The BETCy EFRC was one of only 10 new centers funded in the latest round of grants, which totaled $100 million and drew more than 200 proposals. Another 22 recipients received renewed grants based both on their achievements since the first round five years ago and the quality of their proposals for future research.

Centers selected in the second round are charged with laying the scientific groundwork for fundamental advances in solar energy, electrical energy storage, carbon capture and sequestration, materials and chemistry by design, biosciences, and extreme environments, said U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz when he announced the latest recipients on June 18.

“Today, we are mobilizing some of our most talented scientists to join forces and pursue the discoveries and breakthroughs that will lay the foundation for our nation’s energy future,” Moniz said. “The funding we’re announcing today will help fuel scientific and technological innovation.”

These particular institutions decided to work together because the researchers involved are leaders in the field and have a combination of complementary expertise necessary to accomplish the ambitious goals of the center’s research, Peters said.

Ten years to the day of Alara Jewelry opening its doors in downtown Bozeman, the self-named “Ladies of Alara” invite their customers, friends, and community to celebrate with a full day of activities.

Starting from opening at 10am until closing at 8pm, Alara Jewelry invites everyone to partake in storewide discounts unlike anything the gallery has ever offered.  

“We recognize that our success has everything to do with the warm decade-long welcome the people of Montana have extended to us.  We have not had a storewide, general public sale outside of Crazy Days, and we thought this would be the perfect time to do so,” says Babs Noelle, owner of Alara Jewelry.  Discounts range from 30% with the purchase of one item to 50% for the purchase of three.

There will also be a barbeque from 11am to 2pm for those stopping by, kindly manned by Big Sky Youth Empowerment.  

Noelle adds, “BYEP is Alara’s benefitting nonprofit for the month of July, and this sale will be no exception.  We are excited by the prospect of sharing our sales success with this remarkable nonprofit.”

For those out after work and over the age of 21, a signature cocktail will be served inside the store from 6pm to 8pm.  “We have long prided ourselves on providing a fun and social atmosphere, so of course we want to highlight that during our important milestone shindig,” says Noelle.  “And to provide cutting-edge entertainment during the evening, we are proud to present The Trap Door Project, an innovative dance crew that combines the modern sounds of electronic dance music with the rhythms and energy of live tap dancing.”

Every adult stopping by Alara will receive a chance to win a cruise package.  An additional cruise package will be awarded to the Alara customer who brings by the oldest custom piece crafted by Noelle.

Alara Jewelry is located at 42 W. Main Street in downtown Bozeman.  Their 10th Anniversary Shindig takes place on July 17th from 10am to 8pm.

The thrill of Bobcat football will be supplanted by giggles and family fun for one night this summer, when Montana State Athletics hosts Movie Night with the Bobcats on Tuesday, July 29. The event is free of charge.
 
The 2013 Disney movie Monsters University, an animated hit featuring the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, plays on the Bobcat Stadium video board beginning at 7 pm with gates opening at 6 pm. All seating (except ADA access) is on the field so fans are encouraged to bring blankets, but chairs of all kinds are prohibited for the event that MSU Director of Athletics Peter Fields called "a thank you to our fans."
 
"Movies under the stars is a great tradition in our community and we're happy to welcome families into Bobcat Stadium for a night of fun," said MSU Director of Athletics Peter Fields. "We know kids of all ages will enjoy this movie, and it's a great chance for anyone who doesn't normally have the opportunity to attend football games to enjoy this facility."
 
Gates open at 6 pm on July 29. Popcorn and water will be available in the stadium, but no outside food or beverages are allowed into the stadium for protection of the turf field. Fans may use the social media hashtag #bobcatmovienight.
 
#GoCatsGo

The town of Ennis is launching a new music festival dubbed Moods of the Madison the third weekend of July, and with headliners like Buddy Guy and Grand Funk Railroad, this venture is likely to be a barnburner.

The festival will be held within walking distance (just under a mile) from town, just north of Madison Foods on the west side of Highway 287. It has been organized by Tate Chamberlin and Chamberlin Productions of Bozeman, in conjunction with community leaders in Ennis, who are hoping a successful debut festival will make Moods of the Madison an annual summer event. And so far, it’s looking good: by July 7, there was no hotel/motel lodging left available in the Ennis area on July 18 and 19, when the festival takes place.

“We’re so excited,” said Chris Gentry of Madison Foods, which is helping to sponsor the event. “We’re looking for a big crowd...and hoping to bring many of those folks into Ennis as well.”

Moods of the Madison kicks off at noon on Friday, July 18, when access opens to the festival grounds and vendors, and to the adjacent campgrounds. The music starts on the main stage at 5:30 with the folk/rock sounds of Hollow Wood, a six-piece Indie band out of Boise, Idaho. Another Indie folk-rock band out of Deland, Florida, Roadkill Ghost Choir, hits the main stage at 6:45. From 8:00-9:00 the instrumental band Toubab Krewe will make the Madison Valley echo with the sounds of both Africa and America, specifically the music of Mali with a twist of the Southern United States added in. And Friday night’s headliner, Grand Funk Railroad, hitting the main stage at 9:30, should prove to be “some kind of wonderful.”

Though the music doesn’t start on the main stage until Saturday afternoon, other on-site events like an obstacle course, a “kids’ zone,” and more, will be featured at the festival. And there’s lots to see and do in Ennis, including dining (I strongly recommend the jerky at Deemo’s Meat Shop), shopping, or just sightseeing in this great little mountain town.Event sponsor Madison Foods is sure to be busy with campers looking to beef up their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, refill their coolers, and get some snacks (and they have killer jerky, too!). The nearby Madison River and Ennis Lake will be beckoning bathers, floaters and fisherfolk alike, and there’s also plenty of hiking and history in the area.

At 4:30 pm, Trap Door Project hits the main stage. This Missoula-based dance group combines electronic dance music and tap dancing for an energizing and innovative live show. They are followed at 5:15 by the Molotov Quintet, an acoustic flamenco group who blend jazz with hip-hop, Latin, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European folk music. At 6:00 Bozeman’s own Booze Hounds hit the main stage, belting out originals and covers with the best of them. The Booze Hounds will be joined onstage at Moods of the Madison by Tom Rhodes, a well-loved Bozeman rocker of John Colter Band fame. They will be followed up at 7:00 by another Bozeman band with a John Colter Band connection of sorts, Golden Grenade, a trio featuring the late Tex Tucker’s (another John Colter Band founder, and Bozeman singer-songwriter extraordinaire) son Dustin Tucker on guitar and vocals. At 8:15, Screen Door Porch will entertain the crowd with their Wyoming-inspired Americana music. Buddy Guy, with his legendary, award-winning blues sound, will hit the main stage about a quarter to ten, and rock the crowd until the end.

Don’t miss this debut event that seems certain to become an Ennis mainstay. General admission ticket prices range from $50-$75, and VIP tickets for Moods of the Madison, which include a fully furnished VIP lounge with complimentary beer and viewing platform, are $100. Tickets are available at Cactus Records in Bozeman, Madison Foods in Ennis, and Headframe Spirits in Butte. Camping located conveniently adjacent to the venue is $5 per person, and that price covers camping from 3:00 on Friday, July 18, to noon on Sunday, July 20. Vendors onsite at the festival will be offering food and beverages as well as arts and crafts, and access to the vendors and the kids zone will be open to the public free of charge all weekend.

For more information on Moods of the Madison, find moodsofthemadison.com online. Ennis is ready for a festival! Are you? See you on the Madison!

As part of its mission to help revitalize American small business by empowering entrepreneurs on the ground, MBAs Across America has selected Bozeman as one of it's six stops for one of eight teams traveling the country this summer.  Team "Grussle" comprised of MBA candidates from Ann Arbor and Berkeley (http://mbaxamerica.com/rosshass-business-school/) will make six stops this summer. The first of which is to spend this week at Sola Cafe and Red Tractor Pizza in Bozeman, Montana. For more information visit:

The team, comprised of four 2nd year MBAs will focus an entire week working to help craft sustainable and profitable growth and expansion plans for Sola Cafe and Red Tractor Pizza.

MBAs Across America is a nonprofit organization which takes MBA's summer internship aspirations on the road and out of the cubicle. The team members are inspired to serve small business owners with their expertise.

"The MBAXA team wants to help the people doing the real work of running a business. Their enthusiasm is palpable. These are not your stereotypical MBAs (whatever that might mean). The group is full of intelligent curiosity woven with a strong desire to make a difference. What a treasure and a gift to spend a week with my new advisors and friends."   -Tiffany Lach, owner, Sola Cafe and Red Tractor Pizza, Bozeman, Montana

For further information about the team, the organization and their stop in Bozeman, please visit: http://mbaxamerica.com/

A guide to help Montanans detect, monitor and control Japanese beetles is now available from Montana State University Extension.

Prior to 2013, the Japanese beetle was established in a small area of Billings, but had not spread. In 2013, it was introduced into seven municipalities through shipments of infested nursery stock, said insect diagnostician Laurie Kerzicnik.

The larvae are pests of turf grass. Lawns with yellow patches might indicate an infestation. The adults feed on more than 300 plants, but they prefer roses, apple, grape, cherry, raspberry and linden.  They also eat field crops, vegetables and ornamental bushes.

Japanese beetle larvae, also known as grubs, are about one inch long when they mature. They are off-white, have a C-shaped body and three pairs of legs.

Japanese beetle adults can be half an inch long. They have a metallic green, oval body with bronzed outer wings. They have five small tufts of white hair along the sides of their abdomen and two more patches protruding from the last segment of their abdomen.

A variety of approaches are available to control Japanese beetles, Kerzicnik said. Montanans can use insecticides or plant resistant species, such as lilacs, spruce and the common chokecherry. They can use biological controls, which include parasites, nematodes, fungi or other organisms.

For more information about the Japanese beetle, including its life cycle, behavior, susceptible plants, and control methods, Montanans can request an MSU Extension MontGuide by visiting the online store at http://store.msuextension.org/Products/Japanese-Beetle__MT201404AG.aspx or emailing orderpubs@montana.edu. The MontGuide was written by Kerzicnik and MSU Extension Horticulture Associate Specialist Toby Day. It is a June 14 publication numbered MT201404AG.

On a quest to learn more about fires in the Northern Rockies, Montana State University, Salish Kootenai College and federal researchers are looking to the trees, lakes and oral tradition for insights they can share with land managers.

David McWethy of MSU is now leading a team of students sampling sediments from several lakes on the Flathead Indian Reservation.  At the same time, Rick Everett of SKC is leading a group of students collecting tree rings and fire scars.

The charcoal, pollen and other materials they expect to find in lake sediments will speak to the frequency and timing of ancient and recent fires, much like they have done in other MSU studies in Yellowstone National Park, New Zealand, Tasmania and elsewhere in the world, said McWethy, a Montana Institute on Ecosystems Fellow and paleoecologist in MSU’s Department of Earth Sciences.

Tree rings and fire scars will reveal when fires occurred, how severe they were and information about what the climate was like during the life of the tree, said Everett, the overall project leader and a forestry professor at SKC.

The goal, according to the team, is to prepare for the future by reconstructing the past. They hope the lessons they learn from ancient and recent fire management will help land managers determine how management and restoration might best reduce the risk of hazardous fire activity while promoting the long-term resilience of native coniferous forests of the northern Rockies.

Working in conjunction with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Forestry and Cultural Resources, the research team chose study sites with mixed-coniferous forests (primarily Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine) that hadn’t been logged or disturbed by human activities, but contained individual trees that were scarred by fire. They looked for forest sites that could be paired with a lake where sediments could be analyzed to add a much longer history of fire. Mixed-coniferous forests and their fire regimes are poorly understood in North America, Everett said.

After collecting lake sediments, tree rings and fire scars, the research team will compare their findings with oral tradition about fires in the region.

“The need for information is particularly compelling on tribal lands, where tribal members and forest managers have a strong interest in preserving historical continuity and incorporating traditional knowledge in management strategies, Everett said.

The two-year project is funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Tribal Colleges Research Grant. Collaborating with McWethy and Everett are Emily Heyerdahl from the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Sciences Lab in Missoula, Greg Pederson from the U.S. Geological Survey in Bozeman, and 12 tribal students.

“There is a critical need to better understand the historical context for applying fuel treatments intended to reduce fire risk in mixed forest types across the western U.S., and to identify management strategies that may support resilient future forests,” McWethy said.

By fuel treatment, he referred to methods of reducing fuel for fires, McWethy said. Managers might thin a forest by removing small diameter trees, for example. They could use prescribed burns to remove shrubs and grasses.

“Understanding what happened in the past under different conditions gives us an idea of what’s going to happen in the future,” he summarized.

Heyerdahl, a USDA research forester, said in the team’s research proposal that land management agencies across the United States have started grand efforts to improve forest resiliency, reduce fire risk and reduce fuel, but they are missing historical context.

“Most fire history information comes from a narrow range of forest types, characterized by low-severity surface fires, and most of the supporting research has been undertaken on public lands,” Heyerdahl said. “In contrast, our understanding of disturbance and stand dynamics in mixed-severity forest types is still rudimentary, despite the fact that nearly half of all acres targeted for fuel reduction and restoration on U.S. federal lands occurs within forests that are broadly classified as such. Furthermore, little is known about the impact these fuel treatments have on forest ecosystems.”

The unique collaboration that joins a university, tribal college and federal agencies should produce that context, Heyerdahl said. The researchers added that the collaboration is valuable, because of the research it will yield and the relationships it cements.

“This work really formalizes a growing relationship that has occurred over the last three years between SKC, MSU, the USGS and the Rocky Mountain Research Station, forming a network for both engaging our undergraduates with leading researchers in the region and expanding the college’s (SKC) research capacities in forest and fire ecology,” Everett said.

“As program director of a new option with our bachelor of sciences program in Forestry, Wildland Fire Science, this also opens up lines of communication between my program and researchers performing applied works in fire sciences and both forest and fire ecology,” Everett said.

McWethy – whose collaborations also include a project in Lebanon – said the group will not only learn about fire management in the Rockies, but its findings could add to the knowledge about the increasing incidence of large fires in the world.

“An increase in large fires is a global phenomenon,” McWethy said. “Although we’ve had large fires in the past, they didn’t affect people as much because there were fewer people across landscapes in the western U.S.”

Montana State University professor Brock LaMeres has been awarded $100,000 and the chance to test his computer technology on the International Space Station.
NASA announced this week that MSU was one of five institutions to submit a winning proposal for this opportunity. That means a computer system designed at MSU will ride on the International Space Station. The system is designed to operate in the presence of high energy radiation particles that pass through space craft and radiation shields. These particles might not permanently damage electrical circuits, but they can cause computers to crash.

“This is extremely exciting,” LaMeres said. “This represents one of the last steps to demonstrate this technology before it can be adopted in a real NASA mission.”
LaMeres designed the radiation-tolerant computer system with doctoral students Justin Hogan and Raymond Weber who graduated in May, and master’s degree student Samuel Harkness. All four are in MSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

LaMeres predicted that MSU’s technology could head for the International Space Station in one or two years. During the upcoming year, his team will work with NASA engineers to make sure the computer system meets safety standards and can communicate with the space station. He will then turn it over to NASA, which will schedule the computer system for flight.

MSU’s computer system will ride inside the International Space Station and be exposed to the same high energy radiation particles that other, more expensive computers face inside the station, LaMeres said. The MSU computer is built with off-the-shelf parts in order to reduce cost. LaMeres said MSU’s computer promises to deliver the same level of reliability as existing space computers at a fraction of the cost. He expects it will be tested on the space station between six months and two years.

The opportunity to fly on the International Space Station is the latest in a series of follow-on grants that LaMeres has received from NASA since he was awarded the original funding that allowed him and his students to start designing the radiation-tolerant computer system. In fact, LaMeres heard the news while in Colorado delivering the same computer technology to a company that will launch it this fall on a sounding rocket over New Mexico as part of another NASA-sponsored project. The sounding rocket flight will put the computer system in space, but only for a few minutes before it returns to Earth. The space station flight will allow the computer to be tested in orbit for much longer.

The original grant to build the computer system came in 2010. It was a three-year, $750,000 grant from NASA’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the same agency that awarded LaMeres the opportunity to fly his technology on the International Space Station. NASA said it selected proposals from MSU, the University of Kentucky, Lexington; the Maine Space Grant Consortium, Augusta; the University of Nebraska, Omaha; and the University of Delaware, Newark because they were important to NASA’s mission. The proposals should also help university faculty develop science and technology curricula and support higher education students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

EPSCoR is managed by NASA's Office of Education. EPSCoR helps develop partnerships among NASA research missions and programs, academic institutions and industry.  It also helps the awardees establish long-term academic research enterprises that will be self-sustaining, competitive and will contribute to their local and state economic viability and development.