March 2nd - AIRO Student is featured on MSU's home page!

Corrie Villegas is an IMSD student with the AIRO program and also the first Native American student accepted into the Montana Medical Laboratory Science Training Program. Read her story here ---> Through Science, Villegas Found Her Turnaround Shot.

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March 1st-2nd - BRIDGES Orientation

The 2011 BRIDGES Orientation was a huge success, with 13 Tribal College students from across the state, 4 Tribal Coordinators and 17 research and support services presentations. Research presentations included topics in Microbiology, Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Land Resources and Environmental Management, MDOT & Engineering, Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Organismal Biology, Agricultural Economics, Health & Human Development and Nursing. Additionally there were several informative support services presentations in Financial Education & Management, Financial Aid, Daycare, Admissions and Graduate Education. Students also watched a demo of lab practices, toured campus housing and took a math placement test. All went home with optimism for the upcoming summer experience and big smiles after receiving MSU educational supplies. Check out the photos below!

 

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January/February - BRIDGES Recruitment!

AIRO Director Marjorie Old Horn and Program Coordinator Julian Collins traveled to several Tribal Colleges across Montana to inform and recruit students for the 2011 BRIDGES program. Marjorie and Julian were well-received at Fort Belknap Community College and Stone Child College. Marjorie also traveled to Little Big Horn College and was joined by current IMSD senior, John Old Elk, in the recruitment efforts.

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Nov. 11th-13th - AISES 2010 National Conference

JORDAN KENNEDY wins First Place in both the oral and poster presentions for undergraduate students!

Jordan Kennedy, Blackfeet, a sophomore in Civil Engineering, has taken first place awards in both the oral and poster presentation category for undergraduate scholars the 2010 Nationla Conference for American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Jordan's research presentation, Rheological Characterization of Thermally Reversible Gels, was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Brown, Assistant Professor in the Chemical & Biological Engineering Department.

Jordan also was awarded an internship by General Electric for the summer of 2011.

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Oct, 31st - AIRO Halloween Party!!!

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Sept. 30th - Oct. 2nd ~ AIRO Students Attend SACNAS!

IMSD students, Lacey Jewett and Ted Weatherwax attended the 2010 SACNAS
(Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) Conference
in Anaheim, California. Accompanied by AIRO Program Coordinator, Julian Collins,
Ted presented his work titled Hydrogenobaculum Population Genomics and Lacey
presented her work titled Ask the Men: A View of Sexual Health Through the Eyes
of American Indian Men.

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SEPT. 21st ~ AIRO Director, Marjorie Old Horn attended the New Faculty Expo,
connecting with MSU faculty members from many departments and programs,
seeking to generate support for all three AIRO programs, MAP, BRIDGES and IMSD.

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SEPT. 13th-17th ~ AIRO Director, Marjorie Old Horn, and AIRO Program
Coordinator, Julian Collins, traveled to Fort Peck Community College to inform,
promote and recruit the 2011 BRIDGES Program. Additionally, they traveled to
area high schools in Brockton, Culbertson, Frazer, Poplar & Wolf Point to present
information to the students about the 2011 MAP Program. The AIRO programs were
very well received by all and over 100 students expressed interest.

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SEPT. 10th ~ AIRO Director, Marjorie Old Horn, and staff members were in
attendance at the Inauguration of Dr. Waded Cruzado, The 12th President of
Montana State University, on Friday, September 10th, 2010.  Staff members
particularly enjoyed the Processional and Presentation of Colors, including the
flags from all of Montana ‘s Native American Tribes.  Additionally, the visit from
Champ, MSU mascot, who escorted the newly installed president in the recessional,
was especially appreciated. We at AIRO look forward to building a strong partnership
with Dr. Cruzado, in service to our Native American students seeking careers in
the sciences.

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SEPT. 9th ~ Dr. Medeva Ghee, Acting Director of the Leadership Alliance made a
site visit to Montana State University and the AIRO program. Dr. Ghee met with Tribal Coordinators as well as faculty research mentors to hare with us how the Leadership
Alliance serves our Native American students, and other underepresented students in
order to help develop them into "outstanding leaders and role models in academia,
business and the public sector."

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SEPT. 8th ~ The AIRO Advisory Board met to share news, updates, awards, as well
as to strategize for the future. Trbal Coordinators representing Blackfeet Community
College, Chief Dull Knife College, Fort Peck Community College, Little Big Horn College,
Salish Kootenai College and Stone Child College were in attendance.

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AIRO at Catapalooza!

AUGUST 25-27th ~ AIRO participated in Catapalooza 2010, speaking with over
150 visitors to our booth!

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July 30th - August 1st ~ Leadership Alliance National Symposium, East Brunswick,
New Jersey Twelve AIRO students from both the BRIDGES and IMSD programs, flew
to New Jersey to attend the Leadership Alliance National Symposium. Students
presented their summer research, either in poster form or via oral presentation,
attended sessions designed to enhance their research experiences and networked
with many other scholars and top faculty researchers from Universities across the
country.

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July 27th ~ Mentors Facilitation Meeting
MSU and Tribal College Research Mentors meet for a day of building relationships to
facilitate collaboration and communication, as well as to identify strategies to assist
tribal college students in transiting successfully to a four year university. The session
was followed by a practice session designed to give the 2010 BRIDGES student an
opportunity to hone their presentation skills in preparation for the Leadership Alliance
National Symposium, July 29-31 in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

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Read about the recent successes for AIRO students!

John Old Elk

Mervin Failing