Advancement Board Members

The Advancement Board of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services is focused on developing relationships and increasing support among the key constituents of our college and of Utah State University—including alumni, community members, government policy makers, the media, and other philanthropic entities and friends. The board’s mission is to support the Dean and Executive Director of Development in all philanthropic and engagement activities.

Al Smith

Al Smith— Ex. Officio

Dr. Al Smith currently serves as Dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, the largest college on the USU campus. The College serves more than 6000 students, and is comprised of eight academic departments, five research centers, and a laboratory school serving 350 children grades K-6. The College is the top producer of early childhood, elementary, and special education teachers among Utah’s public institutions. US News and World Report currently ranks the college #32 among graduate schools of education in the nation, with faculty generating more than $50 million in research funding annually.

Lance Beckert portrait

Lance Beckert— Ex. Officio

Before joining Dean Foley’s staff as Executive Director of Development at the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services Lance G. Beckert spent three years as Director of External Business Development for the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. From 2005-2012 Lance was Director of Basketball Operations at Utah State University under Hall of Fame coach Stew Morrill. Lance graduated from Daito Bunka University in Tokyo, Japan, with a bachelor’s degree in International Economics in 1997. Lance played collegiate and professional basketball in Japan before beginning a professional career. Lance is a native of Mesa, Arizona and has two sons; Gabriel, Patrick, and one daughter Leillah. Lance enjoys coaching his children in youth sports and often gives back to the community as a youth sports official.

Mark Stoddard portrait

Mark Stoddard — Chairperson

Mark Stoddard is the President and CEO of Central Valley Medical Center in Nephi, Chairman of Rural Health Group, and Chairman of the Rural Health Care Foundation. Mark graduated from Snow College in 1978 with an associate degree in business management, followed by a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Utah State University, and an MBA from Brigham Young University. With a desire to give back, Mark served as the Snow College Alumni president from 1988–1992. He was a member of the Snow College Board of Trustees from 1989–2001 and Chairman of the Snow College Foundation from 2002–2009.

In leading Central Valley Medical Center for more than 38 years, Mark has been dedicated to advancing medical resources in rural areas. During this time, he has promoted and coordinated the construction of a state-of-the-art hospital and medical clinic in Nephi, an underserved area in Central Utah. In addition to the recruitment of physicians and specialists, Mark’s company has managed a number of rural hospitals in Utah and Nevada. As an advocate for medical professionals and healthcare policy, Mark has served on governing boards that include the Utah Hospital Association, Utah Medical Association, and American Hospital Association.

The Utah Hospital Association presented Mark with the Distinguished Healthcare Executive Award in 1998. UHA also honored Mark in 2017 with the Distinguished Service to Healthcare Award. Both awards recognized Mark’s extraordinary efforts and diligence as an advocate for improving health care at local, state, and national levels.

Mark served as a member of the Utah Board of Regents for 9 years, from 2011-2020. As a strong voice for education, Mark has been instrumental in establishing nursing education programs in rural Utah. A Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Program is now based in both Nephi and Richfield.

Mark was Chairman of the USHE Finance Committee and UHEAA my529 Board. Mark has been a strong supporter of Utah State, serving on the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services for over 10 years.

 

 

Pete Kranz portrait

Pete Kranz

Dr. Peter Kranz graduated from Utah State University with a PhD in child psychology. Committed to educating students on race relations, his teaching career took him to Florida, Utah, and then to Texas, where he is an education psychology professor at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. He has delivered many presentations about race relations, group dynamics, and psychodrama at numerous psychology conferences and universities around the world, including those in Mexico, Russia, and India. He has also served as a visiting professor in those countries, as well as many more, including China, Brazil, Columbia, Vietnam, Morocco, and Thailand.

During his career, he has received awards for his teaching on race relations and has garnered national media attention—Dr. Kranz has been featured by several national news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, “All Things Considered” on National Public Radio, and on PBS’s “The Lehrer News Hour.” Dr. Kranz’s race relations class is the subject of a book, authored by Terry Clarke, soon to be offered by Amazon.

Dr. Kranz is a member of the Old Main Society and a Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association. He has sponsored a scholarship for psychology graduate students and has received an Outstanding Alumnus Award.

Bernice McCowin portrait

Bernice McCowin

Bernice and her husband, Ty McCowin, received bachelor’s degrees from Utah State Agricultural College in 1949. Bernice earned a master’s degree from USU in 1996 and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Education degree in 2005. She has enjoyed over seven busy decades of community, university, and church volunteer service for which, she says, she has been amply rewarded. She has been employed as a teacher and business manager and currently works as a Utah court-rostered mediator as well as serving on community and USU boards.

The McCowins have lived in various parts of the country and raised eight children while Ty practiced family medicine and orthopedic surgery until his death in 1992. With numerous teachers among both progenitors and posterity, Bernice established a scholarship at USU in 1993 for prospective teachers.

Her current interests include continuing education, homemaking activities, travel, enjoying season tickets for USU games, visiting Teton Peaks Lodge (a family vacation home in Wyoming), and living in Cache Valley with all of its natural beauty and numerous cultural and creative activities.

Ross Peterson portrait

Ross Peterson

Dr. Ross Peterson is a native of Montpelier, Idaho, and was president of Deep Springs College from July 2004 to July 2007. He earned a PhD in American Studies from Washington State University in 1968. Prior to going to Deep Springs, he served as professor of history at Utah State University for 33 years with a teaching specialty in Recent American History and an emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement. In 2007, he returned to USU as Vice President for Advancement and helped conduct the university’s first comprehensive campaign that raised over $500 million dollars.

During his career, he has served on many volunteer boards and chaired the Utah Humanities Council. In 1998, Governor Michael Leavitt and the Utah Humanities Council presented Dr. Peterson with the Governor’s Outstanding Humanist Award for the state of Utah. He has published numerous books on Western American topics, but his great love is teaching. He is the recipient of numerous teaching awards from Utah State University. He received a Fulbright lectureship to Victoria University in New Zealand and in 2015 was named the Wayne Aspinall Chair in Western History at Colorado Mesa University,

Ross and his wife, Kay, are the parents of three married sons and they have eleven grandchildren.

Harriet Rasmussen portrait

Harriet Rasmussen

Harriet Richards Rasmussen was born in Salt Lake City and raised in Farmington, Utah. As both of her parents were University of Utah graduates, she was expected to follow their lead. However, a week spent at Utah State University in 1961 as a delegate to Girl’s State left her knowing she wanted to be an Aggie! She graduated in 1967 from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in child development/elementary education.

Harriet determined from her early childhood education classes at USU that her future goal was to be a full-time wife and mother; thus her professional teaching career lasted but one year. She then gratefully implemented her education in the rearing of four Rasmussen children, two daughters and two sons. She is married to Waldemar E. Rasmussen who was employed by Exxon Mobil Corporation. The family has lived in Houston, Texas, then Huntington, West Virginia, then Houston, Texas, then Aurora, Colorado, and back to Houston, Texas, (in that order) during the span of thirty-seven years. Following her husband’s retirement in August 2009, they returned to Utah.

Over those years, Harriet was actively involved in the schools her children attended and serving on PTO boards as president, treasurer, and chairman of a booster club as well as an officer of a school district’s parent’s council. She also was an officer of a local civic association. Harriet has served in many positions in her church including Family History Center Director and Regional Public Affairs Council, and she has fulfilled many leadership and teaching callings. She is a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and is currently serving as Registrar on the International Board of DUP.

Supporting higher education has been part of Harriet’s life over these many years so she is pleased to now associate herself with Utah State University in this new capacity on the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services Advancement Board. She is also now a member of the Old Main Society.

Melanie Rice-Moffatt portrait

Melanie Rice-Moffat

Melanie Rice Moffat earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Utah State University, and a master’s degree in special education at the University of Utah. She taught in private and public schools. In 1990 she launched Educational Advantage Inc., which became a full-service tutoring center, providing students with individual instruction to meet their specific needs. Currently, she is a teacher in Utah at Park City High School and enjoys working with special needs and first-generation students.

Melanie has served on the Park City Education Foundation Board and Park City Soccer Club Board. She enjoys playing and watching most sports, especially watching the Aggies. As a second-generation Aggie she is proud to be followed by her son who is a third-generation Aggie. Melanie is married to Mark R. Moffat and they have two sons and a daughter who are currently all in college. During their free time they enjoy skiing, biking, and hiking with their dogs. 

Stacy Rice portrait

Stacy Rice

Stacy is a fourth generation Aggie with a love and passion for teaching. Having a degree in English and dance, she has spent over thirty years as a teacher in both secondary and elementary education. While attending Utah State University, Stacy was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities including Aggiettes, Sunburst Dancers, and Danceworks, as well as a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. After graduating from Utah State University she taught English and Dance and was the cheer coach, drill team coach and dance company director at West Jordan High School. Currently Stacy enjoys the unique opportunity of being a dance educator for the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program (BTSALP) at Hillcrest Elementary in Logan School District. BTSALP provides arts integrated instruction to elementary students in over 400 Utah elementary schools.

Stacy has served as a board member on the Big Blue Scholarship Fund for Utah State Athletics and on the Logan Schools Foundation for Logan School District. She and her husband Kevin (also an Aggie) are members of the Old Main Society, Aggies Unlimited Blue A Society, and have established an endowment scholarship to assist students desiring to one day be teachers.

As an active member of the Utah State University community, Stacy enjoys all things Aggie related from arts and entertainment to sporting events. She is thrilled that her two sons and daughter in law continued the Aggie tradition, with her eldest son, Austin, and his wife Kallie, graduating from the Huntsman School of Business and her youngest son, Kade, as a Huntsman Scholar in the Huntsman School of Business. Recently a new grandmother to grandson Rhett, Stacy is hopeful that all of her grandchildren will one day be the family’s sixth generation Aggies!

Suzie Stones portrait

Suzie Stones

Suzane (Suzie) Stones is a retired health science educator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from the University of Utah, and then a master’s degree in economics from Utah State University. She was formerly employed as an academic advisor at Utah State University Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department and as a health science instructor at both Bridgerland Technical College. and Weber State University Extension. She was also involved in the career advisement and training of healthcare professionals throughout Cache Valley.

All during her lifetime, she has been involved in many church and community organizations, including the Logan Regional Hospital Board of Trustees, the Intermountain Homecare Board, the Hospice Advisory Board, the Utah Medical Association Alliance (where she served as state president), and the Hebgen Lake Zoning Advisory Committee. Suzie, along with her husband, received a USU Founder’s Day Distinguished Service Award and is a member of the Old Main Society, and The Aggies Unlimited Blue A Society. She appreciates the opportunity to remain associated with Utah State University.

Suzie is married to Michael J. Stones, MD. They have three married daughters and eight grandchildren. She especially enjoys being a grandma and spending time with her family, as well as traveling, working at her home-based jewelry business, and summer-living at the family home in Montana.

Al Smith

Dave Weeshoff

David Weeshoff graduated from Utah State University with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Experimental Psychology in 1968. He subsequently worked for IBM for 35 years in marketing, systems development, and consulting on business processes.

After retiring from IBM in 2004, he became a volunteer with International Bird Rescue. At their Southern California Center he assists the veterinary staff in the care of sick, injured, orphaned, and oiled aquatic birds. Mr. Weeshoff represents the activities and goals of Bird Rescue to the public at various venues, to all ages. He was on their Board of Directors for five years and Chairman for three of those years.

Dave regularly attends and participates in conferences, classes, and seminars regarding avian wildlife and the conservation and environmental issues that affect their health and wellbeing. He is the Conservation Chair of National Audubon Society, Pasadena Chapter.

He is a frequent speaker, to all ages, regarding birds and environmental issues for Audubon, Heal the Bay (an organization concerned with improving the water quality of Southern California), the Climate Reality Project and speaks and writes on the impact of climate change on birds and their habitats.

Dave travels extensively, including the High Arctic, Antarctic, Alaska, Galapagos, Iceland, Greenland, Midway Atoll, Chilean Patagonia, Madagascar, Easter Island, and Baja, Mexico in search of aquatic birds to protect and enjoy. He is a member of the USU Old Main Society.

Tricia Danielson

Coming Soon...

Teresa Theurer portrait

Teresa Theurer

Teresa L Theurer graduated in 1976 from the Weber State/Utah State Cooperative Nursing Program and worked as a registered nurse until her first child was born. She also received a Bachelor of Science in General Studies in 2013 from the Utah State University College of Education.

She was elected to the Utah State Board of Education in 2000. She served two 4-year terms and was then appointed to the Utah State Board of Regents, where she served for 11 years. She has served as president of the National Alliance to the American Dental Association and currently serves as treasurer. She has served on the Utah State Charter School Board, the Edith Bowen Laboratory School advisory council, the Utah College of Applied Technology Board of Trustees, the Bridgerland Applied Technology College Advisory Board, the Utah Medical Education Council, the Utah High School Activities Association Board of Trustees, and currently serves at the chair of the CacheArts Board of Trustees.

Teresa is married to Scott L Theurer, a general dentist in Logan and a member of the Utah State Board of Higher Education. They have four children and fifteen grandchildren.

Teresa’s father, Earl Lindley, played football and received a degree from Utah State University. Both Teresa and Scott received degrees from USU, as did their four children and three of the spouses of their children. Their oldest grandson, from Texas, is currently attending USU. Go Aggies!