The Friday Letter

Dear Vandals,

Vandal Homecoming will mean a little more for Clay Hall when he visits Moscow in the fall. After many years celebrating with his alumna wife and his son, who graduated in 2023, Hall will officially join the University of Idaho alumni family on May 11.

His bachelor’s degree is more than 40 years in the making, but Hall will graduate alongside hundreds of other students earning a degree through the Vandal Finish program.

“I wanted to finish my degree, but more importantly to learn and take in the information and do well,” said Hall, who earned his degree online from his home in Eagle. “The notion of getting a degree wasn’t to further my career or go into a new direction. I just wanted to complete something that had always been missing.”

Vandal Finish helps students complete degrees they started but did not finish, or use credits already earned to qualify for our newest associate degrees. Earlier this year a team in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) reached out to about 1,300 former students that did not graduate to let them know about options to obtain an associate or a bachelor’s degree, depending on credits earned before they left the university. More than 270 Vandals responded and are earning degrees this month.

Hall learned about the Vandal Finish initiative while in Moscow for Homecoming weekend in 2022. He met with CLASS Associate Dean Traci Craig, who encouraged him to enroll and complete his degree.

“We sat down and she mapped it out,” said Hall. “She said three words that made a huge difference for me — ‘You’ve got this.’”

Hall hit pause on his real estate appraisal business and at the same time that his son started his final semester as a Vandal, Hall began his first semester. He earned straight A’s through three semesters on his way to earning his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Hall’s perspective and experience changed his approach to classes.

“My hat’s off to the instructors for the quality of instruction and the supplemental materials,” Hall said. “I took a lot of history classes and I really took it all in and immersed myself. The faculty were approachable and responsive and provided content that challenged us. I just devoured it.”

The U of I continues to innovate and find new ways to serve students, put them on paths to rewarding careers and instill lifelong learning.

Students dig into archaeology at Moscow High School

U of I students joined the Idaho Public Archaeology team to explore an excavation at Moscow High School. The team unearthed many artifacts that can provide historical context for the community. The project allows the students to gain hands-on experience and advance their skills and knowledge without the expense of traveling to a traditional summer field school.
Learn more.

Maughn discusses sustainable construction

U of I Mechanical Engineering Professor Mike Maughn talks about his research focusing on materials development, advanced manufacturing and design in the latest episode of “The Vandal Theory” podcast. Maughn plays a central role in the PrinTimber project, which is turning sawdust into building materials.
Learn more.

Undergraduate research explores moose and ticks

Winter ticks could be the cause of declining moose populations in parts of Idaho, according to U of I research conducted in part by Riley Robenstein, a junior from Boise. Working with Professor Janet Rachlow and Idaho Fish and Game, Robenstein counted ticks on moose hide samples and found varying tick counts depending on the area of the state the moose resided.
Learn more.