WSU Salutes
WSU Salutes 2018 honorees: left to right
From left to right: Michayla Jackson; Jack Hyer; Sarah Callister Sellers AS ’12, BS ’13; Mark A. Russell BIS ’87; Donna B. Friz; Ralph E. Friz; Bob Harris; Marcia Harris; Amir A.H. Jackson; Richard M. "Dick" Webber AS ’57; C. Kent Russell BS ’68; and Annette Mozley Russell AS ’65
Photo by Robert Casey
{Distinguished Alumnus}
Mark A. Russell BIS ’87 recently retired as president and chief operating officer of Worthington Industries. He graduated from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and began his career as an attorney at Kirkland & Ellis. With encouragement from a mentor, Russell transitioned from law to business. A former standout linebacker who signed a free-agent contract with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, Russell continues to support Wildcat Athletics.
{Outstanding Young Alumna}
On April 16, 2018, Sarah Callister Sellers AS ’12, BS ’13, in only her second marathon race, finished second in the Boston Marathon. At WSU, she was a nine-time BigSky champion and was awarded the NCAA Elite 89 award. Sellers maintained a 4.0 GPA and is the only student-athlete in Weber State history to earn Academic All-American honors three times. She is currently a nurse anesthetist in Tucson, Arizona.
{Distinguished Service}
Donna B. and Ralph E. Friz have supported the Ogden community and WSU for nearly six decades. Ralph earned his medical degree from Northwestern University. The couple moved to Utah in 1957 for& Ralph’s medical residency at the University of Utah. In 1959, they moved to Ogden where Ralph practiced anesthesiology at McKay-Dee Hospital for 50 years. The Frizes are longtime members of the Wildcat Club. They also named two rooms in Tracy Hall Science Center, created a scholarship within Academic Affairs and contributed to the renovation of the Browning Center.
{WSU President’s Award}
East Coast transplants and longtime Ogden residents Bob and Marcia Harris are actively engaged in the growth of WSU. The Harrises have supported the university’s teacher excellence program, the Bonneville Chamber Music Festival, scholarships for string and piano students, study abroad programs and Wildcat women’s tennis. Bob was Thiokol’s vice president and general counsel before retiring. As a judge in the Utah state courts, Bob has decided civil cases for more than 20 years. Marcia graduated in sociology from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia and completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
{Emeriti Lifetime Achievement}
Richard M. “Dick” Webber AS ’57 is a retired real estate developer, a community activist and an Ogden ski legend. He helped design Snowbasin’s downhill course for the 2002 Winter Olympics. As a member of Weber College’s ski squad,Webber helped the Wildcats vanquish the University of Utah team in 1956 — one of his proudest achievements. At age 75, Webber skied 74 mph during a super-G race to capture a silver medal in the speed category for his age division at the USSA Masters National Championships.
{Lewis W. Shurtliff Award For Contributions to Education}
A native of Rochester, New York, Amir A.H. Jackson came to Utah in 1999 by way of the U.S. Air Force. Shortly after his honorable discharge, Amir enrolled in psychology courses at WSU. As an assignment, he taught poetry to sixth-graders — an experience that transformed Amir’s career goals. In 2007, he founded Nurture the Creative Mind, an organization that helps young people find value in themselves and others through creative expression.
{Emeriti Homecoming Royalty}
At Weber State C. Kent Russell BS ’68 and Annette Mozley Russell AS ’65 both joined campus social clubs — Kent was an Excelsior, Annette a La Dianeda. Annette studied education and home economics while Kent majored in accounting. Kent retired as executive vice president and CFO of Catholic Health East, a national health system he helped build. Kent currently serves on the WSU Board of Trustees’ investment committee. The Russells have funded scholarships at WSU to assist education and business students from Weber County, and recently arranged a generous legacy gift.
{Student Homecoming Royalty}
Jack Hyer and Michayla Jackson embody the spirit of student scholarship, leadership and service. Hyer is a former WSU admissions ambassador whose GPA has landed him on the dean’s list every semester. He is working toward a bachelor’s degree in Spanish teaching with a minor in English as a second language. Jackson is an aspiring respiratory therapist and former Miss Sanpete County. The five-time state tumbling champion was first runner-up in power tumbling at the 2014 USA Gymnastics Championships. Jackson recently traveled to Russia to teach English to young children.
In 2018, the university celebrated the 50th anniversary of WSU Salutes. To see the photo of past recipients, or to view the biographical videos on each of the 2018 recipients, click below.