May 2012 Newsletter - College of Social and Behavioral Science

2012 STAFF AND Faculty Awards

Watch the Awards Dinner video:

CSBS Staff Excellence Award: Lisa Clayton of geography

CSBS Superior Research Awards: Rick Forster of geography and Rebecca Utz of sociology

CSBS Superior Teaching Awards: Gunseli Berik of economics and Julie Stewart of sociology

ASUU Honorary Teaching Award: Dan Jones of political science

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Distinguished Mentor Award: Peregrine Schwartz-Shea of political science

STUDENT RESEARCH DAY

On April 26, over 50 undergraduate and graduate students gathered on the second floor of Orson Spencer Hall to display their latest research at the 2012 CSBS Student Research Day. As judges walked around to view each of the projects, students engaged in conversation to discuss one another’s findings with other students and teachers. After deliberating, the judges picked three winners in the graduate division, and three in the undergraduate division.

This year’s winners were:

Graduate Division -
1st Prize: Nekehia Quashie of sociology
2nd Prize: Hao Huang of geography
3rd Prize: Yvette Young of sociology

Undergraduate Division -
1st Prize: David Gerritsen of psychology
2nd Prize: Jennica Galloway of environmental and sustainability studies
3rd Prize: Sabah Ul-Hasan of environmental and sustainability studies

View pictures from the event.

Undergraduate and Graduate Convocation 2012

The college held two convocations this year: one on May 3 for graduate students and PhD candidates, and the other on May 4 for undergraduate students. Over 200 students received their graduate degrees and with 1400 students who received their bachelor's degrees, CSBS was once again ranked with three of the top five departments awarding undergraduate degrees: psychology, economics, and human development and family studies.

Distinguished Alumni

This year’s Distinguished Alumni Luncheon was held in the Alumni House on May 3. The 2012 honorees included Kem C. Gardner, Judge Bruce S. Jenkins, and Leigh von der Esch. Watch the video from the event.

Connecting Classrooms to Careers: A New Opportunity for Students

Students inquired and the college responded. The primary request from various focus groups over the past two years was to create a program for students in CSBS where existing internships were previously unavailable. So come this fall, there will be three new courses focused on helping students set themselves apart in today's job market with the concept of connecting classrooms to careers. Read the full article.

Student Profile: Lauren Forrest

Psychology student Lauren Forrest has kept herself busy since her arrival at the U back in 2008. Not only has she been a peer advisor for the psychology department, a student ambassador for the College of Social and Behavioral Science, and served as a research assistant to Dr. David Strayer in the Applied Cognition Lab for distracted driving, but she has also dedicated time to her own research on body image and eating disorders. When asked how she manages to stay on top of everything, she says, "I am passionate about school. I feel like everything I do is working to enhance and expand my intellect and experience so that I can learn as much as I can in order to someday help as many people as I can." Read more about Forrest.

Craig Bryan and the National Center for Veterans Studies

There has been a lot of publicity lately shedding light on the alarming increase in veteran suicides. One of the faces behind this research is Dr. Craig Bryan, the associate director of the National Center for Veteran Studies. Together with Dean David Rudd, James Holbrook of U’s the law school, the VA in Denver, various researchers in San Antonio, Texas and Washington D.C., and countless others, Bryan has dedicated his efforts in bettering the health of veterans and active military members. Read more about Bryan.

The Effects of Distracted Driving

With over a decade of research based on the subject of distracted driving, psychology professor and researcher David Strayer discusses the consequences of the new voice control commands that are being implemented in many new car designs. Read the USA Today article. Though many believe they can multitask, Strayer's research says the percentage of people who can effectively multitask is surprisingly low. Read the Scientific American article.

Dean’s Corner

Dean David Rudd has been featured in the news lately. His op-ed on the impact of joining the Pac-12 and how it affects academics was published in the Salt Lake Tribune. He also contributed to two different articles focused on the military: an LA Times article on the rising number of military troops taking antidepressants, narcotics, sedatives, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs, as well as an article in My Health News Daily on why researchers say things are looking up with regards to the treatment and prevention of PTSD in troops.

Ashley Edgette Becomes the Sixth Truman Winner

Ashley Edgette, a double major political science and environmental and sustainability studies, was recently named the 2012 Harry S. Truman Scholar. Edgette is the sixth member of the university to receive this award in the past six years—a feat that has not been attained by any other university in the country. Read the story in the Salt Lake Tribune.

College Kudos

Congratulations to the CSBS recipients of this year’s Graduate School Scholarships and Fellowships, as well as the University Teaching Assistantships. The recipients include: Julia Mackaronis of psychology; Nathan Medeiros-Ward of psychology; Hao Huang of geography; Nekehia Quashie of sociology; Serhun Al of political science; Tim Edgar of geography; Margaret Tarampi of psychology; and Brian Thoma of psychology.

In Memoriam: Paul Hammond and Earl Skidmore

Paul Young Hammond passed away on March 9th, 2012 due to complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Hammond, who was prominent in 20th century national security policy studies, graduated from the University of Utah with his degree in political science in 1949. Over the last several years, Hammond served on the CSBS Advisory Board, as well as donated to the CSBS Honor Roll Scholarship fund. Read Paul Hammond’s obituary.
Earl Skidmore passed away in April. Skidmore came to the University of Utah originally in 1942, and then after two years of service in the U.S. Navy, he returned to get his degree in sociology and anthropology. Earl and his wife Elies became scholarship donors for the college, giving two CSBS Honor Roll Scholarships per year. They also established the Earl and Elies Skidmore Scholarship Endowment that funds multiple scholarships every year. In an article written a few years ago, Skidmore said: "I got so much out of the U. That's why Elies and I decided to give back. If just one recipient gets himself/herself prepared for this old life, we'll be happy. Hopefully he/she will come to love the school like I do." Read Earl Skidmore’s obituary.