For a handful of students, summer school is about to involve flaming torches, molten glass and a pint-sized menagerie. Enrolled in a new summer offering called Chemistry 294, they will learn and practice the basics of glass blowing, which is a surprisingly chemical process.

Instructor Marie McCurry will begin the workshop with an 8 a.m. safety lecture Thursday and then jump right into bending glass into L and U shapes. At 10 a.m., students will attempt to make ice sickles, and at 1 p.m., they will up the ante with a caterpillar project.

On Friday, the class will create fish at 8 a.m., mice at 10 a.m. and finish with beads at 1 p.m. While the actual chemistry of glass blowing will not be taught in depth, the workshop is designed to give students experience working in a laboratory setting with sensitive instruments including a Meeker burner and gas/oxygen torch. They also will learn how to properly cut, flatten, bend, twist and join glass rods during the completion of five whimsical projects.

To set up photo or video opportunities during the workshop, contact Mike Journee using the details below.

For more information, contact Mike Journee, assistant director of media relations, at (208) 426-1517 or mikejournee@boisestate.edu.

About Boise State University:
Boise State is an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction and the largest university in Idaho with more than 19,000 students. The campus is home to 11 Idaho Professors of the Year since 1990. The colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs offer more than 200 academic programs. 


From fitness classes to outdoor adventures, Campus Recreation has something for everyone. Club sports athletes will be out in force for demonstrations and sign-up information. There will be fun inflatable games, free food, prizes (including free shirts), free popsicles, a Slip ’n Slide, grass volleyball, rock wall, early registration for activities and much more. Providing good tunes and even more fun will be 103.3 KISS FM.

For more information, visit Campus Recreation, call Heather Carlson, promotions coordinator for Campus Recreation, at 426-5674 or e-mail heathercarlson2@boisestate.edu.

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Media Contacts: Heather Carlson, Boise State Campus Recreation, (208) 426-5674, heathercarlson2@boisestate.edu; Kathleen Tuck, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kathleentuck@boisestate.edu

About Boise State University:
Boise State is an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction and the largest university in Idaho with more than 19,000 students. The campus is home to 11 Idaho Professors of the Year since 1990. The colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs offer more than 200 academic programs.

According to an annual survey conducted by ACT Inc., the percentage of freshmen across the nation returning to their first-year colleges dropped from 68 percent in 2006-07 to just 66 percent a year later. Over that same time period, retention rates at Boise State rose from 63 percent to 68 percent., putting Boise State’s retention rate above the national average.

“We are very pleased that our freshman retention rate has shown such positive improvement, especially in light of national trends to the contrary,” said Sona Andrews, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We are especially excited to note that this improvement is the result of strategic planning and action on the part of the university to ensure student success.”

In 2004, Boise State created a freshman success task force to determine why students do or do not return for a second year, review the effectiveness of current campus programs and make recommendations on services that would increase the likelihood of retaining first-year students. The result was the Freshman Success Task Force Action Plan, unveiled in spring 2006.

Recommendations for improvement identified in the plan include areas of staffing, orientation, learning in math, student services, and academic and career advising.

Specific actions taken to address retention include:

• Enhanced advising: Six new academic adviser positions have been created to support general and college-based advising, and students without academic advisers have been identified and assigned. In addition, the Finish in Four program was instituted to encourage and assist students in graduating within four years.
• First-year student programs: Summer orientation has been expanded to a two-day, overnight experience in order to build community and focus on academics. University 101 freshman seminars, living-learning communities and residential colleges are helping students connect to other students, faculty and campus services.
• Increased faculty-student interaction: Interaction with faculty both inside and outside of the classroom has proven to be an important factor in student success. Initiatives have been implemented to increase internships, learning communities and faculty mentoring. In addition, full- and part-time faculty members have greater support for teaching introductory classes so that positive relationships can be cultivated with students early in their academic careers.
• Increased employment opportunities: Students cite finances as the top reason for leaving college. Working on campus not only provides financial resources, it also increases student engagement in campus life. Several strategies have been implemented to increase employment opportunities on campus, including involvement in the Family Literacy program as a way to serve the community, and newly created Undergraduate Research and Teaching Assistantship work-study positions.
• Remedial math success: Lack of success in math has long been a barrier for students. To address this problem, course structures in math have been dramatically changed to allow students more time with instructors, increased instructor preparation and more effective assessments to ensure that students are placed in the appropriate math class.

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Media Contact: Kathleen Tuck, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kathleentuck@boisestate.edu

About Boise State University

Boise State is an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction and the largest university in Idaho with more than 19,000 students. The campus is home to 11 Idaho Professors of the Year since 1990. The colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs offer more than 200 academic programs.

Media Advisory

What: Boise State University’s ‘Green Guy’ at 2009 Idaho Green Expo

When: Saturday and Sunday

Where: Boise Centre on The Grove

John Gardner speaks green, and not just in his role as Boise State University’s associate vice president for energy research, policy and campus sustainability. He also writes a monthly Idaho Statesman column titled “Green with Energy,” and his independent blog, “The Green Guy,” is an interactive discussion forum and record of his personal and professional forays into advancing sustainability.

“While sustainability is the broad topic I study, the lens through which I see the issues is energy. How we produce it, how we use it and how we can continue to grow and develop as a society into the foreseeable future,” Gardner wrote in his blog bio.

At the 2009 Idaho Green Expo at the Boise Centre on The Grove this weekend, Gardner will share his insights and advice with the public through “Sustainable U,” a dynamic exploration of green home, garden and office concepts co-sponsored by Boise State and VengaWorks Venture Centers. A self-guided tour of mockup exhibits will demonstrate how making changes big and small can save individuals energy and money and improve their health while benefitting the greater environment. Gardner will be on hand to answer questions about how to “make it green but keep it real.”

“We also want to let people know that Boise State is doing its part and, more to the point, learning how to do it better and sharing that information,” Gardner said.

In addition to contributing to “Sustainable U,” Gardner and his Boise State team created lobby displays for the expo on wind, solar, geothermal and electric power in Idaho. To check out “The Green Guy,” visit http://boisestategreenguy.wordpress.com. To set up an interview with Gardner during the 2009 Idaho Green Expo, contact Erin Ryan at the number listed below.

For more information, contact Erin Ryan, communications specialist, at (208) 426-4910 or erinryan@boisestate.edu.

About Boise State University

Boise State is an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction and the largest university in Idaho with more than 19,000 students. The campus is home to 11 Idaho Professors of the Year since 1990. The colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs offer more than 200 academic programs.

Billed as “a field school of urban affairs,” the immersive, two-part, 10-day class titled “Investigate Boise” features the insights of Boise State history professor Todd Shallat and Boise City Councilman David Eberle, a doctoral-level economist. In addition, three other Boise State professors, two city council members and agency directors from the City of Boise and the Capitol City Development Corporation are helping teach the 50 Boise State students taking the class.

Boise State senior and lifelong Boise resident Hayley Perkins said the unique class caught her attention because of her interest in city planning and the insight it offered into little known things about her hometown.

“I had no idea about all of the old buildings that were razed in downtown Boise during the 60s and the 70s,” said Perkins, a communication major at Boise State. Partly because of the class, she may pursue a master’s degree in community and regional planning, a new master’s degree program at Boise State that could be up and running by the fall of 2010. “My favorite buildings downtown are the old ones. It breaks my heart to know that we could have had so many more.”

Perkins’ realization about the value of Boise’s past, and growing understanding of how decisions about the city’s future are made, is exactly the kind of lesson in citizenship that Shallat and Eberle hope to impart to students in the new class.

“This class is really designed to be a place-based approach to a study of Boise in all its facets,” said Shallat, who also is director of Boise State’s Center for Idaho History and Politics. “David works on the inside – as a Boise-born businessman, and now city councilman. I work on the outside – as a historian from another place who has written several books about the things Boiseans tend to take for granted. Together, we know Boise like the backs of our hands.”

The second phase of the class begins Monday and runs through Friday, focusing on the city’s surrounding region, including trips to Avimor, Hammer Flats and Arrowrock Dam. The first phase of the popular class was held June 16-19 and featured a tour of the city with a “focus on water, transportation, architecture, commerce and social welfare.” The class is using school buses, city buses, segways and foot-power to visit “places at the center of policy debate.”

“What really interests me is the way the structure of this class allows students to make that rare connection between models and theories to what’s happening in reality,” said Eberle. “For students to truly develop their intellect, they need to make that connection, and the only way to do that is to get out and see things in action. On top of that, it sounded like a lot of fun. Classes like these were always my favorite when I was in school.”

The class was a popular offering for students this summer, quickly filling the first time it was offered. Community sponsors include Baum Realty, the Boise City Council and Adventure Tours of Idaho.

Based out of a storefront in downtown Boise, the class also is seen by Melissa Lavitt, dean of Boise State’s College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, as a pilot project for more downtown-centered classes, activities and outreach for the college.

“A great city needs a great university,” said Lavitt. “This latest partnership is a perfect demonstration of how we are growing stronger together. This program is only the beginning of the college’s renewed commitment to engage Idahoans on civic issues.”

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Media Contact: Kathleen Tuck, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kathleentuck@boisestate.edu

About Boise State University
Boise State is an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction and the largest university in Idaho with more than 19,000 students. The campus is home to 11 Idaho Professors of the Year since 1990. The colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs offer more than 200 academic programs.

The 2009-2010 subscription series features:

• The Benny Green Trio: Sept. 13. Benny Green, veteran of bands led by drummer Art Blakey and bassist Ray Brown, has a sensitive touch, stunning technical command and a sturdy sense of swing. His jazz style has been influenced over the years by everything from bop to blues to funk. Visit www.bennygreenmusic.com.
• The Dena DeRose Trio: Feb. 21. Dena DeRose has been described as “the most creative and compelling singer-pianist since Shirley Horn.” She and her trio have developed a hard-swinging, dynamic sound that has graced clubs from the Blue Note, Jazz Standard and Kennedy Center in the U.S. to Body and Soul in Tokyo, the Jazz Center in Istanbul, and Alexander Platz in Rome. Visit www.denaderose.com.
• Martin Taylor: March 28. Completely self-taught, Martin Taylor is admired and imitated by guitarists all over the world and has performed in Europe, North America, Japan, Asia and beyond. When not touring, he divides his time between his homes in France and Scotland, where he writes music for TV and film. Visit www.martintaylor.com.

All shows are at 7 p.m. (6:15 p.m. doors) at Esther’s Place in the Esther Simplot Performing Arts Academy in Boise. Nonmember admission is $45 per show (if available). A Boise Jazz Society membership fee of $95.40 includes tickets to all three concerts as well as access to community jazz symposiums, living room concerts, lectures, listening and film parties. Call (208) 426-3498 or visit The Boise Jazz Society Web site for membership and concert information.

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Media Contact: Erin Ryan, University Communications, (208) 426-4910, erinryan@boisestate.edu

About Boise State University

Boise State is an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction and the largest university in Idaho with more than 19,000 students. The campus is home to 11 Idaho Professors of the Year since 1990. The colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences and Public Affairs offer more than 200 academic programs.

Ziker will spend the 2009-10 academic year with colleagues in the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Department of Archaeology researching indigenous dwellings, movements and demography in the circumpolar north. Ultimately, the research is aimed at broadening understanding of human behavior and sustainable engagement with the environment.

Ziker’s central task is to work on data analysis and writing. In addition, he plans to visit the Tlicho First Nation near Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. This group has been involved in Ziker’s National Science Foundation project, “Home, Hearth, and Household in Siberia and Northern Canada.” Representatives have participated in two research trips to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., to study a caribou-skin lodge cover acquired in the 1920s. Ziker’s long-term objectives are to facilitate research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, improve materials for teaching, and aid the repatriation of knowledge to First Nations and the wider public.

Ziker has published 20 peer-reviewed publications since joining Boise State’s faculty in 2003. He is contributing editor to Anthropology News for the Evolutionary Anthropology Society, where he contributes eight columns per year; book reviews editor for Sibirica: Interdisciplinary Journal of Siberian Studies, where he produces the book reviews section three times a year; author of a book that has been cited in 42 other scholarly works; and author of a Science magazine article that has been cited by 130 other authors.In addition to being screened by a multidisciplinary peer review committee convened by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), Ziker’s application also was approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America. The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international education exchange program, is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

Ziker will spend the 2009-10 academic year with colleagues in the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Department of Archaeology researching indigenous dwellings, movements and demography in the circumpolar north. Ultimately, the research is aimed at broadening understanding of human behavior and sustainable engagement with the environment.

Ziker’s central task is to work on data analysis and writing. In addition, he plans to visit the Tlicho First Nation near Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. This group has been involved in Ziker’s National Science Foundation project, “Home, Hearth, and Household in Siberia and Northern Canada.” Representatives have participated in two research trips to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., to study a caribou-skin lodge cover acquired in the 1920s. Ziker’s long-term objectives are to facilitate research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, improve materials for teaching, and aid the repatriation of knowledge to First Nations and the wider public.

Ziker has published 20 peer-reviewed publications since joining Boise State’s faculty in 2003. He is contributing editor to Anthropology News for the Evolutionary Anthropology Society, where he contributes eight columns per year; book reviews editor for Sibirica: Interdisciplinary Journal of Siberian Studies, where he produces the book reviews section three times a year; author of a book that has been cited in 42 other scholarly works; and author of a Science magazine article that has been cited by 130 other authors.In addition to being screened by a multidisciplinary peer review committee convened by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), Ziker’s application also was approved by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America. The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international education exchange program, is sponsored by the U.S. State Department and operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

Think outside the box for your workout. Boise State’s Campus Recreation is offering several classes this summer in its Instructional Fitness Program. Courses include Hip Hop Dance, Jiu Jitsu and Salsa Dance.

Challenge yourself to learn a new skill or brush up on an old one. Each class offers expert training from a dynamic instructor. You will progress through the session with the same group of classmates while getting a great workout and having fun.

Salsa — Beginner/Intermediate
When: 5:30–6:30 p.m. Thursdays, June 11–July 30
Cost: $49 for members, $69 for nonmembers

Salsa — Intermediate/Advanced
When: 6:45–7:45 p.m. Thursdays, June 11–July 9
Cost: $39 for members, $55 for nonmembers

Jiu-Jitsu
When: 5:15–6:15 p.m. Tuesdays, June 9–July 28
Cost: $49 for members, $69 for nonmembers

Hip Hop
When: 4-5 p.m. Mondays, June 8-July 27
Cost: $49 for members, $69 for nonmembers

Register at http://rec.boisestate.edu/fitness/instruction/. For more information, call 426-1592.

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Media Contacts: Kathleen Tuck, University Communications, (208) 426-3275,kathleentuck@boisestate.edu; Heather Gribble, Promotions Coordinator for Campus Recreation, (208) 426-5674, heathergribble@boisestate.edu.

Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.

Think outside the box for your workout. Boise State’s Campus Recreation is offering several classes this summer in its Instructional Fitness Program. Courses include Hip Hop Dance, Jiu Jitsu and Salsa Dance.

Challenge yourself to learn a new skill or brush up on an old one. Each class offers expert training from a dynamic instructor. You will progress through the session with the same group of classmates while getting a great workout and having fun.

Salsa — Beginner/Intermediate
When: 5:30–6:30 p.m. Thursdays, June 11–July 30
Cost: $49 for members, $69 for nonmembers

Salsa — Intermediate/Advanced
When: 6:45–7:45 p.m. Thursdays, June 11–July 9
Cost: $39 for members, $55 for nonmembers

Jiu-Jitsu
When: 5:15–6:15 p.m. Tuesdays, June 9–July 28
Cost: $49 for members, $69 for nonmembers

Hip Hop
When: 4-5 p.m. Mondays, June 8-July 27
Cost: $49 for members, $69 for nonmembers

Register at http://rec.boisestate.edu/fitness/instruction/. For more information, call 426-1592.

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Media Contacts: Kathleen Tuck, University Communications, (208) 426-3275,kathleentuck@boisestate.edu; Heather Gribble, Promotions Coordinator for Campus Recreation, (208) 426-5674, heathergribble@boisestate.edu.

Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.