Amanda Leightner, inaugural Merrick Family Professor in Respiratory Care in Boise State’s College of Health Sciences, has been on the move recently — and has found fans everywhere she goes.
Leightner, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Respiratory Care, teaches remotely but is no stranger to Boise nor the College of Health Sciences team.
She’s known College of Health Sciences Senior Associate Dean Lutana Haan and Megan Koster, the department’s award-winning chair, for years. And she shares a connection with Kristen McHenry, director of the respiratory care master’s degree program, who is also remote respiratory care faculty. Those bonds made accepting the endowed position easy; the program’s reputation and her future colleagues sealed the deal.
“They’re proactive with their students, and they come from very diverse backgrounds,” Leightner said. “They have a wealth of knowledge that makes a solid program. They’re a phenomenal team.” Leightner added that she’s honored to be chosen for this role and the opportunity it brings to advance respiratory care and sleep medicine.
Plans are underway for a sleep lab on campus that she will coordinate. She will also be part of the new undergraduate degree in neuroscience, the first in Idaho. She will teach clinical courses on cardiopulmonary disease management and a theory-based master’s course on managing organizational change.
The road to Boise State
Leightner earned her bachelor of science, master’s and doctorate from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. She worked with Ohio hospitals before returning to her alma mater to teach before joining Boise State in fall 2024. Her work experience includes critical care, trauma and NICU along with polysomnography or sleep studies. She serves on the National Board Respiratory Care board of directors and with multiple other professional organizations. Leightner and her husband are parents to two daughters and two sons.
