Presidential communication

Letter from the President

Office of the President, president@uidaho.edu | Oct. 30, 2026

Dear Vandals,

As Nathan Moody ’25 dug into the rich history of the University of Idaho campus, he also unearthed a viable career path.

Moody’s student project resulted in most of the Moscow campus being listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places earlier this month. The work also established the foundation for his current role as a compliance architectural historian for the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

“It was a situation where I realized how much I like the history of the built environment,” Moody said. “I was considering career paths as I was evaluating all this information about the campus, and we were working routinely with SHPO and developing relationships there. They were pleasantly surprised at the work we had done.”

Dulce Kersting-Lark, director of Special Collections and Archives for the U of I Library, spearheaded a team to write the nomination for the National Register. The work is often done by consultants, who charge as much as $150 an hour to put together the extensive applications. Kersting-Lark turned to history Professor Rebecca Scofield and her students to take up the project.

“Public history is in the field I was trained in, but students don’t always know that they can be a practicing historian without being a professor or a teacher,” Kersting-Lark said. “We thought this would be a good outlet for these students, and it could legitimately lead to work after college. We saw value in making this a part of history education.”

Under the tutelage of Scofield and Kersting-Lark, Moody and other students began surveying buildings on campus in 2023 as part of a class. The project carried over into graduate school for Moody and fellow student Shelley Walker-Harmon ’25, who is now chair of the Moscow Historic Preservation Commission.

The U of I historic district recognizes not only the oldest and most stately structures like the Administration Building but also facilities like the U of I Beef Center barns, built around 1918, and the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, which turned 50 last year. The National Register designation promotes stewardship of the property and often boosts civic pride and community identity. It does not restrict the university from remodeling or painting buildings.

Following the surveys and information gathering, Moody wrote the narrative elements of the National Register application. Two themes emerged: education and architecture. The historic buildings reflect the U of I’s significance as an educational center and show how its architecture evolved over more than a century.

“We didn’t want the application to be more technical than it had to be,” Moody said. “It’s more of an elegant argument rather than just tying things to dates. There are facts and figures, but also historical context for the buildings.”

Throughout the process, Moody consulted with staff at SHPO. The application is first reviewed by the state office before advancing to the National Park Service, which maintains the National Register.

“This wouldn’t have happened without SHPO,” Moody said. “Working with them routinely and developing relationships was really valuable. They reviewed every paragraph. Most of the work that they see is from consultants and professionals. We’re proud that this is not only the first historic district on a university campus in Idaho but also that the application was done by students.”

Hands-on learning is a trademark of the U of I experience and a central pillar of our strategic plan. We’re proud of the exceptional work of our students under the mentorship of our employees and we’re excited to share this historic achievement with our Vandal Family.

Go Vandals!

C. Scott Green
President

Snapshots

POP Talks coming up next week

The U of I’s annual POP Talks research showcase takes place Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Bruce M. Pitman Center International Ballroom and livestreamed online. Eight U of I faculty members will have three minutes each to present their research. The audience will vote for their favorite presentation and the winner will receive a $2,500 research grant.
Explore the 2026 POP Talks.

Chang discusses safety, transportation

Transportation engineer Kevin Chang talks on “The Vandal Theory” podcast about how people move safely and efficiently. He researches school bus safety, drone tracking of student travel and Idaho’s bicycle stop-as-yield law. His work highlights how misunderstandings can make legal cycling behavior seem unsafe.
Listen to the episode.

U of I scientists join Idaho Science and Technology Policy Fellowship

The seventh cohort of the Idaho Science and Technology Policy Fellowship will look to strengthen state government by embedding scientific expertise into policy. Led by the U of I, the nonpartisan program partners with Boise State and Idaho State to bring research skills, data visualization and creative problem-solving to state agencies.
Learn more about the 2026 cohort.

Did you know?

The U of I’s oldest building is Ridenbaugh Hall, which was completed in 1902. The building originally served as a women’s dormitory and hosted domestic sciences classes.