Dr. John Bieter came to Boise State University as a member of the faculty in 2004 after earning his Ph.D. in History from Boston College. His major doctoral concentration was Nineteenth Century United States History, Immigration, The American West, and American Catholicism. He also has an M.A. in History from Boise State University where his thesis was "Basque-Americans, American-Basques: Three Generations in Boise, Idaho", and a B.A. in Social Sciences from the University of St. Thomas where his studies concentrated on economics. Before teaching at the university level, Dr. Bieter taught history at Bishop Kelly High School, and was the International Tour Director and Studies Abroad Coordinator at Boise State. He has spent three years living, working, and studying in the Basque region of Northern Spain, and is proficient in Basque and Spanish.
Dr. Bieter's research interests continue to center around immigration, secondary education social studies methods, and Basque studies, including teaching an occasional workshop on arborglyphs — tree carvings left behind by Basque sheepherders in Idaho’s high country. In addition to teaching courses and helping run the Basque Studies Program, his community involvement includes the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, the Idaho Humanities Council, Bishop Kelly High School, and the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood.