From left, Prajita Budhathoki, Arpan Adhikari, and Joe Shurtleff sit at a table made of Sweetcrete. Standing is Jared Cantrell, and the pavers that the table rests on are made of Sweetcrete as well.

Concrete Learning: ISU Students Build Picnic Table, Install Pavers Made of Sweetcrete

An innovative concrete blend developed at Idaho State University could one day be coming to a patio near you.

Recently, students wrapped up installation of a picnic table and roughly 350 pavers made of Sweetcrete at the Engineering Research Complex on East Putnam Street in Pocatello. Sweetcrete is a concrete mix that replaces 25 percent of the cement with precipitated calcium carbonate, a byproduct of processing sugar beets.

Now’s your chance to see science’s not-so-spooky side.

The Idaho State University physics program and Kiwanis Club of Pocatello’s Haunted Science Laboratory will be open to the public on Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Bannock County Event Center, Commercial Building B, just north of the Pocatello Downs Grandstand.

ISU student art on display at the visitors Center at Craters of the Moon National Monument.

The poetic beauty that can be found in mathematics was shared by an Idaho State University Professor Emeritus.

Jim Wolper was one of 14 poets from around the globe invited to read a selection of their works at the Bridges 2026 conference. Held at the University of Galway in Galway, Ireland, the annual conference highlights the “mathematical connections in art, music, architecture, and culture.”

Students often tell us they would welcome more activities with faculty and staff. To enhance the student/faculty/staff experience in our college, the CoSE Dean's Office and the ASISU CoSE senators would like your input to help plan upcoming events.

Please take a minute to complete this short CoSE/ASISU Event Planning Survey by Friday, October 30. We appreciate your feedback!

Complete the survey >>

Congrats, Anish!

Anish Sebastian, associate professor and chair of the mechanical and measurement & control engineering department, was named a recipient of a General Education Matriculation (GEM) Microgrant.

The GEM Microgrant program is a SBOE-sponsored faculty microgrant program that compensates instructors for redesigning GEM course content to embed AI literacy.

See all the recipients>>

From Around ISU

ISU FY2027 Early Retirement Incentive Program Announced

Idaho State University is pleased to announce an Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) for FY2027 to support strategic fiscal management in alignment with organizational priorities. Authorized under Idaho House Appropriations Bill 876, this one-time voluntary program provides a financial incentive payment to eligible faculty and staff considering retirement.

Nominations Open: Honorary Degrees and Commencement Speaker

We are now accepting nominations for individuals to be considered for honorary degrees. These awards, presented at Spring Commencement, recognize careers of extraordinary accomplishment that have benefitted society through intellectual, artistic, scientific, professional, or public service contributions.

Recognition Inventory Survey: Help Us Recognize What’s Working at ISU

As part of ongoing employee engagement efforts, you're invite to participate in the Recognition Inventory Survey – Fall 2026.

Please complete the survey by December 11. We encourage you to share specific examples and provide as much detail as possible. Participants will remain anonymous.

Take the survey >>

Reminders

Faculty Drop-in Hours with Dean Widmann

Dean Widmann invites faculty to a drop-in hour on the first Thursday of each month in Room 121 of the Physical Science Complex. The next will be held on November 5 from 11 a.m. to noon.

This optional opportunity gives faculty a chance to chat with the Dean about projects, ask questions, share successes, and provide input regarding the future of the College.

IASE Seeking Idaho State University Trustee

The Idaho Academy of Science and Engineering is looking for someone to serve on the Executive Board as the Trustee from Idaho State University.

A few of the duties include:

Promoting academy membership at Idaho State University
Attending meetings of the Executive Committee as well as General Meetings and Symposia
Participating in advertising the annual Symposium. (In 2027, it will be at ICOM in Boise and likely in April or May)
Promoting science and engineering statewide and in your community.

Please email Gene Stuffle or Rene Rodriguez if you're interested or have questions.

ISU MRCF Student Microscopy Competition

The ISU MRCF Student Microscopy Competition is a friendly competition designed to stimulate interest in the microscopic world and offer bragging rights to those who are a part of it. ISU students who have an interest in microscopic environments are encouraged to participate as either part of a research lab, or simply as hobby microscopists.

The winner will receive a certificate of achievement and the image will be put on display at the MRCF. Entries are due December 1 at midnight.

Dean's Excellence Fund Accepting Requests from Students

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.

CoSE Chairs and Directors Meeting Minutes

Dates to Remember

October 23: Last day to add/drop late 8-week courses

October 30: Last day to WITHDRAW from full-semester courses

November 2: 7:00 AM- Spring 2027 Class level registration for continuing ISU students begins (subject to change)

November 2: 7:00 AM - Registration begins for Seniors (90+ credits) and Graduate students 12pm

November 4: 7:00 AM - Registration begins for Juniors (58-89 credits)

November 6: 7:00 AM - Registration begins for Sophomores (26-57 credits)

November 9: 7:00 AM - Registration begins for Freshman and all others (0-25 credits)

November 20: Last day to WITHDRAW from late 8-week courses

November 23: Fall recess (no classes -- Thanksgiving Break)

Upcoming CoSE Events

Updates can also be found on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Instagram. To add events to the calendar, please contact the Administrative Assistants in your department. The university-wide calendar of events is available here.

Department/Program

Mathematics and Statistics

Event

Colloquium: Using heights to find rational points on curves

Wen Boya

Richmond University

Details

Fri Oct 23

4 p.m.

PS 308

https://isu.zoom.us/j/89143410262

Department/Program

Physics

Event

Colloquium: Monitoring Hydronium Diffusion in Supercooled Water from 115-265 K

Megan Dunlap

Utah Valley University

Details

Mon Oct 26

4 to 5 p.m.

https://isu.zoom.us/j/83887356444

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Daniel Wells

Early Earthquake Warning

Details

Wed Oct 28

4 p.m.

PS 108

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Biology Social

Details

Thurs Oct 29

3:30 to 4 p.m.

GLS Lobby

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Seminar: Place-Based Restoration: Achieving Multi-Purpose Roadside Vegetation of Sagebrush-Grasslands in the Semi-Arid West

Erika Stewart

Idaho State University

Details

Thurs Oct 29

4 to 5 p.m.

LC 10

Department/Program

Mathematics and Statistics

Event

Colloquium: Redux: an Online, Interactive Knowledgebase of Computational Logic Problems and Algorithmic Solutions

Paul Bodily
Idaho State University

Details

Fri Oct 30

4 p.m.

PS 308

https://isu.zoom.us/j/89143410262

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Seminar: TBD

Details

Wed Nov 4

4 p.m.

PS 108

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Biology Social

Details

Thurs Nov 5

3:30 to 4 p.m.

GLS Lobby

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Seminar

Ander Sundell

College of Western Idaho

Details

Wed Nov 11

4 p.m.

PS 108

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Biology Social

Details

Thurs Nov 12

3:30 to 4 p.m.

GLS Lobby

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Seminar

Biological Sciences Research Committee (BSCR) Grant Awardee Presentation

Details

Thurs Nov 12

4 to 5 p.m.

LC 10

Department/Program

Chemistry

Event

Seminar

Abderrahman Atifi

Idaho National Laboratory

Details

Fri Nov 13

1 p.m.

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Fall Feast

Details

Wed Nov 18

4 to 5 p.m.

PS 108

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Biology Social

Details

Thurs Nov 19

3:30 to 4 p.m.

GLS Lobby

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.

View this email as a web page.