Longtime Vandal appointed to executive position in Southeast Idaho
Marc Skinner’s doctoral work might come in handy as he prepares for his new job. Recently selected as University of Idaho executive officer of Southeast region, Skinner wrote his dissertation on the perception of UI among opinion leaders in the region.
Skinner said he studied the negative, party school perception of UI held by many in Southeast Idaho.
Marc Skinner
“There was just kind of a disconnect in our state,” Skinner said.
In his new position, Skinner will be the lead administrator for UI in Southeast Idaho, oversee all academic programs at the Idaho Falls branch campus and be UI’s representative in the region.
Skinner currently serves as associate dean of interdisciplinary studies and director of inter-university relations at Brigham Young University-Idaho, a position he took in 2008 after spending nine years as assistant director of the School of Journalism and Mass Media (JAMM) at UI.
“He is familiar with not only the lay of the landscape here, but he knows many people in academic units,” said Director of JAMM Kenton Bird, who worked with Skinner for many years.
Combined with his administrative skills and experience at BYU-Idaho, Bird said Skinner is a good fit for the position and will be a positive representative for UI in the southern portion of Idaho.
Skinner grew up a Vandal. As the son of Lynn “Doc” Skinner, the long-time director of the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, he interacted with many famous jazz musicians and his family developed a close relationship with jazz legend Lionel Hampton.
Skinner said Hampton treated his daughter Katelyn — who happened to be born on Hampton’s birthday — like his granddaughter, sending her two dozens roses each year.
Like his experiences at Jazz Fest, Skinner said he has fond memories of his undergraduate experience at UI.
“My experience there as a student was just remarkable,” Skinner said. “I made lifelong friends and felt like I received just a top-notch education.”
After earning his undergraduate degree, Skinner said he planned on going to law school but decided to defer for a year and began taking classes toward master’s degree at UI.
Skinner said he found his passion for teaching when he took up a last-minute offer to teach a speech class his first semester working on a master’s degree.
“I loved it. I hadn’t had any fun like that ever,” Skinner said. “In fact, I think I put a lot more time into that class than I did in my own classes I was taking.”
Like his father, Skinner said he was drawn to the university environment and enjoyed interacting with students.
In Skinner’s leadership position within JAMM, he helped with recruitment and retention and served as the academic adviser for all freshman and sophomore students. Broadcasting Professor Glenn Mosley, who worked with Skinner for years, said Skinner was devoted to student success, whether it meant finding extra scholarship money or counseling a student through a personal problem.
Mosley said he is glad to see Skinner return to UI and anticipates he will represent UI well in the southern region.
“This is an unbelievably terrific hire for this university,” Mosley said. “I can’t imagine he’s not going to be immensely successful in this job.”
With a secure job at BYU-Idaho, Skinner said the UI position was not originally on his radar, but he became motivated to apply after learning more about how the position was structured.
Skinner said he views the position as an opportunity to form new relationships with the business community, increase the visibility of the programs and attract potential students in the region. He said he plans to continue the strong relationship between UI and the Idaho National Laboratory, which houses the nuclear lab east of Idaho Falls.
“I’m thrilled to be back as part of the University of Idaho family,” Skinner said.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]