Life captured in a room: Inside BYU professors offices

Each Brigham Young University professors office tells a story of their research, passions and the things that reflect what matters most to them.

On the seventh floor of the Tanner Building, one can easily spot the office of James Gaskin, professor of information systems, in the Marriott School of Business.

The door, with a doormat labeled definitely not a trap door, is framed with little Thor hammers. Inside, the sound of a 3D printer hums.

Once inside, it is hard to know where to look first. The walls, shelves and desk are lined with rare, eye-catching items.

A potato chip shaped as Africa hangs on his whiteboard, a Megalodon tooth rests against the wall and a half-weight replica of the golden plates in reformed Egyptian serves as a doorstop.

Across his desk, 1/500-scale 3D models of at least 150 architectural wonders are arranged side by side, each scaled to match the others. Gaskin also prints temple models, often giving one away daily.

My research is diverse, but one of my streams of research is on awe and wonder, Gaskin said. I think remaining curious is a good way to be happy and to not get bored."

His office also features items related to his family, including puzzles he completed with them, a book of 300 original riddles he wrote on his daughters napkin every day for two years and a door tracing 136 generations of his family ancestry.

Gaskin gives three to four tours a day, and visitors reactions are just as meaningful as the first time.

In the Joseph F. Smith Building, room 2085, Ashley Fraser an assistant professor in the School of Family Life at BYU keeps her door open to students.

A fuzzy gray rug, a green leaf tapestry accenting one wall and the scent of jasmine lemon drifting from a diffuser create a space that reflects peace and tranquility.

I feel like these offices are kind of like a closet. But even a closet can be beautiful and peaceful, right? We have scriptures about going into your closet and praying to the lord, Fraser said. But if it's gonna be in the closet, it needs to be a nice, peaceful closet.

Fraser fills her office with green and golden items that are both beautiful and functional, while adding what she calls quirky touches.

These include souvenirs from study abroad trips to Italy and Dublin, photos of advisors, mugs with memorable shapes or phrases and thank-you notes from students.

With her office located just above the preschool at BYU, Fraser used to write messages on her window while her children played outside. When they came inside, they added their own messages.

One note, written by her child I love your mom, meant to say I love you, mom has remained for two years despite Frasers attempts to remove it.

Fraser hopes her intentional design choices make her office a place of refuge for her students.

I usually tell everyone that shoes are optional, Fraser said. A lot of people like coming in and just hanging out, and well lay on the floor and just chill.

Across campus in the Joseph Smith Building, Maclane Heward an assistant professor of church history and doctrine at BYU works in a windowless office filled with the scent of his many books.

He sits at an old wooden law desk beside a large cushioned chair, both of which once belonged to his grandfather, Raymond Child, who was federally appointed by General Ford. Heward moved the desk mostly by himself.

His office contains heart-shaped rocks that remind him of his wife, and stones that resemble seer stones.

He also keeps drumsticks given to him by professional drummer Clint Pulver, who struggled to stay still in school.

Heward received his own drumsticks as a child when his elementary teacher promised and awarded him a trophy for reading all his books.

I keep this around just to help me remember that his grace is sufficient, Heward said. Now, I write things that people read and like; that transition is evidence to Gods strength.

Some mementos remind Heward of acts of service, including a set of plastic utensils wrapped in a napkin, made by his aunt after she contracted HIV from a blood transfusion.

Though she was dying from AIDS, she prepared these utensils even some for her own funeral as a symbol of continued service. Heward keeps them as a reminder of diligence and selflessness.

A lot of the professors that are here, that are my colleagues now, are my heroes. Theyre the people that I have years of looking up to ... sometimes I am not sure if I fit in, Heward said. But those types of reminders just help me to see that God makes us equal to the tasks. And when we include him and work diligently in a focused way, hell help bring about miracles.

On the sixth floor of the Tanner Building, Scott Webb, a professor of global supply chain management at the Marriott School of Business, works at a roll-top desk inherited from his grandfather.

Custom-made benches line the walls, and two plants stand strong, making Webb, who jokingly calls himself a black thumb, proud.

Artifacts from study abroad trips to Africa, Greece, Central and South America, Mexico and Europe share space with personal objects.

These include case competition trophies that others might have discarded, a sword he received while stationed temporarily in Alabama during his 12 years of active duty in the Air Force, and pictures of his children.

The problem is my office is pretty eclectic, Webb said. When you watch (the students') eyes, theyre like looking around, trying to piece together a theme, and there isnt really a theme.

Webb said his office is designed with students in mind, featuring a long black desk for teaching assistants, a refrigerator stocked with Gatorade and even sports equipment signed by athletes he teaches.

I told them this office is their office, Webb said. Im from a really big family, and I dont like feeling alone in my office.

It is important for Webb that students have a space to collaborate, especially when courses within his program become intense.

I remember going into professors offices, bosses offices, and just feeling intimidated, Webb said. A lot of them had, I love me walls. You know, walls with all their accomplishments and all their plaques. I just wanted an office where people felt like theyd be coming to sit down, hang out.