Pre-Grad Fair

Class of 2012, Graduation is fast approaching. Are you prepared? If not be sure to attend the Pre-Grad Fair held on February 1, 2012 from 10 am until 2:30 pm in the Starlight Room in the Sharwan Smith Center.

At the Pre-Grad Fair you can meet with the Registrar's Office to make sure you are on track to graduate. The Cashier's Office to pay your diploma and cap and gown fees. If you pay for your cap and gown before February 15th you will receive a $5.00 discount. Financial Aid Office will be available to assist you if you have a Perkins or Stafford loan, inquire about an exit loan interview that must be completed prior to graduation. The Bookstore will be available to help you order personalized announcements and other graduation memorabilia. Academic and Career Development Center can help you learn about job resources and upcoming career fairs. If you are planning to attend graduate school at SUU the Admissions Office will be on hand to fill you in on graduate school options. Finally, Alumni Relations will be available to answer all of your Commencement questions as well as how you can stay connected with your alma mater once you graduate.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2012 Pre-Grad Fair!

SUU Registrar's Office check graduation
eligibility for a 2012 prospective graduate

Josten's Ameen Shaheen shows a
class ring to a 2012 prospective graduate

McKenzie and Layne Papenfuss complete paperwork and
look over graduation information at the 2012 Pre-Grad Fair

Largest Gift in SUU History

Walter Gibson, '51

Southern Utah University announced on January 20, 2012, the largest single gift in its 115-year history: $4 million from Walter M. and Alice Gibson. The funds are designated for the College of Science and Engineering (COSE) and will help fund an endowment for student and faculty research initiatives and scholarships.

“This is truly a game-changing gift for one of our largest and most dynamic colleges,” stated President Michael Benson. “We are extremely grateful to the Gibson family for their commitment to and support of the advancement of science at SUU. Their generosity will benefit the educational pursuits for countless students for generations. This is truly amazing.”

In recognition of this historic donation, SUU will be naming the College of Science and Engineering in honor of the late Walter Maxwell Gibson, who graduated from the Branch Agricultural College (now SUU) in 1951 with an associate’s degree in chemistry.

While the late Walter Gibson furthered his studies at the finest institutions, he oft spoke of his time at the BAC as a life-changing opportunity, according to his son, David Gibson.

1950 BAC Freshmen Class Officers.
Left to right: Sheldon Callister (vice-president),
Carolyn Young (secretary) and Walter Gibson (president).

“My father loved his time at the College,” said David. “He felt it helped him develop a love of science and discovery that continued the rest of his life and prepared him for a meaningful and successful career in academia and business. He was very excited to give back to SUU in a meaningful way.”

According to the dean of COSE, Robert Eves ('84), similar results will play out year after year among SUU’s science students thanks to the Gibson gift. “This endowment will make it possible for SUU to deepen the experience and expand the opportunities for thousands of College of Science and Engineering students yet to come.”

Eves adds, “There are clearly some new opportunities that this kind of gift can provide that have previously been unattainable.” Moving forward, he hopes to “honor the Gibson family’s commitment to improving education and providing real life experiences where students can apply their theoretical knowledge to deepen the learning experience.”

Walter Gibson as a
student at the BAC

And that is exactly what Walter would have wanted, according to Gibson’s wife, Alice.

“We are so pleased to support Walter’s beloved college and hope this gift will help students best prepare for successful careers in science and engineering — just as the BAC did for Walter so many years ago.”

After graduating from the BAC, Walter Gibson continued his studies at the University of Utah, earning a bachelor’s degree and then completing his doctorate in nuclear chemistry at the University of California-Berkeley in 1956, under the tutelage of Nobel Laureate Glen Seaborg. After a career in research at Bell Laboratories, he served as Physics Department Chair, Dean of Graduate Studies, and VP of Research for University at Albany, State University of NY. In 1990, Walter co-founded X-Ray Optical Systems (XOS), later serving as its chief technology officer until his death in 2009.

The Walter Maxwell Gibson College of Science and Engineering will have its official unveiling in May, just before SUU’s 113th annual Commencement.

President's Gala & Old Main Society

President Benson

Saturday, December 10, President Michael T. Benson hosted the 2011 Holiday Gala to thank and recognize members of The Old Main Society and President's Giving Society.
The Gala was an opportunity for Southern Utah University to thank the many generous donors who give so much of themselves to enrich the lives of students and advance the University.

Honorees that evening were Garth and Geraldine Rollo, Iron County and the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism and Convention Bureau. New members inducted into the Old Main Society included: Dale & Patty Gilbert, Garth & Geraldine Rollo, Greg & Debbie Forsyth, Bryce & Joyce Woodbury, Keith & Nina Barnes and Judith Tweedie. And the evening wrapped up with a visit by David Archuleta.

Garth Fisher ('53) and Geraldine Rollo ('54) grew up in differing circumstances more than 350 miles apart, but were united at the Branch Agricultural College in 1952. What has transpired in the shared life since is a legacy of accomplishment, service and compassion. 

Garth Fisher and President Benson
Old Main Society & Legacy Circle

Garth was born and raised in the farming community of Vernal, Utah, during the Great Depression and worked the family acreage while finding time to hunt and fish. He became an all-state athlete at Uintah High School and continued his schooling and basketball career in Cedar City, graduating from the newly-renamed College of Southern Utah before earning a degree in education with emphases in English and physical education from Brigham Young University. He taught school for a year, then entered the United States Air Force, becoming a pilot and navigator. He flew 190 missions over Vietnam, but he and Jerry looked at the three children they had at the time and decided that a teaching and research career would be a better fit for them. 

As a young girl, Jerry helped her father with the bookkeeping for her father, Morgan Rollo, who was the editor and publisher of the Iron County Record, and among the most revered journalistic figures in the state’s history. Jerry attended Cedar High School and the BAC, taking general education courses and specializing in accounting. She was an accomplished musician, shined as the school’s drum majorette, and took part in a wide variety of activities as one of the most popular co-eds on campus.  

In 1952, Garth and Jerry met in a D. L. Sargent biology class and that meeting led to marriage. When the couple graduated and moved on to Provo for Garth’s schooling, Jerry lent great support as a bookkeeper. 

Later, Garth went on to earn a master’s degree in physical education from Cal State Sacramento and a doctorate in exercise physiology from the University of New Mexico. The Fisher family grew and Jerry held down the home as Garth began his BYU career where he became one of the world’s leading experts in health and fitness, and a renowned author. He was director of the Human Performance Research Center at BYU and chair of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Health among other awards and honors. 

Along the way, the Fisher family grew in a big way upon the deaths of Garth’s brother and sister-in-law, left four children parentless. The Fishers raised those children as their own and Garth has ever lauded Jerry’s compassion and dedication in the task. 

While Garth and Jerry remember their days at the BAC and CSU with fondness, they acknowledge that their educations were a financial challenge. They know all too well that higher education of today is even more difficult to pay for and does not promise to become any easier. That is why they choose to help the students of today and the future by earmarking their personal funds for scholarships, including one that honors the memory of Morgan Rollo in the form of an endowment for journalism students at SUU.

President Benson, Alma Adams, Dan Webster,
Dale Brinkerhoff and Maria Twitchell ('95)
Old Main Society Centurium Circle

Iron County government and the Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau have, in concert, made a tremendous and valuable contribution to the quality of life here and, on a daily basis, enrich the lives of citizens and visitors alike while serving as pivotal facilitators of Southern Utah University’s mission to serve its constituency.

The County, led by generations of county commissioners, has always been a key element in the success of Southern Utah University, and through its Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau, has championed our county as a destination for tourism. Through a fortuitous and collaborative partnership with SUU and with a host of talented and industrious citizens and communities, both bodies have made our magnificent region known as a magnet for visitors from around the world.

Moreover, the Commission, with the guidance of the Tourism Bureau, has channeled financial resources to the building of Southern Utah University programs that serve Iron County citizens as well as a vast public outside of our boundaries. The Commission and Tourism Bureau have been both visionary and pragmatic in their consensus that Southern Utah University and Iron County share a unique capacity to enrich all who visit here.

Annual financial contributions—along with various other enthusiastic avenues of support—to such University programs as the Utah Summer Games and Utah Shakespeare Festival, has made a marked difference in the execution of those tourism-based enterprises.

The County has provided varied tax revenues for a number of crucial needs of the University, including the 1996 funding for the Conference Center in the Sharwan Smith Center and, this year, toward the completion of two crucial facilities key to the area’s future as a destination for tourists; one that will prompt more visitors to stay here, and for longer periods of time.

The Commission and Tourism Bureau are indeed important backers of the New Shakespeare Theatre and the Southern Utah Museum of Art, projects that will not only aid in the efforts to promote tourism, but will serve as cultural cornerstones of a vast region of the southwest.

The responsibilities of the Iron County Commission are vast and complex, with tourism but one consideration. The duties are weighty and expansive. County Commissioners Alma Adams, Dale Brinkerhoff, and Dan Webster, as well as those who preceded them in their roles, have ever dedicated their time and character to the building of this place we share.

The Tourism Bureau, besides marketing the area, conducts research and makes recommendations for all requests for funding while serving as a key contact of the University. The work of Executive Director Maria Twitchell and associates Amber Bennett and Bonnie Char Oldroyd, as well as that of past director LaRee Garfield, has been of inestimable help in the advancement of the University and of benefit to all in Iron County.

Welcome to the newest members of the Old Main Society:

Garth ('53) and Geraldine ('54) Fisher
Benefactor Level

Dale and Patty Gilbert
Gold Medallion Level

Greg and Debbie ('91) Forsyth
Old Main Society Level

Bryce and Joyce Woodbury

Old Main Society Level

Keith and Nina Barnes
Legacy Circle

Judith Tweedie ('61)
Legacy Circle

Singing sensation David Archuleta made a surprise visit to the Holiday Gala and performed O Holy Night. He was in town with his MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS tour and performed later that evening at the Heritage Center in downtown Cedar City. The concert featured both traditional holiday and familiar classics, as well as an assortment of David's own pop favorites. Members of the SUU Symphony Orchestra accompanied him during the second half of the concert.

Big Win for the T-Birds on the Road; Support of Alumni

Congratulations to the T-Birds on their come from behind victory 35-28 over the Weber State Wildcats. The tailgate party was a lot of fun and a great way to reconnect with other alumni and current students. It was a great day to be a T-Bird as the stands were filled with SUU Red.

Other festivities of the tailgate included, Alumni Relations awarding a student scholarship for $250.00 for next semester. The scholarship was awarded to Joe Howe, a senior music major from Cedar City. A contest for the Best Salsa was held at the tailgate. Josie Beth Archibald took 1st Place with Camaree Staheli coming in a very close 2nd! Keep your salsa recipes handy for our next encounter with Weber State in 2012. Congratulations to our winners!

During the game SUU fans were continuously pumped up through the support of the cheerleaders and the SUU drumline. The fans were excited as they watched their team beat the Wildcats.

Don't forget about the last home game of the season as the T-Birds take on UC Davis Saturday October 29th at the Eccles Coliseum. Game starts at 1:00 PM.

Thor's Thunder Classic 2011

Congratulations to Color Country Pediatrics and team members Brad Larson, Kent Bradford, Dr. Brian Burrows ('98) and Greg Larson ('98) for winning the 2011 Thor's Thunder Classic with a score of 56 (15-under par) on Monday, September 26.

It was a fantastic day at Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club with 35 teams and 140 golfers participating in a 4-person scramble to benefit scholarships and the advancement of Southern Utah University. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Special thanks to Color Country Pediatrics for their continued support as title sponsor of Thor's Thunder Classic. Thanks also to our major sponsors: Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club, Dell Computers and SUU Marketing.

We also had wonderful support from the following organizations and individuals through their hole sponsorships: AMPAC, Big-D Construction, Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue, Dick & Sunny Reinhold, FFKR, Hill Sports, Intermountain Valley View Medical Center, Leavitt Group, Les Olson Company, MHTN Architects, Midwest Commercial Interiors, Nate & Lindsay Esplin, President Benson, State Bank of Southern Utah, Wells Fargo Bank and Zion's Bank.

Members of the SUU Women's Golf Team also participated in the tournament playing on teams and hitting tee shots from a few of Entrada's par 3 holes. Pictured left to right: Sadie Palmer, a senior from Tooele, Utah; Kacy Buckner, a senior from St. George, Utah; Rose Pelletier, a sophomore from Palmer, Alaska; Monica Jung, a freshman from Sydney, Australia; Shantell Spackman, a freshman from Richmond, Utah; and Kaohi Loo, a sophomore from Beaverton, Oregon.

Alumni Spotlight: Michael Hunter

Mike Hunter (’11, Chemistry) is realizing his education at Southern Utah University prepared him to enter medical school at the University of Rochester confident in his knowledge and skills.

Mike is a first year medical student at the University of Rochester. During orientation week Mike enjoyed meeting his new classmates, but was overwhelmed to learn they had undergraduate degrees from Harvard, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, Stanford, NYU Columbia, Syracuse, Cornell and Dartmouth, to name a few. He wondered how he would compete with students from these prestigious schools. Before the first week was over he found himself leading small group discussions, answering questions no other student could and tutoring classmates in bio-statistics.

“I am confident other SUU science graduates are having similar experiences throughout the country.” He realized the quality education he received at SUU is comparable to the education of his peers.

Mike is grateful to professors in the sciences at SUU like James Chisholm, Ty Redd, and Kim Weaver for their investment in his education. These professors and many more took time outside of the class to help students progress.

During his time at SUU Mike enjoyed his involvement in student government as the Science Student Senator. He says Internal Medicine has always interested him and he wants his future practice to incorporate long-lasting patient relationships, preventative medicine and cost-effective treatments.

Alumni Spotlight: Linda Erikson Kay

Linda Kay (’72 Education) spent thirty years teaching first grade with a love for education that began at Southern Utah University.

Reading has always been Linda’s favorite aspect of teaching first grade children and one of her greatest accomplishments. She and a good friend introduced “Alphabet Town” to first graders where they taught them the alphabet sounds and rules through songs and role playing.

Linda doesn’t think she would have been as successful in her career in the education field without the training she received while attending SUU. When she was choosing a college to attend, she chose SUU because its education department was ranked as one of the best in the state.

She remembers fondly taking classes from Gwen Clark, Kent Meyers and Bonnie Bishop. These professors were dedicated to their students and instilled in Linda the love of teaching. They also prepared her with the teaching tools she would need to take into the classroom.

One of Linda’s favorite memories of her time at SUU was pledging Pi Rho Omega sorority. She said, “There never was a dull moment living with 12 roommates in the sorority house, especially when I was the house mother.” She was a member of Little Sister’s organization/Athenians. Later she was the president of the Athenians.

Linda retired in 2004 after teaching for thirty years in Washington and Piute counties. She and her husband Ken love to travel, are members of the Rods and Rebels car club and enjoy taking their 1938 Desoto to car shows.

Linda enjoys being a wife, mother, and grandma to her four children, four-step children and 18 grandchildren.

The Kays reside in St. George, Utah.