Lecture Series Features Distinguished University of Montana Faculty Members

The University of Montana’s fall 2009 Provost’s Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series begins this month.

The series, which is free and open to the public, celebrates the outstanding quality and accomplishment of UM faculty members. This year’s series features Regents Professor of Marketing Jakki Mohr, chemistry Professor Garon Smith and wildlife biology Professor L. Scott Mills.

All lectures will begin at 6 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. A reception will follow each event. Following is a schedule of series lectures and descriptions:

§ Thursday, Sept. 17: “A World Without Marketing: Blessing or Curse?” Presented by Regents Professor Jakki Mohr. Explore the many positive and negative roles of marketing in society, from commercializing revolutionary scientific inventions to the minutia of annoying TV ads. Bring questions, biases and curiosity to examine what a world without marketing would be like.

In 2008 the Montana Board of Regents named Mohr, an expert in the area of marketing and technology, a Regents Professor. She is the first woman in the state to receive the rare accolade. Her research has won numerous awards and has been published in the top journals in her field. Mohr’s textbook, “Marketing of High-Technology Products and Innovations,” is used at universities worldwide.

§ Wednesday, Oct. 14: “The Chemistry of Snowflakes, Color and Other Fun Stuff.” Presented by chemistry Professor Garon Smith. Explore fun topics in celebration of whimsical science. This lecture is for those who may wonder how a snowflake can be so beautifully symmetric but unique from all others, believe wrongly that the colors of the rainbow are abbreviated in the name of the fictitious ROY G BIV or want to find out what chemical compounds changed the name of New Amsterdam to New York City.

Smith, one of UM’s most popular educators, was named 2008 Montana Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He is known to many throughout Montana as G. Wiz when he dons a purple wizard’s cape and robe to capture students’ attention with fiery tricks and clever, humorous incantations.

§ Tuesday, Nov. 10: “Wildlife Biology in a Changing World.” Presented by Professor L. Scott Mills. Learn how modern wildlife biology science combines traditional field work with the latest advances in mathematics and molecular biology to discover what will happen when white snowshoe hares find themselves in a forest without snow and to count lynx or leopards as they move unseen through remote mountain passes. Mills also will talk about the lessons animals in U.S. national parks can teach us about studying wildlife in a Himalayan country.

Mills is an award winning educator whose research across scientific disciplines has led to key advances in applying ecological science to international wildlife management and conservation. Mills was named a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow. He will use the fellowship to help build capacity for ecological science in Bhutan.

For more information about the lecture series, visit the UM Provost’s Web site at http://www.umt.edu/provost or call 406-243-4689.