
SpectrUM Day of Smoke and Fire Science
Students from Polson and Ronan High Schools on the Flathead Reservation visited the University of Montana on January 29, 2024, for a day of smoke and fire science with SMART FIRES. During a morning field trip to spectrUM Discovery Area, UM’s hands-on science center, the students explored the concept of the fire triangle and experienced a matchstick “forest” simulation, activities from the USFS’s FireWorks curriculum.

UM smoke researcher honored by major science organization
Bob Yokelson, an accomplished University of Montana researcher who studies biomass burning, recently was named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. AGU is the world’s largest Earth and space sciences association, with nearly 60,000 members in 137 countries.
Sensors Across the Curriculum: Modules Developed for K-12 Classrooms
At Montana State University, the Science and Math Resource Center (SMRC) and the EDU 370 class (Integrating Technology into Education) partnered to build the capacity of 45 undergraduate, pre-service teachers in their thinking about integrating sensors into diverse classrooms. SMRC supplied the class with microcontrollers (Circuit Playground Express) and any additional accessories for each member of the EDU 370 class.
Montana STEM Summit 2023 findings and next steps will be presented online Dec. 12
Key findings from the 2023 Montana STEM Summit will be shared in an online presentation on Tuesday, Dec.

Montana State part of new regional tech hub focused on critical technologies for U.S. national security
Montana State University will be part of a new, federally designated regional technology hub focused on photonics and smart sensor technology, research areas in which MSU has decades of experience.
Project Highlight: "The Future Isn't Written"
Dr. Arica Crootof of UM Western assists in a project surrounding effective communication about contamination and remediation efforts of the Warm Springs Ponds at the headwaters of the Clark Fork River.
New article from CREWS JRW Natural Resource Social Science team focuses on challenges rural communities face with public water systems
A recent publication from the Natural Resource Social Science team highlights the challenges facing rural communities in the arena of public water systems—namely, the locally-managed infrastructure that delivers domestic water to homes in settled areas like small towns and cities.

Online college simulation game introduces players to STEM concepts and pathways
The online learning game, Crash Course, is a virtual college simulation that introduces players to various STEM concepts and pathways.

Montana NSF EPSCoR supports first Clark Fork Science Forum
On April 20 and 21st of 2023, the first Clark Fork Science Forum was held at the Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula.
Women in STEM: Caitlin Mayernik
Meet Caitlin Mayernik, a PhD student at Montana State University and a member of the EPSCoR Track 1 CREWS research team. In this interview, Caitlin shared information about her work, studies and career pathway with the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative, an outreach program of Montana NSF EPSCoR. Her interview is reprinted here in order to share career pathways with young people in Montana.
Upcoming Events
Virtual
Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF
The Reverse Site Visit is required in Year 2 of an RII Track-1 project. Montana is scheduled to meet with NSF On April 3, 2025.The RSV is a review/evaluation conducted by teams of external reviewers and the NSF staff.
MSU Campus, Bozeman, MT
SMART FIRES Year 3 All Hands Meeting
SMART FIRES will hold our year 3 all hands meeting on September 8-9, 2025.
Virtual
Montana Reverse Site Visit with NSF
The Reverse Site Visit is required in Year 2 of an RII Track-1 project. Montana is scheduled to meet with NSF On April 3, 2025.The RSV is a review/evaluation conducted by teams of external reviewers and the NSF staff.
MSU Campus, Bozeman, MT
SMART FIRES Year 3 All Hands Meeting
SMART FIRES will hold our year 3 all hands meeting on September 8-9, 2025.