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- Great Examples of Vandal Energy
- Title:
- Great Examples of Vandal Energy
- Date:
- 2015-09-11
- Category:
- Friday Letter
- Harvested from:
- https://www.uidaho.edu/president/communications/friday-letter
- Type:
- text
- Digital Format:
- text/html
- Reference Link:
- https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/fridayletter/letters/2015-09-11.html
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Great Examples of Vandal Energy
September 11, 2015
Dear Friends,
Maybe you’ve experienced something like this in your own lives, whether you work at a company, go to school or are involved in community organizations. Invariably, there are people making things happen behind the scenes. The lights stay on, the facilities stay clean, the services continue on as expected — the work gets done.
That holds true at the University of Idaho. The work gets done - a routine excellence that can sometimes go unnoticed. One thing I and others have definitely noticed over the past year, however, is the work of our Steam Plant crew. They keep the lights on, of course, but they also have fun while doing it. About a year ago I first saw a pair of skeletons (link) in the street-level window on 6th Street. I’m sure I had the reaction many others have had — surprise, a chuckle, and another look at the building and reflection about its role at UI.
Since then, the Steam Plant crew has regularly arranged and rearranged the skeletons to play off the mood or goings-on at UI or in the broader world. For instance, in late spring the skeletons had books in hand, studying for finals. They broke out a beach ball to welcome summer, then grabbed American flags and joined us in celebrating the Fourth of July. They even hopped on a bicycle to get in some exercise at one point.
Part of the skeletons’ job is to draw some attention to the Steam Plant, and I think they have succeeded in that. The plant is a facility of which we can be very proud (link) . Many university energy plants run on fossil fuels — but not ours. Our plant runs on biomass, cedar wood chip, for 90 percent of its fuel. That waste is a renewable resource (link) that doesn’t add carbon to the environment, unlike fossil fuels. And the sourcing of the fuel from nearby sawmills means UI supports local industries that keep Idahoans at work and our economy strong.
The skeletons also succeed in lifting our spirits. Whether you’re a student walking past and thinking about your next class, or an employee reflecting on some of the stress of the job, the skeletons provide a chance to smile, to enjoy a break from your routine, and be connected with others to the spirit of the university. That creative, quirky Vandal spirit shows up in a lot of ways, from our Vandal Marching Band to our Homecoming festivities every year. I appreciate how this particular staff crew connects and contributes to that feeling.
It’s a lesson in fun and imagination that we can all take to heart because let’s face it, higher education can be stressful. Now, not everyone needs to start putting skeletons in their windows. But congratulations to the Steam Plant crew for their ingenuity and generosity of spirit. They represent the many Vandals who make our university a great place (link) to work, live and learn. My hats off to them, and to the Vandal faculty and staff who contribute immeasurably to our university all year round.
Go Vandals!
Chuck Staben
President
Steam Plant Skeletons Photo Gallery
(link)
Here's the Latest News from the University of Idaho
Mark and Laurie Engberg Transforming Art and Architecture
In August, Mark and Laurie Engberg made a transformational gift to the College of Art and Architecture. Combined with two new current-use gifts, their commitment of a planned estate gift totals more than $1 million, making it the largest gift ever received by the college. The Engberg’s generous support will provide necessary resources for the college to expand its high-performance building studio and will support scholarships for students pursuing majors in the college. “The University of Idaho and the College of Art and Architecture provided me with a great education and opportunity,” said Mark Engberg of his lasting support. “Now, it is time for us to give back and make a difference for the next generation.” For more information on giving to the College of Art and Architecture (link) , please contact either Jim Zuba at (208) 885-4142 or jzuba@uidaho.edu(link) or Dean Mark Hoversten at (208) 885-5423 or hoverstm@uidaho.edu (link) .
UI to Host First-Ever National Tribal Climate Boot Camp
Climate change has a direct impact on Native American communities through disruption to local economies and traditional cultures. To help address these impacts, members of tribes from across the United States will convene at the University of Idaho’s McCall Field Campus in June 2016 for the first-ever National Tribal Climate Boot Camp . The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Northwest Climate Science Center, in which UI is a partner, will model the event after its annual Climate Boot Camp that prepares graduate students and early-career professionals to understand and adapt to climate change. The National Tribal Climate Boot Camp will bring together early-career professionals from among the 83 member tribes of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and United South and Eastern Tribes for a weeklong intensive educational experience to learn about climate-related impacts, with a specific focus on issues connected to tribal needs and concerns.
UI Partners to Build New Exhibit about Boise Watershed
The University of Idaho Boise is proud to partner with CH2MHill, the city of Boise and Boise WaterShed Exhibits to support the construction of the Boise WaterShed River Campus for the expanded Boise WaterShed Environmental Education Center. The Boise WaterShed River Campus construction, now underway, will be completed in the summer of 2016. These new exhibits will provide STEM career exposure and water conservation and protection content appropriate for school field trips, family outings and teacher professional development. Ralph Budwig, director of UI’s Center for Ecohydraulics Research StreamLab, is teaming up with the Boise WaterShed River Campus design team to simulate flows proposed for the representative river that will flow through the new campus using a flume located on the first floor of the UI Boise Water Center, home to a uniquely equipped ecohydraulics lab. The flume will be used to create a full-scale model of the river that will flow through the new outdoor campus.
Office of the President | 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3151 | Moscow ID 83844-3151
Copyright © 2015 University of Idaho, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your affiliation with the University of Idaho.
Dear Friends,
Maybe you’ve experienced something like this in your own lives, whether you work at a company, go to school or are involved in community organizations. Invariably, there are people making things happen behind the scenes. The lights stay on, the facilities stay clean, the services continue on as expected — the work gets done.
That holds true at the University of Idaho. The work gets done - a routine excellence that can sometimes go unnoticed. One thing I and others have definitely noticed over the past year, however, is the work of our Steam Plant crew. They keep the lights on, of course, but they also have fun while doing it. About a year ago I first saw a pair of skeletons (link) in the street-level window on 6th Street. I’m sure I had the reaction many others have had — surprise, a chuckle, and another look at the building and reflection about its role at UI.
Since then, the Steam Plant crew has regularly arranged and rearranged the skeletons to play off the mood or goings-on at UI or in the broader world. For instance, in late spring the skeletons had books in hand, studying for finals. They broke out a beach ball to welcome summer, then grabbed American flags and joined us in celebrating the Fourth of July. They even hopped on a bicycle to get in some exercise at one point.
Part of the skeletons’ job is to draw some attention to the Steam Plant, and I think they have succeeded in that. The plant is a facility of which we can be very proud (link) . Many university energy plants run on fossil fuels — but not ours. Our plant runs on biomass, cedar wood chip, for 90 percent of its fuel. That waste is a renewable resource (link) that doesn’t add carbon to the environment, unlike fossil fuels. And the sourcing of the fuel from nearby sawmills means UI supports local industries that keep Idahoans at work and our economy strong.
The skeletons also succeed in lifting our spirits. Whether you’re a student walking past and thinking about your next class, or an employee reflecting on some of the stress of the job, the skeletons provide a chance to smile, to enjoy a break from your routine, and be connected with others to the spirit of the university. That creative, quirky Vandal spirit shows up in a lot of ways, from our Vandal Marching Band to our Homecoming festivities every year. I appreciate how this particular staff crew connects and contributes to that feeling.
It’s a lesson in fun and imagination that we can all take to heart because let’s face it, higher education can be stressful. Now, not everyone needs to start putting skeletons in their windows. But congratulations to the Steam Plant crew for their ingenuity and generosity of spirit. They represent the many Vandals who make our university a great place (link) to work, live and learn. My hats off to them, and to the Vandal faculty and staff who contribute immeasurably to our university all year round.
Go Vandals!
Chuck Staben
President
Steam Plant Skeletons Photo Gallery
(link)
Here's the Latest News from the University of Idaho
Mark and Laurie Engberg Transforming Art and Architecture
In August, Mark and Laurie Engberg made a transformational gift to the College of Art and Architecture. Combined with two new current-use gifts, their commitment of a planned estate gift totals more than $1 million, making it the largest gift ever received by the college. The Engberg’s generous support will provide necessary resources for the college to expand its high-performance building studio and will support scholarships for students pursuing majors in the college. “The University of Idaho and the College of Art and Architecture provided me with a great education and opportunity,” said Mark Engberg of his lasting support. “Now, it is time for us to give back and make a difference for the next generation.” For more information on giving to the College of Art and Architecture (link) , please contact either Jim Zuba at (208) 885-4142 or jzuba@uidaho.edu
UI to Host First-Ever National Tribal Climate Boot Camp
Climate change has a direct impact on Native American communities through disruption to local economies and traditional cultures. To help address these impacts, members of tribes from across the United States will convene at the University of Idaho’s McCall Field Campus in June 2016 for the first-ever National Tribal Climate Boot Camp . The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Northwest Climate Science Center, in which UI is a partner, will model the event after its annual Climate Boot Camp that prepares graduate students and early-career professionals to understand and adapt to climate change. The National Tribal Climate Boot Camp will bring together early-career professionals from among the 83 member tribes of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and United South and Eastern Tribes for a weeklong intensive educational experience to learn about climate-related impacts, with a specific focus on issues connected to tribal needs and concerns.
UI Partners to Build New Exhibit about Boise Watershed
The University of Idaho Boise is proud to partner with CH2MHill, the city of Boise and Boise WaterShed Exhibits to support the construction of the Boise WaterShed River Campus for the expanded Boise WaterShed Environmental Education Center. The Boise WaterShed River Campus construction, now underway, will be completed in the summer of 2016. These new exhibits will provide STEM career exposure and water conservation and protection content appropriate for school field trips, family outings and teacher professional development. Ralph Budwig, director of UI’s Center for Ecohydraulics Research StreamLab, is teaming up with the Boise WaterShed River Campus design team to simulate flows proposed for the representative river that will flow through the new campus using a flume located on the first floor of the UI Boise Water Center, home to a uniquely equipped ecohydraulics lab. The flume will be used to create a full-scale model of the river that will flow through the new outdoor campus.
Office of the President | 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3151 | Moscow ID 83844-3151
Copyright © 2015 University of Idaho, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your affiliation with the University of Idaho.