[excerpt from press release ]

April 30, 2007

The University of Idaho's May graduates are integrating knowledge and passion in ways that impact people in Idaho and around the globe. . . .

Casper "Cap" Bendixsen, from Idaho Falls, degrees in anthropology and philosophy, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences

A native of Idaho, Bendixsen transferred to the University of Idaho in 2005.

According to Mark Warner, associate professor of anthropology and associate director of the University Honors Program, he is "one of those renaissance students that only come along once every few years; he is one of those rare students that embodies academic excellence but who also has so much more to offer to a community."

In summer 2006, Bendixsen spent eight weeks in Guatemala conducting ethnographic research with local fishermen. He just presented some of the results of that work at the annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology, and he has submitted his work for publication to the journal Human Organization.

"Having undergraduates take on large research projects such as this does not happen very frequently in my experience," said Warner. "In fact, I have never had an undergraduate pursue such an aggressive research agenda during my 11 years of teaching."

Bendixsen has submitted two professional conference papers; in spring 2006 he was co-author of a student paper presented at the Western Regional Honors Conference.

In addition to his interest in anthropology, Bendixsen regularly competes as a bareback bronco rider on the rodeo circuit. A member of the University of Idaho rodeo team, he currently is ranked third in the Northwest college region, and is a contender for the college rodeo finals.

"College rodeo has been a highlight of both my rodeo and college careers," said Bendixsen. "College rodeo is a great venue for student athleticism. Idaho is a land-grant institution and has roots. The rodeo team has direct lineage to this school's founding."

He also served the last two years as a resident firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT) with Moscow Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Department. "I believe we have an obligation to give back to our communities and I choose a particular way to do this," he said.

Bendixsen, who will receive the University Honors Program Certificate, is one the university's two nominees for the national Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship. He has been accepted to the anthropology doctoral program at Rice University in Houston, Texas, for next fall with full funding.