Spring is always a time of celebration and renewal, and a snow-dusted landscape can’t chill this seasonal joy. It has helped that we’ve been able to gather together more often to share the moments that matter, re-establishing some of our long-held traditions and starting new ones. And we do have lots to celebrate. The ways we’ve served our students, sustained and advanced our research and creative activity, and supported our campus and wider communities has really been quite extraordinary, particularly in the face of a variety of on-going and daunting challenges. We’ve earned the right to be more than a little tired, but also fiercely proud of what we’ve done together.
I am hoping for a peaceful, productive, rejuvenating summer that will leave us renewed and ready to seize the opportunities in whatever comes our way next. I hope these next couple of months are happy and restorative for you, and I’ll be eager to see you again in August.
With appreciation,
Leslie
Note Regarding College Executive Team Searches
The process for selecting two associate deans and a director for the School of the Arts is ongoing. We had hoped to be able to announce the results of the process before faculty went off contract, but illness and other issues have created a delay. We will send an email as soon as the process is complete, and we look forward to introducing you to these leaders at the August meeting.
School of the Environment Update
As I announced in the college meeting at the beginning of this semester, I am excited to share the second video in a series of video modules about several projects we’ve been working on in the college for the past few years that align with the university and college strategic plans—even before these plans were completed.
In this short video, we hear from Kevin Feris, Alejandro Flores and Emily Wakild about recent developments with the School of the Environment. This video is available with closed captions and a video transcript.
Marcee Boggs recently joined the College of Arts and Sciences team in the Dean’s Office as the programs and projects coordinator. Marcee comes to us with 11 years of experience in higher education. She worked for a community college, another state university and an R1 institution. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Washington in Education Leadership. The majority of her research and professional experience focuses on accessibility and student success.
Marcee will help coordinate Bronco Gap Year and the new Student Leadership Board. You can contact her regarding any student-focused program or event.
Contact Marcee at marceeboggs@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-4281.
Welcome to the team, Marcee!
Student spotlight: Jessi Boyer
Student Jessi Boyer is already experiencing the power of education in transforming her life as she completes her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies. After spending years building a political career as a single mom, Boyer decided to go back to school and earn a degree that would allow her to leave seasonal campaigning work.
Faculty Spotlight: Rebecca Som Castellano's senior seminar class builds survey tool for Idaho food pantries
“The highlight of this class was dissecting what food insecurity really means and how it can be integrated into so many other components within society,” says Calley West, a senior sociology major at Boise State University. “Food is just a really interesting concept if you really dive into it. There’s the cultural aspect of what type of foods you eat together, how food brings people together, like how a lot of families come together at the table. So it’s easy to see how food insecurity can impact a culture.”
“The highlight of this class was dissecting what food insecurity really means and how it can be integrated into so many other components within society,” says Calley West, a senior sociology major at Boise State University. “Food is just a really interesting concept if you really dive into it. There’s the cultural aspect of what type of foods you eat together, how food brings people together, like how a lot of families come together at the table. So it’s easy to see how food insecurity can impact a culture.”
In early May, West, along with classmates from associate professor Rebecca Som Castellano’s senior seminar class in the Department of Sociology, presented findings from a survey they conducted to the CEO and staff of the Idaho Foodbank.
“It was my idea—out of frustration mostly,” says Joanne Klein, associate chair and undergraduate advisor in the Department of History. “We had three or four incoming freshmen apply for history scholarships and it just turned out, because some scholarships are renewable, that none of them were eligible for any of our available scholarships. I felt so bad, because any of them would have been great.”
As a disability studies major and accessibility advocate, I read and watch most things relating to dis/ability. Recently, I watched a documentary called “Crip Camp” that I believe everyone should take the time to watch. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and if you are like me, it might make you frustrated with systematic oppression. In alignment with the Social Model, Camp Jened highlights the liberation and capability of individuals with dis/abilities in a barrier-free and inclusive environment. It was a very humanizing and relatable story of love and friendship and a stark realization about unconscious bias most of us hold. Whether you are looking for entertainment or a learning experience, I highly recommend it. You can stream it on Netflix and YouTube.
Marcy Harmer
I recently read Anthony Doerr’s new book “Cloud Cuckoo Land” for my book club. It was very unique, strange and quite different. Something I would not have read on my own. I am going to branch out again and read his other book, “All the Light We Cannot See.”
Jeffery Oliver
This winter I returned to a creative project that involves stories and places of people who live in the North and ran across some beautiful references for the project from Canada, Norway and Iceland.
“Monograph,” a music album by Nils Økland. Økland is from the Hardanger region in western Finland where the style of fiddle he plays originates. The Hardanger fiddle has eight strings, four on top and four below. The top strings are played similar to any violin or fiddle and then the bottom strings vibrate and sing in sympathetic vibration to the top strings. This produces an ethereal and otherworldly sound. The solo Hardanger fiddle on this album embodies the sound of The North in my imagination.
“Neve,” is another album by Nils Økland and accompanied by Yoik singer Georg Buljo.
“The Solitude Trilogy,” radio documentaries by the Canadian concert pianist Glenn Gould. These documentaries provide an intimate look into the lives and attitudes of people who live in the North. The trilogy includes: The Idea of North, The Latecomers, and The Quiet in the Land.
“Heima,” documentary film about a series of free concerts performed around Iceland one summer by the band Sigur Rós. Beautiful landscapes, cinematography and people.
