Eli Sanders, associate editor of the Seattle alt-weekly newspaper The Stranger and 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner in feature writing, will deliver the UM School of Journalism's 56th annual Dean Stone Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in the University Center Theater.

Sanders' lecture is titled "Coal Trains: When Journalism is Not Enough." The event is free and open to the public.

Sanders has worked for The Stranger since 2005. In addition to a story about a brutal crime and its consequences that won him the Pulitzer, he also has written about the 2008 presidential election, an insane newspaper war in San Francisco, the unique life and times of a hypocritical Washington State Supreme Court justice and Jon Tester's 2006 run for the U.S. Senate in Montana.

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Recent research shows both the number of nonresident visitors to Montana and how much they spent in the state were higher in 2012 than any previous year.

Estimates produced by UM's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research show that 10.8 million people visited Big Sky Country, an increase of 2 percent from 2011. Spending by those visitors increased about 15 percent from the year before, totaling $3.27 billion.

Money spent by nonresident travelers directly supports $2.6 billion in economic activity and nearly 30,000 Montana jobs. Nonresident travelers indirectly support an additional $1.6 billion of economic activity and 13,000 jobs. Associated with those travel-related jobs is $805 million in labor income directly attributable to nonresident travel and another $448 million indirectly attributable to nonresident spending.

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Just in time for Earth Day, the Princeton Review again named UM one of the nation's most environmentally responsible "green colleges."

This is the fourth consecutive year UM has made "The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges." The list profiles 322 institutions of higher education in the U.S. and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

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The predicted decrease of winter snowpack due to climate change might inconvenience winter recreationists, but for mammals that change coat color during the cold months to blend in and survive, the consequences could be much graver.

L. Scott Mills, a professor in the UM College of Forestry and Conservation, will publish an article titled "Camouflage Mismatch in Seasonal Coat Color Due to Decreased Snow Duration" in the April issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The article details research on the snowshoe hare, one of 10 animal species worldwide that changes color from brown to white to match seasonal snow cover.

Mills and his colleagues studied wild hares for three years in western Montana. The study examined 148 hares weekly in the field to quantify their coat color, the extent of snow around them and the percent of mismatch between the hare and their background.

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The UM College of Forestry and Conservation distributed nearly $160,000 in scholarships to more than 80 students on April 19.

The college awarded 70 scholarships and a dozen freshman recruiting scholarships at its annual scholarship reception.

Many of the school's scholarships were established in memory of former students or by local organizations, faculty and alumni.

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Missoula College Culinary Arts students recently earned a bronze medal in a culinary competition that took place April 12-15 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Michael Goff, Brittany Campbell, Amy Jaqueth, Madison Conway and William Gervais competed against six other state team champions from the western region.

The team participated in an 80-minute knife skills salon and a 90-minute four-course hot food service and cold food platter presentation.

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UM has selected "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Kidder as the 2013 First-Year Reading Experience book.

All first-year students at UM are invited to participate in the First-Year Reading Experience. The program provides incoming freshmen with a shared intellectual experience to encourage discussion, advance critical thinking and develop a sense of community.

The nonfiction book recounts the work of renowned infectious-disease specialist Dr. Paul Farmer as he tackles tuberculosis and the effects of poverty in Haiti, Peru, Cuba and Russia.

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Three homes owned by UM will offer students a specialized living option beginning autumn semester 2013. The UM Theme Home Initiative currently is accepting applications for student groups, associations or clubs to take up residence in the homes, creating a focused learning and living environment.

"Through residence in a UM Theme Home, students can develop a culture for their group while increasing their ability to effectively organize and host events and fulfill their organizational mission," said Derek Kanwischer, UM Theme Home coordinator.

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Faculty should send students to meet with Laure Pengelly Drake, director of external scholarhips and advising in the Davidson Honors College, regarding fall scholarship deadlines, including the Marshall, Mitchell and Gates Cambridge.

Intellectual curiosity, dedication to service, outstanding leadership and other exceptional qualities are required for these highly competitive scholarships. Pengelly Drake urges faculty to send students as soon as they identify promising attributes, as it helps to have several years for the application process.

Additionally, sophomores and juniors should meet with Pengelly Drake before leaving for summer about the Goldwater (science and math research), Truman (public service leadership) and Udall (dedication to careers related to Native American and environmental issues) scholarships, as well as many other scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

The Davidson Honors College also can nominate one paper written at UM for the 2013 Portz Scholars competition. The student must be in the DHC (call Pengelly Drake to check status), and current seniors are eligible.

Four papers will be chosen nationally and the scholars will be features at the 2013 National Collegiate Honors Council conference in New Orleans. Scholars present their work and receive a $250 stipend.

Faculty should nominate students by 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. Students also may ask professors for nominations. Submit all materials (paper, one-page abstract, nomination letter and all school-year and summer contact information for the nominator and the student) to Pengelly Drake in DHC 102 or email laure.pengellydrake@umontana.edu.

Registration is open for the first ever UM Campus Recreation summer Youth Camps. The camps are open to children entering kindergarten through 5th grade.

Each week of camp, participants have the opportunity to take part in all areas of recreation, with swimming lessons, fitness activities, outdoor adventures and a weekly sports theme.

Camps run June 10 through Aug. 9, with the option of participating in one to eight weeks of camp. They will be held on campus and run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an option of late pick-up at 5 p.m.

Campus Recreation's Youth Camps Director Natalie Hiller-Claridge developed this new type of camp to "get youth excited about recreation and the UM campus."

For more information visit http://www.umt.edu/youthcamps or by call 406-243-5295. 

Volunteers from all areas of campus are talking with their peers about the importance of private support for UM and the power of giving back through the 2012-13 Faculty and Staff Giving Campaign.

Journalism Professor Ray Ekness leads this year's Faculty and Staff Giving Campaign. Ekness and a team of faculty and staff volunteers will focus on participation throughout the campaign.

More than 300 faculty and staff members contribute to UM each year, with an approximate 15 percent participation rate. This year, Ekness and his team have their sights set on more than 20 percent of faculty and staff making a gift. So far, 220 faculty and staff have given this year. The campaign continues through June 30.

Ekness emphasizes the importance of participation at any and every level. Each person has different means and abilities to give, but whether you make a small gift or a large one, your gift counts.

To learn more or to donate, visit http://supportum.org/.

• Monday, April 22: Philosophy Forum: "The Last Walk: Ethical Issues in the End-of-Life Care for Companion Animals," Jessica Pierce, author; with a reply by UM master's in philosophy candidate Casie Dunleavy, 3:10-4:30 p.m., School of Law Pope Room.
• Tuesday, April 23: Institute on Ecosystems Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Series: "Looking Forward: Climate, Ecology and Culture in a World of Change," Stephen Jackson, director of the Department of the Interior Southwest Climate Science Center, 7 p.m., University Center Theater.
• Wednesday, April 24: Mansfield Center Brown Bag Lecture: "World Views of Economic Empowerment," visiting Fellows from Southeast Asia, 12:10 p.m., Mansfield Center.