Blue Light Honors Outstanding Achievements

To demonstrate pride in the many accomplishments of Utah State University faculty, staff and students, the Aggie Blue Pride Light was turned on Monday, Aug. 2, and the Carillon Bells rang at 1:05 p.m. in the afternoon. Every four months the university designates a Blue Pride Light Night to recognize individuals for their outstanding achievements.

Honorees this quarter are Dennis Hinkamp, public relations specialist for Utah State Extension and continuing education; Vladimir Kulyukin, assistant professor of computer science; Mary Leavitt, director of the Science/HASS Advising Center; Jana Kay Lunstad, advisor with Utah State's University Advising and Transfer Student Service Center and previous advisor to the department of English; and Susie Maughan, academic advisor for the Elementary Education Advisement Center.

Hinkamp received the Silver Medal for promotional writing at the Association for Communication Excellence's international meeting in Lake Tahoe, Nev. During the conference he was part of an expert panel on Measuring Impact in the Western States and was a co-presenter of a workshop Adventures in Convergence. Hinkamp's Utah State University County-by-County Extension project has been used as one of Utah State's legislative lobbying publications for the last six years and highlights the university's research, alumni and students in Utah's 29 counties.

Kulyukin received a National Science Foundation Career award totaling nearly $500,000. His research, Assisted Navigation in Dynamic and Complex Environments, is designed to develop and test technologies that may help visually impaired people navigate in unfamiliar environments, such as airports, office buildings and university campuses. The research will contribute to project SANDEE, a wireless assisted navigation system for the visually impaired that he has been working on with computer science students for the Utah State Center for Persons with Disabilities and the department of psychology. The NSF CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career development activities of teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.

Leavitt, Lunstad and Maughan all received awards from the National Academic Advising Association National Awards Program. The association will present Leavitt the Outstanding Advising Award as well as the Gail Rola Memorial Award for working with students in Utah State's Science/HASS Advising Center at the group's national conference in October in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lunstad will receive the Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit for her work with students in the department of English and Maughan leaves with the Outstanding New Advisor Certificate of Merit for her work in the Elementary Education Advisement Center. NACADA has more than 7,200 members consisting of faculty, professional advisors, administrators, counselors and others in academic and student affairs concerned with the intellectual, personal and vocational needs of students.

The Aggie Blue Pride Light atop Old Main lights the Cache Valley night sky as a symbol of Aggie tradition, heritage and pride. The outstanding professors, staff and students honored are a part of this heritage and contribute to the high quality of Utah State.