What's Happening in CoSE

Jay Broda being presented with his Outstanding New Advisor award.

Kudos to CoSE Academic Advisor Jay Broda!

Recently, the Advising Community at Idaho State named him the winner of their Outstanding New Advisor Award. The awards “recognize individuals who work with, for, and in favor of students in an academic advising capacity, and those who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the profession of academic advising.”

We had a great time spotlighting our award winners and new emeritus faculty at this year’s Pillars of Achievement reception.

Congrats to all the honorees!

A group photo of the honorees at the 2024 Pillars of Achievement reception.

Congrats to Liesel Christensen on being named a Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year finalist by Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25!

Ms. Christensen is working towards a doctorate in biological sciences while teaching biology and anatomy physiology at Pocatello High School. One of her students said, “the energy that fills her classroom every day is so uplifting and peaceful, it makes our days feel so much less stressful as students. She always has a fun sense of humor and wears cute shirts with science jokes. On top of the fun and exciting environment, Ms. C always shows so much passion and dedication for teaching.”

Minhaz Zibran, associate professor of computer science, recently delivered one of the keynote speeches at the 2024 7th International Conference on Software and System Engineering in Paris, France.

Titled “From Code to Coders: Towards Secure and Reliable Software Systems,” his talk delved into some of his work fighting software bugs and security vulnerabilities while considering the human factors that affect software.

Minhaz Zibran delivers one of the keynote speeches at the 2024 7th International Conference on Software and System Engineering in Paris.

honors students Chloe Barron Truman Reading and Yancey Waddington pose for a photo with their spaghetti bridge.

During finals week, honors students Chloe Barron, Truman Reading, and Yancey Waddington tested out the creation they built in their Engineering Graphics class. The trio was tasked with designing a model bridge using only spaghetti noodles and adhesive.

Taught by Warren Gossett, the class emphasizes projections, sketching, and 3-D visualization, and introduces students to the civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering applications of CAD.

Proposals Sought for ISU CAES Internal Seed Grants

The ISU Office for Research recognizes the need for faculty to fund research-related activities associated with the Center for Advanced Energy Studies. To that end, ISU has established a seed program to distribute available CAES funds.

Funding will be awarded to projects associated with CAES Focus Areas and engender collaboration with colleagues at Idaho National Laboratory. The current Focus Areas include: 1) Advanced Manufacturing, 2) Critical Materials/Geothermal, 3) Energy Storage/Transfer. Proposals that fall under one of the INL’s Strategic Science and Technology Initiatives will also be considered if there is an alignment with a CAES Focus Area.

Applications are due at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 24.

Questions about this RFP can be directed to ISU CAES Associate Director Mustafa Mashal at mashmust@isu.edu.

STEM Outreach Survey

This survey will help determine STEM outreach offerings on (and off) campus with ISU faculty and staff. The survey results will help better coordinate STEM activities across campus and allow STEM providers to connect more effectively with their target audiences. If you have questions about the survey, contact Robert Gay, education coordinator at the Idaho Museum of Natural History, at robertgay@isu.edu.

Applications Open for Idaho NSF EPSCoR I-CREWS Seed Funding

Applications for the first round of Idaho NSF EPSCoR I-CREWS Seed Funding awards will be accepted until May 30. These awards (Small Seed Funding, <$55k, <1 year performance period) are expected primarily to be led by early-career researchers initiating research directly related to Energy Water (E-W) Systems. Established or mid-career researchers seeking to expand or apply their expertise into a new E-W research direction will also be eligible. Multi-institutional collaboration will be prioritized but not required due to the small size of the award. Funding may support personnel, summer salary, travel, and/or other resources needed to generate preliminary data and/or explore high-risk, high-reward E-W activities.

If you have questions, contact Kitty Griswold, Colden Baxter, Bruce Savage, or Morey Burnham.

NASA Develop Program Seeks Applications for Fall 2024 Term

NASA DEVELOP projects focus on helping local, national, and international communities address their environmental concerns while utilizing NASA's Earth-observing fleet of satellites. For the fall 2024 term, NASA DEVELOP will operate at six locations across the country at select NASA Centers and other regional locations. This is a great opportunity for participants who are interested in practical applications of remote sensing and GIS, specifically in the field of Earth Science. Participants will work with NASA scientists, partner organizations, and science advisors to learn about using NASA Earth science data in water resources, disaster management, ecological conservation, and other applications to address environmental community concerns.

The Fall 2024 application window will be open online from May 6 to June 14, and the term will take place from September 16 to November 22.

CoSE Camping Trip Aug. 23 - 25

Join us for CoSE's 3rd Annual Camping Trip for faculty and staff. Family members are welcome. Enjoy relaxing and outdoor activities with your colleagues and family during this low-key weekend getaway. You will be responsible for your own food, entertainment, and supplies.

For more information, please check out the Grand Teton National Park and Colter Bay Campground websites.

Click here to RSVP.

CoSE Chairs and Directors Meeting Minutes

From Around ISU

Idaho State University Students Travel to the Dominican Republic to Participate in a Teaching Practicum

For the second year in a row, students from the Idaho State University Teaching and Educational Studies (TES) Department traveled to the Dominican Republic as part of the International Reaching Out and Reflecting (ROARing) Experience on April 6-13, 2024. The purpose of the practicum is to help future teachers understand the complexities of teaching students from diverse backgrounds and to better understand differences between international and local Idaho school contexts.

Reminder Benefits Open Enrollment: Due Friday, May 10

As a friendly reminder, the benefits open enrollment period for benefit-eligible ISU employees closes this Friday, May 10.

Benefits changes made during this open enrollment period are effective for the FY25 benefits plan year (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025).

Staff Council Welcomes New Members and Updates Bylaws

Each year Staff Council elects members from Classified and Non-classified staff to advocate for the best interests of ISU staff. Our members serve to represent the voice of ISU staff and are committed to working together with administration, faculty, and students for the betterment of Idaho State University.

Dates to Remember

May 13	Summer Classes begin for Early-4, Early-6, Early-8 and Full term
May 27	Memorial Day holiday (Monday - no classes)
May 28	Early-4 final grading opens
June 10	Early-6 final grading opens
June 10	Middle-4 and Late-8 courses start
June 11	Early-4 final grading closes at 4:00 pm
June 19	Juneteenth Day (Wednesday – no classes)
June 24	Early-8 and Middle-4 final grading opens
June 24	Late-6 courses start
June 25	Early-6 final grading closes at 4:00 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, 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

ALL

Event

CoSE Camping Trip

Details

Aug 23 - 25

Grand Teton National Park

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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