What's Happening in CoSE

Kudos to Hunter Bennett and Arpan Adhikari!

Hunter, a surveying/geomatics major who’s getting a GIS minor, was recently selected as the Young Surveyors Network Representative for the Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors and had a chance to attend the ISPLS conference earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Arpan will be headed to Detroit to participate in the Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute's Doug Jenkins Student Competition at their Pipelines 2026 Conference.

Bannock County Seeking Input on Advanced Nuclear Energy

Bannock County is partnering with Portneuf Valley Development to begin a preliminary effort to gauge resident interest in the potential role of advanced nuclear energy in Bannock County's future.

Following a study by the Idaho National Laboratory, Bannock County was noted as a potential location for future industry development, ranging from hosting a reactor to establishing manufacturing businesses within the supply chain. All county residents are invited to share their perspectives by completing a brief survey. Your feedback will help officials understand the community's stance before any further steps are considered.

The survey will be available through April 9.

Engineering Opportunities for EPSCoR Jurisdictions Informational Webinar

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering will hold informational webinars for investigators and administrators in jurisdictions eligible for the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

Webinars will be held at 2 p.m. (ET) on Friday, March 27, and Thursday, April 2.

During the webinars, leaders will describe current funding opportunities for engineering research and education, and also answer common questions. Registration is required.

REMINDERS:

Last Call for Committee Nominations

The following committees have open seats:

CoSE Executive Committee - 3-year term

2 Engineering seats

University Honors Program Advisory Board - 3-year term

2 representatives from any CoSE dept.

Open Resources Committee - 1-year term

1 representative from any CoSE dept.

University Library Committee - 3-year term

2 representatives from any CoSE dept.

Graduate Council - 2-year term

1 representative

If you would like to serve on any of these committees or nominate an eligible peer, please send your nominations to April Robinson at aprilrobinson@isu.edu. Before submitting a nomination, please ensure that the nominees are aware of their nomination and that it is acceptable to them. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

Nominations are due March 30.

Virtual Journal Editor Panel Scheduled for Mar. 30

Are you preparing your first manuscript? Submitting to high-impact journals? Navigating the peer review process? Postdocs, graduate students, faculty, and staff are invited to a live virtual panel featuring journal editors who will share their insights on how to successfully publish scientific work on Monday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Attendees are asked to register via Google Form. If you have questions about the event, contact Alyse Maksimoski, NSF postdoctoral fellow, at alysemaksimoski@isu.edu.

2026 Required Annual Trainings – Complete by March 31

Each year, the State of Idaho requires annual training for all state employees to ensure our workforce remains secure, respectful, and compliant with statewide policy. This message provides important information about the 2026 Required Annual Trainings and your completion requirements.

All Idaho State University employees are required to complete the 2026 Required Annual Training in the Talent Management System (TMS), with a completion window of March 1 to March 31.

Research Communications Workshop Slated for Thursday, April 2

The Research Communications Workshop will be hosted by the Office of Marketing and Communications with additional support from the Office for Research via Zoom on Thursday, April 2, from 10 to 11 a.m.

The workshop will be led by Emily Frandsen, director of media relations and internal communications, and Lee Ann Waldron, executive director of university communications.

Attendees can expect to learn the following:

Why it is important to promote research at ISU
How to promote your research to a general audience using a variety of platforms
Showcase the unique student learning opportunities that exist due to ISU’s research endeavors
Attendee Q&A

Idaho State University ICOM Medical Student Research Internship Funding Opportunity

Idaho State University and Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine are excited to announce the fifth year of a collaborative summer research internship program that will provide funding for research supplies with an ICOM medical student. ICOM medical students will participate in new or ongoing research projects led by Idaho State faculty and will gain valuable experiences through hands-on training that can be applied to their medical education and real-world challenges.

The Idaho State research faculty principal investigator can receive up to $1,500 per ICOM student for equipment, materials, and supplies. ICOM students are expected to receive up to eight weeks of part-time or five weeks of full-time research training, beginning June 1 and ending before July 24.

The deadline to apply is Friday, April 3. If you have questions, contact Kaden Iverson (kadeniverson@isu.edu) or Sara Adams (sadams@icom.edu).

Faculty Drop-in Hours with Dean Widmann Scheduled

Dean Widmann invites faculty to a drop-in hour on the third Thursday of each month, from 1 to 2 p.m., in Room 121 of the Physical Science Complex. The next will be held on Thursday, April 16.

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.

RFPs Sought For Proposal Assistance Toward High-impact Funding Award

The Proposal Assistance Toward High-impact funding (PATH) Award is a new internal grant designed to support principal investigators on a trajectory to submit external large-scale funding proposals of at least $1 million.

PIs are expected to develop projects that will address priority topics for ISU (health, energy, environmental stewardship and security, and community connection), have the strong potential to build research capacity and promote collaboration, and drive innovation and impact. All projects will be considered, including projects conducting or developing research, instruction, program development, outreach, service, workforce development, etc.

The first PATH deadline is May 1. If you have questions, reach out to Michele Brumley. For application submission, applicants must work with Steve Wright in the Office of Sponsored Programs and Support to submit and route proposals through Cayuse.

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

What You Need to Know to Comply with New Title II ADA Regulations

New regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act directly impact public universities, and the deadline for compliance is April 24. Regulations affect public websites, mobile apps , social media, online learning platforms, course content (e.g., syllabi, videos, lecture slides, PDFs), student services portals, and internal systems.

Tuition Reduction Updates For Employees and Dependents

To ensure the long-term sustainability of our educational benefits, Idaho State University is updating its tuition reduction program for eligible employees, their dependents, and partners at other Idaho education agencies.

ISU Regional Campuses: A Year of Enrollment Gains and Academic Expansion

Idaho State University has achieved a milestone year at its regional campuses in Idaho Falls and Twin Falls. This includes a five percent enrollment increase at the Idaho Falls campus for spring 2026 and the expansion of academic partnerships in Twin Falls.

Staff Council 2026 Elections: Updated Process and Call for Nominations

Staff Council's primary goal is to advocate for all staff members in the pursuit of the University’s mission. To better reflect this shared purpose, Staff Council is implementing a change to their election process.

All Invited to State of the University April 1

President Robert W. Wagner's State of the University Address will be held on April 1 at 3:30 p.m. in Frazier Hall. President Wagner will reflect on the last 12 months and engage the campus community as he shares ISU's recent progress and accomplishments. Donuts and coffee will be available at 3 p.m. For those unable to attend, the State of the University will be available on our YouTube channel.

All Invited to Years of Service Recognition Celebration March 30

All staff and faculty are invited to attend the Years of Service Recognition Celebration on Monday, March 30 as we recognize colleagues celebrating significant service milestones, including those who have dedicated up to 40 years to ISU. Refreshments will be served, and President Wagner will deliver remarks, which will be streamed to all campuses at approximately 3:15 p.m.

Dates to Remember

April 27	Late 8-week and full semester course grading opens
May 4	FINAL Examinations
May 8	Spring 2026 classes end
May 9	Commencement - Pocatello (May & August 2026 graduates)
May 11	Commencement - Meridian (May & August 2026 graduates)
May 12	Late 8-week and full semester course grading closes at 4:00 pm
May 18	Classes begin for Early-4, Early-6, Early-8 and Full term
May 25	Memorial Day holiday (Monday - no classes)

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

Physics

Event

Colloquium: Charge Transport in Highly Disordered Insulating Materials

JR Dennison

Utah State University

Details

Mon Mar 30

4 pm

https://isu.zoom.us/j/83187145542

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Colloquium

Karen Viskupic

Details

Wed Apr 1

4 pm

PSC 108

Department/Program

Mathematics and Statistics

Event

Colloquium: Elastic Surfaces with Elastic Boundaries

Bennett Palmer

Idaho State University

Details

Thu Apr 2

4 pm

PS 304

https://isu.zoom.us/j/88060652033

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Microbiology Talk

Daniel Colman

Montana State University

Details

Thu Apr 2

4 pm

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Graduate Student Talks

Details

Wed Apr 8

4 pm

PSC 108

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Colloquium

William Brazeleton

Details

Wed Apr 15

4 pm

PSC 108

Department/Program

Dean's Office

Event

Dean's Drop-in Hour

Details

Thu Apr 16

1 - 2 pm

PSC 121

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Spark a Fire Keynote

Ni Y. Feng

Details

Thu Apr 16

4 pm

LC 10

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Research Roundup

Details

Fri Apr 17

3 pm

GLS Lobby

Department/Program

Geosciences

Event

Graduate Student Talks

Details

Wed Apr 22

4 pm

PS 108

Department/Program

Biological Sciences

Event

Minshall Lecture

Amanda Subalusky

Details

Thu Apr 23

4 pm

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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