Three Idaho State University faculty members honored as Distinguished Faculty

Three Idaho State University faculty were honored as Distinguished Faculty at ISU Commencement May 9 in Holt Arena.

They are Barbara Frank, associate lecturer and advisor, Department of Biological Sciences, Distinguished Teacher; Cal Edwards, law enforcement coordinator and instructor, College of Technology, who is serving as interim director of Public Safety from January through May 18, Distinguished Service Award; Colden Baxter, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Distinguished Researcher.

“These three awards are the highest honors bestowed on faculty at Idaho State University and it is a distinction to receive one,” said Laura Woodworth-Ney, ISU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The honorees are among our most accomplished faculty, and we are proud to recognize them.”

Distinguished Teacher, Barbara Frank has been a full-time faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2002. Her enthusiastic teaching of multiple courses at the 100, 200, 300 and 400 levels has been instrumental in bringing a Bachelor of Science degree in biology (biomedical sciences emphasis) degree to the ISU Idaho Falls campus. Her dedication has enabled a large proportion of her students to be admitted to medical, dental, pharmacy and other health-related programs.

Frank emphasizes active learning and critical thinking in her courses. She collaborates with community leaders and with colleagues in biology and other departments to bring interdisciplinary topics to both non-majors and majors courses. Because she believes strongly in hands-on learning, Frank has supervised undergraduates in research projects, and her students have presented posters at various undergraduate research symposiums.

Frank has a strong history of service activities that enhance the educational opportunities of her students. She serves as the advisor to a pre-health club that has won the ASISU-Idaho Falls Club of the Year honors for the past two years. She has also developed science activities for her students to present to K-12 students at various community events.

Prior to coming to Idaho State University, Frank was a post-doctoral research fellow at Genentech, Inc. She received her doctoral degree in biochemistry from Washington State University.

Other finalists for the Distinguished Teacher Award, who are 2015 Outstanding Master Teachers, are Teddie Gould, associate professor, College of Pharmacy; Andy Holland, associate professor, Department of Chemistry; Cathy Peppers, senior lecturer, College of Business; and Curt Whitaker, assistant professor, Department of English and Philosophy.

Distinguished Service Award, Cal Edwards has been the coordinator of the law enforcement program in the College of Technology since 1997, and is serving as interim director of Public Safety through mid-May. He has served as the police chief in Inkom for the past 15 years and is a past coordinator of the state law enforcement academy (POST) in Meridian. He continues to teach courses at POST and teaches courses at BYU Idaho and College of Southern Idaho. He has also served as a county coroner, a firefighter and a paramedic.

Edwards is serving his second term in the Faculty Senate and is past president of Faculty Council. He teaches driving safety courses at the University, and CPR and first-aid certification courses for the campus community and the public.

Edwards is one of five master firearms instructors in the State of Idaho and certifies firearms instructors in law enforcement agencies around the state. He helped establish the firearms curriculum for law enforcement in Idaho and holds several shooting titles. He received the community Hero Award in 2013 from the Boy Scouts of America for his service in training Boy Scouts in first aid and firearms. He teaches self-defense courses to women’s groups and the women and work conferences on campus. In May 2014 his students created a scholarship in his name for a College of Technology student in law enforcement.

Other finalists for the Distinguished Public Service Award, who are 2015 Outstanding Public Service Award winners, are Caryn Evilia, associate professor, Department of Chemistry; Cindy Seiger, associate professor Department of Physical and Occupational Therapy; and Cathleen Tarp, associate professor of Spanish in Global Studies and Languages with a shared appointment in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.

Distinguished Researcher, Colden Baxter is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. He grew up farming and ranching, principally in Northwest Montana, and received his academic training in biology and geology (Bachelor of Arts degree, University of Oregon), ecology (Master of Science degree, University of Montana), fisheries science and philosophy of science (Ph.D., Oregon State University), and ecosystem studies (postdoctoral fellowship, Colorado State University and Hokkaido University, Japan).

Baxter works with collaborators around the world, a community of ISU faculty, students, and postdoctoral researchers, and is supported by his wife, Lenny, and two daughters, Arwen and Iris.

Research conducted by Baxter and his lab group at ISU’s Stream Ecology Center focuses on rivers and streams, but more generally on the ecological linkages between water and land. The group’s studies are aimed at improving understanding of the basic nature of such connections and the consequences of their disruption by human activities, but also contributing to better-informed conservation and stewardship.

Findings from Baxter’s research have broadened understanding of the flows of materials and organisms that link water and land, and how these are influenced by habitat degradation, changing climate, loss of species or the invasive spread of nonnative species.

The center’s research has also shown how shifting fire regimes associated with changing climate are affecting Idaho’s stream-riparian ecosystems. Recently, Baxter has expanded his scope to study watersheds as social-ecological systems.

Other finalists for the ISU Distinguished Researcher Award, who are 2015 Outstanding Research Award winners, are Jennifer Attebery, professor of English; Shannon Lynch, professor of psychology; Mark McBeth, associate dean in the College of Arts and Letters; and Jean Pfau, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.