 |
The National Institutes of Health awarded a $6.5 million grant to fund the Center for Native Health Partnerships at MSU. The center will address health disparities in Montana's Indian communities by developing partnerships between Native American communities and researchers. Related Information |
 |
MSU's student farm, a project of the Friends of Local Foods student organization, far exceeded expectations in its first year, delivering more than 5,000 pounds of food to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank for limited resource families in the area. The group, comprised primarily of students studying agriculture and food and nutrition, is dedicated to raising awareness about the value of locally grown food. Related Information |
 |
The Schutter Diagnostic Lab on the Bozeman campus recently received a five-year grant for roughly $40,000 per year from the USDA, largely because the lab provides an early warning system of biological invaders, whether those invaders arrived here accidently or because of someone's intention. Related Information |
| MSU Extended University worked with Bozeman-based business incubator TechRanch to create an online library of free resources for entrepreneurs http://eu.montana.edu/media/entrepreneur. The library includes video and audio podcasts on topics such as management, marketing, operations, marketing and personal selling. The project was supported by a grant from the Qwest Foundation. Related Information |
 |
Since receiving a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, MSU's ILEAD (Indian Leadership Education and Development) program has doubled the number of Native American principals serving schools on Montana's reservations. The program aims to improve the quality of schools by reducing administrative turnover. All students in the program are teachers from reservations and are committed to remaining and serving on their reservations. Related Information |
| The Montana Council on Economic Education in cooperation with the National Council on Economic Education hosted a free seminar in February 2008 to help teachers better understand the changing world economy, the impact on Montana and how to incorporate this information into classes. Related Information |
| MSU Extension launched a new Web site, called "eXtension," that allows users to consult Extension experts from all over the country. The experts provide research-based information and customized answers to specific questions ranging from parenting to saving and investing, entrepreneurship and vegetable gardens. Related Information |
 |
The Engineers without Borders student group at MSU raised $30,000 to further their humanitarian work in Kenya at their first annual "Clean Water for Kenya Jubilee" fund-raising event. Proceeds helped the group send 10 to 15 students to Kenya in summer 2008 to drill three freshwater drinking wells for schools in the Khwisero District of rural, southwestern Kenya. Related Information |
| The College of Business, in partnership with MSU Extended University, created the Management Institute Executive Education series to offer business professionals a deeper understanding of business practices and the impact it has on their organizations. |
| The Western Ag Research Center near Corvallis reared and distributed more than 80,000 insects for spotted knapweed biocontrol. |
| The Montana Team Nutrition Program (MTN), an outreach program of Health and Human Development, works closely with K-12 schools to create healthier schools by implementing best practices. Recess before Lunch (RBL), which allows students to play first then eat, is an effective practice that leads to healthier food consumption, decreased food waste and improved student behavior. The use of RBL has increased yearly with 29 percent of Montana elementary schools currently implementing a RBL practice. |
| Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) clients reported $138 million in economic impact as a result of the center's services to Montana manufacturers. The impact was quantified through an independent survey of quarterly data from October 2005 through September 2007. MMEC's Lean Manufacturing services, in particular, bring discipline to cost reduction and productivity for hundreds of Montana companies. |
| Turfgrass management students in the College of Ag practice both seeding and sodding at the horticulture farm and volunteered to landscape Habitat for Humanity houses in Belgrade. |
| Student athletes and athletic department staff contributed more than 3,500 hours of service to the community during the 2006-2007 athletic year |
| MSU Extension, in partnership with the Northwest Area Foundation, is helping build stronger communities through the Horizons Program. Horizons offers a comprehensive community leadership and capacity building process to benefit small, rural communities that have seen significant decline in population, income and resources. It draws people together with programs and activities to forge the dynamic leadership they need to take on difficult challenges like economic decline, poverty and demographic changes.
|
| The Office of Technology Transfer provides assistance to more than 400 Montana companies through its resources and partners including Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, TechLink and TechRanch.
|
| MSU Extended University supports, administers and hosts all training for WebCT, the university's official learning management software. As interest has grown in online learning and hybrid courses (face-to-face teaching complemented by Web-based tools), the number of WebCT courses has expanded from 135 in fall 2003 to 710 in fall 2007. Currently, more than 10,000 unique students are enrolled in WebCT courses from the four MSU campuses plus Blackfeet Community College and Stone Child Community College. Related Information |
| Four of the leading U.S. causes of death are associated with dietary quality, and studies show that each dollar invested in Extension nutrition education yields at least $8 savings in health care costs. Extension's Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program works to educate individuals, families, elderly and developmentally disabled people who qualify for food stamps. 16,919 people in 26 counties and six reservations learned skills for choosing better foods, food handling, food storage and food safety practices in 2005.
|
| The MSU College of Business/State Farm Insurance Family Business Program annually recognizes successful family businesses across the state. The purpose of the Family Business Program is to provide educational opportunities and resources to family-owned businesses. In addition, the program provides educational opportunities and resources to service providers of family businesses. With additional support from Stockman Bank, the College has added the Family Business Program on the Road, bringing information, seminars and guest presentations to communities across the state of Montana. The program is coordinated by Nancy Dodd, Ph.D., associate professor of business.
|
 |
A student group, Friends of Local Foods, that raises awareness about the value of locally grown food, partnered with the Gallatin Valley Food Bank to provide more than a quarter ton of fresh vegetables weekly in exchange for the support of two part-time interns that educate food bank customers as well as the community at large about how to prepare greens and vegetables. The group also sold shares of their weekly harvest to the community. Related Information |
| The Office for Community Involvement connects hundreds of MSU student volunteers with community organizations that need support.
|
| The TechLink Center has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of nine exemplary models nationwide of federal technology transfer. TechLink provides direct support for Montana companies to access new technology, expertise, and research and development funding from the Department of Defense, NASA and other federal agencies. |
| MSU Extension's housing and environmental health program has developed the Native AIR asthma intervention and reduction program in response to research showing that Native American children have asthma at rates two to five times higher than the general population. The program partnered closely with schools and tribal health authorities, organizing local leadership teams on Montana's seven reservations to implement an education effort about household asthma triggers. |
| Landscapes of the Mind summer workshops and Cafe Scientifique provide opportunities for the community to participate in courses and discussions with University faculty. Local and international speakers have discussed topics ranging from scientists as terrorists to Native American poetry. |
| The MSU Leadership Institute hosts numerous lectures open to the campus and community. Featured speakers have included Salman Rushdie, Conrad Anker and the Sons of Everest pioneer climbers (Jamling Norgay and Peter Hillary), and Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero of the movie "Hotel Rwanda." The College of Business hosts the David B. Orser Executive Speakers Forum, which is designed to bring business executives to the campus that have a proven record of achievement, so students have a chance to hear directly from leaders in their field. |
Hands-on Learning
