Download - SUU In View - Spring 2009
Service Learning
Alumni return to campus to create
real-world learning experiences for
the next generation.
F O R A L U M N I & F R I E N D S O F S O U t h E R N U t A h U N I v E R S I t y • S P R I N G 2 0 0 9
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F O R W A R D
I had the best of
jobs: to accept,
associate, love,
nurture, reciprocate
through deed,
teach as I could
and send into the
world students of
great character
and destiny.
Dear Friends of SUUWith the beginning of a new year, I reflect on the passing of time and nearly always
remember some event or some person that brings a nostalgic lump in my throat. When
I left SUU after teaching and counseling for some 34 years, people would say to me,
“Don’t you just love the thought of how many lives you have influenced?” My response
is always the same, “Yes, I do, but do you realize just how many more students’ lives
have influenced me in a positive way?”
When I began teaching at SUU, I decided that I would treat every student I met as
being a potential lifelong friend. And today, I am the recipient of countless hours of
contact from students from a variety of states and countries who possessed personalities
and virtues of the best kind. These students have shaped my worldview and have
buoyed my hope for the future.
I have visited with students, many now you loyal SUU alumni, from around the
country and delight in your successes and smiles. You are the business and city leaders,
the entrepreneurs, the teachers, the religious leaders, the innovators, the doers, the little
league coaches and the PTA presidents; those who contribute greatly and ask little in
return. You pay taxes, are loyal to employers, and you support good and progressive
endeavors. Your lives are examples to others of industry, virtue and common sense.
I had the best of jobs: to accept, associate, love, nurture, reciprocate through deed,
teach as I could and send into the world students of great character and destiny. I am
grateful that my life meshed with many of your lives. I glory in the lessons I learned
from you.
As I leaf through yearbooks and smile at the memories the faces bring to my mind and
heart, I hope you have memories equal to mine of the fun and the work you enjoyed while
here at SUU. No longer is SUU the best kept secret in Utah. We all know what a grand
institution it is. You are the spirit of this lovely university and the ones who are making
our valid reputation widely known. Thank you for your loyalty and friendships.
Sincerely,
Gary Giles (’57)
Retired Professor, Accounting
A MATCH MADE IN ZIoN
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5
On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, SUU President
Michael Benson joined superintendents from the Zion Park
Group (encompassing Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks
National Monument and Pipe Spring National Monument)
on a small stage in the middle of the wilderness.
Though the President’s suit and tie seemed a bit out of
place amidst the towering red cliffs and scrub brush, the
setting was symbolic of the educational opportunities SUU
will be working to provide more and more of its students:
professional experience in the great outdoors.
With friends of both the National Parks Service (NPS)
and the University looking on, Benson and leaders from
the three parks signed a 2 ft. x 3 ft. contract (talk about
fine print) to formalize an educational alliance designed to
improve educational access to valuable natural resources
and enhance services within the NPS.
On this partnership, Benson and Cedar Creaks National
Monument Superintendent Paul Roelandt both remarked
that the contract was merely a formalization of a relationship
that has been long in the making.
Such a familiarity between the University and partnering
institutions seemed the norm, as one after another, each of
the four leaders mentioned
specific examples of
ways SUU’s students and
faculty had already gotten
involved in National Parks
Service initiatives.
Far beyond the obvious
geology of national parks
course being offered this
spring semester, the past
year has seen SUU students
stepping off campus to
pursue a wide variety of academic interests.
One such opportunity has brought creative writing
and art and design students into Zion over the past two
semesters with the goal of creating a Zion-themed art
exhibit.
Zion: A Creative Response archives individual
experiences in one of the nation’s best-known national
parks. The project includes student and faculty
photography, painting, historic art displays and graphic
designs all thematically created around Zion National
Park. In addition, the University’s creative writing students
composed both poetry and prose concerning their Zion
experiences; those compositions serve as the descriptive
text within the exhibit.
These projects were all coordinated by students within
SUU’s Gallery and Museum Practices course, who were
responsible for producing the exhibit that was first
displayed in the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery in January.
Zion: A Creative Response will also be on display in the
Zion National Park Museum from March 20-April 20, and
will help the park mark its 2009 centennial celebration.
While SUU’s contributions to its NPS partners will
obviously last far beyond any one project, Thunderbird
students are getting research and professional opportunities
A MATCH MADE IN
SUU’s newest Alliance for Education
promises to enrich students,
visitors, and the land itself.ZIoN
Above: President Benson signs the agreement with the Superintendants of the Zion Park Group.Left: A pastel painting by SUU student Jacob Dyreng, part of the Zion: A Creative Response show.
Gary Tom performed during the Alliance for Education program.
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most students can only dream of in return for their
efforts.
This new alliance with the National Parks Service is
further evidence of the University’s success working with
Bryce Canyon National Park over the past two years in a
similar partnership. The driving force behind this latest
partnership with the Zion Park Group is a commitment
by all four partnering organizations to the protection of
natural resources through education and research.
The relationship and missions of SUU and the Zion
Park Group include specialized services to students, park
visitors and regional development. This relationship will
help the NPS and the University better protect natural
resources and provide enhanced opportunities for visitors
in the Parks; expand knowledge and use of the Park as a
resource; provide excellent educational and experiential
opportunities for SUU students; and continue to enhance
the economic, technological and cultural development of
the communities served.
Most importantly, this alliance serves as yet another
example of SUU’s continued commitment to providing
unique educational opportunities that capitalize on the
University’s business relationships, local resources and
surroundings—taking education far beyond the walls of
the classroom.
As a contributing member to this alliance, SUU commits the following support to the Zion Park Group:• Assist NPS with visitor education
• Provide adjunct faculty appointments for qualified
NPS staff
• Allow NPS scientists access to the University’s
research facilities
• Offer consultation services concerning NPS
initiatives
• Provide expertise through faculty manpower in
NPS research and data collection
In turn, the Zion Park Group commits to:• Provide student access to NPS research and
development projects
• Share fieldwork and publish research in
partnership with SUU students and faculty
• Increase internship opportunities for SUU
students within the National Parks Service
• Provide park access for class activities, seminars
and trainings
• Provide students with professional consultation
from field experts
ZIoN NATIoNAl PArk
CEDAr BrEAks NATIoNAl MoNuMENT
PIPE sPrINg NATIoNAl MoNuMENT
souTHErN uTAH uNIvErsITy
Participants in the Alliance for Education program at Zion National Park.
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The tanking economy is
a concern for us all.
And whether you’re a
small investor, a financial
analyst or just hoping
your savings account will
help see you through the
current financial storms
that abound, information
is power in safeguarding
future economic stability
for you and your family.
To begin, it’s important
to understand the root of
the problem. The crisis
stems from a number of policies aimed at expanding
opportunities for home ownership by weakening
underwriting standards and extending mortgages to
borrowers who previously could not qualify based upon
their socioeconomic standing. Beyond helping marginal
borrowers purchase homes, these policies also benefited
speculators who could now invest in property with
little of their own money at risk. Thus, the demand for
homes skyrocketed and sales prices spiked. As with all
speculative bubbles, rapidly escalating home prices could
not be maintained and the bubble burst. As home prices
fell, speculators were first to dump homes they could not
carry, further reducing market values. Many marginal
borrowers were suddenly facing negative home equity and
defaulted on their mortgages.
As one of the historically safest of investments, mortgages
are purchased by all kinds of financial institutions – from
banks to insurance companies. The sudden negative
return on such a large mass of investments brought down
large financial institutions, and with growing uncertainty,
the credit market halted, bringing with it a drastic decline
in the value of stock investments.
The decline in stock values and home prices also reduced
the value of consumer assets, and many consumers reduced
their spending, further driving down profits and the
economy. Economists call
this the “wealth effect”.
We now all question
the appropriate policies
to correct the current
economic plunge.
The government’s
immediate solution and the
resulting bailout focused on
getting the credit markets
back in order. However,
further policy reform
should take a longer-term
approach, as pro-growth
supply-side policies such as
capital gains tax cuts and deregulation have in the past
proved much more effective. Regardless, the U.S. economy
is very resilient and will eventually recover.
And now you ask: What does this mean for me?
Stocks have essentially lost all gains from the last
decade. For investors, however, these losses are on
paper until you sell. Unless your investments are highly
leveraged or have a short time horizon, your best strategy
is to do nothing.
Beyond your current investments, economic downturns
are often accompanied by falling interest rates, so now’s
a good time to be cognizant of lowered mortgage rates to
strategically refinance. This is also a good time to buy
equity investments (stocks and mutual funds) for longer-
term purposes such as retirement or college savings.
Additionally, all consumers should be cautious in
their discretionary spending and postpone additional
borrowing; though it will pass, there are no solid cues to
identify when the economy will turn. Your best strategy
to remain fiscally secure through the storm is to pay off
debt and increase your reserves, as most assuredly, income
reductions and job loss continue to loom.
Beyond that, be patient: the market always comes back.
Now is simply the time to hunker down and weather the
storm.
Weathering the StormLEARNING LIVES FOREVER
An ongoing look at
topics of interest from
SUU professors
Illustration by Jeremy Wilson
Joe Baker Professor of Managerial Economics
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O F A C H I E V E M E N T
SUU’s 2009 gymnastics team continues a tradition of excellence in the classroom and in competition.
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ccording to Head Coach Scott
Bauman, the Thunderbird Gym-
nastics team is well-positioned to be
the most dynamic and competitive
team in SUU history. States Bauman,
“If we stay focused and stay together,
we are a top 15, top-ten
team this year.”
As if that pre-season
prediction weren’t
enough to raise a few
eyebrows, the 19 girls
who compose the 2008-
09 team will shoot to
break the University’s
current Gymnastics’
record of 19th in the
nation (from the 1992-93 season), all
while aiming for an equally prestigious
national ranking to be first in the
nation for team academics.
Certainly, if the team’s past 17 years
have proven anything, it’s that national
rankings are not beyond this regional
university’s reach.
The Thunderbird gymnastics team
first achieved national recognition for
its academic accomplishment during
the 1991-92 season, when they debuted
in the NCAA’s number
one spot. The program
has added nine more
number one academic
rankings (along with
four second-place
and three third-place
rankings) in the sixteen
seasons since, and
with such a record, it’s
no wonder their head
coach talks of lofty goals with ease.
As to the team’s third place ranking
the past two years—an enviable finish
for the 60 other Division I NCAA
gymnastics teams that finished below
the T-Birds, Bauman confidently states,
atternPA
“This team—in particular, my
juniors and seniors, are very upset
about this. They have been part of
a national championship team and
they want to continue to be part of
that. They expect it and I think this
team really demands it: third is not
what we shoot for.”
Back in the gym, Bauman talks
of national competition with almost
as much ease as he talks about
the team’s ongoing standard for a
3.7 or higher grade point average.
“This team can go to nationals and
that’s what we want. I think this
is one of the few teams we’ve ever
been able to field on the floor of
competition that can really compete
at the national level.”
With 10.0 start-values through the
18th of 19 gymnasts on the balance
beam, twelve 10.0 start-values on the
team’s floor routines, ten on the bars
and four 10.0 and two 9.9 start-values
on the vault, Bauman is confident the
team’s preparations have given them
the ability to “throw anything [they]
need to onto the floor of competition
this year.”
Bauman states, “Our routines are
at a much higher level than we put
out even just last year. This is truly
a brand new level for this team, and
there is a competitive energy and
drive amongst the girls that is better
than we’ve ever had before.”
When asked how he’s set forth
to build a team with such depth
inside and outside of the gym,
Bauman explains, “We typically
recruit students with great GPAs
and high ACT scores. While the
gymnastics is the first thing we see in
determining who we should recruit,
we immediately look at their grades
next. We’ll take a better student
that’s comparable to another athlete
with lesser grades, and we’ll pick
the better student every single time
for the sole point that Southern Utah
University is a school. It’s not an
athletics or a gymnastics institution;
it’s a school, and that’s what our girls
are here for, and that’s what I shove
down their throats
every single day.”
And as the fall semester draws to a
close and Bauman surveys his team’s
reaction to their classes and looming
finals, he confidently predicts a 3.8
for the fall ’08 semester (adding,
“The one B we may be looking at is
in organic chemistry.”).
Another semester spent exceeding
the team’s already standout
expectations (Bauman requires a 3.5
GPA; the NCAA only requires a
2.0 GPA of its athletes) makes one
e tell them, ‘don’t come here unless you plan on having an academic
standard that is excellent—not just good, not just doable, but excellent’.”
HEAD COACH SCOTT BAUMAN
W“
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Head coach Scott Bauman (center) in the middle of his hard-working team.
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question if Bauman really has to do
much shoving at all when his athletes
enter the classroom. That said, with
a coach who helps his girls study and
tutors them in what many consider
the most challenging of academic
subjects (Bauman holds degrees in
both biology and chemistry), there
can be no doubt about this team’s
priorities.
Bauman is quick to credit his
athletes’ success in the classroom
back to each gymnast’s hard work
and character. He beams, “They
push themselves pretty hard.”
The girls know even before they
officially join the team that much is
expected. States Bauman, “We tell
them, ‘don’t come here unless you
plan on having an academic standard
that is excellent—not just good, not
just doable, but excellent’.” The team
doesn’t often push their luck on this
one, and considering an A- is valued
at a 3.67, the girls clearly accept
nothing short of the perfect ten as
they balance homework, practices
and competition.
This mentality is apparent when
Bauman sees one of his athletes
leaving the gym and he bids adieu
with a simple, “Good luck on that
test!”
Records and championships
aside, Bauman sees the academic
demands upon his athletes as the
most lasting of the lessons he can
teach. “Gymnastics, in and of itself,
pushes you mentally, physically,
emotionally, spiritually—every way
that it possibly can. To add the
pressures of our academic standards
on top of that makes these girls
extremely prepared for everything
else they do in their lives.” He adds,
“These are girls who work hard,
play hard, study hard – they’re fairly
intense in almost everything they
do. They’re amazing young ladies
and they deserve the respect that I’ve
always had for them.”
From straight-A GPAs to
powerhouse vaults, it would seem
this year’s team wants it all. And
based upon a long-standing tradition
of success, one may surmise that
perhaps such lofty ambitions are,
indeed, best left to those who can
jump and flip and twist with ease.
Top left: team members regularly support SUU’s other athletes.Above top: Erin Morgan on bars.Above bottom: Katie Hicks on floor.
As a pre-dental student at Southern Utah University, Jeremy
Ludlow (‘03) never set his sights on teaching.
After graduating from SUU, Jeremy headed south to the
UNLV School of Dental Medicine in Las Veags. At the time, this
seemed like Jeremy’s big break. His beginning. But looking
back, he gives just as much credit for his current professional
success to his undergrad alma mater, SUU.
Though Jeremy obviously wouldn’t be running his own
practice without the dentistry degree from UNLV, Dr. Ludlow
says the one-on-one assistance he received from many of
his professors at SUU was the driving force behind his early
academic success. States Ludlow, “My teachers really worked
with me and encouraged me—at many larger schools, it seems
they’re just trying to weed students out.”
For this and many other reasons, Dr. Jeremy Ludlow is now
volunteering his time teaching a pre-dental practicum class at
SUU. He also provides several job shadowing opportunities for
SUU’s pre-dental students in his private dental practice each
semester—a must-have to be a competitive applicant at dental
schools across the nation.
Dr. Ludlow’s story is not as unique as it may seem.
In fact, more and more SUU alumni are reconnecting with
More and More SUU
alUMni are reconnecting
with their alMa Mater by
Sharing their profeSSional
experience with today’S
UndergradUate StUdentS.
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their alma mater by sharing their professional experience
with today’s undergraduate students. So while a course in
pre-dentistry and one in quantity foods production may not
immediately conjure clear associations, these classes, and
others, have found champions in former T-Bird students.
For Lee Drumm (‘08), general manager of the Lodge
in Zion National Park, SUU provided a much different
academic experience. A transfer student
from Oklahoma, Drumm headed west
for a job and was fortunate to also
find that the nearby SUU offered a
degree in hotel, resort and hospitality
management (HRHM).
With much of his undergrad work
already completed and a full-time job
with a 45-minute commute, Drumm
was really just looking for classes
that would better position him within
his current field. And though his time
on campus was limited to class time
only, Lee still appreciates his own SUU
experience, stating, “I always thought
it would be useful to have practical
experience beyond class. That way,
when you read something in a book,
you would really understand what they
were talking about. I felt fortunate
to have professors at SUU with solid
experience in the real world, and
learned a lot from the insights they
shared that are only gained by doing—
especially when so much of the hiring
process in my field is based upon practical experience.”
With that in mind, when one of Lee’s employees and
fellow SUU alumnus Casey Smith (‘08) proposed Drumm
partner with Dr. Lisa Assante’s quantity foods production
class this past fall semester, Lee didn’t hesitate in offering
up the Zion Lodge as a test kitchen.
Under the supervision of Smith, Drumm and Assante,
SUU’s quantity foods production students spent a semester
designing the ultimate dining experience. With “A Taste of
Thailand: Land of Smiles, Flavor for Miles” as their guiding
theme, students prepared everything from invitations
and take-home recipe books to goon pao (prawns with
coriander leaves and chili) and kuey buad chee (bananas
in coconut cream) for more than 50 guests.
Such opportunities, coined “service learning” at SUU,
are part of the University’s academic
mission, and SUU’s students are
increasingly encouraged to seek
opportunities beyond the walls of the
classroom to learn by doing rather
than simply by reading about topics in
their field.
Across campus, students seem to
be embracing this new component of
their SUU experience.
“It is truly a great opportunity to
apply our skills—it really tests our
knowledge,” said SUU senior Justin
Kailing of his experience in Assante’s
food production class. “Preparing
these dishes for actual guests is a lot
different than simply cooking for one
another in the classroom and going
through the motions. There is no
doubt that there is a feeling here of
crunch time, and everything we’ve
been discussing all semester really
seems to be coming together.”
According to Dr. Assante, who tries
to craft a service learning component
into all of her HRHM classes, responses like Kailing’s to
the service-learning required of most students within the
School of Business are the norm.
And alumni like Drumm and Ludlow are vital to Assante
and so many other professors working to open doors to
students that may not be available on SUU’s campus.
Rita Osborn, associate director of the Utah Center for
Rural Health and academic advisor to SUU’s pre-medical
“Graduate schools
want their applicants to
come through the door
with as much pre-existing
knowledge within the
field as possible. And just
as importantly, they want
students to have a
true-to-life concept of
their chosen field.”
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students, agrees that more and more is being asked of
entry-level applicants.
States Osborn, “Graduate schools want their applicants
to come through the door with as much pre-existing
knowledge within the field as possible. They want students
to have a true-to-life concept of their chosen field.”
Though small in relationship to many other schools
across the region, SUU’s pre-medical and pre-dental
programs have very high graduate
school acceptance rates. Osborn credits
this in part to the relationships and
experience SUU’s students gain with the
help of alumni.
Says Osborn, “It is hard for
students at larger schools to get the
same educational access beyond their
classes.” Osborn says that though
they are increasingly inundated with
student requests, the University’s local
physicians “have bent over backwards
to provide job shadowing opportunities
for SUU’s students.”
And though a close proximity to
campus does streamline the process,
geography certainly doesn’t limit the
impact one alumnus can make.
In addition to out-of-town job
shadowing opportunities scheduled for
winter and summer breaks (a benefit to
those T-Birds from beyond the county
and state borders), Osborn has also created a network of
alumni across the country who host students with medical
school prospects in their area.
These alumni provide everything from transportation
and housing for the young students during their school
visits, to offering tips on the interview process and insight
about the schools the students will be visiting. According
to Osborn, this developing network is proving itself to be a
great resource—with the potential of impacting students’
chances for acceptance into the schools of their choice.
In fact, Osborn says, “The mentored students are the
students who tend to get into those schools, because, when
the interviewer asks ‘why us?’ our students can respond
with more insight into that specific program.” Osborn
adds, “It really does help students connect with a specific
school. It shows our students are deliberate and educated
in terms of their graduate school selection.”
Assante sees the possibilities of such alumni connections
as limitless. In addition to partnering
with Drumm and the Zion Lodge this
past semester, she also partnered with
Lance Syrett (‘03 ) of Ruby’s Inn outside
of Bryce Canyon National Park for her
guest services class.
Assante’s class visited the Ruby’s
properties in small groups to evaluate
service components of the company’s
operations. They used their textbooks
and issues they’d discussed in class
to survey everything from front-desk
service to the property layout and
directional signage. At the end of the fall
semester, the class presented an overall
evaluation, with specific and calculated
recommendations, to the Syrett Group
which includes Lance and at least 12
other SUU alumni.
Far from just serving as a learning tool
for students, this large-scale evaluation
proved beneficial to the Syretts as well.
After the students’ final presentation, Lance reflected,
“We’ve been thinking about doing something like this for
a few years, but it requires a lot of time and resources.
With the help of Lisa’s class, we’ve received professional
quality consulting at a bargain price.”
Syrett adds, “Lunch for a handful of students is a pretty
good trade for a comprehensive service evaluation and a
60-plus page final report.”
Beyond the financial benefits, opening Ruby’s doors
to such a comprehensive evaluation by SUU’s students
“More than anything
else, it’s rewarding to hear
back from students who’ve
taken the class and
who are now becoming
dentists themselves.”
D r . J i m S o r e n S e n
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 15
proved very insightful to this family-
operated company. Said Syrett, “The
students brought up a lot of new
ideas and issues we’d never really
considered before, as most of us were
raised within the company and are
used to things being done a certain
way.”
Syrett credits this fresh perspective
to the students’ relative inexperience,
which he feels allowed the students
more creative freedom; “When you’re
in college, your mindset is to push
the limits. What some may consider
naivety has actually worked out to
our advantage, opening our eyes to
more possibilities than we may have
otherwise thought to consider.”
Syrett, Drumm and Ludlow all
agree that the benefits of involving
students in their business operations
outweigh any additional effort it may
require on their end.
From Zion, Drumm adds, “It’s also
part of giving back to the community,
which is something that we try to do
as a lodge. Being an SUU alumnus,
I kind of widened our community
beyond Springdale and included the
University and Cedar City.”
Ludlow, who came back to Cedar
City from dental school with a
specific goal to give back to SUU,
agrees, “When I went to SUU, they
only had a pre-med club. When I
came back, starting a pre-dental club
and providing those opportunities
was the first thing I wanted to do.”
Ludlow continues, “I think it’s
important to encourage students to
go after whatever it is they want,
and I know I can help by providing
other students the experiences I wish
I would have had.”
In addition to team teaching the
pre-dental practicum with Dr. Jim
Sorensen and Dr. Davin Faulkner,
Ludlow has had more than ten
students job shadow within his office
in the past three years and appreciates
the energy and perspective these
students have brought to his office.
Says Sorensen, one of the original
founders of the pre-dental practicum
class and longtime friend of SUU,
“More than anything else, it’s
rewarding to hear back from students
who are now becoming dentists
themselves. They’re so grateful for
our help, and being able to see your
efforts directly impact someone else’s
success is just so rewarding.”
What Kind of a Legacy Will You Leave at SUU?
A Bequest is a gift made through your will or trust. There are several ways to make a bequest to SUU:
• Specific dollar amount
• Percentage of your estate
• Specific asset
• Residue of your estate
For more information on how to create a lasting legacy at SUU through a bequest, please contact Cameron Brooks in the office of Gift Planning at 435-865-8045 or log on to our informative website at www.suu.edu/giftplanning
In s t i tu t iona l Advancement
n BEVERLI JO
DEWALt (’98,
Communication)
is a Foreign
Service Officer
and Diplomat for
the Department of State in Washington
D.C. where she works in the Secretary’s
Office for Coordination of Reconstruction
and Stabilization.
She is currently on a tour of duty
in Afghanistan, working in two
provinces north of Kabul. She helps local
government leaders, line ministers and
citizens improve community stability
and security through reconstruction
and regular engagement. Last year
Beverli also assisted with the Kosovo
transition from a U.N. protectorate to an
independent state.
Beverli also served in Brussels,
Belgium at the U.S. Mission to NATO,
working as an Executive Officer to the
Ambassador for a year and a political
officer on Iraqi issues. She reveals, “The
most interesting part was working with
our 25 NATO Allies. In one day I would
have lunch with the Germans, afternoon
hot chocolate with the Dutch and an
evening meeting with the French.”
Her first tour with the Foreign Service
was in Islamabad, Pakistan as a Vice-
Consul interviewing Pakistani citizens
wishing to visit the United States. She
met people from every walk of life and
fell in love with the country.
Beverli credits her SUU education in
communication for providing her with
a strong background for service as a
diplomat. She values having learned
the importance of relationships, politics
and economics. She remembers Suzanne
Larson opening class by saying,
“Persuasion is manipulation with ethics,”
and Les Jones repeatedly asking his
students to answer, “Why do we do the
things we do?” Beverli continues to carry
these lessons into her work every day.
n LOUISE BLUhm
(’50, Associates
Degree) has a
passion for music
that began nearly
sixty years ago
at SUU when she
performed in the symphony orchestra
and with several choral groups. Louise
warmly remembers professors William
“Pa” Manning and Roy Halverson and is
grateful to them for instilling a deep love
for music that remains with her today.
Following her graduation, Louise
earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and
teaching from BYU and did coursework
for a master’s degree in conducting at
the University of Utah. She went on to
teach for nine years in the public school
system, instilling an appreciation for
music in a new generation.
In 1977, Louise reached the pinnacle of
her music career when she was selected
as a member of the prestigious Mormon
Tabernacle Choir. During her 13 years
with the choir, she traveled to many
exotic and diverse countries.
Upon leaving the choir, Louise formed
her own choral group known as the Salt
Lake Harmony Singers. She performed
with that group for more than ten years.
F O C U S
16I N V I E W
Beverli credits her
SUU education,
specifically her
Communication
training, for
providing her
with a strong
background
for service as a
diplomat.
Beverli Jo Dewalt, right, with a
friend in Afghanistan.
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 17
Louise served two LDS missions
with her husband Harry and currently
works in the Salt Lake Temple. She
is an active member of the emeriti
organization at the U of U where her
late husband taught for 30 years.
Above all of her music
accomplishments, Louise is most
proud of her family that includes five
children and 18 grandchildren.
n mVEmBA PhEZO DIZOLELE
(’94, Political
Science and
French) is
a W. Glenn
Campbell and
Rita Ricardo-
C a m p b e l l
National Fellow at Stanford
University’s Hoover Institution. He
has been an international business
advisor, radio broadcaster, columnist
and foreign policy analyst, which has
allowed him to bring a distinctive
perspective to African economic and
political development.
Prior to Stanford, Mvemba was Vice
President for Business Development
at GoodWorks International, LLC, a
global advisory firm in Washington,
D.C. While there, he initiated new
public-private partnerships between
African State-owned enterprises and
U.S. companies.
As a fellow at the Pulitzer Center
on Crisis Reporting, Mvemba covered
the 2006 historic elections in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. He
was also embedded with United
Nations peacekeepers in the war-torn
Ituri and South Kivu regions.
He was a policy analyst at the
Center for Global Development and
managed the Millennium Challenge
Account Monitor. While serving as a
global analyst at Thomson Financial
Institutional Shareholder Services,
he advised U.S. and British fund
managers on investment transactions
that included the $2.5 billion
Norsk Hydro-Saga merger and ISS
International’s $417 million share
issuance.
He earned an MBA from the
University of Chicago, served eight
years in the Marine Corps and speaks
English, French, Norwegian, Spanish,
Swahili, Kikongo and Lingala, and is
proficient in Swedish and Danish.
For Mvemba, SUU was his first
home in the U.S., and he still considers
it as such. “I enjoyed the fellowship I
received from the faculty and student
communities. SUU professors Rodney
Decker, Craig Jones, Michael Stathis,
Jim Harrison and Jim Mills all had
a profound impact on my education.
They laid a foundation of how I came
to look at things in my world and
how I analyzed my political thought.
I still remember their classes.”
n tRAVIS PARAShONtS (’79, Social
Science) is currently the President
and Chief Executive Officer of Suh’
Dutsing Technologies in Cedar City,
an information technology services
company owned by the Cedar Band of
Paiutes. Travis founded the company
in 2002, with
the hopes
of bringing
e c o n o m i c
growth and job
creation to his
reservation. “I
have a passion inside me to help my
people,” says Travis.
Suh’Dutsing landed its first big
client in 2004, when a $200 million
contract was negotiated with the
United States Department of the
Interior. Recently, Suh’Dutsing was
ranked the sixth-best minority
contracting company by the
government technology magazine,
Federal Computer Week.
For his work and leadership at
Suh’ dutsing, the Utah Office of
the Small Business Administration
chose Travis as its 2007 Small
Business Person of the Year. This
past summer, professional services
giant Ernst & Young named him
Utah Entrepreneur of the Year.
Commenting on his achievement,
Travis says, “Entrepreneurship is not
easy. The risk is hard, but the dream
and passion is what carries you
through.”
Despite having a difficult
childhood, Travis counts himself
fortunate enough to have graduated
from SUU. He credits his success
to his education, both inside and
outside the classroom, as well as to a
commitment to hard work.
18I N V I E W
John & Cleopha
LeBaron
The LeBarons have
built a legacy on
the principle that
“learning lives
forever.”
John, from
Hurricane, and
Cleo, a Santa Clara
native, met in
1943 and married
a year later to
begin a family that
eventually included
seven children.
John enjoyed a 30-year career with
the Utah Department of Transportation
in its engineering division as a surveyor,
and then later advanced to the position
of inspector. In that role, John’s duties
included assuring quality control of
road projects throughout Utah . By the
time he retired, John was working in
a managerial position and was widely
known for his unwavering integrity and
thirst for knowledge.
Meanwhile, Cleo’s priorities were at
home with her growing family. As her
children grew, Cleo enrolled at SUU to
study elementary education and music. In
1978, Cleo graduated from SUU, alongside
her son Craig. Three years later, she
returned to earn a master’s degree in
education. Cleo enjoyed a nine year
kindergarten and second grade teaching
career, working diligently to ensure
her students had the best educational
experience possible.
The LeBaron imprint on education is
far-reaching. Four of the couple’s children
became teachers, as did several of Cleo’s
students—no doubt instilling in a new
generation the value of lifelong learning.
As a selfless expression of their
commitment to education, John and Cleo
have graciously endowed a scholarship
that assists multiple students attending
SUU from Washington, Iron and Sevier
Counties. In recognition of their
generosity, Southern Utah University is
proud to induct Cleopha Gubler LeBaron
and the late John LeBaron as Benefactors
in the Old Main Society.
Austin & Magda Jones
For Austin Jones, Southern Utah
University is a family affair. His
grandfather, Thomas Jedediah Jones was
one of the institution’s founders and
chairman of the committee that oversaw
the construction of Old Main. His parents,
H. Marvin and Lucy Esplin Jones, were
students at the University, as were three
of his siblings. And while at the BAC
himself, Austin was involved in the band,
orchestra and debate teams.
During World War II and after
H O N O R S
Old Main Society Inducts New Members
Through their
magnanimity,
members of
the Old Main
Society provide
the extra margin
of excellence
that enables the
University to meet
the ever-increasing
challenges facing
higher education
today.
Cleopha LeBaron, left,
with President Benson.
Austin Jones, left, with President Benson.
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 19
graduating with an associate of arts
degree in 1940, Austin entered the
Navy with an interest in electronics
and radar. Following his military
service, Austin returned to Cedar City
where he obtained an engineering
license and eventually moved to
Oakland, California, working as a
field engineer. After then returning to
work in the Navy during the Korean
War, Austin moved to Holland to
assist the Dutch Naval Air Force with
its aviation radar.
While in Holland, Austin met
Magda Markovics, a native of
Hungary, and in 1955, Magda and
Austin were married and returned to
the United States—Austin by military
transport and Magda by cruise ship.
The two eventually settled in Palo
Alto, California where he worked in
satellite communications development
and she in a dress shop.
After making his first gift to SUU
following the Old Main fire of 1948,
Austin and Magda soon became
stalwart supporters of the University.
The Jones’ generosity has paved
the way for multiple scholarship
endowments at SUU in the fields of
science and engineering.
For their commitment to the
University’s heritage and support of
its future, Southern Utah University
is proud to induct Austin and the
late Magda Jones into the Centurium
Circle of the Old Main Society.
Jim Jones
Surrounding Southern Utah
University are some of the nation’s
most spectacular vistas, and Jim
Jones has spent a lifetime preserving
the views he so treasures.
A Cedar City native, Jim began
painting as a teen, and after
spending five years at the Art Center
in Los Angeles, he eventually earned
a bachelor’s and master’s degree
in fine arts from the University of
Utah. In 1975, Jim began working
to capture the most difficult subject
he could find: Zion National Park.
It took Jones eighteen months to
complete his first Zion series, but
once it was done he knew he’d found
his life’s calling.
The transition from portrait to
landscape painting required Jim’s
work become bolder, and Jim
describes himself at that time as
“a problem solver, cautious but
persistent.” Now, with his home
and art studio perched atop a white
mesa in Rockville, Utah, Jim has
the ultimate view of Zion National
Park and the Virgin River. And with
millions of years of geography visible
from his living room window, the
artist’s masterpieces now number
more than 1300.
Because of his Cedar City ties
and love for southwest Utah, Jim
has generously agreed to donate his
entire personal collection to SUU,
which will be permanently housed
in the planned Southern Utah
Museum of Art. He also included
his beautiful home at the mouth of
Zion National Park as part of his gift
to the University. For his enduring
friendship, his enrichment of the
arts in the region and his generosity
to SUU, the institution is honored to
induct Jim Jones as a Legacy member
of the Old Main Society.
To be eligible for membership in the Old Main Society,
individuals, couples or businesses have made cumulative cash,
in-kind, or deferred gifts to the University of $25,000 to $99,999.
Other levels of giving include:
Benefactor: gifts between $100,000 and $499,999
Gold Medallion: gifts between $500,000 and $999,999
Centurium Circle: gifts more than $1,000,000.
Accepting on behalf of Jim Jones was Patricia
Embley, left, with President Benson.
20I N V I E W
Frank & Celestia Nichols
Community spirit, accompanied
by a personal philosophy to always
do their part, epitomize the service
of Frank and Celestia Nichols to
both Cedar City and Southern Utah
University.
Celestia, a lifelong resident of
Cedar City, graduated from SUU in
1963. Her grandmother lived across
the street from the University, and
as a child the campus was Celestia’s
playground. She and her mother,
Thelma Ashdown, attended countless
cultural events on campus over the
years, and Celestia holds a deep love
for the University.
Frank, a transplant from Kansas,
discovered SUU through his brother
Burt, who came to the area to build
Brian Head Ski Resort. He graduated
in 1968, and as a student, Frank
remembers the University as a close-
knit community.
Indeed, Frank and Celestia
have immersed themselves in this
community. Frank joined the
Cedar City Jaycees and Chamber of
Commerce, and always seems to be
engaged in community improvement
projects. Celestia’s love of the arts has
directed much of her own service,
and she is an active member of
Cedar City Music Arts and The Utah
Shakespearean Festival—a program
whose growth both she and Frank
have enjoyed watching. She also
serves as a newly appointed trustee
on Intermountain Health Care’s
Valley View Medical Center Board.
Wherever there is a worthy cause,
Frank and Celestia are sure to be
found. When the Centrum Arena
was proposed, they provided a pivotal
gift that made that project a reality.
And they recently provided another
essential gift to SUU—facilitating
the replacement of Manzanita Hall
with a state-of-the-art student living
center which will open its doors this
coming fall.
Both here at SUU and across
the region, Frank and Celestia
are characterized as spark plugs
for action, and the couple count
as their greatest accomplishments
four children, nine grandchildren,
and making a positive impact in
the Cedar City and Southern Utah
communities.
For their endless dedication to their
community and especially to this
campus, Southern Utah University is
proud to induct Frank and Celestia
Nichols into the highest level of the
Old Main Society: The Centurium
Circle.
Celestia and Frank Nichols, left, with
President Benson
One of Eight Great Playgrounds for Retirees–Where to Retire Magazine (twice)
Top 20 Cities for Outdoorsmen
–Outdoor Life
Eight Great & Unusual Fall Foliage Destinations–NBC Today Show
Ten Best Outdoorsy Places to Retire–US News & World Report
SUU & Cedar City Great partners since 1897
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y F A L L 2 0 0 8 21S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 21
35 Solar panels installed on SUU’s campus this past fall semester.
Screaming fans cheered on the T-Birds football team at this year’s homecoming game.
8,0188,018
271,244Books call the Sherratt Library home.
271,244
3,759Total hours of community service performed by 1,253 fresh-man the weekend before they started classes at SUU.
3,759
6.5%Increase in SUU student headcount from fall 2007 to fall 2008 semesters.
6.5%
98%Satisfaction rate among current students with SUU’s student life.98%
14Talented students accepted into SUU’s new Bachelor of Fine Arts program.14
24Out of the 25 possible UBEE awards for southern Utah were given to SUU Radio Productions students and alumni.24
35TAlly
A N U M E R I C A L S L I C E O F L I F E A T S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y
T-BIrD
Whether you
prefer a small
gathering or
a large scale
event, there
are myriad
opportunities
for you to be
an involved
member of the
SUU Alumni
Association.
C H A P T E R S
22I N V I E W
A l u m n i C h A p t e r s
ChAPtER PRES. NAmE PhONE EmAIL
Iron County Bruce Barclay 435-586-7932 [email protected]
SLC Area Richy T Steadman 801-209-8170 [email protected]
Utah County Everett Kelepolo 801-798-4679 [email protected]
Washington County Ryan Richey 435-215-5454 [email protected]
North East Marcia Nelson 212-697-4378 [email protected]
Arizona Natalie Coombs Pfleger 602-553-9852 [email protected]
So California Ralph E. Spence 714-777-2452 [email protected]
So Nevada Chad Marchant 702-308-6815 [email protected]
Washington, DC Justin Harding 703-221-1556 [email protected]
looking for a way to make new friends and contacts in your
city? Seeking to re-connect with fellow Thunderbirds to watch a game together?
Looking for opportunities and in need of a network of friends? Or are you simply
wanting to keep the connection to SUU? If so, the SUU Chapters are growing strong
and would love to have you contact any of the chapter leaders in your area and start
getting involved. Be a part of community projects, game-watching parties and other
activities. Network Reps are a contact source for fellow alumni living in their area.
They are building their networks into a chapter status. Connect with other T-Birds who
share your unique experience and memories of SUU.
March 12 Founders’ Celebration
March 27 Utah County, SUU Night at the Utah Flash Game, 7:00 PM at the McKay
Events Center on the UVU Campus. Tickets are $4.00 per person, for all ages.
RSVP to the Alumni Office 888-586-1997 or email the Alumni Office at alumni@
suu.edu
March 28 Arizona Chapter, Spring Training LA Angels play Seattle Mariners, Game
time is 1:05 PM, Tempe Diablo Stadium, $20.00 includes lunch and game ticket
(tickets are limited). RSVP to the Alumni Office 888-586-1997 or email the Alumni
Office at [email protected]
May 2 Commencement
May - Southern Nevada Family BBQ, Washington County Family BBQ
June - Utah County Family BBQ
July - SLC Chapter -- Bee’s Baseball Game
October - Homecoming 2009
To learn more about Southern Utah University Alumni Chapters & Network
Representatives in your area, please visit our Alumni Website www.suu.edu/alumni
or contact any of the Alumni leaders listed below. Feel free to contact the SUU Alumni
Relations Office at 1-888-586-1997 or 435-586-7777 with any questions or concerns.
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 23
A l u m n i n e t w o r k r e p s
NEtWORk NEtWORk REP PhONE EmAIL
Michigan Regan Borton 734-276-1193 [email protected]
Fresno, CA Weaver, Ryan 559-994-1337 [email protected]
Lincoln County, NV Sherrin McHenry [email protected]
Lincoln County, NV Sarah K (Pete) Getker 775-728-4610
Juab County, UT Clinton Painter 801-817-7026 [email protected]
San Francisco, CA Steve Kiisel 435-862-8990 [email protected]
Central Utah Stacee Yardley McIff 435-201-1592 [email protected]
North Carolina Tosh Brinkerhoff [email protected]
Chicago, IL Anna Ables [email protected]
New Haven, CT Stan Kontogiannis 203-389-9747 [email protected]
Omaha, NE and Council Bluffs, IA Area Darrell Jourdan 402-734-0794 [email protected]
Boston, MA Ken & Rosanne Harvey 617-573-5814 [email protected]
Cache Valley, UT Dave & Tasha Adams 435-563-9254 [email protected]
Spring semester at the Gerald
R. Sherratt Library and the Leavitt
Center for Politics and Public Service
has gotten off to an exciting start
as Michael O. Leavitt (’78, Business
Administration) has returned to
SUU finish work on his collection’s
capstone: Project Prologue.
Mike served as Governor of the
State of Utah from 1993-2003, then
served in the administration of
George W. Bush until January of
2009, first as administrator of the
environmental protection agency and
concluding as secretary of health and
human services.
While in office as governor, Leavitt
created a record-keeping system which
included a daily journal of activities
and events along with numerous
papers, speeches and memorabilia. In
2004, he donated that collection to the
Gerald R. Sherratt Library, to provide
a unique look into the work of the
state’s top executive from 1993-2003.
SUU’s Special Collections has been
archiving these artifacts, preparing
them for eventual use by researchers,
historians and the general public.
“The online archive that we are
building is the first digital collection
of its kind that includes documents,
photographs and videos through one
web portal. It will be a tremendous
tool for researh,” says SUU Archivist
and Special Collections Coordinator
Paula Mitchell.
This March, The Michael O. Leavitt
Center for Politics and Public Service
will unveil a new dimension to the
digital collection: Project Prologue,
a massive database of first-hand
accounts from his gubernatorial
administration. This project “is
intended to expand a traditional
collection of documents and artifacts
and put a context to them,” says
Doug Larson, executive director of
SUU’s Leavitt Center.
More than 250 individuals from
inside and outside his administration,
will share their experiences of
the time surrounding the Leavitt
administration. As these insights
are collected, others will be able
to access and comment on the
information, making Project Prologue
an updateable database.
Current SUU students are also
the beneficiaries of Project Prologue,
gaining real world experience
conducting research for interviews
and organizing the results. SUU’s
students are gaining valuable insights
and knowledge on an important
time in the history of Utah. The
administration coincided with great
changes in the state, including
technological advances, state
healthcare reform, environmental
issues and the Olympic Winter
Games in Salt Lake City. “It really has
been a dynamic experience for all
students involved, as they’ve learned
about so many facets of Utah,” said
Leavitt Center Student Director Laura
McAlister.
Project PrologueMike Leavitt returns to SUU to work on his historical collection
Former Utah Governor Mike Leavitt speaks
to the audience at a coming-home reception
held in his honor in February of this year.
24I N V I E W
S o u t h e r n u t a h u n i v e r S i t y F o u n d e r s’ d a y 2 0 0 9
OLD MAIN c. 1898
T he 2009 SUU Founders’ Day celebration was held
March 11-12. The activities commenced on March
11, with the first annual Howard R. Driggs Memorial
Lecture, which was given by former Utah governor Michael
O. Leavitt. The Founders’ Dinner, on March 12, at 6 p.m.
in the Hunter Conference Center, was followed by a special
concert at the Cedar City Heritage Center theater, featuring
piano performances from Steinway artists, SUU President
Michael T. Benson and SUU piano students.
The University also inducted two new members into its
Hall of Honor: Rodney Decker and Jim Bowns; and gave
Distinguished Service Awards to Marva Middleton and
June Sewing.
Marva Middleton served as the administrative assistant
to the provost for many years and prior to that was the
administrative assistant in the advancement office.
June Sewing has been involved in many areas of
community service with the Chamber of Commerce, Iron
County Home Builders and the Kiwanis, as well as SUU
Athletics.
Rod Decker and Jim Bowns have each served at SUU
for an amazing 44 years. Rod has been the dean of HSS
(SUU’s largest college), a professor of political science, and
the provost. Jim is a professor and researcher in agriculture
and biology, an expert and leader in his field, and chair of
the Board of Wildlife Resources.
We congratulate these four individuals on their successes
and thank them for their individual commitment to
Southern Utah University.
OLD MAIN 2008
Marva Middleton June Sewing
Rodney Decker Jim Bowns
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 25
S o u t h e r n u t a h u n i v e r S i t y F o u n d e r s’ d a y 2 0 0 9Thor’s Thunder ClassiCMonday, September 28, 2009 4 man scramble formatEntrada at Snow Canyon Country Club (www.golfentrada.com)Check in from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Shot-gun start at 9 a.m.
Benefits SUU Alumni Chapter Scholarships and the Alumni Association
Please submit registration by September 15, 2009.Registration and Sponsorship forms available at www.suu.edu/alumni or by calling 888-586-1997
RED!
ALUMNI
G O F O R T H E G R E E N
26I N V I E W
wants to “create an identity that is
translatable across disciplines and
professional objectives.”
Thus, as HSS marks its tenth
anniversary at SUU, McDonald looks
to the College’s future with a renewed
focus to unify all his departments
under one interdisciplinary theme:
everyday leadership.
In short, McDonald’s long-term
objective is to provide an academic
certificate in leadership to supplement
a student’s undergraduate degree in
any of the HSS programs. However,
neither he nor his colleagues are
waiting for the creation of this new
degree component to move ahead
with their goal of “training students
to be the next generation of leaders.”
According to McDonald, the
hope is to “help students become
leaders not simply in a business
administration sense, but more by
Sculpting LeadersNewly Appointed Dean Has Vision for College
And with everything from German
to public relations, the College
could easily become segregated into
individual disciplines. Yet in the face
of unique subject matter each of
the College’s departments aims to
teach, as a whole, HSS is becoming
increasingly focused on academic
initiatives that cross disciplines.
Making this liberal arts college well-
positioned to thrive in the face of
ever-increasing professional demands
for academic specialization.
As he contemplates the current
perceptions of HSS at SUU, the
college’s newly appointed dean,
James McDonald, predicts his biggest
challenge will also be one of his most
valuable assets in attracting good
students and support: better defining
the value of an HSS degree.
Says McDonald, “What we have is
great; we’re just looking to connect it
even more with those things that are
asked of our students as they become
professionals.” Above all, McDonald
At SUU, the Humanities and Social Sciences comprise the departments
of communication, English, foreign languages and humanities, history and
sociology, political science and criminal justice, and psychology. As such,
SUU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) is arguably the most
diverse in its offerings of all the University’s academic colleges.
thE COLLEGE OF hUmANItIES
AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 27
broadening perspectives and giving students the tools to
become active contributors to their communities.”
According to McDonald, the goal for an everyday
leadership component to the HSS degrees is “quite
possible,” as many of the disciplines within HSS already
naturally address leadership topics within a given field.
In fact, McDonald says his faculty members have already
begun looking for specific ways
“to simply increase and embed all
coursework with discussions about
ethics and leadership.” This approach
is a twist on the way academic
leadership courses and programs are
usually structured, as traditionally,
students are simply offered one or
two classes about leadership without
much discussion about field-specific
application.
HSS faculty want students to
see opportunities for leadership in
everything they do. Says McDonald,
“It’s important to discuss leadership
in everything our students study.”
McDonald predicts such an
approach will be useful to students
across the University, and he endeavors to make an
everyday leadership component of an HSS degree “as
interdisciplinary as possible.”
Says McDonald, “The beauty of academia is that so many
different conversations are taking place simultaneously
that students are forced to think beyond the moment.
Really, almost all disciplines are rooted in a concern for
the human condition; we just go after our discussions
surrounding that in different ways.”
McDonald considers it a strength of the University’s
academic structure that all of SUU’s students are required
to take at least one HSS course within their academic
programming, as “regardless of the degree a profession
requires, every employer seeks to hire people who can
communicate effectively.” Considering a large majority
of the programs within the College of HSS focus on
what McDonald considers, “global mastery skills,”
including writing, logical and critical thinking, and
verbal communication, McDonald is confident HSS is well-
positioned to lead everyday leadership initiatives at SUU.
To McDonald, teaching leadership is not simply teaching
a student to act; it’s about teaching
a student to question and evaluate
independently of the norm—
regardless of the discipline in which
that norm may be rooted.
McDonald plans to embed these
new educational components into
the topics professors and students
are already discussing rather than
dramatically altering the curriculum
within any one program.” So while
the actual leadership certificate
may be a few years in development,
McDonald is buoyed when he surveys
HSS programming, as many of the
faculty and classes are already quite
mindful of these ideals.
Along with the addition of everyday
leadership into its official offerings, McDonald hopes the
next ten years sees the College increase its focus on service
learning, research and internship opportunities for all its
students. In this, the aim is for HSS to be well-known as
a college that personally assists each student as he or she
learns “to take their knowledge out to the real world.”
Espousing the leadership qualities he hopes to embed
within the HSS curriculum, McDonald tries to “constantly
reflect on all of the college’s programs, asking, ‘is this
the best way we can construct this course?’.” He’s asked
his faculty to do the same, focusing on “how to get [HSS]
students where they need and want to be,” and for this, the
College’s future looks bright—filled with at least as much
success as its past ten years.
Dean James McDonald of the College of
Humanities and Social Sciences
28I N V I E W
The 2008-09 Thunderbird Women’s
Basketball Team had their season
drastically altered on November 3,
with the passing of Head Coach
Steve Hodson (’79). But though
he’s no longer pacing the court,
his legacy endures as Interim Head
Coach Kit Janes (’80), who came to
SUU as Hodson’s assistant in 2006,
continues to build a program that
reflects what was important to the
late coach.
Says Janes, “This program is a
product of what Steve enforced the
past three years. He expected our
kids to be great students and people,
and then he’d work on basketball
after that; nothing has changed.”
One player who has aptly balanced
such expectations, Challis Pascucci,
a sophomore forward from Goodyear,
Arizona, agrees, “Coach Hodson
recruited a great bunch of girls, and
we’ve all come together as stronger
players and friends in the past year
and a half.”
Many of his past and present
players would agree that Coach
Hodson taught them how to be strong,
to persevere and to continually move
forward. For Caitlyn Sears, a guard/
forward from Cedar Hills, Utah, the
SUU women’s basketball program is
definitely the beneficiary of Hodson’s
own tenacity. “He never looked
back. We always pressed forward
to the next game, learning from our
mistakes and continuing on.”
Steve’s strengths and his struggles
touched lives in a very personal way.
Says Sears, “I only knew him for two
years but I can honestly say Coach
Hodson changed my perspective
on life. He helped me see that I
could always have it worse, that I’m
stronger than I think I am, and that I
can do more than I think I’m capable
of doing. He saw something more
in me. That’s why he brought all
of us girls here: because there was
something more to us that we had
yet to see.”
Anne Higbee, a senior forward/
center from Cedar City, will
remember Coach Hodson’s quest
for perfection and his emphasis on
respecting others. “I learned that
you never give up and that things
are never as hard as you think they
are. We all knew what he was going
through. Division I head coach
is a demanding job, but he came
every day and never complained.
He was sitting on the sidelines and
could barely even sit, but he just
wanted to be there because he’d
made a commitment. Coach Hodson
recruited people with the same goals
he had and I definitely think our
program will keep getting better.”
As a player, Steve helped the
Thunderbirds to the NAIA National
Tournament in 1977 and was a two-
time all-district performer on the
hardwood. He was also voted to
Southern Utah’s all-1970’s team.
Hodson began his coaching
career at Cedar High School as an
assistant coach in 1977 and returned
as the head coach in 1983-87 and
1991-97. In between, he made stops
as an assistant with Dixie State
College (1980-83) and as an assistant
with SUU (1987-1991), helping the
Thunderbird program transition from
the Division II to Division I level.
Prior to his appointment as the
head women’s basketball coach at
Southern Utah University, Coach
Hodson served as the boy’s head
coach (1998-2000), girl’s head coach
(2001-2006) and athletic director
of Cedar City’s Canyon View High
School.
Steve Hodson holds the distinction
of being the only Utah high school
coach to win state boy’s and girl’s
basketball titles at three different
programs and one of only three
coaches in the state to win boy’s
and girl’s basketball titles in the
same year. He was also honored as
a seven-time Region 9 and two-time
3A Coach of the Year.
Steve Hodson1955 - 2008
rememberWE WILL
S O U T H E R N U T A H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 29
JULY 2008 – DEC 31, 2008
ALUMNIVera Ahlstrom Leigh (’35), age 90,
passed away July 16, 2008.
Alice L. Batt (’38), passed away August 4, 2008.
Willard Leigh Gardner (’53), age 76, passed away July 18, 2008.
Connie Davenport Whicker (’61), age 66, passed away August 1, 2008.
Calvin thomas hair (’63), passed away June 28, 2008.
David Earl “Red” Savage (’88), age 73, passed away July 12, 2008.
Debra Ann Watts Banks (’97), age 42, passed away July 26, 2008.
Cecilee Goddard, age 31, passed away August 22, 2008.
Valerie P Imlay (’92), age 52, passed away August 22, 2008.
keith m Shumway (’08), age 29,passed away August 22, 2008.
marci marie tillery (’04), age 29,passed away August 22, 2008.
Dolores Fife Jones (’48),passed away August 26, 2008.
Larry S. Whittaker, age 70,passed away September 4, 2008.
thomas Bartlie Cardon (’89), age 55,passed away September 2, 2008.
Chester Judd Smith (’34),passed away September 5, 2008.
Blair S. kenney (’51), age 81,passed away September 11, 2008.
Irene Gale Nicholes (’51),passed away September 12, 2008.
kortney Parkin (’97), passed away June 12, 2008
Grace Dover Osborne (’33), age 93,passed away September 23, 2008.
maude macfarlane halversen (’29),passed away September 21, 2008.
Carmen Croft Jones (’38), age 88,passed away October 6, 2008.
Roger Burke Chidester (’69), age 77,passed away October 7, 2008.
Edwin Oscar Larson (’49), age 79,passed away October 19, 2008.
Brian Vermon Fink, age 27,passed away October 21, 2008.
kelly Robert Orton, age 35,passed away October 24, 2008.
Stephen R. Rozelle, age 73,passed away October 28, 2008.
Zbigniew Bishop Dolegiewicz (’00), age 55, passed away Oct. 29, 2008.
Dolores Urie hill (’51), age 77,passed away October 30, 2008.
Rodney Isom Palmer, age 89,passed away November 2, 2008.
Steven Lloyd hodson (’79), age 53,passed away November 3, 2008.
kenneth Edwin Goulding Jr (’56),passed away November 15, 2008.
J. Richard Grant, age 73,passed away November 13, 2008.
Elizabeth Finlinson Foy (’37), age 91,passed away November 19, 2008.
John Gary middleton (’58), age 74,passed away November 21, 2008.
Delton Jay Bettridge (’50), age 80,passed away November 26, 2008.
Winnie Nell heywood Stevenson, age 72, passed away Nov. 26, 2008.
ArNita Urie Webb (’31), age 95,passed away December 4, 2008.
Viola Woodbury kelsey (’52), age 95,passed away December, 2008.
Bart N hess (’75), age 58,passed away December 10, 2008.
Gloria Olson Peterson (’47), age 83,passed away December 18, 2008.
Clyde munford (’76), age 55,passed away December 23, 2008.
Zelma Williams Ford, age 90,passed away December 27, 2008.
Ward topham middleton (’48), age 80,passed away December 28, 2008.
Zella Robinson Leu (’29), age 100,passed away January 2, 2009.
Ruby Ward Whicker (’36),passed away January 2, 2009.
FACULTYSTUDENTSDallin D Ellsworth, age 23,
passed away August 22, 2008.
mandy Johnson, age 20,passed away August 22, 2008.
Rick A. madsen, age 31,passed away September 3, 2008.
Patrick Shukait, age 24,passed away December 30, 2008.
FRIENDSSUPPORTERSmalen mecham,
passed away July 2, 2008.
marshall Earl Noel,passed away July 11, 2008.
Dr. Lansing G Ellsworth, age 50,passed away August 22, 2008.
David Goddard, age 60,passed away August 22, 2008.
James C. hall, age 80,passed away August 26, 2008.
Val Dean Edwards,passed away August 29, 2008.
Leona Swallow, age 75,passed away September 4, 2008.
Gale Demille Fife, age 71,passed away September 5, 2008.
Robert “Bob” mcCullough,passed away September 17, 2008.
George John Nakken,passed away October 1, 2008.
Robert Vincent Rohde,passed away October 10, 2008.
Norma Wesner Bruce,passed away October 13, 2008.
Joyce A. Adams Osborn Evans, age 87, passed away Nov. 8, 2008.
Bruce h. Osborn, age 84,passed away November 23, 2008.
Edward Rondthaler IV, age 73,passed away November 27, 2008.
murray L. maughan, age 89, passed December 12, 2008.
John matthew Liebhardt, age 95, passed away December 31, 2008.
With a service learning initiative that
spans almost every academic discipline
SUU offers, faculty and students are
finding increasingly unique ways
to serve others by applying the ideas
they discuss in the classroom. And
this semester, Professor Jean Lopour’s
adaptive physical education class will do
just that as they host a rodeo that won’t
soon be forgotten.
Unlike most rodeos, the cowboys and
girls in this competition have not been
riding horses for a lifetime. In fact, many
have never before been on a horse, as
this rodeo is designed especially for
middle and high school-aged children
with special needs from the Iron County
School District.
The special rodeo, slated for April 1, at
the Cross Hollows Arena in Cedar City,
will give the young teens opportunities
to try stick horse barrel racing, roping,
riding a lead horse and riding a bucking
bale. As the first time many of these
children will be so close to such large
animals, participants will also get to pet
and feed both horses and goats.
This is the second semester one of
Lopour’s classes has coordinated an
event like this. Last fall, a similar rodeo
was open to elementary-aged children
with special needs.
Lopour anticipates that “If this spring’s
rodeo is anything like last semester’s, the
smiles on the children’s faces will go a
long way in helping my college students
understand the unique impact they can
make by applying their interests and
skills to creatively serve others.”
30I N V I E W
Ride ‘em Cowboy! SUU Students Put on a Special Rodeo for Some Special Kids
“...the smiles on the
children’s faces go a
long way in helping
students under-
stand the unique
impact they can
make...”
Left: Last Fall’s rodeo, with SUU students and elem-
entary children from the Iron County School District.
Above top: Professor Jean Lopour and friend.
Above bottom: An elementary student enthusiastically
rides around the course in stick-horse barrel racing.
A F T E R T H O U G H T S
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Alumni Association
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Cedar City, UT 84720
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Maybe, she’ll receive a full-ride horseshoe
scholarship.
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