Could fungus be the solution to breaking down plastics? Researchers at ISU have teamed up with Sporadicate to find out. PAGE 14
Check
PRODUCTION:
The Idaho State Magazine is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications in collaboration with the Office of Alumni and Advancement.
Office of Marketing and Communications
Kelsey West, Print Graphic Designer
Joe Marley, Web Content Designer
John Roark, Photographer
Jordon Beesley, Videographer
Emily Frandsen, Co-Editor
Lee Ann Waldron, Co-Editor Office of
Amy Dressel, Alumni Editor
from the president
BOLD PATH FORWARD
Idaho State’s fourteenth president plans to continue the University’s trajectory of success, moving boldly toward a strong future.
Throughout my life and in my career, I have seen first-hand the power of education. I know that each student has a different educational path, and I believe that Idaho State University can help students, whatever their goals, achieve their dreams.
I know this because I’ve experienced it. I earned my bachelor’s degree while caring for my growing family. Later, I juggled teaching, part-time jobs and family needs, while commuting 40 miles each way in my purple Geo Metro to earn an Executive Master of Public Administration degree. I pursued a Ph.D. in New York, traveling 2,000 miles with my wife, Tracy, and my five children.
Each of my children are different, and have chosen pathways that include bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and technical training. All have found ways to fulfill their goals and contribute to the world. Education is a powerful tool, and it’s vital that we make sure to support
student success in whatever path they choose.
The idea of celebrating diversity in education is at the forefront for Idaho State University. Today’s students come from various backgrounds and have unique needs. Some are beginning their higher education journey right out of high school, while others are returning to college after starting families or careers. We must meet them where they are, offering flexible programs, supportive environments and practical skills and knowledge that prepare them for the future.
At Idaho State University, that means educating students where they live- in Pocatello, at locations in Meridian, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Anchorage, AK, and through numerous partnerships throughout Idaho. It means supporting talented faculty and staff who are dedicated to student success. It means making
sure the University’s physical infrastructure is up-to-date and conducive to academic, artistic, and research innovation.
I am excited about the future of Idaho State University and the role we play in shaping the lives of our students. We are continuing to grow, this fall we welcomed more students than fall semester 2023, part of a continuing trend of more students choosing to learn with us. Together, we are helping change the future for countless students in amazing ways, as we seek a Bold Path Forward. I look forward to celebrating our current and future achievements in student success, in research, in the arts and in the communities we serve.
Go Bengals!
ROBERT W. WAGNER, PH.D. | President
FORWARD BOLD PATH
WRITTEN BY: Idaho State University
ISU continues its legacy of commitment to expanding the impact of health science education across Idaho by harnessing the power of partnerships to provide transformational education to students. This includes assessing and managing the statewide needs related to educating and training Idaho’s health care workforce. This mission is driven by thousands of faculty, alumni, and students who are devoted to improving health care access and helping others.
With approximately 12,000 students, one-third of whom are enrolled in a health professions degree or certificate program, ISU is the epicenter for health care education in Idaho. Program offerings include nursing, physician assistant studies, social work, counseling, radiographic science, respiratory therapy, and many more of Idaho’s most in-demand jobs.
ISU recently announced collaborations with Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho to expand its existing physician assistant program into North Idaho. This expansion will create opportunities for students in Moscow,
Lewiston and surrounding areas to join existing robust programs at ISU campuses in Pocatello and Meridian, along with an established partnership with the College of Idaho in Caldwell.
Additional collaborations include accelerated nursing partnerships with Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene and St. Luke’s Magic Valley in Twin Falls, allowing students in those locations to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing in as little as 12 months.
ISU guarantees two seats in its master of occupational therapy program for Boise State University graduates, and continues in its eighth year of providing pharmacy education in Anchorage, AK in collaboration with the University of Alaska, Anchorage.
ISU’s Kasiska Division of Health Sciences plans to enhance its educational and research partnerships with the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)
located on ISU’s Meridian campus this year as well. As plans are made to expand health degree programs to meet the growing workforce needs in Idaho, ICOM and ISU will work closely together to enhance and improve existing infrastructure and program offerings that allow for future growth in health care fields critical in caring for Idaho’s citizens.
Another new collaboration with Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Roseburg, Oregon is aimed at expanding the service area of the undergraduate social work program. The ISU social work program will
KEY
ISU HEALTH PROGRAMS
ISU HEALTH CLINICS
BENGAL PHARMACIES
INCLUDE PROGRAM (Idaho Needs Connectivity Leading University Distance Education)
CLINICAL ROTATION
LOCATIONS
STUDENT ENROLLMENT BY COUNTY County ##
without leaving their home community. Students who complete the bachelor of arts in social work (BASW) program at ISU will have the opportunity to apply for the ISU online Master of Social Work program.
Master’s-level social workers are equipped to engage in clinical practice and deliver mental health care, a service that is in high demand in rural communities nationwide. ISU and UCC are investigating additional collaborative opportunities in the health sciences to further support and enhance rural communities across the west.
Partnerships with health systems across the state also allow students to gain hands-on experience through clinical training rotations, bringing their skills to both urban and rural facilities with critical needs. Students completing clinical rotations work and serve 35 of Idaho’s 44 counties.
“Our partnerships exemplify our commitment to interprofessional education and expanding patient care,” ISU President Robert W. Wagner explained. “Together, we are fostering collaborations that advance scholarship and, more importantly, address Idaho’s health care workforce needs. With the growth of nearly 700 additional health sciences students over the last five years and record graduation numbers, Idaho State University is at the forefront of developing the next generation of health care professionals across the state.”
FURTHER EXPANSION PLANS INCLUDE:
• Nutrition and Dietetics expansion to Meridian beginning with Fall 2024 cohort
A nursing student practices caring for a baby using a simulated incubator.
2025 cohort
• Meridian Health Science Center expansion - 23 acres in development
• Planned Dental Hygiene expansion to Meridian
Over the course of many decades, ISU and its supportive partners have built a living legacy with an ever-expanding health care alliance across Idaho. It takes a comprehensive team of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, dieticians, and others working together to realize the most beneficial outcomes for patients. Innovative delivery models and a robust network of partnerships provide students with a wealth of educational opportunities and diverse learning environments.
ISU is committed to seeking, growing and establishing new partnerships with organizations that share its dedication to providing high-quality health care in Idaho. This focus will continue to be a priority now and into the future.
mental health care around the state
WRITTEN BY: Elisabeth Curtis and Emily Frandsen
With the help of community and industry partners, and federal grants, Idaho State University is using advanced distance learning technology to bring both higher education and mental health care to rural high school students and communities statewide.
Through ISU’s INCLUDE project, students in 28 rural school districts across Idaho have access to dual enrollment University classes previously only available to students who lived close to Idaho State’s campuses. Using both federal grant money and funding from organizations such as Direct Communications and Bayer Technologies, state-of-theart technology was installed at the schools, allowing students to take courses and interact, in real-time, with in-person college students and professors. The program has grown from 12 students in 2017 to 245 students who completed 556 classes during the 2023-2024 school year.
Today, Idaho State is using the same technology to help
provide mental health care to some of Idaho’s most underserved areas. The newest project, INCLUDE II, focuses on providing mental telehealth services and health education to nearly 10,000 high school students in rural areas, along with educators and residents in each community, particularly addressing opioid and substance use, and suicide prevention in rural areas facing economic challenges and high unemployment.
“ISU is developing relationships with rural high schools,” said College of Arts and Letters Dean, Kandi Turley Ames.
“Together we can prepare Idaho’s youth for college, and with local high schools, support Idaho’s desire to increase the go-on rate. We are passionate about increasing student confidence and access to education for these young people, building a path to a brighter future.”
INCLUDE is among many ISU programs designed to improve mental health outcomes for Idahoans.
simulation training
WRITTEN BY: Elisabeth Curtis and Lee Ann Waldron
Idaho State University continues to enhance its simulation capabilities, benefiting students across all campus locations. Similar to pilots who use simulated flights in learning to fly a plane, simulation opportunities at ISU are valuable training tools for students in health professions programs and many other fields. Students from a variety of disciplines experience specialized training to help better prepare them to work in their field.
Some of the traditional simulation tools students in health sciences programs utilize include simulation manikins. ISU recently constructed a new Health Occupations Simulation Laboratory for students in the College of Technology. This year, six new life-like manikins were added, offering a realistic training environment that
mirrors real-world clinical scenarios.
The Echo Healthcare Lifecast Manikins are particularly beneficial for a range of programs in the College of Technology, since a key feature of the Health Occupations Simulation Lab is its ability to provide a platform where some students can complete a portion of their clinical hour requirements.
“Our students are not just learning, they’re experiencing the complexities of patient care in a way that textbooks alone cannot provide,” said Jennie Brumfield, co-chair of the Health Occupations Department.
A new portable Anatomage table allows students to study body systems, providing both full-body views and slice views similar to MRI scans. This capability for detailed
exploration and the ability to transport the smaller, portable table to multiple locations helps students learn by simulating dynamic physiological responses that significantly enrich the educational experience.
“Working with the Anatomage tables has really made my studies come alive,” says Mattie Wilson, a student in the physical therapist assistant program. “We can view real human anatomy in 3D and all the things we are learning about make sense.”
Recognizing the need to grow the skilled health care workforce in Idaho, the College of Health also plans to construct a new, state of the art simulation center in Pocatello.
Grant funding from the Idaho Workforce Development Council and matching funds
from Portneuf Health Trust will help purchase the technology, which includes cuttingedge tools such as virtual reality, high-fidelity manikins programmed for various clinical settings, and even 3D holograms.
“We have 4,000 students in the Kasiska Division of Health Sciences,” said College of Health interim dean, Gabe Bargen, “and we don’t see a limit for this model. It allows students to learn safely in a laboratory setting, while also getting real-life clinical experience.”
Additional simulations include:
Virtual Reality: This allows students to look inside simulators to see real processes like the birth of a baby or to play a health care game with avatars, experiencing instant readings for heart rate, blood pressure and bodily reactions. Artificial intelligence is used to help these animated patients talk.
Human Patient Simulation: Ultra-high-fidelity tools that look like people can be used to practice CPR, listen to lung and other vital sounds, imitate
seizures and much more.
Holograms: Enhanced display equipment will eventually allow doctors and patients to project a 3D physical representation of themselves into distant sites— an important tool so Idaho’s students, and future patients, can have human experiences even when remote conditions won’t allow them to see a specialist in person.
Bedside manner doesn’t just appear, it comes with practice. The Department of Theatre and Dance at ISU also plays a pivotal role in simulations by facilitating actors to portray roles in various health care settings. Students in health professions programs practice and respond to real-life scenarios portrayed by student actors, such as patients experiencing symptoms, distressed family members, active shooter, disaster, search and rescue, counseling services and more. Not typically included in the standard theatre major curriculum, this training
and immediate feedback benefits all students involved.
Theatre designers can contribute in a variety of ways as well, including moulage makeup for triage, location scouting and design that allows for training that is authentic and repeatable, prop creation, and making models in labs.
ISU brings together students and faculty from across campus to collaborate and push the boundaries of what can be achieved through simulation, boosting career readiness by offering comprehensive training experiences.
a chance for better outcomes
WRITTEN BY: Lee Ann Waldron
Joseph Chacon has a goal to make the world a better place. With a master’s degree in public health and two graduate certificates, in rural health and medical anthropology, from Idaho State University, he’s the first in his immediate family to earn a graduate degree. That’s just the beginning.
Chacon chose public health because the field aligns with his goals and he believes
everything is interconnected, especially regarding health. For him, and for many who go into the field of public health, nothing exists alone.
As a member of the ShoshoneBannock Tribes, he feels strongly about the care and treatment provided to those who have been incarcerated in tribal jails, or are currently somewhere in the judicial system. Chacon believes there is a better way to provide
mental health treatment for those who need it.
“In terms of treatment for addiction and other mental health illnesses, celebrated accomplishments and justifications for continuing the way things are done now have been based on fragmented data that often contradicts claims,” Chacon says.
Chacon conducted research around a federal law called Public Law 280 that requires
Joseph Chacon and a fellow student plan the details of an upcoming public health project with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
certain states to take jurisdiction over criminal offenses against, or by Native Americans on specifically designated Tribal lands through transfer from the federal government.
“Seeing addiction as a treatable illness as opposed to a crime is not something everyone understands. ”
Chacon says the five federally recognized tribes in the state weren’t included in the decision Idaho made to adopt partial jurisdiction in 1963. The law requires a person called a designated examiner be assigned to Native nations or reservations to assess and refer mental health services within the judicial system, but a designated examiner has never been appointed to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
“This means some members of our tribes have not been able to access certain health services, including mental health treatment, which is supposed to be guaranteed to them,” Chacon says.
Working with the Idaho Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program Office, Chacon and his other advisors developed a research design that could help. In a detailed theory and concept-based article that discusses issues
with mental health treatment within judicial systems, they emphasize a number of solutions, one being improved, high-quality communication between treatment participants, treatment teams, and judges.
“Judges and treatment teams sometimes don’t understand the complexities and dynamics for the majority of people who are diagnosed with more than one mental health issue,” he adds.
Chacon says many treatment programs are structured in a way to make some participants successful while they are in the program, but not after it is completed. His research shows that these treatment programs can lead to reincarceration when a person relapses in the case of addiction, which Chacon believes could be avoided if better treatment was available.
The article proposes a twofactor approach. In addition to improved communication, he says work must be done to
change the perception held by many judges and treatment teams.
“Seeing addiction as a treatable illness as opposed to a crime is not something everyone understands,” Chacon says.
“Changing the perception of judges and treatment teams to recognize those struggling with substance abuse as individuals who have an illness, as opposed to criminals in need of a standardized punishment, will take time.”
Putting his research into action, Chacon was able to work with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Health and Human Services and Idaho AHEC Program Office to begin developing a community needs assessment (CNA) aimed at improving health related programs and services for the ShoshoneBannock Tribes.
After graduation, he worked with tribal health leaders to deliver the CNA and is now analyzing the resulting data to facilitate community and systems-based approaches and solutions.
Plastic eating mushrooms
Sporadicate Partners with City of Pocatello and Idaho State University on Environmental Sustainability Initiative
WATCH THE VIDEO
WRITTEN
BY:
Presley Arrowood and Logan McDougall
Picture this: you own a banana field in Guatemala. You cover your bananas in a blue plastic material to keep bugs and other pests away from the fruit. What do you do with the plastic when you’re done with it?
Gavin Pechey, who was in Guatemala researching the textile properties of banana tree fibers, posed this question to the owner of the field he was visiting.
“The owner wasn’t proud of it, but he admitted he threw the plastic coverings in the river when he was done with them,” said Pechey. “This was likely happening at many of the other banana fields as well.
Thousands of plastic coverings were being thrown into the river every year. I thought ‘there has to be another way.’”
This was just one example of a worldwide problem - plastic
waste isn’t going anywhere.
“A lot of people don’t realize how long plastic lasts,” said Pechey. “You could wake up in 500 years and that plastic container you threw away yesterday would still be there.”
Though there are recycling programs worldwide, only a small percentage of these materials can actually be recycled using current methods - around 9 percent.
So, what’s the solution? Could it be… mushrooms?
That’s what Pechey and his team at Sporadicate are trying to find out. Pechey’s experience in Guatemala was the catalyst for a man who already had a passion for environmental sustainability and business development. Through initial experimentation, Pechey and a mycologist determined there are several species of mycelium (the vegetative, rootlike structure of fungus) that have the ability to break down plastics and remove harmful pollutants. They also realized this solution could be broadly scaled.
Jump to 2023, and the Sporadicate team was assembled to develop the technology and processes needed to bring plastic pollution solutions to market. With everything needed for the first test site set, their eyes turned to Pocatello, Idaho. Only
of plastics can be recycled
Mycelium, the root of the mushroom, begins to grow in its container.
“Pocatello was an ideal test site because of the amount of recycling the city is currently processing monthly - around seven tons,” said Pechey.
“We were also met with great support from the city from the very beginning.”
What does being a ‘test site’ entail? Sporadicate will work
enzymes that break down the plastic polymers into simpler compounds. As mycelium grows, it decomposes the plastic.
Part of Sporadicate’s agreement with Pocatello included working with Idaho State University. They were directed to the ISU Office
“we could create a hybrid mushroom that would do well breaking down several types of plastics.”
within a 3 to 20 acre to-bedetermined plot of land within the city. The process starts with a hole in the ground.
Plastic that has been washed, cut into strips and soaked in a substrate to support mycelium growth is placed in the hole and covered. Over time, the mycelium of the fungi grows and spreads throughout the plastic waste, secreting
of Research to talk to Vice President of Research and Economic Development, Martin Blair.
“I got a call from the CFO or the City of Pocatello, Eugene Hill, who’s also an entrepreneurial-minded person,” said Blair. “He and other city employees had been in contact with Sporadicate and saw the potential that was there. With one of ISU’s
main research focuses being sustainability, I saw the potential, too.”
Since their initial connection, Blair has connected Pechey and his team to several other units across the University campus, including the College of Business Commercialization Center for grant writing and industry research, and the College of Science and Engineering for mushroom species testing.
“I knew if I got the right people together, they would know where to take this opportunity,” said Blair.
“The Commercialization Center is all about helping to bring innovative ideas like this to reality,” said Clinical Professor of Management and Director of Bengal Solutions Nikole Layton. “We were excited to bring College of Business faculty, as well as students from Bengal Solutions (a graduate student led consulting business), in
Left: Student, Will Hine’s notes describing the method in which polymers are processed by mushrooms and separated through a Soxhlet extractor. Right: Hine examines low density polyethylene, similar to plastic from a water bottle, that has been processed with mushrooms and then distilled through Soxhlet extraction.
to assist with grant writing, marketing and industry research efforts. At the end of the project, we were able to present Sporadicate with a full commercialization plan.”
“My team worked on a market analysis that included things like a SWOT analysisrecognizing and discovering strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to their business, as well as the industry in general,” said Master of Business Administration student and Bengal Solutions team member Taylor Killpack. “It’s great to get a real-world experience like this helping businesses grow and enter the market.”
Mushroom testing is taking place inside ISU’s state of the art research facility, the Eames Complex. Pechey is working alongside Senior Lecturer in Biology Education Dr. Jack Shurley, Chemistry Professor, Dr. Joshua Pak and biochemistry student Will Hine.
“We want to see which mycelia do well with what types of plastic and begin to understand why,” said Pak. “With this information, we could potentially create a hybrid mushroom that would do well breaking down several types of plastic.”
Pak also noted a hybrid could potentially reduce the time it takes to begin breaking down the plastics. Right now, the process takes around 120 days. Their goal is to reduce this by half. “These [hybrids] would be the most [ideal] for real-world applications,” said Pak.
“The mixture of chemistry and microbiology in this project is really cool,” said Hine, a transfer student from the College of Southern Idaho who gained the opportunity to work on the project through the SPARK a FIRE Scholarship. “This could be a natural remedy for the plastic waste problem, which should be a high priority for people.”
“This project has been a great example of people from across the University coming together to make things happen,” said Blair. “We’ve had the opportunity to engage with the public on the research that’s happening at ISU, work towards solving real problems and begin to engage students from freshman to Ph.D.”
So, what does the future look like for Sporadicate? This is really just the beginning. Sporadicate plans to begin working with more students at ISU and using land Pocatello provides.
“We’re excited to continue working with the City of Pocatello and ISU,” said Pechey. “Our goal is to eventually be able to process twenty tons of plastic a week, expanding into other areas of Bannock County and continuing west.”
Will Hine and Gavin Pechey, Sporadicate founder, discuss the possibilities for plastic eating mushrooms with the research team.
from rejection to redemption
Idaho State Professor Awarded NSF CAREER Grant to Develop Next-Generation Fertilizers
WRITTEN BY: Logan McDougall
When Cori Jenkins received an email rejecting a research proposal she had spent countless hours drafting, to say she was disappointed would be an understatement.
The funding Jenkins had her eyes on was a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. This grant is among the most distinguished offered by the agency and is a coveted prize for university faculty near the beginning of their research career.
Sulfur-based hydrogels developed by Cori Jenkins, an associate professor of Chemistry at Idaho State University.
“The proposal was to take industrial byproducts and create polymers that could be used to remove metals from waterways,” said Jenkins, an associate professor of chemistry at Idaho State University. “Once the polymers had done their work, we’d use bacteria to break down the polymer and remove the waste metals.”
“I regret to inform you that the National Science Foundation is unable to support your proposal,” read the words on her screen. The email was a researcher’s equivalent to a “Dear John,” and her idea—and its funding request—was being rejected. Being rebuffed by an agency or organization is pretty standard in the academic sphere. Even so, the feedback she received was especially harsh.
“One reviewer said the proposal was ‘neither interesting nor novel,’” Jenkins explained. “I spoke to the NSF Program Officer— the person helping make recommendations—and they explained there was no way it would be funded with
small changes. For a CAREER award, the NSF is looking for something that will launch your career in a totally new direction.”
Jenkins is an expert when it comes to sulfur-based chemistry. In her Pocatello campus-based lab, Jenkins and her students work to combine elemental sulfur—a by-product of oil refining, natural gas production, and
serve as adhesives.
“The chemistry you can do with sulfur is so different from what you can do with any other element,” Jenkins said.
“Sulfur takes many forms, and that changes how it can interact with other substances.”
“Most of the research in our lab deals with synthesizing sulfur-based polymers from sulfur waste generated by the
“We take [petroleum industry] ‘waste’ and convert it to materials with relevant uses in society.”
metal smelting—with other molecules to create new substances. The process is called inverse vulcanization, which sees them combining the foul-smelling element with monomers to form polymers. Monomers are small molecules that can be combined to form a large chain of molecules called a polymer. You probably know polymers by their more common name: plastics. In the last few years, the lab has created polymers that can detect and remove precious metals from wastewater and
petroleum industry, and I find it pretty cool that we take ‘waste’ and convert it to materials with relevant uses in society,” said Cal Norby, a graduate student from Pocatello. “Dr. Jenkins does a fantastic job of granting her students the freedom to experiment and solve research problems independently while still guiding the direction of each project in a way that maximizes the productivity of our lab.”
Post-rejection, Jenkins went to work mulling over ways
to improve her proposal. She came across a single paper that focused on using sulfur-based polymers as a way to deliver traditional fertilizers to crops.
“I feel like this idea has been underexplored but has a lot of potential,” Jenkins said.
With her eyes turned toward the agricultural applications for sulfur and polymers, she was in the ag-focused talks at the American Chemical Society’s Spring 2023 meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. The
number one issue she heard: water. Farmers are always looking for ways to get more yield out of every square inch of available soil, and to do that means the crops themselves need more water at the ready when they need a drink.
During a conversation with one of the presenters, Jenkins also heard about how farmers were now having to apply sulfur to their crops. Sulfur is an essential nutrient for plants, and as the world is switching
from burning fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, less and less sulfur is in the air, and less and less is being deposited to the soil via rain. It is a good problem to have—less sulfur in the atmosphere means cleaner air for the world to breathe— but it is an issue for farmers because less sulfur means lower crop yields. The two ideas combined—the need for water and the need for sulfur— struck like a lightning bolt in Jenkins’s mind.
Left to Right: Zachery McLane, student; Cori Jenkins, Chemistry Professor; Cal Norby, student.
“I thought, ‘That’s us,’” said Jenkins. “I was in the hotel
mixing oil and water, you’ve seen a hydrophobic substance said. “Thankfully, we had everything 99.99 percent done
Chemistry into Hydrogels to Promote Water Retention and Healthy Microbe Growth in Soil - has been recommended for funding by the Division of Materials Research,” said the email to Jenkins from the NSF.
“It was nap time at my house when I got the email. My husband and two kids were asleep, and I was there freaking
Cori Jenkins, Associate Professor of Chemistry.
projects that have the potential to support a more sustainable world through green chemistry, she is a great role model for our students, providing them with exceptional opportunities and setting them up for success at Idaho State and in their careers.”
Beyond exploring the possibilities of sulfur-based hydrogels, her award also includes a portion of funding to establish a summer program for all research students in the Department of Chemistry focusing on
Jenkins joins three other women at the University who have received the award in the past seven years.
out with no one to tell,” said Jenkins. “I was ecstatic.”
“We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Jenkins,” said Joshua Pak, professor in the chemistry department at Idaho State University. “In addition to conducting research
science communication. The budding chemists will learn how to explain the technical side of their work to fellow scientists and simplify their work to a level the public can understand.
“It has become essential for
students and researchers to be able to explain their work,” Jenkins said. “You need to be able to explain why what you are doing is interesting, exciting, and matters to the world.”
All told, her idea has been funded for five years and $590,781. Looking back, Jenkins finds that her initial rejection and four hours in Indianapolis were fortuitous for her career.
“The best thing that happened was being rejected because it forced me to push myself out of my comfort zone,” Jenkins said. “And if we get these sulfur-based hydrogels to work, it will open up sulfur chemistry to a wide range of new uses and ideas.”
The three other women to earn this award at Idaho State includes: Sarah Godsey, Geosciences; Devaleena Pradhan, Biological Sciences; Anna Grinath, Biological Sciences.
boosting isotope production in the u.s.
WRITTEN BY:
Logan McDougall
Scientists at Idaho State University are investigating new ways of accelerating the production of isotopes in the United States. Collaborating with researchers at the Idaho Accelerator Center, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and Idaho National Laboratory, ISU physicists are working to develop new ways of producing the isotopes–atoms with the same number of protons but varying numbers of neutrons–used in the medical, research, and national security industries.
“Isotopes are important to
the lives of almost everyone,” said Dan Dale, a professor of physics at Idaho State. “New uses for isotopes are constantly being developed. They are used to power spacecraft, for natural resource extraction, to calibrate atomic clocks, in medical imaging procedures to detect small cancers before they metastasize, and in a host of other applications.”
Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine has threatened a steady and continuous supply of isotopes. “Russia is the sole commercial supplier for some isotopes and a major producer of uranium, which is used in isotope production reactors,”
according to the American Institute of Physics.
“The isotope industry has a kind of ‘chicken and egg’ problem,” Dale said. “We’re just now realizing the potential for isotopes, and there are companies who’d like to develop applications for isotopes. However, the companies don’t have a sufficient supply to do the research into these applications. That’s where research universities like ISU step in: we develop the techniques to make the isotopes quickly and efficiently and, we hope, jumpstart the commercial side of things.”
Daniel Dale and Kean Martinic (student) discuss the isotope project inside the Idaho Accelerator Center on Idaho State University’s Pocatello Campus.
Dale and his fellow physicists at ISU will focus on gathering data on many different isotopes to assess their potential for mass production and use in the US. One such isotope, copper-67, is already being produced at the Idaho Accelerator Center in Pocatello and is being tested for its effectiveness in treating cancer.
“Isotopes can be made in various ways,” Dale explained. “At the Idaho Accelerator Center, we’re able to make a wide range of isotopes by using high-energy photons–light particles–to knock protons and neutrons out of the nucleus of an atom to create the isotope.
If you imagine a light bulb, it puts out light that is composed of photons of a certain energy. To knock out the protons and neutrons, we make photons of energies about ten million times what a light bulb makes.”
The research at ISU is being funded with $1.4 million in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Isotope Program. The DOE funding is also helping to provide support for two graduate students and two undergrads working on the project. The students are responsible for helping set up the experiments, running simulations, collecting and
analyzing data, and more.
“This research is exciting because we will be learning to manufacture a wide variety of one of matter’s smallest pieces,” said Kean Martinic, a doctoral student who grew up in Schertz, Texas. “Specifically, our research aims to produce more exotic variants of elements found all over the universe, and efficient ways to produce these isotopes are important because a steady supply can enable applications to better society.”
The research is also being made possible with help from IAC technical staff Kevin Folkman and Chad O’Neill as well as Mason Jaussi, Miranda Kriner, and Kishor Paudel with ISU’s radiation safety department.
“The world will need the students that ISU and the Idaho Accelerator Center can educate–students who know nuclear physics, accelerators, particle detectors, fast electronics, computer simulations, data analysis–it’s a pretty long list,” Dale said. “The nice thing about doing this work here is that the students have a great opportunity for a lot of hands-on work.”
Morgan Paulson is another student on the isotope project.
a Major milestone
The Idaho Museum of Natural History Celebrates 90 Years
Although it is the official 90th anniversary of the Idaho Museum of Natural History (IMNH), faculty of the Idaho Technical Institute (ITI), Pocatello Chamber of Commerce and local amateur collectors began collecting as early as 1916. Their early work laid the foundation for a long history of preserving historical, archaeological, anthropological, and fossils reflecting the region’s natural and cultural history.
The popularity and interest in a campus museum led the dean of the ITI to appoint an Idaho Historical Museum Committee in 1934, directed by English professor Charleton Laird. The dean asked the committee to develop a plan for a museum to house these items. Despite limited resources, the Idaho Historical Museum Committee led to the first exhibition opening in May 1935, only six months after the committee’s founding. The committee devoted their time and efforts to publicizing and soliciting
assistance from the wider Pocatello community to help their vision come to fruition.
Over the years a myriad of dedicated individuals from diverse backgrounds have contributed wisdom, passion, and resources to create what is now the IMNH.
In 1977, the Idaho State Board of Education adopted a resolution requesting that the governor of Idaho designate the Idaho State University Museum as the Idaho Museum of Natural History. It would operate with the support of ISU and the State Board of Education. At this point the Museum refocused its mission exclusively on natural history.
In 1986, the Idaho State Legislature passed an act formally recognizing and establishing the Idaho Museum of Natural History as a state entity (Idaho Statute 33-3012).
From that time o, the IMNH has been a Special Program of Public Service with separate line-item funding of the Idaho State Board of Education, under the administration of the University. HELP SUPPORT THE MUSEUM,
Children enjoy one of the Museum’s most popular events, the Fall Fossil Fest.
helping children in idaho
Who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing
WRITTEN BY: Dr. Kristina Blaiser
Idaho State University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) was recently awarded two grants from the Office of Special Education Personnel Preparation totaling $2.2 million over the next five years. With the funds, the Idaho Hearing Education and Aural Rehabilitation (IHEAR) program will train, provide tuition, and financial support (stipends) to 42 scholars who will be related service providers (in speech-language pathology and audiology) and educators focused on serving children who are Deaf or Hard-ofHearing (DHH) and their families in early intervention.
The grant recipient and principal investigator for the IHEAR program, Dr. Kristina Blaiser, professor for Idaho State, is familiar with the needs of families of young children who are DHH. Not only has Blaiser directed two schools for children who are DHH in the past; she currently directs the Helping Adults Talk to Children with Hearing Loss (HATCH) Family-to-Family Support program for the state of
Idaho. The HATCH Lab Family Ambassadors, Kat Ross and Lesa Coleman, both mothers of children who are DHH, reach out to families of infants who have recently been identified with hearing loss across the state.
There are approximately 100 families who are engaged with family-to-family support through the HATCH lab’s ongoing services and support, with weekly Zoom calls and newsletters, and the annual Family Support Conference.
Blaiser noted, “The model we have running family-to-family support through a university is unique in the country and comes with benefits that are particularly helpful in a rural state like Idaho. The integration of technology helps bring families together, regardless of their geographic locations. Instead of feeling isolated with a low incidence diagnosis, families feel connected and empowered.”
Blaiser says another unique advantage of this model is that families and professionals work together to help connect families with support and resources.
The IHEAR Program comes, in part, in response to the needs of the families that have been seen throughout the state. While Idaho has a strong Deaf Mentor and American Sign Language (ASL)-Based Deaf Education program, there is an ongoing shortage of speech-language pathologists, pediatric and educational audiologists, and early intervention personnel with specialization in listening and spoken language.
“As a parent of a child who is hard-of-hearing, I can attest that there is a significant need for this type of training program,” says Shelly Estevez. “When we first learned that our son was born with hearing loss, we instantly began to search the internet on what this meant and what sorts of things we could expect for our son as he grew up. We also wanted to know, ‘what do we do now? How do we make sure he gets the language that he needs? Do we need to learn sign language?”
Estevez adds, “We were told that we should start getting him language services. I called multiple speech language
therapists in Pocatello, but most had no experience working with infants or toddlers who were deaf or hard-of-hearing. Those that did have such experience usually worked with preschoolaged children. It felt like a black hole of service providers to find someone who had any experience that would be useful to meet the needs of our son.”
Blaiser says that over the last 20 years, the language possibilities have changed considerably for children
who are DHH. With newborn hearing screening and advances in hearing technology, it is possible for children who are DHH to learn to communicate using spoken language. However, to optimize these outcomes, it is important to have providers who understand how to use and integrate the hearing technology into spoken language.
The IHEAR Program will be the first of its kind funded by the Office of Special Education Programs at Idaho State and
is lead by an interprofessional team of faculty members and students: Dr’s Kristina Blaiser, Gabe Bargen, Chris Sanford, and Jenn Gallup, along with students working toward a Ph.D., Blair Richlin and Ashley Ben-Jacob. This team approach, combined with the ongoing connection with the HATCH lab family support program, will help ensure tomorrow’s providers are well-versed in family-centered practice as they enter the profession.
Ethan Estevez goes through a flip-book at Idaho State University’s Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Clinic.
WRITTEN BY: Aubi Moon
The outdoor education program at Idaho State University, which is part of the Human Performance and Sport Studies Department at the College of Education, is the only outdoor education degree program of its kind in the state of Idaho. The versatile program is offered as a bachelor of science degree and prepares students for a successful career working in outdoor education by teaching them technical, marketable, and practical skills. One of the benefits of the program is the opportunity to have “adventures beyond academia” with students oftentimes venturing outside the traditional classroom to learn hands-on skills that can be applied to outdoor industries as well as all aspects of their lives. Among the broad range of classes students take, courses include winter survival, kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering, dutch oven cooking, outdoor leadership, and outdoor risk management.
ISU alumni Alina Jablonski and Amy Knight are two students who thrived in outdoor education and have benefited greatly from their time spent in
the program. Jablonski, who initially enrolled as a biology major at ISU, first heard about the outdoor education degree program while rock climbing with her friends during a class taught by the ISU Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC). Finding that the outdoor education program fit her true passion and love for the outdoors and adventure, she decided to switch her major that semester.
Through her experience
challenge sometimes but it was still really fun and, in my opinion, better than sitting inside.”
The outdoor education program is equipped with outstanding instructors who put learning and safety at the forefront of their lessons, which students can recognize in the way they teach.
Jablonski mentioned how crucial her instructors were during her learning process by sharing, “My instructors had a
“Everything I learned in the program, I keep with me in my current
working at the OAC, Jablonski organized multiple trips, including ones to national parks like Yellowstone and Canyonlands. “I got to go out and lead different trips, maintain all of our gear, and work on our yurt system,” Jablonski said. “It could all be a bit of a
job. ”
massive influence on me from the things I say, how I look at problems, to all of the skills
I’ve learned. Especially Justin Dayley, the OAC director. He taught me so much.”
Jablonski graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Education in May 2024. Upon graduation, she accepted a position as a full-time staff member at the OAC on the Pocatello campus.
For Knight, who originally enrolled at ISU with a double major in anthropology and physical education in 2010, she felt that working at the climbing wall on-campus and becoming a trip leader for the OAC benefited her greatly during her time in college. Before taking these courses, Knight had no experience in outdoor sports and she stressed how supportive her instructors were when she first joined.
Knight’s ability and enthusiasm
for outdoor education, specifically rock climbing, started to shine through once she found her footing in her program, and she soon began to flourish. “I always knew that I wanted to work in higher education,” Knight said. “And then I took the outdoor program classes, and I absolutely loved them. Everything I learned in the program, I keep with me in my current job.”
Knight currently works at Weber State University, managing the rental center and climbing wall. She credits her educational experience at ISU and the skills she gained in the outdoor education program with helping her land her current job. Knight still has all of her textbooks that she refers to on a regular basis, and noted, “The outdoor education program was essential for my
current line of work. I bleed orange and black. Without starting at Idaho State and forming a base foundation and gaining those skills, I couldn’t have done anything else.”
Entering the workforce with a degree in outdoor education greatly benefits students with a passion for adventure in the outdoors, and who may be looking to pursue a career in outdoor sports and education. The program proves to be critical in planting seeds of knowledge and confidence in students, and through its various degree levels and class options, students can keep learning and growing, making them highly marketable for positions within the outdoor industry and beyond. Upon successful completion, graduates will have the educational background necessary to work for the
Left: Students climb the Alpine Tower Challenge Course on Idaho State University’s Pocatello Campus.
Right: Students learn how to build snow shelters during a class outing in Pocatello’s surrounding mountains.
forest service, national and state parks, city and military recreation programs, land management agencies, fish and game departments, outdoor guide services, and more.
Jablonski explained that students interested in joining the outdoor education program can be any type of student from any background. She said, “Anybody can do it. My biggest piece of advice would be to do it. There’s so many things I learned from this degree that I took with me after I graduated.”
WATCH THE VIDEO
city creek records
WRITTEN BY: Elisabeth Curtis and Emily Frandsen
Idaho State University is home to the state’s only Commercial Music program, where students learn to turn musical talent into a career.
To do that, Commercial Music Program Director Jon Armstrong says, it’s important to have hands-on professional experience. In that field, industry exposure is a must, Armstrong says. To meet that need, City Creek Records was born.
City Creek Records is an innovative record label that features music from students, faculty, and associated artists. The label is co-managed by Armstrong and his commercial music students. The Medina
Recording Studio, a state-ofthe-art facility funded by Galo and Robyn Medina, also plays a crucial role in this process. With advanced recording technology, students learn to set up, record, mix, and edit their original compositions.
“I wanted to give students the
most authentic professional experience they could have while they’re in college,” Armstrong said. “Every album we release has institutional support, helping us build a reputation as one of the more innovative record labels in the region.”
City Creek Records maintains a vibrant presence in the
community by participating in events and showcases, such as concerts during Pocatello’s First Friday Art Walk.
“We want City Creek Records to be something that ISU and Pocatello can be proud of; locally cultivated organic creative music, made right here in Southeast Idaho.”
Students in the Commercial Music Program have also collaborated with visiting professional artists including Bad Snacks, Little Monarch, Marina Albero, Kobie Watkins, Howard Wiley, Cathleen Pineda, and Dawn Clement. One exciting collaboration is between ISU, the Idaho State Civic Symphony (ISCS),
Pedro Giraudo, an Argentine composer, performs with members of the Idaho State Civic Symphony in preparation for recording an album with the Idaho State University Commercial Music program.
and Grammy Award Winning Artist the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet. This historic project blends traditional tango elements with modern influences. The album is set for release next fall by City Creek Records.
“Pedro’s compositions are poised to resonate far beyond Idaho, thanks to our collaboration with ISU’s Commercial Music department and Jon Armstrong,” said Idaho State Civic Symphony Director Nell Flanders.
WATCH THE VIDEO
an international title
WRITTEN BY: Presley Arrowood
The Idaho State University International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition (ICBSC) team swept the field at this year’s competition, bringing home three trophies, including Best Overall Performance, Best Presentation, and Runner Up for Best Documents. This brings Idaho State University’s ICBSC trophy count to 19 in nine years.
“The team was incredibly smart and worked well together,” said ICBSC Advisor and Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) Endowed Professor of Management Dr. Alex Bolinger. “The results of this and previous years show our students can consistently compete with anyone in the country and around the world.”
Commercial Music students work with visiting music producer, Jesse Hanson (right) in the Medina Recording Studio, in the Fine Arts building on ISU’s Pocatello campus.
ICBSC is a rigorous competition challenging toplevel students to complete 12 quarters (three years) of simulated business decisions expedited over the course of a semester, in addition to submitting a formal business plan and annual report.
migrant education
WRITTEN BY: Emily Frandsen
At first, Giselle Saldivar’s parents were nervous about her attending Idaho State University, far from her home in Weiser, ID.
Saldivar, a first-generation student and daughter of migrant workers,was nervous herself.
“I didn’t know anybody,” she said. “The first week was kind of scary. But CAMP was like a
Students then travel to Anaheim, CA for an intense 72hour competition against their peers, followed by a formal presentation to executivelevel judges from companies throughout the western United States. Other schools in the competition are often two to
second home to me.”
It was the team at Idaho State University’s Bengal Bridge and College Assistant Migrant Program (CAMP) programs who eased their minds and guided Saldivar to success. Along with offering a friendly face, they helped Saldivar and her family navigate the oftenconfusing world of financial aid, scholarships and other student services.
CAMP is funded through a federal grant from the Office of Migrant Education, and is available to seasonal farm workers and their
three times the size of ISU.
Since 2016, Idaho Central Credit Union has provided monetary support allowing students to participate, and their leadership team gives their time every year to listen to the teams’ presentations and provide mentoring in their areas of expertise.
“Competing in ICBSC has been a top highlight of my university experience, and I am very grateful to have been able to participate and represent ISU and the College of Business,” said Master of Accountancy (MAcc) student Lexie Thurgood, who was the chief operations officer on the team. “This competition really is as close as a student can get to understanding what running a business entails without any real-life risk attached.”
children. Eligible students receive academic advising, personalized tutoring, study skills and academic workshops along with financial literacy resources, such as scholarship searches and how to complete financial aid forms.
Three years later, Salvidar graduated with three degreesfinance, business management, and Spanish. She was able to fulfill a goal of studying abroad in Spain.
Today, she is a financial analyst for Hewlett Packard, a job she found through her internship with the same company.
Left to Right: Rob Barnes, Isabel Juarez, Lexie Thurgood, Lara Maccabee, Josh Luker
raising $24m in two years
In August 2022, as Idaho State University prepared for the new academic year, the institution embarked on an ambitious scholarship campaign with a goal of raising $20 million over two years. With students returning to campus, former ISU President Kevin Satterlee announced
WRITTEN BY: Amy Dressel
this significant initiative aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for current and future Bengals.
Despite the limited two-year timeline, the ISU community surpassed all expectations, raising over $24 million in just one year. This remarkable achievement was a testament to the dedication and generosity of the Bengal community.
“We view education as an investment, not an expense.
ISU offered numerous classroom and extracurricular opportunities for us to experience, learn, practice, be encouraged, and grow personally, equipping us with the tools necessary for successful professional careers,” said Susan and Gary Campbell. “Our endowments are intended to help provide similar opportunities for ISU students to optimize their personal lives and careers and, as alumni, continue paying it forward.”
making a profound impact on many Bengals, transforming lives and opening doors to new opportunities.
“Thanks to [this campaign], finances will not hold me back from my dreams or career goals. I was the first in my family to graduate from university, and I will go on to do great things,” said recent first-generation Bengal graduate Yarely Rodriguez. Rodriguez graduated from the College of Business in spring 2024 with a B.B.A. in Business Marketing and a Certificate in
“your
financial support will help ease some of the burdens of educational expenses and allow me to dedicate myself to my studies and personal growth. It’s encouraging to know there are people like you that recognize the value of education and are willing to invest in the dreams of others.
Esmeralda vega ‘25 David A. Hill Scholarship Recipient
The campaign’s success was driven by the contributions of 4,103 donors and 26,000 gifts, all dedicated to enhancing student achievement. The funds raised led to the establishment of 112 new endowments and 52 annual scholarships, ensuring longterm support for hundreds of ISU students. These scholarships are already
stay engaged with idaho state
From wherever you are... engagement opportunities
There’s a way for everyone to get involved, whether it’s volunteering, mentoring, leading a local chapter, attending events, or joining the Alumni Board. Your alma mater is here to help you dive into what excites you most about being a Bengal. Simply scan the QR code below to update your info and let us know how you want to make an impact. Learn isu.edu/alumni.
alumni & university events
Join us for one of the many ISU and alumni events throughout the year! From Homecoming, to the Professional Achievement Awards, and Commencement, to tailgates, networking mixers, and speaking engagements, there’s something for everyone. Stay in the loop and plan your next Bengal adventure—check out the full list of upcoming events at alumni.isu.edu/events
make your own impact
Idaho State has had a profound impact on thousands of lives. Now is your opportunity to share in that impact by supporting the University and students. Give to scholarships, donate equipment, your time, and more. There are many ways you can give back and help change lives for our future generations. Learn how you can make an impact and give back at isu.edu/give.
LET US KNOW HOW WE’RE DOING! FILL OUT THIS ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT SURVEY BY SCANNING THE CODE.
planes, tractors, and anatomage tables
Idaho State Welcomes Technology to Enhance Education
WRITTEN BY: Jake Dixon
The world’s first and largest flying science laboratory now has a
leaders and students from the College of Technology’s aircraft maintenance program.
NASA’s DC-8 aircraft was donated to the College of Technology. The DC-8 has been used to support NASA’s
Controls inside the recently donated, NASA DC-8 flying laboratory.
Left: Dave Smith PTA, MS, instructs students with College of Technology’s anatomage table at the Owen Redfield Complex.
Right: John Deere tractors leased to ISU by Stoltz Equipment are lined up outside the Eames Complex Bottom: Practical Nursing students practice working with a pediatric simulation manikin.
john deere tractors
A whole line of the latest John Deere tractors - leased to the College of Technology by Stoltz Equipment to be utilized by diesel/onsite power generation technology students.
5-axis cnc machine
New 5-axis CNC machine that complements existing machinery for students studying computerized machining.
simulation manikins
New hyper-realistic simulation manikins are benefiting students in health occupations programs such as practical nursing and respiratory therapy.
anatomage table
A new portable anatomage table that allows students to study all 11 body systems, providing both full-body views and slice views similar to MRI scans.
Alumni Association
1601 E. Bonneville
Pocatello, ID 83201
(208) 282-3755
alumni@isu.edu
the world
With campus locations across Idaho including Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and Meridian, Bengals can get their start from a place all their own. Through collaboration with other universities and health systems, campus outreach locations include Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Caldwell, Roseburg, OR, and Anchorage, AK, offering unparalleled opportunity. Faculty and staff at each of these sites endeavor to challenge, grow and succeed alongside students who will eventually work to solve problems across the globe.
