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Anthropology (8)


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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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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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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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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Pamela Perlich

Ph.D. Economics

Director of Demographic Research
Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute - University of Utah

Pamela Perlich, Ph.D. is the director of demographic research at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah where she leads the newly formed Demography team. In this role, she and her team are responsible for developing and producing population estimates and projections, neighborhood indicators and demographic analyses focusing on Utah.

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Ben Wilson

HBA Economics

Attorney
Information Security Expert

Ben Wilson graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi from the University of Utah's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences in 1987 with an Honors degree in Economics. His Honors Thesis focused on Mexico's decision to join the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. He then went on to obtain a JD from the U's College of Law in 1990, focusing on business law.

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Komson Chanprapan

PhD Economics

Senior Machine Learning Scientist
Overstock.com

Komson is a Data Scientist with a PhD degree in Economics and over five years of experience both in industry and academia teaching.

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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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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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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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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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Abbirose Polityka

BA Family and Consumer Studies

Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Salt Lake County

Abbi provides services with respect for human dignity and promotes the individuality of the residents unrestricted by considerations of age, social or economic status, personal characteristics, sexual orientation or lifestyle. She strives to respect and promote residents’ rights of self-determination, making every reasonable effort to act in accordance with residents’ wishes.

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Ron Dichter

BS Family and Consumer Studies

CEO
BlueDog Business Services, FortisPay, SIX PAC OTG

Ron Eliot Dichter is a serial entrepreneur who got his start while still attending the University of Utah. His first venture, Eliot Management Group, was sold by Dichter in 2010 and still operates in 15 states today. Dichter then started a national leading credit card processing company, BLUEDOG, which was later merged into FortisPay where Dichter currently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer.

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Barbara Vance

BS Family and Consumer Studies

Professor
Brigham Young University

Barbara Vance earned a bachelor's in family and consumer studies from the University of Utah in 1956. She received a master's in human development from Brigham Young University in 1959 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in counseling from Stanford University.

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Geography (8)


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.

Read more about Teri Klug

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.

Read more about Kelsey Howard

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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Richard A. Carter

BS Geography

Vice President of Government Relations
Pacific Gas and Electric Company

A native of Salt Lake City, Utah and a current resident of Arlington, Virginia, Rick Carter graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah's College of Social and Behavioral Science in Geography/Urban Planning and a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University. He also affiliated with and was president of the Delta Sigma chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

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Health, Society and Policy (6)


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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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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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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Master of Public Administration (23)


Rebecca Chavez-Houck

MS Master of Public Administration

Salt Lake City's District 24 Representative
Utah House of Representatives

A Utah native, Rebecca Chavez-Houck holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Public Administration (MPA), both from the University of Utah. She has represented Salt Lake City's District 24 in the Utah House of Representatives since 2008 and focuses on public policy related to health and human services as well as voter engagement and access.

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Shauna Graves-Robertson

Master of Public Administration

Justice Court Judge
Salt Lake County

Shauna Graves-Robertson has served as a Salt Lake County Justice Court Judge since 1999. She received her Law Degree and Masters of Public Administration from the University of Utah.

Read more about Shauna Graves-Robertson

Denise Winslow

Master of Public Administration

Vice President
Community Relations at Wells Fargo

Denise Winslow is Vice President of Community Relations at Wells Fargo. She received a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah and has been an active participant in the Utah nonprofit world and with the Community Foundation of Utah for many years. Denise has been particularly passionate about recent efforts to revitalize the Jordan River.

Read more about Denise Winslow

Mike Zuhl

BS Political Science
Master of Public Administration

Director, Public Affairs
R&R Partners & Government Relations Consultant

Mike Zuhl's vast background in government and public affairs, combined with the relationships he has cultivated over three decades, make him an invaluable asset to clients who are scrutinized by regulatory and legislative bodies.

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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.

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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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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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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)


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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John Morgan Jr.

BS Political Science

CEO
Morgan Gas & Oil Company

At 92-years old, John Morgan, Jr., (BS Political Science) begins his days on the tennis court week with his wife, Wilma, either at the University of Utah's Eccles Tennis Center or at the courts in Salt Lake's Liberty Park.

Read more about John Morgan Jr.

Mike Zuhl

BS Political Science
Master of Public Administration

Director, Public Affairs
R&R Partners & Government Relations Consultant

Mike Zuhl's vast background in government and public affairs, combined with the relationships he has cultivated over three decades, make him an invaluable asset to clients who are scrutinized by regulatory and legislative bodies.

Read more about Mike Zuhl

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.

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Psychology (31)


Jonathan Owens

BS Psychology
Minor in Economics

Director of Retail & Land
Commerce Real Estate Solutions/Cushman & Wakefield

Jonathan Owens is Associate Director at Cushman & Wakefield, Commerce where he represents landlords as a leasing specialist, and tenants in expansions and start-ups. Owens is particularly experienced with development, leasing regional and community shopping centers, and equity projects stabilizing challenged properties.

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Nanci Klein

MS Psychology
Ph.D. Psychology

President
Nanci C. Klein, PhD, Inc

Dr. Nanci C. Klein is well known in the Salt Lake City, Utah community as a clinician, educator, and advocate. She has worked in the mental health field since 1973, receiving her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Utah in 1985. Dr. Klein has maintained a private out-patient psychotherapy practice in Salt Lake City, Utah since 1986, having co-founded the Utah Institute for Psychotherapy and Training.

Read more about Nanci Klein

Marsha Gilford

BS Anthropology
BS Psychology

Southwest Regional Director, Corporate Affairs
The Kroger Co.

Marsha Gilford, Southwest Regional Director, Corporate Affairs for The Kroger Co., oversees government affairs, media relations, philanthropy and community relations for 139 Smith's store communities throughout a seven-state operational area. She has held her position as VP for the past 20 years.

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Michael Rosmann

MS Psychology
Ph.D. Psychology

Adjunct Faculty, Psychologist, & Farmer
University of Iowa

Michael R. Rosmann is a psychologist and farmer whose life's work involves improving the behavioral healthcare of the agricultural population. He seeks to advance regional and global food production policy which enhances the behavioral and economic welfare of food producers,maintains stewardship of the land and other resources used in food production and protects the safety of food for consumers.

Read more about Michael Rosmann


Sociology (23)


Douglas L. Anderton

BS Economics
MS Economics
Ph.D. Sociology

Chair of the Department of Sociology at the College of Arts and Sciences
University of Utah

Dr. Douglas L. Anderton, a renowned researcher in the growing field of social epidemiology and epigenetics, is the Chair of the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina.

Read more about Douglas L. Anderton

Geraldine Mineau

Ph.D. Sociology

Researcher
Huntsman Cancer Institute

Geri Mineau PhD is an Investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute and Research Professor at the University of Utah. Dr. Mineau is a demographer (with a doctorate from the Sociology Department at the University of Utah) who was the director of the Utah Population Database from 1994 to 2010.

Read more about Geraldine Mineau

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

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


Friend of CSBS (15)


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

Mickey Ibarra

Friend of CSBS

President
Ibarra Strategy Group

For Mickey Ibarra advocacy has always been a way of life. It was in that role he honed the leadership skills that led him to the White House senior staff of President Bill Clinton, the creation of his own business and the development of the Latino Leaders Network.

Read more about Mickey Ibarra

Connie White

Friend of CSBS

Vice President of Compliance
Western Electricity Coordinating Council's (WECC)

Connie White became Western Electricity Coordinating Council's (WECC) Vice President of Compliance in 2009. She provides oversight and directs all aspects of WECC's Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program (CMEP). This includes the registration process, audits, investigations, and enforcement, for more than 450 entities in the Western Interconnection.

Read more about Connie White

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

Last Updated: 4/28/23