Landscapes of the Lewis and Clark Trail in a variety of 20th-century art styles will be exhibited May 5 to Aug. 19 in the Meloy and Paxson galleries of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture at UM.

The exhibition, titled “Landscapes Along the Lewis and Clark Trail,” features 45 paintings and prints from the museum’s Permanent Collection, depicting scenes in Montana and Washington.

Quotes from the journals of Lewis and Clark will accompany the artworks, and a historical map showing the Lewis and Clark Trail will provide orientation for viewers.

Among the artists featured in the exhibition are Edgar S. Paxson, Joseph Henry Sharp and Fra Dana.

The Montana Museum of Art and Culture is located in UM’s Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center. There is no charge for admission, and free parking now is available near the northwest corner of the center.

Museum hours through May are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 4 to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. During June, July and August, museum hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Montana’s Index of Consumer Sentiment was at an all-time high during March and April, according to Paul Polzin, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UM.

Polzin said the index reached 131, up from 111 last fall. The all-time low of 91.5 was recorded right before the 1990-91 recession.

The all-time high is the result of Montana consumers’ widespread optimism concerning their financial situation and their expectations of business conditions over the next few years, he said.

Polzin said record high prices for energy and other natural resource commodities, combined with the continued strength in other important industries such as agriculture and construction, have led to robust increases in employment and income.

The Montana Index of Consumer Sentiment is based on the University of Michigan’s national Index of Consumer Sentiment, one component of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Leading Indicator Composite Index.

The Montana index is calculated using data from the Montana Poll, a random telephone survey of adult Montanans conducted quarterly by BBER.

A woman with more than 30 years experience at college libraries has been named dean of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library at UM.

Bonnie Allen, associate university librarian at Oregon State University in Corvallis since 1999, will join UM July 10. She replaces Frank D’Andraia, who left UM last June for a position with University at Albany, State University of New York. Longtime Mansfield Library administrator Erling Oelz, who has served as interim dean since D’Andraia’s departure, will continue in the position until Allen starts.

President George Dennison, who also serves as UM’s acting provost, hired Allen after a nationwide search that brought three candidates to campus for interviews.

Allen has held administrative responsibility that includes strategic planning, budgeting, policy and personnel for the operational units that serve OSU’s three campuses. She holds a master of business administration degree from Portland State University and a master of library science degree from Indiana University.

As of this month, UM’s North Park-N-Ride shuttle has given rides to more than 10,000 people, and it's projected to give 14,000 rides during its first year of service.

Daily riders have increased from 23 on its first day of service last August to 143 on its largest day of service.

The North Park-N-Ride shuttle runs from East Broadway every 15 minutes to UM’s Adams Center, making a stop at the Mountain Line bus stop at the base of the Rattlesnake.

The free shuttle originates at a lot just east of the MonTEC building, located at 1121 E. Broadway.

UM’s South Park-N-Ride shuttle service began in 1999 and has given nearly 200,000 rides. It runs every 10 minutes from the Dornblaser lots, located at the corner of South and Higgins avenues and just north of Lewis and Clark Villages.

Route maps for all UM shuttle services are on the Office of Transportation Web site.

UM student Michael O’Brien is one of 10 nationwide to win the All Nations Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Student Research Award.

O’Brien, a junior majoring in wildlife biology at the University, is from Poplar. He will receive $2,500 this semester to continue his conservation research project, “Pilot Study: The Feasibility of Non-invasive Fecal Sampling for Genetic and Parasite Studies in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park Bison Herd.”

The ANLSAMP awards are based on a research component, but seek a strong mentorship element in projects as well.

O’Brien’s future goals include establishing programs on reservations across the United States that will encourage education and advocacy of conservation issues.

Twenty-six top American Indian students are attending the first Indian Student Leadership Symposium offered by UM’s O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West.

The program is being held today and Saturday at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo and UM in Missoula. Students were nominated for the symposium by their colleges and represent a broad range of disciplines and tribes.

Participating students will compare and contrast indigenous philosophies with general systems theory, leadership and sovereignty.

UM students are Scott Azure, Joel Adams, Tony Dorame, Georgie Ferguson, Flo Gardipee, Samantha Grant, Augustine J. Hill, Linda Juneau, Twila Old Coyote, Wilena Old Person, Linda Ostler, Aislinn Rioux, Jeffrey Ross, Erin Shanley, Candace Tucker and Michael Wheeler.

The “Backroads of Montana” program, produced by KUFM-TV at UM, has been selected to receive a Dorothy Ogg Award for Excellence from the Missoula Historic Preservation Commission.

For the past 15 years, “Backroads” has highlighted interesting people, places and events across Big Sky Country. The Montana PBS program won in the “Preservation Information and Education” category.

“Backroads” host William Marcus and producers Gus Chambers, Ray Ekness and John Twiggs will receive their award at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the Governor’s Room of the Florence Building at 211 N. Higgins Ave.

Lisa Swallow, program director of accounting technology at the UM College of Technology, has been awarded the 2006 Greening UM Award.

The third annual award was presented to Swallow by the University’s Sustainable Campus Committee for her volunteer time and service and insight and inspiration in efforts to promote sustainability in higher education.

Swallow worked many hours for the committee during the past year, helping to promote its vision. In addition, she established productive connections that advance sustainability in the curriculums at COT and UM.

The Sustainable Campus Committee was appointed to guide and document UM’s efforts to meet the goals of the Talloires Declaration, a 10-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities.

The declaration was signed by UM President George Dennison in 2002.

Montana companies interested in doing business in Asia are invited to participate in an August trade mission to China and South Korea.

The mission is being organized through EnterpriseMontana by the UM-based Montana World Trade Center, in conjunction with the U.S. Commercial Services of the Department of Commerce, and will be led by U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg.

Participants will make stops in Tianjin, China, and Seoul, South Korea. This effort to create economic inroads for Montana companies will offer one-on-one networking meetings with potential buyers, sales representatives and business partners.

Interested companies should call the Montana World Trade Center at (406) 243-6982 by May 22.

MWTC is a UM organization that helps businesses establish or strengthen their international commercial capabilities.

The public is invited to an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 5, at the UM College of Technology’s satellite facility located in the Dinny Stranahan Research Institute, 2925 N. Reserve St.

COT health professions programs have been housed at the satellite campus since last summer.

A highlight of the open house is a chance to see a demonstration of “Sim Man,” a simulated patient purchased last fall for COT’s nursing program. “Sim Man” is cutting-edge technology in simulated learning.

The open house gives community members an opportunity to meet with COT representatives to learn more about the college’s nursing, respiratory care, and radiology, surgical, pharmacy and medical technology programs.

For more information, call Margaret Wafstet, director, COT nursing program at (406) 396-5156.

The UM golf team, fresh off last week's first-place finish at the Big Sky Women's Golf Championship, will find out Monday, May 1, where they will play their NCAA Regional golf tournament.

The Grizzlies will most likely travel to Auburn, Wash., for the NCAA West Regional to be played at Washington National Golf Club. Other possible sites include the NCAA Central Regional played at Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas, and the NCAA East Regional at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, N.C.

All three regional tournaments are scheduled to be played May 11-13. The NCAA Finals will be played May 23-26 at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio.

The Montana men’s and women’s tennis teams both had two All-Big Sky Conference selections, the league office announced this week.

Senior Jan Steenekamp and junior Stuart Wing were recognized on the men’s side, while freshman Liz Walker and sophomore Mari Castello were honored on the women’s side.

The Montana men enter this week’s Big Sky conference tournament as the three-seed at 9-10 overall and 4-2 in league action. The women head to this week’s league championship as the four-seed at 9-11 overall and 3-3 in Big Sky play.

UM senior sprinter Tara Schwager qualified for the Big Sky Conference meet in the 400-meter hurdles and sophomore pole vaulter Levi Zell had a personal best by over nine inches to highlight the Grizzlies' Saturday at the Washington State Invitational.

Montana currently has three athletes qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional May 26-27 at Austin, Texas. Sixteen women qualified in 21 events and 15 men qualified in 20 events for the Big Sky meet May 10-13 at Cheney, Wash.

The UM track and field teams will have their annual dual against Montana State University this Saturday in Bozeman. The meet opens at 11 a.m. with the start of the field events. The running events commence at noon and conclude at 4:15 p.m. with the running of the women's 1,600-meter relay.