July 17, 2015
Building Humanities
Carroll’s Humanities program received an exciting mid-year gift in the form of a $100,000 grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundations.
The funding for “Humanities for the 21st Century” will help the college further develop the humanities program at Carroll through faculty professional development and training with respect to interdisciplinary course development and implementation of undergraduate research opportunities for humanities students.
“This generous grant from the Hearst Foundations builds upon Carroll’s longstanding commitment to provide an active and integrated learning environment for our students,” said Cathy Day, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. “In addition, this funding will help our faculty to begin to lay the foundation for the Center for the Humanities, which would be the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, serving as a hub for scholarly study and public outreach with a focus on the regional impact of global issues.”
This grant is the first of its kind for the humanities department and the faculty and staff are energized about what lies ahead. Congratulations go out to our humanities faculty, led by Kay Satre, John Ries, Elvira Roncalli, and DJ Cash for their vision and hard work to bring “Humanities for the 21st Century” forward.
Read the full release here.
Welcome Back Dr. Irvine
Carroll would like to welcome to campus our new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, Dr. Colin Irvine ’91. Dr. Irvine was announced as our new VPAA in April with his first day on the job being July 1.
“We are very excited to have Colin Irvine on campus. He has hit the ground running and is quickly gaining an understanding of Carroll’s strategic vision through numerous meetings with our faculty and administration,” said President Tom Evans. “His energy and enthusiasm have been evident from day one and we know he will contribute great things to Carroll.”
Dr. Irvine and family moved from Minnesota where he was an associate professor of English at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. It is a coming home of sorts for Colin as he earned his B.A. in English and History from Carroll in 1991, followed by an M.A. in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1993 and a Ph.D. in English from Marquette University in 2002.
"I'm honored by the opportunity to help faculty make Carroll as good as it can be by challenging our students to be their very best. At the heart of a Carroll education is an enduring commitment to academic rigor, and I am beyond pleased to have a chance to play some small part in that critical component of our mission," said Irvine.
Please join us in welcoming Colin, his wife Kelly (who worked in Admissions at Carroll in 92-93), son Cal (age 14, entering 9th grade) and daughter Caroline (age 10, entering 4th grade) to Helena.
Click here for the full release announcing his appointment.
Bridging Cultures
Montana and South Korea just became a bit closer as 29 students from University of Konkuk in South Korea spent three weeks immersed in Carroll and the Rocky Mountain West.
The students came to Carroll through a partnership with the Artaza Center and ISA (International Students Abroad).
During their time at Carroll, they took classes in American History with Assistant Professor DJ Cash and American Business with Associate Professor Annette Ryerson, in addition to workshops with Career Services Director Rosalie Walsh, Adjunct Professor Virginia Cooper, Director for the Helena Food Share Bruce Day and Internship Coordinator Nisan Burbridge.
Ali Downing ‘15, who served as director of the Konkuk Camp, had this to share about the experience, “At the beginning of the program there were a lot of learning curves to overcome as the Korean students knew nothing about Montana or Carroll College, but as cross-cultural relationships were formed the program developed into an amazing experience for all involved.”
The students were partnered with 10 Carroll College student ambassadors who helped them navigate and enjoy Carroll and the Helena area including exploring downtown, hiking Mt. Helena, taking in a Brewers game, and attending the East Helena rodeo.
The group also toured local businesses such as Boeing, Wells Fargo, Helena Industries and Helena Food Share.
Their visit with also enriched with a trip to Yellowstone National Park and a stay in the tipis at the Lodgepole Tipi Village in Browning, Montana.
“I'm going to miss all my new friends so much. Crazy how it's only been three weeks and such great friendships have blossomed,” said Jessica Ackeret ’16, Carroll student ambassador.
Konkuk Camp in YellowstoneJessica Ackeret '16 with new friendsKonkuk Camp near Browning, Montana on an excursion to the Lodgpole Tipi Village where they each made a parfleche - an American Indian hide bag.
Sinatra Under the Stars
It is time once again for Helena’s single biggest event of the year – the 12th Annual Symphony Under the Stars this Saturday, July 18 beginning at 8:30 p.m.
This year’s free concert celebrates the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra with Centennial Sinatra, starring vocalist Steve Lippia. Read more about the concert and Lippia’s talents in the IR: Mastering Sinatra's sound: Steve Lippia on deck for Saturday's 'Symphony Under the Stars'.
“Sinatra has a very unique sound,” said Helena Symphony Music Director Allan R. Scott in a previous IR article. Although Scott owns more than 100 Sinatra albums and CDs, he said, I can’t tell the difference between Lippia and Sinatra.”
The concert continues to be one of the largest annual food drives for Helena Food Share so please bring cans of food to hold down your picnic blankets. Blankets can be placed beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, July 17. New for this year, advanced blanket placement is allowed from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, July 17, for those making a $5 cash donation to the Boy Scouts who will be on hand to assist with placement.
Come for the music, stick around for the fireworks! Hope to see you Saturday.
Student News
Wonder Women
Leading the way both on the court and in the classroom, the Carroll women's basketball team was recently named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25.
The Saints finished with a 3.344 GPA, which place them at 16th overall in the NAIA ranking. Carroll finished the season with an 18-11 record and qualified for the NAIA National tournament for the second time in three seasons. The team also made its way into the top 25, finishing 22nd overall.
Along with the accomplishments on the court and in the classroom, the Saints recorded over 300 hours of community service. "This is a tremendous accomplishment for our players," head coach Rachelle Sayers said. "To be ranked and get to the National Tournament, be number 16 in the country for their academics and to log over 300 community service hours is pretty amazing when you consider the class load that these kids take; I couldn't be prouder of them. This group definitely set the bar for what we expect here at Carroll College."
Saints in the News
As the 2015 Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup Queen, Brooklyn Merja ‘18 will be on hand to welcome fans to the 84th annual Montana State Fair in Great Falls. Merja was recently profiled in the Ravalli Republic.
Alumni News
Alumni in the News
The owner of Helena-based clothing and lifestyle store fourOsix and Carroll Board of Trustee member, Alex “Papu” Rincon ‘04, was announced recently as the keynote speaker for Senator Jon Tester’s Small Business Opportunity Workshop held in Missoula on Friday, July 17.
Read about Papu here: Owner of fourOsix to speak at small business workshop.
Photo courtesy of Dylan Brown, IR
Baby News
Andy Fjeseth ‘10 and Blair (Parker) Fjeseth ‘10 welcomed their second son, Olan Andrew Fjeseth, on July 16 in Helena. Everyone is doing well and 21-month old big brother Sven is excited to have a new teammate in the family.
Gettin' Hitched
Kelsey (Farry) Peaslee ‘09 and Jason Peaslee were married on March 21, 2015 in Helena.
Career Moves
The St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation announced that Brenna Manion ‘09, RN, in the Emergency Department, earned a $500 Deb Daehn Scholarship, a $1,500 Treacy Foundation Scholarship, and a $5,000 Elaine Fordyce Nursing Scholarship. Manion is using her scholarship to complete a 3-year program at MSU to obtain her Doctorate in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner license.
Brenda Floreen ‘85, vice principal of academics, Butte High School – read announcement here.
Nikolas Griffith ‘10, project administrator, DOWL – read announcement here.
Courtney Jones ‘13, associate consultant, Elixiter – read the announcement here.
Dr. Dustin Shipman ‘96, Superintendent, Big Sky School District– read the announcement here.
IN MEMORIAM
Cliff “Duff” Chisholm ‘75 – read about his life here.
Kathryn “Kate” (Johnson) Ferrie ‘98 – read about her life here.
Stephen Reardon Jr. ‘52 – read about his life here.
Dalton Riggs, class of 2014 – read about his life here.
Faculty/Staff News
Coralling the Plague
Dr. Jennifer Lowell, assistant professor of health sciences, recently had her research on Yersina pestis bacteria published in Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.
Yersinia pestis bacteria cause the plague (same as the Black Death in medieval Europe). In the U.S., we see large and sporadic outbreaks of plague in wildlife (mostly rodents like prairie dogs). The risk of humans acquiring plague is the highest when wildlife are experiencing plague outbreaks because when the animal dies, infected fleas, which transmit the bacteria, look for alternate hosts to feed on (like domestic pets and humans).
The research looked at the DNA of several Yersinia pestis bacteria that were collected during animal outbreaks mostly in Colorado and used DNA fingerprints to help determine how the bacteria spread through animal populations during outbreaks. They wanted to know if the bacteria spread far and wide across vast landscapes, or if they crop up on more geographically local levels. The latter seems to be the case. DNA fingerprints were more similar among bacteria from the same areas and different from distant bacteria.
This is important because wildlife biologists and public health professionals can use better surveillance and control techniques if they know more about how the bacteria act in nature.
A copy of her research can be found at: Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Reveal Spatial Diversity Among Clones of Yersinia pestis During Plague Outbreaks in Colorado and the Western United States.
7th Inning Stretch
Allegra and Signs Now are sponsoring a free night at the ballpark for all Carroll faculty and staff.
Take in a Brewer’s game on Monday, August 24 by calling or stopping in at their business locations for free tickets. No purchase necessary but tickets are limited.
Upcoming Events
12th Annual Symphony Under the Stars - Centennial Sinatra starring Steve Lippia, July 18, 8:30 p.m., Carroll College Lawn, Helena
Carroll College and the Helena Symphony continue their partnership for the 12th Annual Symphony Under the Stars concert and fireworks show. This year's concert, Centennial Sinatra, starring vocalist Steve Lippia, celebrates the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra. The concert is free and open to the public and is held on the Guad Hill and lawn on the campus of Carroll College.
The grounds will be closed to the general public until 5 p.m., Friday, July 17. Advanced blanket placement will be available from 3-5 p.m. on Friday for a $5 cash donation to Boy Scouts of America who will be available to assist with blankets. Any blankets, etc. placed earlier than 5 p.m. on Friday, except those placed with the assistance of the Boy Scouts, will be removed. Please use canned goods to weigh down blankets and they will be collected by Helena Food Share during the concert.
2nd Annual Helena Joining Community Forces Provider Symposium, Aug. 7, 9 a.m. - 3:45 p.m., Carroll College
Carroll College, Army OneSource, VA Montana and Montana Joining Community Forces are partnering together to present their second service provider symposium designed with interactive presentations, breakout sessions, a resource fair and opportunities to network and share ideas with the state's civilian and military community members.
The free, one-day symposium is open to all service providers who support service members and veterans.
For more information or to register for the symposium, visit https://mtjcf.eventbrite.com.
Mark your calendars – Upcoming Alumni Events:
New Glarus Brewery Tour, Tasting & Dinner, New Glarus, Wisconsin: August 15
Join Carroll College alumni and friends for an evening of great beer, authentic Swiss food and plenty of socializing. New Glarus is a quaint Swiss town located 30 miles southwest of Madison, Wisconsin.
Brewery Tour & Tasting, 6 p.m.
New Glarus Brewery founder and president, Deborah Carey, class of '82, and her husband Dan, own and operate the brewery. Deborah is the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the U.S. The Careys have won numerous awards and look forward to giving us a special tour.
Buffet Dinner, New Glarus Hotel Restaurant, 7:30 p.m.
After the brewery tour and tasting, we will enjoy a buffet dinner down the street. The buffet includes salad, prime rid, baked chicken, Geschnetzeltes, baked cod, masked potatoes, roesti and Spatzli, Swiss green beans, rolls and butter, coffee and tea. Cost of dinner is $24 per person (includes tax and gratuity).
Register online here.
For questions, contact alumni@carroll.edu or call Renee Wall at 406-447-5169 or Kathy Ramirez at 406-447-5185. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Chalet Landhaus. To reserve a room, call 608-527-5234.
Homecoming 2015: September 18-19
Mark your calendars and plan to return to campus this fall for Homecoming. All alumni, parents and friends are invited to attend. Special reunions will be held for all former ASCC members and the classes of 2005, 1995, 1985, and 1975. Stay tuned for more details.
Parents Weekend: October 23 & 24
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Find a complete list of campus activities and events online.
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