Office for Research Announces New Associate Vice President for Research and Associate Director for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies

 The Office for Research is pleased to announce that Dr. David Rodgers will serve as associate vice president for research at Idaho State University and associate director for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). CAES is a collaboration between Idaho National Laboratory, ISU, the University of Idaho, Boise State University and the University of Wyoming. Dr. Rodgers comes into the position upon the retirement of Dr. Richard Jacobsen, who has ably served higher education in Idaho for over 50 years.

Rodgers, a geologist who specializes in tectonics and mountain building, taught earth history and processes for more than three decades to ISU graduate students, undergraduate majors, and general education students. He directed ISU's geology field camp for 15 years, developing its national reputation and earning two Outstanding Teacher awards. Rodgers also maintained an externally-funded research program leading to 35 peer-reviewed publications and an equal number of graduate theses as lead or co-advisor. In 1994-1995 he was a Fulbright Scholar at Sultan Qaboos University (Oman) and in 2018-2019 he received a second Fulbright award to the University of Central Asia (Tajikistan).  Rodgers’ previous administrative positions at ISU include serving as chair of the Department of Geosciences, associate dean of the College of Science and Engineering, and ISU site leader for Idaho's NSF EPSCoR MILES program.  He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a B.A. from Carleton College, both in geology.

‘We are thrilled to have Dave come back from his Fulbright in Tajikistan ready to jump in and apply his years of experience to advancing the research program of ISU’, said Dr. Scott Snyder, interim vice president for research. ‘The role of ISU faculty and students in CAES helps set the research agenda for our new Polytechnic Initiative in Idaho Falls. Dave will play an important part in that process and in enhancing research across the ISU campuses’.