UM students win prestigious Truman, Udall awards

UM student Zachary Brown has been awarded a $30,000 Truman Scholarship and -- for the second time -- a $5,000 Udall Scholarship. UM student David Schaad also won a $350 Udall Honorable Mention award.

Brown, a junior, majors in environmental studies with a minor in climate change studies. He is a 2009 graduate of Bozeman High School and the son of Jim and Lynda Brown of Bozeman. He is the University's 12th Truman Scholar and its 35th Udall Scholar.

"This just makes me feel very grateful," Brown said. "The process for these scholarships is very intensive, and it takes a group effort among a lot of folks on campus to make this happen. I never could have done this on my own, and I appreciate how they helped create this life-changing opportunity for me."

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Acclaimed musician, composer to give lecture

Renowned musician Martin Bresnick, whose music has been performed in festivals and concerts around the world, will present the next installment of the President's Lecture Series at UM.

Bresnick will deliver "Listening to Images, Hearing the Text: New Music that Engages the Visual and the Literary" at 8 p.m. Monday, April 9, in the University Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

Bresnick's lecture will explore how the art of music has always been unusually easy to connect with other arts -- especially poetry, dance, theater and cinema -- as well as how computers and other technologies have expanded and enhanced the association of music, words and images. Lisa Moore, his wife, will provide musical accompaniment on the piano.

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Celebrate Student Employment Week April 9-13

UM will acknowledge the valuable contributions student employees make to the University and the benefits they derive from employment during National Student Employment Week Monday through Friday, April 9-13.

A reception honoring UM's Student Employee of the Year and all student employee nominees will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12. Career Services will award a $500 scholarship to UM's Student Employee of the Year, who will be announced at the reception. The event is sponsored by the Office of Career Services, Dining Services, Residence Life and the University Center.

Throughout the week, all student employees will receive a distinctive button to wear, honoring them for their contributions to the University. Several campus employers will celebrate student employees by offering rewards to those wearing their buttons. Visit the Career Services website to see the offerings and find more ideas for celebrating student workers.

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Law school hosts lecture, Supreme Court hearing

The current clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States will offer his insights on the history of the court and its current operation during a lecture this week at UM.

Retired Maj. Gen. William K. Suter will present this year's James R. Browning Distinguished Lecture in Law, titled "The Supreme Court Today," at noon Thursday, April 12, in the School of Law Castles Center.

The event is hosted by the Montana Law Review, and a question-and-answer session will immediately follow the lecture. Read more

The law school also will host a formal session of the Montana Supreme Court at 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 13, in the University Theatre.

The court will hear oral arguments in the case of Donaldson & Guggenheim, et al. v. State of Montana, which involves a constitutional challenge to Montana laws that don't allow same-sex couples to obtain the same public and private benefits as married opposite-sex couples. Read more

Both events are free and open to the public.

UM hosts two research conferences this week

The UM Conference on Undergraduate Research will take place from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, on the third floor of the University Center.

The conference, which is free and open to the public, offers students opportunities for poster and oral research presentations, musical performances and readings from original creative works.

This year, more than 120 projects will be presented, including more than 70 research posters that will be on display from 11 a.m. to noon and from 3 to 4 p.m. in the UC Ballroom. Read more

UM also will host the 11th annual Graduate and Faculty Research Conference from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14, on the third floor of the UC.

The conference is free and open to the public and offers an opportunity for the public and University students and staff to observe a broad range of topics that span the breadth of research interests and initiatives at UM.

Around 100 projects, including 30 research posters, will be available for viewing from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the UC Ballroom. Read more

Expert to lecture on public trust doctrine

A wildlife policy expert will speak on modern applications of an ancient legal doctrine at the final installment of the spring semester Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Forum at UM.

Chris Smith of the Wildlife Management Institute will deliver "From Ancient Rome to the Ruby River: Why the Public Trust Doctrine Matters to You" at noon Tuesday, April 10, in Law Building Room 101. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The public trust doctrine is the legal principle that certain natural resources, including water, fish and wildlife, belong to no single individual, but are held in trust by the government and are managed for the benefit of current and future generations. The doctrine is fundamental to Western water law and serves as the basis of fish and wildlife conservation in North America.

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Iranian scholar to present at UM April 12

A leading scholar on Middle Eastern issues who was charged with espionage and imprisoned by her native country will deliver a community lecture at UM this week.

Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, will discuss current Iranian policy and the role of women in society during "Iran: Fractured Leadership, Fractured Foreign Policy" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in the University Center Ballroom.

The lecture is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Montana, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to engaging Montanans on global issues, along with a grant from Dirk and Kim Visser and Allegiance Benefit Plan Management. It is free for council members and students and costs $5 for the general public.

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Lecture on Native health issues continues April 10

The second installment of the Native American & Minority Health & Cultural Competency Lecture Series is slated for Tuesday, April 10, at UM.

Margaret P. Moss, associate professor at the Yale School of Nursing and director of its Nursing Management, Policy and Leadership Specialty Program, will present "American Indian Elders: Usual Models of Care." The lecture will be held from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in Skaggs Building Room 169.

Moss, the only American Indian woman to hold both nursing and juris doctorates, is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. Her lecture will explore whether traditional models of care fit the unique geographical, political and cultural needs of American Indian elders.

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MTPR Spring Pledge Week starts April 14

Volunteers and staff at Montana Public Radio are gearing up for the station's annual Spring Pledge Week. The on-air fundraising event begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 14, and ends at midnight Sunday, April 22, following the wildly popular "Pet Wars."

Contributions can be made online anytime or by calling 406-243-6400 or 800-325-1565 from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Member and sponsor donations account for 65 percent of the station's annual funding, the majority of which is raised during Spring Pledge Week.

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Creative Writing Program hosts poetry readings

The UM Creative Writing Program will host readings by two acclaimed poets this month as part of its Spring 2012 Reading Series. Both events are free and open to the public.

Elizabeth Robinson, the program's Hugo Visiting Writer for spring semester, will give a reading at 7 p.m. Friday, April 13, in the Turner Hall Dell Brown Room.

Garrett Hongo, a distinguished professor of arts and sciences at the University of Oregon, will read his poetry at 7 p.m. Friday, April 20, in the Dell Brown Room.

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Physical therapy students hold massage fundraiser

The UM Physical Therapy Student Association will offer 20- and 40-minute massages during campus fundraising clinics in April.

The clinics will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, April 9-12, 16-19 and 23-26, in Skaggs Building Room 129. A 20-minute massage costs $12, and a 40-minute massage is $20. Proceeds will help UM physical therapy students attend local and national conferences.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling 406-243-4753.

Buy Staff Senate raffle ticket for chance to win prizes

Anyone who enjoys whitewater rafting, spending family time at spectrUM Discovery Area, sipping local wine with someone special and more won't want to miss the UM Staff Senate's spring raffle taking place Monday, April 9, through Friday, April 20.

Tickets cost $1 each or $5 for six and can be purchased from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 9-13 in the University and Lommasson centers and April 16-20 in the Lommasson Center (excludes Wednesday, April 11, for the Senate meeting from 10 a.m. to noon in UC Rooms 326-327, which is open to the campus community).

Those entered will have a chance to win a sports, romance or family fun package, with prizes that include a whitewater rafting trip, a liquid nitrogen birthday party from spectrUM, and a great dinner and date options for a romantic night out.

The raffle drawing will be held the morning of Friday, April 20. Proceeds will help the Senate sponsor social events for UM staff.

Call Judy Wellert at 406-243-5542 for more information.

UC tournament open to campus community

The University Center at UM will host its second annual Billiards and Table Tennis Tournament starting at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 15. Table tennis competition will take place in the UC Ballroom, while the billiards tournament will be held in the UC Game Room.

UM students, faculty and staff can participate for $10, and community members can compete for $15. Participants are encouraged to register in advance online.

All skill levels are welcome, and there will be advanced and beginner divisions. Tournament winners will receive prizes, and lunch will be provided to all participants who register online. Competitors must be present at 9 a.m. for sign-ups.

'Montana Monologs' hits MCT stage April 15

"The Montana Monologs," a series of pieces culled from the oral histories of Montana ranch women, will be performed at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at the Missoula Children's Theatre, located at 200 N. Adams St.

Written and produced by playwright and UM staff member Wendy Woollett, the show will feature two monologs: "Epiphany," based on the late Lynn Wolfe's life on the Burnt Fork Creek Ranch in Stevensville, performed by Deborah Goslin; and "7UP," based on Missoulian Pat Shepard's experiences on the 7UP Ranch in St. Ignatius, performed by Gretchen Spiess. Musician Paul Kelley's original score will accompany the acts.

The performance is part of Missoula County Public Schools' weeklong "Create Missoula" event. It, along with all "Create Missoula" events, is free and open to the public.

Institute hosts free Web conference on rural issues

The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities at UM invites the campus community to attend a free Web conference on rural disability policy and practice from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, April 17-20.

Each day, nationally acclaimed leaders in rural policy and practice will describe their philosophies and approach to preserving the heritage of rural America while solving the problems rural Americans face. Topics will include rural policy, community development, economic development and employment, and health.

A complete conference schedule and registration are available online. Once registered, participants can attend the conference virtually via their computers or smartphones.

Find 'UM News and Events' on Facebook

University Relations has launched a "UM News and Events" page on Facebook, allowing users to receive official UM news releases, photographs, videos and other useful information via the social media site. University Relations hopes you will like and share this new resource, which can be found online.

Help improve ForUM, win prizes

University Relations has created a short survey to gather feedback to help improve UM's employee newsletter. The survey can be found online, and survey takers will be entered into a drawing to win Griz prizes from UR.

President Engstrom's office hours

President Engstrom welcomes members of the campus community to meet with him to discuss issues and topics of their choice. Call 406-243-2311 or email prestalk@umontana.edu to make an appointment.

President Engstrom's scheduled office hours for spring semester are:

• Friday, April 27: 9:30-11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, May 30: 2-4 p.m.