The Idaho Policy Institute (IPI), housed in the School of Public Service, is pleased to announce that research director Vanessa Fry will serve as interim director of the institute following the departure of Greg Hill.
Hill has accepted a new role as chief administrative officer and dean of faculty at the University of Utah’s Asia campus in Incheon, South Korea.
“IPI’s founding director, Dr. Greg Hill, has helped build the foundation for an impactful and resilient institute. I’m looking forward to working with the IPI team to continue scaling our work across Idaho and beyond,” Fry said.
Effective this summer, Fry has also taken over the instruction of the Master of Public Administration capstone course. This fall, she will co-launch a Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) to allow students to engage in research to address housing issues in the Treasure Valley.
In 2016, Fry co-founded the Idaho Policy Institute with Greg Hill. Since then, Fry has led projects focusing on a number of issues including education, workforce development, transportation, and housing and homelessness. Her scholarship has been influential throughout the state and beyond.
Throughout her education and professional career, Fry has focused on utilizing multi-sector, evidenced-based solutions to address persistent social, environmental and economic issues. Prior to joining Boise State, Fry collaborated with a number of non-profit organizations; she was the co-founder and former chair of what is now Sun Valley Economic Development, a public-private partnership. She has taught as adjunct faculty at Presidio Graduate School for more than 10 years and also serves on the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Greater Idaho, where she assists with strategic planning and fundraising.
Institute faculty and staff look forward to continued growth under Fry’s innovative and reliable leadership. The depth and breadth of Fry’s experience, along with her work as the research director of the institute, embody IPI’s core principles of collaboration, community responsiveness, educational impact, public engagement and research integrity.
Fry is an alumna of Boise State University, where she earned her doctorate in Public Policy and Administration from the School of Public Service. She also holds a MBA from Presidio Graduate School and a bachelor’s degree in biology and fine art from Wittenberg University.
Outside of her work at Boise State, she can often be found running, floating rivers, skiing and exploring Idaho with her husband, two daughters and puppy. Learn more about her in the School of Public Service’s 25 Questions series.