Honoring UM Employees
We are proud to recognize UM employees' accomplishments and express gratitude for their service to the University and to one another.
Michael Faris, Database Systems Manager, to Retire Dec. 2
After 36 years of service to the University of Montana, Database Systems Manager Michael Faris will retire Dec. 2, 2026. Please join UM IT in congratulating Michael and wishing him well!
Michael joined UM in 1990 as a COBOL programmer and went on to work in University Housing and Residence Life and Enterprise Information Systems before joining the Database Administration team in 2009. Throughout his career, he has played an important role in supporting the University's Banner and Oracle systems.
“For over three decades Michael has been the steward of the Oracle databases behind Banner and the University's core business systems, and we appreciate all of his contributions to UM and serving our students!” said Corey Cardoza, Deputy CIO for Enterprise & Strategic Technology. “We wish Michael the best in his well earned retirement, and know he'll likely be on a ski-slope somewhere for as often as he can!”
Thank you, Michael, for your many years of dedication to UM.
Paul Gladen
UK native Paul Gladen moved to Missoula in 2008, and a year later he co-founded the Hellgate Venture Network, a networking group for the local entrepreneurial community. He joined UM in 2014 as Director of the Blackstone LaunchPad, where he mentored thousands of entrepreneurs and taught at the College of Business. In 2015, he co-founded Montana Code School, the state’s first coding bootcamp, which went from concept to its first cohort in four months.
From 2018-2022, as Executive Director of Accelerate Montana, Paul secured $8 million in state funding for rapid workforce training across four priority sectors. He also brought NSF I-Corps customer discovery training to UM researchers and launched an EDA University Center to support entrepreneurship in rural and tribal communities. He helped establish the AIM Higher partnership with ATG-Cognizant, which has put 200+ trainees into high-paying tech jobs.
Reflecting on his UM career, Paul states, “I think the thing I will miss most is working with a great team to help Montanans realize their potential, whether that’s a student with an idea, a small business owner seeking help to grow their business, a community member seeking training to advance their career, or a scientist with world-changing research. I’ve been grateful to have worked with a group of individuals, at UM and in the community, with a constant desire to innovate and have impact.”
Paul's last day at UM will be November 13, 2026.
Maggie O'Boyle
Originally from Ohio and then Florida, Maggie, Client Partner, is thrilled to call Missoula home and join the University of Montana community. Maggie brings a deep background in Human Resources and Workforce Development, having previously served as the Jobs & Benefit Administrator for the State of Florida. She is passionate about connecting people with opportunity, learning the ins and outs of the University and exploring the beautiful Montana landscape with her family nearby. Go Griz!
Katelyn Matrosic
Jacob Harris
Grace Davidson
Griz Gratitude
Jolene Britton
Big, Huge, MASSIVE thank you to Jolene Britton in Business Services for all the help with vendors this week. I am a little late to the new vendors system in Jaggaer, but Jolene has been a blessing. She's been patient, helpful, responsive and so on top of getting these vendor profiles figured out! She's been fantastic to work with and I cannot express my gratitude enough! From across the Oval, THANK YOU! — Gwen Coon
Everyone Who Helped Us Make Griz Preview Day a Success
Thank you to everyone who helped us make Griz Preview Day a success!
Griz Preview Day was a wonderful day for our visiting students and families, and it happened because so many of you showed up for them. Despite the weather, our guests left energized, informed and excited about life at UM.
Thank you to Conference and Event Services for keeping every space ready and running smoothly, and to the UC event techs for making sure every mic, screen and presentation worked well. Thank you to our catering and dining teams for taking such good care of our guests.
To everyone who led a breakout session and to those who tabled in the morning, thank you for sharing your time and expertise. Families noticed how welcoming and knowledgeable you were. Thank you to the UM Advocates for providing event assistance and energy, and to the academic department representatives who helped students picture themselves in your programs. We’re grateful to work alongside all of you. — Julie Ann Williams
Chefs and Students at Missoula College's Blackfoot Cafe
Shout out to the chefs & students at Missoula College's Blackfoot Cafe for hosting a lunch for our Academic Finance Officer (AFO) group last week! The food was delicious, the service was amazing and we even had the chefs come talk to us and check in on how we were enjoying our food and experience. We all had a great time! — Tricia Hatfield
Jen Sauer
Big kudos to Jen Sauer for leading the marketing team in updating and creating the new virtual tour. This is a major tool for enrollment marketing and a major undertaking that required bringing together several campus partners, marketing staff and third-party vendors. The impact this virtual tour will have is astronomical and the final product looks incredibly awesome. Check it out yourself! — Brad Lane
Cindy Johnson, Lindsey Veno, Nicholas Ververis
Congratulations to Cindy Johnson, Lindsey Veno and Nicholas Ververis for representing the University of Montana Business Operations and Finance department and sharing their expertise at national conferences!
In April, Cindy Johnson and Lindsey Veno presented at the Evisions Conference in Denver, Colorado. Their presentation highlighted UM's strategic transition from a legacy reporting system to Evisions Argos, including the phased implementation approach, modernization of financial reports and strategies for maintaining data accuracy and user confidence throughout the process.
In October, Cindy Johnson and Nicholas Ververis presented at the 2026 NACUBO Planning, Budgeting and Analytics Forum in San Diego, California. Partnering with a representative from Strata, they delivered a session titled "Planning All Year: Getting More From Your Financial Planning Platform." The presentation showcased UM's use of Axiom Budget and Planning software, focusing on increasing user engagement, leveraging retained services and improving data transparency through enhanced labor reporting.
These presentations highlight the innovative work taking place within UM's Business Operations & Finance department and demonstrate the value of sharing our experiences and successes with colleagues across higher education.
Thank you, Cindy, Lindsey and Nick, for your leadership, expertise and commitment to advancing financial operations at UM. — Stacey Eve
Brandie Terpe
Brandie Terpe is a straight-up champion. It's that simple. She has my Griz Gratitude day in and day out. Everyone in the Registrar's Office is amazing ... but these days Brandie is on another level. YAY BRANDIE! — Erin McDaniel
PawPrint Team
I would love to extend my gratitude to all the folks at UM Paw Print. They are so responsive, helpful and timely! They have printed posters, post cards and even some unique prints for us and they have all turned out better than expected. Thank you, UM Paw Print! — Anna Kiley
All Who Made Family Weekend a Success
Now that Family Weekend has wrapped up, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who played a part in making this year's event such a success.
Family Weekend is truly a campus-wide effort, and it would not be possible without the time, hard work, creativity and dedication of so many people across our campus. The incredible collaboration of departments, faculty, staff and student teams across the University of Montana is what brings this event to life. From hosting activities and welcoming families to coordinating logistics, providing event support, sharing communications, answering questions and taking care of countless details behind the scenes, every contribution makes a difference.
One of my favorite parts of coordinating Family Weekend is the opportunity to work alongside so many wonderful people and departments across campus. I am continually grateful for everyone's willingness to collaborate, share ideas, lend a hand and go the extra mile to create meaningful experiences for our students and their families. It takes a tremendous amount of teamwork to bring everything together, and seeing everyone work toward the shared goal of making families feel welcome and connected to the University is something I truly appreciate.
One of the most rewarding parts of Family Weekend is hearing from families as they check in and throughout the weekend. So many share how UM has truly become a home for their student and how much they appreciate the welcoming, supportive community they have found here. Hearing those sentiments is a wonderful reminder that the work we do extends far beyond a single event. The kindness, care and sense of belonging that our campus community creates make a lasting impression on families and help them feel confident that their students are part of something special.
By helping our families feel welcomed, included and connected to the University, we are also supporting our students. Families play an important role in a student's college experience, and creating opportunities for them to connect with campus helps strengthen that sense of belonging and community. When students see the people who support them feeling welcomed and connected to the place they call home, it makes the Grizzly experience even more meaningful. Family Weekend is about more than bringing families to campus — it is about strengthening the community that surrounds and supports our students throughout their time at UM.
Please know how much your hard work and dedication are appreciated. I am incredibly grateful to work with such a supportive and collaborative campus community, and I hope you all know how much you contribute to making Family Weekend what it is. Every team, every individual and every behind-the-scenes effort matters, and I want to make sure that appreciation extends to everyone who helped make this weekend possible.
Thank you again for everything you do for our students, our families and the University of Montana. It is a pleasure working with you all, and I am so grateful to be part of a community that shows up for our Grizzly families the way you do!
With sincere appreciation! — Katie Helms