Letter from the President

At the University of Idaho, students take their educations into their own hands. A hallmark of our national research university experience includes high-impact learning through participation in research, scholarship and creative work. We ask our students to go beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge and to participate in groundbreaking work that drives innovation and discovery. With curiosity and confidence, our Vandals rise to the challenge.

Across the range of disciplines found at our comprehensive institution, Vandals are exploring and engaging with ideas that matter for our world. As they add their contributions to evolving fields of knowledge — sometimes realizing for the first time just how exciting and changeable those disciplines may be — they sharpen essential skills and gain confidence. They gain new understandings, practice collaboration and enjoy mentorship from leaders in their fields. With fresh perspectives and interesting questions, students can take research and scholarship in new directions.

This report showcases some of the exciting work in which our undergraduates are engaged. They’re studying animal bones to learn more about life at Chinese mining camps in Idaho. They’re analyzing vegetation data to understand group movement and behavior in elk. They’re exploring how to develop diversity competence in rural teacher education. Each project offers compelling challenges that I hope students have found personally rewarding as they gain skills and experience to propel them further in scholarship, in careers, or in future study.

I’m proud of the work they’ve put in to chronicle their experiences in this report. The pages that follow highlight the best of the University of Idaho — our brave and bold Vandal students.

Go Vandals!
Chuck Staben