2021–22 Employee Milestones

Brian has championed collaboration with his current marketing colleague in presenting refereed papers at marketing conferences over the past decade, making the Marketing program better for students. Highlights of his Westminster career include his position as chair of the and Division, 2014–present; concurrently responsible for international business major, 2014–2018; member of the Westminster Faculty Affairs Committee, 2019–present; member of the Westminster Faculty Senate, 2011–2014 and 2016–2019; and member of the Westminster Financial Aid and Admissions Committee, 2014–2016.

In 2021 Brian served as chair of the faculty. Brian also has an impressive list of contributions to service to the profession of marketing, including board meeting chair of the Marketing Educators’ Association, 2019–2020; board member of the Marketing Educators’ Association, 1998–present; and president of the Marketing Educators’ Association, 2007–2008.

Brian has developed a good body of scholarly work in both his previous institution and while at Westminster. It is evident that Brian regards scholarship as a priority. He has published articles in the Journal of the Academy of Business Education and the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing.

Brian has a JD degree from BYU, allowing him to become the main instructor for BUSI 225: Business Law and Ethics while teaching marketing classes. In addition, Brian graduated from Westminster in May 2021 as an art major. He is a talented painter, sculptor, and photographer. He has displayed work in curated art shows in many venues.

David joined Westminster’s faculty in 2001 after earning his PhD in geology from Harvard University. He has taught in the Honors College for many years and served as assistant director of the Honors College.As a paleontologist, Dave teaches courses on geology, dinosaurs, and sea monsters and enjoys teaching his May Term Study Experience course, Poker: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Dave connects with students through an engaging teaching style that includes case-based inquiry, field-based experiences, and entertaining but illustrative anecdotes. In addition, he has overseen multiple student-driven research projects that take advantage of Utah’s diverse geology. These projects include studying snail shells at Bear Lake, trilobites in the west desert, and coral reefs in the Lakeside Mountains.

Dave’s research interests encompass not only paleontology but also the history of evolutionary theory. He is the author of multiple articles and a short book on embodied learning in paleontology, Beyond Hands On: Incorporating Kinesthetic Learning in an Undergraduate Paleontology Class. He is currently under contract to write a book for popular audiences about the history of geologic controversy. 

Of all the things on his CV, he is most proud of having been repeatedly voted Honors Professor Most Likely to Make a Student’s Head Explode.

David earned his MFA in photography from the University of Utah. David teaches traditional photography, experimental photography, and other art classes. He enjoys teaching students to use all kinds of image-making equipment, from pinhole and large-format film cameras to digital SLRs and iPhones. More importantly, David has helped thousands of students to find their vision and voice through artmaking.

During his time at Westminster, David has served as a long-time member and chair of Faculty Senate and has led many May Term Study Experiences (MTSE) to Paris. He currently is chair of the Art program and runs the imaging lab in the Bassis Center.

For over 45 years, David has been exhibiting his photographs and videos in more than 97 group exhibitions, 16 solo exhibitions, and a variety of screenings, including shows at the Finch Lane Gallery in Salt Lake City, the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Arts Benicia, the Salt Lake Art Center, and Artweek in Auckland, New Zealand. His search for images takes him everywhere, from mountain peaks and desert playas to truck stops and city sidewalks. He also installed his work in experimental venues, including vacant urban spaces and the land itself. His work has appeared in several publications, including Neon magazine and Leica View.

Outside of his work at Westminster, David enjoys cross-country skiing, bicycling, making art, and spending time in the wild.

Deyanira first joined Westminster’s faculty in 2002 after earning a PhD and master’s degree in Spanish literature from the University of Utah, a JD in law and political science from the Universidad Santo Tomas de Aquino, Colombia, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Utah. Deyanira currently serves as the chair of the Languages program.

During her time at Westminster, Deyanira founded the Spanish and Latin American Studies major, participated in the International and Diversity Councils, and has sponsored the Spanish Club. In addition, Deyanira has led the popular May Term Studies Experience (MTSE), Trekking Camino de Santiago: Experiencing the Meaning of Pilgrimage. This 4-week experience immerses undergraduates in language and culture while they trek from the French Pyrenees to Finisterre on Spain and Portugal's Atlantic coast. In addition, she has lead service and exploration trips to Colombia and serves as an advisor for Westminster students and alumni seeking international internships and jobs in Colombia and Spain.

Deyanira developed publish scholarly work on Spanish and Latin American literature, including “Sermones cuaresmales predicados en la Colegiata de Alcañiz 1814–1815 De Fray Victoriano de Valjunquera,” and “Derecho y la Mujer [Woman and Law, yesterday and today].” She presented at international conferences and hosted many international visitors and campus events that showcase Latinx cultures. For upper-division classes, she has designed courses that introduce mountain and river narratives and conflicts from the Hispanic American world.

Deyanira understands the deep meaning of food traditions and regularly shares traditional Colombian desserts, like flan de coco, arequipes, and arroz con leche, with her students and colleagues.

Jennifer is one of those silent leaders that set the example by doing and is always available to anyone if they need help or guidance. She can glance at something and instantly pick out the issue. She encourages employees to improve processes and their areas of the department.

Jennifer’s concern for those around her involves more than just the job; she cares about how they are doing emotionally and in their personal lives. She encourages those around her, under her supervision, and even potential employees or coworkers, to pursue their careers and character growth. She allows people to blossom around her with her pleasant, easy-going energy. 

Twenty years bring many changes, but through all that, Jennifer still shows that she cares about the people, even checking in on them when she is no longer their supervisor to see how they are doing in their position and their personal lives.

Outside of her career, Jennifer makes time for her passions, including her family and raising her boys, her cabin, and Harley. True to her caring nature about people, her family is a priority, and she sets an example for service and love.

Richard provided critical stability, expertise, and commitment during that year. From 2001 to 2017, he was director of the Honors Program and Kim T. Adamson Chair. He came to Westminster College from Marshall University, where he was chair of the Honors Council. He served as president of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) in 2019 and has held other executive positions at NCHC. In 2005, he published a book with Cambridge University Press entitled T.S. Eliot and the Art of Collaboration.

Richard balances his professionalism with a healthy sense of humor and fun. He has an (almost) unbroken record of leading the faculty team to victory over the students in the annual Honors softball game. Richard is an avid reader, plays golf, and enjoys skiing. He rides his bike frequently and has been known to tool around town on an e-scooter wearing academic regalia.