Letter from the President
Homecoming is one of my favorite times of year. Our Bengals have made amazing contributions, not just to our Idaho State University community, but to the world. As our students, faculty and staff welcome our alumni home this month,
I also get the opportunity to celebrate with those who are making a difference today.
This year, I was able to congratulate many of our alumni who received awards. Dr. Caroline "Smitty" Faure, one of our College of Education faculty members and a graduate of ISU, was honored with an ISU Achievement Award for her work in increasing concussion awareness among high school students, parents, coaches and communities. Her hard work has led to improved laws governing how high school sports programs handle concussions- her dedication to the cause is quite possibly saving lives.
Faure is just one of many of our alumni who are changing the world. Today's students will soon be doing the same. In our health professions programs, we are training students in 12 of the 15 highest-demand health care careers, according to U.S. News and World Report. Our students are benefiting from a new $6 million state-of-the art Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory in Meridian, and $1 million in upgrades to the anatomy and physiology laboratory in Pocatello. The new facilities will not only be a benefit to our students- the distance learning technology in Meridian makes the lab accessible to 200 high schools in the state.
Training our students to provide quality health care is one of the ways we can help improve rural health care throughout the region. Part of a university's mission is also to share our knowledge and expertise with the community. This summer, ISU's Bengal Pharmacy opened its second telepharmacy in Challis, a small community in rural Idaho where residents otherwise might not have access to needed medication. Like our telepharmacy in Arco, at the Bengal Pharmacy in Challis, students gain important rural medicine practice, and residents gain access to qualified pharmacists who can provide both medication and medication counseling.
Homecoming is always an exciting time at ISU, as we celebrate our successes and look to our bright future. Thank you for all you do for our university and for your communities.
Go Bengals!