucle ar fus ion each day." The results of fusion energy are all around us; however , the byproducts of fusion are not only energy, but neutrons as well. But how is the fuel, such ashydrogen in the sun , held together at the extremely high temperature required for fusion? The sun does it through gravity . Scientists on earth are trying to do it using magnetic fields. Edwards and his colleagues are investigating a new way to use magnetic fields to confine plasma long enough to use its energy and neutrons. Plasm as are created when enough heat is app lied to gas to cause its atoms to lose their electrons . The remaining ioni zed gas is called plasma. When enough heat is applied in this process , nuclear fusion occurs. "The trick is to hold the stuff together at one hundred million degrees ," says Edwards. Thus, the goal is to reach a new stab le state of plasma equilibrium that will hold together long enough for it to be used. Once this state is reached, Edwards will be able to demonstrate that he can indeed bottle the sun 's energy for a second, at least . To comp lete this experiment, Edwards is using a tokamak, which is a toro idal, or donut-shaped , device that produces a magnetic field to confine plasma. The tokamak that Edwards is using is on loan from the University of Saskatchewan, USU's partner in this research. The tokamak that he is using is called STOR-lM for "Saskatchewan Torus, model 1, Modified." Collaborating with Edwards are USU physics faculty members Ajay

FEATURE

Physics faculty members Farrell Edwards , right, and Ajay Singh are using a tokamak to confine plasma .

Singh, experimentalist and director of the laboratory, and Eric Held , a theorist. The team is working to heat a gas inside the tokamak to 100 million degrees Ce lsius in order to sustain fusion for a fair fraction of a second. Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico is conducting similar research and has already achieved heating plasma to 5 billion degrees and holding it together for lQA8 seconds or .00000001 seconds - not long enough for most purposes. There are many positive benefits that cou ld come from thi s research when completed . "If the new state is achieved, the consequences to plasma scient ists would be huge and could even go commercial ," says Jan Sojka , USU physics department head. The new plasma state could potentially explain a number of astronomical phenomena that Edwards has been studying and wou ld bring his research full circle. "The whole idea for this research started 20 years ago when I was studying Venus Aux ropes , or magnetic loops in Venus' ionosphere, " says Edwards . "This theory, if proven, wou ld provide an explanation for this phenomenon ." Results from this research wou ld also explain phenomena such as planetary magnetotails, or plumes of the magnetic field around the eart h , and coronal loops on the sun.

If successful, Edwards' research could also pave the way for creating a neutron generator, which would produce a neutron Bux much higher than any oth er generator curren tly on the market. Neutron generators are used in devices to examine luggage and detect potential airplane bombs, detect and treat cancer , and detect plastic land mines lefr over from war. Consequently , the Department of Homeland Security has great interest in devices such as this and earlier awarded USU a $350,000 contract to fund the research. So far, Edwards and his colleagues have published their findings on the new plasma state in Physical Review

Letters , one of the most prestigious physics jo urnal s. "Our research is really beginning to pick up steam ," says Edwards . "It is becoming recognized in the scientific community , and the possibilities for the future are exciting. " Although Edwards ' theory abo ut plasma equ ilibrium has not yet been proven , he feels that they are very close, expecting definite results within one or two years. He tells those who want to know the status of the research to "stay tuned. " "I h ave been working in the physics department at Utah State University for 50 years, and I don 't see any reason to stop now," says Edwards . "I am having too much fun messing aro und with my research, and in the end, it is just a delight to be alive." - Kinsey Love

KNOW YOUR TOKAMAKS A tokamak is a doughnut-shapedvacuum chamber surroundedby magnetic coils, says USU physicistEric Held. A tool for controlledfusion research, the device extracts useful power from thermonuclearfusion. The name 'tokamak'comes from a Russian acronymformed from words describinga toroidal chamber in which plasma, an ionized gas, is heated and confined by magneticfields. The first tokamak was invented in the 1950s by Soviet physicistsIgor YevgenyevichTamm and Andrei Sakharov, who were inspiredby an originalidea of Oleg Lavrentyev. FALL2009 I INSIGHTS

FEATURE

Chemistry professor Alex Boldyrev, second from right, and his doctoral students , from left, Dmitry Zubarev, Boris Averkiev and Alina Sergeeva , are challenging long-held ideas about the chemical bonding properties of metallic systems.

Challenging

SCIENCE, STUDENTS

Challenging

USU chemists challenge long-held ideas about inorganic compounds team of USU chemists, led by Professor Alexander Boldyrev, is at the forefront of a discussion that's causing the scientific community to rethink long-held ideas about the nature of inorganic compounds. In the process , oldyrev is priming his student team members for challenging and successful research careers. "Dr. Boldyrev is abso lutel y passionate about science and trainjng his students," says Dmitry Zubarev, who earned his doctorate in chemistry from USU and now holds a postdoctoral position at the University of California-Berkeley. "For him, instilling independent thinkjng and scient ific expertise in his students is as important as the research itself." Boldyrev, Zubarev and recent doctoral graduate Boris Averkjev and doctoral student Alina Sergeeva are investigating chemical bonrung properties of metallic systems. The team asserts that characteristics believed to app ly only to organic compounds can be extended ro some metallic compounds. Ir's an idea that, until recently, was thought to be impossible.

8 INSIGHTS

"Our studies make people argue with us constantly asÂˇwe defend our point of view," Zubarev says. "What we're discovering about certain metals is unexpected. " With colleagues at Washington State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the USU researchers have published their findings in a number of academ ic journals including PhysicalChemistry Chemical Physics, the American Chemical Society's Journal of PhysicalChemistry,Inorganic Chemistry,the journal of Chemical Physicsand the journal of tl1e American Chemical Society . Team members have also presented their findings at nationa l and international conferences. To understand the Aggie team 's research requires a brief history lesson. Since the 19th century, chemists have used the term "aromaticity" to describe the chemical bonding properties of organic compounds. The term is a bit mjsleading to the lay person, as the concept has little to do with the "aroma" associated with varied compounds. In a nutshell , aromaticity refers to a chemical property in which atoms bond in rings to form stable organic compo und s. By developing chemicalbonding models capab le of explaining and predicting the structures of metallic clusters , the USU researchers are revealing chat metals, too, exhibit aromaticity. "Ir's a big step," Boldyrev says. "What we're discovering is that metal systems have properties chat allow them to bond in ways that mimic organic materials. " Ascertaining the existence of mis type of bonding is important , Boldyrev says, as it could improve scientists' understanding of the nature of catalytic activity and lead to the design of new catalysts. "The development of chemical bonding models that rusplay this process cou ld have a significant imp act on rational design of nanocatalysts, nanomaterials with tailored properties ,

I FALL 2009

nano-scale electronic devices and more, " he says. "Th at's our goal." Beyond his scientific aims, Boldyrev is mentoring a new generation of scientists confiden cly poised to tackle new levels of thought. "The atmosphere you work in is one of che mo st important keys for success," Sergeeva says. "Dr. Boldyrev inspires us to work hard every day. He's a shining example of the profes sor I am eager to become one day." Averkiev says Boldyrev 's support and encouragement helped him publish more than nine papers in three years and afforded him the opportunity to presenc his research and make careerbuilding contacts in academic forums chroughouc the country. And his support goes beyond the lab, says Averkiev, a native of Moscow, Rus sia, who was named USU 's 2009 Graduate Student Researcher of che Year. "D r. Boldyrev mec me ac the Salt Lake airport when I first arrived in Utah an d helped me gee seeded in my new home ." "W hac I admire most about Dr. Boldyrev is that he treats our research ceam as if we were his own family," Sergeeva says. "He 's concerned about us. He feels respon sible for us. He stays in touch with former ceam members who have graduated to offer his support." Zubarev credits his professor with guiding and motivating him coward significant academic and research achievements during his years ac Utah Scace. Zubarev was named USU's 2008 Graduate Student Researcher of the Year; he says che award is recognition of Boldyrev's mencoring calenc and dedication. "Dr. Boldyrev invested a loc of cime in me ," he says. "If I ever happen co associate myself with a school of scientific thought, ic will be the 'School of Professor Boldyrev ."' -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

FEATURE

Not the

SameOL ROD ' EO

StatisticsAlum RebeccaAnderson'09 Excelsat Academics,Athletics

Air Mobility Rodeo 2009, eld this past July at Washngton's McChord Air Force ase, more than 2,500 members of the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and allied nation forces gathered to prove their operational prowess. As the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command's premier readiness competition, the rodeo features air drops, aeromedical evacuation, aerial refueling, fit-to-fight evaluation and other events that rigor-

ously test teams' battle preparedness and mettle. Precision counts and accurate scoring is key. And that's where the skills of College of Science student Rebecca Anderson were put to the test. Anderson, who graduated from USU with a bachelor's degree in statistics in May 2009 with a 3.94 GPA, received a prestigious Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarship to pursue her undergraduate studies. Administered by the Department of Defense, the competitive, full-tuition scholarship includes a summer internship requirement with a DoD agency. Anderson interned at Belleville, Illinois' Scott Air Force Base near St. Louis, where she was assigned the task of evaluating Air Mobility Rodeo scoring methods. At USU, Anderson excelled both academically and on the volleyball court. A three-year letter winner, she appeared in 71 matches and earned academic all-Western Athletic Conference honors three times, including earning academic all-district honors twice. She was also named to the College Sports Information Directors Association academic all-district VII second team. Aggie volleyball coach Grayson DuBose says Anderson's intelligence and work ethic are her strengths. "She is so cerebral," he says. "You don't have to explain things a bunch, she just gees it off the bat . It is a fun thing in an athlete to know that she understands and sees the big picture." Anderson has returned to Scott AFB to fulfill the scholarship's two-year work requirement. In her new position,

Recent USU graduate Rebecca Andersonreceiveda prestigious SMART Scholarshipfrom the Departmentof Defense.

At the Air Mobility Rodeo, a C-130J Hercules from the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., competes in the air drop competition by dropping pallets on targets. The event is a readiness competition for U.S. and international mobility air forces . Photo by Staff Sgt. Richard Rose, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

she's involved in long-range planning for the Air Force. Anderson credits her father, Ian Anderson, a USU professor of mathematics and statistics, with sparking her interest in statistics. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

I A middle blocker on USU's volleyball team, Anderson ranked first in total blocks during the 2008 season and set two single-game school records . Photo by Meegan M. Reid, courtesy of The Herald Journal.

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FEATURE

"Ther e's nor just one right way to implement a soluti on to a programming assignment," says Coo ley, a third-year student. "And sometimes it's hard to find a correct path ." Budding programmer s who follow in the trio 's footsteps are in lu ck because the ream , with faculty mentor Renee Bryce, was awa rded a grant thi s past Jun e to research the causes of student programming bugs and to develop learning m aterials to ease the exasperating obstacles that often discourage fledgling learners . Bryce, who joined USU's Department of Computer Science in August 2008 as an assistant professor , learned June 9 that she and her students received a Co llaborative Research Experience for Undergr aduat es grant from rhe Computer Research Association's Committee on the Status of Women in Computing ReIn Search of Bugs : Faculty mentor Renee Bryce , far right, and computer scisearch . According to the comm itt ee's Web site, ence undergrads , from left, Nare Hayrapetyan , Elise Derr and Alison Cooley, the "action-oriented organization dedicat ed to received a grant to create 'Bug Theatre ' learning materials to help budding programmers. increasing the number of women participating in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) research and education at all levels." The award provides each of the three undergradu ates a $3, 000 stipend for the 2009-10 academic year, a $4,000 stipend for summer 2010 , funds for supplies and travel funds to attend the 2010 Urah Conference on Undergr aduate Research in Cedar City and the 2010 Grace Hopper Ce lebration of Women in Comp utin g conference. "This is a great opportunity for the se students, " Bryce says. "The y'll learn a lot through this experience and be a good role model for future students." The team's proposal calls for the development of "Bug Theatre, " a program using online videos and Web-based tutorials to identify common bugs and offer advice and software tools Faculty mentor Renee to avoid them . The students have selected a mo vie motif to keep the subject humorous , entertaining and non-threatening. Bryce guides project to aid "The students have great ideas and will create movie posters and ticket s that will advertise the finished program," Bryce says. undergrad programmers "Over the course of the next year, they 'll develop online movies about bugs that will benefit nor just USU students but will be sk undergraduate computer scientists about their available over the Web to users everywhere." most vexing programming challenge and they'll sum Computer bugs are not onl y a headache for students bur a it up in one word : bugs. significant bane for the computing industry. Utah State University computer science "The National Institute for Standards and Technology estimajors Alison Cooley, Elise Derr and Nare Hayrapetyan have mates that computer bugs cost our econom y $59 billion a year," "been there , done that. " she says. "Bugs are usuall y annoyances but they can potentially "It's so frustrating when you know the code you 've written cost lives." should work but it doesn 't," says Hayrapetyan, a third-year Coo ley, who hopes to pursue a career with the FBI, look s USU Huntsman Scholar from Armenia . forward to the research chal lenge and developing movies for her "Then, you'll often di scover that it's just one character fellow students. ma ybe a semicolon is missing - that 's causing the problem ," "I wish I'd had somethi ng like 'Bug Theatre' to help me sophomore Derr says. "There have been times when I've our," she says. looked for a problem for hours. " -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

BuG

Undergrad Computer Scientists

Develop,

THEATRE'

FALL 2009 I INSIGHTS

FEATURE

Science

Unw~

New Presentation Series 'Unwraps'the Mystery,

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PUN OF SCIENCE Monthly 'Science Unwrapped' series attracts inquiringminds of all ages

A young participant presents his "mystery rock" for identification by USU geology student Nathan Giles , right, following September 's Science Unwrapped presentation . USU geophysicist Tony Lowry, an assistant professor in the Department of Geology, presented "Fire, Ice and Explosions : Volcanoes in Our Solar System ."

mong the goals on Mary Hubbard's mind when she becam e dean of USU's Co llege of Science in July 2007 was to reach beyond the college's labs, classrooms and walls to expand outreach to the local community. "Man y people find science intimidating and confusing and that's too bad, " says Hubbard , who now serves as vice provost for int ernational education . "Science is fascinat ing and not just for geeks, nerds and geniuses." To introduce the excitement of science to the USU campus and surrounding community , Hubbard assemb led a team of Aggie scientists to produce 'Science Un-

wrapped,' a free, monthly presentation series for inquiring minds of all ages. The program opened in February 2009 with its inaugural "Mind and Body " series and the monthl y present ations have been a hit ever since . Each gathering has attracted several hundred participants with attendees ranging in age from 4 to 80. Participant s have learned about heady topics ranging from food cravings, epidem ics and the human heart to rockets, stars and cosm ic volcanoes . "O ur aim is to provide a relaxed, family friend ly event that introduces people to the wonders of science and gets them asking questions ," says Shane Larson, assistant profe ssor of physics and chair of the Science Unwrapped committee . "At the same time, we want to give the community a glimp se of exciting research conducted right here at USU. "

â—„ More than 500 attendees showed up at Science Unwrapped 's August 2009 presentation to hear USU alum Robert Wardle of ATK Launch Systems explain 'how to get your ride into the sky' and view rocket launches on the Quad . â–ş Take cover! Graduate student Heather Smith , right, helps youngsters at Science Unwrapped create their own volcanic eruption with baking soda and vinegar.

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Attendees of February 's "Why We Crave Junk Food " presentation sample healthy snacks and view displays staffed by USU dietetics students .

At each presentation, attendees hear a lecture by a USU or visiting scientist, then enjoy free refreshments and hands-on learning activities. For 2010, the Scienc e Unwrapped committee plans a new series entitled, "Origins. " For more information and a schedule of upcoming presentations , visit www.usu.edu/ science/ unwrapped and join our group on Facebook , "Science Unwrapped at USU. " -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

Pre-dental student Benjamin Christensen , center, guides two middle schoolers through their pig heart dissection following April 's popular "Matters of the Heart " presentation . More than 100 Science Unwrapped attendees opted to try their hand at dissection .

Attendees don diffraction glasses to view the spectral components (colors) of various light sources following May's Science Unwrapped presentation ''The Superhero 's Universe : Observing the Cosmos with X-ray Vision and Beyond ."

"MANY PEOPLE FIND SCIENCE INTIMIDATING AND 1

CONFUSING AND THAT S TOO BAD. SCIENCE IS FASCINATING AND NOT JUST FOR GEEKS, NERDS AND GENIUSES." -MARY

HUBBARD

VICE PROVOST FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

ALUMNI FEATURE

HAIRY TUMORS AND THE RARE 17TH CENTURY TEXT

The Student: Chuck Oughton, the budding philologist.

The Professor: Dr. Mark Darnen, the Latin Master.

The Alumnus: Dr. Willy Lensch, the research luminary.

The Bizarre Common Ground of a USU Professor, His Star Student and a College of Science Alumnus on the Brink of Discovery thout wanting to jinx him, lee's just say chat College of Science alum Dr. M. William Lensch '91 is the "type of guy" who "could win " a Nobel Prize someday . Could . He deftly navigates circles wherein reside the planet 's brightest mind s. He presents papers and anchors symposia around the world, advises mega-foundations as to where their paradigmsharcering seed money mighr best be spent and - for fun - offers historical tidbits and insights into the lives of physiology 's or medicine 's Laureates. He even hosts the prognosticator of annual Nobel Nostradamus pool , a sort ofNCM-Final-Four-like the soon-to-meet King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden list. As instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and senior scientist at the George Q. Daley Laboratory at Children 's Hospital in Boston , "Willy" (yes, he has a life outside of the lab) Lensch is at the epicenter of groundbreaking research into the body's intricate hematopoietic (blood) system. Expounding upon his background in genetics he gets closer and closer every day to "understanding what genes are involved in blood cell production , how chat happens at the earliest stages when the first blood cell is made from its non-blood precursor, and how the entire process goes astray in disease." Suffice it to say, Willy knows his way around human embryonic stem cells, yet still marvels at their "incredible developmental plasticity," that - som eday - may just obliterate the bar of understanding in hematology and oncology.

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An impassioned scientist, Lensch is also a tireless student, plowing into anything and everything chat may provide illumination. But he is also a son of what he calls "a cancer family," as if the immediacy and meaning of his work needed to be any more profound. So when Lensch caught wind of a rare 17th-century text that just might be the first dedicated thesis on teratomas - a bizarre , attention-grabbing pathology, sometimes referred to as "hairy tumors, " that mainly occur in areas of the body where germ cells, egg and sperm, and/or their progenitor cells migrate or come to rest during development - he knew it was time to reprioritize his leisure-time reading list. "Teratomas are the result of geneti-

ALUMNI FEATURE

l A Wrights/Giemsa stained human embryonic stem cell (hESC) colony on murine embryonic fibroblast feeder cells. The colony contains roughly 50-70 individual hESCs. Photo by Willy Lensch, courtesy Children's Hospital Boston.

cally abnormal, yec very developmentally potent ceUs crying co make a body in the wrong place, at the wrong time , and absent some very important instruc tions ," Lensch says. The rumors are so strange, "they're fancascically difficult co confuse with ocher pathologies ," they contain hair, various types of tissues and glands, even ceech, "aUjumbled together in disarray," Lensch says. For centuries, ceracomas were explained away through purely religious belief or superstition. They belonged in the realm of demons and monsters alongside ocher ghastly, inexplicable occurrences. But in 1658, Johann Sculceco penned a medical treatise entitled Trichiasis Admiranda, which serves as a window into the refinement of medical thought and the renaissance that was caking place in many fields, including anatomy . Lensch discovered chat tl1ere are only five copies of Sculteco's book known co exist in the world, one - as luck would have it - tucked away across the street in the rare books room at Harvard Medical School's Counrway Library. He wondered what it might de-

scribe . He wondered if it really could be the "first dedicated thesis on ceracoma ever published. " Even at Harvard, with resources aplenty, he wondered how he was going to get through the Latin. But he wondered only for a second. "The cexc is in Latin , and when I mink of Larin, I chink of my college Latin professor , Dr. Mark Darnen," says Lensch. "There 's simp ly no one I'd rather work wim on such a project man Mark and no matter at what 'lofty' institution I might find myself" Darnen , a 1998 Carneg ie Professor of me Year who shares appointments in USU's hisrory department and in meacre arts, says he wasn't necessarily surprised co hear from Lensch, with whom he has had only "casual, intermittent contact, over me years." But while he's pleased at the moughc of one ofUSU's graduates pushing the boundaries of human understanding, he also admits co being more captivated by mis "kind of generational passing of knowledge mat happens haphazardly academicaUy." "WiUy was my student in beginning Latin, chat's it. He never went beyond mat, he didn't take oilier classes,"

Darnen says, "bur we just grooved." SciU,diving alone inco hairy tumors and 17th-century medical jargon would be "very lonely, scary work," says Darnen. Like Lensch, me professor knew exactly co whom he could turn . Chuck Oughcon is an aspiring philologist and, when the call arrives, one of Dame.n's star undergrads at USU. Translating the Sculteco text would be a fine senior project for Chuck and by sharing me work, the project should move along splendidly. "Boy, was that a miscalculation!" Darnen says. Oughcon laughs. As it turns ouc, che student and me professor encounter translation challenges mat rival the level of difficulty Lensch is used co seeing in his genetic research . There are grammatical and syntactic errors, typos, puzzling abbreviations and ligatures. Rather man simply being able co stick co meir beloved Latin, Oughcon and Darnen soon find memselves taking on roles of aumor and printer, wondering how quirks in Sculteco's handwriting might have been interpreted by printer Michael Ender, and how Ender's printing limitations might have produced me aumor's obviously unproofed book.

FALL2009 I INSIGHTS

ALUMNI FEATURE

USU student Chuck Oughten transcribes the tiny Sculteto text (on stand) at Harvard Medical School's Courtway Library.

Working from Oughcon's own transcription of the text (an invaluable first step since Councway wasn't about co release the Sculceto book to just anyone) the team secs up a basic model by which to function. If something doesn't seem co gel in Latin, they return to the physical text and look for some sort of diacritical mark, propose what it could possibly mean, and then seek confirmation elsewhere, since patterns of errors are more convincing co sell than postulations of single-occurrence goofs. Working a few lines at a time individually, Darnen and Oughton regularly reconvene over the ensuing months co bounce ideas off of each ocher and to maintain sanity. "It was only with chat collaboration chat we were even ab le to propose solutions, " Oughcon says. "We'd hit something and we'd stick with it for a while and all the sudden a light bulb would come on, or someone would say some-

16 INSIGHTS

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thing that hie a chord in the other 's mind and we'd go, 'I wonder if it's chat?'" During the journey , Oughton learns more about the medieval printing process than he ever wanted co know and Darnen is forced co dust off procedures and cools he left behind in a previous life when he studied how to read ancient manuscripts in graduate school. Each becomes genuinely grateful for at least having wee their academic feet in the sciences. "The fact is chat the divisions between academic disciplines are much more permeable than most people would chink," Darnen says, "and the reality is chat when little opportunities like chis come up, your background in something else, as minimal as it may be, comes back into play." The Sculteto translation is not going co produce a cure for cancer, nor will it, by itself, secure a Nobe l Prize for Wi lly Lensch. le does, however, seem co

activate an important tipping point in the history of medical chinking, away from witchcraft and demons and coward case studies, the power of observation and the fruits of enligh tenme nt. And chat is precisely the sort of thing a classics professor, his scar student and a rising USU alum can ap preciate, agree and collaborate on-even if it gets a licde hairy. -Jared Thayne '99 Officeof USU VicePresidentfor Advancement

(Th is article was orig inally published in the Summer 2008 issue of Utah State magazine and is reprinted with permission.)

ALUMNI NEWS

Alum Willy Lensch

Mentors Science Goldwater Scholar

o lk:ge of Scien ce und ergradu ate Co dy Tramp was so eager to start his summ er int erns hip hea rrI 1;i路,: I ;, rived o n th e East Co ast almost a mo nth ea rlv to Go ldwa ter Scholar Cody Tramp wos named o Utah Governor's compl ete his securit y clearan ce and ge t a jump o n his research . Selected fo r che 2009 H arvard Stem Ce ll In stitut e Scholar by former Gov . Jon Huntsman, Jr. in 2008. The underInt ern shi p Pro gram , th e dual mol ecular biology and bioc hem- graduate, who is ma joring in mo lecu lar bio logy and biochemis try, served as a summer intern at the Harvard Stem Cel l Institute. ist ry major spent 12 wee ks workin g in th e lab of resea rcher N iels Geij sen at th e M assachu sett s Ge ner al Ho spi tal Ce nt er for Regenerative M ed icine. "DR. LENSCH HAS AN " Befor e startin g the int ern ship , I co nt acted my men to r and read up on his research and lab techniqu es," says Tr amp , who was named a 2009 Co ldwat er Scho lar. " I AMAZING D E P T H OF want ed to ge t as mu ch out of chis p rog ram as poss ible, so I arranged with Dr. C eijsen to start ea rly." KNOWLEDGE AND IS A VERY Selected from a po o l of mo re th an J OOappli cant s, Tramp was o ne of about 30 stud ent s parti cipatin g in th e co mp etiti ve und ergradu ate resea rch pro gram. H e rece ived EN TH USI AS TI C T EACHER. word of h is selectio n in April 2009 fro m USU alum Will y Lensch , a facul ty memb er in pediatri cs at H arvard Me di cal Schoo l. WE COVERED HISTORICA L Durin g h is int ern ship. Ti路amp parti cipated in a tw ice-wee kly semin ar series led by Lensch chat's designed to acq uain t the int ern s wi th spec ific scie n tific qu estions and HIGH LIGHTS IN MEDICAL advances in th e stem ce ll field . " D r. Lensch has an amaz ing depth a fkn ow ledge and is a very enthu siastic reacher," li 路amp says. "We cove red histori ca l highlight s in medi ca l researc h ranging R ESEARCH RANGING FROM fro m th e 1600 s to cur rent legislatio n and its imp act o n stem cell resea rch ." In Ge ijsen's lab , "Ii-amp studi ed sperm arogo nial stern cell development. THE 1600s T O CURRENT "W e inves tigate d th e DA Z L prot ein , which is lost fro m ch romoso mes in many LEGISLATION AND ITS IMPACT cases o f male infert ility," he says. "1l1e prot ein may regulate RNA process ing in male germ cells." With facul ty me nto r D enni s Welke r, who also men to red Lensch , 路Ji-am p is invesON STEM CELL RESEARCH. " tiga tin g a lactic ac id bactefuum co mm o nly used as a probio tic and in the pro du ction -COD Y T RAMP of ferm ent ed dairy p rodu ces. H e' ll present his findin gs, the ba; is of h is H o no rs th esis, duri ng USU's Stud ent Showcase in Sprin g 2010. Am o ng the acco mpli shm ent s Tra mp can list as he pr epares app licat io ns for gradu ate schoo l is th e publi cat io n of a pape r in th e jo urn al f'/asmirl - a crow nin g ac hievement in th e und ergrad 's stellar acade mi c career. - i\'1111y-A1111 /1.111/jolcttn

FALL2009 I INSIGHTS

ALUMNI NEWS Some 36 years after leaving campus as an undergraduate , Richard Spillman , right, founder of Spillman Technologies , receives his bachelor 's degree from Computer Science Department Head Donald Cooley. In the photo , Spillman is returning a copy of the computer science textbook "Intel 8080 " that Dr. Cooley loaned to him in 1975. Written inside the book is "Return this to Cooley or you won't graduate ."

NEVER TOO LATE Successful Utah Entrepreneur Receives Degree from USU

ile an undergraduate, computer science student Richard Spillman efc USU in 1972 before comp leting his degree to pursue a software evelopment project with Utah 's Cache County. Some 36 years later, pillman, a lon gtime Utah Seate supporter who's builc a mulci-

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million-dollar company with more than 200 emp loyees, received his USU bachelor 's degree in December 2008. Based in Salt Lake City, Spillman's company , Spillm an Technologies, Inc., provides a full range of integrated software soluti ons for public safety agencies, including Records Management, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Mob ile Communications, Corrections Management, Fire/EMS Management, Resource Management, and Data Sharing. The company provides software, training, support and services for more than 800 agencies and nearly 50,000 public safety professionals in 35 states. Spillman Technologies received a Work/Life Award from the Utah Department of Workforce Services as one of "Utah's Best Places to Work" in 2009. In 2008 and 2009, it was named one of the nation 's fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine.

Stay in Touch with the Colleg e of Science via the Web Vi s it us at www.usu .edu/scie nce

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ROLL OF DONORS

CALENDAR YEAR 2008 ROLL OF DONORS We gratefully acknowledge the people and organ izations who generously contributed to the College of Science in 2008. Your support is an essential part of our effort to provide the highest quality academic experience for our students. Thank you for supporting the college 's commitment to excellence in science research and educat ion . Linda C. Abbott Brett A. & Cheryl Adams Robert Dell Adamson Philip D . Affleck AJcon Laboratories, Inc . Steve & Vicki AJJan Scott AJlen Tana Jo & Ross R., Jr. AJlen Chris E. AJlgower AJliant Techsystems Community Investment Foundation Minnie M. Allison Howard Lynn Allred Rex M. Alvord, Jr. American Chemical Society American International Group, Inc. Amsted Industries, Inc. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Collin & April Anderson Craig) . Anderson Rebecca Marie Anderson Richard J. Andrews Karlyn Gansel Ang Karl & Joyce Armstrong Amy M. Arronco John J. & Marianne J . Ashby ATK Kimber W & Tamara S. Atkinson Drew Cunningham Axtell R. Carl Bachmann Arthur & Mabel Badger Garry W. & Gale P. Bahe Baicor, LC. Rebecca J. Baird Richard P. Baker Martha H. Balph Victor M. Barkhordarian BASF Corporation Don B. Bass, Jr. Wid & Debora Bastian Battelle Energy AJ!iance Philip D. & Elaine S. Baugh Bob & Kathy Bayn Shelby Jace Beattie Melissa E. Beck Douglas & Dixie Bedingfield Flint T. & Ann Belk Patricia Ann Bennion

Patricia & Joseph Bergeson Casseopia Bergman Jeffrey Bernard Lisa M. Berreau Stanley Beus Stephen Bialkowski & Agnes Chartier Donald & Margaret Bickmore Ashok P. Bidwai Sue Ann Bilbey David A. & Mary Kate Bills Emily A. Bingham Bitner Vineyards Ron M. Bitner Lucy Blackham Ronald Blaisdell Kory & Wynette Bodily Boeing Company AJexander I. Boldyrev Robert & Diane Boman William E. & M. Christie Bond Joseph & Carrie Borondy Daniel A. & Traci Boston H. Dean Bowles Robert B. Bradshaw Robin Fitch Brake Ryan Brenchley & Angela Thomson-Brench ley Jerold Kris & Jerilee Brimhall Ralph D. Briscoe Verna & Terry Broadbent Edmund D. Brodie, Jr. Dr. Nolan Rae Brooksby Amanda Brown George Merrill Brown Gordon D. Brown Robert S. Brown Val A. Browning Foundation Perry S. Bruno Anthony & Mary Brzinski Roger & Leslee Budge Floyd & Joan Bunderson Robert & Ellen Burgener Richard J. Butler Cache VaJJeyEye Associates Inc Michael Darin Cameron Campbell Scientific, Inc . Paul D. & Paulette J. Can1pbell Val D. Campbell Lawrence G. Cannell Melvin C. Cannon * Jobie Carlisle & Mary Hubbard

Brent R. Carter Mary Lynn Case Mark & Debra Chapman Chia-fu & Liu Yew-Ching Chen Hao Chen & Hai Lin Li Chen & Lan Zhang Shih-chu & Hwai-hwei Chen Chevron Texaco Choate Hall & Stewart, LLP Gordon J . & Rella P. Christensen Paul & Peggy Christensen C. Wesley Christensen Deborah Ciul Robert G. C lark Travis & Jenny Clements Mark & Susan Clyde Stephen W. Clyde Neil F. Co llins Marvin Wi lliam Con ley Joseph & Nancy Cook Dr. Donald & Nancy Cooley Val E. Cooley Ralph Coomber, Jr. Sam Coor Dr . David F. & Mrs. Kathy B. Coppin Thomas D. & Joanne Coppin Dan & Melissa Corn Daniel C. & Sherri Coster Angelique E. Crane McKell Crawford Andrew J. & Rita W. Critchfield Amy A. Croft Lynn B. Crookston Muyi Cui Camille & Cody Cutler Richard & Adele Cutler Wendy Czarnecki JimW Dahl Ran1esh Dalvi Harry & Charla Danforth Neil Davidson & Julie A. Robinson Scott & Susan Davis Steven R. Davis Marlowe Dayley Michae l J . & Maren Decker William & Cynthia Decker Peter & Candace Deffendol Harold E. & Caro lyn J. DeLaMare

John R. & Elizabeth C. Dennison Edward]. Deputy Daryll B. DeWald John & Cheryl Dietz Mary Ann Dietz Timothy A. Dietz Nitin I. Dodia William B. & Ana Doug lass Nathan J . & Chandra Draxler Mark & Diana DuBois Durrell Duce Ralph & Lorraine Duce Edwin M. Duffy Burton H. Duke Russell & AJysa Dummer Ruth Anderson Dye Brenda L. Earl Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Keith & Julie Eberhard lhomas K. & Linda Eccles Farrell & Ann Edwards Carina LaRene Eggleston Judith Susan Eisen Estella G. Elliott Dennis E. & Vicki Emerson George H. & Billie Bush Emert Energy Solutions Kelly & Danna Esplin James Eustice Edward & Debi Evans James Evans & Susanne Janecke Exxon Mobil, Corp. David & Olivia Factor Roger & Carol FaJJon Selena Farrar Kevin L. Feltz Donald W & Janet Fiesinger Dennis J. Fife Linda Hansen Finchum Wendy H. Finlayson First Security Foundation James R. Fisher Lana Fonnesbeck M. Bruce Fonnesbeck Stephen & Janie Ford Leland G. & Linda Foster Walter Fox Robert A. Frakes McKay Francom Herman Frasch Foundation

FALL 2009 I INSIGHTS

ROLL OF DONORS

Laurie Fraser Thomas Froo nin ckx Blair & Karen Fujim oro Clare nce ) . & Joan Funk Jeffrey Gade D arrell L. G allu p Alejand ro Jose Garc ia Morales D onald & Kathr yn Gar dn er Wi llard H. Ga rdn er Steph en B. Gasse r D enni s & Na ncy Gay GE Found ation Richard Mar tin Ge iger Jeffrey Don Ge isler Jason & Am y Ge rber Lynn H . Ge rber Tony G iano ulis D avid & Lisa G ibb ons H a.rry L. G ibbons Robert B. G ibbons, MD Ronald & Jill G ihrin g GJC Practical C linical Co urses, Inc. Russell 0 . & Ram ona D . G lauser C linton & Denise Go ldsberry C raig D. & Car mie L. Go lighcly Daniel Goo d Walter & Jolene G raham Sarah A. G ray Gray mont Western US, In c. Dal e W. & Sharon 0 . G reenwood Evan R. G ubler D arrel J. Gund erson Charles & Katrin a G unn els Richard E. G uth Spencer & Na ncy G uthri e Breccon & Kimb erleigh H adfield Ross S. Hadfield H eidi K. H adley James W. H aefner & Alice Lindah l Kure & V icroria Hal es Layne H am ilton Wayne & M argot H amilto n Alonzo H. H andy, III Wayne L. H ann a W illiam H ano hano, Jr. Afton M . Han sen Andr ew H ansen Ann a Lou H ansen Boyd R. Hansen David Lawrence H ansen Keith M . & D an e H ansen Ma tth ew & Keri H ansen Oj Kevin H ansen Raymond Ea rl H ansen* Terry & Mary H ansen W ilford J . H anson Larry D ean H aramo to Jeffery A. & LuAnn H ardy

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Ann H arris Dr. C haun cy S. H arris Blake & LuAnn H are Steven & C herri H ar e Willi am & Vicki H astin gs E. Robert & C hr isri H eal D on L. Healey John 0. H eggeness C hristo pher B. Heki Sidn ey Dee & Ca rol H endri cks Alvan C. & Mar ibeth EvensenHengge H ewlett-Packard Scot t & Jenn ette Hicken D avid & Cec ile Hi ggins Kelli Higley Robert D . Hild ebrand Grego ry & D eborah Hi rschi Ted M. H oltz Dal e M . Ho lyoak D aris W. H oward Co dy Lam ont H owell Mi chael Hu ang Albert Hu en M ark & Laura Huffm an Sidn ey D . Hu ghes Mi chael H . Hun saker Edwin S. Hur se Roger F. Hur st Er ic Tzyy-yang Hw ang IBM Int ernacional Found ation Institut e for Global Environm ental Strategies Ne d & Cynthi a Israelsen Ganh A. Jam es Rand y & Ruch Ann James Lucy K. Jao Larry & Lynn Jech Marion & Lauri e Jenkin s Berlin C. & Shirle H . Jen sen D onald Reed Jensen Earl & M ary Ann Jensen G reg Jensen Douglas A. & Shawn a John son Keith C. & Shan non Johnson Randy & Juli e C. John son Richard S. & Karen John son Ryan & Shara John son Allen Jones Brian & Alisha Jones Co rrinn e Jones Cra ig & Laura Jones Ga ry Lee Jones Robert Errol Jones Ya-Sheng Juan Ray N. Kahler Ryan & Trud y Kamisaro Rocky M . Keele Kevin M . Keeley Jon E. Keller Mi chael I. Kelrick Tariq Abdul Rahm an Kergaye

I FALL2009

Yong-chol & Hyun Kim H arley & Caro l King John S. Kirkley Du Wayne R. Kleinschmidt D avid L. Klopotek PhD Brian Paul Klub ek Jeffrey B. Knight W illiam & Julia An n Knight Ann L. Knowlton Joe & Na n Koebbe James F. & Shirley Kohler Janie E. Konakis T imothy Francis Kowalik Barbara K. Lachm ar Tho mas E. Lachm ar L. Bruce Lake Mi chael Lan,b Jeffrey & C heryl Lamont Robert Lan e Reed Langford D avid Laraway C lair Coe Larkin M ichael 1h omas Larkin And re Albert Laroc he Michelle A. Larsen Wayne & Kristine Larsen Paul Alan Larson G. Greg & Patricia Lase Zo ltan Laszlo Dr . Marc Laxer Shei-Sun Lee Jonathan L. Len D ave E. Leppert Tami Ion e Leppert Edward W Leun g Mi chael Larry Levine H owa rd S. Lewis, Jr. Kelly I. Lewis Joseph K. K. Li N an cy L. Livingsron Benni on & Doro th y Lloyd LockJieed M artin Schol arship Found ation Logan Regional Ho spital Dr. D avid B. Loope Eugene J. Low Willi am C. Low Robert & D eVona Luke Brian & Marilyn Lundb erg Eugene Luzietti Jam es A. & Parry MacMah on H owa rd & Natalee Madsen C hao C hen & Shao Shen Mai Nolan & M arian Mangelson Jam es A. Marquardt Reed B. Mattson M itchell & Mo lly Maughan Lar ry McD onald Ted D . McD ougall Marrin D ee McGrego r Bruce McG urk & Janette C ushm an

Douglas Bruce McH enry Steven & Shauna McKay Robins J. & Kimb erly McPherson Abelina N . Megill Mi chael R. Megill Dr. A. Wayne & Sharo n W. Me ikle Merck & Co mp any Kyle & Tasha Merrill Frank Messina & Linn ea John son Denn is & Karen Mi chaelson Mi cro n Techn ology Found ation, In c. M icroso ft Cor poration Denni s M . Miller Ge ne W. & Ruch E. Mi ller Janet Miller Keith R. Mill er Shelley D . Miller Todd & Kathleen Mi ller Larry K. Mill ward Sina Moayedi Masso ud M . Moghadam Jam es E. Mohr Don W. M orishita Edn a D . M orrell Rex M . M orrey Kent & Ann Morrison Mount ain O rth opaedics Mo unt ainland Apples, In c. Multim edia Data Services Co rpora tion Wallace & Paulin e M urd och Joseph H. Murph y Jane Murr ay R. Pepper & Rachelle Murr ay Kathr yn M utz C raig V. Nelson J . Kent * & Ann a N elson Nevada Cancer lnsr.ituce James A. Newey N ed & Patri cia Newm an N ewmont Minin g Co rporation John B. Ni cholls G reg & An gelee Nic hols Scott & Sarah Ni cholson Ryan Nielson Kelly R. No rman No rth west Agricultural Produ cts, Inc. M atth ew & H olly N ovak Phi llip & Ruch Novak Frank Q. Nut tall Loveday Elechi Nwobi lor Mor rison S. O beng Melani e O ldroyd Eugene K. O lsen Rich ard S. Olsen Os born Orch odonti c Lab D avid J . O sborn Leon F. O sborne

Marr & Kerry Jill Pachell Ned A. & Marva P. Packer Ivan G . Palmblad Gary Palm er Rod ney I. Palmer~ Kaipin g Pao Donovan E. & Donna R . Park Barry R. Parker Frank D . Parker Vernon & Monica Parker Lynn R. Parr ingto n Ray Pat rick & H anya Pocvynok Hu gh W. & Peggy A. Parron Julie A. Paul David & Terry Peak Lee H . Pearso n Orson Perkes C raig & Laura Peterson Lawrence A. Peterson , Jr. Randolph E. & Leslie G. Peterson Will iam A. Peterso n Pfizer, In c. Erik Michael Pilgrim Jam es Piers & Teresa Pitt s-Singer Michael V. Plumm er Gregory & Steph anie Podgorski Caleb & Shelly Pollock Norene Pond Roy Adrain Poo le Wendell L. & Marilyn S. Pope Rodne y & Valerie Pound Norman R. & Sonja Pruden ce Lain-Ju e Pu & Man -Shia Wang Harlan G. & Maril yn Pulsipher Marie H . Putnam Questar Co rporat ion Paul & Penny Rainaldi Elizabeth & Marv in L. Rallison, MD Karalee Ran som Shon D. & Sherilyn Rasmussen Dr. Jud y Raucy Kurtis B. Reed Kenn eth R. Rees, Jr. D avid J . Remondini John Rice Dr. Karen C. Rice Weldon T. & Jackie Richardson Donald W. & Mae Rob errs Myrna N. Rob ertson Daniel & Vivian Rogers Mitch Rogers C hristoph er & Kriste Rose Eric & Brenda Rowley Wayne & Anette Rowley Roy" & Karin Rushing Joseph A. Russin Kent A. & Diana Sargent Joseph Savala & Marianne Ho ssner Scorr Welo Sawby

Timoth y B. & Emily F. Schmidt Maury & Joan Schoolf Warren J . Schu lingkamp, II Daniel N. & Dianna M. Scofield Margaret Seamo ns Clinton K. Searle Rodney & Jeanette Seeley Jeremy K. Selley Matthew S. Serfusrini Shell Oil Compa ny Found at ion , Inc Nea l M. Shi manuki Jon Alan Siler John & Helen Simm ons Matth ew W. Sines Ravikumar Siscla Cor dell & Nancy Smarr Larry & Joyce Smarr Sally A. Smeedin g Deano Ray Smith Kenneth C. Smid, Sterling P. Smith Jan Josef Sojka John E. R. & Doreen E. Solum G lade V. Sorensen Co urtn ey & Ludia Sorenson South ern Ural, Animal Hosp ital, In c. Julie Spear Nathan Spear Earl P. Spencer Jerry Sprin ger Jennif er Marie Stafford Jame s & Caro lyn Sral,l Marrin & Lynda Steed John & Heat her Stevens Kenneth R. Stevens Lyman B. & Kat hryn K. Stevens Richard T. & Linds ey J. Stevens Randall Jay & Juli e Stockham Barry 0. Stokes Graliam Stork Pau l E., Jr. & Kathy A. Srover H aro ld & Kacl1leen Stu art Bren K. & Rachelle Stubbs Dav id & Karen Suisse Sun Microsystems Foundation Sun Microsystems, Inc

Van Alan Suth erland Dougl as B. Tabo r, II Jon & Lynnette Takemoto C hris T. & Barbara Tallackson Kui-Fong Echo Tan Eric A. Tanifum Ti m & Johnn a Tann er W illiam Daniel & Kathle en M. Tarara Allen G, Taylor, PhD Andrew W. & Julia Taylor Arnold E. Taylor* Herbert G. Taylor Sheridan Lee & H eather Taylor Lam Thanad about The Bank ofTokyo-Mic subishi, Lrd. The Coca -Co la Co mpan y . Haro ld & Irene Thomason Matthew & Karen Th ompson Russell C. Thompson Lamon Thom son Nancy Patricia Thorn es Randall K. 1hun ell Corry L. Timpson Thomas W. Toole Kendall & Michelle C. Toph am UF3 , LLC U inta Paleonrological Assoc., Inc. United Parcel Service Francis M. Urry URS Cor porat ion Utah Stare H ort icultur e Association Rob ert L. Vadas John Valberg H arris 0. VanOrden Jack & Margaret VanSkiver Marie D. Veibell Ray 0 . & JoAnn e Waddoups Brad & Rachel Wade John Fredric Waldron Gary & Kimberly Walker Dr. Gordon D. Waller John F. & Joan Walsh C hiou yun Lo Wang LifengWang Apr il Wansrrom

Robert B. & C hristine Wardl e Wallace & Maysie Warts Michael & Tami Weaver Victoria L. Weaver Wende.II L. Weeks Jun gang Wei & H ao Li Wescbridge Agricultural Produ ces Western Geolog ic, LLC Kevin & Sandra Westwood Dann y & Joann e White Terry & Faye Whitworth Lawrence D . & Lory Wight Russell & Deann Wiley Trent 0. Wiley Jason & H eidi Wilhelms en Pau l S. Wi llard A. Thomas & Sue Wi lliams April Summ ers Williams Steph en & Elizabeth William s Brad & Lori Wilson Brent & Stefani Wilson Vanez Budge Wilson Melvin & Linda Winkler Kent & Kimberly Wood Car del & Ardene Wright Gena M. Wright Sing-C hou & Ellen C. Wu Jan E. Wynn J . Greg Yates Dr. Ming Yin Mard1ew & Jan et Young Nabil Youssef & Kandy Baum gardner Thom as & Ann Yuill C hristine M. Zago rec Dr. Kun Yan Z hu James B. Zobe ll Karl David Zufelt

For details about support scholarships , programs and faculty in the College of Science, please contact Joseph Jenkins. director of development , at 435-797-3510 or joseph .jenkins @usu .edu. Individuals who have made more than one gift are listed once . Every attempt is made to cite donors accurately. If an error or omission has occurred, please contact Joseph Jenkins at 435-797-3510 or joseph .jenkins@usu .edu. This list includes donations made from January 1, 2008 through December 31 . 2008. Please let us know if you prefer your name to appear in another way .

FALL 2009 I INSIGHTS

Faculty from USU ' s Biology Department gathered following the surprise announcement to celebrate the university award that honors exemplary teaching by an entire department .

TeachingExcellence:Biology Department

Fosters Learning, Discovery IF YOU ASK FACULTY MEMBERS in Utah Scare University's Department of Biology why Aggie graduates' acceptance rares to medical school, dental school and ocher competitive graduate programs consisrenrly exceed national averages, che answers are similar and succinct. "We get to know our students early and we get to know chem well," says Andy Anderson, pre-health advisor and principal lecturer in human anatomy and dissection , physiology, bioethics and microbiology. The department's personalized approach to teaching was rewarded wich a surprise visit to faculty members March 24 as chey gathered for cheir regular meeting . They were greeted by USU President Stan Albrecht, Raymond Coward, provost and executive vice president, and departmental award selection committee members, who presented che educators wich Utah State 's 2009 Department Teaching Excellence Award. "On behalf of the university , I present chis award wich sincere congratulations," Albrecht said . "This is a well-deserved honor in recognition of the department 's devotion to student success." In a written citation, Biology facu lty members were praised for reaching beyond traditional classroom experiences to excite students chrough engagement in che process of scientific exploration in the laboratory and in the field. "Whecher a student's desire is medical school or chey are caking chat one life science course in their college career, che Utah State University Department of Biology treats chem equally, chat is, wich respect and a strong commitment to make biology learning an exciting journey of discovery," che citation read. Biology students concur wich the award committee's findings. "One of the most valuable chings my biology professors have done is to conscandy add cutting edge research data to their lectures," says recent graduate Luke 22 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2009

Peterson, who entered Missouri 's Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine chis fall. "We're always hearing about the latest and greatest news in our field. That really gave me an edge in medical school interviews ." Peterson says he's grateful for the research experiences he gained during his und ergra duate career, including work he performed wich faculty mentor Joseph Li that involves inhibiting che expression of specific genes from viruses - findings char cou ld aid cancer treatment. "I never dreamed I'd have the opportunity to perform research of this caliber as an und ergrad ," he says. The Department of Biology offers bachelor 's degree programs in biology, composite teaching-biological science and pub lic health ; master 's degree programs in biology and ecology and doctoral programs in biology and ecology. Master 's and doctoral degree program s in toxicology are offered through che Interdepartmental Program in Toxicology. Minors are offered in biology, biomathematics and public healch. In cooperation with the department, Weber Scare University offers an associare's degree in nursing on USU's Logan campus. The department's advising center assists students of all majors chroughour the university in preparing for admission to medical and dental schoo ls and ocher graduate programs in health and biological sciences. Efforts coordinated by che center include guiding students to und ergraduate research and internship opportunities, offering mock admissions interviews and admissions rest study preparation as well as writing letters of recommendation - all critical components of successful professional and graduate schoo l admissions. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

USTAR

Turning innovation into industry .

Keepingthe WorldSafefrom

Storms in Space

USTAR Funds New Space Weather Forecasting Center at USU IN THE COURSE OF TODAY'S ACTIVITIES

you might send a text message, pay at the pump for your gaso line or use your car's GPS system. You'll likely depend on electricity supp lied by a power grid, natural gas from a pipeline , products delivered by long-haul trucks , trains or planes and your Internet connection . All of these activities are dependent on sate llites, which makes all of chem vulnerable to unpredictable forces miles beyond Earth's atmosp here: the volati le manifestations of space weather . "Space weather disturbances can wreak havoc on human systems and operations," says Robert Schunk, physics professor and director ofUSU's new International Center for Space Weather Forecasting. ''As society becomes more dependent on sop histicated space-bo rne and ground-based technological systems, forecasting space weather becomes crucial to our economy, safety and securi ty." USU 's longtime research on space weather forecasting recently received a boost with the approval of Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative USTAR - funding to estab lish che new center and build on th e university 's expert ise in developing forecast models for Earth 's upp er atmosp here and ionosphere. "Regions beyond Earth 's atmosphere display highly variab le and turbulent densities, temperatures and winds," Schunk says. "These space weather disturbances are particularly severe during geomagnetic storms when bursts of hoc plasma from the Sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field." The resu ltant surges in radiation levels and tornado-force cosmic wind gusts disrupt over-the-horizon radars, high frequency commu nications , global positioning navigation systems, military

surve illan ce operations, worldwide pipelines, NASA's deep space cracking network and Federal Aviation Authority tracking systems . Space weather is an ever present hazard for the Internacional Space Stat ion, shuttl e flights and the ever grow ing legion of satellites rotating the Earth . "Economists estimate chat space weather coses the global economy from $200 to 400 million each year," Schunk says. "With regard to security, the U.S . military relies on space weather warnings to protect sate llites and groundbased systems chat support our armed forces. System failures can cost lives." As part of a U.S. Department of Defense-funded research program , USU has developed two physics-based data assimi lation models for the upper atmosphere and ionosphere in an effort called Global Assimilation of Ionospheric Measurements or GAJM.

The GAIM team, which cons ists of Sch unk and Physics Department colleagues Jan Sojka, Ludger Scherliess , Donald Thompson and Lie Zhu, along with USU students, created the models to provide specificat ions and forecasts for global, regional and local distributions of upper atmosp here/ionosp here densities , temperatures and winds. "These models have garnered worldwide attention and are commercially viable," Schunk says. "With the USTAR funding, we plan to provide real-time specifications and forecasts of upper atmosphere an d ionosphere weather and have customers subscribe to the service." USTAR will provide multi-year funding to establish the USU center, which will be housed in the USU Physics Department's existing Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

USU' s Space Weather group recently received USTARfunding. Team members are, from left, Lie Zhu, Jan Sojka, Ludger Scherliess, Donald Thomps on and Robert Schunk, director.

FALL 2009 I INSIGHTS

COLLEGE NEWS

GRADE, Making a DIFFERENCE

Making the

With encouragement from mentor Linda Skabelund, academic advisor for USU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Cunningham says she gained confidence in interacting with students and parents . It's a skill char will serve her well as Cunningham pursues a career in teaching , a profess ion she's aspired to since her teen years. She credits her high schoo l teacher Daniel Baird, a USU alum, with fueling her interest in higher math. "After we had completed calculus, Mr. Baird gave up his prep hour to reach a small group of us statistics,"

Merissa Cunningha m

"STUDENTS NEED TO

Merissa Swainston Cunningham

UNDERSTAND THAT TEACHERS GENUINELY WANT THEM TO

academic guidance, Utah State University composite mathematics/statistic s reaching major Merissa Swainston Cunningham was serving as a peer advisor, helping students seeking assistance in her department's academic advising office and working to implement the university 's new math placement exam. For four semesters she also taught business statistics recitation sections . "It was intimidating at first to be teaching statistics and advising students many much older than I," says the 2005 graduate ofldaho's Preston High School. "But I'm grateful for the experience and proud of what I accomplished ."

24 INSIGHTS

I FALL 2009

Cunningham is the daughter of Kay B. and Lorie Flint Swainston of Preston, Ida. She is married to USU computer science alum Zachary Cunningham.

SUCCEED."

Jake C. Jones

Valedictorian,Fall 2008 AT A TIME WHEN MOST OF HER UNDERGRADUATE PEERSwere seeking instruction and

During her undergraduate career, Cunningham worked with faculty mentor Jim Cangelosi on the Utah Mathematics Endorsement Project. The state and federally funded continuing education project helps Utah's K-12 teachers elevate their endorsements in mathematics education. Her broad experiences as a student, advisor and teacher give Cunningham a unique vantage point in the classroom. "Students need to understand that teachers genuinely want chem to succeed," she says. "To new college students I say, 'Meet with your advisor and professors early and often and cake the initiative to form study groups with your classmates. Getting to know them will enhance your college experience."'

she says. "He really wanted to help us excel." As a student teacher, Cunningham comp leted clinicals at the high school level and taught middle schoo l students. Coupled with her reaching experiences at the college level, she learned the distinctive nu ances of the varied age groups. "Classroom management is not really an issue with college students - they have to take responsibility for themselves, but younger students need adult direction, " she says. A favorite teaching experience was with eighth and ninth grade students at Cache Valley's South Cache Center . "I felt like I cou ld actually make a difference in chose student's lives," she says.

Valedictorian, Spring 2009 IN SEEKING A COLLEGE DESTINATION, Utah native Jake Jones looked for a school where he cou ld pursue research, get to know his professo rs and study in his home state . At Utah Stare , he found an environment chat met each of his requirements. "I loved studying science in high school so I chose cellular and molecular bio logy as my major," says the aspiring physician , who graduated from Castle Dale, Utah 's Emery High School in 2005. Early in his undergraduate career, Jones began conducting research with biology professor Frank Messina to

COLLEGE NEWS

"THE FACULTY HERE HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE AT EACH STEP OF MY UNDERGRADUATE CAREER," HE SAYS.

"My

EDUCATION HAS BEEN

PHENOMENAL - ESPECIALLY

THE MENTORSHIP OF Jake C. Jones

determine how insects adapt to novel food plants. With faculty mentor Lee Rickord, Jones conducted stem cell research. The undergraduate was awarded a Willard L. Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellowship and an Undergraduate Center for Integrated BioSystems Research Grant to pursue his research endeavors. ''AsI got involved in research I began to appreciate the patience and persistence needed to advance scientific knowledge, " he says. "These experiences taught me to think critically and develop problem-solving skills." With Dr. Messina, Jones has published three research papers in peerreviewed research journals. Beyond the lab, the young scientist served as a supplemental biology instructor , earned basic certification as an emergency medical technician, completed more than 100 observation hours with local physicians and volunteered with a local hospital and hospice. Following the recommendation of faculty mentor Greg Podgorski, Jones applied and was accepted into a competitive National Institutes of Health graduate partnership program at Johns Hopkins University- one of only five applicants accepted each year. "I returned from the interview on a Friday and, the next morning , received an offer by email," he says.

PROFESSORS. The biomedical research program will enable Jones to earn both doctoral and medical degrees and prepare him for varied career pursuits . 'Tm considering surgery and clinical trials," he says. "These would allow me to be involved in both research and direct patient care." Jones credits his research experiences and preparation with USU mentors in helping him secure his spot with Johns Hopkins, along with other medical school acceptances. "The faculty here have made a huge difference at each step of my undergraduate career," he says. "My education has been phenomenal - especially the mentorship of professors. They've not only guided me in research, study and my chosen career path, they've offered hours of discussion on questions of science, philosophy and life."

Jones is the son of Cindy Jones of Logan, Utah. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

SPRING 2009 HONORS Scholar of the Year, Robins Award USU Scholar of the Year Jennifer Albretsen Roch, Physics Honors Graduates Jodie Barker-T vedmes, Physics Randy Bowen, Biology Tamara Jeppson, Geology and Physics Arthur Mahoney, Computer Science and Mathematics Bryce Osborne, Biology Jennifer Albretsen Roth, Physics Alison Taylor, Biology Peak Prize Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Sydney Chamberlin, Mathematics and Physics Undergraduate Teaching Fellow of the Year Braden Parker, Biology Graduate Student (MS) Researcher of the Year Rebecca Atkins, Mathematics and Statistics Graduate Student (PhD) Researcher of the Year, Robins Award USU Graduate Research Assistant of the Year Boris Averkiev, Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Student Teacher of the Year Brittany Allred, Mathematics and Statistics Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year J .R. Dennison, Physics Faculty Researcher of the Year Tim Gilbertson, Biology Faculty Teacher of the Year John Stevens, Mathematics and Statistics D. \Vynne Thome Research Award Alexander Boldyrev, Chemistry and Biochemistry USU Outstanding New Professional Advisor Award Yvonne Kobe, Biology USU Department Teaching Excellence Award Biology Department

FALL 2009 I INSIGHTS

COLLEGE NEWS

USU's 2009 Goldwater Honorees . From left , Honorable Mention awardee B.J. Myers and Goldwater Scholars Taren McKenna and Cody Tramp .

Striking Gold: Three Aggies Named 2009 Goldwater Honorees D CO Y TRAMPwere named 2009 GoldA T RE water Scholars by the Barry M. Go ldwater Scho larship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Brian "B.J." Myers was awarded an honorable mention in the national competition. The 2009 honorees, all College of Science students, are members of USU 's Honors program and actively invo lved in undergraduate research projects. In addition to this year's award recipients, Utah State boasts 11 Go ldwater Scholars and four honorable mention recipients from previous years. "The number of USU students who have been honored by the Goldwater Foundation through the years is not on ly a testimony of the quality of student who come to Utah State but also a reflection of the quality of instruction and mentoring our students receive from faculty members ," says former College of Science Dean Mary Hubbard. "This is a wonderfu l honor for the students and the university." McKenna, a 2007 grad uate of Utah's Sky View High Schoo l, is a sophomore majoring in physics and mathematics. With faculty mentors Joe Koebbe and Farrell Edwards, she is exploring technical applications of small plasma systems. McKenna received a USU Presidential Scholarship and a College of Science Research Mini-Grant and was among the first recipients of the Space Dynamics Laboratory Women in Science Scholarship . She was awarded the 2008 Math Department Outstanding First-Year Student Award and the 2008 0. Harry Otteson Award for Excellence in Introductory Physics. She plans to pursue graduate studies, condu ct research in thermonuclear energy generation and teach at the university level. McKenna and her older brother, Logan, who was named a Goldwater Schol ar in 2006, are the first pair of siblings at USU to receive the prestigious award. Logan is 26 INSIGHTS

I FALL2009

currently a doctoral student at Washington Univers ity in St. Louis, Mo. Wyoming native Tramp is a junior majoring in cellular and molecular biology and biochemistry . The USU Undergraduate Research Fellow is pursuing multiple research projects, including investigation of a lactic acid bacterium common ly used in the production of fermented dairy products. A 2006 graduate of Lander Valley High School , Tramp received a Go ldwater honorable mention in 2008 . The same year, he was named a Utah Governor's Scho lar and a Koch Scho lar. He is the recipient of a USU Presidential Scholarship, a College of Science Research Mini-Grant and a USU Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities Grant. Tramp 's goals inclu de earning a doctorate and pursuing research to investigate genetic and molecular cues triggering stem cell differentiation with the ulcimate aim of creating organs or tissue for transplant recipients. Bountiful, Utah, native Myers is a junior majoring in physics and computer science. With faculty mentor David Peak, Myers is conducting research on error correction using distributed computation in dynamical systems. A 2006 gradu ate of Woods Cross High School, Myers entered USU as a National Merit Scholar and received a USU Presidential Scho larship. He is a Willard L. Eccles Undergraduate Fellow, a recipient of an Otteson Award and is a member of the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society. Myers plans to purs ue graduate studies in physics. USU's 2009 honorees are among 278 award recipients selected from a field of 1,097 math, science and engineer in g students nominated by colleges and universities nationwide. The scholar award includes a two-year scholarship of up to $7,500 per year. The Goldwater Scho lar program was established by Congress in 1986 to foster academic excellence in science and mathematics in the nation 's universities. -Mary-Ann Muffoletto

GIVING BACK

USU Introduces Alumni Nonresident Legacy Scholarship IT IS MY PLEASURE TO SERVE as the

new development director for the College of Science. Prior to this assignment I served in the same capacity in the College of Engineering. I enjoy working at USU and find helping students achieve their educational goals and dreams to be very gratifying . USU is excited to offer a new opportunity for alumni to keep the Aggie tradition alive. If you graduated from USU and live in a U.S. state outs ide of Utah , you can send your child to USU and their out-of-state tuition will be waived . This saves close to $4,500 per semester . This scho larship allows stud ents to pay resident tuition the entire time they attend USU without having to go through the hassle of attaining resident status. Rather than living in Utah for 12 months , acquiring a Utah driver's license and not being claimed as the parents ' dependent, the student can provide their parent's graduation information and be eligible for the scho larship abo ut two weeks after comp leting the app lication. To be eligible for the Alumni Legacy Nonresident Scho larship, your child must be admitted to USU , have at least one

parent who has earned an associate degree or higher from USU and enroll at USU as a first-time student to the Utah system of higher education . Other restrictions may app ly. To take advantage of this amazing new scho larship opportunity, please call the USU Admissions Office at 800.488 .8108 or visit www. usu.edu/ admissions/legacy. The Co llege of Science welcomes your questions about giving to help our students. For information on how you can give a cash gift, stock, real estate or a portion of your estate through a planned gift, please contact me at 435-797-3510 or joseph.jenkins@ usu.edu . Kind regards,

Joseph Jenkins Development Director

TRANSITIONS

IN MEMORIAM 1930s George Piranian (BS 1936 , MS 1938 Botany) , Ann Arbor, Mich igan. Piranian passed away Aug. 31, 2009, at the age of 95. Born in Switzerland , Piranian moved with his family to Utah in 1929. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and stud ied mathematics at Oxford University. He earned a PhD from Rice Un iversity in 1943 and subsequently joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, where he enjoyed a successful teaching and research career. He is survived by his wife, Louise Mills Piranian, five daughters, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and a great-great-grandson.

1940s

•

• • • • • • •

Professor Daniel Coster

•

Jack M. Simmonds (BS 1941, Physiology) , Bountiful, Utah. Simmonds passed away Nov. 29, 2008, at the age of 90. An accomp lished athlete, Simmonds served as a teacher and coach for more than 40 years, first at Utah's Bear River High Schoo l, then at Bountiful Junior High School. He served in the U .S. Army from 1940 until 1945, when he received an honorab le discharge with the rank of Captain. Simmonds is survived by his wife, Connie Johnson Simmonds, three child ren, 10 grandchild ren and 10 great-grandchildren.

••

Promotions

•

D aniel Coster, professor, Mathematics and Statistics

• •

Suzanne French, assistant professor, Biology Jessica Habashi , lecturer, Biology Thayn e Sweeten , lecturer, Biology (Brigham City campus)

• New Faculty

•

1950s LeGrande Clark Ellis (BS 1954, MS 1956, Physiology), Logan, Utah. Ellis passed away Nov. 29, 2008, at the age of 76. After comp leting his degrees at USU, he earned a Ph.D. in physiology from Oklahoma State University and comp leted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah. During his 35-tenure as a professor of physiology at Utah State, he earned the admiration and respect of many students by making their success his priority. Dr. Ellis is survived by his wife, Marilyn Ellis, six child ren, 23 grandchildren and three great-grandc hildr en.

1990s Randy L. Wilde (BS 1995, Environmental Health and Chemistry), Perry, Utah. Wi lde passed away Aug. 3, 2009, at the age of 41. He was emp loyed with the Bear River Health Department for 15 years, where he coordinated mosquito abatement and methamphetamine containment efforts. Health department executive director Lloyd Berentzen described Wilde as "a man of great integrity and an outstanding worker in his field." Wilde is survived by his wife, Holly Smith Wilde, and four daughters.

2000s Erik Randall Jorgensen (pre-pharmacy major), Paradise, Utah . Jorgensen passed away Dec. 24, 2008, at the age of 22. A senior at Utah State, he received an invitatio n to join the USU chapter of the Go lden Key International Honor Society. He is survived by his wife, Casey Murray Jorgensen.

28 INSIGHTS

• • • •

I FALL 2009

(.)

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0305 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-0305 USA 435.797.2478 scido@usu.edu www.usu.edu/science

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY 435.797 .2485 www.biology.usu.edu

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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

KEEPING IN TOUCH

1960s

1970s

Ellis Devere Miner, Jr. (BS 1961, Physics) , Lake View Terrace, California. Miner served as a space scientist for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory from 1965-2005. He earned a doctorate in astrophysics, with a spectroscopy minor, from Brigham Young University in 1965. Miner received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1981 and 1986, and the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership in 1990. He is the author or co-author of a number of books including PlanetaryRing Systems(2007); Neptune: ThePlanet, Ringsand Satellites(2002); Uranus:ThePlanet, Ringsand Satellites (1990, 1998) and Uranus(1991).

David Richardson (PhD 1973, Organic Chemistry) , Salt Lake City, Utah. Richardson received the 2009 Salt Lake Community College Martin Luther King Award. He recently retired from SLCC, where he served as vice president of academic affairs.

1980s David Bagley (B.S. 1982, Biology) , San Diego, California. Bagley was named president ofHistogen, Inc., a regenerative medical company developing solutions based on products of newborn fibroblasts, on January 14, 2009. Bagley, who has more than 20 years of cell biology and tissue engineering industry experience, previously served as vice president and general manager of Allergan Medical, Inc. Annemarie Moseley (PhD 1982, Physiology and Biochemistry) , Palo Alco, California. Moseley was appointed to the Sernova Business Corporation's Business Advisory Board Aug. 6. Moseley, who earned an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, serves as chairman and CEO of REPAIR Annemarie Moseley '82 PhD Technologies, Inc., a startup biotech company focused on enhancing repair and regeneration of injured tissue.

David W. Young '67

2000s

David W. Young (BS 1967, Pre-Dental) , Corvallis, Montana. A retired dentist, Young is president and owner, along with his wife, Cheryl Young, of Perigee Learning LLC, www.perigeelearning.com. The pair authored seven books on outdoor activities, available in nine langu ages in a virtual reference collection, and will add six books co the collection chis year. The avid photography enthusiasts recently released a DVD series enticled, "FlyFishing:A Lifetime Sport."

Tyler L. Christensen (B.S. 2000, Biology) , Ogden, Utah. Christensen recently joined the Ogden Clinic as a urologist. He is a graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Tyler L. Christensen'00

We welcome news from College of Science alumni. Please contact editor Mary-Ann Muffolettoat maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu or 435-797-3517. FALL 2009 I INSIGHTS

A ~ UtahStateUniversity

NONPROFIT ORG . U.S . POSTAGE

PAID

OF SCIENCE

~OLLEGE

UTAH STATE

Office of the Deon 0305 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322 -0305

UNIVERSITY

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Rebecah Skeen

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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 use this form to drop us a line. You can also email information to maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu or fax us at 435.797.3378. Name

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