Kasiska Division of Health Sciences Celebrates Class of 2025 and Honors Outstanding Achievements

The Idaho State University Kasiska Division of Health Sciences is pleased to announce the graduating class of 2025, who have completed their degrees from over 35 health professions programs. This year’s class includes 888 degrees earned by graduates who will soon be entering many of the job fields that have recently experienced the highest percentage of workforce shortages, such as nursing, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. 

“We are so proud to introduce this year’s class of highly skilled and capable health care workers, who will make a positive impact towards improving  the shortages in so many health professions fields across the state,” says Rex Force, vice president for health sciences and senior vice provost.

Force says that since the late 1980s, the Kasiska Family Foundation has donated over $20 million to ISU . The money has funded scholarships, health science degree programs, equipment, special events and conferences. The awards ceremony included recognition of 46 students who received Kasiska Scholarships during the 2024-2025 academic year. Among them, five graduated in May:

Aleia Blakesleee, Health Science
Lacie Marshall, Communication Sciences and Disorders        
David Hooste, Health Science  
Summer Roberts, Health Science
Gianna Cox, Health Science

Professional Achievement Awards

ISU’s Professional Achievement Award was presented to two distinguished alumni: Dr. Cathy Cashmore in the L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy and Lorraine Backstrom in the College of Health. 

Dr. Cashmore, an ISU graduate from 1993, spent 23 years teaching at the College of Pharmacy, including eight as associate dean, while practicing in drug information, long-term care, and nuclear pharmacy. She helped expand ISU’s reach through the University of Alaska, Anchorage partnership and now co-owns Inclusive Care Clinic Pharmacy with her daughter—a pioneering model where pharmacists serve as both clinicians and prescribers, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Lorraine Backstrom, a member of ISU’s first bachelor’s degree in nursing class in 1967, was a trailblazer in geriatric nursing. After starting in emergency care, she spent over 30 years at Good Samaritan, leading as chief nursing administrator until 2004. She championed patient-centered care by eliminating bed restraints for the elderly, reducing inappropriate medication use, and introducing interdisciplinary care teams—setting new standards in long-term care. Her visionary leadership transformed elder care and left a lasting legacy in nursing.

Distinguished Faculty Awards

Two KDHS faculty members were honored for ISU’s Distinguished Faculty Awards:

2025 Outstanding Service Award Winner:

Dr. Diana Schow, Associate Professor, Community and Public Health

2025 Outstanding Teacher Award Finalist:

Dr. Irene Van Woerden, Associate Professor, Community and Public Health

Vice President's Excellence Award

The recipient of the Vice President for Health Sciences Excellence Award was Dr. Bill Woodhouse, professor emeritus of family medicine at ISU. Dr. Woodhouse spent 30 years advancing rural healthcare through teaching, clinical practice, and grant work supporting underserved populations. A University of Iowa graduate and longtime advocate for family medicine, he led numerous initiatives in workforce development, health policy, and community health. 

Honoring Years of Service

Joy Chivers was honored in April for 45 years of dedicated service to ISU, all of these years having been in the KDHS, which started, as she will say, “as two programs and a typewriter.” She is now part of an elite group of ISU employees with 25 or more years of service and will be further recognized during the University’s upcoming 125th anniversary celebration.