Two USU notables honored by Utah Academy
A Utah State University professor and a former track coach were honored by the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Steven A. Dewey, professor of plants, soils and biometeorology, and retired Utah State track coach Ralph B. Maughan received awards at the organization’s annual meeting in April.
Dewey received the 2005 Willard Gardner Prize, awarded for significant contributions to his profession and the state of Utah. He has been with Utah State since 1985 where he has been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for his work in weed management and weed control. Dewey received the State Extension Innovative Program Award in 1996 and in 1999 received the Outstanding Extension Award from the Weed Science Society of America. He is a Fellow of the Weed Science Society of America and Dewey’s research studies the effective control of individual weed species, including dyer’s woad, medusahead, knapweed, leafy spurge, start thistle, yellow toadflax, pepperweed and morning glory. He served on the National Invasive Species Advisory committee, a post he was appointed to by the U.S. Secretary for the Interior.
Maughan received the Distinguished Service Award for lifetime services to his profession and to the state of Utah. Maughan was with Utah State for 37 years where he served as head coach for the track and field team for 34 years. While at Utah State, Maughan coached four Olympians, 11 All-Americans, three NCAA record holders, two World record holders, and his team placed in the top 20 of the NCAA championship nine times. Maughan is a member of the State of Utah Sports Hall of Fame, Utah Summer Games Hall of Fame, United States Track Coaches Association Hall of Honor and the Utah State Athletic Hall of Fame. He earned his bachelor’s in physical education and his master’s in mathematics from Utah State and was published in numerous publications in the United States and international track and field journals because of his insights into the mechanics of track and field.
Founded in 1908, the Utah Academy of Sciences was organized to promote investigations and diffuse knowledge in all areas of science. In 1933 the academy was enlarged to include the arts and letters and the name was changed to the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. In the mid 1980s, the scope of the Academy was expanded still further to include business, education, engineering, library information and instruction and health, physical education and recreation.
Utah State economics professor Dwight Israelsen serves as the organization’s president through 2005.