Provost's Award for Exemplary Service and Fidelity to the Public Land Grant Mission of Montana State University: Frank Harriman, Founders Day Faculty Awards, Academic Year 2024-25. Portrait of Frank Harriman.

Frank Harriman

The recipient of the Provost's Award for Exemplary Service and Fidelity to the Public Land Grant Mission is Frank Harriman, division director of Building Trades at Gallatin College MSU. This award recognizes a faculty member who advances the mission of the land-grant institution through sustained commitment to higher education in Montana and has demonstrated efforts to transform lives and communities in the people’s interest. It carries a $2,000 honorarium.

Harriman oversees the carpentry, HVAC-R and Job Site Ready programs at Gallatin College: all programs designed to prepare students for immediate placement in industry careers. Nominators noted Harriman’s launch of the new carpentry program in 2022, which now enrolls nearly 50 students, and his commitment to student support.

“Frank is a friend to many and never ceases to amaze us with how far his influence reaches,” said Nikki Michaels, workforce adviser at Gallatin College, in a letter supporting Harriman’s nomination. “I have witnessed the growth of our students from their first week to the time I place them into their jobs, thanks to Frank’s strength in integrating practical, hands-on experience with theoretical knowledge. He consistently fosters a sense of community, service, teamwork and leadership, all of which contribute to the program’s success.”

Beyond the classroom, Harriman volunteers in the community as a youth hockey coach, and shelters built by students during their coursework are donated to nonprofits around Montana and other community members in need.

“He is a highly qualified subject matter expert who came from the construction trades industry in 2020,” said Stephanie Gray, Gallatin College dean, of Harriman in a nomination letter. “He has dedicated the past four years to designing curriculum, aligning industry partners, recruiting students, hiring and supervising non-tenure track faculty, building three trades labs, while also teaching 17 credits a year. He exemplifies dedication to the land-grant mission.”