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Anthropology (8)


Earl Skidmore

BS Sociology
BS Anthropology

President (retired)
Northern California Chemical Association & Esbro Chemical

Earl S. Skidmore earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah where he majored in Sociology and Anthropology and earned minors in Zoology and Chemistry. Earl's studies at the University were interrupted by two years of service in the U.S. Navy. Later in his career, Earl returned to higher education earning a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University.

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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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Caroline Gleich

BS Anthropology

Professional ski mountaineer, Adventure Athlete, and Environmental Activist
Big Mountain Dreams

Caroline Gleich moved west from the frozen hills of Minnesota age at 15 and began to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a professional skier. Now she is sponsored by the likes of Patagonia, Zeal Optics, Clif Bar, Atomic skis, Thule, Nemo, Glide stand up paddle boards, Quickblade paddles, among others, and shreds with the best nearly every day of the season.

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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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Economics (55)


Joel Clark

BS Economics
MBA

CEO & Founder
Kodiak Cakes

Joel’s story is a one of perseverance. When his brother Jon handed operations of Kodiak Cakes over to him in 1997, Joel was a 23-year-old economics major attending the University of Utah. Over the next 12 years, Joel juggled side jobs, earned an MBA from Oxford University, and he still found time to make Kodiak Cakes a success.

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Matt Martinez

BS Sociology
BS Economics

Pioneer | Teacher Major Accounts Strategic Business Consultant
ADP

As a student Matt Martinez earned a degree in Sociology and a second in Economics while significantly contributing to the University of Utah Football team as a linebacker and team captain. Matt's success has continued post-graduation as he has excelled as a Regional Account Sales Executive for ADP Payroll and Business Solutions in Salt Lake City.

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Michael Anderson

BS Economics

Vice President, Trade and Industry Affairs
Corn Refiners Association

Michael Anderson is Vice President, Trade & Industry Relations for the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), the trade association representing the corn milling industry. He has over 25 years of experience in international trade, agriculture, and economics in the government and private sector.

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Benjamin Hart

BS Political Science
BS Economics
MS Economics

Deputy Director
Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development

Benjamin Hart is deputy director of the Governor??s Office of Economic Development (GOED). Hart helps develop the strategic direction of the office. He oversees corporate recruitment and incentives, the International Trade and Diplomacy Office, the State Trade Expansion Program and various other programs designed to help expand Utah's economy.

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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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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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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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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)


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.

Read more about Karen White Fairbanks

Melissa Freigang

BS Family and Consumer Studies

Executive Director
Weber Prosperity Center of Excellence

Melissa Freigang is the founding director of the Weber Prosperity Center of Excellence. The Center is unique, the first of its kind. It is a department of Weber County in partnership with the Weber-Morgan Health Department and Weber Human Services. Melissa blends her 25-years of experience in operational excellence with her expertise in human development, family resilience and intervention design to address the county’s most complex social challenges.

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Mary Chase Tommaney

BS Family and Consumer Studies

Advertising

Mary Chase Tommaney grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. She graduated from the University with a bachelor's degree in Home Economics and went on to the University of Southern California for a Masters in Merchandising. Returning to Salt Lake, she became Assistant Advertising Manager in a large fashion department store, later leaving for summer in Europe with school friends.

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Natalie de Guzman

BS Family and Consumer Studies

Research Scientist
California Department of Public Health

Natalie de Guzman received her bachelor's degree in human development and family studies in 2009. She was then accepted into UC Davis for her master's program,and earned her degree in human development in 2010.

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Geography (8)


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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Teri Klug

BS Geography

President & Founder
Strategic Development LLC

Teri Klug is the community outreach director for Visit Salt Lake and is responsible for engaging with all constituents of Salt Lake County, with a learn, serve, grow together approach to the Visitor’s Economy. She also helps people better understand importance and value of visitors and define individual product offerings inside the fabric of each of 17 communities within Salt Lake County.

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Matthew Moffit

BS Geography

Vice President, Navy Systems
Boeing's National Security and Space Group

Matt Moffit is Vice President, Navy Systems for Boeing's National Security and Space Group. He brings numerous years of Navy operational experience plus military assessments, requirements and budgeting expertise with him.

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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)


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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Elaine Peterson

BS Health, Society and Policy

Academic Program Manager
John A Moran Eye Center - University of Utah

Elaine started with the University of Utah in 1994, as part of the Health Sciences Development Office, and has been the Program Manager in Ophthalmology for 15 years. She oversees one ACGME-accredited residency program with a complement of twelve trainees, and seven non-ACGME fellowships with a total of eleven fellows.

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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.

Read more about Marlowe Dazley


Master of Public Administration (23)


Phyllis Hockett

Master of Public Administration

Principal & Co-Founder
Pathway Associates

Phyllis Hockett is a dedicated philanthropist, and believes in the transformative power of the generosity of volunteers and of donors. Her philosophy of nonprofit sustainability is founded on the principle of abundance and the enormous potential that generosity holds for our world and the nonprofit organizations that serve it.

Read more about Phyllis Hockett

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.

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Jennifer Seelig

Master of Public Administration
Ph.D. Political Science

Community Empowerment Director
City of Salt Lake

Jennifer Maurine Seelig has been involved in politics and public service for more than decade at a policy-making and leadership level. She was a policy and research analyst for the Salt Lake City Council between 1995 and 2000, handling such sensitive and critical issues relating to crime control, budget compliance within the administrative office, community relations, and public meetings involving the City Council.

Read more about Jennifer Seelig

Nichol Bourdeaux

Master of Public Administration

Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Utah Transit Authority

Nichol Bourdeaux has over 20 years of experience working in communications and public administration. As the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for the Utah Transit Authority she oversees, PR & Marketing, Customer Service, Community Relations, Customer Experience, and Innovative Mobility Solutions. Before serving in her current position at UTA, Ms. Bourdeaux served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Ralph Becker, in Salt Lake City.

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Master of Public Policy (3)


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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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


International Affairs and Global Enterprise (3)


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.

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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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Political Science (84)


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.

Read more about Darin Gilson

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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Rick Larsen

BS Political Science

President & CEO
Sutherland Institute

Rick Larsen is president and CEO of Sutherland Institute – a nonpartisan think tank that serves a unique role in today’s polarized, political climate. His passion for sound public policy and sustainable solutions at the community level motivated him to earn B.S. degrees from the University of Utah in both consumer and community studies and political science with an emphasis on public policy.

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Garth N. Jones

Political Science

Founding Dean
College of Business and Public Policy at the University of Alaska at Anchorage

Dr. Jones is a prolific author and has published over 200 articles, monographs,and books covering topics in public policy and comparative administration with focus on Pakistan and Indonesia,as well as numerous articles on Mormon history and culture.

Read more about Garth N. Jones


Psychology (31)


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

Sydnie Simmons

BS Psychology
BS Sociology

Clinical Psychologist
OB/GYN Psychcare, PLLC

Sydnie Simmons is a licensed clinical psychologist currently specializing in maternal-infant health through a program I developed called OB/Gyn Psychcare. Her program has a focus in bringing awareness of the obstacles women, their partners, and their families face regarding emotional struggles during pregnancy and postpartum adjustment.

Read more about Sydnie Simmons

Christine A. Currey

BS Psychology

Clinical Psychologist
Juvenile Court, Primary Children's Medical Center and the University Neuropsychiatric Institute

Christine Currey (7/24/50 - 12/22/14) grew up in Lewiston, New York. She graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she was Phi Beta Kappa. She studied clinical psychology at the University of Vermont and then at the University of Utah where she received a master's degree and a Ph.D.

Read more about Christine A. Currey

Jed Elison

BA Psychology

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota

Jed T. Elison was born in Blackfoot, Idaho. With the exception of a formative year spent in Boston as a young child (developing into a Red Sox fan), he grew up in southeast Idaho. While both of his parents and 3 of his 5 older brothers took bachelors degrees from Brigham Young University, Jed earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology (2005) and English Literature (2005) from the University of Utah.

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Sociology (23)


Leigh VandenAkker

BS Sociology

Teacher/Author
Salt Lake City School District

Leigh M. VandenAkker is Utah's 2012 Teacher of The Year and winner of Utah's 2011 Golden Apple Award. She is a 2015 recipient of the prestigious Huntsman Award and the 2016 PeaceKeeper Award. As co-author of Techniques for Tough Times TM, Leigh has trained teachers nationwide, providing insight and support by educating teachers in classroom management and how to teach SEL. She presented recently on Whole Child vs. No Child at SXSWEDU.

Read more about Leigh VandenAkker

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.

Read more about Terri Fain

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.

Read more about Christopher Mebius

Allysann Ingram

BS Sociology

PAQ Program Manager
United States Air Force

A year after graduation, Allysann and her husband moved to Massachusetts. They both secured jobs with the Air Force, working at Hanscom Air Force Base. She is currently working as a Jr. Program Manager and was recently accepted into the Global Studies and International Relations master’s program at Northeastern University in Boston.

Read more about Allysann Ingram


Friend of CSBS (15)


J. Ralph Brown

Friend of CSBS

National Citizenship Chairman
National P.T.A.

J. Ralph Brown graduated from the University of Utah in 1935. While at the U, he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, served as a class officer, business manager of the campus magazine, and was selected to be part of both, Skull and Bones and, Owl and Key groups.

Read more about J. Ralph Brown

Ana Breton

Friend of CSBS

Digital Administrator/Producer
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

Ana Breton is a Director of Photography & Editor for comedy series, TV and documentaries. Currently, she lives in New York and works as the Digital Administrator/Producer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

Read more about Ana Breton

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

Desmond C. Barker

Friend of CSBS

President
Des Barker Associates, Inc.

Desmond C. Barker is the president of Des Barker Associates, Inc., which provides public relations, government affairs, and business-to-business marketing consulting to the tourism, land development, manufacturing, mining, and telecommunications industries, areas he has specialized in for 12 years. He serves on the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce government affairs and transportation committees, among others.

Read more about Desmond C. Barker

Last Updated: 4/28/23