Bear Briefs

Forestry Honors—Several alumni and professors of UM’s College of Forestry and Conservation were honored recently by the Society of American Foresters. John McMahon, who graduated from UM with a bachelor’s degree in forestry in 1960 and earned a master’s degree in 1964, was named president of SAF in January. McMahon had a long career with the Weyerhaeuser Co., beginning in 1964 and ending in 2001 when he retired as vice president of timberlands and external and regulatory affairs. He lives in Normandy Park, Wash. CFC Dean Perry Brown and three UM alumni — Stephen Arno of Florence; Russell Graham of Moscow, Idaho; and Carl Fiedler, UM research professor of silviculture — were elected as SAF Fellows. The title honors SAF members who have provided outstanding contributions to the society and to the forestry profession.

Art Donation—The Montana Museum of Art & Culture at UM recently acquired an important donation of 161 works of Western art through the generosity of the Bill and Polly Nordeen family. The acquisition, known as the Bill and Polly Nordeen Collection, contains works by some of the most well-known pioneers of Western art, including Karl Bodmer, Edward Borein, George Catlin, Ace Powell, Edgar Paxson, Frederic Remington and C.M. Russell. The works are primarily oil and watercolor paintings that depict scenes of Western life, landscapes, portraits, wildlife and still life. The collection also includes three hand-tinted lithographs by George Catlin, a 1903 oil painting by Edgar Paxson titled “At the Waterhole,” Western bronzes, Pre-Columbian ceramics and Mexican and American Indian masks and baskets.

More Students—UM enrollment continues to climb, but the big news this semester is that students are taking more credit hours. While head count increased to 13,309 — 24 above last spring’s enrollment — the number of full-time equivalents jumped 202 — from 11,096 to 11,398. An analysis is still under way, but it appears the numbers can be attributed in part to online registration and the conversion of Wintersession courses counting toward spring semester.

Garage Sale— A UM parking structure will be a bargain hunter’s paradise Saturday, April 28, when it transforms into the “World’s Largest Garage Sale.” The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the first and second levels of the parking garage on Campus Drive next to the Mansfield Library. The “world’s largest” claim, which has been used for years to tout the sale, was acknowledged in a story in the New York Times travel section last summer. The writer of the article attributed the “largest” claim to “the size of its garage.” The 18th semi-annual event is a fundraiser for UM Advocates, a campus service organization of more than 100 members who provide volunteer services for many campus functions. Previous sales have drawn nearly 100 sellers and thousands of shoppers.

Environmental Study—Robin Saha, a UM environmental studies assistant professor, contributed to an update of a landmark 1987 report that revealed how U.S citizens who are minorities or poor are much more likely to have hazardous-waste facilities in their neighborhoods. The update, titled “A Current Appraisal of Toxic Waste and Race in the United States,” found there has not been any positive progress since release of the first report. Saha, who has been a scholar in the environmental justice field for the last decade, wrote a key chapter in the update titled “A Current Appraisal of Toxic Waste and Race in the United States.” A summary of the new study was released in February at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco.

Provost Search—The search for a new UM provost and vice president for academic affairs has been extended. President George Dennison said UM will seek assistance from a search firm to move the process forward. An earlier search yielded three candidates who came to campus for interviews, but none was offered the position. Dennison said Teresa Branch, vice president for student affairs, will chair the search committee from this point forward, since former chair Dan Dwyer, vice president for research and development, has pressing business commitments. Dennison said there is a need to identify someone to assume the provost position as soon as possible. The president has been serving as interim provost since Lois Muir was removed from the position nearly one year ago.

Board Appointee—Bob Ream was appointed by Gov. Brian Schweitzer to the UM Local Executive Board in late February. He replaces Leonard Landa as a public representative on the board and will serve through April 2009. Ream will provide consultative and advisory service to UM President Dennison, act as a liaison between the community and the University, and foster public awareness of the contributions of UM to Missoula and the state. A retired professor of wildlife management, Ream taught in the UM School of Forestry and Conservation for 28 years and was named the acting dean of forestry in 1993. Ream served as a representative in the Montana Legislature for 16 years, where he chaired the House Fish and Game Committee. The appointment was approved by the state Board of Regents at its Feb. 28-March 1 meeting.

Centennial Bricks—Become a permanent part of the UM campus by having your name — or another person’s — engraved in Centennial Circle on the Oval. The deadline for buying bricks for the spring engraving is Friday, April 13. The cost is $150. For more information call University Relations at 406-243-2522 or visit http://www.umt.edu/urelations/bricks.htm.