Your support of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation empowers student success, provides a center for student support and helps us safeguard the ecosystems of our beautiful Montana home and beyond. With your generosity, our students graduate from the University of Montana ready to launch successful careers and serve their communities locally and globally. They become groundbreaking researchers, industry pacesetters and community leaders.
The new facility for the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation will serve as the state's hub for environment and conservation on the University of Montana's campus. To better help students tackle the problems of tomorrow, we aim to create the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation Student Success Center, an accessible, innovative gathering space within the new building, where students will be supported by a team of professionals as they navigate opportunities and challenges.
Your gift in support of the Franke College Student Success Center helps students build the skills they need to protect our world for the generations that follow.
Explore the stories below to learn about our commitment to student success and how your support makes a transformational difference.
Chloe Brown’s career direction changed as a result of her experience in a first-year seminar at the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. Learn how private support helps students like Brown benefit from hands-on learning.
Nari Lee, from Daegu, South Korea, always dreamed of exploring true wilderness. Now a graduate student in the Environmental Studies Program at UM, Lee is pursuing her passions for science and social justice to address gender barriers in international conservation.
Growing up in Three Forks, Anna Butterfield developed a deep appreciation for the landscapes that define Montana. Now, as a law and environmental studies graduate student at UM, she’s turning that passion into purpose — preparing for a career in water resource law. Learn how private giving is helping her protect what she loves — for generations to come.
Jaxon Caufield is pursuing a degree in wildlife biology with a minor in political science -- a combination he hopes will lead to a career shaping wildlife policy and conservation legislation. Learn how scholarships help students like Jaxon follow their passion and prepare for impactful careers.
In this special feature story, Director of Student Services Shonna Trowbridge shares insights about the vital resources and advising assistance she and her team provide at the Student Success Center at the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. Learn how a new, dedicated student success center will have an extraordinary impact on students’ lives.
For UM professor Beth Dodson and alumni Amy Helena, Cindy Super and Sarah Lyngholm, success in forestry isn’t just about forging their own paths — it’s about supporting one another and ensuring others can follow. Learn how their work not only benefits UM students, but also strengthens communities, industry and Montana’s wild places.
With perseverance and help from scholarships and transformative opportunities at the Franke College, Jazzelle Elias is turning her passion for the outdoors into a promising future. Elias earned an undergraduate degree in parks, tourism and recreation management and will soon begin pursuing a master’s degree in resource conservation.
UM alum and range rider Joe Zecher is exercising his wildlife biology degree with his boots on the ground and his hands on the reins in Montana's Centennial Valley. He monitors cattle and wildlife on the vast, rugged landscapes to help reduce conflicts between livestock and predators, contributing to wildlife and land management in the region.
As MarraLynn Rodriguez's five children grew up, she found herself yearning to fulfill a long-held aspiration: completing her undergraduate degree. Rodriguez reflects on her journey to achieve that dream and earning a bachelor's degree in environmental science and sustainability and a minor in wilderness studies.
UM forestry graduate Jaiden Stansberry was selected as one of 60 Truman Scholars out of 709 candidates this year. Read more to learn how Stansberry’s unique combination of firsthand knowledge as a wildland firefighter and high-level policy insight in her field helped her shine as a candidate and opened new doors into her future.
"Wherever I go, I carry with me the lessons and experiences I’ve had here – the bonds forged, the knowledge gained and the profound connection to nature that will guide me forward."
-- MarraLynn Rodriguez '24
To learn more and to support the Franke College, contact Melinda Booth, senior director of development for the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation and the Wildlife Biology Program, at melinda.booth@supportum.org or 406-243-2593. You may also visit our Contact page to submit a message.
To learn about the University of Montana Foundation, visit www.SupportUM.org.
© 2026 Treasure Montana
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