Scholarship honors beloved forestry professor

A memorial service was held April 16 at UM to honor Professor Scott Woods, who passed away April 7 after a long battle with cancer. Friends, family and colleagues from the College of Forestry and Conservation gathered together to tell stories and celebrate his life.

To honor his legacy, a memorial scholarship has been established in his name. The Scott Woods Memorial Scholarship will provide support to students within the forestry college to further their educational success in the study of hydrology, forest disturbance impacts on soils or water, the management of water resources, or forest or grassland restoration.

"Scott Woods always put the students first," said Jim Burchfield, forestry college dean. "He was an outstanding teacher, sought-after adviser and someone whose dedication to quality work served as a role model. His determination throughout his illness to keep working and continue his mentorship of the next generation of conservationists continues to inspire all who knew him."

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Students, recent grads named Fulbright Scholars

Seven UM students and recent graduates will travel to countries around the world as recipients of Fulbright U.S. Student scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year.

UM's 2012-13 Fulbright Scholars, hometowns, their areas of study and exchange destinations are:

• Peter Bordokoff, San Diego, geography, Republic of Georgia.
• Michelle Brown, Portland, Ore., teaching English as a foreign language, Vietnam.
• Lindsay Combs, Missoula, teaching English as a foreign language, Germany.
• Eleanor Lahr, Syracuse, N.Y., ecology, Norway.
• Melissa Sheedy, Billings, teaching English as a foreign language, Germany. (Sheedy declined the award to pursue a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin.)
• Jessica Stamler, Madison, Wis., teaching English as a foreign language, Spain.
• Kristen Zadick, Great Falls, teaching English as a foreign language, Mexico.

The campus Fulbright committee requests that faculty encourage their best and brightest students to apply for upcoming Fulbright awards. An informational meeting about the scholarships and the application process is slated for 4:10 p.m. Friday, April 27, in Liberal Arts Building Room 336. Applicants must be seniors or graduate students. 

Roving Griz honors Enterprise Information Systems

After a year with the Office for Student Success, UM's Roving Griz roamed over to a new home in Brantly Hall when it was awarded to Enterprise Information Systems, a division of Information Technology.

Sharon O'Hare, OSS director, presented the carved wooden bear that serves as the award to John Thunstrom, EIS assistant chief information officer, and his team at an April 19 ceremony in the Brantly Hall President's Room.

O'Hare read from the letter she wrote nominating EIS for the award, which praised the team for their quiet work on applications and systems that help the University run more smoothly.

"EIS isn't flashy and EIS doesn't seek publicity, but what we in OSS know is that they are deeply committed to providing the highest quality information and programming services," she said. "EIS may not interact with students on a day-to-day basis, but their work improves every student's experience."

O'Hare credited many EIS staff members by name, thanking them for the services they provide, which include applications such as Banner, Cyberbear, Academic Planner and the Preregistration Dashboard.

UM President Royce Engstrom also attended the ceremony and praised the department for keeping the University running behind the scenes.

"The great thing about this award is that it's passed from group to group, often to the 'unsung heroes' who keep things running that the rest of us take for granted," he said. "I admire the teamwork you've exhibited, and you have a great reputation, not only on campus, but in the Montana University System."

The Roving Griz Award was created to recognize departments that demonstrate principles of UM's Quality of Worklife Initiative, which strives to create and maintain a work environment that allows faculty and staff to achieve the highest level of satisfaction. The receiving department decides where to bestow the Roving Griz next, but gets to keep a smaller grizzly statue.

Final PLS lecture focuses on economic inequality

An economist whose current research focuses on the measurement and consequences of inequality in the world economy will deliver the final installment of the 2011-12 President's Lecture Series at UM.

James K. Galbraith, government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, will present "The Great Financial Crisis and the Dismal Science" at 8 p.m. Friday, April 27, in Urey Lecture Hall. The lecture also will serve as UM's annual Lucile Speer Memorial Lecture.

In conjunction with the UM Philosophy Forum, Galbraith also will present a seminar, "Inequality and Instability: A Summing Up of Evidence," from 3:10 to 4:30 p.m. that day in Gallagher Business Building Room 123.

Both events are free and open to the public.

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Mansfield Conference to explore women's issues

The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at UM will bring together a group of top experts from across Montana, the country and the world to examine the diverse issues of gender equality and women's empowerment during its annual conference this month.

The 27th annual Mansfield Conference, "Holding Up Half the Sky: Women's Leadership and Development," will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in the University Center Ballroom.

The conference, which organizers recently moved from the Turner Hall Dell Brown Room to accommodate increased interest, will feature panel sessions focusing on four components of gender equality and women's empowerment: law, development, leadership and violence against women.

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Center brings foreign professionals to Missoula

Western Montana community leaders currently are hosting 10 female professionals from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia for short-term assignments in their offices as they participate in the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Professional Fellows Program.

The visits were made possible by a federal award to UM's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center.

The Mansfield Center represents one of 17 U.S.-based universities and organizations that received awards to bring more than 200 foreign professionals from more than 50 countries and territories worldwide to gain hands-on experience in public and private organizations across the United States. These April and May exchanges benefit UM and other participating American institutions, and expand networks of international cooperation on critical issues.

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UM makes Princeton Review's 'green colleges' list

For the third consecutive year, the Princeton Review saluted UM as one of the nation's most environmentally responsible "green colleges."

UM made "The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition," which profiles institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

UM's profile opens with the fact that since UM and Missoula are "nearly surrounded by a national forest, it makes sense that conservation would be a way of life here." It notes the Environmental Studies Program and various programs in the College of Forestry and Conservation. It also cites student environmental groups, such as Climate Action Now and Forum for Living with Appropriate Technology, which maintains an experiential learning home to demonstrate the practicality of sustainable living.

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UM research shows boost in state tourism

More than 10.5 million out-of-state travelers visited Montana in 2011, a 1.6 percent increase over 2010, according to UM's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research.

In addition to having more visitors during 2011, those visitors also spent more money in the state than in 2010.

"Nonresident travelers spent $2.77 billion in Montana in 2011, which was a 10 percent increase over spending in 2010," said Kara Grau, the institute's assistant director of economic analysis.

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Another study the institute recently completed shows those numbers aren't likely to wane this summer, even with rising gas prices.

The institute surveyed 657 people from the U.S. and Canada, half of whom have made plans to visit the state this summer. Though potential visitors to Montana still plan to visit despite rising gas prices, travelers did indicate that if prices surge past $4.41 a gallon, on average, they would likely change their spending patterns while in Montana.

"This study showed that Montana is still an important vacation spot for nonresidents," said Christine Oschell, director of the institute's panel surveys. "They will do what they need to do to keep Montana on their vacation list. This is important news, since tourism is a large and growing industry in Montana."

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Communications expert to discuss health care

A pioneer in the field of organizational communication will discuss how his research in the field applies to diverse topics such as homelessness, the U.S. health care industry and NASA during a two-day visit to UM.

Phillip K. Tompkins, professor emeritus of communication and comparative literature at the University of Colorado, will deliver a colloquium and lecture on Monday and Tuesday, April 30-May 1, at UM. Both events are free and open to the public.

His colloquium, "Health Care, Communication and New Organizational Schemes for Conditions of High Complexity," will take place from 3:40 to 5 p.m. April 30 in Gallagher Business Building Room 119. 

Tompkins developed a unique understanding of complex organizations and the communication processes that enable these organizations while studying NASA during the Apollo era. In the colloquium, he will explore problems of the U.S. health care industry, another complex organizational system.

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Day of Dialogue organizers seek proposals

UM's seventh annual Day of Dialogue will be held Thursday, Oct. 25, in the University Center, and the organizing committee has issued a call for proposals for workshops, topics and presenters.

The free daylong symposium brings campus and community members together for lectures, performances and exhibits that encourage discussions about diversity.

The day is an opportunity to showcase research, explore professional interests or share experiences related to topics of diversity. All campus members are encouraged to submit proposals. Priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate or model diversity through civil discourse.

Applications for proposals are available online. The application deadline is Friday, May 25.

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Culinary students craft alpine cuisine for fundraiser

Students in the Culinary Arts Program at the UM College of Technology will host the annual Capstone Dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in the atrium of the Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula. The event is open to the public and tickets cost $85 per person. 

Students crafted the menu for this year's dinner, titled "SAUSSURE," which will explore the cuisine of the Alps. The event is named after Horace-Benedict de Saussure, who led the first expedition through the Alpine Range and is credited as the founder of alpinism, or the sport of mountaineering. 

Graduating culinary arts students will translate cuisine from Lyon, France, to Vienna, Austria, to the shores of the Adriatic Sea by infusing dishes with seasonal Montana ingredients. The menu includes hor d'oeuvres, soup, a fish entrée, intermezzo, a meat entrée and dessert courses.

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Bitteroot College Program hosts cleanup event

The Bitterroot College Program of UM will celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day by hosting a Great American Cleanup event from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 28.

About 50 volunteers are needed to do cleanup and beautification of the campus at 274 Old Corvallis Road and collect litter along the road. Students, community members and children are encouraged to attend. Volunteers should wear work gloves, sunscreen and dress for the weather. Participants are asked to RSVP by calling the BCP office at 406-375-0100 or emailing kathleen.oleary@umontana.edu.

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School of Theatre & Dance presents 'Chicago'

The UM School of Theatre & Dance will close out the 2011-12 season with "Chicago" at 7:30 p.m. April 24-28 and May 1-5 in the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center's Montana Theatre. The school also will present Saturday matinee performances at 2 p.m. April 28 and May 5.

The six-time Tony Award-winning musical takes place in the Windy City at the height of the Roaring '20s. Would-be star Roxie Hart persuades her hapless husband to cover for a murder she committed, until he finds out the victim was Roxie's boyfriend. On death row, Roxie and another "Merry Murderess," seasoned showgirl Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines until they ultimately join forces in search of fame, fortune and acquittal.

After the April 24 opening performance, the public is invited to join the cast, crew and other members of the school in the PAR/TV lobby for the announcement of the 2012-13 season and a ginger ale toast to those who made "Chicago" possible.

To show appreciation for their long-standing commitment and service to UM, President Royce Engstrom and the School of Theatre & Dance will provide faculty and staff one free ticket to Chicago. In addition, a second ticket for each performance may be purchased for $9.

To get faculty/staff tickets, present your Griz Card at the UMArts Box Office in the PAR/TV Center. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour prior to performances.

Journalism students win first-place honors

Ten UM student journalism projects received first-place recognition in the Society of Professional Journalists Region 10 Mark of Excellence Awards. The awards were announced during the SPJ Region 10 Spring Conference held March 30-31 at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash.

The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in collegiate journalism in the U.S. SPJ Region 10 includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. First place winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in late April.

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HRS hosts performance review workshops

Sheila Wright and Hannah Singleton of Human Resource Services will offer workshops for UM staff and supervisors to discuss the annual performance review process and introduce the new performance review form. It's open to anyone required to receive or complete a performance review.

The workshop will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, April 23, in Todd Building Room 210 and from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, in Todd Building Room 204.

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.