Campus Community
Brigham Young University
November 2010
Professor’s Virtual ChemLab Makes a Bang
Now Used in More Than 20 Colleges
BYU chemistry professor Brian
Woodfield has combined chemistry
and computers so students can mix
potent chemical cocktails on their
computers without worrying about
burning down the laboratory.
Currently, students in more than 20
colleges and universities in the United
States and Canada use his software,
Virtual ChemLab, as part of their
course work.
“Because of cost and time
restraints, most students are forced
to spend lab time simply following
detailed instructions to obtain the
desired results,” said Woodfield.
“They don’t often have the time to
experiment freely.”
Virtual ChemLab includes all the
amenities of a real laboratory setting,
from Bunsen burners and C-clamps
to limitless supplies of calcium, magnesium and expensive or hazardous
substances to which students usually
have infrequent
access. With
the click of a
mouse students
can set up, conduct experiments
and view results.
More than 2,500
pictures, 300 video
clips and numerous animations
help illustrate
the outcome of
each chemical
combination or
experiment even if
BYU professor Brian Woodfield designed his software program,
it proves disastrous. Virtual ChemLab, so students can experiment freely with chemistry
without worrying about blowing up real laboratories.
Melissa Moore,
a BYU graduate
student in instructional psychology
to see them experiment on different
and technology, helped design the
things that I never had exposure to
program and oversaw undergraduand equipment I wasn’t allowed acate BYU chemistry students as they
cess to when I was an undergraduate
tested the simulations. “It was neat
student,” said Moore.
Continued on Page 5
Student Designers Win Major Awards
BYU resurrects furniture design courses
Recent BYU graduate Ben Rabner doesn’t plan to pursue
the English degree he earned in April in a traditional
fashion. His passion, he has discovered, is much
more hands-on.
Rabner is an aspiring furniture designer with national
awards and international contracts to justify his
career switch.
Despite the fact that BYU didn’t have a furniture design
program until this semester, Ben slated every woodworking class the university offered and worked closely with
faculty members like Kip Christensen to satisfy his desire
to learn the art and business of furniture design.
“Initially, it was a matter of utility—I needed a chair so I
built one,” says Rabner. “Then I started noticing furniture
form and design in magazines and decided functionality
wasn’t enough.”
Ben’s extra-mile approach not only satiated his thirst for
design know-how, but also earned him second place
in creative chair design last year at the Student Design
Show in Anaheim.
Aside from being a giant pat on the back, the award has
boosted his already budding career and convinced him that
starting his own design business would be more fulfilling
than pursuing graduate studies.
Continued on Page 6
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NEWS
Brigham Young University
Happenings on Campus
DEVOTIONAL:
Elder Charles Didier of the First Quorum of the Seventy of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will speak
at a devotional Tuesday (Oct. 29) at 11:05 a.m. in the
Marriott Center.
The devotional will be broadcast live on KBYU-TV
(Channel 11), the BYU-Television and BYU-Radio
satellite networks and at broadcasting.byu.edu. It will be
rebroadcast Sunday (Nov. 3) at 6 a.m. on KBYU-TV,
on BYU-Television at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on
KBYU-FM at 8 p.m.
Born in Belgium, Elder Didier is currently a member of
the presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy.
LINGUISTICS MEETING:
The annual Deseret Language and Linguistics Society
Symposium will be Thursday and Friday, December 6 and
7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 3241 WSC. The symposium will
include 40 presentations on current research in language
and linguistics. For more information, contact David Bowie
at ext. 2-9168.
SPERRY SYMPOSIUM:
The BYU Sperry Symposium on the Scriptures Friday and
Saturday (Oct. 25 and 26) will feature Elder L. Aldin Porter
of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints and Andrew Skinner, dean of
Religious Education. The symposium will begin at 6:30
p.m. in the JSB auditorium. Lectures will continue until 9:30
p.m. in the auditorium and the nearby Martin Building.
Lectures will resume Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in the JSB
auditorium and will continue through 11 a.m. No admission fee or registration are required.
Additional information about these and other campus
events is available at: www.byu.edu/news/ynews
BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS:
Human Resource Services is sponsoring the 10th annual
Early Breast Cancer Detection Campaign. BYU has
arranged with DMBA and Utah Valley Regional Medical
Center to provide high-quality care in a comfortable and
professional atmosphere. Female personnel and spouses of
male personnel with DMBA health care plans are invited
to make appointments during the BYU screening period
November 3–19. Appointments for the mammograms may
be made online at http://www.byu.edu/hr/wellness. For
additional information, call Danielle Palmer at ext. 2-5723.
Faculty/Staff Notes
CHUCK STIGGINS of the Department
of Physical Education in the College
of Health and Human Performance
has been appointed to the Huntsman
World Senior Games Board of Trustees.
Stiggins will be responsible for
overseeing the health screening of the
Senior Games’ participants. He and
several other faculty members will
also be conducting a study regarding
balance, coordination and equilibrium.
He is considered to be a leading authority in the fields of athletic strength
and conditioning, health, fitness
and wellness.
JOHN LAMB and the BYU Chemistry Department recently hosted 150
scientists from 25 countries for the
27th International Symposium on
Macrocyclic Chemistry in Park City.
Lamb chaired the organizing committee, composed largely of Chemistry
Department faculty.
The symposium focused on the
chemistry of a class of molecules that
form cavities which can trap other
chemical species selectively. A special
session was held to honor retired BYU
professor Reed M. Izatt, who started
the program.
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LEE T. PERRY, MARK H. HANSEN,
C. SHANE REESE and GILBERT W.
FELLINGHAM received the best paper
prize from The Strategic Management
Society at the organization’s 22nd
annual international conference in
Paris, France.
Their paper, “A Bayesian Application of the Resource-Based View:
Narrowing the Gap between Theory
and Practice,” proposes an advanced
statistical model that can be used to
predict the consequences of an
organization’s decisions on its
financial performance.
At BYU Museum Of Art
“Empire of the Sultans” will close January 20
“Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art
the exhibit is also available. To purAmong the treasures are calligraphfrom the Khalili Collection,” a
chase tickets or for more information,
ic medallions in gilded wood that
spectacular exhibition highlighting the call the Marriott Ticket Office at 1-800- decorated mosques, brilliantly decorich artistic heritage of one of the
422-BYU1 or ext. 2-BYU1.
rated armor and jewel-encrusted
most extraordinary
weapons used in battle
world powers in the
by Suleyman the
history of Europe and
Magnificent, exquisite
the Middle East, will
Persian carpets and
end its run Jan. 20 at the
painstakingly illusMuseum of Art.
trated
This exhibition
albums and books.
embraces every aspect
The spectacular
of Ottoman art and a
exhibition reveals
dynasty that spanned
the originality and
more than six centuries
resilience of Ottoman
with more than 200
artistic expression
objects ranging from
in religious, military,
Holy Qur’ans, arms
administrative and
and armor to rich
daily life and the
textiles, treasury obcentral role of
jects, gilt manuscripts,
imperial patronage.
ceramics, scientific
The exhibition is
instruments and more.
arranged in four secAn example of Ottaman art currently on display at BYU's Museum of Art
The exhibition is
tions which are titled
organized and circu“In the Service of
lated by Art Services International,
The works are drawn from the
God,” “Sultans, Soldiers, and Clerks,”
Alexandria, Virginia.
Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic
“Arts and Crafts” and “Books, PaintAdmission for Museum Members
Art, one of the largest collections of its ings and Scripts.”
is free. Regular tickets cost $8 for
kind. “Empire of the Sultans” marks
BYU faculty, staff or students with ID.
the first time this collection has been
Ticket price also includes an audio
seen in the United States.
guide. Group and family pricing for
CHRONICLES WESTERN MIGRATION
“Trails of Hope” digital collection available
History teachers and students can now access an on-line
library to take a more personal look at the lives of their
ancestors and other trailblazers who trekked westward
during the Gold Rush and Mormon migration.
The “Trails of Hope” digital collection, developed at
BYU, contains 59 diaries penned on the Mormon, California, Oregon and Montana trails between 1846 and 1869. Interactive maps, photos and essays supplement the diaries,
most of which were previously unpublished.
“I can see teachers downloading sections and pieces to be
viewed in the classroom,” said Susan Fales, curator of digital historical collections at the Harold B. Lee Library. “We
hope schoolchildren can read and see the actual handwriting as well as the transcripts.”
The youngest of the diarists is Emmeline B. Wells, who at
18 years of age was part of the Mormon exodus from Nau-
voo, Illinois. After settling in Utah, Wells became known
for her work as an advocate of women’s suffrage and as the
fifth general president of the Relief Society of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But she first experienced the hardships of trail life. “It looked like pictures I
have seen of the ancients pitching their tents and journeying from place to place with their cattle and their goods,”
wrote Wells when she joined the pioneer camp.
As time passed, punctuation vanished from her diary
but vivid description remained. “...Just across the creek
someone had set the prairie on fire how we were to cross
this was a question it ran like lightning through the grass
making a crackling among the bushes resembling the noise
of burning crackers....”
“The fact that both the original manuscript and a typed
manuscript are provided makes the collection a very
Continued on Page 4
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Trails of Hope
Continued from Page 3
reliable source,” said Professor Richard Rieck of Western
Illinois University, who used the Web site to research
geography and death on the overland trails. “One day
when using Google to look for any trail diaries I could find,
up popped one from the collection and that day I dropped
everything else and began to ‘mine’ it for everything I
could use.” The Web site—located at http://overlandtrails.
byu.edu—also features biographies of each of the diarists
and search options to locate journal entries about specific
places and events.
Construction of the collection began in 1998 when the
Lee Library won a $65,000 grant from the Library of Congress/Ameritech Digital Library Competition. Library staff
then combined materials from their Special Collections
department with resources from other institutions. The
finished product consists of 9,350 scanned images of the
writings along with the searchable, text-based transcripts
of each diary The information is also hosted on the Library
of Congress Web site.
Producing digital versions of the diaries not only protects the original diaries from overuse but also makes the
writing and history accessible to a broader audience, Fales
said. “One of the key components is that we developed this
for everybody,” she said. “We want to reach out to people
P
roducing digital versions of
the diaries . . . makes the writing
and history accessible to a broader
audience
who would never walk through our doors.”
In addition to “Trails of Hope,” the Lee Library hosts
12 other digital collections, such as the BYU Museum of
Art Collection and the journal Marriage and Families (see
www.lib.byu.edu/hbll/).
Joseph Hadfield
SPLIT TWO-GAME SERIES
Cougar spikers, Hawaii collide at Marriott Center
The Marriott Center attendance at Friday night’s men’s volleyball game against Hawaii marked the second largest crowd in BYU volleyball history. The 11,513
fans also marked the largest crowd to watch a men’s volleyball match in the
country this season.
“The crowd was great,” BYU head coach Tom Peterson said. “They were absolutely
fabulous. The Marriott Center is different than playing in the Smith Fieldhouse. It
brings a different emotion, a different atmosphere. We went from the Fieldhouse to an
arena that is like the arena Hawaii plays in. We’re not used to such a huge, cavernous
place. But the fans were absolutely fabulous.”
Jeff Reynolds
Friday night's men's volleyball game
had record attendance
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BYU Accounting Teams Dominate
Tax Competition
Sponsored By Deloitte & Touche
A team of four accounting graduate students from the
Marriott School won first place in the national Deloitte &
Touche Tax Challenge competition. The school’s undergraduate team placed second in a separate division.
“We’re extremely proud of our students’ performance,”
says Ned C. Hill, dean of the
Marriott School. “BYU is the
only university to ever have
is the
both teams place in the top
only university
three in the same year. We
to ever have
have achieved this for five
both teams
consecutive years and six
place in the
times since the competition
top three in the
began 11 years ago.”
same year.
Deloitte & Touche officials
selected six graduate and
six undergraduate teams
as finalists to compete in
two divisions from 60 team representing 40 colleges and
universities in regional competition.
BYU
Finalists were presented with a complex case study that
required them to analyze data, identify issues and consider
tax solutions for a fictitious client. Students were given only
five hours to solve the client’s problem and write a solution.
“This competition requires students to think creatively,”
says Ron Worsham, associate professor of
accounting and graduate team advisor. “Some parts of the
problem have basically one right answer, but other parts
are open-ended. Being able to apply creative solutions distinguishes the winners.”
Graduate team members Alicia Carlson, Aurora, Cob.;
Laura Hancock, Bothell, Wash.; Mats Dobberfuhl, Barron,
Wis.; and Jennifer Borneman, Philadelphia, Pa., will each
receive a $1,000 scholarship, and the Marriott School’s
School of Accounting and Information Systems will receive a $10,000 grant. Undergraduate team members Terry
Jackson, Henderson, Nev.; Marianne Hafen, Las Vegas,
Nev.; Matt Walton, Campbell, Calif.; and Linda Andrews,
Taylorsville, Utah, will each receive $500 scholarships and a
$5,000 grant for the school.
ChemLab
Continued from Page 1
The simulations, which Woodfield
says have increased student performance in BYU organic chemistry labs
by 30 percent, have also been implemented in high schools.
Steven Haderlie, a chemistry
teacher of 25 years, introduced the
program at Springville High School
and has been impressed with the
results. “It can help illustrate concepts
that are difficult for students to visualize on the board or on an overhead—it
really helps with understanding,”
said Haderlie.
He said the simulations accelerate
the learning process, causing students
to take ownership of their own
learning and take more initiative.
“Their attitudes change, and in a
difficult course like chemistry, confidence plays an important role,” said
Haderlie. “Students work harder and
feel more confident about trying new
things when we provide an environment where making discoveries is
possible. They may not all become
chemistry majors, but we have succeeded in moving them to a higher
level of learning.”
BYU’s Woodfield came up with
the concept for Virtual ChemLab as a
graduate student at the University of
California, Berkeley. He used a $50,000
grant from BYU and a $280,000 grant
from the Department of Education to
fund the project.
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Four out of an eventual six simulations are complete and work has
begun on the fifth. The finished collection will include simulations for
inorganic qualitative analysis, fundamental experiments and quantum
chemistry, gas properties, titrations,
calorimetry and organic chemistry.
Kristin Prina
Designers
Continued from Page 1
Ben’s brother, Peter, proved sawdust runs in the
Rabner blood when he won first prize in the occasional
category (tables and accent pieces) at the International
Woodworking Fair in Atlanta Aug. 22. With a formidably
demanding application process, few candidates are even
asked to attend the fair, which makes the award all the
sweeter for Peter.
“I’m convinced many students come and go from BYU
and have no idea we have a very nicely equipped studio
where they could learn to design and build furniture,” says
industrial design professor Kip Christensen. Recent restructuring within the BYU School of Technology has included
the resurrection of two furniture design classes—
• Industrial Design 433R
(Introduction to
Furniture Design)
• Industrial Design 435R
(Advanced
Furniture Design).
Although these classes have been on the books for years,
they’ve not actually been taught for at least a decade.
The industrial design classes will replace the previous
woodworking classes taught through Technology Teacher
Education, and will increase emphasis on creative design
and traditional production techniques.
“Both of these young men are really talented and
have a passion for the art,” says Christensen. “All their
work is of their own initiative. None of it fills a
requirement for graduation.”
The Rabners’ studio looks more like a museum than a
workshop. But a visitor is likely to see as much stone, resins and glass as cherry wood and walnut.
“I mix a lot of media to get the contemporary, highend studio effect,” says Ben. “I don’t see myself as
just a cabinetmaker.”
B
oth these young men
are really talented and have a
passion for the art.
Having already contracted to custom-build several
pieces for houses in the Parade of Homes, and with a massmarket international deal on the horizon, the future looks
promising for Ethan Allen’s newest competitor.
“There’s a huge need in the 18 to 30-year-old market
because it’s hard for them to find unique, clean designs that
are also affordable,” says Ben. “I want to fill that void.”
Craig Kartchner
Campus Community is published monthly during the academic year by
University Communications.
Editor: Cecelia Fielding, C-347 ASB, BYU, Provo, UT 84602;
801-422-4377. Photo Editor: Mark A. Philbrick.
News items are welcome. Send copy to the above address; fax to 801-4226005; or email to: CommunityNews@byu.edu.
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