Newsletter Highlights
University News
Taste of Montana, February 10, 2020
The 12th Annual Taste of Montana will take place on Monday, February 10, 2020 in the convention center in the University Center from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are $85 each or $600 for a table of eight.

The event will feature 5th and Wine and chef Matthew McMahon thanks to owner, Tara Tronson. We will also feature a no-host bar provided by Enbar, artistic pieces created by UP students and alumni, and a musical performance by UP student, Gudmundur Gudmundsson. Gudmundur is a sophomore majoring in accounting and a member of the men's soccer team.

The first Taste of Montana silent auction will present tasteful artwork, craftwork, and other select gift packages, provided by many UP alumni, staff, faculty and others.

For more information, please contact Katelyn Farrington at 406.791.5290 or [email protected].
Senior, Eme McLaughlin Receives Montana Athlete in Service Award
After a stellar senior soccer season, University of Providence forward Eme McLaughlin was recognized by the Cascade Collegiate Conference as 1 st Team All-Conference. More recently, Eme won the 19 th Annual Montana Athlete in Service Award and was presented her award at Bobcat Stadium during the Brawl of the Wild game.    
      
According to her nomination application, Eme has been involved in the University of Providence Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Exercise Science Club, the Chemistry Club, and has been the captain for the women’s soccer team. Through her involvement in these areas, she has helped lead many outreach efforts that benefit the Great Falls community. These include the annual Halloween Spook-A-Roo event, remodeling rooms at the Mercy Shelter, the 6th Graders Day Out basketball event, and “signing” a local girl with cystic fibrosis (CF) to the women’s soccer team. She has gone above and beyond in being there for the community she lives in. Eme spends anywhere from 2-2 ½ hours a week serving her school and her community.
UP-Lewistown to Benefit from USDA Investment to Expand Rural Education
Montana State Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Charles Robison announced that USDA is investing in a University of Providence distance learning project. USDA is providing the funding through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program.
UP Announces Study Buddy Scholarships
The University of Providence announces the availability of Study Buddy Scholarships for students who enroll and begin the Master of Healthcare Administration or Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Educator program in January 2020. Individuals may apply for these one-time $2,500 scholarships, which will be applied to the tuition due for summer 2020 courses. Not only can the Study Buddy Scholarships ease the way financially for both students, but the buddies can also support each other while pursuing their online graduate degrees.
Argo Volleyball Wins Frontier Conference Championship to Advance to the National Tournament
The University of Providence women's volleyball team defeated Montana Tech in three straight sets (33-31, 25-22, 25-13) in front of a rambunctious crowd at the McLaughlin Center to win the Frontier Conference Tournament Championship.

"I'm just so proud of these girls," head coach Arunas Duda said. "They've worked so hard. We're out there recruiting all the time trying to find the right kids, and it's very satisfying knowing that we found a great group of kids that love being together, love working hard for each other. As coaches we'll do anything for these kids because we know they'll appreciate it and they deserve it. It was such an exciting atmosphere. Our crowd was so great tonight. What a cool accomplishment to win on your home court. The crowd got going from the very first point."

They advanced to the National Tournament which kicked off December 3 in Sioux City, Iowa. They lost a thrilling five-setter in the opening match and then faced the #1 seed, Park University on December 4. Despite winning the first set, University of Providence fell 3-1. They return for the final day of pool play today, December 5 at 3 p.m. to face Morningside College. Good luck today ladies - GO ARGOS!
Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight, Matt and Megan Niemeyer
Matthew Niemeyer – Class of 2010: Bachelor of Arts in Biology
Megan (Delaurentis) Niemeyer – Class of 2010: Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology
 
At first it is pretty hard to believe that it has been almost 10 years since we graduated from the University of Great Falls (UP), but as I write this update on our life I realize that the space between now and then is stuffed with changes and memories.

Matt and I met in biology class in 2007, and me being a transfer student from the University of Montana Western, I hadn’t known much about him by that point. With the change in schools, I had also made the drastic change from majors in English and secondary education to ones in forensic science and biology, and with the help of my amazing professor and advisor, Dr. Art Alt, I was underway taking classes that I finally found fascinating. Not that I was great at them at first, let’s be honest – but I was studying things that blew my mind. We had the great privilege to be taught many of our science classes by Dr. Diane Lund. Her knowledge of the various fields of advanced sciences made me want to do better, and I had to challenge myself to get through these senior classes.
UP Chief of Staff to the President, Kylie Carranza
Congratulations to Kylie Carranza as she entered into her new role at the University of Providence as Chief of Staff to the President. Kylie graduated with her bachelor degree in 2014 and her master degree in 2019, both from the University of Providence. She has been an employee of the university since June 2014, initially starting off as an Admission Counselor. Since then, she has worked her way into various positions: Director of Advancement, Senior Director of Business Operations, and now the Chief of Staff to the President.

When asking Kylie what she enjoys most about her new role she stated, “I feel honored to be in this new role, especially as an alumna of UGF. It is exciting to be focused on moving our university forward in a positive way, but still be inspired by our past through our tradition and heritage of those who have gone before us. The next couple of years will be challenging and full of hard work, but I am confident that we move forward with the support and influence of students, faculty, staff, alumni, Great Falls community, and PSJH partnership. Listening and responding to the needs of all those areas is key to our success.”
Giving Back to Your University
Upcoming Events
January 20, 2020 - Martin Luther King Day Celebration at 10 a.m. in the UP University Center. The event will include reflections on King's legacy, musical performances, and light refreshments.

February 10, 2020 - Taste of Montana in the University Center at 6-8 p.m. Come enjoy a special dining experience to support UP. All proceeds will go towards student scholarships.

February 11, 2020 - Spring Career Fair. Geared toward majors in professional studies. The fair will run from 11-1 p.m. in the Student Center. There will be giveways and prizes!

February 25, 2020 - Spring Career Fair. Geared toward social sciences, humanities, math, and science majors. The fair will run from 11-1 p.m. in the Student Center. There will be giveaways and prizes!

SAVE THE DATE! October 2-4, 2020 - Homecoming.

Mass is offered at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Upcoming Great Falls Events: https://visitgreatfallsmontana.org/events/

Visit  http://upargos.com for the schedule of sporting events.
Did You Know?
Director of Residence Life, Aaron Stucker
Aaron currently serves as the Director of Residential Life and has been in his role at UP for two and a half years. He previously served as the Director of Housing and Student Life at Miles Community College in Miles City, Montana. Aaron was born and raised in Great Falls and went to college at MSU Billings where he received his bachelor’s degree in biology.
 
“In my role as Director of Residential Life, my job centers around managing on-campus student housing and everything that comes with it. I have two hall directors that report to me that manage the day-to-day things for Emilie Hall, which houses freshmen, and additional upperclassman housing. The three biggest parts of my job are facilities, operations, and programming. With facilities, our goal is to make sure all of the areas of the building are in working order and students are not having any issues. With operations, I help manage student conduct, roommate situations, room changes, etc. And with programming, we work on creating a good community environment in the residence halls that consists of programs, intentional conversations, and a sense of belonging.”

Aaron said, "My favorite part of my job is getting to work with students and help make a positive impact on their lives."
Argo Community
UP Campus Closed for Christmas and New Years
The University of Providence will be closed Monday, December 23 - Wednesday, January 1. We will be open for regular business hours Thursday, January 2. We hope everyone has a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!
AmazonSmile
As the Christmas season quickly approaches and you begin to shop for those special people in your lives, remember to shop AmazonSmile and select University of Providence as the charity you support.

The portion of money we receive from your purchase with AmazonSmile will help "close the gap" and ensure students are graduating career-ready and on time.
Calling UP Alumni Artists
We would like to feature beautiful work from our UP alumni artists at the University of Providence Taste of Montana fundraiser on February 10, 2020. The event features a special dining experience, a meal prepared by 5th and Wine, and a silent auction. If you would like your art work displayed at the event, please contact Katelyn Farrington at 406.791.5290 or [email protected].
University of Providence University Center Donor Wall
The University of Providence has been raising funds for the installment of a donor wall in the University Center. Alumna and staff member, Grace Wright, beautifully handcrafted pottery bowls to be sold to help raise money for the project.
 
So far, we have sold 74 bowls and have raised $1,480. We have 15 bowls remaining for $20 each.
 
In addition to bowl sales, we have commitments between $10,000-$15,000 to go toward the special project. We are excited as plans continue to move forward and are presently in the process of creating a rendition. As soon as the rendition is complete, we will be sharing the design with everyone.

We are approximately $15,000 away from reaching our goal. If you are interested in purchasing a bowl or making a donation to support the donor wall, please contact Nano McCluskey at 406.791.5310 or [email protected] .
 
Thank you all for your support in the University Center donor wall project!
A Message from Interim President, Father Oliver Doyle
Dear Friends,

Christmas is the Feast of the Incarnation. In Latin, ‘incarnation’ is derived from the word ‘carnus’ meaning flesh. ‘Incarnation” means ‘in the flesh’, or something that is visible, physical and tangible.

The birth of Jesus was not a symbolic presence but the actual presence of God in the world.

Jesus made real contact with people. His love was mediated in ways that people could experience. His was a healing touch that attracted crowds.

Many consider Christmas as the celebration only of a past event and that the work of Jesus ended with the Ascension. But this is to misunderstand the mystery of the Incarnation.
 University of Providence Advancement Office