New Dean of Helena COT

A Utah community college administrator has been named the new dean of the UM Helena College of Technology. Daniel J. Bingham, currently associate vice president of business services at Salt Lake Community College, will assume his new position July 5. He replaces UM Executive Vice President Bob Frazier, who has served as interim dean at the Helena campus since former Dean Steve Hoyle retired last November. Bingham brings more than 15 years of educational and practical experience in two-year college leadership and teaching to his new position. He was hired after a national search. In his current position since 2003, Bingham previously served as Salt Lake Community College’s executive dean during 2001-2003 and as assistant to the president and site administrator during 2000-2001.

Partners in Education

The School of Education honored several local programs and people with Partnership Awards April 8 at the 16th Annual Education Reception. This year’s reception also celebrated the school’s 75th anniversary. The awards recognize those who have shown commitment and dedication to preparing future educators by providing mentorship opportunities in a variety of areas. The honorees are Lolo elementary and middle schools; Glenn Moffatt Jr., a health enhancement instructor at Paxson Elementary School; the New Directions Wellness Center in UM’s Department of Physical Therapy; Kenneth Welt, director of UM’s Counseling and Psychological Services; and Dave Shreeve, superintendent of Forsyth Public Schools.

New Dean Hired for Honors College

Maryland educator James McKusick has been hired as dean of the Davidson Honors College at UM. McKusick currently serves as director of the honors college at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He starts his UM position July 1. During his 20 years at UMBC, McKusick has taught English literature and served in a variety of administrative positions, including scheduling officer and English department chair. His varied administrative experience has been supplemented by significant scholarship and leadership to the wider UMBC community through service on a number of committees and councils.

Native Take on Historic Duo

Art depicting the viewpoints of Native American artists on the Corps of Discovery and the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial will be on display at UM’s Montana Museum of Art and Culture through June 26. “Contemporary Native American Art — Reflections After Lewis and Clark” features 31 paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures and installations by 19 nationally and internationally recognized artists. It’s in the Meloy and Paxson galleries of the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays and 3 to 7 p.m. Fridays.

Public Radio Exceeds Goal

Listeners from across the state and beyond answered Montana Public Radio’s call for support during the station’s annual on-air fund-raiser held April 2-10. MTPR supporters pledged $440,000, exceeding this year’s goal of $433,000. In addition to the pledges, listeners donated more than 2,700 premiums. In the fund-raiser’s annual grand finale, “Pet Wars” — in which listeners call in pledges in the names of their pets — dogs won the competition with 1,441 pledges, just nine more than the cats.

UM Students Graduate in About Four Years

A new UM study shows that it takes students working for a bachelor’s degree an average of 4.88 years to graduate. The study looked at students who had originally enrolled at UM and then graduated in 2004. The study did not include students who began school at other institutions. Nationally, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, students graduating from four-year institutions graduated after 4.8 years, which means UM is close to the national average. The national study also compared the results with students who graduated in 1993, who took an average of 5.3 years to graduate. UM’s data shows more than 40 percent of 2004 graduates completed their degrees in four years and almost 73 percent finished in less than five years. Officials say the Four Bear program at UM, which helps students create a four-year plan and offers priority registration for those enrolled, should be given credit for UM’s success.

Halls of Power Internship

UM student Ashley Sparano recently was chosen as one of only eight student interns for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Sparano, a junior from Missoula double majoring in business administration and communication studies, will serve her internship in Washington, D.C., from May 23 to Aug. 5. Sparano first heard of the internship opportunity through UM internship coordinator Cheryl Minnick. Sparano already has a marketing internship with Missoula’s First National Bank, to which she will be welcomed back when she returns. She wanted to try for the Senate internship to bring her out of her comfort zone and open new opportunities, she said.

Going to the Pros

Four UM football players are bound for the NFL. Justin Green, a 250-pound fullback who rushed for 1,784 yards and 22 touchdowns in two seasons for the Griz, was picked by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the NFL draft. He was the 158th pick overall. Three other Griz players weren’t among the 255 players selected in this year’s draft, but quarterback Craig Ochs, tight end Willie Walden and lineman Cory Procter all signed free-agent deals immediately after the draft. Ochs is bound for San Diego, Walden will go to the Kansas City Chiefs and Procter will motor to Detroit. This marks the second consecutive year a Griz has been drafted. Dylan McFarland was picked up in the sixth round by Buffalo a year ago.

UM Forges Ties With Ireland

A recent UM conference worked to forge new opportunities for academic and business collaboration between the Treasure State and the Emerald Isle. The Montana-Ireland Conference was held April 25-26. It offered a variety of roundtable discussions and keynote addresses on wide-ranging topics. Last year UM officials paid a visit to Ireland’s University College, Cork, to form an exchange program with that institution. Cork was chosen because the majority of the Irish who came to Montana to mine copper came from Cork.