For Dr. Rodney H. Brady, his first year as president of Weber State College has brought solid accomplishments, substantial challenges, and a world of personal satisfaction. He actually “came aboard” at WSC in August of 1978, and thus is well into his second year at Weber. Looking back, he sees that first year as a delightful one. He “finds it hard to imagine a year which could have brought him and his family more pleasure.” “Both the campus and the community have accepted us and made us feel as much at home as though we had lived here all our lives” he said. “We have found it aware of the areas of academic and cultural excellence at Weber State. During his first year he has delivered more than 100 talks before a wide variety of groups--civic, business, cultural, and religious--which he hopes have in one way or another helped to build better school-community relations and awareness. President Rodney H. Brady believes the political forces in the state, as well as the higher education community throughout the state, are becoming more and more aware of WSC and its role: Dr. Brady’s goals for the school, often part of his numerous speeches, contain phrases such as “master teacher,” “finest undergraduate college in America,” “students are the most important,” “excellence,” “high quality of life,’ “learning and cultural center of the community,” and “lowest cost to student and taxpayer” which embody the core _ of what. he would like to see as the directions the school will take. Dr. Brady sees as one of the unique strengths of Weber State the comprehensive nature of its offerings. : Very few colleges in America, he likes to point out, offer on the same campus, President Brady feels the community is becoming even more strongly supportive of the college and is taking increased pride in its achievements, activities, faculty, and students. Strong college-community bonds can be one of the greatest strengths the school can have, he believes. Much time in that busy first year was spent--and will continue to be spent--developing “positive and supportive” relationships with political forces which play, and will continue to play, such an important role in the future of the college. From the vantage point of that year of contacts, Dr. Brady Page 2 training ranging from the highly academic to the strongly practical vocational and technological areas. Thus, each student has access to get the broadest possible college experience, yet obtain the in-depth training which prepares him or her for productive work and rewarding living. Dr. Brady hopes all of it--the community work, the faculty and staff contacts, the chats with students, the wrestling with financial problems, the stress on mastery and excellence--have made it a year of solid growth for the college as well as its president. Ray Wight Solar flares a> ‘ f Fez As much as anything, his working contacts at the college have brought him great personal satisfaction as he has become acquainted with nearly all members of the faculty and staff and has made friends with literally hundreds of students. One of the challenges to which he has devoted the most time, and on which he feels he has made substantial progress, has been that of making the more ; ' z 3 z research Weber State College Physics Professor Dr. David Tripp says explosions on the surface of the sun, known as “Solar Flares” are one of the aspects of space least understood by man, but upon which his earthly existence could depend. Dr. Tripp is currently doing research for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration into the nature of these solar flares. The data he is analyzing, for NASA, was recently brought back to earth aboard the famed “Sky-Lab.” According to Dr. Tripp, what happens on the sun usually has a great affect on the earth. “In the case of the solar flares,” he says “we believe they have some amplified effect on the earth’s weather.” Thus the tie-in with man’s existence. “We could last for maybe six months if there were a world-wide crop failure.” says Dr. Tripp. “If we knew more about how the sun attects the weather, it would help us a great deal in terms of forecasting.” | Dr. Tripp says “When one of these explosions occurs, a tremendous amount of energy is shot into space in the form of electro-magnetic radiation.” He says it is his job to find out what this is all about and what the environment is like. Dr. Tripp says he first, wants to find out the nature of the — flares, then he can come up with the models as to what causes them. : “Then,” he says, “if we know why they occur, maybe we can predict them.” As Dr. Tripp studies the data brought back by “Sky-Lab,” he reconstructs the events that occured on the sun at the time it was collected. He says funding for the project extends through the first of next year. However, he anticipates it could continue beyond that. Howard Nod Weber State College Comment (USPS 791-360) Second-class postage paid at Ogden, Utah, published four times a year in October, January. April and June by the Department of College Relations, 316 Administration Building, Ogden. Utah 84408. The COMMENT is mailed to alumni. faculty, staff. business community and friends at no charge. Editor Arlene Wilson =" which to become comfortable.” community Dr. David Tripp with — to be an easy community §f