Goddard School of Business & Economics
Tarl Langham Class of 2017
His dream: To work with computers and be a role model to his children
2,800
The number of Dream Weber students WSU sponsored in 2016-17
35
Age when Tarl enrolled at WSU in 2013
$135,000
The average starting salary for graduates of Carnegie Mellon’s Master of Information Systems Management degree
$16,965,094
The amount of money awarded to Dream Weber students since 2010
From Master Mechanic to Master’s Degree at Carnegie Mellon
In the fall of 2017, newly minted WSU information systems & technologies (IS&T) graduate Tarl Langham began working on his master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University. When he earns his graduate diploma, Tarl will be coveted by Fortune 100 tech companies and command a six-figure starting salary.
Hard to imagine that the divorced, single parent of three almost abandoned his studies at Weber State. In spring 2016, Tarl, who had been working as a master mechanic for nearly 12 years, missed a deadline for financial aid. The Pell Grants and student loans he’d been surviving on, were gone. Panicked, he contacted associate provost Eric Amsel. Less than 24 hours later, Tarl learned he qualified for WSU’s Dream Weber program, which pays tuition and fees for Utah students whose annual household income is $40,000 or less.
IS&T professor Randy Boyle says Tarl has a bright future because he’s a hard worker, and he views setbacks as “opportunities to try harder.”
A Good Leader, a Great Professor
Students credit Michael J. Stevens, chair of WSU’s Department of Business Administration, with broadening their understanding of what makes a good leader and changing their lives for the better.
When he’s not nudging students forward, Stevens is equipping the world with increased knowledge. He has produced more than 90 publications. Other scholars have cited Stevens’ articles nearly 800 times. In addition, he
co-developed the Teamwork-KSA Test, Global Competencies Inventory and Intercultural Effectiveness Scale. More than 100,000 individuals in 170 countries have used these assessments.
For his scholarly efforts, WSU’s John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics named Stevens a Smith Fellow from 2008-2015 and then a Buehler Fellow. At WSU, he has collaborated with the Women’s Studies Executive Committee to aid women in navigating particular challenges in business. He also offers his “Leadership Through People Skills” course free to WSU faculty and staff.
In the community, Stevens has served with the Sunstone Education Foundation, Howard Park Early Childhood Center and EnTeam Institute, a nonprofit educational foundation with the goal of building communication through cooperative games and activities.
Great Ideas and a Cup of Coffee
Valuable business ideas, great networking and a cup of coffee are drawing Utah entrepreneurs to a monthly gathering at Weber State Downtown known as 1 Million Cups (1MC).
In partnership with Weber State and Ogden’s Small Business Development Center, 1MC is a national program created by the Kauffman Foundation that came to Ogden in 2016. Held the first Wednesday of the month, two local startups make six-minute presentations followed by 20 minutes of feedback from community members in attendance.
Already attracting overflow crowds, 1MC is open to the public. “This is a way for the community to come together,” says organizer Brandon Stoddard, who also directs the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center in the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics. “We can each get personally involved in making Ogden one of the most enviable places to work, live and play.”