Amanda's hometown is Manhattan, MT. She is the former student of Dr. Walter Woolbaugh, P.I. of the USDA Secondary Education Challenge Grant and middle school science teacher in Manhattan MT.

Grad Student at Montana State University Science and Natural History Filmmaking Receives Award in Professional Int'l Competition

Amanda Grue, Montana State University graduate student, has received second place in the international film competition of the Association Liaison Office (ALO) for University Cooperation in Development. The award included $750 and premier showing of the film at the plenary session of the Synergy in Development Conference in Washington D.C. 28 July 2005. This was the only student generated film in the top four. Mentors for the film were Dr. Florence Dunkel, Montana State University (MSU) Department of Plant Sciences, and Dr. Ronald Tobias, MSU Department of Media and Theater Arts, Co-Director of the Program in Science and Natural History Film-making. Assisting in the project were Ms. Grue’s undergraduate mentorees, Benjamen Stull and Chris Awe, seniors in Media Production.

The film is 12 minutes. It is titled “Junior Mentors Synergize Partnerships”. On-location filming in Mali by the MSU students was supported by the USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant entitled “Discovery-Based Undergraduate Education: Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSPs)”. On-location mentoring by faculty was supported by the Mali-based project, “Linking Biotechnology and Bioengineering with Mali-based Agribusiness” funded by the US Agency for International Development-Washington through ALO. P.I. of these grants is F. Dunkel, Co-PI is Dr. Cliff Montagne, MSU Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. Malian director of the projects is Dr. Kadiatou Gamby, l’Institut d’Economie Rurale, Sotuba, Mali. Copies and more information are available from F. Dunkel at 406-585-2412 ueyfd@montana.edu.