[Vision2020] The UI Friday Letter for June 9, 2006

[Tom Hansen]

Greetings Visionaires and Vandals -

Copied and pasted below is the UI Friday Letter from UI President White for
June 9, 2006.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

University of Idaho
Office of the President
Moscow, Idaho 83844-3151
Phone: 208-885-6365
Fax: 208-885-6558

The Friday Letter
A Newsletter for University of Idaho Alumni and Friends June 9, 2006

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to welcome Aicha Elshabini to the University of Idaho. She
officially began her duties as dean of the College of Engineering this week.
We are delighted to have such a highly regarded national leader in teaching,
research and outreach join the University. My thanks, also, to Chuck
Peterson who served as interim dean for the past year. The College of
Engineering will celebrate its centennial in 2007 and will announce a
yearlong schedule of special events this fall.

Ten exceptional undergraduate students from around the U.S. are on campus
this summer to work with University of Idaho faculty from several
departments on research projects related to water resources. The
multidisciplinary Environmental Science Program is hosting the project
through a two-year National Science Foundation award to provide research
experience to undergraduates students. 

Faculty from civil engineering; forest resources; biological and
agricultural engineering; fish and wildlife; plant, soil and entomological
sciences; and agricultural economics and rural sociology are mentoring the
students. The research projects are centered at three regional watersheds: 
the forest, dryland farming and urban Paradise Creek watershed adjacent to
campus; the northern Idaho forested Mica Creek watershed; and the Elwha
watershed on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington that features salmon
spawning grounds and the effects of a dam removal.
       
The program addresses several of the University's strategic goals and
visions. It provides students with transformative research opportunities for
discovery and growth. It supports multidisciplinary collaboration by our
faculty, in this case, in the area of stewardship of our natural
environment. Finally, it brings attention to one of our five areas of
strategic re-investment. This spring, we awarded $1.6 million over the next
five years to a team of 25 faculty to develop a new academic program in
water resources. Our goal is to enable the University to take a leadership
position among public universities in the West in providing
multidisciplinary education, research and outreach on water resources.

Tim White
President

Here's the latest news from the University of Idaho:

Professor Esmaeil "Essie" Fallahi has been elected a Fellow of the American
Society for Horticultural Science. The award is the highest honor bestowed
on only very limited number of scientists in horticulture. During the last
29 years, he has been a leader in national and international scientific
horticultural societies. Fallahi has contributed to the Idaho and Northwest
fruit industry through the introduction of new "Fuji" and "Gala" apple
cultivars, several new varieties of fruit crops and establishment of a new
table grape industry in Idaho. Fallahi is the first individual from Idaho to
receive this prestigious award. Fallahi is the research director of the
Pomology Program in the Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences
based at the Southwest Idaho Research and Extension Center.

University Extension offers Idaho's Journey for Diversity and Human Rights
beginning June 22. The traveling workshop starts in Pocatello to explore the
human rights challenges of the past and present in eastern Idaho.
Participants will visit the Minidoka Internment National Monument northeast
of Twin Falls, then travel to Rupert for a discussion of early Rupert
settlers and for presentations on agricultural workers in Idaho. The tour
proceeds to Fort Hall to learn about Shoshone-Bannock tribal history and
ends in Pocatello for a segment on early black settlers in the former
railroad town. The cost, which includes travel, hotel and meals, is $180 for
double-occupancy and $225 for single-occupancy by June 5 and $15 more for
later registrants. The enrollment deadline is June 14. See
http://www.uidaho.edu/fcs for registration information or call the Bannock
County Extension office at (208) 236-7311.

Between the two of them, David and Alma Hanson received four degrees at the
University of Idaho, which include doctorates in the field of education.
During his varied and remarkable career, Dave taught at schools in the
Pacific Northwest, worked at the University for nine years, and was a
teacher and administrator at American schools in Kuwait, Austria and
Germany. In retirement, Dave is co-owner and office manager of Madrona
Mortgage, a family business in McCall. Dave and Alma recently made a gift to
the University of a prime, $375,000 building site in McCall, where they
currently reside. In accordance with Dave and Alma's wishes, the Foundation
will sell the lot and apply the proceeds to one of the Hansons' favorite
projects, the University Arboretum. 
As chief botanist at Payette National Forest, Alma has a deep love and
respect for our woodland resources. The gift will help assure the continued
health and vitality of the arboretum for generations to come. For more
information, visit http://www.uidaho.edu/givetoidaho or contact Ed McBride
at (208) 885-9026.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Take care, Moscow (you, too, Vandals).

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
UI '96

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails." 

- Unknown