Education
e-Whistleblower: SchoolHalls.com, the brainchild of undergraduate researcher Justin Bergener (’08), gives elementary and junior high students a safe way to report bullying and other problems at school. Kindercram: Full-day kindergartners perform better in literacy exams, according to a study conducted by the McKay School’s Kendra M. Hall (BS ’96), Gary E. Bingham, and Byran B. Korth (BS ’93).
Engineering and Technology
Stay Where You Are: Val D. Hawks (BS ’80) has been appointed director of the School of Technology, after serving as interim director since June 2006. Building a Reputation: Jay P. Christofferson (BS ’80), professor of construction management, received the Outstanding Educator Award from the National Association of Home Builders at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla.
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Model Ambassadors: BYU’s Model United Nations program won four top honors while representing Syria and India at the recent National Model United Nations conference. LDS Recognition: History professor Grant R. Underwood (BA ’77) created a Mormon studies unit in the American Academy of Religion. Underwood will serve as cochair.
Fine Arts and Communications
Ryan J. Woodward
Piñatas a Hit: Animation students’ latest short film, Las Piñatas, won a “student Emmy”—the animation program’s sixth. Beauty Contest: The Ad Lab won L’Oreal’s Brandstorm Competition in New York City. The team represented the United States in the international finals in Paris and won Best Communications Campaign. Go Spidey: Animation professor Ryan J. Woodward (BFA ’03) worked on the storyboards for the movie Spider-Man 3. Two of his BYU students, Tyler R. Thomson (’08) and W. Alex Cannon (BFA ’05), worked on the film as interns.
Humanities
Mind and Spirit: The inaugural Mormon Scholars in the Humanities Symposium was held in March, with Richard L. Bushman as keynote speaker. Acting Out: In the first College of Humanities Theater Festival, students—many of them first-time actors—performed plays in nine languages.
Health and Human Performance
Making a Case: Health science students Curtis J. Read (’08), Emily A. Conkey (’07), and Erik J. Nelson (’08) took third in the case study competition at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance national convention in Baltimore.
Law School
First-Class Arguers: Law students Kristen M. Byrd (BA ’02), Michael J. Howell (BS ’03), and Caleb J. Frischknecht (BS ’04)won the National Appellate Advocacy Competition in Chicago. The trio utperformed 177 other teams to win thechampionship.
Life Sciences
New Names: The College of Biology and Agriculture will now be known as the College of Life Sciences. Two departments also received new names: the Department of Plant and Animal Sciences became the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, and the Department of Integrative Biology became the Department of Biology. Transplanted: The regional USDA Forest Service office in Ogden, Utah, is donating its entire plant collection to the Stanley L. Welsh Herbarium in the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, a gift of approximately 30,000 specimens.
Marriott School
Successful Venture: Marriott School students took third place and won $2,000 at the international finals of the 10th annual Venture Capital Investment Competition, held at the University of North Carolina. Only the Best: Financial Times ranked the Marriott School “Best in Accountancy” in its 2007 global ranking of business schools.
Nursing
Patricia Ravert
Taking Her Place: Beth Vaughan Cole (PhD ’78) has been named the new dean of the College of Nursing. Simulation Education: Patricia McArthur Ravert (AS ’74) was selected by the National League for Nursing as one of eight experts to help develop the use of simulation in nursing education.
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Sound Teaching: William J. Strong (BA ’58), emeritus professor of physics, was recently awarded the Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education from the Acoustical Society of America. Math Mastery: BYU’s Mathematics Department recently placed in the top 20 in the international William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, with four students earning scores in the top 10 percent. New Dean:Scott D. Sommerfeldt (BM ’73) has been appointed dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
Religious Education
Commendable Conference: The College of Religious Education sponsored its fourth annual Easter Conference this year. About 700 people attended, and 23 speakers presented, including Elder F. Enzio Busche, who delivered the keynote address.