91¶ÌÊÓƵ

Named in memory of the former Weber president, the have been presented annually since 1970 to honor faculty and staff who have demonstrated careers of excellence and have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support students. Dixon served as president of Weber College from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1937 to 1953.

2020 Awardees

Adrienne Gillespie Andrews 
Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Chief Diversity Officer

Born and raised in northern Utah, Adrienne Gillespie Andrews is a social activist by nature and nurture.

Her grandfather, James H. Gillespie, was president of the Ogden chapter of the NAACP at the height of the civil rights movement, and her parents taught her to take care of others in addition to taking care of herself.

As a result, she was a fearless advocate for social justice at an early age. “If anyone was friendless or lonely, I’d take them under my wing,” she said.

Today, these values are reflected in her work at Weber State.

Andrews creates a learning environment at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ that makes students feel safe, respected and free to pursue any career regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation or socio-economic circumstance. As a crucial member of the president’s executive team, Andrews interacts with faculty, administrators and external stakeholders to implement approaches to inclusivity in relation to the university’s values of access, learning and community. In addition, she helps organize and oversee events that celebrate diversity and brings in keynote speakers, summits and workshops that explore diversity, equity and inclusion from a variety of perspectives. At facilitating difficult discussions about sensitive issues on campus, she is proactive and adept.

Andrews began working part-time at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ in 2005. She quickly advanced to a full-time role as the special student population counselor at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Davis. She has also taught political science and women’s and gender studies courses, but her transformative work in building campus community, connection and inclusion at Weber State began in earnest in 2013, when she became the special assistant to the president for diversity. In 2014, she led the charge to create the LGBT Resource Center at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ, and was awarded the Crystal Crest Friend of Students Award for her efforts. A year later, Andrews was selected as Weber State’s first chief diversity officer. In 2018, she added the title of assistant vice president for diversity to her already impressive résumé.

Andrews earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Utah. She received two master’s degrees — one in women’s studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and one in political science at Rutgers University. She returned to the U of U for a post-graduate certificate in conflict resolution and mediation, and is now working on a doctoral degree.

She also serves on the Utah Governor’s Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission, the Ogden Diversity Commission and the McKay-Dee and Layton Hospital governing boards. In 2017, she received the ATHENA Leadership Award from the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce.

Edward B. Walker BA ’76
Professor, Director of Chemical Technology Center

After 39 years, Ed Walker still gets excited about every lecture and lab he teaches. “I enjoy my one-on-one time with my students — helping them study, conduct experiments and prepare for rewarding careers in science,” he said.

Internet postings from former students indicate their feelings for him are mutual.

“Dr. Walker is awesome,” one student wrote recently. “He’s positive and funny; he tries his best to make biochemistry fun and interesting. Make sure that you study hard for his tests, though, because it is biochemistry, after all.”

Walker challenges students to develop cognitive thinking skills by combining traditional academic activities with industry-standard analytical methods.

Graduating from Weber in 1976, Walker went on to earn his Ph.D. in chemistry from Texas Tech University and was a postdoctoral scholar in biochemical pharmacology at Stanford University. The Ogden native returned to Weber State in the summer of 1981.

“My primary motivation for returning to my alma mater was to join my professors who were so influential in my career, and to teach science where I knew teaching was important,” he explained.

Soon after his arrival, he helped design and implement the chemical technician associate’s degree program. He still coordinates this effort, successfully obtaining an average of $25,000 a year in federal funding. In 1990, he founded the Center of Excellence for Chemical Technology. Over the past three decades, the center has partnered with more than 100 Utah companies to enhance the quality of applied science teaching and research at Weber, and to stimulate the state’s economic growth. Students who have worked on center-sponsored projects have presented their research at scientific meetings, published their findings in peer-reviewed journals, and obtained numerous patents. Dozens of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ science graduates are still in Utah, working as doctors, lab managers and executives at large companies. Some have founded their own businesses, while others are professors at Weber State and elsewhere.

Not only does Walker strive to keep pace with the latest developments in chemistry, he frequently also sets that pace. His publications, discoveries and participation in national and international scientific organizations have brought prestige to Weber State. Assisted by student research teams in the 1990s, for example, Walker identified the active ingredients in cranberries that help prevent bladder infections. He is now recognized as a world leader in bacterial anti-adherence mechanisms, organometallic chelation and the compositional analysis of fruit juices.

In recognition of his extensive achievements in research and community service, Walker received the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. He is also a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and a Crystal Crest Master Teacher.