Class Notes Fall 2022
2010's
Jesse Barnes | 2010
Missoula, Montana
Has been admitted as a stockholder at Tomkins & Peters CPAs, P.C. He is a CPA and has experience in the areas of tax and accounting services, finance, strategic planning, financial reporting, financial analysis, business operations and budgeting.
Sarah Schroeder | 2011
Victor, Montana
Selected by the U.S. Department of State for a virtual project, engaging with English language learners and teachers online in Ukraine at Kyiv Shevchenko National University. Schroeder is among the first to be selected for the Virtual English Language Educator Program, a new program created for the 2022-2023 academic year. She previously taught at UM’s English Language Institute for 10 years and currently teaches at Mukogawa Women’s University in Japan.
Ryan Conway | 2015
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Was recently promoted to head brewer of Fulton Brewing in Minneapolis, Minn. Fulton is a top 100 brewery in the country, running an 80bbh.
Janelle Handlos | 2015, EdD
Dillon, Montana
Recently was inducted into the University of Montana Western Athletics Hall of Fame. A UMW alumna, Handlos has served as interim athletic director, staff member, athletic trainer and head athletic trainer, and she teaches full-time in the Health and Human Performance Department and served as department chair. She is a mentor to students and student-athletes and is active in the Dillon community.
Madison Small | 2016
Missoula, Montana
A fifth-generation Missoula business owner. She opened Range Physical Therapy & Wellness in April 2022. Maddie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance, exercise science and earned her doctorate in physical therapy from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in May 2019.
Christian Slavin | 2018
Salmon, Idaho
Attending the certificate in Chinese and American Studies program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Hopkins-Nanjing Center, to be followed up by a master’s in public affairs at Princeton.
2000's
Jody (Sullivan) and Tom Hiltenbrand | 2000,
Dalton Gardens, Idaho.
Jody taught for 12 years before becoming principal at Dalton Elementary School in Idaho. She serves as vice president of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, the local human rights group in Coeur d’Alene. Her husband Tom ‘00 is a captain at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department and currently serves as president of the Kootenai County Police and Fire Memorial Foundation. Tom and Jody have 2 middle schoolers.
Bryce Ternet | 2000
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Had one of his novels, “The Basque Dilemma,” added to the Smithsonian Journeys list for highly recommended books on the subject of France and Spain's Basque Region.
Zackary Cleveland | 2001
Cincinnati, Ohio
Is an associate professor of pulmonary medicine and radiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He was recently granted tenure and named associate director of the Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
John Heaney | 2002
Missoula, Montana
Now serves as the golf coach at Big Sky High School in Missoula.
Andy Yuhas | 2003
Corrales, New Mexico
Received his professional geologist license from the Texas Bureau of Professional Geoscientists. He has more than 15 years of experience with GIS analyses and applications, and in the geosciences.
Ann Siqveland | 2005
Portland, Oregon
Earned a master of liberal arts degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Carrie Cummings |2005
Renton, Washington
Named client engagement director with Community Technologies, providing digital tools and services to independent healthcare organizations.
1990's
David Ruetz | 1990 M.S., J.D.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Specializes in environmental law and focuses his practice on corporate, commercial and industrial law matters of environmental due diligence and risk assessment in mergers and acquisitions and real estate transactions.
Patricia (Olson) Eckelman | 1991
Auburn, Washington
A high school business education teacher in Auburn. Two of her students recently placed in the Microsoft Office Specialist national online championship.
Bill Burns | 1992
Indianapolis, Indiana
Founded the podcast "Small Town Shenanigans," based on childhood adventures in Cut Bank.
Jack Alton | 1993
Whitefish, Montana
Is the CEO of Neuro-ID, a Whitefish-based behavioral analytics platform. Founded in 2014, the company tripled its number of employees in 2021.
Sara Hagen Hull | 1993
Missoula, Montana
Is a staff development specialist at Missoula Development Services Corporation, teaching teenagers and adults how to best serve individuals with developmental disabilities.
Cam Higgins | 1995
Hixson, Tennessee
Is procurement manager for Cubic Corp. in Huntsville, Ala. Cubic collaborates with allied forces and aid agencies and first responders around the world to deliver mission-critical communications.
Gretchen Schwartz |1997
Delaware, Ohio
Teaches composition classes at Columbus State Community College in Ohio. At UM she was on the Kaiminstaff and was a member of the Greek community.
1980's
Jacqueline Rhodes | 1988
Austin, Texas
Jacqueline is the Joan Negley Kelleher Professor of Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Texas at Austin. She won the Conference on College Composition and Communication Lavender Rhetorics Award for Excellence in Queer Scholarship for her documentary “Once a Fury,” which profiles the members of a 1970s lesbian separatist collective.
1970's
John Jens | 1972
Manassas Park, Virginia
Was honored in a retirement ceremony at the Army Geospatial Center (AGC) in January 2022 for more than 47 years of combined military and civilian service to the U.S. Army and the Corps of Engineers. Mr. Jens was assigned as a geologist to the Army Geospatial Center for the last 27 years as an instructor and as a remote sensing and GIS expert on special mapping projects.
Toby Carman | 1972
Davenport, Iowa
Suffered a serious fall earlier this year, which resulted in a yearlong hospitalization. He worked to successfully regain the ability to walk after being unconscious for a month. He graduated with a degree in Russian language and Literature and later became a Cobol programmer with a Certificate in Data Processing (CDP).
Gary Sells | 1974
New Orleans, Louisiana
Retired in December 2021, after spending 47 years assisting the injured and disabled in getting financial and medical benefits. He managed a plaintiff’s law firm for nearly 15 years and represented Social Security disability claimants in the New Orleans area before administrative law judges as a non-attorney representative.
Michael Thompson | 1976
Litchfield, Minnesota
Recently retired as a district court judge in Minnesota.
George Anthony Rolfes | 1978
Davis, California
Serves as the state soil scientist for all of California. He has more than 40 years of experience and training with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
1960's
David Fauss | 1964
Roseburg, Oregon
Retired from a career in forest management with U.S. Department of Interior. He has spent the last 20 years hiking, backpacking and on car trips, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where his Griz t-shirt was greeted with many a hearty "Go Griz!"
Walt Peschel | 1966
Missoula, Montana
Has developed a treatment protocol for COVID-19 and currently is waiting on FDA approval
1950's
Pat Regan Ludwig | 1957
White Sulphur Springs, Montana
Since graduating from UM 64 years ago, I finally was able recently to walk the campus and attend my first Griz game. I am happily married for 64 years to my husband Tom. I am a retired elementary teacher, a community volunteer, a mom of four daughters, 10 grandchildren and great granny of 14."
1940's
Stuart Ellison | 1949
Chester, Montana
Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in forestry. He celebrated his 100th birthday in July 2022 with family in White Sulphur Springs. At UM, he was a member of the Greek community and participated in drama and writing.