On this podcast, we celebrate the people whose hard work, talent, and intellectual firepower drive the research and teaching mission of UM: our excellent faculty and our talented graduate students. We also aim to capture the bristling energy of intellectual life of this great university. An essential aspect of a great graduate experience is finding a community driven by curiosity and a willingness to dive deep into ideas.
This podcast aims to celebrate that rich culture of exchange and creativity through conversations with faculty and their graduate students about the ideas that move them and motivate their work. We delve into the theories and practices of graduate education, explore the cutting-edge ideas in research and creativity that underpin their work, and we try to have some fun!
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Louise Johns: Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism (M.A.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Louise Johns is a recent graduate of the master’s program in environmental science and natural resource journalism at the University of Montana. Her master’s project—Buffalo Renaissance: the Northern Plains Tribes’ Path to Self-Determination—specifically focuses on the Blackfoot Confederacy’s efforts to restore bison to their historical ... Read More
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Michaela Shifley Cultural Heritage and Applied Anthropology (Ph.D.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Michaela Shifley is a Ph. D. candidate in cultural heritage and applied anthropology in the College of Humanities and Sciences. Her research focuses on the footwear of Northern Plains Indians and connecting communities with their historical objects. Her work emphasizes that museum collections should not ... Read More
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Dr. Jesse Johnson: Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
In this episode of Confluence, we talk with Dr. Jesse Johnson, professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science. Join us as we explore Jesse's work on qualitative modeling, his work in Africa, and the value of thinking across disciplinary boundaries.
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Kris Short: Toxicology (Ph.D.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Kris Short is a Ph.D. candidate in toxicology in the Center for Environmental Health Science. He researches under Dr. David Burkhart in the Center for Translational Medicine, which is a multidisciplinary team of chemists, formulation scientists, and immunologists at the University of Montana. His thesis ... Read More
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Dr. Kelly Dixon: Archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
In this episode of Confluence, we talk with Dr. Kelly Dixon, archaeologist and professor of anthropology. Join us as we explore Kelly's work on mining boomtowns and Chinese railroad workers, how she connected with the field of archaeology, and her personal stake in graduate student ... Read More
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Julia Goar & Nicholas Coombs: Public Health
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Hear from two graduate students in public health who reflect on their experience working in Borneo, where they had a chance to apply what they learned about cultural humility, the local challenges of international work, and the surprising insights of being exposed to different cultural ... Read More
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Dr. L. Scott Mills: Associate VP Global Change and Sustainability and Professor of Wildlife Biology
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
This episode dives into the dilemmas of biological life in an age of climate change through a discussion with Dr. Scott Mills, a Wildlife Biology Professor and Associate VP of Research for Global Change and Sustainability. We explore Scott’s path to becoming a research professor, ... Read More
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Eric Palm: Wildlife Biology (Ph.D.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Eric Palm is a Ph. D. student in the wildlife biology program at the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. His research focuses on woodland caribou in northwestern North America—roughly from Alberta to Alaska. In his dissertation, Palm’s goal is to understand how both ... Read More
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Aimee Paxton: Acting (M.F.A.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Hear from Aimee Paxton, a first year graduate student at UM's School of Theatre & Dance on her decision to come to UM, taking on her biggest stage role, and learning from a 'mad scientist'.
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Cynthia Coleman: Society and Conservation (M.S.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Cynthia Coleman is a master’s student in the Department of Society and Conservation at the University of Montana and a fellow in the BRIDGES program. Born and raised in San Bernandino, California, Coleman is also an enrolled member of the native village of Unalakleet, Alaska. ... Read More
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Jenny Sheets: Creative Writing (M.F.A.)
University of Montana--Missoula. Graduate School
Hear from a University of Montana graduate student in creative non-fiction (MFA, English) about deciding to pursue the degree, finding herself at "writing camp" and how the university has supported her side project as a startup founder.