Dr. Lighty comes to Boise State from the University of Utah and the National Science Foundation, where she has been a division director since October 2013. A professor at the University of Utah for 29 years, Dr. Lighty was chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering, director of the Institute for Combustion and Energy Studies, and associate dean for academics in the College of Engineering. She received the SWE Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, the Utah Engineering Educator of the Year from the Utah Engineering Council, and the University’s Linda Amos Award for Distinguished Service to Women. She earned her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the same university in 1988. Dr. Lighty’s research focuses on combustion-generated fine particulate matter formation, soot oxidation, and carbon capture technologies. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and has served on several national boards and committees focusing on the environmental aspects of combustion. As the director of the NSF’s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems, she led 16 programs and was a key architect of the cross-NSF initiative, Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems, serving as co-lead since its launch in 2015.
COEN Staff Directory
Welcome to the staff directory of the Coen College of Engineering at Boise State University. Our team is composed of passionate and highly skilled professionals dedicated to excellence in education, research, and innovation. From our distinguished faculty and dedicated department chairs to our supportive administrative and research affairs staff, each member plays a crucial role in fostering a collaborative and dynamic learning environment. Together, we are committed to empowering our students, advancing engineering knowledge, and contributing to the technological progress of our community and beyond.
Are you looking for Academic Advisors? Visit our Student Hub.
Jump to relevant sections of this page:
- The Dean
- The Dean’s Office
- Academic Affairs
- Research Affairs
- Department Chairs
- Development and Advancement
- Micron Student Success Center
- Facilities
- Finance and Budget
- Information Technology
- Marketing and Communications
- Industrial Advisory Board
- Faculty and Staff by Department
The Dean
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JoAnn S. Lighty, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Engineering
About Dr. JoAnn S. Lighty
The Dean's Office
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Janet Deardorff
Assistant to the Dean
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Academic Affairs
Meet our exceptional team, committed to shaping the future of engineering education and empowering students to reach their fullest potential. From academic advisors providing personalized guidance to administrative staff ensuring smooth operations, each member plays a crucial role in fostering a vibrant learning environment.
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Don Plumlee, Ph.D.
Professor; Associate Dean for Academic Affairs - COEN
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Griff Allen
Engineering Innovation Studio Manager
Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering | HML 101 -
Sarah Wright
Business Operations Coordinator
Research Affairs
Our team is committed to advancing engineering research and innovation. We provide essential support to faculty and students, facilitating cutting-edge research projects, securing funding, and fostering industry partnerships.
Contact us to learn more about College of Engineering research and potential partnership opportunities. Please email Dr. Todd Otanicar with the Office of Research Development & Support at coenresearch@boisestate.edu.
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Todd Otanicar
Associate Dean for Research Affairs; Associate Professor, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
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Jim Browning, Ph.D.
Professor & Associate Dean of Research
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Paul Davis, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Research Affairs; CEBS COBRE FaCT Research Core Director
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Alexander Flink
Electronics Technician, Research Machining and Engineering
Ruch 331 -
Travis Gabel
Technical Support Engineer, Idaho Microfabrication Lab
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Phil Boysen
Professional Machinist, Research Machining and Engineering
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Sarah Haight
Engineer Support Manager, Research Machining and Engineering
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Natalya Hallstrom
COEN Safety Adviser; Research Scholar & Lab Manager, Micron School of Materials Science & Engineering
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Karen Marker
Research Strategist and Proposal Editor
Karen helps faculty across the college to expand their scholarship by offering guidance as they develop research programs and projects, find collaborators, locate funding, validate ideas, write competitive proposals, and make effective use of institutional resources. She is a creative strategist at heart, lives on the line between left and right brain, and since 2010, has supported over 400 submitted proposals and numerous wins across multiple federal and state funding agencies and institutional funders.
Before coming to Boise State, she spent more than 15 years consulting with a variety of Fortune 500 companies to help teams produce proposals, design documents, websites, and presentations that clearly described their ideas and were easy to use.
Karen has a master’s degree in Instructional Systems from Indiana University (much like offerings from the college’s Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning department), and a BA from Brown University in both art and English. She performs in community theater, plays guitar, and sometimes makes visual art.
Karen helps faculty across the college to expand their scholarship by offering guidance as they develop research programs and projects, find collaborators, locate funding, validate ideas, write competitive proposals, and make effective use of institutional resources. She is a creative strategist at heart, lives on the line between left and right brain, and since 2010, has supported over 400 submitted proposals and numerous wins across multiple federal and state funding agencies and institutional funders.
Before coming to Boise State, she spent more than 15 years consulting with a variety of Fortune 500 companies to help teams produce proposals, design documents, websites, and presentations that clearly described their ideas and were easy to use.
Karen has a master’s degree in Instructional Systems from Indiana University (much like offerings from the college’s Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning department), and a BA from Brown University in both art and English. She performs in community theater, plays guitar, and sometimes makes visual art.
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Pete Miranda
Director-Idaho Microfabrication Lab
About Pete Miranda
Department Chairs
Our college’s Department Chairs bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their respective departments, guiding faculty and students toward academic excellence and innovative research.
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Bhaskar Chittoori, Ph.D.
Chair, Professor
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Anthony Perrenoud, Ph.D.
Chair, Associate Professor
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Amit Jain, Ph.D.
Chair, Professor
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Anthony Marker, Ph.D., LEED AP
Professor and Chair
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Todd Otanicar, Ph.D.
Chair, Associate Professor
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Amy Moll, Ph.D.
Director, Professor
Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering | MCMR 207G -
Sin Ming Loo, Ph.D.
Director, Cyber Operations and Resilience Program (CORe)
Development and Foundation
Our college’s foundation team develops opportunities to take donors’ ideas turning them into impact to fuel Boise State’s mission to be a student-success-driven research university that impacts our communities.
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Scott Jurgens
Senior Director of Development
Contact Scott about development and giving opportunities.
Contact Scott about development and giving opportunities.
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Brenda Rodriguez
Advancement Coordinator
Contact Brenda about alumni engagement opportunities, COEN’s Industry Advisory Board, and the Visionary Employer Partnership program.
Contact Brenda about alumni engagement opportunities, COEN’s Industry Advisory Board, and the Visionary Employer Partnership program.
Micron Student Success Center
The staff at the Micron Student Success Center are ready to assist you with Career Discovery, Job Opportunities, Interview Help, and more.
Facilities
Finance and Budget
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Cecilia Camacho
Research Administrator
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Kim Tabarini
Research Administrator
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Information Technology
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Maureen Moore
Director of Information Technology
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Francisco Castellon
Senior Systems Administrator
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Marketing and Communications
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Jamie Fink
Senior Communications Specialist
Contact Jamie about student success stories, research awards, faculty news, and information about the College of Engineering.
Contact Jamie about student success stories, research awards, faculty news, and information about the College of Engineering.
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Michele Armstrong
Graphic Design Specialist
Contact Michele about brand standards, College of Engineering publications, and visual communication troubleshooting.
Contact Michele about brand standards, College of Engineering publications, and visual communication troubleshooting.
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Brandalyn Athons
Software Engineer 1
Contact Brandalyn about web accessibility, troubleshooting, and online projects.
College of EngineeringContact Brandalyn about web accessibility, troubleshooting, and online projects.
Industrial Advisory Board
The Industrial Advisory Board participates in the decision-making process regarding engineering programs at Boise State University. Current board members are:
- Jim Gasaway, Board Chair, Kount (emeritus)
- Karen Baerlocher, Alta Science & Engineering, Inc.
- R.J. Barron, Hensel Phelps
- Chris Brandt, Boise Cascade
- David Butzier, AECOM
- Chris Byrne, POWER Engineers
- Nick Carter, Advanced Materials
- Todd Combs, Idaho National Laboratory
- Timothy Forhan, 3rdGear LLC
- Jake Fouts, Lovevery
- Scott Gatzemeier, Micron Technology, Inc.
- Wayne Hammon, Idaho Associated General Contractors
- Tyler Hansen, Idaho Power
- Steve Howarth, Cradlepoint
- Dean Klein, Micron Technology, Inc. (retired)
- Brenda Kraus, Micron Technology, Inc.
- Tom Loutzenheiser, Sensata (retired)
- Alecia Murray, Women Innovators
- Linda Somerville, Micron Technology, Inc.
- Marcene Taylor, Marcene Taylor, Inc.