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Fractured Trust: Montana's Tribes Find Hope During The Chaotic First 100 Days Of Trump's Second Term, 2025, University Of Montana--Missoula. School Of Journalism. Native News Honors Project

Native News Honors Project, 1992-2026

An annual publication that is reported, photographed, edited, and designed by students in the University of Montana’s School of Journalism.

Meant To Burn: Wildfire In The West (2025), University Of Montana--Missoula. School Of Journalism

Byline

Learning to Live -- Behind the Fireline -- Nowhere to Hide -- Empowered to Fight -- Mann Gulch -- A Way of Life

No Evidence For Warming-Driven Extirpation Of Tallgrass Prairie Plants, Emily D. Horner, Meredith Zettlemoyer

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

More and more species face extinction as our climate warms. Understanding how climate change influences local extinctions may help us comprehend and predict global extinctions. Ultimately, local extinctions stem from declines in vital rates such as survival, growth, and reproduction. One way to examine how warming might have affected local extinctions is to compare responses between locally extinct versus extant (still present) species. In this comparative framework, more negative effects of warming on locally extinct species’ (but not extant species’) vital rates would suggest a role of warming in their local extinction. We also expect that locally extinct species would …

Poor Little Woman And Sybil Of The Rhine: Code Switching In Hildegard Of Bingen’S Writing, Bridgett Meskis

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Hildegard of Bingen (1098- 1179) was a twelfth century German Benedictine abbess, mystic, author, composer, and theologian. Despite the heavily patriarchal and restrictive culture of her day, Hildegard managed to gain autonomy and authority within her community. She benefited from a boom in popularity in the mid-1990s, which saw a broadening of research subjects, including focus on the gender dynamics at play in Hildegard’s life. This scholarship has died down significantly since. Given the breadth and depth of her work, Hildegard of Bingen’s work deserves to be revisited through more recent theoretical lenses that can provide significant insights into her …

Joann: Analyzing The Downfall Of America’S Beloved Crafting Retailer, Savanna Solano

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

The Legal Debate: Corner Crossing And Public Land Access, Kaden Leverenz

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Is it legal to cross from one corner of public land to an adjacent corner of public land across checkerboarded landscapes in the American West? This question regarding corner crossing has become one of the most prominent and unresolved issues in public land access. Although federal courts in Iron Bar Holdings v. Cape (2025) confirmed corner crossing, without touching or damaging private land, does not constitute trespass, the legal landscape still remains unsettled. Public land users play a significant role in shaping the direction of this issue, as demonstrated by past public mobilizations against large-scale land sell-offs. Therefore, this paper …

Balancing Timber Harvest And Biodiversity: Impacts Of Selective Logging On Wildlife In The Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize, Kilynn Groen

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Selective logging is often promoted as a sustainable forestry practice that maintains biodiversity and ecosystem function, yet its ecological consequences remain under examined, particularly in tropical forests. This study investigates how selective logging affects wildlife communities in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize. Using remote camera trap data from 22 sites (9 unlogged forest sites and 13 logged (stump) sites), we assessed species richness, trophic structure, and environmental predictors of wildlife abundance. While overall wildlife captures and species richness did not differ significantly between forest and stump habitats, principal component analysis revealed strong community-level separation, with stump habitats supporting distinct species …

Master Of Social Work: Portfolio, Beth Alma Krueger

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

The MSW portfolio comprises a comprehensive professional portfolio developed during the pursuit of a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. The content reflects academic and field experiences structured around core social work competencies established by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). These competencies include ethical and professional behavior, engagement with diversity and difference, advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice, practice-informed research, and policy practice.

The document includes personal reflections, case narratives, and analyses demonstrating the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical skills in a variety of settings, including internships and community-based programs. Specific attention is …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Derek Thrush

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

An Acceptable Time, Crystal Mccallie

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This scholarly work is my interpretation of the art in the exhibition, An Acceptable Time, which ecompasses a diversity of media that varies as much in material and process as the span of my life as mother, a steward of the domestic home, and a spiritual child-at-heart myself. At the center of the work is a contemplative beauty inviting the viewer to linger with the art and reflect upon the echoes of the past as they might affect the present. The formal delivery of illustrative realism, a mirage of pattern, and abstract layering draws out major themes of memory, nostalgia, …

Situation Assessment Of Wildland Fire Preparedness Efforts In Missoula County: A Communities Of Practice Approach, Sylvia K. Coston

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Due to the multi-jurisdictional nature and increased risk of wildland fire, collaboratives play an important role in creating long-term solutions for building prepared and resilient wildfire landscapes and communities. Drawing from Communities of Practice (CoP) theory, mutual engagement, shared repertoire, and negotiation of a joint enterprise are critical elements of establishing natural resource multi-stakeholder collaboratives or partnerships. This professional paper uses CoP theory to conduct and analyze a situation assessment of Missoula County Fire Protection Association (MCFPA). With the support of MCFPA, three focus groups (working meetings) and two interviews were conducted to identify the association’s successes, challenges, and needs. …

Social Work Professional Portfolio, Anthony Hoffer

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Diving Into Watershed Science And Education: Blending Science, Storytelling, And Professional Practice In Northern Michigan, Mara Clare Pellerito

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio expands understanding of the relationship between watershed education and science through storytelling, lived experiences, and research. In northern Michigan, the invasive Myriophyllum spicatum threatens watershed health by forming dense patches that block sunlight, exclude native plants and wildlife, and retain harmful nutrients later released by herbicide treatment. The Lake Leelanau Lake Association has managed this species with preventative and restorative practices since 2020, and this portfolio examines their results through scientific study and practical experience from the summers of 2024 and 25. It also explores how education serves as a stepping stone from childhood curiosity to a lifetime …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio: Rooted In Community, Whitney Wb Pratt

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Spiriling Transcendence - The Integration Of Ideas, Ideals & Social Work Practice, Peter J. Donaldson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Kinley Mae Pope

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Cultivating A Community-Based Food System In Western Montana, Elaina Lamphere

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Critical Juncture: The Convergence Of Natural Resource Management And Tribal Sovereignty, Anna Aleta Butterfield

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects the work I’ve done in my four years as a dual degree student, pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Studies and a juris doctorate degree, and focuses on policies and laws surrounding natural resource management. It touches on how those policies relate to and expand or constrict the exercise of sovereignty by indigenous populations.

This piece first considers the effects of plastic on salmon populations and those indigenous groups that rely on salmon for subsistence and cultural purposes. The remaining three pieces focus on various aspects of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes - Montana Water …

Msw Portfolio, Amy Sanders

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

MSW Portfolio through the lens of "otherness".

Daughter Of A Lost Bird, Susan J. Schwidde

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Portfolio, Marie Nelson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Professional Portfolio, Jill M. Henry

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Professional Portfolio, Samantha Elizabeth Chase

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Umfc #132: A Comprehensive Forensic Case Report, Allison Paige Mitchell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This case report of an individual designated as University of Montana Forensic Case 132 (UMFC 132) serves to partially fulfill the requirements for the Master of Arts (MA) degree in Forensic and Biological Anthropology. UMFC 132 is a complete human skeleton, used as part of the teaching collection in the University of Montana Forensic Anthropology Laboratory. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) of UMFC 132 is 1. The analysis of UMFC 132 was conducted according to bioarchaeological and forensic anthropological standards of skeletal assessment. UMFC 132 was estimated to be a mid-adult, between the ages of [30-40 years] of age …

A Social-Ecological Justice Approach To Ecotourism: Examples From Cockpit Country, Jamaica, Laurel Ann C. Curry

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Ecotourism aims to support local social, ecological, and economic systems sustainably, but its implementation often perpetuates social and environmental injustices. This work applies a new social-ecological justice (SEJ) framework to ecotourism, combining Pope et al.’s holistic approach with principles like ecological stewardship, economic repositioning, and collaboration tailored to specific contexts. Importantly, basic capabilities for full functioning of humans and other species were used in this research to measure areas of justice and injustice. Using a case study approach with the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency (STEA) in Jamaica's Cockpit Country, co-created interview data were analyzed to evaluate its ecotourism program’s alignment …

Evaluating The Accuracy Of Stature Estimation From Tibial Radiographs Using Known And Newly Developed Regression Formulas, Atlantis Kae Baron

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study assesses the accuracy of stature estimation from tibial radiographs using digital measurements as an alternative to traditional osteometric tools. Stature estimation is crucial in forensic anthropology for identifying individuals, especially cases involving skeletal remains. Traditional methods rely on physical measurements and established regression formulas, such as those by Trotter & Gleser (1958).

This research analyzed tibial radiographs from the Forensic Anthropology Skeletal Trauma (FAST) database with ImageJ software to measure tibial lengths digitally. The sample included 59 tibiae, with measurements compared against three regression formulas; Trotter & Gleser (1958), Simon et al. (2023), and a new regression formula …

Juvenile Arthritis, Body Image, And Disordered Eating: An Exploration Of Experiences, Katelyn Ann Melcher

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This qualitative study examined eating and body experiences among youth with juvenile arthritis (JA). JA, an autoimmune condition affecting nearly 300,000 youth in the United States, poses significant challenges including chronic pain, disability, and psychological concerns such as anxiety and depression. Adolescence is a critical developmental time for body image and disordered eating concerns to emerge. However, no qualitative research has explored the interactions of JA, body image, and eating behaviors among youth. Twelve youth with a JA diagnosis participated in a semistructured qualitative interview examining their experiences with JA and their feelings about their bodies and food as they …

Examining Pathways For Front-Country Camping Access In The Rural American West: An Application Of Access Theory, Hayley Ann Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Access to front-country camping on North American public lands has historically been preferential to those who are White, relatively wealthy, and highly educated. In theory, however, all activities on public lands are available to all people, and everyone has equal right to enjoy the benefits from recreational activities like camping in these spaces. Since the 1960s, research on access has focused on the barriers, or constraints, that influence overall participation in leisure activities; however, few studies have examined access specific to front-country camping.

As a complement and extension of traditional leisure constraints theory, this study presents a unique application of …

An Overview Of Nagpra And The 2024 Revisions, Emily V. Owens-Barber

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Section 11 of the National Museum of the American Indian Act (NMAIA) was added to public law in 1989. This required the Smithsonian Museum to repatriate any human remains or funerary objects associated with Native American Ancestry back to their tribes. In 1990, The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was added to federal legislation expanding on this section and requiring that every federally funded institution in the United States that held Native American Remains or funerary objects in their collection must follow this regulation to continue to receive federal funding. Nearly 33 years later in the autumn …

Binoculars To Bytes: Development And Field Validation Of An Ai-Driven System For Avian Monitoring, Christian J. Dupree

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Autonomous camera-trap arrays coupled with artificial-intelligence (AI) vision can lift bird monitoring beyond the spatial, temporal, and labor limits of traditional field surveys. We present Binoculars to Bytes (B2B), an open-source pipeline that turns 180–360° time-lapse imagery into analysis-ready avian data. At Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area (Montana, USA) the system ran four-hour morning deployments during spring and fall migrations (2023–2024). A YOLO-NAS detector, incrementally refined with a “Specialized Localized Iterative Model” workflow, quadrupled local accuracy and, after confidence-based species-binning, cut false-positive rates in half. Daily AI species lists were benchmarked against contemporaneous eBird citizen-science checklists and recovered ≥ …