Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com
Jessop, Allen chosen as deans for new colleges By MEGAN BAINUM staff writer
Professors John C. Allen and Craig Jessop have been named the deans for the two new colleges brought about by the splitting of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Allen will lead the college that includes the humanities and social science disciplines, which has yet to be officially named, and Jessop will head the new Caine College of the Arts. Both Jessop and Allen were unanimously chosen for their “academic excellence, interpersonal integrity and dedication to students,” said Raymond Coward, executive vice president and provost. “Allen is a highly regarded academic scholar with previous experience in college administration, and Jessop is a world-renown artist and conductor with extraordinary contacts throughout the entertainment business,” Coward said. “I’m excited about it,” Allen said about being appointed the new dean. “I see an opportunity to refocus on what the college does. We are a great college of liberal arts, and I want to lead the university in that.” Jessop said he has been blessed with many opportunities and experiences around the world, which have helped prepare him for the job. “It is a honor to now give back to USU – it’s students, faculties and staffs – and to share together this great opportunity of creating a new college,” Jessop said. USU President Stan Albrecht had created two search and screening
JOHN ALLEN, LEFT, AND CRAIG JESSOP, RIGHT, have been chosen to take dean positions for the new humanities and social sciences college and the Caine College of the Arts, respectively. CODY GOCHNOUR and PETE P. SMITHSUTH photos
committees, Coward said, to oversee the recruitment of the new deans. Those committees created a job description and solicited candidates for the position. They then screened the pool of candidates and recommended individuals who should be interviewed to the president. Candidates for both positions were
interviewed on campus and met with a wide range of faculty, staff and students. After these interviews concluded, evaluations of the candidates were solicited and collected. The dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, Carol Strong, headed the search for the new Caine College of
the Arts dean and said, “The committee was unanimous in its recommendation to the president, and the members are very excited about Dr. Jessop’s leadership of this new college.” Now that the deans have been named, the task of organizing the colleges has begun. Allen said three
Professor honored for clinical work By APRIL ASHLAND staff writer
Professor Vicki Simonsmeier won an award from the Utah Speech and Hearing Association (USHA) for her clinical work at USU. Simonsmeier said she had no idea she had even been nominated for the award, much less received it. Simonsmeier said The Louis M. Dicarlo Award is prestigious and is given to one person who has demonstrated improvement in clinical work over the past six years. “I laughed, since it was a friend of mine who told me. I didn’t believe it,” Simonsmeier said. “It means a lot when it comes from your peers. It’s comfortable.” Simonsmeier won the state version of the award and has been submitted as a finalist for the national award. She said she received a package in the mail with paperwork and other information for the award. She said she was awarded for her work the past six years, namely for three different things: a feeding clinic, social language groups and training groups in Washington. Simonsmeier said her specialty is in pediatric neurogenics, and she didn’t really choose her specialty, but that it chose her. She went overseas when she received her undergraduate degree to work in New Zealand and ended up working with children with cerebral palsy. She said she was always surprised by what the children were able to do. “Children, despite the limits of their body, you see what they can do. It’s what I’m really passionate about,” she said. Simonsmeier came to USU in February 2000, and she said when she drove into Logan the morning before her interview, she told herself she didn’t think Logan was for her, but that changed. “After my interview, I just kept saying, ‘I
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want to be here. I want this job,’” she said. “Even though we in the department may disagree professionally, we can still get along. There’s such a degree of comraderie here.” USU’s feeding clinic is a unique experience for students, she said, because they get to work hands on with children and parents. “Students get to work not only with parents, but also occupational therapists with the medical side of things, and really get a view of how it
all works,” Simonsmeier said. “It’s didactic, but also very hands on.” The social language groups Simonsmeier has been working on are to help children relate to their peers. She said most children can relate well with the adults who are in teachers mode, but not so much with the kids on the play-
The E-club hosted the Campus Rail Jam, where 50 skiers and snowboarders competed for prizes and pride. Page 8
The Wildlife Society Club spends time volunteering at check stations run by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Page 5
- See DEANS, page 4
USU’s Special Collections creating oral history of Cache By BLAZE BULLOCK staff writer
- See AWARD, page 4
PROFESSOR VICKI SIMONSMEIER, who won an award form the Utah Speech and Hearing Association, specializes in pediatric neurogenics. Simonsmeier said she was surprised when she was notified of her state award. Simonsmeier, who has been at USU since 2000, said USU’s feeding clinic is a unique experience for students who work hands on with children and parents. JESSE WALKER photo
4/07/10
things are the most important on his to-do list right now. First is separating the budget between his college and the Caine College of Arts. A name for the other new college is in the works, he said. An e-mail will be sent out to faculty for nominations and from there a couple rounds of e-mails will help narrow down the search. Allen said he is hoping to have a name chosen by July. Along with budgets and finding a new name, a focus group that consists of faculty and students is getting together to discuss what they would like to see in Allen’s new college. “What is the core education we want our students to have?” Allen asked. “By having focus groups, we, as teachers, can ask that question and apply what the students want to see in the future.” Jessop said his first priority is working out where everyone in his office will be. “The biggest initial challenge will be to simply establish a new dean’s office and staff,” Jessop said. “The departments are strong and vital, and we need to be ready to serve their needs as the fall semester begins.” Coward said one challenge both colleges will have to face is the economic situation that is affecting the university. “We are well aware of the financial challenges that the colleges will face in the early years of their existence,” Coward said. “This is why we are so pleased that we have been able to identify two senior, experienced
The Special Collections division of the Merrill-Cazier Library is making an oral history about Latino culture in the area. The project began in 2007 and 45 interviews have been conducted so far, said Randy Williams, folklore curator and USU oral history specialist. Thirty-seven of the interviews were done in Spanish. Williams is working to translate the 45 interviews into English and Spanish so that more people can understand them. Every year or two, Special Collections conducts oral histories, Williams said. Williams has done oral histories on projects involving experiences of Utah War Veterans and many others. Williams and Elisaida Mendez, doctoral student in psychology, launched the project together. Jorge Rodas also helped with the project. The Latino oral history received a Human Ties Award in 2009, Williams said. Mendez said she co-directed the project with Williams and that together, they trained people to do the interviews. Williams said the reason for the project was to gather and preserve the history and heritage of Logan. Williams said she noticed years ago that Special Collections lacked information
- See PROJECT, page 3
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