Explore the country just beyond Moscow, and you’ll see how the “amber waves of grain” so often sung about could have taken inspiration from the rolling hills of the Palouse. Idaho is wheat country, a critical industry for this great state, and the Idaho Wheat Commission has been working with the University of Idaho for many years to make sure our state’s wheat fields flourish. Yesterday, we celebrated a new milestone in our partnership with Idaho wheat growers and the Commission, a $2 million gift to create an Endowed Chair of Risk Management. In a first for U of I, the chair will enhance collaboration between the College of Business and Economics and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. An endowed chair is a high honor for any faculty member, and a tribute to the organization creating the position. This position will help U of I recruit a leader who can support research, teaching and experiential learning in risk management. The chair also will be a resource to wheat growers seeking to have more advanced marketing tools. What you don’t see when you look out over our beautiful fields is the sophisticated financial picture behind agricultural production. The University of Idaho, though, has a highly regarded curriculum between our Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology (AERS) and the Barker Capital Management and Trading Program. Since 2013, the collaboration within those units has led to opportunities for students to engage in commodities trading and the management of commodities margins. This is high-tech, hands-on experience for undergraduates to manage real, significant funds as part of their college experience. The endowed chair will greatly enhance an already valuable program that leads to rewarding careers. Another important component of the position will see our endowed chair researching the agricultural commodity and financial security markets at a global, national and regional scale. Areas of importance include price forecasting, policy and economic analysis, and managing financial practices and strategies in the commodity supply chain. There are opportunities for outreach with regional stakeholders who can benefit from the chair’s expertise. We’re excited about Vandal country taking on that kind of leadership for this critical sector. We’re extremely grateful for Idaho wheat grower investment, through their check-off dollars with the commission, in the student experience and the research and outreach missions of the University of Idaho. The Idaho wheat industry has been a valued partner for many years at U of I, supporting endowed professorships in wheat breeding and agronomy, and contributing now over $11 million toward many initiatives at the university, including important research topics such as wheat breeding, agronomy and genetics. Earlier this year we reached a research agreement with the commission that will serve as a model for similar agreements with other commodity groups to facilitate research critical to industry. We’ll have more details in the coming weeks while the search for our new faculty star takes shape. As the fields green up and grow this spring, we'll work to make sure this new opportunity for student success and agricultural research leadership also grows and thrives. | | Go Vandals! Chuck Staben President | | | Mark Warner Named President of Archaeology Organization Mark Warner, associate dean for graduate studies and professor of anthropology in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, was named president of the Society for Historical Archaeology in January 2018. SHA is an educational, not-for-profit organization that advocates for the study and protection of historical and underwater cultural resources. Warner has been a member of SHA for nearly 30 years. Prior to assuming the leadership of SHA, he served the organization in a variety of capacities, including committee member, committee chair, board of director member and annual conference co-organizer. | | New York Times National Security Reporter to Speak at U of I Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times national security reporter Adam Goldman will deliver the annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium keynote talk “Reporting on the President, Spies and Why the Truth Matters,” on March 29 in Moscow. In addition to his Moscow talk, Goldman will speak to the City Club of Boise on March 28. (See event details and registration.) The recipient of several journalism awards, including the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, Goldman covers the FBI and national security issues and has contributed extensively to the Times’ reporting on the FBI investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump administration. The annual Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium is held by the School of Journalism and Mass Media in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences and is underwritten by a gift from alumni Douglas F. Oppenheimer, president of Boise-based Oppenheimer Companies, and Arthur F. “Skip” Oppenheimer, chairman of the board. Previous symposia have brought nationally known journalists, journalism educators and ethics experts to Idaho. | | McClure Center and College of Law Pair for Policy Pub The University of Idaho’s James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research and the College of Law have partnered to sponsor a discussion on policy and the law in Boise. The March edition of the university’s Policy Pub series will feature a panel of judges from Idaho’s courts from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at Pengilly’s, 513 W. Main St., Boise. Speakers include Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger S. Burdick, Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robyn Brody and 4th District Judge Nancy Baskin of Boise. McClure Center Director Katherine Himes will moderate the discussion. Each panelist will describe their background in Idaho law, talk about why they pursued a career in the judiciary, and discuss the biggest challenges facing the Idaho legal community. Their remarks will be followed by a Q&A session. An April panel in Moscow focuses on the Idaho Local Government Initiative and will take place at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time Thursday, April 12, at Hunga Dunga in Moscow. | | | | |