February 2004

Military science chair
breaks new ground at UM
Lt. Col. Heather Ierardi’s current assignment with the U.S. Army isn’t in a foreign country. But it is in foreign territory.

Ierardi, 43, is the first woman to chair UM’s Department of Military Science and serve as commander of its Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

“I didn’t realize how few women had served in these types of positions,” Ierardi said. “Out of 270 military science department chairs across the country, less than a dozen are women. I shouldn’t be surprised by that but I am.”

UM’s mission during Ierardi’s first year was to commission 15 lieutenants out of its program into active duty in the Army. UM commissioned 21 new officers with the class of 2003.

While pleased with meeting her goal so quickly, Ierardi is not satisfied.

“The history of The University of Montana program is that there are some very strong years and then other years where we don’t meet our mission,” she said. “There’s a lot peaks and valleys. My No. 1 objective is to be consistent in high performance.”

When Ierardi arrived on the Missoula campus less than two years ago, she inherited a program ranked 145th among the 271 ROTC programs in the nation — the school’s lowest ranking in 10 years.

“My goal was to get in the top 20 to 30 programs in the nation and stay there,” Ierardi said.

It didn’t take Ierardi long to meet the first part of her goal.

In 2003, UM rated ninth among ROTC programs in the nation. The rankings are made by a board of officers at the Army’s Higher Headquarters Cadet Command and are based on how well each school meets its mission.

Ierardi credits UM’s high ranking to the quality of students in the program.

“We have some very high quality students,” she said. “And our students are just like other students. They work jobs and have families to support as well as go to school. We have a very diverse body of students in this program.”

Nevertheless, Ierardi, a 21-year U.S. Army veteran, said she feels right at home heading up UM’s 75-member Grizzly Battalion.

“I haven’t noticed any obstacles, but then I’m not looking for them,” she said. “This campus has a reputation for being exceptionally liberal. I feel very accepted.”

The military has been a way of life for Ierardi since she was a child. Her father is a retired Army colonel.

During her 21 years of active duty, Ierardi has served in the Middle East during the Gulf War and in Kosovo as part of UN peacekeeping forces. Ierardi comes to UM from an assignment in Germany with the 1st Armor Division.
She holds numerous awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, and a Meritorious Service Medal and an Army Commendation Medal, both with three oak leaf clusters.

Ierardi believes her broad military background will prove beneficial at UM.
“I think my own experiences can only help when it comes to teaching,” Ierardi said. “And it’s a good chance for me to develop new skills by working in a completely different environment.”

A Nebraska native, Ierardi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental health from Rutgers State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia.

Since entering the Army as a second lieutenant in 1982, Ierardi also has completed a variety of Army training programs.

In her second year at UM, Ierardi said she thoroughly enjoys both her teaching experience and living in Montana.

“I probably would never have lived here if it weren’t for this assignment,” she said. “But this is a great place to live. And this is the type of university I would like my children to attend.”

But in order to continue her military career, Ierardi will be forced to leave when her three-year assignment expires in 2005. She already has been accepted into the prestigious Army War College in Washington, D.C., where she will receive advanced training.

Until then, however, Ierardi said she will continue to relish the UM experience and strive to keep her department in the top echelon of ROTC programs in the nation.

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