Who We Are

Dr. Lisa Brady earned her Doctorate in History from the University of Kansas in 2003, a Master’s of Education in Social Studies Secondary Education in 1997, a Master’s in History from University of Sydney, Australia, in 1994 and a Bachelor’s in History from the University of New Mexico in 1989. Her research explores the intersection of military conflict and the environment, with special interests in the United States Civil War and Korean War. She currently serves as the History Department chair and as the lead for the Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative through the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Sara Fry earned her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wyoming in 2004 and her Bachelor’s in History from Colorado College in 1995. Her scholarly interests include: citizenship education, human rights and service-learning. Prior to her university career, Sara taught middle school social studies and language arts in Colorado and Trinidad and Tobago.

Dr. John Bieter is a professor in the History Department. He received a Bachelor’s in Economics and Social Science from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned his Master’s in History from Boise State University and his Doctorate in History from Boston College. John teaches courses on Methods of History Instruction, Immigration and Basque Studies.

Stewart Gardner earned his Doctorate in Political Science from Michigan State University in 1997. His undergraduate studies in psychology and political science were at the University of Washington. His research and teaching is focused on the history of political philosophy, considering the intersection of politics and philosophy through the texts of thinkers from ancient Greece to the present.

Russ Heller retired as an Educational Services Supervisor with the Boise School District.  Before moving into administration, Russ taught at Boise High School where he chaired the History and Social Sciences Department.  He also worked as a curriculum writer, teacher consultant for the College Board, and editor for Prentice Hall and Scholastic Publishers. Russ was Vice Chair and Trustee of the National Council for History Education and Executive Director of the Idaho Council for Social Studies and the Idaho Council for History Education. Between 2001 and 2012, Russ and a dedicated team of educators organized and managed annual history and civics conferences that featured preeminent historians and attracted teachers nationally.  He currently serves as a City of Garden City Council member and on the boards of the Frank Church Institute, the City Club of Boise, and the Garden City Public Library.  His volunteer service includes work with Idaho’s Attorneys for Civic Education, the University of Idaho’s Law and Justice Learning Center, and the federal and state judiciaries in producing summer institutes for teachers.