The Vandal Theory

Question: What drives people to the polls? Markie McBrayer (go.uidaho.edu/43rzyqw) is an assistant professor of political science in the Department of Politics and Philosophy (go.uidaho.edu/423Gc3F) at University of Idaho. Her research focuses on American politics and policy with a focus on political institutions, representation and social inequality. Today she’s discussing takeaways from the rece...

Question: Do you use ChatGPT or another AI program? Meet Barrie Robison (go.uidaho.edu/3E34kvn), a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/4kwcihb) and director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/43TLX6C) at University of Idaho. Artificial intelligence seems to be infiltrating all aspects of our lives. Robison will discuss the ways U of I...

Question: Have you ever had a problem you just lived with because you assumed it couldn’t be fixed? John Crepeau (go.uidaho.edu/41ufl0H) is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (go.uidaho.edu/4iSt4oS) at University of Idaho who has had a hand in making all sorts of things, from a nuclear-powered Mars hopper to reimagined medical equipment. In this episode, he talks about his exp...

Question: Have you ever butchered animals, such as while hunting or at a farm or ranch? Meet Phil Bass (go.uidaho.edu/3XubJdD), associate professor of meat science in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/4kpnzjc) at University of Idaho. Whether as hamburger, filet mignon, ribeye or T-bone, beef is a staple on many American dinner tables. Listen as Bass discusses th...

Question: Have you ever gone hiking and got a tick? Janet Rachlow (https://go.uidaho.edu/43lwo7B) is a professor of wildlife ecology in the College of Natural Resources (https://go.uidaho.edu/3QOqHr7) at University of Idaho. She has studied mammals both large and small, and in this episode, she discusses two on opposite ends of the size spectrum. Visit our website go.uidaho.edu/thevandaltheory​. E...

Question: Growing up, did you ever ride horses? Meet Rebecca Scofield (go.uidaho.edu/414paCk), chair of the University of Idaho’s Department of History (go.uidaho.edu/418fGpC) specializing in American history. Bicycles, horses, mechanical bulls and dragons — Scofield brings new insights to the visuals of women riding astride beasts and machines throughout history and how that informs our current e...

Question: Can you tell us about your first huckleberry hunt? Steve Cook (go.uidaho.edu/3O6hc5u) is the head of the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology (go.uidaho.edu/3UKfCKj) 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 gi...

Question: How far ahead do you plan into the future? Meet Andrew Kliskey (go.uidaho.edu/3NZPbMT), U of I’s President’s Professor of Community and Landscape Resilience and director of the Center for Resilient Communities (go.uidaho.edu/4fiXxLq). 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. Visit our w...

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 (go.uidaho.edu/3YMfyfp) is a professor in the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/48uxHS4) and curator of U of I’s Leila Old Historic Costume Collection (go.uidaho.edu/4f8fUma), w...

Question: As a mother, how stressful is it making sure your baby has a healthy diet?  Meet Bethaney Fehrenkamp (go.uidaho.edu/48fYIZv), a reproductive immunologist and a clinical assistant professor of immunology with Idaho WWAMI (go.uidaho.edu/3BXhLvx), the state’s medical school. Fehrenkamp is passionate about understanding the complex interactions between maternal and infant health, which she w...

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 (go.uidaho.edu/4eMfylf) is a professor of sociology in the Department of Culture, Society and Justice (go.uidaho.edu/3A1ZhcJ) at University of Idaho. She researches environmental sociology, gender and class inequalities, and community ac...

Question: Have you ever counted the rings of a tree? Meet Grant Harley (go.uidaho.edu/4dKshU0), an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/4dLMUPV) 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. Visit our website go.u...

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 (go.uidaho.edu/4gQLFSk) is an associate professor in the Department of English (go.uidaho.edu/3XTA9wL) at University of Idaho who researches 19th-century periodical culture, archival research methods, digital humanities and textual recovery. He has worked to uncover...

Question: Have you ever tried baking or brewing with yeast? Meet Paul Rowley (go.uidaho.edu/3zxrdVG), an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/47KBAlq) 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. Visit our website go.uidaho.edu/t...

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! Visit our website go.uidaho.edu/thevandaltheory​. Ema...

Question: What is the construction industry doing, or what might it do in the future, to make buildings more climate friendly? Mike Maughan (go.uidaho.edu/3JxTiNT) is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (go.uidaho.edu/3UvMKpc) at University of Idaho. His research focuses on materials development, advanced manufacturing, design and the intersection among them. Today h...

Question: Did you ever nerd out about geology as a kid? Meet Erika Rader (go.uidaho.edu/3Q4YVqz), an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/448B2Ej) 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 onlin...

Episode 7.6: 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 (go.uidaho.edu/4aMFjzn), an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership and Counseling (go.uidaho.edu/3J9QIxh) at University of Idaho. Her r...

Question: Can you name types of diversity that could influence a team’s working dynamic? Meet Yun Chung (go.uidaho.edu/3vEnbc5), professor of management and human resources (go.uidaho.edu/4cM2pI4) 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...

Question: How do you feel about running? Meet Sharon Stoll (go.uidaho.edu/3vzwCJP), the director of the Center for ETHICS (go.uidaho.edu/4cwwVFQ) 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 d...

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 (go.uidaho.edu/3VuJr2r) and Zachary Kayler (go.uidaho.edu/4aub5Bf), associate professors in the Department of Soil and Water Systems (go.uidaho.edu/3PAgcYu) at University of Idaho. They are leading a national conting...

Question: Do you think the dead have power over the living, either literally or figuratively? Meet Kate Kolpan (go.uidaho.edu/3TBacBh), an assistant professor in the Department of Culture, Society and Justice (go.uidaho.edu/3TA3uv8) at University of Idaho. Kolpan is a bioarchaeologist and forensic anthropologist whose research focuses on migration, violence, warfare and the politics related to the...

Question: What does your favorite sports team jersey mean to you? Meet Bill Smith (go.uidaho.edu/3wPE1oz), a clinical professor and director of the Martin Institute (go.uidaho.edu/3ValAF9) 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 politi...

Question: Why do agricultural teachers stay in, or leave, their profession?? Meet Kattlyn Wolf (https://go.uidaho.edu/3n4iTX6), interim head of the Department of Agricultural Education, Leadership and Communications (https://go.uidaho.edu/41JDqj0) at University of Idaho. Wolf researches what motivates agricultural educators to keep teaching or leave the field. By and large, she and other researche...

Question: When it comes to complex social issues like gun violence, health care or in this case, the missing and murdered Indigenous population, how do we even begin tackling these problems? Meet Omi Hodwitz (go.uidaho.edu/3mULvlz), an associate professor in the Department of Culture, Society and Justice (go.uidaho.edu/3oBoe8C) at University of Idaho. Hodwitz and her students are compiling the mos...