| Dear Friends, My first visit to a university was when my father took me to an engineering expo at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The experience left a lasting impression. My eyes were opened to a world of innovation, imagination and problem-solving — all available and accessible through higher education. Here were people working on real solutions to real challenges … and I could be one of them. Eventually, I attended the University of Illinois as an undergraduate, and I did become a STEM graduate. Today middle- and high-school students from across the Inland Northwest are descending on Moscow in search of similar experiences at the College of Engineering’s 22nd annual Engineering Design EXPO. This year more than 900 students — a cohort three times the size of previous years — have come to our campus to participate in the day’s events. They’ll see firsthand the exciting research and designs created by more than 250 Vandal students collaborating in more than 50 interdisciplinary teams. Expo serves as the capstone for graduating seniors in the College of Engineering. This year our Vandal engineering students have again been working on amazing projects, everything from improving wastewater systems, to enhancing the rehabilitation of stroke victims, to guiding payloads back from space. In those and many other cases, students work on projects that directly impact industry, searching for new or better solutions to specific challenges. Projects are often further developed for real-world applications. At the expo, students also practice skills essential in any endeavor: putting an idea out there and effectively communicating its function and value. More than 60 judges representing industry and other professional sectors are on hand to contribute valuable feedback. Their participation and the support of the Micron Foundation, the event’s presenting sponsor, and many other sponsors and partners makes this day possible. Recently, the UI College of Engineering became the only engineering school in Idaho to join the “Grand Challenges” project. Our school has pledged to do its part to help train 20,000 engineers nationwide who can take on critical goals such as clean energy, advances in medicine and cybersecurity. Today’s Engineering Design EXPO puts us in position to show we’re addressing some of these issues. But for prospective students, this is an opportunity to see how they can make an impact in the world. If our visiting secondary students are anything like I was at their age, they’ll come away from the day energized about their futures. Not every student will go on to study engineering, of course, but they’ll have a glimpse of the stimulating work that occurs at UI, and they’ll see a campus where they can find their own path forward among friends, dedicated faculty and supportive staff, and abundant opportunities.
| Go Vandals!
Chuck Staben President | | | | Here's the Latest News from the University of Idaho | Support Strengthens Hemingway Fellowship Endowment | Lynne McCreight has a lifelong passion for literature, the humanities and the liberal arts. After moving to Moscow, she discovered the Hemingway Festival, sponsored by the English department in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS). The festival honors the creative tradition of Ernest Hemingway while looking to the literary future through the works of some of the best aspiring fiction writers in the country. Lynne’s extraordinary leadership in supporting the Ernest Hemingway Fellowship Endowment is vital to giving a top scholar the freedom to create fiction for a new generation of readers. “It’s an honor for me to invest in the art of exemplary creative writing through the Department of English,” said McCreight. “The work of the Hemingway Fellow enriches the university and the world.” For information on supporting the Hemingway Fellowship or other programs in CLASS, contact Peter Mundt, director of development, at 208-885-5013 or peterm@uidaho.edu. | VandaLink Initiative Welcomes First CWI Transfer Student | This week College of Western Idaho student Noah Munster became the first student to sign up for VandaLink, a joint program between CWI and the University of Idaho. VandaLink allows for a smooth and efficient transfer process from CWI to UI upon completion of an associate degree. CWI students can schedule appointments or walk up to a designated space at the Nampa Campus Academic Building and discuss transfer options with a dedicated UI admissions counselor. VandaLink students receive guaranteed admission to UI, exclusive scholarship opportunities, an application fee waiver, priority registration and a dedicated new student orientation, among other benefits. Similar initiatives with North Idaho College and the College of Southern Idaho will begin in the fall. Contact the Office of Admissions at 208-885-6163 or futurestudents@uidaho.edu to learn more. | UI Coeur d’Alene Wins Cybersecurity Training Center Grant | The University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene has won a two-year grant from the Idaho Department of Labor for cybersecurity workforce training. Valued at more than $231,000 per year, the grant is renewable for a third year. The funds will support development of classroom, laboratory and structured on-the-job training curriculum, as well as a laboratory facility. Early in the first year, funds will also support instructors. The program is designed to become self-sustaining as enrollments increase over time. The university partnered with Fatbeam, Idaho Power, Kootenai Health and Highpoint Medical to propose a statewide program offering concentrated short-term training and certification exams to information technology professionals with at least two to four years of work experience who need additional training to perform security analyst work. The program has the capacity to train nearly 500 students during the first two years, and plans to train and certify workers from Idaho and throughout the nation. | | | | |