Bohach wins CSI’s Maxine Bell award 
Dr. Carolyn Hovde Bohach has been selected by the College of Southern Idaho Board of Trustees as the 2023 recipient of the Representative Maxine Bell Education Advocate Award, the school announced Monday.
The award, which honors individuals who have been diligent supporters of Idaho education and whose lifetime contributions merit recognition, is named for former Jerome Rep. Maxine Bell in honor of her contribution to education in Idaho, including during her time in the Idaho House of Representatives and as Co-Chair of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Several deserving nominations were reviewed by members of the college staff prior to the two finalists being forwarded to, and approved by, the CSI Board of Trustees. The criteria for selection as an award winner include evidence that contributions are significant as an advocate for education within the public sector of Idaho, evidence that contributions have been sustained over time, and evidence that the contributions have markedly improved education within Idaho, and specifically the region served by the College of Southern Idaho. “Receiving the 2023 College of Southern Idaho Maxine Bell Education Advocate Award is thrilling and humbling,” Dr. Bohach said upon learning of her selection. “Since 2001, my colleagues and I in the NIH-funded INBRE Program have together ‘changed the culture’ of Idaho STEM education to include undergraduate research opportunities that prepare students for the workforce or for graduate/professional degrees.”
A University of Idaho Distinguished Professor, Dr. Bohach serves as director of the Idaho IDEA Network for Biomedical Excellence (INBRE), which, through fall 2022, had worked with 5,800 Idaho undergraduates.
Bohach will be honored at the Dec. 11 meeting of the CSI trustees.
