May 15, 2015
Toasting the Class of 2015
Happy Saints enjoying the annual President's Toast which took place on the steps of St. Charles, Friday afternoon, May 15.
Three hundred Saints will receive their diplomas tomorrow, May 16, at the Commencement exercises for the class of 2015.
Next week's QuickNotes will have a re-cap of graduation including the winners of the outstanding faculty and students awards.
If you can't wait until then, you can follow the commencement in real time via a live streaming of the event which will begin just prior to 2 p.m. on May 16 at: www.carrollathletics.com.
Rich in Research
Research is alive and well at Carroll with the college having received two grant awards totaling nearly $100,000 from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s Murdock College Research Program. Grants from this program are awarded to faculty at private, primarily undergraduate institutions in the Pacific Northwest, to support faculty/student research activity.
Dr. Jennifer Lowell, assistant professor of health sciences, received a natural sciences three-year award in the amount of $56,108 to undertake “Studies of Antibiotic Resistance in an Arsenic-Contaminated Watershed.” The goal of the project is to determine whether high arsenic levels in the Upper Tenmile watershed, a mining-impacted watershed that supplies Helena with over fifty percent of its drinking water, can maintain and propagate reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes to downstream environments.
This is the first grant of its kind awarded to a faculty member in the Health Sciences department. Two students from Health Sciences will participate in this project as well. They will work full time during the summer, and have the opportunity to complete their senior theses over the following academic year.
Dr. Stefanie Otto-Hitt, assistant professor of biology at Carroll, has received a two-year life sciences award in the amount of $42,088 to continue her study titled “Molecular Control of Synaptic Function.” This is the second two-year grant Dr. Otto-Hitt has received from the Trust. The molecular neuroscience research examines how proteins in the brain affect the strength of communication between brain cells.
Carroll students are very involved in the research, carrying out the majority of the experiments outlined in the grant proposal. Dr. Otto-Hitt had four Carroll students work with her over the course of the first award period and this summer, she will have three students working with her in the lab.
Read the full release here.
Upper Tenmile WatershedPhoto courtesy of Eliza Wiley, Helena IR
"This is significant for our department as a whole, the Health Sciences are dependent upon basic biological sciences research, and our ability to apply findings to improve both environmental and human health outcomes," said Dr. Lowell. "I am extremely excited about being able to provide additional opportunities to our students and to facilitate learning about the manner in which biological, environmental, and health sciences intersect."
Two students at work in Dr. Otto-Hitt's lab"I am so thankful for my past and current research students whose hard work and perserverance produced the results needed to secure funding and additional research opportunities for future Carroll students, " said Dr. Otto-Hitt. "I am also grateful to the Murdock Trust for their continued support of undergraduate research at Carroll College. Their support provides my lab with the funds needed to continue my research project and train Carroll students interested in doing Molecular Neuroscience research."
Dr. Johnson in the News
Dr. Jeremy Johnson
University research or express advocacy? This is the question at the heart of a political practices investigation in which Dr. Jeremy Johnson, associate professor of political science at Carroll, has been asked to weigh in on.
The source of the investigation, which has garnered national attention, was a mailing that was developed by professors at Dartmouth and Stanford and sent to over 100,000 Montanans just prior to the November 2014 general elections, which aligned Supreme Court candidates on an ideological scale of “more liberal” to “more conservative.”
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl hired Dr. Johnson, acting independently of Carroll, to evaluate the mailer as part of his investigation. Dr. Johnson’s analysis was included in Motl’s final report.
Motl recently released his decision in the matter, attracting additional attention from national media sources, which cited Dr. Johnson in the articles:
New York Times: Montana: Stanford, Dartmouth Mailers Broke Campaign Laws
Talking Points Memo, a well-established political journalism website, published a letter from Dr. Johnson outlining his insights and the research issues raised in this case:
More On That Montana Political Science Project Gone So Wrong.
Student News
Thank You Cadets
Pictured above are the ROTC candidates highlighted in the May 1 QuickNotes.
This morning, May 15, five Carroll ROTC Cadets were commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the US Army.
Left to right: 2LTs Eric Blake, Andrew Wilmoth, Heather McKasson, Riley Grogan, and Ryan Liberg.
Congratulations, and thank you for serving our country!
Doggone Done it Again
Karin Wagemann & EowynPhoto courtesy of KXLH
Who doesn’t love a cute dog, right? Once again, Carroll’s anthrozoology program was a featured story on the evening news. This time the horses got in on the act too.
As part of sweeps week, Helena’s KXLH tv did a special feature on Carroll’s first-in-the-nation anthrozoology program. Karin Wagemann '15 and her dog, Eowyn, as well as Kaitlin Schuttler ‘15, were featured this week.
Carroll College prepares to graduate first anthrozoology class
Alumni News
Career Moves
Dan Mazurek ‘06, commercial loan officer, Opportunity Bank of Montana – read announcement here.
Upcoming Events
Carroll College Baccalaureate Mass & Commencement, May 16
Carroll College graduates from the classes of 1945, 1955 and 1965 will also be honored. A schedule of commencement activities can be found on the Carroll Commencement webpage.
Commencement seating is open to family and friends of the graduates. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to select suitable seats. Doors to the PE Center open at 1:00 p.m.
The commencement will be streamed live at www.carrollathletics.com.
Relay for Life of Helena, June 26, 5 p.m.–midnight, Nelson Stadium, Carroll College
Carroll College is hosting the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life this year. Participants will walk around the football field in Nelson Stadium from 6 p.m. until midnight to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that has already taken too much.
RLF is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and those interested in forming teams and participating in the event are encouraged to sign up on the Relay for Life of Helena webpage.
Carroll College Gifted Institute, July 12-18, Carroll College
The Gifted Institute will challenge gifted fifth through ninth frade students' academic potentials and provide opportuntities for social development. Workshops, classes, and activities with adults and peers will enhance students' self-awareness and cognitive development.
For more information and to download the application, visit the Carroll College Gifted Institute webpage.
Mark your calendars – Upcoming Alumni Events:
Purple and Gold Jubilee Reunion: May 15-16
Make plans to join your classmates - classes of 1945, 1955 and 1965 - and be part of Carroll's 2015 commencement weekend festivities in May.
Alumni & Friends Marian Shrines of France Tour: May 21-June 2
Join President Evans and his wife Lisa on a tour of the Marian Shrines of France.
Highlights include: Paris, a dinner cruise on the Seine River, Notre Dame, Versaille, Giverny – the house and gardens of Monet, the home of St. Terese of Lisieux, the beaches of Normandy, St. Michael Abbey, Contreau Distillery, an overnight in a chateau, Lourdes and much more.
View the complete itinerary here or contach Kathy Ramirez, 406-461-3214 or kramirez@carroll.edu.
Alumni & Friends Gathering at New Glarus Brewery, New Glarus, Wisconsin: August 15
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.
Founder's Day and Parents Weekend: October 23 & 24
Stay up-to-date on all that's happening at Carroll.
Find a complete list of campus activities and events online.