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CoSE Alum to Receive Honorary Doctorate
Dave Jeppesen, retired director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, will be honored for his service and dedication to the community at Idaho State University’s spring commencement ceremonies on May 10.
Jeppesen was appointed director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in 2019 by Governor Brad Little. Prior to that position, he served as Chief Marketing Officer at Blue Cross of Idaho, started a successful international bank consulting business, and served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Barclays in the United Kingdom Retail Bank. Jeppesen was born and raised in Idaho, and is married with four children and three grandchildren.
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Congrats to Evan Johnson, senior accountant, and Lorie Kalivas, laboratory materials supervisor, on their election to Staff Council!
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Heather Ray Named ISU INBRE Campus Leader
The Idaho State University INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) program is pleased to announce that Heather Ray of ISU’s Department of Biological Sciences has been named the ISU INBRE Campus Leader effective May 1.
In this role, appointed by Idaho State University and University of Idaho leadership, Ray oversees ISU INBRE activity and serves on the statewide INBRE Executive Committee. As campus leader, she guides the ISU INBRE program and assists in statewide strategic decision-making. She will also oversee ISU’s INBRE Undergraduate Fellowship Program.
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Awesome work, Shannon Kobs Nawotniak and Joseph Crupper!
Shannon, professor and chair of the geosciences department, and Joseph, administrative assistant for the geosciences department, took home a pair of Benny Awards recently. Shannon received the Student Organization Advisor of the Year for her work with GeoClub. Meanwhile, Joseph was named Staff Member of the Year.
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LAST CALL!
RSVP today for the 2025 Pillars of Achievement Reception!
We invite all faculty and staff to join us at the College’s 2025 Pillars of Achievement reception.
The event honors our 2025 Professional Achievement Award winners and Outstanding Student Achievement Award winners, as well as our Outstanding Faculty Award winners. Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments and enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres on Friday, May 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Salmon River Suite at the Pond Student Union Building.
Please RSVP by May 2, to Mary Guyton, Administrative Assistant II, at maryguyton@isu.edu or cose@isu.edu. Please include the number of guests who will be attending with you.
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Great work, Tiago Heebner!
Tiago, a senior majoring in geology, was recently named the recipient of the AEG Foundation's Beardsley-Kuper Geology Field Camp Scholarship. The scholarship helps to cover the costs of a student to attend a field camp, a capstone requirement for many undergrads to complete their degree. Tiago will use his scholarship to attend our very own field camp at the Lost River Field Station, located in the shadow of Mount Borah near Mackay, this summer.
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Summer Hours to Start May 12
Idaho State University will continue our longstanding tradition of summer hours for employees. The University’s administrative office hours will shift to Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch break, beginning on Monday, May 12. Summer hours apply to telework and on-campus working arrangements. Standard office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break, will resume on Monday, August 11.
Managers are encouraged to use flexibility and creativity in determining the best schedule for their operations to ensure continuity of responsibilities and effective customer service. Management at all campus locations should consult with their respective vice presidents, where needed, if alternate schedules might be better suited to meet the needs of students or their specific operational needs.
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Students and advisors with the Chem Club participated in the 2025 Portneuf Valley Environmental Fair last Saturday. The group made liquid nitrogen ice cream for attendees at the event held at Lookout Point and submitted an entry, Frogentrator’s Water Wheel, into the recycled sculpture contest.
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Retirement Reception for Mia Benkenstein May 6
The Office for Research wishes to share that Mia Benkenstein plans to retire this June. Mia has been with ISU since November of 2001 and has made a tremendous impact as Animal Facilities Manager. For over 23 years, Mia has been an important member of the Office for Research team and has played a key role in supporting the university’s animal research program. Mia has worked with countless students, faculty, and staff at ISU, and we will definitely miss her.
Please join us in celebrating Mia’s retirement and wishing her well in her next adventure on Tuesday, May 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the PSUB North/Middle Fork Room.
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Provide Your Feedback on the CoSE Dean Candidates
Please take a moment to complete an anonymous survey sharing your feedback on the candidates for the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering position.
Please note that this survey is intended to gather your input and will be weighed in the decision-making process. However, the final decision on which candidate to select will be made by the President in collaboration with the Provost.
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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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CPI Program Seeking Student Success Stories for 15-Year Celebration
The Career Path Internship program will celebrate its 15th anniversary in the fall of 2025. We plan to highlight student success stories and showcase all of the ways the program has benefited students, the university, and multiple communities around the state.
We invite faculty and staff from all campuses to share the names of CPI students who made a significant contribution to ISU or in their degree or career, had a unique experience, or examples of how their internship was pivotal in meeting their academic or professional goals. Please include the student's email, major, and where they interned, as well as a brief explanation in an email to Virginia Barnett at barnvirg@isu.edu.
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Benefits Open Enrollment April 28 - May 16
The benefits open enrollment period for benefit-eligible faculty and staff began Monday, April 28 and will go through 3 p.m., Friday, May 16. Benefits changes made during this open enrollment period are effective for the Fiscal Year 2026 benefits plan year (July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026).
Medical and Dental plans will have a passive enrollment process, so those currently enrolled in a given medical and/or dental plan will be automatically enrolled in the same Regence BlueShield (medical) and Blue Cross (dental) plan without having to fill out any new forms.
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Beware: Phishing Attack Using Docusign
Malwarebytes has reported a sophisticated phishing scam where cybercriminals exploited the DocuSign API to distribute fraudulent emails impersonating PayPal. ISU faculty, staff and students have reported receiving these emails.
By creating legitimate-looking DocuSign accounts, the attackers sent out fake invoices that appeared to originate from PayPal, thereby bypassing many email security filters. These emails typically claimed an unauthorized transaction had occurred and urged recipients to contact a fraudulent "Fraud Prevention Team" via a provided phone number. Notable red flags included sender addresses from Gmail accounts and discrepancies in recipient information.
| | | May 5 | Final examinations | | May 9 | Spring 2025 classes end | | May 10 | Commencement - Pocatello (May & August 2025 graduates) | | May 13 | Spring 2025 Late 8-week and full semester course grading closes at 4:00 pm | | May 19 | Summer 2025 Classes begin for Early-4, Early-6, Early-8 and Full term | | May 26 | Memorial Day holiday (Monday - no classes) | | | Upcoming Events in the College of Science and Engineering | | |
Department/Program
Geosciences
Event
Ben Crosby Retirement Party
Details
Wed, May 7
4:30 pm
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
Senior Reception
Details
Fri, May 9
2 pm
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Department/Program
All
Event
Pillars of Achievement
Details
Fri, May 9
4 pm
PSUB - Salmon River Suite
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Department/Program
Biological Sciences
Event
INBRE Reception
Details
Mon, May 16
9 am
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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