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Jan. 26, 2009 | Vol. 37, No. 19

In this issue:

Lecture To Mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Mental Health Expert To Speak At UM Feb. 2
Exhibitions Showcase American Indian Art
Enjoy A Performance Of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
Community Lecture Series Begins Feb. 17
Exhibition Opens At UM Gallery Jan. 29
Monte Places Third In National Championship
Consultant Available For Retirement Planning
Alumni Association Scholarship Opportunity
Nominate Top Students For Scholarships
Spring Semester Dates For Planning Ahead
Staff Senate Meeting Schedule
Faculty Senate Meeting Schedule
President Dennison's Office Hours
News About U
Publications

Campus Links

Welcome to ForUM, the e-newsletter for University of Montana staff, faculty and administrators. ForUM is published weekly during the academic year except during scheduled academic breaks.

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Lecture To Mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day

UM will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special guest lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, in Gallagher Business Building Room 123. Author and historian Irwin Gellman will present "King, Kennedy, Nixon and the Election of 1960." The event is free and open to the public.

Gellman argues that President Nixon was a strong supporter of civil rights in the 1950s, citing his role as point man for civil rights legislation in 1956 and 1957, and as Martin Luther King Jr.'s conduit to the White House. His widely acclaimed book about Nixon's years in Congress, "The Contender," radically revised perceptions of the unpopular president.

Gellman also challenges common perceptions about President Kennedy's favor among black voters. He claims that Kennedy only received an average proportion of the black vote for a post-New Deal Democrat and argues that Kennedy has been given more credit than is due for his role in civil rights legislation.

Gellman has taught at Morgan State University in Baltimore and Chapman University in California, where he was Trustees' Professor and held the Allergan Chair of Modern American History. He is a visiting scholar at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania.

Mental Health Expert To Speak At UM Feb. 2

Annelle Primm, a nationally recognized expert on cultural issues in psychiatric illness and substance abuse, will give the next installment of the 2008-09 President's Lecture Series at UM.

Primm will present "Red, White, Black and Blue: Race, Culture and Mental Health in America" at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, in the University Theatre. Earlier that day from 3:10 to 4:30 p.m., she will give a seminar titled "Mental Health Matters for the Nation and Montana" in Gallagher Business Building Room 123. Both events are presented in conjunction with UM's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee and are free and open to the public.

Primm has been a leader in collaborative public educational outreach and mental health screening initiatives focused on medically underserved populations. She is the director of minority and national affairs for the American Psychiatric Association and an associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

From 1993 to 2004, Primm served as the medical director of the Johns Hopkins Community Psychiatry Program, where she developed and oversaw a variety of mental health services for adults. She produced a video -- "Black and Blue" -- in 1999, which highlighted depression in the African-American community and encouraged minorities to seek treatment for mental illness. In 2001 she produced "Gray and Blue," which helps senior citizens recognize and treat depression.

She has received numerous awards for her work in community psychiatry, including the Career Communications Inc. Women of Color in Science and Technology Emerald Award for Medical Education in 2003 and the American Psychiatric Association Presidential Commendation in 2006.

President's Lecture Series

Exhibitions Showcase American Indian Art

Two exhibitions that feature American Indian artists are now on display at the Montana Museum of Art & Culture, located in the PAR/TV Center.

"Fritz Scholder: Lithographs" is in the museum's Meloy Gallery. Scholder (1937-2005) was a major influence for a generation of American Indian artists. Disillusioned by the way Indians were portrayed in art, he felt that the American Indian artist must step out of the arena of curios into the world of fine objects and expressive painting. The lithographs on display were created by Scholder during his time at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, N.M., where he was invited in 1970 to undertake the institute's first major project after moving from Los Angeles.

"Spirit Trails and Sky Beings," featuring traditional stories on birch bark scrolls by Ojibway Richard LaFromboise (Miskomin), is in the museum's Paxson Gallery. Through an elaborate series of symbols called pictographs, birch bark scrolls serve as memory aids to tell traditional Ojibway stories that teach lessons about morals and values to Ojibway children, as well as adults. This traveling exhibition, a project of the North Dakota Council on the Arts, is a significant step in the preservation and continuation of the tradition.

The exhibitions will be at the museum through Saturday, March 7. For more information and gallery hours, go to the MMAC Web site or call 243-2019.

Montana Museum of Art & Culture

Enjoy A Performance Of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

To show appreciation for long-standing commitment and service to UM, President George Dennison and the Department of Drama/Dance will provide faculty and staff one free ticket to Montana Repertory Theatre's production of "To Kill a Mockingbird," which begins Jan. 27. In addition, faculty and staff may purchase a second ticket to a performance for only $7.

Performances will take place in the Montana Theatre of the PAR/TV Center at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27-31 and Feb. 7. A matinee performance will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.

To get faculty/staff tickets, present your Griz Card at the Drama/Dance Box Office in the PAR/TV Center. For more information about "To Kill a Mockingbird," visit the Montana Repertory Theatre Web site.

Montana Repertory Theatre

Community Lecture Series Begins Feb. 17

Tickets are now on sale for UM's 11th annual Community Lecture Series -- "Hidden Montana: Dispelling Myths." Lectures will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Feb. 17-March 24, in the University Center Theater.

Six outstanding UM professors will explore unknown and untold stories. Each lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer period. A reception with refreshments will be held in the University Center after the last lecture event on March 24.

Tickets for the series cost $20 for the general public, $15 for UM Alumni Association members and $10 for students. They can be purchased at the Office of Alumni Relations, located in Brantly Hall Room 115, or by calling 243-5211.

More information and a list of lecture titles and presenters is on the Office of Alumni Relations Web site.

Office of Alumni Relations

Exhibition Opens At UM Gallery Jan. 29

UM's Gallery of Visual Arts will showcase the work of Montana artist Tracy Linder in the exhibition "re: Sustenance" from Jan. 29 to Feb. 27. An opening reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29. Linder will speak at 6 p.m.

Linder's sculpture and installation work show the strong connection of humanity to the land and the importance of our food sources. She uses natural and mechanical materials to show the relationships that sustain life.

The Gallery of Visual Arts is located on the first floor of the Social Science Building. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call gallery Director Cathryn Mallory at 243-2813 or e-mail gallery.visarts@umontana.edu.

Monte Places Third In National Championship

With stunt skills and a distinctive sense of humor, UM's mascot, Monte, won third place in his first appearance at the Universal Cheer Association/Universal Dance Association National Championship, held Jan. 16-18 in Orlando, Fla.

The two-time National Champion Mascot of the Year came in second out of 11 mascots in a video qualifying round in November. Monte then traveled to Florida with the top five mascots to present a 90-second skit showcasing his abilities. The University of Delaware's YoUDee took top prize, but Monte's still No. 1 at UM.

"While Monte may have taken third in this competition, Grizzly Athletics feels that the antics and athletic ability that Monte showcases on the field at sporting events and in the community are second to none," said Kenny Dow, UM Intercollegiate Athletics assistant marketing director.

Consultant Available For Retirement Planning

Pat Connell, TIAA-CREF individual consultant, will be in University Center Room 216 Monday through Wednesday, Feb. 2-4, to assist faculty and staff with retirement planning.

To schedule an appointment, call TIAA-CREF at 800-732-8353 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. MST.

Alumni Association Scholarship Opportunity

Are you a UM alum and a parent or a grandparent of a student attending the University? If so, you may want to look into the UM Alumni Association Scholarship, available to students who have a parent or grandparent who attended UM.

Applicants must have attained junior status prior to the beginning of fall semester 2009 and be a full-time student for the fall 2009 and spring 2010 semesters. Graduate students who received a baccalaureate degree from UM also are eligible for the scholarship.

The amount of the scholarship varies each year. Last year, recipients were awarded $4,000. This year's winners will receive the scholarship fund in two equal installments during the 2009-10 academic year.

Completed applications are due at the Office of Alumni Relations by 5 p.m. Friday, March 6. Applications can be downloaded from the Alumni Relations Web site. For more information, call Samantha Kemp at 243-4754 or e-mail samantha.kemp@umontana.edu.

Office of Alumni Relations

Nominate Top Students For Scholarships

Laure Pengelly Drake, UM director of external scholarships and advising, is available at 243-6140 to answer questions from faculty members and staff about scholarship opportunities for outstanding UM students. Because of processing requirements, Pengelly Drake requests that nominations for the following scholarships be submitted as soon as possible.

Truman Scholarship: A few slots remain for this competition for juniors with one year of UM education remaining. National deadline: Feb. 3.
Udall Scholarship: for sophomores or juniors dedicated to public service or the environment or Native American students committed to public health and other tribal policy issues. National registration deadline: March 1.
Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship: for students who have been or are likely to be accepted into their first graduate program or professional school. Noncitizens may apply. UM deadline: Jan. 30.
Amgen Scholars Program: an undergraduate research program in science and biotechnology. Applications due to program sites by Feb. 1.
Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell and Gates Cambridge scholarships: Send students now for preparation for early fall scholarship deadlines. Intellectual curiosity, dedication to service, outstanding leadership and other exceptional qualities are required for these highly competitive scholarships.
The Institute for International Public Policy: a new opportunity for UM sophomore minority students. The program includes many commitments and opportunities, including internships and study abroad. It culminates in a master's degree.
Point Foundation: the nation's largest scholarship granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students of merit at the university or graduate school level. Applications are due online for the national competition Feb. 9.