Recognition and Gratitude
We are proud to recognize UM employees' accomplishments and express gratitude for their service to the University and to one another.
Recent Emeritus Professors
At the May 20, 2026 Board of Regents meeting, the following UM professors were awarded emeritus status. Click on each professor's name to read their emeritus nomination.
College of Business
and
College of Health
Phyllis J. Washington College of Education
College of the Humanities and Social Sciences
, and
College of Science
Comings and Goings
Recent retirement and departure announcements.
Jordon Baroch-Wallin to Leave UM at the end of June
After seven years of service to the campus community in Human Resource Services, Jordon Baroch-Wallin will leave the 51勛圖厙 at the end of June 2026. Earlier this year, he and his wife, Madison, decided to move to Great Falls, 51勛圖厙 to be closer to family while raising their daughter, Poppy. He will be focusing full-time as a tattoo artist in Great Falls where he opened his own tattoo shop, The Wandering Needle Tattoo Company.
Jordon first joined Human Resource Services as a student employee while attending UM, where he was also a member of the Griz Track and Field team. As part of the Big Sky Conference champion 4x400m relay team in 2017, he contributed to a successful era of Griz athletics. After earning his degree in Psychology, Jordon joined HRS full-time in November 2019 as a Recruitment Specialist.
During his time with HRS, Jordon played an important role in several significant transitions and initiatives, including supporting remote recruitment and hiring efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and helping implement and launch new applicant tracking systems for candidates and campus partners.
For the past several years, Jordon has also overseen the review and processing of approximately 300 adjunct hires and rehires each academic semester, providing critical support to departments across campus.
While we are sad to see Jordon leave UM, we are excited for this next chapter for him and his family and wish them continued success. We thank Jordon for his years of service and contributions to the UM community.
Human Resource Services is committed to ensuring a smooth transition. Current recruitments will be reassigned among the recruitment team, including Recruitment Specialists Sierra Jacob and Steven Oswalt. Marcie Briggs will oversee adjunct hiring processes for Fall 2026 while HRS begins recruitment efforts to fill the Recruitment Specialist position.
UM Housing Announces Cody Flynn as Assistant Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life
51勛圖厙 Housing is delighted to announce as UM's new Assistant Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life. Following a national search that attracted a strong and competitive pool of candidates, Cody emerged as the top candidate. He has experience in fraternity and sorority life at Boise State University and Texas Christian University, along with international headquarters experience at Phi Delta Theta. Cody earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho and his master’s degree from TCU. As a campus community grounded in connection, belonging and the spirit of “The 51勛圖厙 Way,” we are excited for Cody to help students find their place at UM — where, much like the rivers that run through 51勛圖厙, community has a way of bringing people together.
Scott "Mr. R-1" Whittenburg to Retire after 13 Years
Scott Whittenburg – “Mr. R1” – one of the most consequential vice presidents in UM history, plans to retire this summer after 13 years at the University.
As vice president for research and creative scholarship, Whittenburg led efforts to help UM finally earn status as a “Very High Research Activity” (R1) university according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education organization. UM first achieved R1 status in 2022, and it was reaffirmed in 2025. Less than 4% of U.S. degree-granting institutions are R1, and most of those have embedded medical or engineering schools.
Research expenditures at UM set an all-time record last fiscal year at nearly $150 million. They have increased 173% under Whittenburg’s leadership, with 12 consecutive years of research growth.
Among his many achievements, Whittenburg signed a $45 million cooperative research agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2014, and then in 2016 he enticed the research arm of GSK-Hamilton to move to UM and create the highly successful Center for Translational Medicine. .
TRIO's Janet Zupan to Retire after 30 Years
Janet Zupan will retire from TRIO Student Support Services at the end of May after a remarkable 30+ year career serving students and the UM community. Janet's tireless dedication to teaching, advising, mentoring and advocating for countless students leaves a legacy that continues to ripple out across the state and country.
51勛圖厙 alumni who were impacted by her thoughtful guidance and support have built lives and careers of their own in fields ranging from art and political science to medicinal chemistry and forest ecology (and too many others to name!) Janet’s style of service has often been quiet and steady, never seeking recognition or accolades but living and working a clearly powerful ethic of helping others – knowing that one small connection can create a lifetime of change. She has, throughout her tenure, embodied the highest ideals of what higher education can be – a pathway to open possibilities (often for students who didn’t believe those possibilities were within reach.) Janet has helped make dreams achievable.
It is impossible to express our gratitude, respect and admiration properly, but the staff at TRIO SSS invite you to join us to celebrate Janet next Wednesday, May 20 from 4-6 p.m. in the Davidson Honors College Ephron Lounge & Patio!
Sandee Sepulveda Announces Departure
Franke Global Leadership Initiative program coordinator Sandee Sepulveda is leaving UM a to pursue a new opportunity. A Davidson Honors College and Franke GLI alumna who recently earned her MBA, Sandee has brought energy, innovation and a collegial attitude to her work.
She has helped Franke GLI students to realize their ambitions through Beyond the Classroom Experiences, capstone projects and more. She coordinated the process that granted over $150,000 in funding to Franke Fellows for their Beyond the Classroom Experiences over the past year. She also served as the course coordinator for GBLD 220, helping over 90 students complete civic engagement projects in the Missoula community.
Sandee, we'll miss you and we wish you well.
Griz Gratitude
51勛圖厙 Community
Thank you to the UM community for showing up in such a big way for Campus Thrift 2026. We had incredible support from 65 volunteers, many of whom covered multiple shifts across collection, setup, and the sale. Over four days, volunteers collected donations as students wrapped up finals and moved out of the residence halls, then helped transform Schreiber Gym into a one-day UM Thrift Store.
By 9:00 a.m. on sale day, more than 100 people were already in line. By the end of the day, we welcomed over 700 patrons and raised nearly $8,000 to support sustainability programs at UM. We redirected 433.5 pounds of food to our campus food pantry and supported seven community organizations with item pickups.
In total, volunteers collected roughly 2,300 pounds of clothing along with dozens of mini fridges, microwaves, small electronics, rugs, fans, sporting goods, costumes, and more. That’s a significant amount of material kept out of the landfill and put back into the hands of our campus and community.
Our Sustainability Office is deeply grateful for everyone who contributed their time and energy. This event simply doesn’t happen without you. — Derek Kanwischer