Welcome to Alumni Insider, the monthly e-newsletter from the University of Montana Alumni Association. Through this publication, you’ll be the first to know about alumni news and upcoming events that keep you connected to campus and your classmates. Thank you for your continued support, and Go Griz!
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Monday, Jan. 4
Chapter Event - Boise Food Bank
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9-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9
Chapter Event - Denver Flatirons Vista Hike
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6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14
Montana Alumni Live: Introduction to Meditation with Lama Tsomo
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12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19
Lunch and Learn: Insights on Remote Instruction
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Wednesday, Jan. 27
Wine Tasting
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Tuesday, Feb. 9
Community Lecture Series: "Truth, Belief and Healing: Coping and Thriving in Insecure Times"
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12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11
Lunch and Learn: Job Hunting in a Pandemic
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6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16
Montana Alumni Live: Panel with Tobin Shearer
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6:30-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22
Mindfulness Course Begins
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Tuesday, Feb. 23
Community Lecture Series
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Tuesday, March 2, 9, 16 and 23
Community Lecture Series
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POWERED BY UMAA AND YOUR MEMBERSHIPS
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We’d like to give a warm welcome and a special thanks to our newest lifetime UMAA members. We appreciate your support in continuing the UM tradition!
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Thomas Johnson
'75, Sioux Falls, SD
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Michael Millet
M.B.A.
'03, Cleveland, OH
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Madison Tyson
'20, Missoula
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Help us bring UM to you. One hundred percent of your membership dollars go toward alumni outreach programs like Homecoming, alumni chapter development, watch parties, etc.
Become a member
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A special note of thanks and appreciation for our outgoing UMAA director, Jed Liston!
For more than 36 years, Jed has dedicated himself to the advancement of UM. Thinking of adjectives to describe Jed, the words passionate, loyal and dependable come to mind.
In his three years as director of alumni relations, Jed was a steady hand, advancing several key initiatives designed to reimagine the engagement relationship between alumni and UM.
Under Jed’s leadership, UM launched and significantly grew its alumni chapter program.
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Additionally, his leadership and execution recently of the Alumni Virtual Engagement series during the pandemic has ignited a new era of content-based engagement for UM alumni.
This does not mark the end, however, for Jed. As we all know, his passion continues to run on high gear and he has so much more to give. Given his experience, insights and energy, Jed has rejoined the enrollment/admissions team, where he’ll continue to positively impact UM in meaningful ways.
Thank you for your service to our alumni network, Jed!
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UM LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR NEW DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
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As Jed moves into his new role, UM has launched a search for its next director of alumni relations for its network of more than 109,000 alumni worldwide.
An engaged, supportive alumni network is critical to UM’s success. The director of alumni relations develops and implements a comprehensive engagement program that provides meaningful opportunities for volunteerism, service, personal and professional development, and events and programs for alumni – all while enhancing loyalty, dedication and support for UM.
This person will report to the associate vice president for enrollment and oversee staff, student interns and alumni volunteers.
For best consideration,
submit applications
by
Feb. 5.
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Happy Holidays from your Alumni team! Throughout this holiday season, and as we move into a new (and hopefully better) year, we wish our alumni moments of peace amid the difficulties, connections with family and friends – even if they can’t be in person – and the warmth of memories from holidays past.
The pandemic has only highlighted the importance of connections, and UMAA is thankful for all opportunities to connect with alums near and far, as well as the good this year has brought.
Brief Alumni Year in Review:
UMAA kicked off the
Alumni Virtual Engagement series
, which featured President Seth Bodnar, researchers on the frontline of vaccine development, psychologists delving into the pandemic’s effects on mental health, Coach Bobby Hauck and more.
With 10 alumni chapters spread throughout the country and more on the way, the
Alumni Chapter program is growing and thriving.
Thanks to alumni support for the mask campaign, UMAA raised nearly $10,000 to help support our
Legacy Scholarship
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With much gratitude as we conclude the year 2020, the Alumni team extends best wishes to you for a Happy New Year.
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GRIZZLY OF THE LAST DECADE APPLICATIONS DUE SOON
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Grizzly of the Last Decade submissions are due by end of business day
Thursday, Dec. 31. Recipients can be self-nominated or nominated by fellow alumni, faculty, staff and professional colleagues. Awardees must:
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have graduated from UM or Missoula College (certificate, associate’s degree, undergraduate or graduate degree) within the last 10 years.
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have excelled early in their career and show potential for continued success.
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have received recognition as an emerging leader through professional and/or community achievements through honors, awards or media attention.
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have attained positions with increasing responsibility within their organization, business or field of work.
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serve as an outstanding role model for current and future UM students.
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Apply for or
Nominate a Grizzly of the Last Decade.
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DR. FAUCI TO DELIVER LECTURE AT UM
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Mark your calendars for noon
Wednesday, Feb. 17, when Dr. Anthony Fauci will deliver the annual
Mansfield Lecture
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In the Q&A, Dr. Fauci will address questions like: Where are we with COVID-19? How transformational is a vaccine and what challenges are there for distributing vaccines in the U.S. and around the world? When will we “get back to normal,” and what will “normal’ be like in the coming months and years? As we look to the future, what are the main lessons we should learn from this pandemic?
Rocky Mountain Laboratories Associate Director for Science Management Dr. Marshall Bloom also will contribute to the conversation.
The lecture will take place via Zoom and is open to anyone.
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Griz Nation recently lost two integral members.
Mick Holien, most recognizable as the Voice of the Griz, died toward the end of November of complications from multiple sclerosis.
Holien served as sports broadcaster
for Montana football and basketball games for 31 years, and he is well-known for his trademark “Touchdown, Montana!” and his passion for all things Griz.
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Distinguished Montana author
Bill Kittredge also died earlier this month at 88 years old.
Kittredge coined the term “The Last Best Place”
and created a 1,200-page anthology of Montana literature. He also served as professor in UM’s Creative Writing Program for 30 years, and stayed connected as an emeritus professor since retiring in 1997.
We honor these and other friends and alums who have passed away this year.
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Brothers Create Freeze-Dried Meal Company
The Missoulian recently highlighted
Brothers John and Ben Ritner ’12
for the launch of their freeze-dried meal company,
Pinnacle Foods
. The freeze-dried meals are perfect for anyone needing high-calorie meals that are easy to pack for hiking, hunting and traveling or for those just tired of cooking during the pandemic.
John attended culinary school and Ben is a media arts UM alum focused on web development and business.
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UM student Haley Von Goedert is busy making lists.
The senior from Seattle is cataloging the food and personal items needed for spending four months in a remote Alaskan fishing village. The goods will be delivered by floatplane the first week of January.
Like a good Grizzly, she knows packing less and light is best, and she’ll make do with what’s there after arriving.
On the heels of completing required coursework in UM’s Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, the elementary education major has selected a small school in the mostly Indigenous community of Newhalen, Alaska – home of the Yup’ik people – for her required student teaching experience and final semester of her bachelor’s degree.
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GRIZZLIES IN THE WILD
In our latest installment of “Grizzlies in the Wild,”
we highlight Dr. Jay Evans, who is leading UM students and researchers to create solutions to the most pressing health care challenges facing our society, while building one of the world’s most impactful vaccine research teams right here in Missoula.
For our first installment of “Grizzlies in the Wild”, we highlight
UM Professor Brent Ruby
, who works with his students to study movement and the boundaries of the human body’s capabilities.
As we encourage the next generation of students and faculty to join our UM Family, we will proudly tell these stories of impact that showcase our Montana characteristics. At UM, we give students the gift of our tireless determination, optimism and inclusiveness. This is part of the value of a UM education.
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Don't Forget To Let Us Know How We Are Doing!
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Questions, feedback, comments on how we can better engage you? Please email us at
alumni@umontana.edu
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Keep Your UMAA Membership Up-to-Date
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