Boise State University researcher Julia Oxford has won a $10 million grant to create a Center for Biomedical Research, making it the largest grant in the university’s history. Boise State President Bob Kustra made the announcement in his annual state of the university speech Wednesday.
This year’s address introduced more structural changes than a typical year. Many of those changes, like the closing of the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, were spurred by the cost-cutting evaluation known as program prioritization, which the State Board of Education required all Idaho’s universities to conduct.
Kustra also announced what he described as a major redesign in higher education; the creation of the new College of Innovation and Design. Kustra offered few ground-level details of what the new college will actually do. He described it as a place where faculty and students from different disciplines would work together to solve problems.
He outlined other new organizational structures. Many of the departments that were part of the College of Social Sciences will move to the soon-to-be-created School of Public Service. That will include subjects like political science and criminal justice.
Boise State’s College of Health Sciences will also be reorganized with the creation of the School of Allied Health and Prevention, and the addition of the formally independent Student Health Services. Health Sciences will also oversee a new wellness program for students and employees with health screenings and exercise programs.
Find reporter Adam Cotterell on Twitter @cotterelladam
Copyright 2014 Boise State Public Radio