OCR Text |
Show Wednesday, October 15,2008 fir THE SIGNPOST BUSINESS & SCIENCE WSU Professor receives Honors Eccles Fellowship Professor takes teaching out of the classroom and into Utah's wilderness "It doesn't make sense to stay in our classroom. Since this is right in our own backyard, we need to get out/' Salt Lake, a nonprofit organization, asked people to describe the Great Salt Lake. "The four most common descriptions Weber State University Associate of the lake were 'big,1 'salty/ 'stinky' Geography Professor and Great Salt Lake Researcher Daniel Bedford is this and 'buggy,'" Bedford said. "This tells semester's recipient of WSU's Honors us that as a community and society we don't know much about the lake." Eccles Fellowship. Most Utahns are not aware of the Bedford, an England native and benefits the Great Salt Lake provides, graduate of Oxford University and such as a multi-million dollar industry the University of Colorado, became interested in the Great Salt Lake when for brine shrimp, mineral extraction and its importance as an environmental he moved to Utah in 2002. "When I arrived at Weber State in '02 resource. "Rather, than it's sort of stinky, I I didn't know much about the Great Salt haven't really known very much about Lake," Bedford said. "I started digging the lake before this class," said Chris into existing research and found some Bentley, a WSU BIS senior and member interesting stuff, but not a whole lot." His interest in the salty lake grew as of Bedford's class. "It's such an icon for the state and region; it's ridiculous that he researchedfurther. "The more I looked at it, the more I haven't known anything about it that I'm learning. interesting it became," he said. "An interesting fact about the Great Judy Elsley, honors director at WSU, Salt Lake most people aren't aware of said she felt this fellowship is beneficial that comes to mind, is that the lake to students and faculty alike. "The Faculty Eccles Fellowship actually supports some of the greatest benefits students as they get a new populations of migratory birds because class, and connects faculty research of the brine shrimp population. So to the Weber community," Elsley said. if the Great Salt Lake wasn't there the "I thought Dan's research seemed so birds would have to find somewhere appropriate with our campus, living else to store up enough energy to make right on the edge of the Great Salt Lake their migration. I wish more students and not a lot of research, or even a class could learn what I'm learning about the Great Salt Lake. It's a force on all of about it." us whether we want it or not. From the The honors geography course air we breathe to the water we drink to Bedford teaches this fall takes field the animals we coexist with, the lake trips on four Saturdays in the semester affects us." to the Great Salt Lake to experience the Bedford's Great Salt Lake field trips lake first-hand. are not exclusively for students enrolled "It doesn't make sense to stay in our in the class. Anyone can attend to classroom," Bedford said. "Since this is right in our own backyard, we need to explore and learn more about the Great get out and experience it. When you're Salt Lake. For more information contact Daniel actually there, that has a much more powerful effect. I take an experience Bedford at dbedford@weber.edu. approach to teaching the class." Comment on this story at Bedford said the Friends of the Great By Alyson Robinett correspondent I The Signpost - Daniel Bedford, Geography professor (Right): Students on a field trip at Malan's Peak east of Ogden. (Below): Students in Daniel Bedford's course on a field trip at Antelope Island. SOURCE: Chrii Ek-nlley wsusignpost. com. 'Fresh Brain' opportunities Non-profit venture is aimed at getting students involved with technology "It didn't quite hit me until my kids were older and I was watching the education they were getting," Ferrario said. "They Dale Ferrario is the president of'Fresh were getting a great traditional education, Brain,1 a non-profit venture aimed at but I think kids are learning different, they getting teenagers involved in creative are interacting different." thinking and new idea development. So that is when Ferrario decided to "I have a bunch of things on my create "Fresh Brain." bucket list," Ferrario said. "One of those 'Fresh Brain' provides teenagers ages things is to somehow work with kids, 13 to 18 opportunities to create graphic and to combine together my passion for design, videos and movies, software technology with education." development, video and computer Ferrario earned his MBA degree games, music, and web development all from Santa Clara University and his in a social networking and development undergraduate degree from University website. Users can connect with other California Santa 'Fresh Brain1 members Barbara in computer and share ideas and science. His first "The best thing I designs. Those ideas position out of college and designs can was at AMDAHL, a learned was 'no eventually become computer systems fear;' it wasn't about companies and "Fresh company, where he Brain" gives users the developed software for what I had said, it tools to accomplish design automation. those goals. "The best thing I was about what I got Bryant lensen, learned was 'no fear;' a WSU accounting it wasn't about what I done/' senior, said he believes said; it was about what 'Fresh Brain' will be a I got done." he said. - Dale Ferrario, good tool for teenagers After working at 'Fresh Brain' president to use. AMDAHL, Ferrariowas "It sounds like it will hired to Sun be intriguing." lensen Microsystems, where said. "I feel that there he remained for 19 years. isn't much opportunity to gets your hands "One of my bosses had moved from on something to create," Jensen said. AMDAHL to Sun and he hired me into "For example Web sites, in high school an engineering and technical marketing we never really made a Web site. We went position," Ferrario said. "It was a great over HTML but didn't really get to create chance for me to learn a little about the Web site." student Brandon Dolan marketing and engineering, after a year I agrees. then felt it was time to move on, but it was "In high school we went over code, but the beginning of my network." didrti really go over the graphic design of According to Ferrario, networking is things. 'Fresh Brain' will be a good outlet one of the most important skill sets to for kids to use." have. 'Fresh Brain' is currently trying to gain "My next job came as a result of widespread use in the Utah Educational somebody I knew," Ferrario said. "Your System and in several other states. network will allow you to do things that Ferrario said he believes that once it is in nobody else ever allow you to. So build widespread use, "Fresh Brain" will create your relationships and they'll offer you new ideas and provide a safe place for the job." kids to network and further their creative While working at Sun Microsystems, palate. Ferrario noticed an opportunity to create a non-profit organization that would Comment on this story at provide teenagers the ability to create and wsusignpost.com. learn about technology. By Chase Christiansen correspondent I The Signpost PHOTO BY Catherine Mortimer| THE SICNPOST Construction workers installing Weber State University's new irrigation system in the Bell Plaza; which is one of the new green projects. WSU saves green by going green Environmental Faculty and Senate discuss helping Utah's environment By Ryan Larsen sr. business writer I The Signpost The Weber State University Faculty Senate Environmental Issues Committee held its second meeting on Oct. 8r as part of a speaker series that began earlier this semester; the topic was "Sustainability and You." Kevin Hansen, VP for Facility Management; Robin Erickson, Director of Utah Clean Cites; and Cheryl Heying, Director of the Utah Division of Air Quality shared WSU's plan for using resources more effectively and offered tips on ways everyone can help. Hansen has worked at WSU for almost six years. "I am the one responsible for the new roundabouts," he said. "The roundabouts move traffic more efficiently with less stopping, which translates to less emissions. WSU spends about $2 million on its electric bill and about $1 million on its gas. The campus has been going through some changes recently to make it more efficient and cost effective. The new chilled water plant offers a 40-percent reduction in energy consumption. Re-lighting projects all over campus have been taking place, such as the Stromberg Center which now has a 40-percent reduction in energy consumption. The Cloud area of the Dee Events Center has also recently been relit. "In the past few years, a lot of work has been done with the campus irrigation system, 75 percent of it is now automated," he said. Automation takes the human error out of the equation, allowing the lawns to be watered at the right times and for the right length. The irrigation system is cross- linked with the weather center - if the system detects rain, the sprinklers do not get turned on. The campus is utilizing the Lindquist Pond to reclaim extra water to pump into the irrigation system. Hansen also said they are in the process of selecting a firm for an energy grade audit which will generate savings. The firm will come inspect the campus and recommend changes that can be made to make it more efficient and will also put up the capital to make those changes. The firm will guarantee the savings, part of which will be collected for their fee. If WSU saves money, the firm will profit. If WSU loses money, they don't get paid. UTA will be adding more bus stops, Hansen said. He has also been approached to rewrite WSU's campus bike policy. He anticipates a more relaxed bike policy, but admitted there may have to be some dismount and See Green page 8 |