2000s

DJ Colter

 

DJ Colter ’00, Harper, N.D., owns and operates the DJ Colter Agency, which was ranked No. 7 out of approximately 3,000 agencies nationwide in American Family Insurance’s All American Campaign. Only a handful of agencies in North Dakota earned this honor since American Family was established 90 years ago.

 

Scott Pankratz

 

Scott Pankratz M.S. ’00, Missoula, is the co-founder of Ecology Project International, a science-based, outdoor experiential education program that provides conservation education to locals in ecological hotspots around the world. The program launched in 2000 in Costa Rica, where, despite federal protections and conservation efforts, many critical habitats and species continued to decline. Pankratz and his wife worked with researchers at Pacuare Nature Reserve to measure turtles, tag them, count their eggs and sometimes move the eggs to a safer location to avoid predation. They also educated local Costa Ricans on how to collect and monitor data on the sea turtle populations, opening up a new understanding of the wildlife resources in their own backyards. EPI has expanded to five countries, which include sites in Belize, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, Mexico and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

 

Bobby Wilken

 

HooDoo Brewing, which is co-owned by UM alumni Karen Wilken ’00, Bobby Wilken ’02 and Jessica Wilken ’02, became the first brewery in Alaska to significantly harness solar power for its operations. The Fairbanks-based brewery began the new rooftop solar installation project as soon as snow melted off the building in April.The 60 solar panels were energized in May and produce up to 110 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, or about one-third of HooDoo’s power per year. Additionally, it reduces carbon dioxide produced by combustion by roughly 1.5 tons per month during the summer season.

 

Brady Frederick ’01, Springfield, Mo., graduated from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary at Evangel University in May with a Doctor of Ministry degree.

 

Nick Gevock

 

Nick Gevock M.A. ’01, Helena, is the conservation director for the Montana Wildlife Federation. He works on wildlife, public lands and public access issues on the federal, state and local levels. His work includes lobbying Congress and the state Legislature, as well as grassroots organizing to build support for public lands and wildlife.

 

Miles Waggener

 

Miles Waggener M.F.A. ’01, Omaha, Neb., was a recipient of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association’s 2017 Outstanding Teaching Award. Waggener is a poet, essayist and literary translator who coordinates The Writer’s Workshop, UNO’s undergraduate creative writing program. He also is graduate program chair for the M.F.A. in Writing Program and teaches courses in creative nonfiction and poetry. Waggener is author of two poetry collections –“Phoenix Suites,” winner of the Washington Prize,and “Sky Harbor,” as well as chapbooks “Portents Aside” and “Afterlives.” His poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and journals. He also has won individual artist fellowships from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Nebraska Arts Council. Hejoined the UNO faculty in 2006.

 

Ted Geoghegan ’02, New York City, is a writer and director whose most recent film, “Mohawk,” premiered in Montreal in July and is set to be released to the public in 2018. “I wanted to make a movie that tells a story that is just as important today as it was 200 years ago about confused white men whose racism and bigotry is unknowingly putting them on the wrong side of history,” Geoghegan told the Great Falls Tribune. “It’s steeped very much in human drama. It’s a very tense, sad movie.”

 

Amy Berglund treating a patient Angelo Haugo treating a patient Jean Higgins Perreto with a patient

 

Sports chiropractor Amy Berglund ’03, Dr. Angela Haugo ’98, physician assistant Jean Higgins Perreto ’97, all of Stevensville, and pharmacist Jennifer Errett ’07 of Hamilton, spent two weeks in Kenya over the summer as part of a medical mission. Together, the team was able to provide a unique combination of services, including treatment of musculoskeletal issues, primary care services and dispensing of medications. The team treated between 200 and 350 patients a day and also taught “How to Be Your Own Doctor” classes on basic health education.

 

Tana Johnson

 

Tana Johnson ’04, Havre, was crowned Mrs. Montana 2017 and competed in the Mrs.America national competition in Las Vegas in August. Johnson is a pharmacist pursuing board certification as an Oncology Doctor of Pharmacy. She competed to help raise awareness of prescription drug abuse and to raise money for the Victoria’s Voice foundation.

 

Robert Bizjak ’07, Beaverton, Ore., earned his Doctorate of Education at Concordia University, Portland, after defending his dissertation, “Storied Lives, Unpacked Narratives and Intersecting Experiences: A Phenomenological Examination of Self-Identifying LGBTQ Public School Educators.” The dissertation’s qualitative findings revealed that fear, the decision to self-disclose sexual orientation at work, the passion to teach, creating and sustaining meaningful relationships with students, and the need for safe spaces and district inclusivity intersect to shape and influence the professional lives of self-identifying LGBTQ public school teachers. Bizjak teaches junior English and AP literature in the Hillsboro School District, where he also serves as English department chair, Gay-Straight Alliance adviser and co-facilitator for both for the Latino Leadership Club and the school’s equity leadership team.

 

Roll book cover

 

Darcy Feder Miller ’07, Prairie du Sac, Wis., published her first novel, “Roll,” with HarperCollins in May. “Roll” is billed as “a hilariously funny and poignant debut novel, perfect for fans of Jerry Spinelli, Kat Yeh, Gary D. Schmidt and Rebecca Stead.”

 

Evan Wilson ’08, M.P.A. ’09, Missoula, is western regional director for U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte. He previously served as chief of staff for the Montana House Republicans and ran re-election campaigns for former U.S. Reps. Denny Rehberg and Ryan Zinke.