Dean of Engineering at University of Idaho shares journey to his position

November 2. 2009 -

UW alumna Donald M. Blackketter, B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. mechanical engineering, 1985, 1986, and 1989 respectively, currently serves as the Dean of Engineering at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Taking over as Dean in December 2008, He was previously the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair (2005-2008). With $15 million in research expenditures, 1200 undergraduates and nearly 400 graduate students, Don shared his excitement about his engineering career and journey to his position as Dean.

A long-time resident of Bozeman, Montana, Don had never been to Laramie prior to his enrollment at UW. An outdoorsman at heart, he and his wife Vicki longed to be near the mountains so the decision to attend UW was based on both the strength of the UW engineering program and the fact that Wyoming had a lot of mountain activities that appealed to their outdoor nature.

A driving force in Don’s life, his father was a professor of mechanical engineering at Montana State University. Don admits that he was lacking a career path but after hearing how much his father enjoyed his work, he felt that engineering would provide not only a rewarding career, but a way to earn a better living for his family.

Mechanical Engineering Professor John Nydahl served as Don’s undergraduate advisor at UW. “I recall going into his office to get registered for classes and Professor Nydahl looking at my low high school GPA. He listened to my reasons for entering engineering and after looking over a list of the classes I needed, he helped me make a plan for my first year,” says Don. “He never judged me, commented on my poor performance in high school, or told me I couldn’t get through the program, he was extremely supportive.”

A Wyoming education has served him well over the last 25 years and he shared that he is extremely appreciative of the commitment of faculty at UW to the students in making sure they had strong fundamentals of engineering. Each professor he had contact with was extremely respectful and supportive of his goals including Dave Walrath who was his Ph.D. advisor, Andy Hanson, Art Boresi, Don Smith, John Nydahl who was his undergraduate advisor, Kyn Pell his M.S. advisor, and Don “Doc” Adams. Also appreciative of the many connections he made with fellow classmates, Don enjoys working with fellow alumni Edwin “Ed” Odom, B.S.M.E. 1974, M.S.M.E. 1982, and Ph.D.M.E. 1991, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Idaho and Dave Egolf, B.S.M.E. 1966, who currently serves as a professor in electrical engineering at the University of Idaho.

Don and Vicki’s great love of the mountains and Western states took him and his family to Idaho. After completion of his Ph.D. program, he accepted an assistant professor position with the University of Idaho and they moved their family, in 1989, to Moscow, Idaho. As a result of his own experience, Don is a strong advocate of higher education and contributes his success as a Dean to the incredibly supportive and reliable faculty and staff at the College.

Don and Vicki have three children, son Riley, 28, who works in the construction management business in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, daughter Britni, 26, a school counselor in London; and son Shadd, 24, a construction worker in Surrey, B.C. Canada.