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Senator Baucus Announces Montana Tech Investment for the Future of Montana Jobs – Funds from the 5th Economic Development Summit to Fuel Endowment for New PhD Program Proposal

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced today along with partners of the 5th Economic Development Summit a $25,000 investment to kick start an endowment for a proposed new doctoral program in material science engineering at Montana Tech. While the program is still being studied, an endowment is considered a key step toward advancing the effort. To build upon the efforts of his Montana Economic Development Summits, Baucus is working on contributing to a lasting program that will support good-paying jobs for Montana students while raising the research and education profile of the state.

"High tech manufacturing is something we do well and know a lot about. We are also a mining state with lots of natural resources. A research and education program that focuses on developing the materials of tomorrow has the potential to leverage our state’s knowledge and resources to create good paying jobs for Montana students and graduates. It’s been a lifelong goal of mine that Montana students could graduate with good-paying jobs here in the state and I believe this investment is on the cutting edge of that effort," said Baucus. "My thanks go to Montana Tech for their vision for the future of Montana jobs."

"Montana Tech is thrilled to have the support of Max Baucus and the State of Montana," explained Donald Blackketter, Chancellor of Montana Tech. "Industries our students currently serve as well as large corporations such as SeaCast continually request graduate level education to complement their current and future work force. Montana Tech has been a proud partner of Max’s Montana Economic Development Summits and here is another example of how these summits can effect lasting change. The future is bright with multiple cascading opportunities arising from our ongoing effort to try to establish a new doctoral program."

"SeaCast has strongly benefitted from a high quality educational system in Butte. We look forward to the enhanced engineering capabilities, research facilities and qualified candidates that a PhD program will bring to Montana Tech. The idea for the program came up at the last Montana Economic Development Summit and we’re thankful that Max understands this important connection between higher education, business and supporting jobs for Montana," said Bert Robins, Vice President and co-founder of SeaCast.

Supporting Montana Jobs: Montana Economic Development Summits and Beyond

$25,000 of the funds left over from the 5th Economic Development Summit in 2010 will go toward the establishment of a new doctoral program at Montana Tech. Building upon the theme of the summit, "Montana Solutions for Montana Jobs" the funds may be used to invest in new opportunities for securing job opportunities for Montanans.

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