University of Idaho College of Engineering

University of Idaho nuclear engineering alumnus Eugene Engmann took first place in Idaho National Laboratory’s Research SLAM!

The three-minute thesis-style competition challenges competitors to present their research in a short but compelling presentation that makes the work is accessible to a broad audience. Eugene presented on his research titled “Understanding Symptoms Helps with Early Diagnosis.”

Eugene will compete this March in the National Lab Research SLAM in Washington, D.C.

Eugene is a post doctoral researcher at Idaho National Laboratory and graduated from U of I with both his Master’s in Nuclear Engineering and his doctorate.

Congrats, Eugene!

https://www.facebook.com/IdahoNationalLaboratory/posts/pfbid02QwRdzUnKdZnHSDCB3jQ8pbkfKMfNEuHu4q3no1HqMuhupQbXMy1qqczsHtDcu9zQl

Sailing into Monday of Finals Week like 💯🔥!

Congrats, Vandal Engineering Graduates! 💛🎓🎉

Vandal innovation is addressing the physical health of members of the U.S. military.

Biological engineering junior Rafe Richardson, a University of Idaho Army ROTC cadet, is researching musculoskeletal injuries while pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor.

Because military members are constantly in motion, they are susceptible to movement-related injuries. Richardson is working with Department of Movement Sciences Associate Professor Joshua Bailey to find traits that could predict a cadet’s specific risk factor for injury.

Cadets performed lunging, squatting and jumping exercises at U of I’s Integrated Sports Medicine Movement Analysis Lab so their mechanics could be recorded and studied.

Together, their research could help ROTC programs across the country keep their cadets healthier by teaching them how to move more effectively.

Read more at https://www.uidaho.edu/news/feature-stories/focus-movement.

University of Idaho College of Education, Health and Human Sciences

We are thankful for YOU! Our scholarship supporters open up new opportunities for our Vandal engineers. Check out some of their inspiring experiences!

Happy Thanksgiving, Vandals! 🍂

Two-year, full-tuition scholarships!

Explore robust career opportunities in our nation's growing advanced semiconductor industry and gain critical skills for research, high-volume manufacturing, design and innovation in the field of microelectronics!

Scholarships are open to all Idaho students in junior standing or above who are interested in pursuing semiconductor design and fabrication certificate programs at
U of I! Learn more and apply at uidaho.edu/engr/services/student-services/scholarships/semiconductors.

Idaho ranks among the top 10 states for semiconductor employment, with 12,300 workers representing 4% of the national workforce. Funded through the Idaho Workforce Development Council, scholarships are designed to enhance domestic industry supply, create high-quality jobs, and support a broad workforce.

Semiconductor Scholarships University of Idaho College of Engineering students are eligible for full-tuition scholarships while pursuing our college’s semiconductor design and fabrication certificate programs.

Vandal engineers pave the way for innovation in agriculture, and earn scholarship to do it!

Megan Taber is a Chobani Scholar, a program that recognizes students pursing fields that will impact and advance the agriculture industry.

“The Chobani Scholarship enables me to prioritize my time in favor of my education," said Megan, a mechanical engineering major with a minor in animal science. "Growing up on my family's dairy and crop farm, the intimate realities of farming are an intrinsic aspect of my life. I was drawn to engineering through experiences with heavy equipment on the farm. I want to be a part of the new era of advancement in ag machinery and the automotive industry. I am a member of the U of I Clean Snowmobile Challenge Team and am currently leading a project for implementing a vehicle emissions control strategy on our competition sled to ultimately reduce the emissions output of our machine.”

Chobani, the maker of America’s No. 1 yogurt brand, operates one of the largest yogurt manufacturing facilities in the country, located in Twin Falls, and has offered the scholarships to U of I students since 2018. Priority is given to students who intend to pursue a career in food production and the dairy industry and may not have the financial means to attend college on their own. Scholarships are spread across four years.

Applications for the scholarship program are open and are due Jan. 31, 2025. Apply at uidaho.edu/engr/services/student-services/scholarships/chobani.

Join our College of Engineering Mentorship Program!

Meet industry engineers, learn from their careers and experiences, and network with peers! The program runs January to May 2025 and includes a $500 award to all mentee participants. The Mentorship Program is for SWE members and their allies. Joining is easy. All gender identities welcome!

Applications are due to the Mentorship Program by Dec. 9

Apply at uidaho.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqtOghww8cnbPsW

This National Philanthropy Day, we celebrate our friends and supporters of the Engineering Allen Ambassadors!

Funded entirely through donor support, these highly motivated students participate in outreach events to rural high schools across Idaho and engage in activities designed to introduce K-12 students to engineering, computer science and STEM concepts, and to learn more about life as a Vandal engineer.

Thanks to donor support, the Allen Engineering Ambassadors reached more than 2,400 rural Idaho students through statewide STEM events and high school visits this past year.

Their efforts and our historic enrollment numbers would not be possible if not for philanthropic contributions from our alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students.

Thank you all for supporting our Engineering Allen Ambassadors! uidaho.edu/engr/services/student-services/engineering-ambassadors

Vandal engineers travel across the country to compete at the national level! 🏔️

Our Idaho Clean Snowmobile Challenge Team is preparing their re-engineered cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient stock snowmobile for national competition in the 2025 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge Competition!

This February, the interdisciplinary team will cross four states and four mountain passes to Wisconsin to compete against collegiate teams from all over the U.S. and Canada. Students apply their skills in real-world scenarios, solve complex problems on the fly, and collaborate with peers and industry professionals.

Help the team cover travel costs by supporting their goal to raise $5K by Dec. 31! https://uandigive.uidaho.edu/project/43282

Our team collaborates with snowmobile manufacturers, the aftermarket industry, local riders and others at U of I to get parts, equipment, manufacturing, and engineering advice on how to improve their sled.

Members benefit from an accredited course on snowmobiles, how they're engineered and how to work on them, as well as team history, projects and the competition.

The team meets every Monday at 5:30PM in JEB 328. Visit link below to learn more and join! uidaho.edu/engr/services/student-services/clubs-and-organizations/csc

University of Idaho Clean Snowmobile Team
SAE International

Celebrating our Vandal Veterans and current service members today!

How does an engineering mindset lend itself to a successful service career? Take it from a Vandal engineer:

"An engineering mindset is perfect for the submarine community! As a mechanical engineer, I feel well-prepared to take on complex systems, solve problems under pressure, and think critically - all crucial in the high-stakes, technical environment of submarines. Better yet, this mindset prevents me from feeling intimidated by systems I haven't seen before. I know I have the proper foundation and tools to figure anything out." - Jo Rodzinka, MIDN 1/C - UI/WSU NROTC, mechanical engineering

"Like the team at INL’s’ Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, where I spent my military career, relies much more on organized, coordinated brain power than on any physical strength or skill. An engineering mindset, in my experience, is characterized by the ability to disregard emotional influences and 'face the facts…brutally,' to quote the late Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear Navy. Thus, students and professionals with an engineering background are particularly well-suited for service in the military. By extension, military veterans are particularly well-suited for work in a research and engineering development lab like INL, where we work with unique, world-leading facilities like ATR, which require regular attention and careful, deliberate coordination of operating schedules." - Nathan Manwaring, nuclear engineering

stories from our vets:

"Being an engineer gives me the added ability to think things through in more strategic and scientific ways that add well to my previous time in the U.S. Navy Aviation community. Not always is a task easy or even straight-forward, but having assurance with my professional and educational background, and with the motivation I bring to the company's design team, we can take imagination, form a project, and know it will soon become a reality." - Nicolas Espinoza, AT3, USN

"My U of I training set me up for success in a very technical advanced degree. Engineers are trained problem-solvers, which is a key component of a combat engineer."
- LtCol L. Harv Nelson, USMC Retired, UI 1978

“Engineering teaches you to be a problem-solver, and that is what being an officer in the military is – I helped solve problems. I learned that an engineering degree could be used for almost any type of engineering, as the skillset was the same.” – Kristin Eis ’94

“I know the skills and qualities that make a good engineer – problem solving, data analysis, attention to detail, communication skills and logical thinking — are all reasons I am successful as a pilot and commander.” – Chris Goodale ’12

Donor-supported scholarships help Vandal engineers explore new topics! 💻🎮🖥

Computer science junior Amanda Board will celebrate the publication of her first paper in the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining this December.

Amanda is a Ray & Annie Wiese Scholar. The Ray & Annie Wiese Scholarship was established in 2021 in recognition of the positive impact of a degree in higher education earned at U of I. The scholarship helped cover her course fees, textbooks and a microprocessor kit for her embedded systems class.

“It is very powerful when someone is willing to contribute to your success,” said Board, who is from Cle Elum, Washington, “It’s the thought that someone is making an investment in me and believes in me whole heartedly, that they have faith in me.”

This past summer she had the opportunity to work on a research paper that explored blockchain for large language models, like ChatGPT, to increase security, transparency and accountability.

Currently she is working on a video game for her software engineering class. In her team's video game, the users participate in a dating simulation where players get to interact with cartoon characters and play mini games against them.

Amanda is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers and enjoys working on video games in the classroom, in both technical and creative aspects. She enjoys playing video games in her free time and hopes to work in game development after graduation, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and user experience in video games.

Support computer science scholarships at https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/3269/donations/new?pdesignation=computersciencescholarships

Just a moment...

Vandal engineers partner with local elementary schools! 🧪🔬

Engineering Allen Ambassador Gavin Baker, a chemical engineering senior, recently visited Potlatch Elementary School to introduce students in Leigh Wilson's sixth grade science class to non-Newtonian fluids!

Students used cornstarch, food dye, and water to create Oobleck, a fluid that does not flow at a predictable constant rate. Through this activity, students learn about the three states of matter, Newtonian fluids, and how Oobleck relates to the real world just like engineers!

Interested in a classroom visit from our Allen Engineering Ambassadors? Visit uidaho.edu/engr/diversity/outreach/classrooms

Vandal engineers form strong and engaged student-led clubs to make professional connections and support each other in engineering! ⚙🏙💻

The University of Idaho Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter recently attended the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology, the SWE National Conference in Chicago.

Vandal engineers met industry leaders and connected with fellow SWEsters across the country. The trip was made possible thanks to support from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), POWER Engineers, Integra Resources Corp., and U of I engineering departments.

SWE empowers women to succeed and be recognized for their achievements as engineers and leaders. Learn more about SWE at uidaho.edu/engr/services/student-services/clubs-and-organizations/swe.

SEL Community—Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Integra Resources Corp.

Vandal engineers celebrate Halloween with STEM inspiration! 🎃⚙️

Our College of Engineering Allen Ambassadors recently visited West Park Elementary School to help students design and build spooky bone bridges! Students learned about the engineering design process, what engineers do and how to test their unique designs.

College of Engineering Allen Ambassadors visit Moscow elementary schools year-round in partnership with Moscow Adventure Club, offering intellectual, physical and social development throughout the school year and summer.

Request a visit to your classroom! Fill out the form at uidaho.edu/engr/diversity/outreach/classrooms.

College of Engineering Allen Ambassadors are committed to the growth and success of our college. Representing all majors and engineering disciplines, these highly motivated students participate in outreach events to rural high schools across Idaho and engage in activities designed to introduce K-12 students to engineering and STEM concepts and learn more about life as a Vandal engineer.

The Ambassador program is made possible thanks to longtime supporters and Vandal alumni Rich and Sharon Allen ’73, as well as industry support from POWER Engineers and the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. Through this program, Vandal engineers learn communication and leadership skills, network with professionals and establish working relations with college and university faculty, students, staff and administrators.


Moscow School District Adventure Club
NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium

Many of you have heard about the University of Idaho’s historic freshman class. The number of first-time Vandals enrolled this fall is impressive, and, as you might expect, the College of Engineering led the way in new students!

🏆 Overall growth of 8.8% in fall 2024

🏆 11% increase in first-year students

🏆 21.9% increase in women pursuing engineering and computer science degrees

These students hail from across the U.S., and for many, they are the first generation in their families to attend college.

🏆 Our strong retention rates are made possible thanks to our industry-sponsored and supported College of Engineering Mentorship Program and EXPO VIP for high school freshman, and community-building organizations like our Society of Women Engineers student chapter, efforts that recently set us apart as Idaho Business Review’s only higher education institution to be recognized as an Empowering Women honoree.

This is who we are:

🏆 No. 1 Best Value Public University in the West Five Years Running – U.S. News and World Report

🏆 Top 7 in the Nation for infusing real-world experiences into engineering education through our undergraduate Senior Capstone Design Program – National Academy of Engineering

🏆 Best Undergraduate Computer Science Program - nationally recognized by U.S. News and World Report

🏆 93% Graduate with Jobs or are enrolled in graduate education or military service – National Association of Colleges and Employers

🏆 Highest Salary Earnings for early- and mid-career undergraduate degree recipients than any other public university in Idaho – Payscale

Our unstoppable growth these past years is impacted greatly by our deep alumni connection, robust advisory board engagement, and more than 100 years of industry partnership. THANK YOU all for your support in showcasing what it means to Engineer Like a Vandal!

uidaho.edu/engr

Vandal engineers experience groundbreaking NASA solar exploration first-hand!

Engineering seniors JJ Graves and Aayushi Gupta witnessed the launch of NASA’s largest spacecraft, the Europa Clipper, this month aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"Witnessing the launch has definitely solidified my desire to be an engineer," Graves said. "I loved connecting with others at the event. At the airport, I even met engineers who had worked on equipment for the mission. It was eye-opening to see how achievable it is to contribute to something so monumental in space exploration."

The Europa Clipper will travel 1.8 billion miles to reach Jupiter in April 2030, making close to 50 flybys of the planet's moon Europa. Europa is known for its enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life.

This student experience was made possible through our partnership with Spacepoint, an Idaho nonprofit engaging students in the limitless opportunities of space exploration within industry. The trip was also funded through the Idaho Space Grant Consortium, offering mentor-directed, career-related experiences and programs that contribute to NASA’s mission of space exploration and discovery.

"Seeing the rocket lift off into space felt like witnessing a pinnacle of human achievement, a reminder of the limitless potential of engineering to push the boundaries of what’s possible," said Gupta. "It wasn’t just about sending a spacecraft to Europa — it was about the teamwork, precision, and advanced technology that made it happen, elements that I’m drawn to in both aerospace and robotics."

Learn more about our comprehensive aerospace training programs at uidaho.edu/engr/programs/aerospace and our robotics laboratories and degree programs at uidaho.edu/engr/programs/robotics.

NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium

Vandal engineers hold the world record in Solidworks computer-aided design expertise! 🏆

The University of Idaho College of Engineering was recently recognized by multinational software corporation Dassault Systèmes for its world record in producing Certified SolidWorks Experts (CSWEs), computer-aided design (CAD) professionals able to solve practically any modeling problem.

Of the 7,800 CSWEs worldwide, U of I has graduated 84 with the certification currently working in industry and academia, more than any educational institution or commercial company.

U of I students can start building CAD skill sets using SolidWorks their first year on campus and throughout their academic careers. Courses based in mechanical engineering use design and problem-solving methodology to model requirements, develop concepts and realize prototypes.

Learn more at uidaho.edu/engr/departments/me/degrees.