[Vision2020] The Friday Letter from UI President White (May 5, 2006)

[Tom Hansen]

Today's (May 5, 2006) Friday Letter from UI President White - 

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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 May 5, 2006

Dear Friends,

On Monday, I reflected on the University of Idaho as I presented a State of
the University address to the University community.  I reported the state of
the University of Idaho is strong and its people - faculty, staff, students,
alumni and friends - proud, resilient, accomplished and aspirational. It was
an opportunity to think deeply about our remarkable progress together in the
last year to bring about a renewal of people, programs and place at the
University of Idaho, as well as to identify issues that demand our attention
on the horizon.

Perhaps, a draft summary statement from the April 2006 visit of the
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities review says it best; "The
people, both internal and external to the campus, who believe in and support
the University of Idaho are commended for doing many things, both big and
small, some of which have been painful, to restore credibility and
confidence in its future. There likely were days when the problems seemed
overwhelming and impossible, but, by trusting each other and investing in
strong leadership, together they have accomplished a turn-around that by any
measure is remarkable."
       
Clearly and excitedly, there is still much to be done together as we create
a distinctive future for the University of Idaho. I will address our
priorities for the next year in future Friday Letters. You are invited to
download audio and video files of the State of the University address at
http://www.president.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=73075.
       
We began spring commencement ceremonies around the state this week - Idaho
Falls was Wednesday and last night in Boise...arguably the most important
day on the academic calendar. Next week, the Coeur d'Alene ceremony is May 8
and the Moscow campus will celebrate commencement on Saturday, May 13.

Tim White
President

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

Researchers from the College of Natural Resources are assisting Columbia
River fishery managers in fishing out the details behind a lagging chinook
salmon run. By conducting a radio telemetry study on migrating adult chinook
salmon, a research team from the Fish Ecology Research Laboratory is
investigating what may be affecting the anemic numbers of salmon returning
to the Columbia River this spring. Recent counts of adult Chinook salmon
that have passed through Bonneville Dam, the first dam on the Columbia River
where adult salmon can be sampled, were less than 2 percent of the 10-year
average. At this stage of the run, the count is the lowest ever recorded.

Sophomore golfer Renee Skidmore is one of three at-large players selected to
compete at the May 11-13 NCAA Women's Golf Regional at Washington National
Golf Club at Auburn, Wash. Skidmore is the 2006 Western Athletic Conference
Player of the Year.

Two University of Idaho students took top honors at the 2006 Kennedy Center
American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C. Graduate student David
Eames-Harlan won first place for playwriting. His 10-minute play, "By
Design," earned him a $1,000 honorarium. Graduate student Paul Kalina won
the top national prize for directing.

Five deans are either retiring or stepping down at the end of this academic
year. A university-wide reception to honor the deans will be held Thursday,
May 11, from 3 -5 p.m. in the Whitewater and Clearwater Rooms in the Idaho
Commons. Those being honored are Jeanne Christiansen, College of Education;
Byron Dangerfield, College of Business and Economics; Ron Force, Library
Services; Chuck Peterson, College of Engineering; and Joe Zeller, College of
Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.

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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