April 23, 2003 News Releases
Released 4/22/03
THE USU
WRIGHT FLYER TRAVELS TO SALT LAKE
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 Salt Lake City Airport
II April 28–30.
School and youth groups are invited to schedule a time to see
the flyer with Bruce King. Contact him by calling 435-797-8002
or e-mail brucek@ext.usu.edu. The general public is also invited
to attend the 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 visit the following
Web sites: www.usuwrightflyer.org and http://utahstatetoday.usu.edu/archives/march2003/03-14
-03/feature-03-14-03.cfm.
April 22, 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
UTAH
STATE UNIVERSITY CONTINUES STREAK OF PHI KAPPA PHI NATIONAL
FELLOWSHIP WINNERS
LOGAN — The Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) Honor Society held its
spring initiation ceremony Monday, April 21, at the Taggart
Student Center, and Utah State students were there in force.
Invitations to the ceremony were based on academic achievements
and exemplary character. They include the upper five percentile
of last-term juniors and the upper ten percentile of seniors.
Also eligible are outstanding students, professional staff,
faculty and alumni.
PKP is a selective honor society and is dedicated to recognizing
and promoting academic excellence within all fields of higher
education. It has more than one million members and includes
former President Jimmy Carter; Nobel Prize Winner, George Olah;
Rita Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation; and
Merlin Olsen, NFL Hall of Famer.
Phi Kappa Phi awards $380,000 annually in national fellowships
for first-year graduate study. Since 1980, 16 Utah State nominees
have won national fellowships.
Marriner Merrill, Utah State’s candidate for 2003, is
a PKP National Fellowship winner and will be awarded $8,000
for graduate school. Merrill is currently working on his bachelor’s
degree in mechanical engineering and will graduate from Utah
State this May. He is a University Club Scholarship recipient
and was recognized as one of the top students in his class with
an academic excellence award in the department of mechanical
and aerospace engineering. He has served as an Engineering Ambassador,
working with local high school students, as an E- Council member
and as a tutor and research assistant.
At Utah State he has researched thermoacoustics, a new science
that uses sound waves to transfer heat, creating refrigeration
with no moving parts. He plans to further his education, working
toward a master’s and a doctorate degree.
The following are listings of PKP Honor Society inductees from
Utah State:
College of Agriculture: J. Earl Creech; Jacqueline Vollmar Freshwater;
Kimberly K. Harper; Heather Elizabeth Nemanic and Annemarie
Wanagel.
College of Business: Michael J. Baker; Kristin Galloway; Beth
M. Anderson Gard; Judy H. Gibbons; Matthew A. Klingler; Taylor
S. Leavitt; Mark Richard Seely; Brian Kent Smedley; Ann Song;
Debbie F. Spafford and Christopher Alan Tryba.
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences: Vanessa Ballam Brenchley;
Tori Edwards; Bruce Willard Esplin; Kathryn A. Fifield; Alisha
A. Geary; Jerilyn Hansen; Joanna Hooste; Marianne Noyes; Cassandra
E. Orr; Stacie Palmer; Brit C. Petersen and Sarah C. Wegener.
College of Natural Resources: Christopher L. Fausett.
College of Science: Jeffrey Leek.
College of Education: April Ann Aston; Janice E. Becker; Joseph
M. Chambers; Sharon R. Dover; Valerie Demonja Elder; Karen Jo
Morgan Kamalu; Robert Samuel Naylor; McKinsey T. Robertson;
Nanci L. Saurdiff; Cindy Rohde Stokes; James R. Taggart; Michael
R. Thompson and Kelli Anne Witt.
College of Engineering: Nicholas Robert Alley; Robert L. Blaser;
Travis K. Bodily; Yaroslav V. Bogatov; Zachary J. Casper; Sachin
Ramesh Chandra; Spencer Fugal; Rebecca Rae Goode; Michal Hradisky;
Erick R. John; Jason R. Mckellar; Marriner Hyde Merrill; Kody
L Nelson; Kevin M. Nielsen; Eric C. Olsen; Karen Perry; Brad
D. Petersen; Jeremy James Shaffer and Bassell N. Timani.
For more information on Phi Kappa Phi, see the national Web
site at www.phikappaphi.org.
April 22, 2003
Contact: Mary Donahue, 797-2186, mdonahue@cc.usu.edu
UTAH STATE
BLUE LIGHT HONORS D. WYNNE THORNE RESEARCH AWARD RECIPIENT
LOGAN — The Utah State University blue light atop Old
Main will light the night sky Wednesday, April 23, to honor
Steven Aust, professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department,
for receiving the D. Wynne Thorne Research Award.
Aust is an internationally recognized expert in a number of
fields. He studies such topics as the toxicology of polyhalogenated
aromatic hydrocarbons, lipid peroxidation, the role of iron
in the deleterious oxidation of biomolecules and the degredation
of lignin and environmental pollutants by white-rot fungi. In
2002, Aust received the Governor’s Medal for Science and
Technology from Gov. Michael O. Leavitt.
He has contributed much to the Utah environment by founding
the Intech One-Eighty Corporation to market white-rot fungus
technology for the biodegration of environmental pollutants.
The technology has been sublicensed to EarthFax Engineering,
Inc., to clean up environmental pollution sites in Utah as well
as the nation.
Aust’s research has attracted national attention and has
garnered funding from such prestigious and competitive agencies
as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation,
the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army and Navy. He
has secured more than $12 million for his research.
Aust is loved by students and has mentored nearly 50 graduate
students and 16 postdoctoral trainees, said Steve Scheiner,
chemistry department head. Many students come from all over
the world including Japan, Italy and Poland to study under Aust’s
direction. He also teaches a class on biochemistry to non-science
majors.
Aust will receive the award at Utah State’s 110th commencement,
Saturday, May 3.
The Aggie Blue Pride Light atop Old Main lights the Cache Valley
night sky as a symbol of Aggie tradition, heritage and pride.
Faculty researchers are a part of the heritage that contributes
to the quality of Utah State.
April 22, 2003
Contact: John DeVilbiss (435) 797-1358
Writer: Maren Cartwright (435) 797-1355
STUDENT SUPPORT
SERVICES TO THE RESCUE
LOGAN — Going back to school, especially after being
out of the groove for awhile, can be a difficult thing. Challenges
often loom, ranging from financial inadequacies to the simple
but very real fear factor. Help is available though, and one
particular office at Utah State University, Student Support
Services, stands at the ready to help students sometimes termed
as “non-traditional” find success.
Just ask John Flores. He turned his “non-traditional”
experience into a success story.
As a 26-year-old freshman, husband and father of two, Flores
knew exactly what it felt like to be overwhelmed with school.
Flores graduated from high school in 1982 with no intention
of going to college. His family was not able to help support
him financially. He worked in construction and then as a temp
mechanic for eight years and realized he would need to do something
more to support his growing family.
“I found that with only a high school diploma, my opportunities
were very limited,” Flores said.
After persuasion from his brother, he decided to enroll at Utah
State University. Once he began taking the required courses,
feelings of insecurity and doubt began to take their toll.
“I was haunted by the fear that I wouldn’t be successful,
and I was considering that maybe I wasn’t smart enough
for college,” said Flores. “I went to the Student
Support Services office thinking ‘What am I going to do?’”
That’s when his educational path took a turn for the better.
Nazih Al-Rashid, director of Student Support Services, took
the time to listen to Flores’ fears and concerns and reassured
him that they could help him.
Student Support Services is a part of TRIO, a federally funded
program to help students with their educational needs and goals.
Services offered include academic advising, tutoring and financial
aid planning as well as math and study skills instruction.
“He immediately showed concern for me and asked me to
explain what was going on and what was troubling me,”
Flores said. “When I left the office, I felt like they
genuinely wanted to help me and that the office was a place
I could go and talk to someone at any time.”
With the help of Student Support Services, Flores graduated
from the industrial hygiene and biology department in the fall
of 1993 with a 3.74 grade point average. Since then, he has
completed his master’s degree, worked for a consulting
firm, made his way back to Utah State and is now a lecturer
in the biology department.
Early this year, Flores returned to Student Support Services
to catch up with the staff that had helped him succeed more
than a decade ago. Flores expressed his appreciation for the
support and help he received.
“John is an excellent example for TRIO students on campus,”
said Al-Rashid following the visit. “His accomplishment
is a testimony to the success of TRIO programs and the philosophy
behind the Student Support Services program.”
Flores will be featured in the National TRIO Achievers brochure
pending the final brochure publication. This brochure will be
published by the Council for Opportunity in Education.
To qualify for services from the office, students must be American
citizens or permanent residents, must be registered as an undergraduate
at Utah State and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
(1) low income as determined by federal guidelines based on
family size and income; (2) first generation, with neither parent
having a four-year degree; or (3) learning or physically disabled.
Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
until the program is full. For more information, visit the Student
Support Services Office in the Taggart Student Center room 225A
or go to their Web site at www.usu.edu/sss.
April 22, 2003
Writer: Shalee Sucher, (435) 797-1350, shalee@cc.usu.edu
Contact: Nazih Al-Rashid, (435) 797-3371, nazih.alrashid@usu.edu
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