Highlights from BYU colleges

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology

• BYU alumnus and former Celanese Corporation CEO David Weidman participated in a Q&A session hosted by the Engineers Mean Business Club Friday, April 14. Weidman explained how his career solving problems as a chemical engineer helped him become a successful CEO.

  

• Mechanical engineering students Casey Messick and Caleb Lystrup invented a lightweight hammock cover that insulates against cold temperatures. Their invention won BYU’s 2017 Student Innovator of the Year competition, earning them $7,000 in winnings.
• BYU was rated number 4 in universities whose research becomes new technology, products and companies. The Milken Institute, a nonprofit think tank, conducted the study, “The Best Universities for Technology Transfer.”

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

• The Center for Strategic and International Studies is accepting applications for the 2017 Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy International Fellowship. The fellowship is a week-long program that trains aspiring leaders to become “effective and ethical changemakers,” according to its website. The program is from Sept. 18 to 22 and costs $4,500. To apply, see the website.
• Volunteers are needed at Mitt Romney’s E2 summit this summer. E2 will be held June 8-10 in Park City, Utah. The conference brings together a mix of experts and enthusiasts who discuss current politics and their future implications. Fill out the Google form to apply.

Marriott School of Management

• A team of five BYU MBA students placed second at the Venture Capital Investment Competition on April 8 in North Carolina. Mark Broadbent, David Christison, Kevin Couch, Cameron Park, Holly Preslar and Jordan Roper won $2,500 for their efforts.

  

• Six BYU information systems students took home awards at the annual Association for Information Technology Professionals conference in St. Louis. Dylan Eastman, Spencer Price, Thomas Fisher, Brandon Buchanan, Ashton Murray and Jason Smith all received awards at the competition.

David O. McKay School of Education

• Assistant clinical professor David Boren spoke about the importance of teaching in a Power of Teaching lecture earlier this year. Boren is from the Education Leadership and Foundations Department.

• Professor Scott Richards received $3,572,011 in grant money from the John Templeton Foundation for his research about evaluating the healing potential of faith and spirituality in psychotherapy sessions. Richards will distribute $1.8 million to other researchers around the world to help advance the field of spiritually integrated psychotherapy.

College of Life Sciences

• Dr. Hala Madanat was named the 2017 Honored Alumnus for the BYU Health Science Department. Madanat, director of the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University, spoke at the BYU Health Science Awards Banquet.
• BYU alumna Fernanda Werneck was recently honored by the L’Oreal UNESCO Women in Science program. She was one of 15 recipients of the International Rising Talents Grants.

College of Humanities

• University of Utah Environmental Humanities Director Jeffrey McCarthy spoke about environmental awareness at a BYU American studies lecture on March 23. McCarthy discussed mountain climbing as a way to connect with nature.
• BYU linguistics professor Royal Skousen lectured on the role of conjectures during the translation process of the Book of Mormon into French on March 23.

College of Fine Arts and Communications

• The College of Fine Arts and Communications highlighted the work of several graduating students on its website.

  

  • Jordan Layton worked on the series “Vanishing Voices” with Head of BYU Photography Paul Adams this semester. Layton graduated in photography in April and will move to New York City where he’ll complete an internship with professional fashion photographer John Moe.

    

  • Studio art student Jane Christensen spoke at the April BYU Art Convocation. She will intern with Los Angeles artist Monique Prieto following her graduation.

    

  • Ashley Smith spoke at the Department of Design convocation. Smith graduated with her BFA in illustration after completing an internship in Salt Lake City with sculptor Ryan Peterson.

College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences

• Stephen Merrill graduated with a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science and a master’s degree in applied statistics in April. Merrill became paralyzed after a C-5 spinal cord injury resulted in quadriplegia during his freshman year at BYU.

J. Reuben Clark Law School

• BYU law professor Justin Collings recently published a paper in the “Illinois Law Review“ titled “What Should Comparative Constitutional History Compare?”

  

• Kathleen Meredith graduated from BYU with a law degree more than 10 years after originally applying. Meredith, a mother of five who never gave up her dream of attending law school, said BYU law school was “more than worth the wait.”

Library

• Free family history classes are available at the Harold B. Lee Library every second and fourth Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. To schedule a time with a group, call (801) 422-6200 or sign up here. Quarterly and weekly schedules are available for reference.