September 2007
Montana Western Geology Professor to Receive Prestigious Award
Wednesday, September 26 2007
Rob Thomas, professor of geology at the University of Montana Western, spends a lot of time studying the history of rocks. In October Thomas will make some history of his own.
He is slated to be the first Montana geology professor to receive the Geological Society of America's (GSA) Distinguished Service Award. In fact when he accepts the prestigious honor Oct. 27, 2007 at the GSA's annual meeting in Denver, Colo., he will be the first Montana educator to receive a major award or medal from the society.
“There is no doubt that the best geologists are the ones that have seen the most rocks. And the Geological Society of America has been extremely fortunate that Rob Thomas has been so willing to show many GSA members and others the rocks from his part of the planet,” said Gary Lewis, GSA director of education and outreach.
Since 1995, Thomas has led 10 GeoVenture trips for the GSA, providing scientists and non-scientists alike with enriching learning experiences related to fundamental earth processes.
“Over the last decade Rob has led many excellent field experiences as part of the GSA GeoVenture program. He has been so willing to share his knowledge and enthusiasm to boost the knowledge of his peers and non-scientists that this GSA Distinguished Service Award is extremely fitting and well deserved,” Lewis said.
“When I first heard that I was receiving the award, I thought it was incredible that I was being honored for something that I love doing so much. To me it's an honor to just be able to share my passion for rocks with friends and students,” Thomas said.
He credits his colleague Sheila Roberts and numerous students with collaboration and assistance with the GeoVenture trips. “Sheila and I have learned a great deal about the geology of the northern Rocky Mountains through our preparation and interactions with participants. It has definitely made us better geologists.” Thomas said.
Roberts, also a geology professor at Montana Western, and Thomas are currently working on a book about Montana geology for lay people.
Thomas has been a professor of geology in Montana Western's department of environmental sciences since 1993. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Humboldt State University, his master's in geology from the University of Montana-Missoula and his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Washington.
Established in 1888, The Geological Society of America provides professional growth opportunities for earth scientists at all levels of expertise and from academic, government, business and industry sectors. The society has more than 20,500 members in over 85 countries.
The University of Montana Western was established in 1893 in Dillon, Mont. Originally the state's normal school for teacher education, the university now also 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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First Free Speakers Presentation Features a Look at Historic Butte, Mont.
Wednesday, September 26 2007
A very interesting look at the early history of Butte, Mont. is the subject of the first program of the Free Speakers Series at The University of Montana Western School of Outreach.
“Workers of the World Who Come to Butte” is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 27 in the Great Room of the Swysgood Technology Center 7-8:30 p.m.
There is no admission charge.
Featured speaker Tom Satterly will take the audience back to when a shift change in Butte was a shuffling rumble of thousands of men from Wales, Finland, Austria, Ireland, China, Syria, Cornwall and every state in the union.
Satterly will take the audience back to when Butte was always open, from supper clubs in Meaderville to boarding houses in Finntown to the Columbia Gardens to streetcars to the joints uptown.
A descendant of early Butte families, Satterly will take his audience to ethic Butte in the “Roaring Twenties” and “Dirty Thirties” through this in-costume performance.
For more information, please call the School of Outreach at 683-7537.
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Montana Western Grads Are Repaying Student Loans at a Record Rate
Wednesday, September 26 2007
University of Montana Western officials today announced a significant decline in 2005 federal fiscal year default rates among student with loans.
Montana Western’s Chancellor Richard Storey said the rate fell to 1.7 percent or a decrease of over 76 percent from previous year defaults. “These results demonstrate not only the strong commitment of our students to meeting their loan obligations, but also the professional standards of our financial aid office. They are working very hard to ensure that Montana Western students have one of the best financial aid systems in the country,” Storey said.
Ricki Jones, Montana Western’s financial aid director, attributes the success to debt management efforts in the financial aid office as well as efforts from outside agencies such as Student Assistance Foundation and Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program. “All of us are working together to help students make better borrowing decisions,” she said.
The university’s results compare favorably to statewide trends. “Every school in Montana had a decrease in its respective default rate,” said Sheila Stearns, Montana’s commissioner of higher education. “A strong economy certainly helped, but this reduction reflects the values and ethics of our student borrowers. Montanans have a strong tradition of meeting their commitments.”
Default rates are based on national statistics released annually be the U.S. Department of Education. The fiscal year 2005 default rate is the most recent available and is calculated by determining the number of borrowers who began repaying their loans between Oct. 1, 2004 and Sept. 30, 2005 and who defaulted before Sept. 30, 2006.
The University of Montana Western was established in 1893 in Dillon, Mont. Originally the state’s normal school for teacher education, the university now also 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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An Opportunity to Meet Leprechauns
Monday, September 24 2007
Explore Ireland and the Irish culture firsthand with a trip to the Emerald Isle with The University of Montana Western Honors Program
during the 2008 Spring Semester.
“Experience Ireland” will explore Ireland’s myth and folklore, early 20th century political and literary history through the poetry, drama and prose writing of William Butler Yeats, as well as a sampling of Irish culture through traditional Celtic music, dance and the modern Irish language.
There will be a week of classroom work and two weeks of study in Ireland.
On Thursday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m., instructors Rebecca Knotts and Dr. Seán Eudaily will give a presentation on the class and the trip. The meeting will be held in the Wescolite Office located in the basement of the Montana Western Student Union Building.
The class and trip is open to Montana Western students and area residents.
For more information, call Rebecca Knotts at 683-7206 or Seán Eudaily at 683-7103.
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Minor Fire on Montana Western Campus
Wednesday, September 19 2007
Dillon Fire Department units responded to a minor fire on the University of Montana Western campus Tuesday night.
University officials said the fire in the ceramics lab in Main Hall, Montana Western’s oldest building, was detected around 6:24 p.m. The building sustained minor damage and no one was injured.
Main Hall was evacuated immediately while the fire was extinguished. Dillon Fire Department personnel conducted tests with heat sensing equipment to determine that the fire was out. The university’s 10-Minute Play Festival in Main Hall’s small auditorium proceeded on schedule.
Officials said the fire was caused by heat build-up in a kiln used for firing ceramics as a part of the university’s fine arts program.
Montana Western’s Chancellor Richard Storey said the university will conduct a detailed review of the incident to prevent similar accidents in the future. He estimated damage at around $5,000.
Main Hall is currently undergoing a $4.5 million major renovation to upgrade the building.
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2007 Hall of Fame Weekend Set For Sept. 21-22
Monday, September 17 2007
Three individuals and the 1994 Bulldog football team will be inducted into the University of Montana Western Athletic Hall of Fame during the 2007 Hall of Fame weekend Sept. 21 and 22.
Richard Ferris of Dillon, Mont. and Ed Ferris of Fallon, Nev. and the 1994 Bulldog football team will be inducted will be inducted into the football Hall of Fame. Rich Meine of Dillon, Mont. will be inducted for meritorious service.
Ed and Richard Ferris were members of the 1967 championship team. Both players were Dillon natives, but began their collegiate careers at other schools. After transferring to Western, both players were instrumental in the Bulldogs championship. Both were two-way players, which was common then.
The 1994 Bulldogs went undefeated in the Frontier Conference and set numerous individual and team records in the process. They were the first team from Western Montana College (now Montana Western) to advance to the national playoffs.
Not only did they advance to the national playoffs, but won a first round game. The Bulldogs downed Glenville State 48-38 in the opening round to advance to the NAIA, Division I semi-finals.
The Bulldogs lost to Arkansas Pine Bluffs in an overtime thriller that is still in the record books. The game holds the distinction of being the highest scoring game in NAIA championship history. The Bulldogs lost 53-60.
Rich Meine will receive the meritorious service award for recognition of his unselfish service to Montana Western athletics. Meine’s barbecuing magic has been a highlight of many Bulldog functions. His spirit of service goes beyond Montana Western, Meine was a long-time member of the Dillon Jaycees.
In addition to the Hall of Fame festivities, the class of 1967 will celebrate their 40th class reunion. In the 1967 calendar year, the Bulldogs won conference championships in baseball, football and track. Athletes and students from the class of 1967 will be in attendance for the weekend.
The Hall of Fame activities include a social Friday night at the Lion’s Den beginning at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Bulldogs host Montana Tech in Frontier Conference football at 1 p.m. The banquet begins at 6 p.m. in the Keltz Arena.
For reservations, please call (406) 683-7306
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Bozeman Photographer Featured at Gallery/Museum
Friday, September 14 2007
The University of Montana Western Art Gallery/Museum has opened its 2007-08 season with an exhibit called "Details of the Road." The exhibit features the photographs of Bozeman artist Tom Ferris through Oct. 19 in the Corr and Hallway Galleries.
Half of the exhibit is called "Roadside Attractions" and features black & white pinhole photographs.
In his day job, working as an archival photographer for the Montana Historical Society, Ferris has traveled around the state. These photographs highlight the objects and scenes Tom discovers along the back roads of the state.
A pinhole camera lacks the traditional lens of most cameras. Instead, a small hole in the camera, when briefly opened, allows light to expose the film inside. The result tends to be a picture slightly out of focus.
The other half of the exhibit is called "Auto Parts." Ferris also visits automobile junkyards with a digital camera. There he takes close up color photographs of car bodies in varying degrees of decay.
The resulting photographs are stunning abstractions of colors, shapes, and textures as nature, time, and sometimes accidents change the body paint of these discarded cars and trucks.
"This is one of the most beautiful exhibits we've had," says Art Gallery Director Randy Horst. "The images strike you right away in their simplicity and design. They also contain a sense of mystery, whether the ghost-like qualities of the pinhole images or the digital photographs that look more like paintings than photographs of automobiles."
"Details from the Road" is sponsored by the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association with funding by the National Endowment of the Arts, the Montana Coal Tax Fund, and the Montana Arts Council.
A free public reception for the exhibit will be held Tuesday, September 25, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The reception is in connection with the Southwest Montana Arts Council performance of the "Jeni Fleming Trio" at 7:30 p.m. in the Beier Auditorium.
The Art Gallery/Museum can be found at the south end of the first floor of Main Hall on the Montana Western campus. Gallery times are Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. To arrange for special times or visits call the director at 683-7232. The Gallery/Museum also houses a permanent collection of art, including works by C.M. Russell, Edgar Paxson, and Monte Dolack, and the Seidensticker Wildlife Collection of taxidermy from around the world. "Caravan Collaboration: Alone/Together" by a group of 12 Montana artists will be the next exhibit and will open October 29.
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Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio to Perform at Montana Western
Friday, September 14 2007
The very popular Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio returns to Southwestern Montana, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Beier Auditorium.
They may perform folksy acoustic renditions of Jerry Jeff Walker, they may rock out with a pop cover from Cyndi Lauper, but in the end, the jazz comes out in every tune. The Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio is winning the hearts of audiences from coast to coast!
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 Big Sky Journal remarked that after an evening of this, you're both whipped and exhilarated. You've wiped your eyes, yet your cheeks hurt from all the grinning."
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 an informational performance at an area school.
The trio will also lead a song-writing workshop for Montana Western music students.
Concert tickets for the evening performance or 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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5th Annual Ten Minute Play Festival
Wednesday, September 12 2007
The University of Montana Western Drama Department presents the 5th Annual 10-Minute Play Festival; Sunday, Sept. 16; Monday, Sept. 17 and Tuesday, Sept. 18.
The curtain rises each evening at 7:33 in the Montana Western Small Auditorium.
Each night features different plays with the audience determining the winner nightly. Audience favorites will be presented on Tuesday night.
The play with the most votes will be awarded the best play of the festival.
Each student enrolled in the Play Production class selected a play, recruited the actors, designed the set and costumes, and directed the play.
• A Mustache and a Mattress
Director: Stephanie Wagner; Fairfield, Mont.
Cast: Nicole Yost; Bozeman, Mont., Landon Stubbs, Great Falls, Mont.
• Mirror Man, by Dan Hunt
Director: Suzanne Marty
Cast: Whitney Reints, Ennis, Mont.; Allison Barth, Billings, Mont., Alan Weltzein, Bellevue, Wash.
• The Big Black Box
Director: Rebecca Kirkland; Whitefish, Mont.
Cast: Judy Ulrich, Dillon, Mont.; Laura Best, Plains, Mont.
• So Tell Me About This Guy
Director: Shanna White
Cast: Tifany Lyman; Centerville, Mont.
• The Interrogation
Director: Chelsey Pippen, Helena, Mont.
Cast: Chase Kralich, Helena, Mont.
• The Crushed Petunias by Tennessee Williams
Director: Denise McRea, Leadore, Idaho
Cast: Richard Vaow, Dillon, Mont.; Mercedes Lamphire, Glendive, Mont.; Elida Craven, Dillon, Mont. and Josh Braley, Livingston, Mont.
• The Tooth Hurts
Director: Nikki Hawe, Kalispell, Mont.
Cast: Perry Shank, Noxon, Mont.; Jamie Jacobson, Kalispell, Mont.; Teresa Kluesner, Dillon, Mont.
• Dost Pity Me, With Pett?
Director: Michelle Ramsdell, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Cast: Cathleen Flanagan, Eureka, Mont.; Kendall Larson, Bethel, Alaska
• Electric Roses
Director: Heidi Hanscome, Olympia, Wash.
Cast: Brandon Elwell, Helena, Mont.; Amanda McCarl, Boulder, Mont. and Dan Hazlett, Superior, Mont.
Cost of admission is $5.00 and that is good for all festival performances.
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Idaho Writer Opens "Dances With Words"
Monday, September 10 2007
Idaho writer Claire Davis will give the first reading of the fall semester’s “Dances With Words” Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in The Cup, located on the lower level of the Swysgood Technology Center.
“Dances With Words”, series of readings of regional writers and poets during the 2007 fall semester, is sponsored by The University of Montana Western English department.
Davis received her MFA in fiction from the University of Montana-Missoula. Her first novel Winter Range was listed among the best books of 2000 by the Washington Post, Chicago Sun Times, Denver Post, Seattle Post, The Oregonian and The Christian Science Monitor, and was the first book to receive both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and Mountains and Plains Booksellers Association awards for best fiction.
Davis’ second novel Season of the Snake, and her short story collection Labors of the Heart were both released to wide critical acclaim.
She is co-editor of the anthology Kiss Tomorrow Hello: Notes from the Midlife Underground by Twenty-five Women over Forty.
Her stories and essays have appeared in numerous literary magazines such as: The Gettysburg Review, Shenandoah, Southern Review, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and Best American Short Stories.
Davis lives in Lewiston, Idaho where she teaches creative writing at Lewis-Clark State College.
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Montana Western Receives Grant From Board of Regents
Friday, September 7 2007
The University of Montana Western has received a $65,000 grant from the Montana Board of Regents to support the university’s biology program.
Chancellor Richard Storey said, “This generous grant will purchase equipment that will allow our students who will be entering the high-demand biomedical and professional health industries to gain hands on experience with many of the technologies used in these fields.”
Montana Western’s biology program was created five years ago to offer four-year degrees in preprofessional and biomedical fields. Biology professor Mike Morrow who wrote the grant said the money will enhance the department’s capabilities and enhance educational opportunities for students.
“We have been very successful in building a top-notch program in a short period of time,” Morrow said indicating that the program has received over $1.1 million in grants and fellowships since its inception in 2002.
“Due to the overwhelming success of the program, we are experiencing our highest enrollments and have hired an additional tenure-track faculty member in biochemistry. We have also recently graduated students into the top advanced-degree programs in the country,” Morrow said.
Specifically the Regent’s funding will purchase a modern column chromatography system and a microplate spectrophotometer for Montana Western. Morrow said the equipment will enhance biochemistry and biology classes, as well as to enable student exposure to state-of-the-art technology.
The money represents an appropriation from the 2007 Legislature and a statewide commitment on behalf of the legislature, the governor’s office and the Board of Regents to support workforce training in the state of Montana.
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