Faculty and Staff

Artist Michael Parker opens up on his success and how BYU impacted him in a Q&A

School of Communications Professor Kevin John used eye tracking technology to map how men process body image differently than women. Read more about his research here.

Joseph Ostraff discusses his work during the November 2018 Faith + Works lecture

BYU’s Education in Zion Gallery, located in the Joseph F. Smith Building, will open two new exhibits at the end of January: a permanent exhibit titled “Education for Eternity” and a temporary exhibit called “Constructing a Soul.” The exhibits, which follow the gallery’s trend of highlighting BYU’s Four Aims, will be additional tools that faculty members can use to enhance their teaching. Heather Seferovich, the gallery’s curator, believes that professors will be able to integrate the exhibits into their classroom experience regardless of their respective disciplines. “The gallery is based on the Four Aims of a BYU education, which are applicable to every class on this campus, regardless of the discipline,” said Seferovich. “There are going to be different things that will work for different disciplines, it’s just a matter of the professors being creative or talking with me about their learning outcomes so they can craft an assignment that fulfills those outcomes.” Seferovich said that while it’s easiest for professors to connect their classes to the gallery when there are direct links between the exhibits and the course content — such as a photography professor who can use the gallery’s lenticular photo as an example — that’s certainly not the only way faculty can utilize the gallery. Seferovich said that many professors use the gallery as either a motivational tool at the beginning of the semester or toward the end of the semester as a way to get students to reflect on how BYU’s Four Aims have been incorporated into the class before they fill out teacher evaluations. Another common way for professors to incorporate the gallery into their classes is to have students take a guided tour or to answer questions for an out-of-class assignment. According to Seferovich, encouraging students to visit the gallery helps them learn in a way that simply sitting in a classroom cannot. “Sitting at a desk is fine, but many students are more kinetic learners, especially in creative fields, so walking around and talking and interacting with displays can sometimes help students with the learning process,” said Seferovich. “Students reach these wonderful epiphanies in the gallery. It’s like something clicks in their brains and they get it. These are life-long lessons that they learn, and they learned because they were walking around in the gallery.' Professors in the College of Fine Arts and Communications have already seen this happen with their own students. Ed Carter, a professor in the School of Communications, has been taking students to view Education in Zion exhibits for years. For him, the gallery represents a way to help students understand their place in the university by learning about those that came before them and preparing to pass on a legacy to those that come after them. “One of my BYU communications professors, Dallas Burnett, once told us that we don't ‘own’ our jobs at BYU, but are merely stewards of them,” said Carter. “I think that applies to students, too. I like students to think about how they can be good stewards over the positions they hold on campus and pass them on in even better shape. It helps to see what others before us did to improve the campus academically as well as ethically, morally and spiritually.” Carter also said that the gallery can help faculty members meet President Worthen’s Inspired Learning initiative by making them “consider how to make that kind of learning a daily reality in our classes, labs and other activities at BYU.” Keely Song Glenn, a dance professor, has also used the gallery to incorporate inspired learning into the classroom by taking students to view the gallery’s “Jesus Wept” exhibit where students were able to make connections between the material presented in the exhibit, their own emotions and the emotions they express through dance. “My role as a mentor and teacher is to help facilitate an environment in which the students feel safe to explore ideas and emotions within movement to make a dance,” said Glenn. “Navigating through the exhibit and the scriptures allows the students to contemplate how their emotions might better serve them towards creativity and compassion rather than despair and futility.” For professors who haven’t used Education in Zion exhibits in their classes before, the gallery’s opening event will be a great opportunity to learn more about what the gallery offers. The gallery will be hosting an opening event from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday Jan. 30. Col. Gail “Hal” Halvorsen, more commonly known as the “Candy Bomber,” will greet people and pass out candy during the event. At 4, 5 and 6 p.m. the gallery will also host a performance program featuring Janice Kapp Perry, BYU folk dancers, an alumni speaker and refreshments.

Last September, the Eagle Mountain and Pole Creek wildfires raged across Utah Valley in September. While firefighters were fighting to contain the fires, BYU’s YDigital Lab Managing Director Adam Durfee was fighting another dangerous force: misinformation. To read more about how Durfee worked with the public information officers and students to contain the spread of fake news and subsequent fear during the fires, continue reading at The Daily Universe.

Scott Church presented on media and politics to the National Communications Association.

Design Professor Doug Thomas goes to San Francisco as a TEDx speaker to talk about the ideas in his new book “Never Use Futura”

Communication Arts recognizes the MODE 2017 opening titles, a video by Brent Barson that highlights the technological and stylistic capacity of modern motion design. The Design Annual issue of Communication Arts magazine recognizes the best in visual art across many industries. Though Department of Design Professor Brent Barson has been featured before, he’s happy to be recognized by the publication once again. “It feels really good,” Barson said. “It is tough to get into, there are around 4,000 entrants. It’s very gratifying, makes the effort worth it.” Communication Arts honored Barson for his work on the MODE Conference 2017 opening titles video. MODE, or Motion Design Education, commissioned Barson’s work. MODE has regularly scheduled conventions and continues to “encourage, share and help motion design by providing a platform for research pedagogy,” as stated by the organization’s website. Though the organization was originally founded by three motion design educators, it has since quadrupled in size, with Barson being among the professors who have joined on. “I attended the second MODE they ever had and I asked to get involved, so I was one of the six founding members for the third,” Barson said. “It’s really exciting to see it growing.” The video has a distinct aesthetic. Though the colors were decided by the conference’s color scheme, the rest of the video is almost entirely the product of Barson (the music was done by Micah Dahl Anderson). “The project was born of my academic leave from BYU,” Barson said. “It was a deep dive into this 3D software, Octane Render. What was exciting about it to me is that it can render completely photorealistic scenes. I thought, 'That’s an interesting idea, to create reality while also filming surreality.'” A frame from Barson’s MODE 2017 opening titles.

BYU illustration professor Robert Barrett spoke at the BYU Devotional on Tuesday, May 8. He focused on the importance of preparation, not just in art, but in all aspects of life. “The Lord expects His children to do their homework on a problem, consider the options, and then make a decision,” said Barrett. “Then, and only then, are they able to take their decisions to the Lord and ask Him if what they have decided to do is right.” Visit BYU News to read more about Robert Barrett and the May 8 devotional.

The devotional will take place at 11 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center.

Professor Chris Cutri shares “The Wrestle: Taking Art Beyond Enjoyment”

School of Communications Professor Kevin John shared three biometric techniques that can improve the accuracy of self-reporting studies in 2018 Beckham Lecture

The lecture will take place April 12 at 11:00 a.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall

Communications Professor Kevin John will present the first lecture following the passing of Emeritus faculty Ray Beckham

The lecture will take place March 1 at 11:00 a.m. in the Nelke Theatre

Professor Barber talked about finding empathy through his work and reassured students that they had a place here at BYU.

The lecture will take place on Feb. 1 at 11:00 a.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall