October 2007
UM Creative Writing Professor Featured at Dances With Words
Tuesday, October 30 2007
Karen Volkman will give the next reading of the fall semester’s “Dancing With Words” Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in The Cup, located on the lower level of the Swysgood Technology Center.
“Dances With Words”, a series of readings of regional writers and poets during the 2007 fall semester, is sponsored by The University of Montana Western English department.
Volkman was born in Miami, Fla. She received her M.A. from Syracuse University in 1992.
Her first book, Crash’s Law, was selected for the National Poetry Series and published by Norton in 1996. Volkman’s second book, Spar, received the Iowa Poetry Prize and the 2002 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. A third book, Nomina, will be published by BOA Editions in the spring of 2008.
Her poems have appeared in numerous anthologies, including “The Best American Poetry,” “The Pushcart Prize Anthology, The Norton Introduction to Poetry,” “American Poets in the 21st Century: The New Poetics” and “The Gertrude Stein Awards in Innovative Writing.”
Volkman has received awards and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Society of America, the Akademie Schloss Solitude, and the Bogliasco Foundation.
She was recently a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome, Italy.
Volkman is an associate professor of creative writing at the University of Montana-Missoula.
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Board of Regents Holds Listening Session
Wednesday, October 24 2007
Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns listens to a question at a recent Montana Board of Regents community session held in Dillon, Mont.
Stearns, Associate Commissioner of Fiscal Affairs Mick Robinson, Regent Clay Christian and Student Regent Kerra Melvin were in Dillon for two community listening sessions.
The first was held on the Montana Western campus, the second was held at the Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce.
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Stockman Bank Donates Play Clocks at Vigilante Field
Tuesday, October 23 2007
Left to right, Montana Western atletic director Mark Durham accepts check from Stockman Bank president Craig Rehm.
In a continued show of support for the University of Montana Western, Stockman Bank has donated $4,500 for the purchase of new play clocks at the university’s Vigilante Field.
"It is gratifying to contribute to an enhancement that will touch those involved in college and high school football along with supporters of our youth athletic programs,” Craig Rehm, president of Stockman Bank, Dillon, said.
Last year Stockman donated $14,500 to purchase the new scoreboard at the field.
“We are very appreciative of Stockman Bank’s support,” Montana Western athletic director Mark Durham said. “They continue to support our programs when we need it most. The play clocks were old and in drastic need of replacement.”
The University of Montana Western (then Western Montana College of Education) acquired Vigilante Field in 1949 from the city of Dillon. The field is used for college and high school football games, numerous track and field events, and an occasional game between middle school football teams.
Miles City rancher and businessman Wm. Nefsy established Stockman Bank in 1953. Still headquartered in Miles City, the Montana company continues to grow with 21 full-service banking locations throughout Montana. Stockman Bank, Dillon was established in 2005.
Stockman Bank has long been Montana's largest agricultural bank, as well as one of the state's largest commercial and real estate lenders. Stockman Bank supports strong education, health care, and both economic and cultural development in the communities they serve.
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Curious MInds Receives Impressive Accreditation Review
Tuesday, October 23 2007
The University of Montana Western’s Curious Minds is one of the first early childhood programs to earn accreditation using new standards from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Curious Minds achieved accreditation from NAEYC, the nation’s leading organization for early childhood professionals, meeting 96 percent of the 400 accreditation criteria, Debra Hansen, Curious Minds director, said.
“The achievement is significant especially in light of the fact that standards have been revised to provide more rigor in the accreditation process,” Hansen said. “Programs must meet at least 80 percent to receive accreditation. Curious Minds is significantly above this requirement. NAEYC accreditation lets families and the community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences possible.”
“Curious Minds provides child care for Montana Western students, staff, faculty and the Dillon community. It also serves as a lab school for early childhood and other campus degree programs modeling best practices for college students,” Julie Bullard, coordinator of Early Childhood Education degrees at Montana Western said.
Curious Minds went through an extensive self-study process and on-site visit that measured the program and its services against 10 new NAEYC early childhood program standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.
The revised standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development. NAEYC is committed to utilizing the newest studies and analysis on positive child outcomes to ensure young children continue receiving the highest-quality care and education possible. More than 11,000 programs, serving one million young children, are currently accredited by NAEYC said Mark Ginsberg executive director of NAEYC.
“Curious Mind’s NAEYC accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start,” Ginsberg said.
Curious Minds will host an informal celebration open house, Thursday, Oct. 25 from 4 – 5:30 p.m.
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Juan Sanchez Ensemble to Perform at Montana Westen
Tuesday, October 16 2007
Gypsy rumbas and Cuban guajiras are in the spotlight as The Juan Sanchez Ensemble takes the stage, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Beier Auditorium on the campus of the University of Montana Western.
The concert is part of the Southwest Montana Arts Council Showcase Series and is co-sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of Montana Western.
The ensemble brings their socially conscious world music on a regular basis to performing arts centers and festivals throughout the Western United States and Canada.
The ensemble features the gritty singing style, humor and socially conscious songwriting of Juan L. Sánchez, a native of Málaga, Spain (the birthplace of Picasso and Antonio Banderas!).
In addition to Sánchez, the band boasts two of the most well-rounded musicians in the Bay Area: Paul Contos and Dayan Kai.
Contos is arguably one of the finest reeds-man on the West Coast, exuding incredible virtuosity and lyricism on both flutes and saxophones. This 15-year veteran of the Monterey Jazz Festival has traveled the world and shared the stage with the greatest: from Dizzy Gillespie to Wayne Shorter.
Kai’s genius can be appreciated by anyone with a pair of ears. Here is someone who is lacking the sense of sight, that can switch from 12-string to charango, pan pipes to trumpet, guitars, piano, vihuela, accordion, etc.
The rhythm section features Steve Uccello on stand-up bass and guitarrón, and Noe Hinojosa on bongos and Latin percussion.
Admission is free for Montana Western students with student I.D. General tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students.
As part of their visit to southwest Montana, the group will conduct informational performances and workshops at the Parkview Elementary School on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and Wednesday, Oct. 24.
Concert tickets for the evening performance or for the entire series, are available at Bert’s C.D.’s, the Bookstore, Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan or at the door.
Additional event sponsors for the concert include Abacus Electric, Adventure Cycle & Sled, Inc., Stageline Pizza and Tacos el Toro.
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Distinguished Native Educator to Speak at 111th Commencement
Friday, October 5 2007
Noted American Indian educator Janine Pease will be the speaker at the University of Montana Western’s 111th commencement this spring, Chancellor Richard Storey announced today.
“We are honored to have Dr. Pease speak at such a historic moment for Montana Western. She is indeed one of Montana’s most influential citizens, and has made and is making a substantial contribution to higher education here and across the country,” Storey said.
Storey noted that Montana Western’s commencement is a milestone for the 114-year old institution as the university graduates its first class of students who have attended solely under the university’s innovative one-at-a-time course delivery system, Experience One.
“As the first woman of Crow lineage to earn a doctorate degree and as the founding president of the Little Big Horn College, Dr. Pease has been a ground breaker in higher education,” Storey said.
Currently the vice-president of American Indian Affairs at Rocky Mountain College, Pease is a past president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, a director of the American Indian College Fund and was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. Pease has won a number of prestigious awards including National Indian Educator of the Year, The MacArthur Fellowship Award (better known as the Genius Award) and the ACLU’s Jeanette Rankin Award. She has been named one of the “One Hundred Montanans of the Century” by Missoulian Magazine, a “Montanans to Remember” by Montana Magazine, and one of the 14 most important American Indian leaders of the 20th Century in “New Warriors” by R. David Edmunds.
She is also the recipient of honorary doctorate degrees from six different colleges and universities, and was appointed to the Montana University System’s Board of Regents in 2006 by Governor Brian Schweitzer.
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Quality Supply Makes Major Donation to Montana Western
Wednesday, October 3 2007
The staff of Quality Supply of Dillon and General Manager Brian DeMars (third from right) join University of Montana Western biology professor Mike Gilbert (second from right) and interim Foundation Director Amberly Pahut (right) following Quality’s donation of $25,000 to the university’s biology program.
Quality Supply of Dillon, Mont. has donated $25,000 to create a biology studies endowment at the University of Montana Western.
Quality Supply’s General Manager Brian DeMars said, “We are honored to contribute to an effort that demonstrates how the agricultural business community and university can work closely together to enhance educational and research opportunities for students.” DeMars cited the UMW biology division’s veterinary science program as an example of direct benefit to agriculture and stressed that success in the industry today requires the critical management skills and technological knowledge that the university teaches.
Interim Foundation Director Amberly Pahut, who was instrumental in obtaining the donation, said the money will be used to create a biology studies endowment that will support numerous research activities within the biology division. In addition she praised the connection between business and the university. “Quality Supply’s donation provides initial funding for an endowment that will assist students now and well into the future and is an excellent example of private and public cooperation,” Pahut said.
Biology professor Mike Morrow explained that Montana Western’s biology-related degrees are growing in popularity with over 70 students currently in the program. “Quality Supply’s generous gift will have a significant impact on our students and enhance our ability to provide research opportunities in a variety of areas,” Morrow said.
Quality Supply has a 24-year history in Dillon providing clothing, agricultural supplies and power equipment and tools to the farm and ranch community. The retailer places a high value on providing quality products and services to quality customers.
The University of Montana Western was established in 1893 in Dillon, Mont. Originally the state’s normal school for teacher education, the university now provides undergraduate degrees in a number of liberal arts, professional and pre-professional areas. Montana Western is the only public higher education institution in the country using an innovative class scheduling system called Experience One in which students take one class at a time. The university’s curriculum emphasizes experiential learning combining classroom theory with real-world practice.
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Environmental Issues in China are the Subject of "On the Rocks"
Monday, October 1 2007
The environmental issues in China are the subject of the next "On the Rocks" presentation at the University of Montana Western.
“On the Rocks” is a guest speaker series sponsored by the Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Mathematics at Montana Western.
The next program of the 2007 Fall Semester is Monday, Oct. 8 at 4:15 p.m. in Room 311 of Block Hall. The presentation features Montana Western education professor Delena Norris-Tull.
She spent spent a month traveling throughout China in the spring of 2007. Norris-Tull traveled from western China into Tibet photographing the environmental degradation occurring in remote rural agricultural areas of the county.
Her photographs show the environmental degradation in China is occurring rapidly alongside the rapid capitalist expansion of the economy. The environmental problems the country faces in the future mirror and outstrip the problems experienced in the United States.
Western industries have responded to environmental restrictions by exporting many of the environmental hazards to other parts of the world, in particular to China.
"On the Rocks" provides a forum for the presentation of topics of interest to the scientific community. Neither Montana Western nor the Department of Environmental Sciences is advocating any particular view or any policy or position.
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