November 27, 2017

Table of Contents

RESEARCH

NSF EPSCoR Track-2 Project Examines Trade-Offs Among Food, Energy, Water, and Biodiversity

Researchers from Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and NASA collaborate to explore how climate mitigation strategies may affect food production, water resources, energy systems, and ecosystem health in the Upper Missouri River Basin.

Key focus areas include:

• Climate stabilization strategies
• Food-energy-water systems
• Carbon mitigation
• Biodiversity conservation
• Stakeholder engagement
• Interdisciplinary research

Climate Change Study Examines Carbon Uptake in Ecosystems

University of Montana researchers investigate how warming rates influence the ability of land ecosystems to absorb carbon, offering new insights into future climate change projections.

Research topics include:

• Carbon cycling
• Ecosystem responses to climate change
• Global warming
• Carbon sequestration
• Land-atmosphere interactions

PEOPLE, PARTNERS, AND RECOGNITION

University of Montana Research Featured in The New York Times

Research on the ecological importance of gravel-bed river floodplains gains national attention, highlighting the role of dynamic river systems in supporting wildlife and biodiversity across mountain landscapes.

MSU Student Earns Scholarship for Water Quality Research on the Crow Reservation

Graduate student Emery Three Irons receives federal support to investigate well-water contamination and environmental health issues affecting tribal communities.

University of Montana Student Receives EPA Graduate Fellowship

Doctoral researcher Ranalda Tsosie develops technologies to remove uranium, arsenic, and other contaminants from groundwater on the Navajo Nation.

Prince of Monaco Honors Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Research Team

Researchers studying ancient ice patches and climate history receive international recognition for their work examining long-term human and wildlife responses to environmental change.

Additional highlights:

• NASA-supported biodiversity mapping project
• International climate and ocean science publications by graduate researchers
• New research on global carbon emissions and land-use change

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

spectrUM Discovery Area Launches Mobile Water Science Exhibition

A traveling exhibit brings hands-on learning about watersheds, groundwater, pollution, and aquatic ecosystems to rural and tribal communities throughout Montana.

Exhibition features include:

• Virtual watershed sandbox
• Groundwater models
• Water pollution demonstrations
• Family science nights
• STEM career role models

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Network Expands Graduate Student Opportunities

The University of Montana’s graduate student network supports professional development, interdisciplinary research, mentoring, science communication, and community engagement.

Programs include:

• Rapid-Fire Creative Scholarship Symposium
• Graduate Student Seminar Series
• Collaboration Challenge Research Grants
• K–12 outreach partnerships
• Professional networking and career development

UPCOMING EVENTS

• EPSCoR All-Hands Meeting and Institute on Ecosystems Science Summit
• Montana Aquatic Ecology Research Symposium
• Peter Vitousek lectures in Missoula and Bozeman
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council Spring Training
• Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control International Symposium
• NSF EPSCoR National Meeting in Missoula