Message From the Dean - Departments & Programs | Idaho...

Message From the Dean

integration of the research performed at these two important facilities. Professor Michael Line-berry is the Director of INSE, bringing many years of experience in scientific management of complex projects. Dr. Lineberry is also named as Associate Dean for Nuclear Research. Again you can expect exciting things from INSE in coming newsletters.

I hope you enjoy reading our newsletter, and on behalf of all of the College of Science and Engineering family, I wish you all the best for the new year.

1Bengals in Science and Engineering

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the College of Science and Engineering newsletter! We are pleased to be able to share with you a few of the exciting events and accomplishments of our more than 100 faculty and 2,000 students.

A lot has happened since the College of Sci-ence and Engineering was officially established two years ago, on July 1, 2010 when the Science and Engineering departments merged. We have six main departments: School of Engineering; Biological Sciences; Chemistry; Geoscience; Mathematics; and Physics. Dr. David Rodgers, professor of geoscience, is the associate dean.

The College leads the University in externally funded research, averaging around $13 million per year for the last three years, a fact for which we should all be proud. The accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students contributed greatly in the elevation of ISU to Research High in the Carnegie Classification, placing us in the top 400 of research universities in the nation.

Another noteworthy event was the creation of the Research and Innovation in Science and Engineering Complex, or RISE. On May 2011, the University purchased the former Ballard Building. This has provided the University with over 200,000 square feet of research and office space; clean rooms and large bays yield great potential for very interesting and diverse proj-ects, some of which are already underway. You will be hearing about many exciting happenings in RISE in the future.

Recently the RISE Complex and the Idaho Ac-celerator Center have been reorganized into the Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering (INSE) under the College. This will allow better

Dean George Imel

CoSE 1st Homecoming Reunion

Dr. Chikashi Sato: Fulbright Scholar

Molecular Research Core Facility Provides Support for ISU Research Efforts

Geoscience Students Win National Competition

New Frontiers in Research: The RISE Complex

Exploring “Near Space” from ISU

New FacultyResearch Highlights

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Table of Contents

The College of Science and Engineering Alumni watching the parade at the Homecoming Reunion (p. 3)

The RISE Complex (p. 4)

Stunning views as seen from a high-altitude balloon (p. 6)

Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Chikashi Sato (p. 5)


CoSE 1st Homecoming Reunion

Alumni Spotlight

With the theme “Traditions…Old and New” for ISU’s 2012 Home-coming, the College of Science and Engineering created a new tradition. The first CoSE Homecoming Reunion was held on Sept. 29. The event began with a breakfast on the lawn of Colonial Hall, the home of the CoSE administrative offices. During breakfast, Dr. Robert Fisher, chair of the mathematics department, announced a new scholarship in the name of Dr. Richard Hill, professor of mathematics at ISU for 45 years.

Following breakfast, attendees rode the ISU team bus to the Holt Arena where they were able to view the homecom-ing parade in reserved seating. The excitement from the parade put everyone in attendance in the mood to cheer on the Bengals against Sacramento State. The College showed their support in the Holt Arena with a block of 50 seats reserved for CoSE alumni and guests.

Gary (Gen. Eng. ‘72) and Jan Dunn, of Pocatello, attended the homecoming festivities. Gary has worked for thirty years at Basic American Foods in Blackfoot. Currently a senior engineer, Gary worked in process engineering, research and devel-opment, as well as many other jobs with the company. He said that he has enjoyed a great career in engineering. Gary says his degree from ISU “is a very good return on

my investment – the best anyone can pos-sibly get. I got a good education that set me up to do the work. The broad, general degree I earned has been very helpful because I know a lot of different kinds of engineering. For me, this has been more valuable than a degree in a specific engi-neering area.” We look forward to seeing Gary and Jan at future CoSE events.

Barney (Geology ‘72) and Linda (Con-sumer Economics/Secondary Education ‘84) Lewis, farmers from Arbon Valley, also attended the CoSE Homecoming celebration. At breakfast, Barney, who was raised in Blackfoot, told us that he earned a masters degree from Montana State Uni-versity following his graduation from ISU. He then worked as a hydrogeologist for the US Geological Survey and traveled to various construction sites. He worked in Montana and Wyoming, where he served as state representative for USGS for six years. He also worked for the Colorado School of Mines and at the Idaho Nuclear

Laboratory, where he focused on radioac-tive waste disposal. At Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada, Barney directed unsaturated zone studies. After a most interesting 31-year career with the USGS, Barney retired to the farm. He said that his education at ISU was great and he enjoyed the size of the univer-sity and the quality of the faculty. He fondly remembers professors Tom Orr, M Korbet, Don Smith, and Frank Lane. Linda grew up in Pocatello and joined the military after graduating from ISU. She is a Vietnam veteran and was a member of the Seabees.


New Frontiers in Research: The RISE Complex

The Idaho State University Research and Innovation in Science and Engineering (RISE) Complex is living up to its acronym ahead of schedule – rising as an ISU research en-terprise, already attracting more than $5.7 million in research grants.

“We have a one-of-kind research facility, and we have some high-tech research equipment that you won’t find anyplace else in the world,” said Eric Burgett, ISU associate profes-sor of nuclear engineering and principal investigator on the grants mentioned above.

“The whole point of RISE,” he continued, “is to put facili-ties together for multi-disciplinary research and collabora-tion. We’re building a world-class facility.”

Research at RISE varies from developing advanced radia-tion detectors and measuring fuel inside nuclear reactors to using electron accelerators to scan cargo containers. It can grow giant crystals to support nuclear science and engineer-ing programs, and grow new and cutting-edge semiconduc-tors. It also has its own prototyping shop, where researchers can manufacture their own parts and equipment at a highly precise, computer-controlled machine shop.

The RISE Complex’s capabilities include a Nanotech Fabri-cation Laboratory, Applied Microscopy Laboratory, Nano-Rad Fabrication Laboratory, Crystal Growth Laboratory, Homeland Security Laboratory, Semiconductor Processing Laboratory, Wet Chemistry/Extraction Laboratory, Radio-Bio Safety Laboratory, High Power Laser/Optics Labora-tory and an Imaging Laboratory and a Human Interactive Environment Simulation Laboratory. The RISE Complex is also offering a wide-ranging educa-tional experience for ISU students.“This is an exciting place to be,” Burgett said. “We have

more than 40 undergraduate and graduate students, from the technician level up to Ph.D. candidates, working up here, assisting us in what we do.”

The students come from a variety of backgrounds including computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engi-neering, nuclear engineering, physics and College of Tech-nology technical programs.

Major RISE projects include:

• NanoVision Project – This will develop small, radiation-resistant sensors to use within nuclear reactors. • Atomisitc Fuel Performance Studies – Developing engi-neered materials to better understand nuclear fuel. • Plasmonically cloaked neutron detector – This project should result in several advances for neutron detector re-search and nanotechnology fields. • Single crystal growth project – This program is designed to create custom-engineered, single-crystal uranium dioxide samples. • Cargo scanning research and capability verification – This is a joint ISU-Scan Teach project using an electron accelera-tor to scan cargo containers. The scan can determine shapes of items contained and container content. • Nuclear fuels analysis. • Radiobiological and Advanced Research with Infectious Diseases – This user facility will provide the means for groundbreaking medical and biological research. • Advanced and Next Generation reactor software and simulation development. • Neutronics – This research center will be a user facil-ity providing numerous neutron sources of varied flux and energy for advanced research with neutrons.


- Andy Taylor, ISU Marketing and Communication

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The Fulbright Scholarship Award to Ne-pal provided opportunities of a lifetime for me. I had the privilege of meeting with Fulbright Scholars attending the South and Central Asia (SCA) Fulbright Conference at Cochin, India as well as meeting with Fulbright alumni in the SCA Regional Fulbright Alumni Confer-ence in Kathmandu.

In the capacity of a Fulbright Scholar, I studied various aspects of Phewa Lake and supervised the work of gradu-ate students from the Prithvi Narayan Campus. I greatly enjoyed interacting with professors, department chairs and deans from the Institute of Engineering at Kathmandu and the Western Regional Campus in Pokhara.

Visiting schools and speaking to young students about my experiences at Idaho State University and about my life in the United States was especially enjoyable. Hira Bahadur Maharjan, Vice-Chancel-lor of Tribhuvan University, graciously met with my friends and me on a very busy day. Ravi Charan Shrestha, son of the revolutionary poet and National Hero of Nepal, Siddi Charan Shrestha,

kindly invited us to his home, which is located near the statue of his late father. It is difficult to put into words how much these experiences mean to me.

When Rachel, my daughter, and I ar-rived at Pokhara Airport, we were met by the families of Nepalese students at ISU, Arjun Lamichane and Tribhu-van Sharma. They took us shopping, showed us around town, invited us to their homes, and looked after us. Binod Karki’s family took us for a walk through the World Heritage Temples. They also took us to the water supply systems in Kathmandu Valley. Other Nepalese friends invited us to their family’s ceremonies for an engagement, to a wedding and post wedding festivi-ties, and to various other events. I also witnessed a funeral for the Seti River Flood victims. I am deeply grateful for the time and consideration the above families gave to me and to my daughter.

There are stark contrasts in the city of Pokhara. On the one hand there are the beautiful mountains bathed in light. On the other, there is scattered trash along the lakeside, the water channels, and the

roads. The litter casts dark shadows in the topography. The beautiful mountains attract tourists to Pokhara. While the city is tainted with trash, there are signs of improvement. Public trash baskets have been placed in parks and scenic areas. I met a “Green Clean Pokhara” member and soon became a participant by picking up trash with children around the Phewa Lake shore. After that, I spent every Saturday morning at clean-ing activities. I made many new friends during these efforts.

I enjoyed nature in Nepal , such as the Chitwan National Park and my trek to the Annapurna Base Camp. However, I was most touched by the people I met. They were so kind and gracious to me. I am profoundly grateful to the Ful-bright Program, to the College of Science and Engineering, and to Idaho State University for provid-ing this unique opportunity for me.

- Dr. Chikashi Sato, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Bengals in Science and Engineering

Dr. Chikashi Sato:Fulbright Scholar

Exploring “Near Space” from ISUThe limitless oppurtunities for new discoveries from the upper atmosphere led Ben Nickell to pursue a special interest in high altitude balloon flights. In 2004 Ben Nickell, College of Sci-ence and Engineering Computer Systems Administrator, was a student studying Geographical Information Systems at ISU when he took a Remote Sensing class taught by ISU’s Depart-ment of Geosciences. In that class, he was exposed to Idaho Research Involving Student Engineers and Educators (Idaho RISE). Nickell began participating in Idaho RISE high-alti-tude balloon launches and for the last two years he has served as director for Idaho RISE. The purpose of the project is to develop a launch vehicle, which includes GPS and radio tracking to give students and community members access to the upper atmosphere. With the use of high altitude balloons the ISU RISE team sends payloads to the atmosphere into “near” space at altitudes ap-proaching 100,000 feet. The design of the launch vehicle is adapted in order to take a variety of items to high altitudes for university research, K-12 experiments and photographic en-deavors. The group teams up with various community mem-bers including the Pocatello Fire Department, area K-12 teach-ers, and ISU students with various majors. The most recent launch of the balloon was on Oct. 6, begin-ning in Lima, MT. and recovered in Hamer, ID. The flight dis-tance was just over 50 miles. As the balloon traveled over the mountains between Lima and Spencer, ID, it reached speeds near 60 miles per hour. During its flight, the balloon reached a height of just over 89,000 feet. According to Nickell, one goal of the project is to “get peo-ple interested in science, engineering and aerospace careers.” Working with area K-12 teachers and schools is one way this is accomplished. For example, a second grade class from Shelley created a device for the balloon to carry an egg. Nickell said that the device came back with a couple of surprising results: not only was the egg not broken, but it had been changed from an oblong form to one that was more round. Nickell has enjoyed the experiences that have come as a result

Pond Student Union BuildingTime: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

March 19, 2013

Join us for this community event that includes fun and exciting hands-on science activities for kids of all ages.

To sponsor a booth or donate to the Idaho Science and Engineering Festival, Please contact:Caryn Evilia [email protected] Pfau [email protected]

of being involved with Idaho RISE. “This project combines my love of being outdoors, science and engineering into one experience,” says Nickell. The balloon has also provided opportunities for joint launches, sending the balloon into near space while working with other universities. Idaho RISE worked with University of Nevada, Reno to fine tune their flight system. University of Idaho is also interested in similar help.Working with Idaho RISE provides several opportunities for participants to connect with NASA research centers. Depend-ing on what you are looking for, this could lead to internships, scholarships or research opportunities. For more information about Idaho RISE or how you can be involved with this pro-gram, visit nearspace.isu.edu.


Ben Nickell showing off the equipment used on the high altitude experiment.


This year Idaho State University researcher Shawn Bearden published a study that gives hints for the ef-fective treatment of dementia, while his colleague, Michael Thomas, has published a study on the pos-sible environmental causes for the increase in autism.

These two prominent studies share a common thread: both would not have been possible to complete at Idaho State University without the ISU Molecular Research Core Facil-ity located in the Gale Life Sciences Building.

“The MRCF is a vital resource to ISU as we move ahead in biomedical research,” said Deb Easterly, direc-tor of ISU Research Development and Compliance. “Researchers need state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to do high-level research and that is what the Core provides.”

Although the focus of ISU’s Molecular Research Core Facility is biomedical research, it is used by a full spectrum of researchers in a variety of disciplines including ecology, anthropology, psychology, pharmacy and chemistry.

Nearly $10 million in research grants and contracts com-ing into ISU depend on MRCF resources and the facility

is a key component of ISU’s future plans for biomedical research. Within the last year the University invested nearly $600,000 to acquire a confocal microscope, a powerful imaging instrument. The MRCF also was awarded $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to acquire “next-generation” DNA sequencing technology.

The MRCF provides services that range from DNA se-quencing and molecular analysis to cell sorting and ad-vanced biological imaging. Lab personnel collaborate with researchers on experimental design, conduct lab analyses, and assist in analyzing and interpreting data. They also assist principal investigators in the preparation of research grant proposals and anticipate future needs for instrumentation and expertise.

The MRCF isn’t just used by ISU. Its clients include re-searchers from other institutions, inluding the University of Idaho, Boise State University, the University of Mon-tana, Montana State University and other universities in the intermountain West. Government clients include the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Idaho National Labora-tory. The MRCF also is developing some relationships with private enterprises.

For more information on the Molecular Research Core Facility visit www.isu.edu/bios/MRCF

Molecular Research Core Facility Provides Support for ISU Research Efforts

- Andy Taylor, Marketing and Communications

Geoscience Students Win National Competition

“This prestigious award indicates national recognition of the hard work, talent, and enthusiasm of ISU students in the field of geothermal energy-related research and exploration.” Michael McCurry, ISU geosciences professor

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) declared Idaho State University the winner of the 2012-2013 National Student Geo-thermal Competition. Eight schools made it to the finals, includ-ing three from Idaho. Boise State University placed second and Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory came in third.

This student competition challenges teams at universities across the country to conduct cutting-edge research in geology, geosci-ence, chemical and bio-molecular energy and engineering that can lead to breakthroughs in geothermal energy development.

“This prestigious award indicates national recognition of the hard work, talent, and enthusiasm of ISU students in the field of geothermal energy-related research and exploration,” said Michael McCurry, ISU geosciences professor. “We’re proud of the stu-dents and hope their accomplishment inspires other students to enter this technical field. It helps to promote responsible explora-tion and development of Idaho’s great geothermal potential.”

Through the National Geothermal Student Competition, the DOE seeks to advance geothermal education and spark interest in geothermal careers by providing a forum for hands-on-learn-ing. In addition, some of the data and analysis resulting from the competition may be valuable to industry and the development of new geothermal sites.

Participating students developed professional-quality research reports using exploration technologies to further geothermal power development of the Snake River Plain in Idaho. Findings were presented in conjunction with the Geothermal Research Council’s spring/summer meeting in order to provide an audience and networking opportunities for the students. The title of the ISU study is “Development of an integrated, testable conceptual model of blind geothermal resources in the eastern Snake River Plain: application to the Newdale geothermal prospect.”

“I believe this highlights the amazing research opportunities my teammates and I have had at ISU,” said Rebecca Ohly, one of four ISU geosciences students on the winning team. “I feel for-

tunate to have been able to work with such talented students and faculty on this project, and I am proud to have been a part of this. I hope that this will lend recognition to both ISU and the poten-tial geothermal resources that are available in this region.”

Also participating in this project were ISU students Michael Ginsbach, Adam Koster, and Holly Young. They helped drill 1,000-foot deep wells and recorded temperatures, rock properties, and the chemistry of the subsurface materials at different depths to test for geothermal sources. This information is being used to make models of what is going on deep underground. Mentored by McCurry and John Welhan, an Idaho Geological Survey/Uni-versity of Idaho research scientist based in Pocatello, the student examined new wells near Soda Springs in the Southeast Idaho highlands. They also looked at well logs and data from other wells that were previously drilled near Newdale, east of Rexburg, on the edge of the Snake River Plain.

- Andy Taylor, ISU Marketing and Communications

Bengals in Science and Engineering

February 17-23

Competitions this year include:-Spaghetti Bridge -Rube Goldberg Machine- Perpetual Motion Machine- Catapult Golf-Electric Car

engr.isu.edu


GeosciencesDr. David Pearson, assistant pro-fessor, came to ISU “to join a vibrant geosciences department with a broad range of strengths. Southeastern Idaho also contains many opportunities for field-based research and outdoor activities.” Pearson will be teaching a range of introductory and advanced level classes, including structural geology.

Biological SciencesDr. Keith Reinhardt, assistant pro-fessor, chose to come to ISU for the quality of life found in a small town and the outdoor recreation found in this region. Reinhardt’s research emphasis includes plant physiological ecology and global change biology.

Biological SciencesDr. Marc Benson, assistant profes-sor, focuses his research on mo-lecular pathogenesis mediated by bacterial toxins. The opportunity to participate in research and teach were two reasons that encouraged him to become a part of the ISU community.

Biological SciencesJennifer Abbruzzese, assitant lecturer, comes to ISU from the University of Utah, where she also received her MS in Biol-ogy. Abbruzzese will be teach-ing BIOL 1101 and assisting Dr. Carolyn Bunde with teaching anatomy and physiology.

Biological SciencesDr. Luobin Yang, research as-sistant professor, will be teaching bioinformatics courses at ISU. He received his Ph.D. at ISU and has chosen to stay in Pocatello because “ISU is a great university and I like living in Pocatello, which is such a peaceful town.”

Biological SciencesDr. Mark Austin, chair, Biological Sciences, comes to ISU from the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. Austin was able to combine a great career opportu-nity with his desire to return to the Northwest. He has plans to develop a cellular and molecular neuroscience course to add to the Biological Sciences department.

MathematicsDr. Quinquin Qu, assistant lecturer, received her Ph.D. in mathemat-ics from Penn State University. Qu’s research areas include applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and partial differential equations.

GeosciencesDr. Donna Delparte, assistant pro-fessor, has an extensive background in the cross-disciplinary applications of GIS and remote sensing in the fields of geosciences, resource man-agement and conservation/environ-mental planning. Delparte’s current research focuses on visualization, 3D modeling and analysis related to avalanche flow modeling and hazard mapping, terrain models, land cover change and image analysis.

New Faculty

MathematicsDr. Shu-Chuan (Grace) Chen,associate professor, earned her B.S. and M.S. in Applied Mathematics in Taiwan before completing her Ph.D. in Statistics and Operations Research from Penn State University. About coming to ISU, Chen says, “I chose ISU because of great collaborators in the biological sciences depart-ment.”

PhysicsDr. Valeriia Starovoitova, research assistant professor, graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a Ph.D. in Physics. She specialized in molecular biophys-ics and preformed her research at Argonne National Laboratory Ad-vanced Photon Source. In 2009 she became the lead physicist of the interdisciplinary medical isotope production group at the Idaho Accelerator Center.

MathematicsDr. Yunrong Zhu, assistant profes-sor, received his Ph.D. from Penn State. He now focuses his research efforts on the numerical solutions of partial differential equations arising from many science and engineering problems, such as groundwater flow simulations, semiconductor simula-tions, and biomolecule simulations.


PhysicsDr. Mahbub Khandaker, chair and professor, focuses his research on the areas of experimental intermediate energy nuclear and particle physics, precision tests of fundamental summetries of Quantum Chromodynamics, and the structure of the nucleon and electromagnetic form factors. Kandaker comes to ISU from the Norfolk State University and Thomas Jefferson National Ac-celerator Facility in Virginia.

In a Naional Science Foundation fund-ed project, Doctor Kantabutra’s ro-

bust new database system, Intentionally-Linked Entities, a database system that permits better data modeling and greater search efficiency than its predecessors, has recently attracted new and poten-tial colleagues (developmental users) at University of South Carolina, Deakin University (Australia), McMaster and Western Ontario Universities (Canada), and Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris, France). The interested colleagues are in fields as diverse as digital humani-ties, film history, large-scale archaeology, and large-scale marine ecology.

Dr. Jean Pfau’s laboratory was recently awarded an AREA grant

from NIH (R15) to study the ability of the immune system to contribute to asbestos-induced lung diseases. Specifi-cally, her students will be identifying the protein targets on lung cells (mesothelial cells and fibroblasts) for autoantibodies

generated in mice after asbestos expo-sure, and demonstrating the ability of these antibodies to increase production of benign (scar plaques or fibrosis) or malignant (cancerous) growth. If an im-mune mechanism can be demonstrated, it could lead to significant improvements in treatments for these progressive and deadly diseases.

Dr. Alba Perez is starting a new research activity on the design

of multi-fingered robotic hands with second-order constraints, which will al-low for grasping and manipulation capa-bilities with radically new designs. This project is being funded by the National Robotics Initiative of the NSF. The work is in collaboration with researchers at University of California, Irvine and Cal State Fullerton.

Dr. John Kalivas’ current research focuses on evaluating target fac-

tors for analysis which makes possible the classification of various substances. This has application in the commercial analysis of international exports such as extra virgin olive oil, where adultera-tion is a problem. This year, Dr. Kalivas

published two papers, gave three invited talks, presented an additional eight papers at international, national, and regional meetings, and secured three grants. One was a NSF RHI grant for $301,000.

For a second year, the Civil and Environmental Engineering Depart-

ment received funding from the Federal Highway Administration to support undergraduate interns and graduate research assistants. The primary goal of this project is to create a program that encourages more women and minorities to stay in the field of civil engineering. The interns receive on-the-job training at the Idaho Transportation Department District 5 in design, traffic, construction, maintenance, right of way and envi-ronmental compliance. The graduate students work with ISU faculty on re-search projects that are linked to specific federal highway projects and match the career goals of the students. To date, the project has provided funding for nine undergraduates and seven graduate students.

Research Highlights

Contributors: Editor: Miriam DanceGraphic Designer: Logan Ward

Carol MaharJanet Schubert

921 S 8th Ave. Stop 8060Pocatello, ID 83209-8060LEGR02

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