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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.

"The President's Update," a video series for UM President Royce Engstrom to communicate with the campus community, is available on the President's Office website and on the official UM YouTube channel.

Inauguration Events on Campus Today   UM will host inauguration ceremonies today for President Royce Engstrom. The theme is "Building a University for a Global Community." The Installation Ceremony begins at 10:15 a.m. in the University Theatre. The event includes a processional, music, brief addresses by visiting delegates and members of the campus community, and remarks by Engstrom. A luncheon begins at noon in the Adams Center. It will be followed by forums addressing the inauguration theme. A student forum will take place at 1:45 p.m. in the University Center Theater, followed by a visiting delegate and faculty forum at 3:30 p.m. in the same venue. Student exhibits and performances will be featured today in the UC Atrium beginning at noon.

UM Educator Advances Earthquake Science   UM geosciences Assistant Professor Rebecca Bendick Kier was one of a select number of renowned U.S. scientists invited as delegates to the 2011 bilateral workshop under the Sino-U.S. earthquake studies protocol. The high-level scientific exchange for earthquake science and engineering, supported by the National Science Foundation and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, took place April 20-25 in Chengdu, China, the capital of Sichaun and the site of the destructive and deadly Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. The workshop is the second in a series aimed to coordinate needed collaboration between U.S. and Chinese scientists to reduce earthquake-related disasters. Bendick Kier co-chaired a workshop session titled "Tectonics of Continental Deformation" and gave a talk on mechanical heterogeneity in continental deformation. The presentations addressed where and why earthquakes happen on continents. Continental events are especially important from the scientific perspective, Bendick Kier said, because they are harder to forecast and simulate than events on typical tectonic plate boundaries, such as the recent one in Japan. "In the past decade, more than 600,000 people have been killed in seismic disasters," she said. "This number points out the pressing need for a better understanding of both earthquakes themselves and how to mitigate their effect using both better engineering before events and better emergency response afterward." Read the Full News Release

Professor Named ASA Fellow   UM Professor Amanda L. Golbeck has been named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. Golbeck teaches biostatistics and leadership in UM's School of Public and Community Health Sciences. She is the first from UM to be so honored, and one of only four people in Montana to have received the award. ASA Fellows are nominated by their peers and appointed for life for having made outstanding contributions to aspects of statistical science. Award recipients comprise less than one-third of 1 percent of the 15,000 ASA members worldwide. Golbeck will be recognized at the ASA 2011 Joint Statistical Meetings, to be held July 30-Aug. 4 in Miami Beach, Fla.

Business Plan Competition at UM May 12   The UM School of Business Administration will host the 22nd Annual John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition on Thursday, May 12, in the Gallagher Business Building. The event showcases the entrepreneurial aspirations of students across the state. Faculty from higher education institutions across Montana will identify 30 teams to be considered for the competition. A distinguished group of judges then will select and invite 15 teams to compete in the semifinal round. This year the teams will compete for thousands of dollars in prize money. The prestigious panel of judges consists of venture capitalists, angel investors, bankers, successful entrepreneurs and corporate executives. They will offer feedback on the business plans chosen for the semifinal round, which begins at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public. During the round, judges will narrow the field to four finalist teams who will present to a larger audience. For more information visit the School of Business Administration website, call Larae Hackney at 243-4830 or email larae.hackney@business.umt.edu. School of Business Administration

Film Festival Holds Keynote Events at UM   The 34th International Wildlife Film Festival hits Missoula May 7-14. Two special festival keynote addresses will be held Tuesday, May 10, in the University Center Theater at UM. They are co-sponsored by UM and are free and open to the public. At 9:30 a.m. Greg MacGillivray, producer, director and cinematographer at MacGillivray Freeman Films, will speak on the festival theme: "Hope in a Changing World." MacGillivray is the recipient of the festival's 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award for Media. At 6 p.m. zoologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton, one of the world's foremost authorities on elephant conservation, will present "Save the Elephants." Douglas-Hamilton is the founder and CEO of the conservation organization Save the Elephants. UM also is co-sponsoring a special keynote event that features MacGillivray on Wednesday, May 11, during the Tarkio Retreat at Montana Island Lodge. Advance registration is required. For a complete festival schedule visit the International Wildlife Film Festival website. For more information call the IWFF office at 728-9380 or email iwff@wildlifefilms.org.

MMAC Participates in Assessment Program   The Montana Museum of Art & Culture at UM has received a national award to participate in the 2011 Conservation Assessment Program. CAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between Heritage Preservation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States, and the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. Heritage Preservation President Lawrence L. Reger praised MMAC for "making the vital work of caring for collections a priority of their institution, even in these challenging financial times, and helping ensure that they are available to present and future generations." CAP assists museums by providing funds for professional conservation specialists to identify needs and improvements to permanent collections and historic buildings through a site assessment. MMAC will host two assessors this summer: a professional conservator and an architect who specializes in historic preservation. Read the Full News Release

Take Part in 'Walk N Roll Week' at UM   UM will participate in Missoula's Bike Walk Bus Week by hosting "Walk N Roll Week" Monday through Friday, May 2-6. Volunteers will hand out raffle tickets to those who arrive on campus using options besides driving alone. Raffle tickets also can be picked up at the University Center for those who use other means of transportation and don't find a "Walk N Roll Week" volunteer where they enter campus. Raffle prizes include a cruiser bike, bike trailer, headlights, locks and numerous other donated gifts by Missoula businesses. The raffle drawing will take place at noon Friday, May 6, on the Mansfield Mall. For more information or to volunteer, call Nancy Wilson, Associated Students of UM Office of Transportation director, at 243-4599 or email nancy.wilson@mso.umt.edu.

Submit Proposals for Day of Dialogue   UM will host its sixth annual Day of Dialogue on Thursday, Oct. 27. Events will focus on topics of diversity and provide a forum for honest dialogue to explore the complexities of human experience, promote understanding and create community among participants through the practice of civil discourse. The campus community can submit proposals to present research, facilitate discussions, exhibit materials or host other events related to diversity. Proposals should be submitted on the Day of Dialogue website. The deadline for submitting proposals for 2011 Day of Dialogue is Monday, May 23. Coordinators also ask faculty and staff to participate in Day of Dialogue in one or more of the following ways: Encourage students to attend and participate. Recognize those who attend and/or present sessions. Allow release time for staff. Collaborate with the Day of Dialogue planning committee to host an event related to topics of diversity. For more information call event coordinators Amy Capolupo at 243-4584 or Jinann Bitar at 243-5622 or email dayofdialogue@mso.umt.edu.

Play Spotlights End-of-Life Issues   The Institute of Medicine and Humanities and Montana Repertory Theatre will present "Holding On -- Letting Go" on Sunday, May 8, at UM. The event is the last in a trilogy of end-of-life plays by playwright Bryan Harnetiaux. The performance, directed by Greg Johnson of Montana Repertory Theatre, begins at 7 p.m. in the Masquer Theater of UM's Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center and is free and open to the public. A dessert reception will take place at 6:30 p.m. before the performance. "Holding On -- Letting Go" focuses on how 51-year-old Bobby Alexander and his family navigate through his last days at home under hospice care. The play explores with keen human insight the complicated family dynamics surrounding Bobby's struggle to live fully while preparing to die. Following the play, the audience and actors will participate in a facilitated discussion. For more information call Megan Twohig, IMH program coordinator, at 243-4576 or email mtwohig@saintpatrick.org.

Fundraiser Supports UM Student   "Score Big for Paul," a T-shirt fundraiser for UM student Paul Nonnenmacher, who is battling stomach cancer, is slated for Tuesday through Friday, May 3-6, in the University Center. Austin Walker, UM student and event organizer, and members of the University's Marketing Club will sell T-shirts for $12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day in the UC Atrium. Nonnenmacher, an education and music major and former Grizzly Marching Band drum major, was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. Forced to postpone his last two semesters of college to undergo treatment, he is now in recovery and plans to return to UM this fall. All money raised will go toward costs affiliated with his medical treatment. For more information call Walker at 406-231-8370 or email austin1.walker@umconnect.umt.edu.

Students Can Apply for Fulbright Grants   UM faculty and staff are asked to encourage qualified students to apply for Fulbright grants for international study and research and English teaching assistantships abroad. The grants generally provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident coverage, and full or partial tuition. Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application and hold a bachelor's degree or the equivalent by the beginning of the grant. In the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training or experience meets this basic eligibility requirement. UM students who wish to apply should call Professor Liz Ametsbichler, Fulbright program adviser, at 243-5001 or email elizabeth.ametsbichler@umontana.edu. Applications must be submitted electronically and in hard copy by Monday, Sept. 26, to meet the UM campus deadline. Interested students should begin the application process in late spring or early summer. U.S. Student Fulbright Program

President Engstrom's Office Hours   President Engstrom welcomes members of the campus community to meet with him to discuss issues and topics of their choice. Please call 243-2311 or email prestalk@umontana.edu to make an appointment to meet with President Engstrom during these times. President Engstrom's office hours for May and June are: Wednesday, May 18: 2-3 p.m. Thursday, May 26: 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, June 15: 2-4 p.m. Thursday, June 23: 9-11 a.m.

Faculty/Staff Socials   Socials are held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. most Fridays during spring and autumn semesters in the Davidson Honors College Lounge. The final social of this semester will be hosted Friday, May 6, by the School of Law and UM's Diversity Advisory Council.

News About U   Anthropology and Native American studies Professor Neyooxet Greymorning organized and facilitated the Seventh Giving the Gift of Language workshop and symposium, held April 21-23 in Missoula. Thirty-eight participants attended, traveling from as far as Alaska and Hawaii and representing seven different languages, two different countries and seven different states. A highlight was when a panel of UM students, after 18 hours of instruction, told three different stories in Arapaho and shared their experiences in learning Arapaho compared to how other languages are taught. Professor Richard Bridges, chair of the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, worked to initiate a concept with Research!America to encourage researchers to speak out about the economic impact of research and its importance to the nation's health and competitiveness. An op-ed by Bridges, "Invest in Montana Research, Continue to Reap Long-term Benefits," recently was published in the Helena Independent Record, the Billings Gazette and the Missoulian. Davidson Honors College Dean James McKusick presented a free public lecture titled "The Poetics of Nature" in celebration of Earth Day on April 22 at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Mathematical sciences Professor Bharath Sriraman's book "The Elements of Creativity and Giftedness in Mathematics" was a top seller at a Sense Publishers exhibit held during the 2011 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in New Orleans. National Native Children's Trauma Center Director Marilyn Burguier Zimmerman recently was appointed to the American Indian and Alaska Native Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. The task force, supported by the U.S. Surgeon General, is charged with fulfilling the public-private partnership recommendations of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Elizabeth Roosa Millar has been selected as the new director of the University Center. Roosa Millar, who goes by Liz, has served as the UC's associate director since January 2008. Before her arrival at UM, she was the director of the Center for Student Activities and Programming at Pennsylvania State University. She holds a doctorate in higher education from Pennsylvania State University, a master's degree in recreation administration from the University of Northern Colorado and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from UM. Roosa Millar assumed her new position on April 20.

Publications   Koehn, Peter and Phyllis Ngai. 2011. "Growth with Sustainable Development? Impressions of Addis Ababa at the Start of 2011." Afrikan Sarvi, Horn of Africa Journal, 1(1). Roscoe, Matt and Bharath Sriraman. 2011. "A Quantitative Study of the Effects of Informal Mathematics Activities on the Beliefs of Preservice Elementary School Teachers." ZDM- The International Journal on Mathematics Education. (Springer Online First, DOI: 10.1007/s11858-011-0332-7)