The Magazine of The University of Montana
Email Article About Alumni
Keep Us Posted. Send your news to The University of Montana Alumni Association, Brantly Hall, Missoula, MT 59812. Go to www.GrizAlum.com and click on “Class Notes,” fax your news to 406-243-4467, or call 1-877-UM-ALUMS (877-862-5867). Material in this issue reached our office by November 8, 2010. Note: The year immediately following an alum’s name indicates either an undergraduate degree year or attendance at UM. Graduate degrees from UM are indicated by initials.
Snowbirds/Sunbirds—Anyone! Whenever you change your mailing address, please contact the alumni office. Let us know where you are and when. Thank you.
Lommasson and Dennison celebrate her ninety-fifth birthday in 2006 in the center named for her.
Alumni Events 2011
JANUARY 27
"G. Wiz at Work and Play," UM Professor Garon Smith, Bringing the U to You Lecture Series, Great Falls. Info: www.GrizAlum.com or call 406-899-0277.
FEB
15
"The Beauty of the Brain": UM professors explore the science and evolution of learning in UMAA's community lecture series, six Tuesday evenings through March 22, UC Theater.
Info and series tickets at www.GrizAlum.com.
17
Charter Day: UM's 118th anniversary
MAR
3
"Two Roads, Both Traveled: The Rich and Varied Life of
Fra Dana," UM Associate Professor Valerie Hedquist,
Bringing the U to You Lecture Series, Great Falls.
Info: www.GrizAlum.com or call 406-899-0277.
14
Annual alumni event, Palm Desert, Calif.
MAY
12-14
Commencement reunions: classes of 1941, 1951, 1961
JUN
10-23
International travel: Cruise to the Norwegian Fjords – London to Copenhagen
Nikki Garcia '06, San Francisco, will debut her First Rite line of clothing this spring. Nikki completed a post-graduate degree in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She has sold some of her designs at a San Francisco boutique. See the collection at www.firstriteclothing.com.
'50s
Ken Byerly '56, Jericho, Vt., has published three novels and a book of short stories. Ghost Dance, published in 2009, is set in contemporary Montana. Visit Ken online at www.kenbyerly.com.
'60s
George M. Dennison
'62, M.A. '63, received the Miles Community College Alumni Hall of Fame Award during its May commencement ceremonies. George studied at MCC–then called Custer County Junior College–before transferring to UM. MCC President Stefani Gray Hicswa '91 presented the award. George–who retired as UM's president on October 15, 2010–and his wife, Jane, attended a brunch in his honor, visiting with MCC trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff, as well as UM alumni from the Miles City area, including Leroy Moline '52 (pictured). Murli H. Manghnani
'62, Honolulu, was named a fellow in the American Ceramic Society. Murli is a professor in the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he directs the High Pressure Mineral Physics Laboratory. He also is a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and the Indian Geophysical Union and has received a Guggenheim Fellowship Award for his research.
Gary A. Friedly '65, San Diego, has published his first novel, Bridge Over the Valley, a tale of tragedy and heroism set on a passenger train traveling through the Rocky Mountains and prairies of Montana and North Dakota. Gary took up writing during a long career as a clinical microbiologist at the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center.
Lafay Hope '65, Ashland, Penn., was inducted into the Northern Anthracite Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Lafay is the head track and field coach at North Schuylkill High School, where he has taught since 1969. He also was the 2009 Republican-Herald Track and Field Coach of the Year. Lafay competed in cross country and track for four years at UM. He and his wife, Debra, have three sons and four daughters.
Tom L. Huffer '66, Chugiak, Alaska, had a football stadium named after him. The Tom Huffer Sr. Football Stadium at Chugiak High School was dedicated in an August ceremony. Tom became the school's first varsity football coach in 1969 and led the team to state championships in 1984 and 1988. Although he officially retired from the Anchorage School District in 1990, he has remained involved as an assistant coach and is known as the "father of football" in the Chugiak/Eagle River community.
Robin McCann Turner
'67 was elected to a three-year term as president of the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute. Robin writes in an e-mail, "When I think about loyalty, love, and a great education, I do think University of Montana!"
Gary Smith '68, Spokane, Wash., was hired as a clinical associate professor by the Washington State University Spokane Department of Health Policy and Administration. Gary also was appointed senior project associate with the Area Health Education Center, a unit within WSU Extension.
Annie Bullard Wells, M.A. '68, Ph.D. '70, Huntsville, Ala., is director of clinical training in the Psychology and Counseling Department at Alabama A&M University. She recently published a book, A Multi-Modal Approach to Address ADHD: A Non-Drug Emphasis.
'70s
John Lee Delano 1921-2010
I knew John as a UM alumnus, Montanan, veteran, devoted husband, father, family man, and state lobbyist. All who met him were instantly friends and forever connected to his inner circle of important people. John loved what Montana has to offer and many of his activities, if they did not involve the University, involved being outside. When you picture in your mind the storyteller who sits around the campfire talking about the big fish or the larger-than-life elk or the unbelievable Montana sunset, then you are thinking about John Delano. Or when you think about the consummate University supporter who at a moment’s notice drops everything to help, you are thinking about John. He served as a member and president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and as executive director of the Association during the 1960s and early ’70s. John passed away just before Thanksgiving, but his influence and reputation will forever be a part of the fabric of our campus community.
Bill Johnston ’79, M.P.A. ‘91
Director, Alumni Relations
President and CEO, UM Alumni Association
Susan Larson Kirkman
'70 is the new president of the Brooks Institute, a visual arts school with campuses in Santa Barbara and Ventura, Calif. A longtime interior designer and educator, she previously was vice president of academic affairs and dean of education at Harrington College of Design in Chicago.
Reid Schoonover, M.F.A. '70, Clintonville, Wis., had a gallery exhibition of his ceramic work in July at the Clay Studio in Missoula. The show, Ritual Elements, highlighted his interests in architecture, design, the natural environment, and "most things ancient." Visit Reid's website at www.workingmanstudio.com. Reid and Patricia Elliott Schoonover '70 have been married for nearly forty-one years and return to Montana every year. Pat earned a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1983 and a doctorate from Walden University in 1996, both in education. She recently retired from teaching at UW-Stevens Point, where she was state director for Wisconsin Creative Problem Solving Programs.
Bill Yenne '71, San Francisco, is author of the new book, Alexander the Great: Lessons from History's Undefeated General. The book's forward was written by General Wesley Clark, who calls this biography of Alexander the Great "the best yet." Bill has written more than four dozen nonfiction books and half a dozen novels, including a recent biography of Lakota Chief Sitting Bull that was named to Amazon's "Significant Seven" list. Bill was recently in Montana, where he was filmed for a National Geographic Channel program about Sitting Bull.
Jane Fellows '72, M.F.A. '84, Wilsonville, Ore., portrayed Mary Todd Lincoln, Emily Dickinson, and Carrie Watts in recent leading roles. Jane played the wife of President Abraham Lincoln in Mrs. Lincoln: Life After Grief, brought the American poet to life in The Belle of Amherst, and was a woman who just wants to return home in The Trip to Bountiful. The productions were staged in the Portland, Ore., area. Jane is the former artistic director of the Whitefish Theatre Company.
Steve Palmbush '72, Lake Chelan, Wash., is celebrating fifteen years as an investment adviser with Edward Jones.
Daryl Paulson '72, M.S. '81, M.B.A. '02, founded BioScience Laboratories in 1991 in Bozeman. The business, which now employs sixty-six people, performs FDA-standard testing on products ranging from cosmetics to pharmaceuticals. Its success garnered it a 2010 Montana Family Business Award from the Montana State University College of Business and State Farm.
Barry Hood '73, Helena, opened an exhibit of his glass art at the Holter Museum of Art in August. "Flow" traveled to Anaconda in November, Kalispell in January, and will be at UM in March. Barry studied with Rudy Autio at UM. See his work at www.barryhood.com.
Walter Kero '73, Missoula, is the recipient of the 2010 Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants' George D. Anderson Distinguished Service Award. MSCPA gives the annual award to a member whose contribution to the accounting profession and involvement in community, charitable, and civic activities merits outstanding recognition. Walt has been with Junkermier, Clark, Campanella, Stevens, P.C., for more than twenty-five years and serves as chair of its board of directors. He joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity as a business administration student at UM. "Life is a series of choices," Walt says, "and one of the best choices I made was to join that fraternity. Instead of being a social moron, I gained some real skills. I learned how to deal with people, how to network."
Weymouth Symmes '73, M.A. '75, Missoula, received a 2010 silver medal award from the Military Writers Society of America for his book This is Latch: The Story of Rear Admiral Roy F. Hoffmann. The biography's subject was a U.S. Navy captain during the Vietnam War and is chair of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Weymouth, one of the group's founders, served in Vietnam during 1966-70, earning numerous honors, including a Purple Heart. This is his second book.
Heidi Beals McClain '74, Smyrna, Ga., recently revisited the London School of Economics, where she studied in summer 1972. "There is nothing like retracing college-day adventures sans the professors and hostels," she wrote. "The study-abroad program was an experience that I wish every college student could have while at The University of Montana. Go Griz!"
Benjamin Randolph, M.B.A. '74, is the new dean of business, engineering technologies, and work force development at Terra Community College in Fremont, Ohio.
Glen H. Welch '74, who played three seasons for the Griz football team, was featured in a July 20 Missoulian article. Glen has been a juvenile probation officer for Missoula County for thirty-five years and chief of the department for the past fourteen years. He also officiates high school football and basketball games. Glen and his wife, Patti, met in high school in Butte and have two grown children, Wendy and Scott. "I love it here," Glen told the Missoulian. "It's been a great place for us to be and raise kids. I think I got a good education, and I've been very, very fortunate that I've been able to stay here."
Tom Gioconda, M.B.A. '75, was named deputy director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a national security laboratory
managed under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Energy in Livermore, Calif. A retired Air Force brigadier general, Tom previously was responsible for Bechtel National business development and operations activities. He is married to Anita Pamenter Gioconda '70.
Gary Harrington '76, M.A. '79, an English professor at Salisbury University in Maryland, is for the second time a Fulbright Distinguished Chair at the Maria Curie-Skoldowska University in Lublin, Poland. One of the most prestigious Fulbright awards, the Distinguished Chair is annually awarded to 40 "eminent scholars (with) a significant publication and teaching record." Gary is the author of "Faulkner's Fables of Creativity" and numerous essays on Shakespeare, Hemingway, Woolf, and others.
Dayne Barron '79 is the new manager of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Medford District in southwestern Oregon. Dayne, who earned a bachelor's degree in forestry from UM, has worked for BLM for twenty years. For the previous seven years, he was manager of the BLM's Eagle Lake field office in Susanville, Calif. He and his wife, Sigi, have a twelve-year-old son.
Luana Ross '79 is the new president of Salish Kootenai College in Pablo. She replaces
Joe McDonald '58, M.Ed. '65, Ph.D. '82, who retired after founding and leading SKC for more than three decades. Luana previously was associate professor of women studies and co-director of the Native Voices graduate program at the University of Washington. After majoring in social work at UM, she earned a master's degree in social work from Portland State University and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Oregon. She is author of the book Inventing the Savage: The Social Construction of American Criminality.
'80s
Anne Calcagno, M.F.A. ’84, Chicago, published a novel, Love Like A Dog, about a young boy and a pit bull puppy that become entangled in dog fighting. Anne’s research for the book included going on raids with the Chicago Police Department’s Animal Abuse Control Team. Her previous books include a collection of stories, Pray for Yourself, and an anthology, Travelers Tales: Italy. She has received numerous honors, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the San Francisco Foundation Phelan Literary Award. Anne teaches in the M.F.A. writing program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is married to Leo Fitzpatrick, M.A. and M.F.A. ’84.
Betsy W. Bach, M.A. '80, was inducted into the Department of Communication Studies Hall of Fame at the University of Washington, where she earned a doctorate in 1985. A professor in and former chair of UM's Department of Communication Studies, Betsy is on leave while serving a two-year appointment as associate director for research initiatives at the National Communication Association in Washington, D.C.
Renee Haugerud '80, New York City, founder of Galtere International investment firm, was profiled in the Sept. 27, 2010, issue of Barron's magazine. After majoring in forestry at UM, Renee went to work for Cargill, then opened Galtere in 1997. The Barron's story described the firm's unusual take on inflation. "Our view is that inflation and deflation can in fact coexist," Renee says, "an economic paradigm we have dubbed ‘inverse stagflation.'"
Janice Brown '81, San Diego, recently was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Merit Award from Gonzaga University, where she earned a law degree in 1983. Janice started her firm, the Brown Law Group, in 1999. She has since received numerous honors, including Trial Lawyer of the Year from the U.S. Department of Justice and Lawyer of the Year from the California Association of Black Lawyers, and was named one of San Diego's Ten Coolest Women.
Jack Heflin, M.F.A. '82, published his second collection of poems, Local Hope, through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. Jack is an English professor at UL-Monroe. His first book of poetry, The Map of Leaving, received the Montana First Book Award after its 1984 publication.
Julie Huston '82, San Diego, was named president of U.S. Bank's Small Business Administration division.
Bonnie Banks, M.F.A. '83, teaches English and theater at Billings Senior High School, where her work recently was recognized with two major honors. In February she was named Theater Educator of the Year by the Montana Theater Educators Association at the Montana State Thespian Festival. Then Bonnie and her theater students were invited to perform at the 2011 American High School Theatre Festival during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. "The Fringe" is considered the biggest arts festival in the world. To be accepted, the Billings troupe first had to be recommended by a university professional and complete a rigorous application process. Bonnie and about a dozen of her students will travel to Edinburgh in August. They will perform a theater piece written by Montanan Bill Bowers, Heyokah/Hokahey, which refers to the Lakota Sioux "sacred clown" archetype.
Yvonne Lucero '84, '02 earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from Eastern Washington University in spring 2010. She was awarded the Edmund J. Yarwood Dean's Honor Student Award for French by the College of Arts and Letters. Her personal essay To Fashion a Lovely Damsel was selected for publication in the 2011 edition of Bloodroot Literary Magazine. She and her husband, Brad Snow, live in Spokane, Wash.
John Sauer '84 put his health and physical education degree to good use. For the past twenty-two years, John has worked in the weight room at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., where he is director of speed, strength, and conditioning for the Tribe. Now a 2,500-square-foot addition to the Montgomery Strength Training Center has been named for him: the John Sauer Speed and Conditioning Room. Growing up in Montana, John worked as a logger and competed in power-lifting events while assisting the UM strength and conditioning coach. He held positions at several universities before landing at William and Mary in 1988. In 2005 he was honored as a master coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.
Craig Holden, M.F.A. '86, Las Cruces, N.M., recently donated his personal papers to the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections at the University of Toledo's Carlson Library. Craig, who has taught writing at UT, the University of Michigan, and now New Mexico State University, is the author of six novels, including the latest, Matala. The collection of papers includes his graduate studies in creative writing at UM, as well as multiple drafts of his novels. Visit www.craigholden.com.
Pamela Uschuk, M.F.A. '86, Bayfield, Colo., won a 2010 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation for her fifth collection of poems, Crazy Love. Pam also won the 2010 New Millennium Poetry Prize and had a poem featured in the book 2010 Best of the Web. She is an assistant professor at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., where she teaches creative writing. In spring 2011 she will hold the Hodges Chair for Distinguished Teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A former CutBank editor at UM, Pam now is editor of the literary journal Cutthroat.
Kent Roberts ’87 and Susan Font Roberts ’83, Missoula, hiked to the summit of Tanzania’s 19,334-foot Uhuru Peak with their thirteen-year-old son, Matthew, during a nine-day trek in July. The Roberts family made stops in London and Nairobi, Kenya, before arriving in Tanzania on June 27. They previously went on safari in Tanzania and Uganda in 2007.
Jeny Covill '87, Whitefish, hosts an Internet radio show, Across Turtle Island, that was nominated for a 2010 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award in the category of Best Aboriginal Music Radio Station/Program. APCMAs recognize the best in aboriginal music from across North America. Across Turtle Island is broadcast at 10 a.m. Sundays and any time on demand at www.whitefishradio.com.
Jim Mohn '88, Whitefish, is co-founder and board president of the new Stumptown Players theater company. Jim also played the male lead in the company's inaugural play, Sylvia. He has performed in dozens of other local shows with the Whitefish Theatre Company and Flathead Valley Community College. When he's not on stage, he oversees Flathead County's sign department.
Russ Porter '88, Seattle, competed in two episodes of the TV game show Jeopardy! broadcast in September, winning $20,000. Originally from Columbia Falls, Russ is a consulting engineer for municipal water systems.
'90s
Jeani Borchert, M.A. '90, Bismarck, N.D., received the 2010 Dr. L.I. Hewes Award, a national transportation honor presented by the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Jeani is tribal consultation coordinator with the North Dakota Department of Transportation, where she has worked for fifteen years. The award recognizes her outstanding contributions to national highway development programs, especially her work with tribal members across North Dakota. Jeani studied anthropology at UM.
William Rupp, M.B.A. '90, is the new dean of the College of Business at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. He previously was business dean at the University of Montevallo in Alabama.
Tonja Schaff '91 was honored with a 2010 Salute to Women award in the Business and Professional category by the Great Falls YWCA. The award recognizes Tonja's excellence, community leadership, and dedication to women's issues. An attorney specializing in family law, Tonja is a partner in the firm of Falcon, Squires & Schaff, P.C.
Kathleen Sept Devlin
'91, M.Ed. '04, earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, a feat accomplished by only two other school teachers in Missoula and eighty-four in Montana. Kathleen teaches second grade at Franklin Elementary School in Missoula.
Glenn Griffith '92, Tucson, Ariz., won the Town Pump Montana Open golf tournament in September. Glenn's victory took place at Larchmont Golf Course in Missoula. He had five previous second-place finishes in the tournament.
Sharon Z. Moses '92, M.A. '99, has joined the faculty at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., as an assistant professor of anthropology in the Department of History. Sharon, who earned a doctorate from Cornell University, recently gave a talk at CCU titled Baby's Breath to God's Ears: Child Sacrifice in the Ancient World.
Jeffery Wehr '92, '96, Odessa, Wash., was recognized as 2010 Teacher of the Year for the greater Spokane region by the Washington Office of Public Instruction. Jeff is described as "the science department at Odessa High School," where his innovations include a yearlong advanced scientific research course for independent study and a Junkyard Wars-style bi-county science challenge. Jeff also travels the state sharing his expertise with community groups, businesses, government officials, and future teachers. He and his wife, Julie Wehr '93, have two sons, Thorsen and Kiegan.
George E. Bonini '93 has joined the Seattle law office of Ater Wynne, where he is a business, securities, and tax attorney. He earned a juris doctorate from the Seattle University School of Law and a master's degree in taxation from the University of Washington.
Beth K. Price '93 and Lance L. Smith, Missoula, are the parents of Ander Price Smith, born July 27.
Michael DiFronzo, J.D. '94, has joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as a partner in its Washington National Tax Services group. Mike specializes in international tax with the Washington, D.C.-based firm. He previously was deputy associate chief counsel with the Internal Revenue Service.
Laurie Riley '94, Great Falls, was hired as staff coordinator for the Missouri River Conservation Districts Council.
Mike Frank, J.D. '95, Helena, is the new president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. Mike joined Blue Cross in 1999 as associate general counsel.
Ronald J. Yates Jr. '96 was appointed president of the Montana Society of CPAs Board of Directors for 2010-11. Ron is a tax partner in the Billings office of Eide Bailly, LLP.
David Sather '73, Lewistown, is president-elect.
Martin Kidston '97 is the new communications director for the Montana Democratic Party. He previously was a reporter for the Helena Independent Record, where he worked for eleven years.
David Toivainen '97, M.S. '99, Redding, Calif., has opened a physical therapy practice specializing in lower-back pain. David and his wife,
Virginia Beres Toivainen '00, previously lived in Arcata, Calif.
James Jay '98, Flagstaff, Ariz., recently published his second book of poetry, The Journeymen. He also serves as executive director of the Northern Arizona Book Festival, writes a column for FlagstaffLive! Magazine and owns a bar and billiard hall with his wife, Alyson.
Jonathan Mess '98 exhibited his ceramic sculpture at the Aarhus Gallery in Belfast, Maine, in August, and at Santa Fe Clay in New Mexico in October. Jonathan teaches art at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Maine. Find him online at www.artmess.net.
Josh Pichler, M.A. '98, has been named executive business editor of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Josh has been with the newspaper since 2001, previously serving as sports editor. He now is responsible for all business news operations, including launching new digital initiatives. "This is an amazing time to be a news consumer," he says in an article. "Readers now demand that when news breaks, they will learn about it instantly, whether it's through Facebook or text message or Twitter or e-mail. The Enquirer has to be very aggressive in those digital spaces." Josh recently took a ten-day trip to China and Vietnam to learn about challenges and opportunities for Western businesses in Asia. He is married with three children.
Michael Severson ’99 and Kelly Kuklenski Severson ’00, Tualatin, Ore., make an annual pilgrimage from their home near Portland to visit Mike’s family in eastern Montana. Mike, pictured here with his son Brayden, says, “We always stop for a few days in Missoula to visit friends, walk the campus, hike the M, gorge on Hoagieville cheese fries, and consume a little Big Sky Brewing.”
Iver Arnegard '99 joined the faculty of Colorado State University-Pueblo as a professor of English.
Garrett Budds '99, J.D. '07, M.S. '08, is the new director of land protection for the Beaufort County (S.C.) Open Land Trust. Garrett previously was director of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League's Beaufort office. He will divide his time between Land Trust initiatives and consulting for the county's Rural and Critical Land Preservation Program.
Jackson Garrison '99 joined the commercial lending team at First Montana Bank branches in Libby and Troy.
'00
Toby Brusseau '00, Rapid City, S.D., published a book of photographs and essays titled I Am South Dakota. The hardcover book profiles ten unique South Dakotans, ranging from a beekeeper to a pig-wrestling physician. Learn more at www.iamsouthdakota.net.
Kevin C. Chick '00 is the new principal of St. Columba Catholic School in Durango, Colo. St. Columba offers preschool through eighth grade. Kevin previously was vice principal at St. Joseph Elementary School in Missoula.
Darci Lewis '00 was inducted into the Napa (Calif.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame as a 1995 graduate and star athlete in cross country, track, basketball, volleyball, and tennis. She now coaches the Napa High girls' basketball team, which she has led to six league championships in seven years. She also ran cross country and track for UM.
Andrew J. Greenfield '01, Los Angeles, portrayed a mysterious hotel night manager on the NBC summer miniseries Persons Unknown, about a group of hostages in a small, deserted town. Andy, who grew up in Deer Lodge and Hamilton and studied theater at UM, told the Missoula Independent, "As a viewer, you're not supposed to know where the town is. But it kind of reminds me of Philipsburg. … It has all these small-town elements from towns I've been in across Montana." The character he played was written by a friend and was loosely based on Andy's personality. Andy returned to campus in July to attend the Missoula Colony. Visit his website at www.andyjgreenfield.com.
Andy Johnson '01 edited thirteen episodes of a TV series about hunting called The Zone, which aired on the Sportsman Channel.
Sean Murphy '01, M.A. '03, was hired as an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Administration at Washington State University Spokane. Sean will teach health care economics, research methods, and health information systems. He previously taught economics at West Texas A&M University. Sean and his wife,
Antoinette Murphy
'04, have a daughter, Sofia.
Tia Monteaux Walls '02, Maui, Hawaii, is author of a new children's book, Kekoa and the Egg Mystery. The illustrated book follows a boy, Kekoa, who wakes one morning to discover all the eggs missing from his family's chicken coop. Kekoa is Hawaiian for "the brave one." Tia, who was born and raised in Montana, now claims that "palm trees are way better than pine trees." She and her husband have a Jack Russell terrier, two cats, and four chickens.
Jenny Kuglin '03, Seattle, is the new director of social media for Fisher Interactive Network. Jenny previously was the news director for Fisher Communications' CBS affiliate in Eugene, Ore.
Pete Nowakowski '03 is the new city editor at the Helena Independent Record. He returned to the newspaper after a year as a technical writer for the Montana Department of Revenue.
Dave Oberbillig, M.Ed. '03, Missoula, is a 2010-11 Einstein Fellow. Dave, who teaches biology at Hellgate High School, was one of thirty-two teachers nationwide selected for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program by the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education. The Washington, D.C.-based program offers teachers an opportunity to serve in the national education or public policy arenas. Dave will complete his fellowship in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists.
Trey Young '03 is a safety with the Las Vegas Locomotives football team after playing three years in the Canadian Football League. The former Griz defensive back and All-American has established a website, OfficialPlayerWatch.com, where players can post highlights and career information to market themselves to pro teams and colleges. The site's motto is "Believe in your endeavors, hard work will guide you."
Christopher Stark '04 won a $15,000 American Composers Orchestra's 2010 Underwood Commission for a piece of classical music that ACO will premiere in a future season. Christopher also received a 2010 Morton Gould Young Composer Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Foundation. He is a doctoral student in composition at Cornell University. His winning composition, Ignatian Exercises, refers in part to his hometown of St. Ignatius and the history of Catholicism on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Listen to it online at www.christopher-stark.com. Christopher will be a visiting instructor at UM during spring 2011.
Christian Gutierez '05 is the new K-12 music teacher at Ophir School and Lone Peak High School in Big Sky.
Meagen Hensley '05, Honolulu, made her national acting debut in the premiere of the CBS television series Hawaii Five-O in September. Meagen portrayed an ex-trophy wife turned drug addict. An Anaconda native, she is a former UM cheerleader and coach of the UM Dance Team.
Colleen Teevin, M.S. '05, Sequim, Wash., was hired as the North Olympic Land Trust's farmland conservation and development specialist.
Nikki Garcia ’06, San Francisco, will debut her First Rite line of clothing this spring. Nikki completed a post-graduate degree in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She has sold some of her designs at a San Francisco boutique. See the collection at www.firstriteclothing.com.
Brad Rhoades '06 and
Alice Myers '05 were married August 28 in Bend, Ore.
Jeff Gailus, M.S. '07, published his first book, The Grizzly Manifesto, which explores the politics of grizzly bear conservation in North America. The book is based largely on research Jeff did at UM, including work with Associate Professor Chris Servheen '73, Ph.D. '81, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Kyle Harris '07, Park City, Utah, is the social media program manager for www.Backcountry.com. He previously was an assistant at Paradigm Agency in Nashville, Tenn.
David Malcolm '07 is the new head lacrosse coach at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. David played for UM during 2004-07 and went on to coach high school lacrosse in Wisconsin. He also founded REALacrosse, a group providing camps and other opportunities for young players in the state.
Alex Sakariassen '08, Missoula, took first place in the Best Feature Story category, Division III, of the Montana Newspaper Association Awards for his story "Guardians." Alex also received second place in the Government and Politics category of the Society of Professional Journalists Pacific Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards for his story "Questioning Conservatism." He is a reporter for the Missoula Independent.
Mark Lancaster, J.D. '09, Helena, joined the law firm of Luxan and Murfitt. His areas of practice include general civil litigation, insurance, personal injury, employment, property, and administrative law.
Nathan Rott '09 is the recipient of the first Stone and Holt Weeks Fellowship, awarded by National Public Radio and The Washington Post. The journalism and anthropology graduate was selected from nearly 350 nationwide applicants. During the six-month reporting fellowship, he will spend twelve weeks each working at the Post and NPR.
Emily von Jentzen, J.D. '09, Kalispell, is the third person and first woman to swim the length of Flathead Lake. Emily swam the twenty-eight miles from Somers Bay to Polson in 18 hours, 26 minutes. The July feat was a fundraiser for a three-year-old girl with leukemia. Emily, who was a member of the UM Triathlon Team in law school, is a Flathead County deputy attorney.
Sarah Eleanor Grant '10 received a Journalism Groundbreaker Award from HATCH, a Bozeman-based nonprofit organization. The $500 cash award was based on Sarah's work on several film and TV projects, including the documentary Cannabusiness.
Ashley Korslien '10 and
Dustin "Buddy" Cowart '10 won a student Emmy award from the Northwest Region of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for a television news short they co-produced, The Lissie's Luv Yums Story. The program, broadcast in 2009 on MontanaPBS, profiled a pet-treat business created by a Great Falls woman born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Ashley works as a weekend anchor and reporter for KRTV in Great Falls. Watch the video at ashleykorslien.blogspot.com/2010/07/lissie.html.
IN MEMORIAM
To be included in “In Memoriam,” the UM Office of Alumni Relations requires a newspaper obituary or a letter of notification from the immediate family. We extend sympathy to the families of the following alumni, faculty, and friends. Names without class or degree years include UM alumni, employees, and friends. Material on this page reached our office by Oct. 31, 2010.
’30s
EMMA POKORNY KINONEN ’33, Littleton, CO VELMA CLARK AASHEIM ’36, Kalispell FREDERICK W. SEARLES ’36, Fallon, NV GENE P. FOPP ’38, J.D. ’40, Great Falls LLOYD C. HAYES ’38, Mendocino, CA JAYNE WALKER HOUGLAND ’38, Hughson, CA RICHARD DROEGE GRIFFITH ’39, Lewistown, ID
’40s
NANCY ADELE HEMINGWAY KRIEGER ’42, Lake Oswego, OR, and Missoula GENEVIEVE ANTIOCH LAMOTTE ’42 WILLIAM P. MUFICH ’42, J.D. ’48, Butte RAYMOND J. GAJAN ’43, Silver Spring, MD CHARLES JACK TURNER ’43, Great Falls CHARLES “CHUCK” A.S. RIGG ’43, Palo Alto, CA DOROTHY ANNE GOSMAN ANDERSEN ’45, Yuma, AZ KATHLEEN EUNICE KNAPP SCHENDEL ’46, Three Forks GEORGE T. PRLAIN ’47, Butte WILLIAM “DOUG” WALLIN ’47, Seattle E. KIRK BADGLEY JR. ’48, Lynwood, WA HUGH “PAT” CAMPBELL ’48, Cazadero, CA JOHN PATRICK MOORE III ’48, J.D. ’49, Cut Bank DAWSON N. OPPENHEIMER ’48, Jacksonville, FL DANIEL HUGH SWEENEY ’48, Billings DAVID L. HOLLAND, J.D. ’49, Butte MARJORIE ANN BOESEN KING ’49, Indianapolis JOHN EDWARD SCHWAB JR. ’49, Portland, OR OTTO MAURICE “MIKE” THOMPSON ’49, M.Ed. ’50, Eagar, AZ JEROME B. WALLANDER ’49, J.D. ’51, San Diego
’50s
JOHN ROGER BOE ’50, Big Timber FRANCES C. “FRANK” BURGESS, J.D. ’50, Butte OSCAR LLOYD DONISTHORPE ’50, J.D. ’53, Bloomfield, NM JAMES W. GAUL ’50, Missoula MIKE KUMPURIS JR. ’50, Little Rock, AR THEODORE ROBERT LYON ’50, Idaho Falls, ID STANLEY L. NESS ’50, Brooklyn Park, MN GORDON KENNETH OKERMAN ’50, Miles City LEIGH ALLEN WALLACE JR. ’50, Missoula WILLIAM BRUCE “BILL” HORN ’51, Butte CALVIN H. LUETJEN, J.D. ’51, Lake Oswego, OR ANNE MARGARET SWANSON MARTIN ’51, Vashon Island, WA JAMES F. MAURER ’51, M.A. ’61, Lake Oswego, OR DONALD LEE RICHARDSON ’52, Whitefish DELOS EDMUND ROBBINS ’52, Missoula WILLIAM JAMES SPEARE ’52, J.D. ’94, Billings THOMAS A. WICKES ’52, Spokane, WA JOSEPH LOUIS BROME ’54, Butte BONNIE J. KERN ’52, Columbus WILLIAM J. SPEARE, J.D. ’52, Billings DONNA LOUISE MITHUN ELMORE ’53, Polson GILBERT J. LAZZARI ’53, Butte PAUL NORMAN MAXWELL ’54, Great Falls RALPH LEE BINGHAM ’55, M.A. ’62, Kingsville, TX HAROLD BRUCE FERGUSON ’55, Bay Saint Louis, MS KENNETH MAX PAPENFUSS ’55, M.Ed. ’59, Newdale, ID JOHN ALBERT MORRISON ’55, M.S. ’57, Anchorage ROBERT HENRY HUTCHIN ’56, West Linn, OR JERRY L. MADDEN ’56, Burien, WA EARL WILLIAM BRITTON ’57, Everett, WA KAREN LEE ANDERSON FRISBIE ’58, White Sulphur Springs RONALD T. KUNKEL ’58, Sheridan DAVID L. GREEN ’59, Missoula BONNIE J. LINDGREN KEM ’59, Columbus BILLY GENE REDMOND ’59, Kalispell
’60s
ADELAIDE MARY HARVEY FOY ’60, M.Ed. ’64, Middleton, ID DONALD ALBERT MALMBERG ’60, Great Falls WILLIAM E. O'LEARY, J.D. ’60, Helena SANDY MCGONIGLE HEFFELFINGER ’61, Helena DAVID HANNING MORTON ’61, Pray DONALD GRAHAM WHITE ’61, Polson DOROTHY SHELTON WRIGHT ’61, Missoula JANICE I. “JAN” STANDLEY ALBRIGHT ’63, Shelby JUANITA H. HORK CARL ’63, Hamilton CHARLU MENARD CHOATE, M.S. ’63, Anchorage JOHN R. DAHLIN JR. ’63, Kirkland, WA ROBERT A. “BUZZ” ROMSTAD ’63, Waterford, WI EDWARD L. STERLING ’63, M.Ed. ’64, Helena HAROLD ERNEST GRAY (LONG STANDING BEAR CHIEF) ’64, M.Ed. ’70, Browning LYNNE M. LEWIS ’64, San Mateo, CA JOHN R. “JACK” COLEMAN ’65, M.A. ’70, Helena MYRTLE JAMES BULS ’66, Butte DONALD W. WELTI ’66, Kiel, WI RAY BILILE ’67, Ronan RALPH J. HEFT ’67, Mount Vernon, WA DONALD MARBLE ’67, Chester JUANITA MONTANA HUPPERT PUTZKER ’67, Plains GERALD “LEE” JOHNSON ’69, Livingston MARGARET MARIE ROLSTON LEONARD ’69, Redmond, WA ROBERT PHILLIP MEUCHEL ’69, Missoula BROWN ALAN PARSONS ’69, Bozeman
’70s
J. DAVID WEISS ’70, Burlington, IA CLAYTON W. HORAN ’71, Potsdam, NY MARVIN GLENN NELSON ’71, Rollins RICARDA KAY “RIKI” WETSCH NITZ ’71, Rapid City, SD DOUGLAS R. LOGAN ’72, Missoula GEORGE CHARLES MANNER, M.F.A. ’73, Baton Rouge CAROL DIAN HILLING NELSON ’73, Columbia Falls MARGARET L. MAHLMAN ’75, Downey, CA BRADFORD EDWIN BUCHANAN ’76, Polson KIMBERLIE ANN BAREFOOT ’78, Missoula PAMELA Z. ANNAS ’79, Mexican Hat, UT CORAL MARGUERITE GARAAS SCHMIDT EVERSON ’79, Spring Creek, NV ALFRED SHELLEY HAGEN ’79, Kennewick, WA MCCLURE REAGAN, ’79, Cut Bank
’80s
GREGORY MARTIN SCHMASOW ’80, Santa Monica, CA MARLENE FRANCIS BELTRAMO, M.Ed. ’81, Missoula RON WHEELER ’82, Rock Creek CAROLE JOYCE BUBASH DEMARINIS, M.F.A. ’83, Missoula GERALYN H. “GERI” HOFFMAN ’84, Helena MARGUERITE STEWART LARSON, M.Ed. ’85, Florence, AZ CAROL LYNN NEUMILLER JOHNSON ’86, Missoula DAVID LELAND YOCKEY ’88, Hamilton
’90s
MORGAN VIRGINIA LAWHON QUEAL, J.D. ’90, Saguache, CO CHRISTIAN ALVIN COOKE ’92, Seattle COLLEEN MARIE CASTONA AHLIN ’95, Spokane, WA DAVID EDWARD “DAVE” HANNA ’97, Somers JODI CLASBY SCHMIDT SAMPSON ’99, Seattle
’00s
JOHN DAVID MASTERS ’02, Missoula ERIKA GENEVIEVE RINGLEB ’02, M.A. ’06, Huson CHRISTOPHER HENRY LARUM ’05, Missoula BRIAN THOMAS WILLIAMS, M.S. ’05, Missoula MELISSA HART WEAVER ’09, Billings SONNY J. KLESS ’10, Missoula KERINA ANN ROSE ’10, Stevensville FRIENDS MOIRA BUCKLEY AMBROSE, Helena GERALDINE M. “GERRY” ANDERSON, Missoula TRUBY JEAN CAPP BACHMAN, Whitehall JULIA “JUDY” GRAYTHEN BUTLER, Nashville, TN FRANCIS COYLE CLAPP, Walnut Creek, CA JOAN MARIE “JO” CLEM PELLETT COGGLESHALL, Chandler, AZ BARBARA KELLEY CORRICK, Missoula DANNY N. COYLE, Carson City, NV JOHN PATRICK “JACK” EGAN, Missoula ROBERTA JOSEPHINE “JOIE” HUTTON MATTEUCCI HODGES, Columbia Falls JOHNNA K. WILSON PIMENTAL, Ashburn, VA ROSALYN MARIE KNOWLES ROWE REBER, Missoula JOSEPH BRYANT REBER, Missoula RUTH HUGOS RYFFEL, Arlington, VA THELMA LOUISE SMITH, Veradale, WA BYRON LOUIS WEBER, Missoula MARQUITA O. WHITCOMB, Missoula HELEN J. KRESS WILSON, Missoula DELOIT RAY WOLFE, Missoula
