BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE
Botany and range science professor John S. Gardner, ’76, received the 2001 Science Educator Award from the Utah Teachers Association for his dedication to helping high school, undergraduate, and graduate students with study and research.
EDUCATION
The Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling has released the second of seven videos in their Bilingual/ESL Endorsement through Distance Education Program (BEEDE). This highly acclaimed program is currently being used in several Utah school districts.
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
The School of Technology has announced that during fall semester 2001 it will introduce a restructured version of its Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) program under a new name: Electronics Information Technology (EIT). The new program will put more emphasis on computer training and will include new labs and courses.
BYU introduced its new 3-D virtual reality theater in December 2000. Powered by the second university supercomputer donated by the same generous alum, the theater gives students the ability to visualize complex data and projects in three dimensions.
FAMILY, HOME, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Ray T. Matheny, ’62, a professor of anthropology, received the first-ever “Homenaje” award from the governor of Campeche, Mexico, for his extensive contributions to the study of the Mayan culture. Eighty-two dignitaries from 12 countries were present in Mexico City at the November 2000 award ceremony, which was featured prominently in the Mexican press.
BYU‘s Museum of Peoples and Cultures received a state certification award from the Utah Office of Museum Services (UOMS).
Kyle L. Pearson, a professor of social work, has been named Social Work Educator of the Year by the Utah chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Jini L. Roby, ’77, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work, received the Utah Women’s Achievement Award from the Governor’s Commission for Women and Families.
FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Ray T. Matheny
Paul A. Pratte, ’62, professor of communications, received the J. William Snorgrass Award for the most outstanding paper on minorities at the 2000 American Journalism Historians Association Conference. His paper is titled “‘But There are Miles to Go’: Racial Diversity and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, 1922–2000.”
Seth C. Lewis, a print journalism major from Oregon, is one of eight college juniors to be awarded a $3,000 NCAA Foundation/Freedom Forum Scholarship.
BYU‘s Museum of Art received a state certification award from the Utah Office of Museum Services (UOMS).
Brian C. Harker, ’90, an assistant professor in the School of Music, is the recipient of the Lowens Article Award given by the Society for American Music.
HEALTH AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE
After a year of extensive remodeling, the Human Performance Research Center reopened at the end of April. The remodel adds labs for body composition, biomechanics, and sport’s medicine to the original exercise physiology and exercise biochemistry labs. The state-of-the-art facilities also include offices for the professors. The center is located in the southwest corner of the Richards Building.
Sara L. Gibb, ’59, an associate dean of the College of Health and Human Performance, has been appointed by Governor Mike Leavitt to serve a third term as chair of the Utah Arts Council’s board of directors.
HUMANITIES
In February 2001 linguistics professor Neil J. Anderson, ’79, became president of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL), an international education association with approximately 18,000 members in 140 countries.
LAW SCHOOL
The U.S. News & World Report named the J. Reuben Clark Law School one of the top 50 law schools in the nation, based on school reputation, placement success, school selectivity, and faculty resources. It was ranked 38th overall.
MARRIOTT SCHOOL
The new Steven and Georgia White Business Career Center has become the focal point of the Marriott School’s placement, internship, and field-study efforts. After three years of planning and eight months of construction, the center–located in the N. Eldon Tanner Building–officially opened on November 16, 2000. The center’s resources include 20 interview rooms, a hosting center, a professional resource library, an eRecruiting system, and staff offices for career consulting.
The Marriott School was recognized as a top program in two national rankings. Success magazine ranked it 33rd in its list of the “Best Entrepreneurial Business Schools,” and U.S. News & World Report ranked it 44th in the business school section of its listing of “Best Graduate Programs.”
Paul Dishman, a visiting professor of business management, has been voted vice president of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP).
NURSING
Joan Baldwin
Nursing professor Joan Baldwin has been appointed to the Utah County Board of Health. She brings to the board her years of community health nursing experience in California, Idaho, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Texas, and Utah.
PHYSICAL AND MATHMATICAL SCIENCES
Ross L. Spencer, ’74, a physics and astronomy professor, was named associate chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department.
Professor of chemistry John D. Lamb, ’71, has been appointed chair of the International Organizing Committee for the Symposium on Macrocyclic Chemistry. Emeritus professor of chemistry Reed M. Izatt, ’56, is also on the committee.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
The College of Religious Education created a master’s program during the summer of 2000. The program is open to CES seminary and institute personnel, as well as chaplain applicants. There are currently 16 students enrolled.
Associate professor of ancient scripture Dennis A. Wright, ’73, and assistant professor of Church history and doctrine Robert C. Freeman, ’85, are collecting stories from LDS WWI and WWII veterans. The professors are compiling journals, memoirs, and oral histories from veterans worldwide. The histories will be collected in an archive in the Harold B. Lee Library.