May 2026

Vanessa Fry, McAllister Hall, Maria Onaindia, Hannah Lang, John Gisler, Abigail Jenkins, Trevor Yarnell

Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) at Boise State University, in partnership with the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office (IDSOS), respectfully submits this proposal in response to the MIT Election Data + Science Lab’s Request for Proposals for Practice-Oriented Research to Improve Voter Registration and List Maintenance.

The proposed project, Building Authoritative Election Geography: Improving Voter Registration and List Maintenance in Idaho, addresses a practitioner-identified challenge related to the governance, maintenance, and usability of authoritative election boundary data, and its implications for voter registration accuracy, list maintenance, and administrative burden. The proposed work is designed to generate practical findings that are directly applicable to election administration practice while also contributing to the broader scholarly literature.

Student Researchers Graduate

Kristi Spalding, Parker Case, Mackenzie Thompson

At the beginning of May, three of our student researchers graduated from Boise State University! A huge congratulations to Kristi Spalding, Parker Case, and Mackenzie Thompson – we’re so proud of you and can’t wait to see all you accomplish.

April Realty Report

Maria Onaindia, McAllister Hall, Mackenzie Thompson

🏡 Spring realty activity is heating up across Boise and Southwestern Idaho, with more listings hitting the market and buyer demand staying strong. Check out the full April Market Update for local trends, inventory updates, and pricing insights.

Fry and Paulsen Present at International Conference on Urban Affairs

Vanessa Fry, Krista Paulsen

Drs. Vanessa Fry (IPI Associate Research Faculty)  and Krista Paulsen (Professor of Urban Studies) presented their manuscript, Innovating Infill: Evaluating a City’s Moveable Tiny Homes and RV Pilot Program to Expand Housing Affordability on Residential Lots at the 2026 International Conference on Urban Affairs. Their talk was part of a panel, Housing Supply & Densification Strategies, featuring three other papers: The Block That Shouldn’t Be Forgotten: J.J.P. Oud, Deregulation, and the Downfall of Collective Housing, Nodes of Density as a Sustainable Framework for Densification in Tempe, Arizona, Soft De-densification: The policy landscape and effects of dwelling unit combinations, and Where’s the Shortage? Housing Supply Among and Within U.S. Metro Areas.

Building Successful Collaborations Across Multiple States and Institutes

Vanessa Fry, Mackenzie Thompson

Dr. Vanessa Fry and recent MPA graduate Mackenzie Thompson facilitated a roundtable session at the Consortium of University Public Service Organizations annual conference at University of Alaska Anchorage. The session drew on a successful collaboration between public service researchers at the University of Wyoming, University of Montana, and Boise State University regarding amenity region growth in the intermountain West, drawing on economic and community data around population growth, tourism visitation, housing affordability, youth out-migration, workforce shortages, and resident sentiment. The discussion highlighted the benefits and challenges of creating a multi-state, multi-institute collaboration. Participants explored actionable strategies for developing collaborative and multi-state research that identifies and responds to strategic inflection points in communities they serve to collaboratively promote proactive, data-informed decision making and communication from higher education and local governance. Additional participants included Director Melissa Weddell of the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, University of Montana, and Director Dan McCoy and graduate student Jenny Bautz both from the WORTH Institute, University of Wyoming.

Fry Delivers Keynote at Visit Anchorage May Membership Luncheon

Vanessa Fry

Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry was invited to keynote Visit Anchorage’s May Membership Luncheon where she discussed how understanding the economic, social, and cultural contributions of creative industries can inform smarter policies, strategic investments, and sustainable growth. Drawing on examples from music festivals and creative communities, the talk highlighted how data, storytelling, and cross-sector partnerships can strengthen local economies, attract visitors, and enhance quality of life. Attendees gained insights into how communities can move from understanding their creative assets to taking action that supports and scales the creative economy. Following Dr. Fry’s talk, she moderated a panel discussion featuring local experts who will address questions about Anchorage’s music scene, including its challenges, advantages, and the role it plays in enhancing quality of life for Alaskans.

Panelists included:

• Jason Hodges, Executive Director, Anchorage Concert Association
  
• Jon Bittner, President and CEO, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation
  
• Kris May, Events Director, Anchorage Downtown Partnership
  
• Michael Howard, Executive Director, Alaska Creative Economies

This talk was catalyzed by Fry’s National Science Foundation funded Amplifying Impact project and the Idaho Music Census, a collaborative project with Music Idaho that seeks to better understand the economic and cultural impacts of Idaho’s music ecosystem in order to support policy advocates and leaders in future decision making. Idaho based Musicians, industry workers, and music businesses are encouraged to take the census and learn more information about the project.

Resource Nexus for Sustainability and Amplifying Impact Teams Participate in CRCA Event

Vanessa Fry

Resource Nexus for Sustainability (PI Brittany Brand and Co-PI Vanessa Fry) and Amplifying Impact (PI Vanessa Fry, Co-PI Nicole Molumby, Graduate Researcher Matthew Wordell, and Student Researcher Shavonne Bostaphe and Dabne McGuire) Teams participated in the Center for Research and Creative Activity event, Beyond Boundaries: Mapping and Mobilizing Interdisciplinary Networks, an event dedicated to fostering cross-campus research collaborations. Team members engaged in interactive activities, learned from other successful existing interdisciplinary teams, and created collaborative posters that highlighted their research networks and outcomes.

IPI Welcomes Summer Student Researchers

Summer has officially arrived at IPI! As we head into the warmer months ahead, we’re welcoming three new interns to our team.

Abigail Jenkins

Originally from Boise, Abigail is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Cultural Studies with minors in Nonprofit Management and Critical Theory. While at IPI, Abigail hopes to develop her skills in research and collaboration with community partners to inform policymaking that supports local communities and advances community access and engagement.

Abigail brings experience researching alongside refugee communities through Community-Based Participatory Research to improve healthcare provider-patient communication and intergenerational communication. She has also completed internships related to leadership development and the study of film and literature at the Idaho State Correctional Institution.

Ronan Wulfekuhle

Ronan is a Master’s of Public Administration student at Boise State University. A two-time Bronco, Ronan previously graduated from Boise State earning a Bachelor’s in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations and a minor in Economics. This spring, Ronan served as a Student Research Technician for the MPA program, and will be a Graduate Assistant for the MPA program starting next fall. He has quickly adapted to researching policy areas unfamiliar to himself, and is interested in using his research experience to aid community partners.

Trevor Yarnell

A senior at Boise State University, Trevor is studying Political Science and will minor in Legal Studies with a certificate in Data Analytics with R. Originally interested in attending law school, Trevor is now passionate about research and teaching. In the classroom, he’s had the opportunity to examine state and federal courts, public opinion, and state policy research. His capstone will focus on the campaign contributions of political science faculty at elite US universities. Outside of the classroom and work, Trevor enjoys binging new tv shows, watching movies, and bowling.