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Anthropology (8)


Terri Fain

BS Anthropology
MS Sociology

Artist

Terri "T. C." Fain trained at the Skinner Museum of Art, Palo Alto Artist's League and University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She has also benefited from working with local artists and their styles including the abstraction of John Grillo, spare eastern beauty of Q Holmes, classical style of Barbara Johnson and spontanaiety of Louise Minks.

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Ted Coxworth

PhD Anthropology

Senior Director of Analytics
Progexion

As a leader, Ted's emphasis on accurate, clear, and efficient problem solving applies to more than just the models my team builds or tests we design and monitor. It extends to establishing IT and data infrastructure, adding new team members, and maintaining effective lines of communication.

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Michael Bird

BS Anthropology

National Consultant
National Policy Council for AARP

Michael E. Bird is a Santo-Domingo/KEWA Pueblo Indian from New Mexico. Mr. Bird has more than 30 years of public health experience with Native American populations in the areas of medical social work, substance abuse prevention, health promotion and disease prevention, HIV/AIDS prevention, behavioral health, and healthcare administration.

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Misty Frost

BS Anthropology

CEO
CareerStep

Misty’s passion is for building company value though building consumer value. As CEO of CareerStep, Misty drives the vision and strategy behind building learning experiences that allow individuals to enter and then grow their careers in healthcare.

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Economics (55)


Harris Simmons

BA Economics

Chairman, President, & CEO
Zions Bancorporation

Harris H. Simmons is the chairman,president and chief executive officer of Zions Bancorporation, a $56 billion (assets) bank holding company that operates approximately 500 full-service banking offices throughout the western United States.

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Nick Pappas

BS Economics

Co-founder, Comedy writer, Stand-up, & Storyteller
comedywire.com

Nick Jack Pappas is a comedy writer, stand-up, and storyteller in New York City. In a field of 1600 applicants, he was one of eight chosen for the NBC Late Night Writers Workshop 2015. Nick is one of the founders of Comedywire.com, a startup company that provides white-label humorous content to clients, including well-known comedians, politicians, and public speakers. The group's combined client network on Twitter has over 6 million followers.

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Dave Patton

BS Political Science
Economics
Ph.D. Political Science

Executive Director
Utah Department of Health (UDOH)

Dr. W. David Patton has served as executive director of the Utah Department of Health(UDOH) since March 2011. As director, Patton oversees nearly 1, 000 health department employees with the goal of helping Utah become the healthiest state in the nation.

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Darin Gilson

BA Political Science
BS Economics

Managing Director
Banyan Ventures

Darin Gilson is a founding partner of Banyan Ventures. Darin has led the firm’s efforts in developing BelleHavens, Spruce, Palo Verde, Terra Flame Home, RCA Holdings, and Kore. Prior to co-founding Banyan, Darin served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Campus Pipeline and as a consultant with McKinsey & Company.

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Environmental and Sustainability Studies (4)


Kelsey Howard

BS Geography
BS Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Research Consultant
Boulder Mountain Consulting, LLC

Kelsey Howard is currently attending graduate school at the University of Utah in the geography department. Her Master's research is focused on studying paleoecology and spring productivity in Utah's west desert by reconstructing past fire and vegetation histories, as well as past climates through the use of pollen and charcoal from wetland sediments.

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Jason Robison

BS Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Fellow
Harvard Kennedy School of Government at Harvard College

Professor Robison's research and teaching interests generally revolve around water law and related areas of environmental and natural resources law and policy. He began his work in this field while earning a B.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Utah and subsequently completed a J.D. at the University of Oregon School of Law, as well as an LL.M. and S.J.D. at Harvard Law School.

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Brandon Lee

BA Political Science
BS Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Principal
ABS Consulting

Director, Environmental and Economic Policy and Regulation, Lee leads and manages projects related to environmental, regulatory, economic, and security risk-related issues for ABS Consulting, a maritime risk firm. He has led projects analyzing environmental impacts in the Western U.S., regional, national, and international air emissions and climate change, air and water regulations.

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Sara Baldwin Auck

BS Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Regulatory Program Director
Interstate Renewable Energy Council

As IREC's Regulatory Program Director, Sara is responsible for managing the development of IREC's regulatory strategy, establishing priorities for engagement, and assisting with the strategy implementation.

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Family and Consumer Studies (14)


Allie Teller

BS Family and Consumer Studies

Playworks Specialist
Canyons School District

Allie Teller received her bachelor's degree in human development and family studies in 2009. She went on to receive her master's in educational psychology in 2013.

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Jenny Stout

Family and Consumer Studies

Undergraduate Advisor
University of Utah - Family & Consumer Studies

In 2007, Jenny Stout received two bachelor's degrees: one in consumer and community studies and one in human development and family studies. She is now an academic advisor for the Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah.

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Karen White Fairbanks

BS Family and Consumer Studies

Owner
Fairbanks, Inc.

Karen White Fairbanks,a lifelong resident of Ogden, manages Fairbanks, Inc., a national purchasing cooperative in the underground piping industry, with her husband Rick. Previously, they owned and operated the industrial piping firm W.R. White Company. Karen earned her bachelor's degree in Home Economics.

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Brooke Adams

MS Family and Consumer Studies

Communication Specialist
University of Utah

Brooke Adams is an award-winning veteran reporter who has covered everything from local government to technology and polygamy during the course of her career. She currently covers news for several departments and programs on campus as part of her role as communications specialist in the University Marketing and Communications Office. Brooke earned her master's degree in Human Development and Social Policy.

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Geography (8)


Merrill K. Ridd

BS Geography
MS Geography

Emeritus Professor
University of Utah

Merrill K. Ridd is an emeritus professor of geography. He graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in 1954 and MS in 1960. Ridd earned his PhD from Northwestern University in 1963. He is a Korean War veteran 1950-1956.

Read more about Merrill K. Ridd

Charles Sensiba

BS Geography

Partner
Troutman Sanders LLP

Charles Sensiba is a partner in the law firm of Van Ness Feldman, LLP, in Washington, DC. He provides strategic counsel and legal representation to public utility districts, state governmental entities, investor-owned utilities, water districts, independent power producers, and developers on the full spectrum of complex licensing, natural resources, and environmental issues related to hydropower development.

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Brian Haslam

BS Geography
MS Geography

President | CEO
Cityworks | Azteca Systems, Inc.

Brian Haslam earned his bachelor's degree from Geography in 1986, followed by his master's degree from Geography with a GIS emphasis in 1990 from the University of Utah. In 1986, he established Azteca Systems, Inc. to provide mapping update services for the US Forest Service Geometronics national mapping center located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Don Lewon

BS Geography

Owner
Dixie Metal Recycling

Don Lewon has been an exemplary leader in and supporter of the University, the College, and the community. He received a B.S. in Geography from The University of Utah.

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Health, Society and Policy (6)


Marlowe Dazley

BS Health, Society and Policy

Senior Vice President, Managing Director
Health Catalyst

Marlowe Dazley is senior vice president and managing director at Health Catalyst, a leading provider of data and analytics technology and services to healthcare organizations, committed to being the catalyst for massive, measurable, data-informed healthcare improvement.

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Nathan Vassiliades

BS Health, Society and Policy

Dentist & Owner
Queen Creek Smiles

Nathan Vassiliades completed a BS in Behavioral Science and Health and then went on to complete dental school at the Marquette University School of Dentistry. Nathan has volunteered for Give Kids a Smile, Sealants for Smiles, the American Red Cross, and Cancer Wellness House.

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Maziar Nourian

BS Health, Society and Policy
Minor Psychology
Minor Chemistry

Mentor
LEAP College of Health Program

Maziar M. Nourian is a graduate from the University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He received his Bachelor of Science in Health Society and Policy as well as minors in Psychology and Chemistry ('13). Nourian will continue his education to complete a Doctor of Medicine in 2019.

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Alexis Lee

BA Health, Society and Policy

Programs Manager
University of Utah

Alexis Lee is a Programs Manager in Wellness and Integrative Health at the University of Utah. On the WIH Team, Alexis primarily helps to manage department finances, Wellness Outreach events, and ongoing program development. Alexis is a proud University of Utah graduate with a BA in Health, Society, and Policy and a BS in Exercise and Sport Science.

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Master of Public Administration (23)


Renee Morita

BS Political Science
Master of Public Administration

Adjunt Professor
University of Utah

Renee Morita received a degree in Political Science and a graduate degree in Public Administration, with an emphasis in Human Resources and Labor Relations form the University of Utah. While attending college, Renee completed several Hinckley Institute of Politics internships at the American Educational Research Association (Washington, D.C.); the League of Women Voters (Salt Lake City); and the Winterim Symposium (Washington, D.C.).

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Mark James

Master of Public Administration

Senior VP HR
Procurement & Communications at Honeywell

Mark James is Honeywell's senior vice president of Human Resources, Procurement and Communications, a position he was appointed to in November 2007. Honeywell is a $40B diversified technology and manufacturing company serving customers in aerospace, automation control, automotive and chemical industries.

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Aden Batar

Master of Public Administration

Director of Migration and Refugee Services
Catholic Community Services

Aden Batar is the Director of Migration and Refugee Services for Catholic Community Services (CCS). He is the first former refugee to ever hold such position in Utah. He has worked in this field for more than 20 years.

Read more about Aden Batar

Luis Garza

BS Economics
Master of Public Administration

Executive Director
Comunidades Unidas

Luis Garza has been involved in community affairs for the past 10 years. Prior to working at Comunidades Unidas, he worked for the SLC Mayor's Office of Diversity & Human Rights, The State Office of Ethnic Affairs, and the University of Utah Hospital.

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Master of Public Policy (3)


Shawn Teigen

MS Master of Public Policy

Research Director
Utah Foundation

Shawn Teigen is the Lumina Foundation Strategy Labs State Policy Adviser for Utah. Lumina is the largest foundation in the United States that focuses solely on increasing Americans?? success in higher education. It works to increase the proportion of Americans with postsecondary credentials to 60% by 2025. Shawn is utilizing the resources of Lumina??s Strategy Labs with Utah leaders and influencers in an effort to help the state reach its attainment goals.

Read more about Shawn Teigen

Michael Parker

BS Political Science
Master of Public Policy

Vice President of Public Affairs, Marketing and Senior Economist
Ivory Homes

Michael P. Parker earned both his bachelor's in political science and master's degree in public policy with an emphasis in regional economic policy from the University of Utah. He currently serves as the Director of Public Policy for the Salt Lake Chamber.

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Florian Hernandez

Master of Public Policy

Executive Director
Philippines Humanitarian

Florian Hernandez is the Executive Director for Philippines Humanitarian, a non-profit organization, providing funding for the education of impoverished children in the Philippines. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Utah State University.

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International Affairs and Global Enterprise (3)


Kyle Gray

MS International Affairs and Global Enterprise

Storyteller, Professional Speaker and Bestselling Author

Right after graduation Kyle was adjunct faculty teaching an entrepreneurship class called The Foundry, helping local Utah entrepreneurs. It was his experience during his degree program and later teaching that helped him get a job with a startup, whose business he helped to grow with annual recurring revenue using just online marketing.

Read more about Kyle Gray

Mark Pittman

MS International Affairs and Global Enterprise
BS Political Science
BS Economics

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Blyncsy

Prior to starting Blyncsy, Mark worked in areas as diverse as political campaigns, start-ups, and even a Fortune 500 Company. Mark was Director of the Lassonde New Venture Development Program at the Pierre Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah.

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Jeremy Lindsey

MS International Affairs and Global Enterprise

Chief Operating Officer
Alpha Warranty Services

Jeremy Lindsey is a winner of the 2017 Utah Business Magazine CXO of the Year award and AE Magazine's Top 40 Under 40.

Read more about Jeremy Lindsey


Political Science (84)


James Bjorkman

BS Political Science

Foreign Service Officer
U.S. Department of State

D. James Bjorkman, '05 Political Science, is a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. He works in the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana where he is the Political and Economic Counselor to the Ambassador. He has previously worked at the embassy in Nicaragua as Immigrant Visa Unit Chief and American Citizen Services Unit Chief and in several U.S. Department of State offices in Washington, D.C.

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Spence Hoole

BS Political Science
BS Economics

President & CEO
Diversified Insurance Group

Spence has spent his 25+ year career working with and insuring VC-backed, private equity-financed, IPO and public companies, particularly in the technology and life sciences industries. He has insured 22 out of the last 28 IPO companies in Utah. He specializes in Cyber, Errors and Omissions (E&O), Venture Capital Asset Protection (VCAP), and Directors and Officers (D&O) liability coverage.

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Brandon Lee

BA Political Science
BS Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Principal
ABS Consulting

Director, Environmental and Economic Policy and Regulation, Lee leads and manages projects related to environmental, regulatory, economic, and security risk-related issues for ABS Consulting, a maritime risk firm. He has led projects analyzing environmental impacts in the Western U.S., regional, national, and international air emissions and climate change, air and water regulations.

Read more about Brandon Lee

Tomas Limbos

BS Political Science

College Dean
University of Pangasinan in the city of Dagupan

Born the ninth of 18 pregnancies, Tomas Zamora Limbos was the only surviving child into adulthood. He lost several of his siblings to the Cholera Epidemic in the Philippines. In order to save their son, Limbos' parents pooled their money together and sent him to the USA.

Read more about Tomas Limbos


Psychology (31)


Paula Swaner

Ph.D. Psychology

Psychotherapist
Granite Mental Health Center

Dr. Paula Swaner has been a member of Utah's psychotherapeutic community since 1963 when she volunteered at Granite Mental Health, Utah's first community mental health center.

Read more about Paula Swaner

Oakley Gordon

BS Psychology
MS Psychology
Ph.D. Psychology

Associate Professor
University of Utah

Oakley Gordon received his bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Utah. He is now an adjunct professor of the department studying the epistemology of the indigenous people who live in remote villages in the high Andes of Peru.

Read more about Oakley Gordon

Hollie Pettersson

PhD Psychology
MS Education Leadership & Policy
MS School Psychology, Special Education

Partner
Cicero Group/Ed Direction

Hollie started her career teaching adjudicated youth in 1994, over the years she broadened her experience by teaching in elementary, middle and high school classrooms. As a licensed psychologist she worked with individuals, families, and schools to build trauma informed practices and increase social and emotional learning.

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Lee Ellington

Ph.D. Psychology

Professor
University of Utah

Lee Ellington is a Professor at the College of Nursing, a clinical psychologist, and a Huntsman Cancer Institute Investigator. She holds the Robert S. and Beth M. Carter Endowed Chair. Dr. Ellington has an interdisciplinary program of research in family-patient-provider communication. Her primary interest is in meeting the health and well-being needs of family caregivers of advance cancer patients through communication processes

Read more about Lee Ellington


Sociology (23)


Tanya Vea

BA Sociology
BA Mass Communications

Exec. VP, News & Cross Platform Development
KSL 5 TV & KSL NewsRadio

Tanya Vea is the Vice President and General Manager of Bonneville Salt Lake City, which includes KSL TV, KSL NewsRadio (FM 102.7), KSL Sports, FM 100.3 (KSFI) and 103.5 The Arrow (KRSP). She is the first woman to hold that position in Utah. Tanya joined Bonneville in 2010 as the executive vice president of cross-platform development and helped lead the formation of a combined news division, bringing together TV, radio, web and newspaper.

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James (Jim) Brass

BS Sociology

City Council Member
City of Murray

Jim Brass has more tenure on the city council than any other elected official in Murray. He is serving his fourth term as District 3 council member, taking his first oath-of-office in 2004. Prior to election Jim was a commissioner on the Murray City Planning Commission providing a wealth of land use experience.

Read more about James (Jim) Brass

Shawn Newell

BS Sociology

Vice President of Business Development
Industrial Supply Company

Shawn is the Vice President of Business Development at Industrial Supply Company where he has worked for the past 35 years. He serves as a community integrator working as the vice president of the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP, a former Commissioner on the Governor’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission and is on the executive Board of the Utah Black Round Table.

Read more about Shawn Newell

Christopher Mebius

BS Sociology

Data Acquisition Specialist
The Center for Policing Equity

Christopher Mebius was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. With a strong interest in policing, Christopher graduated Cum Laude from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Sociology and a Criminology Certificate in August of 2016. Christopher continued his education and received a Masters of Criminal Justice from Weber State University in August of 2018.

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Friend of CSBS (15)


Irwin Altman

Friend of CSBS

Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Science & VP for Academic Affairs
University of Utah

Irwin Altman earned a bachelor's from New York University in 1951. He continued to pursue his studies in psychology at the University of Maryland, where he earned a master's and a Ph.D. in 1957.

Read more about Irwin Altman

Theresa Martinez

Friend of CSBS

Associate Professor of Sociology
University of Utah

Theresa Martinez completed her Ph.D. in Sociology in 1990 at the University of New Mexico and is currently Associate Professor of Sociology and former Assistant Vice President for Academic Outreach at the University of Utah. Her teaching and research deal with issues of race, class and gender, deviant behavior, juvenile delinquency, and popular culture.

Read more about Theresa Martinez

S.J. Camarata

Friend of CSBS

Director
ESRI

S.J. is a director of ESRI. He focuses on the company’s global corporate strategies. He also currently serves on a number of boards—both for profit and nonprofit organizations—and has held a number of other board seats over the years.

Read more about S.J. Camarata

R. Christian Sonne

Friend of CSBS

Practice Leader
Self Storage Valuation Group at CBRE

R. Christian Sonne is a Executive Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield and the Specialty Group Manager of the Self Storage Industry Group. An appraiser and real estate economist by training, Chris started Self Storage Economics in 2002 because of the growing sophistication of the self storage asset class and market demand for quantified self storage data and conclusions.

Read more about R. Christian Sonne

Last Updated: 4/28/23