North Fork of the Payette River near Smith's Ferry If you float this river, try to spot the logging history. The beauty and recreational opportu­ Good forest practices yield the wood nities offered by the Payette River and paper products people need area above Smith's Ferry attract while still providing magnificent thousands of visitors every year. For forests for all to enjoy. most, it's hard to tell that the Boise Cascade forests here have been selectively logged three times in the last 50 years. ~ Boise Cascade \35/ ldaho Region Operations We care for our forests, naturally. JUL 21 W 514 N.161h Street 8620 W. Fairview 385-0105 32t-oto5 1\tn-Di lQ.q Sat lo-5, Sun 11-4 rdome ~ot the e;Jea~ty . e}tay ~ot the ~J~~style . ' GARDEN VALLEY • 2 - 20 Acre Homesites ~ ~ - ~~ • Starting at $39,500 CROSSTIMBER • 1 hour commute to Boise RANCH • ~ • '~ v • • • ~ • ....- •• •• • • • • IJ 1!1 BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY VOL. XXII, NO. 4 SUMMER 1997 FEATURES WESTERN EXPLORERS 20 BSU influences the management of the West's natural resources. FIELD WORKERS 24 Professors use inside information for outside research. SCIENCE AND NATURE 26 A look at how BSU helps keep nature natural. COLLECTOR'S ITEMS . 32 Historic papers have a home in BSU's Albertsons Library archives. FIRST WORD 7 CAMPUS NEWS 8 ALUM NOTES 36 FOCUS is published quarterly by the Boise State University Office of News Services. PRESIDENT: Charles Ruch PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC ~ AFFAIRS: D aryl Jones VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION: Buster Nee! VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS: David S. WOOD Taylor WINDOWS EDITOR: Larry Burke STAFF WRITERS: Janelle Brown, Bob Evancho, Amy Stahl, Melanie Threlkeld McConnell, INC. Renee White PHOTOGRAPHY: Chuck Scheer PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT: John Kelly TYPOGRAPHY: Megan Olivier EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Brenda Haight ALUMNI NEWS: Donna Conner Before TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS: Erin Burden and Alex Kittrell ADVERTISING SALES: P.V. Quinn & Co., 1520 W. Washington Street, Boise, Idaho 83702 Phone: (208) 385-0338 Wood Windows PUBLISHING INFORMATION: FOCUS" address is BSU Education Building, Room 724, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725. Phone: (208) 385-1577. Vinyl Windows* Letters regarding editorial matters should be sent to the editor. Unless otherwise specified, all articles may be reprinted as long as appropriate credit is given to the author, Boise State University and FOCUS Wood* Doors magazine. Diverse views are presented and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FOCUS or the official policies of Boise State University. ADDRESS CHANGES: Send changes (with address Sun Rooms* label if possible) to the BSU Alumni Office, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725. If you receive duplicate copies of the magazine, please notify the Alumni Office at the above address. Friends of the Patio *Doors university who wish to receive FOCUS may do so by submitting their names and addresses to the Alumni Office. Address changes can also be sent by e-mail to [email protected] French* Doors E·MAIL:Readers may contact the FOCUS editor by e-mail at [email protected] HOME PAGE: FOCUS can be found on the World Wide Web at http://wapiti.idbsu.edu/focus/home/ Replacement* home.html Windows Mter BRING IN THE LIGHT 200 East 50th Street • Across from G.arden .<;i:tx Hall ABOUT THE COVER: Travel any direction in Idaho or throughout the West and the imponance of natural resources is as vivid as the landscape itself. Scientists and researchers at Boise State are having an impact on how these resources are maintained. From research on water quality to public policy and land management issues, BSU is at the forefront of helping to ensure the air, land and water that sustained the early pioneers will be here for future generations as well. Glenn Oakley photo. 6 FOCUS/SUMMER 1997 D a IJ D D IJ NO SUCH THING AS A SUMMER SLOWDOWN AT BSU By Charles Ruch, President ll institutions have a rhythm third class this fall, further strengthening our theater in July on campus and in August dictated by the ever-changing involvement with the business community at Brundage Mountain in McCall is yet an:­ seasons. Universities are no ex­ in Vietnam. other activity involving faculty, students A ception. With Commencement Funded projects this summer have faculty and community members. This year four 1997 behind us, the campus has moved into in almost every college working on projects weekend concerts are planned. its summer mode - different, but no less of significance to their discipline and real­ Of course the physical form of the campus intense and comprehensive as we seek to world problems. Many of our research is ever-changing. Summers provide a good meet the demands placed on a metropolitan projects involve undergraduate students as time for the many necessary "clean-up, fix­ university. up, paint-up" projects so necessary to keep Before I report on our summer activities, our physical plant first-rate. This summer is a word about Commencement 1997. It was a no exception. memorable celebration for several reasons. In addition, some of the major construc­ First, BSU awarded 2,086 degrees and cer­ tion that has marked the campus is coming to tificates. For these individuals, commence­ conclusion. The new academic building is ment symbolized the accomplishment of now complete and we will move in over the singular import, and we join in their celebra­ summer. A wonderful addition to the cam~ tion. pus, the building provides a new home for The second highlight of this year's com­ the physics department, along with 11 new mencement was the awarding of our first classrooms and a computer Jab with 87 work­ doctorate degrees. Five individuals received stations. their doctorate of education degree and Bronco Stadium construction will con­ hood, symbolic of their achievement of the tinue all summer, with major additions com­ highest degree American universities award. pleted by the opening of the football season BSU's innovative doctoral program is de­ in late August and the balance of the Hall of signed to support talented teachers in their Fame plaza done by mid-fall. efforts to become leaders in school reform Short conferences, summer registration at the local level. For this institution, the for new students, special events - the list awarding of doctorate degrees is the culmi­ goes on. Boise State enjoys the summer nation of our maturation into a university­ with the same enthusiasm and variety of a cause for celebration across the campus. activities that is the hallmark of the aca­ Gone are the days of idyllic quiet on a demic year. campus during the summer; metropolitan Summer is a special time to visit the universities are year-round institutions, as research assistants. One of the many "value­ campus. If you have a family member or indicated by the activities on the BSU cam­ added" dimensions of a BSU degree is the friend who might be thinking about college, pus over the next two months. opportunity for undergraduates to work side or if you just want to know more about the Summer school is well under way. BSU by side with senior faculty engaged in signifi­ campus, we extend you a warm welcome. offers a variety of registration patterns: two cant work. The New Student Information Center is five-week sessions, an eight-week session, As our educational enterprise is fully func­ located in the Student Union. A phone call and a 10-week session. Given these arrange­ tioning, so too are our service activities. to (208) 385-1820 will assure you someone ments, students have several choices and, by Summer camps abound. This summer, more to talk with and a campus tour guide. going all summer, can earn a full semester of than 6,000 youths will spend time on the The President's Office is located in course work. We have every expectation BSU campus engaged in summer programs Room 307 of the College of Business and that our summer enrollment will meet or such as Business Week, Idaho Science Camp, Economics Building. Please come and visit. exceed last year's enrollment of 6,342. Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership seminar We look forward to seeing you! Of special note this summer is the pres­ and other academic, athletic, and recreational As always, I appreciate your comments. ence of the second class of MBA students camps. I can be reached at (208) 385-1491 or by from Vietnam. This class of 27 students, In addition to enriching the secondary e-mail: [email protected]. 0 selected to be part of the leadership of school education of the participants, time Vietnam's business community as it moves spent on the campus will provide students a toward a market economy, will spend much look at collegiate life and expectations. We of the summer on campus taking courses hope that interest in attending college at and filling internship positions with Boise BSU or elsewhere will be enhanced through corporations. BSU faculty have been teacn­ a summer camp experience. ing in Hanoi with this group of students for SummerFest, our summer musical con­ the past two years. We hope to start yet a cert series, held in the Centennial Amphi- FOCUS/SUMMER 1997 7 m [J D BSU ADDS 3 NEW MASTER'S DEGREES Boise State added to its growing menu of master's degrees when the State Board of Education approved graduate programs in computer science, computer information systems and biology at its June meeting. The new degrees bring BSU's master's total to 35. Courses in the three programs will be offered for the first time this fall.