Montana State University Alumni Foundation

Happy Thanksgiving from the MSU Alumni Foundation ??

Montana State University and Gallatin Valley communities donated the equivalent of 652,876 pounds of food this holiday season to the?Gallatin Valley Food Bank?and MSU’s?Bounty of the Bridgers?food pantry as part of the 25th annual?Can the Griz?food drive. Can the Griz — and the corresponding Can the Cats food drive in Missoula — is an off-field competition between MSU and the University of Montana to see which school can collect the most donations for its local food bank. This year, MSU and the Gallatin Valley community won the contest. MSU and the Gallatin Valley community donated 234,866 pounds of food and $418,010, according to Kim Cleary in the?MSU Office of Student Engagement, which coordinates Can the Griz. Each dollar donated is counted as one pound of food for the contest, resulting in a total this year of 652,876 pounds for the Gallatin Valley community. The Can the Cats food drive in Missoula brought in the equivalent of 649,278 pounds of food for the Missoula Food Bank, Cleary said. “We are so grateful to the community for supporting Can the Griz,” Cleary said. “At its core, this competition is about getting food on the tables of people in our community, and it has done just that; so many individuals and families will be fed thanks to the generosity of others. We offer our deepest thanks to all who contributed.” Thank you to all who donated not just in Gallatin County but to Missoula County! This competition is a great way to help all of those in our communities ????

Montana State University professor Elizabeth?Rink?has been named the co-leader of?the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, or FAI, a flagship science diplomacy and cross-cultural exchange program between the Arctic Nations. The initiative brings together early and mid-career scholars in multiple disciplines from the Arctic Nations to address research and policy issues related to Arctic security, climate change and health. Rink is a faculty member in MSU’s?Department of Human Development and Community Health?in the?College of Education, Health and Human Development?who has worked in Arctic communities for nearly two decades. Along with Lill Rastad Bj?rst, associate professor of Arctic studies at Aalborg University in Denmark, Rink will lead 20 scholars from seven countries. They’ll spend 18 months exploring topics related to Arctic security, cooperation and partnerships, Arctic resources and shifting to more sustainable systems, and mental health and well-being. Rink has worked as a researcher in Greenland for close to 20 years and has conducted research in Finland for the past decade. She was also a scholar in the second Fulbright Arctic Initiative group in 2018-2019 and co-led the third group from 2020-2023. Rink also received a Fulbright Specialist award in 2023 to the University of Oulu, Finland, where she collaborated with scholars at the Thule Institute to conduct research on the ethics of interdisciplinary science. “To be selected to represent my country and MSU on behalf of the United States and the State Department is just a huge honor,” Rink said. to read more about Rink and her research at Montana State visit: https://lnkd.in/g6NVB2tE

Montana State University has been ranked among the top universities in the world in the new Open Edition of the 2024 CWTS Leiden Rankings. The rankings are based on articles published in scholarly journals and the impact those publications have on the international community. According to the ranking, from 2019 to 2022, MSU has had 3,494 publications throughout all areas of science. Sixty-two of those publications are among the top 1% of papers in their respective fields, signifying their high impact. These newest Leiden Rankings list includes the top 1,506 universities from around the globe. MSU was ranked 1,133 on the list. “We are proud of our faculty, whose work continues to push the boundaries of knowledge as they educate our students and create meaningful contributions to the global community,” said Robert Mokwa, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This recognition underscores our commitment to research that addresses critical challenges in Montana, the nation and the world. Our faculty’s dedication, combined with the talents of our students who engage in these projects, reinforces Montana State University’s role as a leader in impactful research.” MSU’s largest proportion of publications was in the life and earth sciences category. From 2019 to 2022, there were 1,208 publications in that area. The second largest area for MSU was the biomedical and health sciences field, with a total of 866 publications. Previous editions of the Leiden Ranking were based on the Web of Science database. The new Open Edition Ranking uses the OpenAlex database instead, allowing more information to inform the rankings. For more information, including the full list of Leiden Open Rankings, visit the Leiden Ranking website,?https://lnkd.in/graSfazV.?

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It's almost that time of year! Montana State University will celebrate its longstanding and beloved Cat-Griz football rivalry with events throughout the week of Nov. 18. The annual football game between MSU and the University of Montana will be played at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman this year. Kickoff is at noon Saturday, Nov. 23. The game can also be viewed on Scripps Networks, ESPN+ or at a local watch party. Additional events open to all Bobcat fans can be found at: https://lnkd.in/gqPP8h5M

Siwei He, an assistant professor of civil engineering in the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering at Montana State University, was recently awarded a $293,492 EPSCoR, or Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, grant from the National Science Foundation to enhance rain-on-snow weather forecasting. The grant will help He improve the ability to predict floods resulting from rain falling on snow, like the 2022 flooding that pushed the Yellowstone River 14 feet over its banks, sweeping houses, highways and bridges into its roiling waters. “Using this grant, I will develop numerical methods focused on simulating rain-on-snow streamflow,” He said. “The model will be tested using historical rain-on-snow flooding events, such as the Yellowstone flood. If the performance is good, we will then be able to use the model to predict future rain-on-snow floods or streamflow.” To read more about He's grant visit: https://lnkd.in/gUZbahfF

Montana State University has set a new record for expenditures on research at more than $257 million, exceeding the prior year’s total by 12% and marking six consecutive years of record-setting research growth at the state’s largest university. In its annual report to the National Science Foundation, MSU recorded research activities totaling $257.9 million for fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30. That’s compared to the $230 million in expenditures reported to the NSF’s?Higher Education Research and Development?survey a year earlier. Funds spent on research support scientific discovery, rural outreach and a variety of scholastic pursuits, as well as hands-on opportunities for MSU students, including undergraduates, to engage in science and creative activities that build skills for careers after they earn their degrees. “MSU is seeing strong, steady growth in research,” said Alison Harmon, vice president for?research and economic development. “Beyond record expenditures, I am proud of the growth in the number of faculty serving as principal investigators and co-principal investigators, which demonstrates their tenacity in pursuing funding opportunities.” To read more about research at MSU visit: https://lnkd.in/g7-YNyuG

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We're #hiring a new Gift Agreement Specialist in Bozeman, Montana. Apply today or share this post with your network.