Utah state magazine winter 2016

The Journey of Water Affecting Everyone, Influenced by Anyone

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CONTENTS

M A N AG I N G E D I TO R Jared Thayne A RT D I R E C TO R Holly Broome-Hyer

UTAHSTATE Vol. 21, No. 4 l WINTER 2016 www.utahstate.usu.edu

USU PRESIDENT Stan L. Albrecht U S U F O U N D AT I O N BOARD Stan L. Albrecht, Richard W. Anderson Shari L. Badger, Gail Bedke Robert T. Behunin, Jeannine Bennett Michael C. Bingham Brian R. Broadbent, David T. Cowley Marshall Crawford, Clark P. Giles Patricia A. Halaufia M. Scott Harries, Jason B. Keller Blake R. Kirby, Travis Lish W. Brent Robinson Randall J. Stockham T. Peter Thomas, Craig Thorley Scott C. Ulbrich, Kerry H. Wahlen USU BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jody K. Burnett Linda Clark Gillmor Mark K. Holland Karen H. Huntsman Ronald W. Jibson Susan D. Johnson J. Scott Nixon Trevor Sean Olsen Frank Peczuh, Jr. Lane L.Thomas Scott R. Watterson

UTAH STATE (ISSN 1542-2712) is published quarterly by Utah State University Advancement, Logan, UT 84322-1422. Periodicals postage paid at Salt Lake City, UT, and at Liberty, MO, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Utah State University, Development Records, 1422 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322-1422.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the university.

Utah State University is committed to equal opportunity in student admissions, financial assistance, and faculty and staff employment.

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3 NEWS@USU Utah State University biologist Edmund “Butch” Brodie, Jr., is involved with a team of scientists that just found something startling about at least two species of Brazil’s helmeted tree frogs: they’re venomous! Brodie is saying it “is one of those once-in-a-career discoveries.” Well, yeah! So, we must ask, what’s next?

8 NEWS@USU Rich Etchberger says he has worked with “an amazing bunch” of undergraduate wildlife science students over the last two decades.

But now that the Utah State University Uintah Basin professor has been named Carnegie Professor of the Year, we’re thinking his fame and influence just might blow up in scope, like a ring-necked pheasant flushed underfoot. Amazing indeed.

24 THE LONG DRIVE OF

DREAMS

Levi Simmons once thought college was out of reach. Now, he’s doing research in northern Alaska “to understand and predict the effects of environmental change on arctic landscapes.” That’s some journey.

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BEYOND THE STATUS SNOW 10

10

Utah State University’s Jeremy Jensen is pioneering the most pure way to ride mountains that exists. His handshaped powsurfers are captivating works of functional art, conceived and perfected during Jensen’s own decades of floating the backcountry deep. He’s a film festival documentarian, celebrated athlete, teacher, member of the USU staff, alum and — oh yeah — revered king of an entirely new, global realm.

ON THE COVER

The most important resource in Utah and every other region of the world: water. Johnny Adolphson Photography.

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE 1

NEWS@USU

Building upon a remarkable research infrastructure that helps us train the

next generation

of scientists , USU opened a new

Microscopy Core Facility

state of the art instruments to help this year with

understand everything from cell disease to earthquake models.

USU received $232 million in research funding, a second straight record-breaking year.

A Second Record Year in Research Funding Utah State University has once again closed the fiscal year with record-breaking research funding, totaling $232 million in sponsored awards in 2014-15. The influx follows a 12percent increase in research funding to academic colleges, a total of $111 million.

Sponsored awards include research grants for campus and the USU Research Foundation, federal allocations from formula funds and federal student financial aid. The Department of Defense, National Science Foundation and the Department of Health and Human Services are major sources of USU’s federal funding.

“We are thrilled to announce another record year of research funding because it means our hard working and innovative research faculty and students have more resources than ever before,” said USU President Stan Albrecht. “Looking beyond the numbers, this means we are better positioned to accomplish our statewide land-grant mission.”

Even in a nationally competitive environment, USU continues to see strong growth in funding for on-campus research. Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services saw a 47-percent increase of more than $12 million in sponsored awards from last year. Additionally, the Caine College of the Arts received a significant boost in its relative sponsored awards, with an increase of 400 percent. USU Extension reached a $13 million funding level, more than triple the amount for fiscal year 2014.

“This speaks to the university’s commitment to being a top research university with an extraordinary commitment to our land-grant mission,” said Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies Mark McLellan.

Building upon a remarkable research infrastructure that helps us train the next generation of scientists, USU opened a new Microscopy Core Facility this year with state of the art instruments to help understand everything from cell disease to earthquake models. Professor and geologist Alexis Ault leads the fault zone research at the new center. Additionally, the university built an Electric Vehicle Research Center that allows study of power systems, transportation modes and vehicle systems. Professor Regan Zane attracted major federal competitive grants to fund breakthrough research at the new center.

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USU continues to strive for excellence in research by improving the research experience for faculty members and students, especially in the areas of responsible conduct of research.

“We’re continuing our effort to align closely with federal guidelines and conduct the safest, most ethical research possible,” said McLellan. “We want Utah State to be a vanguard of examining our processes and focusing on the role of individual researchers to ensure a safe research environment.”

Additionally, USU will begin working closely with the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs to renew its accreditation in the year 2015-16.

“We are looking forward to working with AHRPP to improve and increase campus safety by focusing on the role of the individual having specific duties to ensure a safe research environment,” said Associate Vice President for Research Jeff Broadbent. “Such an environment breeds for excellence in research.”

— Manda Perkins

NEWS@USU

USU Biologist Aids Discovery of Venomous Frogs Utah State University biologist Edmund “Butch” Brodie, Jr. is among a team of scientists who’ve made a startling discovery about at least two species of helmeted tree frogs found in regions of Brazil: they’re venomous.

But what about the well-known poison dart frog, one might ask. Poisonous is not the same as venomous, Brodie says.

“A poisonous animal has toxins that must be inhaled or ingested by another animal to cause harm,” he says. “To be described as venomous, the organism must have a delivery mechanism — such as hollow fangs in vipers — to introduce its toxins into other animals.”

In the case of the “hylid” or arboreal frogs, Brodie is studying with colleagues from the Butantan Institute, Brazil’s premier biomedical research center, and the University of São Paulo, the amphibians use sharp spines poking out of their skulls to “head-butt” predators and inject deadly venom. The scientists report their findings, the first known description of venomous frogs, in the August 6, 2015, issue of Current Biology.

In addition to Brodie, the paper’s writers are lead authors Carlos Jared, Pedro Mailho-Fontana, Marta Maria Antoniazzi, Vanessa Aparecida Mendes, Katia Cristina Barbaro and Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues.

“This is one of those ‘once-in-a-career’ discoveries,” Brodie says. “It’s really strange and bizarre.”

Members of a family of amphibians familiarly known as casque-headed tree frogs, the study’s two species, Corthythomantis greeningi and Aparasphenodon brunoi sport flat heads with protruding lip-like snouts and relatively long necks.

“Unlike many frogs, these species can actually turn their heads,” Brodie says. “They use this motion to defend themselves with their head spines.”

The small frogs’ venom is a formidable weapon, lying in wait in beds of granular skin glands about the creatures’ heads and ready for immediate delivery through the bony spines. The yellow-skinned C. greeningi, which favors dry, rocky crevasses, has venom twice as toxic as that of the pit viper. The orange and black A. brunoi, which lives in humid rain forests, produces venom a walloping 25 times stronger than that of the pit viper.

Jared was the unfortunate recipient of a jab on the hand from C. greeningi and spent a day in agony, with excruciating pain radiating up his arm. Doctoral student Mailho-Fontana, a toxinologist who is currently spending six months in Logan studying with Brodie, says scientists don’t know the exact composition of the venom, though it has enzymes similar to those found in snake and spider venoms.

Brodie calls the frogs’ mace-shaped heads the “ultimate” defensive mechanism for amphibians.

“We don’t know of any animal that successfully feasts on these frogs,” the USU professor says. “Nothing can get past the head spines.”

— Mary-Ann Muffoletto ’94 MA

The yellow-skinned C. greeningi, which favors dry, rocky crevasses, has

venom twice as toxic as that of the pit viper.

The orange and black A. brunoi, which lives in humid rain

venom a walloping 25 times stronger than that of the pit viper. forests, produces

Brazil’s yellow-skinned tree frog, Corythomantis greeningi, which favors dry, rocky crevasses. Photo courtesy of Carlos Jared, Butantan Institute, Brazil.

WIN-

W@S U@SUUS U N ENWE S

When Aggie Students Ask, ‘What if …?’

A shining new, soaring 105,000 square feet in all. Hardwood gym courts.

An elevated indoor track. A multi-activity court. A 4,600-square-foot fitness center alone, with group fitness studios, student lounges and abundant room for USU’s outdoor programs, including a climbing wall, rappelling ledge and outdoor recreation rental shop. So what’s the most riveting thing about the freshly opened Aggie Recreation Center? Easy. It was built for students by student fees from the USU Logan campus. Think about that.

USU student association Pres. Tyler Tolson got the ball rolling in 2009, and subsequent student presidents Erik Mikkelsen, Doug Fiefia and Trevor Olsen — along with their executive councils — helped keep the dream on track. Now, instead of dreaming, we open our collective Aggie heart and eyes to this. Wow. Photos by Donna Barry, University photographer and Shanda Call.

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NEN WESW @ SU@ SUSU

And then, a mere two weeks later and just over the mountain ‌ Utah State University-Brigham City opened its gleaming new classroom and student services building. Fifty-Thousand square feet in all, with a 250-seat multi-purpose room, 130-seat auditorium, sparkling new testing center and computer lab. This is the place where all those vital courses will be tought by USU faculty in person and broadcast via Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) system. Even better, with the new building now open, Bridgerland Applied Technology College’s Brigham City campus can also expand into part of the current USU space on 1100 South.

USU and BATC will enjoy shared facilities there for new programs in robotics, composites and other technology training programs. Definitely an additional Wow!!! Photos by Donna Barry, University photographer and Shanda Call.

WINTER 2016 I UTAH 5 TAHSTATE TATE 5

NEWS@USU

Taking it Outside: USU Degree First in the Nation “If Utah is the premier place for outdoor recreation, it should be the premier place to train technical designers of outdoor products.”

This guiding statement for the new Outdoor Product Design and Development program in the School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education, is the force behind the nation’s first undergraduate degree in designing and constructing outdoor apparel and products. Lindsey Shirley, associate professor of family and consumer sciences education and USU Extension clothing and textiles specialist, created the program after recognizing the need through her connections in the outdoor industry.

The OPDD program has been in the works for approximately 18 months. It was approved by the Utah Board of Regents in July 2015 and Shirley hoped the program would attract around 15 students for its fall semester launch. Instead, approximately 85 students have expressed interest in the program and are making the move toward becoming the first official OPDD majors. Shirley and the program advisor each currently get three to four contacts a day asking about the program.

“The success of the program has far exceeded our expectations,” she said. “We have a range of students inquiring about the program and committing to becoming the first majors. We have first-semester freshmen, transfer students and even a person pursuing a second bachelor’s degree after completing a master’s degree. The launch has been impressive and exciting. Students will be able to go directly from their academic experience into a career setting.”

Ken White, USU Extension vice president and dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, said the new degree program provides unparalleled opportunities for students in the college.

“We are very pleased to be the first university in the nation to have a program of this magnitude that will fill such a need for both students and industry, and commend Lindsey for having the insight and passion to develop this innovative program,” he said.

Shirley has worked closely with many outdoor product companies, including Utahbased Blackpine Sports. A consortium of outdoor product companies from across the United States expressed the need for employees with both technical and soft skills, since intensive on-the-job training takes away from the design productivity of the company.

Based on this, Shirley facilitated numerous discussions with industry leaders to identify the specific skillset they seek in their employees and received valuable input on developing the program.

“Participating companies are not looking for just a fashion designer, industrial designer or an engineer,” Shirley said. “They are looking for someone who can bring together skills from a variety of fields within the lens of developing outdoor products.

We are working across disciplines and offering students integrated learning experiences that resemble the professional experiences they will have.”

The program is built on a core of 13 new courses specific to the outdoor product industry and incorporates existing courses on campus in subjects as diverse as design, natural resources, engineering, recreation, sustainability, ethics, drafting, chemistry, business management and marketing.

“Many outdoor product companies incorporate a line of soft-good products to accompany the hard goods they develop,” she said. “For instance, a company that designs and develops snowboards will often create soft goods to go along with the snowboards.

Designing product lines that complement each other provides consumers with all their needs for the sport. Our program will prepare professionals who can design and develop both hard- and soft-good product lines.”

Shirley said because of strategic partnerships with industry, the program includes design challenges facilitated by different companies to assist students in developing a 6 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

wide array of products for a range of outdoor activities.

“If a student expresses interest in designing footwear, our partners, that include footwear in their product lines, can provide a real-life design challenge that creates a beneficial experience for both students and the company,” she said.

“This could be the impetus for a design competition that leads to a student or group of students travelling to the manufacturing facility overseas to experience the manufacturing process first hand.

What an amazing educational opportunity that would be.”

The learning environment will be fast-paced with creative and innovative assessments for students to use as a catalyst to build their portfolios.

“We need to move as fast as industry moves because outdoor product companies develop new product lines far in advance,” she said. “They forecast future product lines before consumers are even thinking about the activities shown at the outdoor retail show. We have to think in fluid ways to keep the program moving and meeting industry demand.”

Shirley said that since outdoor products and recreation are important in Utah’s economy, the program and its priorities have been correlated specifically with the Governor’s Office for Economic Development and its vision for outdoor recreation in the state.

“As the land-grant university, we’re connecting to the needs of the state,” Shirley said. “Outdoor products and recreation are identified as key economic industries in Utah. I think this approach reinforces our mission at Utah State University. This program will not only prepare a workforce, but it will continue to strengthen our local, state and global communities.”

— Julene Reese

Offering the first such degree in the nation, USU is now training future technical designers of a wide array of outdoor gear and products, a priority sector in Utah’s economy. Kayaker in Utah’s High Uintas. Photo courtesy of Dave Andersen ’90.

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

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Rich Etchberger: ‘His vision has given local, often non-traditional students a rout to professional careers.’

USU Uintah Basin’s Rich Etchberger:

Carnegie Professor of the Year Rich Etchberger, a wildlife science professor at Utah State University’s Uintah Basin campus (UBC) in Vernal, has been named the 2015 Carnegie Professor of the Year for the state of Utah. Etchberger, who created the wildlife science program at UBC when he arrived in 1995, was presented the award during a November ceremony in Washington D.C.

“I motivate my students to grasp the opportunities to change their lives, to earn a degree and to contribute to their community,” Etchberger said. “I have been extremely fortunate to work with an amazing bunch of undergraduate students over the past 20 years.”

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Donna Barry

NEWS@USU

That dedication and focus on his students’ successes is one of the many reasons Etchberger took home the award that salutes the most outstanding undergraduate educators in the country. As one of only 35 in the nation to take home the award, Etchberger is the 14th honoree from USU.

Etchberger’s passion for mentoring undergraduates, particularly nontraditional students, led him to begin his career in the Department of Wildland Resources in the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources at the UBC in the mid-1990s. It was here that he dedicated himself to inspiring his students to make an impact on natural resources and the economy at the small, rural campus located in the heart of Utah’s energy development corridor in northeastern Utah.

“Dr. Etchberger pioneered a very hands-on wildlife science bachelor’s degree at the USU Uintah Basin campus,” said USU President Stan L. Albrecht.

“His vision has given local, often nontraditional students a route to professional careers they would never have been able to achieve otherwise. Graduates from his program now dominate the Bureau of Land Management activities and policies in the Basin area, and he is responsible for balancing the Basin’s environmental health with its newfound economic growth.”

Etchberger encourages student enthusiasm by having them try their hands at fieldwork during their first semester in the wildlife science program. Every class he teaches draws upon his research and students joining him on field projects learn to solve authentic questions, such as how to successfully reintroduce the blackfooted ferret into the Pariette Wetlands located in the Basin.

“Part of Rich’s advantageous teaching style is his integration of using classroom teachings combined with in-the-field, hands-on instruction, often working side-by-side with a professional organization such as the Bureau of Land Management,” said Darren Williams,

NEWS@USU

Pariette Wetlands manager for the Bureau of Land Management and USU wildlife science graduate.

Etchberger has received 65 grants with more than $2.4 million in funding to help support more than 300 undergraduate research and internship students during his time with the university. His undergraduate researchers have published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at 26 professional meetings.

“Rich takes being an excellent teacher beyond the classroom by ensuring that the wildlife students in the Basin get experience through internships, where he eventually helps many of them get career jobs with agencies and businesses through his contacts,” said Michael Kuhns, professor and head of USU’s Wildland Resources department.

In addition to his teaching load, Etchberger also serves as the faculty mentor for all undergraduate students in the Wildland Resources introductory and advanced internship courses and the undergraduate research courses at the Uintah Basin campus of USU. This includes summer internship programs with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, both of which are funded and provide students with paid internships working with natural resource professionals.

“I am delighted that 100 percent of the alumni of my program have started successful careers, have gone on to graduate school, or both,” Etchberger said.

As a pioneer of eLearning at USU, Etchberger’s online courses have helped bridge the divide between traditional pedagogy and innovative instructional design. He is most famous among students for his online course, USU 1350 Integrated Life Science, which was one of the first online courses offered in support of the USU general education program in 2002.

“Rich continually revises and refines this popular multimedia-rich general education science course, which is consistently rated among the highest in student evaluations, not just for online, but for all

courses,” said Dave Woolstenhulme, vice provost at USU.

Etchberger believes science should be accessible to everyone and he produced the 1350 integrated life science class with that in mind. To make it relevant, accessible and engaging to students in all areas of study, Etchberger traveled the world and created videos and other multimedia materials to help students realize how science fits into their lives.

As a committed member of the USU community, Etchberger also contributes to the scholarship of learning by sharing the success of his teaching, undergraduate internship programs and research programs with his USU peers through a series of symposiums and workshops.

His success of using the flipped learning model, where students watch and read content before class and then apply it to an in-class discussion, is of particular interest.

However, it is Etchberger’s love of students and the Uintah Basin area he is most known for.

“My passion for teaching is a direct result of the relationships that I have built with my students, and, because of strong backing from the Wildland Resources department and the administration in Logan, I am able to focus on my students,” Etchberger said.

Lisa Boyd, a current USU master’s candidate in natural resources, said that if you mention Dr. Etchberger’s name, or “Dr. E” as he is affectionately known, that you will see a big smile followed by stories of learning and gratitude, both from former students and from employers who are grateful for the volunteer work from Etchberger and also for his group of well-trained students.

“I am most proud that the Vernal community is a better place because of my research contributions and achievements, as well as those of my students,” Etchberger said. “I remain deeply dedicated to the legacy of learning that I have created at the Uintah Basin campus of Utah State University.”

Etchberger’s teaching has given him many accolades over the years, including most recently being named the 2014 Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year for the College of Natural Resources at USU. In 2011, Etchberger was named as the Professor of the Year for USU-Uintah Basin. He received a bachelor’s in ecology from Unity College in Maine followed by both a master’s and doctorate in wildlife ecology from the University of Arizona.

In 2014, his student, David Baird, was selected as the top undergraduate researcher at the USU Robins Awards.

“I am thrilled to receive the Carnegie Award, yet I am also humbled because I would have achieved little without the support of others,” Etchberger said. “This is a tremendous honor not only for me, but also for the wildlife science program at USU Uintah Basin.”

USU boasts more Carnegie winners than any other post-high-school institution in Utah. Past USU Carnegie Professors of the Year include Joyce Kinkead, English (2013); Michael Christiansen, music (2012); Jim Cangelosi, mathematics and statistics (2011); Laurie McNeill, civil and environmental engineering (2010); David Peak, physics (2009); Lyle McNeal, animal science (2007); Bonnie Glass-Coffin, anthropology (2004); Jan Sojka, physics (2002); David Lancy, anthropology (2001); Mark Damen, history (1998); Sonia Manuel-Dupont, English (1997); Ted Alsop, geography and earth resources (1996); and Frances Titchener, history (1995).

A complete list of USU’s Carnegie Professors, along with biographical information, can be seen online www.usu.edu/ carnegieprofessors/.

— Maren Aller ’00

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The purest way to ride mountains that exists: Jeremy Jensen rips a binding-free Grassroots Powsurfer he shaped by hand.

Photos courtesy of Jeremy Jensen.

UTAH STATE I WINTER 2016 1010UTAH STATE I WINTER 2016

Be

yo

How Jeremy Jensen Became King of a New Winter World

nd

“Now water can flow, or it can crash; be water, my friend.” — Bruce Lee

th

It’s gut-check time, just prior to a product launch, and Jeremy Jensen ’05, ’14 MFA is pouring his heart and soul into his passion — just like world-shapers and pioneers do. He’s stirred by the sheer art of his pursuits, by the irreplaceable elation of having created something from nothing, something that has turned out — after ceaseless thinking and tweaking and dreaming — just like he would have it turn out. Something he knows is actually going to work.

But Jensen is also whipped by the brass-tacks details of his labors, by the nicked knuckles and by the sweat, by the endless hours of sucking sawdust and fumes. The curious, pervasive, physical pain of the effort has left him flummoxed, too, an unexpected byproduct of hands so intently engaged and of legs and spine again being asked to stand guard over every extra minute of his lunch breaks, every free evening and over every wee-hour, garage-altar oblation to whatever gods there be that rule this emerging new world … or lifestyle … or sport … whatever this realm is that he alone has created … where before, nothing ever was.

And then there are the head games.

ST AT U e

S

SN

OW

Honors legend Briana Bowen.

Donna Barry, University photographer.

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

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“It takes more skills to do it and so you feel more satisfied with every move, every air and every turn.

They don’t have to risk breaking their backs by dropping 200 feet anymore to get a shot in a magazine With specific designs for specific snow conditions, Jensen handshapes each Grassroots Powdersurfer he ships across the globe.

His passion for excellence has placed boards underfoot of some of the world’s most iconic snow riders.

Photo courtesy of Sean Kerrick Sullivan.

“When I started, I was pretty nervous about people thinking this is stupid,” Jensen, the self-proclaimed lateblooming introvert says. “I’m thinking about all the negative parts of it and it’s getting inside my head. Did I just waste the last two years of my life? How did I even let myself get this far down this road? It’s just going to get laughed at like the next “snowlerblading,” or like any other ski or snowboard gimmick that comes and goes.”

Only — thankfully — it isn’t getting laughed at. Not even close.

After his initial moments of selfdoubt, Jensen has since witnessed everything around him moving dramatically downhill. And in this new world of his, throughout all this riveting kingdom he himself has carefully dubbed powdersurfing, downhill is really the only way Jensen wishes to ride. Now, snow-sliding royals the world over want to make that ride with him.

Jensen, who holds both an undergraduate degree and a master’s of fine art from Utah State University, is a full-time multi-media specialist and videographer in USU’s office of Public Relations and Marketing. For three years as a grad student, he taught video and design in the Caine College of the Arts. Over the last four years, he’s also been teaching 12 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

videography students in the Instructional Technology and Learning Services Department in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. Those are some of his jobs. His other job is split into labels like CEO, COO, vice president of marketing, lead designer, chief engineer, vice president of research and development, impassioned celebrity

or video. It’s the most pure way to actually ride mountains that there is.”

spokesperson, artist in residence, manufacturing lead, director, cinematographer, primary athlete or talent and corporate culture liaison.

That’s because Jensen’s Logan-based company, Grassroots Powdersurfing — which ships hand-crafted, binding-free boards (yes … binding-free!) to powder snobs all over the world, and is shaping an

entirely new fluff-loving civilization in the process — demands his passion for excellence in seemingly endless disciplines.

“Building the company has given me a creative outlet,” Jensen says. “Because, you know, it’s, ‘I need these photos to market, and I need this video to market, and I’ve got to have a website to sell these things.’ It’s opened a lot of doors and driven me down those roads to where it’s basically, ‘I HAVE to learn’ all those things … and do them well.”

But those are just the ancillary things. Jensen’s boards, the living, thumping, purpose-affirming heart of Grassroots Powdersurfing, the germinating force behind this deepening shift in global snow culture, the babies he’s polished and shaped to perfected, hand-crafted bliss, have risen to another level of love entirely.

His Grassroots boards — mostly built using local birch, each signed and numbered — become an extension of Jensen’s own life force, a symbol of his penchant for freedom and uninhibited fun in the backcountry and of his ever-floating pursuit of goose-bump, nostril-deep harmony with nature.

“I could outsource in a heartbeat,” Jensen says. “It’d take a whole bunch of weight off my back. But I wouldn’t feel good about selling something that’s made by people who don’t even know what it is. And it’s really a personal object. It’s a powsurfer!”

His boards are not too different at all, Jensen maintains, from the surfboards really good riders commission custom shapers to build to individual specs based on height, weight, foot size, the ocean breaks they ride or the zone they frequent. Nope, Jensen himself, the trialand-error, wipeout-wizened-guru of this free-riding renaissance has to shape every one of the 200 powsurfers that Grassroots will ship out this year. After all, Jensen is powdersurfing and powdersurfing is Jensen. This is his world. He is both pioneer and president-elect, celebrity face and blue-collar heart.

To no one is that reality more obvious than to film festival or online

viewers of White Waves — a Powdersurfing Documentary, which Jensen wrote, filmed, starred in, edited and directed on the advice of USU’s late art mentor Alan Hashimoto, who correctly predicted Jensen’s all-consuming passion might well become one exquisitely executed MFA project.

Shot on location in Utah, British Columbia, Hokkaido, Nagano, Alaska, Idaho and Wyoming and featuring world icons of snow riding who seem plenty pleased with Jensen’s inspired melding of the tricks and cultures of skateboarding, surfing and traditional snowboarding, the film is unpretentiously redefining what can be done in the pow … now.

None other than Norway’s Terje Haakonsen, who Jensen reveres as “the most iconic, living, snowboarder in the history of snowboarding,” brings instant credibility to powsurfing with his kidagain turns in White Waves. And Haakonsen bought into Jensen’s vision early on.

“Terje was just one of those early people to reach out and be like, “You know, what you’re doing is really cool.

“That was insane,” Jensen recalls. “I thought someone was playing a joke on me; Terje Haakonsen, is texting me? This has got to be someone messing with me.”

Ian Provo, a professional skier and his brother Neil Provo, a professional snowboarder, are bona fide backcountry royalty, too. The brothers Provo played around with their own freeriding inventions back in the 1990s, but exude “thisis-way-better-smiles!” riding Grassroots boards in Jensen’s documentary.

And there have been other pro sliders returning to the roots of snowboarding fun on Grassroot Powsurfers, too: Bryan Iguchi, Danny Davis, JJ Thomas, Travis Rice, John Jackson, Bjorn Leines, Alex Yoder, Mark Carter, Shawn Farmer, Ingemar Backman, Aaron Biitner, Scotty Arnold, Bode Merrill, Laura Hadar and Mads Jonsson, along with pro skiers Tanner Hall, Pep Fujas and Cody Townsend, a who’s who list of some of the world’s best. Jensen, who turns 40 in January, thinks the superstar riders are simply

responding to the same “soul of powsurfing” that keeps him ever tweaking boards and dreaming of one more exquisite day in the backcountry.

“A lot of these people were really high-profile snowboarders and now they’ve kind of ducked out of it because they’re in their 40s or whatever and they’ve got families and they can see that there’s so much more longevity in this,” Jensen says. “It’s the same reason I enjoy it so much. It takes more skills to do it and so you feel more satisfied with every move, every air and every turn. They don’t have to risk breaking their backs by dropping 200 feet anymore to get a shot in a magazine or video. It’s the most pure way to actually ride mountains that there is.”

Jensen’s exceptional ability to communicate powsurfing’s purity and soul through both his footage and personal riding prowess has also led to White Waves — A Powdersurfing Documentary being accepted to several film festivals, usually in locations where “crazy, nerdy, psycho” powder enthusiasts can’t pack their eyebrows enough with the stuff.

White Waves was winner of Best Sports Documentary in Denver’s Intendence Film Festival and appeared as headlining film at the North Valley Film Festival in Silverton, British Columbia. It appeared as an official selection in both the Maine Outdoor Film Festival and the Logan Film Festival, was devoured by viewers at the Outdoor Adventure Film Festival in Italy and won honorable mention at the Santa Monica Film Festival.

To add depth to his recent snowballing run of exposure, Jensen himself is seen floating the pow — binding free, of course — as a featured athlete in the most recent Warren Miller film, Chasing Shadows. And White Waves and Grassroots Powdersurfing, as a manufacturer of fine boards, as a lifestyle, a community, a sport or as Jensen’s own sovereign state, continues to reign across the pages of some of the world’s leading outdoors publications, including Snowboard, Pleasure Snowboard, Backcountry Magazine, WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE 13

Want More Depth? www.powsurf.com or view, White Waves — A Powdersurfing Documentary vimeo.com/ondemand/whitewaves

14 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

Kronicle, ESPN online, Teton Gravity Research online, Snoworld, Europe’s ACT, Pleasure and Playboard magazines, Slope, Snowboard Canada, Shred, Concrete Wave, Slug and others.

Jensen is now way beyond those initial moments of self-doubt, past the fear of being laughed at, maybe entering a realm where he’s doing most of the laughing. But the fact is, he’s always been there. He’s been there ever since his father taught him to ski at the age of 2, whenever there’s a new storm bending boughs in the backcountry and wherever friends willingly join him in pushing the limits of the status snow. Freedom is liberating, as it turns out — a truth clearly radiating across the face of Jensen’s own 2-year-old daughter, who makes her adorable Grassroots riding debut on her daddy’s website. But being enveloped by freedom, swallowed up by it, also changes one’s view. It changes not only what we see, but how we see it, Jensen says.

It’s fascinating to hear the language Jensen chooses to describe something as potentially mundane as plain-vanilla snow. He quietly almost sings the words, maybe knows winter’s sliding world citizenry is becoming more and more absorbed by their cadence, more buoyed up, more lightened by this physical lexicon he alone has created.

“This is all done in powder and anybody who rides a lot of powder knows that powder is never the same,” Jensen says. “I mean it’s like every single flake,

right? There’s never a reproduction in a flake of snow and so obviously there’s never going to be the same quality of snow, the same density, the same lightness, the same water content.

“It gets affected by wind. It gets affected by sun. It sits there. It recrystallizes. There are a million different variables that create different types of snow and they all ride differently and you notice that. I mean you notice it still on your skis or snowboard whether in coastal powder or light and dry powder, because you can obviously feel that. But on a powsurfer you notice it even more because you’re that much more in tune to the concentration of every move. It’s a lot more of everything,” Jensen says.

Nirvana in snow riding comes in that moment when rider and mountain gel together. “Bruce Lee would say ‘flow like water,’ right? Jensen says. “Get smooth, with the contour, like water down a mountain or water in a river.

You’re hitting it, gravity is pulling you in certain ways, the banks of the mountain or the river are making the water go a certain way; there’s no fight against it.

It’s harmony. And you pretty much have to do that on a powsurfer. Once you’re taking that line and basically going where the mountain wants you to go and then you’re putting your extra exclamation points on that, there’s nothing like it,” Jensen says.

“It feels like you just perfectly nailed it with nature, like you were a part of a natural happening.”

It’s the feeling Jensen gets now after shaping a board with three-dimensionally curved channels, or nailing the perfect “pleasure-trail” footage from a perfectly placed action cam on the front of his board, or mentoring USU’s next crop of passionate videographers and storytellers or producing the university’s most prideworthy clips.

It’s Jensen’s own exhilarating taste of freedom, where everything he’s doing is suddenly flowing like water downhill.

— Jared Thayne ’99 WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE 15

The Story of

WATER

A journey through a single Utah county shows how water affects everyone — and can be impacted by anyone

By Shelby Ruud, Morgan Robinson and Matthew D. LaPlante

Near MT. Naomi, Utah — Usually, in the early summer, snow cover makes the

path to Cache County’s highest peak nearly impenetrable.

With days to go before the summer solstice this year, though, the little slush that remains collapses a few inches underfoot, exposing the torrential streams below.

Drop by drop, water trapped up here for half a year is being released on its journey.

Some of it soaks into the ground not far from here. It will be drawn up by plants, lapped up by animals, or pulled back into the sky by the warmth of the mountain sun. The rest will wind its way toward the Great Salt Lake. This is the journey water has always taken in these parts.

Over the past century, though, there has emerged a new journey. Much of the water that rolls east off the ridgeline wedding Mount Naomi to Mount Elmer will find its way to the Logan River. That which rolls west will head toward the Bear River. From each, it will be redirected by farmers and families, and coveted by cities and companies. As it crisscrosses Cache County, it will be stored, wasted, sullied, cleansed, studied, debated, fought over and prayed for.

Photo by Johnny Adolphson Photography.

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WINTER 2016

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Cache County water manager and conservancy district advocate Bob Fotheringham, on the banks of Cutler Reservoir. Photo by Jared Thayne.

There are nearly 117,000 people in Cache County; about 100 souls for every square mile. With two large rivers to draw from — both of which feed into the Cutler Reservoir basin to the west — it is among the water-richest places in the nation’s second driest state.

Some might be forgiven for thinking that all means water isn’t an issue here.

But Cache County water manager Bob Fotheringham isn’t the person to go to for absolution when it comes to wasting water.

“My guess is that when you got up this morning you didn’t think: I am going to try to reduce my water usage by 10 percent today,” he says.

But people should be thinking that way, he says. And they should be taking action — urgently.

That’s because the water that flows through Cache County doesn’t belong only to Cache County. It’s been tapped by people upstream and has been promised to folks downstream. And the deals 18 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

that dictate who gets what were made long before Fotheringham became the county’s water chief in 2008.

“The water that you drink wasn’t developed by the elected official who is governing today,” says Fortheringham, who began working for the Utah Division of Water Rights following his graduation from Utah State University with a bachelor’s in civil and environmental engineering in 1979. “The water you drink was planned by an official 20 or 30 or 40 years ago.”

Under the provision of the Bear River Development Act, which was created in 1991, only about a quarter of the water that runs through Cache County is permitted to stay.

That’s why Fotheringham and others are working to gain support for a water conservancy district, which supporters say would provide for and protect the water needs of the area for generations to come.

Many people in this politically conservative part of the country, though, are wary of creating another government entity with the power to levy taxes. But Nibley City Mayor Shaun Dustin says

there’s precious little time to change people’s minds.

“Cache County is not in a position to protect its water now,” he says. “The Wasatch Front is thirsty … it would be really sad to live with all of these rich water sources and be told by a politician in Salt Lake to turn your taps off.”

But Salt Lake’s thirst for water is far from the only thing that threatens Cache County’s water supply.

Jeffry Gittins waited and waited.

But as spring approached, it was clear: There would be a lot less water rolling down the mountains this year.

Meteorological data across Utah showed a troubling trend throughout the winter of 2015: Some of the hottest and driest months ever recorded.

“Of course I’m concerned. I was concerned all winter,” says Gittins, who attended Utah State in the 1970s.

“Usually there are some serious storms

Jeffry Gittins, a farmer in Smithfield, Utah, constantly looks to mountain snowpack to sustain his operations … and like the rest of us, to sustain life itself. Photo by Jared Thayne.

in February to build up the snow in the mountains. We just didn’t see those storms this year.”

Gittins and other farmers in Cache Valley irrigate their farms with water from the Logan River.

“Most people don’t understand that irrigation leads are linked to mountain streams such as the Logan River,” he says. “And all of this is dependent on the snowpack melt from the mountains.”

Those who irrigate from rivers, as Gittins does on his Smithfield farm, cannot control the rate at which the water comes.

“Once the water’s gone, you can’t call it back,” Gittins says.

That’s a big problem in a county that is one of the highest contributors of agricultural products in the state.

“Agriculture irrigation is the largest water user in Utah,” says L. Neil Anderson, an irrigation specialist with the Utah State University Extension office. “Any time the water supply is low, agriculture is affected the greatest.”

That’s why members of the Johnson family are changing the way they water

the vegetables, alfalfa and wheat grown on their farm in the small community of Benson, switching to a drip irrigation system.

“This lets us put water right where we want and need it and minimizes loss to evaporation and weeds,” Kelby Johnson says.

Utah State University has been a leader in both research on and advocacy for drip systems, which take substantial investment, but appear poised to pay big dividends in the long run.

“We really started expanding the drip system last year and plan on slowly switching most of our vegetables to drip over the next few years,” Johnson says.

Kynda Curtis, an associate professor and Extension specialist at Utah State’s Department of Applied Economics, has reported that installing such systems on a small farm can cost about $1,000 per acre — and the system’s lifespan is just seven years.

“Initially it takes a bit more work to set up than the sprinklers,” says Cambria Godfrey, a student worker on the USU Organic Farm in North Logan. “But

The water that flows through Cache County doesn’t belong only to Cache County.

It’s been tapped by people upstream and has been promised to folks downstream. And the deals that dictate who gets what were made long before Fotheringham became the county’s water chief in 2008.

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE 19

Scott Jones, a professor of environmental soil physics at USU, helps users understand vital processes like snowmelt dynamics by interpreting data gathered from meteorological stations like this one placed on the Logan campus. Donna Barry, University photographer.

“We want to understand processes like snowmelt dynamics, which tell us when we can expect to see water filling our reservoirs. We also want to understand how vegetation affects snowpack and water delivery to our reservoirs and groundwater.”

— Scott Jones

20 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

more water is conserved, the weeds are kept away and the plants are less likely to rot.”

Cache County farmers are also experimenting with planting schedules, abandoning long-held dogma about when crops will grow best to make the best of water when it is most available.

That’s one reason farmers are paying a lot closer attention to data coming out of a Utah State water research site located in the T.W. Daniel Experimental Forest, about 20 miles northeast of Logan. Scott Jones, a professor of environmental soil physics at USU, says the site’s monitoring of the limited snowmelt has been crucial for allocating water in Cache Valley.

At the site, 12 meteorological measuring towers are used to check the weather, soil, snow and water in the forest — providing information that is then used to predict the amount, timing and destination of snowmelt.

“We want to understand processes like snowmelt dynamics, which tell us

when we can expect to see water filling our reservoirs,” Jones says. “We also want to understand how vegetation affects snowpack and water delivery to our reservoirs and groundwater.”

The data are projected to get more accurate over time — and Utah State University agricultural Extension agent Clark Israelsen says farmers are thirsty for the information.

“The information can help us anticipate when the water will be available,” he says. “It can also help us know when the water will be gone.”

Increased information has helped some farmers make the switch to planting crops that aren’t as sensitive to frost, such as spring grains, significantly earlier than usual.

But even if farmers take all of these steps, Gittins says, it might not be enough.

“They say that the only thing constant is change, and that applies to water,” he says. “In the end, you and I can’t fix

it, the state government can’t fix it and Congress can’t fix it.”

That’s because the coming water crisis might be bigger than most people can even imagine.

It has happened before.

The last time, granted, was during the 12th and 13th Century. But now, climate scientists say, global warming makes it all the more likely that the West will once again face a megadrought — a period of intensely low precipitation that could last from several decades to an entire century. One recent study concluded there is an 80-percent chance such a cataclysmic event will strike as early as 2050.

“Megadroughts have happened in the past,” says Lynn Ingram, a paleoclimatologist from the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of The West Without Water, “and we can expect them to happen again.”

Ingram spoke about climate change at Utah State as a part of the ongoing 2015 USU Natural Resources Week, which coincided with the annual Spring Runoff Conference, an event where water resource professionals and researchers focused on water-related issues.

The ongoing droughts have been problematic enough. A megadrought, she noted, could last generations.

“Preparations for a recurrence of prolonged drought or flooding today are lacking and the potential losses are catastrophic,” she says.

But communicating that threat — in time to make a real change — can be a challenge.

Those unconvinced of the scientific consensus around climate change often look at short-term weather phenomena — freak snow storms and periods of heavy rainfall — and see evidence that the science must be skewed.

Weather, of course, is not climate.

But climate scientists, like Utah Climate

Center Assistant Director Simon Wang, face these sorts of questions quite often.

At least in Utah, and in the very near term, they’re not likely to stop.

That’s because Wang and his fellow researchers have reason to believe the next several years could be a lot wetter than the past few have been. Prediction models developed at Utah State suggest the recent dry cycle is about to give way to more rain and snowfall.

Complicating matters, though, is El Niño.

The tropical Pacific waters off northern South and Central America have been warming over the past year — a phenomenon that occurs when common east-towest winds in that region of the globe temporarily cease. The resulting meteorological chain reaction impacts weather all over the world — including in Utah, where past events seem to correspond to higher annual snowfalls.

Wang, though, says predicting El Niño’s impact on Utah snowfall is more challenging than simply looking at past correlations. “How big of an effect it will have on Utah remains to be seen,” he says.

If the impact is what many in Utah are hoping for, there’s one place in particular that stands to benefit. The past few seasons at Beaver Mountain Ski Resort — one of the last family-owned resorts in the United States — have been tough ones.

“It seems like the seasons are shifting,” says Joe Morales, a manager at the Logan Canyon snowsports resort. “We are getting more snow in the spring months but not in December or January … and the snow in the spring is not necessarily snow, it is sleet.”

Beaver has attempted to find water sources on the mountain in order to make man-made snow, but it has been unsuccessful. “Without natural snow, we don’t stand a chance,” he says. “We can’t afford to use the latest technology. The business survives naturally.”

In this way, Beaver Mountain is unusual. In almost all other ventures, it has been a long time since humans in these

parts have been able to survive simply on what falls from the sky and flows from the mountains.

These days, almost every drop is managed.

On a lazy summer day, adventure-seekers can visit the Cutler Reservoir in west central Cache County to fish, kayak and enjoy the sight of the mountains in the distance.

Few, though, get very close to the south end of the reservoir, where all of the sewage from Logan and surrounding communities — as much as 14 million gallons a day — is treated in a 460-acre lagoon system. This simple, passive system moves the wastewater slowly across seven separate cells that filter out the solid waste and many harmful chemicals. The water is then chlorinated and is either piped away to be used for irrigation or flows into the Cutler Reservoir.

But the lagoons aren’t effective at filtering out all chemicals — phosphorus for example.

In terms of irrigation, phosphorus can be useful because it is a nutrient that aids in plant growth. However, it’s also the reason there’s an excess of algae growing — which robs the water in Cutler Reservoir of its oxygen.

That’s a key reason why the Environmental Protection Agency added Cutler to its impaired waterways list in 2010, prompting the city of Logan to begin making plans to build a mechanical wastewater treatment plant to replace the lagoon system.

The new plant will be superior to the lagoon system in many ways, according to Issa Hamud, the director of the Logan City Environmental Department and an adjunct instructor of biological engineering at Utah State.

It will take up less space than the lagoons. It will also clean more water at a faster rate.

“Most importantly, the overall water WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE 21

“With the current lagoon system almost at capacity, we really didn’t have any other choice.”

In other ways, though, it’s becoming clear that people have many choices when it comes to how they handle the water that moves through their societies.

— Issa Hamud

quality will be a lot better,” Hamud says.

But these benefits won’t come without significant costs. The new treatment plant, due to be operational by 2019, is expected to cost $110 million.

“With the current lagoon system almost at capacity, we really didn’t have any other choice,” Hamud says.

In other ways, though, it’s becoming clear that people have many choices when it comes to how they handle the water that moves through their societies.

When rain falls from the sky, it’s generally pretty clean.

Then it lands on rooftops, gardens, parking lots and construction sites, coming into contact with everything from fertilizers to heavy metals.

Eventually the stormwater — along with everything it swept up — collects in gutters, goes through storm drains and is 22 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

piped to the nearest streams and rivers, completely untreated.

Urban surfaces such as rooftops and roadways don’t allow stormwater to soak in. Instead the water flows quickly across them, sometimes overburdening streams and causing flash floods.

Because of these issues, city officials are rethinking the way they manage stormwater — and increasingly embracing low impact development practices — using nature to manage stormwater right at its source.

One example: Vegetated rooftops that incorporate soil and low-lying vegetation to absorb rainwater hitting rooftops.

Another: permeable pavement that allows stormwater to seep into the ground as it falls rather than flowing off into gutters.

And yet another: bioswales.

A bioswale looks like a typical roadside ditch. Wide and shallow with gently sloped sides and plenty of vegetation, it is designed to slow down the flow of stormwater runoff. The plants naturally filter the water.

“Bioswales are an alternate to the cement storm drains we have now,” says Ryan Dupont, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Utah State who studies the effectiveness of various low impact development interventions.

“They are a low-cost, passive way to get rid of pollutants in stormwater.”

Interventions like that may be good at solving foreseeable problems. But the fight to keep water clean and flowing doesn’t always take a predictable path.

A lot of people made fun of Nibley City resident Brian Anderson when he purchased a five-ton M939 military truck a few years back.

But when thousands of Nibley City residents found themselves without drinking water following a diesel spill that contaminated the city’s culinary water supply, last April, no one was laughing anymore.

Anderson, a former Boy Scout and

Issa Hamud, director of Logan City’s environmental department and adjunct instructor of biological engineering at Utah State, is leading the call for a more efficient wastewater treatment facility.

military reservist, took his 30-foot truck and its 400 gallon military water jug to Nibley as soon as he heard people were in need of water.

“There were some people that had livestock that were concerned about it so about half of it went to animals,” Anderson says.

The do-not-drink order lasted seven days. Nibley City public works director Justin Maughan, who received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State, says the incident appears to have been caused by a dump truck that

had slid off of the road and tilted, resulting in spilt diesel fuel that flushed into the nearby Yeates Spring, then fed into the city’s culinary water supply.

Shaun Dustin, the Nibley city mayor, says the incident was not reported by the person who spilled the diesel fuel.

Local residents called in and reported they smelled diesel fuel in their drinking water a couple of days after the dump truck incident. By then it was too late to do anything but issue a stop-drinking order.

“It doesn’t take very much diesel to contaminate water,” Dustin says.

“It was about 20 gallons of diesel

that got into our water and more got into our distribution system.”

Twenty gallons and a failure to do what’s right. That’s all it took to shut down a city’s water for a week.

And that might be the greatest challenge — and not just in Nibley.

And not just in Cache County.

And not just in Utah.

What falls in the mountains doesn’t stay in the mountains. What flows through homes, streams, cities and farms doesn’t stay in any of those places.

What is lifted to the sky doesn’t stay there for long.

The water cycle isn’t a closed system.

Anyone can have impact on it.

Anyone and everyone.

Shelby Ruud and Morgan Robinson are undergraduates in the Department of Journalism and Communication, where Matthew D. LaPlante teaches news writing and crisis reporting. Utah State students Amy Reid, Michael Royer and Emily Lindley also contributed to this report.

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

23

D

Research in the Arctic often demands 17-hour days of Levi Simmons, an undergraduate student in USU’s Department of Watershed Sciences.

24 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

reams

The Long Drive of Levi Simmons once felt college was out of reach. Now he’s doing research inside the Arctic Circle to understand Levi Simmons stands beside the Ford F250 Super Cab and reviews the checklist to make sure he has everything needed for three months in the Arctic. environmental “Fishing nets; winter coat; supply of Swedish Fish, check…” Satisfied he has everything, he climbs into the truck, turns the key and finds his favorite radio station for change the long drive ahead.

Simmons, an undergraduate student in the Department of Watershed Sciences at Utah State University, volunteered to drive the research truck to the Toolik Lake Field Station, where he’s working on a USU award from the National Science Foundation whose purpose is, “to understand and predict the effects of environmental change on arctic landscapes.”

To reach Toolik, Simmons will drive the length of both Canada and Alaska, cross two international borders, clock over 3,300 miles and enter the Arctic Circle.

Just a few years earlier, an opportunity like this was something Simmons only dreamed about.

Coming from a financially humble home where secondary education was never encouraged, he felt a college education was out of his reach.

After high school, Simmons tries his hand at being a pipefitter, security guard, industrial mechanic, and other labor-intense jobs that leave him unfulfilled.

“While I excelled at [my] jobs, I didn’t like them. I would often stare at the mountains on my break and wish I were working out in the wild,” he says.

During the recession, Simmons looses his job. Several tough months of unemployment ensue and he begins to feel desperate. The desperation pushes him to take the bold step of filling out a university application, something no member of his family has ever dared try.

It is USU Eastern that accepts his application — “I distinctly remember thinking ... I was going to work every bit as hard at doing well in school as I had in prior jobs,” says Simmons.

Simmons abandons his old high school study habits of skipping class, handing in sloppy homework and “just getting by.”

He completes his associate degree at USU Eastern and is awarded a scholarship to attend USU’s main campus to complete his bachelor’s degree.

One of his USU professors, Dr. Phaedra Budy of the Department of Watershed Sciences, takes note. “Levi was the top student, scoring the highest grade on all the exams in class … He [is] tremendously engaged and interactive in the class and his enthusiasm [is] contagious to the other students.”

Budy offers Simmons a technician job at the Fish Ecology Lab. He is soon the senior undergraduate technician training new undergraduate hires about enumerating zooplankton, working up fish diets, processing isotope samples, picking and enumerating macroinvertebrates, entering data, collecting and dissecting fish.

Simmons’ tireless efforts open door after door. Now he’s personally delivering the research truck to Alaska.

The drive is long and beautiful. The biggest stretch takes him through the mountains and thick forests of British Columbia. He is afforded time to think,

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

25

On a sunny morning, scientist George Kling from the University of Michigan

loads up his backpack with Toolik research gear and hikes a few miles to the location of a small remote lake he’s sampling. When he arrives at the lake’s coordinates he thinks he’s in the wrong place.

There is no lake.

It has disappeared.

The aged permafrost under the lake has melted, giving the lake access to crevices in the earth’s surface, through which it has drained.

26 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

chewing on a variety of topics, including everything he’s learned about Northern Alaska and the Alaskan research site he’ll be calling home for the next few months.

The Arctic is significantly warmer than it was 30 years ago. “It’s warming faster than anywhere else on earth,” says Budy, the principal investigator over the lakes portion of the NSF research. The impacts of this warming are both dramatic and subtle.

On a sunny morning, scientist George Kling from the University of Michigan loads up his backpack with Toolik research gear and hikes a few miles to the location of a small remote lake he’s sampling. When he arrives at the lake’s coordinates he thinks he’s in the wrong place.

There is no lake.

It has disappeared.

The aged permafrost under the lake has melted, giving the lake access to crevices in the earth’s surface, through which it has drained.

And draining lakes are just one small link in a chain of environmental change.

“In the 1970s, when I was in the Arctic, I never saw lightning,” says Chris Luecke, dean of Utah State University’s S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources. “It just didn’t happen. Back then the tundra was mostly wet and there was no place for heat islands to form. As more places drain or dry up, heat islands begin to form resulting in lightning strikes and fires.”

According to a 2013 Toolik Institute of Arctic Biology news release, “Tundra fires on the North Slope are historically rare events … In 2007, a fire caused by a lightning strike, burned 401 square miles, it doubled the cumulative area of tundra burned in the Alaska Arctic in the past 50 years. The combustion of tundra plants and soils released 2.1 teragrams, or 2.3 million tons, of carbon into the atmosphere, an amount similar to the carbon stored by tundra biomes worldwide.”

“The blackened earth from fires releases more CO2 which warms up the planet and creates more thunder storms … It’s a spiraling effect,” says Luecke.

The 20 lakes Simmons is researching near the Toolik Lake Field Station, represent just a fraction of the hundreds of little lakes in Northern Alaska. Simmons is working on an award from the National Science Foundation “to understand and predict the effects of environmental change on arctic landscapes.”

Right now the earth is producing more CO2 than it is using. “That’s what we need to get a handle on,” says Luecke.

“That’s why this study is important.”

“It gives us an idea of what we might expect to see at other places in the future, it’s like looking into a magic ball,” says Budy.

Simmons says the study of climatechange impact hasn’t always been a priority.

It is just a few decades ago that the science community began to recognize climate change as a real and not imaginary phenomenon. Seeing the need, the National Science Foundation sets up its Arctic Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) center, located in the foothills of the Brooks Range, North Slope of Alaska on the edge of Toolik Lake to study not

only climate, but all of the environmental changes in that region.

The Arctic LTER site was originally built for crews working on the Alaskan pipeline. But once the pipeline was complete, the site and some of the buildings were donated to the NSF.

USU’s involvement with the Artic NSF LTER stems back to when Luecke was doing graduate work at Toolik in 1978-79. Then in 1999, when Luecke was a professor at USU, NSF contacted him and asked if he’d be willing to be the zooplankton ecologist at the site.

USU has played an active part in Arctic research ever since.

When Luecke became the Dean of QCNR in 2012 he asked Budy to take over his principal investigator responsibilities in the Arctic.

It’s that connection that opens this grand Arctic adventure for Simmons. Budy witnesses his ability to work through tough situations without flinching and decides he’s strong enough to thrive in the demanding Arctic research environment.

The last leg of Simmons’ 3,300 mile drive takes him over a final mountain pass and drops him down into Alaska’s North Slope region, he can see the Toolik Station in the distance.

The next morning he’s given an introductory tour.

To Simmons, Toolik still looks like a pump station for oil workers. It consists of an assortment of industrial trailers and other temporary buildings, which are now considered permanent, since no one WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

27

wants to pull them back over the 300mile dirt road to Fairbanks.

It’s Toolik’s surroundings that make it beautiful — majestic mountains, Arctic lakes, rolling green tundra and the mesmerizing northern lights.

At peak season there are 150 people housed at Toolik: professors, graduate students, undergraduates, teachers and staff — from at least 11 universities. Each evening the researchers gather in the dining hall for dinner and note-comparing.

“It’s a great opportunity to work with influential and prestigious scientists, many of whom I have cited multiple times in writing assignments for my classes,” says Simmons. “In my experiences here I have learned how to perform sophisticated techniques … applicable to my line of research. It has been inspiring to work around so many people [who] are passionate about their work. Their passion is contagious and motivating.”

During his first summer (2014), Simmons works as a limnology technician on the study of inland waters.

“A common work day for Levi is approximately 17 hours, sampling five lakes (often in a mid-summer snowstorm!), while carrying an 80-pound pack across the unforgiving tundra, getting back midafternoon and then processing samples in the lab until 2 a.m., only to wake up and be in the field at 8:30 the next morning to work again,” says Budy.

And the tundra is often tricky to traverse. It’s a blanket of tussocks grass (sometimes called bunch grasses). In the summer when the earth thaws, pools of water and jagged rocks hidden under moss surround the tussocks making it a balancing act to cross. “Someone once described it as walking on marshmallows in a sea of Hershey’s chocolate syrup,” says Luecke.

It’s common for the surface of the tundra to thaw during the summer. But what’s changing is the depth of the thaw.

Deep tundra thawing causes thermokarst — permafrost degradation. The once permanently frozen soil, sediment and rock surrounding bodies of water, 28 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

melt and flow into the lakes and rivers.

This increases the nutrient content of the inland waters and can also increase the productivity of both plants and animals.

The 20 lakes Simmons is researching represent just a fraction of the hundreds of little lakes in Northern Alaska, all potentially being impacted by the warming temperatures. But it’s not the warmer air temperatures causing the biggest changes; it’s the longer, drier summers.

Extended summers not only increase thermokarst but also increase the number of ice-free days on the lakes, which can also influence the feeding, growth and reproductive cycles of the lake species.

As his first summer passes, Simmons continues to enjoy his efforts in lake research, but also begins to understand his passion is to be found in fish ecology.

When he hears about NSF funding for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) program he jumps at the opportunity. In the summer of 2015, he arrives at Toolik as a fish researcher on an REU stipend.

A competitive stipend award for undergraduates working on NSF grants, an REU is designed to provide students with a research experience that gives them a desire to go on to graduate school.

A unique characteristic of REUs is that each recipient has their own research project. They are doing far more than just collecting and analyzing data for senior scientists.

Simmons will gather fish samples from his five lakes through the summer, then enumerate, analyze and synthesize the data. When he returns to USU he’ll write a paper summarizing his findings.

His research question? “Who eats who, and what does this mean for growth, survival and reproduction of an apex predator in a changing climate?”

Simmons’ research is nestled within a bigger question of, “How does climate change effect the fishes and the overall lake food webs (e.g., fish + fish food) in inland lakes on the Alaskan North Slope,” says Stephen Klobucar, a USU Ph.D. graduate student in the Department of

Watershed Sciences and Simmons’ supervisor.

Budy further explains the research.

“There are thousands of lakes in Alaska.

In one lake, the top predator might be lake trout and in another lake the top predator could be the arctic char.”

So we ask, “Why is it different across these different lakes?” Is it because they were isolated at different time periods?

Did char somehow start eating fish earlier in this lake and then get bigger and rise to the top of the food chain? There are just a lot of interesting questions about which fish eats what and why and it varies dramatically across lakes that appear to be quite similar.

And determining what a fish eats, without harming the fish, is surprisingly simple.

You take a small sample of fin tissue and analyze it for carbon and nitrogen which tells you where that organism is in the food chain. By comparing the carbon-nitrogen ratios to the ratios of their potential prey you can tell where that organism is in the food chain.

Klobucar adds, “By understanding the lake ecosystems, we can better understand how fish condition and species distribution might change with predicted longer and warmer growing seasons. This is particularly interesting in the Arctic, because so much of life’s processes happen during the very short, (~3 month) growing season. Extending the ice-free period of lakes just a few weeks could make a big difference in fish conditions, and the overall productivity of the lakes.”

Simmons’ next adventure is to prepare to present his REU Artic research findings at the American Fisheries Society (AFS) Utah Chapter Conference, USU Spring Runoff Conference, and AFS Western Conference during the 2015-16 school year — more opportunities he could have only dreamed about, just a few short years ago.

— Shauna Leavitt ’06

Levi Simmons’ latest research at Toolik Lake Field Station in Northern Alaska involves gathering fish samples from five lakes to ask, “Who eats who, and what does this mean for growth, survival and reproduction of an apex predator in a changing climate?”

WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

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Now That’s Impressive Utah State University is ranked in one poll or another for one of its many strengths or another at least every month it seems, usually more frequently than that. But a website that helps student’s sort out prospective universities recently listed USU as the No. 1 most impressive historic college campus in the United States. The criteria used by College Values Online included such measures as intriguing historical circumstances, mountain views, remarkable green spaces, varied campus terrain, arboretum and other impressive flora, among others. “Some historic areas are more impressive than others — more beautiful, well-kept and inspiring to the spirit,” the website said. So, beyond historic significance, the site also tried to uncover a “remarkable campus aesthetic experience.” At No. 7, the University of Utah also made the list. At No. 2, the University of California Berkeley followed Utah State, Princeton was No. 9 and Yale was No. 20.

30 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

ALUMS of NOTE

IN MEMORIAM

1970s

Through October 31, 2015

Anita Newbury Wilson ’71 Ph.D., writes into sadly inform us of the June passing of her husband, Richard H. Wilson, who also earned a USU Ph.D. in 1971. Richard Wilson retired from the University of Wisconsin system in 1998 as a full professor of biology after teaching there for 32 years and also serving as chairman of the biology department and university marshall at UW-Stout, Menomonie, Wis. He served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia after receiving his master’s degree and also owned and operated RAM Associates, an ecotourism and nature photography business. Along with Anita, Richard is survived by a son.

He shares the happy news with USU because, he says, “that is where I learned critical research and life skills from Drs. Tom Lee and Glen Jenson. Thanks USU for the wonderful experiences and memories!”

2010s

1980s

Nailing a shot-put throw that bested his nearest competitor by some five feet, Bob Arello ’82 took home the gold at the World Masters Athletics championships held in Budapest, Hungary in 2014. Ranked No. 1 in the world in his 55-60 age group, Arello also participates in the pentathlon and superweight throw. An Aggie thrower during his days on campus, Arello returned to competition nine years ago and built a throwing circle on land adjacent to his company, Hydrograss Technologies, which helps clients around the world prevent soil erosion and implement sediment and dust control (one client was a golf course in Dubai). Last year, USA Track and Field (USATF) named Arello Athlete of the Year in his age group. He chose to forgo the July 2015 championships in Lyon, France, in order to attend his daughter’s graduation from Florida State University instead. In interviews with various media, Arello credits a rotational spin he has developed for much of his success. He has said he practices throwing two or three days a week, calling it his “therapy,” but also does CrossFit training.

2000s

Dave Schramm ’03 MS earned his Ph.D. from Auburn University in family studies and is now a tenured professor in the department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Missouri. He recently received a $9.6 million 5-year grant to provide family and couples education to more than 2,000 families across Missouri. It is the single largest grant in the history of his department and one of the largest in the history of the college. In less than 10 years at Missouri, Schramm has secured more than $12 million in grants and contracts.

Ruba Mohamed ’12 MS, who is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in water engineering in USU’s CEE department, also keeps busy in her community. She was a Girl Scouts group leader for a group of elementary school students at the Bear River Charter School in Logan. She also volunteered as a math and reading tutor at Hillcrest Elementary school through the STAR (Student Teaching Arithmetic and Reading) group at USU. Mohamed has volunteered for Expand Your Horizon events at Salt Lake Community College, which encourages girls in grades 1 through 9 to pursue a STEMbased education. Mohamed is currently the Professional Development Coordinator for the Society of Women Engineers, where she helps to organize professional development events that feature industry-leading women in engineering and other STEM fields. Her USU master’s degree in environmental engineering has also led to many volunteer hours in that field. She is a certified volunteer with Utah Water Watch in the College of Natural Resources at USU, where she helps monitor rivers and streams in the valley to maintain water quality. She also was part of USU’s student design team that scored first among universities in the state in a competition hosted by the Water Environment Association of Utah (WEAU). Mohamed’s group designed technical and economical alternatives to remove phosphorous from the effluent at the Davis County Wastewater Treatment Plant. In addition, Mohamed’s smart-toilet proposal won the Blue Goes Green grant organized by USU’s office of sustainability. It is believed her proposal would reduce the water consumption in campus toilets by 30 percent. Originally from Sudan, where she witnessed women and children walking long distances to collect water from open sources with no prior treatment, water quality and sanitation services have become priorities for Mohamed. She says her main goal in life is to improve the quality of water in her home country, using the academic knowledge and leadership skills she has gained at Utah State University.

1930s

Merlin R. Leishman ’39, Aug. 11, UT Jean Loosli (Pedersen) ’31, Jul. 2, CA Raymond N. Malouf ’37, Aug. 28, UT Margaret Cardon Wessler ’37, Sept. 12, MS

1940s

Charles A. Allen ’43, Sept. 29, UT Gray Adair Birch ’48, Oct. 9, UT Lewis Edward Briggs ’46 Att, Aug. 17, AZ Beth Campbell (Loosle) ’48, Aug. 16, UT Naomi E. Christensen ’41 Att, Mar. 1, ID Lillian Lund Coburn ’41, ’43, Apr. 2, HI Ruth Ballard Dance ’49 Att, Sept. 23, UT Darrell M. Kelley ’49, ’54MS, Aug. 23, UT Marian V. Kingston ’48, Aug. 16, UT Jack E. Kobe ’48, ’59MS, Oct. 19, UT Lewis Ray Livingston ’45 Att, Aug. 15, UT Colonel Russell Meacham ’41, Sept. 26, CO Moselle G. Newman ’47, Sept. 9, UT Albert J. Nickle ’43 Att, Sept. 2, UT Lucille H. Nielson ’46, Sept. 7, UT Lynn Nielson ’49, ’52MS, Oct. 2, UT Mervin S. Petersen ’42, Aug. 17, TX Shirley Pitcher (Merrill) ’41, Aug. 25, UT Reese Ransom ’48, Oct. 25, OR Ella M. Rich (Laney) ’47, Sept. 21, ID Paul N. Scherbel ’40, Oct. 1, WY Mildred Smith Schwabedissen ’43, Aug. 9, ID Robert C. Thomas ’49, Sept. 17, ID Robert M. Twitchell ’49, Oct. 11, UT Marjorie Woodruff Whitney ’43 Att, Sept. 7, UT Glade Winget ’46 Att, Aug. 29, UT

1950s

H. Gilbert Allen ’55, Sept. 4, AK Larue Bagley (Thorpe) ’54, Sept. 27, UT Neil H. Barrus ’54, Aug. 17, UT Robert LaMar Baxter ’51, Sept. 22, UT Brent E. Beecher ’59, Oct. 26, UT William Duane Berseth ’59, ’61MS, May 28, WA Eugene S. Biggs ’54 Att, Oct. 25, UT Lyell R. Bingham ’50, Sept. 3, WA George Merrill Brown ’51, Aug. 14, IA Carol Abbott Butterfield ’50, Oct. 12, UT Bernell Norton Calloway ’51, Oct. 17, UT John E. Carter ’53, ’65MS, Sept. 10, UT Robert N. Christiansen ’59, Oct. 7, UT Ray J. Crook ’51, Aug. 26, UT Vern O. Curtis ’56 Att, Oct. 1, OR Reed R. Durtschi II ’52, Aug. 13, UT Joseph C. Felix ’53, Sept. 25, UT Hal D. Fitzgerald ’51 Att, Aug. 10, UT Norma June Clark Gee ’51 Att, Aug. 5, UT Janet Gilbert (Jones) ’52, Jun. 29, UT George R. Gurr ’58, Jul. 31, WA Thomas H. Haycock ’51, Sept. 13, UT Ray Ellis Jorgensen ’53, Aug. 31, UT Clyde W. Kidman ’53, ’61MS, Aug. 10, UT Nada L. Kilburn (Arnell) ’53, Sept. 25, UT Frank R. Kirschner ’50, Aug. 30, NM Marlin Larsen ’51, ’69MED, Sept. 4, UT Robert Bruce Leonard ’58 Att, Sept. 5, UT R. G. Lisonbee ’52 Att, Aug. 15, UT Hazen L. Loveday ’51, Aug. 9, UT Ray Dean Lowe ’50, Sept. 9, CA Lex Marcusen ’50 Att, Jul. 30, UT Yvonne Nelson Middleton ’52, Aug. 15, UT Kenneth Moore ’52, Oct. 2, AZ Lamar G. Nelson ’52 Att, Oct. 11, UT Duane Arvil Olson ’58 Att, Aug. 6, UT John W. Patterson ’51, Oct. 6, CO Chester F. Redd ’57, Oct. 11, UT Albert D. Rich ’50, Oct. 20, UT Lynne Rich ’55 Att, Oct. 1, CA Mareta J. Richards (Rallison) ’54 Att, Jul. 30, PA John H. Ripplinger ’57, Sept. 16, UT Althea Andelin Roberts ’50 Att, Oct. 23, UT Lawrence T. Rollins ’50, Sept. 9, CA Emilie Shupe (Davidson) ’57, Jul. 31, UT DeNese A. Smith (Peterson) ’50 Att, Oct. 16, UT

Utah State Magazine • 1422 Old Main Hill • Logan UT 84322-1422 • mageditor@usu.edu WINTER 2016 I UTAHSTATE

31

IN MEMORIAM Through October 31, 2015 Newell J. Sorenson, Jr. ’50, Oct. 20, UT Norman R. Stanger ’56, Aug. 26, ID Joyce R. Stevens ’53, Sept. 29, UT Fred Thompson ’58, Sept. 16 Charlotte Tullis (Fisher) ’55, Oct. 27, UT Robert D. Walker ’50, Sept. 18, UT Donna R. Wangsgard ’50, Aug. 26, UT Carl L. Young ’50, Sept. 17, WA

1960s

Laren H. Allred ’62 Att, Oct. 22, UT Kenneth G. Anderton ’62, ’64MA, Oct. 23, UT Read W. Archibald ’63, Aug. 19, UT Anthony W. Bowman ’64, ’67MA, Aug. 28, UT Verdell W. Briggs ’63, Oct. 28, NC Larry W. Burr ’66, Oct. 24, MI Lewis Warren Campbell ’65, Sept. 8, ID Gary M. Coleman ’61, Sept. 16, UT Mary M. Cooper ’69MED, Jun. 2, CA Jean Fleming ’68MS, Aug. 21, WI William F. Gibbs ’66, Aug. 9, UT Vonda G. Hadfield (Willson) ’66, Sept. 17, UT Clair J. Hardman ’63, Sept. 24, UT Kaye Hart ’65, ’70MS, Aug. 3, UT Dorian M. Hatch ’62, Aug. 12, UT Ray L. Huber ’69, Oct. 1, UT Floyd R. Hunsaker ’66, ’68MED, Oct. 15, OR Vaughn E. Hunsaker ’63, Sept. 14, WA John M. Jefferies ’60 Att, Aug. 1, CA Richard W. Johnson ’61, Sept. 13, UT Darwin Samuel Jolley ’68, ’73MS, Sept. 18, UT Thayne Hansen Judd ’63, Oct. 22, UT Darrell C. Kunzler ’65, Oct. 23, UT Nick Lee ’67, Oct. 18, CA James Dean Mayfield ’63, Sept. 23, UT Don R. Melling ’60, ’62MS, Aug. 4, ID Deverell M. Morgan ’62 Att, Sept. 15, UT Michael K. Moyes ’67 Att, Sept. 20, UT William H. Newton ’68, Aug. 2, UT Mary Bell Norris (Mortenson) ’61, Sept. 5, UT Bill E. Nyman ’67, Jul. 31, ME Gerald L. Perkes ’66 Att, Aug. 27, UT Virginia Phillips Price ’67, Oct. 5, ID James L. Reveal ’63, ’65MS, Jan. 9, FL Lewis O. Riethmann ’67, Oct. 7, UT John M. Ritchie ’67, Sept. 1, ID Max W. Robinette ’63, Oct. 23, UT Gerald L. Shupe ’61, Oct. 22, UT Keith R. Stanworth ’65, Aug. 17, UT Richard C. Sweetland ’68PHD,

Sept. 28, TX Ross M. Thomas ’67, Mar. 13, CA Lorin C. Tonks ’61, Aug. 27, UT Del J. Traveller ’62, Sept. 23, ID

1970s Keith Albert Anderson ’70, Oct. 4, UT Susan H.P. Astrove ’79 Att, Aug. 1, UT James B. Bachus ’69, Aug. 24, TX Kenneth G. Beckstrom ’70, Aug. 6, UT Steven L. Bishop ’72, ’79MS, Aug. 13, UT Raymond L. Child ’75, Sept. 14, UT Robert C. Day ’70EDD, Oct. 11, OR Steven George Golder ’72 Att, Aug. 22, ID Gerald E. Kershisnik ’72, Aug. 3, WY Fritz L. Knopf ’73MS, ’76PHD, Oct. 22, CO Katherine E. Kunz (Hurdsman) ’72,

Aug. 25, UT James Douglas Long ’77 Att, Sept. 29, IL Don J. McRae ’76 Att, Sept. 22, WA David Steven Pettigrew ’70, Sept. 2, UT Karen Platt ’71, ’74MS, Sept. 13, UT Mardean Dalley Ririe ’75 Att, Aug. 17, ID Wayne E. Roach ’75 Att, Aug. 24, UT

Jeri M. Sanders (Keeter) ’79 Att, Aug. 13, UT David B. Schow ’75, Oct. 13, UT Joseph Hunter Thompson ’73 Att, Oct. 15, UT Brent Ernie Toolson ’77, Aug. 28, UT Sharen Welsh (Anderson) ’73, Sept. 13, UT Robert S. White ’73MS, Oct. 4, TX

1980s Lori Peterson Hurst ’84, Sept. 20, TX Richard S. Link ’87, Aug. 3, UT Mary Lou Melling ’89MED, Oct. 11, UT Rosalie Ryan Mueggler ’81MS, Aug. 20, UT Jean C. Noble ’81MS, Sept. 18, UT Ken M. Odette ’89, Oct. 9, DC Jayne E. Pulley (Wooley) ’80, Sept. 3, UT Garnet Mangus Sorenson ’81MED, May 31, UT Dorothy L. Taylor ’87MS, Jul. 24, WA

1990s

Alan Mclean Carver ’96MS, Oct. 5, UT Mark H. Manning ’94MED, Sept. 13, UT Laura Kay Payne ’99, Oct. 8, UT Dale Robert Thomson ’93, Sept. 11, UT M. Anne Williams (Tingey) ’94, Sept. 6, UT Clayton Reed Young ’99, Oct. 8, UT

2000s Tazmarie Christensen ’07 Att, Oct. 21, UT Jianghong Deng ’04, ’06MS, Sept. 22, VA Heather D. Jacobson (Ward) ’02, ’11, Aug. 15, UT Angela Lynn Matkin ’09, ’14, Aug. 1, AZ Seth C. Nelson ’02, Aug. 1, UT Kendel L. Oldfield ’07, Aug. 16, UT Spencer D. Tressler ’05, Oct. 22, UT

2010s Kathleen Holbrook Hinckley ’14, Sept. 10, UT Richard Jensen ’15 Att, Oct. 12 Jeremy Cole Martin ’13, Jul. 30, BC Moroni James Morrison ’13, Oct. 21, UT Jonathan Lee Prince ’14, Jul. 30, UT Elizabeth A. Snyder ’12 Att, Aug. 11, UT Ian Sorensen ’15 Att, Aug. 20, UT

FRIENDS

Avis Badami Aug. 8, UT Fred S. Ball Aug. 25, UT Elaine Bard Oct. 18, UT Burke V. Bastian Aug. 15, UT Robert E. Bateman Oct. 11, UT Richard H. Bodily Sept. 18, UT Leonore Bonacci Aug. 31, UT Raymond C. Brown Oct. 3, UT Gerald Dwayne Cannon Oct. 20, UT Paul M. Cannon Aug. 14, UT Ross Clay Oct. 12, UT Clair F. Coleman Oct. 6 John D. Correnti Aug. 18, MS Wallace Cottle Oct. 20, UT Del Cox Oct. 21, UT Margaret L. Dance (Loosle) Aug. 27, ID Donald Roger Daugs Oct. 4, UT Ichiro Doi Sept. 6, UT Ann Dziuk Aug. 29, UT Ashel Evans Oct. 26, UT Robert N. Evert Sept. 11, UT Pamela Farrington Aug. 17, UT Gary A. Fillerup Aug. 28, UT Gary K. Gilgen Oct. 13, UT Curtis Grisham Aug. 6, UT Ruth Hale Oct. 17, UT Earl Harris Aug. 2, UT Maurine N. Hegsted Oct. 19, UT

Keep in

TOUCH

32 UTAHSTATE I WINTER 2016

Tracy Howe Aug. 6, UT Richard F. Jaacks Sept. 24, UT LuDeen G. Jacobson Aug. 5, ID Joseph Claire Jorgensen Oct. 1, UT Joellen Stephans Keyes Aug. 12, UT William F. Kline Sept. 20, UT Peter Lassig Oct. 15, UT Morris B. Lewis Oct. 8, UT Joseph K K Li Oct. 2, AZ Devon Loveday Aug. 22, UT Barbara Rasmussen Lowe Sept. 4, UT Don R. Mabey Oct. 10, UT Byrnece Maughan Oct. 7, UT Steven McBride Aug. 18, UT Fred Murphey III Sept. 3, UT Kevin Myers Aug. 19, UT Maxine Nelson Aug. 5, IA James E. Ogden Sept. 30, UT Dennis Ohms Aug. 10, UT Shirley Oldroyd Sept. 8, UT Todd Parker Aug. 19, UT Beverly G. Probert Sept. 21, UT Gary Purser Aug. 21, UT Steve Richens Sept. 1, UT Joyce Rutherford Oct. 20, UT Oswald Schwemmer Oct. 7, UT Elder Richard G. Scott Sept. 22, UT Barta Shaffer Oct. 2, UT John B. Skewes III Aug. 17, UT Sherman C. Smith Oct. 19, UT Tamie Speciale Aug. 11, UT Kendall Stevenson Oct. 7, UT Robert Stimpson Aug. 26, UT Neal O. Stockett Sept. 23, UT Nola De Jong Sullivan Aug. 2, UT Richard Thorne Oct. 11, UT Marilyn Swartz Thornley Aug. 18, UT Chell Todd Aug. 16, UT Michael L. Tong Oct. 12, UT Don Vanderbeek Oct. 13 Afton R. VanKampen (Rigby) Oct. 17, UT Ann Wagner Oct. 11, UT Norman Warner Aug. 5, UT Youell Warner Sept. 2, UT Betty S. Webb Sept. 2, UT Samuel M. Wee Aug. 11, UT Lois S. Wetzler (Stringham) Aug. 28, AZ James L. Whimpey Oct. 14, UT Carol White Mar. 22, UT Hardin A. Whitney Sept. 14, UT C. M Hatch Wilcox Oct. 16, UT Pamela S. Williams Sept. 29, UT Lynn C. Zingleman Aug. 3, UT

ATTENDERS Warren LeRoy Allen Att, Sept. 25, UT Merleene Pilling Anderson Att, Aug. 7, UT Alan Barber Att, Aug. 21, ID Barbara L. Benson Att, Aug. 5, UT Alieen Bird (Christiansen) Att, Sept. 4, UT Jerry Lee Bishop Att, Jul. 27, UT William Russell Bloomer Att, Aug. 28, UT John F. Blueitt Att, Aug. 23, UT Donald M Boehme Att, Sept. 13, UT Marion L. Brinkley Att, Oct. 22, UT Judith Lynn Brown Att, Sept. 29 Dan Budd Att, Sept. 9, WY Ezra J. Buttrey Att, Aug. 15, NM Keith Chiara Att, Oct. 7, UT Dylan Tyler Child Oct. 21, UT Charlotte Ann Cooley (Jenkins) Att, Sept. 1, UT Janice Anderton Corallo Att, Jul. 31, UT Ray Cox Att, Aug. 16, UT Nancy L. Craig Sept. 20, UT Von Davis Att, Oct. 17, UT Jay L. Deuel, Jr. Att, Oct. 19, UT Helen K. Dickson Att, Oct. 9 Jeremiah Fifield Att, Jul. 29, UT Renee Hiatt Fluckiger Att, Oct. 8 Alene S. Fornoff (Stone) Att, Aug. 25, UT Francelle Leigh Fritz Att, Aug. 18, ID

Genevieve Isom Gardner Att, Oct. 3, UT Susan Denise Pitts Glasson Att, Oct. 18, VA Ennid Roberts Gmelch Att, Aug. 21, CA Bailey Hull Gooch Att, Oct. 22 William Shields Green Att, Oct. 23 Robert E. Grundy Att, Sept. 30, UT Judy Ann Guilbert Att, Sept. 20, UT Eugene H. Hall Att, Sept. 30 Tyrel D. Hallstrom Att, Oct. 14, UT Harry J. Halton Att, Oct. 10, UT Gale Hamelwright Att, Sept. 10, UT Fred A. Hamilton, Sr Att, Aug. 13, UT Raymond D. Hansen Att, Oct. 18, UT Bobbie Jo Lemon Hopkins Att, Sept. 7, UT William Jameson Att, Sept. 16, CA William S. Jones, Jr. Att, Aug. 13, UT Lloyd H. Judd Att, Sept. 7, UT John W. Kilfoyle Att, Oct. 11, UT Rudolph Krissman Att, Oct. 16 Leon Landon Att, Sept. 20, ID Melvin Leavitt Att, Sept. 6, CA Louis Lopez Att, Oct. 3, UT William Parley Martell Att, Oct. 1 Genevieve Barton McConnell Att, Sept. 7, UT Guy Edward Merrill, Jr. Att, Sept. 24 Betty Darhl Mickelson (Esmeyer) Att, Sept. 8, UT Delpha Lindley Miner Att, Sept. 20, UT Kenneth Harley Monson Att, Oct. 4 David D Moore Att, Sept. 20, UT Jeanne Marie Moosman Att, Sept. 27, UT Reed Elggren Morrison Att, Aug. 14, UT Edward Vann Neff Att, Aug. 19, NM Emily Rebecca Nielsen Att, Sept. 11, UT Steven G. Oliver Att, Sept. 7, UT Ossian L. Packer Att, Aug. 17, ID Willard Donald Paulsen Att, Oct. 15, UT Scott Perkins Att, Sept. 23 Ben Peterson Att, Aug. 22, UT Lucile Pressett (Richards) Att, Aug. 24, UT Kathy Tiller Pruden Att, Aug. 25, UT Gloria H. Rice (Harris) Att, Aug. 12, UT Marilyn Murdock Riding Att, Sept. 11, CA Evann Riley-Sutton (Riley) Att, Aug. 24, UT Harrison James Roark Att, Sept. 26, UT Ann Alene Seamons Shaw Att, Oct. 3 Colleen Buttars Shepherd Att, Sept. 13, UT Rollin Jess Showell Att, Sept. 21 Gary I. Shupe Att, Sept. 20, UT Robert Holley Siddoway Att, Sept. 8, UT Betty Snyder Att, Sept. 26, UT Eleanor K. Stanworth Att, Sept. 15, UT Shirley Ann Stevens (Smith) Att, Jul. 9, UT Allan Carl Stuart Att, Oct. 12 Ryan Edward Sweeten Att, Oct. 10, UT Juanita Irene Taylor (Colyar) Att, Oct. 15 Lee LaRall Thompson Att, Sept. 24 Roy Beck Thompson Att, Oct. 14 Tina L. Thompson Att, Sept. 20, AZ Josephine Lucille Thorne (Vance) Att, Aug. 2 Kyia Lynn Udy Att, Oct. 4 Richard Vance Att, Sept. 6, NV Robert H. Vunder Att, Aug. 18, UT Carl Wendell Weber Att, Aug. 16, UT Richard Thorn Wells Att, Sept. 18, UT Jay Dee Westergard Att, Aug. 6, UT Stephen Whitehead Att, Sept. 30, UT Wanda Winkle Att, Oct. 11 Don B. Wrigley Att, Oct. 16 Leon Pete Young Att, Oct. 11 Lori A. Young Att, Jan. 21, OK Brent M. Zollinger Att, Sept. 21, UT

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