Boise-based University of Idaho director named 2025 AAAS fellow

BOISE, ID — Katherine Himes, director of the McClure Center for Public Policy Research at the University of Idaho, has been named a 2025 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), according to a university press release.

The national honor recognizes Himes for her contributions to science diplomacy and state policy development, including her role in founding Idaho’s first science policy fellowship program.

Himes has led the McClure Center since 2017. During that time, she established the Idaho Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, a partnership among the state’s three public research universities. The program places scientists and engineers in state government roles to support policymaking with technical expertise. Since launching in 2020, the fellowship has included 11 participants working on issues such as wildlife management, rural STEM education and energy planning.

University officials say the program is designed to provide nonpartisan, research-based input to lawmakers and agencies.

Himes is one of a small group of University of Idaho researchers to receive the AAAS distinction, which is considered a lifetime honor recognizing significant contributions to science and society.

She is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and innovators selected as 2025 fellows and is expected to be formally recognized at the AAAS Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., in May.

The AAAS, founded in 1848, is one of the world’s largest scientific organizations and publishes the Science family of journals.