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Y Magazine > Writers > Michael R. Walker

Michael R. Walker

Kevin Young and his family land in Provo.

Campus

Welcome to Provo

Kevin Young, former Phoenix Suns assistant coach, joins BYU as the new head basketball coach.

Students

Making Strides

With innovative production processes, BYU students have given Ecuadorian amputees a new leg to stand on.

Sports

This Is Big

BYU has finally found its place—decades in the making—in big-time collegiate athletics. 

Family

Whatever It Takes

When her toddler son received a devastating diagnosis, a mother threw herself into the fight to find a cure.

A Handful of Shortening 
Summer 2022
Cooking family recipes evokes memories of generations of home cooks who prepared meals for those they love.
Center of It All
Fall 2021
For 50 years the BYU community has both filled the Marriott Center and been filled with indelible memories.
Cougar Tales: Zach Wilson, XC, and Golf
Winter 2021
In an upturned year for sports with COVID-19 looming, BYU sports still made national headlines.
Who Is the BYU GOAT?
Fall 2020
There are dozens of contenders for greatest Cougar athlete of all time. Can you pick just one?
BYU, Still
Spring 2020
How campus went quiet, yet BYU continued on, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lessons from 1918
Spring 2020
While the effects of COVID-19 on campus may feel unprecedented, canceling classes has happened before at BYU.
Tough Mudders
Winter 2020
A combination of naivete and grit outpaced raw talent as BYU’s XC team ran to a first-place finish at nationals.
The BYU Launchpad
Summer 2019
BYU advertising students are creating iconic campaigns and landing at the world’s most-respected agencies.
A Cookie from America’s Revolutionary Days: Joe Froggers
Summer 2019
These tasty molasses spice cookies hearken back to Revolution-era America and are as big as your hand.
Left-Hand Man
Spring 2019
For this NFL coach’s assistant, losing an arm has been a challenge—but never an excuse.
These Cats Can Dance
Spring 2018
A Rolex-obsessed rap duo sought out Cosmo and the Cougarettes for a halftime collaboration.
Unicorns, Gazelles, and Cougars on the Slopes
Winter 2018
Some 4,000 tech companies have made a home on Utah’s Silicon Slopes, thanks in no small part to BYU.
Clear Skies with a Chance of Worms
Winter 2017
A PhD student's research took her to Antarctica. . . to study Antarctic nematode worms.
By Study, by Faith, and by Experience
Winter 2017
President Worthen has a new priority: inspiring learning. See student examples of what he means.
A Handy Way to Rep the Y
Summer 2016
The Hawaiian-born shaka hand symbol seen around the world hearkens back to an LDS fisherman. Now the symbol reps the Y.
Are You a BYU Supporter?
Summer 2016
In the heart of Ute country, an unexpected fan reps the Y every day.
The Y’s Guys
Summer 2016
Former players and lifelong fans, BYU’s new coaches embrace Cougar football’s next chapter.
When History and Biology Collide
Spring 2016
A revolutionary course explores the intellectual intersections of two disciplines.
Lights-Out Lexi
Spring 2016
Hank Gathers held the WCC record for career points for 26 years—until a 5'10" BYU guard with a ponytail usurped him.
A Monumental Task
Fall 2015
On a plateau in Jordan, an epic effort is underway to protect a treasured monument.
AI in the Crock-Pot
Winter 2015
Learn what happens when a computer learns to cook.
The Teams Behind the Team
Summer 2015
Game day wouldn’t be game day without the special teams behind the scenes, from the field painters to the stand sweepers
Why Not Us?
Winter 2015
BYU women’s volleyball got a shot at a national title.
All Creatures Great and Small
Summer 2014
The expanded Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum features a menagerie of new critters.
Five Dimensions of a Positive Home
Spring 2013
Honorary alumna Daryl Hoole offers advice for raising respectful, self-reliant children.
History of the Cosmos
Winter 2012
For nearly 60 years, BYU’s furry mascot has done whatever his Cougar spirit bids him.
Eastern Exposure
Spring 2010
BYU photography professor led a trip to the Orient in hopes of finding scenes that really said "This is in China."
The First Year: Great Expectations
Summer 2009
The first in a four-part series capturing the journey of four new students as they enter Brigham Young University.
The Many Names of Danny Ainge
Winter 2009
From season to season and coast to coast, opinions and labels change, but Danny Ainge remains the same. 
Between a Rock and a Hot Place
Summer 2008
Two dozen BYU geology students are offered the learning experience of a lifetime as Etna, a volcano, erupts.
Stay Flexible, Grow Old
Spring 2007
The oldest known limber pine in the world was discovered last summer by grad student Bryan P. Tikalsky.
A Teenage Tale with Bite
Winter 2007
A BYU grad experiences unexpected success as an author after writing a best-selling vampire romance series.
Philadelphia Cougars
Winter 2006
Former BYU greats take flight with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Making the Y-Sparkle
Winter 2006
With a twist of some 150 wrists, the 100-year-old Y still shines bright.
Birdman of Umiat: The Peregrinations of Clayton White
Summer 2005
For four decades Clayton White has strived to understand peregrine falcons and mentor fledgling scientists.
Staying Connected
Spring 2005
Most students carry at least one portable gadget—be it laptop, cell phone, PDA, or music player.
Olympic Examples
Fall 2004
Three BYU alumni share their Olympic insights in words and actions with those they mentor and train.
Athens Achievements
Fall 2004
Two former BYU Athletes brought home Olympic medals from Athens.
Building a Better Wireless World
Summer 2004
BYU researchers discover how to get twice the umph out of wireless antennas.
Observing the Cosmos
Spring 2004
30 former Cosmos who had gathered to celebrate the mascot’s 50th birthday.
Professionals and Athletes
Winter 2004
This group of lunch-hour basketball warriors knows the meaning of teamwork and endurance on and off the court.
The Magnificent Mary Lou
Winter 2004
Physics, animation, DNA, and grammar--it's all in a day's work for BYU's five supercomputers named Mary Lou.
Six Bites of BYU
Fall 2003
In reviews of six campus restaurants, the BYU Magazine staff offers tips for sampling BYU’s array of culinary choices.
Resonating Beauty
Fall 2003
The Primrose room provides violists worldwide with thousands of scores as well as access to other priceless resources.
Below the Surface
Spring 2003
A rigorous experience on Monterey Bay takes students deeper into studies of sea life.
48 and Going Downhill Fast
Spring 2002
After decades of dreaming, a world-class gymnast turns to the luge to fulfill his Olympic dream.
First Irish Nordic Skier in Olympic History
Spring 2002
Paul O’Connor did not win an Olympic medal but his participation in the Games inspired spectators and competitors alike.
Teaching by Example
Winter 2002
With W. Steve Albrecht, ’71, associate dean of the Marriott School of Management, no statement is left unsupported.
From the Relevant to the Ridiculous
Fall 2001
A collection of "Dear Editor..."
NCAA Champions – Again!
Summer 2001
The men’s volleyball team earns its second title.