Digital Commons Network^™

Department Of Mathematical Sciences Newsletter, Spring 2025, University Of Montana--Missoula. Department Of Mathematical Sciences

Newsletters from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at UM

At the Intersection Between Choreography & Calculations / Dominic Beccari -- Christian López Mercado: From Meteorology to Math / Fred Peck -- Robert McKelvey 1929-2025: In Memoriam -- Notes from the Chair / John Bardsley -- UM Math Day Returns / Matt Roscoe -- Richard Lane 1941-2025 -- The Mathematics Enthusiast’s Worldwide Readership in 2024 -- An Unusual Visitor to the Math Department -- Donations to the Math Department -- Degree Recipients 2024-2025 -- Spring 2025 Scholarships & Awards -- Servus from Austria! / Mary Catlett

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

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Sb22-24/25: Joint Resolution Encouraging University Of Montana Administration To Adopt Formalized Action On Matters Of Collective Endorsement And Aligned Proposals, Ashley Smith, Ryan Aikin, Elizabeth Kamminga

Senate Resolutions, 2007-Present

SB22-24/25: Joint Resolution Encouraging University of Montana Administration to Adopt Formalized Action on Matters of Collective Endorsement and Aligned Proposals. This resolution passed 18Y-0N-0A on a roll call vote (RCV) during the September 10, 2025 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

Grief Into Growth: Msw Portfolio, Shelby Ann Lampi

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw Portfolio: Finding Myself, Sheena Rae Jibson

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio represents my personal and professional evolution from a registered nurse uncertain of her future, to a confident therapist with a clear vision for what is ahead. It is a reflection of three years of dedicated work in the University of Montana’s Master of Social Work program. Through this compilation, I highlight the skills, knowledge, and values I have cultivated while demonstrating my growth across the ten core competencies of social work.

Cultivating My Social Work Identity: Integrating Past, Context, And Relationship, Jessica K. Kumm

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

My application to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program was sent as a means to move beyond the constraints of the classroom walls as teacher and provide meaningful and tailored support to individuals who were falling through the cracks of the system. My experience in this program was transformative, in ways that were expected and unexpected. I recognize significant expansion in my perspective alongside growing confidence in applying newly acquired skills, both clear indicators of my professional and personal development. The insights garnered from personal experiences, academic lectures, and practicum placements shifted my theoretical foundations and personal worldviews. What …

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

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Preview; State V. Smith: Are Mental Disease Or Defect, Mitigated Deliberate Homicide, And Justifiable Use Of Force Mutually Exclusive?, Jordan Magier

Montana Law Review Online

No abstract provided.

I&I - The Youth Sports Industrial Complex, Justin W. Angle

A New Angle Podcasts

In this episode of our Incentives & Instincts series, Justin and economist Bryce Ward revisit the youth sports industrial complex. They discuss how youth activities have evolved, the increasing pressure on families to overschedule their children, and the broader societal and economic forces driving these trends. The conversation explores the impact on kids' development, family life, and potential ways to rethink structured activities to create a healthier balance.

Documents From The March 26, 2025 Meeting Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana (Asum)., Associated Students Of The University Of Montana

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

Minutes and agenda from the March 26, 2025 Meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

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

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

2025 Statement Of Support For All Staff, University Of Montana--Missoula. Staff Senate

University of Montana Staff Senate Governing Documents

A statement by Staff Senators affirming the importance of an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for all.

Documents From The March 12, 2025 Meeting Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana (Asum)., Associated Students Of The University Of Montana

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

Minutes and agenda from the March 12, 2025 Meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

Documents From The March 12, 2025 Meeting Of The University Of Montana Staff Senate, University Of Montana--Missoula. Staff Senate

University of Montana Staff Senate Meeting Minutes

Highlights include guest Speaker Jay Stephens, VP of People and Culture, to discuss issues and our Statement of Support for Staff. Other main points included voting for Secretary, our 50th anniversary, and Shared Governance Resolution.

"SB05-24_25 Resolution Encouraging University of Montana Administration" by Ashley Smith and Ryan Akin

"2025 Statement of Support for All Staff" by University of Montana--Missoula. Staff Senate

Alumni Perspectives Of Outdoor Academic Program Components, Abigail Fuesler, Andrew J. Bobilya, Brad Daniel, Will Hobbs

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Studies have documented the value of undergraduate outdoor academic programs (OAPs) (Turner et al., 2022) from the perspective of outdoor industry employers (Maningas & Simpson, 2003; Seaman et al., 2017) but few have explored OAP alumni perspectives (Prince, 2005). This perspective is critical to increasing understanding of OAPs. Therefore, this study aimed to explore alumni perspectives on experiences in OAPs and which components of their degree they perceived to be impactful on their careers.

Methods

The research reported here is part of a larger mixed methods study (Fuesler et al., 2025) that used a Significant Life Experience (SLE) theoretical framework …

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 …

Health And Wellbeing Of Sexual And Gender Minority Graduate Students, Benny Ilac, Harris Bajwa

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Although extensive literature describes the health disparities faced by sexual and gender minority individuals, very little research has examined the graduate student population specifically. Furthermore, much research about SGM populations does not separate sexual and gender minority identities in analyses, potentially obscuring differences between these groups. In the current study, 437 graduate students (23.8% with an SGM identity) across seven college campuses participated in a survey about their campus experiences and health. We examined the relationship between SGM identity and depression, physical health, perceived stress, and happiness through stepwise regressions. We controlled for the effects of other demographic variables (age, …

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 …