UM Provost Royce Engstrom, who will become the University's 17th president on Oct. 15, said providing more people with the opportunity for education, as well as raising retention and graduation rates, will be top priorities of his administration. Engstrom made his remarks during a campus news conference on Sept. 28.

"It is a tremendous honor for me to be selected as the 17th president," Engstrom said. "Successively strong leadership is necessary to build a great university. I am fortunate to follow President George Dennison, who has dramatically increased the effectiveness and reputation of the University during his 20 years as president, and with whom I've enjoyed working these past three years."

He said the Partnering for Student Success program will lead efforts to improve educational opportunities at UM and boost retention and graduation rates. The program is a collaborative effort involving the offices of student affairs, academic affairs, and administration and finance.

Engstrom said he has been meeting with Dennison, UM's president for the past two decades, to ensure a smooth transition. He also is preparing for the upcoming legislative session, "working with our legislators to make as strong as an investment as possible in higher education, as I believe higher education is the key to the economic, social and cultural competitiveness of our state."

During his remarks Engstrom announced that Perry Brown, dean of UM's College of Forestry and Conservation, will become interim provost and vice president for academic affairs on Oct. 15. Brown will serve in that capacity for two years. A national search for the next provost will begin next fall.

Brown announced that Jim Burchfield, research professor of forest social sciences, would become interim dean of the forestry college -- a role he has filled before.

Engstrom said Arlene Walker-Andrews, UM associate provost for undergraduate education and policy, will take on an additional role in his administration, that of special assistant to the president for accreditation. He said the University's accrediting agency has changed the nature and process of accreditation, requiring more intensive, ongoing interaction with the agency.

For the first time in its history, the headcount enrollment at UM has topped 15,000. According to the Registrar's Office, UM enrollment for autumn semester is 15,642, which is 721 more than the all-time record set a year ago. The headcount includes students at the central mountain campus and the UM College of Technology.

"This enrollment jump exceeds anything I have seen during my two decades at UM," said President George M. Dennison, who will retire Oct. 15. "No doubt the economy played a role in this record enrollment, particularly at the College of Technology, but the figure also reinforces the perception that the rising demand for access to higher education continues unabated in Montana and beyond."

The number of students jumped 382 at the mountain campus, with an additional 339 at COT.

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UM has been awarded a $1.5 million federal grant to support the preclinical development of low-dose methamphetamine as a treatment to limit the damage caused by traumatic brain injuries.

The Department of Defense grant was awarded by the office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to David Poulsen, a researcher in UM's Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

"This grant will help us optimize the dosing regimen and determine the maximum window the drug can be therapeutically applied," Poulsen said.

His research has demonstrated that rats suffering severe traumatic brain injuries show behavioral, cognitive and neuromotor problems 30 days after the injury. However, injured rats treated with low-dose methamphetamine experience profound improvements.

He said the military seeks a drug that can be administered to soldiers exposed to blast-force energy waves from explosions such as those experienced in warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such therapies would be applied within hours of exposure to a significant blast.

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UM student Michael Church will study geography in Tajikistan during the 2010-11 academic year through a Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship.

The Fulbright Program is the nation's leading international exchange program, operating in more than 155 countries. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

Church is one of more than 1,500 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad through the program. He joins three other UM students, Henry Bundy, Ellen Cheng and Shane McMillan, who have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student scholarships to study abroad this year.

The Montana Board of Regents unanimously approved the creation of the Center for the Study of Central and Southwest Asia at UM during its Sept. 23 meeting in Butte.

UM currently is the only American university that offers an undergraduate degree in the field through its Central and Southwest Asia Program, and the new center will expand on the program's success and bring in more federal funding. Since the program's inception in 1997, interest in the region, which encompasses the Middle East, north Africa, western China and five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, has grown exponentially, and demand for graduates and research in the field has as well.

UM currently offers a major and a minor in Central and Southwest Asian studies, and more than 300 students take classes in the program each semester. Grants and projects from federal agencies have largely contributed to the program's growth.

For more information, call Brian Lofink, Central and Southwest Asia Program coordinator, at 406-243-2299 or e-mail brian.lofink@mso.umt.edu.

The Montana Museum of Art & Culture will honor outgoing UM President George M. Dennison with an exhibition of his selections from the museum's Permanent Collection.

The exhibition, titled "President's Choice," is now on view in the reception area of the President's Office, located in UM's Main Hall. Public viewing is welcome from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Dennison's selections include portraits by Rembrandt's first pupil, Gerrit Dou (Dutch, 1613-1675), the school of Allan Ramsay (Scottish, 1713-1784), Ilya Efimovich Repin (Ukrainian, 1844-1930) and William Merritt Chase (American, 1849-1916). He has contributed insightful remarks to accompany each work.

An astute art observer, Dennison selected the four paintings from the more than 10,000 objects in UM's Permanent Collection, which has existed since 1894. He has been a strong supporter of MMAC and the Permanent Collection and supports plans for a new museum building.

Montana Museum of Art & Culture

UM's Curry Health Center will hold campus events Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 6-8, to address the link between depression and suicide in conjunction with National Depression Screening Day on Oct. 7.

The events aim to increase suicide awareness and to direct students to resources on campus. Montana's suicide rate is among the highest in the country. During the past 30 years, the state's suicide rate has been in the top five in the nation, with an average of 180 Montanans taking their lives each year, according to the state's Strategic Suicide Prevention Plan.

The following events are free to all UM students:

• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, UM Oval: Curry Health Center's Health Enhancement Program will host the second annual "Blue Couch Day." A couch will be set up for students who want to sit down, take a break and learn more about depression and suicide prevention. Peers and health center staff will be on hand to give support and answer questions.

• 2-5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7: Curry Health Center will offer free, confidential depression screenings. Students also can schedule a free counseling session at any time by calling Counseling and Psychological Services at 406-243-4711.

• 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, University Center Theater: Students can choose a different type of screening -- a free screening of the acclaimed independent film "Jumping Off Bridges." The film explores what life is like for those left in the wake of a suicide. It has been described by critics as "hopeful and uplifting" and "capturing the gritty realities of suicide in a way that neither glorifies nor trivializes it."

For more information about these events, call Ryan Norton at 406-214-7291 or e-mail ryan.norton@umontana.edu.

Curry Health Center

The UM School of Theatre and Dance will host a one-day-only Costume Closeout Sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, on the first floor of the University Center.

The sale is an opportunity to find the perfect Halloween costume and, possibly, a rare chance to add some unusual accessories to your daily ensembles.

The cash-only sale offers the beautiful, the absurd and the remarkable. Prices range from 50 cents to $20. Some items were bought and some were hand-made; almost every single piece was worn in a theatre and dance production.

For more information call Costume Shop supervisor Lisa Marie Hyslop at 406-243-5271 or e-mail  lisa1.hyslop@umontana.edu.

School of Theatre and Dance

The UM Paleontology Center will host several events Wednesday, Oct. 13, to celebrate National Fossil Day.

In addition to celebrating the history of ancient life, National Fossil Day aims to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils and to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational value.

The celebration begins at 5 p.m. on the first floor of the Clapp Building, with a gathering around the T-Rex exhibit for a reception with food and beverages. Lectures, music, movies and tours of the Paleontology Center, which contains more than 100,000 fossils, will follow.

Department of Geosciences

The UM School of Music will present the third annual "Pianissimo!" concert Friday, Oct. 8.

The performances feature a wide variety of works and styles for solo piano, piano duet, two pianos, multiple piano works and more. The audience also will be treated to the sound created by seven pianos played at the same time.

The gala event, performed by some of Missoula's most prominent and distinguished pianists, begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 for the public and $10 for students. They can be purchased at the door or by calling the music department at 406-243-6880.

Featured performers are UM faculty members Steven Hesla, Christopher Hahn, Nancy Cooper and Barbara Blegen, as well as Margery Whatley, Dorothy Peterson, Jan Halmes, Aneta Panusz, Scott Billadeau and Emily Trapp. UM piano students Paul Nonnenmacher, Brenna Hyvonen, Allyson Carroll, Seth Quay and Scott Koljnen also will take part in the performances.

A reception hosted by Liquid Planet will follow the concert.

"Pianissimo!" is a fundraiser for the UM Keyboard Society. Proceeds also will help with much-needed maintenance and care for UM's pianos.

The Montana Geriatric Education Center at UM will host a daylong conference titled "Alzheimer's Disease: From Research to Best Practices" on Tuesday, Oct. 12, to help health care professionals meet the challenges of the disease.

The conference will be broadcast from Missoula and Billings, with interactive videoconferencing sites available around the state. It features four presenters who are internationally recognized for their contribution to the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The conference is designed for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, dieticians, nursing home administrators, tribal health administrators and practitioners, and other health care providers working in geriatric care and education.

Registration is required, and continuing education credits are available. Students in health care professions, social work, psychology and other disciplines interested in geriatrics can participate for free, but registration is required.

For registration and location information, visit the Montana Geriatric Education Center website, call 406-243-2453 or 866-506-8432, or e-mail montanagec@umontana.edu.

Montana Geriatric Education Center

"Art in Progress," an exhibit that shows the process of art, is on view at the University Center Gallery at UM through Friday, Oct. 29.

The exhibit shows the process and progress of art being developed by three UM students: Chelsey Von Ehrenkrook, Kelly Hegg and Sonya Yahyaoui.

Using various materials, Von Ehrenkrook will create a sculpture addressing women's issues. Hegg will explore the use of paint, pens and coffee to express the delicate ideas and emotions that come to light during conversations. Yahyaoui will work with the difficulties and importance of language barriers and document these struggles using paper, language and wax.

The exhibit is held in conjunction with UM's annual Day of Dialogue. A reception and artist talk will take place in the gallery at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28. The talk and all Day of Dialogue events are free and open to the public.

The University Center Gallery is located in UC Room 227. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The UM Liberal Studies Program will host a talk titled "Harem Portraits" on Friday, Oct. 8, to inaugurate the University's new minor in South and Southeast Asian studies.

The talk, presented by Ruby Lal, professor of South Asian studies at Emory University, will be organized around a series of paintings. It begins at 4 p.m. in Gallagher Business Building Room 119. A reception will follow.

Lal is the author of a book about the women of Mughal India titled "Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World."

"Harem Portraits" is co-sponsored by UM International Programs, the Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Montana Anthropology Student Association.

UM students in any field of study can add the South and Southeast Asian studies minor, which requires an introductory course, six lower-division credits and nine credits in upper-division courses.

For more information, call UM Professor Ruth Vanita at 406-243-4894 or e-mail ruth.vanita@mso.umt.edu.

The Fall 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series hosted by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at UM will begin Wednesday, Oct. 6, with a presentation by former congressmen Les AuCoin (D-Ore.) and Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.).

They will present "Congress to Campus: Former Republican and Democratic Congressmen Assess Politics Today" from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in the Mansfield Center Conference Room, located on the fourth floor of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library.

AuCoin and Gutknecht will assess politics today from the perspective of their 30 years combined experience in the U.S. House of Representatives, handling issues such as governmental reform, environmental policy and national security.

All lectures in the series are free and open to the public.

Other lectures in the series will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Mansfield Center Conference Room. For a complete lecture series schedule, visit the Mansfield Center website.

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center

UM Athletic Director Jim O'Day attended an "information gathering" session Sept. 28 with the Western Athletic Conference athletic directors, who are currently in Dallas for the annual convention of the Division I athletic directors.

Four other schools -- Texas State and Texas-San Antonio in football and the University of Denver and Seattle University in basketball -- were asked to make formal presentations for acceptance into the league.

O'Day emphasized that Montana did not make a formal presentation to representatives from the WAC, and that he was attending simply to gain knowledge from the dialog that was presented.

"We took advantage of this offer as a fact-finding mission," O'Day said. "This, along with all our other information we're accumulating through our independent internal assessment, will be very helpful in determining the future direction of Grizzly Athletics during these turbulent times. Any change in conference re-alignment would have to be made by the University president and supported by the Montana Board of Regents."

Senior quarterback Justin Roper threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Bryce Carver with 9:34 left in the game, and the defense played a stellar second half, leading the 14th-ranked Grizzlies to a narrow 28-25 Homecoming victory over the Sacramento State Hornets on Sept. 25 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Roper was an efficient 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) for 189 yards and two scores, and was picked off once. Starting senior quarterback Andrew Selle was 5-of-9-0 for 85 yards and a TD before exiting the game due to an injury. It was announced that his injury will end his season and thus his career playing for UM.

Griz junior receiver Jabin Sambrano had team highs of seven catches for 77 yards. He was followed by Chase Reynolds (5-60-1). Reynolds also picked up 42 hard-earned yards on 21 carries.

Montana is at Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 2.

The Montana women's golf team took fifth place after the Sept. 22 final in the Washington State University's Cougar Cup in Pullman, Wash.

UM senior Carissa Simmons was the low Grizzly for the tournament, earning her first top-10 finish of the year in ninth.

The Grizzly team improved from its 2009 placing of seventh, and dropped six strokes off its 2009 score. That 2009 finish, however, was some 33 strokes behind winning team Idaho, while this year's result showed the Grizzlies merely 12 strokes back from first-place WSU. In addition to an improved deficit, the Grizzlies finished five strokes behind the Idaho, who took fourth.

Montana will travel to Bradenton, Fla., Oct. 4-5 for the South Florida Invitational.

Montana freshman goalkeeper Kendra McMillen faced 31 shots and made 16 saves, but the Grizzlies were unable to find the equalizer after the Tigers scored in the 21st minute in a 1-0 loss Sept. 25 at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.

The team dropped its final nonconference match of the regular season Sept. 26, falling to UC Davis 3-0 in Davis, Calif. UC Davis took 29 shots in the match. McMillen finished with five saves and three goals allowed in 90 minutes of work. The Grizzlies took three shots for the match, all in the second half.

Montana will take this weekend off before opening Big Sky Conference play Friday, Oct. 8, at Sacramento State.

The Montana volleyball team won for the fourth time in five matches with a 3-0 victory over Montana State on Sept. 25 at the West Auxiliary Gym, 25-23, 25-7, 25-23. The Grizzlies hit a season-high .316 to improve to 6-8 overall, 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play.

Junior middle blocker Brittany Quick led Montana's offensive and defensive attacks. Quick had 10 kills on .562 hitting and added a match-high seven blocks. Quick was one of four Grizzlies to total between nine and 11 kills.

Freshman left-side hitter Kayla Reno had her best offensive performance of the season, finishing with 11 kills and no errors in 20 attacks to hit .550, senior middle blocker Jaimie Thibeault had 10 kills on .316 hitting and junior left-side hitter Amy Roberts had nine kills and a team-high 13 digs.

The match drew a season-high 909 fans.

The Grizzlies play at Idaho State and Weber State this weekend.

The UM women's tennis team logged what may have been its finest contemporary tournament performance Sept. 24-26 at the Washington State Cougar Classic in Pullman.

The Grizzlies established themselves among the top tournament teams, with sophomores Heather Davidson and Constance Alexander playing through quarterfinal matches in the 100-plus-athlete event and a Grey draw victory by Alexander and senior Amanda Bran in doubles. 

In the competitive Crimson draw, Grizzlies found quality opponents in early rounds. In second-round doubles action, seniors Rebecca Bran and Whitney Paluch faced the eventual main draw runner-up team from Boise State, dropping the match 9-8 to the Broncos in a close tiebreaker.

In the Grey draw, Amanda Bran and Alexander combined to play through the entire bracket, winning five matches and the championship event in an 8-4 result over the Air Force.

The Montana doubles squad of Davidson and freshman Madeline Murray combined for good results, but dropped their round of 16 match 8-3 to the eventual tournament winners from Washington State. 

In singles play, Rebecca Bran enjoyed a first round bye, then won her first set and lost the second in a 7-6 tiebreaker before dropping the third 6-4.

Davidson and Alexander continued on in the main draw, winning competitive matches in the round of 32. Davidson won against Gonzaga's No. 1 player. Alexander defeated her Idaho opponent in straight sets.

In the round of 16, Davidson outlasted her Air Force opponent to win with a 6-0 final set. Alexander played WSU's doubles champ to a three-set win.

In the Grey draw, Murray made the quarterfinal round, dropping a three-set decision to Idaho. Junior Lauren Gibson had three wins in her Grey draw singles appearances.