Education
Counseling Certified: The Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education received accreditation from the National Association of School Psychologists. BYU counseling psychology graduates can now become nationally certified school psychologists.
Engineering and Technology
IT Standardized: School of Technology prof Barry M. Lunt (BS ’78) and associate prof Joseph J. Ekstrom (BS ’74) helped develop the first standardized core curriculum for information technology. Built to Win: A BYU construction management team won first in the National Home Builder’s Competition. Team members included Jonathan B. Hastings (’09), Russell M. Van Wagenen (’09), J. Cody Allen (’10), Joseph D. Layne (’09), Cody J. Andreasen (’09), and Christopher K. Leavitt (’10).
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Journal Editor: Sociology prof Marie Cornwall (MS ’76) is the editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Happiness in Disability: The onset of physical disability of one marriage partner may boost marital happiness, according to a study by assistant prof of family life Jeremy Yorgason (BS ’97), who published the finding in Research on Aging.
Fine Arts and Communications
Viewers’ Choice: The BYU Center for Animation’s short films Pajama Gladiator and Kites both recently won “Student Emmys.” Pajama Gladiator also won the Viewers’ and the Producers’ Choice awards in Nicktoons Network’s Animation Festival. Evolving Times: The history of New York City’s Times Square shows society’s changing views about journalism, according to research by communications prof Dale L. Cressman (BA ’85) published inJournalism History.
Health and Human Performance
Alcohol Advice: Health science profs Gordon B. Lindsay (BS ’77) and Ray M. Merrill (BA ’86) studied parenting manuals that address underage drinking produced by both alcohol and nonalcohol industries. The disparities they found are published in the American Journal of Health Education.
Humanities
Dickinson Dictionary: The Emily Dickinson Lexicon Web site, maintained by Cynthia L. Hallen (BA ’80), English language prof, received an Albert J. Colton Fellowship for Projects of National or International Scope from the Utah Humanities Council.
Law School
AALA President: Law prof H. Reese Hansen will be the 2010 president of the Association of American Law Schools. First Freedom Award: Law prof W. Cole Durham Jr. received the 2009 International First Freedom Award for his religious freedom advocacy. More Subpoenas: Media subpoenas appear to be on the rise, according to a study conducted by law prof RonNell Anderson Jones and published in the Minnesota Law Review.
Life Sciences
Star Student: Tabitha C. Bush (BS ’05), a doctoral astronomy student, won the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award from the American Astronomical Society for her research on the rotational velocity of stars. New Chair: William W. Winder (PhD ’71) is the new chair of the Physiology and Developmental Biology Department.
Marriott School
Topping the List: BYU’s graduate accounting program was ranked no. 1 in the nation by accounting educators in the 2008 Public Accounting Report. The undergraduate program ranks third in the nation. Tax Team First: BYU’s graduate accounting team took first place at the Deloitte Tax Case Study Competition. The undergraduate team received a national finalist award. New Finance Department: The Marriott School of Management announced the creation of the Finance Department. Finance prof Steven R. Thorley (BS ’79) is the first chair of the department.
Nursing
Holistic Nurse: Nursing prof Glenda Christiaens was named president-elect of the American Holistic Nurses Association. Increased Immunizations: Assistant prof Beth M. Luthy (BS ’03) received the Practitioner State Award for Excellence from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners for her work to increase child immunizations in Utah County.
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Money for Adhesion: James E. Patterson (BS ’96), assistant chemistry prof, received a Young Investigators Program grant of $300,000 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for his research on the molecular basis of adhesion.
Religious Education
Wartime Research: Religion prof Robert C. Freeman (BS ’85) and associate dean of religious education Dennis A. Wright (MEd ’73) were honored with the George Washington Honor Medal by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for their research on wartime service by members of the Church.
