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Dear Jennifer,

Welcome to TGIF News. This e-mail newsletter is provided weekly, except during the summer and scheduled academic breaks, to subscribers who include students, alumni, employees and friends of The University of Montana.

Scientist Helps Invent Climate Change Index   Steve Running, Regents Professor of Ecology at UM, was a key player in creating a new worldwide climate change index unveiled Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The new index distills the complexity of the Earth's climate down to one number. The index uses key indicators of global change -- carbon dioxide, temperature, sea level and sea ice -- to obtain its results. Running said the index gives an annual snapshot of how the planet's complex systems are responding to changing climate. The index was produced by a group Running is affiliated with, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, which studies climate change phenomenon. IGBP is headquartered with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, and Running was among a core group of eight who developed the idea. Running is a professor in UM's College of Forestry and Conservation and directs the University's Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group, which has written software for NASA environmental satellites. He was a lead author for the North American section of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, and his IPCC committee shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore that year. Read the Full News Release

Director Elected VP of Research Organization   Judy Fredenberg, director of UM's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, recently was elected vice president/president-elect of the National Council of University Research Administrators. As vice president of NCURA, Fredenberg will coordinate the 2010 annual meeting for the organization, which aims to advance the field of research administration through education and professional development programs. She will assume the role of president in 2011. An active member of NCURA since 1992, Fredenberg served on various committees and boards before being elected vice president/president-elect. Fredenberg earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in public administration from UM. She has worked at the University in a variety of research- and development-related positions since 1981.

Griz for Kids Brings in Record Donations   The UM Grizzly football team paired up with Mountain FM's Mountain of Giving campaign this November to sponsor the fifth annual Griz for Kids Toy Drive. This year, co-chairs Marc Mariani and Levi Horn led the call for toy and cash donations, and Griz Nation answered by providing more than 3,000 toys and a record $3,500 in cash donations. The drive kicked off Nov. 12 at The Bookstore at The University of Montana with nearly 30 Griz players collecting toys and signing autographs for hundreds of fans. The drive continued when thousands of Griz faithful brought donations to the Nov. 14 game against Northern Colorado. Several Missoula-area agencies benefitted from the drive, including Mountain Home Montana, Head Start, Early Head Start, the Missoula Indian Center, Youth Homes Inc., Watson Children's Shelter, Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA and WORD. All Missoula Federal Credit Union locations are still accepting cash donations for the Mountain of Giving campaign. People can also send donations to Mountain of Giving, c/o the Mountain Broadcasting Foundation, P.O. Box 309, Missoula, MT 59806. All donations are tax deductible.

UM Grad in Kyrgyzstan on Fulbright   A recent University of Montana alumna is studying glaciers and blogging about her adventures in the remote, high-mountain peaks of Kyrgyzstan. Ann Piersall was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship to travel to the Central Asian country, where she has been since mid-November. She will remain in Kyrgyzstan for 10 to 12 months. She is studying in the At-Bashy Range of the Tien Shan mountains near Kyrgyzstan's border with China. Her work includes organizing a geographical inventory and recording local knowledge and perceptions of glaciation. Piersall is sharing her observations and photographs online at http://tienshanglaciers.blogspot.com.

Virtual Academy Hires First Director   Experienced educator Robert Currie has been named the first director of the Montana Virtual Academy (MTVA), an effort by the state Legislature to make online distance-learning opportunities available to all school-age children in public schools across Big Sky Country. Currie has directed the Michigan Virtual School in Lansing for the past six years. He will start his new duties in Montana on Jan. 4, 2010. The MTVA Governing Board made the hiring decision Dec. 7 in Helena. MTVA is based at UM in the new Phyllis J. Washington Education Center. Registration for high school classes will begin next spring, and courses will be delivered at the start of the 2010-2011 school year. Course work will be taught by highly qualified Montana-licensed educators. For more information, visit the MTVA Web site. Montana Virtual Academy

Students Use Scholarships for Nonprofit Work   Four UM students have been awarded $4,500 NextGeneration Scholarships from the American Humanics Students Association that will allow them to serve 300-hour internships with area nonprofit organizations. The scholarship recipients are Sarah Hinkle, a senior in communication studies from Kalispell; Kyle O'Neill, a senior in communication studies from Frenchtown; Whitney Wilson, a senior in management and accounting from Bigfork; and Daniel Wirth, a master's candidate in intercultural youth and family development from Indianapolis and Durango, Colo. The 40-year-old American Humanics program is an innovative course of study that equips college and university students to become skilled professionals and leaders in the nation's nonprofit organizations. UM has been involved with American Humanics since 2002. From 2007 to 2009, UM students received 11 NextGeneration scholarships totaling $58,500. More information about the American Humanics program and academic awards is available on the UM Office for Civic Engagement Web site. Office for Civic Engagement

Griz Drop Lumberjacks   The Grizzlies forced 10 turnovers that led to a dominating 51-0 victory over the visiting Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in the NCAA Football Subdivision quarterfinal playoff game Dec. 5 in UM's Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The No. 1 seeded Grizzlies improved to 13-0 overall, while the 12th-ranked Lumberjacks finished their season at 10-3. Quarterback Andrew Selle was 19-of-30-0 for 281 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score. Tight end Steve Pfahler had three grabs for 35 yards and a touchdown, while halfback Thomas Brooks-Fletcher added three catches for 24 yards. Brooks-Fletcher also had a game-high 89 yards rushing. Chase Reynolds had 18 totes for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Receiver Marc Mariani had six receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. He set the school record with 2,801 career receiving yards, breaking the record of 2,733 set by Matt Wells from 1992 to 1995. Griz defensive tackle Tyler Hobbs had five tackles, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, an interception and a pass break-up. Five different UM players had interceptions, giving Montana a season-high five picks. The Griz shut out the highest-scoring team in the Football Championship Subdivision, holding the Lumberjacks to 280 total yards (229 passing, 51 rushing) and 12 first downs. Montana had 474 total yards (291 passing, 183 rushing) and 22 first downs. The Grizzlies host the fifth-ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers in the NCAA FCS semifinal game Saturday, Dec. 12. Kickoff is at 2:06 p.m. Montana Grizzlies

Montana Hoopsters Split at Home   Senior Anthony Johnson scored 22 points to lead the Montana Grizzlies in a 71-54 victory over Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools Dec. 4 at Dahlberg Arena. For the third straight game Montana put up a strong defensive performance as they held the Lumberjacks to 21 points under their previous season average. The Grizzlies also forced 17 turnovers. Freshman Will Cherry also scored in double figures for the second straight game, adding 10 points for the Griz. Jack McGillis and Vassy Banny both had seven rebounds to lead the Grizzlies. On Dec. 5 poor shooting doomed the Grizzlies to a 48-59 loss to Northern Colorado in the second conference game for both teams. Montana was held to 32.1 percent from the field, including 26.9 percent for the first half. Junior Brian Qvale was the lone bright spot for the Grizzlies, scoring his fourth double-double in five games with 16 points and 11 rebounds. This weekend the Grizzlies travel to Colorado State for a Saturday, Dec. 12, game. Montana Grizzlies

Lady Griz Thump Great Falls   The Lady Griz shot a season-best 47.8 percent and never trailed in an 86-35 victory over the University of Great Falls on Dec. 6 at Dahlberg Arena. Their record improved to 2-5. Montana took any suspense out of the game early on, jumping out to a 20-4 lead in the first six minutes. Senior Lauren Beck and freshmen Katie Baker and Kenzie De Boer each scored 13 points. Junior Sarah Ena scored 11. Beck went 5-for-7 from the field and hit all three of her 3-point attempts. Baker had a game-high seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. The Lady Griz play at Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., on Friday, Dec. 11. They return home to host Idaho at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Dahlberg Arena. Montana Grizzlies