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Bruce Davis BS ’79, Vice Provost

Bruce Davis BS ’79 has been a go-to guy for getting tough jobs done since he joined the Weber State business school full time nearly 30 years ago. When the university needed a steady hand to guide the Division of Online & Continuing Education, Davis was there. When Weber State opened a satellite center in Layton, Davis was there to direct it. When 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Davis was built four years later, Davis was there to be its chief administrator. And that’s just a sampling of the many contributions Davis has made to his alma mater.

After serving as a Navy corpsman with the Marines during the Vietnam War, Davis attended Weber State on the GI Bill. There’s a special place in his heart for military veterans and nontraditional students. He established an education group consisting of representatives from across campus to address concerns and enhance opportunities for current military students and returning veterans.

Davis’ motto is: “The student first and always.” Despite his administrative workload, he teaches one class every semester. Davis was promoted to vice provost in 2008.

L. Mikel Vause BS ’82, English Professor

Former students and colleagues describe Mikel Vause BS ’82 as an author, poet, scholar, environmentalist, adventurer, mentor and friend; they call him a “master of the mountain and classroom.” Vause is the quintessential storyteller.

Whether he borrows phrases from Emily Brontë’s poems, Bob Dylan’s lyrics, William Shakespeare’s sonnets or Wallace Stegner’s prose, Vause is able to spin them into allegories that enrich the lives of those around him. Vause began teaching at Weber State in 1982. In 1985, to give undergraduate students an opportunity to present their writing to university peers throughout the country, Vause and a colleague organized a conference that quickly became a Weber State showcase. Each year, the National Undergraduate Literature Conference attracts hundreds of student writers and brings some of the world’s most important literary figures to 91¶ÌÊÓƵ.

Vause also established “The Dead Poets Tour,” a popular study abroad trip to England, Scotland and Wales. His extraordinary teaching has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Crystal Crest Master Teacher Award, the George and Beth Lowe Innovative Teaching Award and three Hemingway Awards.

Samuel I. Zeveloff, Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Zoology

For nearly 33 years, Sam Zeveloff challenged Weber State students to see the bigger picture — to think ecologically as they searched for their place in the world and engaged in hands-on learning. Zeveloff wanted his students to leave 91¶ÌÊÓƵ able to apply theories and academic abstractions to real- world challenges. To that end, the esteemed conservationist created a thesis program to facilitate extended student research projects.

As chair of the zoology department from 1987 to 2012,Zeveloff directed curriculum initiatives and secured private funding to purchase cadavers for 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s humananatomy laboratory. Following the publication of his book, Mammals of the IntermountainWest, Zeveloff arranged a donation of wildlife illustrations to the university’s Museum of Natural Science. He co-created a study abroad experience to China and Tibet, and helped establish an academic exchange with Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit in Tepic, Mexico.

Zeveloff has received numerous recognitions, including the Exemplary Collaboration Award for initiating the university’s annual Holocaust Commemoration. In 2014-15, Zeveloff was a Fulbright Scholar, teaching graduate courses and studying wildlife conservation at the Universityof Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria.

Since 1970, the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Alumni Association has presented the Dixon Award to outstanding faculty and staff who have distinguished themselves professionally and taken extra measures to meet student needs. The award is given in memory of former President Dixon who served as the school’s chief administrator in 1919-20 and from 1937 to 1953.