| Place a Classified | Subscribe today | July 6, 2009 |
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Laura Vailas embraces new life in Pocatello
POCATELLO - Laura Vailas has been busy. In addition to raising daughter Alexandra and supporting husband Arthur, the newly-named president of Idaho State University, she has held a variety of positions over the years related to her passion for research and university administration. So what is she going to do in Pocatello?
“I'm going to wait and see what happens,” Vailas, 55, said. “I need to learn a little more about Idaho before I commit to any one thing.” Having earned her masters in Dietary Research at the University of New Hampshire and her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vailas has the skills to work in science, but said recently she's had more experience in administration. She served as associate dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Houston before her husband signed on at ISU. While there, she helped write a grant that brought in $3.5 million for the Lewis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. The grant was recently renewed, bringing in an additional $5 million.
Vailas's resume is loaded with research and leadership experience, and though she doesn't have an official position yet, her expertise is not going to waste. “I've sat in on a lot of [ISU] meetings so far, and people have sought my advice on a number of things,” Vailas said.
Whatever she decides to do, Vailas said she would like to get involved in everything related to ISU, traveling to the places and meeting the people that the university impacts. While she finds her focus, she said she is enjoying getting to know her new home. “I just can't get over the mountains here. They almost look like they could be a backdrop,” Vailas said. “I really absolutely love [Pocatello].”
The questions: ISJ: What's your favorite food?
Vailas: I love gourmet cheeses - particularly a good gruyère or Manchego. ISJ: If you could have dinner with one famous person, who would it be?
Vailas: Madalein Albright - I admire her tremendously. ISJ: Who inspires you the most?
Vailas: My husband, Art. ISJ: Who's your ideal next-door neighbor?
Vailas: My sister, Cia Spendolini, who lives in Rhode Island. ISJ: When (and if) you arrive at the gates of Heaven, what would you like to hear God say to you?
Vailas: “Well done, my child. Enjoy your family reunion.” ISJ: If you could choose a new career, what would it be? Vailas: I have already changed careers several times, and would never, ever, move out of university life. ISJ: What's the heaviest piece of furniture in your house? Vailas: The piano. ISJ: If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? Vailas: After assuring the financial security of my family, I would buy Art a cabin on the Salmon River, establish a large scholarship endowment at ISU, and establish a foundation to study and alleviate food insecurity in the United States. ISJ: What was the last good book you read? Vailas: Probably “Memoirs of a Geisha.” I love to read, but haven't had much time lately. ISJ: What's your favorite sport? Vailas: As a spectator, I love women's volleyball and basketball. I would love to play tennis decently. Maybe I'll take lessons. ISJ: What was your favorite vacation? By Daniel Mooney - Journal Writer
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