About BEA Applied STEM Institute

Dr. Lori Barber began her tenure as President at College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) on August 1, 2024. She has held several administrative roles at CEI prior to the role of President. She started at CEI as Director of General Education and then became the inaugural Dean of General Education in 2018. Barber became Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs in June of 2019. Her innovative strategies have been instrumental in steering the direction of institutional growth and building the framework on which CEI’s current academic and student affairs structure has been built. Under Dr. Barber’s leadership, CEI has experienced an unprecedented 244% growth in credit enrollments since 2017. As an innovative leader, she recently led her team to the successful establishment of CEI's first two Bachelors of Applied Science degrees. Dr. Barber holds a Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University. Her Master’s Degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies in History and Anthropology from Idaho State University where she researched the history and anthropology of food. She has been involved in education at the K-12 and post-secondary realms for over twenty-five years. Dr. Barber profoundly believes in the community college mission and recognizes the power of education to create hope and transform lives. Barber endeavors to identify and remove barriers to create abundant opportunities for students. She has been married for 35 years and has two grown sons. In her spare time, she teaches yoga, hikes in the Idaho wilderness, writes, and walks many miles with her two sweet dogs.

Dr. David Teter became deputy laboratory director for management and operations and chief operating officer in April 2025. Prior to INL, Teter spent nearly 30 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he had extensive experience in strategic planning, managing large-scale infrastructure projects, engaging stakeholders and managing people. After earning his doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Teter joined Los Alamos as a postdoctoral researcher. He built his career in materials science, eventually overseeing 280 staff members as division leader of materials science and technology. He then dedicated his efforts to enabling research and development through efficient operations, becoming director of the Weapons Infrastructure and Planning Office at Los Alamos. Most recently, Teter served as associate laboratory director for infrastructure and capital projects at Los Alamos, managing a $1.2 billion annual portfolio and leading over 150 campus transformation projects. His leadership demonstrates excellence in project planning, management, execution and operational leadership. As INL scales up its research, development and demonstration activities to meet national and global needs, Teter guides transformation to modernize the lab’s infrastructure, improve and streamline processes, and develop the workforce to ensure success.

Juan is Executive Vice President for National Laboratory Management and Operations at Battelle, where he oversees a portfolio of major research laboratories managed or co-managed by the organization. With more than 37 years of experience in management and operations with the U.S. Navy and as a contractor to the Department of Energy, Juan brings deep expertise and leadership to his role. Prior to joining Battelle in 2024, Juan served as Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President of Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC—the management and operating entity for Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—from 2005 to 2024. His previous positions include Director of Facility Operations at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Director of Internal Audit, Assurance, and Quality at the Pantex Plant, and Manager of Laboratory Operations with EG&G Idaho. Juan was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy in 1985 and served six years as a nuclear propulsion officer in the submarine fleet, earning the Navy Commendation Medal and two Navy Achievement Medals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Miami and a master’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Idaho. Juan is married and has two daughters, one son, and four grandchildren. Juan currently serves on the boards of Gemstone Holdings, Inc. and Blue Cross of Idaho Health Services, Inc., where he is a member of the Audit, Compensation and Benefits, Finance, and Nominating and Governance Committees. He is a member of the Energy Facility Contractors Operating Group. Juan also serves on several boards for national laboratory management entities, including the Alliance for Energy Innovation (NLR), Battelle Energy Alliance (INL), Battelle National Biodefense Institute (NBACC), Battelle Savannah River Alliance (SRNL), Brookhaven Science Associates (BNL), Pacific Northwest Division (PNNL), and Triad (LANL). Juan’s past board service includes leadership roles with the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Eastern Idaho Technical College Foundation, Partners for Prosperity, and the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs. He has chaired the Battelle Operations Council.

Betsy Hunsicker serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at EIRMC. In this role, she is responsible for managing overall operations for the facility, including clinical quality, physician recruitment, financial operations and employee relations. Hunsicker has nearly thirty years of various healthcare experiences at organizations across the nation. Most recently, she was CEO for West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho, a sister facility also operated by HCA Healthcare. During her tenure, multiple services were added to the facility, increasing access for patients needing neurosurgery, interventional cardiology and bariatric surgery. Additionally, Hunsicker had a strong focus on high-quality clinical care, as the facility earned the Leapfrog National Safety Score of “A” for nine consecutive years. West Valley Medical Center was also named a “Best Place to Work” by Modern Healthcare nine times. Prior to her tenure at West Valley Medical Center, Hunsicker was the Chief Operating Officer at HCA Healthcare's Rose Medical Center, a large hospital with complex services located in Denver, Colorado. Community service is “top of mind” for Hunsicker. Her past board service includes as Chair for the Idaho Hospital Association, HCA Healthcare Hope Fund, Caldwell Family YMCA and more. Hunsicker earned a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Health Services Administration, both from the University of Florida. She earned a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University.

Bringing years of experience leading local government and economic development efforts in Idaho, Dana Kirkham, now Senior Director of Regulatory and Strategic Affairs for the Idaho Environmental Coalition, supports environmental cleanup at the Idaho National Laboratory Site through the Idaho Cleanup Project. Her leadership role is helping lay a foundation for INL to advance its mission in future research and development initiatives, while ensuring the Snake River Plain Aquifer continues to be protected. Prior to her role with Idaho Environmental Coalition, Kirkham served as a city council member in Ammon, Idaho, for eight years, six of those years as Council president, before eventually taking on the role of the city’s Mayor. She also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI) and later joined Fluor Idaho as the Director of Strategic Initiatives. Kirkham’s career began with the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia. Having grown up as a “third culture kid” in Europe and South America, Kirkham attended Marion Military Institute before graduating from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. She also holds a Master of Legal Studies from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.

The Director of Instruction and Learning is responsible for the organization and delivery of district curriculum that aligns with state and national standards. He evaluates research on current "best practice" instructional strategies and facilitates the implementation of said strategies. He organizes the scope and sequence of district programs, leads organizational teams of administrators and teachers, conducts textbook adoptions, coordinates school improvement plans and in-service training.

Michelle Mallard was born and raised in Idaho Falls. She served as a Bonneville County Deputy Prosecutor, an Assistant United States Attorney and as a Bonneville County Magistrate Judge. She is currently serving as a Bonneville County Commissioner. She is actively involved in many community building organizations including the Idaho Falls Rotary, Idaho Falls Symphony and the Village Improvement Society. She and her husband Kelly have three children and six grandchildren.

Hope Morrow is INL’s resident Labor Economist leading workforce development strategy for the lab. Hope comes to INL with vast experience, following her years of service with the Department of Labor in both Idaho and Utah. Hope serves on Idaho’s Workforce Development Council and has crucial involvement on all things economic development and labor market analysis. Hope and team published INL’s first set of workforce projections in 2021 and connects partners across the state and nation on workforce development topics, labor market analysis, and strategies.

Pete Risse serves as State Administrator for the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education (IDCTE), where he provides statewide vision, leadership, and oversight for Idaho's secondary, postsecondary, and adult CTE programs. He brings over two decades of experience connecting employers, students, and educational institutions to advance workforce and economic development across Idaho, including prior service as Boise State University's Director for Government and Industry Relations and Associate Dean of the Division of Extended Studies, where he co-led innovative initiatives such as the Cyber Operations and Resiliency program and the Semiconductor for All workforce development grants. Pete is committed to strengthening alignment between Idaho's CTE system and the state's broader workforce development priorities, ensuring students and industry partners are equipped for long-term economic success.

Angela Sackett, D.C. has served as the Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs at College of Eastern Idaho since 2024. Previously, she served as adjunct and full-time faculty, inaugural Science and Math Department Chair, Dean of General Education, and Dean of Health Sciences. She provides oversight for academic and student affairs programs which includes planning, coordinating, and implementing educational programs at the college as well as ensuring students are able to access various student services across campus. She received her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College, a B.S. from Idaho State University and an A.S. from BYU-I.

Wendi brings a wealth of experience in workforce development, education and economic development to the Council. She has worked in the private sector (ManpowerGroup), for state and local governments (State of Idaho and Door County, Wisconsin), non-profits (Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce) and education (Idaho Career & Technical Education and University of Idaho). When her children ask what she does for a living, she sums it up as “helping Idahoans get good jobs!”.