“The Privatization of Freedom in America: What It Means for Individuals and Democracy” is the title of the next installment of the President’s Lecture Series at UM.

Orlando Patterson, John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University, will present the lecture at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, in the University Theatre, located in the UM Fine Arts Building.

Earlier, from 3:10 to 4:30 p.m., Patterson will present a seminar, "The Medieval and Christian Sources of Modern Freedom," in Gallagher Business Building Room 123. The seminar is held in conjunction with UM’s Philosophy Forum.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Patterson is an authority on slavery and race relations in America. The first of his two-volume historical sociology, “Freedom in the Making of Western Civilization,” was awarded the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1991.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and is a Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 2006 event.

French political cartoonist Plantu will present a lecture on his work Wednesday, Jan. 25, at UM.

The presentation, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in Gallagher Business Building Room 122. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Jean “Plantu” Plantureux is well-known for his dedication to human rights, democracy and justice. His cartoons have been published in the French newspaper Le Monde since the early 1970s, as well as in Le Monde Diplomatique and magazines such as Phosphore and L’Express. His award-winning work has been exhibited worldwide.

Plantu was invited to Missoula by UM’s Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures and the Alliance Francaise de Missoula.

Students in the wildest corners of western Montana may soon receive cutting-edge environmental health science education, thanks to a new $1.25 million federal grant awarded to UM.

The five-year Science Education Partnership Award was presented by the National Institutes of Health to increase public understanding of science and encourage student interest in research careers.

The grant went to UM’s Center for Environmental Health Sciences, which studies human disease and how environmental contaminants adversely affect people. The center, created in 2000 by UM’s College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, will use the award to promote environmental health education among the state’s rural youth.

Area science teachers and community-based education groups are being recruited to help with the effort.

Are you a student looking for a way to give something back? Let us count the ways:

Help plan and facilitate activities that teach Missoula children about Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. These activities take place during the week of Jan. 30 at Lewis and Clark Elementary School. For more information, contact amanda.murphy@mso.umt.edu.

Become a part-time AmeriCorps volunteer with one of several Missoula community nonprofits. Positions are available for Web design, data entry, tech support and elementary school aides. Volunteers may be eligible for awards to pay for tuition or student loans. For more information, contact aram.rosenberg@mso.umt.edu.

Help weatherize homes with the Montana Campus Compact’s Campus Corps program. Students will be trained in a variety of methods to reduce energy use while still keeping a home warm. For more information, contact saylor@mtcompact.org.

Find dozens of other short- and long-term volunteer opportunities through the online listings maintained by UM’s Office for Civic Engagement. Current needs include a breakdance teacher, knitting teacher, chess club facilitator and children’s museum volunteer. The OCE also is recruiting volunteers for its America Reads/America Counts program, Head Start and Alternative Spring Break.

Hot pans and whipping whisks will take center stage today when two UM chefs face off at high noon in the University Center Commons.

Tom Siegel, University Dining Services executive chef, and Brian Crego, UM catering chef, will compete for the right to attend the regional competition of the National Association of College and University Food Services.

Each contestant will have 60 minutes to produce four portions of a creative chicken entree with up to two side dishes. Judging will be based on the taste of the finished product, demonstrated cooking skills, knife handling, culinary techniques, organization and sanitation principles.

Siegel hopes to add another medal to his collection. He recently won a gold medal in the entree division of the second annual Montana Chef Competition for the Culinary Excellence Award. He also won a bronze medal at the recent NACUFS Region VIII Culinary Challenge.

Crego is new to cooking competition, but ready to compete with Siegel, his mentor.

The winner will advance to the Continental Region Culinary Competition March 20 in Minneapolis at the University of St. Thomas.

The UM Wilderness Institute is now accepting proposals for the 2006 Matthew Hansen Endowment.

The endowment, established in 1984 as a memorial to Hansen, grants awards for historical research, creative writing and wilderness studies projects that explore Montana’s land and people.

The institute looks for projects that work toward goals that Hansen encouraged – mindful stewardship of the land, both wild and cultivated, and the preservation of Montana’s cultural heritage.

The endowment committee recommends projects that can be completed in one year. Funding is competitive, and awards range from $400 to $1,000.

See the Web site for application guidelines. Proposals must be postmarked by March 1.

The Lady Griz saw their nine-game winning streak come to a close with a 60-65 loss to Northern Arizona Jan. 19 in Dahlberg Arena.

Freshman Mandy Morales had 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Montana. Sophomore Johanna Closson added 17 points.

Saturday night Montana senior Katie Edwards scored a career-high 28 points on 7-of-8 three-point shooting and added a career-high nine rebounds to lead the Lady Griz to a 78-59 victory over Sacramento State. Montana, which shot a season-best 48.3 percent from the field, improved to 13-3 overall, 2-1 in league play.

UM continues its Big Sky Conference schedule this week with road games at Portland State and Eastern Washington. The Lady Griz faced the Vikings last night in Oregon and take on the Eagles at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon in Cheney, Wash.

Northern Arizona returned from a 19-point first-half deficit to post an 83-80 win over the Grizzlies Jan. 19 in Flagstaff.

Senior guard Kevin Criswell matched his season-high with 24 points to lead the Grizzlies.

The Griz rallied back Saturday night as Criswell's lay-up with 7.2 seconds remaining gave Montana a 73-71 win over Sacramento State at the Hornets Nest. Sophomore forward Andrew Strait scored a game-high 25 rebounds and matched a career-best with nine rebounds. Montana continued its hot shooting, making 28-of-50 (56 percent) field goal attempts.

The win improved the Grizzlies to 4-1 in Big Sky Conference action, and 14-3 on the year.

UM, ranked 11th in the most recent Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, continues its 2006 Big Sky Conference schedule, hosting the Portland State Vikings last night and the Eastern Washington Eagles Saturday. Tip-off for the EWU contest is at 7:35 p.m. in UM’s Dahlberg Arena.