Farewell to Long-Time Friends

Professor Vance Grange retired June 30, 2020, after more than 40 years of teaching USU students about taxes and personal financial planning. Under his leadership, the School of Accountancy began a minor in personal financial planning and organized the first financial planning association student chapter.

After completing his service as a military intelligence officer in the United States Army in 1974, Grange came to Logan to get his Master of Accountancy. Over the next two years, he studied accounting and business, met and married his wife, Tamara, and learned from professors like Larzette Hale. Upon graduation, he began employment with Price Waterhouse & Co. in Sacramento, California.

 He worked in both the audit and tax departments at Price Waterhouse but kept thinking about how much he had enjoyed teaching accounting as a graduate student at Utah State. When an instructor position became available, he applied and began full-time employment at USU in the Fall of 1978. After teaching at USU for two years, he took a leave of absence to pursue a Ph.D. in accounting (taxation) at the University of Texas at Austin. He returned to USU in the fall of 1983, and completed 41 years of service at USU.

 Vance will always be remembered for his kindness and willingness to go the extra mile. Brady Murray, ’05, noted that “There’s no possible way I could have quantified just how much of an impact Dr. Grange would have on my life after meeting him during my first semester at USU. He is the reason I pursued a career in financial planning. He is also a motivation for me to be a better husband, father and community leader. I feel confident that my experience is not unique to me but is the experience of countless Aggies. We love you Dr. Grange and will forever be inspired by your selfless career.”

Maren Stromberg, beloved by students for her careful reviews of resumes and for her genuine care for students’ wellbeing, is retiring after more than 10 years at USU, the last five of which were with the Huntsman School. Brent Meacham, ’12, Marketing, noted that “Maren helped me to polish my resume through direct and relevant critique, prepare effectively for interviews, and provided encouragement to know I would be a valuable addition to any organization. When I talk with current college students, I always recommend they meet with Maren because she had a direct impact in helping me to successfully get a job in New York City.”

Kaye Anderson, a stalwart presence in the advising office, is retiring after almost 20 years. Said Ruth
Loveland, the director of the FJ Management Center for Student Success, “Kaye has been the welcoming face of the FJ Center since its inception. She assisted countless students through their academic experience utilizing her kind heart,attention to detail, and welcoming manner. After 16 years of service Kaye leaves behind a great legacy at the Huntsman School. We wish her well in her new adventures.”

Professor Dwight Israelsen joined the Huntsman School of Business in 1980 and retired at the end of the Spring 2020 semester. He carried a heavy teaching load for over 40 years at USU, sometimes teaching as many as nine classes in a single semester. Tens of thousands of USU graduates across multiple generations remember taking courses from Professor Israelsen and learning the basics of supply and demand as well as complex, upper-division material. 

While his scholarly interests were broad and included macroeconomics, microeconomics, and econometrics, he was particularly known for his interest in economic history, the history of economic thought, and comparative economic systems. 

During the last decade of his career, Professor Israelsen served as the Director of the China Cooperative Academic Program at USU. While in this role, he personally made over 50 trips to China, where he lectured and traveled extensively across the Chinese region.