Bear Briefs

High Honors—UM Professor Reed Humphrey will be the first physical therapist to be recognized by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation with its Award of Excellence, the highest award conferred by the association. Humphrey came to UM in summer 2006 as professor and chair of the School of Physical Therapy. He was one of the first clinicians to study the effects of exercise testing and training in extremely debilitated patients requiring mechanical ventricular assist devices while awaiting cardiac transplantation. His research led to the development of exercise guidelines for this critically ill patient population. Humphrey will be presented the award during the AACVPR annual meeting in October in Salt Lake City.
 
Star Gazing—The Blue Mountain Observatory, operated by UM, has five public observing nights left this summer for the public to get up close with planets, nebulae and distant galaxies. The public observing nights are the following Fridays: July 20; August 10 and 17; and Sept. 7 and 14. Observing begins about an hour after sunset, and organizers recommend bringing warm clothes for cool evenings and a flashlight for the walk from the observatory to the parking lot. The observatory is located on top of Blue Mountain west of Missoula at an elevation of 6,300 feet. Astronomers will be on hand at all public viewings to talk about constellations, how the night sky figures into different cultures and how to find things in the heavens on all the nights you don’t have a giant telescope. More information, including directions and a map to the observatory, is available online at http://www.physics.umt.edu/bluemountain or by calling 406-243-5179. The events are free and open to the public.

Big Bucks—UM’s modest-sized Department of Computer Science, with a six-member faculty, has pulled in more than $3 million in the last four years in various grants for work ranging from NASA’s ORION project — the successor to the space shuttle — to creating models of receding ice sheets around the globe for use in schools. One team recently was awarded an $850,000 National Science Foundation grant for a project that will help put a more user-friendly face on complex scientific programs that model climate change. Another NSF grant is designed to gauge how the digital age affects the ability of students to learn from and internalize their notes.

Griz Country—Griz Country’s borders expanded as two UM television spots wooed audiences and judges at the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators conference recently in Orlando, Fla. “Griz Country” — a spot capturing the fervor around Grizzly football — won the television commercial category in UM’s division. Second place in the same category also went to the University for the “Legacy” commercial, featuring a young boy awestruck in UM’s Hall of Champions. UM competed against schools in the Big Sky conference and others around the country that operate with similar budgets.

Miss Montana—UM student Kristen Mantooth was crowned Miss Montana recently at the statewide competition in Lewistown. An English education major and former UM dance team member, Mantooth received a $6,000 cash scholarship to further her education. She also won the Preliminary Talent Award for her lyrical dance. Mantooth will travel the state speaking at schools and conventions and to youth groups throughout the year. UM was well represented in the competition. Jennifer Hepner of Great Falls was named Second Runner Up and received a $1,250 cash scholarship. She also won Preliminary Talent and Evening Wear honors and the $1,000 Miss America Community Service Scholarship. She is working on a master’s degree in communication studies. Nicole Dowson of Great Falls was the Fourth Runner Up and received a $900 cash scholarship. She also was a winner in the Preliminary Swimsuit competition. Rachel Markovich of Butte was named a Top Ten Semi-Finalist and received a $700 cash scholarship. Dowson and Markovich are studying business administration at UM.