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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXIX Issue VII January 15, 2022 First Female Chemistry Professor Honored In January’s Women of Weber Exhibit As the first female chemistry professor in Weber State University’s College of Science, Helen James Lundak left a lasting legacy in Ogden—both as a master teacher and her generous service to building the university’s future. Lundak taught chemistry for 29 years at Weber State, chaired the Department of Chemistry for six years, and was the first acting female Dean of Science in 1987-1988. She was also extremely active on committees in all areas of campus, including the athletic board, throughout her time at the university. Chemistry professor Ed Walker, a former student of Lundak’s, said she’s “one of the great women of Weber State over the years.” “She was a great example of being a wonderful professor and scientist—not just while she was here but after she retired as well,” Walker said. Weber State University is honoring Lundak as part of the “Women of Weber” exhibit, which focuses on extraordinary women whose service, accomplishments, careers, and philanthropy have enriched lives and educational experiences at the university. Each month throughout the academic year, the photos and stories of trailblazing women are on display outside Archives on the first floor of the Stewart Library. Early Life - Lundak was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska to a father who worked as a farmer and attorney, and a mother who’d studied as a chemist and teacher, but was unable to pursue her career due to the Great Depression. After graduating high school, Lundak went on to study at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry. She spent a year at the University of Arizona as a postdoctoral research associate before she began applying for jobs. “By this time, I had definitely decided that I wanted to teach and that I preferred an institution where teaching was the primary emphasis and research would be a second,” she said during a 2007 Weber State Stewart Library oral history project interview. In 1971, she spotted an advertisement for a position at Weber State College and applied. She was the leading candidate for the position and hopped a plane to Salt Lake City for the in-person interview. “I was very nervous, but as soon as I was on campus, I thought it was a great place with wonderful people to work with,” she said. “I never regretted saying yes.” And with that, Lundak became the first female chemistry professor in the College of Science—a position that would give her significant responsibilities and influence over Weber State’s future. Personalized Teaching - When she first started teaching, one of Lundak’s goals was to be able to walk into a classroom and, by the end of semester, call each student by name. “It was pretty easy when I first started, because most of my class had probably 50-60 students in them,” she said. “But those last few years at Weber, I had classes that quite often had 120 students, so it got harder to call everybody by name. But I think I achieved it every single time.” Lundak’s personalized approach to teaching left an impression on her students— including Walker, who became a chemistry major after taking her introduction to chemistry class. “She taught us so many neat things, in a way we could understand,” Walker said. He also admired her willingness to help students, recalling one time when he and several other students called her for help during a study session. “She said, ‘Why don’t you just come on over?’ So we went to her house and sat around her kitchen table while she helped us with our assignments and answered all our questions. We thought it was really neat to have access to such a smart woman. She was really on the ball.” That access continued when Walker later returned to Weber State as a faculty member and would visit Lundak for advice in the classroom and laboratory. Her commitment to helping students understand chemistry influenced his own teaching style. “Students need help. They need someone they can talk to about chemistry,” he said. “It was a great model for any professor to see how she’d share her time like that. She was just a master at helping students progress.” While Lundak was the first and only female faculty member in her department for several years, she said she faced only a few instances of outright sexism from colleagues and students who questioned her authority. One time, she recalled a student approaching her on the first day of classes after she had introduced herself and explained the course to a class and asking if she really was the instructor. “I said, ‘Well, yes.’ And it was kind of like, ‘A woman doesn’t teach science.’ Well, this one did,” she said. “I learned something. It sounds kind of little, but it made a big differ- Public Meeting Notice: Nordic Village Conceptual Plan Skyline Mountain Base will hold an open public meeting to introduce the proposed Nordic Village Conceptual Plan to Ogden Valley residents. The meeting will be held January 20, 2022 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. After the introduction, the development team for Skyline Mountain Base will be available for questions regarding the proposed project. The meeting will be held by Zoom due to the recent increases in COVID cases. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/28377648 56?pwd=SUhNUVRFcjMyeThSQllTTXJjOFVCQT09 Meeting ID: 283 776 4856 Passcode: 2xd52y One Tap Mobile +13462487799,,2837764856#,,,,*882912# US (Houston) +16699006833,,2837764856#,,,,*882912# US (San Jose) Dial By Location +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) ence. After that, on my syllabi, I always wrote my name as Dr. Helen James.” Every Committee on Campus - Because she was one of the few women in the science department, Lundak was also recruited to be on almost “every committee there was at that time.” Her first committee looked at the student evaluation process, a topic she’d revisit on yet another committee 20 years later. “I became known as the person, I hope, who not only represented my area of campus, but tried to do things that represented the entire campus,” she said. Some of those appointments included at least two strategic planning committees; a handful of provost, dean, and president searches; the steering committee to change the college to a university; and the athletic board. Lundak credits the secretaries in the College of Science for helping her stay organized and on top of her committees. The secretary group, informally called the Wonderful World of Women in Science, went out to lunch once a month and often invited Lundak. “I would go to the secretaries in the College of Science and say, ‘Can you do this for me?’” she said. “I thought the Wonderful World of Women in Science was great because I got a lot done through it.” Post-WSU Experience - Lundak retired from Weber State in 2000. She moved back to her hometown of Nebraska City and married her husband Joel Lundak in 2002. Joel also taught in higher education as a professor of psychology at Peru State College. In April 2011, she and Joel were given an Arbor Day Honoree award for their work to beautify the Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. She continues to help Weber State students get an education by participating and contributing in the Pursuit of Excellence scholarship organization, which provides support for low-income students. She also established the Chemistry Faculty Scholarship at Weber State, which provides support for dozens of current students, and a scholarship at Peru State in her husband’s memory. Lundak said she’s happy to be close to friends and family in Nebraska City, and that Weber State was a great place to be during her 29 years of teaching. “I feel very honored to be recognized for my contributions,” she said recently. “Weber State has been very important in my life. I loved teaching and my interactions with students. I was glad to serve on committees and in administrative assignments. I continue to ‘bleed purple.’” Several of Lundak’s former students went on to become faculty members at Weber State, including Walker. “Helen was always busy providing service to the campus,” Walker said. “She did it all with aplomb and was extremely organized. Her example of being a marvelous teacher while providing service to many areas on campus was a really good legacy to leave behind for any professor to emulate.” Women of Weber - WSU is proud to honor Helen James Lundak as part of “Women of Weber,” which was an outgrowth of a collaboration with Weber State Archives, Special Collections, and the Museums at Union Station called “Beyond Suffrage: A Century of Northern Utah Women Making History.” The project was a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in 2020. Although the pandemic put a hold on the celebration, it did not dampen the enthusiasm to share the stories of outstanding women who changed lives. HAPPIEST cont. from page 10 can choose every day every minute, to act in a way that may uplift a stranger, or else drag them down. The choice is easy. And it is yours to make.” Enjoy your work… enjoy contributing to society. In chapter fourteen we read, “Shared sorrow is half sorrow; shared pleasure is double pleasure.” Jaku adds, “Kindness is the greatest wealth of all. Small acts of kindness last longer than a lifetime.” In summary, Eddie Jaku states, “I promised when I came out of the darkest hours of my life that I would be happy for the rest of my life and smile…. Life is not always happiness. Sometimes, there are many hard days. But you must remember that you are lucky to be alive—we are all lucky in this way. Every breath is a gift. Life is beautiful if you let it be. Happiness is in your hands…. Please, every day, remember to be happy, and to make others happy too. Make yourself a friend to the world…. It is never too late to be kind, polite, and a loving human being.” life. And this is the greatest miracle of life.” Be a miracle in someone’s life today; perform a simple act of kindness. “Love is the best medicine,” Jaku believes. However, “happiness does not fall from the sky; it is in your hands. Happiness comes from inside yourself and from the people you love. And if you are healthy and happy, you are a millionaire. And happiness is the only thing in the world that doubles each time you share it.” Be and grow happy! “We are all part of a larger society, and our work is our contribution to a free and safe life for all.” So true! Jaku explains how he would, at times, when out and about, see instruments and tools being used for good that, as an engineer, he’d help develop. This brought him much happiness. “The same is true of every job you do. Are you a teacher? You enrich the lives of young people every day! Are you a chef? Each meal you cook brings great pleasure into the world! Perhaps you do not love your job, or you work with difficult people. You are still doing important things, contributing your own small piece to the world we live in. We must never forget this. Your efforts today will affect people you will never know. It is your choice whether that effect is positive or negative. You Helen James Lundak Note: Eddie Jaku died October 12, 2021, shortly after his memoir was published. This book is appropriate for both adults and young adults. You can watch Jaku’s Ted Talk at ted.com/talks/ eddie_jaku_a_holocaust_survivor_s_blueprint_ for_happiness/transcript?language=en Please send your announcements & photos to: Ogden Valley News PO BOX 522 EDEN UT 84310 Announcements are placed free of charge. Steel Building Contractor ~ Residential ~ Agricultural ~ Commercial ~ Storage Units ~ Steel Siding and Roofing Huntsville, Utah 801-528-2318 Snow removal professionals setting the standard since 1993 801-745-4004 Landscape Design Sprinkler Systems Landscaping Meeting ID: 283 776 4856 Passcode: 882912 Find your local number at https://us06web.zoom.us/u/ kbdqSegt2A grassplusinc.com Maintenance Snow Removal And More.... |