2023 Collegian Magazine

M O N TA N A S TAT E U N I V E RS I T Y A LU M N I F O U N DAT I O N

2023

IN MEMORY OF THE GREATEST BOBCAT OF ALL TIME Allyn A. “Sonny” Holland 1938–2022

CONTENTS

12 The Butte-Bobcat connection Some of the most legendary names in Bobcat football history learned the game in the Mining City

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MORE FEATURES

World class

An eye for the world

25 32 37 40 42 46 48

A love for photography and adventure has taken this former Bobcat lineman to the ends of the earth and back to Montana again

DEPARTMENTS

From humble beginnings in Ethiopia to a global reputation, Dr. Segenet Kelemu uses science to transform lives

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28 News from the Class of 1940 Long before email and social media, these classmates kept in touch through a typewritten newsletter produced with much love and humor

34 Fish story From the foundations of ‘Trout U’ to a simple act of kindness toward a struggling student, the name of Dr. C.J.D. Brown endures

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4 6 52 54 56 58 60 62 63 64 66 71

Heartbreak to hope An inspired homecoming Everyday heroes Once a Bobcat, always a Bobcat Bridging the gap Well-planted seeds 2022–23 Impact Report

The long view Year in review Things to See & Do 122nd Brawl of the Wild Reunions CatTreks Alumni Scholarships Blue & Gold Awards MSU Advocate Network Class Notes In Memory Of Then & Now

Montana State University Alumni Foundation MSUAF Interim President & CEO Mary Jane McGarity MSUAF Vice President of Engagement Kerry Hanson ’93, ’08 M MSUAF Vice President of Communications Stephanie Pressly Editors Drew Van Fossen, Stephanie Pressly, Kay LaFrance Creative Director Drew Van Fossen Design and production Drew Van Fossen, MSU Alumni Foundation and Alison Gauthier ’06, University Communications Creative Services Photography Kelly Gorham ’95, Colter Peterson ’18, Marcus “Doc” Cravens ’17, University Communications Visual Media (unless otherwise noted) Cover photo by Colter Peterson The Collegian is published annually by: Montana State University Alumni Foundation P.O. Box 172750, Bozeman, MT 59717–2750 Find us on the web at: msuaf.org facebook.com/msu.alumni.foundation

MSUAF Board of Governors Chair: Greg Collins ’77, Sammamish, Washington Vice Chair: Mary Ann Pearce ’76, Houston, Texas Past Chair: Steve Rovig ’75, Seattle, Washington Secretary/Treasurer: William Sanderson ’76, Lakeside, Montana Ron Aasheim ’71, ’73 M, Helena, Montana Behrooz Abdi ’84, Carlsbad, California Mark Bacigalupo ’80, Blaine, Minnesota Frank Benevento, New York, New York JoMarie Bliss ’95, Billings, Montana Don Cape Jr. ’93, Bozeman, Montana Jill Cuniff ’87, Seattle, Washington Ingrid DeGreef ’82, Aurora, Colorado Denise Juneau ’86, Bozeman, Montana Wes Kremer ’88, Tucson, Arizona Ron Lewis ’88, Helena, Montana Chris Nygren, ’83, ’22 M, Bozeman, Montana Lynda Sedivy ’87, Bozeman, Montana Nancy Seleski ’86, Harris, Minnesota Walter Smith ’85, Clyde Hill, Washington Darryl Thompson, ’83, Bozeman, Montana Steve Wheeler ’78, Bozeman, Montana Andrew Wilco ’92, Missoula, Montana

Alumni Engagement Advisory Board Chair: Ron Aasheim ’71, ’73 M, Helena, Montana Vice Chair: Jomarie (Phelan) Honcoop ’95, Billings, Montana Past Chair: Ginny (Swan) Sullivan ’87, Missoula, Montana Thomas Allen ’88, ’09 M, Great Falls, Montana Mary Bough ’96, Bozeman, Montana Todd Casey ’92, Liberty Lake, Washington Leighanne (Sletten) Daily ’87, Great Falls, Montana Staci (Kniepkamp) Hammell ’03, Bozeman, Montana John Keil ’96, Bothell, Washington Jodi (Hoines) Peretti ’82, Butte, Montana Bobcat Club Representative: Todd Smith ’98, Lewistown, Montana Retiree Representative: Jeff Sipes ’86, Bozeman, Montana

instagram.com/msuaf twitter.com/mtstatealumni

The Montana State University Alumni Foundation exists to serve one mission, to “cultivate lifelong relationships and secure private support to advance Montana State University.”

Collegian 2023 3

THE LONG VIEW

The M From the 1918 Montanan yearbook: “They were planting a token of homage In the earth on that mountain high; A token of love for their college, The sign of a lasting tie.

So they toiled from morning till night, Their bodies were weary and aching, But there in the last rays twilight Shone the M, the M of their making.”

To read about “The M” then and now, see page 71.

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A message from the Interim President & CEO Dear Alumni and Friends, As we enter the fall season, we are bolstered by the past year of accomplishments within the Bobcat community. Indeed, the Year of the Bobcat was full of success, generosity and fond memories. In this edition of the Collegian, we tip our hat to the people and programs transforming lives and inspiring others on campus and worldwide.

We’re confident that these stories of alumni, students, faculty and staff will stoke your Bobcat pride: The University Information Technology staffer who made a life-saving donation to a co-worker; the alum who became a protector of the land in Glacier National Park, her ancestral homeland; the serendipity of a Zoology and Entomology professor opening his door to a discouraged student whose life was reset on a new path.

Of course, the tribute to legendary Coach Sonny Holland — depicted on our cover — and the legacy of Butte football is a must-read. We lost “The Greatest Bobcat of Them All” on December 3, 2022, though his influence on Bobcat Football will live forever.

Perhaps the most captivating story is of the Class of 1940, whose alums stayed connected for almost 60 years through a self-generated newsletter. Thousands of entries tell the story of historic milestones, personal celebrations and tragedies and meaningful friendships, all through a lens of blue and gold.

2023 has been a year of transition for the MSU Alumni Foundation with the retirement of President & CEO Chris Murray in February. Since then, I’ve enjoyed the privilege of serving as interim in the position, rolling up my sleeves to collaborate with MSU colleagues, the talented MSUAF staff and Board of Governors and our tremendously generous donors.

Even on the hiking trail, I get a kick out of hearing “Go ’Cats!” as other Bobcats pass me in my Montana State gear.

A new MSU Alumni Foundation President & CEO will be appointed soon after a rigorous national search. The search committee, comprised of MSU and MSUAF representatives, is doing a thoughtful and thorough job of finding the right person to lead the fundraising and engagement efforts that advance our beloved university.

You’re in good hands, Bobcats. Thank you for being part of the Montana State family.

In Blue &Gold, Mary Jane McGarity

Collegian 2023 5

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Since 1893

Recognition MSU postdoctoral researcher, Andrew Santiago-Frangos, won the prestigious MOSAIC award for his work with CRISPR.

Rural Health Care Montana State University’s nursing college received a grant totaling $3.9 million that will enable MSU and its partners from across Montana to deliver quality medical, dental and behavioral health care to kids in rural and underserved areas.

Gift Patt and Terry Payne gave $6 million to MSU for LIFE Scholars and Montana’s Own programs.

Awareness challenge Student veterans and graphic artists led suicide awareness efforts through newly minted challenge coins.

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A look back at th our 129 year

Cancer Care Faculty, led by Marg Hammersla, and students from MSU’s Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing will collaborate on a newly-funded cancer care project aimed at providing easier access to cancer care for rural Montanans. The $1.9 million project is one of seven nationwide funded by the Merck Foundation through a $20 million initiative.

NASA MSU was awarded a $6.5 million NASA grant for the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project.

Accredited

MSU Police Department was the first in the state to receive accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

Distinguished Gretchen Minton, professor of English, was honored by the College of Letters and Science as a Distinguished Professor.

Honorary Alexander E. MacDonald ’67 received an honorary doctorate during the December 2022 commencement ceremony. MacDonald is an MSU alumnus, a pioneer in computer weather prediction and internationally renowned for his research addressing climate challenges.

Leader in Ag Jay Bodner of the Helena area received the Outstanding Agricultural Leadership Award.

The annual award embodies the most important values of Montana agriculture: excellence, service and community involvement.

MSU TOPPED

$200M in research expenditures for the first time.

WWAMI

50

MSU celebrated 50 years of the WWAMI Medical Education Program, which allows Montana students to earn MD degrees in collaboration with the No. 1 ranked family medicine program in the nation at University of Washington.

Governor’s Award Josh DeWeese, MSU ceramics professor, was a recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award.

Ordinary Extraodinary Five new “extraordinary, ordinary” women were honored for their contributions to MSU: Ann Ellsworth, Alma Knows His Gun McCormick, Celia (Smith) O’Connor ’63, Martha Potvin and Sarah Vowell ’93.

Presidential Medallion Professors Alexandra Adams, Peter Buerhaus, Joan Broderick and Dana Longcope were honored as the first recipients of the MSU Presidential Medallion for Achievement.

Collegian 2023 7

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Lifetime Achievement William Wyckoff, emeritus professor of earth sciences, has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Honor by the American Association of Geographers, or AAG, for his leading role in research on the historical evolution of interactions among people and places in the American West.

GRANT

$4.1M The EHHD Center for Research and Rural Education and partners received a grant to train school and mental health counselors.

Hall of Fame Nearly a half-century after his legendary career at Montana State, Bobcat legend Bill Kollar ’85 earned college football’s ultimate honor. The two-time All-America defensive tackle joins 17 other players and four coaches in the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class.

For the third time in history, but the first

since 2011–12, Montana State claimed the Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Cup for the 2022–23 athletic season.

Montana State joins Weber State (five), Northern Arizona (five), and Eastern Washington (four) as the league’s only schools with at least three Presidents’ Cups.

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Truman Scholar MSU senior, Andee Baker, was named a 2023 Truman Scholar.

The scholarship recognizes students with outstanding leadership potential, community involvement and academic achievement.

Through the scholarship, Baker will receive funding for graduate studies along with leadership training, career counseling and internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.

Retired Chris Murray, president and CEO of the MSU Alumni Foundation, retired in February 2023.

Since Murray’s arrival in August 2014, the Alumni Foundation has raised over $630 million to fuel MSU’s people, places and programs.

Goldwater Scholars Ava Graham and Madison Torrey are the two most recent recipients of the prestigious national Goldwater Scholarship.

MSU has produced 32 Goldwater Scholars since 2013.

New Dean Dean Adams ’92 M, professor of Art and director of the Center for Faculty Excellence at MSU was selected as the new dean of the College of Arts & Architecture.

National Humanities Medal Henrietta Mann, a member of the Southern Cheyenne Tribe of Oklahoma and professor emeritus of Native American Studies at Montana State University, was presented with a 2021 National Humanities Medal by President Joe Biden at the White House.

72%

of students who received the Montana University System Honors Scholarship in 2023 chose to attend MSU.

SPRING 2023 ENROLLMENT MSU set a new spring enrollment record with

15,717 students attending classes

GOLDWATER SCHOLARS TO DATE

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The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Montana State is currently tied with Yale for 10th nationally for Goldwater Scholarship recipients.

Honorary Doctorates Carol Glenn Lalani and Robyn Jones were awarded honorary doctorates at the spring 2023 commencement ceremony.

Collegian 2023 9

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Signing Day Administrators of the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing traveled to high schools around the state to celebrate seniors who intend to enroll in the new Montana Nursing Direct Entry Program, which guarantees qualified Montana high school graduates a spot in MSU’s Bachelor of Science in nursing program. Nursing Signing Day was modeled after college football’s National Signing Day to garner excitement for the program and students.

Fulbright Fellowship Aspiring teacher, Kayla Hay, an MSU senior, won a Fulbright fellowship to Germany which she believes will bolster her career goals.

NSF Grant As part of a new project funded with $1 million from the National Science Foundation, Montana State University will explore ways to leverage its expertise in photonics to grow a regional economy for precision agriculture and other technologies involving autonomous systems. Joe Shaw directs MSU’s Optical Technology Center.

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ENROLLMENT

16,668

and represents all 50 states and all 56 Montana counties.

Udall Scholarship Andrea Storer, sophomore in Cell Biology and Neuroscience, won a Udall Scholarship.

The Udall Foundation awards scholarships for leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.

Military Friendly

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TOP

MSU has been recognized for its efforts to support student veterans by being named a top 10 Military Friendly School for 2023–24.

The honor marks the third year MSU has received the national designation from the website MilitaryFriendly.com.

Scholarship

Regent’s Award

Danielle Morrison, from South Dakota, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and mother of two, received the Dr. David Beaulieu Legacy Scholarship from the National Indian Education Association.

Julie Clay ’97, Montana State UIT project manager was awarded the 2023 Montana University System Regent’s Award for Excellence in University System Citizenship.

Each spring, the Board of Regents presents the award to one or two campus staff members who exceed the expectations of their positions. As a UIT project manager at Montana State University, Clay oversees information technology projects that are campus-wide or spread across multiple campuses.

Quantum Economy With a new $1 million grant, Montana State University will partner with stakeholders to explore how the region could position itself as a leader in the quantum technology that’s set to play a critical role in 21st century communications, computing and other fields.

World’s Fastest Montana State’s Duncan Hamilton ’23, ran the world’s fastest time this season in the 3000-meter steeplechase clocking a school and Big Sky record of 8:16.23 at the NCAA Outdoor West First Round in Hornet Stadium at Sacramento State. Hamilton’s time is the second fastest collegiate steeplechase in history, with the record going to Washington State’s Henry Rono, who put up a mark of 8:05.40 on May 13, 1978.

MSU RECEIVED

$4.5M for improving Cybersecurity

Fellow Jodi Allison-Bunnell, head of Archives and Special Collections at the Montana State University Library, will be inducted this summer as a fellow of the Society of American Archivists, or SAA, the oldest and largest archivist association in North America.

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Butte’s East Ridge provides a backdrop for the 1935 Bobcat-Grizzly game at Clark Park.

Grit, determination, hard-nosed play, loyalty and winning are inextricably connected in the history of the Mining City and Bobcat football

BY MEAGHAN MACDONALD-POOL

H

istory is made in Butte, Montana. You cannot escape the town’s heritage, from its centuries-old homes and buildings in Uptown, to the mining headframes that still stand tall and can be clearly seen from the “flats.”

Titans of industry — like copper kings Marcus Daly, William Clark and Augustus Heinze — helped build Butte as a world leader in mining. The immigrants who flocked there for work kept the town and its legacy alive.

In the middle of Uptown, a different kind of history lives — football history that tells the story of Montana. From 1938 to 1950, Naranche Stadium, where Butte High School plays, hosted state championship games, the Butte High-Butte Central rivalry, a U.S. president speaking to his constituents and the iconic cross-state rivalry Montana State UniversityUniversity of Montana football game.

“Back then it was the biggest stadium in the state and that game routinely got crowds better than 8,000 to 10,000 people,” said Bill Foley, a sportswriter of more than 25 years in Butte. “There used to be people standing on Main Street watching that game. It was incredible. People lined up at the fence because either they were too cheap or couldn’t get into the stadium. Field goals would go up in the street and kids would fight to catch the ball. If I had a time machine I’d be heading there for sure.”

The Cat-Griz game was played in Butte from 1926 to 1950 at Clark Park and Naranche Stadium and now draws

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tens of thousands of people to Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman and Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula every year.

Though Butte no longer acts as host, it does still carry a legacy with both universities, especially Montana State.

With legends like Sonny Holland ’60, Sonny Lubick, twins Don ’77 and Dan Ueland ’83, Bert Markovich ’76 and Paul Dennehy ’80, and current stars like quarterback Tommy Mellott, the pipeline from Butte to Bozeman is strong. The roots between the two football programs run deep for many reasons, but one thing is clear: both Bobcats and Butte value grit, determination, hard-nosed play and loyalty above all.

“There’s a lot of pride here and a lot of character as well,” said Arie Grey ’02, head coach for Butte High School football and former member of the Bobcat football and track and field teams. “The history of this community is so important to the history of our state and to Montana State.

When you look at Naranche Stadium and think about all the years the Cat-Griz game was played on this hallowed ground, the number of greats that have played on this field, it’s pretty humbling.”

The past

I

n its school history, Montana State has won three national football championships, in 1956, 1976 and 1984. Between Butte High School and Butte Central High School, the

“The way the game is played in Butte was the way it was played at Montana State.”

— Bert Markovich, co-captain of the Bobcats 1976 national championship team

Butte hosted the Copper Bowl (Cat-Griz) game from 1926 to 1950, in part because it was a mid-point between the two university towns. Prior to 1938, the game was played at Clark Park. It was moved to what would later become Butte High’s Naranche Stadium until 1950, when the cross-state rivalry was played in Butte for the last time.

Below, according to Butte’s Montana Standard, “Montana State University football coach Sony Holland could field a team from the Butte area alone this season.” The 1976 Bobcats included 11 players from the Butte area, each identified with a letter to the left of his head: A–Jim Janhunen ’80, B–Mark DeVore ’79, C–Cal Oliver ’80, D–Len Kelly ’81, E–Tom Pomroy ’80, F–Paul Dennehy ’80, G–Ken Verlanic ’77 (Anaconda), H–John Smith ’80 (Whitehall), I–Bert Markovich ’76, J–Dan Ueland ’83 and K–Don Ueland ’77.

Far left, Butte native and former MSU head coach Sonny Lubick addresses the 1968 Butte Bulldogs at halftime.

A 1956 graduate of Butte High School, Sonny Holland collected seven high school letters in football, basketball and track.

Historic photos courtesy of the Butte-Silver Bow Archives

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Hail to

‘The Chief ’

‘Now is the time, this is the place.’

T

hose words have lived for decades as a mantra for the Montana State Bobcats football team and fans alike.

They were coined by the Greatest Bobcat of All time, former player and head coach Sonny Holland ’60. From a bronze statue outside Bobcat Stadium to the name of the eastern endzone and the spring classic football game, it’s no secret what he meant to MSU. Holland passed away Dec. 3, 2022, at 84 years old. His loss has left a hole in the hearts of the MSU fanbase, but his memory as a winner, a father figure and a gentle, quiet man continues to outlive him.

Born in Butte on March 22, 1938, Holland is remembered for having embodied a characteristic Montana toughness and work ethic through his football career. But there was also a humility to his leadership as both player and coach.

programs have combined for more than 30 state football championships.

Winning is intertwined with the history of Butte and the Bobcats.

At Butte High, there’s one man who is dedicated to preserving that history of excellence. Scott Paffhausen is the carpenter for the Butte School District but also the Bulldogs football team historian. He oversees keeping the program’s history alive and honored.

That goes for all sports. Paffhausen has spent around a decade archiving and displaying 5,000 to 6,000 pieces of memorabilia and photos in the high school’s halls. Every athlete since 1893 has a place on the wall.

“It’s just an addiction,” Paffhausen said.

But it’s much more than that.

Paffhausen is also an alumnus of the Butte High School football team and was quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1981–83. His father Wayne was head 14

Holland became MSU’s first three-time All-America football player as a center and linebacker from 1956–59, and the school’s all-time wins leader as head coach from 1971–77. He led the Bobcats to national championships in each role, and later served as MSU’s Director of Alumni Relations from 1978–92. In retirement he still stayed involved with Bobcat athletics.

Holland’s No. 52 jersey was retired by the Bobcats. He was inducted into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1986 and is also a member of the Montana Football Hall of Fame and the Butte Sports Hall of Fame.

His image and impact are immortalized outside Bobcat Stadium with a nine-foot, 4,000-pound bronze statue erected in 2016, a project spearheaded by former Bobcat players who lives were profoundly impacted by “The Chief.”

coach of the team in the ’70s and his siblings were all standout athletes for the school. Sports are in his blood.

Along with serving as historian, he is also one of hundreds of members of the Silver B’s, a proud organization that honors the 25th anniversary of when a Butte High football player first received his varsity letter. Golden B’s are honored after 50 years and Diamond B’s are honored after 75. Currently there are 18 Diamond B’s. Paffhausen joined the Silver B’s ranks in 2006 and has been in charge of the program since 2014. Since 1940, the B’s have never missed an induction ceremony.

“They’re tough on the field, but they’re also the nicest people you’ll ever meet in your life outside of the competitive field. They’d do anything for you,” Paffhausen said of Butte athletes. “If you go back and look at the history of this place, it’s pretty impressive with, especially in football,

Photo by Josie Trudgeon

Scott Paffhausen is the Butte High School sports historian and creates the displays that grace the hallways.

“He has the statue right outside of Bobcat “I got to talk to ‘The Chief’ well into my adulthood. He was still a mentor and I Stadium and (the football team) taps his foot as we walk by. We have quotes inside trusted his judgment and many people did (the locker room) as well: ‘It’s always a great as well. There is just the utmost respect for his character, the way he conducted day to be a Bobcat.’ Something we even say to this day is ‘now is the time, this is himself, the way he taught us and what we the place.’ It’s so cool to see his legacy live gained from just seeing how he lived his life on vicariously through other coaches and and how straight up, straightforward and wonderful a man Sonny Holland was and a players. It shows the impact that he’s made on so many different lives.” huge part of all of our lives.”

— Tommy Mellott — Bert Markovich ’76

Above, the 1976 Bobcats celebrate as Head Coach Sonny Holland receives the national championship trophy. Bert Markovich is at the left edge of the photo wearing number 50.

a handful in Bobcat history had the opportunity to play for a national championship.

Bert Markovich ’76 was lucky enough to experience that. A Butte Central graduate, Markovich was a member of the 1976 championship team which was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.

Markovich’s family immigrated to the U.S. before World War I and both his grandfathers worked in the mines. His father preached the value of hard work and academics. The culture of football in Butte aligned with his father’s wishes and values, and Markovich started playing in his backyard with friends at a young age.

Markovich had the privilege to be coached by Holland, who he said not only valued on the field excellence but also academic excellence. Markovich, an attorney in Seattle, credits Holland for helping him plan for his future.

“(Holland) wanted you to be successful in all aspects of your life.

But we were going to play hard-nosed Butte football too, and a clean game.

We were going to compete, we were going to work hard and we were going to hit hard,” Markovich said. “College was an eye opener, it was a step up, but I recognized the type of football that was played. It was the football that I learned, and the way the game is played in Butte was the way it was played at Montana State.”

On the 1976 championship team, Markovich said the team demographics were broken down into thirds: one-third were from Montana, one-third from out of state and onethird from Butte. The boys from Butte played a major role in winning that championship and securing its 12-1 season record, from Markovich to Dennehy, Mark DeVore ’79, Don and Dan Ueland, Len Kelly ’81 and more.

what they’ve done.”

Growing up a football coach’s son and witnessing some of the greatest Bobcats from Butte, Paffhausen knew the deep connection Butte and MSU held over the Continental Divide.

“It’s just a fact,” he said.

Jim Sweeney, former head coach of the Bobcats, Hall of Fame member and former coach of Butte Central, recruited a ton of players from his hometown, leading to a bond of likeminded toughness on the field as well as fueling MSU’s legacy with historic Bobcats.

“He brought tons of talent from both Butte and Butte Central ... There was similarity in mentality because of all these Butte coaches — Sonny Holland, Sonny Lubick and Sweeney — that was demanded of you and it wasn’t a big change from high school.”

Of all the hundreds of players that came from Butte to MSU, only

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Butte native Tommy Mellott (#4) helps hoist the 306-pound Great Divide Trophy after beating the University of Montana Grizzlies 55–21 in the 121st Brawl of the Wild in November 2022.

Despite having players from rival high schools, like Butte and Butte Central, Markovich said the dynamic of that team was unified. The team was picked to finish fourth in the Big Sky Conference, but with hard work and putting old issues aside, the Bobcats achieved greatness.

“I still think that was one of the most dynamic, exciting periods of my life,” Markovich said. “Just nobody thought we were going to do much and all of a sudden we caught fire and we weren’t going to be denied. And it was just a magical ride. We were like brothers, and we all pulled for each other. There was no inner team rivalries or anything like that. And it was a complete team effort by a group of young hungry guys.”

The present

C

urrently on the MSU football roster, there are three players who come from Butte. One of them has made a name for himself and his hometown since his freshman year: Tommy Mellott.

The junior quarterback and Butte High graduate was a part of the

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2021 Bobcat team that made its first appearance in a national championship since 1984. He garnered the nickname “Touchdown Tommy” and has been seen as a perfect representation of Butte toughness and excellence at MSU. Mellott grew up as a football fan, as most do in Butte. But he had a unique relationship with the sport, thanks to his grandfather, Gene Fogarty. Fogarty was a legendary football coach at East Junior High, now East Middle School, and instilled a love for the game in Mellott. At the time, Butte was more of a Griz town due to Butte standout and eventual NFL player Colt Anderson playing for Montana. But Fogarty gave Mellott books on Sonny Holland and Sonny Lubick to start his MSU education.

Along with his grandfather’s influence, Mellott idolized the high school players and was determined to one day earn an opportunity to play in front of thousands of fans at Naranche Stadium. Watching Butte High School win the Class AA state championship in 2012 in its home stadium was a defining moment for young Mellott.

“The energy and enthusiasm and excitement surrounding the city was

electric,” Mellott said. “That team and experience definitely intrigued me to try and at least imitate that outcome the best I possibly could when I got to high school. It pushed me to be the best player I could be.”

Mellott was recruited by both Montana and Montana State to play football and chose the Bobcats due to his connections with the coaches and how they emphasized helping young men grow way beyond the field.

“The program had been growing so much lately that I was excited to be a part of it,” said Mellott, a secondteam All-Big Sky and All-America sophomore performer.

Since he first stepped on the field for the Bobcats, Mellott has helped his team reach new heights of success.

Along with an appearance in the national championship in 2021, MSU finished 12–2 in 2022 and made it to the semifinals, losing to eventual champion South Dakota State. In current preseason rankings, MSU is ranked in the top five in the country and has been picked to top the Big Sky Conference this fall.

Mellott said his hometown has been nothing short of supportive of him and

Photo by Josie Trudgeon

Butte High head coach Arie Grey ’02, consoles his team after a 49–28 lost to Bozeman in the 2019 Class AA State Championship. Kneeling in the foreground is future MSU Bobcat standout Tommy Mellott (#2).

the team through their highs and lows.

“When I was in Butte High, the support was pretty great. And that support translated when I came over to Montana State, even when I didn’t play much in my first year,” Mellott said.

“It’s been great to be a role model for the boys back in Butte, just as I looked up to the football players when I was their age. It’s great to be that individual and try my best to pass it forward.”

The future

T

he Butte pipeline to Bozeman remains healthy to this day and produces future Bobcats every year.

For nearly two decades, the man in charge of keeping that pipeline strong is Arie Grey ’02, head coach of Butte High School and former wide receiver/ special teams for MSU. Originally from Deer Lodge and a standout athlete for Powell County, Grey knows what the culture of Butte sports is supposed to be and what is expected of its athletes. It’s the same expectations when he was with Montana State.

“Football is king here. All you have to do is show up on a Friday night and

its similar to ‘Friday Night Lights’ in Texas,” Grey said. “When you think of Butte football, you think of that passion. You think of tough, hardnosed grit. Remember, we’re a mining community and it’s a tough, bluecollar, going-to-bring-my-lunch-pailto-work type of mentality here.”

Grey served as a student teacher in Butte in 2002 and was an assistant coach under Greg Salo, a former Grizzly. After other teaching and coaching stints in the Flathead area, Grey became the 30th head coach of Butte football in 2008. He led Butte to a Class AA state title in 2012.

“It’s just such an amazing community to be a part of,” said Grey, who teaches social studies at Butte High. “I think a lot of people are jealous of Butte. That’s what I tell people all the time, that when they speak ill of Butte, it’s because they’re jealous. They’re jealous of what we have here. They’re jealous of the community support, they’re jealous of our success.

It’s a great place to be.”

With the success of the Bobcats and the way Grey knows how the team handles itself, he tries to have his

players take away some of their positive aspects, as well as learn from the things that aren’t as successful. The Bulldogs take some ideas from MSU football camps in the summer in an effort to fit those notions into their culture and what they do on the field.

To try and narrow one commonality between Butte and MSU players was difficult for Grey. There are so many redeeming and similar characteristics that make both places special to him. But when it came down to it, some rose above all.

Resilient. Tough. Hardworking.

Determined.

“We want our kids, when they walk out of our program, to be well-rounded individuals who are not afraid to try anything,” he said.

Across the decades, from Sonny Holland to Tommy Mellott, Butte’s legacy has stood tall at Bobcat Stadium.

And with both high schools continuing to churn out strong college-level talent, there is no end in sight for that special relationship to end.

“It’s wonderful,” Markovich said, “to see the Butte connection still working.”

Collegian 2023 17

W rld class

From humble beginnings in Ethiopia to one of five people Bill Gates singled out as ‘heroes whose lives inspire me,’ Dr. Segenet Kelemu uses science to transform lives

BY DIANA SETTERBERG

F

rom the time she was 7 years old, Segenet Kelemu ’85 M, played a vital role in the livelihood of her family, which raised coffee, bananas and other crops in a small village in the “breadbasket of Ethiopia.”

“I was good in math, so my mother gave me the responsibility to take food to market and get the money for it,” said Kelemu as she described growing up in the 1960s in a village that had few material goods, no electricity or running water, and where she didn’t wear shoes until she went to high school.

Now 66, Kelemu credits those early experiences for her decision to devote her life to helping to feed people. Today she is director general and CEO of the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology, or icipe, based in Nairobi, Kenya, which conducts research on insects and their relationships to crop, human, animal and environmental health.

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“It’s the most impactful organization I’ve ever worked for,” said Kelemu, who spent the first 25 years of her career in agriculture as a plant pathologist and who now oversees icipe’s many research programs.

Kelemu’s path to icipe spanned decades, crossed continents, and included two years at Montana State University, where she earned her master’s degree in plant pathology and genetics in 1985. The educational opportunity resulted from her work as an international agriculture researcher for a Mexico-based organization that had a link to MSU’s Department of Plant Pathology, now the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology.

“We had outstanding professors,” she said. “It was a nice, small department. It was very good and made a global impact.”

Kelemu went on to earn a Ph.D. at Kansas State University and do postdoctoral work at Cornell. Despite offers to remain in academia, she accepted a position at CIAT, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, where she worked from 1992 to 2007.

“If I had it to do over again, I would take the same path,” she said. “I wanted to use science and work on the ground to improve lives in places like the village where I grew up.”

As her career progressed, Kelemu said, that village remained in the back of her mind as she worked on programs benefiting the Americas and Asia. What she calls “the turning point” came in 2006, when she was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award, the highest honor bestowed upon foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s economic and social progress.

“I was standing on the podium, and I was really, truly embarrassed,” she said. “Here I am from a poor country being praised for contributing to China’s development. I thought, ‘I have to go back to Africa.’”

Serendipitously, Kelemu was contacted shortly thereafter by a research institute in Nairobi looking for a scientist to build a new program. That job was one of two she held in Kenya before accepting the director general job at icipe in 2013.

“It’s a lot of work but very rewarding,” she said. “We are using science to transform lives.”

Among icipe’s initiatives is the development of “push-pull” technology, through which a perennial plant, desmodium, is planted with food crops. Desmodium produces odors that repel insect pests called stemborers, effectively “pushing” them away from the target crops. The “pull” portion of the process is accomplished by planting borders of Napier or Brachiaria grasses around fields to attract and trap the stemborers. The non-food plants offer other benefits, such as fixing nitrogen into the soil, reducing weeds and providing feed for animals. “Push-pull” is further being employed to manage invasive fall armyworms, which have been

responsible for billions of dollars of crop losses in Africa since 2016.

But icipe’s research programs concern more than crops. The organization recently won a global award for developing an insect-protein additive for animal feed, and it is investigating how to exploit a symbiotic microbe found in certain mosquitoes that inhibits their ability to transmit malaria, a disease that kills almost half a million people every year in Africa.

Throughout her career, Kelemu has received several honorary doctorates and awards for her work from academic institutions, corporations, nonprofits and governments all over the world. And though her ambition was seeded in Ethiopia, she says it was strengthened at MSU, where — having ever lived only in Africa and Mexico ­— she initially experienced profound climatic and cultural shock upon arriving in December 1982.

“What got me through was the department. It was very close-knit, and the professors were really nice to us,” she said.

One of the many examples she remembers is her academic adviser, Gene Sharp, sharing his daughters’ winter clothes with her when he noticed she was freezing.

“The department really took care of international students, and it taught me the importance of kindness to others,” she said. “We all went on and did really good things, all in international labs or governments.

“We all should care about the suffering of others, regardless of where they were born. Indifference is bad for humanity and for our shared planet,” she added. “Science diplomacy is very effective, making an impact and giving the lifetime gift of knowledge.”

Noted for her research as a plant pathologist and her outstanding scientific leadership, Dr. Kelemu and her team's research has contributed to addressing agricultural constraints in Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America.

Collegian 2023 19

An eye for the world A love for photography and adventure has taken this former Bobcat football lineman to the ends of the earth and back to Montana again

BY MEAGHAN MACDONALD-POOL

A

Placid Lake, Montana

20

man sits on the side of a van, the late summer twilight skies paint everything in a dark blue hue. It’s peaceful. He stares out toward something we can’t see, deep in thought perhaps.

To some it tells the story of a journey, which is true. But to the photographer, the photo tells a story of uncertainty.

The photographer and subject, Andy Austin ’13, was living in that van, trying to make ends meet and make a budding career work. There were days he couldn’t afford to put gas in his van. There were days he would work a month straight and not get much sleep. There were days he was completely alone, living in abandoned campgrounds in the offseason.

This photo represents uncertainty. But it also illustrates resiliency and how far Austin has come.

“It was a photo I never sold and never will,” said Austin, who is from Billings.

“It was just a good representation of how I felt in that moment when all the tourists were gone. I’m just alone in this crazy world trying to make this work

Collegian 2023 21

Bighorn Canyon, Wyoming

and then took that photo. I have a tie to it just because of the old days. That reminds me of when times were a lot tougher for sure.”

Today, Austin is no longer struggling. He is a world-renowned traveling photographer and content creator who has photographed more than 50 countries on all seven continents. He has worked for tourism boards in Montana and around the world, including Colombia, Georgia and Ireland. He also has done work for brands such as Dodge Ram trucks, North Face, Travel and Leisure magazine and more.

While in college at MSU, Austin had no plans of being a full-time photographer. He did create a business — Peak Photography of Montana — but mostly to fuel his hobby. He majored in psychology and was an offensive lineman for the MSU football team, which took up a ton of time.

However, football helped Austin find a fan base for his work.

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photographer but had no clients. So, “Part of my assignments in my for nine months he traveled the world.

‘Intro to Digital Photography’ class He hitchhiked across southern Africa, were to go out and photograph he visited Nicaragua and Norway, and constantly through the weeks, which I even worked as a guide in Yellowstone didn’t have time to do. I was in season National Park for a summer, to earn a and had to figure out how to do this,” little money to fund his trips. Money Austin said. “For the next couple of was tight during those months, so he years, I just started taking more and traded photography for lodging. more photos and then I started taking “I was staying in these super luxury some photos of the football stadium safari camps in Africa and trading because I’d be there for summer the photos,” Austin said. “Thankfully workouts. That’s when people started taking notice of my work and said this was pre-Instagram days and everybody wants to do that now, and ‘I want to buy that.’ You want to pay the competition is fierce.” money forFor my photos?

That’s a thing?” this father-son ranching team, One of Austin’s stadium shots was fter traveling, Austin’s first job a the new way to look at grazing the cover of fall 2012 Collegian stateside puts was doing social media magazine.them He said itat was the first cover and public relations for Visit Southeast the forefrontMontana. of combating shot he ever sold, and it certainly Despite growing up in would notclimate be the last. change through Billings, his knowledge of eastern carbon After he graduated in December Montana was slim, but he learned sequestration 2013, Austin needed to figure out what how much he loved the area. He went to do with the rest of his life. While into small communities to meet the he had no idea what he desired to locals, explored tourist areas like do, he knew two things: He did not Medicine Rocks State Park, Makoshika want a desk job and he wanted to be a State Park and more. He learned a

The secret’s in the soil A

Andy Austin on assignment. Photo by James Greig. All other photos by Andy Austin.

Lofoten, Norway

plethora about the tourism industry, for which he found a great passion. He has worked with Montana Office of Tourism, Wyoming Office of Tourism, Glacier and Yellowstone County Tourism, Travel Wisconsin, Montana State Parks and more.

“It takes a little more effort and intentionality to appreciate eastern Montana. I think a lot of people think it’s ugly. They just drive the interstate, cut straight through, and then they’re like, ‘Well, that was six hours we’re never getting back,’” Austin said. “You have to get off. You have to go up these little dirt roads and you have to go up these little coulees and bluffs and badlands and actually see it. And then especially seeing it at sunset, that is why we’re called Big Sky Country.”

After he quit his southeastern Montana job, he used all his money to buy a van and live in it, hoping to build his portfolio with work in the Rocky Mountain West. Austin said things just began to snowball. One job led to another, and then he was racking

up clients and a reputation for his demeanor and his beautiful work.

Through his content, Austin hopes to not only inspire people to visit new places, but to follow respectable tourism practices. He has felt compelled to champion these protocols because of growing up in the state of Montana as well as learning about international tourism industries in rural areas of Jordan, Namibia and Kenya and spending money with an eye for conservation.

Austin strongly believes people should come and visit Montana and have a right to experience its beauty and serenity. However, that also means visitors should take care of these places by not going off-trail for an Instagram photo, pack up what they came with and properly putting out fires.

Austin is using his passion on a new project for the Montana Office of Tourism where he is featuring five uniquely Montana experiences in the east side of the state: the bucking horse sale in Miles City, the Red Bottom

Celebration powwow in Frazier, Pioneer Days in Scobey, the Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament in Fort Peck, and the 10th annual Dino Shindig in Ekalala. There’s beauty no matter where you go, as long as you keep your eyes and mind open.

“I would say 95% of the comments that I get on the internet are supportive.

But there are 5% that are like, ‘Stop promoting Montana,’” Austin said.

“No. There are numerous reasons why, but one is tourism is one of the biggest economic drivers of the state of Montana. If tourism dries up, a lot of places are going to as well. Most of Bozeman wouldn’t survive without tourists. But that also comes with a catch of promoting responsible tourism.

A lot of the things that I promote are these smaller towns that if 100 more people went a year would be a huge win.

If 100 more people visit a year, eat at these cafes, go shopping in little tourist shops in a place like Terry, that’s a huge impact.”

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Palisade Falls, Hyalite Recreation Area, Bozeman

An amorous adventure When one is in a long-distance relationship, going on dates can be tricky. But couples learn to make it work. Some plan flights to where their partner is living, or in Andy Austin’s case, you plan trips around the world. Austin met his now-wife Chelsea Anderson on a group trip to Marrakesh, Morocco (Africa) in 2017. The two decided to officially date a year later and began their romantic journey of going on a date on every single continent.

Their second date took place in Montana (North America) where Austin planned a long weekend to stay in a cabin in the Paradise Valley just outside of Yellowstone National Park. They traveled to the Lofoten Islands of Norway (Europe), the island of Palawan in the Philippines (Asia), Australia and Peru (South America).

On their seventh date and seventh continent, in December 2022, Austin and Anderson went to Antarctica where he proposed at a penguin colony. He opened a pebble to reveal a ring, to symbolize the way penguins propose to their mates.

Austin and Anderson were married on July 7, 2023, in the most fitting way: on a mountain ridge in Montana. Years ago in Morocco, they joked about going on seven dates on seven continents. Fulfilling that promise wasn’t easy but it was the best adventure they could ask for.

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Heartbreak to hope One family’s journey from grief to advocacy as stroke fighters

BY HANNAH STIFF

J

ust before heading to work in the emergency room in Great Falls, Jason Gleason ’22 DNP, said goodbye to his wife Heather, who was busy putting away groceries from

Collegian 2023 25

a recent trip to stock up on staples to feed the couple’s three growing boys.

The normalcy of that warm, mid-July day in 2011 stands out to Gleason.

“Our three boys were running around the house playing and filling the house with noisy banter and laughter,” Gleason remembered. “It was a perfect and ordinary summer day.”

It was a day that didn’t stay that way for long.

“Thirty minutes into my shift in the emergency department a colleague pulled me out of an exam room telling me that EMS was at home with my wife,” Gleason said. “My heart dropped and my mind started racing.”

Gleason thought about an accident two years prior, when his son Carson, 7 years old at the time, was hit by a car at the end of the family’s driveway. After spending days in a semicomatose state with a brain bleed, at 3 a.m., Carson woke up, asking for his dad, who he said worked at the very same hospital.

“Memories of that experience with our son struck panic in me as I fast forwarded my thought waiting for Heather to arrive in the Emergency Department,” Gleason said.

After he left the house for work that July day, the couple’s three boys, ages 14, 9, and 7, were home alone with their mom. It was Brady, the oldest, who phoned 911 and explained that something was wrong with his mom. She was dizzy and displaying seizure-like symptoms. Brady told the 911 operator the family’s address and paramedics soon swooped in to transport Heather to the hospital.

Gleason calls his sons “the absolute heroes who saved their mom’s life that day.”

When Heather finally arrived in the emergency department, she was quickly wheeled past her husband to an exam room. As the nurses helped Heather into a hospital gown and connected her up to a monitor, Gleason stood by her gurney, rubbing her feet and reassuring her.

“I was telling her that I loved her and that things would be okay,” Gleason said. “On the inside I was falling apart.

She looked up at me, and I’ll never forget this, she said, ‘I love you too.’”

Those were the last words Heather ever spoke to her husband.

What came next shattered any sense of normalcy that summer day. Heather began vomiting and doctors rushed to intubate her. A neurologist soon broke the news to Gleason that his wife suffered an ischemic stroke — a kind of blockage caused by a blood clot floating to her brain and starving it of oxygen. The oxygen deprivation caused millions of Heather’s brain cells to die off in mere moments.

Though Heather was in good health and outwardly exhibited no risk factors for stroke, doctors found out after that stroke that she had antiphospholipid syndrome, an 26

In her “locked in” state, Heather Gleason was aware of her family’s presence in the hospital room but could not respond to them. Here, eldest son Brady speaks to his mother while husband Jason holds her hand as sons Carson (back) and Isaac look on.

autoimmune condition which caused the blood clots that lead to her stroke.

Unlike two years previously, when Carson miraculously woke up from his coma, Heather remained in critical condition in what doctors called a “locked-in state.”

A nurse practitioner for years in the same hospital where his wife now lay, Gleason knew the horrible reality of what his wife faced in her locked-in state.

“It’s a syndrome related to stroke where a person’s brain is functioning normally except for the part of the brain which connects to the rest of the body,” Gleason said. “A person can experience emotions such as sadness, joy, love and anger but they can’t express them.”

A locked-in patient cannot smile or frown or cry, despite feeling a corresponding emotion. Patients with the syndrome are completely aware but cannot move any part of their body; they are paralyzed from head to toe. When they have an itch to scratch or need to use the restroom, they are unable to vocalize that need.

“They want to talk but can’t speak,” Gleason said. “They want to eat but can’t swallow. They want to love and hug their three young boys and tell them, ‘Things were going to be okay,’ but their arms and legs no longer move and they never speak any words like ‘I love you’ ever again. It’s truly the most horrific condition I’ve ever known.”

Heather lived for 29 days after her stroke. On August 14, 2011, in the care of a hospice team and her family, she died.

She was 40 years old.

“The lives of our three boys and I were totally shattered,” Gleason said. “It’s a loss we will never get over, a hole that will never be filled.”

A newly single dad, Gleason had no idea what to do. The

grief was overwhelming. He knew he needed to help his sons. Gleason took his youngest, Isaac, to a bereavement camp, a choice that he called “remarkable” for his son.

A

s his boys found help and healing, Gleason found himself at a crossroads. Would his loss define him in a terrible, senseless way, or was there some glimmer of good to be found?

“I had a decision to make,” he said. “Was I going to let this horrific loss change my boys and I or could we use our heartbreaking loss to change the world in some positive way and honor their mom’s life and legacy in the process?”

Gleason said the journey that unfolded next wasn’t easy, but his boys shared his determination and devotion.

“We made it our mission to knock-out stroke, crush disabilities and save lives,” Gleason said.

As newly solo captain of the family, Gleason dubbed him and his sons the Four Coyotes. The new name was an attempt to add levity to the family’s first vacation without Heather. Gleason had t-shirts emblazoned with the name.

The boys’ response?

“Dad, really, do we have to wear those,” they asked.

Indeed they did wear the shirts, all vacation long. Though that first vacation without Heather was sad and somber, the Four Coyotes found moments of levity, often at their dad’s antics and attempts to be a great solo parent.

“The name stuck and they did smile a little,” Gleason said. “Any smile at all was worth it; mission accomplished.”

The coyotes also became a symbol of something meaningful to honor Heather’s legacy and the many people who helped the family along its journey with stroke. Gleason and his sons wanted to find a way to thank the people they call “stroke heroes” — physicians, nurses, therapists, stroke advocates, pharmaceutical and medical technology representatives, local, state and national leaders — all those working in prevention and stroke care.

“We came up with the ‘Honorary Fifth Coyote Award’ to welcome them into our coyote pack and our mission to knock-out stroke,” Gleason said. “We did ask recipients for an enthusiastic howl at some award ceremonies.”

Since the Gleason pack came up with the Fifth Coyote honor, they’ve given out more than 100 awards to stroke heroes across the country. That list includes world-renowned stroke experts, contributors to the American Stroke Association, a U.S. Senator and a high school student who saved her neighbor’s life by recognizing stroke symptoms and calling for help.

In addition to the award, Gleason created the Rocky Mountain Stroke Conference. The conference, now in its fifth year, convenes stroke experts and healthcare providers for continuing education, support and networking. Started as a statewide convention, it has grown to serve regional

and national attendees with international audiences able to attend virtually.

While bolstering stroke awareness and prevention, Gleason never stopped working or believing in the power of higher education. With a bachelor’s degree from MSU and a master’s of nursing degree in hand from Gonzaga, Gleason had plenty of education for his career in different medical settings. But in 2019, funding from the National Nursing Education Initiative through the V.A. allowed Gleason to return to MSU and work on his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). He graduated from the program last year.

By the time he graduated, Gleason had already been working as a nurse practitioner for over two decades. Friends and family questioned why he would want to tack more school on to an already impressive career.

“Obtaining my DNP not only changed things for me, the doctoral experience at MSU changed me,” Gleason said. “It transformed me into a better nurse practitioner, leader and human being.”

Today, Gleason is a primary care nurse practitioner working at the local Veterans Health Administration clinic in Great Falls. He’s been in his role for six years and calls it “the greatest honor” of his life. His passion for veterans stems in part from his own stint with the Air National Guard for 20 years before he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2015.

As for his sons, they’re busy with the business of growing up and navigating adulthood. Brady, Gleason’s oldest, is a Great Falls College MSU alumnus, and recently got married to a “brilliant and hard working nurse,” Gleason said. Carson, now 21 years old, currently attends Great Falls College MSU and hopes to transfer to MSU in Bozeman to finish a degree in marketing. Carson was recently named the Montana Stroke Hero Citizen of the Year for his work creating a stroke awareness curriculum for high school students. Isaac, now 19, is also attending Great Falls College MSU and regularly appears on the Dean’s List for his 4.0 GPA. He will also transfer to MSU Bozeman to finish a degree in finance.

“I’m really proud of all of my boys and the incredible human beings that they have become despite the horrific loss that they had to overcome,” Gleason said. “Heather’s coyotes — and now her Bobcats — are living their best lives, hopefully helping others live theirs, too.”

Jason Gleason and his sons made a documentary film “From Heartbreak to Hope” about Heather’s stroke and death, and their recovery and efforts to promote stroke education and prevention. View the film at msuaf.org/stroke

Collegian 2023 27

BY DREW VAN FOSSEN

Long before email and social media, these classmates kept in touch through a typewritten newsletter. Little did they know when they graduated from Montana State College in the spring of 1940 that their bonds to one another would carry them through a world war and on into the next millennium.

SELECT EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE CLASS OF 1940 NEWSLETTER (1944–2002) 1940

1941

1944

1945

1947

1950

1954

1955

1956

Battle of Britain

US enters WWII

D-Day invasion

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Marshall Plan

Korean War

Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier in baseball

McCarthyism and the Red Scare

Brown v. Board of Education desegregates schools

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Elvis Presley emerges as a rock ‘n’ roll icon

JFK graduates from college

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Class of 1940 newsletter first issue

B

ettie (Eagle) Nelson and Peggy (Roman) Taylor were 1940 graduates of Montana State College with degrees in Secretarial Studies. They were also BFFs. Bettie was known for her quick wit and sassy sense of humor. Peg was a connector and communicator, sending cards, letters and notes to everyone in her wide circle of friends and family.

Having entered college in the last years of the Great Depression, the pair and their classmates had barely made it through their first Thanksgiving after graduation before America entered World War II in December of 1941. Like other members of what journalist Tom Brokaw would call “The Greatest Generation,” many answered the call both at home and abroad.

By 1944, with their friends and classmates scattered around the globe, Bettie and Peggy began a labor of love that would endure for nearly 60 years — the Class of 1940 newsletter.

Included here are selected excerpts from newsletters from each decade, along with editorial commentary to provide context.

1940s The first newsletter wasn’t produced until March 1944, nearly four years after the class had graduated from Montana State. It was curated from holiday cards and letters Bettie and Peg received from classmates, with each entry given a dose of commentary and good natured teasing from the editors:

Dear old gang, We really hit the jackpot on Christmas cards this year and we’re so pleased with catching up on news of all of you that we thought it might be an idea to put down all your addresses and perhaps quote a bit from some of your messages and send a copy to each of you in case there may be an address you want and don’t have or bits of news you don’t know ... ... Gracie Williams Jacobs (most of you know her as the Canyon Chrysanthemum Queen) keeps busy with her army life. Hubby Hugo is a Marine Flyer and a grand guy and you have never seen two happier people ... ... Flossie “School Marm” Boyle wrote, “Be seeing ya some of these days,” and we wish you all could have seen her when we did. She, Jean Tait, Pat Sandbo Galt and Ann Simms had a reunion here in Bozeman, mostly at the Robin. Anyhow, it was swell seeing all of them. Tait was in uniform — Army dietitian — and looked like a million. Flossie was silly and fun as always. Come again. Soon, Floss! ...

Bettie Eagle, left, and Peggy Roman in front of the Eagle’s Store in West Yellowstone. so mad at us for quoting personal bits from your private messages to us that you will sit down right now and write us a nice long newsy letter and give us you know what.

•••

Each edition ended with a “roll call” of names and addresses of recipients. The first newsletter included 23 households, with over half being military addresses. By 1960, the list included nearly 50 households.

Bettie and Peg created expectations for participation in the newsletter. In the earliest editions, classmates who did not reply with an entry for the next edition were referred to as “stinkers.” In later editions, the authors simply listed the people they didn’t hear from, noting that non-participants would be removed from the mailing list after a period of time.

... Chuck Turner is flying all over Italy, Sicily and Africa. Guess he had a boat ride for about 24 hours a la Rickenbacker. Jane is here with her two Turner chilluns. She and Babe (Chaffin Strong) have a house together. Frank Strong is still in Australia. Seems like they could send him home sometimes, too ... ... Well youse guys in all parts of the world keep your eyes open and bring all of the eligible single men back to Bozeville with you. Or should all of us have a big reunion in West Yellowstone? ... ... Now, we hope that all of you are

1957

1959

1961

1963

1964

1965

1969

1970

1973

1974

Launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite

Alaska and Hawaii become states

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech

Civil Rights Act signed into law

Montana State College becomes Montana State University

Woodstock

First Earth Day

Roe v. Wade

Watergate Scandal and Nixon’s resignation

JFK assasination

The Beatles arrive in the US

Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Collegian 2023 29

Although the content of the newsletters was generally lighthearted and upbeat, it sometimes reflected the harsh realities of wartime, like this semi-cryptic entry after Peg’s beloved brother, Richard, was killed in action overseas.

•••

Dec. 7, 1945

We don’t want to add a sad note, nor would he want us to, but we’d like to dedicate this fifth edition to the memory of Rick Roman who thought so much of this old gang.

•••

As the decade came to a close, Peg reported her marriage in 1949 to William “Bill” Taylor. The couple had one son, Richard, born in 1957, and named him after Peg’s brother. Peg’s new husband was enlisted to join the editorial team, and from this point on, each newsletter was signed by Bettie, Peg and Bill.

1950s The war years behind them, members of the class settled around the country, contributing to the Baby Boom, purchasing or building homes and pursuing careers, and in some cases, more education. This was the era of “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best,” and the newsletter reflected the optimism of the country at that time.

••• ... Hope you can read this — I’m writing on my lap. I’m taking advantage of having a lap for another few days. With Heinrich #4 due in January, I probably won’t have one after that. The doctor thought for a while that it might be twins. I talked her out of that,

for a page or more.

tho. After all, whatever would I do with five kiddies and a 2-bedroom house! ... ... Brandy is once again making like St. Joseph with the hammer and nails, this time on a 3-bedroom, attached-garage, ranch type house.

I again play the role of purchasing agent, errand boy, and fall guy — and then there was the day Father fell off the roof. Prior to that time, he had been telling me, in defense of having his five-year-old up there with him, that such heights and climbing would give the child self-reliance and confidence ... ... Vesta and Eric Anderson: This year finds me in a philosophical mood, a sign of impending old age for sure, but I can’t help but think what a panorama of life our newsletter has become:

The edition dated January 1960 was a full 17 pages long and ended with a roll call of 49 households. By then, the newsletter had become an institution that was met with much anticipation by the classmates.

By the ’60s, the main subject of many submissions centered around the many children born in the war years and in the ’50s. One couple sent their annual update in the form of a poem, just in time for the 1960 edition: ••• This note is close to deadline — At least too doggone near So I’m gonna write this quickly Or I’m off the list this year

The accomplishments and the disappointments, the marriages made in heaven and those that have gone to hell, the fertility and the sterility.

It seems that nineteen fifty-nine Brought to our Heinrich crew A lot of joy and happiness But really nothing new.

We were given our send-off to the strains of praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. Today it’s wake up little Susie. We’ve progressed from acne to arthritis. PTA has taken over where Phi Beta Phi left off and the good scout is the father of a boy scout. We of our former big league are now concerned with Little League and Ivy League. Les Buffons have become Lions. Karst camp has been replaced by the country club.

Sputnik is of more concern than Spurs.

•••

In the 1950s, the format of the newsletter had transitioned to an alphabetical listing of each person’s news, almost always in that individual’s own words. Some of the entries are very brief and others go on

1960s

Our “count” is still the same — Five boys, four girls, dad and mother.

We’re healthy and so very “normal” (?)

And glad to have one another.

This summer Walt and I took time For the relief all parents seek — Were alone in Minneapolis and Chicago To pretend we were young for a week.

‘Nuff chatter — but may this year Let each “Newsletter gang’s” wish come true!

With special love to each of you From the kids, Walt and Jeany too!

•••

One event of the ’60s was the marriage of Bettie to Luther Nelson in 1968. With that union Luther was also added as a newsletter editor.

1976

1977

1979

1980

1981

1983

1986

1989

1990

1991

1992

America’s Bicentennial Celebration

Star Wars released

Three Mile Island nuclear accident

Mount St. Helens eruption

Ronald Reagan inaugurated as President

Sally Ride first American woman in space

Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law

Operation Desert Storm

Los Angeles Riots

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First personal computers introduced

Iran Hostage Crisis

experience issues associated with aging, often reflected in their yearly reports. And sadly, newsletters in the ’90s began to report the passing of dear old friends and classmates: ••• Yes, we are still with you, and thankful to be here. This has been a sad year for our group--we’ve lost four very dear friends. The years take their toll!

The Bettie Eagle–Peg Taylor newsletter reunion was part of the 1965 MSU Homecoming celebration. Here, the group is gathered at the Baxter Hotel.

2000s 1970s The ’70s marked the 30th anniversary of the newsletter. News was centered around travel, summer vacations, visitors and the accomplishments of grown children and grandchildren.

••• Her gray hair is coming, his is going.

Her bust line’s receding, his waistline’s growing.

Both have some of their original teeth.

They’ve stayed together through joy and grief.

She teaches child development at MSU, research is his bag with a new cancer clue.

Each is happy with what they’re doing, though nothing’s as good as those years of wooing.

1980s Several of the “Newsletter Gang” attended their 40th class reunion in Bozeman during Homecoming 1980.

•••

That reunion really was the highlight of the year. We really are a great group, aren’t we?

Sorry the time was too short to visit with everyone. Next time maybe we can change seats every 15 minutes. One of you engineers could work this out scientifically.

•••

In 1989, in honor of all their work keeping the newsletter going for so many years, the class provided a twoweek trip to Hawaii for Bettie, Luther, Peg and Bill:

••• Wow! What a year! Feb 22 was the beginning of our story-book two weeks in Hawaii! Can’t say it was a dream come true because we never dreamt we’d ever go to Hawaii together. We were just trying to get to Fairmont, Montana sometime for a week-end!

1990s In 1994 the publication turned 50 years old and still listed 30 or more households among its ranks. Many participants were beginning to

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Oklahoma City Bombing

Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, is born

Princess Diana dies in a car crash

President Clinton impeached

Columbine High School shooting

Y2K Millennium Bug concerns

9/11 Attacks

Enron scandal Salt Lake City Winter Olympics

The Class of 1940 newsletter made it to the new millennium. In 2000, an anonymous donation was made as a tribute to the dedication of the editors: ••• We received a call from the MSU Foundation informing us there had been a donation of $200,000 to MSU in honor of us because of our devotion to friends and the university for almost 60 years!

Well we are stunned and can’t thank anyone because we don’t know where the money came from. We are very humbled that this could happen to us!

•••

The donor stipulated that Bettie and Peg choose where the gift would be used. One endowment of $100K created the Bettie Eagle Nelson and Peggy Roman Taylor Scholarship in the College of Business, and the other $100K created the Bettie Eagle Nelson and Peggy Roman Taylor Libraries fund.

The final newsletter was published in February 2002 after 58 years. Bettie Eagle Nelson passed away at age 91 in 2009. Margaret “Peg” Roman Taylor followed on July 4, 2012, at age 93.

The entire collection of Class of 1940 newsletters is available online in the Archives & Special Collections section of the MSU Library: arc.lib.montana.edu/class-of-1940newsletters

Collegian 2023 31

Photo by Jeremy Weber

An inspired

HOMECOMING

After a 30-year career in government service, Gina Icenoggle returned home to Montana to help share the story of Glacier National Park

BY JESSIANNE CASTLE

T

he daughter of a rancher and a descendant of the Blackfeet Nation, Gina Icenoggle ’92 has a distinct connection to the place she calls home. This informs her approach, guiding how she lives and, therefore, how she works. How poignant, then, that she now serves as a steward for Glacier National Park.

Icenoggle is the public affairs officer for Glacier, where she helps protect one of the places she holds most dear.

32

Serving in this position, where she answers media questions and teaches visitors about the park, is a dream come true for Icenoggle, one that resulted only after a serendipitous career path that began while attending Montana State University.

“It’s interesting how things work out the way that they are supposed to and sometimes you don’t even know the path that you start down,” she says. “I spent 30 years helping protect the land that feeds the world and now I help protect

“My grandmother grew up in the Indian boarding school system and she taught us to be cautious. When I started with NRCS, I didn’t tell people I was part Blackfeet. That wasn’t always considered a favorable quality when I was growing up.”

— Gina Icenoggle

the land that feeds the soul.”

For three decades, Icenoggle worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service where she started in public affairs and eventually oversaw farm bill programs that provide technical assistance and financial incentives for farmers and ranchers to implement conservation practices. Then, in 2019, things shifted.

“I loved my job with NRCS, but 30 years of anything is a long time and I was ready for something different,” Icenoggle says. When a detail assignment became available as the acting public affairs officer for Glacier National Park during the winter of 2019, Icenoggle was excited at the opportunity to return home and was even more thrilled when she learned she’d be home to stay when she was appointed full time in May of 2020. “I grew up with Glacier National Park in my backyard, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. My mom’s side of the family is Blackfeet, so the park is more than just a place to go and sightsee. There is a natural bond to this place because Glacier National Park was the historic territory of the Blackfeet Tribe and Blackfeet creation stories come from places in the park. To have a chance to work at Glacier was extremely special to me.”

Icenoggle grew up along the Canadian border east of Glacier on a cattle ranch that her parents, now in their 80s, still operate today. After receiving a letter of intent from MSU, and having come from a family of MSU grads, she signed on to join the Bobcat rodeo team in 1987. While stalwart in her goal to compete on the rodeo team as both her parents did, Icenoggle says she was less sure about her education. “I didn’t know what I wanted to study. My dad said, ‘Well, you talk pretty good so maybe you can major in that,’” she recalls, laughing. In fact, she did just that.

In 1992, Icenoggle graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication and Public Information, but what really brought wind to her sails was a note on a bulletin board in MSU’s financial aid office. While waiting in line her junior year, she spotted an advertisement for a clerk typist with the Soil Conservation Service (since renamed NRCS). It paid a whopping $5.50 an hour — more than Icenoggle was making bussing tables at the Strand Union Building — so she applied and got the job. Then,

upon graduating, Icenoggle began climbing the ladder at NRCS, participating in a public affairs intern program, working as an area conservationist, then becoming a state public affairs officer before she transitioned to the National Park Service in 2020.

During her time with NRCS, Icenoggle worked in Missouri, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, and earned a second degree in general agriculture from Oregon State University. She also assisted in the development of a training program for NRCS employees that helps bridge understanding between federal employees and tribes. Now a formal training titled “Working Effectively with American Indians,” the program helps employees better understand the legal relationship between the U.S. government and Indigenous tribes and how to work with different tribal cultures. “I credit the inspiration for that training to a multicultural communications class that I took at Montana State,” Icenoggle says, noting that the class she took as an undergraduate at MSU, taught by Ray Weisenborn, had a profound impact on her personally.

“My grandmother grew up in the Indian boarding school system and she taught us to be cautious. When I started with NRCS, I didn’t tell people I was part Blackfeet. That wasn’t always considered a favorable quality when I was growing up,” she says. “That course on multicultural communication was my start into exploring the Native American side of my heritage. I wonder if it hadn’t been for that class whether I would have explored that part of my background as intently.

I probably would have, but it set me on a distinct path.”

Today, Icenoggle is proud to embrace her tribal identity and let that inform her work as Glacier’s public affairs officer.

Icenoggle answers some 800 media calls a year, assists with planning for each season, and helps the park communicate with visitors.

“I’m helping share the story of the park,” she says. “For so many people, when they go to Glacier National Park, they are changed forever. Being a Montanan, having grown up here, you can’t begrudge people for wanting to be here. I’m glad that there are people that want to see Glacier, but we have to make sure that it’s not loved to death. When they come, I hope that they understand that they are now also responsible for protecting this sacred place.”

Collegian 2023 33

Fish story From setting the foundation for ‘Trout U’ to showing an act of kindness to a struggling student, the name of C.J.D. Brown endures

34

BY CAROL SCHMIDT

A

fter two lackluster and uninspired years studying at Montana State College, J. David Erickson ’61, nearly reeled in his academic career one Friday afternoon in 1958.

He was perched on the stairs of the administration building on his way to turn in a drop card, pack his duffel and drive home to Williston, North Dakota, in time for supper the next day. Erickson said he saw only three options ahead of him: drop out, join the Navy or find another major.

“None of the three was inspiring.”

Yet, curiosity and something in the golden light of October drew him to Lewis Hall, a building he had never been in before that was only a few steps away from where he sat. Home to MSC’s natural sciences programs, Lewis Hall was cavernous and lined with cases full of animal and bird bones, its air thick with the scent of formaldehyde. Given the late hour, all of the office doors were closed, save for one, labeled “Fisheries.”

Inside the open door a “thin, white-haired gentleman sat before an array of jars,” Erickson wrote recently.

A plaque identified him as C.J.D. Brown, Professor of Fisheries. Brown rolled back from his desk. “May I help you?”

Erickson felt embarrassed and awkward. Clearly the

professor was busy at work. Yet, there was something in the man’s direct manner that Erickson liked, not to mention that a jar on Brown’s desk contained a golden shiner, a fish Erickson knew well for stealing his bait on the rivers he fished near his home.

“I unloaded on him,” Erickson recalled. He said he felt lost, that he had wasted his time at college — his attempts at studying geology, secondary education and soil science were desultory. What he did have was an everlasting love for the rivers and creeks of Western North Dakota. Brown did as well.

With that the confused student and renowned ichthyologist bonded over fish tales about channel catfish, yellow bullheads and walleye taken from the Little Muddy River, a 45-mile long tributary that rises in the prairie country near Williston. Brown said he wanted to survey the fish there. To do so, he would need curious and hardworking students to help. Students such as Erickson.

Erickson now recalls that it was a “near miracle of two disparate personalities finding one powerful connector.”

“Yet, these two strangers loved fish,” Erickson said.

“Incongruously, we bonded.”

Instead of submitting his drop card, Erickson brought Brown his transcript and enrolled in an MSC program option, fish culture, later known as aquaculture.

Collegian 2023 35

“In the moment, how little did I know that Dr. Brown’s straight forward and intuitive approach was actually the support I needed.”

– David Erickson ’61

“Deciding on the path was simple for me,” Erickson remembered. “And thankfully Doctor Brown had the stature and authority to find creative solutions to support students like me.”

Known to be meticulous, Brown demanded accuracy and hard work, providing solid training for countless fishery professionals. Like many of those students, Claudeous Jethro Daniels Brown hailed from a small western town.

Born in 1904 in Farr West, Utah, near Ogden, he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University.

Dr. C.J.D. Brown He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1935. Brown traveled the world studying fish and came to MSC in 1947. He began his notations on fish in Montana in 1951. He helped launch MSU’s Fish and Wildlife program in 1953, making it one of the oldest programs of its type in the country.

While at MSC, Brown continued his work internationally. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization sent Brown to Paraguay to help with their fisheries. In 1963-64 the Ford Foundation sent Brown to Egypt to work on fisheries of the Nile.

He was the president of the American Fisheries Society in 1969.

But Brown’s abiding personal interest was the identification of fish in Montana. Brown’s samples, still bearing his name and notations in 36

his careful handwriting, compose about half of the MSU fish collection housed in 401 Lewis Hall, a lab that still smells of formaldehyde and mothballs. The samples were central to Brown’s seminal book “Fishes of Montana,” published in 1971 after 23 years of research. The book was updated periodically until 2019 when Christopher Guy, Alexander Zale and Thomas McMahon, MSU professors in the Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program and fisheries researchers, developed the Fishes of Montana field guide app.

Guy, assistant unit leader of the Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit in the Department of Ecology, said 21st century app technology allows the fish data established by Brown to be updated nearly instantaneously, flexibility that is lacking in a printed book. Funded in part by a $10,000 grant from Patagonia, the app is free to download on both Android and iOS devices. Guy credits Brown’s foundation for not only the database, but also to a program central to MSU’s reputation as Trout U. While Brown’s research endures, his teachings also live on in his students.

Because of Brown’s recommendation, Erickson had a 40-year career as a hatchery biologist and director of technical services for Clear Springs Foods in Idaho. Now retired, Erickson lives in Buhl, Idaho, where he fishes, plays golf and passes on Brown’s teachings to younger professionals. In 2015 Erickson published “The Muddy River Boys,” a memoir about the successful backgrounds and careers of

a dozen boys who grew up fishing with him near Williston.

There still are lost students at Montana State, but the university now has a dedicated program to help them.

Launched in 2011, the Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success supports students with personalized advising, tutoring and coaching through a variety of programs in academic, career planning, financial education, tutoring, mentoring and support for students returning to college.

Carina Beck, director of the center, said nearly half of freshmen students typically change their major at least once during their first year. Each semester the Yarnell Center’s faculty early alert program receives more than 2,000 referrals about students who may need support. A team from the center follows up with the students to assist moving them to action, she said.

“Dr. Brown’s example reminds us that MSU’s commitment to the land grant mission is situated deep in our history,” Beck said. “All it usually takes is one person to make that difference to help our students find a sense of purpose and belonging. From there, the remarkable magic of the power of transformation through education begins.”

Erickson adds that students should be on the lookout for their own Dr. Brown.

“He absolutely changed my trajectory,” Erickson said. “It is remarkable what one person can do to influence a student, and Dr. Brown was one of those people.”

Everyday heroes

BY HANNAH STIFF

What would you do if someone you barely knew stepped up to donate part of their liver in order to save your life?

J

esse Graves was 16 years old when a routine checkup from her eye doctor turned into a diagnosis that would change her life. Her eye doctor discovered that Graves had Wilson’s disease, a genetic disorder that causes copper to accumulate in the organs — specifically in the eyes, liver and brain.

At first, the maintenance medications doctors put Graves on were enough to keep the harshest disease symptoms quiet. Then, ten years ago, Graves had what she calls a “Wilson’s relapse.” She developed tremors in her extremities. Her speech patterns were similar to a stroke victim. The relapse required lots of physical and occupational therapy to help Graves so she no longer relied on a cane and could speak normally again.

While she lived with uncertainty of Wilson’s disease, Graves also met many milestones alongside her peers. She went to college at MSU, earning a bachelor of science in biology education with a minor in chemistry.

She fell in love and married a kind-hearted man named Jordan ’04 in 2007. She moved to the tiny town of Rapelje to teach science. Graves and her husband Jordan welcomed two boys — Huck and Pip — into the world in 2015 and 2016.

It was in the happy days of raising children and settling into the rhythms of balancing family, work

and community, that Graves’ life began to shift again.

“It wasn’t until after my two pregnancies that my liver disease started to become an issue,” she explained.

“In the late summer of 2021, I had esophageal varices burst and had to be ambulanced from Sheridan, Wyoming, to Billings.”

It was that trip to the hospital that revealed more than even her immediate painful symptoms.

“The doctors in Billings said that based on the bleed and my lab work, I should have had a liver transplant years ago,” Graves said.

Doctors recommended Graves begin researching a transplant program at the University of Colorado Health Anschutz in Aurora. At UC Health, Graves’ prognosis was verified. She needed a new liver immediately. Friends and family quickly rallied support, encouraging anyone in their extended networks to try and match with Graves as a liver donor.

Liver donors are unique because they don’t donate their entire organ during the procedure, just a portion of the liver that eventually regenerates itself. Though many applied to donate, it was someone Graves never suspected that ended up her unlikely donor.

“I was touched that someone who I didn’t know very well was willing to make such a physical and financial

Collegian 2023 37

sacrifice for me,” Graves explained.

That someone was Justin Arndt ’06.

Arndt’s wife, Jamie (Rost) ’07, knew Graves in college. The two women had worked in the residence life system at MSU and attended several classes together. With time, Graves and Jamie drifted into their own established lives, they came together again for weddings and when passing through the same corners of the world. Though friendly, Graves said she didn’t know Justin well.

“My first impression of Justin was someone who doesn’t talk much, but when he does, you want to listen as it will either be very wise or make you laugh,” Graves said. “I had actually only talked to Justin twice — once in London and once at his wedding to Jamie — before we matched.”

Arndt said he learned about Graves’ condition and need for a liver via Facebook.

“My wife and I were sitting down, she was scrolling through Facebook and saw Jesse’s plea for a liver and saw that live donation was a thing,” Arndt said. “At the time we thought, ‘Yeah, ok, we’ll put our names on the list.’ We didn’t think it would ever happen.”

Y

ears before Graves needed a liver, Arndt found his way to MSU from a town just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota where he grew up. Arndt said it was his love for movies, and a friend who was also interested in making films, that drew him to MSU. Arndt had also been to Bozeman once, in his youth, to ski. Like so many others, the promise of powder and a program he loved was enough to lure him to Montana.

Arndt eventually graduated with his degree in film and followed his wife to London. It was in England that Arndt discovered his love of podcasting and web development (and fish and chips) and eventually earned his Master’s of Science in Electronic Publishing. When the couple eventually exhausted their international adventure and moved 38

Although Justin Arndt (right), volunteered to donate a part of his liver to Jesse Graves (left), tests revealed he was not the right candidate. By means of a “paired exchange” Arndt donated to another person in need of a liver. In turn, Graves received her liver from someone associated with that unknown transplant patient.

home to Bozeman, he found work at MSU as a web developer.

The Arndts settled into Bozeman and started a family. With two young boys and busy careers, the family found their own routines in adulthood.

It was impossible to predict that on a seemingly normal day in 2023, Arndt started getting calls from doctors at the transplant center in Aurora, Colorado.

At first, Arndt thought many prospective donors were receiving similar follow-up calls. When he asked his wife, she said that she hadn’t heard anything from UC Health. Though Jamie hadn’t been asked to donate her

liver, she was “100 percent on board,” with her husband doing so.

“She said, ‘Let’s do it, we’ll figure it out,’” Ardnt said.

And they did. After doctors determined Arndt was a good candidate for partial liver donation, he was whisked away for a battery of tests.

Those tests eventually revealed that although he could donate his liver, he wasn’t the right candidate to directly donate to Graves.

That’s when doctors started talking about a “paired exchange.”

“You donate to a stranger,” Arndt said. “And someone who knows that

“I was touched that someone who I didn’t know very well was willing to make such a physical and financial sacrifice for me.”

— Jesse Graves

person will donate to Jesse.”

Though the UC Health team had done many paired exchanges with kidneys, they had never done a liver transplant before. After more blood work and waiting, Arndt and Graves eventually learned that they would be part of the “swaperation,” as Graves calls it.

“Having a living donor for my first transplant was a huge blessing,” Graves said. “Because I knew there wasn’t a family suffering while my family was rejoicing.”

In the days surrounding both their surgeries, Graves and Arndt spent time getting to know each other.

“We hung out in the hospital quite a bit,” Arndt said. “It was during the World Cup, so we watched some soccer. It’s an interesting relationship.”

In the days and months that followed Arndt’s surgery, he was able to slowly recover as his liver started to grow back. And though Ardnt ended up donating his liver to a stranger, he’s gotten to speak to his recipient.

“My recipient emailed me,” Arndt said. “We exchanged postcards on the six-month anniversary.

What I wrote in my card was, ‘You don’t owe me anything.’”

For Arndt, he really means it. He says any decent person would donate if they were given the chance. Arndt also says his outlook on life has shifted.

“It’s changed my life in interesting ways,” he said. “It’s provided me a different level of confidence in myself.”

Arndt said his wife and kids were rock stars in his absence.

“They totally let me heal,” he said.

“They didn’t call me and tell me about all these problems, they gave me this

space. It was like stepping out of my life for the four weeks I was in Denver.”

His boys’ only concern was that when their dad healed, he’d be able to come home and play football with them again.

While Arndt’s pain eventually abated, Graves’ journey was much rougher. The post-surgery complications added up so quickly that the Graves family ended up spending months on end in different rentals in the Denver area.

“This is how things go when you have Wilson’s Disease,” Graves said. “A body with Wilson’s Disease does what it wants, when it wants. It feels like my Wilson’s Disease got a copy of the list of possible complications and started treating it like a bucket list, checking them off.”

A

fter months of trying to recover and make her body cooperate with the new liver, doctors gave Graves the bad news. The new liver she received had blood clots in portions of the organ that were starved of blood flow and died. Graves needed a new liver, immediately.

On Easter Sunday, the transplant center called, saying a liver was available from a deceased donor.

“We had 20 minutes to decide whether to accept the liver or pass and hope another offer would come,” Graves said. “We accepted the offer.”

On April 10, Graves got her second liver transplant and what she calls her “second chance at life.” And this time, that second chance stuck.

“I can walk a mile and a half without feeling like I’ve been hit by a semi,” Graves said. “I have my appetite back and have been enjoying all the

food that the Denver area has to offer.”

While she’s gotten her appetite back, she’s also shed water weight her body was holding from her liver medications.

“Since my new liver is working so well, I have shed about 80 pounds of water,” Graves said. “I feel like I’m having a second adolescence. I don’t recognize myself in the mirror and all of my clothes are too big.”

After the second liver surgery, Graves needed lab work once a week to ensure her levels of anti-rejection medication were sufficiently dosed. She will continue to touch base with her transplant team about every 90 days.

She has new pills she’ll take every morning for the rest of her life.

Nine months after her first liver transplant, on July 1, the Graves family was finally able to return home to Sheridan, Wyoming. As Graves settles in with her boys, who have been away from home so long, she can’t help thinking of the other families waiting for a transplant, waiting for hope.

“I want people to consider organ donation,” Graves said. “There are many, many people waiting for a match. Parents, partners, children, families are all waiting for a match.”

As Arndt said through his entire donation journey, the rewards of being a live donor are immense.

“Living donation doesn’t just help the person you’re donating to,” Arndt said. “There’s also a long list of people waiting for a liver. The people on the list are taken off that list and other people can move up and have a chance for a liver and a chance to live longer.

That was very humbling to think about.”

Collegian 2023 39

MSU’s Student Memorial

Once a Bobcat, always a Bobcat

BY KAY LAFRANCE

40

W

hen Carolyn Thompson ’14 was a 12-yearold student in Eugene, Oregon, a teacher asked her where she wanted to be in ten years. She hastily glanced at a map and then blurted, “Dillon, Montana.” Carolyn stuck to her story and a few years later as a high school freshman, she road-tripped with her family to Montana and fell in love with all of it.

Although the town of Dillon did not exactly fit the bill, there was never a doubt that she would move to Montana one day to attend college. There was an underlying dilemma, however, and that was the question of how to keep herself engaged in all things equestrian after she moved to Montana.

A year later, at age 15, Carolyn declared she was going to be an engineer. She knew her family would not support her expensive horse habit forever and a career in engineering seemed like a path that would get her everything she could imagine for her future. She attended an MSU Friday event through the Office of Admissions and felt at home and welcomed immediately.

She never looked at another university.

As a student, Carolyn embraced everything MSU had to offer. She occasionally found herself with two or three other women among 50 young men in engineering classes. Never intimidated, she loved a challenge and a bit of healthy competition among colleagues. She became active in the equestrian club, and she spent considerable time at the BART Farm, specifically riding in the Bob Miller Pavilion. She quickly adopted the manner of western riding instead of the dressage style she was accustomed to in Oregon.

In her fourth year at MSU, Carolyn decided to add a second major and stay in Bozeman another year.

Sadly, she didn’t get to enjoy that decision, though, as it all came to a tragic end in 2014 when Carolyn was killed in a car crash during the spring semester. The world stopped momentarily for the Thompson family but eventually Carolyn’s sister was able to walk across the stage at the spring commencement ceremony in her stead. It was crucial to Carolyn’s mom, Kathy, that her daughter’s name be in the program. Carolyn had earned the diploma, after all.

A few months later, when Kathy was back in Bozeman, it was important for her to see Carolyn’s name at the student memorial. At that time, Kathy told Matt Caires, dean of students, she thought the

memorial space could be better and she used part of the insurance settlement around Carolyn’s death to get the process started. In 2016, an MSU student survey found that students wanted to keep the memorial in the same location near the campus duck pond but wanted it more open and visible. They wanted a space where students, families and community could come together to honor, celebrate and grieve their fellow students.

In 2019, ASMSU voted to commit $75,000 to update the student memorial, and in 2020, project organizers participated in MSU Giving Day, a 29-hour online fundraising event, and drew more than 150 donors. MSU’s dean of students office, president’s office, and administration and finance office also contributed. In all, $300,000 was raised for Carolyn Thompson the student memorial’s redesign and restoration.

In October 2022, a ceremony marked the renovation and reopening of the student memorial north of the campus duck pond. A small crowd of people attended, including Kathy Thompson. When asked if the student memorial helped with her grief she responded, “It is nice to know it’s there and I like seeing Carolyn’s name on campus (her name is also on a historical plaque at the Miller Pavilion), but the true comfort has come from the people. MSU was the most wonderful blossoming experience for Carolyn, and I love being around the people who knew her and contributed to that experience.

I’ll always answer the phone if someone is calling from the 406 area code.”

At the end of the ceremony, President Cruzado remarked that the memorial is a reminder of “one of the saddest parts of life at the university and also a reminder that the memorialized students are Bobcats, and we will never forget them.”

Collegian 2023 41

Bridging the gap 42

Jabs Young Alumni Board works to nestle into a helping space between students and experienced alums of the college of business

BY GREG CAPPIS

M

any aspects of college life can feel daunting to first-year students, like laundry, making friends and figuring out academic schedules. Starting a career and establishing a route to a dream job can be downright overwhelming at times. Montana State University student Kinzie Mason found navigating myriad classes, internships and extracurriculars difficult.

However, she experienced some relief after a group of recent graduates of the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship visited her freshman career-readiness class to chat about the routes they took from their first year to their first jobs after graduation.

“I loved it,” Mason said. “It was nice to hear someone around their age discuss the business side of things.”

The alumni who spoke to Mason’s class are members of the recently formed Jabs Young Alumni Board, a group designed to help undergraduates succeed at the business college and start their careers while also establishing a network of young alumni.

“I feel like this board that we’re creating can fill what I see as a critical need for the college,” said Garrett Leach’s ’18, one of the founders of the young alumni board.

Since graduating with a finance degree from Montana State University in 2018, Leach moved to the East Coast for work, received a master’s degree from Tsinghua University in China — virtually due to the pandemic — and returned

to Bozeman for his current role as an associate at Next Frontier Capital, a venture firm that invests in startup tech companies from the Rocky Mountain West.

In his downtown Bozeman office, complete with a whiteboard, coffee table, glass wall and a canvas map of the world, Leach sports a long-sleeved polo, slacks and sneakers, looking like the young businessman he is.

He also has remained in contact with administrators at MSU’s business school and is working with them to fill a missing element he said he noticed during his days at Jabs.

Leach and other young MSU alumni said they could have benefitted from knowing a person like Leach is now while they were in college. They mentioned having more experienced mentors while at MSU, but they didn’t know many recent graduates who could help them through the process of finding a first job and getting established in the workplace. An accounting major, for instance, could meet a chief financial officer and learn about that job, but they didn’t hear from young professionals navigating their first job or first decade out of college. They also didn’t have a network to help them stay in contact with classmates after graduation.

To fill that gap, Leach is leading a group of recent MSU business graduates who, in 2022, formed the Jabs Young Alumni Board.

“The original idea behind the board was that all of us

“The original idea behind the board was that all of us knew other young alums that had an interest in giving back to the college in some way.”

— Garrett Leach ’20

Collegian 2023 43

“Knowing how scary making the transition to go out into the working world is, I see a huge opportunity to help students prepare for that change.”

— Tessa Wuertz ’17

knew other young alums that had an interest in giving back to the college in some way,” Leach said. “We wanted to create this structure which would allow young alums to stay involved with the college, get connected with undergraduate students and help them navigate the path from graduation to early career — and also create a more robust network of young alumni both locally and across the country and world.”

The idea for the board began in 2021. Leach had begun talking to business college dean Dan Miller about starting the board and determining how they could be useful, when, coincidentally, Peter Pfankuch, who graduated in 2020 with a degree in business management, contacted the business school, looking for a way to give back and stay involved. An administrator put Pfankuch in touch with Leach, and the two of them worked together to launch the board.

Leach and Pfankuch worked with other alumni and administrators at the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship to determine the structure and focus of the board. In the spring of 2022, they solicited applications from alumni who had graduated within the last 10 years.

They received 38 applications and settled on an 18-member volunteer board, with Leach serving as chair and Pfankuch as vice chair. During the board’s inaugural year, members created governing documents to form a mission, while also establishing some rules and regulations.

“We were intentional with the governing docs to not define how our mission was going to manifest, which allows that to be fluid over the next couple of years,” said Pfankuch from a chair in a conference room at Foundant Technologies, where he manages the Bozeman company’s internship program.

As for rules, each member serves a two-year term, where they are required to support the board’s mission of 44

mentoring undergraduates and connecting with other young alumni. Board members are also required to join one of three working groups — governance, student engagement or alumni engagement. The working groups meet monthly, and the entire board meets roughly every other month.

“I’m proud of the board,” said member Ashley Meyer, who graduated in 2020 with degrees in business management and psychology and now works as a consultant in Bellingham, Washington. “We’ve really taken our time to make sure we have a really strong framework in place.”

‘A more relevant conduit’ It has been six years since Tessa Wuertz received bachelor’s degrees in marketing and business management from MSU. After spending a few years working in Seattle, she is back in Bozeman handling marketing for Bridger Photonics. Last spring, as part of her work as a member of the Jabs Young Alumni Board, she returned to Jabs Hall and spoke to a career readiness class of about 150 freshmen.

After answering questions on how to navigate the business school and find jobs, she met with students.

“One thing we heard was students found it helpful to hear from someone in a role that they can more easily imagine themselves in in a couple years,” she said.

Wuertz, who chairs the board’s undergraduate working group, said her desire to serve on the board stems from her time as a student, when she didn’t know any young graduates or have a way of meeting them. Now she’s working on plans to connect with students and find opportunities for young graduates to serve as mentors.

“Knowing how scary making the transition to go out into the working world is, I see a huge opportunity to help students prepare for that change,” she said. “We’re young

“We want a way to connect young alumni and foster relationships between them and the undergrads and the college of business and be perhaps a more relevant conduit to the professional space.”

— Peter Pfankuch ’20

enough to still feel those scary first career feelings and see how we can help.”

A top priority of the young alumni board is helping undergraduates. While trying to find how they can be most useful, business college administrators expressed to the board that retention is a focus of the school, so the board is trying to get in front of students early in their college career.

This allows alumni to mentor young students and help them avoid some of the pitfalls that lead to dropping out.

This fall the board is planning to meet with another freshman class. They have also piggybacked off a recruiting and networking event, where they helped students write resumes and advised them on how to interact with potential employers. Looking ahead, they plan to develop relationships with the various student clubs at the business college to offer support.

“We want a way to connect young alumni and foster relationships between them and the undergrads and the college of business and be perhaps a more relevant conduit to the professional space,” Pfankuch said. “A lot of the undergrads can see a path between where they are and where we are.”

A resource for each other The board’s work doesn’t end at graduation. The other main directive of the board is alumni engagement, or being a resource for one another, which can mean helping colleagues find jobs or welcoming them to a new city.

To kick things off, the board started a LinkedIn group to connect with more young graduates, including those not on the board. The virtual community has served as a meeting place and exchange of ideas and career opportunities.

Currently, about 60% of board members live in the

Gallatin Valley, but others have migrated to places like Seattle, Denver and Madison, Wisconsin. Leach said having board members in different states can help other graduates get settled when they move to a new city.

“Over time, the goal is to have a balance of board members living in Bozeman and around the country so members can serve as liaisons to different regions where there are hubs of young alumni,” Leach said.

They’re also working on creating events for alumni, whether it be tailgating at Bobcat football games or other social meetups. They want to one day create an annual event to bring alumni together.

A large part of alumni engagement is growing the network. Mariah Stopplecamp, director of MSU’s Bracken Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Business Education, which helps students with career opportunities and professional development, has worked directly with the board. She would like to see the young alumni group start accepting general members, too.

“Some individuals may want to show up to a couple events a year: awesome,” Stopplecamp said. “And they can still mentor and connect and support other alumni or undergraduate students. ... I think that’s the next kind of step for the board, is to bring on more individuals as like a general membership.”

Looking to the future, Pfankuch said the board would like to become a recognized resource at the business college.

Most of all, these young graduates feel an innate desire to give back to the college that jumpstarted their careers and to help and inspire others.

Miller, the dean of the business college, said he is proud of the work the volunteer board has done.

“I look forward to this board continuing to grow and contribute to the community at Jabs,” he said.

Collegian 2023 45

estate plannng

Well-planted seeds Ed and Bonnie Green share the harvest of their lives through an endowed chair and experiential learning fund

BY SARAH LUDIN

C

harles E. “Ed” Green, Jr. ’65, Ph.D. ’70, was drawn to the plant world on his family’s ranch in Chester, Montana. In high school, he became acquainted with Doug Smith, the Montana State University County Extension agent in Chester at the time. Ed joined a soil and plant judging team organized by Smith, training to identify range plants and soil types at state and national competitions.

Following his passion for plants, he enrolled at Montana State. As an undergraduate, he encountered faculty who introduced him to microbes, viruses, genetics and biochemistry.

Ed graduated with a degree in microbiology. He immediately went to work in MSU’s chemistry department with a biochemist whose research launched Ed into the world of molecular biology, which led him to a doctorate in genetics.

After graduate school, Ed joined the University of Minnesota faculty in the agronomy and plant genetics department. There he conducted pioneering research that led to the development of tissue culture methods in corn which were widely adopted in other cereal crops. In addition, he was instrumental in applying these new tools to grain quality and disease and herbicide resistance. Ed spent 14 years at the University of Minnesota before being recruited into the plant biotechnology industry.

Ed quickly moved into management, where his responsibilities focused on developing and applying

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new methods to enhance variety development in vegetable crops. He finished his management career as senior vice president for research at Seminis, then the largest vegetable seed company in the world. Thereafter, he consulted for several years, including at Monsanto and the International Seed Group.

Ed met his wife Bonnie in Minnesota. Bonnie grew up in Gonvick, Minnesota. She attended the University of North Dakota and earned an elementary education and early childhood development degree.

She had an elementary teaching career, culminating as the director of a child learning development center, a preschool program with an annual enrollment of 350.

Ed and Bonnie firmly believe in higher education and giving back to future generations.

“We all stand on the shoulders of our predecessors,” Ed said.

When the Greens reflected on their lives and educational experiences, they wanted to help other students discover their own career passions. They also had each benefited from scholarships and strong support.

“The decision to give back to MSU has its roots in the realization that attending MSU was a major formative time for my development and career.

When I entered as a freshman, I had a real desire to continue my education but frankly with unformed ideas of where that might actually lead,” Ed said.

Notably, at MSU, Ed was challenged

Ed and Bonnie Green

and supported in his research, which ultimately led to his successful research career in plant biosciences.

“Bonnie and I knew that the discovery process is facilitated by the availability of high-quality faculty, who are dedicated to expanding the development of the students they encounter. This is why we find it so compelling to give back to MSU in the form of an endowed chair and an experiential learning fund.”

Through their fund, Bonnie and Ed seek to facilitate undergraduate and graduate students in broadening their educational experience by enabling enhanced learning opportunities outside the classroom, such as research, conference attendance and other scholarly projects. The Greens also

created an endowed faculty chair for the Department of Plant Sciences, supporting the recruitment, retention, research, teaching and outreach activities of the university’s teaching and researching faculty.

“The Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology is a perfect fit for our giving plans because it embodies my career and our desire to facilitate its students and faculty in their careers and success. In the broader sense, this is important work for Montana and the broader world,” Ed said.

Bonnie and Ed have two sons and three grandchildren. They are active in multiple church and community programs.

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E

d and Bonnie Green’s gifts directly impact the experiences and educations of individual students like Rhett Wolery and Brandon Tillett ’21.

The farm that Rhett grew up on in Rudyard, Montana, is not far from where Ed grew up. Rhett was always interested in the crops and cropping systems his family used on their farm.

Having grown MSU wheat varietals on their farm and coming from a whole family of Bobcats, it was easy for Rhett to choose Montana State to pursue a degree in crop science.

What Rhett did not anticipate, though, was the opportunity he would have as a freshman at MSU, thanks to the Greens’ experiential learning fund.

Brandon grew up gardening in northern Virginia. He always had a green thumb and an interest in genetics, eventually leading him to a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at MSU. Brandon is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in plant sciences and plant genetics at MSU. “Genetics are at the forefront, cutting edge of science. I am hoping to use my knowledge and skills to breed plants to survive climate change and

protect biodiversity,” Brandon said.

Brandon’s research is focused on breeding wheat lines for increased yield, by exploring genes that affect the head metrics of the plant.

Rhett works in the plant bioscience lab, helping Brandon evaluate the effect of different genes. Rhett’s job is funded by the Greens’ fund, and it has given him hands-on learning that is formative to his undergraduate studies and career path.

“It’s been interesting to learn from this side about the wheat varieties that MSU produces. Without this job, I couldn’t gain this priceless experience.

It has opened my eyes to different ideas about career paths,” Rhett explained.

Brandon also benefits significantly from the funding provided by Ed and Bonnie. He gets the hands-on help he needs with required tasks and gains teaching and collaborative research experiences for his own career.

“Rhett is a rare type of student.

It’s not often that a freshman college student has the drive and interest to learn what I have been teaching Rhett.

Rhett is already capable of doing some of our important work on his own.

In addition, I gain a lot from one-onone teaching. It reinforces my own understanding of the field and helps me practice and learn how to be a better educator,” Brandon said.

Brandon and Rhett expressed their gratitude for the Greens and other donors who support education.

“Thank you. Experiences like this are invaluable for students and influence their decisions and career paths,” Rhett said.

Brandon added, “A more educated society builds a better society. Any support of education builds a better future for us all. Funds like those donated by the Greens help young students grow and contribute just like the opportunity Ed had all those years ago in higher education.”

Rhett Wolery (top) and Brandon Tillett ’21

The 1893 Society

honors and recognizes Ed and Bonnie Green and all those who have made a planned gift commitment to MSU with a gift in their will or other estate planning mechanism, such as annuities, trusts, retirement plans, real estate or life insurance policies.

To learn how planned giving can help you give smarter and transform lives, visit: plannedgiving.msuaf.org

Collegian 2023 47

Impact Report The Montana State University Alumni Foundation works to keep graduates and friends of our university connected to one another and to their alma mater, all while raising significant private financial support and providing stewardship for invested resources.

This annual Impact Report reflects our mission to “cultivate lifelong relationships and secure private support to advance Montana State University.” Here we highlight our engagement and fundraising efforts and the resulting impact made possible by so many generous donors.

Ninety-five percent of each dollar raised goes directly to MSU projects and programs. Five percent is reinvested to support additional fundraising, alumni engagement and events and MSU priorities.

FUNDRAISING FY23 Gifts & Pledges

$46,467,023 FY 2023 includes the period from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023

Private funding put to use by MSU

New Estate, Trust & Planned Gifts

Unique donors

First-time donors

$18M

13,695 48

$19M 2,128

SCHOLARSHIPS Amount awarded for scholarships

$8,250,000 Academic Year 2022-23

Students receiving scholarships

2,790

Scholarships awarded

3,727

New endowed scholarships & fellowships

28

ALUMNI & FRIENDS Total MSU alumni of record

148,450

Types of events

Total engagement events

Chapters, tailgates, watch parties, Bobcat Friday Nights, regional, class reunions, awards, athletic, affinity reunions, university events, retiree association, OLLI and continued learning, professional affiliation, student engagement, CatTreks, advocacy, Bobcat Family Fellows/parent-centric and virtual.

FY 2023

18

274

ENDOWMENT Total endowment

$231,500,000 As of June 30, 2022

Total gifts to endowed funds

$24,737,291 FY 2023

Collegian 2023 49

2022-23 impact report

Found here are notable projects from the year ending June 30, 2023.

These advancements were made possible through the generosity of donors.

MSU Rodeo

Agriculture

fter years of leasing practice space and finding boarding facilities for team animals, the Montana State University men’s and women’s rodeo teams need your help in raising $250,000 to complete the purchase of a permanent home.

The newly named Stock Family MSU Rodeo Facility in Belgrade was purchased by the MSU Alumni Foundation last summer at the university’s request. Contributions to the project include $500,000 of non-state funds from the university and $500,000 from the MSU Alumni Foundation operating reserves, as approved by the MSUAF Board of Governors. The remaining total is being raised with the help of private donors, including two $1 million contributions: one from KC and Georgia Stock and one from Brian and Lindsay Stock. But the MSU Rodeo teams still need your help to cross the finish line for the last $250,000. Those interested in supporting the Bobcat Rodeo team may contact Karen Cantrell, MSU Alumni Foundation unit liaison to athletics, at karen.cantrell1@ msubobcats.com.

rograms promoting precision agriculture, youth development, agriculture scholarships and the state’s farm and ranch heritage will all benefit from a $10 million gift to Montana State University. The anonymous donation will establish a series of endowments focused on programs based in the MSU College of Agriculture and MSU Extension.

The largest portion of the gift, $5 million, will endow a dedicated faculty chair in precision agriculture who will lead development of new technologies and their datadriven applications for the future of Montana’s largest industry. The new faculty chair position will work to help Montanans improve profitability, agricultural efficiency and sustainability. In addition to the faculty chair, the endowments will provide $3 million to MSU Extension’s 4-H youth development programs, dramatically increasing 4-H’s reach and impact in all 56 Montana counties and all seven reservations. Also receiving support from the gift, at $1 million each, will be a new scholarship fund supporting MSU students pursuing a degree in the College of Agriculture and the Dan Scott Ranch Management program. The new endowed scholarship fund will provide funding for students to develop the skills and knowledge to create more profitable ranches and improve natural resource use.

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P

Sources: MSU News Service and MSU Alumni Foundation

Nursing–Kalispell

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ogan Health plans to donate land for a new nursing education building in Kalispell to be built with a portion of a $101 million investment by philanthropists Mark and Robyn Jones to Montana State University. In August 2021, Mark and Robyn Jones announced a philanthropic investment of $101 million to Montana State University for the construction of new, larger, state-of-the-art educational facilities on the five campuses of its nursing college in Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula. This investment provides the first opportunity to have university–owned facilities in Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula, which currently utilize leased facilities. Logan Health will provide land located on the north side of its Kalispell campus for the new nursing education building.

Logan Health is a nonprofit, 603-bed health system based in Kalispell.

While the main medical campus is located in Flathead County, Logan Health draws from a total service area covering 13 counties, nearly 40,000 square miles and a population of more than 600,000. Montana State is the largest producer of registered nurses in Montana and is the sole provider of doctoral nurse practitioner education in the state.

LIFE Scholars

$6 million gift from Patt and Terry Payne is helping fund a Montana State University program that provides pathways to higher education for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as a new program that supports Montana students in their junior and senior years at the university.

Half of the Paynes’ gift is for the LIFE Scholars program (LIFE stands for Learning Is For Everyone), which was founded in 2018 and supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The inclusive post-secondary experience consists of three main components: academics, career development and campus engagement. LIFE Scholars who have strong independent living skills can also live on campus. The other half of the Paynes’ gift is for MSU’s new Montana’s Own program, which seeks to improve the futures of Montana resident students who are close to the graduation finish line and could benefit from scholarship, academic and career development support. Montana’s Own supports students who graduated from a Montana high school and have earned 60 or more credits. Preference is given to students who are the first in their family to attend college and who are eligible for federal Pell Grants, which are given to undergraduates with exceptional financial need.

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ommunity Medical Center has signed a letter of intent to donate land in Missoula for a new nursing education building to be built with a portion of a $101 million investment by philanthropists Mark and Robyn Jones to Montana State University. Community Medical Center will provide land located on Fort Missoula Road, adjacent to the hospital campus, for the new 20,000-square foot nursing education building. The Joneses, who have a home in Whitefish, have said their intention with the $101 million is to help address one of the most defining challenges of our time: access to health care, particularly for residents of rural and frontier communities, where there is low population and high geographic remoteness.

Community Medical Center is a health system comprising adult and pediatric health care delivery systems.

It is located in Missoula and is part of Lifepoint Health and Billings Clinic. Community Medical Center is the only hospital in Montana that has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of approval for Advanced Certification in Perinatal Care (ACPC). It is also Western Montana’s only chest pain accredited hospital and its Cancer Center is accredited by the Commission on Cancer for advanced clinical care, scientific research and technological inventions.

Student Memorial

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ctober 5, 2022, marked the reopening of a renovated memorial that honors students who have died while enrolled at MSU. The outdoor space, which displays names dating to 1990, is located just off the west entrance of the Centennial Mall near the Duck Pond. As part of its redesign and renovation, the student memorial and the names of the students it honors are now more visible, and the site includes outdoor seating, new trees and landscaping. The original student memorial was built in 1990 after the deaths of two students in Langford Hall. But a surrounding wall closed it off visually, and it was not wellknown on campus, according to Matt Caires, dean of students. Also, there was no clearly established process for ensuring that the memorial was regularly updated, he said. As part of their research, members of student government surveyed dozens of students and found that the majority wanted the student memorial kept in the same location but made more open and visible. Students surveyed also said they wanted it to be a space where students could come together, rather than a space for individuals to privately grieve. In all, $300,000 was contributed for the student memorial’s redesign and renovation.

Collegian 2023 51

2022-23 impact report

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Nursing–Missoula

things to see & do

SEPTEMBER

A message from the Vice President Dear MSU alumni, friends and fans, I want to share something personal with you — my values, which absolutely play into my role here at MSU. • Accomplish meaningful work • Champion loyalty • Nurture relationships • Have strong character • Live in happiness • Do it all with excitement!

I am incredibly humbled to walk alongside you and serve you, and to live out these values in doing very meaningful work, all to advance our MSU. We enjoy bringing MSU to you as we travel throughout Montana and beyond, as well as welcoming you back to campus for Homecoming, reunions, games and more. We know Bozeman has changed, but at the core of this college town is MSU. Montana State wouldn’t be the place it is without the many people who helped build it.

Sonny Holland ’60, is one of those people. To lose a Bobcat giant like him has helped us think and work harder on relationships and building loyalty, just as he did throughout his life. The Class of 1940 shared their lives in the written word in a newsletter lasting decades. During difficult times in our world, they persevered and lifted each other up and remained connected to Montana State. My mentor Jaynee Drange Groseth ’73, celebrated commencement this year as part of the 50th reunion class; it was fun to have her participate in a program she and Sonny helped build. What a terrific display of values for the love of this place, each and every one of these Bobcats. You are part of this, too.

In Blue & Gold, Kerry Hanson ’93, ’08 M Vice President for Engagement

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25–30

Come home!

Homecoming Week

Be a part of Montana State’s most memorable weekend, Homecoming! Thousands of alumni will return home to honor long-standing traditions, rekindle nostalgia and participate in a weekend of events.

Homecoming is a time for students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and the Bozeman community to show their Bobcat spirit. Be sure to check out the most up-to-date schedule of events and activities online at msuaf.org/homecoming Monday, Sept. 25 Foreigner Concert: The Historic Farewell Tour Tuesday, Sept. 26 Lighting of the “M” Thursday, Sept. 28 Very Important Alumni Bookstore Open House Go ’Cats Lighting Lewis Hall 100-year Anniversary Celebration Friday, Sept. 29 Roberts Hall 100th Anniversary Open House Homecoming Award Ceremony Alumni Friday at the Rocking R Homecoming Pep Rally Greek Alumni Social Saturday, Sept. 30 Serenade Before the Parade ASMSU Homecoming Parade Homecoming Tailgate MSU Football vs. Portland State If you have questions, please contact the MSU Alumni Foundation Engagement Team at: rsvp@msuaf.org

Tailgates & Friday Nights For Bobcat alumni, friends, families and fans

A great gameday experience begins with a great tailgate! Alumni, friends and fans are invited to celebrate the Bobcats at away football games and at our Homecoming Tailgate. Join us for Bobcat Friday Nights before the big game and for tailgates two and a half hours prior to kickoff on gameday. Bobcat Friday Nights and Tailgates are held at away games, so we can support the ’Cats on the road. For more information regarding Bobcat Friday Nights and Tailgates visit: msuaf.org/tailgate

September 2

Montana State vs. Utah Tech (Gold Rush)

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Montana State at South Dakota State

15 Montana State vs. Stetson (Military Appreciation) 23

Montana State at Weber State

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Montana State vs. Portland State (Homecoming)

October 14

Montana State vs. Cal Poly (Parent Family Weekend)

28 Montana State at Idaho State November 4

Montana State vs. Northern Arizona University (Celebrate Ag/Pack the Place in Pink)

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Montana State vs. Eastern Washington

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Montana State at Montana (122nd Brawl of the Wild)

Collegian 2023 53

things to see & do

SAVE THE DATE

NOVEMBER

cat-griz week

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122 Brawl of the Wild nd

Saturday, November 18, Washington Grizzly Stadium, Missoula The annual Cat-Griz football game — affectionately known as the Brawl of the Wild — is one of the greatest rivalries in the nation! Check out what we have in store for you and participate in this beloved rivalry from your corner of the globe. For the most updated information visit msuaf.org/catgriz

Bobcat Brawl Bingo Play #BobcatBrawlBingo23 from your couch, a watch party or even in the stands! We will be giving away two MSU Bookstore makeovers valued at $100 each! For rules and more information visit: msuaf.org/bingo

2023

Can the Griz Celebrating its 24th year, this food drive is a friendly, off-field competition between MSU and UM to see which school can collect the most donations for their local food bank. The competition runs from Nov. 4 through Nov. 18. For more information visit: canthegriz.com

Missoula Events Per tradition, the MSU Alumni Foundation will host a Bobcat Friday Night event the evening before the game and a Tailgate the morning of the game. For more information on these events visit: msuaf.org/tailgate

Sports Safety Presented by MSURA, OLLI and MOLLI The MSU Retiree Association, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Missoula (MOLLI) will host their annual Cat-Griz partnership event during the week of the Brawl. For the most updated information visit: montana.edu/olli

Watch Parties From Massachusetts to Alaska, Texas to Florida, more than 10,000 Montana State and University of Montana alumni, friends and fans gather at over 90 different locations to watch the game together.

Find an official Cat-Griz watch party near you! For the most updated party information visit: msuaf.org/catgrizwatchparty

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Washington

Oregon Idaho

North Dakota

Minnesota

Wisconsin

South Dakota

New York Michigan

Wyoming Nebraska

Pennsylvania

Iowa

Nevada

Massachusetts

Ohio Utah

Illinois

Indiana

Colorado Kansas

California

Arizona

Virginia

Missouri

North Carolina

Tennessee

South Carolina

New Mexico Georgia Texas

Alaska

Florida Hawaii

Watch Party Locations by State Indicates coordinator needed

Don’t see your city listed? Contact: lauren.anderson@msuaf.org ALASKA Anchorage Juneau ARIZONA Flagstaff Mesa Scottsdale Tucson Yuma CALIFORNIA Culver City Fair Oaks Fresno La Quinta Rancho Santa Margarita San Diego San Francisco (East Bay) San Francisco (Proper) Santa Rosa COLORADO Colorado Springs Denver Fort Collins

Grand Junction (Fruita) FLORIDA The Villages GEORGIA Atlanta HAWAII Big Island of Hawaii Island of Maui Island of Oahu IDAHO Boise Idaho Falls Twin Falls ILLINOIS Chicago (Proper) Chicago (Schaumburg) INDIANA Indianapolis IOWA Des Moines KANSAS Overland Park

MASSACHUSETTS Boston Springfield MICHIGAN Waterford Township MINNESOTA Mendota MISSOURI St. Louis MONTANA Billings Bozeman Colstrip Ennis Florence Glendive Great Falls Helena Missoula Poplar Proctor Sidney Whitefish

NEBRASKA Omaha NEVADA Dayton Las Vegas (North) Las Vegas (South) Mesquite Reno NEW MEXICO Albuquerque Santa Fe NEW YORK Midtown Manhattan NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Raleigh (Cary) NORTH DAKOTA Bismarck Fargo (Moorhead) OHIO Cincinnati Cleveland

OREGON Bend Eugene Portland Salem PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia Pittsburgh SOUTH CAROLINA Greenville SOUTH DAKOTA Rapid City Sioux Falls TENNESSEE Nashville TEXAS Austin Dallas Houston San Antonio UTAH Salt Lake City

VIRGINIA Arlington (D.C.) WASHINGTON Bellingham Clarkston Everett Olympia Renton Shoreline Spokane Tri-Cities Wenatchee Yakima WISCONSIN Green Bay Madison WYOMING Casper Cody Jackson Hole Sheridan NEW ZEALAND Auckland

Collegian 2023 55

cat-griz week

122nd Meeting Missoula Saturday Nov. 18, 2023

reunions

SAVE THE DATE

Reunion groups

Here’s the lineup of organizations that will be gathering this year.

For more information regarding affinity reunions visit: msuaf.org/reuniongroups

’73 Spurs and Fangs 50th Reunion Sept. 15–16, 2023

Chemical Engineering Class of 1980

Chemical Engineering Class of 1983

Sept. 15–16, 2023

Sept. 29–30, 2023

Pi Kappa Alpha 95th Anniversary Reunion

Delta Gamma 75th Anniversary Reunion

Sept. 29–30, 2023

Sept. 30, 2023

Spirit of the West Marching Band Reunion

Alpha Gamma Delta 100th Anniversary Reunion

Sept. 29–30, 2023

Sept. 6–7, 2024

Class Reunions Classes of 1974, 1964, 1954 May 9–10, 2024 msuaf.org/reunions Save the date for the 50th, 60th and 70th reunions. Join us for campus tours, classroom experiences, happy hour, and an anniversary diploma presentation with President Waded Cruzado. Call your friends and former classmates and make plans to be in Bozeman! This weekend won’t disappoint.

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reunions

Delta Gamma Celebrates 75 Years Delta Gamma at Montana State University is celebrating 75 years of sisterhood!

Delta Gamma was founded in 1873 in Oxford, Mississippi, at the Lewis School for Girls. Since then, the Fraternity has grown internationally, with more than 150 collegiate chapters and more than 215 alumnae groups. One of those collegiate chapters is the Gamma Delta Chapter at Montana State University. The chapter was originally founded by six women in 1948. In June 1991, the chapter voluntarily relinquished its Delta Gamma charter after facing declining interest in the overall Fraternity and Sorority life. The Gamma Delta chapter was officially re-instated in 2019 and is here to stay at Montana State!

Currently, the chapter has over 80 initiated members. Delta Gamma’s members are dedicated and creative in finding ways to “Do Good.” Annually, the chapter hosts numerous Delta Gamma Foundation fundraisers including a Haunted House and Anchorweek. Members also invest in Delta Gamma’s philanthropy, Service for Sight, through hands-on service, increasing awareness and fundraising on the MSU campus and in their communities.

The Gamma Delta chapter invites alumni, family and friends to their Open House this year at Homecoming on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the chapter house at 418 W. Garfield St. Look for the anchor out front!

For more information on Delta Gamma at MSU visit: montanastate.deltagamma.org

Collegian 2023 57

CatTreks

CatTreks

Travel opportunities for globetrotting Bobcats CatTreks are adventures designed for those who have MSU in common and are eager to expand their cultural and intellectual horizons. Find more details about the trips listed below at: msuaf.org/cattreks Tahitian Legends Cruise: Papeete to Papeete January 30–February 9, 2024 | From $4,899 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Marvelous Mediterranean Cruise: Barcelona to Rome May 15–25, 2024 | From $3,699 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Tranquil lagoons and ethereal waterfalls await in the South Pacific on this 10-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Nautica.

From Barcelona to Rome — say goodbye to the mundane on this captivating 10-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Sirena.

Land of the Rising Sun Cruise: Tokyo to Tokyo March 20–April 1, 2024 | From $6,199 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Radiant Alaska Cruise: Seattle to Seattle July 9–19, 2024 | From $3,899 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Embark on an epic journey through Japan on this 12-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Riviera.

Explore the “Last Frontier” on this riveting 10-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Regatta.

Southern Charms Cruise: Memphis to New Orleans May 11–19, 2024 | From $4,369 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Baltic Sea Beauty Cruise: London to Oslo July 16–26, 2024 | From $4,499 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Meander through historical landscapes and architecture on this 9-night cruise aboard American Queen Voyages’ American Countess®, with an included 1-night stay in Memphis.

Experience charm, history and elegance from London to Copenhagen on this 10-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Marina.

Ottomans & Oracles Cruise: Istanbul to Rome May 11–21, 2024 | From $4,999 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Explore the history, charm and majestic waters of the Aegean Sea for 10 nights aboard Oceania Cruises’ Vista.

Graduation Tour of Europe: London to Rome May 15–25, 2024 | From $3,825 per person, double occupancy. Airfare not included.

Graduating soon? Visit Europe’s must-see destinations with fellow recent graduates before settling into a new job or graduate school.

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Amazing Azores Multi-Generational Land Tour: Sao Miguel Island July 28–August 3, 2024 | From $2,465 per person, double occupancy. Airfare not included.

Discover this beautiful green jewel in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean featuring stunning landscapes, colorful, lush vegetation, dormant volcanoes and hot springs, and surrounded by pristine waters.

Celtic Kaleidoscope Cruise: Dublin to Edinburgh August 14–24, 2024 | From $5,099 per person, double occupancy. Airfare included from select cities.

Join us for an unforgettable adventure through the green coasts of Ireland and Scotland on a 10-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Nautica.

In 2013, the MSU Alumni Foundation chartered five of its official MSU Chapters — Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis, Billings and Denver. Congratulations to these founding Chapters for celebrating their 10th anniversary* and thank you for keeping the Bobcat spirit alive in your communities!

Today, there are 12 regionally-based Chapters that provide opportunities for alumni, friends, parents and fans to connect back to Montana State.

Chapter locations

Out-of-State Chapters

In the past 10 years MSU Chapters have:

Connected

Boise Valley: Boise, ID Columbia River: Portland, OR Twin Cities: Minneapolis, MN* Houston Area: Houston, TX* Inland Northwest: Spokane, WA Mile High: Denver, CO* Puget Sound: Seattle, WA*

Montana Chapters Five Valleys: Missoula Flathead Valley: Kalispell Gallatin Valley: Bozeman Greater Billings Area: Billings* Sleeping Giant: Helena

22,700 Thank you, Chapter Committees!

Bobcats around the country Hosted

415 events

Utilized

250+ volunteers

Chapters are made possible because of our 100+ Chapter Committee Members that volunteer their time and talent to bring MSU to your local community. These committee members are the voices of your community.

They provide topic and venue suggestions, promote upcoming events and lead day-of event execution to ensure local MSU events go off without a hitch!

Their dedication and love for the Blue & Gold is why we’re able to continue offering purposeful and diverse events near you. Interested in volunteering with your local Chapter Committee? Apply online at: msuaf.org/ChapterVolunteer

Have you moved recently?

Don’t miss out on Chapter event invites! Invitations are sent to all MSUaffiliated individuals (alumni, friends, parents, families, students and fans) within a 50-mile radius of these geographically-located Chapters. Invite lists are generated based on your zip code so be sure your contact information is current. You can update your mailing address and email online at: msuaf.org/update

Have an event idea?

Let us know: msuaf.org/EventIdeas

Collegian 2023 59

MSU CHAPTERS

Celebrating 10 years!

alumni Scholarships

Alumni Scholarships These scholarships are awarded each year by the MSU Alumni Foundation to students who are children or grandchildren of MSU alumni, who show excellence in academics and who have an exemplary record of campus engagement and community involvement.

Alumni Legacy Scholarship Andee Baker Major: Agricultural Education; Psychology Legacy: Ronalee (Parker) Baker ’87 Being a legacy of Montana State University means being a part of a family bigger than yourself. My mom stayed in Hapner, and she often talks about the numerous hours she spent studying in Linfield. I have grown up hearing her stories, and now I get the opportunity to create my own.

Jean Blackman Major: Agricultural Education Legacy: Raina (McCuin) Blackman ’90 I am proud to come from a family of Bobcats. MSU has what I wanted, an Agricultural Education program, and what I am learning has applications to my family’s farm and business. I love coming home, where we share stories of our times at MSU, and it brings my family closer together.

Elizabeth Hickey Major: Secondary Education Legacy: Patrick Hickey ’90; Karen (Kuhry) Hickey ’93 Both of my parents attended MSU. I see what it means to my parents that I am charting my own course while paying homage to the connections they have made at college. I am proud to continue my family’s legacy at Montana State University, and Go ’Cats!

Taylor Jones Major: Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Legacy: Laura (Meyer) Jones ’89; Marvin Meyer ’37 There’s this vacant storefront in Bozeman. My greatgrandfather must have found himself face-to-face with this storefront. My mother too, drove past it routinely. I want to watch myself represented within this alluring glass as I follow in the footsteps of my brother, mother, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Amanda Boelman Major: Pre-Nursing Legacy: Robert Bowman ’62; Shawn Boelman ’93, ’99 M; Amy (Bowman) Boelman ’94

Evelyn Knauth Major: Elementary Education; Modern Languages and Literatures Legacy: Ronald Kissock ’89; Nicholle (Kissock) Knauth ’96

I am living up to the examples of success that my parents and grandfather represent as MSU alumni. As a Montana State legacy, I am proof that MSU has continued to provide its students with the excellent education and tools needed to lead lives as exemplary citizens.

Being both a child and grandchild of MSU alumni means that I am able to continue to bring the spirit of MSU through another generation of my family. The faculty and staff, along with fellow students at MSU, display the Bobcat spirit through hard work in their education, involvement and community service.

Brittany Callison Major: Industrial & Management Systems Engineering Legacy: Michael Terry Helgeson ’69 From the moment I decided to transfer to MSU, being a Montana State legacy meant a lot to me. I grew up hearing stories from my Papa about his time at MSU in the 1960s. When I sit in Roberts Hall, I wonder if my grandfather once sat in the same classroom.

Daniel Davis Major: Construction Engineering Legacy: Deborah (Thompson) Davis ’85; Douglas Davis ’88 I descend from a federally recognized tribe, the Blackfeet. Both of my parents are first-generation college graduates. I am also the youngest of five boys, all of whom have graduated from Montana State.

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Taylor Noyes Major: Animal Science Legacy: Karen (Lambott) Noyes ’96; Jason Noyes ’97 Being a legacy means being a part of the past, present and future. Both of my parents are alumni, and they have paved the way for me in so many ways. Montana State has helped me begin to put a stamp on the future, and it has allowed me to see just how big an impact I can make.

Logan Schuman Major: Computer Science Legacy: Jim Slama ’78 Attending MSU means to carry on my grandfather’s legacy. I wish to take the lessons he acquired and apply them. I dared to look upon our roster of every organization and club at MSU to find where I could make the biggest impact.

I am so unimaginably proud of both my parents.

They have both achieved so much. It was this legacy connection that led me to dream big AND stay in my home state, where I’m receiving what is close to my dream education.

Sara Sumner Major: Microbiology Legacy: Robert Warddrip ’63; Charles Sumner ’63; Jennifer (Warddrip) Sumner ’93; Brent Sumner ’95 Going to MSU and graduating from here doesn’t just mean getting a degree; at MSU you gain a family (related or not) as well. This is something I got to grow up witnessing with my grandparents and parents.

Carley Trefts Major: Kinesiology Legacy: Valerie Trefts ’88; Timothy Trefts ’88; Geraldine Walter ’60; Fred Walter ’58 I come from a long line of Bobcats. Hearing about all the people in my family’s successes and fond memories of Montana State made me so confident I was making the right choice to continue the family tradition. The opportunities here are nearly endless.

Carissa Workman Major: Pre-Medicine Legacy: David Workman ’84; Catherine (Hubing) Workman ’86 Being a Montana State legacy holds deep meaning to me: it means carrying on a tradition, being part of a greater community and sharing the Bobcat vim. Being able to receive an education from the same university that my family did brings me great pride and honor.

Jaynee Drange Groseth Scholarship Quinn Sanderson Major: Economics; English Legacy: Michael Sanderson ’94, ’96 M; Sara (Sherman) Sanderson ’96; Robert Sanderson ’64, ’69 M; Pamela (Powell) Sanderson ’65 I grew up bleeding Blue and Gold. My parents and grandparents took me to football tailgates and events on campus.

Throughout my time at MSU, getting involved on campus has been a way of sharing my appreciation for the community in which I was raised.

Nyssa Schairer Major: Animal Science Legacy: Julie (Moeller) Schairer ’97

I am studying and excelling in my classes, it makes me feel like I have a goal to fulfill and that I will become part of the history of this university.

Amiya Williams Major: Business Management Legacy: Randell Williams ’94; Amanda Williams ’92 To me, being a Montana State legacy means a deeprooted connection and pride shared amongst family. I will be a third-generation Montana State graduate.

MSU Boeing Employee Alumni Scholarship Briana Lynch Major: Agricultural Business Boeing & Alumni Legacy: Mark Lynch ’92 Receiving a scholarship for MSU allows me to further my education in agriculture and help me make lifelong connections. College is truly an investment and will give me opportunities to gain financial literacy as well as opportunities for better employment after graduation.

Mandi Johnson Major: Mechanical Engineering Boeing & Alumni Legacy: Christopher Johnson ’96 An MSU scholarship is huge for me because it allows me to be able to comfortably go to MSU, which means a lot to me as this is the school that I have been dreaming of going to since I was a kid. It provides all the things I am looking for in future education as well as overall college experience.

Houston Area Alumni Chapter Legacy Scholarship Olleke Morgan Major: Environmental Sciences Legacy: Raymond McCarren, Jr. ’67; Raymond McCarren, Sr. ’23 Receiving a scholarship at MSU, I am able to have more freedom to accept internships, jobs and opportunities that better fit my career and study plans instead of pursuing a part-time career that has no relevance to my goals but pays the best. Receiving a scholarship also gives me additional incentive to fully commit myself to my studies.

For specific criteria, application or donation information about these Alumni Scholarships visit: msuaf.org/scholarships To view all scholarship opportunities available at MSU visit: montana.academicworks.com

The blue and gold pride runs deep in my family. My mom, two of my aunts and two uncles are alumni. As

Collegian 2023 61

alumni Scholarships

Calvin Servheen Major: Interdisciplinary Studies; Engineering Legacy: Kristy Pelletier ’11

blue & gold awards

The Blue and Gold Award is the most prestigious award granted by Montana State University. It honors individuals who have rendered great lifetime service or who have brought national or international distinction to MSU or the state of Montana. Recipients are recommended to the President of the University by the MSU Alumni Foundation Board of Governors.

Three individuals will be honored during Montana State University’s 2023 homecoming festivities at a special ceremony on September 29, 2023.

2023 Awardees Darrell Hueth ’59, ’69 M Watford City, North Dakota

Dr. Darrell Hueth holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from Montana State University, a master’s in Agricultural Economics from Montana State University and a doctorate in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Berkley. Dr. Hueth is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He has been a significant national leader in the field of agricultural and resource economics. His many publications include what became the leading book on welfare economics for both graduate education and field research. Beyond his contributions as a leading scholar, he was a professor and academic administrator. Dr. Hueth is also a member of the Montana State University Football Hall of Fame.

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Duane Nellis ’76 Athens, Ohio

Dr. Duane Nellis holds a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science from Montana State University, and a master’s and doctorate in Geography from Oregon State University. Dr. Nellis has had an outstanding career as a leader in remote sensing in geography, as a geographer and senior administrator at several public research universities, including serving as a three-time university president. He has published numerous papers in the field of geography and remote sensing, and he has guided the continual growth of this field serving in his long-standing role as co-editor of Geocarto International. Dr. Nellis has also served on the MSU Earth Sciences advisory board.

Melanie Stocks ’80, ’94 M Dillon, Montana Melanie Stocks holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and a master’s in Adult Higher Education from Montana State University. For 35 years, Melanie served Montana State University in athletics and auxiliary services. She led the effort and execution of the creation of what is now known as sports facilities. During her time at the helm, the department managed the Fieldhouse, Bobcat Stadium, Marga Hosaeus Fitness Center and the intramural fields. She played a critical role in developing the Fieldhouse as a viable stop for live entertainment tours. Melanie has also served her community through the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce and Montana Special Olympics.

Advocate Network Preserving the health and economic vitality of Montana’s communities through higher education

MSU Advocate Network

Gallatin College Impact

Preserving the health and economic vitality of Montana’s communities through higher education.

229% enrollment growth at Gallatin College MSU between 2012 (228 students) and 2022 (750 students)

The MSU Advocate Network started in 2016 as a grassroots legislative advocacy effort led by devoted Bobcats who are passionate about ensuring that MSU and the wider Montana University System (MUS) receive the resources needed to support higher education in Montana.

Nine Gallatin College MSU locations spread throughout Bozeman and Belgrade that are leased or borrowed for teaching space

This year our Advocate Network helped your university and the Montana University System achieve some big wins during Montana’s 68th Legislative Session:

$330,000 spent each year in leasing costs by Gallatin College MSU. If not for leasing costs, this money could be used to grow program capacity

124 advocates dedicated their time and support during this last legislative session to secure funding for higher education in Montana 6.9% increase in the Montana University System’s (MUS) ongoing budget compared to the last biennium $16.9M in one-time bonuses for Montana University System employees and 4% raises for MUS employees through June 2025 $131M total cash funding for MUS building projects $23.5M cash for Gallatin College $22.5M Authority Only for Gallatin College (needs to be raised from private funds) $2M MAES BART Farm Life-Safety & Programmatic Improvements

80% of Gallatin College graduates remain in Montana and 67% stay in Gallatin County, making an important contribution to the economy

Join us!

Are you interested in joining our cause to support higher education in Montana? You can find more information about the Advocate Network or apply to be a volunteer at: msuaf.org/advocate

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ADVOCATE NETWORK

Montana Legislature

Class Notes

beginning until his retirement in 1995, and his numerous projects around the state include roadways and water treatment facilities. Thomas died in 2010 at age 80.

Class Notes are compiled from public information and notices received from our alumni and friends. To submit information, please email us at collegian@msuaf. org. Also look for frequent Class Notes postings on our Facebook page at: fb.com/msu.alumni. foundation

1950s Pat Hall ’57 and Bert Rice ’59, reconnected at their 60th reunion after their spouses had passed away. They are now enjoying a life together.

Tommy Harris “T.H.” Thomas ’53, Great Falls, Montana, was posthumously inducted into Montana engineering hall of fame. The award, given annually by the Montana Society of Engineers in collaboration with MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, recognizes exceptional contributions by engineers who are professionally licensed in the state. Thomas served as president and CEO of TD&H Engineering from its

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1960s William “Bill” McIntyre ’60, Monroe, Washington, recently had a book published by a national press titled “Above The Storm Clouds: A Discipling Guide For Empowering Christian Believers.”

Doug Ferris ’64, Houston, Texas, retired from Exxon Mobile after 30 years. His time with Exxon included seven years in Abadan, Iran, and six years in Saudi Arabia (Al-Kobar, Dharan).

Les Santa ’63, Alberta, Canada, retired after teaching high school for nearly 30 years. He has two children and three grandchildren, the oldest two who are presently in university.

Cheryl (Schultze) Crawley ’65, Great Falls, Montana, retired Superintendent of Great Falls Public Schools, has a peerreviewed book published that documents the program of bilingual education she designed and led at Crow Agency in the 1970s-80s. The book is entitled “Native American Bilingual Education: An Ethnography of Powerful Force.” Crawley earned her PhD in linguistic anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Charles “Chuck” Plymale ’66, Townsend, Montana, was recently inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame. At

a young age, Chuck kept busy on the ranch helping with the livestock. As he progressed in his understanding of livestock — taking part in cattle drives and breaking horses — he became the trail boss of the Plymale cattle drives, which hosted guests from all over the world. Today, he helps operate the Plymale Brothers Ranch . Plymale was instrumental in constructing the Broadwater County Rodeo Grounds in Townsend. He was a member of the Broadwater County School Board for 20 years; is a 40-year member of the rural Broadwater County Fire Department; and has been a deputy brand inspector for 40 years. Photo courtesy MontanaCowboyFame.org Betty Lou “Lou” (Goetzinger) Mandler ’68, New Milford, Connecticut, recently completed a mini book tour for her book, “Montana’s Visionary Mayor: Willard E. Fraser,” published by Montana Historical Society Press.

Fraser’s influence extended far beyond his home city of Billings as a proponent of Montana’s charms, as an advocate for the environment and Montana’s marginalized citizens, and for his outsized personality. The book is a window into twentieth century Montana politics as well as being a biography of Fraser, who was also poet Robert Frost’s son-in-law.

1970s Mike Curtis ’76, ’78 M, Grand Junction, Colorado, received an

award from the Colorado Contractors Association for the I-70 Glenwood Canyon Variable Speed Limit Sign project, the first of its kind in Colorado.

Susan (Kombol) Smith ’79, Dayton, Wyoming, published a historical fiction novel, “S*T*C,” based on her personal experiences. It’s vignettes from 1984-1986 that reflect women breaching the maledominated mission control teams inside the fictionalized S*T*C - satellite tracking center. Smith is a native of Montana and a second-generation American, whose childhood experiences in rural Montana and work in the aerospace industry have provided a rich source of material for her novels and articles.

Sonia (Hanson) Stodden ’71, Santa Clarita, California, recently sold her CPA practice and is enjoying retirement.

Louis “Lee” Barrett ’75, ’77 M, Clinton, Utah, retired as a vice president of research and development at Fresenius Medical Care, after a 45-year career. He spent 26 years designed and developed the only optically based, non-invasive dialysis blood monitor called Crit-Line. Just one of the many highlights from his career was to lead a student group in building the data link system in the early 1980s for the first NASA Get Away Special (GAS) can satellite built by students called NUSAT 1. It launched from the Challenger shuttle mission, STS-51B. The prototypes were inducted into the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in 1987.

Marie Ann (Johnson) Huether ’85, Martin, South Dakota, retired as the Bennett County School District nurse, after over twenty-one years of public service. Huether built the school nurse program from scratch, changing the lives of the students and staff for the positive in the process. She is a member of the South Dakota School Nurse Association and served as co-chair of the SDSNA fundraising committee.

Bret Quinn ’86, Inglewood, California, was promoted to senior production analyst at AMC Networks in Santa Monica.

R. Lynn (Reavely) Howard ’86, Toledo, Oregon, was awarded The National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators’ 2022 National Traffic Safety Prosecutor of the Year Award. The association, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, presents this annual award to an outstanding prosecutor who has worked tirelessly to prosecute impaired driving and vehicular homicide cases. Howard is the chief deputy district attorney for the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office.

Jeff Haviland ’87, Burien, Washington, retired year after 34 years at Boeing. He is now “working” at fishing, travel and some volunteer activities.

Ricky Flansburg ’82, ’08 M, Burke, Virginia, assumed the duties of Deputy Under Secretary for Administration for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. In this role,

Calvin Sprague ’81, Westmoreland, New York, recently retired from the United States Air Force as a fisheries biologist. Sprague spent thirty-five years with mostly Federal agencies in the field of biology, including 10 years of fisheries field work involving operation of research vessels on medium and large rivers in the western United States, and the rest in research, policy, management and coordination with multiple agencies on fisheries and environmental policy and programs.

1990s Catherine Raven ’99 PhD, Emigrant, Montana, won the 2022 Pen/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award for her book, “Fox & I: An Uncommon Friendship.” It also won gold in the 2022 Nautilus book awards in the category of animals and nature. Raven is a former national park ranger at Glacier, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Voyageurs and Yellowstone national parks. “Fox and I” is a memoir about wildlife and friendship.

Amy Sterling ’97, Belt, Montana, retired from Great Falls Public Schools after teaching there for 25 years. She recently started

Freestyle skiing documentary receives multiple awards

“Mavericks,” an award-winning documentary about Montana’s freestyle skiing legacy from Montana PBS, premiered on Jan. 30, 2022. Derived from thrilling international competitions, compelling home videos and original cinematography, “Mavericks” tells the fascinating, timeless story of Montana’s untold freestyle legacy, through the struggles, victories and journeys of some of the state’s most renowned skiers, as they share a common bond that is the unbreakable Montana spirit.

Kelly Gorham ’95, director of visual media at Montana State University, was writer and producer. Aaron Pruitt ’90, director and general manager at Montana PBS, was executive producer. And Scott Sterling ’00, director of production at Montana PBS, was the film’s director, editor and producer.

Sterling won a regional Emmy Award in the editor category at the 60th Northwest Regional Emmy Awards. The film won second place in the National Press Photographers Association Best of Photojournalism awards in the documentary-long form category. It was also named best documentary feature at the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest in Polson.

“Mavericks” can be viewed online using PBS Passport at: montanapbs.org/programs/mavericks

Gorham

Pruitt

Sterling

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Class Notes

1980s

Flansburg provides executive leadership and direction to the central planning, coordination and oversight of Smithsonian operations. He previously worked at the National Air and Space Museum.

Class Notes

with Special Olympics Montana as a donor accounts specialist.

Marni (Steel) McDowell ’96, Boise, Idaho, recently earned a PhD in Organizational Psychology from Grand Canyon University.

Roylene (Waln) Comes at Night ’91, Spokane, Washington, was honored as one of the 2022 Inland Northwest Women of the Year. Comes at Night is longestserving state conservationist in the country, and wears the hats of rancher, conservationist, tribal liaison, federal officer and mentor.

The daughter of fourthgeneration ranchers from the Blackfeet tribe of northwestern Montana, Comes at Night is responsible for all of the USDA’s operations in Washington.

Brad Schloesser ’91, Saint Peter, Minnesota, was named Executive Director of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program (MARL) at Southwest Minnesota State University. Schloesser previously served as the Dean of Agriculture at South Central College in North Mankato & Faribault and served as the first director of the Minnesota State Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence.

Shawn Pelowitz ’94, ’08 M, Minneapolis, Minnesota, was promoted to the role of associate principal at the multidisciplinary design firm, Cushing Terrell. Pelowitz, AIA, LEED AP, DBIA, is an architect and

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In Memory Of We dedicate these pages to members of the Montana State University family who have recently passed away. For alumni who did not graduate, an asterisk denotes their last year of attendence.

Martha (Wright) Suter ’47, San Antonio, Texas, passed away Nov. 25, 2022. At Montana State, she belonged to the AOPi sorority and remained as an active alum, attending her 70th class reunion there in 2017.

Martha taught school in Fairfield, Montana, and then moved to Ithaca, New York, where she received a master’s degree from Cornell and met Robert (Bob) Suter. Martha and Bob were married for 66 years until his death in 2017. Martha and Bob lived in West Lafayette, Indiana, for 40 years before retiring to San Antonio in 1993.

In Indiana, Martha was self-employed as a residential designer.

Martha Lee (Pope) Hutchinson ’50, Reno, Nevada, passed away Jan. 19. Born in Butte, Montana, Martha was a pioneer in the carwash industry with her loving husband Allen Robert (Hutch) Hutchison ’50, who preceded her in 2001. At Montana State, she pledged AOPI sorority. Martha was mother of four and an expert in antiques, wood furniture, cut and pressed glass and Wavecrest glass.

John Herkes ’52, Moscow, Idaho, passed away on Feb. 5, 2022. John served in the U.S. Army and later worked at agro-industrial development throughout the world. After retiring, he was an engineering instructor at the University of Idaho. John belonged to Rotary International, the VFW and the Moscow Idaho Roadrunners.

Richard J. McConnen ’52, ’54 M, Bozeman, Montana, passed away on May 12, 2022. Dr. McConnen was a former professor of economics and former head of the Department of Agricultural Economics & Economics at Montana State.

Ruth (Benson) Drummond ’53, Billings, Montana, passed away May 11. She attended Montana State, making lifelong friends and earning a degree in Home Economics. She was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority, Spurs, Mortar Board and secretary for several college organizations. It was there that she met her husband of 65 years, Tom. Stephen “Steve” Brown ’54, Chester, Montana, passed away Sept. 1, 2022, two days short of his 90th birthday. Steve was a life-long farmer in Chester.

While at Montana State he was in the Bobcat Band and a member of Pi Kappa fraternity.

He graduated in industrial arts and met and married Dorothy Ann Larsen ’54. He served in the U.S. Army.

Denny W. McCall ’57, Great Fall, Montana, passed away on

Oct. 24, 2020. McCall earned his degree in architecture and later on a National Architecture (NCARB) certificate all while completing many projects in his field and then spending his final years working for the Dept. of Administration in Helena. He served his county in the MT Air National Guard/Reserve and was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend to many.

Janet (Armstrong) Henneford ’60, Rollins, Montana, passed away April 10. attended Montana State, majoring in medical technology, where she was a cheerleader for the Montana State Bobcats football team. Janet met her husband Gene freshman year, and they were blessed with three children, Leslie, Cheryl and Steve.

Julia “Julie” (Harris) Jackson ’60, Helena, Montana, passed away on March 1 from acute myeloblastic leukemia. Julie began her career in banking at First National Bank. Raising two boys became Julie’s full-time job, but she continued to work part-time over the years in banking, the Montana Legislature and later as a librarian for the U.S. District Court. Julie was also an active member of Daughters of the Nile, P.E.O. International and Sweet Adeline’s International.

Traveling was her passion.

Loring Robbins ’62, Richland, Washington, passed away Oct. 14, 2022. After a stint in the Marine Corps, Loring used his

David Orser ’66, ’89 Hon. PhD, Billings, Montana, passed away May 21. He worked in the oil business in Libya and London from 1960 to 1986 and rose to CEO of Occidental Petroleum International, then went into consulting for his own firm. David was awarded an honorary doctorate from MSU and became one of the Centennial Alums. He served 12 years on the board of Rocky Mountain College in Billings and received an honorary doctorate for his excellent service. Many Billings/ Montana charitable organizations benefited from his generosity with his time, money and wise counsel. He was proud of the fact that many of his family members got their degrees from MSU, the latest being a great granddaughter. David was an avid bridge player and spent his retirement traveling to bridge tournaments all over the U.S, and when he died he was a Gold Life Master.

Dennis R. Neuman ’72 M, Bozeman, Montana, passed away Sept. 3, 2022. He grew up in Helena and attended Carroll College prior to MSU. He spent 33 years working with the MSU Reclamation Research Unit in the College of Agriculture. After retiring from MSU, he started a consulting firm along with three colleagues to continue restoration of lands adversely impacted by coal, oil and mineral extraction. He worked on most of the major Super Fund sites in the state of Montana. Dennis was national president of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, and he received their highest honor in 2019.

Dennis fully retired in 2014 and became a docent at the Museum of the Rockies. For his years of dedication to MSU, he received the Pure Gold award in 2019.

Robert “Bob” Moretti ’94 PhD, Great Falls, Montana, passed away July 29, 2022. Bob retired from Malmstrom Air Force Base in 2006 after a long, awardwinning career serving first as the Deputy Base Civil Engineer and then as the Chief of Environmental Management. He was dedicated to helping others, volunteering and education, earning his Doctor of Education from MSU in 1994. In true Bob Moretti fashion, he donated his body to the WWAMI Medical Education Program at MSU. Through this donation, he continues to support education,

having proudly declared that he will be a “Bobcat forever.”

Lisa (Kelley) Michael ’03, ’12 M, Bozeman, Montana, passed away on Aug. 28, 2022. Lisa taught a summer course at MSU, and her heart was in teaching and mentoring at Monforton School. Lisa battled heart disease and a rare form of muscular dystrophy and was an inspiration to others.

Sheila (MacDonald) Stearns ’19 Hon. PhD, Missoula, Montana, passed away on May 23. Dr. Stearns had a remarkable career in higher education. A Glendive native, she was the first woman to serve as Montana Commissioner of Higher Education. In 2012, the Board of Regents conferred the title of commissioner emerita. In addition, Dr. Stearns was vice president and acting president of the University of Montana, provost (president-equivalent at the time) of then-Western Montana College of the UM, president of Wayne State College in Nebraska and acting chancellor of Montana State University Billings.

Former Faculty/Staff Bo Beck, a former defensive line coach for Bobcat football who spent the past year working in admissions and recruiting for the MSU Graduate School, passed away June 22.

Ron Johnson, former professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics from 1981 to 2001, passed away May 14.

John Hooton, former MSU photography associate professor, passed away on March 30.

Sheron McIlhattan, a former MSU employee, passed away March 19.

Nancy Callan, professor emerita formerly of the Western Agricultural Research Center in Corvallis, passed away on March 16.

Floyd Denman “Denny” Lee, long-time MSU physics professor, passed away March 8.

Ray Ansotegui, former MSU Animal and Range Science professor emeritus, passed away on March 2.

William “Bill” Hartsog, long-time MSU engineering professor, passed away Feb. 27.

Henry “Hank” Sorenson, former MSU architecture professor, passed away on Feb. 11.

Bruce Beattie, former MSU Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics department head, passed away Jan. 13.

Kyler Pallister, former MSU lab manager for the Voyich Laboratory, passed away on Jan. 11.

If you know someone who was a part of the MSU family and would like to remember them here, please provide their name; class year, last year of attendance, or university job title; date and place of death; and up to two personal points of interest to: collegian@msuaf.org

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Class Notes

electrical engineering degree, first at Hanford nuclear facility and then to travel the world. In all, he worked in 14 countries on projects to improve people’s quality of life and safety, finally retiring in 2019 to continue his travels, but locally, with his wife and best pal, Patchara. His family, including his three daughters, five grandkids, and four great-grandkids and friends and colleagues who became friends, will miss him dearly.

App supports rural youth through mentorship Zariah Tolman ’20, Otto, Wyoming, launched an app that aims to provide rural youth the mentorship they need to thrive. The app, called Positivity Outward, empowers middle school, high school and college students to choose from 70 different mentors to help them in tasks such as filling out job applications and applying to college, exploring career directions, developing life skills and even navigating mental health challenges. Tolman, a Montana State University neuroscience and business graduate and current doctorate student at the University of California Riverside, is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit behind the app, positivityoutward.org.

“I grew up in a town of 50 people in rural Wyoming, 60 miles from the nearest supermarket. I felt anxious and depressed for the first time in 8th grade, but I was not able to get the help I needed until 7 years later as a sophomore in college, when it had become severe mental illness. I was guided to heal with the support of mentors that showed me how powerful mentoring could be, and that a mentor was exactly what I’d needed when I was younger. The tools that saved my life are the ones Positivity Outward is working to bring to other youth like me.” — Zariah Tolman

director of the firm’s government design studio.

Brent Lonner ’99, Fairfield, Montana, was recognized by his peers as the Biologist of the Year for 2023 by the Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society. As a Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) biologist, Lonner manages three Wildlife Management Areas (Sun River, Ear Mountain and Freezeout Lake) and also completed a legacy project in his 2018 Birdtail Conservation Easement.

Daniel Baker ’99, ’01 M, Fort Collins, Colorado, recently won a Colorado State University Alumni Association Best Teacher award.

Dr. Baker is an associate professor in the university’s college of engineering. He is constantly working to enhance the student learning experience through engaging activities, intentional course design and a supportive classroom environment. As a teacher, Baker is most proud of “Engineering Statics: Open and Interactive,” an open educational resources textbook he co-authored that receives 75,000 page views by 20,000 users per month.

Tondi (Roush) Petersen ’94, Livingston, Montana, a kindergarten teacher at Washington School in Livingston, was selected by Montana State University as the Inspiring Bobcat Mentor TeacherElementary Level for fall 2022.

She was nominated for by her practicum students at MSU and then selected by a committee at MSU.

Zariah Tolman

68

Christoff Gaub ’94, ’09 M, Great Falls, Montana, was appointed as the City of Great Falls’ public works director. Gaub

served in the United States Air Force for 28 years before retiring and returning to his home state of Montana. During his military career, he gained extensive experience in public works administration, management and communications. Gaub most recently served as the Director of Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection at the United States Air Force District of Washington Headquarters.

Bill Langlas ’99, Bozeman, Montana has been named the 2023 President of the Montana Contractors Association. From laborer to superintendent, Bill is a Vice President for Langlas & Associates, operating out of their Bozeman office.

2000s Joseph Menicucci, Jr. ’00, ’09 M, ’10 PhD, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, joined Lehigh University as associate chair and associate professor with the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering.

He previously served as a teaching faculty member at Montana State University. In 2018, Dr. Menicucci was awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award in the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering at Montana State and was honored in 2021 as a Spirit of Discovery Award winner by the Montana State University Honors College. He was one of five faculty members in the School of Engineering at Nazarbayev University (NU) in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan upon opening in 2011, and Vice-chair of

Laurie (Moe) Edwards ’01, ’04 PhD, Bozeman, Montana, received a 2023 Nursing Excellence Award in outpatient psychiatry.

Marko Rubich ’04, Rock Springs, Wyoming, recently joined the JR Simplot Fertilizer Plant as plant manager.

Chantal Zeiger ’06, Anchorage, Alaska, was promoted to a mentor-level attorney position in the State of Alaska’s Office of Public Advocacy, Appeals & Statewide Defense section. She serves as criminal defense counsel and counsel for parents involved in the child welfare system. Zeiger oversees junior attorneys in training, motion writing and trials.

Matt Kenton ’03, Sherwood, Oregon, was named the chief operating officer at Nova USA Wood Products, Inc., a supplier of hardwood products and accessories. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations, sales initiatives, hiring processes and new business efforts. Kenton previously served as the chief financial officer and vice president of strategic development at Columbia Grain International in Portland, Oregon.

Jamie Hetherington ’05, ’19 M, Bozeman, Montana, joined ERA Landmark Real Estate as a sales associate. Prior to that, Hetherington served as an educator for nearly two decades.

Ryan D. Bergstrom, ’06, ’08 M, Duluth, Minnesota, received the

Horace T. MorseUniversity of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. This honor is awarded to exceptional candidates who exemplify the University’s commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. Dr. Bergstrom is an associate professor of geography and teaches across three domains within his department, including sustainability, physical geography and geographic information science. He is also the coordinator of the department’s internship program.

Evan McAlear ’00, Malden, Massachusetts, recently accepted the position of dean of students at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School in Somerville, where he had taught middle school science for the previous 21 years.

Lyndsey (Korell) Geering ’06, Billings, Montana, recently joined Kampgrounds of America (KOA) as the company’s controller. In her role as controller, Geering will oversee KOA’s daily accounting operations and reporting requirements.

Scott Peterson ’06, St. Paul, Minnesota, was recognized in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in their 40 Under 40 segment. As vice president of hospital and office development at United Properties, Peterson has been part of some notable Minnesota projects, including the award-winning 37-story RBC Gateway tower in downtown Minneapolis.

Stephanie Cole ’09, Bozeman, Montana, was recently promoted at Profitable Ideas Exchange (PIE). She will now serve as the company’s President of Markets.

Jake Ziska ’08, Helena, Montana, joined the team at IMEG as a licensed professional land surveyor. IMEG is an engineering design firm.

Stacey Sommerfield ’04, ’07 M, Fairfax, Virginia, was named Fairfax City Parks and Recreation director. Sommerfield has spent more than a dozen years in the parks and recreation field. She has served at the director level for eight years, most recently as the parks and recreation director at the Moon Township, a municipality in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania.

2010s Angie Kersten ’19, Billings, Montana, was promoted designer at Wisetail.

Bruce Muhlbradt ’10, Belgrade, Montana, celebrated the 11th anniversary of opening his business 406 Photo. Muhlbradt is a wedding and portrait photographer.

Diego Garcia ’18, St. Paul, Minnesota, joined the first-year associate class of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath. Faegre Drinker is a full-service international law firm and one of the 100 largest law firms in the United States.

Billie Gunn ’04, ’05 M, Shepherd, Montana, was promoted to executive director of finance and accounting at Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA). Gunn served as the company’s controller for over five years, and in her new role, she will serve as a key member of KOA’s executive leadership team.

Ty Frackiewicz ’11, Ridgefield, Washington, co-founded Digs, a Vancouver, Washington-based startup that is developing a collaboration tool for homebuilders and their vendors. The company was co-founded by Ryan Fink and is a Dropbox-like file sharing tool, with Figma-like collaboration features on top and the necessary computer vision tools to read and understand blueprints and other documents.

Joe Kaltsas ’00, San Diego, California, was elected to the Board of Directors of Kimley-Horn.

As a principal in the firm and practicing civil engineer, Kaltsas leads strategic growth globally.

With over 100 offices in the U.S., Kimley-Horn is the 10th largest engineering firm in the world. Joe and his wife Camby (Rolison) Kaltsas ’01 live in San Diego with their two children.

Dr. Tiffany Hensley-McBain ’10, Great Falls, Montana, was awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance her study at the McLaughlin Research Institute (MRI) into how the human immune system is connected to Alzheimer’s disease. The award from one of the nation’s most prestigious medical research agencies is the first of its kind in Montana in over 30 years and has

Collegian 2023 69

Class Notes

the inaugural NU faculty senate.

Most recently, he was awarded the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering Excellence in Advising Award in 2022.

Class Notes

elevated MRI’s reputation as an elite research facility.

Bryan Leonard ’12, Livingston, Montana, was promoted to Senior Fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). PERC’s Senior Fellowship program engages leading academics and professionals who share PERC’s passion for market-based conservation efforts related to land, water and wildlife.

Dr. Leonard is an associate professor of environmental and natural resource economics in the School of Sustainability and a faculty affiliate in the Economics Department and the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment at Arizona State University.

Elisa Boyd ’13, ’16 M, Bozeman, Montana, recently joined the inContour team. inContour is a Bozemanbased sustainable landscape, architecture and planning firm.

Trevor LiCalzi ’18, previously of Saratoga Springs, New York, joined IMEG (previously C&H Engineering) in the civil department as a virtual design technician.

Chiara Warner ’18, Bozeman, Montana, recently graduated U.S. Army Ranger School in Fort Benning, Georgia (the 112th female to ever graduate). She graduated from U.S. Army Airborne School three weeks later. Warner joined the Montana Army National Guard two years after graduating from MSU where she was a member of the Track and XC programs.

Anderson Gibbons ’15, Belmont, North Carolina, received the Paul Broyhill Future Leaders Award.

The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation presents the award annually to five emerging leaders in the furniture industry. Gibbons is the chief marketing officer of STI/ Revolution Fabrics: Since joining STI in 2018, Gibbons has focused on building stronger partnerships with STI’s domestic yarn vendors

and retailers to ensure that STI’s products are affordable and reach a wider audience.

2020s

Chantel Naylor ’10, Bozeman, Montana, creative director at A&E Design, was promoted to an associate. Naylor brings a depth of experience and outstanding commitment to the firm as a leader in the design process. She joined A&E Design in 2018.

Liam Durkin ’20, Bozeman, Montana, joined IMEG (previously C&H Engineering) as a civil engineer.

Mary Demro ’18 M, Bozeman, Montana, was promoted at A&E Design to senior associate, an equity position in the firm. Demro was with the multidisciplinary firm since 2019 and is a design lead and architect.

Daniel Neitzling ’10, Boise, Idaho, became a founding member of Nemo Arms, a firearms manufacturing company. Since its inception, he has designed and executed to the market over 20 different rifles, becoming a leading engineer in the firearms industry. He currently sits as Vice President of Research and Development for Nemo Arms.

Junior Vilcapoma ’22 M, Bozeman, Montana, is a roadway designer who recently joined Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s, Indianapolis office. He will provide services such as roadway geometric design, sign and pavement marking design and roadway drainage design.

Vilcapoma was a teaching assistant at Montana State, where he oversaw the route surveying course and laboratory.

He is a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and an affiliate of the Transportation Research Board.

Superfan arrives by van Jane (Welsh) Edwards ’58, from Anaconda, Montana, is the Edwards family matriarch. Her love of Bobcat football inspired her family so much they collectively purchased used mini-bus so they can help get Jane, who has multiple sclerosis, to the MSU football games she loves in comfort and style. Any kids, grandkids, extended family and friends who want to join in the fun on the Cat Bus, can all be there — all in the same vehicle (even Jane’s Grizzly-fan grandson, who lovingly sports blue and gold while driving). The bus isn’t always the most reliable or economical these days, but that doesn’t matter, the goal is to get Jane to the stadium and celebrate the legacy of loyalty she has created. Jane is 87 years young and loves her Bobcats fiercely, especially when her entire family is with her for Bobcat gatherings. We love you Jane, and all the Edwards family!

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THEN:

In the fall of 1915, a small committee of sophomore engineering students envisioned an enduring monument to Montana State on a nearby mountainside as a sign of the class of 1918’s loyalty. After surveying possible sites, Mount Baldy, aka Old Baldy, was deemed the most visible to town and the surrounding area.

Using a transit level, the engineering students staked the outline of the letter — at 240 feet high and 100 feet across. The College M was constructed of limestone rocks and boulders carried by hand from the surrounding mountainside. In the spring of 1916, the sophomores returned to the site, filled in the space with smaller rocks and whitewashed the M. Throughout the past century, students have maintained the M, filling in and painting.

In the 1938 Montanan, a photo caption of students on the mountain quipped, “The Spurs furnish food and drink while the Fangs boss the job.”

NOW:

Today, a new group of engineering students is leading a restoration effort of the M and considering a redesign with alternative materials. Options include precast concrete panels, 3D-printed concrete pavers or gabion blocks. In addition to aesthetics and estimated cost, other considerations are trail accessibility during the restoration, stormwater infiltration, maintenance, and how to maximize student involvement in the project.

2020

1925

Once a job reserved for male students, the hard work of “Rockin’ the M” is now a co-ed affair sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement each September.

2010

Matt Caires, dean of students, is excited about the project. “Over 100 years later, I am thrilled to see current MSU students continuing the legacy of the College “M” on Mount Baldy,” Caires said. “Under the vision of President Cruzado, I cannot wait to see how this generation of students builds the M for the next 100 years.”

Collegian 2023 71

THEN & NOW

The M

1916

P.O. Box 172750 Bozeman, MT 59717-2750

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