Latest news with #WeberStateUniversity
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Korman learning on the links
It's been a year of improvements for Cala Korman. The golfer out of Killarney is back in Manitoba after completing her sophomore NCAA Division I season at Weber State University in Utah — and she's come in hot to kick off the 2025 Golf Manitoba championship season. It will be more of a quiet summer tournament-wise for Korman now that she's home, especially compared to her second year with the Weber State team, where she posted the second-best stroke average on the squad at 73.85 across 10 tournaments. She improved nearly two strokes from her freshman average of 75.44, placing in the top five twice and finishing in the top 10 in four events. One of those top-five performances was at the Fresno State Classic in March, where Korman set a program record with a 6-under-par 66 in the final round. She finished the tournament at 1-under 215, earning a fourth-place finish. GOLF MANITOBA PHOTO Cala Korman earned a bye to the quarterfinals of the Golf Manitoba Match Play Championships. 'My season in the spring was really good and I had a solid fall season,' said Korman. 'Overall, it's just fun being with the team and I did improve.' She ended the year by being named, along with two of her teammates, to the 2025 All-Big Sky Conference Second Team, going on to compete at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Arizona April 14–16 and helping the Wildcats secure a second-place finish, the best result for Weber State women's golf since 2001. 'I've gotten way more experience, and knowing that I have more tournaments to play and more opportunities helps lots,' said Korman. 'Just way less pressure, knowing that I'll have more chances and my seasons longer, it helps so much with the mental side.' Now, Korman is taking on the Golf Manitoba Match Play Championships, which are being held at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club this weekend. It's a tournament she has yet to win, but the young golfer is in a strong position after qualifying as the top seed with a 3-under par 68, one stroke clear of Niakwa's Jeri Lafleche. Korman, along with Lafleche and Clara Peake of Minnedosa, thanks to their qualifying placements, all earned automatic byes to the quarterfinals, which are set to go Saturday. 'I don't think there's one thing I'm fully focused on,' said Korman. 'I think if I just continue to stay patient and go for greens, fairways, and then two-putt.' Korman will play Hannah Diamond of St. Charles, who defeated Camryn Thomas on Day 1 of the tournament for the women on Friday. Another player to watch is Addison Kartusch of St. Charles, who is used to dominating the match play championships. Kartusch is looking for her third title in a row and fourth in the last five years. Coming off her freshman year at Bowling Green State University, Kartusch advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday, where she will face India Young. Lafleche is set to take on Charmaine Hayden of Breezy Bend, while Peake will play Jewel Lafleche, Jeri's sister and also of Niakwa. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'It's always fun coming back and just talking about our winters,' said Korman. 'This year, hearing about (Addison's) first year, and Jeri going to her school and Clara at her school. It's all fun to just reconnect and hear everything we missed.' Over on the men's side of things, a new champion will be crowned, as the 2024 winner, Marco Trstenjak of the host course, made it to the big leagues after turning pro this past winter. The quarterfinals, which tee off Saturday, will see No. 1 seed Evan Nachtigall of Shilo face Liam Comaskey of Pine Ridge, Niakwa's Michael Tanchak take on Grady Chuback of St. Charles, Jordy Lutz of Elmhurst play Lyle MacKenzie of Niakwa, and David Spurr of Elmhurst go up against fellow host-course member Kaleb Lambert. In the senior men's division, Rossmere's Rob Oliphant, the No. 1 seed, is playing David Powell of Elmhurst, Carl Lechman of Elmhurst is playing Blair Neal of Rossmere, Cornell Ruddock of Southwood faces Brad Moore of Pine Ridge, and Niakwa's Jay Doyle will meet Jason Groshak of Elmhurst.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'This was water' art exhibit presents Utah without Great Salt Lake
OGDEN, Utah () — A new interactive art exhibit about the environmental crisis around the Great Salt Lake by local artists Kellie Bornhoft and Carey Campbell is opening in Dumke Arts Plaza in Ogden. In a press release, Campbell described the piece as imagining a 'not-so-distant future in which we will look out over a dry lakebed and tell our children of the thriving habitat that once was, perhaps telling them, 'This was water.'' The sculptures are modeled after gypsum crystals, or 'dirty diamonds,' that form in the lakebed as the water levels go down, according to the artists. Bornhoft described them as 'little tombstones that poke up, these really beautiful artifacts of loss.' Related–Great Salt Lake: A Story of Hope According to the description of the piece on the website: 'These beautiful artifacts foretell dire consequences. Toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury also rest in the lakebed. As the lake continues to lose water, we risk the toxins becoming airborne and poisoning all living beings in proximity to the lake.' The Great Salt Lake is facing a crisis. It is shrinking, and as it dries up, it Why Utah's wetlands around the Great Salt Lake may matter more than you think The sculptures use lidar (light detection and ranging) technology on, which responds to people as they come closer to each sculpture rock mound, flickering lights and playing audio from speakers. According to the artists, the interactive installation 'invites reflection upon our relationship with this fascinating and fragile inland sea.' The installation was built with the help of Weber State University students, and it was funded by WSU's . Bornhoft and Campbell are faculty members at Weber State University. The interactive and immersive art exhibit is free to the public and runs May 16 through April 30. There will be special live performances on May 16, September 5, and November 7 at 6p.m. For more information, visit the website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No more ethnic, women and gender studies at WSU as state-mandated budget cuts start
Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. (Photo by) The legislative-mandated search for efficiency in Utah universities is already changing how campuses are conducting work and the faces in their staff and faculty rosters. The budget cuts have also led one institution to part ways with programs that have lately been controversial in academia, including ethnic studies, women and gender studies, and queer studies. Gearing up for a May deadline to present 'strategic reinvestment' plans, Weber State University shared in a town hall on Monday with faculty and staff a preliminary path to cut the necessary $6.6 million to comply with HB265, a recent law requiring Utah universities to cut 10% of their instructional budget to later invest in other high-demand areas. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Weber State plans are still unofficial, but are contemplating terminating 11 administrative positions, 10 staff roles, and 28 faculty in addition to closing its West Center, which offered testing services, tutoring and computer labs. The plans also entail eliminating 89 courses to save about $285,000. With tight deadline, Utah universities scramble to cut 10% of budget for courses Early on, when HB265 was just a proposal, Weber State University president Brad Mortensen formed a committee to develop quantitative and qualitative criteria to assess programs, Bryan Magaña, a spokesperson for the institution, said on Tuesday. 'Data sets looked at a variety of factors: number of majors, number of graduates, retention outcomes, faculty-to-student ratio, median income of graduates in each field, projected job growth in each field, and much more,' Magaña wrote in an email. Majors to be eliminated include different language programs, like French, German, and a professional and technical emphasis of the school's bachelor in English. Also some science programs will be cut, according to the plans, including applied environmental geosciences, applied physics and mathematics. There are also seven certificates that may be discontinued, including biotechnician, ethics, facilities management, jazz studies and music entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, eight minors are set to be eliminated — ethnic studies, French for the professions, German for the professions, linguistics, public administration, queer studies, Spanish for the professions, and women and gender studies. The ultimate decision is up to the university president, Magaña said. 'However, he sought insight and worked closely with the deans of each college, who looked at their own efficiencies and assessed programs based on the detailed models provided by the HB 265 Committee.' Some other majors and departments are to be consolidated — the school is planning on having six economics majors instead of four, combining the elementary education and special education programs. Utah is planning on cutting inefficient college programs — some Republicans are not fully on board Weber State is also creating three secondary teaching majors to consolidate what were previously 31 separate programs — the new secondary science education major would encompass physics, chemistry, physical science, biology composite and Earth science teaching programs; a new social science composite education major would consolidate political science, sociology, geography, psychology and history teaching; and the new world languages education major would include French, German and Spanish teaching. According to the presentation, the funds cut in this effort may later be used to partner with technical colleges, collaborate in academic programs 'that respond to workforce and societal needs,' develop new credential programs, and create additional systems to increase online course offerings. Also, to hire new faculty for 'high-yield' programs and other student success initiatives. Utah State University has to make a reallocation plan for $12.6 million of its budget for courses, a task the institution has been aggressively pursuing. The university declined to speak about the cuts until the plans are final. However, on a strategic reinvestment website, the institution made a list of the first 14 programs that may be affected in the reallocation process. Most of the programs on the list are part of the university's EEJ College of Education and Human Services, including programs on ASL interpretation or teaching programs, as well as community and public health, family life studies, rehabilitation transition, and psychology data science and research methodology. Other programs include environmental engineering, theater, national environmental policy act and agriculture communication. 'Decisions to discontinue educational activities have been based on an iterative, data-informed process with specific focus on the criteria in HB 265, contextual information offered through the deans and USU community feedback, and USU's anticipated strategic direction for reinvestment,' the website reads. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens of international University of Utah students had visas revoked
President's Circle on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Amid a nationwide wave of student visa cancellations, 18 University of Utah international students and recent graduates had their visas revoked and their records from a federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System terminated, many without notice. It's a staggering number, if compared to other high-profile campuses, like Columbia University, which has been aggressively targeted by the Trump Administration for their big pro-Palestine protests, and has reported the termination of four student visas. The Utah revocations may have also come as a surprise to the U. students, since none of them were flagged for participating in protests, a University of Utah spokesperson said. The stated reasons, according to the University, 'include 'failure to maintain nonimmigrant status' and/or criminal record check.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Other public university students across the state have also been affected by the recent cancellations, The Salt Lake Tribune first reported. The Department of Homeland Security terminated the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of five Weber State University students. SEVIS is a DHS program that contains and oversees the essential information of students with different types of student visas, in addition to other work programs for recent graduates. It's still unclear whether the termination of those records means the visas are revoked, a Weber State University spokesperson said. The Utah System of Higher Education declined to comment on the students' issues with their academic permits. At Utah Tech, nine students had their I-20s canceled, a public information officer said. That's a document issued by schools that certifies a student's eligibility to study in the country. At Salt Lake Community College, three students had their visas revoked; at Snow College, two students were impacted; and three Utah Valley University students were also affected, spokespeople for the institutions said on Wednesday. While Utah State University students have been affected, the school declined to provide exact numbers to protect the students' privacy. Most higher education institutions haven't released much information on the circumstances surrounding the terminations, since cases are still recent and uncertain. However, Utah's flagship university had some more details as of Wednesday morning. Approximately half of the students are from China, a spokesperson said in an email. The other half are from several countries including India and some Middle Eastern countries. Similar actions from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State are routine, the spokesperson said. 'Over the course of any school year, international students may have their visas revoked or SEVIS records terminated as the result of an arrest or being charged with criminal activity,' the spokesperson said. Those activities may include domestic violence allegations or driving under the influence. Utah News Dispatch hasn't been able to obtain additional details about the affected students. However, according to the Tribune, most of them don't have criminal records while some have had received traffic infractions. But, what's new is that SEVIS records are being terminated without any notification to the university or students. Many institutions have noticed the cancellations in routine checks of the system to verify students' status. 'As a public institution of higher education, the University of Utah follows state and federal law. We are currently in a period of enhanced immigration enforcement,' the spokesperson said. 'We are sharing guidance with our international students and scholars about the ways they can stay in good standing and maintain their visa status.' In an email sent to international students, the U. advised to take proactive steps to preserve their visa status. 'While there have been no changes to immigration laws at this time, it is important to note that modifications can occur with little notice,' the university's International Students and Scholar Services office wrote. Other instructions also include avoiding nonessential international travel, maintaining full-time enrollment or, for recent graduates, employment; following all laws 'including those related to alcohol, drug use, driving, and participation in public gatherings,' and keeping all immigration documents valid and readily accessible. 'It is recommended that you carry copies of your I-94 record, visa documentation, or passport stamps that demonstrate your lawful status,' the email reads. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Weber State bets big on hypersonic research with MARS center upgrades
When driving through Clearfield on I-15, commuters may have noticed the orange USTAR Innovation Center building at Falcon Hill has received a purple Weber State University facelift. Orange is still very much a part of the building's focus — now it's just the orange glow of materials approaching the temperature of the sun as they hurtle through the air at hypersonic speeds, instead of the building's exterior color. The Miller Advanced Research and Solutions Center, or MARS Center, aims to become an advanced manufacturing and research facility for extremely specialized materials. The field of hypersonics – objects traveling at least five times faster than the speed of sound — requires composites that can withstand temperatures of around 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit. "These material systems that we're talking about are really hard to make, and they're very challenging. They're a bottleneck in our ability to secure a lot of the defense assets that we have," said Dr. Benjamin Garcia, the director of the center. He already has millions of dollars in grants lined up for research. Garcia hosted an open house for elected officials, industry partners, academics and the media last week to celebrate the "pretty remarkable journey" since the center's opening in 2022 and to look toward the building's future. Inside the 20,000-square-foot facility, donated to Weber State University by the state of Utah, students and researchers worked with giant 3D printers and high-end testing equipment, pulling and heating and breaking products to understand their physical properties. A robotic arm wrapped ribbons of carbon fiber around a large plastic nose cone, manufactured in-house. Tape marked areas where huge furnaces, some of which can reach 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit, are set to be installed by the end of the year. A robotic CT scanner will use X-rays to detect defects in parts. Right now, the building has 500 kilowatts available, but the university is working to increase that power capacity to 2.5 megawatts. Thomas Lockhart, the director of capability and resource integration for U.S. Space Command, attended the open house remotely. He was former director of engineering and technical management for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Hill Air Force Base. "As things go from fighters to cruise missiles to hypersonics, now into space, you are going to have to change the composition of the materials," Lockhart said. He called the ability to manufacture and upscale materials "one of our weaknesses in the Department of Defense, or even in the Space Force. We do one-offs. We do unique. This is where the MARS niche is. They can actually take this material and upscale it for the capabilities that we need for national security." "This is the right answer. This is where we need to go," he said. With a number of programs at Hill Air Force Base sunsetting — including the A-10, the F-16, Minuteman III, and F-22 missions — hypersonic technology development will help to keep jobs and talent the state. Four of the five largest prime contractors in northern Utah — Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing and Northrup Grumman —partnered with the center, not just for material projects but for workforce development in current and future Weber State students. "There's a lot of talent in the space that are retiring, and there's not a lot of backfill," said Garcia. "So there are a lot of itches getting scratched by the center." Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, agreed, saying Utah needs more facilities similar to MARS. "This isn't just a classroom; it's a launchpad," Shultz said. "Through hands-on training, real-world projects and direct industry collaboration, Weber State students gain the technical expertise and political experience that they need to step confidently into a high-demand workforce." Weber State student Tyler Matthews, for example, is already working on a project to chemically recycle carbon fiber, while other student groups are designing modular 3D-printed building materials for a shed on campus — all taking part in the "pipeline to the primes" that the lab creates. "This started out as a bad idea. This was one of the biggest flubs the state of Utah ever got into," said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton. Funded in March 2006 by the state Legislature, the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative was started as a copy of a similar Arizona program. USTAR made strategic investments in state universities to recruit researchers, build facilities and connect industry partners. Three large buildings were constructed through the program: the $60 million USTAR BioInnovations Center at Utah State University, finished in 2010; the $130 million James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building at the University of Utah, finished in 2012; and the USTAR Innovation Center at Falcon Hill. In 2019, USTAR was dissolved by the Legislature, and the ownership of the Falcon Hill facility was transferred to the Military Installation Development Authority, though the ground is owned by the U.S. Air Force. The other buildings and any remaining funds were transferred into the hands of the other universities. "Within a few years, it was easy to tell we made a big mistake. ... I'm proud to have helped in taking USTAR to pieces, because we would have been in a financial trap with that if we would have stuck it out," Stevenson said, praising Weber State for turning "the proverbial lemons into lemonade." Weber State President Brad Mortensen said that this facility was borne out of the fight for the university to have a full-fledged engineering degree. "How many meetings did we sit in, in like 2015, 2016?" he asked, "talking about trying to build up this advanced manufacturing ecosystem here, with some of those USTAR colleagues at the table, which is kind of how this building came to be. But all of that hard work paid off so that we can take advantage of this." Garcia hopes to continue expanding the facility to become a hypersonic tools manufacturing development center, where best practices, research and technology can be shared nationally.
