Wescolite (Dillon, Mont) 1949-2009, November 03, 2004, Image 1

The University of Montana -Western November 3, 2004 Morrow Brings Home Big Bucks and Opportunities By Scott Day When over 16 million dollars of grant money was being offered to Montana’s colleges by Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), UM-Westem new­ comer Dr. Michael Morrow wasted no time reaching into the cookie jar and bringing home 900,000 dollars to UM- Westem. “Not only was it great to have the opportunity to bring funding to a research project at Western, but being able to buy equipment that we’d never be able to acquire here and making it available to classes and projects for fu­ ture use is totally awesome,” Morrow noted with enthusiasm. Morrow, who joined UM-Westem as an assistant professor in 2002, submitted his proposal in August of last year to INBRE to aid in the study of the patho­ genic yeast Candida albicans. This dis­ ease causing yeast is responsible for nu­ merous infections in humans and some varieties can prove fatal. A better under­ standing of this yeast and its capabilities would assist the medical community and could even result in new drugs that will save lives in the future. Since the $180,000 per year has be­ gun flowing in to UM-Westem, Morrow has begun his tireless efforts in building the infrastructure of the project on the second floor of Block Hall. The project is able to offer two internship positions during the summer semesters and two work study positions for undergrad stu­ dents during the fall and spring semes­ ters. “On top of the employment oppor­ tunities for the students, we’ll also be hiring a full time lab technician.” UM-Westem has been offering a new program in the field of Preprofessional Health Sciences that has jumped from five students in the 2002-2003 academic year to a whopping thirty seven students currently enrolled. The new students enrolled in this program will benefit from the new equipment. The grant money has already provided computer renova­ tions, cell shakers, a centrifuge, and two microscopes with cutting edge capabili­ ties. The National Institute of Health has funded the Biomedical Research Infra­ structure Network in Montana since 2001, which has educated hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students, giving them the knowledge and hands on research experience to prepare them for employment opportunities in the Bio­ medical Sciences work force. INBRE is an addition to this network. Its primary focus is on environmental health issues and infectious diseases. Thanks to enthusiastic fac­ ulty like Dr. Morrow, UM- Westem students are better able to work towards their goals while researching and develop­ ing something that will make a difference. Dr. Morrow oversees student Christeen Allestead. Photo By Scott Day ’tlf : 4M“ : : j n TT. i \ i “ * > i )r> <ii\ Tolerance Club Sponsors Speaker Hanneke Ippisch By Sandy Bradford The Tolerance Club pre­ sented its first guest speaker of the fall semester, Hanneke Ippisch. Hanneke, who participated in the Dutch Resistance during World War II, has authored several books, three of which she shared with her audience Tuesday, October 19, at the Swysgood Technology Hanneke Ippisch during her book signing Photo By Sandy Bradford Building. Her book titled, “Sky”, received the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Award, CBC-NCSS Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and New York Public Library 1997 Books for the Teen Age. Hanneke’s lecture revolved around the contents of \Sky\. She described how the day her family witnessed hundreds of planes overhead, and how the sky was filled with what looked like large snow flakes. They were actually parachutes dropping German soldiers. She described how Jewish members of the com­ munity began to disap­ pear, until there were none remaining. Hanneke joined the Dutch Resistance when she was nineteen. One of her jobs was to help transport Jews to safety. Many of these were children, whom she delivered across the border to families of farmers who adopted them. In January, 1945, Hanneke entered a secret meeting place and was taken pris­ oner by German soldiers. She was detained in a five by eight foot cell with three other women for several long months. “It was not long before we were covered with lice, which thrived and became fat and healthy.” There was a bucket for using as a toilet, which overflowed constantly, only being emptied once a week. It was here in this cell that Hanneke was living when the war ended, and she was released. Toward the end of her lecture, Hanneke spoke of her feelings about war. She said that war makes you, “tough and mean\. “If one of the Resistance leaders had put a gun in my hand and asked me to shoot a German soldier who was harming someone, I would have done it. That is what war does to you. But it’s totally wrong.” She said it took eight months after her release to get back to being, “halfway normal”. When a member of the audience asked her to comment on the war in Iraq, her response was, “The 9-11 incident was ter­ rible. But what is happening right now is not right. There has to be a better way.” She then added, “War is no good. I know...I’ve been there.” Currently, Hanneke and her husband reside at Big Arm, Montana. She travels several times a week for speaking engage­ ments across the country. A documentary is in the works by a crew in Holland, which will include Hanneke and her amazing accounts of the Dutch Resistance.