Once the mentee, now the mentor: Kausler pays it forward in nursing research

Assistant professor Ryoko Kausler is a double Bronco in nursing, earning both her bachelor's ('13) and master's ('16) from Boise State. Since then, she went on to earn her Ph.D, publish widely and collaborate on large NIH-funded research.

Kaulser didn't always know she wanted to be a nursing professor, but once she did, she knew she wanted to return to Boise State.

Ryoko Kausler is a double Bronco in nursing, earning both her bachelor's ('13) and master's ('16) from Boise State.

Part of her reasoning was the culture. Kausler recalls experiencing two major family crises while a student in the School of Nursing, and both times, faculty demonstrated genuine care for her as an individual.

In one instance, her parents experienced a huge earthquake and she couldn't get ahold of them; yet her instructors checked in with her to make sure she was okay and donated to the disaster relief fund.

"That was like "Wow, they really care,"" Kausler said. "I kind of felt like, I'm seen as a student…They really cared about my life, as well as me completing the degree."

The desire to contribute to a supportive academic environment, like the one she had experienced, brought her back. And even now, Kausler loves the School of Nursing's culture. "I don't think it changed," she said. "The individual faculty, we all have the same vision of how we can support the students. So that's amazing."

Another big reason is Kausler's memories of working alongside Jane Grassley. Kausler got her first taste of nursing research as an undergraduate student, when Grassley asked her to be a research assistant.

Research sparks a lasting partnership

Grassley was the Joanna "Jody" DeMeyer Endowed Chair in Nursing between 2014-2019. Because of Grassley's husband's job, she moved quite a bit during her career; Boise State was the fourth university she taught for.

"It was a great gig," Grassley said. "One of the things I loved about being at Boise State…was this idea that undergraduate research assistants could do research!

Grassley and Kausler in 2012. "She and I had a good relationship because we were different enough that we complemented each other in our strengths," Grassley said.

Grassley had spotted Kausler studying in the Student Union Building a few times during what she called her "Diet Coke break." One day she struck up a conversation, and before long Kausler was working as her research assistant.

"She and I had a good relationship because we were different enough that we complemented each other in our strengths," Grassley said. "She was just amazing."

While they shared interests in research topics, there was a deeper commonality in their work. As colleagues, it felt like they "just clicked" (dare they call it a sense of "magic" working together?), and they remained friends after Kausler's graduation.

"I'm a very big picture kind of person, but she is really good at the detail, and she was so helpful for me with that," Grassley said. "What being an undergraduate research assistant did for her is, it helped her to be a well-rounded researcher as she grew."

Kausler returned to teach at Boise State because of the culture and her positive experiences as a student.

Catching the vision of the impact of research

One of Grassley's favorite parts of her role at Boise State was taking students to the Western Institute of Nursing conference. That's where she saw them get excited about research.The process of communicating their work to an audience, whether through a poster or presentation, helped students "catch the vision" of the power of research.

"One of the reasons I love research is that I always learn something; I always get surprised," Grassley said. That's an idea that she tried to instill in her students, helping them approach research problems with a patient-centered, curious mindset.

"We don't do research just for research's sake; we do it so that we can provide better nursing care for our patients," Grassley said.

"It's sometimes hard to convince students that research is something that's worth their while, but Ryoko was always on that track."

Kausler's favorite memories as a student are from outside of class, working as a research assistant and being a part of the Student Nurses Association. These experiences significantly broadened her horizons.

"At first my perspective was, 'I'll finish this degree, finish my NCLEX [licensing exam], and I'll work as a nurse,'" Kausler said. "They really showed me what's beyond, out there."

It was Grassley who "sparked the idea" in Kausler to research perinatal mental health, which then spurred her on to pursue graduate studies. "I wanted to find out what would be the best approach for the population," she said.

Kausler loved every opportunity to get to know faculty outside of class, be creative and represent Boise State. One year she served on the board of the Student Nurses Association when they made poodle skirts to wear together to conferences.

As her research has progressed over the years, Kausler never lost sight of how impactful it can be. A central part of her work today explores how technology and telehealth can bridge the gap for women not receiving care in rural Idaho.

"Geography should not determine whether a woman gets the care she needs during one of the most vulnerable periods of her life," Kausler said. "By leveraging innovative approaches to care delivery, we can reach women where they are, on their terms, in their communities."

Paying it forward

When she was working with undergraduate research assistants (URAs), Grassley recalls using a large whiteboard that covered an entire wall of her office.

"We would take our ideas and we get them all out there, and then we would talk about which of these are the most relevant to the project that we were working on," Grassley said. "So that was really fun…I do think that it encouraged people, because they got really excited about the research process."

Kausler and one of her research assistants at the Western Institute of Nursing conference in April 2025.

Kausler was simply a "sponge" as a student, Grassley said. Going even deeper into the research process one-on-one with faculty ended up being the highlight of Kausler's master's studies. She recalls Grassley and others offering her chances to try new things and observe what she'd never seen before.

"I took the opportunities as much as I could, and that really shaped who I am today," Kausler said.

What stuck with her after graduation was Grassley's response every time Kausler would thank her: "She'd always say, 'In the future, you do the same.'"

Kausler won the School of Nursing's Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in May 2025.

"That's a really important part, that Boise State - when I was there - that they were willing to invest [in URAs]. It was really an investment in the future," Grassley said. "I did it almost subconsciously, I guess. I was investing in Ryoko. That's our future in nursing, is our research, our evidence that we have for practice."

In the spirit of passing it on, Kausler also mentors undergraduate research assistants. This academic year, two of her students received Boise State's Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (URSCA) grants.

"Working with undergraduate research assistants has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role as a faculty member," she said.

"I hope I can make the same difference for future students," Kausler said. "That's what I really want to see. And every time the students say, 'Thank you so much'? Well, that's how my mentor taught me how to be a great mentor: pay it forward."

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