Thomas Trotter

Research & Extension Specialist

trotter@uidaho.edu

University of Idaho Boise
322 E Front St, Suite 222
Boise, ID 83702

Western Rural Development Center

Ph.D., Education-Counseling and School Psychology – University of Idaho, 1981 
Ed.S., Special Education-Generalist, University of Idaho , 1980 
M.Ed., School Psychology, University of Washington, 1975 
B.A., Sociology, University of Washington, 1969 

  • Identification of challenges commonly experienced by rural communities regarding their livability status. Validation of contemporary definition(s) of livability status and their relationship to priority challenges. 
  • Description of Livability-oriented frameworks for (1) diagnosing, (2) profiling, (3) action planning, and (4) progress monitoring/outcomes evaluation in rural community development. 
  • Development of a model for educating and training leaders and stakeholders at the institutional and local community levels in how best to conduct a collaborative, needs-based approach to action-planning with an emphasis on capacity building. 
  • Identification and dissemination of key resources that are available to communities across member states and territories, essential to moving the livability agenda forward. 
  • Developed a statewide strategic planning guide for AARP Idaho featuring a collaborative evaluation-based approach to planning using mixed methodologies and a SWOT Analysis framework for achieving Community Livability. Published in the areas of comprehensive program development using Stufflebeam’s CIPP Evaluation Model to guide the process.  
  • Presented on Achieving Community Livability through Strategic Planning in Program Development; Best Practices in Clinical Supervision in Counseling & School Psychology; Hope – its conceptualization, assessment, and applications in Leadership and Human Services; Self-Advocacy – the key to program and professional resilience; and, Team Building – forming partnerships for maximizing systemic productivity and improvement. 
  • Provided technical assistance to school systems, institutions of higher education, and professional organizations in taking a strategic planning approach to program development and improvement; individual and systemic approaches to crisis management; and, behavioral and environmental management for at-risk individuals through a collaborative approach to data-driven decision-making and intervention.