Amanda Ashley, a professor and director for the School of the Arts, received the Dr. Thomas and Marilyn Beck Endowed Professorship for the Arts.
Ashley joined Boise State in 2011. She directed the Urban Studies and Community Development program and was the inaugural co-faculty director of the School of Public Service. She is an internationally recognized scholar in arts economic development and creative placemaking, publishing widely on interdisciplinary pedagogy and institutional structures in higher education. She is the author of two books, more than 30 publications, and is the principal investigator on the National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab program on creative economies and public policy.
Since her appointment to the School of the Arts directorship, Ashley has championed the university as an arts and cultural anchor. She leads an arts and emerging technology initiative to support faculty and student development. She has pioneered the arts passport, an academic program promoting arts engagement and well-being by giving class credit to Boise State students who attend art events on campus and in the community.
As the Dr. Thomas and Marilyn Beck Endowed Professorship for the Arts, Ashley will advance the School of the Arts mission by supporting experiential learning, career readiness and community engagement. She thanks her parents; her husband, Seth; her two sons, Will and Ben; her colleagues; and her friends for their support and encouragement.
About endowed positions
For centuries, endowed positions have been regarded as the hallmark of an institution’s long-term commitment to academic advancement and an important recognition of faculty excellence. They are uniquely distinct in the way that they provide valuable support for the work of faculty members of the highest distinction.
At Boise State, endowed positions enable faculty to contribute to strategic initiatives, enhance efforts for faculty recruitment and retention, provide exceptional experience to students and bestow prestige on programs and the university at large.
Endowed positions are typically funded by the generosity of donors and often carry a donor’s or special honoree’s name, with the funds given sustaining the gift for years to come. In each case, an endowed position supports the awardee’s teaching, research and service to the profession and institution.