2010s

Justin Olson M.Ed.’12, Los Angeles, will publish his young adult novel “Earth to Charlie” with Simon and Schuster on April 16. The novel takes place in Whitehall, Montana, and follows a high school outcast who spends his life hoping to be abducted by aliens.

Collin Ranf B.F.A.’12, Brooklyn, N.Y., recently received a prestigious Fresh Tracks residency for choreographers from New York Live Arts. The season-long residency culminates with performances in June. Ranf was a 2017-18 Brooklyn Arts Exchange Upstart artist and currently serves as development associate at the Youth America Grand Prix international dance competition. “I credit a lot of this success to the incredible dance education I received at the College of Visual and Performing Arts, specifically the incredible foundation in contemporary dance practices, ballet and choreographic composition,” he said.

Chance Thompson ’12, Park City, Utah, is a pioneer in the sustainable event planning industry. As the Salt Palace’s senior manager in sustainability and public relations, Thompson led a 35-member Green Team representing five different tourism organizations in developing standards to gain international sustainability certification. Since the organizations have achieved Level 1 certification, Thompson has spoken on the process locally and worldwide. He is involved with the Event Industry Council’s Sustainability Committee, the EIC Sustainable Event Standards Relaunch and the Utah Recycling Alliance. He will take over as the chair of the EIC Sustainable Event Certification in 2019.

Dylan Fredric Huisken M.S. ’13, Missoula, won Montana’s 2019 Teacher of the Year award. Huisken teaches sixth through eighth grade at Bonner School. He is known for his hands-on approach and incorporation of geography, history, as well as character-building in his teaching. Huisken will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete for the national title. “This was never something I was shooting for,” he said in a news article. “It doesn’t feel like a huge shift in the way I think about my career. I’m here for this school. I’m here for the students.”  

Kim Gilchrist M.S. ’14, and Catie DeMets, M.S. ’18, both from Missoula, recently helped Missoula’s Community Food and Agriculture Coalition obtain a $270,000 grant to provide fresh produce access for low-income Montanans. Gilchrist leads the CFAC’s food access program. DeMets conducted the report on the fresh produce consumed by low-income families for her environmental studies master’s program final portfolio and now works as beginning farmer resource coordinator for the CFAC.

Martin Viereckl ’14, M.S. ’18, Missoula, created 24 topographical maps for tiger conservation in Malaysia. He led a team of eight student cartographers, who made the maps for rangers in Taman Negara Kenyir National Park and mailed them overseas.

Pete Betcher, ’09, Choteau; Katie Kohler, B.F.A. ’11, Austin, Justin Morley, B.F.A. ’13, Austin; Jeremiah Rosenberger ’12, Round Rock, Texas – all UM theatre and dance alums – form The Back Pack comedy troupe. Together since 2008 and now based in East Austin, The Back Pack creates original work through drawing on paper attached to the performers, who also dance. They have won multiple awards for their unique form of storytelling.

Tom Lang M.S. ’18, Missoula, just won the Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Research Award from the U.S. Forest Service for his work on his master’s thesis. Lang, who works as the wilderness stewardship coordinator for the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, researched Wilderness Solitude in the 21st Century in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in 2017. He previously worked as a National Park Service ranger throughout Colorado and Alaska.

Andrew “Drew” Aaron Mozzer ’18, Burlington, Conn., started River City Brews, a rafting tour company that provides relaxing river rides, along with snacks and beverages. Mozzer graduated with degrees in international business and management last May.

Sadi Nazriev ’18, Missoula, works as an administrator and supervisor for Delta Global Services at Missoula International Airport. Sadi was the first son in his family to attend UM from Dushanbe, Tajikistan, after his father, former deputy minister of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade for the Republic of Tajikistan, Saidrahmon Nazrizoda, found out about the University. Sadi’s brothers, Sobirjon and Rasul, both followed in his footsteps to attend the University.

Nhan T. Nguyen ’18, Alexandria, Va., recently became a new research staff member in the Institute for Defense Analyses Information Technology and Systems Division. Nguyen holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from Western Washington University and received his doctorate from UM in summer 2018. The IDA is a nonprofit operating three research and development centers focusing on national security issues.