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Blue & Gold News from President Cruzado – Montana State University

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Welcome to Cat-Griz week! As we do every year at this time, MSU is celebrating our longstanding and beloved Cat-Griz football rivalry with events all throughout the week. We are also delighted to be hosting the Montana Board of Regents this week for its November meeting. Welcome to all members of the board, and to everyone visiting our campus and our community this week.

Of course, we are particularly excited for the annual game between MSU and the school that shall remain unnamed — popularly known as the “Brawl of the Wild” — which will be played at Bobcat Stadium this year. Kickoff is at noon Saturday, Nov. 23. The game can also be viewed on Scripps Networks, ESPN+ or at a local watch party. For information on additional events related to Cat-Griz — including Bobcat Brawl Bingo and the annual Brawl of the Wild Lecture — please visit http://www.montana.edu/news/24115/.

A particularly meaningful part of our yearly Cat-Griz matchup involves the traditional Can the Griz food drive, an off-field competition between MSU and our rival to see which school can collect the most donations for its local food bank. This food drive helps our neighbors in a big way, and I hope you can participate. Take nonperishable food donations to collection locations throughout Gallatin County — a list of participating drop-off locations is at http://www.canthegriz.org/. Monetary donations to the Gallatin County Food Bank also count toward our goal, and you can donate by visiting https://gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org/donate/. Let’s can those Griz!

Finally, as Thanksgiving approaches, I find my heart so full of gratitude for our Bobcat community. We have had an extraordinary year because of our dedicated and talented students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and neighbors. As you gather with loved ones next week, please know your university is grateful for your support and friendship.

IN RECENT NEWS

William Thomas, associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been selected as the new dean of our College of Letters and Science. He will begin his new position on Jan. 13, 2025. Dr. Thomas will bring a wealth of experience as both a scholar and an administrator to this role. Moreover, his leadership in fostering student success, research and public service, combined with his deep commitment to preparing the future workforce of tomorrow, will make him a valuable asset to our College of Letters and Science and to MSU as a whole. Welcome, Dr. Thomas!

A new six-year, $3 million grant-funded project at MSU will support dozens of science, technology, engineering and math teachers in rural and underserved areas of Montana as they work toward graduate degrees in science education or deepen their expertise as teachers. The project ultimately aims to strengthen STEM education for students in rural areas of the state. The project — known as Rural and American Indian School Educators as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Leaders, or RAISE STEM Leaders  — will develop a group of 26 experienced and exemplary STEM teachers, known as Master Teacher Fellows, from seven high-need school districts in rural and American Indian communities across Montana, including Browning, Colstrip, Cut Bank, Hardin, Polson, Pryor, Ronan, St. Labre and Superior. The grant comes from the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which works to support STEM teachers.

MSU Dean of Nursing Sarah Shannon has received the State Advocate Award from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. The award is given annually to one individual from each state who serves as a role model in the health care industry and demonstrates excellence in alignment with the mission and goals of AANP in the areas of practice, education, advocacy, research or leadership. Shannon, who began in her position as dean of the Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing in 2017, focuses her research on improving communication between health care teams, patients and their families around ethically challenging issues.

MSU has been ranked among the top universities in the world in the new Open Edition of the 2024 CWTS Leiden Rankings. The rankings are based on articles published in scholarly journals and the impact those publications have on the international community. According to the ranking, from 2019 to 2022, MSU has had 3,494 publications throughout all areas of science. Sixty-two of those publications are among the top 1% of papers in their respective fields, signifying their high impact. These newest Leiden Rankings list includes the top 1,506 universities from around the globe. MSU was ranked 1,133 on the list.

In addition, MSU has been ranked a Top Veteran-Friendly School by U.S. Veterans Magazine. The ranking is based on multiple factors, including academic policies, military student support, graduation and career outcomes, culture and commitment, and more. MSU has also previously earned high marks from MilitaryFriendly.com, including being ranked the No. 2 military friendly school in the nation in March 2024. MSU was recognized this year for its commitment to fostering an inclusive, welcoming and supportive campus culture, providing equal opportunity, and demonstrating a strong dedication to including veterans in the student body, faculty and staff. MSU is the only Montana institution included in the magazine’s 2024 list.

MSU recently opened its Biomedical Innovation for Research and Development Hub, an interdisciplinary training and research site that brings together engineering, nursing and computer science to advance life-saving technologies. Called the BioReD Hub, the program also provides collaborative opportunities for students in research and clinical practice. Funded in part by a $429,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, the hub aims to expand biomedical engineering research and education at MSU with an emphasis on developing new technologies to improve rural health care.

COMING UP AT MSU

Our volleyball team will take on UM on Friday, Nov. 22, in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. The match begins at 7 p.m. and is their last regular-season match of the year. Go, ‘Cats, Go!

Basketball season has started! Our Bobcat men’s team will host the Basketball Travelers Invitational later this month. The men will take on Southern Mississippi at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, and then later play Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26. Both games will be held in Worthington Arena. Meanwhile, the Bobcat women’s basketball team will host South Dakota at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, before traveling to Oklahoma for a game against Oral Roberts University on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Please join us at one of my favorite annual events: The yearly lighting of Montana Hall. The event, known as Lights on Montana Hall, will begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the heart of campus on the Malone Centennial Mall. We’ll have refreshments, entertainment and holiday activities. Performers include the Bobcat Brass Trio, the Montanans, Champ Children’s Choir, the Spirit of the West drumline and the Spirit Squad. Free parking will be available on campus in all non-reserved spaces after 4:30 p.m., including the top level of the parking garage. Lights on Montana Hall has been a bright spot in my year each December, and I am so grateful for this chance to bring cheer and brightness to campus and to celebrate the strong bond Montana State shares with our wonderful community. I cannot wait to see everyone there!

DID YOU KNOW

While it’s known for its museums in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution also comprises dozens of research and education bodies around the world. And through a unique collaboration with one of those teams, faculty and students at Montana State University are amplifying ecological research in the northern Great Plains. The Smithsonian’s Great Plains Science Program was established in 2018 and since then, scientists in the GPSP have connected and worked with researchers at MSU, bringing together a broad range of academic focus areas to study a bioregion with numerous ecosystems and astonishing diversity that is inadequately understood.

In Blue and Gold,

Waded Cruzado
President, Montana State University

 

IN THE NEWS

With new funding, Montana State scientists study how wild oats become resistant to herbicides

At 20, Montana State chapter of Engineers Without Borders has history of helping

Rings of very old trees help Montana State physicist quantify strength of historic cosmic storms

Montana State engineer wins NSF grant to study the effects of melting permafrost on structures

First-generation students find support at Montana State University

Montana State’s WTI awarded $6.4 million by federal Transportation Department for workforce development

988+1 veteran coins designed at Montana State to prevent suicide

Montana State camelina research featured by U.S. Department of Energy

Student veteran Max Tolstedt lands competitive national internship through Montana State environmental health program

Director says first night flight in Montana State ballooning program’s history yields valuable learning opportunities

Montana State professor Elizabeth Rink named co-lead of Fulbright Arctic Initiative

Grammy winner hosts student workshop at Montana State

Accomplished engineer Jim Weatherly inducted into Montana Professional Engineers Hall of Fame

MSU Extension explains potential tax savings with Montana medical care savings account

Registration open for new leadership course at Montana State University

‘Montana PBS Reports: IMPACT’ to premiere new episode on Nov. 21

Office of the President
216 Montana Hall | P.O. Box 172420 | Bozeman, MT 59717-2420
[email protected] | 406-994-2341

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