UM has been awarded a $3.2 million National Science Foundation grant to establish the Montana Ecology of Infectious Disease program.

M-EID students and researchers will collaborate using an interdisciplinary approach developed by UM’s Division of Biological Sciences, the Department of Mathematical Sciences and the Department of Computer Sciences. They will focus on the scientific, social, ethical and policy aspects of such infectious diseases as avian flu, West Nile virus, HIV and AIDS, chronic wasting diseases in deer and elk, whirling disease in trout, and brucellosis in bison.

UM’s M-EID program also will work with a host of partner institutions, programs and agencies in the United States and in other countries to provide students broad educational and career development opportunities.

Three evenings of lectures about global climate change and the world’s energy future will be held Nov. 10-15 at UM.

The lectures, collectively titled “Energy Production, Greenhouse Gases and Global Climate Change -- Bringing the U.S. Back to the Negotiating Table,” each will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in Clapp Building (Science Complex) Room 131.

“The Science: What Climate Scientists Are Telling Us” will be presented by Steve Running on Thursday, Nov. 10. Professor Jack Kraushaar will present “The Technology: Energy Choices” on Monday, Nov. 14. “The Policy: Two Energy Futures” will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 15, by Robert McKelvey and David Merrill.

Admission is free.

“Thinking Across Borders: A Transboundary Forum” will be held on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 6-7, at UM.

The forum brings together researchers from the United States and Canada to present information on cultural and environmental topics relevant to the Crown of the Continent, an international ecosystem that spans Montana, British Columbia and Alberta.

Gloria Flora will give the forum’s keynote address, “Ecosystems Without Borders,” at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, in Urey Lecture Hall. Flora is a former U.S. Forest Service supervisor who now directs the nonprofit Sustainable Obtainable Solutions.

The event is presented as part of the Transboundary Planning, Policy and Management Initiative of UM and the University of Calgary, which is funded by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation. All presentations are free and open to the public.

See the news release for a complete schedule.

Daniel Monti, professor of sociology at Boston University, will present “Civic Capitalists: Bankers, Entrepreneurs and the American Dream” at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, at UM.

The lecture will be held in Liberal Arts Building Room 304, and is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by UM’s Department of Sociology and the UM Rural Institute.

During the presentation, Monti will share information based on his extensive research about ways that thriving businesses invested in communities can contribute to a healthy civic life.

He is the author of “The American City: A Social and Cultural History,” “Wannabe: Gangs in Suburbs and Schools” and “Race, Redevelopment and the New Company Town.”

This wintersession, UM’s Environmental Studies Program will offer students a unique opportunity to visit New Orleans and explore the effects and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“Katrina -- The Making and ‘Unmaking’ of a Disaster” was organized by environmental studies Assistant Professor Robin Saha and EVST/social work Professor Emeritus Tom Roy.

Upper-division and graduate UM students will have the opportunity to explore the social and environmental causes and consequences of the disaster. They will visit affected areas and meet with community leaders, scientists, engineers, recovery coordinators and environmental leaders.

The course includes a service-learning experience with organizations such as the Natural Resource Defense Council, which is monitoring the toxic contamination, as well as the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and the United Houma Nation.

For more information, contact Environmental Studies at (406) 243-6273 or evst@mso.umt.edu.

Montana’s child death rates are alarmingly high and the state’s children are becoming poorer every year, according to the 2005 Montana KIDS COUNT Data Book published by the UM Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Montana’s child death rates have been above the national average for a number of years, and children seem to be losing economic ground, with more than 40,000 youths living below the federal poverty level. Montana’s teen death rates have steadily increased over the past few years, with the most recent data showing 100 deaths per 100,000 compared to 68 deaths per 100,000 for the nation.

In addition to child mortality and poverty rates, the 2005 Montana KIDS COUNT data book examines demographics, education, and health and safety issues -- including environmental health concerns -- and takes a look at the status of the state’s American Indian children.

Funded through the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Montana KIDS COUNT program is a statewide effort to identify the status and well-being of Montana children by collecting data about them and publishing an annual data book.

The Student Culinary Team at the UM College of Technology captured four medals -- a gold, two silvers and a bronze -- during an Oct. 23 cooking competition in Spokane, Wash.

A four-member team of COT students participated in the American Culinary Federation event, which included professional chefs and students from ACF-accredited cooking schools. Missoula’s COT is the only accredited cooking school in Montana.

Carol Chandler, a second-year culinary student from Plentywood, won a gold medal in the one-hour hot food competition. Wayne Weidow, a second-year student from Pinesdale, won a silver in the same category, and Charlotte Haugen, a first-year student from Clinton, took home a bronze in hot food. In addition, first-year student Sonia Ward of Lincoln won a bronze in cake decorating.

The team was led by volunteer coaches Toby McCracken, a certified executive chef at The Stock Farm Club in Hamilton, and Melinda Dorn, a chef at Creative Catering in Missoula.

Montana PBS station KUFM-TV will premier a documentary film about an extraordinary eastern Montana pioneer woman on Wednesday, Nov. 16. “Evelyn Cameron: Pictures From a Worthy Life” will air at 7 p.m. and then repeat at 8 p.m.

Cameron left behind an unrivaled legacy -- thousands of photographic images and 35 years of diaries that detailed life in eastern Montana at the turn of the 20th century. From 1894 to 1928 she photographed the changing face of Montana -- horse and cattle drives, sheep herding, the wool trade, the railroad and the arrival of homesteaders.

Produced in high definition digital video, the documentary juxtaposes the stark and majestic eastern Montana landscape with Cameron’s stunning photographic images. The story of the film comes from Cameron's diaries, which describe her daily life in the Montana badlands.

The documentary is expected to eventually air on PBS stations nationwide.

Junior halfback Lex Hilliard rushed for two first-half touchdowns and junior Tuff Harris broke loose a 74-yard punt return, leading the Grizzlies to a key 37-16 victory over visiting Portland State Vikings Saturday afternoon.

The victory gave Montana its 20th consecutive winning season, dating back to 1986. The Griz are now tied for first place in the Big Sky Conference with rival Montana State, each with 3-1 records.

Harris was voted special teams player of the week in Division I-AA football. His return gave the Grizzlies a 14-0 lead with 3:32 to play in the first quarter. The return was the second-longest in the Big Sky this season.

The fourth-ranked Montana Grizzlies begin a three-game road trip this week, continuing their conference schedule. They play the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in NAU's Walkup Skydome at 3:05 p.m. Saturday.

The UM volleyball team lost in four games to Montana State Oct. 27. Montana had three players finish with double-figure kills: Junior Claudia Houle had a team-high 14, while senior Audrey Jensen and junior EvaLyn Whitehead each had 12.

The Grizzlies came back with a 3-1 victory over visiting North Dakota State at the West Auxiliary Gym the next night. After splitting the first two games, the Griz won games three and four. Montana improved to 13-12 with the victory.

Assistant head coach Dave Best made a lineup change for the match, moving junior Claudia Houle -- UM's leading offensive attacker at 4.19 kills per game -- to libero and moving sophomore Jackie White to an outside hitter position. The result was a huge night for the Grizzlies' middle hitters. Junior EvaLyn Whitehead had a career-best 16 kills and hit a career-high .577, senior Audrey Jensen had a season-high 15 kills and three blocks and sophomore Jessica Petersen had a career-high 15 kills on season-best .462 hitting.

UM will play at Eastern Washington and Portland State this weekend in the Grizzlies' final regular-season road tests. Montana takes on the Eagles at 8 p.m. Friday and the Vikings at 8 p.m. Saturday.

The UM soccer team lost 1-0 to Portland State Sunday afternoon at South Campus Soccer Field in Missoula. Portland scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute of play to lift the Vikings to victory in the final match of the 2005 season for both schools.

Montana ends its year at 3-13-1 overall and 1-5 in Big Sky Conference play. The Grizzlies, who were selected to finish as one of the top teams in the league's preseason coaches’ poll, failed to qualify for post-season play. This year marks the first time in school history that UM will not participate in the league championship tournament.