18 Facts About Chuck Staben

Charles Alan Staben was born on May 3,1958 and is an American academic professor who served as the 18th president of the University of Idaho from 2014 to 2020.

Chuck Staben was previously provost at the University of South Dakota and the acting vice president for research at the University of Kentucky.

Chuck Staben attended Waukegan Township High School and graduated in three years.

Chuck Staben was a member of the swim and tennis teams, was Outstanding Math Student of the Year, and graduated as valedictorian.

Chuck Staben attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and majored in biochemistry.

Chuck Staben earned his doctoral degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1984, serving as a graduate research and teaching assistant.

Chuck Staben completed an industrial postdoctoral research fellowship at Chiron Research Laboratories from 1985 to 1986 and a postdoctoral research fellowship at Stanford University from 1987 to 1989.

Chuck Staben taught microbiology, genetics, bioinformatics, and introductory biology, winning awards including the College of Arts and Science's "Distinguished Teacher Award" from 1997 to 2000, that college's most prestigious teaching award.

From 2008 to 2014 Chuck Staben served as provost and vice president for academic affairs of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

Chuck Staben implemented additional changes to increase access to education, including free admission processing for all Idaho residents and a "durable admissions" program that allows student to defer admissions for up to four years after initial admission, accommodating students who have post-high school experiences such as religious missions, military service or "gap" years.

Chuck Staben maintained office hours where any student, faculty member, staff member, community member, or group was invited to meet with him.

Chuck Staben challenged students to play him in racquetball, offering to buy lunch for the student who could beat him.

Chuck Staben emphasized innovation in the university's research mission, updating intellectual property guidelines in 2014.

University research expenditures grew 15 percent during Chuck Staben's tenure, reaching a high of $109.5 million in FY2017.

Chuck Staben took a more holistic view of athletic department accounting than the board, arguing that when the tuition paid by non-scholarship athletes and those on partial scholarships was taken into account, the affected sports actually turned a net profit for the university.

Chuck Staben prepared a 22-slide presentation asserting that dropping those sports would lead to a net loss in university revenue, and that adding more sports could actually increase overall revenue.

Chuck Staben enjoys racquetball, bicycling, hiking and skiing, among other pursuits.

Chuck Staben is married to Dr Mary Beth Staben, a practicing physician in Idaho.