Idaho State University names 2011 Distinguished Faculty; Roger Schmidt, Terry Bowyer, Caroline Faure honored

Three Idaho State University faculty members were named as Distinguished Faculty at an award ceremony on April 27 at the Stephens Performing Arts Center, and will be honored at ISU commencement May 7.

They are Roger Schmidt, professor in the Department of English, Distinguished Teacher; Terry Bowyer, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Distinguished Researcher; and Caroline Fauré, assistant professor, sport science and physical education, Distinguished Service Award.

"All fifteen of this year's finalists for the Distinguished Professor Awards have records of extraordinary accomplishments," said ISU Provost Gary Olson, "But the three winners have risen to the top. The entire ISU community is proud of them."

Schmidt is a professor of English, and has been teaching at Idaho State University since 1989. His primary area of teaching is 18th-century British literature, but he teaches a wide variety of courses at the University.

Schmidt is well liked by his colleagues and students alike. One nominator, a student, wrote: "Dr. Schmidt is one of the most knowledgeable, intuitive and dedicated individuals I have ever encountered. He brings to the classroom not only a profound understanding of the subject matter at hand, but also an intense curiosity for the world in general — a curiosity that acts as a galvanizing force for his students."

This spring, Schmidt was given the American Society for Eighteenth-century Studies Innovative Course Design Award for his course, "How to Forge a Jane Austen Manuscript." He also created an internship program where English majors serve as tutors at the Pocatello Community Charter School.

Schmidt earned his Ph.D. in English with an emphasis on Restoration and Eighteenth-century English literature from the University of Washington, where he also took his master’s and bachelor’s degrees.

Bowyer is a professor of biology. His research focuses on the ecology, behavior, evolution and conservation biology of large mammals. In particular, Bowyer’s work has revolutionized the understanding of sexual segregation in large mammals. While his work has origins and implications in ecological theory, it has had direct and lasting impact on big game management. Bowyer earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1985 and was hired at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 1986. He was hired as professor and chair of biological sciences at ISU in 2004.

Bowyer has published more than 175 articles (39 of these since arriving at ISU), and his work has been cited more than 3,000 times. He has received numerous honors. He has four times received the Outstanding Publication Award in Wildlife Ecology and Management from The Wildlife Society (1998, 2003, 2004 and 2009). For his record of research achievement, he has been named fellow of The Arctic Institute of North America, The Wildlife Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the prestigious C. Hart Meriman Award from the American Society of Mammalogists for his research on mammals. He was an ISU Outstanding Researcher in 2009.

Fauré earned her Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership from ISU. Her dissertation, "An Examination of the General Understanding of Idaho High School Football Coaches Relative to Concussion," earned her the prestigious Kole-McGuffey Award at ISU. 

Since then, she has worked extensively with Idaho sport administrators, coaches and parents to increase educational awareness about the potential risks involved with concussion. 

Fauré has secured more than $60,000 in grants and has established The Center for Sports Concussion on ISU’s campus. The Center provides educational outreach to Idaho’s schools and youth sports program and offers free neurological concussion testing to area athletes. 

In 2010 Fauré worked with the Idaho Legislature to draft a bill to mandate concussion education and she continues to work with leaders statewide on the implementation of concussion management guidelines. She is also a founding member of the Idaho Sports Concussion Association. In 2010, she was recognized as Idaho's Top Health Care Hero Educator by the Idaho Business Review. Fauré has also created and promoted several community events to promote healthy lifestyles and physical activity. She has coordinated numerous events including the Bengal Triathlon, the Pocatello Kids Triathlon and the Santa Claws Fun Run – all of which raise money for various civic charities.

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