Martin Blair
Host of ISU Research, Innovation, and Creativity InsightsBlair began his career as a special education teacher. Following that experience, he spent the next two decades at Utah’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Center for Persons with Disabilities, the Utah Assistive Technology Program, Utah’s Interagency Outreach Training Initiative, the National Center on Disability and Access to Education, and the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education. In the various positions he held during that time, he was well regarded for his trusting and collaborative relationships with colleagues from a variety of disciplines.
Blair holds a bachelor’s degree in special education, a master’s degree in secondary education, and a doctorate in education and disability policy from Utah State University. He also earned certifications from the National Leadership Institute at the University of Delaware and CITI: Social and Behavioral Research. He is an international policy research consultant, member of the “Together We Grow” consortium, and on the executive committee of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities Board of Directors. He has authored more than 100 publications.
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ISU’s 2025 Distinguished Researcher, Dr. Mustafa Mashal, ISU Structural Lab manager Jared Cantrell, and undergraduate student Prajita Budhathoki talk about engineering research that saves lives and builds a safer future for all of us. They describe recent projects that involve ISU students and partnerships that support innovations in bridge building, agriculture, and energy systems. -
ISU Professor and Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences, Zackery Heern, talks about the Middle East, religious persecution, and the hope that comes from understanding our common humanity. Heern’s research explores political and religious influences on the region and how these influences explain how people co-exist, or don’t, in this volatile region of the world. His 2015 book, “The Emergence of Modern Shi’ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran” reviews the foundations of modern Islam, and provides insight into the region's religious and political developments both past and present. -
The new director of the ISU Office for Research Development and the Associate Vice President for Research at ISU talk about expanding research opportunities for ISU faculty and students. They describe the value of research in higher education and how it benefits individuals and the communities where we live. They provide examples of how research results and creative scholarship improve our health, our ability to move around our communities, and our interactions with others. University-based research makes a positive difference in almost all aspects of our lives! -
ISU Biological Sciences assistant professor Dr. Heather Ray and Nelly Cyuzuza, an ISU graduate student, describe what they are learning about genetics and developmental disorders. They tell us how they got “hooked” on their interest in developmental biology. -
ISU assistant professor Kirsten Green Mink and biological anthropology graduate student Miles Rhoads discuss new uses of technology to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) endemic. We also talk about ancient Mayans and ways in which students can focus their experience and interest into interesting career paths. -
Dr. Donna Lybecker shares her thoughts about how words and narratives around political issues shape our long-term understanding. She describes how ISU students engage in research and academic activities that help them become more active and informed citizens in U.S. democracy. This prepares them for a variety of careers, and for life. -
ISU’s Laurie Holien discusses homeland security and emergency services training that protects U.S. national security interests nationwide. She describes how students in ISU’s online program learn from national experts and faculty from across the country. Graduates of ISU’s programs have leadership roles in FEMA, state and local governments. -
Idaho State University faculty researcher Shannon Kobs-Nowotniak and graduate student Daliedmarie Delgado Maisonet, talk about their research–what they describe as “things that go Boom!” They discuss what we learn from volcanoes and how that knowledge helps us understand our place in the universe. They describe their work with NASA in preparing astronauts for upcoming lunar missions. Learn more about the ISU Geosciences Department. -
Dr. Justin Dolan Stover, ISU Associate Professor, Department Chair of History, and ISU’s 2024 Distinguished Researcher, discusses the early 20th century history of Ireland and the impact of environmental destruction as a weapon of war. He describes how ISU students participate in his research efforts and offers a thoughtful explanation of the importance of historical research to answer contemporary political and societal questions. -
ISU Associate Professor Sarah Robey discusses the impact and history of nuclear energy in America. She talks about how the so-called “atomic age” of the past 70+ years has influenced cultural and societal expectations and relationships.
