Even though it’s only 22 years old, the Alumni House has recently had a facelift.

Thanks to generous donations from the Katherine W. Dumke and Ezekiel R. Dumke Jr. Foundation, the reception room on the ground floor has been redecorated in a soft sage green with new carpeting, wall coverings, and modern furnishings. The room also has a new mantelpiece over the fireplace and is adorned with original artwork and a grand piano.

Sally Burbidge Cassity BA’52 and her family are responsible for giving the Burbidge Board Room on the second floor a fresh new look. Warm, yet functional, the room is enhanced with original paintings and photographs —of Red Butte Garden and the University seal in the Park Building— chosen by Cassity herself to reflect her affection for the University. Technological innovations include an inhouse audio system with wireless microphone, a new podium, an LCD player with full digital capability, and a drop-down screen.

Comments Debbie Tucker, Alumni House manager, “The renovations were finished in time to welcome the Board of Trustees, the National Advisory Council, and a host of other campus and off-campus groups who traditionally use these rooms.” Tucker believes that the updated reception room is the ideal backdrop for weddings and other formal—and not-so-formal—events.

“The good thing about the Alumni House is that it’s adaptable to almost any occasion,” says Tucker. “Plus you can bring your own caterer. More and more, clients on and off campus are discovering its benefits as a meeting place.”

For information about reserving rooms in the Alumni House, contact the current house manager, Susan Draayer, at 801-581-3710, or visit online.

Interest piqued? An online “U-News & Views” subscription form is available here.

In April, “U-News & Views,” the Alumni Association’s online newsletter, was launched into cyberspace.

The goal of the newsletter is simple: to keep U of U graduates and friends engaged and informed about what’s happening at the U. Which is a lot.

The cyber-letter includes feature stories—about research, people, events, and activities—along with some news from the Alumni Association, athletic highlights, a calendar of events, and a few tidbits (opinion polls, interesting statistics, and fun facts) about campus life.

Many educational institutions are moving in a virtual direction. In the interest of keeping up with the times and technology (as well as the neighbors), the Alumni Association is working to sign up a critical mass of subscribers. There are currently more than 200,000 U of U alumni spread throughout the United States and around the globe, so that possibility looks promising. The hope is to solicit signups and feedback in order to fine-tune the newsletter to meet the needs of the U of U community. (To subscribe, go to the Association's homepage.)

In 1913, the Beehive Honor Society was formed to pay tribute to graduating seniors who demonstrated leadership, scholarship, and service to the University and the community, while maintaining a good academic record. In 2003—90 years later—this honorable tradition continues.

The society began with seven members; today there are over 1,150.

On occasion, an outstanding person from the University community is selected for honorary membership. There are presently 19 such honorees. This year the society bestowed honorary membership on retiring Hinckley Institute Director Ted Wilson BS’64 to commemorate the society’s 90th anniversary.

On April 10, 21 new members were inducted into the Beehive Honor Society, including: Steven Behling, Rick Henricksen III, Laura Jacobson, Jessica Judkins, Elizabeth Kanell, Randall Lloyd, Benjamin Lowe, Kristien McDonald, Amanda Meredith, Jessie Morris, Michael Nelson, Christina Olson, Christopher Otto, Daniel Owen, Haley Petersen, Jessica Peterson, Cory Peterson, Chris Tayler, Brenna VanFrank, Christopher Welch, and Andrea Winegar.

Each year the Alumni Association helps organize travel adventures for alumni and friends to desirable destinations near and far. Upcoming trips are scheduled for Italy, Russia, France, Canada, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Great Britain, China, and Australia. For information on the travel program, contact Nanette Richard BS’90 at 801-581- 3708, or visit the Travel Packages section of the Alumni Association home page.

A crowd of more than 300 guests gathered to honor four Distinguished Alumni and one Honorary Alumnus being recognized for their respective lifetime achievements at the Founders Day banquet on Feb. 19, 2003. (See Continuum, Spring 2003.) Also acknowledged were former U.S. Representative James V. Hansen BS’62, the Distinguished Service honoree, and, Silvia Salguero, the Founders Day Scholarship recipient.

The president referred to the U’s graduates, friends, and supporters in the audience as “an extended family,” which, he said, is “the lifeblood of our institution. All of us at the U are aware of it, and very grateful for it.”

The first president of the University of Deseret (before it became the University of Utah), John R. Park, made a surprise appearance to remind history of the U, observing that there had been “many changes” between 1850 and now. In his time, Park mused, “we had students attending from all parts of the city. Nowadays, there are students from almost every county in Utah, all 50 states, and more than 100 foreign countries.”

Founders Day sponsors included Deseret News, KSL-5 Television and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, Leon BS’74 MBA’67 and Karen F. BS’64 Peterson, The Tempest Company, University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics, and Wells Fargo Bank.

(L-R): H. Kent Bowen BS’64, distinguished alumnus; James V. Hansen BS’62, distinguished service; Peggy Papp BFA’50, distinguished alumna; Robert H. Garff BS’66 MBA’67, distinguished alumnus; Larry EchoHawk JD’73, distinguished alumnus; and Jack R. Wheatley, honorary alumnus.

Silvia Salguero undoubtedly had no idea she would end up with a full scholarship to the U the day she and her family arrived in Park City— in the middle of a snowstorm and without warm clothes—in December 1995. The family had emigrated from Michoacan, Mexico, in search of a better life.

In January Salguero began eighth grade at Treasure Mountain Middle School, where she attended only one term. Then it was on to Park City High School, where she worked diligently. “I knew I wanted a good education,” she says. Finding time to study was difficult, however, since she was responsible for cooking, cleaning, and caring for her six younger siblings every day while her parents worked. She did her homework late in the evenings.

The 2003 Founders Day Scholarship recipient, Silvia Salguero (center), receives congratulations from her mother (left), Silvia Huerta, and mentor, Gerry Maak MBA'83, who teaches Spanish at Park City High School.

With encouragement and support from her teachers, plus a lot of hard work, Salguero graduated from high school with a 3.4 grade point average. She received four scholarships and intended to go to college to become a nurse. With the help of her high school teacher and mentor Gerry Maak MBA’83 and the encouragement of her parents, Salguero applied to the University of Utah. She was accepted and began to attend classes but, as a nonlegal resident, wasn’t eligible for in-state tuition. Since she couldn’t afford out-of-state tuition—three times the cost—even with her scholarships, she had to drop her classes and return her books.

While she may have lost her scholarships, Salguero never lost hope, even while working as a housekeeper in Park City to help her mother pay the bills. (Her father had returned to Mexico and the family was living on only one salary.)

In 2002, she got some unexpected help from the Utah State Legislature, which passed a bill granting the children of undocumented immigrants residency status, allowing them to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. Suddenly, Salguero’s future took on a brighter hue.

With assistance from the Park City Educational Foundation and the Alumni Association, which awarded her the 2003 Founders Day Scholarship, Salguero is able to return to the U to pursue her degree in nursing.

“Today, I see a new door opening, not only for myself, but for others just like me,” says Salguero. “I want to prove that as long as a person tries, as long as a person doesn’t give up hope, anything is possible.”

The Alumni Association presented awards to the following outstanding individuals at its annual Spring Awards
Banquet on April 24, 2003:

Adjunct Faculty Award
	Brent James BS’74 BS’76 MD’78 MS’84 was recognized as an outstanding adjunct faculty member for his superior instruction, knowledge of subject matter, interest in and availability to students, and overall impact on his students’ educational experience. James teaches in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and in Medical Informatics; is a visiting lecturer in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health; and an adjunct professor at Tulane University. He is Intermountain Health Care (IHC) vice president for medical research and executive director of its Institute for Health Care Delivery Research, where he leads IHC’s clinical improvement efforts.
Faculty Community Service Award
	Kathleen Kaufman MS’87, associate professor (clinical) in the College of Nursing, has contributed significantly to the betterment of the off-campus community. She volunteers on neighborhood projects, at work, and with children and staff in the Granite School District. She enlisted colleagues and nursing students to help establish an outdoor garden for the lower grades and a wintertime science club for upper grades. She also organized a health fair for Morningside Elementary students.
Philip and Miriam Perlman Awards for Excellence in Student Counseling Established in 1979, the Perlman awards are given annually to faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to the U through their student advising and counseling. The 2003 recipients of this award are:
	Dennis C. Alexander (faculty), recently retired associate professor in the Department of Communication, taught for 34 years and served as director of undergraduate studies from 1996 to 2003. Alexander was a champion of the students in their collective and individual concerns.
	Darci L. Berg (staff) is executive secretary and student advisor in the Division of Film Studies. The only staff member in the division, she advises and counsels 480 students, including creative involvement in the making of their films.

The Young Alumni Association (YAA) each year presents its Par Excellence Award to a former student who has attended the U within the last 15 years and has given outstanding service to the University, the community, and his or her profession.

The 2003 award recipient is Mark John Ott BA’85 MD’89, chair of the Department of Surgery at LDS Hospital and assistant professor of surgery at the University of Utah.

Ott returned to Utah from the East Coast in July 2002 to participate in the expanding field of cancer care in Utah, which he describes as “a great opportunity.” He also wanted to have more flexibility in balancing his surgical oncology practice with teaching and research.

“I love this area and owe a great debt to the University of Utah for giving me the education that led to further opportunities back East,” Ott says.

Ott began his medical career as instructor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University, where he completed an internship and residency in general surgery and served as research and clinical fellow in surgical oncology. He was then an instructor and assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and also served as assistant surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 2002 Ott was listed in Boston magazine as one of “Boston’s Best Doctors.” He received the Young Clinician Award from the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), which allowed him to attend the World Congress of Gastroenterology in Vienna, Austria.

Over the past 15 years, Ott has been “heavily involved in the lives of young people” as an advisor, coach, and scoutmaster for youth through his church and Boy Scouts of America affiliations.

He is married to Emily Johnson BS’85, whom he met at the University of Utah, where she graduated with an honors degree in business finance. They have five children.

The University of Utah Alumni Association is proud to honor the 2003 Merit of Honor Award recipients, presented by the Emeritus Alumni Association. Each has given distinguished service to the nation, the community, the University, and their respective professions.

1. Anthon S. (Tony) Cannon Jr. BS’62 JD’62, senior partner in the law firm of Pillsbury, Madison, & Sutro, with over 900 lawyers in 16 locations, including the U.S., Asia, and Europe.

2. Ethlyn Ann Hansen BS’51, the first woman civil engineering graduate at the University of Utah and an internationally recognized leader in transportation engineering.

3. Webster Shew Shun Jee PhD’59, internationallyrecognized radiobiologist on the toxicity of plutonium and the use of biophosphorates in the treatment of Paget’s disease and osteoporosis.

4. Lee Howard Jorgensen BS’48, pioneer scientist for NACA/NASA whose original research formed a foundation for early space programs, including the space shuttle and the Apollo Moon flight.

5. Carol Cornwall Madsen BA’51 PhD’85, research historian at the Smith Institute for LDS History and professor of history at Brigham Young University.

6. Don H. Nelson BA’45 MD’47, internationallyknown endocrinologist and former head of the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Utah.

7. Arthur Louis Ruoff PhD’55, international expert in high pressure and ultra pressure, and professor of engineering at Cornell University.