CRUSHED BONES REVEAL DINO STOMPING GROUNDS

Imagine the gruesome sound of bones snapping as a thirsty, 30-ton dinosaur tramples a heap of fresh carcasses on his way to a rapidly shrinking lake. That’s the scene revealed by a painstaking analysis of thousands of bones unearthed near Moab, Utah by geologists from BYU.

Classical 89

Utah Chamber Artists

For almost two decades the Utah Chamber Artists have brought together vocalists and instrumentalists to perform the world’s finest music with craftsmanship, artistry, and integrity. They perform selections from all eras—Renaissance to contemporary—to offer a unique musical experience to their audience. Classical 89 is pleased to put the spotlight on this ensemble during the month of November. Join us for choral and orchestral performances recorded during the 2008–09 season.

KBYU-TV (Utah’s Channel 11)

Economic Cents

Tune in to KBYU Eleven on Friday nights for Economic Cents, a program to help you improve your financial literacy in trying economic times. The program focuses on resources that are available to Utah families. Take advantage of the opportunity to call live and have your questions answered by financial experts.

Special Broadcasts

BYU Forum: Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson, author of the New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea and founder of the Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace, spoke on “Fighting for Peace through Education” at a BYU Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 27. This forum will be rebroadcast Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. on BYU Television.

BYU Studies

BYU Studies Sponsors Personal Essay and Poetry Contests

BYU Studies invites aspiring essayists and poets to enter its annual personal essay and poetry contests. Contests are open to BYU graduate students, BYU graduates, and BYU Studies subscribers. Contest winners will be invited to present their essays or poetry at a two-day BYU Studies symposium in March 2010, which will close the publication’s 50th-anniversary celebration.

Cash prizes will be awarded for winning entries, which may also be published in the BYU Studies journal. The deadline for both contests is Dec. 31, 2009. Personal essays must not exceed 3,000 words. Poems should generally not exceed 35 lines. Each entrant may submit up to three essays and three poems. Contest details and submission instructions are available at byustudies.byu.edu.

General College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences News

BYU Show Real Families Nominated for Rocky Mountain Emmy

The research-based reality show produced by BYU, Real Families, Real Answers, has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Emmy. The show invites viewers into the homes of families facing the challenges of marriage, toddlers, teens, blended families, time, money, and more.

Sponsored by the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences, Real Families, Real Answers airs on BYU Television and KBYU–TV. Each episode is organized around topics studied by scholars from BYU and other universities, including the University of North Carolina, University of Minnesota, and the University of California-Davis. The parenting segment alone draws insights from nine published studies conducted by researchers at BYU, which has the largest faculty of family scholars in the country.

“The idea is to weave principles for success with the stories of real families and the way they actually live and work,” said Steve Duncan, a professor in BYU’s School of Family Life and the director of content development for the show.

General College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences News

Senator Shares BYU, Life experiences

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, an honored alumnus at Homecoming 2009, told students that his experiences at BYU became the underpinnings for everything he has accomplished.

It was at BYU that he met his wife Elaine in an astronomy class, strengthened his testimony and decided to study law, which paved the way for his future career in politics.

“This school means so much to me,” Hatch said. “You’re going to the greatest university in the world today. Take advantage of it.”

General College of Humanities News

Textual Imaging Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded BYU’s Ancient Textual Imaging Group (ATIG) $350,000 to pursue a two-year suite of projects. The grant will allow BYU researchers and scholars to collaborate with partners at the University of Michigan, Columbia University, and the University of California-Berkeley. The ATIG team will capture multi-spectral images of the partner institutions’ most intractable papyri, process the images, and make them available to scholars across the globe.

“We are thrilled that this grant enables the Ancient Textual Imaging Group to continue our multi-spectral imaging work,” said ATIG director Roger Macfarlane. “We will apply our expertise in the most engaging papyrological collections in the United States at these three institutions.”

Mathematics

Professor Michael Dorff Receives National Teaching Award

Michael Dorff, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, was honored with the 2009 Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Distinguished Teaching award.

The award honors professors of mathematics whose teaching is influential beyond their own institutions. Receiving this award is akin to being inducted into the mathematics hall of fame: only between one and three professors are chosen each year for this national honor.

Along with the award, Professor Dorff received $1,000. He will also speak on his teaching techniques at the 2010 MAA Joint Meetings in San Francisco.

With funding from the National Science Foundation, Professor Dorff has established two research programs at BYU for undergraduates: the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics, which he directs, and the Mathematics Research Experience for Undergraduates, which he codirects.

Mathematics

Professor Doud to Receive Distinguished Teaching Award

The Department of Mathematics will award Professor Darrin Doud the fifth annual Distinguished Teaching Award at 4 p.m. on Nov. 12 in room 1170 of the Talmage Building. Following the award, Professor Doud will deliver a public lecture: “A Brief Introduction to Coding Theory.” A reception will be hosted prior to the lecture at 3:30 p.m. in the hallway adjacent to the lecture room.

The Distinguished Teaching Award for the BYU Department of Mathematics was established by a gift from Carolyn Savage Wright and the Kenneth C. Savage Foundation as a tribute to the many dedicated teachers in the BYU Department of Mathematics. With this year’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the recipient receives a $1,000 stipend and possession—for one year—of the sculpture, Wildlife. The sculpture is a solid bronze wild sphere crafted by a former faculty member, Helaman Ferguson.

Mathematics Education

Publications by Mathematics Education Professors

The following mathematics education professors have had their research published recently:

Janet Guymon Walter coauthored “Understanding the complexities of student motivations in mathematics learning,” which was published in the Journal of Mathematical Behavior.

Scott Hendrickson, Sterling Hilton, and Damon Bahr coauthored “Using the Comprehensive Mathematics Instruction framework to analyze a mathematics teaching episode,” which was published in Utah Mathematics Teacher.

Douglas Corey wrote “Trends of mathematics achievement in Utah,” which was published in Utah Mathematics Teacher.

Creative Works

Live and Kicking

The BYU Men’s Chorus goes live with this spectacular collection of hoopla designed to show off the lighter and most-entertaining side of this beloved ensemble. Recorded in live performance, and thus capturing much of their famed spontaneity, this compilation features many audience favorites, such as “Marry a Woman Uglier Than You,” “The Goslings,” and “The Cougar Fight Song.”

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

International Education Week

Immerse yourself in global issues, raise your awareness of international cultures, and discover what international opportunities may await you during International Education Week, Nov. 16–20.

Watch for more information as International Education Week approaches.

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

November Events

November is a busy month at the Kennedy Center, which will host C. Randall Paul, founder and president of Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy; “Berlin,” a symposium marking the anniversary of the wall coming down; and the annual Asael E. and Maydell C. Palmer Lecture, which will feature guest speaker A. Anne McLellan, former deputy prime minister of Canada.

Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling

Setting Our CITES on a New Structure

With the goals of reaching out to the community and increasing the extent and efficacy of education research, the Center for Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling is undergoing a structural renovation.

Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling

Innovative Intervention Helps Social and Emotional Learning in Second-Grade Students

Using an innovative intervention, McKay School researchers have made significant improvements in the social and emotional well-being of at-risk children while helping to prevent the same problems in these students’ peers.

Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Inspiring Students to Obtain Higher Education

Motivating youth to prepare for college is a challenge, especially when students lack role models who have completed high school or obtained higher education. In a survey of Hispanic students from local schools, Betty Ashbaker, an associate professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, found that, on average, the highest completed grade levels among Hispanic parents is 10th grade for mothers and 11th grade for fathers.

Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Michelle Marchant Selected as Special Education Coordinator

Michelle Marchant of the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education has been selected to serve as the department’s special education coordinator.

Department of Communication Disorders

Professor McPherson Presents Abroad on the Benefits of Cochlear Implants

Despite the challenge of having to learn to hear in a new electronic way, children with hearing loss who receive a cochlear implant do better than those who use traditional hearing-assistance devices. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome.

Educational Leadership and Foundations

Multiplying Students’ Mathematic Understanding

Are students in elementary schools being taught simply how to pass math tests, or do they truly understand mathematical concepts? This question was the focus of a McKay School seminar presented by Sterling Hilton, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations.

General David O. McKay School of Education News

Educator Preparation Program Receives TEAC Accreditation

The Teacher Education Accreditation Council granted BYU’s Educator Preparation Program accreditation with no stipulations or weaknesses.

Instructional Psychology and Technology

MSE Study Shares Insights to Improve Teaching

Teaching improvement doesn’t have to come at the expense of family, hobbies, or health, says Whitney McGowan, a doctoral student in the Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology.

Teacher Education

Professors Research Implications of Food Stress on the Family

Since 1998 assistant professor of teacher education Erin Whiting and associate professor of sociology Carol Ward have been traveling together to a Native American reservation in Southeastern Montana to conduct research on poverty and food security. They are about to publish their fifth paper on this research.

Teacher Education

Improving The Learning Experience Through Study Guides

Roni Jo Draper, associate professor and graduate coordinator for the Department of Teacher Education, participated in a two-day faculty teaching improvement conference for the Undergraduate Education Academy. Her presentation centered on improving the effectiveness of course study guides. Many study guides are too easy, she says, allowing students to effortlessly breeze through material that should otherwise be helping them obtain a more well-rounded understanding of the subject.

Harold B. Lee Library

Psychology Professor to Speak at Alice Louise Reynolds Women in Scholarship Lecture

The Harold B. Lee’s Library annual Alice Louise Reynolds Women in Scholarship Lecture will be presented this year by Ramona Hopkins, chair of the Psychology Department and professor of psychology and neuroscience. The lecture will be held Nov. 12 at 2 pm in the Harold B. Library auditorium on the BYU campus. Hopkins’ presentation, “I Just Can’t Think Straight: Critical Illness and Why the Brain Matters,” is a reflection on the tragic psychiatric effects that can surface following a critical illness.

“In the United States alone, 55,000 patients are hospitalized in intensive care units each day,” Hopkins says. “The incidence of neurological dysfunction has been underestimated, under reported and only recently studied in critically ill patients.”

General College of Engineering and Technology News

2009 Honored Alumnus Myron Jones

As part of his honored alumnus lecture, Myron Jones shared leadership principles he learned from more than 30 years of experience as a top-level executive.

Marriott School

Student Entrepreneurs Show Off Businesses at Competition

At the 2009 Student Entrepreneur of the Year Competition, where student business owners compete to win $10,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, first place went to Meter Solutions, a company that installs utility meters.

The company, run by neuroscience major Taylor Turnbull and public relations major Paul Dickson, installs meters that remotely report usage to the utility company. With low overhead and a simple business model, Dickson and Turnbull’s company has landed big contracts that should keep seven-figure revenues coming in over the next few years.

Marriott School

Marriott School Ranked Most Family Friendly—Again

The Marriott School of Management was ranked the most family friendly business school in the United States, according to the Princeton Review’s article, “The Best 301 Business Schools,” which came out last week. The Marriott School was also ranked third for most-competitive students and fifth for best professors.

Marriott School

Social Innovators Converge in Economic Self-Reliance Conference

Individuals and organizations interested in eliminating poverty worldwide will meet at BYU for the 12th annual Economic Self-Reliance Conference Nov. 5–6. BYU’s Center for Economic Self-Reliance will host the event at the BYU Conference Center. Researchers, practitioners, faculty, and university students are invited to participate.

The conference highlights the leading research and practices of social entrepreneurs that are creating positive changes both domestically and internationally. Plenary and breakout sessions will focus on the intersection of social entrepreneurship and the fields of education, engineering, and business. Featured presenters include representatives from pioneering economic development organizations such as the Grameen Foundation Technology Center, Unitus, and VisionSpring.

The Social Innovator of the Year award will also be presented to Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech, a nonprofit that focuses on creating technology for underserved communities.

Monte L. Bean Museum

November Bean Life Science Museum Activities

Saturday Safari
This is a fun and educational program that introduces kids ages 5–12 to the life sciences.
Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.–noon, $12/person

Nov. 7: Kids Down Under
Nov. 14: True Rulers of Africa
Nov. 21: Backyard Buddies
Dec. 5: Brrrr! It”s Cold Out Here!


Discovery Reading
Come hear stories about animals and nature read by a professional storyteller!
Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., free


Free! Regularly Scheduled Public Shows
The Museum offers free live animals shows nightly:

Monday: Reptiles at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Adaptations at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Utah Animals and Plants at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Ecosystems at 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Invertebrates at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Reptiles at 1 and 3 p.m.

Check out our Web site, mlbean.byu.edu, or call 422-5051 for additional information!

Performing Arts Management

The Dancers’ Company Helps Raise Money for A Park

BYU Performing Groups are used to bringing goodwill to a community. A couple of weeks ago, on their tour to Montana and Wyoming, the Dancers’ Company performed to help raise $1,000 for play equipment at a park in Glendive, Mont.

The park was constructed in memory of a young boy, Tate Beggar, affectionately know as “Tater Bug,” who passed away earlier this year from a rare form of cancer.

If you would like to see a BYU performing group in your area, please let us know.