USU Alumni Spotlight - Joey Lynn Blanch

For Joey Lynn Blanch, practicing law has been a dream she’s pursued since her time at Mount Logan Middle School in Logan, Utah. As a student at Mount Logan and later at Logan High, she participated in mock trial competitions, winning several state championships.

After high school, Joey followed in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents and became an Aggie, though she didn’t stick around for long. After only three years, she graduated cum laude with a double major in philosophy and political science in 1993. That same year, she was honored in the Robins Awards as Woman of the Year.

“USU was fantastic,” she states emphatically. “I was actually taking too many classes because I was enjoying it so much.”

Harvard was Joey’s next stop where she earned her Juris Doctor degree. She then traveled to Los Angeles and began work with the private law firm; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. For the next five years, she worked for the firm in business litigation.

But for Joey, practicing criminal law had always been her goal. When the opportunity came to work for the US Attorney’s Office, she jumped at the chance even though it meant taking a significant pay cut.

“I love it,” she says of her job. “This is where I want to be.”

Today, she spends long hours preparing criminal cases involving such offenses as murder and organized crime. But of all her cases, Joey is quick to point to her work to prosecute those who take advantage of children as her most important. She is passionate about pursuing predators that stalk children over the Internet and engage in the trafficking of child pornography.

In what little free time her job leaves her, Joey enjoys taking advantage of all the shows and fun that living in Los Angeles has to offer. She also loves to travel abroad and has already visited Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, Italy, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Utah State Receives $5.3 Million Gift
Utah State University ’s presence in Vernal just received a tremendous boost thanks to life-long Vernal resident Bob Williams. Williams, the owner of a trucking business, recently deeded a $5.3 million dollar land gift to USU, the second largest private gift in school history. The 138-acre gift borders the Maeser Highway just south of Uintah High School.

But all this very nearly didn’t happen. The land had belonged to the Merkley family for over 130 years, but had recently been sold to a developer and was destined to become a high-density housing subdivision. When Williams heard about the planned development, he worked tirelessly to prevent this from happening. Due to his efforts, Williams was able to gain control of the property and immediately gave it to the university.

The gift comes at a very advantageous time for the Uintah Basin. The region has seen a growth in the number of university facilities in recent years. According to USU President Stan Albrecht, this land gift “will one day house a full-fledged Uintah Basin campus”.

Utah's Poet Laureate Ken Brewer Dies
Utah ’s Poet Laureate Ken Brewer passed away at his home on Wednesday, March 15, 2006. Brewer taught at Utah State for many years, but poetry was his gift and he shared his gift with the world for over 40 years. In 2005, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he continued to write, even about his failing health.

For more on Ken Brewer, see the article in the Spring 2006 issue of Utah State Magazine or visit www.utahstate.usu.edu.

A memorial service is planned for the end of April.

New Dean Of The College of Business Announced
Beginning July 1, 2006, Douglas D. Anderson will take over as dean of the College of Business. He will replace Caryn Beck Dudley, who accepted a position as dean of Florida State University’s College of Business.

Continuing a family tradition, Anderson attended Utah State and received his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science in 1973 and a master’s degree in economics two years later. He later earned another master’s degree, this time in public administration, and a Ph.D. in political economy and government from Harvard University. After graduating, he continued on at Harvard as a faculty member, teaching business strategy, operations management, and international political economy at the Harvard Business School.

In 1987, Anderson co-founded the Boston-based Center for Executive Development which designs seminars and workshops for companies. He has also consulted with companies in the US, South America, Europe, and Asia.

USU Graduate Program Named One Of Nation's Best
In recent rankings by U.S. News and World Report , USU’s College of Education and Human Resources was named as one of the top graduate programs in the country. Utah State was tied for 35th with Temple University, the University of Florida, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Individually, the college ranks third in funded research dollars generated with $30.6 million in research grants received in 2005.

For more information on the ranking, read the Utah State Today article.

Research Week 2006
Utah State University ’s Vice President for Research Office held its second annual Research Week on April 3-7, 2006. The five-day event served to highlight the many aspects of the university’s research efforts. Included in the week was the awarding of the D. Wynn Thorne award, USU’s highest research honor. For 2006, the winner was Economics Professor DeeVon Bailey for his work in agribusiness economics.

For more information on Research Week, visit the VP for Research Office website at www.usu.edu/research.

A-Day 2006
The Utah State University Student Alumni Association is please to present the “A” Day Round Up. The week long celebration will begin Monday, April 17, 2006 with an “A” Day BBQ at the Alumni Center. More events will follow each day until the week culminates on Friday with the Day On The Quad and True Aggie Night. All the proceeds from the events will go to support the Cache Valley Red Cross.

For more information on the festivities, click here.

Merrill Library Demolition Gallery
The Merrill Library is coming down. The demolition is proceeding quickly and the university landmark will soon be gone. Click here to view a photo gallery of the demolition.

Alumni Calendar Desktop Background Downloads
The Alumni Calendar has become a much sought after item because of its beautiful and unique photos of campus and Cache Valley. Now those beautiful shots are available for your computer’s desktop background, free of charge. This month, three of the photos that appear in the calendar are featured.

To view and download your own desktop background, click here.

Back to the Buzzer

The Scotsmen play in 1966.

EVENT LISTINGS

Scotsmen's Orchestra Reunion Concert
After 40 years, the Scotsmen’s Orchestra is coming home. During the 1960’s, John Skinner and the 18-piece big band was a popular attraction on campus. Now 16 of the original Scotsmen have reunited and are coming back to Logan for a free concert at 7:00 p.m. on June 12, 2006 at the Kent Concert Hall. Enjoy the timeless classics, as well as new songs with this one-of-a-kind group.

For more information on the Scotsmen’s Orchestra, contact John Skinner at 916.481.0334.


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

Classnotes

Obituaries

Chapter News

Davis County Aggie Chapter
April 22 , 2006 - Help raise scholarship money for Davis County high school seniors. The USU Alumni Spring Runoff will take place Saturday, April 22, 2006 at the Utah House (920 South 50 West, Kaysville, UT) at 8 a.m. Registration will run from 7 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. The cost to enter is $25 for a family, $20 for an individual, or $15 for an alumni/student individual. The first 100 families to register will receive a T-shirt, and awards will be given to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each category. Aggie Ice Cream will be served!

For more information, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/davis/index.html.

Young Alumni Chapter
May 8, 2006 - The Utah State University Young Alumni Board is in the process of reorganizing. If you would be interested in serving with the Young Alumni, or are just curious to learn more about the organization, a special dinner will be held Monday, May 8, 2006. The complimentary dinner will take place at the Costa Vida in Layton, Utah (768 W 1425 N) at 6:30 p.m. Advanced reservations are required by May 4 and can be made by calling the Alumni Relations Office at 800.291.2586.

For more information about alumni chapters and to find the chapter in your area, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/chapters.html.

Athletics

Grayson DuBose Named Head Volleyball Coach
Grayson DuBose has been named head coach of USU women’s volleyball, filling the spot left vacant by the resignation of Burt Fuller. DuBose was an assistant to Tom Peterson with the USU women’s team during the 1999-2000 season. It was the 1999-2000 season that saw the women’s team earn their first-ever Top 25 ranking and NCAA Tournament berth after winning the Eastern Division of the Big West Tournament. For the past four seasons, DuBose worked as an assistant on the BYU men’s volleyball team.

Travel Opportunities
For more information on upcoming alumni travel events, visit www.usu.edu/alumni/travel.html.
Yangtze River Cruise and China Tour
September 12 - 23, 2006
Discover this remarkable and interesting nation with the USU Alumni Association as you see and experience many of the important highlights of China, starting with its Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and more. You’ll visit the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, take a fascinating three-day cruise on the Yangtze River, and conclude your trip in Shanghai.
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