Annual event highlights work of faculty and staff from Montana State’s College of Education, Health and Human Development

BOZEMAN - Building connections among people and communities was the theme of an annual event highlighting outstanding teaching, research and engagement efforts by faculty and staff in Montana State University's College of Education, Health and Human Development.

Held Thursday evening in Inspiration Hall on the MSU campus in Bozeman, the EHHD Showcase highlighted the work of seven award-winning faculty and staff members from the college.

In a talk titled "Reading Builds Communities," Ann Ellsworth, professor in the Department of Education, discussed how reading connects people across generations and experiences. She noted that when people first think about reading, they might picture something solitary, such as a single person, sitting alone reading a book, maybe in a quiet place like a coffee shop.

"But reading has never been a solitary act," Ellsworth said. "In fact, reading is one of the most powerful ways we can connect across neighborhoods, generations and cultures."

She pointed to multiple ways that reading can bring people and communities together. Those range from parents connecting with their young children by reading aloud beloved picture books - such as "Curious George," "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" and "The Cat in the Hat" - to libraries hosting story hours and author readings, to book club gatherings, to Little Free Libraries in neighborhoods, to literacy-focused events like MSU's annual First Year Student Convocation. That event kicks off the academic year at Montana State by inviting all incoming students, along with community members, to read a book and then hear directly from its author. In recent years, featured books and authors have included "Educated" by Tara Westover, "Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917" by Michael Punke, and "There There" by Tommy Orange.

When people come together to discuss the same book, Ellsworth said, that practice can spark questions about identity, history, relationships, justice, hope and more.

"These powerful works have inspired readers and generated conversations inside and outside of the classroom," Ellsworth said. "That's the power of reading."

Ellsworth concluded that reading is never just about the words on the page. Rather, books allow readers to experience a life they've never lived and to see the world through eyes unlike their own.

"When we read about people who are different from us, we grow compassion," Ellsworth said. "When we read about people who are similar to us, we feel less alone. Both experiences are essential to building strong, healthy communities."

Other speakers at the showcase included:

• Allison Brennan, associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Community Health and mental health specialist with MSU Extension, who delivered "Cultivating Well-being: Using Horticultural Therapy to Promote Multidimensional Wellness."

• Emily Tomayko, assistant professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology, who delivered "Connection is the Intervention."

• Kayte Kaminski, senior assistant dean in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, who delivered "Mission: Ablaze."

• Jessi Peterson, associate teaching professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology, who delivered "Beyond the Scale: Cultivating a Whole Person Approach to Nutrition Care."

• Daniel Koltz, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Community Health and gerontology specialist with MSU Extension, who delivered "From Education to Empowerment: Changing the Caregiving Experience."

• Carrie Myers, professor in the Department of Education, who delivered "Elation and Identity: Come with me on a Joy Ride."

In concluding remarks, Tricia Seifert, dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Development, noted that one of the most resonant takeaways from the event is that all of the highlighted work "broadens and builds" connections.

"Those connections are made in communities, here on campus among students in our classrooms, and all across Montana," she said. "In fact, we have graduates and current students from all over the world. And, so, our impact literally knows no global bounds."