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Approaching Critical: ISU Workshop Trains Industry Pros on Safe Nuclear Fuel Handling
A hands-on workshop at Idaho State University is helping train professionals to safely handle the fuels that will power the next generation of nuclear reactors.
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Update from President Wagner on the CoSE Dean Search
Dear COSE Faculty and Staff:
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and are looking forward to Spring Semester 2025. I wanted to provide you an update on the COSE Dean search progress. After careful consideration of all the feedback from faculty and staff, I extended offers to candidates I felt had strong consensus support among the COSE community. Unfortunately, offers were not accepted before we entered the holiday break. Although the offers were not accepted, the consensus candidates expressed high praise for ISU, COSE, the search process and the terms we offered. The rejection of our offers had more to do with relocation and competing job offers.
After discussion with the Search Firm and Search Committee chairs I have decided to re-open the search - and have invited the search committee to continue serving in their roles. I am asking the search committee to follow a similar process of identifying initial candidates (via Zoom) and final round candidates for on-campus interviews and faculty participation during the Spring 2025 semester. The search will be reopened this month and I would expect the search committee to review and interview first-round candidates sometime in February. Pending the successful completion of the Provost search, I may be able to involve our new permanent Provost in the review of final candidates this Spring.
I am absolutely committed to the success of the search process and finding the right dean for COSE - and I appreciate being able to count on your feedback as we consider additional candidates. Your input does matter, and I am excited to engage with you and new candidates moving forward.
Thank you - and my best to you as we begin 2025,
Robert
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Congrats to the CoSE faculty who received one of the Office for Research's Internal Small Grants!
The faculty who've been awarded a grant and their project are:
PI: David Pearson, Geosciences, Using Geochronology to Quantify the Magnitude of Erosion During Formation of the Great Unconformity
PI: Kellie Wilson, Mechanical Engineering, Infrastructure Development in Propulsion
PI: Minhaz Zibran, Comp Science, CoPI: Farjana Eishita, Comp Science, Toward Effective Security Defect Fixing through Peer Code Reviews
PI: Rajib Mahamud, Mechanical Engineering, Experimental Analysis and Multiphysics Modeling of Self-Organization in Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas
Since 2014, the Office for Research has reinvested over $2 million in recovered facilities and administrative fees to support ISU faculty scholars and researchers through various internal grant programs.
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Provost Finalists Forums Scheduled
The three finalists for the position of Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs will participate in on-campus interviews beginning January 13. The finalists are:
Claudia Petrescu, Inaugural Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, Kansas State University
William McLean, Senior Vice Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research, Arkansas State University, and Professor of Political Science
Adam Bradford, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of English, Idaho State University
For more information on each of the candidates and to view the forum schedule, please visit the search website. The campus community is invited to meet the candidates in person or on Zoom at their respective forum. There will be opportunities to provide feedback on each candidate.
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Student Abstracts Sought for 2025 Research and Creative Works Symposium
This event is an opportunity for undergrad and graduate students alike of all disciplines and degree levels to present their in-progress or completed scholarly or creative works for a chance to win big bucks!
Abstracts can be submitted starting January 21 with a deadline of February 26.
For more information and a list of the scheduled 45 Minute Insider Sessions to help students prepare their abstracts, visit isu.edu/researchsymposium.
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Office for Research Development to Host Grant Training Sessions
ISU's Office for Research Development will be hosting a series of grant trainings in 2025. The trainings are held via Zoom and will introduce faculty members to the core skills needed to successfully obtain external funding to support their research.
The January training will be held on Thursday, January 16 at 2 p.m. and cover the grant lifecycle at ISU, how to determine if a funder is the right "fit" for a research project, and how to use two search engines to find grants. Meanwhile, the February training is planned for Tuesday, February 18, at 10 a.m. and focuses on the basic skills needed to develop a successful grant application, including mission alignment, writing compelling goals, connecting project goals to broader impacts, simplifying your language, thinking like a reviewer, and more.
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Responsible Conduct of Research Seminar Series Schedule Announced
The Office for Research has announced the slate of Responsible Conduct of Research seminars will be held during the Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 semesters.
Admission is free, and all ISU researchers are welcome. Attending the seminars will meet the RCR training requirement for researchers funded by NIH, NSF, and USDA awards. Researchers interested in attending one or more of the seminars should email chuckrizzo@isu.edu to request an invitation to attend.
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New Idaho NASA EPSCoR Funding Opportunities
Idaho NASA EPSCoR is excited to announce the release of two funding opportunities designed to support faculty researchers in advancing their work in alignment with NASA’s priorities.
1. Idaho NASA EPSCoR Research Initiation Grants
This program provides funding for new researchers to gain experience and/or for established researchers to pursue innovative directions in their research.
Application Deadline: January 24, 2025
2. Idaho NASA EPSCoR Summer Faculty Fellowship
This fellowship supports faculty in dedicating time during the summer to understand NASA’s research needs and align their expertise accordingly. Participants will explore tools like NSPIRES, the NASA Technology Taxonomy, and the Human Research Roadmap while collaborating with the Idaho NASA EPSCoR team.
Application Deadline: January 24, 2025
Detailed information, including the application guidelines and a budget template, is available at the Idaho NASA EPSCoR Submission Portal.
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LAST CALL: Nominations Open for Distinguished Faculty
Celebrate the exceptional work of Idaho State University faculty by submitting nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Awards. This is your opportunity to recognize colleagues who inspire students, contribute to the advancement of their fields, and make a meaningful impact on our community. Award recipients will be honored at a special reception in April and recognized during the 2025 Commencement ceremony.
Nominations for the Distinguished Teacher, Service, and Researcher are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 17.
For questions and to nominate an individual, contact Michelle Collier at michellecollier@isu.edu or ext. 6311.
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The College of Science and Engineering Dean's Excellence Fund is intended to support students in their journey through ISU. The Dean's Office is particularly interested in providing financial assistance to students who might not be able to enroll in or complete the semester because of short-term financial hardships. Students seeking such support should be in good academic standing.
If you know of a student who is in need of short-term support, please have them complete this form.
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Annual Respectful Workplace Training Available in January
As a requirement from the State of Idaho Division of Human Resources, ISU faculty and staff are joining all other state employees in completing Respectful Workplace Training. The goal of this initiative is to support a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace. With that in mind, we've updated the material to include information on ISU's Abusive Conduct Policy.
DHR requires that all State of Idaho employees complete Respectful Workplace Training. Completion of this training is required for benefit-eligible faculty and staff to be eligible for FY26 change in employee compensation (CEC) pay increases, should they be approved by the legislature.
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Save the Date for President Robert Wagner's State of the University Address
Save the date for President Robert W. Wagner's State of the University Address, to be held on February 4, 2025 at 3 p.m. in the Bengal Theater. President Wagner will reflect on the last 12 months as ISU's 14th President and will engage the campus community as he shares recent progress and accomplishments of Idaho State.
For those unable to attend the State of the University, it will be available via livestream on our YouTube channel.
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Vanessa Ballam Honored with Idaho State Journal’s Woman of Influence Award in the Arts
Vanessa Ballam, Professor of Theatre at ISU, has been named one of the Idaho State Journal’s Women of Influence for her contributions to the arts. The annual awards celebrate impactful women in East Idaho across diverse fields, recognizing their leadership, perseverance, and commitment to community betterment.
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| January 13 | Spring classes begin | | January 20 | Martin Luther King Jr./Human Rights holiday (no classes) | | February 17 | Presidents' Day holiday (no classes) | | February 24 | Early 8-week course grading opens | | March 3 | Mid-term week | | March 10 | Late 8-week courses begin | | March 11 | Early 8-week course grading closes at
5:00 p.m. | | March 18 | Bengal Giving Day | | March 24 | Spring Break (no classes) | | |
Upcoming Events in the College of Science and Engineering | |
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Department/Program
Physics
Event
Colloquium: Highs and Lows in the Search for Dark Matter
Pearl Sandick
University of Utah
Details
Mon, Jan 13
4 pm
https://isu.zoom.us/j/83605449129
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Department/Program
Geociences
Event
Colloquium: Title TBD
Paul Slezak
Idaho National Laboratory
Details
Wed, Jan 15
4 pm
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Social
Details
Thu, Jan 16
3:30 pm
GLS Lobby
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Seminar Series Orientation
Details
Thu, Jan 16
4 pm
LC 10
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Department/Program
Geosciences
Event
Colloquium: Title TBD
Pablo Davilia Harris
Instituto Potosino de Investigación Ceintífica y Tecnológica
Details
Wed, Jan 22
4 pm
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Social
Details
Thu, Jan 23
3:30 pm
GLS Lobby
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Seminar
Matt Lucia
Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust
Details
Thu, Jan 23
4 pm
LC 10
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Department/Program
Geosciences
Event
Colloquium: Title TBD
Ashley Shields
Idaho National Laboratory
Details
Wed, Jan 29
4 pm
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Social
Details
Thu, Jan 30
3:30 pm
GLS Lobby
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Seminar: Title TBD
Jesse Jones
Idaho State University
Details
Thu, Jan 30
4 pm
LC 10
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Department/Program
Geosciences
Event
Colloquium
Sabbatical Stories
Ben Crosby
Idaho State University
Details
Wed, Feb 5
4 pm
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Social
Details
Thu, Feb 6
3:30 pm
GLS Lobby
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Help Us Share Your Accomplishments!
Our College’s outstanding faculty, staff, and students achieve many notable research and professional accomplishments. In addition, our departments regularly have newsworthy advancements. We want to make sure those stories are shared publicly. Here are a few ways you can provide a news tip to help get the word out:
Use this Story Submission Form to send your news tip to the Office of Marketing and Communications.
Send an email to Logan McDougall (loganmcdougall@isu.edu) with a brief description of the news to be shared.
You are always welcome to create a draft story, submit it via the Story Submission Form, or send it to Logan. The Office of Marketing and Communications and Logan will coordinate to get the story finalized and distributed to the media outlets/platforms that best tell the story.
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