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| Griz Greetings!
Welcome to TGIF News. This e-mail newsletter is provided weekly, except during the summer and scheduled academic breaks, to subscribers who include students, alumni, employees and friends of The University of Montana.
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Celebrate New Native American Center
UM will hold several events Thursday, May 13, to celebrate the completion and opening of The Payne Family Native American Center -- the first of its kind at any American university.
The public is invited to join tribal leaders and community, state and campus representatives for the day's events, which will include many Native American traditions to honor and dedicate the new center.
The formal dedication ceremony will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the UM Oval directly in front of the center. Seating will be provided. The ceremony will begin with an opening convocation by author and historian Joe Medicine Crow. Speakers will include Native American activist Elouise Cobell, UM Native American studies alumnus Jon Swan and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Student-led tours of the center will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. and from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The University also will host a reception for tribal dignitaries, campus partners and donors. Terry Payne, a UM alumnus and Missoula businessman, is the center's lead donor. Other key donors include First Interstate Bank and the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, a nationally recognized organization headquartered outside Minneapolis.
In addition to the formal dedication ceremony, the following events are free and open to the public May 13:
- 8:30 a.m.: "Coming Home" walk from the Adams Center to the center of the Oval. The public is invited to participate in or enjoy the symbolic walk, led by children from Arlee's Salish language revitalization institute. Representatives from all Montana tribes will participate. A flag song and flag raising ceremony will be held on the Oval.
- 10 a.m.: Dedication of the center's Bonnie HeavyRunner Memorial Gathering Space. HeavyRunner (Blackfeet) received a juris doctor degree from UM in 1988. She served as director of the Native American Studies Program and was instrumental in the creation of the University's Department of Native American Studies. HeavyRunner lost a long battle with cancer in 1997.
- 11 a.m.: An event on the UM Oval to honor the artisans, craftspeople, visionaries, designers and implementers of the fine details of the center.
- 11:45 a.m.: Lunch on the Oval, sponsored by UM and the Crow Nation. Prepared by UM Catering Services, the menu will include buffalo soup, vegetarian soup, fry bread, and huckleberry and cherry cobbler. The Crow Nation donated the buffalo.
- 1 p.m.: Henry Real Bird, storyteller and Montana poet laureate, will give a presentation on the first floor of the center.
- 1-3 p.m.: Students will give academic presentations on the first floor of the center. A documentary by UM's Indigenous Filmmakers Club will be shown on the center's second floor.
Event organizers recommend using public transportation to and from campus if possible. For those who need to drive to campus, all parking in lots that require decals on campus will be open to the public, with the exception of Quick Stop, reserved and metered spaces.
American Sign Language interpreters and listening devices will be provided during the day's events, and the parking lot located behind and east of Main Hall has been designated for people who hold a valid disability parking permit. Those who need assistance getting to the seating area on the Oval can call 406-243-6131.
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2010 Commencement on UM Oval
UM will hold its 113th Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 15, on the Oval in front of Main Hall -- the first time in the University's history that the ceremony will be held in that location.
More than 3,000 graduates are invited to participate in the ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m. Graduates who plan to take part will line up at 8:45 a.m. near the Lommason Center. Guests and family members are asked to be seated by 9:20 a.m. The faculty and graduate processional begins at 9:30 a.m.
This year's Commencement speaker is the University's longest-serving president, George M. Dennison, who plans to retire Aug. 15, 2010 -- 20 years from the day he became UM's 16th president.
Large video screens will flank the main stage, and an additional video screen will be placed at the center of the Oval for better viewing of the central Commencement ceremony. A concert sound system will provide high-quality audio.
The central Commencement ceremony also will be simulcast via the Internet on large screens in the following campus locations: North Underground Lecture Hall, Urey Lecture Hall, Clapp Building Room 131, Chemistry Building Room 123, Liberal Arts Building Room 11, McGill Hall Room 210 and Social Science Building Rooms 352 and 356.
Individual ceremonies for professional schools will begin at 11:30 a.m. Individual ceremonies for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Technology will begin at 1:30 p.m. Each ceremony will last about one hour.
Commencement weekend gets under way with class reunions, receptions and open houses Friday, May 14.
President Dennison will host a free continental breakfast for graduates and their guests from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the University Center Atrium.
Commencement weekend concludes with the ROTC Commissioning at 6 p.m. Saturday outside Schreiber Gymnasium.
Continuous bus service to campus from Park-N-Ride lots on East Broadway and at Dornblaser Field will begin at 7:25 a.m. Saturday. Information about services for guests with disabilities or mobility concerns is available by calling UM Disability Services for Students at 406-243-2243. UM's Access Map has information about physical accessibility on campus.
More details about Commencement are on the UM Registrar's Office website.
UM Map
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Princeton Review Puts UM on Green List
The Princeton Review has selected for inclusion in "The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges."
The organization chose UM based on its Green Rating score of 96 (out of 99), received in the summer of 2009 when the Princeton Review published scores for 697 schools in its annual college guidebook.
The guidebook's entry mentions several of UM's sustainability initatives, including student groups Climate Action Now and Forum for Living with Appropriate Technology (UM FLAT), the Revolving Energy Loan Fund and the Farm to College Program, as well as the University's greenhouse gas inventory and resulting Climate Action Plan, which outlines UM's strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020.
Published in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, "The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges" is the first free, comprehensive guidebook focused solely on colleges and universities that have demonstrated an above-average commitment to sustainability activities and initiatives. UM is the only university in Montana to make the list.
For more information on the University's sustainability initiatives, visit the Greening UM website.
Greening UM
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Presidential Search Team Begins Review
The UM Presidential Search Advisory Committee held a candidate screening workshop May 3. The group started its initial review of applicants, which will continue through the May 19 application deadline.
The committee is searching for the successor to UM President George M. Dennison, who intends to retire Aug. 15 after two decades at the helm.
The search is on schedule, with current efforts focused on building a robust pool of highly qualified candidates, said Clayton Christian, the Board of Regents vice chair who leads the search committee.
"The position is attracting the interest of exceptional prospects," Christian said. "Members of the University community and educational leaders from throughout the country have joined the search efforts by nominating potential candidates."
The committee continues to solicit nominations and applications. Direct all inquiries to Bill Franklin, consultant to the search, at bjf@academic-search.com or 830-249-1444.
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Fulbright Grant Competition Opens
UM students are encouraged to apply for Fulbright grants for international study and research and English teaching assistantships abroad.
The grants generally provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident coverage, and full or partial tuition.
Students currently enrolled at UM should call Assistant Professor Clint Walker, UM Fulbright program adviser, at 406-243-2501 or e-mail clint.walker@mso.umt.edu for information.
UM students wishing to apply must submit applications electronically and in hard copy by Thursday, Sept. 30, to meet the UM campus deadline. The national IIE deadline for electronic applications is Monday, Oct. 18.
Interested students are encouraged to begin the application process in late spring or early summer and should call or e-mail Walker or visit the Fulbright website for more details.
The Fulbright Program
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Students Earn National Scholarships
Joel Beckham, a UM junior from Rosebud, has been awarded a National Security Education Program Boren Scholarship to study in Moscow next year. Beckham majors in Russian.
NSEP is a federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills. The program's Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduates to study in areas of the world that are critical to the nation's interests and underrepresented in study abroad.
This year, only 138 awards were offered nationwide from a pool of 925 applicants. Beckham is the first UM student to receive the prestigious award.
Two other UM students who major in Russian -- Jane Blevins, a junior from Missoula, and Travis Vincent, a sophomore from Bigfork -- also have been awarded highly competitive U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships to study in Russia this summer.
The CLS program of the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will hold intensive institutes overseas in 13 critical-need foreign languages.
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UM Sophomore Named Kimmitt Intern
Austin James, a UM sophomore from Butte, will travel to Washington, D.C., this summer as the recipient of the 2010 J. Stanley Kimmitt Public Service Internship.
James, who majors in economics and political science with a minor in communication studies, will serve as a summer intern for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg. At the same time, he will be enrolled in The Washington Center internship program. The Kimmitt internship includes a $1,500 stipend.
James is a graduate of Butte Central High School. He served as a team field leader intern for John McCain's presidential campaign and as a local volunteer for Rehberg's last two congressional campaigns. He is a member of UM's Davidson Honors College and the Pi Sigma Alpha, Alpha Lambda Delta and Golden Key honor societies. James also serves as an Associated Students of UM senator and as treasurer for the campus group College Republicans.
The internship, a public service opportunity for UM students established to honor J. Stanley Kimmitt, former secretary of the U.S. Senate and aide to Sen. Mike Mansfield, rotates among all three members of the Montana congressional delegation.
The next Kimmitt internship will be awarded in summer 2011. A call for applications for that award will be announced this fall by the Davidson Honors College. For more information, call 406-243-2541 or e-mail dhc@umontana.edu.
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MontanaPBS Premieres 'Grizzlies' Film
"Glacier Park's Night of the Grizzlies," a film documenting the harrowing events that took place in the park Aug. 12, 1967, will premiere at 8 p.m. Monday, May 17, on MontanaPBS (KUFM-TV in Missoula and KUSM-TV in Bozeman).
The film, co-produced by Gus Chambers and Paul Zalis, examines the summer night when two grizzly bears attacked campers in separate, remote areas of Glacier National Park, killing Julie Helgeson and Michele Koons. The incidents were the park's first reported fatal bear attacks since it opened in 1910 and marked a watershed moment in the nation's bear management policies.
The documentary features interviews with survivors Roy Ducat and Paul Dunn, as well as archival material, photographs, still-camera re-enactments and additional interviews, to provide a 360-degree account of that summer's events in Glacier, framed by the overriding theme of the grizzly bear and its survival in the 21st century.
Three-time regional Emmy winner Chambers directed "Glacier Park's Night of the Grizzlies," and Zalis wrote the script. Veteran actor and Missoula native J.K. Simmons narrates the film.
MontanaPBS
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XLS Announces Contest Winners
Betsy Dalessio, a curriculum and instruction graduate student at UM, entered the winning submission in a contest sponsored by Extended Learning Services. The contest challenged participants to draw inspiration from an actual Summer Semester course to answer the question "What Will YOU Do This Summer?"
Dalessio's answer, "Dance like no one's watching," which describes DAN 327: Dance in Elementary Education, received the most votes of the 15 finalists XLS posted on its website. She won a $500 Summer Semester 2010 tuition/fee waiver.
XLS also randomly chose one winner from the 350 students, staff and faculty members who voted in the online contest. Kurtiss Penman, a media arts major, received a $500 tuition/fee waiver for Summer Semester 2010.
For more information on the contest or Summer Semester 2010, visit the XLS website.
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Media Arts Students Compete at Festival
Amber Bushnell and Charles Raffety, media arts students at UM, have been selected as finalists to compete in the 2010 Digital Graffiti Festival, slated for Saturday, June 12, in Alys Beach, Fla.
The event is the world's first projection-art festival, and the 36 finalists will use the latest technology to project their original video and interactive artworks onto the iconic white walls of Alys Beach, a resort town on Florida's Gulf Coast.
The artists will compete for $10,000 in cash prizes, including a $5,000 Best of Show award, $2,000 prize for most innovative/experimental creation and a $1,000 Best Local Submission award.
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Heavy Equipment, CDL Classes at COT
The UM College of Technology will offer introductory courses in heavy equipment operation and basic training and testing for a Commercial Driver's License beginning May 24.
The heavy equipment operation course is an introduction to the safe operation and basic understanding of machine capabilities, startup and shutdown procedures, and preventive maintenance.
The CDL training option will include classroom preparation for the written test, the pre-trip vehicle inspection and proper vehicle operation. An opportunity to take the CDL driving test administered by the Montana Motor Vehicles Division will be provided.
The heavy equipment operation course with the CDL option will be held Monday through Thursday, May 24-July 15. Heavy equipment operation without the CDL option will take place Monday through Thursday, June 1-July 15. All courses will be held at the COT West Campus, located at 3639 South Ave. W. CDL orientation will take place Wednesday, May 12. Times for the CDL course are to be determined.
The CDL course without the heavy equipment operation option costs $2,200. Heavy equipment operation without the CDL option is $4,100. The course that includes both options costs $6,300.
For more information or to sign up, call Mary Opitz of the COT Outreach Program at 406-243-7812 or e-mail mary.opitz@umontana.edu.
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Autism Expert to Present Conference
Tony Attwood, a world-renowned autism and Asperger's syndrome expert, will present "A Complete Look at the Autism Spectrum," a daylong conference Monday, July 19, at UM.
The conference, sponsored by UM's Neuro Networking Club, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. It will cover many aspects of the autism spectrum, such as relationships, emotional management and social skills.
Registration is required and is available through GrizTix. The conference costs $140 for professionals, $70 for high school and college students and family members of those with autism or Asperger's, and $50 for individuals with autism or Asperger's.
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Golden Key Society Holds Book Drive
UM's chapter of Golden Key International Honour Society will hold the "Better World Book Drive" Monday through Friday, May 10-14. Books can be donated from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the University Center near the buy-back area outside The Bookstore at UM.
Books collected will go to fund literacy initiatives worldwide through Better World Books. To date, the organization has converted more than 35 million donated books into $7.5 million for literacy and education and has diverted 13,000 books from landfills.
For more information about the book drive or UM's Golden Key International Honour Society, call Ronnette Burns at 406-544-7778 or e-mail burnsrl@yahoo.com.
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UC Displays High School Artwork
The University Center Art Exhibits Program at UM is displaying artwork by Big Sky High School students in the UC Study Lounge during May.
An opening reception for the exhibit will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, in the lounge, located on the second floor of the UC in Room 220. Refreshments will be served, and the student artists will attend.
For more information, call Megan Riggs, art exhibits coordinator, at 406-243-5622 or e-mail ucartexhibits@mso.umt.edu.
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UM Sweeps Griz-Cat Dual
The Montana track and field teams swept the Griz-Cat Dual for the third time in four years when the Grizzlies won both the women's and men's annual competitions May 1 against the Bobcats in Bozeman.
The meet was hampered by wintery weather for much of the day. The men's discus, the meet's final event, was canceled when a late-afternoon blizzard moved into the area.
The Griz men won handily 110-79. The Montana women came through late in the final two events -- the 5,000 meters and 4x400-meter relay -- to break free from a 90-90 tie to win 103-96.
Montana will host the last-chance Tom Gage Classic on Friday, May 7, at Dornblaser Field in Missoula. The Big Sky Conference championships will be held May 12-15 in Ogden, Utah.
Montana Grizzlies |
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Jennifer Sauer, TGIF editor
The University of Montana
e-mail: jennifer.sauer@umontana.edu
phone: 406-243-4878
web: http://www.umt.edu
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