Professor Archives - The College of Idaho

By Henry Miller

Joseph Golden

Joe is a believer in action – in every sense of the word… pursuing actions on stage and putting ideas into action in life. Studying and analyzing theatre are great things to do but putting what you’ve learned into action is the key to real inspiration and passion for this incredible, collaborative art. Joe began teaching at The College of Idaho in 1996. He teaches courses in acting, directing, and also in Stage Combat and Film Studies. His directing credits for C of I’s Mainstage include: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, A History of Freaks, Godspell, Life & Limb (chosen as a participating production for the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Regional Conference), Crimes of the Heart, Macbeth, Ubu Roi, What the Butler Saw, The Tempest, The Marriage of Bette & Boo, As You Like It, Reckless, She Stoops to Conquer, Side By Side By Sondheim, The Rover, and Vinegar Tom. Joe maintains a professional career as an actor, director and playwright. He has been a company member of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival since 1992. In that time he has performed in such productions as: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Greater Tuna, A Tuna Christmas, The 39 Steps, and many more. Joe co-writes and performs in the Festival’s popular Greenshows with collaborator, Tom Willmorth. He has directed for Boise Contemporary Theatre and Idaho Theater for Youth. Joe also acts for Boise Contemporary Theater where credits include, The Cherry Orchard, and Waiting for Godot directed by Michael Hoffman, as well as Stones in His Pockets. In fall of 2010, Joe and Tom co-wrote and acted in The Krumblin Foundation, an original, world-premiere play for BCT. EDUCATION M.F.A., University of Missouri-Kansas City B.F.A., Lindenwood College

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By Henry Miller

Lynda Danielson

Lynda Danielson has been teaching mathematics and computer science at The College of Idaho since 1995. Dr. Danielson enjoys advising the Math Club which sponsors various annual events including Pi Day each March 13 and the Putnam Examination each December. EDUCATION PhD, Mathematics, Oregon State University (1995) MS, Mathematics, Oregon State University (1992) BS, Mathematics, The College of Idaho (1989)

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By Henry Miller

Chris Walser

Professor Walser has been at The College of Idaho since 2000. He teaches Stream Ecology; Ecology, Evolution and Diversity; Ichthyology; Introduction to GIS; Coastal Marine Ecology in south Florida; and Field Biology in Belize or Australia. Dr. Walser also teaches the biology senior capstone course which examines, in part, how scientists can become more proficient at communicating the results of their research to the general public. The focus of his student-based research program is to better understand the impacts of human disturbances (land-use change, invasive fishes) on native stream fish assemblages. Since 2013, he and his students have been investigating the genetics and movement of redband trout in Dry Creek, a small tributary of the Boise River near Boise, Idaho. Recently, Professor Walser and students joined organizers and researchers from The City of Boise, Boise State University, and The Land Trust of the Treasure Valley to assess stream conditions at dozens of trail crossings within the Dry Creek watershed. In 2015, Professor Walser’s student, Sarah Walsh, received a $1,500 grant from the Northwest Scientific Association to study the population genetics of Dry Creek redband trout. Professor Walser and former student, Camrin Braun, published a paper on the distribution and diet of invasive largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the lower Boise River. Their research appeared in a 2011 edition of Western North American Naturalist Dr. Walser is very active in leading off-campus courses in field biology. To date, Professor Walser has taken College of Idaho students to south Florida (2009, 2011, 2015) and Australia (2002, 2006, 2010, 2013), with future courses planned for Belize (Winter Term 2016) and central Idaho (Summer 2016). He is a very strong advocate of experiential learning and emphasizes this teaching approach in all of his courses. What Professor Walser enjoys the most about teaching at The College of Idaho is getting students excited about field biology. He also appreciates the small-class sizes which allow him to provide unique learning opportunities (e.g., conducting original field biology research in tropical locales; wildlife film-making) for his students. EDUCATION Ph.D. Biology, Tulane University, 1996 M. S. Fisheries, Auburn University, 1991 B.S. Biology, Emory University, 1989 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE The College of Idaho, Professor of Biology (2000-present) Rocky Mountain College, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology (1999-2000) Salt Lake Community College, Adjunct Instructor of Biology (1996-1999) Utah State University, Adjunct Instructor of Fisheries and Wildlife Biology (1997) Brigham Young University, Postdoctoral Research Associate (1997-1999) SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH Presenter, April 2015. Northwest Scientific Association Conference. Pasco, WA. Genetics and movement of Columbia River redband trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri, in Dry Creek, Idaho. With undergraduate student co-authors: Shelby Richins and Sarah Walsh. Co-Presenter, March 2015. Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Boise, ID. Population genetics of Columbia River redband trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri, in Dry Creek, Idaho. With undergraduate student co-author: Sarah Walsh. Presenter, November 2014. A Story of Survival: The redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) of Dry Creek. Idaho Master Naturalist’s Program. MK Nature Center, Boise, Idaho. Co-author on Conference Presentation, October 2014. Geological Society of America Meeting, Vancouver B.C. High-resolution geophysical investigation of a sea turtle nest complex, Cayo Costa State Park, Florida: potential for identification of ancient nest structures. With co-authors from Florida Gulf Coast University and Temple University. Co-Presenter, August 2014. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Conference. Chattanooga, TN. Genetics and summer movement of Columbia River redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) in an intermittent southern Idaho stream. Presenter, April 2013. Ecology of Columbia River redband trout in high desert streams. Seminar. Idaho Section of the American Water Resources Association, Boise, Idaho. Attendee, October 2011. From Vision to Reality: Enhancing the lower Boise River. Community Workshop. Boise, Idaho. Presenter, July 2011. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Minneapolis, MN. Distribution and diet of largemouth bass in the lower Boise River, Idaho.

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By Henry Miller

Jen Wallin-Ruschman

I teach courses in community psychology and research methods. I view learning and knowledge production as a collaborative and participatory process. An action orientation is also central to my work, my courses center real-world application and project-based learning. As a community-based researcher, the topics I investigate shift with the community I am working with and their identified needs. However, my approach to research is always rooted in respect for multiple ways of knowing and the experiences of research participants. I mix methods when conducting research but I often focus more on qualitative methodologies, including focus groups, photovoice, open-ended surveys, and interviews. In my role as Hansberger Chair of Community Collaboration and Engagement, I’ve been able to join a range of community groups to help make connections between the college and the community. I live with my partner and two young daughters in Boise. I love coffee, dessert, and fantasy books. I enjoy training for triathlons and camping. EDUCATION Ph.D., Applied Psychology, Portland State University M.S., Psychology, Portland State University B.A., Sociology, Psychology, Biology, University of Louisville PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2025-Present – Full Professor, The College of Idaho 2022-Present – Hansberger Chair of Community Collaboration and Engagement, The College of Idaho 2020-2025 – Associate Professor, The College of Idaho 2016 – 2020 – Assistant Professor, The College of Idaho 2013 – 2016 – Assistant Professor, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH Selected Publications: Patka, M., Murry, A. Wallin-Ruschman, J., & Sabt, M. (2023). Critical Consciousness: The Mixed Effect of Sense of Community on Sociopolitical Action. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. Patka, M., Wallin-Ruschman, J., Al Rahma, B. A., Zar, A.^, bin Nauman, H.^, Sharif, J. M^….Khanam, Z.^. (2021). Special Olympics Pakistan: Using a Segregated Space to Transition to Independence in Mainstream Settings. Disability & Society, 37(10), 1591-1613. Wallin-Ruschman, J., Price., A.*, Richey, C.*, & Carns, K.* (2020). Reflections and results from the intersections: Teaching and learning the praxis of intersectionality in the psychology classroom. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 12(1), 13-26. Wallin-Ruschman, J., Lichty, L., & Palamaro-Munsell, E. (2019). Introduction to the Special Issue Volume 2: Developing Undergraduate Community Psychology Pedagogy and Research Practice, Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 10(2). Retrieved from https://www.gjcpp.org/en/article.php?issue=32&article=189 Patka, M., Wallin-Ruschman, J., Murry, A. & Minich, N. (2018). Exploring sense of community as a predictor of critical consciousness among youth in Ukraine. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 9(1), 1-17. Wallin-Ruschman, J. (2018). “I thought it was just knowledge but it’s definitely a lot of guts”: Exploring emotional and relational dimensions of critical consciousness development. The Urban Review, 50(1), 3-22. Wallin-Ruschman, J. & Pataka, M. (2016). Learning from critical collective spaces: Reflections on the community-diversity dialectic in safe spaces. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 4(1), 318-331. * Student co-authors SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Selected Talks: Wallin-Ruschman, J., Casabar, T.*, LePiane, S.*, Aquino, M.* (2025). Community Engaged Learning in the Classroom: Students and Instructors Reflect and Explore Impact. Presented at the Society for Community Research and Action Biennial Conference, Lansing, MI. [Panel Organizer] Wallin-Ruschman, J., Ellison, E., Rade, C., & Bielecki, S. (2023). Community Psychology for strategic transformation of institutional community engagement efforts. Presented at the Society for Community Research and Action Conference, Atlanta, GA. Illanes, K.*, Horton, C.*, Mamba, B.*, Stanciu, J.*, Mbahoze, D.*, Wallin-Ruschman, J., & Heidrich, M. (2022). Campus culture: Exploring perceptions of safety at the College of Idaho. Presented at the Community Research and Action in the West Conference. Online Conference. Cheesewright, K., Blackwell, S., Wallin-Ruschman, J., Rahimatpure, N.*, & Emele, M.* (2021). Speaking through the power of our difference: Performance, pedagogy, intersectionality, racism. Presented at the Society for Community Research and Action Conference, online conference. Cabrera, G., Fox., S., Palamaro-Munsell, E., & Wallin-Ruschman, J. (2020). A Seat at the table: Exploring benefits and challenges of undergraduate research. International Conference of Community Psychology. Online Conference. Weiss, L.*, Wallin-Ruschman, J., Harness, V.*, Hamilton-Rubio, S.* & Heidrich, M. (2019). Exploring experiences of dynamic diversity on campus: A student-led focus group project part of the College as a site of community inquiry: Undergraduates researching undergraduate experiences symposium. Presented at the Society for Community Research and Action Conference, Chicago, IL. [Panel Organizer] McGraw, J*., Black, R*., Wallin-Ruschman, J., & Heidrich, M. (2017). Exploring student experiences of the PEAK curriculum at the College of Idaho. Presented at Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium Conference, Cincinnati, OH. Wallin-Ruschman, J., Allegood, V.*, Grim, J.*, & Langston, B.* (2016). Understanding emotions and relationality in the development of critical consciousness in rural contexts. Presented at The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Conference, Minneapolis, MN. Wallin-Ruschman, J., (2013) Critical Consciousness in a Capstone Classroom: Understanding the role of critical pedagogy, community-based learning, and emotions part of the Critical consciousness-raising: Comparing strategies across academic and community settings symposium. Presented at Society for Community Research and Action Biennial, Miami, FL. [Panel Organizer] * Student co-authors

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By Henry Miller

David Tucker

It is a joy to teach students at The College of Idaho. I specialize in the principles classes that students usually take in the Sophomore year. My goal for each class is for students to learn things that will benefit them in both their personal and professional lives. I have been teaching at the collegiate level for over 40 years. I have taught at schools in Arkansas, Oregon and Idaho. My primary teaching area is economics, but I also have my CPA and will teach accounting from time to time. EDUCATION PhD in Economics from the University of Arkansas (1987) MA in Economics from Georgetown University (1981) BS in Economics and Accounting from Harding University (1977) CPA from State of Texas (1979) SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH Tucker, David and Graves, Alesha (2023). Predicting the Financial Vulnerability of US Public Charities (forthcoming). Tucker, David. (2022). Extending the Economic Choice Model. Journal of International Business and Economics, 22(2), 38-47. Tucker, David S., & DeBerry, Thomas W. (2021). Economic Implications of the Flood Narrative. Journal of International Business and Economics, 21(1), 5-12. Tucker, David. (2020). Limits and Difference: Preconditions for Comparative Advantage. Journal of International Management Studies, 20(1), 43-53. Tucker, David. (2019). The Economics of Transcendence. Journal of International Business and Economics, 19 (3). Tucker, David. (2018). The Economics of Ananias and Sapphira. International Journal of Business Research, 18(1). Tucker, David & Drake, Tim (2017). The Image of God and the Economics of Exchange. Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, (Fall).

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By Henry Miller

Scott Truksa

EDUCATION Ph.D., Oregon State University B.S., The College of Idaho

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By Henry Miller

John Thurston

My research interest lies at the interface of inorganic chemistry, materials science and engineering, microbiology and environmental remediation. It is my goal to use expansive, challenging research projects as a tool to help prepare highly qualified students for the next steps in their professional development. As a tenured, full professor at the College of Idaho, I have had the privilege of mentoring approximately 20 undergraduate students on a variety of research projects over the course of the past five years. Approximately half of the students who have conducted research with my group have continued their education in medical, dental, pharmacy, or Ph.D. programs around the country, including at Colorado State University, University of Utah, the University of Washington WAMI program, Colorado School of Mines and the Nation Renewable Energy Laboratory/University of Colorado-Boulder. The output of the undergraduate student researchers from my group has taken the form of three honors theses, numerous presentations at local, regional and national level scientific meetings and multiple peer-reviewed publications. Perhaps most importantly, undergraduate students have been directly responsible for generating the data that has lead to sustaining funding for all of the activities in my research group. EDUCATION Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry & Materials Science, Rice University, 2003 B.S., Chemistry, Centenary College of Louisiana, 1999 SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH Representative national level presentations: N. Hunter, K. Cornell, J. Thurston; “The antimicrobial properties of graphitic carbon nitride”; 250th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Boston, MA J. Thurston, L. Wayment, N. Hunter, P. Erstad, D. Xu K. Cornell; “Design, synthesis and evaluation of N,N’-diarylurea complexes as next-generation inhibitors of the bacterial enzyme MTN”; 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego CA J. Thurston, N. Hunter, K. Cornell; “Broad spectrum antimicrobial activity of photocatalytically active nanostructured graphitic carbon nitride (ns-g-C3N4) coatings under visible radiation”; 251st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Diego CA K. Bertagnolli, S. Nick, P. Erstad, D. Xu, J. Thurston, K. Cornell “Characterization of Potential Allosteric Effectors of Bacterial MTN”; 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA J. Thurston, K. Cornell, N. M. Hunter “Enhanced visible-light driven antibiotic activity of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) films derived from urea”; 253rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, San Francisco, CA ACCOMPLISHMENTS Tenure (2012), The College of Idaho Harry B. Weisner award for excellence in research (2003) and in teaching (2002), Rice University Graduated Magna cum Laude with departmental honors (1999), Centenary College Chemistry Graduate of Year (1999), Centenary College Organic chemistry student of year (1998), Centenary College PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Research Chemist, Condea Vista Corporation, Austin, Texas, 2001-2002 Industrial Internship in synthetic organometallic chemistry. Responsible for the design and synthesis of novel olefin oligomerization catalysts.

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By Henry Miller

Kevin Talbert

Hello! I have the privilege to teach future teachers! C of I education students get to be “in the field” from their very first education class at The C of I, and by the time they graduate they have numerous authentic teaching experiences in local schools to supplement their learning here on campus. It is through the combination of field experience and on-campus coursework that students develop into the caring, critical, and competent teachers that schools around the valley covet. I am thrilled to contribute to the preparation of our many excellent teachers! Here in the Education Department, I teach EDUC 3100 Foundations of Schooling and EDUC 4030 Teaching in a Diverse Society, and I supervise some of our student-teachers as they get their first full-time teaching experience in local schools. Recently, I have been studying the work of Fred Rogers and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Mister Rogers was an exemplary educator and truly embodied the educator’s call to teach as an act of love, truth, and justice. Prior to The C of I, I worked as a post-doctoral fellow for the Urban Teaching Cohort at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, a program that helps prepare students who wish to teach in high-needs schools, especially in urban areas. I also did my graduate work at Miami U., and before that I taught high school social studies in Lima, Ohio. In my time at C of I, I’ve encountered engaged students who ask good questions, a committed faculty, and helpful and courteous staff—a true campus community. I’m happy to be a Yote! EDUCATION Ph.D., Educational Administration: Curriculum and Cultural Studies, Miami University, 2012 M.Ed., Curriculum and Teacher Leadership, Miami University, 2008 B.A., History, Ohio Northern University, 1999 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Grow up Great Fellow, Fred Rogers Institute (2024-2026) Professor, The College of Idaho (2024- present) Associate Professor, The College of Idaho (2019-2024) Assistant Professor, The College of Idaho (2013-2019) Post-doctoral Fellow, Urban Teaching Cohort, School of Education, Health, & Society, Miami University (2012-2013) Teaching Assistant, Department of Educational Leadership, Miami University (2008-2013) Social Studies Teacher, Shawnee High School, Lima, OH (1999-2007) SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH DeVitis, J. L. and Talbert, K. M. (Eds.). White Christian Nationalism and the Assault on American Education. (forthcoming, Palgrave Macmillan Press). Talbert, K. M. (2026). Standing in a Raging River: How Post-Truth Carves Idaho’s Sociocultural Landscape. In J. DeVitis (Ed.) Post-Truth’s Assault on America’s Schools and Colleges. Emerald Publishing. Talbert, K. M. (2024). Engaging Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood as a Great Curriculum: A Curriculum Critique. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 39(2), 16-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.63997/jct.v39i2.1139 Talbert, K. M. (2022). Currere prayers of a new father. Currere Exchange Journal, 6(1), 99–102. Talbert, K. M. (2020, March 26). An open letter to accidental home-school parents. Tales from the Classroom blog. Talbert, K. M. (2020). Who am I? or Condemned by speaking and damned by silence: A decades long currere journey. Currere Exchange Journal, 4(1), 30-37.

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By Henry Miller

Jeff Snyder-Reinke

I was raised just down the road in Ontario, Oregon, and had the good fortune of joining The College of Idaho faculty in 2006. I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where I specialized in the study of modern Chinese history and East Asian religions. My dissertation research was conducted at the Institute for Qing History in Beijing while on a Fulbright fellowship. Out of this research came my first book, Dry Spells: State Rainmaking and Local Governance in Late Imperial China, which was published in the Harvard East Asian Monograph Series in 2009. I am currently working on a book-length study of grave desecration in the Qing dynasty. Here at The College of Idaho, I teach courses in modern world history and a variety of topics in Asian history, including Modern China, Modern Japan, Modern Tibet, Southeast Asia, and Religion and the State in Late Imperial China. In addition, I co-led a College of Idaho study tour to China in winter 2008 and one in the summer of 2012. When I am not teaching or doing research, I spend my time trail running, skiing, climbing mountains, and taking care of my twin boys, Rhodes and Ike. EDUCATION Ph.D., University of Michigan M.A., University of Michigan B.A., Northern Michigan University

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By Henry Miller

Sue Schaper

I occasionally describe literature as articulation of human experience. Of course an array of disciplines has emerged to explore particular dimensions of human experience, and the creation and study of literature has been enriched by the influence of many fields of study. I think this realization resonates with students at The College of Idaho because under its PEAK curriculum, students explore a selection of disciplines in depth and are invited to identify meaningful correspondences. In the course of my own education and scholarship, my interests have led me to forays into history, biology, anthropology, and art history, just to name a few. Each of these forays has left me with a deeper understanding and appreciation of literature. I teach a variety of courses at The College of Idaho, and each is attentive to what appear to be the most fruitful ways of studying class texts. Consequently, my courses may pursue the insights gleaned from concentration on language, form, and the evolution of genres; biography; the practices of literary marketplaces; and the historical and cultural contexts from which texts emerge. My fascination with literature often centers on gothic and crime narratives, children’s literature, and regional identity and sense of place. The latter prompts me to travel regularly to the British Isles, exploring the many facets of cosmopolitan London, hiking in the Yorkshire Dales and Scottish Highlands, or contemplating small community life and tradition in the Orkney, Aran, or Channel Islands. Threaded throughout, however, is a central set of questions: what power does literature hold to express and influence people’s perceptions of their experience? what did a work of literature attempt to communicate to its initial readers? what has it communicated to its subsequent readers? and how can studied, imaginative engagement with it help us understand ourselves? EDUCATION Ph.D., Indiana University M.A., Washington State University B.A., Luther College PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE At The College of Idaho, she teaches modern British literature, First Year Seminars on the American West, and Native American fiction. Her courses cover such topics as crime literature, the supernatural in literature, the Brontës, and World War I literature. She also regularly participates in an interdisciplinary, team-taught course in London. She is the faculty supervisor of the British Studies PEAK minor and also serves on the Idaho Humanities Council. SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH “Victorian Ghostbusting: Gendered Authority in the Middle-Class Home” Victorian Newsletter 100 (2001): 6-13. Rev. Of Victorian Ghosts in the Noontide: Women Writers and the Supernatural by Vanessa D. Dickerson. Victorian Studies 42 (2000). 677-679.

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