Building research programs for impact

Professor, Professional Flutist, Researcher

Dr. Nicole Molumby is Professor of Flute and School of the Arts Faculty Fellow at Boise State University. She is a respected leader in the music community, holding prominent roles in the National Flute Association and the College Music Society (Vice President 2026-2028), where she has spearheaded strategic planning initiatives and facilitated creative sessions for redesigning 21st-century music curricula. She served as the 2025 College Music Society Conference Program Chair in Spokane, WA and worked closely with the national thinktank group Music Policy Forum to support programming focused on the intersection of creative ecosystems, policy change, and higher education. At Boise State University, Dr. Molumby collaborates with the Division of Research and Economic Development on “Think Big!,” an innovative program that equips graduate students and faculty with skills to co-design human-centered research. Through this initiative, she fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations, enabling researchers to apply evidence-based, user-focused methodologies to tackle contemporary grand challenges. 

As a performing artist, she has performed in Slovenia, Norway, Austria, Estonia, Poland, and Croatia. She is a member of the Boise State University Faculty Woodwind Chamber Players and is a sought out performer, clinician, and adjudicator. She has received several grants from Idaho Commission on the Arts and Alexa Rose Foundation for her contributions and performances of flute music by Slovenian composers Blaž Pucihar and Črt Sojar Voglar. Her CD “Awakening”: 21st Century Slovenian Flute Music was released on MSR Classical Records in 2013. Currently, she is a Co-PI on the interdisciplinary research team Amplifying Impact launching the first Idaho Music Census to measure the economic and cultural impact of the music industry in Idaho.

Co-Founder Idaho Policy Institute, Principal Investigator

Dr. Vanessa Crossgrove Fry is Cofounder at Idaho Policy Institute (IPI) where she leads students, staff, and faculty in providing innovative and independent research to help public, private, and nonprofit leaders overcome challenges and navigate change.  She serves as Associate Research Professor in the School of Public Service where she teaches the Vertically Integrated Project Housing Opportunities for All. Dr. Fry has focused both her work and education on utilizing multi-sector, evidenced-based solutions to address persistent social, environmental, and economic issues and meet the current and critical needs in communities across Idaho and beyond.

Vanessa also holds a BA in Biology and Fine Art from Wittenberg University in Ohio where she was a first-generation college student and collegiate athlete, an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco where she is an Adjunct Faculty Member, and a PhD Public Policy and Administration from Boise State. In 2022 Vanessa participated in a Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition, she serves on the boards of the American Red Cross of Idaho and East Oregon (where she is Past Chair), the Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (where she is Past President), City Club of Boise (where she is President), and Association for University Business and Economics (where she is President). In 2024 she was named a Rapid Education Prototyping (REP4) National Fellow and a National Association to End Homelessness, Homelessness Research Network Scholar.

Director, School of the Arts; Professor in the School of Public Service

Dr. Amanda Johnson Ashley's current research explores urban revitalization through property-based economic development, public/private partnerships, and civic collaboration. As a primary research emphasis, she examines the function of arts and entertainment in cities. Her dissertation, "Developing Urban Arts Districts: Analyzing Mobilization in Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Seattle” analyzes planned arts anchored redevelopment districts and answers whether such interventions are viable policy.

As a secondary research emphasis, she examines the function of defense investments in cities with a focus on the redevelopment of former military bases. With funding from Boise State University's College of Public Affairs and Public Policy Center, she along with partners in political science are exploring and assessing how communities pursue military base redevelopment and the extent to which they are successful strategies for transformation and integration.
Dr. Johnson Ashley co-authored a paper on "Cities as Entertainment Centers: Can Transformative Projects Create Place?" and presented it at the University of Amsterdam's Master Class Workshop on "Explaining Metropolitan Transformation: Politics, Functions, and Symbols," January 24-26, 2013. In Fall 2012, she partnered with the City of Boise’s Department of Art and History to create a graduate-led project to study the contribution of artist residences in the Treasure Valley. She was also appointed the Mission Advancement Vice Chair for the Idaho Chapter of the Urban Land Institute.

Student Researcher

Shavonne Bostaph is a Bachelor’s candidate in International Business with a Pre-Law emphasis and a minor in Urban Studies at Boise State University, who is expected to graduate in May 2026. She has strong ties to the Treasure Valley and the state of Idaho, and her academic interests focus on the intersection of law, policy, business, culture, urban development, and economic systems. As a result, she has served in various positions aligned with her academic interests. In 2024, Shavonne served as a social media marketing intern for the City of Boise, where she independently managed a campaign for the Boise Public Library. Additionally, Shavonne served as a research intern at the Idaho Policy Institute, where she conducted policy research and helped draft finalized reports on local and national issues for clients, including a methodology for applying the local option tax in Idaho.

Currently, Shavonne also serves as a legal researcher and writer at Boise State University, where she assists in preparing scholarly articles for publication on topics including public benefit corporations and artificial intelligence in contract law, and is currently completing her first co-authored law review publication on the economic implications of courtroom traditionalism. In the fall of 2026, Shavonne will be applying to law schools in hopes of pursuing a future in environmental law, specializing in the rights and uses of natural resources.

PhD Candidate, Researcher

Matthew Wordell is a creative entrepreneur, policy researcher, and community builder working at the intersection of culture, policy, and place. He is Co-Founder and Creative Producer at Visionkit Studio, a PhD student focused on Public Policy and Administration at Boise State University, and a Student Researcher with the Idaho Policy Institute.

He is the co-founder and Executive Creative Producer of Visionkit Studio, a mission-driven video and stills production studio that partners with brands, nonprofits, and public institutions to carry out commercial projects, tell human-centered stories, and support purpose-led work. His creative practice spans visual storytelling, team leadership, and systems-level production, with clients ranging from global organizations to local community initiatives.

From 2014–2023, Matt served as Photography Director for Treefort Music Fest, where he built a mentorship-driven photography program emphasizing accessibility, shared learning, and creative sustainability.

His doctoral research examines how creative leaders function as policy entrepreneurs within local policy subsystems, translating cultural work into measurable public value through community-engaged, mixed-methods research.

When he’s not buried in reading or work, you can find him backpacking through beautiful wilderness areas in Idaho and Oregon, mountain biking in the foothills, or tinkering on one of his adventure vehicles.

Music Idaho, Treefort Music Fest

Nathan Walker is a co-founder and Executive Director of Music Idaho, where he leads statewide music advocacy and education initiatives focused on building alignment, data capacity, and sustainable infrastructure for Idaho’s music ecosystem. In this role, he works closely with partners in the Cascadia Music Collective to advance a coordinated, regionwide approach to music census work and policy development. Nathan played a key leadership role in local planning efforts for the first Music Policy Forum conference held outside of Washington, D.C., as well as the Cascadia Music Summit—milestone events that reflected more than a decade of groundwork and collaboration. These efforts ultimately contributed to the launch of Amplifying Impact, Idaho’s first music census project designed to inform policy, investment, and community development through data-driven insight. As a speaker and presenter, Nathan has been invited to speak at Georgetown University, Music Policy Forum, Sound Off Summit, South Sound Music Summit, Purple City Fest, College Music Society, Boise State University, and numerous other conferences and institutions.

Nathan joined forces with Treefort Music Fest and its parent company Duck Club Entertainment in 2012 and serves as Director of Outreach and Education. As a part of this role Nathan runs the nonprofit 501(c)3 arm of the festival, Treefort For Good and Duck Club Touring, a boutique booking agency supporting emerging and established artists. His work bridges education, community engagement, artist development, and nonprofit leadership.

Previously he ran an all ages venue for 10 years and an independent record label called Sunless Sea Records. A lifelong musician, he has played in bands for most of his life, primarily as a bassist. After growing up in Central Oregon, Nathan Walker has lived the last 25 years in the Boise, ID area where he loves snowboarding, mountain biking, playing music and hanging with his family, dog Bowie, and his record collection.

Student Researcher

Dabne McGuire is a senior at Boise State University pursuing a multidisciplinary degree in Arts Management, Entrepreneurship, and Business, supplemented by certificates in Music Production, Innovation, and Design. Originally from the Tri-Cities, Washington, Dabne has deeply embedded herself in the Boise music scene and plans to launch her career in the city following graduation.

With a clear focus on Artist Management, Dabne has cultivated a diverse background in the music industry. Her experience includes interning with concert promotion firm Rix Entertainment and managing merchandise sales for various artists at venues across the Treasure Valley. Additionally, she hosts and produces "Me2You Mixtapes" on University Pulse Radio, a weekly interactive show where she curates playlists based on listener prompts (universitypulse.com). Outside of the industry, Dabne is an avid coffee enthusiast, a live music regular, and a dedicated cat mom to Cora.