Welcome to ForUM, the e-newsletter for University of Montana staff, faculty and administrators. ForUM is published weekly during the academic year except during scheduled academic breaks.

Report Outlines UM Economic Impact   A new report finds that UM in Missoula contributes 9,700 additional jobs to the Treasure State, $1 billion in additional after-tax income and more than $200 million in additional state tax revenues. The report, "The University of Montana: Growing Montana's Economy," was produced during a three-month period by UM's Bureau of Business and Economic Research. BBER researchers found UM contributes to a more prosperous state economy through the earning power of its graduates; the contributions of its research, patents and inventions; and the millions of dollars of business it conducts with Montana vendors of products and services. The report also found that the average compensation per job throughout Montana is $1,346 higher because of UM. The study focused primarily on five areas: University operations, University research, graduate earnings, visitors and student off-campus spending. Bureau of Business and Economic Research

President's Lecture Series Events Today   Public policy expert Linda Bilmes, a faculty member at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, will present "The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service" at 8 p.m. today in the University Center Ballroom. The event of the President's Lecture Series at UM is the University's J. Stanley Kimmitt Memorial Lecture on Public Service and is supported by a grant in public policy and leadership from the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center. Bilmes also will give a seminar titled "The Impact of the Iraq War on the Economy" from 3:10 to 4:30 p.m. today in Gallagher Business Building Room 123. Both events are free and open to the public. Bilmes is widely considered one of the leading experts in U.S. budgeting and public finance. She is the co-author of The New York Times best-seller "The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict" and "The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service." President's Lecture Series

'Odyssey of the Stars' At UM April 10   The 10th anniversary production of "Odyssey of the Stars -- A Celebration of Artistic Journeys" will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 10, in the University Theatre. The annual event -- an evening of music, theater, dance, film and art -- honors outstanding UM performing and visual arts alumni and tells the story of their artistic journeys. More than 150 UM students will perform during this year's production. Odyssey 2010 -- "Opening Doors" -- honors UM alumnus and former faculty member Firman H. "Bo" Brown for his lifetime dedication to opening doors for students in the theater arts, not only at UM, but also across the nation. Tickets are $30 for the public and $15 for students. They can be purchased at all GrizTix locations or by calling 243-4051 or 888-MONTANA. "Odyssey of the Stars"

UM Dancers Head To National Competition   UM's Dance Program has been selected to represent the Northwest region of the American College Dance Festival Association at a national festival to be held May 27-29 at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The ACDFA National College Dance Festival showcases dances chosen by adjudicators at regional conferences held around the country based on their outstanding artistic excellence and merit. Eleven UM students performed two pieces in March at the ACDFA Northwest conference at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Dance programs from colleges and universities in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming were represented at the regional competition. The ACDFA National College Dance Festival aims to highlight the quality of the choreography and performance that is being created on U.S. college and university campuses. Three gala performances will present works from 30 colleges and universities. "Being chosen to attend the national ACDFA festival is the highest honor a university dance program can be given," said UM dance Professor Karen Kaufmann. "It reflects the artistry, performance training and dance technique that our program provides." UM School of Theatre & Dance

Event Examines Food Security   Food activist and author Mark Winne will speak about community food security Monday, April 12, at UM. He will present "Closing the Food Gap: Finding Our Way to a Just and Sustainable Food System for All" at 7 p.m. in Gallagher Business Building Room 122. The event is free and open to the public. Winne argues that no matter what aspect of the subject is considered -- hunger, obesity or the latest food trends -- food is emblematic of a promise fulfilled for some, but that falls short for so many. He will talk about how food is a glaring example of the wide gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" and will offer compelling solutions for making local, organic and nutritious food available for everyone. Winne is the author of the acclaimed book "Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty." His second book, "Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners and Smart-Cookin' Mamas" will be released this fall by Beacon Press.

National Research Conference At UM April 15-17   More than 2,500 undergraduate students and their faculty mentors from around the country will converge on Missoula for the 2010 National Conference on Undergraduate Research, which will be held Thursday through Saturday, April 15-17, at UM. NCUR is the nation's premier venue for undergraduate research. It typically boasts presenters from 45 states and 300 institutions. In addition to traditional science topics and poster sessions, the conference includes fine arts, humanities and social sciences offerings such as student dancing, musical performances, plays and films. More information is on the National Conference on Undergraduate Research Web site. National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Film Festival Celebrates Math   UM's Math Club will host the 11th Annual Math Film Festival on Tuesday, April 13, in celebration of Math Awareness Month. All films are appropriate for general audiences and are free and open to the public. The festival will take place beginning at 3:15 p.m. in the University Center Theater. Ten films that run anywhere from about 2 minutes to almost an hour will be shown. A film festival schedule and complete descriptions of all films are on the UM Math Club Web site. For more information, call Professor Nikolaus Vonessen, UM Math Club adviser, at 243-6222 or e-mail nikolaus.vonessen@umontana.edu. UM Math Club

Montana Rep Presents One-Acts At Crystal   Montana Repertory Theatre, UM's professional theatre-in-residence, will bring the talents of three of America's best playwrights to Missoula's Crystal Theatre this month to present bracing, boisterous one-act plays. The playwrights, James McLure, Roger Hedden and Ron Fitzgerald, have been major contributors to the summer Missoula Colony. Greg Johnson, Montana Rep artistic director, asked them to contribute something for this year's Montana Rep Missoula theme, "The American Worker." They responded with four new darkly hilarious plays about the highs and lows and the laughter and tears of work. The plays -- "Deep in the Hole" and "If I Had" by Hedden, "Boomtown" by Fitzgerald and "Used Cars" by McLure -- will be presented in true repertory fashion, with different shows on alternate nights April 6-10 and 13-17. Tickets are $10 Tuesday through Thursday and $15 Friday and Saturday. For more information about the plays and performance dates, visit the Montana Repertory Theatre Web site. Montana Repertory Theatre

Supreme Court Hearing At UM April 9   The Montana Supreme Court will hear a case involving landlord-tenant issues Friday, April 9, at UM. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in the University Theatre. Admission is free, and the hearing is open to the public. The case, Matthew Summers and Heidi Ames v. Crestview Apartments, LH Residential, LLC and Scott Hacker, will be introduced by UM law Assistant Professor Kristen Juras. The Montana Supreme Court will review the rights and duties of tenants and landlords under Montana law and the types of provisions that are allowed to be contained in a residential lease.

Artist To Present Lecture   Visiting artist Nathan Green of Austin, Texas, will give a lecture on his work Monday, April 12, at UM. Green will talk about his painting, drawing, installation, solo and collaborative work at 4:30 p.m. in Fine Arts Building Room 302. A question-and-answer session will follow the lecture, which is free and open to the public. Green is a founding member of Austin's artist-run gallery Okay Mountain. His collaborative work is do-it-yourself in action and attitude. His solo work comments on and ponders life's incidental moments by artfully blending joyful and cynical interpretation with exquisite design presented through "punk-craft" and an intentionally naive use of materials. Green's lecture is supported in part by the Jim and Jane Dew Visiting Artist Fund and the UM School of Art. For more information, call UM Visiting Assistant Professor Karina Hean at 243-6074 or e-mail karina.hean@umontana.edu.

Exhibition Opens At UM Galleries   UM's 2010 BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition opens at the University Center Gallery today and will open at the Gallery of Visual Arts on Thursday, April 8. Opening receptions for the exhibition will be take place April 8 in both galleries. The University Center Gallery reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m.; the Gallery of Visual Arts reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. The receptions are free and open to the public. The BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition will be on display in the Gallery of Visual Arts through Thursday, April 22, and in the University Center Gallery through Friday, April 23. The annual exhibition of thesis works is required for all seniors pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree from UM's School of Art. Each candidate displays a body of work that reflects a chosen media. Sixteen artists will participate in this year's exhibition. The University Center Gallery is located in Room 227 of the UC. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Gallery of Visual Arts is located on the first floor of the Social Science Building. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays.

Check Out 2010 Griz Football   UM faculty and staff can join colleagues for a look at the 2010 Griz football team during a staff appreciation day and scrimmage Saturday, April 10. The event, hosted by Griz football faculty and staff, will begin at noon with a tour of the football facilities. A question-and-answer session with UM head coach Robin Pflugrad and his staff begins at 12:30 p.m. The scrimmage will take place at 1 p.m. RSVPs are requested by calling Linda Cardinal at 243-2969.

Celebrate Student Employees   UM joins Student Employment, a division of the Office of Career Services, to honor employers and their student employees who have succeeded in the work force while continuing to meet the rigors of their academic studies. Student employees will be honored during National Student Employment Week, April 11-17. Ideas for celebrating student employees can be found on the Office of Career Services Web site. For more information, call Valerie Marsh, student employment coordinator, at 243-5460 or e-mail valerie.marsh@umontana.edu. Office of Career Services

Spring WellCheck Coming Soon   Spring WellCheck will take place from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 20-21, in the University Center. WellCheck is open to employees, retirees and spouses who are covered by a Montana University System medical insurance plan. Those who wish to have blood drawn for testing during Spring WellCheck must sign up on the MUS Wellness Web site by Sunday, April 18. Information about WellCheck, tests available and costs are on the Web site. Employees and spouses covered by a MUS medical insurance plan also can sign up for the WellAwards program that offers a $100 cash incentive to participants who engage in various health-related activities. Those who participated in the 2009-10 WellAwards program must submit credits to claim their award between April 1 and April 30. The deadline to sign up for the 2010-11 WellAwards program is June 30.

Suicide Prevention Training Available   UM's Curry Health Center and Health Enhancement programs will offer suicide prevention training from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 15. The training is free and aims to prepare the campus community to better respond to suicidal and depressed students. To register or for more information, call 243-2809.

President Dennison's Office Hours   Each semester, President Dennison welcomes members of the campus community to meet with him to discuss issues and topics of their choice. Please call 243-2311 or e-mail prestalk@umontana.edu to make an appointment to meet with President Dennison during these times. The president's office hours for spring semester are: Thursday, April 8: 9-11 a.m. Monday, April 12: 3-5 p.m. Friday, April 23: 10 a.m.-noon

Faculty/Staff Socials   Socials will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. most Fridays during spring semester in the Davidson Honors College Lounge. Spring semester dates and event sponsors are: April 9: Academic Affairs April 23: Alumni Relations April 30: President Dennison May 7: College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences

News About U   Anthropology lecturer Garry Kerr has been nominated for the Public Anthropology Eleanor Roosevelt Global Citizenship Award for inspiring university students to partake in the global community and think critically, respond intelligently and act responsibly. The award honors an individual, project, organization or institution for outstanding contributions to ethical education, democratic governance and public activism. Anthropology and Native American studies Professor Neyooxet Greymorning delivered the keynote address for the Living Your Language Alliance conference held March 15 at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. Geography Associate Professor Ulrich Kamp has been awarded a 12-month research fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. He will spend the 2010-11 academic year at the Institute of Space Sciences, Free University Berlin. His research project is titled "Glacier Monitoring in the Mongolian Altai Using GIScience Technologies." Mathematical sciences Professor Bharath Sriraman gave a colloquium talk on new traditions of the philosophy of mathematics, an education colloquium talk on theories of mathematics education, and seminar talks on cultural dimensions of mathematical creativity and on systems views of the knowledge and publishing industry March 13-17 at the University of Umea, Sweden. Sriraman also delivered an invited talk on the role and perspectives of theory in mathematics education March 19 at the National Center for Mathematics Education, Gothenburg, Sweden. Modern and classical languages and literatures Assistant Professor Benedicte Boisseron has been awarded a 12-month fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. She will spend the 2010-11 academic year at the interdisciplinary Latin America Institute, Free University Berlin. Her research project is titled "What's Love Got to Do with It? The Black Lover's Discourse in the French Antilles (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti)."

Publications   Drake, Richard. 2010. Review of Converting a Nation: A Modern Inquisition and the Unification of Italy by Ariella Lang. The Catholic Historical Review, XCVI(2):369-371. Flores, Dan. 2010. Caprock Canyonlands; Journeys into the Heart of the Southern Plains. Twentieth Anniversary Edition. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. 232 pp. Flores, Dan. 2010. Visions of the Big Sky: Painting and Photographing the Northern Rocky Mountain West. Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma Press. 248 pp. Valentin, Michel. 2009. Epic poem "The Jesus of Saint Louis Cathedral." The Bayou Review, fall 2009, pp. 10-26.

Submissions must reach University Relations, 317 Brantly Hall, by noon Tuesday for inclusion in the following week's newsletter. Be sure to note that the submissions are for ForUM. E-mail submissions may be sent to campnews@mso.umt.edu. Items will be included as space permits. For more information, e-mail Brenda Day, ForUM editor.