What's Happening in CoSE

Jim Widmann on a bike near Pocatello Idaho.

I am humbled to now be serving as Dean of CoSE, and I’m excited to be included in the ranks of the outstanding faculty and staff of the College who are having such a positive impact on the lives of our students.

Over the course of my first week on the job, it’s been wonderful to hear more about the successes we’ve had as a College, the opportunities that are out there, and some of the challenges we’re facing. I’m looking forward to learning much more in the weeks ahead and working with you to see what we can accomplish together.

If we haven’t met yet, I encourage you all to stop by Goody’s on Wednesday, September 10, from 3 to 5 p.m. to introduce–or reintroduce–yourself.

Thank you for making me feel welcome at ISU,

Dean Jim Widmann

Idaho State Researchers Among Team of Scientists Revealing New Threat to Salmon

A pair of Idaho State University researchers are part of a group of more than 30 scientists who’ve found the culprit responsible for the death of newly hatched fish in an endangered salmon run. The perp: anchovy.

Haskell Distajo graduate student poses for photos in the Stable Isotope Laboratory on Idaho State Universityâs Pocatello campus.

Chemistry's Summer Research Symposium was a success!

More than 30 students presented what they've been working on over the summer, last week. The student-researchers included ISU undergraduates as well as high school students in the American Chemical Society's Project SEED program.

For more photos from the Summer Research Symposium, click here to visit the CoSE Facebook page.

INL and Idaho State University Celebrate Record Number of Joint Appointments

Idaho National Laboratory and Idaho State University researchers and leadership met to recognize the accomplishments that both institutions have made with their joint appointments. Currently, ISU has more joint appointments with INL than any other university.

ISU and INL joint appointments pose for a photo

Mosharaf Hossan poses for a photo holding his Premium Paper Award in the Technology Track from the i-ETC conference.

Congrats to Mosharaf Hossan on earning a Premium Paper Award in the Technology Track at the i-ETC conference this summer!

His study examined how gamified virtual reality experiences could be used to help treat mysophobia, the fear of germs. His VR sneeze simulation was developed to help evaluate participants' emotional states, and this exploratory study highlights the potential for understanding different types of anxiety using VR. Recently, he also defended his master’s thesis under the supervision of Farjana Eishita, assistant professor in the computer science department.

Please Notify the Admissions Office of Your Outreach Activities in High Schools

At a recent Leadership Council Meeting, Admissions requested that the Colleges and the Departments notify the Admissions Office of any visits that are planned to high schools.

This is to ensure that the unit outreach activities are not interfering or overlapping with University-level efforts. If you or someone in your department is planning to visit a high school, please contact Nicole Joseph, Director of Admissions, at nicolejoseph@isu.edu.

Presidential Pop-Up Planned for Oct. 6 in LEL 111

President Wanger is excited to continue his Bold Path Forward initiative this academic year by hosting a series of Presidential Pop-Ups around campus.

Faculty and staff from the College of Science and Engineering are invited to attend this casual gathering on October 6 at 3 PM in Lillibridge Engineering Laboratory 111. Refreshments will be provided by the President's Office.

Proposals for 2026-27 Catalog Changes Sought

The Undergraduate Curriculum Council is currently accepting proposals for catalog changes for the 2026-27 academic year. All proposals are due by October 20. Those requiring State Board of Education approval must be submitted by September 5, 2025.

If you have any questions about the proposal process, email CoSE's UCC representatives, Randa Kress and Sherry Adams.

Only complete proposals, with all impact responses entered and concerns resolved, will be accepted and processed for UCC's consideration.

Save the Date: INL Workshop Scheduled for October 27

Idaho National Laboratory will host a full-day workshop on Idaho State University's Pocatello campus on Monday, October 27.

INL representatives will discuss topics related to the recently signed ISU-INL SUPER Agreement, as well as other areas of collaboration and ongoing projects, including workforce development and training. Sessions will also highlight opportunities for students and faculty to engage with INL on research and academic initiatives.

This is an in-person event only and no remote attendance option will be available. Faculty and researchers based outside of Pocatello who are interested in attending may contact the Office for Research for potential travel assistance.

A detailed schedule will be released closer to the workshop. All faculty, students, staff, and managers are encouraged to attend.

If you have questions about the event, please contact Mustafa Mashal or Amy Wuest in the Office for Research.

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

From Around ISU

End of Summer Hours

This is a friendly reminder that standard office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. will resume on Monday, August 11.

Please make sure this is communicated to your area(s) and those you serve; and updated where your office hours are posted. Also, please take a look at the rest of the 2025 Holiday Schedule to begin preparing for the Fall/Winter holidays.

We hope you have enjoyed the summer and are ready to gear up for the upcoming Fall semester.

Free University Headshots Available

The University provides free headshots for all faculty and staff. The next open headshot session will be August 20 from 10 a.m. to noon on the bottom floor of the Administration Building. Headshots can be downloaded for free from the University’s photo archives.

Fall 2025 Evacuation Drills for ISU Buildings

ISU Public Safety aims to reduce the impact of emergencies and help the campus community respond and recover from them effectively. To aid in this, ISU buildings on the Pocatello and Idaho Falls campuses will practice fire evacuation drills from Tuesday, September 2 through Thursday, September 11.

Human Resources is excited to announce the return of their Leadership Development Program.

This program was designed to enhance leadership skills and empower current and aspiring leaders across campus. Whether you're an emerging leader or an experienced manager looking to sharpen your skills, the LDP offers tools, strategies, and inspiration to help you lead with confidence.

David B. Jones Foundation Helps Launch IMNH's Mobile Museum

Thanks to the funding from David B. Jones Foundation, a non-profit that supports research in paleontology and educational programs for young and amateur fossil hunters, the Idaho Museum of Natural History is proud to announce the launch of our Museum Everywhere Program and its flagship, the Mobile Museum.

Bengal Management Essentials Returns this Fall

Are you a new supervisor, manager, or team lead? Or maybe you're looking to strengthen your leadership foundation? Human Resources will once again offer the Bengal Management Essentials program this fall.

These highly valuable, Zoom-based training sessions are designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the core functions and best practices that support effective leadership at ISU.

Dates to Remember

August 12	Full term, Late-8, Late-6 and Late-4 final grading closes at 4:00pm
August 25	Fall classes begin
September 1	Labor Day Holiday (no classes)
October 6	Early 8-week course grading opens
October 13	Mid-term week
October 20	Late 8-week courses begin
October 21	Early 8-week course grading closes at 5:00 pm

Upcoming Events in the College of Science and Engineering

For a complete list of CoSE events, check out the College Event Calendar. 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

Biological Sciences

Event

New Graduate Student Orientation

Details

Sat, Aug 23

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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