Continuum staff | Continuum

2019 Founders Day Honorees

March 17, 2019

Lana Dalton MSW’13

Dalton is currently piloting new initiatives as programs manager for the Criminal Justice Advisory Council of Salt Lake County and previously served as the first social worker to be embedded in the Salt Lake City Police Department, where, as program manager for its Community Connection Center, she helped officers better understand mental health issues and substance use in connection with their work. Dalton’s colleagues at the SLCPD quickly came to realize the value of embedded social workers, as she aided them in navigating systems previously unfamiliar to them. Dalton was named SLC’s Humanitarian of the Year and the SLCPD Chief ’s Civilian of the Year in 2017. She also received the Utah Homeless Summit’s Community Connection Center Innovator Award that year. She currently serves on the Community Advisory Board for the U’s College of Social Work and Salt Lake County’s Behavioral Health Advisory Council.

Lily Eskelsen García BS’80 MEd’86

Eskelsen García is president of the country’s largest professional union, the National Education Association, and serves on the U.S. President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. She is also a board member for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, an executive committee member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and a regional vice president of Education International. Eskelsen García began her career in education as a school lunch lady and had only been teaching for nine years when she was named Utah Teacher of the Year in 1989. She then won election as president of the state education association, won her party’s nomination for U.S. Congress, and served as president of the Utah State Retirement System. Eskelsen García and her husband, Alberto García, are author/illustrator of the bilingual book Rabble Rousers: Fearless Fighters for Social Justice, published to raise funds for undocumented Dreamers.

Robert Grow BSEE’73

Melding his engineering and legal educations, Grow has practiced law, was president of Geneva Steel, chaired the American Iron and Steel Institute, and was then the founding chair and primary architect of Envision Utah. In the 1990s, Grow directed all facets of Geneva’s operations, including its modernization. He was eventually awarded the Gary Medal, the American steel industry’s highest honor, for his national leadership on trade, environment, and technology. In 1997, Envision Utah was created as a public/private partnership to “envision” and strategize for quality growth in Utah. During the last two decades, Grow has shared Envision Utah’s dynamic, values-driven, public process in more than 80 metropolitan regions. Currently CEO of Envision Utah, Grow was recently named a Leader for a Livable, Equitable, and Sustainable America, a lifetime achievement award given to individuals who have dedicated their careers to building a better U.S.

Dr. Raymond Price BS’83

Dr. Price’s work highlights the dramatic impact surgery can have on communities, economies, and individuals. Recognized as an international leader and pioneer in expanding the role of surgery in public health, Price co-founded and is director of the Center for Global Surgery at the U (where he is a clinical professor) and directs graduate surgical education at Intermountain Medical Center. With a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the U and his M.D. from Harvard, he has participated in or led more than 40 medical expeditions to Asia, Latin America, and Africa and has held leadership positions with the World Health Organization and several medical societies. Prior honors include the Presidential Friendship Medal of Mongolia (the highest medal that country gives to foreigners), the American College of Surgeons-Pfizer International Volunteerism Award, recognition as a Utah Medical Association Physician of the Year, and multiple teaching awards.

Gail Miller

Miller owns the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies (including car dealerships, the Utah Jazz, and much more) and chairs the LHM Management Corporation board of directors. She presides over the Larry H. Miller Education Foundation and the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, which support a wide range of charitable, educational, and humanitarian causes. Gail and her late husband established the U’s Larry H. and Gail Miller Enrichment Scholarship, and she personally ensures that many young women receive college scholarships. A strong advocate of health and wellness for women and children, Miller has also long donated generously to University of Utah Health. On the National Advisory Council at the U and the President’s Leadership Council at BYU, she also serves as the chair of Intermountain Healthcare’s board of trustees, on the Shelter the Homeless board, and on the Zions Bank advisory board.

Class Notes

March 17, 2019

Misaka BS’48 (pictured top) and Ferrin BS’66 were recognized with Lifetime Achievement awards from U Athletics during a basketball game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in December. As student-athletes, these two helped the U take its first NCAA basketball tournament game and title, a Cinderella story win, at Madison Square Garden in 1944, and both went on to play professionally.

Misaka was drafted by the NY Knicks, becoming the first person of color to play in what became the NBA. The only four-time All American at Utah, Ferrin joined the Minneapolis Lakers in 1949 before later returning to the U to finish his degree, then served as the Utes' athletic director from 1976 to 1985. He and Misaka were also honored at the Dec. 1 game by the Marriott Library for their contributions of personal papers, scrapbooks, and photographs to Special Collections.

Robert Milich MS’73, retired municipal court judge, has been inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. In the Vietnam War era, Milich interrupted his law school studies to join the Air Force. He later served during Operation Desert Storm, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Milich pioneered the Youngstown Veterans Treatment Court, in which nonviolent charges can be dismissed if participants complete monitored, court-ordered mental-health or drug-treatment programs. He completed his law degree at the University of Akron.

Phyllis Vetter BS’84 JD’87 was recently appointed general counsel for the U, where she has worked as an attorney for 20 years. She graduated from law school Order of the Coif (top 2 percent), was an editor for Utah Law Review, and completed a Utah Supreme Court clerkship with the Honorable Michael D. Zimmerman BS’67 JD’69. “It is an amazing privilege to lead one of the strongest legal teams in Utah and in higher education nationally, especially at this time of remarkable growth and progress at the U,” she says.

Stephanie Hunt BS’10 of Clayton Middle School in Salt Lake City is the Utah recipient of the first-ever National University System-Sanford Teacher Award, receiving $10,000 for demonstrating commitment to creating inspirational and harmonious classrooms that support student development and achievement. Hunt holds endorsements in ESL and Language Arts, along with two master’s degrees, including in talented and gifted education. She was also recognized with a Huntsman Excellence in Education Award for teaching in 2018.

Alum News: FREE Membership!

March 17, 2019

Welcome to the Club!
All Graduates Now Members of the Alumni Association

All U alumni are now members of the Alumni Association! Membership is automatic and dues-free, thanks to a decision made by the Alumni Association Board of Governors. Alumni can connect with their alma mater and fellow alums as full-fledged association members—eligible for a number of benefits, such as discounts on many campus events and services, including Utah Red Zone gear and tickets to select cultural and athletics events. Alums can also access special U alumni discounts at more than 150,000 restaurants, service providers, and retailers across the country using the free Utah Alumni app.

LEARN MORE & GET THE APP!

Happy Trails

by Brooke Adams

Surely there is a “Fredism” that fits this occasion. You know, one of those cowboyesque sayings that Fred Esplin MA’74 is known to have at the ready to sum up any situation. Maybe: “Well, there’s an embarrassment of riches here.” Or: “Looks like the cow finally got out of the barn.”

At the end of January, Esplin stepped down as vice president for institutional advancement, the capstone of his 40 years at the U. He joined the university in 1979 as director of marketing for KUED Channel 7; in 1981, he was named general manager of KUED, and he later also served as associate director of media services and the Utah Education Network (UEN). Esplin was appointed a vice president in 1999. He is now continuing to work on a handful of projects for the university on a part-time basis.

A native of Cedar City, Esplin has a barnful of accomplishments at the U. Among them: helping to conceptualize UEN; raising the profile and production quality of KUED; establishing a professional marketing operation and consistent branding for the U; helping convince the state legislature that Utah should adopt an educational pathway for undocumented students; and leading a $1.65 billion capital campaign for the U and launching a second.

Esplin leaves the U wistful, perhaps surprised at how quickly 40 years flashed by, and, most of all, grateful. “I never imagined in my wildest dreams I would have the opportunities I have had,” he says. “I feel very fortunate. I really do.”

Discovery

March 16, 2019

Photo by Kleverenrique via WikiCommons

MATCHMAKING THROUGH WARFARE

War: What is it good for? Well, for one Amazonian tribal society in Ecuador, it turns out it was a good way to get married. Participating in raiding parties helped the Waorani warriors build relationships and make important marriage alliances for themselves or their children, according to a new study led by U anthropologist Shane Macfarlan.

Researchers visited and spoke with the Waorani about their raiding histories and collected one of only a handful of datasets in the world with detailed information about what warfare looks like in small-scale societies, prior to the intervention of the modern state, with reports on raids spanning 1916-70.

They found that Waorani were actively joining raids with a variety of people who could provide access to ideal marriage partners for themselves or their children. And sometimes, subtle coercion from in-laws appeared to be a factor in joining.

The relationships built through raiding resulted in meaningful bonds between the men, which could shed light on the evolution of friendship.

A common feature of friendship across cultures is that it promotes cooperation between people who are neither kin nor lovers, with friends providing benefits that kin and lovers cannot. One context where friendship is extremely important is helping people deal with conflict from other people and groups.

“The act of killing another human is a really traumatic act, which causes people to share something in common psychologically that establishes trust and fosters things like friendships,” says Macfarlan.

The study found that despite what some anthropologists previously thought, raiding groups have not always been limited to just kin; sometimes warfare was also about building strategic alliances.

Why Do Patients Lie to their Doctors?

Illustration by Bradley Knickerbocker

When your doctor asks how often you exercise, do you give an honest answer? How about when the doctor asks what you’ve been eating lately? If you’ve ever stretched the truth, you’re not alone.

Sixty to 80 percent of people surveyed have not been forthcoming with their doctors about information that could be relevant to their health, according to a new study. Besides fibbing about diet and exercise, more than a third of respondents didn’t speak up when they disagreed with their doctor’s recommendation. Another common scenario was failing to admit they didn’t understand their clinician’s instructions.

When respondents explained why they weren’t transparent, most said that they wanted to avoid being judged and didn’t want to be lectured about how bad certain behaviors were. More than half were simply too embarrassed to tell the truth. “Most people want their doctor to think highly of them,” says the study’s senior author, Angela Fagerlin, chair of population health sciences at University of Utah Health.

How Low Can You Go?
New Blood Pressure Target Could Help Millions

Achieving recently released blood pressure goals could help prevent more than 3 million cardiovascular disease issues in the U.S. in the next 10 years. The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association’s new blood pressure guidelines lower the hypertension threshold to 130/80 mm Hg from the previous 140/90 mm Hg.

After the new guidelines were released in 2017, Adam Bress, an assistant professor of population health sciences at the U, wanted to see how far-reaching the impact of following those new guidelines would be. After examining trials consisting of more than 140,000 participants, Bress found that the new guidelines had enormous potential. “Treating high blood pressure is a major public health opportunity to protect health and quality of life for tens of millions of Americans,” he says.

Identifying Which Genes Impact Suicide Risk

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 44,000 people in the country every year, similar to the number of deaths caused by the opioid epidemic. And researchers at the U are closer to understanding one possible reason why. They have identified some underlying genetic factors that may increase the risk of people ending their own lives.

Researchers identified specific changes in four genes, and 207 genes that warrant further analysis to understand their potential role in people dying by suicide. Just 18 of these genes have previously been associated with the risk of individuals killing themselves.

“Past studies of families and twins informed us that there is significant genetic risk associated with suicide,” says Douglas Gray, professor of psychiatry at the U and senior author on the paper. “Genes are like blueprints. The first step is to find the genes that increase risk. Identifying specific genes may lead to new treatments for those who suffer.”

Did Humans Cause Ancient Animals to Go Extinct in Africa?

Despite what was previously thought, humans may not have been to blame for the demise of giant mammals in Africa over the last several million years. Instead, the culprit may have been falling atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. As the CO₂levels dropped, grasslands expanded, and with fewer trees, there was less food for the large mammals to eat, according to a new study led by Tyler Faith, the curator of archaeology at the Natural History Museum of Utah.

Faith and his team looked at long-term changes in eastern African megaherbivores (species weighing more than 2,000 pounds) using more than 100 fossils spanning the last 7 million years. The team also examined independent records of climatic and environmental trends and their effects.

What they found was remarkable. Twenty-eight lineages of mammals became extinct. But the decline began roughly 4.6 million years ago, and that rate of decline didn’t change with the appearance of Homo erectus, a human ancestor often blamed for the extinctions.

Rather, Faith’s team argues that climate is the more likely culprit. And the loss of massive herbivores may also account for other extinctions that have also been attributed to ancient hominins.

“We know there are also major extinctions among African carnivores at this time and that some of them, like saber-tooth cats, may have specialized on very large prey, perhaps juvenile elephants,” says Paul Koch from the University of California, Santa Cruz, another member of the research team. “It could be that some of these carnivores disappeared with their megaherbivore prey.”

Updates

March 16, 2019

NEW FINANCING PROGRAM TO HELP STUDENTS FINISH DEGREES

In January, the U announced its newest initiative to help students graduate faster and launch their careers sooner. A new pilot program—Invest in U—is an innovative approach to helping students finance their last year of school. The program, the first of its kind in the Western region, will allow students in selected majors to borrow up to $10,000. But instead of paying interest as with a traditional loan, students will pay 2.85 percent of their monthly income over a three- to 10-year period, depending on the amount and major.

Payments will go back into the Invest in U program, creating a perpetual fund to help future students. In addition, payments may be paused for students pursuing graduate degrees, engaged in voluntary service, or working full time but earning less than $20,000 a year. “Through Invest in U, the University of Utah is investing in our students to help them succeed, recognizing that many students start and stop their educations based on finances,” says U President Ruth Watkins.

Some students extend their schooling time or never graduate because they want to avoid excessive debt and work while going to school. Invest in U is designed to help them graduate and increase earning potential faster. The program is funded by $6 million in donor, investor, and university money.

“We are excited to see the University of Utah leading nationally in piloting this innovative, flexible financing option to help more students graduate,” says David Buhler BS’83 PhD’14, commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education. “In Utah, 27 percent of people who started college never graduated. This will help many more students get their diplomas, which we know is associated with higher earnings in the future.”

STRENGTHENING SECURITY ON OUR CAMPUS

The university has moved swiftly to implement 30 recommendations made by an independent team that reviewed the U’s interactions with Lauren McCluskey in the weeks before her tragic murder last fall.

Most improvements are now in place, with a few recommendations—adoption of new database systems and accreditation of the Department of Public Safety, for example—still in progress. The changes will provide better communication and coordination between university entities when responding to concerns raised by or about campus community members.

Key groups across campus have participated in information sessions and trainings to ensure they are aware of polices, response expectations, and relevant resources. And several new staff are being hired in critical areas, including a victim advocate, a detective who specializes in interpersonal violence in the Department of Public Safety, and a resident outreach coordinator in Housing and Residential Education. The full list of actions implemented is available online at safeu.utah.edu.

President Ruth Watkins enlisted the three-member independent review team after McCluskey’s murder. The team includes two highly respected former commissioners of public safety in Utah and a former university chief of police who now serves as the head of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

The review team released its report on Dec. 17, 2018. Watkins asked Jeff Herring BA’98, chief human resources officer, to work with campus leaders to ensure timely adoption of the team’s initial 30 recommendations and to more broadly review additional changes to improve safety at the U.

“We are acting on all the insights and recommendations in the review team’s report, which identified gaps in our training, awareness, and enforcement of certain policies and offers us a roadmap for strengthening security on our campus,” Watkins says.

An outstanding student and track athlete, McCluskey was killed on Oct. 22, 2018, by a man with whom she had a brief relationship. The man was a master manipulator, practiced liar, and criminal who exploited McCluskey, the university, state corrections, and law enforcement systems to commit this horrific act.

“I am holding myself and my leadership team responsible for making these changes,” Watkins says. “Our commitment to Lauren, her friends, and family—as well as our students, parents, staff, faculty, and community—is that safety will continue to be a top priority at the University of Utah.”

Watkins also asked the independent review team to work with the Presidential Task Force on Campus Safety, which in January reconvened to conduct a second review of overall campus safety. The task force is looking at training practices; physical security; an ongoing organizational structure for safety-related issues; campus policies and best practices; and staffing and internal communication. New recommendations are expected by April.

Working Group on Healthy Relationships Formed

A new working group commissioned by President Watkins will focus on raising awareness and conversations about healthy relationships—and how to recognize and respond to problems, such as intimate partner violence.

“I am tasking this group to develop a plan to implement educational opportunities to broadly benefit U students, staff, and faculty,” Watkins said in her charge to the group, which includes representatives from across campus and from the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

The group held its first meeting in mid-January and is considering campuswide initiatives that may include workshops, speakers, awareness campaigns, training, etc. The group also will look at programs offered by other institutions as well as opportunities to collaborate with organizations that promote healthy relationships.

Chinese President Recognizes U Metallurgy Professor

Halfway around the globe, U professor Jan Miller was recently honored by Chinese President Xi Jinping for his efforts on the processing of energy and mineral resources. Over several decades, Miller has traveled to China more than a dozen times, visiting 16 provinces to discuss, advise, and collaborate on research involving coal, potash, and other basic resources. The cooperation with China has included lectures, workshops, and research projects with universities in China, and has involved more than 100 Chinese students and researchers who have visited and/or studied with Miller’s group at the U.

“This recognition must include, by extension, the many contributions from our research group, and support from the University of Utah during the past decades,” says Miller. “The grandiose celebration in the Great Hall with President Xi was an unanticipated, exciting, and unforgettable experience.”

Civil Rights Leader to Speak at U’s 150th Commencement

Renowned civil rights activist, religious leader, former U faculty member, and U alum Rev. France A. Davis MA’78 will deliver the commencement address at the university’s 150th ceremony on May 2.

Davis has been pastor of Utah’s most prominent black church, Calvary Baptist, since 1974. His decision to devote his life’s work to ministry came after marching with Martin Luther King Jr. in the March on Washington in 1963 and the Selma-to- Montgomery voting rights march in 1965. He also served in the U.S. Air Force, held faculty positions at the U in communication and ethnic studies, and is the chaplain to the U football team.

“Rev. Davis’ quiet dignity, tireless advocacy for respecting all individuals, and steady message on unity make him a welcome and timely choice to address our graduates, as well as our greater campus community,” says President Ruth Watkins.

New Grant will Build Bridge
with Pacific Islander Community and the U

Strong community, resilient history, and vibrant traditions are key elements of the Pacific Islands culture. These same elements are the foundation of a Pacific Islands Studies initiative at the U— and a new $600,000 award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will allow major acceleration of this effort.

The three-year grant will be used to expand and promote an “academic ecosystem” at the U focused on three goals: recruiting and retaining students who are Pacific Islanders, advancing interdisciplinary and humanistic approaches to Pacific Islander research, and building meaningful relationships with Pacific Islander communities in the Salt Lake City area.

“The Mellon grant provides us with a substantial infusion of resources, which allows the Pacific Islands Studies initiative to develop our holistic plan all at once rather than doing it piecemeal over time,” says Hokulani Aikau, an associate professor of both gender studies and ethnic studies. “We strive to make the University of Utah the premier institution for Pacific Islands Studies scholarship in the continental U.S.”

Researcher Receives $2.5M to Study Alzheimer’s

Funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will give one U scientist the freedom to pursue new ideas in neurodegeneration research. Jason Shepherd, an assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy, is one of just 17 recipients of the inaugural Ben Barres Award. The initiative’s goal is to support innovative work that may solve intractable problems. “For me what is most exciting is, this award gives my lab the freedom to pursue high-risk ideas that depart from the typical approach to Alzheimer’s disease,” Shepherd says.

U Student Awarded Churchill Scholarship

In an astounding streak of recognition, Cameron Owen is the fourth consecutive U student to receive the prestigious Churchill Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He’s one of only 15 students in the U.S. to receive the award in 2019. Owen and Peter Armentrout, a Distinguished Professor of chemistry at the U, are studying more efficient methane activation, which could eventually be used to convert enormous amounts of methane from natural and shale gas into usable products.

Congrats! U Finalist in National Challenge

With $1 million on the line in a national competition to benefit the middle class, a proposal to boost financial prosperity in Utah’s Carbon and Emery counties was one of five finalists in the American Dream Ideas Challenge. This summer, the group from the U will make a final pitch in the competition funded by investment firm Schmidt Futures, to secure funding in an attempt to raise net income for 10,000 middle-class families by 10 percent by the end of 2020.

While job growth statewide has increased 17 percent since 2008, employment in Utah’s coal country has declined 16 percent; unemployment is 5 percent, double the state’s rate. The Utah Coal Country Strike Team proposes building a tourism infrastructure, creating a Silicon Slopes eastern hub, revitalizing housing stock, and establishing customized economic incentives to spur development.

“We’ve all benefited from coal, but we face an economic, environmental, and moral imperative to combat global climate change,” says Natalie Gochnour BS’84 MS’88, one of the team’s co-chairs and director of the U’s Gardner Policy Institute. “The benefits of reducing our dependence on coal are widespread.”

Two other teams from Utah also made pitches in the national round. Neighbor helps people rent out unused storage space. And Mobility as a Service facilitates the use of public transportation options—transit, ride hailing, bike sharing, etc.—to help families with multiple cars use fewer vehicles.”

U Art Students Dedicate Murals to City of Murray

Painting isn’t usually a team activity. But nine murals recently unveiled in Murray City School District’s elementary schools were an impressive collaboration between U students, Murray residents, the Murray City Cultural Arts Department, and 2,800 elementary and secondary school students. Kim Martinez BFA’98, the U professor who oversaw the project, says bringing art to people is vital and that “art is a right—not a luxury.”

Learn more about Professor Kim Martinez in the prior Continuum feature here.

One More: Strength & Grace

March 14, 2019

Bookshelf: Vice Presidential Reads

March 14, 2019

Heidi Woodbury BS’89 is the U’s newest VP on the block. She assumed her role as the university’s vice president for institutional advancement in February, but she certainly isn’t new to campus.

Woodbury began her career at the U as chief advancement officer for KUER-FM, the U’s public radio station, then joined the David Eccles School of Business in 1996, serving in various leadership roles before becoming the assistant dean for external relations in 2010.

Known for her team- and relationship-building skills, Woodbury is also an accomplished fundraiser. Under her leadership at the Eccles School, financial support from donors significantly increased, alumni connections flourished, and several new academic centers and facilities were built (her colleagues nicknamed her “Queen of Building”).

Woodbury succeeds Fred Esplin MA’74, who retired. She says she is honored to have the opportunity to serve the U in this new capacity. “I’m excited to work with President Watkins and the leadership team in the years ahead as we strive to continue the university’s momentum.”

For the Woodbury family, campus is a second home. Woodbury’s husband, Todd, is a classical guitar instructor at the U, and her daughter, Lauren, is a junior studying kinesiology. Outside of work, Woodbury enjoys designing jewelry, spending time with her Chihuahua named Ollie, and taking in a good book. Here are a few of her favorite reads.

I had the opportunity to travel with the David Eccles School of Business and the university’s Global Health team to Ghana, Africa, last July for the Extreme Affordability Conference. While there, we visited the Elmina Castle on the Cape Coast. The haunting tour of the slave castle compelled me to read Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston.

Written in 1927, the book features an interview with Cudjo Lewis, the last living survivor of the Middle Passage—the route slave ships took between West Africa and the West Indies. Reading this was a reunion with one of my favorite authors. In college, I read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston and first discovered her amazing ability to transport readers across time and culture.

Campus Scene: Tradition

March 14, 2019

Feedback

March 11, 2019

Body Donor Program

I thoroughly enjoyed the December issue of Continuum, specifically, the article discussing the importance of the Body Donor Program [“A Virtuous Circle,” Winter 2018-19]. You see, I am not only a University of Utah alum... I also joined the body donation program this year while I finalized my end-of-life plans. Reading about Kerry Peterson [pictured above] and his dedication to the integrity of the program was very reassuring. I will share this article with my family to help them understand the importance of my decision.

Tiffany Anderson BS’04 | Salt Lake City

Kerry Peterson is one of those hidden treasures on this campus. I was lucky enough to know him peripherally when we worked in the same building. And I learned a lot from him about the Body Donor Program and can now represent it for all its compassion and importance. He is an outstanding example of an exceptional U of U employee.

Jan Abramson | Salt Lake City

I have had the honor of working with Kerry and the bodies that are donated as I have set up, planned out, and coordinated multiple cadaver labs for [the U’s] surgeons in training. I see the reverence in which bodies are handled, the respectful language that is used, the joy and fascination in the faces of doctors as they learn from these individuals. Each surgeon thanks the donor at the conclusion of our labs. It’s a phenomenal experience, and I can’t think of a better way to contribute to future generations.

Ruth Braga BA’99 | Salt Lake City

My wife passed away last November after a near decade-long battle with cancer. She wanted to donate her body so that fewer people might die due to that horrible disease in the future. The body donation people [at the U] I dealt with were all very respectful and honestly some of the most kind and understanding that I have ever met. They were truthful and honest and answered every question that we had. It was also a really nice weekend this last summer as the new names that were etched into the wall of panels were unveiled.

Steven Martinez BS’82 | Salt Lake City

Chrony Goes Digital

[“Old News is Good News,” Winter 2018-19]

How fun to look up my old theater reviews!

Walker Van Antwerp BA’80 | San Pedro, Calif.

Giving Refuge

Dr. Nyawelo, thank you for the courage and work you have applied to fulfilling your vision and purpose in life. [“Finding Refuge in Education,” Fall 2018]. Yours is an inspiring example!

Beth Braithwaite

Alum News: Written by Our Own

November 26, 2018

Class Notes

November 26, 2018

Jerold Oldroyd BS’73 JD’76 was honored with the 2018 Thayne Robson Award for Leadership by the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. Named for the late U professor, the award recognizes excellence through collaboration, statewide vision, private sector leadership, and public-private-partnerships. Oldroyd is senior counsel at Ballard Spahr, where he focuses on lobbying, government affairs, and legislative initiatives relating to financing and technology. A long time EDCU board member, he currently serves as its chair.

Claudia Sisemore MFA’76 received the U’s 2018 College of Fine Arts Distinguished Alumni Legacy Award. Sisemore studied with Utah artists Lee Deffebach BA’49 MFA’89 and David Chaplin BFA’59 and exhibits and teaches in the arts. Her production company, Canyon Video, produces historical documentaries and independent films. She has produced national award-winning educational films for the Utah State Office of Education and has recorded the histories of more than 20 outstanding Utah artists.

Jerre Holmes BA’86 was named the 2019 Utah School Superintendent of the Year by the state school superintendents association. Holmes has worked for 31 years as a teacher, administrator, and state championship-winning coach. Under his leadership, the North Summit School District has implemented a technology initiative to benefit students; launched a district-wide program to ensure that students who are struggling mentally, emotionally, or academically receive resources to succeed; and raised pay and benefits for all staff.

Susanna Cohen DNP’14 was named a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing at its 2018 policy conference in Washington, D.C. The honor is reserved for highly distinguished nurse leaders. Cohen’s research interests include improving the management of obstetric and neonatal emergencies, simulation learning, and humanized birth. An associate professor at the U, her current projects include interprofessional team training in Mexico, Guatemala, Kenya, and India, and low-tech, high-fidelity training in midwifery and women’s health.

José Ángel Maldonado PhD’17 received the Rhetoric Society of America’s 2018 Dissertation Award for his paper “Diana’s Confession: Precarious Rhetoric in Post-NAFTA Mexico.” The award recognizes the best dissertation in rhetorical studies completed by a student member of the society. Maldonado’s groundbreaking thesis looks at violence and death in Mexico in relation to larger geopolitical and economic shifts. Now an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he was the first U student to win the award.

FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE

November 26, 2018

Shannon McNatt is no stranger to rigorous training. The U senior and NCAA regional beam champion gymnast spends more than 20 hours training each week preparing for competition. And her dedication in the gym is paralleled in her coursework. She’s in one of the David S. Eccles School of Business’ most demanding majors, Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations (QAMO), which requires advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, economics, and business.

The QAMO major helps put the Eccles School on level with places such as Berkeley, Columbia, and other top schools from around the country, says Adam Meirowitz, director of the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis. And in a competitive market, graduates like McNatt—with exhaustive training both in the gym and in the classroom—enter the business world on even better footing. Skills such as time management and teamwork that student-athletes excel at have tremendous value in both the classroom and the workplace, adds Meirowitz.

In addition to a successful gymnastics career, including a 2017 NCAA regional beam win with a 9.9 score, McNatt is a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic first-team member, a College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District first-team honoree, and a three-time Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Scholastic All-American. She’s currently an intern at the U’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and is exploring career options for utilizing her analytical and leadership skills after she graduates.

STEWARDS OF OUR NATURAL WORLD

November 26, 2018

Utah is at the heart of many recent environmental debates, ranging from national parks and water to land use and air quality. These crucial issues can seem impossibly complex, and finding solutions requires collaboration and creativity. Here are just two of many researchers exploring these topics from different perspectives.

A cultural perspective: The data is available. And brilliant minds are working tirelessly to create solutions to big environmental questions. So why is change so hard? Why isn’t adoption of environmental solutions more widespread?

Oftentimes the real barrier to change is related to culture, says Jeff McCarthy, the director of environmental humanities at the U. Approaching climate change from just the hard sciences isn’t enough, he says. Instead, we also need to view it through the lenses of aesthetics, religion, history, and literature to create more effective solutions and have a wider adoption of those solutions.

And that’s where environmental humanities come in. “We have bigger storms, more heat, rising oceans,” says McCarthy—and the environmental humanities look at what these challenges mean to people who live on coastlines, or who rely on irrigation water for farming, or those who will be displaced from their homes by the changing climate. And the U is a leader in this field, he says. Students from the environmental humanities go on to work in journalism, academics, and nonprofits, and are helping communities learn to adapt to changing climates.

A chemist’s point of view: It may not be immediately intuitive for a chemistry professor to be focused on improving the environment. But Luisa Whittaker-Brooks, an assistant professor of chemistry at the U, is doing just that by training the next generation of researchers to create new materials to improve renewable energy and use fewer resources.

“Scientists used to just think about solving problems at a fundamental level, and then engineers would make devices. But that’s not how it works anymore. Now it’s blended,” Whittaker-Brooks says. And at the U, students and faculty frequently collaborate across departments. “We have this interdisciplinary network where we can address a problem from different perspectives.”

Passionate about the environment, Whittaker- Brooks hopes to inspire a new generation of critical thinkers and scientists to help address climate change. Her passion is fueled from her experiences growing up in Panama, where she saw a growing population stress already taxed natural resources. That’s one of the benefits to bettering our environment, she says: it doesn’t just benefit a single group of people—it helps the whole world.

BRIDGING THE PATH

November 26, 2018

Sayro Paw was 12 when she arrived in Utah from the Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand. She recalls being totally overwhelmed by the language and cultural differences. “I didn’t know how to communicate with anyone,” she says. “I didn’t know anyone at school, and I couldn’t do homework.”

Gradually things improved for Paw, especially once she connected with the U’s own University Neighborhood Partners (UNP) Hartland Partnership Center, one of more than 30 sites where UNP engages with west side neighborhoods. At UNP Hartland, Paw had faculty and student mentors who helped her with language and study skills and eventually helped her apply to college. In addition, Paw made new friends participating in UNP Hartland’s outdoors programs, where she got out on weekends to rock climb, canoe, and hike.

“UNP builds partnerships between the university and west side neighborhoods that reduce barriers to education and opportunity,” explains UNP director Sarah Munro. UNP brings together partners who work with about 4,000 west side residents each year on issues ranging from English language acquisition to mental health support, education and employment pathways, and after-school programs.

Paw is now studying at the U and wants to be a middle or high school art or English teacher. “I want to show my students that I made it this far and they can too,” she says.

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Dr. Raymond Price BS’83

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