Martin Horejsi, an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, discusses celestial objects using the 5-foot-wide OmniGlobe as a teaching tool. (Photo by Jonathan Crummett)

The largest single gift ever given to UM has resulted in a new building that is the “inspirational heart for education in Montana.”

That’s according to Roberta “Bobbie” Evans, dean of the newly named Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences. Evans has seen veteran alumni educators tour the new building and come away misty-eyed.

“They never thought they would see the day their alma mater was elevated to this stature,” she says. “It has generated a strong sense of professional identity for teachers across Montana.”

The catalyst for the building, Phyllis Washington, is a 1964 UM education school graduate and teacher who married Dennis, founder of the Washington Companies. Evans says Mrs. Washington had the “vision, values and vitality” to make the new center a reality.

“And other generous donors stepped forward to support us,” Evans says. “Today you can walk the halls and see all the names on beautiful rooms and gifts.”

With its distinctive wave roof, the addition boasts a multistory glass atrium meant to resemble a “lantern of learning.” It offers the latest educational technologies, high-tech classrooms, an on-site preschool to help students hone their teaching skills and other amenities. With its focus on distance-learning, the college also houses the Montana Digital Academy, an electronic high school for the entire state.

The 5-foot-diameter OmniGlobe dominates the main floor. Internal projectors allow the device to show everything from the Earth and its weather systems to a ski video or even a UM research lab. It’s the only OmniGlobe at a U.S. university.

“This building has raised expectations,” Evans says. “When I complimented a student rehearsing a major presentation in the Betsy and Warren Wilcox Learning Lounge, she said, ‘I have to do a great job … just look around!’”

Project at a Glance:

Cost: $15.1 Million
Start Date: May 2008
Completion: September 2009
Gross Square Footage: 40,428
Funding: 90% Private, 10% UM
Unique Feature: The OmniGlobe