I went to UofI. One of my room mates did civil engineering and the other did chemical engineering for the Navy ROTC. I'm not smart enough to know much about those programs though. I thought it was a great campus, very small and centered so you can walk from one end to the other without crossing major streets etc. Also lots of cool old architecture and more small feel to it.
There isn't much around except farmland and mountain wilderness (which also appealed to me). It has a bit of a party school reputation, mostly I think because there isn't too much else to do (except like I said camping, shooting, etc). Food is fairly generic but there is a cool Hawaiin BBQ joint called Loco Grinz near the north end of town - my wife and I enjoy eating there.
Other than eating take your time walking around campus. Seek out the oldest buildings and pay attention to the gargoyles, designs etc. There's a lot of history on that campus (at least in terms of what Idaho can offer - obviously it's not as old as some colleges further east).
I would offer to get you in touch with my former room mates but I haven't talked with them in years and an email would be just a shot in the dark - I'm willing to try if you have something specific you want to know. We aren't on bad terms or anything, just drifted apart. Good luck and enjoy the trip! Let me know if you are curious about anything else. I went to school there 4 years and my wife grew up there so she's kind of an expert.