March 21, 2003 Feature Story
Many
Utah State Students, Faculty and Staff are on Active Military
Duty
 A
number of Utah State students, faculty and staff have been activated
and are serving as part of the U.S. military team in Iraq.
Approximately 43 students left the university during Spring
semester after being called to active military service. Glenn
Davis, university registrar, said the number of Utah State students
participating in the Iraqi conflict could be even higher, as
some students put on alert status before the beginning of the
semester could have chosen not to register at all for Spring
semester.
In accordance with university policy, Davis said all of the
students who brought their activation orders into the registrar's
office received a 100 percent tuition refund, and that complete-refund
policy certainly will continue.
Several of the activated students were involved in the university's
ROTC program. Maj. Rand Curtis, department head of military
science, said 12 of the 43 students called up for duty are actively
involved in ROTC — 11 are Army ROTC and one is a member
of Air Force ROTC.
Curtis said his thoughts and the thoughts of the entire ROTC
staff are with the troops.
"We appreciate their service, and I wish I could be there
with them," he said. "It is extremely difficult to
sit at home when you know your buddies are putting themselves
in harm's way. I wish them Godspeed and hope they get home safely."
  At
least two Utah State Extension employees are part of the call-up,
according to Extension Vice President Jack Payne. Adrian Hinton,
horticulture agent in Utah County, and Terry Messmer, Extension
wildlife specialist, have been activated.
"We are proud that these colleagues and friends are part
of the team that will be serving this country in Operation Enduring
Freedom," Payne said. "Both have been activated by
their reserve units. We as an Extension and university community
wish them success, safety and a speedy return."
Clark England, director of personnel services, said the number
of faculty and staff participating in the military action is
difficult to pinpoint exactly. "We've sent an email to
all the deans and vice presidents in an attempt to get exact
numbers," he said.
England said he knows of three staff or faculty members who
submitted official employee action forms about military service,
and there is paperwork submitted from as many as seven more
faculty or staff members about whom he is unsure of the specific
reasons for request at this point.
War Topic Experts at Utah State University
Larry Boothe – Assistant professor, Political
Science department
Bio: Boothe is a retired CIA officer of 31 years and
spent much of his career serving in the Middle East.
Contact: call (435) 753-8799 or email lboothe@hass.usu.edu
Mike Sweeney – Associate professor, Department
of Journalism
Bio: Sweeney specializes in war reporting and his most
recent book, From the Front, is a history of war told
through the eyes and ears of war correspondents.
Contact: call (435) 797-3213 or email mike.sweeney@usu.edu
Peter Mentzel – Associate professor, Department
of History
Bio: Mentzel specializes in the Ottoman Empire and
was a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow in Turkey during the
1998-99 academic school year. He is most recently focusing his
efforts on Muslim minorities in the Balkans.
Contact: email pmentzel@hass.usu.edu
Carolyn Rhodes – Professor, Political Science department
Bio: Rhodes' expertise focuses on the political and
economic development of the European Union, the EU's relations
with the United States and the EU as an international actor.
She also analyzes U.S. foreign policy, especially in the context
of trans-Atlantic relations.
Contact: call (208) 374-5813, (435) 797-1305
Steven Hanks – Associate professor, Management
and Human Resources department
Bio: Hanks served as a Dean at the Arab American University
in Palestine during the 2001-2002 academic school year. His
knowledge gives him a unique prospective into the Israeli- Palestinian
conflict and opinions in the Arab world regarding America's
post 9/11 war on terrorism.
Contact: call (435) 797-2373 or email steven.hanks@usu.edu
Leona Hawks – Professor, Extension Specialist,
Environment and Society
Bio: Hawks is the Utah contact for the National Extension
Disaster Education Network (EDEN). She offers state training
around key disaster issues and resources and is setting up the
Utah Disaster Education Network.
Contact: call (435) 797-1529 or email leonah@ext.usu.edu
Contact: Tim Vitale, (435) 797-1356
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