The Questions That Shape a Life

At the same time, Nancy Shaw was beginning a graduate program at ISU with an interest in plant ecology, but she said she was still wondering, “Where will this interest take me?”

Decades later, David and Nancy have built lives and careers shaped by science, education, and service. Now, through a planned gift to Idaho State, they are helping give today's students the same opportunity they had: the opportunity to ask questions, pursue answers, and discover where those questions might take them.

For David, coming to ISU was partly about curiosity and partly about adventure. He had grown up in Minnesota and wanted to move west and experience a different part of the country. But he also wanted the chance to work toward a master’s degree.

That opportunity came from Dr. G. Wayne Minshall who offered David a research assistantship working on the International Biological Program's Deep Creek project. The position provided the financial support David needed while giving him hands-on experience conducting scientific research.

David eventually completed his master's thesis on colonization of artificial substrates by stream insects in Mink Creek, just outside Pocatello. The experience gave him more than a degree.

“I want to thank Dr. Minshall and ISU for the opportunity to try my hand at doing original scientific research,” David said. “What I learned was truly formative in my life and career, especially in terms of knowledge gained and the people I met.”

That early experience continued to influence David throughout his career. While completing his master's degree, he also pursued teacher certification, preparing for another goal he had long planned on — becoming a science teacher. He went on to teach biology and earth science in Terreton-Mud Lake before moving to Nampa, where he eventually taught nearly every science course offered in the school district for grades 7 through 12.

After retiring from public school teaching, David has continued sharing his knowledge through volunteer tutoring with the Boise Learning Lab, helping immigrants learn English or prepare for the citizenship exam, and helping students prepare for the GED.

For David, the science he learned at ISU never stayed confined to a laboratory or classroom. It became something he could bring into the lives of others.

For Nancy, the answer to her question was not immediately clear. As an undergraduate biology student at the College of Idaho, she had developed an interest in plant ecology through summer field trips to Mexico. When she began her master's program at ISU in 1972, she expected to continue exploring that interest.

Then a plant physiology class introduced her to seed biology. The subject caught her attention and led to thesis research with Dr. Karl Holte on the germination biology of a native grass.

“I didn't know then that a section on seed biology would lead me toward a career in native seed research and ecological restoration,” she said.

The research gave Nancy a new direction and introduced her to the developing field of ecological restoration. After completing her master's degree at ISU, she earned a Ph.D. in crop science at Oregon State University, where she continued to study native seed biology and ecology.

That training eventually led to a career with the U.S. Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station in Boise, where she conducted research on native plant materials and restoration strategies for degraded lands in the Great Basin.

During the final decade of her career, Nancy focused particularly on increasing the supply and use of native seed for post-fire restoration. Even after retirement, she has continued the work as an emeritus scientist with the Rocky Mountain Research Station and as a board member of the International Network for Seed-based Restoration.

Her career is a reminder that the most meaningful paths are not always obvious at the beginning. A single section of a graduate-level class can open a door. A research project can become a career. An interest that begins with a question can grow into decades of work that benefits people and the natural world.

David and Nancy's experiences at ISU were different, but both were shaped by the opportunity to explore. That opportunity is something Nancy recognizes particularly clearly.

“When I completed college and graduate school, opportunities for women in the sciences were limited. I knew what I was interested in academically, but I didn't yet understand the range of careers that might be available to me,” Nancy said.. “My education, along with the growing opportunities for women and minorities in natural-resource careers, opened a door I could not have fully envisioned when I began. Today, it is gratifying to see more women and minorities pursuing graduate degrees at ISU and elsewhere and going on to careers in natural resources.”

For both David and Nancy, education has remained connected to possibility: first by giving students knowledge, and second by giving them the opportunity to discover how they can use it. 

That belief is at the heart of David and Nancy’s decision to include Idaho State's Stream Ecology Center in their estate plans. This planned gift will support undergraduate and graduate students conducting research in stream ecology, and possibly enjoying careers in the field.

“ISU gave us the opportunity to ask questions, explore our interests, and build lives and careers we could not have fully imagined when we started. We hope our gift gives students that same opportunity to discover what they can do and where their questions can lead.”