Faculty and Student Highlights
Goldwater Scholarship
Elizabeth Hoots, a dual major in Ecology and Conservation Biology and Spanish, and Isabell Strawn, a major in Biological Engineering, were 2020 recipients of this most prestigious scholarship for undergraduate students majoring in natural sciences, engineering or mathematics, for their research studying the health of Lake Coeur d’Alene and developing a polymer hydrogel biobead to protect bacteria from the environment, respectively. They each received up to $7,500 for the 2020-21 academic year. This scholarship is made possible by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.
Mountain West Clinical Translational Research Infrastructure Network
Yimin Chen and Shiyi Chen, both assistant professors in the department of family and consumer sciences, and Cate Loiacono, assistant professor in the department of physical education, have all been awarded Mountain West Clinical Translational Research Infrastructure Network (MW CTR-IN) pilot grants. These grants are to help obtain preliminary data that will support an R-level grant application to National Institutes of Health (NIH) or other funding agencies.
DARPA Young Faculty Award
Ting-Yen Shih, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the DARPA Young Faculty Award, which identifies faculty in junior research positions who are rising stars and have had previous DARPA funding.
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend Award
Sarah Nelson, associate professor of French, was awarded $6,000 for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Stipend for her literary project on Italian French noblewoman Marie Mancini.
Murdock Commercialization Initiation Program Award
Damon Woods, research assistant professor of architecture in the University of Idaho’s Design Lab, was awarded the M.J. Murdock Trust’s Commercialization Initiation Award. This award supports the bench discoveries in the natural sciences, medicine and engineering. His project, “Infrared Thermostat Commercialization,” was chosen for a two-year grant of up to $75,000 with a university match.
Fulbright Scholars
Casey Johnson, assistant professor of philosophy, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to the University of Calgary, Canada. She will be conducting a project on philosophy of education and social epistemology.
Kristopher Waynant, professor of chemistry, was a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to conduct research at the University of Exeter in Great Britain. His research will focus on building chemical sensing systems that will be used this fall in biochemistry teaching labs.
Jocelyn Aycrigg, assistant research professor in the department of fish and wildlife, was a recipient of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her research will expand the existing knowledge of wildlife species in Georgia and implement strategies for species survival and reduce their risk of extinction.