The Vandal Theory
“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.
Episodes
July 7, 2026 • 12 mins
How did the land-grant mission shape University of Idaho?
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary through the America250 commemoration, University of Idaho is exploring its own place in the American story. In this episode, Mario Pile, student ombuds, retention specialist in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/4oXnBl9) and a member of U of I’s America250 committee, discusses the Morrill A...
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April 20, 2026 • 29 mins
Have you ever struggled to decipher a scientific paper?
Meet Erin James (go.uidaho.edu/4vr4F13), a professor of English in U of I’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/4ccBDL0). She's also the director of the university’s sustainability certificate and co-director of the Confluence Lab (go.uidaho.edu/4mvIvX5). In this episode, she explores how storytelling shapes the way we understand the envi...
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April 13, 2026 • 27 mins
What is the difference between tendons and ligaments?
Meet Nathan Schiele (go.uidaho.edu/4bXeg80), associate professor of chemical and biological engineering (go.uidaho.edu/4tz9MKB) at University of Idaho — and a researcher engineering the future of tendon repair. Schiele is applying his engineering mindset to the construction of a human tendon. He describes how his lab and team of students are investigating what gives tend...
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April 6, 2026 • 29 mins
Question: How much do you think about the Constitution in your day-to-day life?
What does the Constitution actually do — and how does a document written more than 200 years ago still guide modern life? In this episode, University of Idaho law (go.uidaho.edu/4bKmRec) professor Richard Seamon (go.uidaho.edu/4sLjYQo) breaks down the basics of constitutional law, from individual rights to how judges interpret the document. Alon...
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March 30, 2026 • 28 mins
How much are you spending on groceries?
Meet Brett Wilder (go.uidaho.edu/4tdRA9s), an assistant professor and area Extension educator in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology (go.uidaho.edu/4rTG6qo). Agriculture shapes Idaho’s economy in profound ways — but behind the headlines about record revenues is a much more complicated financial picture. Wilder explains the forces driving today’s ag...
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March 23, 2026 • 23 mins
Have you ever painted outside?
Aaron Cordell Johnson (go.uidaho.edu/4uE79sl) is an associate professor of art and design in U of I’s College of Art and Architecture (go.uidaho.edu/4lCerc1). In this episode, he explains what plein air painting is, why artists choose to paint directly from the landscape and why stepping outside with an easel — instead of painting from a photo — can change the way a place is experi...
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March 16, 2026 • 29 mins
How many suggestions or examples do you give ChatGPT when you are asking for help?
Meet William Tai (go.uidaho.edu/4llzboe), the coordinator of the Doceo Center (go.uidaho.edu/4blXyOb) in University of Idaho’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. Artificial intelligence is already in our classrooms. Tai joins us to discuss how teachers can take advantage of AI for lesson planning and what ethical issues might ar...
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March 9, 2026 • 24 mins
Question: What is your favorite migratory animal fact?
Simona Picardi (go.uidaho.edu/3N8gkjL) is an assistant professor of wildlife ecology and management in U of I’s College of Natural Resources (go.uidaho.edu/4b2AYK8). She studies how animals move across landscapes and what secrets their movements reveal. In this episode, she explains how tracking technology and data analysis help uncover patterns in wildlife behavior and...
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March 2, 2026 • 25 mins
For the gardeners out there, how do you deter pests?
Meet Marty Ytreberg (go.uidaho.edu/3OLz49b), a professor in the physics department (go.uidaho.edu/40tUYjR) at University of Idaho and the director of the Institute for Modeling, Collaboration and Innovation (go.uidaho.edu/4rBxDZw). Alongside a large team of interdisciplinary scientists, Ytreberg is designing new fungicides to protect Idaho potatoes and, eventually, other crops....
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February 23, 2026 • 1 min
A new season of The Vandal Theory returns Monday, March 2, with bold questions and unexpected connections. From decoding what animal migration reveals about life on the move to taking a closer look at the U.S. Constitution, Season 11 dives into the forces that shape our world. You’ll also hear how scientists build fungicides from the ground up to protect Idaho’s signature potatoes — and why beef prices rise and fa...
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November 17, 2025 • 26 mins
Question: How much do you know about where the fish you eat come from?
Brian Small (go.uidaho.edu/4oLfkzy) is the director of the University of Idaho Aquaculture Research Institute (go.uidaho.edu/49wNXVx) and a professor of fish physiology in the College of Natural Resources (go.uidaho.edu/4hZSZMq). In this episode, he explains how research on fish nutrition, alternative fish diets and sturgeon caviar supports both the aquacultur...
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November 10, 2025 • 26 mins
Question: Did you ever learn about investing in school?
Meet Duff Bergquist (go.uidaho.edu/47Ud6rE), Barker Capital Management and Trading Program (go.uidaho.edu/3JGcSLs) director and senior instructor of finance. The Barker program along with its sister club, teach students about investing using real money. The students work with industry partners and alumni to learn about wealth management, risk management and financial analyse...
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November 3, 2025 • 29 mins
Question: What’s your favorite example of evolution?
Christine Parent (go.uidaho.edu/3WOPJtz) is a professor in the College of Science (go.uidaho.edu/4oJww8r) who studies the evolutionary biology of snails. In this episode, she shares how she earned the nickname “Snail Hunter,” what it’s like tracking these tiny creatures across the rugged landscapes of the Galápagos and what they can teach us about how li...
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October 27, 2025 • 28 mins
Question: What is your favorite horror movie?
Meet Russ Meeuf (go.uidaho.edu/4nj1jI2), professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Media (go.uidaho.edu/48I6Wfb) at University of Idaho — and a scholar who knows monsters better than most. What makes a monster truly terrifying? What do these creatures reveal about our deepest fears, our society and ourselves? And why do monsters evolve as our cultural anxieties change? Russ...
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October 20, 2025 • 29 mins
Question: Do you have a favorite myth?
Rochelle Smith (go.uidaho.edu/3WaYWMi) is the humanities librarian for the U of I Library (go.uidaho.edu/48ru5Cx). In this episode, she discusses the surprising ways gods, goddesses and other beings across cultures are connected to crafting and making. She also shares why these stories still matter today and what they reveal about human creativity and imagination.
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October 13, 2025 • 29 mins
Meet Tyler Bland (go.uidaho.edu/3Vt7q0W), clinical assistant professor in the School of Health and Medical Professions (go.uidaho.edu/4nJgRFM). Medical students struggle to learn and retain the fire hose of information they need to become doctors. Bland explains how he is using ingenuity, imagination and AI to create Pokémon-esque monsters and medically-themed movies to help his students learn.
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October 6, 2025 • 29 mins
Question: Have you ever repaired clothing?
Chelsey Byrd Lewallen (go.uidaho.edu/4gZXuWQ) is a senior instructor in the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences (https://go.uidaho.edu/3KrkCRR) at U of I and a sewist who’s rethinking the way we wear, care for and keep our clothes. In this episode, she discusses her new book, “Clothing Alterations and Repairs: Maintaining a Sustainable Wardrobe” (go....
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September 25, 2025 • 27 mins
Do you know where your water comes from?
Meet Liz Bageant (go.uidaho.edu/46eWQ3X), economist with James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research (go.uidaho.edu/4pvdeEZ). Liz is going to discuss how Idaho’s growing population, its aging infrastructure and regulations affect the future of drinking and waste water (go.uidaho.edu/4mlmnNt) in the Gem state and the jobs that this industry supports.
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September 22, 2025 • 59 secs
A new season of "The Vandal Theory" kicks off Monday, Sept. 29, with a lineup as curious and wide-ranging as ever. From teaching medical students through Pokémon, to exploring the future of Idaho’s water systems, to rethinking what it means to dress sustainably, season 10 is packed with discoveries. You’ll also hear unexpected twists in world mythology — plus a Halloween episode that brings monsters to life.
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July 28, 2025 • 9 mins
Alistair Smith (go.uidaho.edu/4mbiISI) is a professor and department chair in University of Idaho’s Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/419qiFi). He’s working with power companies across the globe to identify which types of vegetation are most likely to ignite — and what can be done to stop wildfires before they start. At U of I’s combustion lab, his team tests how vegetation burns under ...
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