VOL.10 NO. 4      SPRING 2001

THROUGH THE YEARS

'60s

Richard K. Quisenberry PhD’61, executive director of AMTEX Partnership, has joined the board of trustees at Millikin University. Quisenberry leads a research and development collaboration between the integrated textile industry and the U.S. Department of Energy and serves on the University of Chicago board of governors for the Argonne National Laboratory. He is chair of Argonne Science and Technology Advisory Committee.

Don A. Monson BA’65 earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago and is a visiting professor of French at Kenyon College. His areas of interest include medieval French and Provençal language and literature.

Martin S. Robinette BS’65 MS’67 has received the Honors of the Association from the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association, the highest tribute this group bestows on its members. Robinette received his Ph.D. from Wayne State University, was on the faculty at the University of Wyoming, and joined the U of U faculty in speech-language pathology and audiology in 1974. He served for two years as associate dean for research and development in the College of Health. He is currently a consulting audiologist with the Mayo Clinic.

'70s

David Kikumoto BS’71 and Nanette Kikumoto ex’74 were honored by the Food Bank of the Rockies Guild at its Ninth Annual Heart of Gold Ball in Denver, Colorado, for the major role they have played in the fight against hunger. The Kikumotos have served on the food bank board of directors since 1996. David is employed by U.S. Medical, where he is chair of the board. He also chairs the board of Volunteers of America and sits on the boards of Boy Scouts of America, Cherry Creek Schools Foundations, University of Denver Health Advisory, and the Economic Club of Colorado. Nanette serves on the board of Family Homestead, is president of the Homesteaders, and is director of public affairs for the Littleton Stake of the LDS Church.

John H. Ward BS’72 MD’76, cancer physician and researcher, was named chief of the U of U Medical School Division of Oncology and medical director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute’s outpatient clinics. Ward, a professor of internal medicine at the U, was selected after an extensive national search. As chief of oncology, he is responsible for directing the care of cancer patients at the U, as well as coordinating the division’s research and student training programs.

Billie J. Jones BA’73 has received Toastmaster International’s highest honor, the Presidential Citation, for serving the organization with distinction. She was governor of District 15 of Toastmasters, 1994-95. She holds a master’s degree in library science from BYU and has served in management for both the Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County Library systems.

Charles Sorenson BA’74 is a member of the board of directors of Allina Health System in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been senior vice president of Intermountain Health Care, Salt Lake City, where he was chief medical officer, and a member of the executive, finance, and building and professional standards committees of IHC’s board of directors.

Duff Clawson BA’75 has joined KSL Television as director of brand services, bringing to this position more than 25 years of experience in advertising and promotions. While still in high school, he began writing copy for Evans Advertising. Most recently, he was president of Duff Clawson Creative Inc., where he did creative work for KSL-TV, KUTV radio, and KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado.

Greg McKenna PhD’76 received the 2000 SPE Research Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. One of the foremost polymer scientists in the world, McKenna holds the John R. Bradford Chair in Engineering at Texas Tech University. He plans to establish a fund to recognize excellence in polymer research by a doctoral student.

Paul Weider BS’78 was one of four chemists and chemical engineers to be honored by Shell Chemical Co. of Houston, Texas, with the American Chemical Society Award for Team Innovation for bringing a new carpet and textile fiber to market in just three years.

David L. Clark BSPh’78 MBA’85 of Tualatin, Oregon, has joined Regence BlueCross Blue-Shield of Oregon as vice president of pharmacy benefits. Clark is responsible for coordination of pharmacy activities, including pharmacy claims management, pharmacy network management, and pharmacy vendor contracts and relations. He was director of pharmacy services at Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, and taught pharmacology at BYU’s College of Nursing.

Kent M. Bowman BA’78 MA’79 has been appointed managing partner of Arthur Andersen & Co. at its Salt Lake City office. Bowman has had significant experience in assisting companies with initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, obtaining financing, strengthening internal controls, and increasing operational performance. He will oversee Arthur Andersen’s full complement of service lines. AM

Kevin J. Lewis BA’78 BS’78 BS’81 is the new president of Case, Lowe & Hart architectural and engineering firm. Lewis was senior vice president for 15 years. His new responsibilities include providing oversight and direction to the organization as it expands globally and seeks new business opportunities.

Rafika Merini BA’78 MA’81, who earned her Ph.D. in comparative literature at Binghamton University in New York, recently had a book published, Two Major Francophone Women Writers, Assia Djébar and Leïla Sebba. Merini is credited with conceiving, developing, and securing grants for the Trois-Pistoles French Immersion Program at SUCB/ University of Western Ontario, which she directed in 1995. She is currently associate professor of French at the State University College at Buffalo, where, for six years, she coordinated the Women’s Studies Interdisciplinary Unit. AM

'80s

Shane V. Robison BS’80 MS’83 has been named senior vice president and chief technology officer of Compaq Computer Corporation. Robison previously served as president of Internet Technology and Development within AT&T laboratories and was responsible for architecture, planning, and development of all AT&T Internet services. Robison also serves on several boards, including that of Alchemy Semiconductor and Lutris Technologies.

Blaine D. Leonard BS’81 MS’87 was recently installed as District 11 director of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Seattle, Washington. Leonard will serve a three-year term, representing civil engineers in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

William Sands MS’85 PhD’87, who taught in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the U, has been appointed chair of the kinesiology department at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Sands has served as director of research and development for USA Gymnastics, director of research for the Majilis Sukan Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and chair of exercise physiology for United States Diving.

H. Douglas Owens BA’86 is a new share-holder at Parsons Behle & Latimer. As a member of the firm’s environmental department, Owens focuses on litigation in environmental law, natural resources, employment, and commercial and white-collar crime. He graduated from Yale University Law School in 1986.

'90s

D. James Morgan BA’88 JD’91, with the law firm of Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough PC, was recently named chair of the Utah State Bar’s Labor and Employment Section. Morgan’s practice focuses on employment/labor relations and commercial litigation.

Jana C. Kettering BS’90 has been named public information officer in the Office of the Executive Director, Utah Department of Health. Kettering is responsible for media relations and internal communication, and oversees strategic marketing, public awareness campaigns/ contracts, and the department Web site.

Julie Cisz BS’94 BS’94,a Menninger clinical social worker since 1995, has been appointed to the prestigious John H. Scudder Supervisorship in the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry & Mental Health Sciences in Topeka, Kansas. Cisz is also a research associate for the Menninger Child & Family Center and recently received the Arthur Mandelbaum Distinguished Educator Award.

Kyle D. Malone BMUS’94 earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in music theory and composition and became assistant director of jazz studies in 1999. One of his responsibilities is to direct the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, which provides three days of music in an educational and entertaining atmosphere, while bringing together guest artists, clinicians, and over 6,000 college, high school, and junior high participants

Jason Thatcher BA’94 and Rafael Lara BS’96 MPRA’97 have been awarded Minority '80s '90s Doctoral Scholarships by the KPMG Foundation.

Amy Jo Richins Oliver BS’95, a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School in June 2000, will work for the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C. Dan Reisner MPA’95 earned a bronze medal for innovation in freight management from the National Association of State Procurement Officials. AM

Connie Hill BA’96 has been named communication/ member services director for the Utah Association of Realtors. Hill was most recently community relations representative for the I-15 reconstruction project. Prior to that she was an account coordinator at Bremer Public Relations.

Nathan Aaron Murdock BA’96 graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in June 2000. He will clerk for the Honorable Stephen Anderson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit before joining Latham & Watkins in Washington, D.C.

Jason S. Nichols BA’96 has joined Parsons Behle & Latimer law firm where he will concentrate his practice on real estate and corporate law. Nichols graduated magna cum laude from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU, where he was a member of the Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif.

Andrea Bair BS’96 was awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bronze Medal for outstanding contributions to the National Weather Service hydrology program. Bair received the award for her exceptional work on the development of the Western Region Hydrologic Program Manager’s Reference Guide, which will benefit the NWS’s efforts to run high-quality warning and forecast programs.

Gordon E. Limb MSW’97 has been appointed lecturer and assistant director of the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies, School of Social Work, at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Limb has focused his research and teaching on American Indian research, child welfare, and deviance and social work education. He previously served as a research associate at the California Social Work Education Center. He also worked with adolescents in a wilderness survival program, at a social service agency, as a clinical social worker, and as a community college counselor.

Danielle Oser BA’97 led the O’Connor & Partners team in helping to create and execute a communications campaign for the state of Missouri entitled, “Are You OK With Y2K?” The team won the national Silver Anvil, awarded annually by the Public Relations Society of America.

Mark Lee Smith BS’97 graduated from Harvard Law School in June 2000. He will work for the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell in Los Angeles.

Jennifer Nicholas BA’99 has been awarded a James Madison Fellowship by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation of Washington, D.C., in its ninth annual competition. The fellowship will fund up to $24,000 of Nicholas’ course of study toward a master’s degree.

Aimee Jones BA’99 has joined Wilkinson Ferrari & Co., a Salt Lake City-based public relations and marketing communications firm, as an account coordinator. Jones will be involved with the project management of the company’s accounts, including the Utah Arts Festival, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, and the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare.

'00s

A.J. Busch BS’00, a former member of the U football team, has joined the Salt Lake office of Intermountain Financial Group/Mass Mutual as a financial services representative. Prior to joining IFG, Busch owned a small business.

LM: Life Member - AM: Annual Member

Continuum Home Page - University of Utah Home Page - Alumni Association Home Page
Questions, Comments - Table of Contents

Copyright 2001 by The University of Utah Alumni Association

Craig N. Canning BA’65, associate professor of history at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, is spending the 2000-01 academic year on a Fulbright grant as director of research and development in the Hong Kong-America Center and as a visiting scholar in the Department of History at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A specialist in modern Chinese history and Sino-Japanese relations, Canning traveled frequently to China and East Asia to study the languages and to conduct research for his master’s and doctoral degrees, which he received from Stanford University. At William and Mary he has taught a broad array of courses on East Asian civilization and modern Chinese and Japanese history and literature. On six occasions he has served as scholar-escort of the Fulbright Seminar on Chinese History and Culture, a U.S. Department of Education summer program in China designed for American educators. He has also led several Smithsonian Institution study tours of China and served as resident director of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) program for American students at Nanjing University in 1983-84. On this most recent extended visit, Canning is joined by his wife and daughter. “We feel fortunate to be able to witness firsthand Hong Kong’s historic transition from colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty under the ‘one country, two systems’ policy that began in 1997,” he comments. “The good news is that despite ups and downs, Hong Kong seems to be holding its own.”