Montana State University was recently named the most LGBTQ-friendly college in the state of Montana.

The rankings were made by BestColleges.com in partnership with the nonprofit organization Campus Pride. The universities featured on the list were chosen by a panel of experts from Campus Pride for their inclusion features.

In its accompanying write-up about MSU, BestColleges.com noted that MSU is home to advocacy groups such as the Queer Straight Alliance, offers gender-neutral restrooms and locker room facilities, and trains faculty and staff in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-inclusive practices, including counseling and psychological services. The school also has a campus office, the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons, or DISC, which provides resources for students, faculty and staff; offers trainings and workshops; and sponsors several awards. Formerly known as the Diversity Awareness Office, DISC provides support for those who identify with a range of diverse identity groups, increasing understanding, promoting inclusion and inspiring critical thinking about diversity.

BestColleges.com noted that MSU also offers an LGBTQ Mentoring Program that connects experienced students, faculty and staff members with new students and other members of the community who are looking for support. In this program, mentors introduce mentees to the campus culture and help new students connect with MSU’s LGBTQ community.

“MSU is thrilled to receive this recognition,” said Ariel Donohue, director of DISC. “This ranking reflects the coordinated efforts of many campus units to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQ students. We will continue to strengthen our support services for all underrepresented students, including those within the LGBTQ community.”

An open house to celebrate DISC’s recently redesigned office space and help kick off the semester’s inclusion efforts will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in the Strand Union Building, Room 368. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, email diversity@montana.edu.

Montana State University photography professor Ian van Coller’s efforts to shine a light on climate change have resulted in a series of art books documenting diminishing glaciers, including one that is on exhibit at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
 
Van Coller is one of three authors who collaborated to create “The Last Glacier,” which is on display at the museum’s Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Gallery through Feb. 5. The book, which is 25 inches by 40 inches when open, is composed of 13 woodcuts and 10 photographs that document the melting of glaciers in Glacier National Park. In addition to van Coller, other collaborators include Todd Anderson, a printmaking professor at Clemson University, and Bruce Crownover, a master printer at Tandem Press at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 
The trio are friends and developed the concept for the book in 2012 while they were hiking to some of Glacier Park’s most remote glaciers, van Coller said.
 
“It’s quite a hike to get to some of (the glaciers),” he said. Grinnell Glacier, for instance, is six miles from the nearest trailhead.
 
For the next three summers, the trio returned to the park and took extended hiking trips of about 150 miles each summer and visited 18 of the 25 of the last remaining active glaciers in the park as they documented their decline. The artists chose 15 of those glaciers in the park to include in the large-scale art book.

Van Coller, who teaches in MSU’s School of Film and Photography in the College of Arts and Architecture, photographed the landscapes with a high-resolution, medium-format digital camera and digitally stitched together huge panoramas that fit in the book. Anderson and Crownover returned to their studios and worked on large-scale reductive woodcuts, in which the negative space is carved out of huge blocks of wood and then hand-printed. The images were sequenced so that they illustrated what is happening to the glaciers chronologically.

 
Van Coller said the group, which calls itself The Last Glacier Collective, decided to display their work in a book rather than images that would hang in an exhibit, because “when the exhibit is done, it is taken down, and put away. Books are available for a long time,” he said. “We wanted to reach as many people as possible.”

 
The Last Glacier Collective printed 15 books, working with a master bookmaker in Portland, Oregon, who hand-binds the book. Collectors of the book include the Library of Congress, Yale University, Stanford University, the Davis Museum at Wellesley College, the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Collection, Clemson University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, of course, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which also exhibits Picasso and Monet and Audubon.

 
“To have (the book) selected for display is really huge for us,” van Coller said.  He said that The Met, which has two million prints and photographs in its collection and just 300 of those on display at any one time for its thousands of daily visitors, is a large and prestigious audience for the book’s message about the impacts of climate change.

 
“In some ways I feel that this work is similar to that of the Victorian naturalists who made an effort to bring back documentation of nature so the public could see nature,” he said. “This connection of artists and scientists is important. We are both creative problem solvers.”
 
Four of van Coller’s books are also included in a display currently at the Center for Books Arts in New York City.
 
Van Coller’s documentation of glaciers and the impact of climate change has become his passion and has resulted in several creative projects. He has employed a similar large format and subject matter for five more books including the recent “Kilimanjaro: The Last Glacier.” That book is composed of large-format photos taken in 2016 in Tanzania and includes one woodcut by Anderson and a foreword by glacier scientist Douglas R. Hardy of the University of Massachusetts. Van Coller’s photographs show the African glaciers as well as the Tanzanian porters who hiked with him. One of those books has already been acquired by the Bill Bowes Art and Architecture Library Special Collections at Stanford University.

 
Van Coller says he uses the large-format photographs because they provide unique archival records and objects that are collected by institutions.
 
Van Coller also has made a large-format book on the glaciers of Iceland as well as a book on puffins. Van Coller is currently at work photographing glaciers and ice patches in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park and would like to photograph glaciers in Antarctica and Canada’s Baffin Island. He has plans to photograph a tree called “Methuselah,” a 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine tree in California’s White Mountains that is thought to be the oldest non-clonal tree on the planet, meaning that its trunk is the same age as its root system.

 
“I am busy for the next two years,” he said.
 
And, speaking of time, van Coller said he is intensely aware that the time for photographing some of these natural phenomena across the globe is running out. He said to view first-hand the impact of climate change on the glaciers around the world has been sobering.
 
“It will take a massive effort to reverse,” he said.  “As an artist (the photographs) are my way to process grief, and I feel a great deal of grief about (it).”
 

Montana State University Academic Technology and Outreach and the Montana Institute on Ecosystems have developed a free online educational module that helps citizens learn about key information from the Montana Climate Assessment. The Montana Climate Assessment is a scientific document that describes past and future climate trends that affect different sectors of the state’s economy. The interactive experience allows users to explore three key aspects of Montana’s climate — agriculture, forests and water resources — as well as general information about climate science.

The module is self-paced and takes about two to two-and-a-half hours to complete. Participants can access the course from any personal computer with broadband Internet access and can return to it at any time. The module also includes short self-assessments for those who wish to test their knowledge.

The online module is free. For $25, Montana teachers can earn Office of Public Instruction renewal units, or working professionals can earn Continuing Education Units.

To register for the module, visit http://eu.montana.edu/noncredit and look for Montana’s Changing Climate. For questions, email outreach@montana.edu.

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and community of Lauren Walder DeWise, who was killed in Belgrade on Sunday.  She was allegedly killed by her estranged husband, Joseph Paul DeWise. We grieve this tragic loss of life and extend our deepest condolences to all who have been impacted by this heinous crime – the fourth domestic violence homicide in the Gallatin Valley in the last two years.

A banking center manager at Rocky Mountain Bank in Bozeman, Lauren was a kindhearted, caring friend and mother. She was driven in her career and always pushed herself to be better in everything she did. We are particularly devastated for Lauren’s four-year-old daughter. No child should ever have to experience the loss of their mother through such tragedy or endure the suffering caused by violence in the home.

Lauren had left Mr. DeWise less than two months ago, hoping to rebuild a life for herself and her daughter.  We know that attempting to end an abusive relationship can be one of the most dangerous times for a victim. When a victim leaves an abusive relationship, there is an elevated risk of escalating violence and homicide as the perpetrator tries to retain power and control over the situation.

As the population of Gallatin Valley grows, so does the number of domestic violence cases in our community. Last year, HAVEN worked with 980 survivors of domestic violence, up from 953 in the previous year. The level of violence seen in these cases has also intensified, as evidenced by the number of homicides in recent years.  A number of factors can increase the risk of homicide in abusive relationships, including the use of drugs or alcohol, access to firearms, economic stressors and lack of access to resources.

Victims of domestic violence deserve safety and justice.  The State of Montana must continue to evaluate and strengthen its response to domestic violence to ensure that no more lives are lost, that no more children experience the tragedy of losing a beloved parent. Each and every one of us must take a stand to say, “NO MORE”— because one in five people in the Gallatin Valley is a victim of abuse. They are our loved ones, neighbors, coworkers, and friends.

They are counting on us.

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With the help of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has purchased an adjacent parcel that adds nearly 200 acres to the Fleecer Mountain Wildlife Management Area south of Butte.

In addition to the increased recreational opportunities this will afford hunters, anglers, birdwatchers and other recreationists, the expanded WMA provides more protected habitat for wildlife and fisheries.Specifically, the parcel will provide habitat for up to 800 wintering elk, 250 wintering antelope, nesting habitat for long-billed curlew and sandhill cranes in the spring, while also including two miles of riparian habitat and wetlands along Divide Creek.


The purchase for the appraised value of $620,000 was completed in mid-December and was funded through a combination of Pittman-Robinson, Habitat Montana, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation dollars.FWP completed an environmental assessment for the addition action in spring of 2017 with a decision notice coming out in May of 2017.

Local biologists plan a celebratory “work” party on site with project partners, supporters and interested members of the public in June. 

The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center at Montana State University will offer a series of workshops to help manufacturers increase profits by streamlining their operations.
 
Early registration has begun for the 10-week Society of Manufacturing Engineers’ (SME) Lean Bronze Program, which will offer weekly classes starting March 20 in Bozeman, Kalispell and Missoula and March 30 in Billings. Participants save $250 on the course if they register before Jan. 23.
 
SME’s Lean Bronze Program provides an in-depth understanding of lean manufacturing, a set of principles and tools designed to increase manufacturing productivity. Participants will have the opportunity to qualify for SME’s Lean Bronze Certification, which can provide enhanced career opportunities to participants, according to Alistair Stewart, MMEC’s senior business adviser in Bozeman.

“There’s often a misconception that lean manufacturing is just about reducing waste in the manufacturing process or decreasing the number of workers needed,” Stewart said. “Really, it’s about creating a workplace culture of continuous improvement and taking advantage of opportunities to become more profitable.”

 In addition to the classroom sessions, participants will gain hands-on experience by visiting local manufacturers and applying lean manufacturing principles to those manufacturers’ operations.
 
“You feel like you can immediately apply what you’ve learned,” said Trevor Pankratz, an engineer at Wood’s Powr-Grip, a Laurel, Montana, company that manufactures vacuum tools for handling large sheets of glass and other heavy materials.
 
Pankratz, who earned Lean Bronze Certification after completing the course last year, said his company has started enacting a year-long plan that applies lean manufacturing methods. “The results we’ve seen so far have been really good,” he said.
 
MMEC business advisers will also be available to consult with participants about lean manufacturing or other ways to grow and improve their business.
 
MMEC has provided the program for many years and continues to offer the workshops in response to increasing demand, Stewart said.
 
MMEC is a statewide outreach and assistance center housed in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering that consults with Montana manufacturers to help improve their businesses through innovation and growth. MMEC has assisted more than 1,000 manufactures in nearly every Montana county, generating cost savings of more than $87 million through lean manufacturing and other improvements.

 For more information and to register, visit www.montana.edu/mmec/training or contact MMEC at 406-994-3812.

Nominations for the twelfth annual High Plains Book Awards are open through March 16, 2018.  Information and nomination forms will be found at the High Plains Book Awards website. The list of previous winners is also available on the website.  

The 2018 awards include twelve book categories that include; Art & Photography, Children's Book, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, First Book, Indigenous Writer, Medicine/Science, Nonfiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Woman Writer and Young Adult.

Nominated books must have been published for the first time in 2017. Winners will receive a $500 cash prize and will be announced at the awards banquet that is held in conjunction with the High Plains Book Fest. The 2018 High Plains Book Awards and High Plains Book Fest will take place October 19-20, 2018. All nominated books are read and evaluated by four different community readers.  Finalist books in each category will be announced in late May or early June 2018. 

Winners in each category will be determined by a panel of published writers with connections to the High Plains region.  The Billings Public Library Board of Directors established the High Plains Book Awards in 2006 to recognize regional authors and/or literary works that examine and reflect life on the High Plains. In 2017, the High Plains Book Awards Board was granted a 501(c)3 status and now functions as an independent nonprofit entity while still collaborating with Billings Public Library.  

For more information about the High Plains Book Awards visit the website www.highplainsbookawards.org or contact Info@highplainsbookawards.org. 

About the High Plains Book AwardsThe High Plains Book Awards recognize regional authors and/or literary works which examine and reflect life on the High Plains including the US states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Scientists at Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute and their influential research on the world’s largest complex of wildlife crossing structures were featured in a recent article in Canadian Geographic magazine.
 
The complex, a series of tree-covered overpasses and earth-lined culverts perforating a roughly 51-mile stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway through Banff National Park, has been a focus of study for Tony Clevenger, a senior research scientist at WTI, for nearly two decades.
 
“This is Canada’s biggest conservation success story,” Clevenger is quoted as saying in the Dec. 4 online article, titled “As Banff's famed wildlife overpasses turn 20, the world looks to Canada for conservation inspiration.” The article recounts the construction of the structures since the 1980s and cites Clevenger’s “17 years-worth of data proving the efficacy of the crossings.”

 
According to Clevenger, nearly a dozen species of large mammals have used the Banff structures more than 150,000 times and the mortality rates for large carnivores such as grizzly bears are now 50 to 100 percent lower where the crossings have been installed.
 
“We know these structures work and that there are cost benefits” in terms of reducing animal-vehicle collisions and conserving wildlife, said Clevenger, who joined WTI in 2002 after working independently on the Banff research for roughly five years.
 
To document how wildlife used the crossings, Clevenger and his colleagues used motion-activated cameras as well as pads of sand, which were routinely checked for animal tracks. They also used unobtrusive barbed wire to collect hair samples, which were then genetically tested to determine, for example, how many individual bears had used a crossing.

 
Combined with information gathered by Parks Canada biologists, such as data from radio collars showing how animals moved across the Banff landscape, Clevenger’s research influenced the location and design of subsequent crossing structures as the Banff project expanded along the Trans-Canada Highway, according to Terry McGuire, who led the project for Parks Canada from the early 1990s through 2010.

 
“The research told us that wolves and grizzlies favor overpass structures,” so in the most recent iteration of the project the overpasses continued to be used and were actually widened, he said. “The smaller underpasses are preferred by cougars and black bears.”
 
Taken as a whole, Clevenger said, the research translates relatively simply so that it can be applied by transportation agencies, and the WTI team is studying its potential to work across different ecosystems as well.
 
When Clevenger joined WTI in 2002, other researchers at the institute, which is housed in MSU’s College of Engineering, had just begun studying wildlife movement across Highway 93 on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation. That research helped pave the way for numerous crossing structures similar to the ones at Banff. Clevenger said he was drawn to WTI by the Highway 93 project and the center’s early support for the emerging discipline of road ecology, he said.

 
“I think WTI is looked upon as being the premiere road ecology research center in North America,” he said.
 
According to the Canadian Geographic article, Clevenger’s research played a key role in overcoming early skepticism about the Banff project and, more recently, turning it into an example that others around the world seek to replicate.
 
For example, the article quotes another WTI researcher, Rob Ament, as he describes the response of Chinese visitors to WTI several years ago: “Everyone in China knew about Banff. When Tony took to the stage, they all pulled out their notepads and started writing like crazy, every word he spoke. Clearly, Banff has cachet all over the world.”

 
According to WTI Director Steve Albert, the institute has conducted research about wildlife crossings in nearly 30 countries, including China, as well as the majority of U.S. states. “MSU is driving road ecology research worldwide,” he said.
 
“People often don’t realize how big a problem this is,” Albert added. “There are more than a million wildlife collisions every year just in the U.S. They have a huge economic impact” in terms of vehicle repair costs and labor for removing carcasses from roadways, among other things, he said.
 
Ament is featured in the article for his research that involves applying the findings from Banff and other projects to designing new crossing structures in developing countries like Argentina, where new roads are being built in areas with lots of biodiversity.
 
“That’s why this research is so important,” Ament said. “There’s so much more to learn. We’re just starting.”

View the results here »