ForUM takes a break

The next issue of ForUM will hit inboxes on the first day of spring semester classes, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Have a great winter break!

Celebrate holidays at UM's annual party

President and Mrs. Royce Engstrom will host the annual Campus Holiday Party from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, in the University Center Ballroom.

The event is open to all faculty, staff and administrators 21 and older and is a chance to spend time with colleagues while enjoying refreshments and entertainment. The Missoula Community Chorus will perform from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Grand Foyer.

For more information, email prestalk@umontana.edu or call the Office of the President at 243-2311.

Flathead Lake Biological Station receives $1 million gift

UM's Flathead Lake Biological Station has received a $1 million challenge gift to research and monitor Flathead Lake water quality. The gift, made through the UM Foundation, is from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. It requires a dollar-for-dollar match from other donors.

"We are grateful for this expression of support for one of The University of Montana's premier research programs, the Flathead Lake Biological Station," President Royce Engstrom said. "The gift will make a significant impact on UM's efforts to help preserve our natural resources."

Researchers with the station began monitoring the lake through periodic studies in the 1890s. Since 1977 the measurements have been continuous but focused on a single mid-lake sampling site. The gift will allow the program to continue without interruption and cover a larger portion of Flathead Lake, in addition to taking measurements more frequently and at greater depths.

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Grant will fund Women's Empowerment Program

The U.S. State Department has awarded the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at UM a $400,000 grant to implement a new citizen exchange program.

The grant will fund the Women's Empowerment Project, which will send 20 Montana women to the Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. In exchange, 20 English-speaking women from these countries will be placed in nonprofit organizations and government offices in Montana to learn firsthand how issues in their fields are addressed in the U.S. The exchange will occur in four stages beginning in March 2012.

The women will have expertise in areas such as the environment, economic development, health, safety and security, and education. Participants will network and develop a broader sense of global issues in their areas of expertise.

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UM students award $10,000 to local nonprofits

School of Business Administration students taking the Individual and Corporate Philanthropy class at UM recently dispersed grant funds totaling $10,000 to Missoula nonprofits serving needs related to youth, disabilities and animals.

The students issued a request for proposals in October and received 27 submissions from local nonprofits. With only $10,000 to award, the students implemented a rigorous in-class review and scoring process to determine which projects to fund.

In the end, four Missoula nonprofit organizations received funding. The Humane Society of Western Montana received $2,517 for its spay and neuter program. The Girls Way Inc. received $2,118 for its Summer Sustainability and Outdoor Adventure project. The Missoula Children's Theatre received $2,247 to maximize the theater experience for hearing-impaired patrons with assisted listening devices. The Missoula Food Bank received $3,118 for its Kids Table take out program.

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UM ranks first for campus safety in Montana

UM ranked No.1 in Montana for campus safety in a recently released ranking of the safest colleges and universities in the U.S. by StateUniversity.com. The safest schools findings are based on incidents of campus crime as reported by campus safety officials.

Compared to universities nationwide, UM was ranked as being safer than more than half the colleges and universities surveyed. The 2011 rankings are available online.

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New partnership has Brazilian students headed to UM

A cohort of Brazilian students will arrive at UM this January as part of a new partnership with Brazil's Science Without Borders Program.

International Programs successfully applied for UM to serve as a host institution for the program, and new cohorts of undergraduate students will arrive each semester for about three years to study a science, technology, engineering or math discipline.

The program provides scholarships to undergraduate students from Brazil for one year of study at colleges and universities outside of Brazil, with about half of all participants expected to attend U.S. institutions. The Institute of International Education administers the placement of program participants at institutions in the U.S.

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Student places third in Hearst journalism competition

A UM journalism student took third place in the feature writing category of the national Hearst Journalism Awards for a story she wrote about hitting a teenager on the freeway in Washington state.

Billie Loewen, a junior from Missoula, is the design editor of the Montana Kaimin. She wrote a first-person account for the Kaimin about what happened on a night in 2009 when a 15-year-old girl was killed after running onto the freeway. Loewen wrote not only about the girl's death, but also about who she was in life and how Loewen developed a relationship with the teenager's mother and grandmother after she died.

The Hearst Awards, often referred to as the "college Pulitzers," accepts contest submissions from students at nationally accredited journalism programs. Loewen competed against 133 other students in the feature writing competition. She received a $1,500 prize, and the UM School of Journalism received a matching award. Her showing puts the UM journalism school in third place in the yearlong print competition.

Registration open for lifelong learning courses

Community members ages 50 and older can explore topics such as literature, history, music, philosophy and politics in winter term courses offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UM (MOLLI).

The courses, taught by dynamic UM and community educators, will take place December through February. Registration is now open for all winter courses.

An annual MOLLI membership fee of $20 is required to enroll. Registering now provides membership until summer 2011. Registration for each course costs $60. MOLLI currently is offering a winter special that includes two courses for $100, a 33 percent savings on the second class.

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Campus invited to annual Cookie Cook-Off

UM students, employees and their families are invited to join University Dining Services to spread some holiday cheer by baking and decorating cookies during the annual Christmas Cookie Cook-Off. This year's event is slated for 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at the Food Zoo in the Lommasson Center.

Half of the cookies baked will be donated to a local youth home, senior home, group shelter or other nonprofit organization. Participants may take the other half home. Annually, more than 29 campus departments participate in the festivities, and about 300 dozen cookies are donated to 18 local charities.

For more information call Jerry O'Malley, UDS marketing director, at 243-6433 or email jerry.omalley@mso.umt.edu.

Crown of the Continent fall e-magazine now available

The 34-page fall 2011 issue of the Crown of the Continent e-magazine has been released and can be found online.

Articles in this issue include "The Beauty of a Burned Forest," "Town of the Crown" and "The Lonesome Life: Kishenehn Ranger Station 1910-1940."

The region called the Crown of the Continent encompasses Glacier National Park and spans the Continental Divide from the Elk River headwaters and Crowsnest Pass in Canada to Rogers Pass and the Blackfoot River drainage in Montana.

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UM journalism students produce PBS program

UM seniors in the Radio-Television Department in the School of Journalism produced a half-hour television program for MontanaPBS. "Montana Journal: Home Grown" will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15.

Traditionally Montanans have lived close to the land, but ask a group of first-graders where their food comes from, and they'll tell you "the grocery store." The concept of a local food movement puts most people in mind of farmers' markets or small businesses. But can the grow-your-own concept work on a larger scale? That's the question addressed in "Montana Journal: Home Grown."

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Presentation offers review of naturalization process

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office will host a review of the naturalization process at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Missoula Public Library, located at 301 E. Main St.

Field Office Director Jodi Bard will discuss general requirements and how to prepare for the naturalization interview and test. There also will be a question-and-answer session, and study materials will be distributed.           

For more information call Effie Koehn, director of UM Foreign Student and Scholar Services, at 243-5580 or email effie.koehn@umontana.edu.

Consultant available for retirement planning

Representatives with TIAA-CREF will be on campus Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 20-22, for individual counseling sessions to assist faculty and staff in retirement planning.

Appointments are required for sessions, which will be held in University Center Room 215. To make an appointment, call 866-843-5640 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. MST Monday through Friday.