Why Birch is Toxic to Snowshoe Hares

BSU Photo, John Bryant.

Matt Pene, BSU News Release

Boise State biologists have uncovered why the chemical defenses in birch, a common type of tree found in North America, are toxic to snowshoe hares.

The snowshoe hare, also commonly called the snowshoe rabbit, is found throughout North America and plays an integral role in the food chain. Understanding the mechanism by which chemical defenses in trees and plants deter snowshoe hares and other herbivores can help explain diet selection and habitat use.

The researchers found that birch inhibits a certain enzyme – succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) – and therefore interferes with cellular energy production. Although it is well documented that the chemicals in birch are harmful to snowshoe hares and other herbivores, the mechanism for toxicity was not known until now.

The study appears online in the Journal of Chemical Ecology and is the first to specifically show how birch’s toxicity affects snowshoe hares.

“If we know diet selection and habitat use, it could lead to better management and conservation of both wildlife and the plants they eat,” said study coauthor Jennifer Forbey, assistant professor of biological sciences. “This work represents a novel discovery and also helps explain the evolution and distribution of chemicals in trees and plants that was made possible by integrating expertise from ecology, pharmacology and chemistry. These chemicals can be toxic to both wildlife and domestic animals and can therefore influence the health of these animals.

To conduct the study, researchers measured the inhibition of SDH isolated from snowshoe hares using in vitro enzyme kinetics studies. They then used computer generated structures of the enzyme and toxin to see if they have the right “shape” to bind together. They confirmed binding of the birch toxin to SDH, which interferes with cellular energy production, showing how birch affects the snowshoe hare.

Also collaborating on the project are Dong Xu, assistant professor of chemistry; Xinzhu Pu, research assistant professor of biology; Knut Kielland, an associate professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; and John Bryant, professor emeritus at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

New Dean, BSU College of Arts & Sciences

Dean Roark

Sherry Squires, BSU News Release

Boise State University has named Tony Roark dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, following a national search.

Roark has served as interim dean of the college since May 2011 and brings to the position nearly five years of leadership experience in the college in the roles of department chair, associate dean and interim dean.

“In addition to his proven effectiveness as a leader, the many strengths highlighted by the search committee include Dr. Roark’s communication and collaboration skills, the ability to empower others and a broad understanding of the arts, sciences and humanities,” said Martin Schimpf, Boise State provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I am confident that Dr. Roark will continue to move the College of Arts and Sciences forward during these challenging times, as higher education struggles to re-invent itself in response to changing professional and economic circumstances in a digital age.”

“These are exciting times in higher education, and Boise State is a particularly dynamic institution,” Roark said. “Knowing what I do about the faculty, staff and students in the College of Arts and Sciences, I’m extraordinarily optimistic that we will not only meet the challenges that we currently face, we will also play a leading role in shaping the future of post-secondary education, research and creative activity within the state of Idaho and beyond. It’s an immense privilege serving our campus community and other stakeholders.”

Roark joined Boise State in 2000 as an adjunct professor of philosophy, served as assistant professor from 2001-2006, associate professor from 2006-2011, chair of the Department of Philosophy from 2007-2009, and was named associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2009.

Roark holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Washington and conducts research in ancient Greek philosophy. From 2008-2011, he co-chaired the Core Reform Task Force, whose charge was to examine Boise State’s general education curriculum and issue recommendations for reform. The recommendations of the task force led to the implementation of Boise State’s Foundational Studies Program.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest academic unit at Boise State University with 11 departments and seven research units. The college offers a variety of baccalaureate, masters and Ph.D. programs in the arts, sciences and humanities.

Gala Put 'Spotlight on Science'

College of Idaho News Release

The College of Idaho has long enjoyed a tradition of excellence in the sciences. The commitment to studying nature began with founder William Judson Boone and continues today through collaborative faculty-student research and hundreds of alumni enjoying careers in scientific fields.

C of I celebrated that tradition and bolstered its commitment to outstanding teaching during its annual Scholarship Gala, themed “Spotlight on Science,” in February, at the Boise Centre on the Grove in Downtown Boise. All proceeds from the gala support student scholarship and creative activity at C of I.

“The Scholarship Gala is an opportunity for us to both celebrate and support the reason The College of Idaho is here, and that is to provide the finest possible instruction and education to our students,” C of I President Marv Henberg said. “Our science programs are and always have been an outstanding representative of that standard.”

The Scholarship Gala is a formal, black-tie optional event featuring dinner, live musical entertainment by the Decade Blues Band, live and silent auctions, an “Adopt-a-Yote” paddle-up, a raffle drawing and remarks by Henberg as well as students and faculty from the College’s science departments. For more information, visit the Gala website or call (208) 459-5017.

The College of Idaho Scholarship Gala was sponsored by Caxton (live auction), U.S. Bank (silent auction), Blue Cross of Idaho (“Adopt-a-Yote”) and Fisher’s Document Systems (supporting sponsor). Live and silent auction items were donated by C of I trustees, alumni, friends, supporters, faculty and staff members, President Henberg and generous members of the Treasure Valley community.

Idaho Wilderness Study Program Open for Registration

Taylor Wilderness Research Station.

University of Idaho News Release

University of Idaho students who yearn to be outdoors and want to study science in one of the nation’s largest wilderness areas may now apply for the College of Natural Resources’ new pilot program, “Semester in the Wild.”

Offered for the first time in fall 2012, this semester-long experience is made up of five courses and is open to all undergraduate students. The program takes place at the University of Idaho Taylor Wilderness Research Station in the heart of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and at the McCall Field Campus, along the shores of Payette Lake.

Interested students may visit the program web site to meet the April 13, 2012 application deadline. To learn more about the program, call (208) 885-8981 or email Brian Kennedy at kennedy@uidaho.edu.

“Students will enroll in classes that take advantage of Idaho’s wilderness setting and develop a foundation in the unique ecology, geology and natural history of the Rocky Mountain ecosystems,” said Steven Hollenhorst, CNR associate dean for academics. ”Students will develop the necessary tools to understand core scientific principles and communicate scientific ideas effectively, and this will put them at a greater advantage when considering careers or graduate school.”

The Semester in the Wild program will allow students to:
• Study the unique ecosystems of the central Idaho wilderness;
• Enroll in field ecology and geology while conducting hands-on research;
• Experience wildlife, forests, rivers and lakes that have inspired western writers;
• Immerse in a truly integrated program of science and humanities;
• Increase communication skills through scientific presentation and environmental writing.

Science Trek 2012 for Third to Fifth graders Set

ISU News Release

Idaho State University and the Idaho Museum of Natural History will present a night of scientific exploration with Science Trek 2012 on Friday, April 13, at the Museum.

The overnight, sleep-at-the-museum experience will allow children in third through the fifth grades to learn about the frontiers of science. The workshop-style Science Trek Adventures include hands-on activities and live science presentations, experiments and demonstrations.

Children will have the thrill of an overnight stay at the museum with the saber-tooth cat, the Columbian mammoth, and the International Space Station, among other rare and unique museum exhibits. They will be allowed to choose one of a variety of science workshops to explore the often-unseen wonders of microbiology, paleontology, physics, engineering and botany, among other fields of science. The event will also include a movie and a midnight pizza party.

Pre-registration for Science Trek 2012 is required. The cost to attend is $37 per child. Registration deadline is March 28 and there is no registration at the door. For registration forms and specific, important information necessary to prepare registered children to attend the overnight event visit the IMNH web site. For additional information or questions contact Rebecca A. Thorne-Ferrel at 282-2195, or by emailing her at thorrebe@isu.edu. Registered participants can check-in for the event starting at 6 p.m. on April 13.

The museum is seeking additional private and business sponsorships of children for the event. Contact Rebecca A. Thorne-Ferrel for more information.

Borah Symposium Focuses on Link Between Sustainability and War

Senator William E. Borah. Library of Congress.

University of Idaho News Release

The University of Idaho's 2012 Borah Symposium, “Food and War: Cultivating Peace,” will explore the connections between hunger, population, sustainability, war and peace. Evening keynote speakers Raj Patel and Dr. Vandana Shiva exemplify the intersection of these themes within the context of the current global food crisis. The event, scheduled for April 9-11, is free and open to the public.

“This year’s topic is particularly important to focus on because food shortages and rising food prices can lead to political turmoil,” said Melissa Saul, Borah committee co-chair and faculty member. “As the population of the planet increases, food insecurity around the world is affected by the limits of the earth’s land and water resources.”

The Borah Symposium will open on Monday, April 9 with a screening of “Darwin’s Nightmare,” 2004 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary. Following the showing, Borah Symposium panelists will discuss the film.

On Tuesday, April 10, award-winning writer and food activist Raj Patel will address “Causes of War and Conditions for Peace: Food's Role.” Patel received degrees from the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics and Cornell University, has worked for the World Bank and WTO, and protested against them around the world. He has published several books including “Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System,” and his latest, “The Value of Nothing”, is a New York Times best-seller.

The symposium concludes on Wednesday, April 11 with physicist and internationally renowned activist Dr. Vandana Shiva’s presentation on “Water Wars and the Future of Food.” Shiva left academics to found the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, a participatory, public interest research organization. Later, when she found that global corporations wanted to patent seeds, crops or life forms, she started Navdanya International to protect biodiversity, defend farmers’ rights and promote organic farming.

For more information, visit the the Borah Foundation.

Middle School Science Olympiad on March 17

ISU News Release

The Idaho State University Department of Physics will host a regional Science Olympiad on Saturday, March 17, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Physical Science Building on the corner of 8th Avenue and Carter Street on the ISU campus. 

Seventh- through ninth-grade students from throughout eastern Idaho will represent their schools and communities and compete in teams in a variety of science competitions.

At least 16 teams from Eagle Rock Junior High, Irving Middle School, Franklin Middle School, Hawthorn Middle School, Sugar Salem Junior High School and White Pine Charter School will be competing.

Students will compete with mousetrap cars, rockets, and catapults. They'll also compete in an experimental design challenge, test their knowledge of thermal energy and rocks and minerals, and compete in several other fun science events.

Winning teams will be encouraged to compete in the state competition in Nampa on April 14. The Idaho champion team will be invited to compete in the National Science Olympiad at Indiana University in May.

The Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers.

Professor Shropshire Demonstrates

Steve Shropshire, a professor in the ISU Department of Physics, and ISU students from the departments of mechanical engineering, geosciences, and physics will serve as judges, along with several scientists and engineers from the Idaho National Laboratory.

More information on the program is available at Science Olympiad.

For more information on the ISU Science Olympiad, contact Shropshire at shropshi@physics.isu.edu or 282-2212.

New ISU Technical Safety Director

Peter Farina

[Idaho State University News Release]

Peter Farina has been hired as the new technical safety director at Idaho State University.

Farina will continue the tradition of excellent customer service that has become synonymous with the ISU Technical Safety Office. Using his varied experiences at different universities, he will expand on what is already a fine program at ISU to move it to the next level.

His department will continue to provide hazardous materials response and waste management and address campuswide safety concerns. Farina will provide guidance on the implementation of environmental safety and health programs for research activities at the ISU Pocatello campus, as well as remote facilities such as the Center for Advanced Energy Studies.

Farina has more than 20 year of experience in university environmental health and safety. He is joining ISU after 13 years at Georgia State University, where he was both the director of research safety and the radiation safety officer.

Prior to working at Georgia State University, he held the positions of environmental safety coordinator and radiation safety officer at the University of Georgia for eight years. He earned a master’s degree in nuclear physics from Florida State University and has two bachelor degrees from the University of Massachusetts.

He can be reached at 282-3627 or pfarina@isu.edu.

CPD Partners With Ed2Go

Center for Professional Development

[Northwest Nazarene University New Release]

The Center for Professional Development at Northwest Nazarene University has partnered with Education To Go (ed2go) to launch two new, comprehensive career and personal / professional development course catalogs in January. This collection of not-for-credit personal and professional development offerings expands the Center for Professional Development’s ability to expansively provide quality, career-oriented and personal-enrichment training to NNU’s friends at affordable rates. While a few of the offerings may require prerequisite learning, most are open to anyone wanting to learn.

The catalog of Instructor-Led Courses offers a wide range of highly interactive short courses that are available entirely online. Individual courses in areas such as business, computer applications, design and composition, health care and medical, language and arts, law and legal, teaching and education, technology, writing and publishing are available.

The Career Training Programs (CTP) are open-enrollment programs designed to provide the necessary skills to acquire professional-level positions for many in-demand occupations. CTP programs are designed by a team of professionals from each respective field, who work to provide the student with an effective web-based learning experience. Students can begin the programs anytime and progress at their own.

Affordably priced certification and career programs can be taken in the areas of healthcare and fitness, business and professional, IT and software development, management and corporate, media and design, hospitality and service industry, skilled trades.

Course catalogs will be available as of January 3, 2012. Questions may be directed to the Center for Professional Development or call Cheri Severson 208.467.8545.

2012 INPS Annual Meeting in Northern Idaho

Calypso bulbosa

[Idaho Native Plant Society News Release]

Location The 2012 annual meeting of the Idaho Native Plant Society will be hosted by the Calypso Chapter from Coeur d’Alene on June 22-24, 2012. We’ve selected the Clark Fork Drift Yard as the camp site for the gathering. The Drift Yard is found where the Clark Fork River meets Lake Pend Oreille between the cities of Clark Fork and Hope, east of Sandpoint.

Theme The focus of the gathering will be the restoration and protection of natural habitats. In particular, we will be looking at efforts to restore the natural function of river deltas of Lake Pend Oreille that were damaged or destroyed by the construction of the Albeni Falls Dam on the Pend Oreille River. We will learn about efforts to protect the spectacular area in the Cabinet Mountains north of Clark Fork through the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area.

Directions From western Idaho: Proceed north on US 95 through Coeur d’Alene and through Sandpoint. On the north side of Sandpoint take State Highway 200 east toward Clark Fork, Idaho. The Clark Fork Drift Yard camping site is located six miles east of the town of Hope, Idaho, on the south side of the highway.

From eastern Idaho: Proceed north on Interstate 15. At Butte, Montana, take Interstate 90 west. Just beyond Missoula, Montana, take Montana Highway 200 west. Montana Highway 200 connects to Idaho Highway 200 seven miles from Clark Fork, Idaho. The Clark Fork Drift Yard camping site is located four miles west of the town of Clark Fork on the south side of the highway

See the INPS Web Site for a Map of Clark Fork Drift Yard between Hope and Clark Fork

Alternative Lodging The Clark Fork Drift Yard is a primitive camp site for tent and RV camping. As an alternative, developed RV camp sites and motels are available in Clark Fork, Hope, and Sandpoint. A list of specific alternative lodging choices will be provided later.

Assistive Technology Resource Center Relocation

Coordinator Mike Mann

[University of Idaho Press Release]

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — The Idaho Assistive Technology Project (IATP) Resource Center-Coeur d’Alene, has recently relocated to the University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene Harbor Center facility, 1031 Academic Way #130D. The center previously was located at Coeur d’Alene Hand Therapy & Healing Center.

The IATP Resource Center-Coeur d’Alene offers assistive technology information, referral, assessment, demonstration and loan to people with all types of disabilities of all ages and professionals who serve them. Equipment includes computer access devices, such as alternative keyboards, mice, switches, developmental toys, aids for vision, hearing and communication, as well as tools for reading, writing, math and organization. Services also include providing access to new and used equipment through trade, purchase and donation.

“We want people with disabilities, and all those who live and work with them, to know these resources are available in Northern Idaho,” said Mike Mann, NIATRC coordinator. “The center provides access to assistive technology and training for all those who need it, and to the businesses, educators and care providers who offer assistive technologies to their employees, clients or family members. Identifying the right assistive technology before investing in purchasing it can save schools, employers and families thousands of dollars.”

Low-interest loans to purchase assistive technology are available through the Idaho Assistive Technology Project, in partnership with Zion National Bank and KeyBank of Idaho. Loans are available for assistive computer hardware or software, vehicle modifications, accessible home remodeling or any type of assistive device.

Mann hopes the relocation will help raise awareness of the center’s services and increase local access.

“For many people with disabilities, these technologies are life changing,” said Mann. “It’s important that educators, occupational therapists, employers and families of people with disabilities to know what’s available and how to get it.”

For directions to the new location, contact Mann at mmann@uidaho.edu. For more information on the services offered through NIATRC in Coeur d’Alene and throughout the state, visit Idaho Assistive Technology. For additional information, assessment, and referral services, email idahoat@uidaho.edu or call 1-800-432-8324. 

National Science Group Leader from University of Idaho

Professor Machlis

University of Idaho News Release]

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently appointed University of Idaho College of Natural Resources Professor of Conservation and Science Advisor to the Director of the National Park Service Gary Machlis as co-leader of the Department of the Interior’s Strategic Sciences Group.

The specialized scientific group will develop future scenarios and provide rapid, interdisciplinary scientific assessments during environmental crises or disasters affecting America’s natural resources.

“I am honored to co-lead the Strategic Sciences Group with my colleague Dr. David Applegate of the U.S. Geological Survey,” said Machlis. “We have an opportunity to create a fast response scientific team that can support local and national decision makers, help respond to emergencies and accelerate recoveries.”

During an environmental crisis affecting Department of the Interior resources, the Secretary of the Interior may direct the Strategic Sciences Group to activate a crisis science team or teams, including scientists from government, academic institutions, non-government organizations and the private sector as appropriate. The group may also be directed to assist other federal, state, local or tribal agencies, as well as international assistance as necessary, subject to applicable authorities and availability of appropriations.

“Dr. Machlis is particularly well positioned to play this leadership role. He has a distinguished career as a scientist, teacher and policy expert,” said University of Idaho Provost Douglas Baker. “While on loan from the University of Idaho to the National Park Service, Dr. Machlis has served as its chief science advisor and has led other efforts to apply scientific approaches to natural disaster scenarios around the world.”

“Experience shows us that these science-based scenarios and assessments are key to an effective, strategic response to all kinds of disasters immediately after they occur, and contribute greatly to mid-term recovery and long-term restoration,” said Salazar.

The group will help ensure that preparedness, response and recovery efforts undertaken by the Department of the Interior and its bureaus will be guided by the best available science and lessons learned from past events, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Hurricane Katrina. Machlis led the experimental Department of the Interior Strategic Sciences Working Group during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“Dr. Machlis’ appointment is just one example of the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources’ international engagement in important natural resource issues,” said Kurt Pregitzer, CNR dean. “He and other CNR faculty members are also leading science education efforts in Haiti to help the nation recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake, support future development and improve the lives of all Haitians.”

The Department of the Interior Strategic Sciences Group was established by Secretarial Order signed by Secretary Salazar Jan. 3, 2012.

Grand Opening for NNU’s New Boise Education Center

NNU Education Facility

[NNU News Release]

Northwest Nazarene University is pleased to announce the opening of its new Boise Center campus. Located downtown on Park Blvd., the new center has many amenities to offer to its students. This Boise campus hosts graduate, adult and professional programs in accounting and business with plans to incorporate classes in education, counseling and social work.

When asked about the impact this new Center will have on the Boise Valley, Dr. Ron Galloway, Boise Center Director, said, “The new Boise Center, located across the street from both Boise State and the University of Idaho in the Washington Group Plaza, gives NNU greater visibility in the Boise Metro area. As academic offerings and student numbers increase in Boise, the importance of this new location will become evident.”

The new facility includes four classrooms with ample room for 125 students. A student computer lab with 20 laptops as well as three desktop computers are available for student use. The new Boise Center has breakout rooms both inside and outside of the suite as well as a conference room and an on-site cafeteria.

William and Kate Fowler, both students pursuing an MBA at the new location, chose NNU’s Boise Center because of its cohort model that allows them to graduate in 16 months. “The Boise Campus is in close proximity to our house, which makes it only about a 10-minute drive.”

Directly following the grand opening ceremony, prospective students had an opportunity to tour the new facility.

Rural Health Grant for Idaho State as Outreach Partner

[ISU News Release]

Idaho State University's Institute of Rural Health has received a $22,500 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to serve as the agency's Outreach Partner for Idaho.

ISU-IRH has served as the NIMH Outreach Partner for Idaho for 15 years and was selected this month for another round of funding. ISU-IRH is one of the state partners as well as representatives from District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Professor Kirkwood

"As an Outreach Partner, ISU is responsible for disseminating the latest NIMH mental health research findings and talking to the public about mental disorders and discrimination associated with mental illness," said Ann Kirkwood, ISU-IRH senior research associate at the Meridian Health Science Center and principle investigator for the project.

"We disseminate NIMH information through our partners across Idaho and provide materials to complement our children's mental health trainings," Kirkwood said.

ISU-IRH has offered the Better Todays/Better Tomorrows gatekeeper education program to 11,000 Idahoans since 2000. It provides information on the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in children and youth, suicide risk and protective factors, mental illness stigma and resiliency. The free course currently is offered through the Awareness to Action Youth Suicide Prevention Project funded by the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act and administered by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"ISU-IRH's participation in the Outreach Program provides Idahoans the opportunity to give input to NIMH on public health needs of communities across the state," Kirkwood said. "This input ensures that Idaho's needs are represented as NIMH advances its research agenda."

Better Todays train session are free to the public. Upcoming sessions are scheduled in Caldwell, Meridian and Sandpoint. To register for training, go to www.isu.edu/irh/. NIMH materials are available on the ISU-IRH website in a virtual packet at www.isu.edu/irh/projects/better_todays/.

For more information on this NIMH  program visit Outreach Partnership Program.

College of Idaho Student Helps Nurture Global Environmental Blog

Blogster Kevin Xu

[College of Idaho News Release]

College of Idaho senior Kevin Xu is a double major in finance and mathematics. Xu will graduate in May, but he already is using his financial training from the C of I to help another of his passions: the environment.

Xu works as the Chief Financial Officer of the online organization Collegiate Climate Collaboration (CCC), which is committed to raising awareness and fostering climate change-related discussion and debate amongst the international college community. The CCC globally brings college students together to share ideas, opinions and solutions to global climate change and other environmental issues.

CCC was established in September of 2010, and Xu has been involved since July, when he was approached by a friend who also is involved in the organization.

“Because of my strong interest in the environment movement, I was recruited as an administrator and a contributing writer for the CCC,” Xu said.

While it has been hard work getting the CCC on its feet, the organization is off to a good start. After just 15 months, there are approximately 26 contributing writers from colleges across the country, including Stanford, UCLA, Princeton and The College of Idaho. According to Xu, the CCC’s future plans include gaining professional advisors and academic contributors, adding a list of book and video recommendations to the website, and eventually building partnerships with major climate and environmental non-government organizations.

Xu’s written contributions to the online forum are aimed at environmentally-interested readers, but the articles also are friendly to those who are new to the environmental movement. In articles such as “Is the Carbon Price Right?” and “Green it up now, Uncle Sam,” Xu is careful to explain concepts to new readers and outline any controversies involved, a valuable asset for an organization seeking to raise awareness.

As graduation nears, Xu is applying to masters programs across the country in financial mathematics. Originally from Shanghai, Xu plans to return to his native China after he finishes graduate school and operate a venture capital firm in renewable energy in China and the U.S. Until then, he is happy with his role of raising environmental awareness among college students and building a strong foundation for his future career in environmental finance.

“Hostile Environment” Control Technology

[BSU News Release]

A Boise State University materials science researcher, along with engineers from Arizona State University, has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to improve the performance of technology where radiation is present.

The radiation sensing device invented at Boise State performs tasks in places that are dangerous or impossible for humans to venture, such as outer space, on other planets or inside nuclear reactor facilities. The researchers hope to optimize the next generation of these devices by focusing on specialized materials that are used in components of small integrated circuits. The new versions of the technologies will be more resilient and more effective in environments with high levels of radiation.

Professor Mitkova

Maria Mitkova, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Boise State, will work with ASU engineering professors Hugh Barnaby and Michael Kozicki to study a specialized material called chalcogenide glasses, which is a glass containing one or more chalcogenide elements such as sulfur and selenium. They are currently found in rewritable DVDs, infrared detectors and lenses, among others. The compounds are useful because they can change physical and electrical properties when photons or radiation with shorter wavelengths redistribute metal atoms within their interiors. Mitkova, an expert in chalcogenide glass systems, will provide studies of radiation-induced changes in the properties of the material and related devices.

“So far little is known about how these materials respond to radiation especially with particles like protons, neutrons, etc, particularly their susceptibility to degradation and how that affects the performance of the device,” Mitkova said. “The knowledge that we gather in this project will be used to develop a deeper understanding of how radiation – from high energy photons, neutrons and ionized particles – affects the material structure and electrical performance of the devices based on  chalcogenide glasses.”

The study is expected to take five years to complete.

Public Land Adventurer Geocaching Program for GPS Users

[Bureau of Land Management News Release]

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Twin Falls District has joined the BLM Idaho State Office as a partner in its Public Land Adventurer Geocaching Program. The District has placed five geocaches in special public land sites throughout south central Idaho for geocachers to find. “We believe this pilot program provides an important avenue to engage both the public and BLM in an ongoing recreational activity that encourages people to get outside and explore their public lands,” said Bill Baker, Twin Falls BLM District Manager.

Geocaching has been around for quite a while. Essentially, it is an outdoor adventure game played by global positioning system (GPS) users. Participants search for hidden containers, called geocaches, and then share their experiences online. Individuals and organizations have placed caches all over the world and share the locations on websites such as GroundSpeak - GeoCaching.

Idaho BLM has created a virtual passport program to help participants log their visits to each geocache. At each cache site, players are provided an identification code that allows them to download a unique electronic stamp to place in their passport book. These stamps can be collected and redeemed for prizes. Individuals who find four caches in this region will be eligible for a district prize. Visitors who discover the district’s fifth cache, along with one cache from each of BLM’s three other districts, will earn the state prize.      

More information about the BLM passport program is available online at This Site. If you have further questions or want to learn more about this program, please contact Heather Tiel-Nelson, BLM Public Affairs Specialist, at 208-736-2352.

Professor D'Arcy-Evans receives Nursing Excellence Award

[News Release, Lewis-Clark State College]

Michele D`Arcy Evans, a professor in Lewis-Clark State College`s Nursing and Health Sciences Division, has been selected as a 2011 March of Dimes Idaho Nursing Excellence Award recipient.

The annual award, which recognizes nurses from across the state of Idaho for their outstanding work and impact on communities and the nursing profession, was announced at the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Award Celebration in Boise, Idaho, earlier this month.

D`Arcy-Evans, who has served at LCSC since 1992 and specializes in family health, was recognized for her excellence in nursing education and for her volunteer efforts including service for the March of Dimes and the Idaho Perinatal Project.

She is the third member of LCSC`s Nursing and Health Sciences Division to receive the award in the last two years. In 2010, professors Tracy Flynn and Susan Odom were honored.

Idaho State Receives Grants to Study Landscape Fuel (Burnable Material)

[Idaho State University News Release]

Idaho State University geosciences researchers received two grants this fall totaling more than $688,000 to study fuels in shrub-dominated landscapes in the Northwest and to gather remote-sensing data to assess floodplains.

LiDAR Analysis Screen

The largest amount – $546,723 – is from the Joint Fire Science Program, an interagency research and development partnership between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The Joint Fire Science Program awarded the money to the U.S. Geological Survey and ISU's Boise Center Aerospace Laboratory over three years.

The goal of the project, which will focus on lands in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area south of Boise, is to provide land managers with better tools to assess fuel volumes before a fire and how best to manage a landscape after a blaze, said Nancy Glenn, ISU geosciences research professor and BCAL director.

Fuel volume – combustible grasses, shrubs and trees – is calculated by tons of fuel per acre. The higher the fuel volume, the hotter the fire will burn.  ISU's portion of the project is to characterize the vegetation for fuel inventories by using remote-sensing or LiDAR data and to process the data.

"This project is a great opportunity for ISU students to work closely with the USGS, Bureau of Land Management and Orchard Training Area scientists. It's also an opportunity for federal agencies to better utilize remote-sensing tools and software for land management," said Glenn.

The Idaho Department of Water Resources awarded BCAL a $142,000 contract to collect and analyze airborne LiDAR imagery to assess floodplains.  The images will provide precise elevation data, enabling scientists to study floodplains in greater detail and identify flooding hazards.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided funding to IDWR and ISU to monitor several areas in Idaho, including the Priest and Snake River regions. The project also supports the newly formed Idaho LiDAR Consortium led by ISU.

For more information about the grants, contact Nancy Glenn at (208) 345-1994.  To read more about the Idaho LiDAR Consortium, visit their Web Site.

Miniature Plasma Source for Satellite Thrusters

[News release from Boise State University.]
Credit: Matt Pene, BSU News Feature

A miniature plasma source for a micro-propulsion system developed and tested by Boise State engineering researchers could help move small satellites and enable them to maintain a position while in orbit.


The propulsive force in the miniature, inductively coupled plasma source is generated by electricity rather than combustion. In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas, where a portion of the particles are ionized. The new system is a result of research on electric propulsion in low-temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials. The engineers designed and tested a system that provides high-density plasma by using the gas argon as a propellant and injecting it into a thrust chamber to move small objects like a satellite.

“Overall, electric thrusters are more efficient in propellant usage and that allows the devices to operate for longer periods of time without the need to refuel,” said study coauthor Don Plumlee, assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering. “A plasma thruster provides more thrust for the mass of propellant being ejected compared to traditional chemical thrusters, and it provides more efficient performance at the small thruster sizes we are targeting.”

The miniature plasma source was created out of a material that allows the integration of additional thruster elements, including propellant delivery into a single device. The concept is based on the miniaturization of an electric thruster, using ceramic materials to integrate fluidics and electronics. Researchers then tested the system over different frequencies and argon pressures. The system performed well at frequencies from 400 MHz to 1000 MHz and a resonant frequency near 920 MHz.

“Our inductively coupled plasma source also is embedded inside the ceramic substrate, which protects it from back-bombardment of the plasma ions that could potentially erode the antenna,” said study coauthor Jim Browning, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. “These devices are really the first step in developing a smaller electrostatic thruster in ceramic materials.”

The design and testing of the plasma source is outlined in a paper that appears online in the journal IEEE Transactions in Plasma Science.