Griz Greetings!
Welcome to TGIF News. This e-mail newsletter is provided weekly, except during the summer and scheduled academic breaks, to subscribers that include students, alumni, employees and friends of The University of Montana.
The last spring semester 2008 issue of TGIF will be coming to mailboxes on May 9.
Commencement Ceremonies May 10
About 3,600 graduates are invited to participate in UM's 111th Commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 10, at the Adams Center.
The general ceremony for professional schools and colleges will be held at 9:30 a.m. The general ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Technology will begin at 2 p.m. After each ceremony, students will disperse to various campus locations for individual awarding of diplomas. U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert Kimmitt is this year's Commencement speaker.
Commencement weekend gets under way Friday, May 9, with class reunions, campuswide open houses and special receptions for graduates and their families. The Outstanding Senior Recognition Awards Ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the University Theatre.
On Saturday, President George Dennison will host a free continental breakfast for graduates and their families from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the University Center Atrium. The annual Commencement brunch, a no-host buffet, will begin at 11 a.m. in the University Center Copper Commons. Reservations for the brunch can be made by calling UC Catering at 406-243-4899.
All degree candidates participating in the Saturday morning Commencement ceremony must line up at 8:30 a.m. on the UM Oval for a procession to the Adams Center. Those participating in the afternoon ceremony should line up on the Oval at 1 p.m. In case of rain, candidates should meet at the auxiliary gymnasiums at the south end of the Adams Center.
Commencement weekend concludes with the ROTC Commissioning at 6 p.m. Saturday outside Schreiber Gymnasium.
Graduation Information
UM Hires New EO/AA Director
Lucy France, a 1993 graduate of the UM School of Law, will begin her duties as the new director of the University's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office this month.
France was selected for the position after a national search brought four outstanding finalists to campus. Since 1995, she has been a partner at the Missoula law firm Garlington, Lohn & Robinson, where her practice focus is employment and discrimination law.
As director, France will oversee planning, development, coordination, implementation, interpretation and monitoring of the University's equal opportunity and affirmative action policies, publications and programs.
UM Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office
Celebrate With The Currys
The children and grandchildren of Dr. Robert and Delores Curry will host an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 22, in the University Center Ballroom to celebrate the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. All who would like to share in the celebration are invited to attend.
During his employment at the University from 1959 until his retirement in 1990, Dr. Curry, commonly known on campus as "Doc Curry," was an advocate for students' welfare, working tirelessly on their behalf.
In the 1960s, he founded and developed UM's Student Health Services, and he was instrumental in establishing the student insurance program at the University. Student Health Services was renamed the Curry Health Center in his honor in 1999.
The family asks that your presence be your gift.
Top Montana High School Journalist Named
Billie Loewen, a senior editor for Missoula Big Sky High School's Sun Journal, has been named Montana's High School Journalist of the Year.
The annual contest, sponsored by the
Montana Journalism Education Association, the
Montana Newspaper Association and
UM School of Journalism, honors the best in high school newspaper writing, photography and design. It is judged by Montana newspaper professionals and UM journalism faculty.
Loewen was selected from six high school seniors nominated for the honor by their high school journalism advisers. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship from MNA.
Judges were impressed by the sophisticated stories and editorials Loewen produced and the high quality of her writing. She also designed pages for the Sun Journal, which was honored separately as the best designed high school newspaper in the state.
Two Recognized For Teaching Excellence
The UM College of Arts and Sciences has recognized two faculty members for their teaching excellence and exceptional work with UM students.
Anthropology Assistant Professor
Ashley McKeown and geosciences Assistant Professor
Julia Baldwin each will be presented a Helen and Winston Cox Educational Excellence Award at 2008 graduation ceremonies for their individual departments on Saturday, May 10.
The awards, established by the Cox children in honor of their parents, go annually to faculty who are not yet tenured based on superior contributions to the education of UM students. This year the award winners will receive $500 to purchase scholarly materials of their choice for the University's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library and a cash award of $2,715.50.
McKeown began teaching at UM in 2004. She brings the challenge and excitement of biological anthropology to her students, weaving together bio-archaeology and forensic anthropology to prepare them for a wide array of careers.
Baldwin arrived at UM in 2005. Her research expertise as a geologist is in the formation of metamorphic rocks. Baldwin is dedicated to developing teaching methods that are in sync with the student population and the technological world.
UM Chef Wins Silver At Culinary Competition
Chef Timothy Hodges of UM Dining Services was awarded a silver medal at a recent regional culinary competition.
The 2008 National Association of College and University Food Services Continental Regional Culinary Challenge was held April 1 at North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The competition, now in its eighth year, is sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation.
Each competitor had 75 minutes to produce an original striped bass entrée and accompanying side dishes and sauces. Judging criteria included taste of the finished product, demonstration of cooking skills and culinary techniques, and the practice of organizational skills, including sanitation principles.
Hodges prepared a blackened striped sea bass accompanied by carrot sriracha Israeli couscous, roasted sweet peppers, red onion, jicama and Meyer lemon aioli. He scored 32 out of a possible 40 points, qualifying for a silver medal. He placed third, coming in behind two other competitors who also won silver medals. None of the chefs in the competition received enough points to receive a gold medal.
Museum Shows Major Modernist Works
"The Poindexter Collection," an exhibition of American modernist artworks on loan from the Montana Historical Society, will be at the Montana Museum of Art & Culture at UM May 6-Aug. 16. The exhibition will be in the museum's Meloy and Paxson galleries, located in UM's Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center.
Everton Gentry "George" Poindexter was a Montana native, a UM alumnus (1918-20) and a New York commodities broker. He and his wife, Elinor, an art dealer, amassed nearly 500 artworks by some of America's most important post war-era painters, including Willem De Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Richard Diebenkorn, Jackson Pollock and Robert de Niro Sr. The collection represents two major painting characteristics of the New York School: Abstract Expressionism, also called action painting, and Color Field painting.
A free public lecture titled "Abstract Expressionism-Innovations and Traditions" will be presented by MMAC Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22, in the museum's Meloy Gallery.
MMAC summer gallery hours from May to August are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is free, and parking is available near the northwest corner of the PAR/TV Center.
For more information, call 406-243-2019 or go to the museum's Web site.
Montana Museum of Art & Culture
UM Relay For Life Raises More Than $40,000
Forty teams raised more than $40,000 to fight cancer last weekend at the annual University of Montana American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
Hundreds of participants braved rain, sleet, snow and cold temperatures as they walked laps around the Oval from 6 p.m. Friday, April 25, until 6 a.m. Saturday.
"If you wanted to see the very definition of the word 'commitment,' all you had to do was come out and watch the teams walking the Oval at 2 a.m. with hats, gloves and winter coats," said Katie Murphy, American Cancer Society community relationship manager.
The teams raised funds to help the American Cancer Society fight cancer. The UM Panhellenic community -- including Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Gamma and Alpha Phi -- raised more than $6,300.
For more information about donating to the UM Relay for Life, call the Missoula office of the American Cancer Society at 406-728-1004.
Annual Spring Dance Concert This Weekend
The UM Department of Drama/Dance will showcase 10 pieces of choreography by students, faculty and guest artists at Spring Dance Concert performances today and Saturday, May 3.
Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center's Montana Theatre. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $5 for children under age 12. They are available until 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the PAR/TV Box Office or by calling 406-243-4581. The box office also will sell tickets beginning one hour before each show.
This year's Spring Dance Concert offers a delightful and stimulating blend of humor, athleticism and beauty. The works represent a wide range of styles within the contemporary dance idiom, from acrobatic floor work to pedestrian gesture to ballet.
Adams Center Parking Limited Today
The east side of Parking Lot P in front of the Adams Center will be closed all day today.
The closure is for a gala event scheduled to celebrate the success of UM's "Invest in Discovery" Capital Campaign.
The west side of Parking Lot P will be open as usual that day.
See the campus map more information about the location of
Parking Lot P.
Grizzly Football Players Drafted by NFL
Two of the best football players in UM history were chosen in last weekend's National Football League draft.
UM defensive end Kroy Biermann was chosen in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons, while running back Lex Hilliard was taken in the sixth round by the Miami Dolphins.
Biermann, a 6-3, 240-pounder from Hardin was the winner of the 2007 Buck Buchanan Award. The award is given annually by the Sports Network to the top defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Career-wise Biermann is ranked second in Montana history with 33 sacks and 45 tackles for loss in 52 career games. He participated in the 62nd Annual Hula Bowl in Honolulu and was the Big Sky Conference MVP. He led the conference with 15 sacks, which ranked him second in the nation (1.25 sacks a game). He was named a first team All-American by the Sports Network, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp and the Associated Press.
A 6-foot, 240-pounder from Kalispell, Hilliard is UM's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (50) and total touchdowns (52). He's second in school history with 4,018 career rushing yards. He had 18 100-yard rushing games in 49 career contests. In 2007, Hilliard rushed for 1,134 yards and 16 touchdowns and was UM's Steve Carlson Award (team MVP) winner and the co-recipient of Montana's Terry Dillon Award. He also served as one of UM's four season-long captains for the second year in a row.
Griz Football
Grizzly Athlete Hammers Out Record
The UM Open, held at Dornblaser Field last Saturday, featured a new school record in the women's hammer throw, 10 new Big Sky Conference qualifiers and 21 individual event winners for the Grizzly outdoor track and field teams. The meet included partial teams from Montana and Montana State, as well as athletes from MSU-Billings, Carroll College and Great Falls.
Senior Stephanie Bortz provided one of the afternoon's highlights, winning the hammer with a record-breaking throw of 168-5. The mark broke Jessica Falcon's 2006 school record of 165-10.
Of the 10 new Big Sky-qualifying performances, freshman Jennifer Walter produced two, winning and qualifying in both the 100 meters (12.42) and 400-meter hurdles (1:04.49). Montana will face Montana State this Saturday in Bozeman in the annual Griz-Cat Dual. The regular season wraps up Friday, May 9, at Dornblaser Field with the Tom Gage Classic.
Griz Track and Field
UM Hosts Lacrosse Tournament This Weekend
The UM lacrosse team will host the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League playoffs in Missoula this weekend.
Collegiate semifinal action begins at 1 p.m. Saturday when No. 4 University of Washington and No. 1 Simon Fraser University go head-to-head at South Campus Stadium.
UM, ranked No. 3, takes on No. 2 University of Oregon at 4 p.m. Saturday at South Campus Stadium. The Grizzlies, 10-3, are coming off a nine-game winning streak that included a big win over Montana State last weekend.
The two teams that win the semifinal games will compete for the title Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in UM's Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Admission to all games is free.
In addition to the collegiate games this weekend the Hellgate High School lacrosse team will host Gonzaga Prep at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dornblaser Field.
UM Lacrosse
Griz Tennis Ends Season
The UM men's tennis team narrowly lost to conference leader Sacramento State in Saturday's semifinal round at the Big Sky Conference Tennis Championships in Gold River, Calif.
The sixth-seeded Grizzlies, who won three of the six singles contests, lost 4-3 to the top-seeded Hornets to end the season with an 8-9 record.
The UM women's tennis team lost 4-0 to No. 5 seed Eastern Washington on Friday in the quarterfinal round of the Big Sky Conference Tennis Championships also in Gold River. The Grizzlies ended their season with a record of 8-12 overall.
Griz Tennis
