Provost’s Office

H. Laine Berghout

Dr. Berghout was appointed Interim Dean of the College of Science (COS) at Weber State University (WSU) for a one-year term beginning May 2025. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Weber State University in 1992 and his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998. He was a research assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory 1998-2000. Dr. Berghout joined the WSU chemistry faculty in 2000 and has served as the Department Chair of Chemistry from 2011 to 2022. He served as COS Associate Dean from 2022 to 2025 with responsibilities for COS facilities and faculty. Dr. Berghout has provided extensive service to the faculty of WSU, including service as Faculty Senate Chair and Vice-chair, and as a member and/or chair of multiple faculty senate and administrative committees.

Dr. Berghout’s research interests include chemical reactions dynamics of the photodissociation of isocyanic acid and energetic materials ignition, combustion, and detonation processes. He has recently worked with physical chemistry laboratory teaching faculty from across the nation to develop new guided-learning physical chemistry laboratory experiments.

Dr. Berghout loves to teach chemistry and help students appreciate the fundamental connections between the sub-microscopy world of atoms and molecules and the macroscopic world that we live in and interact with. During his time at WSU, Dr. Berghout has taught introductory chemistry, general chemistry and physical chemistry courses. He has supported and advised students on numerous undergraduate research projects, ranging from applying computational chemistry to reaction dynamics, kenetics, and equilibrium problems, to quantifying environmental microplastics.

Wendy Holliday

Wendy Holliday is Dean of the Library at Weber State University in Ogden, UT. Prior to joining her colleagues at Weber State University, she served as Head of Teaching, Learning, and Research Services at Cline Library, Northern Arizona University (2013-2017) and Coordinator of Library Instruction at Utah State University (2004-2013). Before becoming a librarian, she was the Hopi Tribal Archivist and a historian. She holds an MLS from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in history from New York University.

Academic Support Centers and Programs (ASCP)

Academic Support Centers and Programs offer various services. Learning Support includes a variety of peer academic tutoring, supplemental instruction and learning assistants that are offered in classes and at centers (Math Tutoring Center, Writing Center). ASCP also includes two federally-funded TRiO programs: Student Support Services and Student Support Services-STEM which offer financial and academic support to low-income, first-generation and/or disabled students. Finally, Testing Services also offers student support by offering course, placement and other testing through its six testing centers across campus.

ASCP report to the Dean of the Library.

Jeremy Oller

Biography coming soon.

Brian Rague

Dr. Brian Rague serves as the Dean of the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology (EAST) at Weber State University (WSU). A faculty member of WSU’s Computer Science program since 2003, Brian has held several leadership positions at Weber State including Associate Dean of EAST, Department Chair of the School of Computing, Faculty Senate Chair, founder and Director of the Computer Literacy Center, founder and Director of the Data Science Research Center, and interim Dept. Chair for Construction and Building Sciences. Inevitable and rapid change in how we interact with ongoing and evolving technologies are the primary motivators for Dr. Rague’s goal to improve and expand student learning opportunities and career pathways.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a Master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Utah. He also brings industry experience and connections from working on various NASA projects, including satellite earth observing missions at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. His research interests include data science, algorithm design, formal analysis, parallel computing, programming languages, and opportunities for creative software engineering in the fields of education, biomedicine and physics. His recent book, co-authored with Dr. Robert Ball, is The Beginner’s Guide to Data Science. At Weber State University, Brian was the recipient of the John S. Hinckley Fellow Award for exceptional contributions in teaching, scholarship, and service and the Faculty Governance Award for Outstanding Contributions to Faculty Governance.

Dr. Rague recognizes the various avenues by which students can access and acquire expertise, most especially in the engineering, computer science, and applied technology disciplines offered by EAST. He has designed and implemented innovative pathways including stackable credentials, which give students usable knowledge they can accumulate and count toward certifications or a degree, and apprenticeships, which allow students to earn an income and solidify employer relationships, while simultaneously learning essential skillsets. Dr. Rague continues to develop and emphasize all the different ways we can train our workforce and provide individuals with enduring and fulfilling careers.

Julie Rich

Dr. Julie Rich serves as the Dean of the College of Social Sciences & Education at Weber State University (WSU). With three decades of dedicated teaching under her belt at Weber, she transitioned to full-time administrative leadership in 2019 as Interim Dean, and by 2021, she was appointed Dean. Dr. Rich is not just an educator; she's a fervent champion for education, a beacon for effective mentoring, and an unwavering advocate for student success. Her extensive teaching journey underscored the profound importance of mentorship, leading her to actively involve students in her groundbreaking research on world deserts and Paleoclimatology.

Boasting a rich tapestry of international experiences, Dr. Rich has ventured through over 100 countries and resided abroad for more than eight years. Her commitment to experiential learning is demonstrated as she conducts high-impact, community-engaged initiatives for WSU students in countries like Rwanda, Mozambique, Uganda, Peru, Thailand, Ghana, and Fiji. These transformative projects not only aim to combat poverty but also champion education for women and children. Dr. Rich's global insights have earned her the privilege of consulting at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Her academic journey is equally impressive, with an undergraduate degree from Weber State, a Master’s from the University of Utah, and a Doctorate from the prestigious University of Oxford, England. Her scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Quaternary Science Reviews, Aeolian Research, Quaternary Research, and the Geological Society of America. Recognitions and accolades throughout her career include the H. Aldous Dixon Award, Hemingway Faculty Excellence Award, Hemingway Collaborative Awards, Red Cross International Hero, John A. Lindquist Award, Crystal Crest Master Teacher, and the esteemed Gwen Williams Prize.

Yasmen Simonsian

Dr. Yasmen Simonian joined the faculty of Weber State University (WSU) in 1981 as an Assistant Professor in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and has been the Dean of the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions since 2008. She served as Department Chair for the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences from 1996 to 2008. In addition to chairing and teaching medical laboratory sciences she and her colleagues pioneered the development and delivery of the first entirely online medical laboratory sciences program in the nation.

As Dean, she oversees ten departments and schools and has helped expand the programs offered going from one master’s degree program to six and one doctorate degree program, the first doctorate degree at Weber State University.

Dr. Simonian has received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Dumke College of Health Professions three times, and was honored as the 2004 Crystal Crest Master Teacher. In 2005, Simonian received WSU’s John S. Hinckley award for excellence in teaching, service and scholarship, and later that year was recognized as Utah’s Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. In 2007, she was the first woman appointed as a WSU Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor. She was appointed as an Honorary Commander at Hill Air Force Base in 2018, and received WSU’s H. Aldous Dixon Award in 2021. In 2022, she was one of the honorees of the Utah Business Women of the Year, and most recently, was honored as the 2023 Girl Scouts of Utah STEM Champion.

Dr. Simonian serves on several professional boards globally and is the author of numerous articles in professional journals and regularly presents at state, regional, national and international conferences on hematology, education, supervision and management topics.

Yas was born in Iran to an Armenian family, and they immigrated to the United States in 1967 for a better life and education. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in medical laboratory sciences and her doctoral degree in patient education and counseling from the College of Health at the University of Utah.

She is passionate about education and loves working with students. She still teaches the Clinical Correlations class for the School of Radiologic Sciences master’s degree program while serving as dean.

She loves all things Greek and Armenian, dancing, and spending time with those she loves.

Deborah Uman

Deborah Uman serves as Dean of the Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities. Before coming to Weber, she was Chair of the Department of English at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY (2004-2020) and Assistant Professor of English at Eastern Connecticut State University (2000-2004). She received her BA from Yale University and her MA and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her research focuses on Shakespeare, women writers and translators and public humanities. Her most recent book, co-edited with Jennifer Flaherty, is Liberating Shakespeare: Adaptation and Empowerment for Young Adult Audiences. Deborah also plays trumpet in several local groups, including Chamber Orchestra Ogden, New American Philharmonic and Ogden City Concertband.