Now in its eighth decade, U of I Idaho Falls builds on history of collaboration and discovery

One night in 1954, a group of engineers and technicians clocked out from their shifts at the Atomic Energy Commission’s National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) and drove into Idaho Falls for their first day of class. They weren’t typical college students. They were working professionals, parents and pioneers in America’s emerging nuclear industry.

That year, 114 students filled borrowed classrooms around town to study subjects like quantum mechanics, advanced engineering math and inorganic chemistry. The courses were offered through University of Idaho, brought to Eastern Idaho to meet the urgent demand for nuclear education.

From those humble beginnings, U of I Idaho Falls has grown into a fixture of Eastern Idaho’s scientific, educational and civic life. Seven decades later, the campus has seen thousands of graduates, research breakthroughs and partnerships that helped shape Eastern Idaho’s economy and identity. Its growth has closely followed that of the NRTS, now Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

“We have a rich 70-year history of offering outstanding educational programs that support the economic vibrancy of this region and beyond,” said Marc Skinner, center executive officer of U of I Idaho Falls. “Our long-standing ties to INL, businesses and other institutions give us incredible momentum for the future.”

Building a home

The student population and class offerings grew quickly. By 1961, 306 students were enrolled in classes. A decade later, 538 students were seeking degrees. Still, U of I Idaho Falls was without a permanent home, with students taking classes at Idaho Falls High School and elsewhere.

Enter Fred H. Tingey, who had been with U of I Idaho Falls from the beginning, starting with teaching mathematical statistics in 1954. In the late 1970s, he approached the University of Idaho Foundation with the idea to purchase the short-lived Intermountain Science Experience Center (Intersec) and the 26 acres surrounding it. They agreed and in 1980 the university finally had a place to call home. Tingey became the first director of University Place, where U of I managed the former NRTS education programs, and university-level courses were also offered by Idaho State University and Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho).

The student population outgrew the former Intersec building, and plans were made for a second building, the Center for Higher Education, which opened in 1994. Tingey retired in 1995, ending one era but launching a new one.

A unique partnership

ISU and U of I had long teamed up to provide advanced education in Idaho Falls. But in the late 1990s, they became official partners thanks to a State Board of Education mandate to coordinate, combine and share educational facilities.

Alice Allen, director of recruitment and student engagement, was hired in 1997 in part to help with the transition.

“Our partnership with Idaho State University is very unique,” she said. “People always ask me about rivalry, and I tell them, ‘We work together, not against each other.’ We couldn’t operate here without each other.”

The two schools combined student services, coordinated programs and expanded access to the wider public. The Bennion Student Union opened in 2000 to house those services and support nearly 3,000 students.

Bob Smith, who served as center executive officer for 10 years, also stressed the importance of collaboration with ISU.

“It allowed us to bring more expertise than any single university could provide individually,” he said.

Shifting toward research and community impact

Smith arrived on campus in 2001 as a distinguished professor with a joint U of I/INL appointment, and he became CEO in 2005.

“The most significant contribution I made during that time was helping move us from being mainly a provider of courses for INL employees to becoming a true research partner with the lab,” Smith said.

In 2004, Battelle Energy Alliance’s new INL contract included a requirement to create a shared research facility for Idaho’s universities and the lab. Smith helped shape that vision, and a research center, launched in 2008, brought together INL, U of I and other Idaho universities to expand research opportunities.

“The exciting part was having a dedicated set of faculty focused on U.S. energy security who were eager to collaborate with the national lab and others,” Smith said.

Even with progress in research partnerships, distance remained a hurdle — both symbolic and real.

“On my first day as center executive, I heard the narrative that the university had abandoned Eastern Idaho — and I went home unsure about the job,” Smith recalled. “My wife said, ‘We’ll fix this,’ and together we made it our mission to raise awareness of the university’s presence and benefits in Idaho Falls. The physical distance was real as well. Flights were limited, and I’ve driven the nine hours from Moscow to Idaho Falls more times than I can count.”

Local visibility was an ongoing challenge as well. Allen has seen progress.

“One of the biggest changes since I started is people are more aware of what University of Idaho does and how we’re connected across the state,” she said. “Being physically here makes us part of the community.”

Allen also emphasized the importance of being involved and understanding how to better meet the needs of the community.

“Here, we’re a piece of the community — one of many,” she said. “You can’t just say, ‘We’ll build it and you’ll come.’ It doesn’t work like that.”

Amid challenges, certain strengths stand out — including the student body.

“Most students are nontraditional and have different needs,” Smith said. “They typically have families or other obligations, and they pursue education because they see real value in it, not because it’s expected at their age. Many were INL employees with doctorates and decades of experience. It provided a different kind of educational experience that you don’t get at a normal university campus.”

Another strength is a strong institutional commitment to access and opportunity.

“Having a presence here makes higher education possible for students across Eastern Idaho,” Allen said. “We’ve worked hard to hire innovative, creative people who fit well with our programs and who want to help people and find ways to make things work.”

To the future

Building on decades of collaboration, the universities and INL signed the five-year Strategic Understanding for Premier Education and Research (SUPER) agreement, expanding collaboration in nuclear materials, energy systems and cybersecurity. The agreement formalizes opportunities for students and faculty to work alongside lab researchers on projects vital to national security.

“Here in Idaho Falls, we’re committed to innovative, interdisciplinary education in a student-centered environment,” Skinner said. “Hundreds of students are pursuing advanced degrees while working alongside researchers who are shaping and strengthening the nation’s energy future.”

For Allen, the heart of the work remains close to home.

“There’s so much value in having people here, doing research, teaching, connecting with the community,” Allen said. “The partnerships and the students make it all worthwhile.”