April 22, 2003 News Releases
Released 4/18/03 & 4/21/03
EXHIBITIONS
HIGHLIGHT TWO CAREERS AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
LOGAN — The careers of two Utah State University faculty
members and artists are highlighted in a current exhibition
at the university’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art.
The shows feature artwork by long-time faculty members Adrian
Van Suchtelen and Marion Hyde.
“These exhibits are bursting at the seams with a lifetime
of creative effort,” said museum Director and Curator
Victoria Rowe. “The exhibits follow the 33-year career
path of two well-known and loved artists.”
The two exhibits, “Milestones: Adrian Van Suchtelen”
and “Marion Hyde: Paintings, Prints, and Drawings,”
are now open at the museum and can be seen through July 31.
“The reaction to the exhibit has been overwhelming,”
Rowe said. “People from as far away as Flagstaff have
returned for the opening. Former students who haven’t
been back in years have returned. The loyalty and positive response
to the impact that these professors had on students’ lives
is truly impressive. We want to share the exhibits with local
admirers as well.”
Hyde officially retired from Utah State’s art department
last year. Known for his mixed-media drawings and woodcuts,
his work investigates segments of nature. His artwork in the
exhibition exemplifies more than 30 years of artistic development,
Rowe said.
In his artist’s statement, Hyde said, “the images
in this exhibition focus on bringing visual order to the subject
through the process of sequencing a language of space, shape,
rhythm and ration, with the intent of establishing visual relationships
that portend inevitability.”
Highlights of the exhibit are a chronological series of figure
drawings, his recent “Park City” series of woodcuts
and imagery developed from close observation of the life cycle
from the root system of a decaying Locust to a parcel of a frozen
marsh.
Van Suchtelen retires from Utah State’s art department
this spring. Artworks in his exhibit are featured in seven categories
— portfolios, portraits, lakeside, vanitas, seasons and
life drawings. The works illustrate many artistic explorations
and achievements.
“His artwork embodies techniques that combine the astute
observation of a master draftsman and romantic sensitivities
to the human figure,” Rowe said. “His imagery is
very personal, yet he has the ability to describe the human
spirit, in fact, the soul, with his artistic mark.”
“These exhibits feature the work of two beloved Cache
Valley artists,” Rowe concluded. “The museum is
pleased to present their work for all to enjoy, especially our
Cache Valley patrons.”
Hours for the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art are: Tuesday
through Friday, 10:30 to 4:30 p.m., Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8
p.m., Saturday noon to 5 p.m.
Admission to all museum exhibitions is free. Further information
may be obtained by contacting the museum at 435-797-0163.
April 21, 2003
Contact: Victoria Rowe, 435-797-0164
Web site: www.artmuseum.usu.edu
BRINGING BUSINESS LEADERS TO UTAH STATE STUDENTS
LOGAN — Thursday afternoons have never been better for
the best and brightest business students of Utah State University.
They are learning how to succeed and get ahead in the business
world, but not from a textbook. Instead, some of Utah’s
most successful entrepreneurs are acting as source material,
sharing insight and advice on what it takes to be a leader and
find success.
It’s all a part of the new Executive Leadership Seminar,
taught by professor Gaylen Chandler. To create the class, Caryn
Beck-Dudley, dean of the College of Business, and Alta Markeson,
director of development for the college, hand picked 20 top
business students to have an up-close, personal experience with
outstanding business leaders.
“We were looking for a way to expose our students to people
who have done significant things with their careers, as well
as exposing these people to our students,” said Chandler.
“We want to develop contacts for our university, and this
is a great way to do it.”
The two-hour class breaks away from the traditional classroom
format. Time is allotted for the speaker to tell their story,
have a question-and-answer session and then enjoy social time
on the ninth floor of the business building with Aggie Ice Cream.
This provides students an opportunity to shape the discussion
and ask in-depth questions.
“I strongly believe that we learn better from true stories,”
said Beck-Dudley. “Anyone could come and give advice on
leadership, but when they tell you stories about what they have
done and how they got to where they are, you remember it.”
This semester’s speakers have included Larry H. Miller,
owner of the Utah Jazz and Larry H. Miller auto dealerships;
Shelli Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Stampin’ Up!, a
company that brought in more than $150 million in revenue last
year; Richard Nelson, president and COO of Larry H. Miller Dealerships;
Merlin Olsen, an actor, entrepreneur and former NFL player;
John Miller, president and CEO of Farmland National Beef Packing
Company; Kenneth Coleman, founder of ITM Software; Stan and
Sandy Checketts, owners of S&S Power; and Gary Stevenson,
founder of Icon Health and Fitness.
“Each speaker has been distinct and important in their
own unique way, offering different perspectives about what we
will be facing as we begin our careers,” said Jon Carlston,
a student enrolled in the class. “The insights gained
will be invaluable to me throughout my career.”
So far, executives have covered a broad range of topics including
starting a business, choosing a career path, succeeding in the
business world and learning from mistakes.
“Many of these speakers have done a lot of great things,
but most have made mistakes,” said Charles Thompson, a
graduate student in the class. “You get to learn from
their mistakes about what works and what doesn’t.”
While students learn how to avoid mistakes, speakers also encourage
them to take chances and realize their potential.
“The overall goal of this class is to broaden horizons
and raise aspiration levels,” said Chandler. “I
think we have a lot of students who are capable of far more
than they have ever aspired to do, and the stories shared by
our speakers help them think of ways to become better leaders.”
Ben DeSpain, another member of the class, reinforced Chandler’s
belief that guest speakers encourage and motivate the students
to reach their potential.
“I believe my chances for success in life, business and
other pursuits are a great deal higher than at the start of
the semester,” DeSpain said. “The speakers have
given me great input to help me achieve my goals.”
For more information about the executive leadership seminar,
contact Chandler at gaylen.chandler@usu.edu.
April 21, 2003
Contacts: Gaylen Chandler, (435) 797-2365
Wendy Littlejohn, (435) 797-2360
Writer: Miaken Christensen, (435) 797-1350
UTAH STATE
ALUMNUS AWARDED BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
LOGAN — February’s Customer Service and Marketing
seminar at Utah State University had an added feature when alumnus
Kay L. Toolson was given the Business Professional Achievement
Award for his extensive work in the recreational vehicle industry.
“Kay Toolson has had an extraordinary career and has helped
set the standard for excellence in the recreational vehicle
industry,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, dean of the College
of Business. “We are pleased to give him this award, and
we hope that many other Utah State graduates will follow in
his footsteps.”
Toolson, CEO and chairman of Monaco Coach Corporation, completed
his bachelor’s degree in business administration from
Utah State in 1968. Following his graduation, he accepted a
position with Xerox corporation and returned to Utah State in
1970, earning his master of business administration through
Xerox’s continuing education program.
In 1972 Toolson started his career in the recreational vehicle
industry as product manager for Kings Highway Mobile Industries
in Los Angeles, where he later held positions of national sales
manager and vice president. In 1982, Toolson joined motorhome
manufacturer Executive Industries as a minority owner and executive
vice president of operations.
Toolson moved to Eugene, Ore., in 1986 where he joined Monaco
Coach Corporation (MCC) and completed a management buyout of
the company in 1993. Following the buyout, MCC conducted an
initial public stock offering with shares listed on NASDAQ,
and in 1996 the company completed a $60 million acquisition
of Holiday Rambler Recreational Vehicles, a brand previously
owned by Harley-Davidson. MCC joined the New York Stock Exchange
in 1998, and, as part of the listing ceremony, Toolson and his
management team were invited to New York to ring the NYSE opening
bell.
During Toolson’s tenure with MCC, the company has grown
from a small, specialty recreational vehicle manufacturer, recording
$17 million in annual revenue, to a 5,000-employee company producing
a broad spectrum of recreational vehicles with annual revenues
in excess of $1.2 billion.
April 21, 2003
Contact: Tim Vitale, (435) 797-1356
ENGLISH PROF’S
ETHICS PROJECT RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NORCHE PRIZE
LOGAN – Brock Dethier, an assistant professor in Utah
State University’s department of English, has received
the Northern Rockies Consortium for Higher Education (NORCHE)
prize. Dethier’s project investigating important aspects
of ethics in undergraduate education earned the award.
NORCHE was founded in 1978 to foster creative improvement in
higher education in the four-state region of Idaho, Montana,
Utah and Wyoming. As part of the operation of this consortium,
the board of directors has established funding for the NORCHE
Prize for an Instructional Improvement Project.
The prize promotes individual or institutional projects for
faculty or instructional development, including inter-institutional
exchange relating to such development, in the member schools’
states.
“Ethical issues in undergraduate research have become
increasingly complex,” said Dethier. “The Internet
makes plagiarism ever easier, but it is far from the only ethical
concern in undergraduate research. Other concerns — conflicts
of interest, fraud, allocation of credit and the ethical use
of human and animal subjects — may be more important than
plagiarism itself. Yet many students graduate without any awareness
of such matters.”
Dethier’s goals for the project include developing and
testing a research ethics unit that can be integrated into Utah
State’s Intermediate Writing course (English 2010). The
research unit will be published and distributed to other universities,
and adapted by other disciplines. Department of English grad
student Susan Andersen will serve as a research assistant on
the project.
The NORCHE consortium consists of 32 institutions of higher
education in its member states. For more information on Dethier
or the NORCHE Prize for Instructional Improvement, call (435)
797-3858.
April 21, 2003
Contact: Marina Hall (435) 797-3858
CACHE CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA FEATURES SOLOISTS IN SPRING CONCERT
LOGAN — In its last concert of the season, the Cache
Chamber Orchestra will feature three talented high school soloists,
announced conductor and director Robert Frost. The orchestra’s
spring concert is Sunday, April 27, and begins at 7:30 p.m.
in the Kent Concert Hall of the Chase Fine Arts Center on the
campus of Utah State University. The concert is free and open
to all.
All of the student soloists are from Logan High School and are
members of the school’s strong orchestra program, Frost
said. The soloists include Anne Swenson, violist, Alexis Hoggard,
cellist, and Cassie Wiser, double bassist. The three were selected
to perform as soloists from an earlier festival.
“Locally, we have a solo ensemble festival, held every
year at the end of January or first of February,” Frost
said. “Talented high school musicians participate and
receive rankings and comments from judges. From that, a number
are selected to perform in an honors recital, and invitations
are also presented to two or three musicians to perform concerto
works with the Cache Chamber Orchestra. It’s interesting
to have the combination of instruments that we have with this
year’s soloists.”
Frost pointed out that there is not a violinist performing as
soloist this year. The viola represents the high string instruments,
while the cello and double bass are low string instruments.
This combination provides a unique opportunity for audiences
to hear these instruments in a concerto performance.
Swensen will perform a movement from a Handel concerto for viola
and orchestra, Frost said. The work is typical of Handel’s
baroque style.
Hoggard’s selection is a standard for the cello, “Kol
Nidrei” by Bruch. The work is a beautiful, lyrical piece,
Frost said. It is a romantic, single-movement work based on
a Hebrew melody.
Finally, Wiser will play a movement from a concerto for double
bass by Koussevitzky. The work is a very advanced concerto for
double bass. “It’s great to have someone locally
who is working on this level on the double bass,” Frost
said.
The Cache Chamber Orchestra accompanies the three soloists and
provides the remainder of the program.
The evening opens with an overture by Von Gluck, “Alceste.”
The piece was written for the beginning of an opera, Frost said.
It is based on three themes, and those themes are repeated three
times. Many may not have heard the work before, Frost continued.
Also included is a fun piece that goes lickety-split, Rimsky-Korsakoff’s
“Dance of the Tumblers,” Frost continued. This Russian
composer is a well-known master of orchestration and orchestral
colors. The work is a delightful, short show piece, Frost said.
Closing the concert is the “Berceuse and Finale”
from Stravinsky’s “The Firebird.” The Cache
Chamber Orchestra’s version is arranged by Merle Isaac,
one of the outstanding arrangers for the public school market,
Frost said. In technical terms, he has moved the piece one half-step,
making it more accessible for groups to perform. It still has
all the compenents of the original but it has been adjusted
one small interval to make it easier to perform — there
are fewer sharps and flats. As Frost said, it fits under the
fingers more easily. The work includes beautiful solos for the
bassoon and the French horn and has a rousing climax that uses
the full brass complement.
This wraps up the 29th year for the Cache Chamber Orchestra,
an all-volunteer community organization sponsored by the department
of music at Utah State University. The group will return next
year and Frost invites interested musicians to participate.
April 21, 2003
Contact: Robert Frost (435) 563-5090
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354
SECOND
ANNUAL BEAR RIVER WATERSHED CELEBRATION
LOGAN — A second annual celebration is being held for
the Bear River Watershed Education Project titled, “A
River Runs Through Us.” The event is free and open to
the public Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the
American West Heritage Center in Wellsville.
The celebration includes animals, live music, booths, displays,
games, crafts and hands-on activities for children. Student
presentations and talks by local resource specialists will also
be given.
The “A River Runs Through Us” program includes 18
teachers and 400 students from eight school districts in the
three Bear River Basin states, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. Together,
the teachers and students monitor long-term water quality trends,
utilize the river for interconnected learning opportunities
and share their knowledge, ideas, stories and concerns about
the Bear River.
The goal of the program is to encourage students to become informed
citizens and active stewards of the Bear River watershed.
The celebration is a chance for the students and teachers who
have worked with “A River Runs Through Us” to come
together to share the information they have learned with each
other and the public.
For more information about the Bear River Celebration, or the
“A River Runs Through Us” program see http://cnr.usu.edu/bearrivered/
or contact Andree’ Walker at (435)797-2580 or andree@cnr.usu.edu.
April 21, 2003
Writer: Heather Butikofer, 435-797-1350, hmbutikofer@cc.usu.edu
Contact: Andree’ Walker, 435-797-2580, Andree@cnr.usu.edu
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 04-18-03
STEVEN AUST ANNOUNCED
2003 D. WYNNE THORNE RESEARCH AWARDEE
LOGAN — Steven Aust, professor of chemistry and biochemistry
at Utah State University, is this year’s recipient of
the D. Wynne Thorne Research Award, to be presented at Utah
State commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 3.
The D. Wynne Thorne Award is an annual prize of $5,000 given
to an individual or group on the university campus that completed
some of the most outstanding research in the previous five years.
“Steven Aust has a distinctive career as a research scientist
at Utah State,” said Brent Miller, Utah State vice president
for research. “He is particularly famous for his discoveries
in chemistry that have implications for useful biotechnology.
He has also been highly productive in training undergraduate
and graduate students, as well as many post-doctorates.”
Aust’s accolades include $12 million dollars in research
funding, 350 published papers, the supervision of 50 graduate
students and 16 post-doctorates and the Governor’s Medal
for Science and Technology.
Aust is an internationally recognized expert in a number of
fields, including the toxicology of polyhalogenated aromatic
hydrocarbons, lipid peroxidation, the role of iron in the deleterious
oxidation of biomolecules and the degradation of lignin and
environmental pollutants by white-rot fungi.
“Dr. Steven Aust is at the pinnacle of an illustrious
research career,” said Steve Scheiner, a colleague in
the chemistry and biochemistry department at Utah State. “His
reputation and accomplishments are truly international in scope.”
Aust’s research focuses on the use of fungi to biodegrade
harmful substances such as pesticides, poisons and explosives.
His success in this area has had many commercial applications.
Aust’s laboratory is also striving to learn how iron is
stored in the protein ferritin in cells and how to safely remove
excess amounts, which has implications for the understanding
of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease
and Parkinson’s disease.
“Dr. Aust’s many publications are thoroughly cited
in the litererature, at the rate of some 500 times each year,”
said Scheiner. “His research is of enough significance
to our society that it has been noted in many trade journals,
as well as newspapers and TV shows.”
The D. Wynne Thorne Research Award, named after Utah State’s
first vice president for research, is the most prestigious research
commendation given by the university. “The award is given
to the outstanding university researcher who is selected by
a committee of peers who are previous recipients of the award,”
said Miller. Nominees are also evaluated by letters from nationally
known experts.
April 18, 2003
Contact: Brent Miller, 435-797-1180
Writer: Anna Brunson, 435-797-1180
UTAH STATE COLLEGE
OF SCIENCE HONORS OUTSTANDING STUDENTS AND FACULTY
LOGAN — Utah State University’s College of Science
honored its top students and faculty at an awards program and
reception in April at the Eccles Science Learning Center Auditorium
on the Utah State campus.
Undergraduate students receiving honors at the event were physics
major Lara B. Anderson, valedictorian of the college, and mathematics
and statistics senior Jeffrey T. Leek, Scholar of the Year.
Graduate students honored at the ceremony were Researcher of
the Year, Aleksey E. Kuznetsov, doctoral student in chemistry
and biochemistry; and Graduate Student Teacher of the Year,
Francois A. van Heerden, mathematics and statistics major.
Faculty members who received honors at the ceremony are Teacher
of the Year, David Peak, professor and assistant department
head in physics; Advisor of the Year, George H. Emert, professor
of chemistry and biochemistry; and Researcher of the Year, Scott
A. Ensign, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.
Interim dean for the College of Science Donald Fiesinger has
been named dean for the college effective July 1. Fiesinger’s
appointment is for two years.
“Dean Fiesinger has been a stabilizing and calming voice
for the college in tough economic times,” said Executive
Vice President and Provost Stan Albrecht. “He has provided
visionary leadership, and he sees the future of science and
how that future relates to the College of Science at Utah State.”
For more information on the College of Science, visit its Web
site, http://www.usu.edu/science/. To learn more about Fiesinger,
visit http://www.usu.edu/deans/
April 18, 2003
Contact: Karen Bindrup (435) 797-2481
Writer: Maren Cartwright (435) 797-1355
USU WRIGHT
FLYER TAKES FLIGHT IN CACHE VALLEY
LOGAN — The anticipation Orville and Wilbur Wright felt
when they built and flew their original Wright flyer is similarly
being felt in Cache Valley as Utah State students and faculty
have labored for two years to recreate and fly their futuristic
replica called the USU Wright Flyer.
The celebration of the USU Wright Flyer’s first flight
in Cache Valley will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,
April 26, at the Logan/Cache Airport, 900 West 2500 North, North
Logan. Wayne Larsen, a flight instructor and agricultural pilot
from Box Elder County, will fly the aircraft at noon, weather
permitting.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight, Utah
State University students and faculty and the Space Dynamics
Laboratory designed and constructed the futuristic replica of
the Wright Flyer using space-age materials. The celebration
of powered flight will give residents of Cache Valley a chance
to reflect on the past and compare it to the future.
The USU Wright Flyer replica project has been designated as
an official centennial event by the U.S. Centennial of Flight
Commission. The flyer will travel to Dayton, Ohio, in July to
the Inventing Flight celebration where it will be on display
through the duration of the events.
During the event at the Logan/Cache airport there will be an
opportunity for the public to have their picture taken sitting
in or standing beside the USU Wright flyer throughout the day.
The 5-by-7 pictures will be $5 each.
To find out more about the USU Wright Flyer see the Web sites
at www.usuwrightflyer.org and http://utahstatetoday.usu.edu/archives/march2003/03-14-03/feature-03-14-03.cfm.
April 18, 2003
Writer: Heather Butikofer, 435-797-1350, hmbutikofer@cc.usu.edu
Contact: Trina Paskett, 435-881-2823, trina.Paskett@sdl.usu.edu
Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355, maren.cartwright@usu.edu
THE USU
WRIGHT FLYER TRAVELS TO BOX ELDER
LOGAN — After two years and over 10,000 hours of hard
work from Utah State engineering and aviation technology students
and faculty, the USU Wright Flyer takes off and travels throughout
Utah this spring.
The USU Wright Flyer, a 1905 futuristic replica of the Wright
brothers' plane, will be on display at the Box Elder Airport
Wednesday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wayne Larsen, a flight instructor and agricultural pilot from
Box Elder County, will conduct low-level flight demonstrations
throughout the day.
School and youth groups are invited to schedule a time to see
the flyer with Lareen Fox. Contact her by calling 435-723-2702.
The general public is invited to attend the demonstration throughout
the day. If weather conditions are poor, the flyer will not
be flown but it will be on display.
At each location the USU Wright Flyer team will present information
on engineering, aviation and aerospace technology, the history
of the Wright brothers and their accomplishments, and the history
of aviation.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of powered flight, Utah
State University students and faculty, working with the Space
Dynamics Laboratory, designed and constructed the futuristic
replica of the USU Wright Flyer using space-age materials. The
celebration of powered flight will give the residents of Utah
an opportunity to reflect on the past and compare it to the
future.
Kevlar and graphite replace the muslin and spruce used in the
original flyer.
These two composites are manufactured in Utah and used in the
space shuttles, next-generation rockets and military aircrafts.
The USU Wright Flyer project has been designated as an official
part of the centennial events by the U.S. Centennial of Flight
Commission. The flyer will travel to Dayton, Ohio, in July to
the Inventing Flight celebration where it will be on display
through the duration of the events.
During the tour, there will be an opportunity for the public
to have their picture taken sitting in or standing beside the
USU Wright Flyer. The 5-by-7 pictures will be $5 each.
To find out more about the USU Wright Flyer see the Web sites
at www.usuwrightflyer.org and http://utahstatetoday.usu.edu/archives/march2003/03-14-03/feature-03-14-03.cfm.
April 18, 2003
Writer: Heather Butikofer, 435-797-1350, hmbutikofer@cc.usu.edu
Contact: Trina Paskett, 435-881-2823, trina.paskett@sdl.usu.edu
Maren Cartwright, 435-797-1355, maren.cartwright@usu.edu
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