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Jeff Morrin to serve as new University Resources Vice President University Relations, Human Resources, Information Technology, Internal Audit Department, and Finance Services. He plans to work hard to get to know more people, and help employees and students better understand their roles.
university has,” Morrin said.
“I don’t know that I’m going to do a lot of things different than President Andersen has done; he has done a great job. I’ll adapt—and hopefully help keep the university—where it needs to be to help support the mission of this university,” Morrin said.
Morrin grew up in Ogden, Utah. He served as a full-time missionary in Spain, Portugal and Cape Verde. After his mission he met his wife, Laura, while attending Brigham
He said that even though many employees do not teach a class or interact with students as much as others do, their work is critical to On July 25, Jeffery R. Morrin, who helping fulfill the mission of the currently serves as a faculty member university. in the Business Department, will assume his new position as “I know there are many students University Resources Vice President out there that are grateful for the for Brigham Young University—Idaho. sacrifices of others to help them to Vice President Charles Andersen is get the education they are getting leaving the university to serve as here,” Morrin said. “It is so much Managing Director of the Church’s more than just earning a degree. It’s Headquarters Facilities Department learning how to be a better discipleleader of Christ. Helping each in Salt Lake City. person see that is one of the things I Throughout his career Morrin has really want to work on.” been prepared to serve effectively in Morrin hopes he will use the gifts this position. and talents he has been blessed “I didn’t necessarily see that with. He realizes that he does not coming. However, it’s fairly similar know it all and that the Spirit plays to what I was doing previously as an essential role in achieving goals a CFO,” Morrin said. “Many of the of the university. areas that I’ll be supervising are areas of different companies that “The Spirit helps us as faculty members or staff or anyone who I’ve overseen before.” serves on this campus to really Morrin will supervise University know how to best serve and help Services, University Operations, accomplish the great mission this Jeff Morrin will serve as the new University Resources Vice President.
Morrin has held management and senior leadership positions for most of his career, with a strong background in finance that qualify him for this responsibility.
“I’m very excited for this new position. I know that I’ll be able to continue to make a difference here on campus, just in a different way.”
—JEFF MORRIN
Young University. He graduated from BYU with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration. He and his wife have six children. His professional experience began with Ford Motor Company in Kansas City and Michigan. He went on to work for Honeywell in Arizona, a telecommunications company in New Jersey, and Black & Decker in Southern California. Morrin then decided he wanted to become a Chief Financial Officer. To do this he gained necessary experience with treasury, when he accepted a position as vice president of finance with Diagnostic Imaging CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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Retiring couple remembers their time at BYU-Idaho
Matthew Geddes, a Department of Art faculty member, and his wife Christine, a Department of Language and International Studies faculty member, will retire this year after more than 70 years of combined teaching experience. More than half of those years took place in Rexburg. Matthew received his education at Brigham Young University and the Church College of Hawaii, where he discovered his passion for art and teaching. He began teaching ceramics at the Hawaii state penitentiary, when, in 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball announced the Church College of Hawaii would become Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
and moved his family from the opportunities to be involved in each tropical paradise of Hawaii to the other’s classes. small town of Rexburg. “I have loved working at BYU-Idaho “It was the right decision for our for the past 32 years because of family to come here,” Matthew said. the wonderful, gospel-centered “I looked around the department atmosphere, the amazing students, and saw what they were doing at the and the loving colleagues,” time, even just as a two-year school, Christine said. and was very impressed.” Over his years as an educator, Christine, Matthew’ wife, who has Matthew says he tends to notice the taught French and English courses biggest change with his beginner at BYU-Idaho for more than 30 and non-major students. years as well, will also retire at the end of this semester. During their “I think a lot of faculty see that time at BYU-Idaho, they have led the biggest change happens with over 20 student and faculty art their beginning students. There is tours of Europe and have had many this tremendous growth at the early
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In 1976, Matthew was offered a temporary teaching position at BYU-Hawaii in place of a professor who was taking a sabbatical. He taught art at BYU-Hawaii for two years while pursing a master’s degree from Brigham Young University-Provo during the summer months. After completing his degree, Matthew became a full time teacher at BYU-Hawaii. Then, in 1983, Matthew received an offer to teach at Ricks College
Christine Geddes instructing teachers at a 2013 Faculty Conference.
Matthew Geddes organizes old photos in his office as he prepares to reitre at the end of this semseter.
BYU-Idaho’s Baroque Ensemble visits UC Berkeley Brigham Young University–Idaho’s Baroque Ensemble gained valuable experience and networking opportunities as they performed at University of California, Berkeley in the Young Performers Festival last month. Early Music America, an organization that advocates for performance of early music, sponsored the event which was held June 5 – 12.
Hansen, Music Department faculty, took students enrolled in the Baroque Ensemble class to be a part of the festival. Tueller said he felt this was a great opportunity for the BYU-Idaho music program.
year it transitioned from Rick’s College to teach cello and direct the orchestra. His professional experience and doctorate degree is in early music. Fourteen years ago, he asked the university if he could get the Baroque Ensemble “An early music group is a relatively together and has since been helping rare thing. Major universities have the school build a collection of them; and we were in some top- those instruments, and offering the university company. It was a great Baroque Ensemble as an elective opportunity to get to know some of for students. Early music means baroque-style the directors and for the students to instruments originating in the 16th, network, make contacts and receive The event helped the music 17th, and 18th centuries. lessons,” Tueller said. program to become better known among other professionals. Dr. Robert Tueller and Dr. Dallin Tueller came to BYU-Idaho the
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Continued: Jeff Morrin in Southern California. He later became CFO of Vivint in Utah; and then he worked with a technology company and an online marketing company in Utah.
when he and his wife brought their oldest daughter to tour the BYUIdaho campus, they felt the Spirit tug on them, and Morrin began the application process to teach here.
“I love being with students in the classroom, and I will miss not being with them as much in the near future,” Morrin said. “However, I’m very excited for this new position. I know that I’ll be able to continue to Working as a CFO, Morrin had only Morrin just finished his second make a difference here on campus, talked about potentially teaching year of teaching at BYU-Idaho as a just in a different way.” at a university in the future. But, business faculty member.
President Gilbert (left) speaks with Jeff Morrin (center) and Charles Andersen (right), after Morrin addressed University Resources employees.
Gallup Poll on Higher Education
Administrative Changes
President Gilbert recently led a discussion in President’s Council on the findings of a 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index Report entitled Great Jobs, Great Lives. The report explores the value of a college degree, focusing on workplace engagement, wellbeing, and alumni attachment to their alma mater.
The creation of the Office for Strategy and Research has prompted some additional changes in university administration, as well as some organizational name changes.
On the Blog
Important Financial Aid Information
New Risk Management Officer Position Created
Did you know that students can only receive federal financial aid for classes that count towards graduation (program applicable courses)? Additionally, all BYU-Idaho Scholarships require an enrollment of 14 credits.
Cody Branch has accepted the new position of a Risk Management Officer and will work closely with organizations and departments across campus on university risk and compliance issues.
Read these articles and more at the Employee Blog: https://inet.byui.edu/sites/news/ blog
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Physics students collaborate with Montana State University
Combatting cold temperatures and dangerously high winds in Alaska, a group of students from BYU-Idaho’s Department of Physics recently tested an aurora detector they designed and constructed in an ongoing collaboration with Montana State University. The collaboration began with Dr. Joseph Shaw at Montana State University, who approached BYUIdaho about the possibility of taking in a few interns from BYU-Idaho each summer. “He showed us what he was doing, and it matched much of the research professors here have been doing,” said Physics Department faculty member Todd Lines. “So, we set up a trial internship program. Three of our students were interns and they built optical detectors to study the earth’s atmosphere at Montana State.” One of the immediate benefits of this collaboration was the opportunity these students had to return to BYU-Idaho and teach others in a class how to build optical detectors. In this way, they were able to gain first-hand teaching experience, and the students were able to learn about optical detectors from other
students who had experience.
“These kind of collaborations are important because we want all our students to have some sort of research experience,” Physics Department
“These kind of collaborations are important because we want all our students to have some sort of research experience. So, we have these collaborations going on that we hopefully can funnel our students into, so they can have this great experience.” —STEPHEN MCNEIL, PHYSICS DEPAR TMENT CHAIR
Chair Stephen McNeil said. “So, we have these collaborations going on that we hopefully can funnel our students into, so they can have this great experience.” Montana State’s optical program
is unique as their program leads directly into careers around the Bozeman area, where Montana State is located. “For us, that’s a train all the way from undergraduate work right to full employment with an advanced degree in a field that our students love,” Lines said. “It’s a great opportunity for us.” The three students who interned at Montana State and built optical detectors, Jon Slater, Kendra Gillis, and Logan Carpenter, were given the opportunity in April to travel to Alaska and test the detectors they had built. The students and Brother Lines joined Montana State faculty at the Polar Flat Aurora Observation Facility outside Fairbanks, Alaska for a week and, three of those nights, captured beautiful photographs of the aurora lights. During this trip, the students learned more than the basics of aurora detection, they learned what it takes to do research in the field. “Students find that it’s another thing entirely to do it in the field,” Lines said. “You find that your
Quotes from Devotional
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fingers don’t work if you don’t protect them. You find that your cables don’t work if you don’t protect them. You find that you have to use different equipment on account of the weather you’re going to encounter. You learn to plan ahead. You learn what it takes to plan a campaign like this. These are real skills that real scientists have.” “This helps to give our students a realistic experience, instead of just book learning,” McNeil agreed. “Students always come away and say, ‘Wow. That was harder but more fulfilling that I thought it would be.’ It’s something every student should experience.”
BYU-Idaho students were able to capture photos of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.
Continued: Retiring couple stages in things,” Matthew said. “It’s like watching someone who has never eaten Italian gelato take their first bite. All the sudden they think ‘I never knew this existed. I’ve had ice cream before, but my first bite of this just blew me to a whole new level.’” The Geddes’ have also realized the difference that can be made when teachers are passionate about what they teach inside and outside of the classroom. “I have always been ‘on fire’ about my teaching and have been so grateful for the opportunity to teach what I love to people I love,” Christine said. “Another crucial factor to meaningful teaching is connecting with each student in a personal way. If students know you care, then they, in turn, tend to care more deeply about their learning.”
The northern lights at the Polar Flat Aurora Observation Facility outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.
In August, the Geddes’ will leave to serve as self-reliance missionaries in the Lyon France Mission, where they will work with all the Frenchspeaking stakes in Europe. After their mission, they plan on returning to Rexburg, where Matthew plans to continue creating art. BYU-Idaho students designed and construced this aurora dector, which they tested in Alaska.
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Members of BYU-Idaho’s Baroque Ensemble visited popular sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge during their visit to California.
Continued: Baroque Ensemble “We were the only undergraduate students represented there, and it was good for us to meet other colleagues in early music across the country,” Tueller said.
These festivals are held every year either in Boston, Mass., or in Berkeley, Calif. Every year they call for applications from colleges to be a part of the festival. Tueller said he applied this year because they The event included professional had such a strong group of students groups and those from graduate from winter semester. programs. The BYU-Idaho students not only got to perform, but they also “They chose us among five groups were able to hear professionals and total that they sponsored this year,” other university groups perform. Tueller said.
The other universities that participated this year along with BYU-Idaho were Thornton Baroque Sinfonia from University of Southern California, Opera Nova from the Historical Performance Institute at Indiana University, Bowling Green State University Early Music Ensemble, and Collegium Musicum Medieval Ensemble from Case Western Reserve University.
Members of BYU-Idaho’s Baroque Ensemble pose for a picture before their performance in Berkeley.
News & Notes
University Relations
A monthly publication of University Relations A D V I S O R Brett Crandall W R I T E R S Brock Allen, Dain Knudson, and Phillip Price P H O T O G R A P H E R S Michael Lewis, Katelyn Crompton, Tyler Rickenbach, and Ryan Chase
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