2020 Mortar Board Outstanding Senior Recognition Ceremony College of the Arts and Media School of Journalism Major Student Presenter Journalism JoAnn Martin Denise Dowling JoAnn Martin is the outstanding senior in the School of Journalism with minors in Media Arts and Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies. She is a valued member of the Montana Kaimin team, serving as both a reporter and copy editor. She earned the Myre McGaugh scholarship for outstanding professional journalism potential. JoAnn is an active member of her sorority, Delta Gamma, where she has held leadership positions and earned scholarships. She also served on the Panhellenic Council as the Vice President of Public Relations. JoAnn has served fellow students through her work on UM's Mental Health Allies, Circle K International and several honor societies. School of Visual and Media Art Major Student Presenter Art Stella Nall James Bailey Stella was unanimously selected for this award by the faculty in recognition of her rigor and creative research and for being an exceptional role model and inspiration for her peers. As an artist, Stella has exhibited her work in over a dozen exhibitions, including four solo shows. Her research examines a range of diverse topics, from love to issues surrounding blood quantum and her own native ancestry. Stella received the Western Regional Honors Council Award for Visual Art and her poems were published in the literary and artistic journal Scribendi. Her work was purchased for the Permanent collection MMAC and she completed a large mural project for Hellgate Elementary School. Stella was vice president of the UM Student Artist Collective, worked as a printmaking assistant at UM’s Matrix Press, volunteered at the MAM and completed an internship at the Radius Gallery in Missoula. Major Student Presenter Art Nate Day Jennifer Combe Art Education option Nate wholeheartedly engaged in public service alongside his academic path. He interned with the Zootown Art Community Center, guided fifth graders at the Missoula Art Museum, and volunteered with Missoula’s Flagship program at Porter Middle School. He is an engaged artist and talented painter, which gives him incredible insight as an art teacher. His work references animal injustice and healing, which captivates his students and opens dialogue on issues of social justice and contemporary modernity. Youth are engaged when he teaches, and Nate has already made a huge difference in the lives of others. School of Theatre and Dance Major Student Presenter Dance Elizabeth Archer Heidi Jones Eggert Lizzie is immensely grateful to and inspired by the radical sense of community she has experienced in the School of Theatre & Dance. Through dance, she is committed to cultivating a similar sense of community beyond the doors of PARTV. Lizzie is an extraordinary dancer who sets the bar high for herself and her peers with her professionalism, hard work, good humor, and gratitude. She is a humanitarian, using dance as a vehicle to empower and connect people from many walks of life. Major Student Presenter Theatre Kady Nordstrom Bernadette Sweeney Kady is an artist whose passion for acting stems from a love of humanity and storytelling; she hopes to exercise the empathy, drive, and skill she has acquired at UM in all her future endeavors. Kady has moved effortlessly across genres from musical theatre to comedy to Shakespeare. Her exceptional success as a student is a testament to her growth and maturity as an actor and should ensure her vibrant future in the performing arts. Major Student Presenter Theatre Saige Perchy Pamyla Stiehl Musical Theatre Performance concentration Saige discovered her passion for theatre at a young age and it grew stronger over the years while earning her BFA. She hopes to continue creating, connecting with other artists, and learning more about musical theatre in her post-graduation life. Saige has been a formative talent and trailblazer in UM Theatre & Dance, playing lead or supporting roles in every musical during her undergraduate tenure while being a positive, productive role model for fellow students in her exemplary studio work. College of Health Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Major Student Presenter Doctor of Pharmacy Ira Li Donna Beall Ira Li, a first generation student, will be graduating with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree with a 3.88 GPA. During the pharmacy program, Ira served in many leadership roles – He was elected President of the student chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the Fundraising Chair for Kappa Epsilon Professional Pharmacy Fraternity and the Community Service Coordinator for Rho Chi National Honor Society. He also worked as a pharmacy intern at Partnership Health Center. Ira’s involvement in community service while at UM included volunteering for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation One Walk, preparing home cooked meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House, and leading a team for St. Jude’s Up ‘Til Dawn. He also volunteered at the Poverello Center and for Big Brothers Big Sisters. After graduation, Ira will pursue a PGY1 residency. School of Social Work Major Student Presenter Social Work Sam Engebretsen Jim Caringi Sam Engebretsen is the ideal candidate for recognition. Sam is majoring in social work with a minor in nonprofit administration, psychology and gerontology. As a student and as a person, Samantha is accomplished, intelligent, thoughtful, and engaged. She has been a wonderful representative of the University of Montana during her tenure here. I am confident that Sam will continue to shine as she goes out into the world. Sam identifies strongly with the core values of the social work profession and believes in social justice and the dignity and worth of all people. She is currently demonstrating this in her practicum at Missoula Aging Services where she is actively supporting older adults to ensure access to a variety of services. Her supervisor at the agency called her contributions to the agency “outstanding” and has consequently offered her a full-time position post-graduation. School of Speech, Language, Hearing and Occupational Sciences Major Student Presenter Speech, Language, Sarah Campbell Julie Wolter Hearing and Occupational Sciences Sarah is a Speech, Language, Hearing and Occupation Sciences and Psychology Major and Honors College Scholar. As a community development coordinator for UM Housing she has focused on creating inclusive campus living. Further, she is a research assistant in the Voices Lab, mentor for the MOSSAIC program, volunteer for Flagship, and volunteer coordinator for the National Student Speech, Language, Hearing Association UM chapter. Sarah is also a Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society member. Sarah plans to attend graduate school in the Fall with her sights on U of M. She has a strong interest in Medical Speech-Language Pathology and research and plans to work in these areas upon graduation. Sarah is passionate about advocacy and inclusion for all the populations that speech-language pathologists serve and plans to stay active in this area. Sarah is seen by her professors as a dedicated, accomplished, and an endearing pre-service professional who will make U of M proud. College of Humanities and Sciences Department of Anthropology Major Student Presenter Anthropology Stephanie Dunham Meradeth Snow Stephanie Dunham has distinguished herself in pursuing a major in Anthropology. In addition to satisfying the requirements for the General Option she has fulfilled the requirements for the Archaeology Option and the Forensic Anthropology Option. Ms. Dunham has distinguished herself not only in classwork, but also in laboratory and practical situations. Major Student Presenter Anthropology- Deborah Dhue Douglas MacDonald Archaeology option Deborah Dhue is a dedicated student of Archaeology and Anthropology. She is an active and knowledgeable participant in classes and driven to a career in Archaeology. She was awarded an Internship as an archaeologist with Yellowstone National Park in summer, 2020, with the goal of long-term employment as a National Park archaeologist after graduate school. Major Student Presenter Anthropology- Julia Troisi G.G. Weix Cultural and Ethnic Diversity option Julie Troisi came to UM in 2016, leaving family on the east coast to travel out west for her college education, and discovered that she loved studying other places, not only in anthropology courses, but especially in Central Asian Studies and Arabic language and culture, an undergraduate program at UM unique in the U.S.. She persevered and chose two majors and a minor, despite the burdens of cost and distance from her family in New York. In her Junior year, she took on the extraordinary national service commitment to join ROTC, adding to a busy schedule of classes and concert band performance with early morning workouts, as well as work-study at the Davidson Honors College. Her passion for anthropological inquiry focused on the formation of cultural identity informed by historical and political events, the topic of her Honors thesis. She has been integral to new student clubs participating in the annual international conference held by Central and Southwest Asian Studies, and celebration of Persian New Year, with students from those regions studying at UM. Julie Troisi graduates this spring with a strong ethic of service, and a degree in lifelong learning of the languages, cultures and arts of Central and Southwest Asia, and the world. Major Student Presenter Anthropology- Justine Bye Meradeth Snow Forensic Anthropology option Justine Bye is a student who truly stands at the top of her cohort. She has excelled at all her classes and has undertaken the most challenging classes our department offers. This semester she is enrolled as an undergraduate student in a graduate level class. She has also participated in several field and laboratory experiences in archaeology and bioarchaeology. She has analyzed data from field sites in a statistically rigorous manner in order to reveal insights that can have an impact on future excavations.