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Anthropology (8)


Edward R. Christensen

BS Anthropology
MS Anthropology
Ph.D. Anthropology

Docent
Utah Museum of Natural History

Edward R. Christensen has achieved wide intellectual, accomplishments in a variety of academic and professional fields, and is devoted to civic and social service. He graduated from the, University of Utah in 1948 with a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in, Chemistry in 1949. Edward then completed his Ph.D. in Anthropology, in 2009.

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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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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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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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Economics (55)


Mark Hardy

HBS Political Science
Economics

Managing Director
Deerwood Capital Group

Mark has spent his career in the Private Equity Market, either as a Private Equity Investment Professional or as an Advisory Consultant to Private Equity Firms and privately held businesses. Most recently Mark assisted privately held businesses prepare for realization, develop exit strategies and execute sales.

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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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Gary Fish

BS Economics

Founder and Chairman
Deschutes Brewery

Gary Fish is the founder and chairman of Deschutes Brewery. The 30-year-old company began as a modest public house and restaurant in Bend, Oregon, and is now heralded as one of the country’s original and most successful independent craft breweries.

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Raj Dhaliwal

BS Economics

Associate Attorney
Ray Quinney & Nebeker

Mr. Dhaliwal is an associate with Ray Quinney & Nebeker, practicing in the firm’s Corporate/Business, Employment, Real Estate, Cybersecurity and Privacy, and Health Care sections. Specifically, Mr. Dhaliwal focuses on business, real estate, and health care transactions, including entity formation and planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and corporate compliance.

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Environmental and Sustainability Studies (4)


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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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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Family and Consumer Studies (14)


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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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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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)


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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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.

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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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Health, Society and Policy (6)


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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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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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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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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Master of Public Administration (23)


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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Amanda K. Covington

HBS Mass Communications
Master of Public Administration

Executive Vice President, Communications & Government Affairs
Larry H. Miller Group of Companies

Amanda Covington has more than 20 years of experience leading corporate communications and government relations strategies impacting financial communications, crisis communications, domestic and international media/public relations, corporate branding and advertising, digital media, employee relations, public policy and legislation, industry associations, and community relations.

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Susan Chandler

Master of Public Administration

President
California Association for the Physically Handicapped, Inc

When Susan Chandler graduated, she was privileged to win the Dalmas Nelson award for her Thesis! She also applied for and got accepted into the CA State University/Sacramento & CA Governor??s Executive Fellowship Program. She worked for 10 months at the Staff, Services Analyst level for CalTrans at the EEO office in the Disability Program.

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Luz Escamilla (Luz Robles)

Master of Public Administration

Vice President Community Development
Zions Bank

Luz Escamilla (Luz Robles) is a Democratic member of the Utah State Senate, representing District 1. She was first elected to the chamber in 2008. Escamilla earned her B.S. in business marketing from the University of Utah. She went on to earn her M.P.A. from the University of Utah.

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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)


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.

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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.

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Political Science (84)


Megan Sather

BA Political Science

Managing Director
GMMB

Megan is a Managing Director at GMMB, a pioneer in issue and cause communications. She works with a diverse array of organizations that share a common goal: improving conditions for people living in poverty. She takes on some of the toughest local and global challenges, leading campaigns on advancing scientific breakthroughs, increasing access to health technologies, improving education outcomes, and reducing family homelessness.

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John Boyd

BA Political Science

Professor
San Beda University Graduate School of Law

Basketball Coach Jack Gardner gave me an athletic scholarship to attend the U of U. I played during my freshman year, including one exciting game when I stole a pass and made the bucket that won the game. At the end of that year, I stopped playing for the basketball team and joined the debate team, where I learned a great deal that helped me to prepare for a career as a lawyer.

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Ned Stringham

BS Political Science

Managing Partner
42 Ventures

Ned Stringham graduated from the U. in 1987 with degrees in Philosophy and Political Science. Stringham was a departmental scholar in Philosophy, selected as a Truman Scholar and served as Student body President while attending the University.

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Julie Burton

BS Political Science

Executive Producer, Editor in Chief
Women's Media Center

Julie Burton leads the Women's Media Center in its efforts to create a level playing field for women and girls through media monitoring, training, advocacy, original content, and the promotion of women and girls as media experts. She is the Executive Producer of Women's Media Center Live with Robin Morgan on iTunes and the Editor in Chief of WMC Press.

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Psychology (31)


Charles L. Perschon

BS Psychology

Director of Business Development
North America, Kaspersky Lab

In law school, Mr. Perschon was a summer clerk for Presiding Judge Judith M. Billings of the Utah Court of Appeals and was a summer associate at Danaher, Lagnese & Neal in Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating in 2006, Mr. Perschon joined Hill, Johnson & Schmutz in Provo, Utah where he practiced litigation and appellate work.

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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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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.

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Ryan Evans

BS Psychology

President
Utah Solar Energy Association (USEA)

Ryan provides leadership, direction and management for all aspects of USEA activities and is responsible for seeing that the strategic initiatives and policies of the Board of Directors are effectively implemented. Specifically Ryan leads Utah Solar's strategic & operational strategy; board member, and external relations; advocacy & public policy; administration; and business development.

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Sociology (23)


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

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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Keith Embray

MS Sociology

Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Welfare and Development
Penn State University

Keith Embray is in his first year at Penn State University, as the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Welfare and Development (SWD), having been hired to the post in August 2015.

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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.

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Friend of CSBS (15)


April Northstrom

Friend of CSBS

Grant Writing & Prospect Research Associate
Pathway Team

April Northstrom is a Grant Writing and Prospect Research Associate with the Utah Nonprofit Consultants Pathway team. She began her nonprofit career as an intern with the Make-A-Wish Foundation?? of Utah and has since worked as a development professional with nonprofits across the United States, including the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana, Goodwill Industries of Northeast Indiana and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Read more about April Northstrom

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

The Bright Future Foundation

Friend of CSBS

Non-Profit Organization

The Bright Future Foundation is a registered US non-profit organization and works to make a quality education more readily accessible to students domestically and those living in developing nations. This effort is based on the belief that education empowers individuals to pull themselves out of poverty.

Read more about The Bright Future Foundation

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