Bear Briefs

Honest Abe Professor—Gov. Brian Schweitzer has appointed UM history Professor Harry Fritz to represent the state on the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The 15-member commission is charged with informing the public about Lincoln’s impact on the development of the United States and finding ways to honor his accomplishments. Fritz, a tall man who chairs UM’s history department, is a Lincoln impersonator who sometimes appears as the 16th president at Montana gatherings. Fritz also served two terms in the state House and the state Senate, and he was twice named UM Teacher of the Year. In addition, he is a leading expert on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Football Tales—Former Grizzly coach and Athletic Director Don Read has written a book titled “Football Tales” in which he recounts humorous and serious stories from his long coaching career in Montana, Oregon and California. The 192-page book includes 52 tales that touch on everything from coaching young men to recruiting adventures and relationships with fans — as well as a foreword by former UM quarterback Dave Dickenson. For more information about the book, call Stoneydale Press Publishing Co. at (406) 777-2729. Read coached the Griz during 1986-95, amassing a career record of 85-36 and a Big Sky Conference mark of 54-22. He led UM to its first I-AA national championship in 1995. He returned as UM’s athletic director from May 2004 to June 2005.

Top I-AA Fans—Columnist Chuck Burton of I-AA.org recently released his list of the schools with the top fans in I-AA football, and UM’s rowdy Griz fans topped the list. Burton writes, “The KISS Army are the semi-maniacal fans of the rock group KISS that formed in the late ’70s and still exist today in some circles. They paint their faces, travel anywhere the band plays and are out-of-control. Montana fans, meet your soulmates! When Montana qualifies for the I-AA national championship, thousands of painted fans descend on Chattanooga to celebrate … Basically, they are the gold standard that all fans of I-AA programs should strive for.” The other universities mentioned were Delaware, Southern, Appalachian State and Florida A & M. The full column is online at http://i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=72014.

Selling Griz Gear—The Collegiate Licensing Company recently announced its top-selling member institutions for the last fiscal year, and UM was again in the top 50 nationwide, landing at No. 46 on the list. UM was the only I-AA University to make the list, and it sold more merchandise than Colorado State University, the U.S. Military Academy, Georgetown University and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The top-selling institution was the University of North Carolina.

Time to Visit Campus—High school students and their parents can get a glimpse of life and learning at UM during its annual open house to be held from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. The event, UM Days, aims to help high school juniors and seniors with their college search. Participants can learn about the University’s academic programs, student life and extracurricular activities, as well as get information about financial aid and career choices. UM Days also offers the opportunity for participants to meet in small group settings with currently enrolled students to tour the University campus and residence halls. Interested students and parents can register for UM Days online or by calling (800) 462-8636. For more information, e-mail Molly Molloy, UM director of orientation, at mmolloy@mso.umt.edu.

Prestigious Grants—Three recent UM graduates have received Fulbright grants to continue their study and research projects in countries outside the United States this year. The students — Ulrike Anderson of Stillwater, Minn., Russell Fielding of Temple Terrace, Fla., and Valerie Kurth of
Wausau, Wis. — were selected for the awards on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. Anderson will study in Germany, where she plans to translate Gabriele Reuter’s “Das Tranenhaus” into English. Fielding will go to Canada’s Prince Edward Island to study the effects of the Confederation Bridge — which links the island with the mainland — on the island’s tourism industry. Kurth will travel to Sweden to continue her research on boreal forest ecology.

Raking In Awards—Three UM radio-television students placed as national finalists in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards. Stan Pillman, a senior from Chicago, placed in the radio features category for a story on gambling addiction. The story aired on Montana Public Radio. Pillman is this year’s news director at UM-based KBGA College Radio. Dustin Blanchet of Dutton and Van Redpath of Great Falls received national finalist recognition in the television news photography category for their story on students and gambling that aired on KECI-TV as part of the student-produced “UM News” program. Blanchet and Redpath graduated in May. Blanchet also received national recognition in the television sports photography category for a “UM News” story he shot on former Griz runner Scott McGowan.

Early Montana Images—The Montana Historical Society’s nationally acclaimed exhibit “Photographing Montana 1894-1928: The World of Evelyn Cameron” runs through Nov. 12 at UM’s Montana Museum of Art and Culture. It’s on display at the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center. The exhibit includes 47 striking photographs reproduced from Cameron’s glass plate nitrate negatives that record the early days on the western frontier and the coming of the homesteaders that changed the face of the land forever. Cameron came to Montana from England in 1889 with her naturalist husband, Ewen, and took up photography in 1894. The exhibit has been featured in numerous national publications and electronic productions, including Smithsonian magazine and the Charles Kuralt CBS “Sunday Morning” program.

Bold New Frontier—Montana-made programming on Montana PBS will be available in High Definition format thanks to a $927,000 federal grant to UM’s television station, KUFM. The U.S. Department of Commerce grant — the largest given during the current round of funding — will support the acquisition of HD cameras, digital editors and additional studio equipment to upgrade the station’s broadcast infrastructure. High Definition, known for its clear pictures and wide-screen format, is the new standard in television production and broadcasting. With it, Montana PBS programs such as the popular “Backroads of Montana” will take on a new clarity and vibrancy.

Grant for Bioenergy—A UM College of Technology project was one of 11 selected to receive funding from the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy. The agencies received 670 applications for a total of $12.6 million to fund projects that help develop renewable energy resources
and expand markets for agricultural products. The nearly $1 million awarded to COT will support the Biopower Demonstration and Education Outreach Project. The goal of the project is to create awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of bioenergy through educational and research programs and a series of outreach initiatives that aim to expand the use of the technology.

Marketing Montana—The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded $78,000 to the Montana World Trade Center, a UM organization that helps businesses establish and strengthen their international commercial capabilities. The money will be used to develop a comprehensive regional marketing strategy for Montana Creative Enterprises under the Planning Assistance Program. The project will focus on developing a regional identity for Montana artists and artisans, as well as exploring ways to create a stable, year-round marketplace for their products.

Chef Wins Gold—UM Executive Chef Tom Siegel brought home a gold medal from the second-annual Montana Chef Competition for the Culinary Excellence Award. Siegel’s winning entry came in the entrée division for which he prepared “Montana-inspired Braised Lamb Shank With Big Sky Mushroom Ragout, Goat Cheese Quenelles and Emerald Basil Oil.” The competition, sponsored by the Montana Department of Agriculture to promote the use of Montana ingredients at fine-dining restaurants, drew more than 100 entries in three categories of competition — appetizers, entrées and desserts.

Happy Hearts—UM once again co-sponsored and hosted the campus HeartWalk, which benefits American Heart Association cardiovascular disease research. Nearly 800 walkers turned
out on a rainy Sept. 24 to raise $130,000, which was $15,000 more than the year before. The walkers were led by UM
President George Dennison.

International Journalism—Two African journalists will visit UM this month to explore the role of the media in democracy. John Mwendwa Gitari and Martin Ochioli will spend several days on campus and in media outlets around Missoula as part of their ongoing research at the Kettering Foundation. They will be hosted by Assistant Professor Denise Dowling of UM’s Department of Radio-Television. Dowling also conducts research for the foundation. The journalists will spend time at radio and television newsrooms in Missoula, exploring how traditional newsroom practices might be changed to help citizens and public officials work together on common problems affecting their countries. While in Missoula, the journalists also will speak with students in the classroom. Gitari is the associate editor of the Kenyan Television Network. Ochioli is founder and president of the Media Development and Research Trust, a Nairobi-based organization that trains journalists and conducts research on the link between journalism and democracy.

Nominations Wanted—The Robert T. Pantzer Award is presented each year to a person who has contributed substantially to making UM a more open and humane learning environment. People statewide are eligible for the award, which honors Pantzer, UM president from 1966 to 1974, whose open-door policy was a hallmark of his administration. Pantzer also provided outstanding leadership in the preservation of unfettered academic inquiry and expression. Nominations should honor people with similar characteristics. The Pantzer Award will be presented at UM Charter Day ceremonies Feb. 16, 2006. Nominations should include a statement of how the individual fits the Pantzer ideal, as well as the nominee’s professional resume. Fax nominations to the Provost’s Office at (406) 243-5937.

Buy a Brick—Become a permanent part of the UM-Missoula campus by having your name — or another special person’s — engraved on a brick in Centennial Circle. Paved with red bricks, the circle surrounds Rudy Autio’s landmark grizzly bear statue, located on the western edge of the Oval. With its classic Main Hall and Mount Sentinel backdrop, the circle is a favorite place for picture-taking. The bricks cost $150 each and may be engraved with names or brief messages. For more information, go online to http://www.umt.edu/urelations/bricks.htm.