Notable & Quotable

UM has launched a new Big Sky Poll to reveal public opinion in Montana. Polls during spring semester asked about elected officials, national monuments, taxes and support for the 6-Mill Levy. The Big Sky Poll is directed by UM Associate Professor Sara Rinfret, director of UM’s Master of Public Administration program, and UM marketing Associate Professor Justin Angle. Seven graduate seminar students from UM’s MPA and Business Analytics programs assisted with the poll, which reached out to 603 randomly selected Montana registered voters. More polls are planned.

UM Dining has created a burger that is a cut above the rest, according to the national James Beard Foundation’s 2017 Blended Burger Project Campus Edition contest. The Blended Burger Project is part of an initiative to make the iconic, American hamburger better by blending ground meat with mushrooms to create a patty healthier for people and more sustainable for the planet. UM’s blended burger took first place in the medium-sized universities category in the competition. Patrick Browne, UM associate director of residential dining, developed the winning recipe.

Dr. Jon Harbor recently was named UM’s new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Harbor currently serves as associate vice provost for teaching and learning and as executive director of digital education at Purdue University. As a professor in Purdue’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, he brings extensive research and teaching experience. He will begin his full-time duties at UM on Aug. 1.

Montana’s only master of business administration program is now more convenient for anyone in the state – or the world – to access. UM’s College of Business has redesigned its MBA so students can earn the degree regardless of their schedule or where they live. For more information visit http://www.business.umt.edu.