Digital Commons Network^™

Seed Sisters, Rylie Luhring

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Many who visit UM’s PEAS Farm know about the greenhouses, pumpkin patch, and flower fields that grow around the property, but there is another garden that has been growing for the last three seasons: The Four Sisters Garden. Although many students visit the farm each year, the Four Sisters Garden is a spot that tends to be skipped over on tours. This traditional Garden grows squash, beans, corn, and sunflowers, and is grown in the arrangement of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) peoples from North Dakota. Through conversations with the caretakers of the Four Sisters Garden, I found out …

Recreation Repair Reimagined, Luca Welle, Koson Verkler, Sam Garza, Fraser Ormiston

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Textile waste, including that produced by the outdoor industry, is a huge environmental and social problem. An incomprehensible number of items are discarded each year, many of which end up contributing to pollution across the globe. Some of this equipment is costly, both in terms of the externalities of production and disposal and the price tag consumers see, the latter of which poses an issue of accessibility to many people. We have worked to address these challenges by facilitating an opportunity as well as a space in which people can repair and repurpose worn gear and textiles so as to …

Montana Kaimin, April 10, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Bylaws Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana As Of March 4, 2025, University Of Montana--Missoula. Associated Students

ASUM Governing Documents, 2019-present

Bylaws of the Associated Students of the University of Montana as of SB32-24/25: Resolution Amending Article V, Section 5 of ASUM Bylaws. This resolution passed during the February 26, 2025 ASUM Senate Meeting during a Roll Call Vote 18-0-0.

Montana Kaimin, March 13, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

From Drought To Disparity: Navigating Relief And Barriers For Vulnerable Farmers In The Western Us, Kyla Fugate, Shae Olsen

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

As climate change intensifies, United States Department of Agriculture emergency programs provide crucial relief during crises. Yet, programs like the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) are now being triggered each year as droughts become routine in the western US. Simultaneously, the most climate vulnerable farmers are largely left out of these programs. We examine how institutional structures, program design, and implementation practices shape access to public agricultural support services in the western US, with particular focus on beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers (BSDFs). Drawing from nearly 50 in-depth interviews with USDA staff and farmers across western states, our two papers work …

Water Scarcity In The Bitterroot Valley, August W. Guenthner

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Abstract

Water scarcity is an increasingly pressing issue in Montana's Bitterroot Valley due to the dual pressures of climate change and rapid population growth. This research explores how agricultural producers in the region experience and adapt to water scarcity, a challenge exacerbated by decreasing and unpredictable precipitation patterns and rising residential water demand. Using semi-structured, long-form interviews with experienced farmers, the study examines the specific impacts of water scarcity on agricultural operations and the adaptive strategies employed to ensure resilience. By centering the experiences of local producers, this research aims to contribute to the broader literature on agricultural adaptation while …

Montana Kaimin, February 27, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Montana Kaimin, February 13, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Chmy 121n.00: Introduction To General Chemistry, Eric A. John

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Chmy 121n.Vh1: Introduction To General Chemistry, Julia Michelle Kotler

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Enst 231h.01: Nature And Society, Ashley J. Preston

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Vision 2025

Vision

No abstract provided.

Campus Connect, Katie Coates, Bella Wengappuly, Annabelle Brown, Kyie Salerno

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

This paper examines how university campus design can be strategically utilized to support student mental health, drawing on global examples to inspire improvements in the University of Montana’s (UM) campus planning. The University of Montana, like most college campuses worldwide, is currently facing pressing mental health challenges among the student body. College can be a highly stressful experience, where students encounter unique pressures that, without adequate support, can lead to mental health crises. Many universities across the globe have recognized the role of campus design in promoting mental well-being, and they have adopted innovative, student-centered design strategies to foster positive …

Eros And The Sublime: Tools For Reaching Toward An Altered Ecological Consciousness, Aineka Carlson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis explores connections between the Kantian sublime and Anne Carson’s ideas regarding “eros.” Since Kant’s Critique of Judgement was published in 1790, the Kantian sublime has grown in popularity and been utilized by theorists and creative writers alike. While the Kantian sublime is often associated with nature in popular culture, there are certain egocentric and phallocentric elements of this mode of thinking that might inhibit a biocentric mindset. Through a character study of Oryx from Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake, this thesis draws relations between the subjugation of women, nature, and the ways in which the popularized …

Unravelling The Physiological Impacts Of Fire On Western U.S. Conifers, Charlotte Chiara Reed

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfires are inherently spatially heterogenous, with many trees within larger burned areas not immediately killed by fire. These surviving trees often sustain some level of fire injury, yet we lack a mechanistic understanding of how these injuries affect post-fire tree physiological function, thus affecting whether trees go on to recover or die. Current hypotheses differentiate effects of fire on tree carbon balance and hydraulic function, yet critical uncertainties remain about the relative importance of each, how they interact, and whether these impacts make trees more vulnerable to post-fire disturbances like drought. Via field experiments utilizing prescribed fires and two widespread …

The Impact Of Ambient Air Quality On Asthma Outcomes In California, Abigail Obour

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study investigates the relationship between ambient air quality and asthma-related health outcomes in California, focusing on emergency department visits and hospitalizations from 2005 to 2022. Despite California’s strict air quality standards, individuals still face significant pollution challenges contributing to poor respiratory health, particularly among vulnerable populations. Therefore, this study looks at how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) affects asthma outcomes using panel data from 37 counties. A fixed effects regression model is employed to control for unobserved heterogeneities that are constant over time but vary across individual counties, ensuring robust estimates of the impact of pollution on health outcomes. This …

Grizzly Bears Moving Onto The Great Plains, John A. Stember

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

High up a coulee on the Montana prairie, Seth and Jennie Becker look over the windswept landscape with binoculars and point out three grizzly bear dens along the rim of a canyon. The couple, who own Stick Leg Ranch, estimate there are eight grizzly bear dens on their property. After their nine-year-old son nearly came face to face with a grizzly, they decided they needed to find a solution.

Over the last five years, grizzly bears have been expanding further and further east onto the Montana prairie. For example, in October 2023, a grizzly bear was caught on game camera …

Modeling Neighborhoods As Fuel For Wildfire, Bryce Alan Young

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfire models drive billions of dollars in risk mitigation efforts. However, the modeling community currently lacks a representative fuelscape on which to base simulations of fire spread in the built environment and the wildland-urban interface (WUI) where vegetation and structures act together as fuel for wildfire. This thesis advances wildfire risk modeling by addressing the underdeveloped representation of the built environment in existing frameworks. By identifying inconsistencies in how structure and defensible space features are defined and used across empirical studies, predictive indices, and fire spread models, this research lays the groundwork for standardized modeling approaches and feature selection (Chapter …

Adaptation And Resilience: How Beginning Farmers Navigate Land And Climate Crises In Western Montana, Kyla Ivana Fugate

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Montana is home to a growing number of beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers (BSDFRs), yet they face substantial barriers to accessing resources, from farmland to federal farm support programs. Rising land prices and climate-induced drought further exacerbate the challenges that farmers already face, posing a “twin crisis” that is especially severe for beginning farmers who have operated their farms for fewer than 10 years. This research draws on ethnographic data, including 24 in-depth interviews with BSDFRs and five informational interviews with farm service providers in Western Montana. I find that while federal USDA programs support farmers on paper, they often …

“Emergency Relief As Routine”: The Evolution Of Fsa’S Livestock Forage Disaster Program In An Era Of Persistent Drought, Shae L. Olsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the historical origins, current limitations, and future of the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), the primary federal drought disaster relief program for ranchers in the United States. Drawing connections between the Dust Bowl-era Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) and LFP, I argue that the AAA, while innovative at the time, prioritized the maintenance of commodity markets over ecological resilience, disproportionately benefiting white, landowning producers. This trend is reflected in LFP today. Through a policy analysis and original qualitative research, including interviews with 23 FSA staff members in nine states, I examine how LFP operates …

Investigating Algal Response To Scouring Flow And Nutrient Interactions In The Clark Fork River, Montana, Hannah E. Adkins

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Algal communities play a vital role in aquatic ecosystems, but excessive growth can degrade water quality, disrupt ecosystem function, and hinder beneficial uses (Banish, 2017; Davie, 2012; Wang et al., 2007; Wurtsbaugh et al., 2019). Nutrient enrichment, particularly elevated nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, is a well-established driver of algal proliferation in lentic systems. However, these nutrient–algae relationships are less predictable in lotic systems, where the dynamic effects of flow can modify or obscure these patterns (Bennet et al., 2017; Biggs and Close, 1989; Dodds et al., 2002). The Clark Fork River in western Montana has long struggled with nuisance algal …

Water Scarcity In The Bitterroot Valley, August W. Guenthner

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Water scarcity in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley is an increasingly urgent issue, driven by the dual pressures of climate change and rapid population growth. Since 1970, the Bitterroot has been the fastest-growing region in the state, with much of this growth occurring in low-density rural subdivisions that rely on individual groundwater wells. Simultaneously, climate change has reduced snowpack levels, leading to diminished springtime recharge of surface water systems that are vital for both ecological and agricultural needs. For the Valley’s agricultural producers, adapting to decreasing water availability will be essential for sustaining their operations. This research project was designed to better …

Equity And Social Vulnerability In Drought Planning And Response In The Northern Great Plains, Amishi Singh

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Drought is a natural phenomenon that has long been a part of the climate regime in the Northern Great Plains. However, as climate change intensifies, drought across the region will worsen. This worsening drought will harm vulnerable communities more than their less vulnerable counterparts. Understanding how current policies either reinforce existing systems of marginalization or work to counter them is vital when determining what kind of policy will be needed in times of worsening drought. The first analysis sought to answer the following question: how are states incorporating key concepts of social vulnerability, procedural justice and climate change into their …

Untangling Mining, Past And Present: An Analysis Of Key Informant Interviews On The Prospects Of Renewed Mining Activity Near Cañon City, Colorado, Lauren E. Nelson, Brian C. Chaffin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Rocky Mountain West represents a distinct social-ecological region in a time of transition. As a subregion of the American West, it is defined by aridity, topography, and the physical, cultural, and economic impacts of mining across the landscape. Contemporarily, the region is increasingly shaped by an influx of tourism as well as seasonal and permanent residents who value the landscape for its recreational opportunities and aesthetic values. Most of the communities in the region owe their start to the mining booms of the 19th century, and many are still grappling with contamination left behind by mining. The transition between …

Re-Establishing People And Industry: A Study Of The Historical Context Of The Winters Decision (1908) Involving Indian Agent William R. Logan, The Plantiffs In Winters, And Sugar Beet Agriculture On The Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana, 1856-1910, Kellen R. Neighbors

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 1905, Indian Agent William R. Logan filed an injunction to stop upriver irrigators from diverting Milk River water before it reached the Fort Belknap reservation. This culminated in Winters v. U.S. (1908) and became known as the Winters decision, the Winters Doctrine, or Indian Reserved Water Rights. This case is the foundation for Native American water rights cases today. This study explores the historical context of the case, specifically focusing on Fort Belknap Indian Agent William Logan’s role. William Logan was a devout Montana entrepreneur who carried his entrepreneurial spirit into his tenure as Fort Belknap Agent. This fact …

2025-2026 Course Catalog, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Course Catalogs, 1895-2024

An annual catalog of courses and course descriptions offered at the University of Montana.

As Above, So Below: Environmental Justice Stories Of Seeds, Mining And Migration, Cassidy M. Motahari

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Environmental justice issues directly impact the health, cultural heritage and livelihoods of communities. This multimedia master’s project examines how federal policies, legal frameworks and the prioritization of corporate interests perpetuate environmental justice issues in the western United States. Three distinct stories provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of systemic inequities on seed saving, mineral extraction and humanitarian aid on public lands.

With four companies controlling over 60 percent of the global seed market, declining genetic diversity in seeds limits the potential to cultivate and develop crops that meet the regional and cultural needs of diverse growers. In a …

Alive For The Wake, Anna Kate Powell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In the year 2046, bacteria strain B. bibitor has rendered all petroleum hydrocarbon compounds unrefinable. Paramedic Amanda Bailey finds hope in the resilience of humanity but struggles when she learns the powers that be would rather concentrate their efforts on fighting B. bibitor—restoring infected hydrocarbons to their previously refinable (and profitable) nature—rather than investing in already-developed clean firm energies and renewable material manufacture.

Integrating Spatial Statistics And Decision Analysis For Wildfire Risk Mapping: A Case Study Of The Kootenai National Forest, Elijah Kordieh Mensah

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Wildfire risk in the western United States has intensified in recent decades due to intersecting forces of climate change, systematic fire suppression, and expanding human settlement in fire-prone regions. This thesis presents a comprehensive spatial assessment of wildfire risk in the Kootenai National Forest (KNF) and its surrounding landscape in northwestern Montana, integrating wildfire likelihood, suppression difficulty, evacuation vulnerability, and building exposure into a unified spatial statistical framework. The research addresses a critical gap in spatial wildfire risk modeling by focusing on the need to assess fire threats in relation to local operational constraints and community vulnerabilities.
Drawing on geospatial …