December 2003

Bear Briefs
Athletes Honored—Two UM student-athletes were honored for their commitment to community service Nov. 22 at the Grizzly/Bobcat football game in Bozeman. Dane Oliver, a football player and senior in health and human performance/education, and Anne Sheehy, a track team member and senior in music, were named UM’s Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) 2003 Montana Athletes in Service Award winners. MTCC is a nonprofit coalition of Montana college administrators that supports campus-based community public service. Oliver assists with the Flagship Program, Gallagher Children Youth Homes and Little Grizzly Football. Sheehy created and directed a band program at Potomac Middle School, as well as volunteered to help coach Potomac’s high, triple and long jumpers.

New Science Facility—The state Board of Regents gave UM the go-ahead to build a new, 10,000-square-foot science research facility during its November meeting. The new structure, which will be built near the University’s Skaggs Building, will house researchers from the Division of Biological Sciences and the College of Forestry and Conservation. The board authorized expenditure of an additional $500,000 so that the project can be started. The final tally will be about $2 million. The authorized first phase of the building — a basement and one story — is scheduled for construction during spring 2004. The facility will be designed so that it can handle the addition of two more floors sometime in the future.

Student Winner—Anthony Malan York, a UM junior in chemistry, has been awarded a scholarship from the National Institutes of Health. York was one of 12 recipients selected from a national pool of 260 applicants. His Undergraduate Scholarship for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds will pay up to $20,000 during the 2003-04 academic year for tuition and educational and living expenses. The purpose of the scholarship is to train and nurture the next generation of biomedical researchers — especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds — and encourage them to pursue educational and career opportunities in biomedical research. In return for the scholarship, York agreed to attend a 10-week, paid, summer laboratory research experience at the NIH. He also will participate in a year of paid NIH research service after graduation for each year of scholarship support.

Outstanding Alums—The UM Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award. The awards are presented each year at Homecoming and honor alumni who have distinguished themselves in a particular field and who have brought honor to the University, state or nation with a focus on career achievement and/or service to UM. Nomination forms may be downloaded from the UMAA Web site at http://www.umt.edu/alumni. All nominations must be submitted by Feb. 1. For more information, call (406) 243-5211.

Monte Needs You—Vote early and vote often for your favorite mascot, UM’s Monte. The beloved bear is out to retain his title as Capital One Mascot of the Year, having again been named to the All-America Mascot Team with 11 other fuzzy foes. The battle is under way at http://www.capitalonebowl.com, where Monte fans can cast their vote once a day until Dec. 22. The online voting counts for 50 percent of the final decision; judges’ rankings make up the other half. The winning mascot will be announced during the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1.

Great Plates—UM-Missoula has the top-selling collegiate license plate in Montana. According to the latest data from the state Department of Justice, 12,300 UM plates were sold during the first eight months of 2003. That contrasts with Montana State University’s 7,400, Montana Tech’s 2,800 and Carroll College’s 2,000.

Health Report—More than 17 percent of Montana children 18 years old and younger do not have health insurance, according to a new report from UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. The 2003 Montana Kids Count Data Book says the uninsured rate for Montana kids is one of the highest in the nation, exceeded only by three other states. The report tracks progress and problems in children’s health, education and overall well-being. For more information, go to http://www.bber.umt.edu/kidscountmt or call (406) 243-5113.

Happy Anniversary—The UM Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Service is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The program began in 1978 with a core grant from the federal government’s Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The Rural Institute employs more than 80 people, who are located in offices in the Curry Health Center, the lower and second floors of Corbin Hall, and off-campus. The program manages more than 45 projects that advocate and support full participation in community life by rural Americans of all ages with disabilities. From integrated childcare to supported employment, the institute’s wide range of grant-funded research, service and training projects blend innovative approaches and techniques with existing community services. For more information about the Rural Institute, visit http://www.ruralinstitute.umt.edu.

Still Great—Former Griz quarterback Dave Dickenson has still got game. After two seasons in the NFL in which he never got to start, Dickenson marked his return to the Canadian Football League by being named the West Division nominee for most outstanding player. Dickenson led his British Columbia Lions to an 11-7 record, but the quest for his second MVP award came up short when he tore knee ligaments in practice Oct. 29. Dickenson should be fully recovered when he makes another bid for the CFL’s Grey Cup next season.

Helping Hunger—UM held a series of events on campus Nov. 17-21 to commemorate the 30th annual Hunger Awareness Week. Students and employees participated in fund-raising efforts for the Missoula Food Bank, the Poverello Center and Oxfam America, an international relief and development organization. The highlight of the week was the Hunger Banquet, in which 10 percent of attendees ate as we do in the “first world” — a full meal including dessert — 25 percent dined on rice and soup and the remaining 65 percent ate only rice and water, as do most of the world’s people. More than $4,000 was raised during the week.

Brain Busters–See the state’s brightest high school students compete for scholarships during Brain Busters, a weekly quiz show sponsored by UM and aired on NBC stations statewide. The show can be seen at 5 p.m. Saturdays on KECI-TV in Missoula, KFBB-TV in Great Falls and KHBB-TV in Helena, and at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on KULR-TV in Billings. Brain Busters, now in its second season, pits teams from 64 Montana high schools against one another, vying for thousands of dollars worth of scholarships to any of the UM campuses.

University Relations | Cary Shimek, Editor
The University of Montana-Missoula
32 Campus Drive | Missoula, MT 59812
phone (406) 243-2522 | fax (406) 243-4520
© 2004 The University of Montana