Digital Commons Network^™

Invection: Implementation Of Visual Effects In The Unity Game Engine, Bridger H. Burkes

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Invection is the title of a prototype game I’ve been building within the Unity game engine to explore the implementation of visual effects (VFX). In this presentation I will discuss how I’ve developed Invection and the challenges I’ve learned from when creating a cohesive visual style for the game. Invection uses several outside software, such as Blender and Touchdesigner, and built-in rendering frameworks within the Unity Technologies engine to develop lighting and environmental effects. These effects are linked to the aesthetic quality of the game, and use worldbuilding to communicate to the player a sense of danger and unease. Compared …

The Return Of Economic Nationalism: Why And How The Us Departed From Free Trade Policy, Anson Joyes

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

My UMCUR project will be a research paper that coincides with the capstone class for my political science major (PSCI 400 & PSCI 521). The subject of my research paper will concern itself with how and why the United States shifted from economic policy centered around free trade to one that features a renewed interest in economic nationalism and state intervention in the economy. Over the course of my study I intend to delve into academic articles and a few books that describe the results of some four decades of neoliberal policy in the United States, and how and why …

Gas Exchange Velocity Variation On The Upper Clark Fork River, Elliot Sanford

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Gas exchange velocity (K) was measured on the Upper Clark Fork River (UCFR) across three seasonal flow regimes to constrain estimates of K used in a dissolved radon groundwater flux model. Dissolved oxygen sensors were deployed at two stations 75 km apart during June (peak runoff), July (irrigation-induced low flow), and October (natural baseflow) for periods of 3-10 days. Gas exchange velocity normalized to a Schmidt number of 600 (K600) was calculated using a two-station Bayesian model, a one-station Bayesian model, nighttime regressions of dissolved O₂ and O₂ saturation deficit, and energy dissipation scaling relationships. Bayesian models failed …

Benefits And Challenges Of The Use Of Narrative Texts In Linguistic Analysis, Logan J. Sites

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

In this presentation, I consider some benefits and issues of the use of narrative texts for linguistic research. The discussion is framed by the analysis of the Séliš-Ql̓ispé suffix -m based on narratives transcribed by Hans Vogt in 1937. The stories were recounted by One-Eyed Tom and translated into English for Vogt by Joe Abrahamson. The data in this presentation is taken from Camp 2007 and Ward 2008, two interlinearizations (morpheme by morpheme analyses) of several of the Vogt texts. The analysis of -m provides an opportunity to demonstrate the usefulness of narratives in linguistic work, as Camp (2007) and …

Temporal Avoidance By Gray Foxes Reflects Growing Pressure From Expanding Coyotes In The Neotropics, Madison Odenbach, Amaia Autor-Cortés, Mark Hebblewhite

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are rapidly expanding their range towards South America, potentially threatening the world’s highest canid diversity. A better understanding of their interactions with native species is needed to anticipate impacts. In Costa Rica, native gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) likely occupy a similar niche to the coyote newcomer, yet little data exists on their interactions in tropical ecosystems. We hypothesized the two segregate temporally, given preliminary data suggesting high spatial overlap. Camera-trap analysis revealed moderate temporal overlap (Δ4 = 0.57). Detection frequencies varied significantly across diel periods (Chi-square: p < 0.001); foxes were primarily nocturnal, while coyotes were more diurnal and crepuscular than expected. Permutation analysis (10,000 iterations) revealed significant temporal segregation in site use across three temporal scales reflecting scent persistence: untruncated, 14-days, and 7-days. At the untruncated scale, observed medians for time-to-encounter were longer than chance for coyote-then-fox (observed: 27.4 days; expected: 16.8 days) and fox-then-coyote (observed: 26.0 days; expected: 12.0 days), though given the large delays at this scale, results may reflect factors beyond avoidance. The effect was strongest at the 7-day scale for coyote-then-fox (observed: 3.78 days; expected: 1.38 days) and fox-then-coyote (observed: 3.15 days; expected: 1.08 days), suggesting mutual avoidance of recently visited sites. While activity patterns moderately overlap, the two species may maintain coexistence through mutual avoidance and diel segregation. Behavioral adjustments imposed on gray foxes may represent a stress cost that foreshadows disruption to native canid communities as coyotes advance toward South America.

Crescendo And Collapse: The Women's Protective Union Of Butte, Montana (1950-1982), Hogan Michael O'Donnell

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

While there is a wealth of historical analysis dedicated to the first 60 years of the Women’s Protective Union (WPU) of Butte, Montana, there is relatively less discussion of the later years of the organization, which saw its peak membership of nearly 1,300 in 1955, the merger with the male-dominated local of the Culinary and Miscellaneous Employees Union (C&MEU), and its ultimate collapse in 1982. To analyze these immense changes, we first provide an introduction into the role of the Women’s Protective Union in Butte, Montana, leading up to 1955. Then, we discuss the rise of fast-food restaurant chains after …

Graph Colorings Up To Symmetries, Stone Cj Cook

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The infamous four-color problem (4CP) dates back to 1852 and asks whether four colors suffice to color a map so that countries sharing a border receive distinct colors. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the problem's resolution. The 4CP inspired a bountiful collection of mathematics in the subject now known as "graph theory." A graph models any sort of network such as the Internet, transportation systems, and the neural networks that underpin modern AI. Graphs consist of two components: "vertices" and "edges." We visualize the vertices as dots on a page and the edges as lines connecting pairs of …

Ursine Transitions: An Analysis Of The Role Of The Bear Attack As A Transitionary Force In The Winter’S Tale And Beyond, Alison R. Liwosz

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale features a curiously specific bear among the pastoral romantic comedy, a bear that chases a character off stage and ends up eating him and another character. This bear’s symbolism and significance to the narrative will be the focus of this essay. This event occurs in the simple stage direction “Exit, pursued by bear” to close out the third act and court setting of the play. A description of the murders come from a character introduced from the pastoral latter half of the narrative, with the bear acting as the hinge between the two. The bear also …

Meet Your Neighbor: A Houseless Services Program Proposal In Missoula, Montana, Victoria K. Hausman

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Within the last three years, Missoula, Montana, has developed a culture of pervasive, systemic, and negative actions against people experiencing houselessness. The transition from funding multi-tiered approaches, including encampments, shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing, has been replaced by decreased resource-availability and an over-funded policy enforcing fines, misdemeanors, and arrests on anyone unsheltered and experiencing houselessness. At the root of this public sentiment is stigma, which manifests itself at all levels of the socio-ecological system and negatively impacts the health, housing, employment, social, mental, and physical outcomes of people experiencing houselessness. To combat stigma, Meet Your Neighbor is a …

Insect Pollination Rates In Alpine Cushion Plants, Mollena W. Sydnor

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

High elevation environments are characterized by a harsh climate, including a short growing season, wind and storms, and cold temperatures. Thus, higher elevation habitats often show lower insect abundance and diversity, and so insect pollination to alpine plants might be limited. Additionally, insect pollination should increase with increased floral abundance, but environmental stress may limit available floral resources for pollinators. In summer of 2025, we collected and processed a series of video recordings of pollinator visits to three alpine plant species, Phlox condensata, Minuartia obtusiloba, and Silene acaulis, across five field sites at the Niwot Ridge LTER, …

Computing The Tree Packing Conjecture, Nathaniel T. Adams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Gyárfás tree packing conjecture [1] states that any collection of trees (T1, T2, . . . , Ti) on 1, 2, . . . n vertices can be edge-disjointly packed into a complete graph on n vertices. Alternatively, this conjecture states that such a family of trees can be “glued” together to produce a complete graph on n vertices. Although many partial results are known (See Cisiński and Zak [2], Janzer and Montgomery [3], Balogh and Palmer [4]), ˙ the conjecture has remained open since 1970. This conjecture is computationally challenging, naively requiring superexponential number of computations. This paper …

Scary Science: How Science Fiction Is An Effective Avenue To Explore Climate Change Through Trauma Theory And Anticipatory Trauma, Sawyer N. Unruh

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Science Fiction (SF) offers its readers a means of confronting climate anxiety by transforming the creeping, yet daunting threat of climate change and natural disasters into an unfortunate but manageable reality. Drawing on trauma theory, this paper examines how SF engages with Anticipatory Trauma Reaction (ATR) and works to mitigate it. Theorized by Tanya Hopwood, ATR is a pre-trauma response characterized by stress and anxiety over potential catastrophe. It is especially relevant in an environmental context, as individuals grapple with the potential irreversibility of climate change and its detrimental effects on society. SF provides the necessary tools to immerse its …

Inside The Study: A Meta-Exploration Of Undergraduate Ra Experiences In Social Work, April Janel Jackson-Andal

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Social work is not generally seen as a research-based field, yet social workers rely on evidence-based practices to address clients’ needs (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2022; National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). Research has shown that social work students often avoid research due to disinterest or anxiety (Gredig et al., 2022). Professors typically favor master’s-level students, providing few hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates (Inoue et al., 2017; Sidell, 2007). This creates a gap in understanding undergraduate experiences.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of 5 undergraduate research assistants in the social work department at The University of …

The Future, And History Of Uzbek-Kyrgyz Relations In Kyrgyzstan, Luke J. Jensen

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Kyrgyzstan was once hailed as Central Asia’s Island of Democracy, as one of the realms in which hope for a democratic post-Soviet world seemed brightest. Today Kyrgyzstan is near-forgotten, with next to no western media attention, significantly less economic support, and rampant internal problems. Kyrgyzstan today suffers from corruption, disastrous minority relations, and a generally high level of poverty. The focus of this paper is to examine how minority relations, primarily Uzbek-Kyrgyz, have deteriorated in Kyrgyzstan, and what can and should be done, politically, socially, and economically to help ease the tension in Kyrgyzstan. The primary points of focus for …

Military Medals And Fraternal Jewels Of America: Analysis, Care, And Cataloging, Anna Kropf

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This project produced a guidebook focused on providing instructions on proper technique for laboratory analysis, collections management, and cataloging practices pertaining to American military medals and fraternal insignia. While fraternal phaleristics is relatively unstudied, military medals and awards have been extensively studied and are fairly common in museum collections. Both are important sources of historical information and thus should be treated with respect and handled with care. Fraternal and military insignia indicate membership or achievement within a social group and hold different meanings for different members of the public. Their conditions vary depending on various environmental factors including humidity, temperature, …

From Canada To Virginia: Identifying Reference Bias In Whole Genome Sequencing Of Brook Trout, Oliver Jepson

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Advances in genomics now allow us to obtain multiple completed genomes for a given species. A major outstanding knowledge gap in population genomics currently is whether a ‘local’ reference genome is important to use. The use of a reference genome from a distant population may lead to bias in estimated population genomic parameters, something referred to as ‘reference bias’.

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) exist in a native range that extends from the upper reaches of eastern Canada to northern Georgia. Due to this range extent, it has been found that some genetic differentiation exists between the northern and …

Development Of A Unified Splatting Ecosystem For Enhanced Spatial Mapping And Accuracy, Jeremy Jeffay

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

This report details the foundational development of a unified splatting ecosystem designed to enhance spatial mapping and 3D reconstruction accuracy for autonomous aerial systems. The primary objective was to bridge the gap between academic neural rendering algorithms and practical autonomous operations by building a decentralized, verifiable infrastructure. Methods included deploying containerized GPU workloads via the Akash network, integrating Solana-based on-chain data provenance, and shifting focus toward a photo/video-centric backend validation layer to ensure data sovereignty. Results indicate that the 3D rendering pipeline and core microservices architecture are functional in isolation, with the distributed network components successfully wired for future end-to-end …

Mental Healthcare Providers' Clinical Approaches To Climate Concerns, Lauren N. Schulte

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Previous research has established that climate change poses a serious threat to physical and mental health. Increases in climate change-related mental health concerns, including traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression, highlight the need for climate-aware approaches to mental healthcare. Many mental healthcare providers already report encountering clients with climate-related concerns, but few feel adequately prepared to support these clients. Additionally, providers have expressed the need for further information, training, treatment, and assessment options to assist individuals with climate-related mental health concerns. The present study aims to investigate existing therapeutic strategies used to address climate-related concerns in clinical settings. Data collection from …

Mighty Mobile Microgrids, Nathaniel T. Adams, Charlie F. Marten, Delia J. Schmidt, Buddy G. Wilson, Oliver A. Suhrbier, Katherine B. Labuda

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

A microgrid is a collection of power-generating devices that boost power from the primary electrical grid or serve as a backup when the grid cannot provide sufficient power. Microgrid systems are used where primary grid connectivity can be unreliable due to remote location or natural disasters, serving as renewable alternatives to traditional fossil fuel power production. Recent innovations have given rise to new microgrid technology that can be conveniently deployed in times of need. Mobile microgrids– often in the form of trailers covered in solar arrays– are being used increasingly as tools in disaster response and community grid support. This …

Alaska Dep’T Of Fish And Game V. Federal Subsistence Bd., Mj Fiedler

Public Land & Resources Law Review

A subsistence hunt in Kake, Alaska, during the COVID-19

pandemic sparked a lawsuit from the State of Alaska Department of Fish

and Game challenging the authority of the Federal Subsistence Board to

open the hunt. This lawsuit is a recent addition to a long history of the

State of Alaska’s resistance to federal enforcement of the Alaska National

Interest Lands Conservation Act provision establishing priority for rural

subsistence users. The Ninth Circuit ultimately affirmed the Federal

Subsistence Board’s authority to open the subsistence hunt.

Montana Kaimin, April 16, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Documents From The April 15, 2026 Meeting Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana (Asum), University Of Montana--Missoula. Associated Students

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

Agenda and meeting minutes from the April 15, 2026 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

Gli Weekly, April 14, 2026, Franke Global Leadership Initiative

GLI Weekly

GLI Volunteer: EmPower Pack -- UMCUR -- GLI Celebration! -- Become an Ambassador! -- Advising Information -- Wilderness and Civilization -- The Big Event --   Hiring: VolunteerUM Program Leaders -- Annual Clark Fork River Clean Up -- Plant an Apple Orchard at Franklin Elementary! -- Volunteer for the GLI -- VolunteerUM -- WGS/GERC 50th Birthday! -- International April Event -- UM Earth Month -- Mansfield Dialogoue: One Year After "Liberation Day" Tariffs -- Democracy Summit -- AmeriCorps Info Session -- Climate Hacktion -- ASUM Elections -- Kyiyo Celebration Volunteers -- Share your International Experience from College! -- Griz Gradfest -- …

Montana Kaimin, April 9, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Documents From The April 8, 2026 Meeting Of The Associated Students Of The University Of Montana (Asum), University Of Montana--Missoula. Associated Students

Senate Meeting Agendas and Minutes, 2007-Present

Agenda and meeting minutes from the April 8, 2026 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

Gli Weekly, April 7, 2026, Franke Global Leadership Initiative

GLI Weekly

GLI Volunteer: EmPower Pack -- GLI Celebration! -- From Yellowstone to Southern Africa: Shared Challenges, Shared Solutions across Continents -- Become an Ambassador! -- Advising Information -- Wild Stories: Wilderness, Policy, Packing, & Writing -- UM Global Career Accelerator -- VolunteerUM Events -- BioBlitz at Travelers Rest -- Animal Wonders Volunteer -- Annual Clark Fork River Clean Up -- The Big Event -- Plant an Apple Orchard at Franklin Elementary! -- Volunteer for the GLI! -- VolunteerUM -- Screening of “Bending the Arc” -- President's Lecture Series: An Evening with Jad Abumrad -- Democracy Summit -- AmeriCorps Info Session -- …

Montana Kaimin, April 2, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Minutes From The April 2, 2026 Meeting Of The University Of Montana Faculty, University Of Montana--Missoula. Faculty

University of Montana Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes from the April 2, 2026 meeting of the University of Montana faculty.

The Role Of The Context For Pupils’ Choice Of Solution Strategies And Representations When Working With Combinatorial Problems, Frode Rønning

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This paper reports on a study based on two classroom sessions in a Norwegian school where pupils in Grade 4 (age 9) worked on two combinatorial problems. Data were collected by video-recording two pairs of pupils collaborating in each session, as well as a whole-class session at the end of the second session. The pupils’ written work during the sessions was also collected as data. The classroom sessions were designed based on principles from the Theory of Didactical Situations. Data were analysed using a dialogical approach and based on theory for multiplicative structures and semiotic representations. The study shows that …

Learning About Human Mathematical Dialogue From Dialogue With Chatbots: Babbling, Gargling And Funnelling, Ingólfur Gíslason

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this study, I explore mathematics teaching-learning dialogues between preservice teachers and a chatbot (ChatGPT) with the aim of increasing our understanding of human mathematics teaching-learning dialogues. The dialogues contain wrong solutions (as determined by the preservice teachers), and the teachers try to get the chatbot to reconsider its answers without giving away the answer. The chatbot’s solution attempts are interpreted through and against the concepts of babbling (imperfect efforts to express thought) and gargling (imitation of surface form of expressions), and the dialogues are analyzed by considering whether and how the preservice teacher and the chatbot reach joint attention. …