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The University of Idaho Story, Today and Tomorrow
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Nov. 10, 2017
Dear Friends,
In today’s State of the University address, I’ll briefly turn to an advertisement we found in a 1917 issue of The Argonaut. “Why Go to Idaho,” the ad states, describing our mission, educational quality, and research and outreach excellence. It’s time-worn proof of how U of I has been THE place to go in Idaho. With a mission and overall quality that have remained a constant, today we have an opportunity to look forward.
The University of Idaho still stands alone as Idaho’s premier research university. We have an aggressive plan to tackle new challenges and opportunities. We have made great progress in the past year in key areas. We are united in an effort to better serve our students, our state and our world.
Today, we are announcing a new milestone: $109.5 million in research expenditures in FY17. That new record represents more than TWICE the research of all other Idaho universities combined, and a 7 percent increase over last year’s $102 million record. We are closing the gap toward Carnegie R1 Highest Research Activity status, a peer group of America’s Top 115 universities. But a research university offers much more than a pile of research dollars or a prestigious rating. It is also a place where inquiry permeates all disciplines and unites our students and faculty in scholarship. At U of I, our students learn best because they are learning from the best.
Our key initiative has been enrollment growth, expanding the great Vandal education to more students. This fall, our enrollment grew for the second consecutive year, to over 12,000. We had meaningful gains among international students, dual-credit participants, and members of underrepresented groups. But we are not satisfied with our full-time student enrollment numbers.
We resolve to increase our efforts, and I’d like our alumni and friends to help tell our story to every prospective student and to every friend or neighbor. That story includes the lowest net cost of any public university for Idaho students receiving federal financial aid. The highest graduation rates of any public university in Idaho. The highest first-to-second year retention rates, rising from 77 percent to 82 percent this fall, a new U of I record and the highest rate among Idaho public universities. The best career results, with the highest mid-career salaries for graduates. That story has earned U of I distinction as the only national university rated by U.S. News and World Report, and as the best college in Idaho according to Money, the Washington Monthly, PayScale and The Princeton Review.
We have other stories to tell and other stories in progress. We plan to build the United States’ largest and best research dairy, the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. We plan to build a mass-timber construction arena, a showcase for Idaho’s wood products industry and a deserving home for our basketball teams. These will be best-in-class projects because U of I can be best-in-class if we keep our sights high.
Today, I ask that every Vandal take pride not just in the past 128 years, but in today and in the future. Our university is seizing forward momentum. How can you contribute as we continue our progress? We ARE a beacon for mountain and plain, so we must be brave and bold!
Go Vandals!
Chuck Staben President
THE LATEST NEWS FROM UI
Passion and Dedication in Support of U of I
Passion and dedication are two words that many use to describe Frank Darlington III ’70. Darlington, a Spokane native, attended North Idaho College where he was a student athlete and then transferred to the University of Idaho where he graduated with a degree in mathematics. He enjoyed a 20-year career as a chemist at Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane. “I learned as much on the basketball court as in the classroom,” Darlington said. Wanting to leave a legacy for future student athletes at U of I, he established the Frank Darlington III Vandal Athletic Endowment Scholarship, believing “the student is the most important part of the institution.” Darlington is a long-time member of the Vandal Scholarship Fund and understands the importance of giving back to the university; he is also an active Vandal volunteer in Kootenai County. For more information about contributing to the Vandal Scholarship Fund, please contact Shelly Robson at 208-651-7992 or shellyr@uidaho.edu.
Connections That Fuel Brain Trauma Research
A team led by University of Idaho scientists has found a way to stimulate formation of new neural connections in the adult brain in a study that could eventually help humans fend off memory loss, brain trauma and other ailments in the central nervous system. Peter G. Fuerst, an associate professor in the College of Science’s Department of Biological Sciences Department of Biological Sciences and WWAMI Medical Education Program, and a team that included lead author doctoral student Aaron Simmons, were able to stimulate growth of new neural connections in mice that are needed to connect the cells into neural circuits. Their study, which included scientists from the University of Louisville and University of Puerto Rico-Humacao, is titled “DSCAM-Mediated Control of Dendritic and Axonal Arbor Outgrowth Enforces Tiling and Inhibits Synaptic Plasticity.” It was published Nov. 7 in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more.
Patent and Trademark Resource Center Opens in Boise
The University of Idaho College of Law has partnered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to open a patent and trademark resource center at the Idaho Law and Justice Learning Center in Boise. The Idaho Patent and Trademark Resource Center will host a free public seminar Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, with an event for inventors, entrepreneurs, educators, students and legal professionals. The daylong seminar begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Legacy Pointe Room of the Idaho Water Center. A light reception will follow at 4:30 p.m.. The resource center, the only one of its kind in the state of Idaho, is scheduled to begin serving patrons Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, inside the Idaho Law and Justice Learning Center at Boise. It will provide resources and trained staff for anyone interested in accessing patent and trademark information. Read more.
The University of Idaho marked this past Veterans Day in several ways. The annual Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner on Saturday was an opportunity to honor and celebrate veterans from U of I and the surrounding community. Last Friday, our Veterans Services and ROTC departments held a wreath-laying ceremony at Memorial Gym, in remembrance to those who have lost their lives in service to the country. In each case, U of I affirms its appreciation for service members and veterans.
Last week I mentioned a 100-year-old issue of The Argonaut. The front page of that issue offers a window into U of I’s longtime connection with military service. In 1917, World War I’s shockwaves were producing headlines like “Bayonet Practice Added to Course” and “‘Eat Less’ Says Federal Agent,” a reference to food conservation initiatives to help the war effort. Scroll through other Argonaut pages of that era, and you’ll find notices of students accepting commissions, drills on campus, updates from the front and more. “The university campus has taken on the air of a military camp,” offers one article, suggesting how dramatic war-time measures were on campus, and noting with pride the determination of the campus community to offer aid and support.
In the 128 years of the university, that spirit has extended to those who have completed their service. After World War II, for example, service members took advantage of their GI Bill education benefits in such numbers that temporary housing went up all over campus. That educational experience, at U of I and across the country, contributed to the incredible mid-century growth of the middle class. Those veterans, like generations before and after them, forever shaped our institution. Service to our veterans is definitional to this university.
We continue to build on that tradition in multiple ways. At every Commencement, we are honored to see commissions awarded for our Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force cadets and midshipmen, and I appreciate the commitment these young people display by participating in the rigors of ROTC while completing their education. We also proudly offer wraparound support to disabled veterans and spouses in our Operation Education program. It is an honor to facilitate an outstanding, accessible education for those who have given so much.
The University of Idaho has long held the door open to veterans, and to those who wish to serve. That role is a duty and a privilege.
We look forward to serving those who serve for years to come.
Go Vandals!
Chuck Staben President
THE LATEST NEWS FROM UI
Supporting Faculty Excellence in Business and Economics
Matt Espe ’80 and Lori Espe ’81 recently fulfilled a six-year, $100,000 annual commitment to support the Espe Family Faculty Fellowship that they established in 2010. This fellowship recognizes and rewards faculty members who excel in teaching and research; it also serves to attract talented faculty to the College of Business and Economics (CBE). Matt and Lori graduated from the college with degrees in marketing and accounting, respectively. “We donate to the CBE because I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my experiences there,” Matt said. “Years before I got there, people made investments from which I benefited. So, as alums, it’s only right for us to make a similar investment in the future and to create opportunities for the young men and women coming after us.” The Espes understand that motivated, talented educators directly affect the quality of the student experience and influence post-graduation success. For more information about giving to the College of Business and Economics, please contact Brian Mitchell at bdmitchell@uidaho.edu or 208-885-2634.
Dietetics Students Offer Thanksgiving Recipes
Pie made with root vegetables. Potatoes made with coffee creamer. Cookies from mashed potatoes. Even chocolate soufflé starring yams. If these combinations don’t sound like your typical Thanksgiving fare, that’s the point: They are recipes created by students in the University of Idaho’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Each fall, students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences are challenged to create a new recipe along a theme chosen by U of I first lady Mary Beth Staben. This year, Staben challenged the teams to create recipes around a “unity” theme of combining uncommon ingredients. The results showcased the creativity and ingenuity of students, said Katie Miner, a senior instructor in CALS. The recipes are judged and the winner is featured on a holiday card sent to university donors by the Office of Donor Relations and Stewardship. This year’s winner, Vandal Sweet Potato Mash, combined cultures as well as ingredients. Read more.
Her Best Self: VSF Offers Support for Success
In a way, volleyball is the perfect outlet for DeVonne Ryter. The fast-paced nature of every spike, dig and serve prevents the 20-year-old University of Idaho middle blocker from focusing on any one aspect of her game and pushes her to grow. “The sport itself, physically, is so fast-paced,” she said. “If you make a mistake or something happens, you have to move on.” It’s a framework Ryter has learned to live by. A junior from Sedona, Arizona, Ryter credits her coaches and other supporters — including financial support from the Vandal Scholarship Fund — with her growth as a person and athlete, especially when the hard reality of life was volleyed in her direction.