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Show DA LY Monday, January 7, 2013 TAH CHRONICLE The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice Since 1890 www.dailyutahchronicle. Vol. 122 No. 78 ©2013 ALSO INSIDE: • Columnist argues that the Salt Lake Valley's wintery and polluted air drives people away and needs to be addressed » 6 In big matchup against Arizona, the Runnin' Utes hung tough but couldn't pull out a win » 7 Engineers take hands-on approach Carolyn Webber STAFF WRITER The U's mechanical engineering program has been nationally recognized because of its hands-on curriculum. Now other engineering departments are following suit. The seven engineering departments in the college enjoy work- ing together and bouncing around ideas to see how courses can be improved, said Cindy Furse, professor and associate vice president in electrical and computer engineering. Her classes have come a long way since changes were introduced in 2004, when the National Science Foundation gave the department a $i million grant to focus classes on design concepts and experiential learning. They have flipped the classroom so students watch video lectures before class and then use class time to do homework and hands-on projects. This new style of lecturing has spread in the department from a single class to many, and chemical engineering is beginning to make changes as well. "Freshmen come in and are excited about engineering so we want to tap that excitement," said Tony Butterfield, a professor in the department. "Also, it is a natural place to put a launching platform for the See ENGINEERING Page 3 U cheapest in Pac-12 PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF UTAH Pershing elected to National Academy of Inventors The University of Utah boasts the che tuition out of all Pac-12 schools. Excluding fees, tuition for 13 credits t osts $5,800 per year, whereas the averaleir gt*qn for-PAC= 12 schools is $14,000 annually. Arizona and Wahin n 1-11a\ the median tuition costs at $9,200 and $9,400, res.: ively. UCLA is the most expensivellat $42,200. Marjorie Clark NEWS EDITOR JF President David Pershing, among three other U professors, has been elected as a charter fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. The academy works to bring recognition to inventors who have patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, increase the visibility of university research and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor students, and encourage the development of inventions that benefit society, according to the National Academy of Inventors' website. Other U professors elected as new charter fellows are Stephen Jacobsen, professor of mechanical engineering; Thomas Parks, vice president for research and professor neurobiology and anatomy; and Sung Wan Kim, professor of pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry. Pershing was a professor of chemical engineering before becoming president of the U. The new members include 98 professors and researchers from 54 universities and nonprofit organizations and will be inducted when the academy hold its annual conference in February. m.clark@ chronicle.utah.edu F Arizona $9,200 Utah $5,800 Washington $9,400 AFFORDABLE BY COMPARISON The U's tuition costs sit more than $8,000 below the average per 13 credits in the Pac-12 DJ Summers STAFF WRITER The U's induction to the prestigious Pac-12 athletic conference set the school against many of the nation's long-established flagships of academic excellence. Despite apprehension that merely rubbing elbows with Stanford will result in Stanford-level debt, the U remains at the lowest end of the Pac-12's av- erage tuition rates. Much has been made of the rising costs of education and the daunting debt college students face in the United States. The U, once a beacon of affordability in a state whose economy ranks highly by most analysts, has expanded tuition rates at a record pace in light of stagnate state funding. In the past io years, U tuition and fees have doubled. New cages provide for more secure bike parking Ainsley Young STAFF WRITER After being named a bicycle-friendly campus by the League of American Bicyclists, plans have been made to increase accessibility for cyclists and encourage students, faculty and staff to bike to the U more often. A budget provided by Commuter Services provided nearly $20,000 for the planning and construction of new bike cages on the west side of the BUC business building. These two cages provide a safe, covered place to store bicycles for those registered to use it. These cages feature racks similar to the racks on the ground, only they will hang on the wall. Each wall will hold eight to 10 bikes, with the cage holding 16 to 20 total. The door to the cages is only accessible to those who have registered their UCard. See BIKE CAGES Page 3 UCLA $42,200 Average $14,000 Compared to other Pac-12 schools, however, the U's rates remain low. According to the figures listed in the Peterson's college guide, the average full-time (13-credit) tuition per year without fees for schools in the Pac-12 conference is $14,000. At $5,800, the U is actually the least expensive school in the conference. "Our in-state [resident] tuition rates are indeed the least expensive in the Pac-12," said U president David Pershing. "While we have had to raise tuition during the Great Recession due to state budget cuts, our increases over the past five years have also been among the lowest in the Pac-12." Among the most expensive schools are Stanford and USC, topping the list at $40,500 and $42,200 a year, respectively. Although private schools have higher expenses than public schools, the U has had better success keeping costs lower than the Pac-12 public counterparts as well — even when taking state budgets into consideration. "We would have to increase our See TUITION Page 5 Campus clubs cater to students' needs Anne Plummer STAFF WRITER Campus clubs offer an outlet for students, allowing them a comfortable setting for exerting themselves in ping-pong tournaments or even discussing their religious views. Jake Brandenburg, a first-year medical student and president of the Ping-Pong Champion Series club, came to the U during the 2011 Fall Semester and roomed with Daniel Hall, a graduate in history and a "huge ping-ponger." Hall got him interested in the sport, and soon enough they were playing every day. During his classes in medical school, Brandenburg noticed a lot of medical students enjoyed ping-pong and began creating their own competitions and tournaments. The group of students began developing rankings to help others improve their ping-pong skills. However, there were no ping-pong balls in the Health Sciences Education Building and the paddles and tables available were in poor condition. "People started buying their own paddles and balls with their loan money, so I thought there had to be a better way," Brandenburg said. Brandenburg and his friends started the club in October 2012 and were approved to receive funding to purchase new equipment. They meet in the lounge of the Health Sciences Education Building and now have about 20 members. Other clubs began with students who had a hobby and wanted a group of their own at the U. The mountain biking club, Huckin' the U, first started with Wes Williams, a senior in biology, who started mountain biking as a teenager. "I think the thing that drew me toward mountain biking the most was the smile stuck on my face after every ride — the constant adventure, the great people that I met along the way and, of course, the adrenaline," Williams said. When Williams came to the U, he said he couldn't find a mountain biking community or those who were "enduranceoriented." In 2011, he and his roommate created the club. Since then, they've held activities such as bike rides in the mountains and jump sessions at dirt jump See CLUBS Page 5 • ., 7.• 0, ( . ;# .1 4 V' I -. 42111r , • 4 • ■ 44. -44 J1 PHOTO COURTESY WES WILLIAMS Zephyr Glass, a senior in accounting, rides with Huckin' the U, the U's mountain bike club. |
