What can a pre-med student get from Boise State’s School of the Environment? Quite a lot, actually.
Lily Criswell is a biology major preparing for medical school, but some of her most meaningful Boise State experiences have to do with environmental research. As a student participating in a Vertically Integrated Project under College of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Marie-Anne de Graaff, Criswell studied soil in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem in the Boise foothills.
In spring 2025, Criswell won a Boise Cascade Corporation Environmental Research Fellowship from the School of the Environment. The grant supports her latest research project, studying the microbial communities connected with sagebrush plants. Her work could open the door to better post-fire restoration strategies that re-introduce microbes alongside sagebrush to the mutual benefit of both.
“There’s not a lot of research into quantifying what those specific microbes look like in this area,” Criswell said. “My project is focused on quantifying bacterial and fungal communities in burned and unburned sagebrush samples.”
Given Criswell’s extensive environmental research experience, it might be surprising to learn that her career goals lie elsewhere. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school and become a doctor.
“Growing up, I’ve always kind of witnessed frustration with the medical system because my parents are both retired peace officers who were medically disabled in the line of duty,” Criswell said.
Those experiences planted the idea of a medical career in her mind, but those seeds didn’t germinate until she entered Meridian Medical Arts Charter. “That’s kind of when I found out that I really like biology,” she said.
That drive and passion for biological sciences met their perfect pairing at Boise State, where Criswell got the opportunity to engage in impactful research as an undergraduate. “It’s so much different than taking a biology lab for a class. It’s more real,” she said. “You’re actually contributing something to science, which makes it a lot more enjoyable.”
Research opportunities for undergraduates are rare at other universities, but the Vertically Integrated Projects (or VIP) program at Boise State connected her with de Graaff, who was a biology professor and associate dean at the time.
Even if Criswell doesn’t go on to become an environmental researcher, this experience is still incredibly valuable for her goals. “Part of med school applications is they prefer you to have research experience,” she said. “But I’ve found that I really, really enjoy it.”
Criswell’s experience shows how the School of the Environment prioritizes experiential learning and research opportunities for undergraduates. Students frequently engage in research projects with faculty and find themselves in the field studying solutions to regional problems.