The University of Montana Western will honor two outstanding community members, Ashley Willett and Chris Mehring, with the 2024 Dr. Jane Helm Maddock Service Award on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, for their extraordinary service to UMW and the Dillon Community.

The University of Montana Western's Education Department and Alumni office, in partnership with Stockman Bank, present the 11th Annual Night of Stars Education Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

One of the world’s foremost authorities on equine behavior, Dr. Miller is a retired large and exotic animal clinician who revolutionized the concept of imprint training as it pertains to horses and other precocial species and has spent the last 40 years as an educator and author. Today, at 97, Dr. Miller still lives on his small California ranch with his wife, Debby, and remains committed to teaching and promoting the principles of imprinting and natural horsemanship. Visit robertmmiller.com to learn more about his work.

The University of Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery is honored to present “The New West” by artist Terran Last Gun. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, January 26, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Fine arts Gallery located in Main Hall.

The University of Montana Western Rodeo Team is excited to announce that the 54th Annual Montana Western Rodeo Banquet will be held Friday, March 29, 2024 in the Keltz Arena.

All local youth, from kindergarten to 12th grade, are invited to audition for the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Blackbeard the Pirate" in the University of Montana Western's Beier Auditorium in Main Hall at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 22.

Dr. Spruce Schoenemann from the University of Montana Western Environmental Sciences Department and a team of climate and polar scientists have recently developed an innovative place-based curriculum for undergraduate students to participate in virtual field experiences in Greenland to expand learning opportunities in the polar sciences.

The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce the hiring of Tia Brown as Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance.

The University of Montana Western was recently awarded nearly $400,000 dollars by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) to implement a Sprint Degree in partnership with Great Falls College (GFC) and Great Falls Public Schools (GFPS).

Officials at the University of Montana Western said current headcount for the fall semester shows the university’s total enrollment is 1,406 students with a full-time equivalency of 1,220. 73% of Montana Western’s total fall enrollment is comprised of Montana residents, with a 2% increase in overall headcount compared to last fall.

The University of Montana Western is proud to recognize several faculty members, Dr. Rob Thomas, Dr. Mitchell Stephenson, and Dr. Steve Mock, for their recent accomplishments and awards from national organizations and universities across the country.

Montana Western Athletics and the UMW Foundation & Alumni Office will be hosting the 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony on Friday, October 13 at 4:30 p.m. in the Lewis and Clark Room of Mathews Hall.

The University of Montana Western will offer two study abroad courses for students during Block 8 of the 2024 spring semester: “Geology of Greece” and “Iceland: Climate Change and Arctic Ecology.”

The University of Montana Western has been selected as a 2024 Hidden Gem College in a recent announcement by College Raptor, a leading college planning platform.

The University of Montana Western’s Theatre Department is excited to announce the 21st Annual Ten Minute Play Festival to be held October 16-18 as part of the Bank of Commerce (BOC) Performing Arts Series.

The University of Montana Western School of Outreach is excited to offer "Introduction to Sports Officiating: Basketball" starting in November. This course is available to anyone ages 16 and up interested in becoming a basketball official.

The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce Dr. Katrina Kennett as the next Division Chair of Education.

Montana Western Athletics and the UMW Foundation & Alumni Office are excited to announce the dates for the 2023 Bulldog Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the Bulldog Bash. This year’s events are also part of the university’s Fall Alumni Weekend festivities.

The University of Montana Western Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the KDBM-KBEV Radio Scholarship, a new opportunity for students pursuing higher education. This scholarship is made possible through generous support and partnership of KDBM-KBEV, leaders in local radio dedicated to serving the Dillon community.

After publicly launching a $13 million fundraising effort earlier this year to fund scholarships, academic programs, and student wellness and athletics facilities, the University of Montana Western has announced the selection of Jeffrey Contracting/R.E. Miller as the general contractor of the new Sports & Activities Complex, anticipated to break ground this August with the goal of having a game-ready field for fall semester 2024.

The Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture and the University of Montana Western Glass Arts Program have partnered for the third year in a row for the Annual Beaverhead Treasure Hunt. One-of-a-kind, beautiful glass art objects, custom-made by UMW Glass students, will be hidden at local businesses from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The University of Montana Western Foundation is honored to share the history and impact of the Gerringa Family Scholarship and its support of education majors attending Montana Western.

he University of Montana Western’s 126th Annual Commencement ceremony will feature speaker Taylor Nahrgang, UMW alumnus and Director of Western & Work Partnerships at Ariat International.

The University of Montana Western Foundation is honored to announce the establishment of the Dillon Garden Club Scholarship in honor of Doris Richard.

The University of Montana Western invites the campus and community to a series of events on Friday, April 14, 2023, including Indian Education for All presentations and a flag ceremony community gathering.

After publicly launching a $13 million fundraising effort earlier this year to fund scholarships, academic programs, and student wellness and athletics facilities, the UMW Foundation has announced that Stockman Bank is contributing a $50,000 matching gift to the Experience One Campaign for the “Stockman Over the Top Challenge.”

The University of Montana Western will honor two outstanding community members, Dr. Glen Johnson and Alyssa Creighton, with the 2023 Dr. Jane Helm Maddock Service Award on April 12, 2023, for their extraordinary service to UMW and the Dillon community.

The 2023 International Fly Fishing Film Festival is coming to Dillon, Montana, on March 18, 2023, featuring 10 short and feature-length films.

The Montana Youth Challenge Academy, in partnership with the Montana National Guard 1-189th (General Support Aviation Battalion) and the University of Montana Western, will be hosting two airlift events this spring.

Dr. Robert M. Miller, DVM, is one of the world’s foremost authorities on equine behavior. A retired large and exotic animal clinician, Dr. Miller revolutionized the concept of imprint training as it pertains to horses and other precocial species and has spent the last 40 years as an educator and author.

The University of Montana Western Foundation is honored to announce the establishment of the George and Ellen Nelson Family Scholarship endowment.

The University of Montana Western’s Education Department and Alumni Office, in partnership with Stockman Bank, present the Tenth Annual Night of Stars, to be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 on the Montana Western campus.

The Montana Western Rodeo team and Head Coach JT Robbins are excited to announce that Andy and Anna Belle Gaasch, their son Ryan, and his wife Lindsay will be honored during the upcoming Rodeo Banquet as this year’s “Friends of UMW Rodeo.”

University of Montana Western Chancellor, Michael Reid, has announced the university’s plans for major investments in scholarships, academic programs, athletics, and student wellness as part of the $13M Experience One Campaign.

Contrary to mental efficiency, the traditional college approach requires students to multitask with the workload of 4-5 classes at a time. This prevents the student from learning each subject beyond a surface level. The University of Montana Western takes a different approach with the Experience One program.

The University of Montana Western Fine Arts Gallery is thrilled to announce, "More Than Dust", an exploration of Southwest Montana's ranching culture through the lens of UMW student artists Kim Giannone and Brigid Reedy. The gallery will host an opening reception on February 24, 2023, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Fine Arts Gallery located in Main Hall.

The University of Montana Western’s Theatre Department is pleased to present "Every Brilliant Thing" to be performed February 10-12 as part of the 2022-23 Bank of Commerce Performing Arts Series.

The Annual Colt Challenge and Sale, hosted by the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship, will take place March 31 and April 1, 2023, at the Montana Center for Horsemanship in Dillon, Montana.

The University of Montana Western Foundation is pleased to announce that the Cowdrey Rodeo Endowment has received a $25,000 gift to support Montana Western Scholarships.

The University of Montana Western and its partners—Canvas Early Learning Center and the Early Childhood Coalition of Beaverhead County—are excited to announce receipt of a Childcare Innovations Grant to expand licensed, quality infant and childcare in Beaverhead County.

“The Trail Forward in Horsemanship Education” will be held at the Montana Center for Horsemanship in Dillon, Montana, September 7-9, 2023.

The University of Montana Western Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Lee E. Orr Scholarship.

While exploring the Wescolite archives, I found an alumni issue and on page seven, in big, bold headlines across the top of the page, 1969…YEAR OF THE BULLDOG.

Speridian Technologies, parent of Helix Business Solutions, is renewing its paid accelerator program, New Wave. The program is designed for current students and recent graduates from the University of Montana Western interested in pursuing a career in technology. After a successful pilot program in 2022, Speridian is renewing New Wave for another cohort slated to start in January 2023.

Montana Western Alumni & Friends would like to honor the contributions and celebrate the lives of three individuals who were an integral part of the university and local community.

The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce the appointment of Rebecca Knotts as Director of Campus Events and Conference Services.

The University of Montana Western Cantabileers, a select choral group, are excited to announce their Winter Concert to be held on Tuesday, December 6. The concert will be held in the Beier Auditorium on the Montana Western campus at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free.

The University of Montana Western’s Theatre Department is pleased to announce The Marvelous Wonderettes to be held December 1-4 as part of the Bank of Commerce Performing Arts Series.

Officials at the University of Montana Western said current headcount for the fall semester shows the university’s total fall semester enrollment is 1,347 students, with this year’s incoming class the largest since fall 2017. The number of full-time equivalent students is 1,170.