The Vandal Theory Podcast
“The Vandal Theory” podcast asks, “What gets University of Idaho researchers’ brains buzzing ... besides coffee?” These award-winning stories showcase researchers exploring and solving real-world problems. With interviews on all things Vandal, discover the world of U of I research with hosts Leigh Cooper and Danae Lenz.
Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform so you don’t miss an episode and to listen to past seasons.
Season 8, Episode 8: Taming the huckleberry
Question: Can you tell us about your first huckleberry hunt?
Steve Cook is the head of the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology at University of Idaho. He researches huckleberries and today he’s going to discuss why they’re so hard to domesticate and what he and his team are doing to solve that problem. If we’re lucky, he might give us some huckleberry hunting tips as well.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Professor brings mindfulness home
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Happy Go Chillin’” by Matthew Trent Cropper via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 8, Episode 7: Balancing energy and water needs
Question: How far ahead do you plan into the future?
Meet Andrew Kliskey, U of I’s President’s Professor of Community and Landscape Resilience and director of the Center for Resilient Communities. He’s going to chat with us about how he and his research team are working with communities to meet their energy and water needs for the future.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Design-build and landscape architecture students finish Healing Garden
Architecture alum redefines roller coaster designs
CAA senior prepares to leave U of I enlightened
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Daybreak Musing” by VIV1010 via soundstripe.
Season 8, Episode 6: If clothes could speak
Question: Is there someone in your life, past or present, who you associate with their clothes — like if they changed their outfit you would be confused about who they were?
Sonya Meyer is a professor in the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences and curator of U of I’s Leila Old Historic Costume Collection, which reflects the clothing across lower-, middle- and upper-class society in Idaho from around 1850 to the present. Today she will talk about what’s in the collection, how to preserve clothing and give us some examples of what TV shows and movies get right and wrong with their costumes.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I stories
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Power in You” by Micah Dahl Anderson via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 8, Episode 5: Beyond breastmilk
Question: As a mother, how stressful is it making sure your baby has a healthy diet?
Meet Bethaney Fehrenkamp, a reproductive immunologist and a clinical assistant professor of immunology with Idaho WWAMI, the state’s medical school. Fehrenkamp is passionate about understanding the complex interactions between maternal and infant health, which she will discuss today.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I stories
Studying medicine with a human perspective
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Facts in Motion” by VIV1002 via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 8, Episode 4: Trailer park transitions
Question: You probably know some of the stereotypes about people who live in trailer parks. Do you think those stereotypes live up to the reality?
Leontina Hormel is a professor of sociology in the Department of Culture, Society and Justice at University of Idaho. She researches environmental sociology, gender and class inequalities, and community action research. Today she will discuss the plight of a local mobile home park and the lessons learned there that could be used to make meaningful change in the future.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“The Facts About Facts” by Micah Dahl Anderson via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 8, Episode 3: Solving mysteries with tree rings
Question: Have you ever counted the rings of a tree?
Meet Grant Harley, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences at University of Idaho who has dedicated his lab to answering questions using tree rings. He is joining us to discuss climate change, crime fighting, volcanic eruptions and lost forests.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
First gen student earns top scholarship
Geology on Mars and in Minecraft
Researchers model vulnerable energy and water nexus
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Bouncing Ideas” by VIV1010 via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 8, Episode 2: Literary treasure hunting
Question: What do you think are some of the reasons why an author would prefer to use a pen name over their real one?
Zachary Turpin is an associate professor in the Department of English at University of Idaho who researches 19th-century periodical culture, archival research methods, digital humanities and textual recovery. He has worked to uncover unaccounted-for periodical works by American authors, including Walt Whitman, Emma Lazarus, Mark Twain, Anne Sexton, Cormac McCarthy and more. On today’s episode, he discusses uncovering lost works of literature.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Engineering wildfire prevention
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Detective Obvious” by Daniel Davis via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 8, Episode 1: Exploring killer yeasts
Question: Have you ever tried baking or brewing with yeast?
Meet Paul Rowley, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Idaho. Yeast are the basis of our breads and brews, but Rowley looks deeper into the secret lives of yeasts and how they interact with viruses and other fungi.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Vandal track athlete digs into medical studies
Internship studying giraffes directs biology undergrad’s future
First gen student earns top scholarship
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Slipstream” by DM154 via soundstripe.
Coming Soon: Season 8 of “The Vandal Theory”
Season 8 of “The Vandal Theory” will feature stories about the surprising and fascinating properties of yeast, uncovering lost works of literature, huckleberries and why it’s so hard to domesticate them, and using tree rings to solve crimes and find fake works of art. All that and more is coming your way starting Monday, Sept. 30. See you then!
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Engineering wildfire prevention
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
Season 7, Episode 8: Constructing Sustainable Houses
Question: What is the construction industry doing, or what might it do in the future, to make buildings more climate friendly?
Mike Maughan is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Idaho. His research focuses on materials development, advanced manufacturing, design and the intersection among them. Today he will discuss a project called PrinTimber, which he hopes will change the future of construction.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Breaking Through Bars to Education
Research Is Catalyst for Top Grad Schools
Sustainable Science Innovations
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Lasso the Moon” by Matthew Robert Mateus via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 7, Episode 7: Geology on Mars and in Minecraft
Question: Did you ever nerd out about geology as a kid?
Meet Erika Rader, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences at University of Idaho. We’re going to discuss how scientists are studying the geology of Mars, how astronauts will need to navigate when they get to the moon and even how to go on a geology field trip online.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Sustainable Science Innovations
Addressing the Mammoth in the Room
Researchers Model Vulnerable Energy and Water Nexus
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Through the Asteroid Belt” by Timber Music Supply via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 7, Episode 6: Education Inequalities and Student Mental Health
Question: What types of things do you imagine are harder for first-generation students to navigate while attending college, versus their peers whose parents also attended?
Meet Krista Soria, an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership and Counseling at University of Idaho. Her research focuses on the conditions that help students to learn, thrive and grow and how colleges and universities can create campus climates that support students from diverse backgrounds. Today she will discuss inequalities in higher education, the lasting effects of COVID-19 on students’ mental health and what faculty members can do to help.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Discovery Never Ends” by Brendan Warren Burns via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 7, Episode 5: Diversity in the Workplace
Question: Can you name types of diversity that could influence a team’s working dynamic?
Meet Yun Chung, professor of management and human resources at University of Idaho. Chung is going to walk us through several studies about diversity in the workplace including how diversity on a company board affects the company’s success and some nuances behind different types of diversity in the workplace.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Why Wouldn’t You Help People If You Can?
Football Player Nominated to Join National Community Service Team
Developing New Building Technology to Reduce Errors
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“The Facts About Facts” by Micah Dahl Anderson via Amphibious Zoo Music.
Season 7, Episode 4: Learning to Love Running
Question: How do you feel about running?
Meet Sharon Stoll, the director of the Center for ETHICS at University of Idaho and a leading authority in competitive moral education intervention techniques for college-aged students in America. She has been a consultant with many well-known organizations, including the U.S. military. Today she is going to discuss moral development in athletes and whether it’s possible to learn to love running.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“I'm Good, You're Good” by Sam Cardon via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 7, Episode 3: Exploring the Unknown Deep Soils
Question: Today we are talking about soil, so I want you to imagine digging a hole. How do you think the soil might change as you dig farther and farther down?
Meet Michael Strickland and Zachary Kayler, associate professors in the Department of Soil and Water Systems at University of Idaho. They are leading a national contingency of scientists in building what amounts to huge terrariums at U of I: all to study a world that scientists still don’t understand — the deep soils under our feet.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Wanderlust” by Cody Martin via soundstripe.
Season 7, Episode 2: Human Remains, Politics and Curiosity
Question: Do you think the dead have power over the living, either literally or figuratively?
Meet Kate Kolpan, an assistant professor in the Department of Culture, Society and Justice at University of Idaho. Kolpan is a bioarchaeologist and forensic anthropologist whose research focuses on migration, violence, warfare and the politics related to the exhumation, identification and commemoration of human remains in both the past and present. She will discuss the politics of human remains and how forensics in real life differs from how it’s depicted on TV.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
Meeting Educators Where They Are
Using Mathematics to Tackle Infections
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Redwood Chill” by Matthew Trent Cropper via Amphibious Zoo.
Season 7, Episode 1: International Sports Intertwine With Politics
Question: What does your favorite sports team jersey mean to you?
Meet Bill Smith, a clinical professor and director of the Martin Institute at University of Idaho. When athletes playing at the international level walk onto pitches, courts and fields, the politics of their countries tag along. Listen as Smith explains how cultural identity and politics are woven into soccer jerseys.
Email us at vandaltheory@uidaho.edu.
More U of I Stories
U of I Senior Identifies Reasons for Issue Polarization
Summer Internship in D.C. Became an Integral Part of Education
Professor, Students Help Police Investigators Dig Up Evidence
Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs via freemusicarchive.org, not modified.
“Colombian’s in Zimbabwe” by Anthony Catacoli via soundstripe.