Boise State School of Public Service

Each year, the School of Public Service honors members of our staff and faculty team with the internal Commitment to Idaho Awards. These awards recognize the hard work and dedication of our team and provide a chance for celebration at the end of the academic year!

Congratulations to our 2026 award winners:

Commitment to Teaching & Student Engagement- Charlie Hunt
Commitment to Service- Lori Hausegger
Adjunct Commitment to Teaching- Nicolas Diaz
Commitment to Research- Lucas Alward
Commitment to Support- Darian Miller-Mitchell and Lainey Rehkemper
Commitment to Leadership-Lisa Meierotto
Commitment to Community Engagement- Jillian Moroney

A few weeks ago, the School of Public Service and Frank Church Institute honored Former United States Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar with the 2026 Frank and Bethine Church Award for Public Service.

In addition to the award presentation and a "fireside chat" with Frank Church Institute Board Chair Jordan Heller and Former General Prelogar, the event raised over $100,000 for student scholarships.

What a beautiful night of celebration!

When all of your ambassadors graduate in the same semester 😭

We're going to miss this team so much- wishing them all the best in their journeys post-graduation!

Celebrating YOUR wins 👏✨

Alex Bedortha, a student majoring in Political Science, Social Science and Secondary Education was recently selected for the highly competitive Teach For America program, an organization that places recent graduates in under-resourced schools to teach in high-need communities.

Alex will be teaching middle school humanities in Fall River, Massachusetts, supporting students’ growth in subjects like social studies while also working to address educational inequities. He shared: "Having grown up attending rural schools, I became aware early on of the inequities in education. This opportunity allows me to turn that perspective into action as a middle school humanities teacher. I hope to support students academically while fostering a strong civic understanding and helping them better engage with the world around them."

Congratulations Alex!

Capital Connection intern spotlight!

Ellie is a rising senior studying political science and currently living in Washington, D.C. as an Economic Innovation and Editing intern at the American Enterprise Institute. She works with Senior Fellow James Pethokoukis, engaging with ongoing debates surrounding artificial intelligence, focusing on its ethical implications and potential to drive economic growth. In addition to conducting research for Pethokoukis' articles and developing interview questions for his two podcasts, she manages the AEIdeas blog, editing and finalizing posts before publication.

Ellie said, "Living in Washington, D.C. with my cohort transformed my college experience. I checked off bucket-list moments whether it was studying at the Library of Congress, going on field trips, or even running a half marathon. More importantly, I gained lifelong friends."

More about the Capital Connection program at boisestate.edu/sps/dc.

Can you guess which baby photo belongs to which political science faculty member? 🤔

Comment your answers below ⬇️⬇️
All will be revealed tomorrow 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♂️

Joanna is one of our Capital Connection interns, spending her spring in Washington, D.C. where she's interning for United States Senator Jim Risch. Here's what she had to say about her D.C. experience:

"This experience has taught me so much about the legislative process and background scenes of Congress. I worked directly with Idaho constituents and provided general office support while adapting quickly to emerging priorities and team needs. I got the opportunity to experience everything from walking around the Capitol to attending hearings, which helped me really get a grasp of how Congress works.

During my time, I was also chosen to be a part of the Stennis Program, worked firsthand with the senator’s chief of staff, and learned more about leadership and professional development.

Being in DC has been an amazing experience and I feel so lucky to be a part of Boise State’s Capital Connections Program."

Join us for ENVSTD 482: Backpacking, Environment and Identity this summer!🌲

For one week in June, students will have the chance to backpack through Idaho's Trinity Mountains, learning about social identity and environmental access. 🌄

No prior experience is required. This is a great chance to stack up some course credit while enjoying the beautiful Idaho summer outside!

Email Instructor Jen Schneider with any questions: [email protected]

Did somebody say FREE pizza? Yes, that’s right - tomorrow your SPS senators and SPS deans will be hosting a pizza lunch in the Education Building, room 523 at 12 pm.

You don’t want to miss lunch with this legendary crew. No need to RSVP- just show up and bring your friends! 🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕