2020-21 Employee Milestones

As Dean, Cid oversaw the expansion and fundraising of the Gore building to accommodate expanding numbers of faculty and students, all the while raising over seven million dollars from the ALSAM foundation for new planes and equipment for the aviation program. In his eleven years as Provost, Cid established the office of diversity, established the coaching and mentoring program, and helped oversee rising enrollments. Cid helped bring numerous influential and controversial people to campus including Sandra Day O’Conner, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and Morris Dees among others. In all that time, Cid has remained committed to student learning. Years ago, students referred to him as “Cid Vicious,” an affectionate reference to his devotion to students. Cid took his classes to search out students missing class, scheduled special study sessions before final exams, called students on the phone every week during the pandemic, wrote opinion pieces with students for the Tribune, and even challenged students to an occasional basketball game. Cid championed student learning before it became fashionable, helping define the Westminster culture of setting students up to succeed. As faculty, Cid continues to make helpful suggestions to the economics program and the school of business, giving money to help fund student trips for finance students, and engaging in publishing articles. Cid more than anyone has helped shape the Westminster culture, always committed to student learning, to the well-being of the faculty, and to the success of the college. Thank you, Cid, for forty amazing years. We look forward to the next forty.

If there is a need, Diane will volunteer. She has worked with the homeless population in Salt Lake City for many years and takes students to provide and serve meals to people who are homeless living in shelters and on the streets. She has also worked with African refugees to provide health assessments, health education and medical resources. Diane was also instrumental in developing the first two school-based clinics in Salt Lake City.

Graduating seniors have chosen Professor Van Os as a favorite professor. She receives many thank you notes and letters from former students letting her know how she played a major role in their success as a nurse. Diane has much pride in Westminster’s nursing graduates and the reputation of Westminster College. She has served as the Interim Dean of the School of Nursing twice and as the Baccalaureate Program Director for nine years but remains dedicated to her favorite role as faculty.

As a marketing professor, Nancy is enamored of all things brand related. Nancy’s office is a time capsule from brands old and new. However, the best and most Westminster thing about Nancy is her dedication to our students. She loves her students, and because they can see her concern and desire for their success, her students love her. On a recent May term trip to Oregon, the class visited Nike. We have several former students who work at Nike and they wanted to surprise Nancy with a special gift. We had just done our rebranding and when the students saw the new logo, they grabbed a business card. At the end of the visit, they presented Nancy with a pair of Westminster branded Nike shoes. You can check those out in her office as well. Nancy, you are amazing and we appreciate you.

John has led many May Term trips to Europe. We always arrived in the destination country in the morning after flying all night. As a result of this, John has fallen asleep in some fascinating places. For example, John once fell asleep on a bench in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, and when he awoke, he mentioned he had been sleeping with the angels.

John loves hiking, walking adorable Daisy and spending time with family.

Steve is also a go-to guy for insight into local politics and culture. Who else has stories about ditching high school classes and rolling around town with Larry H. Miller? And somehow, despite his personal shrine of trophies ostentatiously displayed in his office, he has remained the Honors faculty softball team’s secret weapon. Every year we smile to ourselves when the student outfielders move in for the “old guy” and he blasts one over their heads into the opposite field bleachers. He’s also coached and starred for the campus-wide softball and intramural volleyball teams.

Steve has a well-deserved reputation for asking blunt, vital questions of the powers that be; whether as a faculty Senator or at retreats. (Someday Michael Bassis will tell him what happened to the faux-Remington statues.) Most of all he’s been a fine and respected teacher, a loyal friend, and a Westminster mainstay. Congratulations on 35 years from your friends and colleagues!

I not only have had the opportunity to know Dara as a colleague, I’ve had the unique opportunity of being her student as well. I met Dara almost two decades ago when I took the first of many courses from her. Dara is the kind of professor that I wanted from Westminster. She is willing to spend countless hours outside of class making sure that her students understand the material. I can recall many hours in her office discussing issues and working through problems. She is genuinely interested in her students’ lives and careers and is always willing to help them make connections. I am beyond grateful for the time I spent as her student and even more grateful that our students have the same opportunity.

During the winter, Greg Gagne starts his Fridays at 4 am at the Utah Avalanche Center as a forecaster, reporting on snow conditions, putting in many hours before the rest of us start our workday! He has taught avalanche awareness classes to Westminster students, and of course he can regularly be found skiing the backcountry.

Greg served as chair of the Computer Science department for 20 years, during which he developed the Computer Information Systems program. He has also served Westminster in numerous other roles, including faculty chair, senate chair, and faculty affairs chair. Westminster and its students have benefited tremendously from having Greg these 30 years.

Since her time at Westminster, Dr. Wanlass has served on just about every committee there is to serve on. The only job left for her to take on is that of college president. But alas, no one should worry, Dr. Wanlass’ love of the classroom would preclude her from occupying such an esteemed office. Congratulations Dr. Wanlass, we honor your time at Westminster and consider ourselves lucky to have you as a colleague and friend.

Never satisfied with just being a passionate, caring history instructor (he has received the Excellence in Teaching Award), Jeff can now be found teaching in the Honors Program, or in Environmental Studies on the road with students for a semester, or Gender Studies, or various MTSE’s to Europe and Peru.

And when he’s not doing that, you might see Jeff in a Westminster play, singing in the choir, playing softball against the hapless Honors students, organizing the War Room, skiing or hiking with wife Cheryl, talking to moose in his back yard or hanging out at his retreat in Moab.

Enthusiasm, energy, commitment, and dedication have made Jeff Nichols the outstanding history professor and colleague that he is! Thank you Dr. Cottler!

Nina believed in the culture of family at Westminster. She created family in the theater department, inviting students, faculty, and staff to her home and table often. Her own children would sleep backstage so that she could work with students on productions into the night. She blurred the lines between home and work in a way that is healthy and beautiful, and our students learned that their mentors are whole people.

Michael is an advocate of justice on our campus. He is pensive and quiet until his voice can make a difference, and then he raises it, only slightly, and articulates a beautiful argument that you can bet is supportive. He is a gifted teacher of many things-of theater, of course, but also of carpentry, parenting, and writing. He is magical in his ability to do, and to teach others how to do. He can build anything.

So many Westminster alums and my fellow faculty know Nina as an inspiring colleague who changes the lives of students in the theater program. However, you may not know about the Nina Help Center, which has provided me with a variety of resources over the years. If I needed to borrow a wig, find a prom dress for my teen, or fix a hem, she was there for me! She was my advisor on hiring student nannies, on best methods for cooking tofu, and on yoga poses for stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Although at times, I thought the center only catered to me, I was delighted to learn, Nina has been this to all of us.

I have always enjoyed Michael’s creations. From the homes he built to his theater productions. The one that touched me the most was a piece of his writing. Our first production of Ensler’s Vagina Monologues on campus featured faculty and staff performing the work, and I was among those on the cast. For this event, Michael wrote and performed his own monologue about his awe of his wife in childbirth. It was so poetic; it had us all in tears.

Baptiste Prevot describes Stephanie as a genuine friend. “She will always put others first while telling you what brings her balance and peace … [she] cares that all should be treated fairly and with respect [around the] world, from Bangkok to Salt Lake City. A true Griffin!” Nancy seconds this, calling us fortunate to have Stephanie as a colleague and friend.

I wholeheartedly agree. Stephanie’s influence on my life has been monumental. I have learned so much from her, both professionally and personally. She has weathered highs and lows not only with me, but with so many others in the BVGSB. And she has done so with grace, generosity, thoughtfulness, and wicked-sharp humor. We are fortunate indeed!

Gail’s work as Director of Aviation Student Support has been invaluable to our students and the aviation division as we progress through the aviation teach-out. Her student outreach and advising efforts have ensured every aviation student is on track to meet their degree requirements and learning goals. Her leadership, problem-solving contributions, and strategic mind-set have been extremely helpful in responding to the disruptions of the pandemic amid our program teach-out efforts.

Beginning in 2005, Gail successfully led the transformation of the BVGSB internship courses into more flexible and valuable developmental experiences for our students. Her work in the Aviation Capstone (AVIA 402) course is considered a best practice in collegiate aviation and her conference presentations about this class have resulted in other schools asking her to teach and/or advise them on their senior seminar classes. Her classes are good examples of active learning and student-focused environments and she has been recognized for her expertise in these practices.

Westminster is more than just a place to work for Gail. In addition to her years of dedicated service and contributions to the campus community, the college has become part of her family. Gail met her husband Orlando through working here, and all her children have attended or graduated from Westminster College.

Julie Tille was integral in starting the Legacy Scholars Program. Her passion and vision to support first-generation, low income, and underrepresented students led to the development of Walkways to Westminster and consequently the Legacy Program. Westminster’s commitment to first-generation students is what it is today thanks to Julie. She is an avid supporter to our scholars. She is a mentor, leader, friend, and compassionate human.

Julie deeply understands the challenges that we face as a society, and she has a strong drive to improve the world around her (she's in the right job). This alone is not what sets Julie apart. What makes Julie unique is the way she interacts with the issues we face. Many people let their understanding of systemic challenges draw them into a despairing and cynical place. Others rely on forced positivity, taking them into a space that feels naive and disingenuous. Julie does neither. Instead, she finds a way to bring incredible amounts of joy to the work, while still holding space for necessary grieving. She's one of the most empathetic folks in the Westminster community and there's no better person to sow comfort and joy in challenging situations.