Digital Commons Network^™

May 2025 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Xr(Extended Reality) Explorations In Gis World-Building, Jeremy Jeffay

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Extended reality (XR) in geospatial data visualizations presents exciting opportunities to enhance existing analysis and visualization tools. The goal is to help academics deliver immersive experiences that promote a deeper understanding of their subjects. This project is being developed using Unreal Engine and various related emerging tools and APIs. As a solo developer, I am creating environments using satellite map data and building digital assets with LiDAR scans and Gaussian Splatting, then geo-referencing them onto a virtual twin of the Earth. The next step in this research involves streaming real-time data to drive environmental simulations.

Experiencing XR first-hand can feel …

The Opportunity To Make A Splash: Urban Pond Management In Missoula, Mallorie Dale

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Before the city was gridded with pavement and storm drains, Pattee Creek flowed openly through what is now Missoula, Montana. The Salish and Pend d’Oreille peoples lived in close relationship with this watershed, honoring its rhythms and relying on its abundance. Their word for Pattee Canyon—Sloʔté, “two valleys coming together to make one little valley”—reminds us that places carry memory, even when reshaped.

Now mostly buried beneath development, Pattee Creek briefly resurfaces at Bancroft Ponds, a 5-acre constructed basin nestled within a neighborhood. Here, water pauses. Birds gather. Children play. Life continues in quiet, often unnoticed ways. This project is …

Embodied Self-Remembering; Toward A Personal Movement Philosophy, Nicholas Greenlund

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The possibility examined in this project is the expansion of human consciousness through Inner work. This “Inner work” integrates the insights of Buddhist psychology, Integral psychology, Enneagram philosophy, and Somatic practices for the expansion of conscious potential in and through the cultivation of compassionate understanding. By observing and identifying the conditions that reinforce a reactive state of being, a choice emerges to remain or grow a capacity of responsiveness. This process is through the body’s sensory presence, the heart’s courage to love, and the mind’s construction of Self. The subjective exploration of the interconnected body-mind integrates the complex study of …

Bronze And Bulletin Boards: Indigenous Language In Formal And Informal Campus Space, Adria Capozzoli

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

What histories and lives are acknowledged in officially sanctioned institutional memorials and place-names? In recent years, academic institutions in the United States and other Anglophone nations have installed a significant amount of Indigenous-language signage on their campuses. Administrators at the University of Montana have installed a number of signs in Indigenous languages, including an intended new "centerpiece" monument at the Oval due to be installed in 2025. Also in 2025, UM is simultaneously finalizing installation of an expensive three-meter-tall sign at a new "gateway" to campus. This project seeks to inquire where, and in what contexts, acknowledgement of Indigenous languages …

Montana Kaimin, April 24, 2025, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Investiture Remarks, Anthony D. Johnstone

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reclaiming Self-Government: State Preemption And Original Meaning Of The Montana Constitution’S Local Government Provisions, Zarchary M. Krumm

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cytoplasmic Protein Responses To Load-Carriage Intervention, Ian R. Matthews, Shubha Shankaran, Hussein Mohammed, Marc Hellerstein, Walter Hailes, Brent Ruby

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

PURPOSE: Examine the effect of a five-day hiking intervention with load carriage on cytoplasmic protein fractional synthetic rates in apparently healthy males and females. METHOD: 18 recreationally active participants (8M, 10F; 28 ± 6 yr; VO₂_peak: 47.7 ± 8.2 mL･kg-1･min-1) consumed labeled (²H₂O) water for 10 days prior and throughout a 5-day pack-loaded hiking protocol. Participants completed two 60-minute hiking laps, with distance and elevation gain of 3.3 ± 0.6 km, 431 ± 86 m per lap, respectively. Participants returned to the starting point between each lap and rested for 15 minutes. Intensity was …

Myofibrillar Proteomics Of Sustained Load-Carriage Hiking, Rachel Perez, Mahalakshmi Shanakaran, Hussein Mohammed, Marc Hellerstein, Walter Hailes, Brent Ruby

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Load-carriage hiking is a popular recreational activity and an integral part of daily tasks for military personnel and wildland firefighters. Investigation is therefore warranted into myofibrillar responses to such activities. PURPOSE: To evaluate myofibrillar adaptations to acute load-carriage hiking. METHODS: Thirty-two recreationally active adults (12M, 20F; 28±6 yr; VO₂_peak: 47.7±8.2 mL･kg^-1･min^-1) participated in a 5-day load-carriage study. Participants consumed 50ml deuterated water(²H₂O) thrice daily for the 10 days prior to and twice daily during the five consecutive days of hiking for the measurement of fractional protein synthesis rates …

Muscle Asymmetry And The Incidence Of Adductor Strains In Professional Soccer Players: A Systematic Review, Ariana Virella

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Context: Soccer is a dynamic sport that consists of high-speed running, cutting, sudden stopping or changes in direction, and explosive movements. It is one of many unilateral sports that requires one leg to do most of the kicking and cutting. Adductor strains in professional soccer are among the most common injuries and are the most common groin and hip injuries in soccer at an incidence rate of 0.6 per 100 hours of exposure. The average time lost for an adductor strain is about 14 days, and there is about an 18% chance of reinjury. Evidence supports that a higher adductor-to-abductor …

Heat Stress With Once Vs Thrice Daily Exposures To Heat., Noah Wilfong, Alejandro Rosales, Andrew Engellant, Brent Ruby, Dustin Slivka

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

There is an underrepresentation of females in thermoregulatory research and there has been limited research investigating flexible heat acclimation strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the sex differences and effect of periodic vs sustained heat exposures during heat acclimation on core body temperature. Males and females were divided into two exposure groups and underwent 90 minutes of heat acclimation (38°C, 60% RH) at an absolute intensity on a treadmill (1.6 m·s-1, 5% grade) for 1 week. A sustained group completed the single 90-minute session continuously daily. A periodic group completed three 30-minute sessions 3 hours apart …

Environmental Factors Influencing The Development Of Disordered Eating In Female Collegiate Athletes, Ashley Pepper

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Environmental Factors Influencing the Development of Disordered Eating in Female Collegiate Athletes

Pepper, A, Moody, VJ: University of Montana

Context: Disordered eating is a disturbance in a patient's typical eating pattern that spans a wide range of behaviors typically used to lose or maintain an unhealthy weight. Disordered eating behaviors increase the risk of developing eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Disordered eating prevalence has been reported as 20% higher in female collegiate athletes when compared to their male counterparts; however, few differences have been reported in prevalence when comparing female college students and female collegiate athletes. …

Assessing The Impact Of Hazardous Fuel Treatments On Parcel Characteristics And Environmental Justice, Patrick Randall Benson

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Wildfire risk is rising across the Western United States as climate change accelerates fire frequency and intensity. Federal investments in hazardous fuel reduction aim to protect communities, but are these efforts reaching those most at risk? This research examines whether the benefits of wildfire mitigation are equitably distributed by analyzing parcel-level data in the Kootenai Complex Wildfire Crisis Strategy Priority Landscape. Using advanced spatial modeling and fire risk assessment, it evaluates how proximity to treatments influences risk reduction and whether disparities emerge based on property characteristics. Rather than relying on broad demographic categories, this study takes a place-based approach to …

3d Digitization Of Yellowstone Wolf (Canis Lupus) Skulls For Education, Research, And Outreach, Madeline K. Rowland

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Museums around the world are using the advancement of digital technology to share scientific collections with broader audiences on a digital landscape. Recent innovations in imaging software and virtual platforms have made it possible for museums to create high-resolution 3D models that can be 3D printed as tangible educational aids, made accessible to researchers worldwide, and used to create accessible virtual museum experiences. Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is home to one of the best-studied collections of wolf (Canis lupus) skulls in the world. Long-term research conducted by the Yellowstone Wolf Project has produced an extensive volume of ecological …

Green Carpets In A Blue-Ribbon Fishery: Predicting Nuisance Algal Blooms Using River Metabolism, Cora Mae Steinbach

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Many freshwaters across the Mountain West are experiencing nutrient enrichment, leading to the excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants. In healthy rivers, these primary producers perform critical functions, providing energy for macroinvertebrates and fish, determining water quality, and directing carbon and nutrient cycling for the entire ecosystem. Nutrient enrichment profoundly alters these functions, motivating research to predict and prevent its impacts. Since 2018, nuisance algal blooms in the Gallatin River (Montana) have roused concern. The Gallatin blooms are hypothesized to occur in response to changing nutrient dynamics, likely due to human development in tributary streams. Fortuitously, continuous dissolved oxygen …

Immigrant Generational Status, Late-Life Social Support And Mental Well-Being, And Cognitive Change In The Kaiser Healthy Aging And Diverse Life Experiences Cohort, Joya Deb Lucky, Chelsea Kuiper, Kazi Sabrina Haq, Shelli Vodovozov, Oanh L. Meyer, M. Maria Glymour, Paola Gilsanz, Elizabeth Rose Mayeda, Rachel A. Whitmer, Rachel Lee Peterson

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Title: Immigrant generational status, late-life social support and mental well-being, and cognitive change in the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences cohort

Presenting Author: Joya Deb Lucky

Co-Authors: Chelsea Kuiper, Kazi Sabrina Haq, Shelli Vodovozov, Oanh L. Meyer, M. Maria Glymour, Paola Gilsanz, Elizabeth Rose Mayeda, Rachel A. Whitmer, Rachel L. Peterson

Word count: 300/300

Background: Social support and mental well-being may differentially provide risk/protection for late-life cognition among different immigrant generations of U.S. older adults.

Methods: In a longitudinal (KHANDLE) cohort, Asian and Latino participants were categorized as 1st-generation arriving age(n=73); 1st-generation arriving age≥18 (n=282); 2nd-generation (n=279); or …

The Impact Of Sex And Heat Exposure Schedule On Heat Acclimation, Alejandro M. Rosales, Brent C. Ruby

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Females are underrepresented in thermoregulatory research and thus there is a need to examine how sex-related differences impact heat acclimation. Moreover, current global heatwave incidences warrant investigation into optimizing strategies for human tolerance to heat. PURPOSE: Determine how sex and temporally partitioning identical heat exposure time impacts heat acclimation. METHODS: Over a week, 30 females and 30 males were heat acclimated daily (38°C, 60% RH) on a treadmill (1.6 m·s^-1, 5% grade) in one of two 90-minute exposure groups. Sustained groups completed 90-minute sessions continuously and periodic groups completed three separate 30-minute sessions 3 hours apart. Heat exposure …

Science In The Studios: Communicating Science On Social Media Using On-Campus Resources, Danielle Airola M.A.

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Social media platforms offer powerful tools and spaces in which to communicate science to the general public. However, these platforms are equally available for the sharing and spread of pseudoscience and anti-science content. The widespread use of these platforms means an audience of people already exists who use social media as a source of news and information. The burden is on us as scientists and researchers to understand how to use these platforms. To aid in this process, the University of Montana’s Mansfield Library offers spaces in which to create content for social media that are free for us to …

Mitochondrial Protein Dynamics In Response To Repeated Load Carriage In Men And Women, Josey Walker, Shubha Shankaran, Hussein Mohammed, Marc Hellerstein, Walter Hailes, Brent Ruby

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

PURPOSE: To evaluate the early stages of adaptation in response to repeated load carriage on mitochondrial protein dynamics.

METHODS: Over 15 days 32 subjects (12 male, 20 female; age 28±6 years; VO₂ peak 47.7±8.2 mLkg-1min-1) consumed a loading dose of deuterated water (²H₂O), and completed a 5-day load carriage hiking protocol. ²H₂O enriched the amino acid pool for observation. Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis were taken on days 10 and 16, assessing protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) pre- and post-hiking. During the hiking period, participants completed two laps on an out-and-back …

Acl Reconstruction Graft Type Influence On Outcomes Of Female Soccer Athletes: A Systematic Review, Josie Rae Windauer, Valerie Moody

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Context: Roughly 29 million women play soccer worldwide, and that number has significantly increased over the past 13 years, especially in the United States. Studies specific to female soccer players and ACL injuries are more prevalent than ever. Female soccer players are roughly 3 times more likely to sustain an ACL injury compared to male soccer players. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is the current solution for most injured patients, ideally resulting in a streamlined recovery and return to sport. Graft type superiority continues to be studied among the female soccer population, but it still remains unclear at this …

Grade Two Hamstring Strain In A College Football Player: A Case Report, Audrey M. Missildine

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

This case study explores the rehabilitation of a 20-year-old collegiate linebacker with a grade 2 Semitendinosus hamstring strain sustained during a sprinting activity. Following initial clinical assessment and diagnostic ultrasound, an aggressive, structured rehabilitation protocol was implemented, incorporating modalities such as blood flow restriction (BFR) and aquatic therapy. Traditional approaches to hamstring injuries were adapted with these additional interventions to accelerate recovery, enabling a return to play in nine days. The study highlights the potential use of BFR in early rehabilitation to achieve muscle activation with reduced load, suggesting its utility in shortening recovery time compared to standard hamstring injury …

Impacts Of The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Act And Adaptive Capacity In The Social-Ecological System Of Chilika Lagoon, India, Adyasha Nayak

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

The growing demand for seafood in the global North has led to transition of capture fisheries to aquaculture to meet the demand. While this growth has been considered a success for livelihood development, its negative impacts on small-scale and traditional fisheries offset the benefits.

This is evident in the case of Chilika lagoon on the east coast of India. Chilika lagoon is a natural habitat for Indian prawn (Penaeus indicus) and thus attracted commercialization during the aquaculture boom. Starting in the 1980s, encroachment of aquaculture and proliferation of commercial fishing has led to loss of traditional fishing areas …

Assessing The Micro- And Macroscopic Changes Of Taphonomically Altered Bone, Shelby Feirstein

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Forensic identifications may be hampered when perpetrators find unique ways of obscuring their victims’ identities, such as fire and household corrosive substances. Thermal alteration, sodium hydroxide, and hydrochloric acid are known to change both the structural integrity and composition of skeletal elements; but the patterns of these processes, nor how each may affect the potential for obtaining identifying DNA data, are well understood.

Burned bone concomitantly follows a defined color spectrum and eventually reaches calcination, consisting only of its original inorganic mineral, hydroxyapatite, which is naturally white in color and brittle.

In contrast, analyses of chemical exposure focus on total …

Medication-Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In Montana: Barriers And Best Practices, Lindsey Hundemer, Jacqueline Kline

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based approach for opioid use disorder (OUD) using medications like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone to treat symptoms of OUD and withdrawal. Despite reducing opioid-related deaths by 50% and improving employment, criminal activity, and birth outcomes, its acceptance in Montana's substance use disorder (SUD) housing varies. Experts stress MAT as essential medical care, yet stigma-driven policies still restrict access, forcing some to choose between medication and treatment.

This study explores the landscape of MAT acceptance in Montana SUD treatment facilities, highlighting the barriers that prevent its widespread acceptance, differences regarding treatment duration, approved medications, and administration …

A. Overview Of The 1970 Flathead Lake Seismic Survey, Robert Lankston

1970 Flathead Lake Seismic Survey

This book describes the evolution of the Wold-Friedel subbottom profiling system that was used during the 1970 reflection seismic survey at Flathead Lake. The book summarizes the key phases of acquisition and use of the reflection seismic data that were collected and describes the evolution of the physical and digital archives of that seismic project.

March 2025 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Montana Kaimin, February 20, 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 223.01: Organic Chemistry Ii, Orion B. Berryman

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.