Impactful Teaching
STEVE BYERS, PhD
Professor of finance and chair for the Department of Finance and Economics
Byers was recently named the first recipient of the Gary D. and Susan G. Campbell Dr. Bill Phillips Endowed Professor of Finance by ISU’s College of Business.
The professorship, established by alumni Gary and Susan Campbell, was created to support professors who demonstrate similar qualities to those of Dr. Bill Phillips, a College of Business professor who taught finance for several years and impacted many students with his dedication to their success.
Byers teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in corporate finance, investments, financial institutions management, and health care finance. He is a consultant in the areas of corporate finance and valuation. He frequently conducts executive development in-house programs for corporations and teaches abroad at Iceland's Rekjavik University master’s of business administration program.
Prior to becoming a professor, Dr. Byers worked in corporate finance at NCR Corporation and Bristol-Myers Squibb. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy on board nuclear submarines.
"As someone who was initially worried about taking a finance class online, I can honestly say that Dr. Byers exceeded my expectations. He explained each topic in a way that was easy to understand, and his videos were not only informative but engaging. Despite the online format, Dr. Byers was always easy to reach via email and was quick to respond with helpful explanations whenever I had questions. Though I had concerns about the challenges of an online finance course, I ended up learning so much and earned a good grade, thanks to Dr. Byers’ deep knowledge, excellent teaching methods, and the comprehensive resources he provided. He really made the course accessible and enjoyable."
-Curtis Dey, MBA Graduate
KRISTI GLICK
Associate Lecturer and Head of the Metals and Jewelry program
Department of Art, College of Arts and Letters
Kristi Glick is nationally known for her work in metals and enameling, and her work has been exhibited in many national and international juried exhibitions. She teaches workshops for crafts schools and artists groups around the country.
Glick recently participated in an invitational, awarded, five-day artist residency at the Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft in Columbia, North Carolina. This residency, Project Mesh, was created five years ago with the goal of bringing together 12 enamelists from diverse backgrounds and practices. In the fine art field, an invitation to an exhibit or a residency is an indicator of distinguishing oneself in a field of expertise. In addition to supporting her research, Glick attended Project Mesh to help meet an important art department need, to form connections that will help ISU students find employment related to their art degree once they graduate. Focusing on what students need in her own studio time exemplifies ways that Glick consistently focuses on transforming student lives.
“Kristi listens to everyone, she is the most inclusive teacher we have ever met. She never judges and always guides. The studio work is so difficult and she is always a step ahead of us to avoid problems before they arrive. She makes sure assignments relate to us personally. She is the kindest faculty we have ever experienced”
- Jan Smith, Debra Black Bear and Jeff Davies, non traditional students who return to Metals class every semester
“Kristi is the reason why I keep coming back everyday, her class is the highlight of my week.”
- Abby Card, Anthropology Major, Senior
LUCY WILKENING, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor
College of Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology
Lucy Wilkening teaches a range of pharmacy and graduate-level courses, including Disorders of the Central Nervous System, a comprehensive psychopharmacotherapy series, and clinical rotations for a variety of student learners. She also contributes her expertise to courses in other ISU allied health programs and serves as a faculty lead for the Prescribing Psychology Fellowship, helping prepare the next generation of prescribing psychologists.
In addition to her academic responsibilities, Lucy operates the ISU Integrated Mental Health Clinic, where she provides direct care to Idahoans—including ISU community members and students—addressing a wide spectrum of mental health conditions. Her clinical work informs her teaching, allowing her to bridge classroom concepts with real-world application and promote a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to care. Lucy believes that ISU is playing a key role in shaping the future of integrated mental and behavioral healthcare in Idaho and is passionate about mentorship, experiential learning, and expanding access to quality mental health services throughout Idaho.
“Dr. Wilkening consistently exceeds expectations and brings significant value to the college and university. Her contributions this year were both broad and deep, and I appreciate her continued leadership across roles.”
“I hope that Dr. Wilkening recognizes her impact on both the MSCP students, PharmD students, and patients in the IMH Clinic. Dr. Wilkening is a great asset to the ISU community.”
- L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy Dean Tom Wadsworth
ADAM SQUIRES
Clinical Assistant Professor
College of Health, Department of Physical Therapy
Adam is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy teaching a series of 3 courses on the management of musculoskeletal pathologies to 1st- and 2nd-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students. He also assists in teaching the Kinesiology and Therapeutic Exercise courses to 1st-year DPT students.
Adam came to ISU one year ago after working for 7 years in a private practice clinic that focused on orthopedic injuries. He has a passion for helping students develop and deepen their clinical reasoning skills in order to provide the best care possible.
"At the end of the day, we are training future health care providers that will be trusted with caring for family and community members, so I do my very best to make sure I am bridging the gap between the material in a textbook and its application to real-to-life scenarios." — Adam Squires
Adam is an amazing professor and I enjoy his class very much. He is a great resource to us students and is always willing to help us when needed. We all respond very well to his teaching style and just overall appreciate who he is. ... There are no surprises in his class, he effectively communicates his objectives and we know exactly what he is expecting from us students. I respect him very much as a teacher and a clinician and it is very clear to see that he cares for his students and fosters our learning. We really appreciate Adam and everything he does for us."
"Dr. Squires has to be one of the best professors I have ever had. He has created an atmosphere that evokes learning. He is always prepared for class and any questions we could possibly have. The course is set up in a way that flows in a fashion that makes sense and allows information to build off of it. He also demonstrates the skills so we can actually see it before needing to just do whatever it is he is teaching us. Additionally, he is more than willing to help us whenever we need it which I really appreciate about him."
— Students in Adam's courses
JOANNE TOEVS
Clinical Instructor
College of Education, Teaching & Educational Studies
Joanne Toevs has a lifelong passion for reading and has been honored to teach reading and literacy in the College of Education at ISU for more than 20 years. She believes that children who develop strong reading skills are more likely to succeed academically and as lifelong learners.
Contributing to literacy education and preparing future educators has been both a privilege and a joy throughout her career. She remains dedicated to mentoring teachers and fostering a lifelong love of reading in every learner.
Mrs. Toevs genuinely cares about each and every one of her students. She understands the pressure that we are under to become teachers while also trying to be full-time parents and employees. This world needs more educators like Mrs. Toevs because she truly is the difference between giving up and striving
to succeed in Teacher Education. She gave me all the tools I needed to complete a successful semester and because of her, I passed all four of my ICLA’s on the first try. I will hold the knowledge that Mrs. Toevs provided me with for the rest of my career, and my life.”
— Students at Idaho State University