BYU agronomy and horticulture associate professor Mikel R. Stevens, ’77, and Alejandro Bonifacio, ’95, pictured here in Belén, Bolivia, are part of a team of researchers working to increase the nutritional value of quinoa, a common food in the high Andes.
Biology and Agriculture
In an attempt to reduce water consumption in Washington County by 25 percent, Frank C. Williams, ’77, professor of agronomy and horticulture, has been using scientific formulas to determine the amount of water residents should use to water their plants. Each week his suggestions–based on measurements of wind, humidity, solar radiation, and temperature–have been presented to the public in the Spectrum, a St. George newspaper, and on local radio.
Agronomy and horticulture associate professor Mikel R. Stevens, ’77, has been awarded a $42,000 grant by a consortium of international vegetable-seed companies to fund his research of tomato disease resistance.
Scientists from BYU‘s Agronomy and Horticulture Department, from Bolivia, and from the International Potato Center at Lima, Peru, were presented with a McKnight Foundation Grant for $880,000 to support their collaborative research of techniques to improve the use, production, and nutritional value of quinoa. This pigweed found in the high Andes produces seeds that are used as a common food in Peru.
Education
Assistant Dean Alva Merkley of the David O. McKay School of Education and the Beijing Normal University hosted the second annual Chinese International Conference for Education in Beijing, China.
Engineering and Technology
Intel awarded professors of electrical and computer engineering David J. Comer, ’81, and Donald T. Comer, six Pentium 4 workstations, a total value of $50,000, to support their research efforts in the area of clock extraction and channel fibers for high-speed chip-to-chip communication.
W. Vincent Wilding, ’81, has been named the new chair of the Chemical Engineering Department.
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
David B. Magleby, ’81, a political science professor and the new dean of the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, has been named the cowinner of the 2001 Rowman and Littlefield Award for Innovative Teaching in Political Science.
Fine Arts and Communications
Visual arts professor Michael D. Day, ’61, has been named a distinguished fellow of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). Day served for two years as president of the NAEA and was on its board of directors for six years.
David P. Blackinton, ’80, of the School of Music, is serving as the president of the Utah Music Educators.
Health and Human Performance
In August 2001 Craig R. Poole, the BYU women’s track coach, served as head coach for the USA women’s track team at the World University Games in Beijing, China.
Brad L. Neiger, ’83, an associate professor of health sciences, has been elected as president of the Utah Public Health Association. Rosemary Thackery, an assistant professor of health sciences, has been elected as vice president.
Humanities
Roger T. Macfarlane, ’85, has been named project leader for the Herculaneum Papyrus Multispectral Imaging project in conjunction with the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts.
Law School
Katherine D. Pullins, ’85, has been appointed associate dean and will head the law school relations team. She replaces Scott W. Cameron, ’76, who is on leave while serving as a mission president. Mary H. Hoagland, ’72, and Carl I. Hernandez, ’88, will serve as assistant deans.
Marriott School
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants honored accounting professor and associate dean W. Steve Albrecht, ’71, with its Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award at the organization’s annual council meeting in Washington, D.C., in May.
In its first ranking of business schools, the Wall Street Journal named the Marriott School of Management one of ten “hidden gems,” or “less-heralded schools with great graduates.” Overall, the Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey ranked the Marriott School MBA program 41st worldwide.
The Marriott School’s 25-year-old alumni publication, Exchange magazine, has been redesigned and renamed Marriott Alumni Magazine. The new magazine will serve an audience of some 34,000 alumni.
Nursing
In May the College of Nursing cosponsored a nursing education conference in Argentina aimed at improving nursing in Argentina. The workshop was chaired byBYU assistant professor Catherine R. Coverston, ’69. Several faculty and Spanish-speaking BYU nursing students studying in Argentina gave presentations.
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Lara J. Wolfson, an assistant professor of statistics, has developed statistical methods to estimate the coverage of children’s immunizations in more than 170 countries with the World Health Organization and the United Nation’s Children’s Fund. Results will be presented to the United Nations this fall.
Geology professor Alan L. Mayo and associate professor Stephen T. Nelson, ’84, received more than $100,000 from the National Science Foundation to establish a carbon-dating facility at BYU.
Statistics professor G. Rex Bryce, ’70, former chair of the Department of Statistics, has been appointed as associate dean of the College of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, replacing Nolan F. Mangelson, ’63, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry.
Associate professor Kelly J. Flanagan, ’88, has been appointed as the new associate chair of the Computer Science Department, replacing computer science professor Dan R. Olsen, ’76.
Religious Education
Richard D. Draper, ’68, a professor of ancient scripture, has been named the new director of the Religious Studies Center, replacing ancient scripture professor Kent P. Jackson, ’74.
College Updates
