Comings and Goings
New hires, retirements, departures, and other transitions for members of the campus community.
Patrick Barkey Retires
The Ñý¼§Ö±²¥’s longtime BBER Director Patrick Barkey is retiring at the end of June after leading the center since 2008.
Over the past 17 years, Barkey has guided a team of 20 research professionals through the tumultuous years of the Great Recession and the Covid pandemic; conducted highly visible studies on important issues like housing affordability, health care and high tech; served as a well-respected source of economic analysis and expertise for legislators and leaders across the state; and led BBER to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Economic Outlook Seminars.
Barkey is well-known throughout Montana for his economic forecasts, having traveled the state annually on the Economic Outlook tour, reaching all corners of Montana, and for his “Montana Economic Minute” a one-minute podcast that covers issues ranging from recession, inflation and interest rates to artificial intelligence and federal job cuts. He has elevated the national reputation of BBER through his leadership in the Association of University Business and Economic Research (AUBER), serving as the organization’s Secretary-Treasurer for nine years and its president for two years. He also won AUBER’s most prestigious award, the Thayne Robson award, for his longtime commitment and service to the organization.
The Bureau of Business and Economic Research is a research center located in UM’s College of Business. BBER researchers engage in a wide range of applied research projects that address different aspects of the state economy, including survey research, economic analysis, health care research, forecasting, wood products research and energy research.
Associate Dean, Chair and Director Changes
Outgoing Associate Deans, Department Chairs and Directors
Many thanks for your service to your academic units and colleges, faculty and staff colleagues and Ñý¼§Ö±²¥!
- Cheryl Galipeau, Department Chair, Department of Business Technology, Missoula College
- Jessica Dougherty-McMichaels, Department Chair, Department of Applied Arts and Sciences, Missoula College
- Annie Belcourt, Department Chair, Department of Native American Studies, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Isho Tama-Sweet, Department Chair, Departments of Management and Marketing, Managment Information Systems, and Accounting and Finance, College of Business
- Jennifer Cavanaugh, Associate Dean and School Director, Schools of Music and Theatre and Dance, College of the Arts and Media
- Ione Crummy, Department Co-Chair, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Beth Hubble, Program Director, Women, Gender, and Sexual Studies Program, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Ashley Trautman, School Co-Director, School of Social Work
- Donna Beall, Department Co-Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice
- Tony Crawford, Associate Dean, College of Business
- Marc Hendrix, Department Chair, Department of Geosciences
Incoming Associate Deans, Department Chairs and Directors
...and welcome to all the new leaders in your respective colleges, departments, schools and programs.
- Victor Valgenti, Department Chair, Department of Business Technology, Missoula College
- Lauren Fern, Department Chair, Department of Applied Arts and Sciences, Missoula College
- James Smart, School Director, School of Music, College of the Arts and Media
- Heather Cahoon, Department Chair, Department of Native American Studies, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Ona Renner-Fahey, Department Chair, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Justin Angle, Department Chair, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business
- Shawn Clouse, Department Chair, Department of Management Information Systems, College of Business
- Lisa Eiler, Department of Accounting and Finance, College of Business
- Bernadette Sweeney, School Director, School of Theatre and Dance, College of the Arts and Media
- Danielle Cooney, Program Co-Director, Women, Gender, and Sexual Studies Program, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Hillary Powell, Program Co-Director, Women, Gender, and Sexual Studies Program, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Isho Tama-Sweet, Associate Dean, College of Business
- David Fuentes, Associate Dean, College of Health (new to UM, starts in August)
- Payton Gardner, Department Chair, Department of Geosciences
In Memoriam
Remembering Grizzlies who have passed away.
Pat Williams
U.S. Representative John Patrick "Pat" Williams passed away June 25, 2025. He represented Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979-1997. Following his retirement from the House of Representatives, he taught SUBJECT at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥.
The campus community is cordially invited to Pat Williams' Celebration of Life, taking place Tuesday, June 15.
TIMES AND LOCATIONS.
Griz Gratitude
The entire team in Educational Initiatives and Innovation would like to extended our deepest thanks to the wonderful facilities crew that helped UMSummer, Specialty & Extended Programming, and the Instructional Design team move offices on Tuesday, May 27. Skip Conroy and his team showed up bright and early, ready to work. They were fast and efficient despite how hot it was in the building that morning. Because of their expertise, we were able to complete the move and get back to work by 10 a.m. We couldn't have done it without this amazing crew of laborers!
- Coco Ponce, Office of Educational Initiatives and Innovation
The Office of Admissions would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone across campus who helped with the three Admitted Student Day events we hosted this spring. From Conference Services, Catering & Dining, Housing, the Office for Student Success, Student Financial Services, Parking, New Student Success, the DHC, GLI and each academic college that presented breakout sessions to every department and organization who tabled at one or all three of the events (and probably others we’re neglecting to mention.) We are so grateful to everyone for your help and support in making these events successful and helping us welcome over 600 guests to campus!