All 621 students in Idaho State University’s College of Education will get a scholarship this fall.

The awards, ranging from $500 to a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, will go to every student in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

“Making students’ college education affordable and attainable is our top priority,” College of Education Dean Jean McGivney-Burelle said in an Idaho State news release. “Earning a college degree opens doors and changes the lives of students and their families for the better.”

Twelve first-year students will receive the “Teachers For Tomorrow” scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship that can be renewed for four years.

Meanwhile, more than 40 Pocatello-Chubbuck School District paraprofessionals will receive full scholarships to complete their bachelor’s or master’s degree and obtain their teaching certificate.

Students did not have to apply for the scholarships. They needed only to write a letter explaining how the money would help them pursue their educational or career goals.

“As the sole provider for my two children this will not only change my life but theirs as well,” one student wrote, according to the Idaho State release. “I am proud to be the first in my family to work toward a college degree.”

The $500,000 for the scholarships comes from revenues from Idaho State’s Albion Center for Professional Development, which serves some 15,000 educators nationwide.

Boise State releases more details on record research year

Boise State University’s research portfolio grew to a new record in 2021-22 — although the total number of research awards declined slightly.

Last week, Boise State released more details on its record $68 million research year. President Marlene Tromp first announced the $68 million figure during her state of the university speech on Aug. 17.

All told, Boise State received 422 research awards in 2021-22. The previous year, Boise State’s 425 research awards were worth slightly more than $65 million.

The 2021-22 research portfolio included a wide range of projects, such as developing digital open resources for classes in the humanities, creating the first-ever genome for sagebrush, Indigenous-Led Ecological Restoration and developing a cybersecurity workforce pipeline.

U of I launches new robotics center

The University of Idaho has launched a new robotics center — designed to coordinate training statewide and address a looming labor shortage.

The Center for Intelligent Industrial Robotics, or CI2R, will link the U of I’s robotics training facilities. Through videoconferencing and enhanced course availability, the U of I hopes to provide more courses and increased research opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students.

For example, linking a new Moscow-based Robotics, Automation and Mechatronics Laboratory to the U of I Coeur d’Alene’s Idaho Forest Group Robotics and Automation Laboratory will allow faculty, staff and doctoral students to teach students at both campuses.

Robotics manufacturing is a hot job market. The U of I cited 2030 projections from the Manufacturing Institute, which forecasts a glut of 2.1 million unfilled positions by the start of the next decade.

“We are leading the way to address workforce challenges that impact our state and nation,” College of Engineering Dean Suzanna Long said in a news release. “Continuing our more than 60 years of industry partnerships and 30 years of cybersecurity education leadership, the new center prepares U of I to create a strong workforce that can tackle critical industry needs.”