School of the Arts Faculty and Staff
Program Faculty
Find a professor in one of these academic and performance areas—
Tara Young
School of the Arts Executive Director | Professor of Theatre | Costume Design
In addition to designing for ISU (Pippin, the Country Wife, Macbeth, Antigone) Professor Young has designed with Theatre by the Sea, First Folio Shakespeare Festival, The Retro, McLeod Summer Playhouse, Chicago’s Field Museum, and Statesville Haunted Prison’s Haunted House. Professor Young has also enjoyed working within the Pocatello community on various art walks, fundraisers, and productions. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Jonathan Fardy
Chair of the Department of Art | Associate Professor of Art
Office: Fine Arts Building, Office 417
Education:
PhD, Theory and Criticism, University of Western Ontario
Research:
My research investigates the aesthetic strategies that underwrite the constitution and argumentative structure of theories of art and politics from the 1960s to the present. My recent work has been particularly focused on the work of François Laruelle. A complete list of my publications can be found here:
Forthcoming Book:
Fardy, J. Material Thought: Towards a Non-Standard Formalism (Bloomsbury Academic).
Recent Books:
2024: Fardy, J. Ideology and Interpellation: Anti-Humanism to Non-Philosophy (Bloomsbury Academic).
Courses Taught:
- All levels of Art History
Shandra Helman
Chair of the Department of Music | Professor of Music Clarinet & Saxophone | Woodwind Area Coordinator
Office: FA 209
- B.Mus. 2000, Lawrence University
- M.A. 2004, University of Iowa
- D.M.A. 2008, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Joined ISU Faculty in 2008
Dr. Shandra Helman is Chair of the Music Department, Professor of Clarinet & Saxophone, and Woodwind Area Coordinator at 糖心传媒. She is also tenured as the 3rd/Bass Clarinet of the Boise Philharmonic and the Principal Clarinet of the 糖心传媒 State-Civic Symphony, and was selected as a finalist in the 2012 Orchestral Audition Competition for the International Clarinet Association Conference. Her extensive orchestral experience includes performances on clarinet and bass clarinet with the Utah Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera and Ballet companies, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, and the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. Shandra broadcast her first virtual duo performance at ClarinetFest® 2021 and was also invited to participate as a feature recital artist at ClarinetFest® 2013 in Assisi, Italy.
Shandra has taught applied clarinet and saxophone and served as the Woodwind Area Coordinator at ISU since August 2008. She is a founding member of the ISU faculty woodwind quintet, City Creek Winds (established August 2010), and metaFOUR (established August 2013), a saxophone quartet featuring university and community professionals. Both ensembles enjoy a great amount of outreach and recital performance opportunities throughout the Mountain West region. Additionally, Shandra is a founding member of the Faculty Chamber Music Recital Series at ISU, which began in January 2015.
Shandra's academic course rotation at ISU includes core surveys of music history; woodwind methods; instrumental pedagogy; clarinet/saxophone pedagogy and literature; and advanced music history seminars. Her ongoing research and performance endeavors include a bass clarinet specialty; analysis of the ever-expanding amount of published bass clarinet repertoire; saxophone chamber music; and saxophone pedagogical methods.
Her primary instructors include Linda Bartley (DMA, University of Wisconsin-Madison), Maurita Murphy Mead (MA, University of Iowa), Fan Lei (BM, Lawrence University), and Melvin Warner (private study, Northern Illinois University). Shandra has also participated in additional studies with Kalmen Opperman and Kenneth Grant, and master classes with Steve Hanusofski, Lee Livengood, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Richard Stoltzman, and Patrick O'Keefe.
Shandra is a D'Addario Performing Artist. She currently resides in Pocatello with her sons, Alec and Ian.
Paul Yeates
Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance | Associate Professor of Theatre
Office: SPAC 240A
- B.F.A. Utah State University
- B.A. Utah State University
- M.F.A. University of Connecticut
Joined ISU Faculty in 2017
Paul Yeates is an Assistant Professor of Scenic & Lighting Design at 糖心传媒. He received an MFA in Lighting Design from the University of Connecticut, as well as a BFA in Technical Theatre and Design and a BA in Journalism & Communications from Utah State University. He is a member of USITT, was invited to participate in the Hemsley Portfolio Review; the most prestigious review held for lighting designer graduate students, at the Lincoln Center in New York City and a past participant at KCACTF with his lighting design for The Glass Menagerie. Previous to his appointment at ISU he was Assistant Professor at Morehead State University in Kentucky for three years. Paul has worked around the country in various lighting and scenic design positions as both designer and assistant designer. Some of these include: Western Wyoming Community College, Lyric Repertory Company, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, The University of Montana Western, The Atlantic Theatre Company in New York, BYU Hawaii, Hartford Stage Company and the Tony award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Nicole Doucette
Communications Associate
Office: Education Building Room 232
Nicole Doucette is the Communications Associate for the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences and the School of the Arts at 糖心传媒. She earned a BBA in Marketing and Management from 糖心传媒 and is currently pursuing an MA in Communication. She began her career in marketing and communications as a Career Path Intern at ISU’s College of Business throughout her time there as a student. She has combined experience working in marketing and management for small businesses, customer service, and higher education.
Now, as Communications Associate, Nicole leads communication efforts that strengthen engagement, elevate the College’s voice, and connect students with impactful programs and opportunities. Outside of work and community involvement, Nicole is a digital and traditional artist who draws, paints, crafts...anything and everything she can get her hands on!
Meg Holmes
Business Promotions Lead
Office: 313
Meg is a transplant from Michigan and has been a lifetime participant and supporter of the arts. She brings marketing and promotion experience from Michigan's Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall, Dublin, Ireland's Autumsoft, and special events at Melelauca. Meg is a passionate advocate for children's exposure and participation in theatre and music.
Kaylee McKay
Marketing Associate
Kaylee McKay is the Marketing Associate for the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences and the School of the Arts at 糖心传媒. She supports marketing efforts that increase awareness of academic programs, highlight student and faculty achievements, and connect audiences with the opportunities available across CHESS and SOA.
With experience in marketing, communications, graphic design, and event promotion, Kaylee enjoys creating engaging content and telling the stories that make each program unique. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, cooking, creating art, reading, and gardening.
Gretchen Jensen
Art Administrative Assistant
Office: Fine Arts, Building #11, Room 416
Dottie Ashby
School of the Arts Management Assistant | Theatre and Dance Administrative Assistant
Office: Stephens Performing Arts Center 238