ISU Research, Innovation, and Creativity Insights

Dr. Nell Flanders, ISU’s Director of Orchestral Activities and music director of the Idaho State-Civic Symphony talks about her own musical journey and how it led her to ISU. She talks about ISU’s efforts to bring beautiful music to Idaho communities, and how ISU brings young artists together to learn and hone their talent. Dr. Flanders discusses her international outreach activities that have a strong musical impact on ISU and Idaho.

ISU researchers are discovering how the human brain adapts to hearing technologies such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. ISU professor Curtis Billings and doctoral student Garrett Anderson describe how advanced hearing technology works and how hearing impacts our day-to-day activities. Join us to learn more about the audiology (hearing) clinics and services on ISU campuses in Pocatello, Meridian, and Salmon, Idaho.

Dr. Devaleena Pradhan and PhD student Makenzie Reed from the Idaho State University Department of Biological Sciences, discuss what they are learning about the connections between molecules and behavior. We learn about unique research experiences including how their research “brings the ocean to Idaho.” If you are interested in learning about how fish, stress hormones, and parenting behavior are connected, then join us for this episode.

Dr. Matthew Levay, ISU professor of English, discusses his decade of research on modernist literature and how the variety of forms, including novels, magazines and even comics and file, describe the times in which they were written, and provide lessons for today. We talk about how the literature of the past provides a window into our understanding of the culture and the issues that persist, rightly or wrongly, over generations. Dr. Levay discusses the role that research plays in the discovery of new knowledge and joy.

The American Public Health Association defines a Community Health Worker (CHW) as “a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served.” Join a conversation with Idaho’s Community Health Worker Academy to learn about how ISU is building bridges between health care providers and those who need health care services. We discuss ISU’s role in building health resources and information assistance for Idaho’s most vulnerable citizens. Visit the online Community Health Worker Training Academy to learn more about how to register for the program, to take classes or to bring these unique resources to your community.

This month’s guests describe the threats to the sometimes invisible systems that make our lives comfortable. The electrical grid, transportation systems, water and sewage treatment systems, gas pipelines, and most factory manufacturing systems are run by complex computer controllers. Have you ever considered what happens if someone “hacks” the system? What would happen if our electrical grid or rail lines were suddenly disrupted or shut down for a few days? ISU is home to one of the nation’s first and oldest training centers to protect the U.S. industrial cyber infrastructure. Join us as we learn about current threats and how ISU students are ready to protect against them.

ISU’s Dr. Mary Lou Dunzik-Gouger and current undergraduate nuclear engineering/ mechanical engineering student Angela Trejo talk about ISU research that is molding the U.S. energy future. They tell us how students work side-by-side with ISU faculty to better understand how ISU’s research nuclear reactor is answering questions to guide the design of the next generation of advanced reactors.

Join Idaho State University's Interim Dean of the College of Business, Alex Bolinger, MBA graduate Rehnaz Karanjia, and current MBA student Alicia Pino as we discuss their research on effective communication with remote employees. Their work delves into what strategies are most effective when managing remote teams, as well as common pitfalls to avoid. The conversation will highlight key findings from their research on leadership and project management in remote work environments.

ISU’s 2025 Distinguished Researcher, Dr. Mustafa Mashal, ISU Structural Lab manager Jared Cantrell, and undergraduate student Prajita Budhathoki talk about engineering research that saves lives and builds a safer future for all of us. They describe recent projects that involve ISU students and partnerships that support innovations in bridge building, agriculture, and energy systems.

ISU Professor and Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences, Zackery Heern, talks about the Middle East, religious persecution, and the hope that comes from understanding our common humanity. Heern’s research explores political and religious influences on the region and how these influences explain how people co-exist, or don’t, in this volatile region of the world. His 2015 book, “The Emergence of Modern Shi’ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran” reviews the foundations of modern Islam, and provides insight into the region's religious and political developments both past and present.

The new director of the ISU Office for Research Development and the Associate Vice President for Research at ISU talk about expanding research opportunities for ISU faculty and students. They describe the value of research in higher education and how it benefits individuals and the communities where we live. They provide examples of how research results and creative scholarship improve our health, our ability to move around our communities, and our interactions with others. University-based research makes a positive difference in almost all aspects of our lives!

ISU Biological Sciences assistant professor Dr. Heather Ray and Nelly Cyuzuza, an ISU graduate student, describe what they are learning about genetics and developmental disorders. They tell us how they got “hooked” on their interest in developmental biology.

ISU assistant professor Kirsten Green Mink and biological anthropology graduate student Miles Rhoads discuss new uses of technology to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) endemic. We also talk about ancient Mayans and ways in which students can focus their experience and interest into interesting career paths.

Dr. Donna Lybecker shares her thoughts about how words and narratives around political issues shape our long-term understanding. She describes how ISU students engage in research and academic activities that help them become more active and informed citizens in U.S. democracy. This prepares them for a variety of careers, and for life.

ISU’s Laurie Holien discusses homeland security and emergency services training that protects U.S. national security interests nationwide. She describes how students in ISU’s online program learn from national experts and faculty from across the country. Graduates of ISU’s programs have leadership roles in FEMA, state and local governments.

Idaho State University faculty researcher Shannon Kobs-Nowotniak and graduate student Daliedmarie Delgado Maisonet, talk about their research–what they describe as “things that go Boom!” They discuss what we learn from volcanoes and how that knowledge helps us understand our place in the universe. They describe their work with NASA in preparing astronauts for upcoming lunar missions. Learn more about the ISU Geosciences Department.

Dr. Justin Dolan Stover, ISU Associate Professor, Department Chair of History, and ISU’s 2024 Distinguished Researcher, discusses the early 20th century history of Ireland and the impact of environmental destruction as a weapon of war. He describes how ISU students participate in his research efforts and offers a thoughtful explanation of the importance of historical research to answer contemporary political and societal questions.

ISU Associate Professor Sarah Robey discusses the impact and history of nuclear energy in America. She talks about how the so-called “atomic age” of the past 70+ years has influenced cultural and societal expectations and relationships.

ISU Geosciences professor, Dr. Sarah Godsey and current PhD student, Sarah Newcomb, talk about innovative research that impacts food, farming, forests, fish and the future of Idaho’s economy. From the headwaters of the Snake River to the agriculture fields of southern Idaho, water is the key to Idaho’s sustainable future.

Idaho Accelerator Center director, Jon Stoner, and two ISU students from the Department of Chemistry, Jacob Egbert and Matt Cannon, describe what the Idaho Accelerator Center is and talk about how they and other ISU researchers are involved in cutting edge research to cure cancers such as sarcomas and prostate cancer.