Draft:Steven John Lysne

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. StevenLysne (talk) 17:18, 30 September 2026 (UTC)

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Dr. Steven Lysne is an American educator, scholar, author, mentor, and outdoor enthusiast whose career has spanned higher education, scientific research, academic leadership, children’s literature, and mountain rescue instruction. Best known for his contributions to zoology, science education, and student success, Lysne has also authored scholarly and children’s books, secured multimillion-dollar federal grants, mentored aspiring scientists, and spent a lifetime exploring the mountains and wilderness of the American West.

Born with a passion for both learning and the outdoors, Lysne’s interests have always extended beyond traditional academic boundaries. His professional work reflects a commitment to helping others discover and develop their potential, whether in the classroom, the laboratory, the mountains, or through literature.

Lysne earned degrees in biology and wildlife biology before completing a Ph.D. in Science Education at the University of Idaho in 2015. His academic career has focused on the intersection of science, teaching, student development, and institutional improvement. He taught at Boise State University for three years before joining the College of Western Idaho (CWI), where he became a key figure in the development of the institution’s science programs.

At CWI, Lysne served as the founding Chair of the Department of Math and Science and later as the founding Chair of the Department of Natural and Physical Sciences. In these roles, he helped establish academic programs, curricula, faculty structures, and transfer pathways that strengthened opportunities for students pursuing careers in science, healthcare, and related fields.

A defining feature of Lysne’s career has been his dedication to mentoring students and expanding access to scientific research. Along with colleagues, he secured two National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bridges to Baccalaureate grants in the R25 and T34 series, totaling more than $4 million. These grants introduced community college students to biomedical research and provided financial support, faculty mentorship, and research experiences that enabled dozens of students to continue their education and pursue careers in science and healthcare. The programs became a model for strengthening pathways between community colleges and four-year institutions.

As a scholar, Lysne has authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications addressing science education, student success, academic standards, and higher education. He is also the author of Highschoolification, a scholarly examination of the increasing adoption of secondary-school practices and expectations within American higher education. His writing explores the consequences of these trends for academic rigor, student responsibility, and institutional culture.

In addition to his scholarly work, Lysne is the creator of The Fabulous Tale of Earl the Squirrel and His Friends in Gooseberry Woods, a children’s book series inspired by the birth of his granddaughters. Drawing upon his love of nature, wildlife, and storytelling, the series introduces young readers to imaginative adventures that emphasize friendship, curiosity, kindness, and an appreciation for the natural world.

Outside academia, Lysne has spent much of his life pursuing outdoor adventure and mountain travel. Having lived in Wisconsin, Colorado, Idaho, and other regions of the United States, he has been an active climber, skier, hiker, and mountaineer for decades. He served as a member of the National Ski Patrol and later became a mountain travel and rescue instructor, teaching outdoor emergency care, mountain safety, and rescue techniques. Through both the National Ski Patrol and the Boise Community Education program, he instructed members of the public in wilderness travel, rescue skills, and risk management.

Among his mountaineering accomplishments, Lysne participated in the first ascents of two technical climbing routes in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains. Descriptions of these routes are published in the prestigious Journal of the American Alpine Society.  Although he now describes himself as an “armchair mountaineer,” he remains a passionate advocate for outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and the lessons in perseverance and self-reliance that wilderness experiences can provide.

Throughout his career, Lysne has sought to inspire others through education, mentorship, scholarship, storytelling, and service. Whether helping students enter biomedical research, leading academic programs, writing for children, or teaching mountain rescue techniques, his work reflects a belief that curiosity, exploration, and learning are lifelong endeavors.

Selected Accomplishments

·      Ph.D. in Science Education, University of Idaho

·      Educator and mentor with more than two decades of experience in higher education

·      Founding Chair, Department of Math and Science, College of Western Idaho

·      Founding Chair, Department of Natural and Physical Sciences, College of Western Idaho

·      Co-recipient of two NIH Bridges to Baccalaureate grants (R25 and T34 series) totaling more than $4 million

·      Mentor to dozens of community college students pursuing biomedical research careers

·      Author of nearly two dozen peer-reviewed scholarly publications

·      Author of Highschoolification (noun): the tragic demise of the greatest public education system in the world; a critique of higher education practices

·      Creator of The Fabulous Tale of Earl the Squirrel and His Friends in Gooseberry Woods; a children’s book series

·      National Ski Patroller 1995 – 2003; Wilmot, WI, Eldora, CO, and Bogus Basin, ID. Mountain travel and rescue instructor 2000 – 2003

·      First ascents of Weekend Warrier (III 5.9 MI) and Great Gully (III 5.8 MI), climbing routes in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains