Fettuccine Forum
Lively and informal, the Fettuccine Forum lecture series invites the public to interact with politicians, artists, historians, activists, advocates, and professionals in an effort to promote good citizenship and responsible growth through education.
These free, hour-long events take place at 6 p.m. (MT) in-person at Trailhead (500 S 8th St, Boise) in downtown Boise and virtually over ZOOM with automated live subtitles. Pre-registration is required to join virtually. Cash bar available for in-person guests. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Support from the Office of the Mayor, Boise State Public Radio, the Department of History at Boise State University, and Trailhead all make the Forum possible.
Let's Talk About Boise!
It’s been hard to miss Boise’s rapid growth over recent years and all the exciting transformations that have followed. Throughout years of expansion, diversification, and change, Boise’s increased national visibility has sparked conversations about identity and the character of our community.
For the 20th anniversary season of the Fettuccine Forum, we are excited to present a series that looks inward to our community and speaks to Boise’s historic people, cultures, and factors comprising Boise’s identity. Whether Boise has always been a familiar place or is a recently adopted hometown, come hear stories about the driving forces that have shaped our community and how they will continue to influence the future of this city.
The 2023 – 2024 Fettuccine Forum runs from October through March, with presentations on the lives and histories of Indigenous women, Boise’s immigrant populations, the environmental factors that shape Boise’s growth and development, and the historic and changing meaning of home in our community. We are excited to host the Forum at a new location in downtown Boise, and look forward to great conversations with our community!
Past Events
Connected Along the Edges: How Boise’s Environmental History Nurtured Community
Feat. Karl Brooks
April 4, 2024, 6 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Trailhead (500 S 8th St, Boise)
WATCH RECORDING
From Julia Davis Park and the Diversion Dam to the Boise Greenbelt and the Foothills Ordinance, Boiseans have been stitching community from diverse cultural, political, and natural elements. With varied experiences as an Idaho legislator, EPA administrator, and published university teacher, Dr. Karl Brooks explores how the city's environmental history, extending over 150 years, presented unique challenges, nurtured unusual alliances, and stimulated innovative projects.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Originally from Boise, Karl Brooks teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Public Administration and Law and Society (SPPA) at the University of Kansas. He joined the SPAA faculty in 2022 after five years in senior staff positions with the New Mexico Judiciary, and seven years as a senior political appointee in the Obama Administration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), first as the Heartland Regional Administrator based in Kansas City, and then as national operations manager at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. Karl practiced trial and appellate law for a decade (1983-1993) in his hometown of Boise, Idaho. He helped found the Boise Hawks minor league baseball team in 1987. Between 1993 and 1996, he directed the Idaho Conservation League and managed its legislative program. He served three terms in the Idaho State Senate (1986-1992), representing Southeast Boise and the Central Bench, before moving to Lawrence to earn his History Ph.D. with honors from the University of Kansas in 2000. From 2000 to 2010, Karl was an associate professor of history and environmental studies and a courtesy professor of law at KU. After a Supreme Court Fellowship in 2001-02, he authored and edited books and articles for both scholars and the public on environmental law, administrative law, and postwar environmental history.
Housing and Home in a Growing Boise
Feat. Krista Paulsen
March 7, 2024, 6 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Trailhead (500 S 8th St, Boise)
WATCH RECORDING
Given Boise’s recent growth, it’s no surprise that housing is on the minds of many residents. How can our city ensure that housing continues to be affordable and accessible to many types of residents? How might new types of housing change the neighborhoods that we call home? Dr. Krista Paulsen, Associate Professor of Urban Studies in the School of Public Service at Boise State University, considers the relationship between housing and home in Boise and its neighborhoods, how they connect to Boise’s past, and how they fit in Boise’s future.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Krista Paulsen is Associate Professor of Urban Studies in the School of Public Service where she teaches courses in Urban Studies and Community Development. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2000. Her research examines processes of change and stability in cities and neighborhoods, emphasizing the roles of culture, economy, and environment.