FROM THE ROAD TO FRISCO TO A RHODES SCHOLAR, UM IS DEFINING SUCCESS WITH EVERY STEP. Join us on our journey…
Dear Grizzlies,
I take my coffee black. An old Army habit.
A good cup of coffee is essential for the fall, especially as we gear up for another invigorating and exciting year at the University of Montana.
Our recent accomplishments throughout this Montanan issue are proof that UM’s energy can be summed up in three words: Up With Montana.
Take, for example, our students’ extraordinary academic achievements in securing Rhodes (the first in 30 years) and Truman Scholarships. We’ve entered our fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth. Campus is undergoing its largest infrastructure renewal in a generation. Of course, our success in Grizzly Athletics securing Big Sky Conference titles and an impressive run to the FCS National Championship also has Griz Nation shouting with renewed pride.
Just last month, we broke ground on UM’s first new residence hall in three decades. Grizzly Athletic teams began practice in the new Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility. We opened The Lodge Dining Center, a 38,000 square foot love letter to Montana, with seven dedicated food stations that reflect Montana’s heritage in ranching, culture, activism and agriculture.
From my vantage point, it’s a great time to be a Grizzly. The success we have achieved is a direct reflection of focused, strategic, good old-fashioned hard work. There is no substitute, especially if you’re a UM alumnus.
We’ll continue our University’s renewed success by remaining committed to our mission of inclusive prosperity and serving everyone who walks through our doors. Affordable, accessible higher education in Montana is one of our greatest strengths and most critical to a healthy democracy.
So, fill up your own mugs and champion the Grizzlies this year. I encourage you all to attend events, lectures, career networking, games and performances that showcase the best of UM. Don’t miss Homecoming events during Oct. 7 to 12, for “A Fall Affair.” UM’s continued trajectory of success is stronger with your active support and participation.
This year promises to be better than the last.
Up with Montana,
UM PRESIDENT SETH BODNAR @SethBodnar
870,000 POUNDS FOR A CAN THE CATS VICTORY
91% LAW SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE RATE
1,973
FANS SET ATTENDANCE RECORD FOR GRIZ SOCCER since 1999
#1 Most Fun COLLEGE TOWN – PUBLISHED BY CNBC FOOD DRIVE
$650,000 RAISED FROM 840 DONORS DURING UM’S BIG GIVE, SETTING A RECORD FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR
7,000
41 FANS ATTEND GRIZ FEST IN FRISCO PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS largest class in UM history
$9.5M GRANT FOR BIO STATION
$134 M RESEARCH EXPENDITURES
Bells for... CLOCKING IN
CULINARY DELIGHTS
UM Campus Dining’s Executive Chef Brian Heddlesten clinched first place in the 2024 CMS Cost Solutions recipe contest with his Chipotle Hot Chicken & Cornbread Cheddar Waffle. Executive Sous Chef Hailey Palmer earned a silver medal from the American Culinary Federation for her Branzino and Bulgar Criolla. Many of their delicious creations can be sampled in UM’s new state-of-the-art dining center, The Lodge, which features seven micro-restaurants that showcase global cuisines.
STANDING OVATIONS
UM alum Lily Gladstone took Hollywood’s awards season by storm with her powerful performance in Martin Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” In January she earned the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning team behind the Washington Post’s thorough and unflinching reporting on the AR-15 included the newest member of UM’s J-school faculty, Lisa Krantz, a longtime photographer at the San Antonio Express-News. Krantz started at UM this fall, teaching courses on beginning visual journalism and intermediate photojournalism.
HALL OF FAME
Monte, UM’s beloved bear mascot, will forever be immortalized with his induction into the Mascot Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. Monte has delighted fans and friends across Montana since his inception in 1993. His acrobatic skills and infectious enthusiasm make him a highlight of any Griz sporting event. Monte also supports the state of Montana with appearances at local schools and community service opportunities.
ROTC RISE
UM proudly welcomes one of the largest ROTC classes to date — doubling the entire program in the last two years. With over 100 years of commissioning leaders for the United States Army, the Grizzly Battalion ROTC program strives to develop leaders of character capable of adaptive thinking and decision making. The expansion of the program highlights UM’s dedication to empowering individuals with the skills and values needed to serve with distinction and lead with integrity.
ART UNVEILED
The Montana Museum of Art and Culture welcomed the public into its new space this year. The 17,000 square foot building is the first permanent home for MMAC’s nearly 12,000 object collection. In its first year, the new MMAC has been able to display art from their permanent collection, including works by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Donatello, Peter Voulkos, Rudy and Lela Autio, Ben Steele, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Barbara Morgan and Nancy Erickson. Be sure to stop by on your next visit to campus!
STATE PRIDE
UM is proud to welcome students from around the country and across the globe, and we’re especially honored to provide an education for Montana students. More than 66% of UM’s student body hails from right here in the Treasure State. It’s inspiring to witness the strong connection and deep respect our students have for Montana, whether they grew up here or are firsttime residents. It’s equally heartening to see the many ways our students and alumni contribute to the beauty and vitality of our state.
CAMPUS CANOPY
There’s plenty to see and learn inside UM’s many buildings and colleges, but did you know there’s also a living museum surrounding students as they walk to class? The UM Arboretum is devoted to trees and shrubs, each selected for education, scenic beauty and passing on a legacy. The arboretum showcases eight forest regions of North America and more than 2,000 trees on campus. It’s an ever-expanding resource, with regional trees added often and growing mini habitats to demonstrate natural communities.
N7 IMPACT
Griz gear is a common sight in Montana, and recently, fans have been sporting a new design that’s perfect for any occasion from football games to everyday outings. UM’s N7 logo was created for participation in Nike’s N7 program, a national initiative that encourages Indigenous youth to join in sports and recreational activities. Each year, a new Indigenous artist is commissioned to design a logo to celebrate UM and our Native community here on campus and across Montana. The N7 designs are among some of UM’s most popular merchandise options, with sales growing by 112% in the program’s second year, and a growing product range for the upcoming year.
CHEERFUL LOVE
Many couples enjoy cheering on the Griz together, but few spend hours perfecting their skills to lead thousands of fans in those cheers from the sideline. Spouses Annika and Wyatt Smith strengthened their relationship as husband and wife and as Griz while members of UM’s cheer squad. Wyatt came to UM to play lacrosse. Annika was a cheer veteran. After a few years, she convinced him to give cheer a shot. The couple spent their senior year performing aerial acts of bravery while taking on life together. The Smiths are now graduated and living in Seattle.
GRIZ CRESCENDO
The Grizzly Marching Band is the beating heart of UM’s gamedays and a second family for the students and alumni who play a part in it. This year, they shared their magic with the national marching band community. The Grizzly Marching Band hosted band directors representing over 100 colleges for the annual Athletic Band Symposium. For the first time in the symposium’s 20-plus year history, attendees flocked to Missoula for a series of all-day meetings, workshops, presentations and social events. The symposium allows host bands to showcase their facilities and resources to CBDNA members.
Pre-Medical Sciences DONE THE MONTANA WAY
BY JENNY LAVEY | PHOTO BY TOMMY MARTINO
If you’re a Grizzly, the chances of getting accepted into medical school are a lot higher than the national average.
That’s especially true if you’re enrolled in the GrizMed program at UM. This year, the medical school
“We continue to be one of the best choices in the Montana University System for those interested in obtaining a professional medical education.”
This year’s acceptance rate is even more impressive, Pershouse says, considering that most medical schools accept only about 2% of applicants, and those come from a highly qualified pool of applicants with high GPAs, test scores, volunteering, extensive work in medicine and participation in research.
Over the past 15 years, Pershouse says, UM students have averaged a 64% acceptance rate to medical school.
That’s because UM’s focus on wide and deep preparation for medical school is unique. Students participate in an advising program that helps them become well informed and aware of the diversity of health care occupations, with access to professionals, mentorship and support at every turn.
UM’s pre-med program is complemented by eight faculty mentors, four clinical mentors and two staff members who bring a wealth of expertise, passion and dedication, Pershouse says. The GrizMed group consists of faculty and professional advisers throughout campus who work with pre-med, pre-dental, pre-PA and preveterinary medicine students at various stages of a student’s pre-health professional career.
The pre-med coursework includes the prerequisite courses for application to medical school in addition to a class, HMED 140, taught by Pershouse, on
“UM PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNIQUE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES IN SHADOWING, GLOBAL HEALTH AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND WERE A LARGE PART OF MY SUCCESS!”
-- DR. AMY SMITH UM ALUM, OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY SPECIALIST
the logistics, timeline and formula of medical school applications. The class also invites diverse practitioners in health care to share details about their work and have candid conversations regarding the investment in time, patient care and challenges of the field.
The impressive statistics reflected in this year’s class include:
• UM students were accepted into a host of the nation’s top medical schools. Among them: Duke University, Cornell University, the University of Washington, Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Arizona, the University of Colorado School of Medicine and many more.
• Two UM students were accepted into at least five medical schools.
• Two students who were accepted into medical school are tribally affiliated students who trained in Montana: Dillon Demontiney of the Rocky Boy Reservation (Chippewa and Cree tribes) and Jacob Horton of the Cherokee Nation. Less than 0.5% of the current physician workforce identifies as American Indian and Alaska Native. Both students were assisted by a Health Careers Opportunity Program grant to UM’s College of Health, which centered on helping disadvantaged students get into health care schools in medicine, dentistry, osteopathics and many others.
• Iaong Vang, a UM alumna attending the University of Wisconsin Medical School, matched an ophthalmology residency – probably the single most difficult residency to achieve in medicine, Pershouse says.
“THE UM PRE-MED PROGRAM STOKED MY DESIRE TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MEDICINE, PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION AND ALLOWED ME TO DEVELOP THE REQUISITE SKILLS TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL PHYSICIAN.”
Additionally, this year – in a full-circle impact on Montana healthcare – six UM pre-med alumni, who completed residencies and fellowships or are practicing medicine, have migrated back to the Missoula area.
“This means one very important thing: They have
Rare Rhodes: UM STUDENT EARNS WORLD’S TOP SCHOLARSHIP
BY JENNY LAVEY | PHOTO BY TOMMY MARTINO
A UM student who wove connections between the Russian language, business, renewable energy, data and entrepreneurship was awarded the oldest and most renowned fellowship in the world.
Kolter Stevenson of Amsterdam, Montana, and an alumnus of Manhattan High School, is the first UM student in 30 years to receive the Rhodes Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
One of only 32 American college students who were named 2024 Rhodes Scholars, Stevenson was the only student last year from Washington, Montana, Idaho and Alaska to be selected for a two-year postbaccalaureate study at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions.
Now a proud UM alumnus, Kolter currently is studying in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
“It’s an honor to represent the State of Montana,” Stevenson says.
At UM, Stevenson found a home in UM’s World Languages and Cultures Department studying Russian, and he added three more majors in UM’s College of Business.
“Kolter embodies the talent and promise of Montana and the impact of a UM education at its best,” UM President Seth Bodnar says. “We are beyond proud to celebrate Kolter as UM’s newest Rhodes Scholar and as one of Montana’s – and our nation’s – greatest treasures. The entire state should join UM in celebrating this extraordinary achievement.”
Enrolled in four UM majors and carrying a 4.0 GPA in each one, Stevenson was celebrated in letters of recommendation from UM faculty for his humble leadership, high intellect, varied interests and insatiable curiosity related to renewable energy, globalization, languages, culture and data.
He also speaks four languages, including Russian, Norwegian, Spanish and English.
“It’s a gift and a blessing when you’re able to talk to someone in their own language,” Stevenson says. “The cultural learning is just much deeper, and when you can switch to their language, there’s tenfold the understanding.”
Stevenson says he found intellectual rigor and opportunity at UM in the majors of management information systems, finance and international business, with a certificate in big data analytics, each housed in UM’s College of Business.
Stevenson also studied Russian in UM’s College of Humanities and Sciences while enrolled at UM as a Presidential Leadership Scholar in UM’s Davidson Honors College (DHC).
Of particular interest to Stevenson is UM’s cornerstone strength in World Languages and Cultures, where he found a family of sorts in UM’s Russian program. He was tutored and mentored by Ona Renner-Fahey, professor of Russian, and Clint Walker, associate professor of Russian.
“Without hyperbole, I can say that in many respects Kolter is the most impressive student I have ever had in over 25 years of teaching,” says Renner-Fahey. “He is intelligent and driven, but, more than that, he is also an unusually kind and humble person who possesses a seemingly endless amount of energy and genuine desire to make the world a better place.”
Stevenson found Russian by way of Norwegian, when he independently sought to dive deeper into his family’s roots by studying in Bergen, Norway, for his junior year of high school. He was the first student from Manhattan High School to ever participate in a foreign exchange. It was there he encountered a particularly gifted Russian language instructor.
“I remember my brain really hurt that fall, when I was reading and learning Russian but all through Norwegian,” he says. “But once I got it, it was like a math equation that finally fell into place.”
In 2022, Stevenson was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship with the U.S. Department of State to spend a summer in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to enhance his Russian and to research energy production across Central Asia.
It was in Kyrgyzstan that Stevenson discovered an interest in renewable energy and sustainable technologies for Central Asian economies. He plans to continue studying the intersection of diplomacy, cultural sovereignty and energy in Russian-speaking regions while at Oxford.
The only student in his Manhattan High School class to enroll in UM, Stevensen was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. He says he felt a natural connection with the DHC faculty and staff.
“He has a rare combination of academic, interpersonal and technical skills that will enable him to reach his goals,” says Tim Nichols, dean of the DHC. “An investment in Mr. Stevenson is an investment in a driven, innovative, culturally competent, selfless leader who will help the U.S. collaborate with other nations.”
He taught alpine ski lessons as a Professional Ski Instructor of America at the Yellowstone Club, in addition to volunteering as a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the East Missoula Rural Fire District and Frenchtown Rural Fire District.
“I am only sitting here as a Rhodes because of the incredible faculty, mentors and community families that I have,” Stevenson says. “I’m convinced there is not another university in the country where I could have had these opportunities and this level of support.”
Each year, thousands of Rhodes Scholarship applications are submitted by colleges and universities across the world. Applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, the ability to lead and care for vulnerable members of society are selected as finalists. They participate in a two-day interview process that determines the winners.
UM has produced 29 Rhodes scholars in its history. The last Rhodes scholars at UM were Charlotte Morrison in 1993 and Scott Bear Don’t Walk in 1992.
“I’M CONVINCED THERE IS NOT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY WHERE I COULD HAVE HAD THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND THIS LEVEL OF SUPPORT.”
Catching Fire: UM FORESTRY STUDENT AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP
BY ABIGAIL LAUTEN-SCRIVNER | PHOTO BY RYAN BRENNECKE
“It’s probably the most competitive award for undergraduates who want to pursue public service,” says Kylla Benes, director of the UM Office of External Scholarships and Fellowships.
Stansberry’s application focused on the topic at the nexus of her education, professional work and heart: wildland fire.
In addition to studying fire science and management at UM, Stansberry works summers as a wildland firefighter in Yosemite National Park, where she spent many of the formative childhood years that shaped her excitement for forestry. In fact, the first time Stansberry lived outside a national park was the day she moved to UM’s campus.
“I use the term ’park brat,’” Stansberry quips of growing up in national parks due to her father’s work. “I knew I always wanted to work for the Park Service.”
Stansberry’s focused passion, leadership and community-mindedness helped her shine as a candidate, Benes said, but it was a unique combination of firsthand knowledge as a wildland firefighter and high-level policy insight in her field that really gave her an extra edge.
“IT’S DEFINITELY CHANGING THE COURSE OF WHAT I’M GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE.”
“I think that’s Jaiden’s strong suit,” Benes says. “As a scholar, she can talk fire science and policy. But with her experience, she also can implement on-the-ground firefighting and preventative burning.”
Stansberry used insights from her policy proposal to make a public comment on Glacier National Park’s Fire Management Plan, which is being updated.
Applying her education to the real world is a theme of Stansberry’s time at UM and part of the very reason she’s proud to be a Griz.
“The College of Forestry is ripe with opportunities,” she says. “If you tell a professor that you’re interested in something, they will likely be able to accommodate it.”
Stansberry consistently stepped up to seize leadership opportunities as an undergraduate, including writing a burn plan that was implemented in the Clearwater Junction region. She also helped revive UM’s Foresters’ Ball in 2023 after a pandemic-caused hiatus, making her a natural fit as chief push her senior year. Stansberry is proud to mentor younger students to keep the tradition alive after she graduates.
Becoming a Truman Scholar opens new doors into Stansberry’s future. She spent the summer of 2023 working as a wildland firefighter in Glacier National Park. This past summer she embarked on her Truman Scholarship internship in Washington, D.C. and she plans to pursue graduate school to further refine her wildland fire policy expertise.
“It’s definitely changing the course of what I’m going to do with my life,” Stansberry says.
NATIVE UM STUDENT WORKS TO CREATE MISSING PERSONS DATABASE
BY MARK ROTH | PHOTO BY RYAN BRENNECKE
Haley Omeasoo was already studying forensic science at the University of Montana when she saw the poster that redefined her life.
The 2017 poster announced that her former high school classmate, Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, had gone missing on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana. Just 20 at the time, HeavyRunner has never been found in the seven years since.
HeavyRunner’s plight, and the cases of other missing and murdered indigenous persons (MMIP), gave Omeasoo a new mission: to use her skills to help families searching for lost loved ones, and use DNA analysis to return the remains of Native Americans to their families and tribal groups.
Omeasoo, a registered member of the Hopi Nation, is also a Blackfeet descendant who grew up on the Blackfeet reservation. She is now a Ph.D. student in forensic and molecular anthropology at UM, working to create the first DNA database of Blackfeet Nation members. She also hopes that one day, she can set up a forensic science lab on the reservation – the first of its kind in Montana.
If unidentifiable remains were found, DNA in the database could determine whether the person had been a member of the tribe and could be used to link the remains to family members with similar DNA markers.
To work toward that goal, Omeasoo and her husband, Blackfeet tribal member Vince Omeasoo, set up a company known as Ohkomi Forensics, based on the Blackfeet word for “to use one’s voice.”
“We stand as unwavering advocates for those who have gone missing or have been tragically taken from their families,” the company’s website says. “We work tirelessly to raise awareness, demand justice and support affected communities in their journey towards healing.”
The aching search for answers by families of missing relatives resonates strongly with Omeasoo, 28, who is the mother of two children, Sage, 9, and Soren, 3.
But she also sees the tragedy in broader terms.
“As Indigenous people, we are all impacted by this issue in one way or another,” Omeasoo says. “Because this issue doesn’t get as much media attention as it should, and our people do not have the resources and support to combat this issue, it’s time we started to find ways to provide those resources to our home communities.”
MISSING PERSONS IN MONTANA
Montana is at the center of a grim trend. According to the Montana governor’s office, Native people make up about 7% of the state’s population but account for a quarter of missing persons cases.
“It’s not a new issue,” Omeasoo says. “It’s been going on for a long time – too long – and I think the media is just now kind of catching wind of it.”
Omeasoo’s mentor, UM Associate Professor of Anthropology Meradeth Snow, finds inspiration in Omeasoo’s dedication and hard work.
“I have such high hopes for Haley,” says Snow, who cochairs UM’s anthropology department. “I know she is going to be a mouthpiece for communities that need and deserve that, and I hope her work not only will bring more attention to this epidemic, but that she is able to build a bridge between the forensic world and the tribes.”
There are many factors that feed into the high rate of MMIP in Montana and elsewhere in the nation.
Poverty, domestic abuse and other social problems are prevalent on many reservations. Sarah Deer, a University of Kansas researcher, says Native women also are more likely to be trafficked in the sex industry. There also is a lack of law enforcement resources on many reservations.
The Blackfeet reservation has a tribal police force of about 18 officers to cover a territory larger than the state of Delaware, according to the Missoulian.
Haley Omeasoo, a Ph.D. student in forensic and molecular anthropology at UM, works to create the first DNA database of Blackfeet Nation members.
Depending on vacations and other scheduling factors, there can sometimes be just two officers to cover the entire 1.5-million-acre reservation.
Tribal police also lack full investigative powers in the most serious missing persons cases.
Only federal authorities can investigate and prosecute major felonies on most Native American reservations, including murder and manslaughter. In addition, tribal police only have a limited ability to investigate nonNatives for certain crimes, and on some reservations, non-Natives now outnumber Natives.
Ivan MacDonald, a documentary filmmaker and member of the Blackfeet Tribe, says both the tribal police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which handles initial federal investigations on missing persons cases, are understaffed. In some instances, he says, by the time federal investigators get involved, the trail has gone cold and evidence is scant or missing.
NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUAL VIEWS
Using DNA analysis on Native American remains faces special challenges.
Many tribes oppose DNA analysis because traditional forensic techniques require taking bone samples that are then destroyed in the analysis. Even if the sample is small, many tribal groups consider that a desecration of the remains.
Dan Lewerenz, an assistant law professor at the University of North Dakota and a member of the Iowa Nation, says Natives are not anti-science, but they do have a different understanding of human remains than many non-Natives. In Native religious traditions, even natural phenomena like rivers and mountains may have a spirit.
“For many Indigenous people, the dead are not dead,” Lewerenz says. “They are still with us in spirit in a way that is much more tangible than Western understandings.”
For that reason, Omeasoo is using a new technique that can extract DNA from remains without damaging them. Snow says the method was developed by German scientist Elena Essel. It immerses the bones in a type of food preservative and then heats the solution. The DNA then is retrieved from the solution without damaging the bones.
SPECIALIZED DNA KIT
To process her DNA samples, Omeasoo uses a special kit from Qiagen, a European genetic science company. The Verogen ForenSeq Kintelligence Kit is designed to look for DNA markers that show how closely people are related to one another.
The kit also avoids using any DNA markers linked to health status, such as genes for breast cancer or hereditary diseases.
That’s important, Omeasoo says, because of the distrust many Native American tribes have toward the misuse of DNA. In the 1990s, scientists collected blood samples from the Havasupai Tribe in Arizona for a study on Type 2 diabetes. Tribal members later discovered the samples had been used for research on schizophrenia and other subjects the tribe had not consented to, and they sued the University of Arizona, which eventually led to a return of all blood samples to the tribe.
The suspicion that Native Americans have about DNA was apparent when Omeasoo began asking tribes to let her collect DNA samples for her original plan, which was to create DNA databases for each tribe in Montana. The Blackfeet so far are the only tribe that has agreed to a DNA database.
The Qiagen kit, which looks for 10,230 familial DNA markers, “makes sense for [tribal identifications] because it removes the kinds of risks that have been seen in the past,” says Kameran Wong, Qiagen’s senior manager of marketing communications.
The Qiagen kit employs the same approach that criminal investigators have used to identify killers by linking their DNA to those of relatives, such as in the Golden State Killer case in California.
Omeasoo won’t use the technique to find criminal suspects, but to find relatives of a victim whose unidentified remains have been discovered. She also has developed other skills that could help in MMIP cases. For her master’s thesis, Omeasoo examined CT scans of facial injuries to people who had been assaulted or killed. In particular, she looked for fractures on the left side of the face, because most assailants are right-handed.
It’s a signature injury that occurs in intimate partner violence and shows up more frequently in women, Omeasoo says. Her work could help investigators determine if intimate partner violence had occurred.
THE NEXT STEPS
Omeasoo plans to earn her Ph.D. in forensic and molecular anthropology. In the meantime, she has received preliminary approval from the Blackfeet Tribe’s Institutional Review Board on her DNA database project, which eventually will allow her to begin collecting cheek swabs from tribal members.
She hopes to get at least 100 samples, which would not only identify markers for family members who are related to each other, but more broadly, could identify markers that are unique to the Blackfeet Nation.
Eventually, she would like to establish a forensic sciences lab on the Blackfeet reservation. The lab would not only do the work of identifying remains, but could help police investigate ongoing missing persons cases.
Ohkomi Forensics already received some startup funds from outside organizations and community donors
to purchase field equipment and excavating tools for forensic searches on the Blackfeet reservation.
The lab got a major boost when Omeasoo was selected this year to become a member of Montana’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force. She was chosen because the group saw the value in including her forensic expertise on the task force, and she hopes it will offer opportunities for her to do casework on missing persons cases.
She also has begun to receive requests from individual Native families to take DNA samples of their family members to assist with their searches for lost relatives.
Ivan MacDonald, who worked with his sister Ivy to complete a documentary on missing and murdered Blackfeet women, including Ashley HeavyRunner, says Omeasoo’s work could be vital for such families.
MacDonald says missing or adulterated forensic samples are a major reason why federal authorities often don’t
pursue missing persons cases on the reservation, so “if we had an opportunity for someone on our reservation to help with that gap and work within that scientific framework, it would be a really amazing opportunity.”
Brad Hall, president of Blackfeet Community College, also supports Omeasoo’s efforts to get tribal approval for her DNA database.
“When a Native student like Haley goes into academia, they have to understand our ways of knowing and then learn the academic ways of knowing,” Hall says. “She’s going about it in the way that every researcher should take note of.”
For Omeasoo herself, her work is all about making connections. She wants to connect tribal groups to the remains of their ancestors, and she wants to connect families of missing relatives to the people they are searching for so desperately.
“Where I’m from,” she says, “we’re all related somehow.”
Haley Omeasoo has the symbol for Missing and Murder Indigenous Peoples tattooed on her arm.
Fourth Gen Griz Grad FORGES PATH OF RESEARCH AT UM
BY ABIGAIL LAUTEN-SCRIVNER | PHOTO BY TANNER ECKER
As a fourth-generation Griz, human biology senior Drew Engellant’s University of Montana roots run deep. But he’ll leave his own unique legacy of research and creative scholarship upon graduating.
Before Engellant became a Griz like his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, he grew up in Kalispell with a keen appreciation for the natural splendor of Big Sky Country and a passion for exploring it.
“I think the time I enjoyed the most was whenever I could sneak away to Glacier National Park,”
that I asked him to join my lab.”
Emlen studies exaggerated animal weapons, like the horns on rhinoceros beetles. He invited Engellant to help research the mating habits of rhinoceros beetles. Engellant spent his summer coordinating the feeding, measuring and weighing of the beetles and setting up courtship sequences for 200 male and female pairs.
During rhinoceros beetle courtship, the male climbs onto the female and conducts a song and dance routine on her back. Engellant pointed a laser at the beetles and recorded their trembling while courting
“Research wasn’t really on my radar,” he says. “I was
Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism. Starting at 5 a.m. before class, Engellant helps study human performance and physiology under extreme
“BEING INVOLVED IN RESEARCH GIVES ME REAL-WORLD APPLICATION, I THINK IT’S GIVEN ME A MORE HOLISTIC EDUCATION.”
connecting thread is the vast opportunities each experience has opened him up to.
“Being involved in research gives me real-world application,” Engellant says. “I think it’s given me a more holistic education.”
Engellant also works as a certified nursing assistant at a hospital, often putting in 12-hour shifts. The job helped inform his career goals: after graduation, Engellant will complete a master’s of science in business analytics at
UM. He will then pursue a career in data analytics in the fields of health care or biology.
While he expects to eventually leave Montana to follow his ambitions, Engellant plans to return to his home state.
“I want to be valued as a contributing member of my society,” Engellant says of his career hopes. “But ultimately, my goal is working a job that also allows me to be with my family.”
Drew Engellant, human biology senior and fourth generation Griz graduated this past spring and is continuing at UM to earn a master’s of science in business analytics.
Treasuring Today. BUILDING FOR TOMORROW.
Environment and conservation hub will transform learning environments in and out of the classroom.
BY CHAD DUNDAS AND RAEQUEL ROBERTS | PHOTO BY TOMMY MARTINO
Opening day of the 2023 hunting season is sunny and crisp in Western Montana, and the trees along Highway 200 east of Missoula are just starting to change colors.
At the side of the highway in Bonner, near the banks of the Blackfoot River, a group of University of Montana wildlife biology students in fleece jackets and flannels huddle with representatives from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to inspect and catalog the day’s big game harvest.
“There will be blood,” promises FWP biologist Mike Ebinger, on hand to help show the students the ropes.
This is Wild 374, an experiential learning course offered through UM’s Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit and the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. The class meets on campus just once a semester, but students are required to work four shifts at one of several regional hunter check stations operated by FWP
and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Eventually, they’ll write a term paper about the experience.
Today, they’re getting their hands dirty.
Students hop in and out of truck beds to check tags, measure antlers and age animals by the wear and tear on their rear molars. Other students tabulate results that will yield valuable insights into Montana’s game populations.
They gather before sunrise and work late into the evening, collecting data and interviewing hunters about their time in the woods that day. Days are long and sometimes messy – but also a highlight of the semester.
“I transferred from a school in Oregon a year ago because UM offers so many classes with handson components like this,” says Lilly McPherson, a senior environmental studies and sustainability major. “It’s definitely interesting to be that up close to such big animals.”
Experiential learning courses like Wild 374 are a longstanding hallmark of UM’s world-leading wildlife biology program — and the college as a whole.
Since its inception as a forest ranger training school in the early 1900s, the college has provided a mix of classroom instruction and immersive fieldwork aimed at making graduates immediately employable as leaders in their fields.
The college has occupied its distinctive three-story building in the southeast corner of campus, adorned with terracotta tiles bearing the UM forestry club’s logo, since the early 1920s. But the modern Franke College long ago outgrew those digs.
Now, a push is on to secure the esteemed college’s first new home in more than a century.
Led by the UM Foundation and the Franke College, “Treasure Montana: Cultivating Our Tomorrow” is a fundraising campaign to inspire $20 million in private support to construct a new hub for environment and conservation on the UM campus. The campaign aims to match $25 million invested in the project by the Montana Legislature in 2021.
The planned 60,000 square foot building will provide students, faculty and the college’s partners with resources and spaces to tackle complex challenges affecting Montana and the American West today, such as increased forest fire activity, drought and water shortages, decline in trout populations and more.
“At its heart, this campaign is about the responsibility to steward our environment, connecting all of us who treasure our natural world,” says UM President Seth Bodnar.
The original Forestry Building will remain in use.
Among the new building’s innovations will be a student success center. The center will provide a centralized, one-stop-shop for students to ensure they remain in good academic standing, and stay on track to graduate. That includes making sure transfer students like McPherson acclimate to their new school, and that their previous credits transfer with them.
The state-of-the-art new gathering place will also aid the school in maintaining its important external partnerships with entities like FWP. That means it can continue to offer future biologists cutting edge fieldwork opportunities like Wild 374, which help recruit students like McPherson.
At the check station, cars back up into the streets as hunters wait their turn to either show off the day’s prizes or admit they came up empty handed.
For UM’s aspiring wildlife biologists, fieldwork isn’t only about acquiring hands-on skills. It’s also about having real-world interactions with the public and learning from professionals what jobs like those at FWP look like from day-to-day.
“I tell students never to pass up opportunities to network with professionals who have the jobs they dream of,” says Chad Bishop, director of UM’s Wildlife Biology Program.
From one moment to the next, they might be talking with hunters, property owners or outfitters about the biggest issues in land use and conservation. At the check stations, they’ll hear positive comments and
THE M TRAIL:
MANAGINGMONTANA’S MOST POPULAR HIKE
13 SWITCHBACKS UP
BY SKYLAR RISPENS | PHOTO BY TOMMY MARTINO
Sitting 600 feet above the University of Montana, the historic M Trail serves as a scenic vantage point and a rite-of-passage for students, visitors and locals alike that brave the 13 switchbacks up Mount Sentinel.
The trail and landmark itself have changed considerably since students first forged the path in 1908 to the original M made of whitewashed rocks. Now, a 125-foot-long and 100-foot-high concrete M marks the mountain, and the trail itself is slightly longer than it used to be due to extended switchbacks that decrease the path’s grade.
“It doesn’t manage itself,” says Marilyn Marler, UM’s former natural areas manager who also taught botany courses. “But overall, I’m really grateful that it’s there.”
Through Marler’s leadership over the last 25 years as well as the support of volunteers and donors, the M Trail is among the most popular hiking trails in Montana with more than 1,000 visitors a day. Some use it as a regular part of their fitness routine, or it’s their first time on a hiking trail. Others seek out the M as their perch above Washington Grizzly Stadium to take in the football team’s latest victory or snag a seat at a sold-out concert.
More than 1,500 hikers left rave reviews on the popular outdoor recreation app AllTrails, and compliment the trail’s smooth surface with plenty of
benches to enjoy the sweeping views of the valley left behind by Glacial Lake Missoula. For those wanting to venture a bit further, the M Trail connects to miles of U.S. Forest Service trails and the city of Missoula trail system.
However, with heavy trail use comes erosion concerns and other maintenance. This past spring, volunteers spent more than 180 hours over the course of a week regrading the trail and doing erosion remediation. Most upkeep is supported through volunteers and donations.
“No matter how lightly we tread, we’re all contributing to erosion on the mountain,” says Marler.
Now visitors can support the trail maintenance by purchasing high-quality T-shirts from
Wear Your Roots, an official collegiate licenser, that read “I Hiked the M.” The T-shirts can be purchased online or by scanning a QR code along the trail.
Marler’s work goes beyond the trail itself and into the habitat surrounding it. In fact, restoring the prairie habitat and combatting invasive Spotted Knapweed along the M Trail is one of Marler’s greatest achievements, she says.
“I really feel like we’ve had a big success in converting it from being mostly weeds to mostly native prairies,” Marler says. “That’s good for the songbirds and the foxes and the deer and everything up there. That’s what makes me happy, always seeing more and more flowers.”
Cam Gabrylczyk:
Emily and Jordan Teunissen:
Prior to their wedding at Blue Mountain, Emily and Jordan Teunissen of Wisconsin decided to hike the M Trail and explore Missoula. “The views are gorgeous. We were just talking about the fact that the town is in the valley surrounded by all of these trees,” says Jordan. “It’s a bit of a bear of a hike.”
“I’m a big runner and I saw the M up there and I wanted to go touch it,” says Cam Gabrylczyk, who visited from South Dakota to work as a summer camp counselor in Missoula. “I just saw it and then I looked on AllTrails and found the path and decided to go up.”
John and River Rapp, and Nico Seguel:
John Rapp, accompanied by his son River and nephew Nico Seguel, brought in the rear of his family’s three-generation hiking group to the M. Originally from Santa Barbra, John’s family visits Missoula multiple times a year and has made the climb to the M a tradition. “We come up here every summer,” says John. “We love the M Trail.”
Kacia and Londyn Ansah, Lou Garman:
Griz alumni Kacia Ansah and Lou Garman decided to hike the M Trail together after dropping their children off at the Griz basketball camp. They both hiked the trail as UM students, but a lot has changed since then with trail maintenance to lessen the grade and new benches to catch your breath on, Garman says. “I just like to get out,” adds Ansah. “It’s obviously a beautiful view.”
Sthiradasa:
“I have this whole kind of relationship with the mountain,” says Sthiradasa, who has been a daily user of the trail since he started running about 15 years ago. “The mountain always wins. If you want to be alone in a city of 80,000 people just go to the 1,000-foot mark on the mountain. There’s nobody out there.”
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Austin Mullins
BY KELLY MULCAIRE | PHOTO BY CECE DAWSON
Austin Mullins grew up in a ranching family, but music was always at the heart of his childhood. From a mom who played piano to a dad who introduced him to some of country music’s greatest songwriters to a grandmother who brought him to musicals at the Bigfork Playhouse each summer, Mullins experienced the full spectrum of musical diversity.
“All of those things combined and created this world where I loved all kinds of music,” Mullins says.
The University of Montana recruited him to play football, but he knew his passion for music would be a part of his education.
“It made it a much easier choice going to UM,” he explains. “I knew I wanted to get a business degree, but I wanted to supplement that with a music minor or just as much music as possible. And the music school is right across the street from the business school.”
Mullins studied business and earned a minor in music with bass as his principal instrument. He looked for a way to put all the pieces together for a potential career. That’s when he discovered UM’s Entertainment Management program. The student group allowed him to try out the business side of the music industry with hands-on experience.
“I worked at merch booths, I was a runner for bands, I got to do load-in and load-out, I did lighting,” Mullins says. “The more I learned, the more I realized that’s where my skills and my passions lie.”
Mullins stayed involved with the UMEM program and used his fifth year of football eligibility to earn a master’s in business administration. Once he graduated, it was time to dive into a career in the music industry.
“I had to just take a leap and decide where I needed to move,” Mullins says.
Being a Montanan, he hoped to find a spot where he could maintain some of his love for outdoor recreation. Mullins decided on Nashville, Tennessee and made the move to Music City.
“I came here, and I just had to knock on doors and rely on professors and alumni of UM to introduce me to people,” he says of his first few months in Nashville.
Mullins eventually landed a job at WME, one of the major talent and media companies in the entertainment industry. Over the years, he helped clients realize their dreams of making it big in the music industry.
“There’s a lot of pride when you break through those glass ceilings with them and they go to the next stage,” he says.
One of those clients, Lainey Wilson, is a breakout star in country music, taking home the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year in 2023. This year, she’ll bring her talents to the Adams Center in Missoula with supporting acts by Jackson Dean and Zach Top.
“YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR IT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF MONTANA ALUMNI IN THE PROFESSION WHO WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED.”
For Mullins, having artists that he represents perform in his home state is a rewarding moment.
“It’s going to be really fun to be able to come back and have two of my artists on the same bill for a show that basically sold out almost a year in advance,” he says.
Mullins hopes to give students the same chance he had during his time at UM: hands-on experience with a professional tour. He knows the music industry isn’t an easy career path, but determination and hard work go a long way.
“If this is something you want, you can have it,” says Mullins. “You have to work for it, but there are a lot of Montana alumni in the profession who want to see you succeed.”
Tyler Childers rocks Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, part of a three-concert run before the Montana Grizzlies football home opener.
GRIZ PETS PROGRAM
FOUR LEGGED FANS
The UM Alumni Association and the Humane Society of Western Montana have proudly partnered to champion Griz Pets, a beloved program that unites adoptable pets with caring alumni and friends. This ongoing collaboration has made a lasting impact, helping countless animals find their forever homes within the Griz community.
Consider adopting a Griz Pet today!
BUSTER
BRUNO
ZUL
BINX
CASEY
PET PRIDE
Show off your pet’s Griz spirit and let them be the next star in the Montanan! To have your pet featured, please send photos (pet portraits only please, no humans) to alumni@umontana.edu. Include your pet’s name, your name and hometown, along with a sentence or two about your pet. Or, share online: @grizalum #grizpets
Ten-year-old Leo loves showing off his game day gear...in exchange for a treat or two (or three!) of course. He and his pawrents, LeAnn and Tyler Layton, live in Missoula.
Chewy is a four-year-old Golden Retriever that loves his tennis ball and visits to the UM campus. He lives with Tommy Martino (B.A. ’14) and Marley Martino (A.A. ’16) in Missoula.
Molly loves Griz bandanas! She proudly wears them year-round but especially during football season. She lives in Seattle with Jeff Northcutt (B.S. ’00), Stefany Northcutt and her three loving, hooman sisters.
Simon has been cheering on the University of Montana Grizzlies for 16 years now. His biggest fans are his proud owners Shauna Layton and Tony Layton (M.A. ’19).
Grizzly Grace DANCE TEAM MAKES HISTORY IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
BY ABIGAIL LAUTEN-SCRIVNER | PHOTO BY CORAL SCOLES-COBURN
This past spring, the University of Montana Dance Team took on a new and historic challenge: dancing on behalf of the University and the entire state at a national championship competition.
“This is the first time in program history, in school history and in the history of the entire state of Montana that a college team is going to represent our state at the national level,” UM Dance Team Coach Alli Baumgardner says before the competition. “This is such a huge step for our program. Our momentum with the team is just exploding.”
The team traveled to Orlando, Florida, for the College Classic National Championship, placing third in
the Spirit Showdown and fifth in Division I Jazz. The competition put a national spotlight on the team, gaining more recognition, respect and support for their somewhat hidden talent.
Going to nationals required additional rehearsal hours on top of the dancers’ regular practice and performance duties, as well as their responsibilities as students. The dancers already practice four to five days each week for two to four hours depending on the time of year, and dedicate more time in the weight room. They also perform at all home football, basketball and volleyball game days. In November, each sport overlaps, meaning the team can perform at as many as six different games in a week.
“We’re dedicated athletes,” says team captain Andrea Newbrough. “We put a lot of time and effort into our craft, just like any other sport does.”
Newbrough and her teammates note how their smiles, cheers and laughter can create the illusion that what they do is easy, but it’s the behind-the-scenes work that allows the dancers to entertain with seemingly such ease.
Nationals added a new practice day to their already busy calendars to meticulously rehearse for the jazz routine – a physically demanding dance that requires each teammate to operate synchronously. They danced for 30 hours over a single weekend while learning choreography from Seattle Seahawks dancers, who were blown away by the UM team’s talent.
“The choreographers were like, ’These are the dancers hiding in Montana?’” Baumgardner says. “We are now to the point where we have the skills that big teams are competing with.”
The competition’s spirit category, which showcases the team’s fight song and media timeout routine, is familiar ground. Hyping-up Griz Nation on game day is the Dance Team’s top focus and area of excellence. Dancers cite the rush of performing in front of 26,000plus fans at Griz football games as an experience unequal in measure that helped prepare them for the pressure of nationals.
“I’ll be recognized by people I don’t know at the grocery store,” says co-captain Addie Wood. “I take a lot of pride in who the people in the community know me as.”
Until this year though, dancing at UM meant trading the thrill of competition for the excitement of game day.
“Now you can have both,” Newbrough says. “You get quite possibly one of the best game day experiences dancing here, but you also get to compete.”
Competing is a major selling point to prospective dancers considering UM, like sophomore dancer Kendall Hanson.
“This is literally what I dreamed of in college,” Hanson says. “The teamwork, the effort, the determination by everyone.”
Hanson says it was an honor to be part of the first team to represent Montana at nationals and looks forward to carrying that torch forward at UM.
For seniors Newbrough and Wood, this year’s nationals represented their only chance to compete nationally with a team of girls who are also their best friends and fiercest advocates.
Wood is proud to leave a legacy by helping the dance team take a massive leap and is excited to see how it will continue to grow.
“Every single year I’ve been on this team, the freshmen are better and better,” Wood says. “We are moving up in the eyes of the competition world and the dance team world, as well as in the eyes of our community.”
LETTER TO GRIZ NATION
Welcome to fall in Missoula! There truly is no better place than western Montana in the fall. Another school year has begun and Grizzly athletics is ready to go. I feel fortunate to call myself a Griz and sincerely appreciate your continued support of Grizzly athletics. The 202324 academic year was filled with big wins, multiple conference championships and amazing individual performances. It was truly a year to remember. Now, let’s do it again!
A few quick updates on athletic facility upgrades. The Grizzly Indoor Practice facility is complete. This new 110,000 square foot facility benefits every Grizzly athletic program, the students at UM and the community of Missoula. There were various delays as we worked to get everything right, and we are grateful to Dick Anderson Construction for their focus on building a high quality facility that changes the day-to-day life of so many.
Construction started on the relocation of the Steve Hackney Equipment Center in June, making way for the remodel of the Lady Griz locker room. We work every day to reach our fundraising goals for this much needed upgrade for our women’s basketball program. We hope to begin construction at the end of the basketball season.
Many have noticed the new parking lot replacing the outdoor tennis courts to the north of the University Center. While we are sorry to see the courts go, the useful life of the surfaces has come to an end, and additional parking is needed on this campus. The long term plan is to build new courts on south campus near the softball field, with the intent of putting a roof over those courts for yearround use. No current timeline is set, but we are focused on getting the project started.
The Lady Griz beat the Idaho Vandals 73-61 during the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament in Boise, Idaho on March 11, 2024.
Trevin Gradney #27 of the Montana Grizzlies celebrates after beating the North Dakota State Bison in double overtime at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on December 16, 2023.
Shifting topics to the current state of college athletics. I believe strongly in the role college athletics plays in the mission of a university. I feel we get it right in this country by combining high-end athletics with high-end academics. In no other classroom can the attributes of leadership, teamwork and dedication be taught than in our athletic endeavors. On one day, student-athletes learn how to handle great victories. On another day they may learn how to deal with a deflating loss. Those experiences and how they respond will shape them forever.
We can never lose sight of the core mission of college athletics; developing young people through participation in sports, and the opportunity to earn a college degree. A degree that changes not only the student’s life, but the lives of future generations as well.
Opportunities for student-athletes to benefit financially from the use of their name, image and likeness are long overdue. I welcome those changes that open doors for financial gain for a student-athlete beyond the value of a scholarship. I also believe that while the transfer portal has brought much disruption to the lives of our coaches and the stability of rosters we as fans were accustomed to seeing, student-athletes deserve the chance to make a change in where they attend school and not be punished for making that decision.
The University of Montana is committed to being competitive at the NCAA Division I level. That will require changes in how we think about college athletics, while staying focused on our mission. We must plan for providing financial opportunities for the student-athletes through our Good Ol’ Grizzlies collective, along with business promotional campaigns. We ask a lot of Griz Nation – financially and emotionally – I come with another ask: Please consider supporting our collective that directly benefits our Grizzly student-athletes. For more information visit goodolgrizzlies.com.
And, if you own a business, consider using a Grizzly student-athlete to help promote and drive customers to your business.
I am proud to be a Grizzly. I am blessed to spend a great deal of time around these outstanding young men and women who represent this institution and themselves with dignity and class. Thank you for showing your Griz pride. It does not go unnoticed!
GO GRIZ!
Kent Haslam Director of Athletics
Delaney Lou Schorr #13 and Maysa Walters #2 celebrate after a goal in the second half of a game against The Ohio State Buckeyes on August 27, 2023. The game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Montana beat Idaho State 72-58 in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Boise, Idaho on March 12, 2024.
Head coach Aliison Lawrence of the Montana Grizzlies gets sprayed with water in the locker room after beating the Montana State Bobcats at Dahlberg Arena on September 29, 2023.
A Fall Affair
HOMECOMING 2024
University of Montana
Homecoming truly is a special time of year – a time when alumni, students, staff, faculty and community members all come together to celebrate their UM pride by participating in the Hello Walk, Homecoming Griz on Tap, Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony, Yell Night Pep Rally, Alumni Tailgate and much more!
Distinguished ALUMNI
Each Homecoming, the UM Alumni Association honors outstanding alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards. University alumni and friends are invited to nominate, on an individual basis, a graduate or former student for this award. Recipients are individuals who have distinguished themselves in a particular field and who have brought honor to the University, the state or the nation. The UM Alumni Association Board of Directors Recognition Committee focuses on career achievement, professional honors, professional membership/directorship, community service and UM or UMAA recognition or service in selecting recipients.
DR. STEVEN D. CAPENER
B.S., Health & Physical Education, 1989
DAVID ENGER
B.A., Business, 1967 MBA, 1972
ROBERT MCKINNON ( POSTHUMOUS)
B.A., Education, 1962
DR. FAT LAM
Ph.D., Mathematics, 1987
STEVE MCNEECE
B.A., Secondary Education, 1980
M.A., Counseling, 1988
GRIZZLY OF THE LAST Decade
LEE ADLER
Missoula
B.A., Political Science, 2021
SKYE MCGINTY
Missoula
B.A., Sociology, 2015
M.A., Sociology, 2017 MBA, 2018
SHELBY MOORE
Prosser, WA
B.A., Political Science, 2016 MPA, 2019
NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS
DR. MAEGAN RIDES AT THE DOOR
Missoula
B.A., Psychology, 2008
M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling, 2012
Ph.D., Counselor Education and Supervision, 2019
Bridget Barker ’95, ’99 and Robert Orser ’98, Flagstaff, AZ
Christina Barnett ’21, Gilbert, AZ
Rachel Bingham ’23, Missoula
Deborah Derrick Gass ’84 ’85 and Tod Gass ’88, Missoula
Kit Edington ’17 and Robyn Edington ’17, Missoula
Rosemary Hubbard, Missoula
Toby Hubbard ’93, Missoula
Nancy Lightner ’21, Helena
Blake Lineweaver ’23, Missoula
Carissa Lonzisero ’20, ’21, Sagle, ID
Don ’82 and Donna McCammon, Missoua
Angus ’10 and Jaime McGillis ’19, Missoula
Mark Molamphy, Brownwood, TX
Brian “Kal” Munis ’13, ’15, Auburn, AL
John Murphy ’68, East Troy, WI
John Ortstadt ’08, Hoover, AL
Raequel Roberts, Missoula
Sarah Snyder ’88, ’94, Herndon, VA
Tyler Wiedmer ’22, ’23, Sidney
Erica Zins ’97, ’02, ’20, Missoula
25 UNDER 25
UM alums are leading the way in tackling some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, leaving an indelible mark and making a significant impact on a local and global scale. Impressively, they are doing so immediately upon graduation, and we are beyond proud to recognize them in our new 25 Under 25 program.
Scan the QR code or visit bit.ly/um-under25 to read their bios.
SOLOMON ALBERTSON-GORE, ’23
LEWISTOWN
MELISSA GLUECKERT, ’20, ’23 MISSOULA
PAUL JOHNSTONE, ’22, ’24 FORSYTH
ZOE NELSON, ’20 ALEXANDRIA, VA.
MITCH ROBERTS, ’21, ’22 MISSOULA
ADELE DERENDINGER, ’21, ’24 KALISPELL
HUNTER GRIMES, ’23 COLUMBIA FALLS
MARIA KATINAS, ’23 MISSOULA
STEPHANIE NOVAK, ’20 MISSOULA
CHRISTINA SALZMANN, ’21 RINGGENBERG, BE, SWITZERLAND
ELIZABETH DROGAN, ’21 HOPKINSVILLE, KY.
JACKSON GROFF, ’22 PHOENIX, ARIZ.
DESHAUN KEEBLE, ’23 MISSOULA
CLAIRE PETERSON, ’21 LA MESA, CALIF.
HOLLY SUDOL, ’23 EDMONDS, WASH.
BEATRIX FRISSELL, ’23 POLSON
HALL, ’22
BETTA LYON-DELSORDO, ’22 MISSOULA
MADISON REICHELT, ’21 BIG SANDY
JACOB TREECE, ’23 MISSOULA
MIYA FORDAH, ’22 MISSOULA
’22, ’24
EMILEE MAPLETHORPE, ’23
CAMRYN RHODES, ’21 MISSOULA
DYLAN YONCE, ’23 MISSOULA
JOSHUA
MISSOULA
CADE JOHNSTONE,
FORSYTH
MISSOULA
Greetings, Grizzlies!
As the crisp fall air sweeps across our beautiful campus, I’m reminded of the pride and resilience that define our alumni community. Wherever life has taken you since your days at UM, your achievements and experiences make our community stronger and more connected.
This season, I invite you to share your milestones and accomplishments with us by submitting a class note. From career achievements to personal triumphs, submitting a class note gives us the opportunity to recognize the successes and moments that define your journey. Your experiences help shape the legacy of UM. Class notes are shared online at grizalum.org, with many featured in the fall edition of the Montanan.
From Griz wins to your personal victories, this year promises to be one of growth and excitement. We can’t wait to see how you’ll stay involved and engaged with your alma mater as we move forward together.
Go Griz!
LeAnn Layton Director of Alumni
Scan the QR Code to SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE!
The University of Montana proudly invites you to join us in honoring and thanking our alumni and UM-affiliated veterans — those who have served in the past and serve our country today — and their families.
1960s
Gary Woodgerd | 1963 Missoula
After graduation, through the UM Placement Center, Gary was hired by Boeing Seattle as a buyer and went on to work in several companies. He has held many positions throughout his 45 years in purchasing and sales management, specifically regarding aerospace, space and defense products.
1970s
Rusty Wells l 1971 Whitefish
At the Northern Division meeting for National Ski Patrol, Rusty was inducted into the National Ski Patrol Hall of Fame. As a 38-year member of Flathead Nordic Patrol he was involved in many backcountry rescues over those years and also served as Mountain Travel and Rescue Advisor for the Northern Division and spent 6 years as their Western Region Director.
Philip Navin l 1973
Woodland, Wash.
Philip spent 30 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Colonel, and 12 years at the Centers for Disease Control as Director of the Division of Emergency Operations He took a dream retirement trip to London and a British Isles cruise.
John Kafentzis l 1975
Spokane, Wash.
John retired at the end of 2023 after teaching Journalism and advising the student newspaper for 16 years at Gonzaga University. In May he retired from The Spokesman-Review where he had worked full and part-time for 47 years in a variety of positions, from police reporter to news editor to design editor.
Catherine Sassen l 1978
Denton, Texas
Catherine retired after a 45-year career in academic libraries. She finished her career as Principal Catalog Librarian at the University of North Texas where she was selected as the Outstanding Library Faculty Award recipient for 2024.
1980s
Barbara Collura l 1985
Herndon, Va.
Barbara was invited to the State of the Union address on March 7, 2024, as the guest of Congressman Gerry Connolly in recognition of her work helping people with infertility. She is the President/CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. She is active in advancing reproductive rights and family building at the federal and state levels.
John Johnson l 1982
La Center, Wash.
John was inducted into the La Center Athletic Hall of Fame. During his time as the head volleyball coach the Wildcats won the school’s first-ever state title. He also led the softball team to multiple state appearances, coached basketball and was the Athletic Director for 10 years. John and his wife Colleen have now both retired from careers in education after serving for 40 years.
1990s
Harold Jessup I 1990
Anchorage, Alaska
Harold recently retired after working with Teck Alaska, Red Dog Mine, for 27 years and 7 months.
Stacy Conrow-Ververis and Laurel Chambers I 1995
Superior
University of Montana alums and lifelong best friends Stacy Conrow-Ververis and Laurel Chambers are working together to keep healthcare local in their hometown of Superior. Conrow-Ververis and Chambers are the CFO and CEO, respectively, of Mineral Community Hospital. The hospital is the main provider of health care in Mineral County and offers a 24-hour emergency room for rural residents. With close to 90 employees, it’s now the county’s largest employer. Besides providing jobs for specialists and trained nurses and doctors, the hospital has opportunities for entry-level employment and training for students. Both feel that the work they do for the hospital is a way to give back to the place they grew up. And the support they get from the Mineral County community makes it all worthwhile.
Gillian Glaes l 1997 Missoula
Dr. Gillian Glaes became Director of UM’s Franke Global Leadership Initiative (GLI), a 12-credit certificate that promotes global awareness, empathetic leadership, and interdisciplinary and experiential learning. As a global scholar, Gillian is so excited to take the reins of a program that she has taught for since 2017.
Sam Schmidt l 1998, 1999 Missoula
Samantha Schmidt (Schoeneman) recently received the 2023 Community Impact Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. She completed her comprehensive Pilates certification and now co-owns a thriving small business in Missoula, Alpine Physical Therapy. Their goal is to provide hope and change lives through movement.
Bridget Barker l 1999 Flagstaff, Ariz.
Dr. Barker was promoted to full professor in Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. In 2013, she joined the faculty at TGEN-North, and in 2016 she became tenure track faculty at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute in the Department of Biological Sciences.
James Diefenderfer l 1999
Eden, Utah
James was recruited to GMRE in 2019 to be the Vice President responsible for establishing GMRE’s first Program Management Organization. In his role on the Board of Directors, James will bring his insights and experiences to help lead the future of GMRE.
2000s
Annemarie Vicere l 2001
Dallas
Annemarie has joined Lathrop GPM as part of its Intellectual Property practice group in Dallas. The addition of the IP team is a step forward in building Lathrop GPM’s Dallas office to be a national hub with attorneys from all practices who collaborate to serve the legal needs of clients across the U.S. and internationally.
Tyler Kimball I 2002
Kansas City, Mo.
Tyler Kimball is the owner of Monarch Glass Studio where he and his team create custom stained glass for commercial, residential and public projects using a unique method. He is the only artist in the world who creates stained glass on a large scale from furnace glass. Whereas most stained glass artists use glass that is made in factories, Kimball creates the elements that go into the finished product. The studio stays busy, with recent projects including stained glass for a church in St. Louis, a bar in Manhattan and a newly renovated federal building in Washington, D.C. Kimball also completed the project “Making Connections” for the Lawrence Transit Facility in Kansas. The installation features lines running through circles, evoking the feeling of travel and creating connections along the way. Kimball praises the power of art to transform everyday places into something special.
Arthur Dick “Dickie” Bishop l 2003
Pecos, N.M.
Arthur Dick “Dickie” Bishop oversees communications for the director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and members of the lab’s executive leadership team. Los Alamos is one of the world’s largest and most advanced scientific institutions. Bishop and his wife Mary Moon, live with their kids and dogs in the Pecos Wilderness outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The couple recently participated as extras in the film “Oppenheimer,” which chronicles the life and times of Los Alamos’ first director J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Kendra Mylnechuk Potter I 2003
Missoula
The Montana Repertory Theatre staged a production of Mylnechuck Potter’s play
“Can’t Drink Salt Water.” She was awarded a commission from the Montana Rep to write the play, which centers around themes of the missing and murdered indigenous people crisis, human trafficking and white saviorism.
Tyler Blackwell I 2007
Olympia, Wash.
In 2019, Blackwell, a medical physicist, joined Radformation, a company that provides automation software to improve the cancer treatment process. In his current role, he assists with the company’s messaging and works directly with clinics to foster clinical research to show the value of automation and artificial intelligence in radiation therapy. Blackwell recently was selected as a Fellow by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The honor recognizes those who have made significant contributions to medical physics through service, research, education and leadership. He was honored this summer at a ceremony in Los Angeles. Blackwell resides in Olympia, Washington, with his wife and fellow UM alum Hallie and their three children.
Bethann Garramon Merkle l 2007
Laramie, Wyo.
Bethann was recently elected an Early Career Fellow of the Ecological Society of America. No more than 10 people receive this award per year. She was elected in recognition of her pioneering, transdisciplinary work and scholarship in science communication and institutional-level social change.
Wesley Smith l 2007
Sacramento, Calif.
Wesley has been promoted to senior toxicologist He is serving as chief of the Fish, Ecotoxicology, and Water section at the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment for the California EPA. As part of this role, Wes oversees fish consumption advisory development, harmful algal boom response, and seas food assessment following oil spills. Wes lives in Sacramento with his family and enjoys riding his bike and fishing in the various water bodies in California.
2010s
Carolyn Mattingly I 2012 Great Falls
Upon completing active duty with the Montana National Guard, Mattingly accepted a civilian position at Malmstrom Air Force Base, near Great Falls. The opportunity allows her to stay involved with the National Guard while utilizing her past experience and getting to work across various aspects of the law, from property and environmental law to fiscal law. Mattingly is looking forward to thriving in her newest adventure and encourages anyone looking for an engaging and impactful law career to consider following her path.
Chase Ellinger l 2015
Washington, D.C.
Chase Ellinger was sworn in as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer last September and began his first assignment as a U.S. diplomat in Dakar, Senegal, this summer. Chase’s goal of joining the U.S. Foreign Service was born out of discussions with Davidson Honors College faculty during his undergraduate studies at UM.
Katt Greaser (McClaine) l 2017
Seattle
Katt was recently recognized with the Melissa Hines Backstage Award at Seattle’s Gregory Awards for theatre. This award is given to an individual who has worked tirelessly “behind the scenes” in support of the regional theatre community. Katt was recognized for her work creating COVID protocols that allowed her theatre to reopen and continue to make live theatre.
Cody McNearney l 2019
Stockton, Calif.
Cody McNearney joined Foran Glennon’s Sacramento office as an associate. Cody concentrates his practice in civil litigation, with a primary focus on professional negligence. Prior to joining the firm, Cody was an associate at a renowned California defense law firm. In 2022, Cody was honored with the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Capital Commendation for Public Service Award.
2020s
Daisy S. Borders l 2022
Oklahoma City
Daisy S. Borders joined Phillips Murrah as a civil and family law attorney. Her family law practice includes litigation of relationships with domestic violence and abuse, high-conflict custody dynamics, and complex property valuation. Before her current employment, Daisy lived and practiced law in Alaska. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs.
Marcus Welnel I 2023
Missoula
Welnel is staying connected to the UM community in his new role as general manager of UM’s name, image and likeness (NIL) collective, Good Ol’ Grizzlies. He found his way to the job after completing a capstone project focused on NIL and taking a consultant position for a national NIL company. Welnel acts as the face of the collective in Missoula, brokering deals and offering resources for local businesses and student-athletes. His distinguished resume led to his recognition as one of UMAA’s inaugural 25 under 25 recipients last year. The honor emphasized his connection to the UM community and reaffirmed his goals for his early career.
IN MEMORIAM
We extend sympathy to the families of the following alumni and those within our UM community.
