USU Excels at NASA Means Business Compeition
Utah State University’s legacy as one of the nation’s top space technology schools continues to grow. Recently, Jeff Kwong, Ashley Cox, Skylar Cox, Megan Mitchell, and Steve von Niederhausern entered the NASA Means Business competition. With only five people, the USU team was the smallest to enter and was considered an underdog. Yet, the USU team, in only its first year in the competition, placed among the top five teams in the nation.

For the competition, each team created new ways to advertise and market NASA to the general public. This year, the focus was on the International Space Station’s role as a stepping stone to Mars and future exploration. Each team was charged with developing a promotional and team outreach plan, as well as producing two 30- or 60-second videos.

The NASA Means Business competition is only the most recent achievement for USU. The university also won NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race, which challenged students to build and race a buggy designed to work on other planets.

Campus Construction Update
Construction areas are a common sight these days on the Utah State University campus. Several major projects are currently underway. Here is an update and photo gallery of the progress.

The new Recital Hall will be located next to the Chase Fine Arts Center, replacing some of the previous parking lot. The 20,000-square foot hall will feature an intimate seating arrangement for approximately 400 patrons, and will rival international halls in acoustical, architectural and landscaping details upon its completion in December 2005.

The new living/learning community and parking structure is beginning to take shape where the old heating plant and David B. Haight Alumni Center parking lot used to stand. The six-building complex will house over 500 students and be located atop a new 603-car parking structure.

The libraries at Utah State are another example of improving and adding space for learning and research. Construction is proceeding on the Merrill-Cazier Library. This expansion will replace the aging Merrill Library, scheduled to come down in the spring of 2006, and will be considered the intellectual center of campus.

Innovation Campus Announces $2.5 Million Expansion
Thanks to a $2.5 million dollar grant from the Economic Development Administration, USU’s Innovation Campus will see major growth in the future. USU President Stan Albrecht was on hand to announce the construction of Innovation Campus’ Grand Avenue. The development will take place near 1600 North between 600 and 800 East in North Logan.

Currently, the Innovation Campus is home to more than 50 research and development companies, USU departments, and government agencies. With the planned expansion, the Campus’ total building space will increase almost ten-fold to accommodate up to 8,000 jobs.

For more on the expansion, visit the Innovation Campus website.

July's Featured Sustaining Membership Benefit
In our attempt to constantly increase the value of membership to our Alumni Sustaining Members, we will be featuring new and exclusive benefits in our alumni newsletter. As always, all of the benefits may be found at www.usu.edu/alumni/services.html.

This month’s featured benefit comes from University Alumni Travel Benefits (UATB). UATB offers a condominium rental program featuring world-class resorts in over 80 countries for $349 a week! Newly added in July and ongoing are discounts for select hotels, with savings ranging from 15-20%. Also for a limited time, UATB will be offering "Last Call" on the webpage which offers even more deeply discounted inventory at selected destinations. The rates run from $199-$299 per week in Acapulco, Baja, Cancun, parts of the Caribbean, Southwest Florida, and Puerto Vallarta. Visit www.alumnitravelbenefits.com/usu.asp for more information.

A BYU player eats turf as the Aggies roll to victory in 1968

EVENT LISTINGS

Utah State University Alumni Relations sponsors many exciting events throughout the year. To keep informed about the most current ones, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/events.html often.

CONNECTIONS

USU Job Board

Classnotes

Obituaries

Chapter News

Cache County Aggie Chapter
Postponed - June 10 , 2005 – Cache County Golf Tournament on Old Main Hill. The Tournament is rescheduled for September 23, 2005. More information will be available at a later date.

Eastern Idaho Aggie Chapter
July 27, 2005 - President's Visit at the Museum of Idaho Space Exhibit in Idaho Falls. The evening begins with a 6:00 p.m. Social and Light Buffet followed by the Program at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $25 per person.

Salt Lake County Aggie Chapter
September 10, 2005 - USU vs. Utah Pregame Party from 3:30-5:00 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Building in downtown Salt Lake City

Summit County Aggie Chapter
July 30, 2005 - Aggie Swim Party from 5:30-9:00 p.m. at the South Summit Aquatic Center. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with an Auction and Raffle at 6:30, followed by swimming and rock climbing at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $10 per family.

Athletics

USU Tops Big West in Academic All-Conference Selections
For the sixth time in the last seven years, Utah State University tops the Big West Conference in spring academic all-conference selections. The Aggies garnered 32 selections, with this year’s total coming to 57. Following USU was UC Santa Barbara with 28 picks.

For a list of the Aggies selected, click here.

Aggie Volleyball Schedule Announced
The 2005 Utah State University Volleyball schedule is set and the upcoming season promises to be an exciting one. USU will take on ten teams that played in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Among those ten teams is the defending national champion Stanford.

For the complete schedule, click here.

Travel Opportunities For more information on upcoming alumni travel events, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/travel.html.