Top Obama administration officials, leading scientists, business leaders and environmental advocates from around North America and Europe will be in Missoula next week for the Society of Environmental Journalists 20th annual conference, hosted by UM.

The Oct. 13-17 gathering will explore a wide range of local, regional, national and international environmental and science issues and offer professional training in new media skills for working journalists. More than 500 people are expected to participate.

"We are excited by the opportunity to host some of the world's top environmental journalists during this special event," UM President George M. Dennison said. "They will learn much about our University research and our state during their time here."

SEJ is an international organization of more than 1,500 working journalists, educators and students dedicated to advancing public understanding of environmental issues by improving the quality and visibility of environmental affairs reporting. Members work in a variety of mediums, including television, radio, print and online.

UM honeybee researchers and their partners have discovered a one-two-punch combination that may cause Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious malady that is depopulating beehives around the globe.

UM biology Research Professor Jerry Bromenshenk said his research group has learned that a honeybee virus previously unknown to North America, as well as a fungal pathogen, were found in all their samples collected at hives afflicted by CCD from 2006 to 2009. Those two pathogens were not found in the control groups -- colonies with no history of CCD in Montana and Australia.

"We truly don't know if these two pathogens cause CCD or whether the colonies with CCD are more likely to succumb to these two pathogens," Bromenshenk said. "It's a work in progress, but it may be the most important advance in the search for the cause of CCD in the previous three years."

The research was published Oct. 6 in the scientific journal PLoS ONE.

"Even if it's not the cause of CCD, the discovery ... is important," Bromenshenk said. "It warrants additional investigation, as it's a whole different category of viruses than anyone has looked at before. It's a unique discovery."

The UM Women's and Gender Studies Program faculty, an interdisciplinary group of scholars housed in the University's College of Arts and Sciences, now offer a graduate certificate.

The newly created certificate program consists of a total of 12 graduate credits that focus on the experience of social inequality at multiple and intersecting levels of oppression. Students who pursue the certificate must already be admitted to a graduate program at UM.

The certificate program requires a core course from both the humanities and the social sciences, as well as six additional credits in women's and gender studies. Students who participate in the program will receive a unique perspective on their primary areas of study while meeting students and faculty from other departments.

For more information about the program, call Stacy Rye at 406-243-2584 or e-mail stacy.rye@umontana.edu.

UM autumn semester 2010 undergraduate and graduate students are invited to enter a competition for the Merriam-Frontier Award.

The award was established by H.G. Merriam, UM professor of English and creative writing from 1919 to 1954, to recognize distinguished achievement in writing. It consists of a $500 prize and publication of the winning entry as a chapbook.

Entries should be in one of the following categories:

• Poetry: 20-25 poems.
• Fiction: two or more stories (40-60 double-spaced pages).
• Essay: two or more essays (40-60 double-spaced pages).

All entries must be delivered to Karin Schalm, assistant to the director of creative writing in the UM Department of English, in Liberal Arts Building Room 133 by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15.

The manuscripts will be judged by a committee of writers not affiliated with UM. A winner will be announced by Feb. 7, 2011, and will be invited to give a public reading.

For more information, call Schalm at 406-243-5267 or e-mail karin.schalm@mso.umt.edu.

The Patricia Goedicke and Leonard Wallace Robinson Papers are now available for public research at UM's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library.

The collection, in the library's Archives and Special Collections, provides insight into the literary and academic careers of Goedicke and Robinson through the manuscripts of their work, correspondence and professional papers. It expands the breadth and depth of the University's local literary collections, which include the Dorothy M. Johnson papers and a collection of Richard Hugo's notebooks.

"This is a fantastic addition to the literary collections at UM, providing researchers materials that document a unique cross section of American writers and critics, and students an opportunity to study the process of two remarkable writers," said project archivist Steve Bingo.

An exhibit featuring materials from the Goedicke and Robinson papers will be on display in the library's Theta Rho Room through March 1, 2011.

There's still time to buy raffle tickets for the award-winning student-built home in Missoula.

The Building Futures Program, a community partnership with the Missoula Building Industry Association, UM College of Technology and the Flagship Program, has extended the sale of raffle tickets for the home, valued at $340,000. The new date for the raffle drawing is Jan. 2, 2011.

A minimum of 3,500 tickets is needed to hold the raffle drawing, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 26. To date, more than 2,400 tickets have been sold.

The home has three bedrooms and two and a half baths, with 1,484 square feet on the main floor and 742 square feet on the upper floor. During the recent Parade of Homes and Remodeling Tour, the home received many awards, including the Notable Kitchen, Site Integration and Overall Design awards in its category.

Raffle tickets cost $100 each. They may be purchased at the following locations in Missoula: MBIA office, 1840 South Ave. W.; First Security Bank, 2601 Garfield; Rosauers on Reserve Street; COT at 909 South Ave. W.; Junkermier, Clark, Campanella and Stevens, 2520 Connery Way; Community Bank, 3010 American Way; Caras Management Co., 401 S.W. Higgins; all four Loose Caboose locations; and Culligan Water Conditioning, 2020 Ernest Ave.

More information and raffle rules are on the Missoula Building Industry Association website.

Missoula Building Industry Association

UM's School of Theatre and Dance will present "Hair" at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19-23 and Oct. 26-30 in the Montana Theatre of the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center.

The production, recommended for mature audiences, brings the riveting message and endearing songs that have woven themselves into the very fabric of people's memories of the tumultuous '60s. The story about self-expression and inclusion is as meaningful today as it was when it premiered in the Age of Aquarius.

Tickets cost $20 for the public, $18 for students and senior citizens and $10 for children 12 and under. They are available on the School of Theatre and Dance website and at the Theatre and Dance Box Office in the lobby of the PAR/TV Center. Box office hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour prior to performances.

School of Theatre and Dance

Dramatic Influence, an indigenous Maori performing arts group from New Zealand, will begin its North American tour at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, in the University Center Ballroom at UM. The group includes 11 members who will present aspects of traditional and contemporary Maori culture through song, dance and storytelling. The show is free and open to the public.

The Montana portion of the tour is being coordinated by Willie and Evelyn Brown, New Zealand natives based in Missoula. Willie Brown is a Native American studies student at UM and is interested in the exchange of cultural awareness.

Missoula and Palmerston North, New Zealand, have been sister cities since 1982. The two cities share a common foundation through their universities and art communities, and the Browns are the designated representatives to Palmerston North by the city of Missoula.

The show is sponsored by American Indian Student Services, the Department of Native American Studies and the UC. For more information, call Josh Peters-McBride, UC Student Involvement program adviser, at 406-243-5776 or e-mail josh.peters-mcbride@mso.umt.edu.

After three straight close games, the Montana Grizzlies football team enjoyed a change of pace, taking an early lead and never trailing on the way to a 30-7 win Oct. 2 over the Northern Colorado Bears in Greeley, Colo.

UM running back Chase Reynolds ran for his 53rd career touchdown, equaling the school record held by Lex Hilliard, who now plays for the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

Reynolds ran for 105 yards on just 11 carries, and added 17 yards on three receptions. Bryce Carver led a balanced Grizzly receiving corps with five catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Justin Roper completed 18 of 27 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

Caleb McSurdy led the Griz defense with 11 tackles, while cornerbacks Brandon Dodson and Trumaine Johnson both had interceptions. Defensive lineman Bryan Waldhauser tallied seven tackles, a sack and forced two fumbles. He was named the Big Sky Conference defensive player of the week for his efforts.

The Griz, who improved to 3-2 with the win, return home Oct. 9 to host the Idaho State Bengals.

UM senior Katrina Drennen won the Montana Invitational cross country race for the second consecutive year Oct. 2 at the University Golf Course in Missoula.

Drennen finished the five-kilometer women's course in 17:41 -- 11 seconds faster than her 2009 winning time -- to lead the Grizzlies to the overall team title.

Junior Lynn Reynolds finished second in the men's race, covering the eight-kilometer course in 24:32. Reynolds and overall winner Patrick Casey of Montana State, who ran a 24:27, both finished more than 20 seconds clear of the rest of the field.

The women's team race was expected to come down to Montana and the strong Washington State squad. The Grizzlies placed four runners in the top 10 to the Cougars' two and took a 33 to 49 victory.

Trailing Drennen were freshman Keli Dennehy in fourth (17:55), senior Kara DeWalt in fifth (18:10) and senior Brooke Andrus in 10th (18:31). Freshman Annie Moore finished 15th (18:48) to round out Montana's scoring fivesome.

For the second straight race this season, Reynolds finished more than two minutes in front of any of his teammates.

Sophomore Max Hardy was 32nd (26:39) and sophomore Cody Lund was 33rd (26:40). Senior Collin Fehr finished 39th (26:48), and senior Sean Clark placed 47th (27:11).

The UM women's golf team took 10th place out of 19 teams at the South Florida Waterlefe Invitational, which wrapped up Oct. 5.

UM senior Rose Stepanek made a hole-in-one, which came on her final hole of the tournament.

Junior Lauren Howell was the low Grizzly, tying for sixth overall. She was also named the Big Sky Conference golfter of the week.

The Montana doubles teams of Rebecca Bran/Whitney Paluch and Constance Alexander/Lauren Gibson each went 2-1 to highlight the Grizzlies' play at the Boise State Jack Taylor Open, which concluded Oct. 3.

Bran and Paluch toppled Marlena Pietzuch/Morgan Basil of Boise State and also beat Lea Jansen/Olga Musilovich of Washington State.

Alexander and Gibson beat Marina Nicholas/Jessica Gomez of Washington State and Alejandra Lozano/Barbara Maciocha of the University of Idaho.

Gibson also beat Lozano in singles competition.

The UM volleyball team split a pair of Big Sky Conference matches on the road, losing to Idaho State on Oct. 1 and beating Weber State on Oct. 2.

The Griz jumped out to a 1-0 lead against ISU, but the Bengals stormed back to take the final three sets in a 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-18) victory in Pocatello, Idaho.

Junior outside hitter Amy Roberts led UM with a team-high 13 kills on .226 hitting. Freshman outside hitter Kayla Reno and senior middle blocker Jaimie Thibeault both finished with 10 kills. Reno hit a team-best .360 and Thibeault totaled a match-high eight blocks.

Against Weber State the next night, UM dropped the opening set, butcame back strong to down the Wildcats in four sets in Ogden, Utah, 12-25, 25-15, 25-11, 25-17.

Reno had a match-high 14 kills on .345 hitting. Thibeault had nine kills and added six blocks, while senior Stephanie Turner had a season-high nine kills and 11 digs.

Montana improved to 3-2 in Big Sky Conference play, 7-9 overall.