Chris Riley Awarded 2026 Regents' Award for Excellence!
Congratulations to Chris Riley for being awarded the 2026 Regents' Award for Excellence on May 20 at the Board of Regents meeting in Havre! Chris has set the gold standard with his excellence in job performance, as well as his exceptional dedication, expertise and impact among his peers. His leadership has helped the institution navigate budget cuts while doubling research funding. He consistently goes above and beyond. It's been said that, "Chris is the glue that holds our department together," reflecting his indispensable role, unwavering commitment and the vital contributions he makes to the success of the entire institution.
From Montana to the Middle of the Ocean
Two UM students followed their curiosity all the way to the South Atlantic subtropical gyre with SUBSEA. During the OBVI SUBSEA expedition — supported by Schmidt Sciences — Dr. Matthew Church (UM) and an international team of collaborators investigated how nutrients move between the sunlit and twilight zones of the ocean.
Life aboard the research vessel brought together not just scientists, but marine technicians, engineers, artists and storytellers, each playing a vital role in understanding these vast, dynamic ocean systems.
Missoula SBDC Advisor Wins National Award for Excellence
Missoula College’s Paramedicine Program and Aerie Backcountry Medicine Hosts Conference
Missoula College’s Paramedicine Program and Aerie Backcountry Medicine hosted Dr. Sheldon Cheskes on May 8 for a morning conference on Double Sequential External Defibrillation (DSED) and cardiac arrest care. The event brought together EMS providers, firefighters, healthcare professionals, and students from around western Montana.
Dr. Cheskes is an internationally known researcher in resuscitation and cardiac arrest care and is the lead author of the landmark New England Journal of Medicine study on DSED for refractory ventricular fibrillation. During the conference, he discussed the science behind DSED, current research on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and how EMS systems are incorporating these approaches into practice.
A highlight of the conference was a case review of the cardiac arrest of Eric Crosby, who collapsed on the Higgins Street Bridge during the River Bank Run two years ago. Mr. Crosby attended the event along with the off-duty firefighter/paramedic who first started CPR and several of the responding fire and EMS personnel. The morning concluded with a live demonstration from local EMS crews showing how DSED is currently being used in Missoula-area cardiac arrest response.
