Montana State to host celebration for largest Hilleman Scholars graduating class to date

BOZEMAN -Montana State University will host a graduation and awards celebration on Monday, April 27, honoring the 25 undergraduate students from Montana who are expected to graduate this spring from the university's Hilleman Scholars Program. Elizabeth Burroughs, head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences in MSU's College of Letters and Science, will provide the keynote address.

The celebration, which is in addition to the university-wide commencement celebration Friday, May 8, will take place on the second floor of Asbjornson Hall in Inspiration Hall from 4 to 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

"We're hosting an important rite of passage celebration for the Hilleman Scholar community," said Carina Beck, director of the MSU Hilleman Scholars program and associate vice president of university initiatives. "The students are representative of the public land-grant mission, and we also want to honor the legacy of Dr. Hilleman. We're shaping the future, and these graduates represent the future of Montana."

The MSU Hilleman Scholars Program is designed for Montana residents who demonstrate significant academic, leadership and career potential. The program is named for Maurice Hilleman, who grew up on a family farm in Miles City and planned to work at a department store instead of attending college. With encouragement from his brother, Hilleman applied for a scholarship to MSU, which was then called Montana State College, and graduated at the top of his class in 1941.

In the following years, Hilleman became the world's leading vaccinologist, developing nine of 14 common vaccines for children, including those for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, meningitis, mumps and pneumonia.

To honor Hilleman's legacy, MSU founded the Hilleman Scholars Program in 2016. The program invests in the future of Montana by educating its community members, Beck said.

Hilleman Scholars are expected to graduate in four years, an expectation for which MSU provides many support avenues to help students along the way. For instance, prior to the start of their first year, Hilleman Scholars participate in a Summer Success Academy, a monthlong intensive math, writing and critical thinking experience. In addition to earning their degree, the MSU Hilleman Scholars receive leadership, character, financial, career, mindset and communication coaching. There is financial assistance for tuition and living expenses, for which in return, Hilleman Scholars participate in mentoring, learning development, internship and community development activities for up to 10 hours per week during each of the four years of the scholarship. The students are also eligible for funding for a group study-abroad experience at the end of their junior year.