The University of Montana Office of International Programs is sponsoring a series of movies, poetry readings and panel discussions focusing on Africa during International Education Week Nov. 15-20.

Sponsored nationally by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, International Education Week celebrates international education, exchanges, relationships and cooperation.

This year IEW begins with the Multicultural Training and Global Career conference at 8:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 15-16, in the Dell Brown Room of Turner Hall.

Virginia Valian, a leading expert on gender equity, will visit UM-Missoula Friday, Nov. 19, to raise awareness about gender bias, particularly in the sciences.

Valian will deliver a presentation during a public forum at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, in Urey Lecture Hall.

Valian is a professor of psychology and linguistics at Hunter College and the graduate center of the City University of New York. She is author of the book, "Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women," in which she addresses women's role in the workplace and asks why so few women are at the top of their professions.

A collection of photographs by late Montana artist Lee Nye are on display at UM's Montana Museum of Art and Culture. The exhibit, "Transitions in the Nude: 1950-1999," will run in the Meloy and Paxson galleries until Jan. 31, 2005.

The exhibit includes four of Nye's black and white photographic series: "The White Series," "The Black Series," "The Graphite Series" and "The Transpositionals." These nude series are representative of Nye's major work, although he was best known for his portraits of "regulars" at Eddie's Club.

Nye was born in Hysham in 1926. He moved to California in 1950 and studied photography at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara. He later returned to Montana, earning a bachelor of fine arts degree from UM in 1976 and teaching photography at the University from 1969 to 1981.

UM-Missoula will pay special tribute to soldiers past and present during its first home football game after Veterans Day.

During Saturday's contest between the Grizzlies and Sacramento State Hornets, the coin toss will be done by UM President George Dennison and Col. Sam Roberts, a veteran of three wars and former standout Griz football player.

The University also is offering two free tickets to each member of Missoula's 1-163rd Infantry Company C, which is bound for Iraq later this month. The extra tickets are intended for the soldiers' spouses, family members or significant others.

Funding for the tickets came from the UM President's Office and anonymous donors.

Student-athletes attending UM-Missoula are interested in more than sports. In fact, recent NCAA figures show UM leads its Big Sky Conference rivals and the national average in student-athlete graduation rates.

According to the 2004 NCAA Division I Graduation Rates Report, UM graduates 70 percent of its student-athletes. The average student-athlete graduate rate for all Division I schools is 62 percent.

Missoula residents William and Phyllis Bouchee received UM 's distinguished Community Service Award at last weekend's Montana Grizzlies football game.

The award, presented by the University and coordinated by the UM Alumni Association and Grizzly Athletics, recognizes support of and service to UM and its athletic teams, as well as service to hometown communities.

The Montana Grizzlies football team jumped out to a 34-point lead at home and withstood Northern Arizona's second-half, 22-point surge to get back on the winning track. UM finished with a 34-22 victory.

The win pushed the Grizzlies up to a first-place tie with Eastern Washington for the Big Sky Conference title. The win also moved Montana up one spot to No. 9 in the national rankings.

Scoring six out of six times in the red zone, controlling the clock, committing just three penalties for 15 yards and gaining 445 total yards on offense were a few of the high points for the Grizzlies. The Lumberjacks gave up two interceptions and three fumbles to the Griz defense.

The Grizzlies produced a balanced offensive attack, mixing 215 rushing yards with 230 passing yards. They were led by Lex Hilliard's 132 rushing yards and Craig Ochs connecting on 18 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns.

Montana (7-2) faces Sacramento State at home at 12:05 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13.

The 2004 Big Sky Championship Tournament started well for the Montana Soccer team as it eliminated Eastern Washington from the tourney with a 2-1 victory last Friday at PGE Park in Portland, Ore.

Montana outshot the Eagles 17-9 in the match, but the teams combined to put only five shots on goal.

On Sunday, the Griz didn't fare as well, as Wildcat Rochelle Hoover's goal in the 20th minute lifted Weber State to a 1-0 win over Montana in the tournament final. Hoover, who was named tournament MVP, redirected a corner kick taken by Kacey McDonald, which beat Griz goalkeeper Jamie Rizzuto for the game-winner.

The Wildcats move to 8-9-2 with the win and advance to next weekend's NCAA College Cup. Montana falls to 8-7-2 overall and finished as tournament runner-up for the second consecutive season.

Montana State put an end to the UM volleyball team's recent successful play with a 3-0 victory in Bozeman on Friday night. The Bobcats swept the season series, winning the second match of the season against Montana Volleyball, 30-24, 30-25, 30-18.

Montana dropped to 6-16 overall, 3-9 in league play, and remains in seventh place in the Big Sky, a half-game behind Northern Arizona.

Montana closes out its conference season this weekend with home matches against Eastern Washington and Portland State. UM plays the Eagles at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Portland at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13.

Junior guard Kevin Criswell scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Montana Grizzlies to an 83-62 win over the University of Great Falls Argonauts in a Nov. 4 exhibition basketball game at UM's Dahlberg Arena.

The Grizzlies shook off some early-season rust and went on a 15-0 run in the second half that took just a little more than two minutes, pulling ahead of the Argos by 21 points and putting the game out of reach.

Montana's second and final exhibition game is tonight, when it hosts UM-Western at 6:05 p.m.

Junior Jody McLeod had 10 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Johanna Closson went 8-of-10 from the field and scored a game-high 18 points to lead the UM women's basketball team to a 93-63 victory Tuesday night. The exhibition game pitted the Lady Griz against a National Women's Basketball League travel team at Dahlberg Arena.

The Lady Griz complete their exhibition schedule with a home game at 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, against Deja Vu, a team made up of former UM players.