994 Journeys

Research and Economic Development has planned a great line-up of researchers to share their "994 Journeys" in 2025-2026. During these sessions, we ask our speakers to "tell their story" -- which usually includes some fun background, where they trained, how they came to MSU, and a few key highlights on their research and scholarship. 

 

Monday, September 29, 2025

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Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, MS-CRM, RN is an Assistant Professor at Montana State University’s Mark & Robyn Jones College of Nursing in Bozeman, where she examines the intersection of community based participatory design, clinical system infrastructure appraisal, and innovative research approaches to the intersection ofhealthcare and technology development. Her teaching portfolio includes Design of Healthcare Delivery Systems, a dynamic interprofessional graduate course that unites nursing and engineering students to solve real-world challenges in patient care quality and system efficiency. Elizabeth’s research focuses on advancing digital health technologies to enhance safety and monitoring in clinical trials. Her work has earned funding from the NIH, the American Nurses Association, Genentech Innovation Fund, the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, and the MSU/U.S. Economic Development Administration. She is also a member of MIT’s Blueprint Engine–Tough Tech program, where she contributes to the development of high-impacthealthcare innovations.A nationally recognized leader inhealthcare design and clinical research nursing, Elizabeth serves as Chair of the Research Committee for the International Association of Clinical Research Nurses, President-Elect of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design, and as a Health Systems Advisory Board member for the Coalition for Health AI and served with the American Nurses Association Innovation Advisory Committee for Technology and Medical Devices. Before entering academia, Elizabeth held roles as a clinical research nurse, trial manager, and global early-phase development leader across hospital and industry settings supporting both pediatric endocrinology and adult oncology programs.

 

Monday, October 20, 2025

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Seth Walk

Seth Walk grew up in Pennsylvania. His professional training is in biology, population genetics, microbial ecology, and translational science (Penn State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan) and he joined the faculty at MSU in 2012. Dr. Walk is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology and an affiliate faculty of the Center for Biofilm Engineering. Research in the Walk Lab focuses on microorganisms that influence human health and disease with a strong emphasis on the human gut microbiome. Current projects include microbiome detoxification of environmental toxicants (heavy metals), temporal gut microbiome dynamics, live biotherapeutic development, wastewater surveillance of infectious diseases, and the microbiology of maple sap and maple products (no kidding!). This work is collaborative, based on ecologic and epidemiologic principles, uses traditional microbiology and DNA sequencing techniques, and considers human subjects/patients along with lab animal models and agricultural animals. At MSU, Dr. Walk also developed courses in host-associated microbiomes, biology-focused computer programming, and a nationally accredited undergraduate program in Environmental Health, serving as the program director during its inaugural five years. He and his wife, Heather, and son, David, enjoy many outdoor activities and adventuring around Montana.

 

 

Monday, December 1, 2025

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Devon Orme

Devon Orme joined MSU in the Fall of 2017. She holds a Doctorate and Master of Science in Geosciences from the University of Arizona and was a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Science from University of California Santa Cruz. Devon’s research focuses on sedimentary basin analysis and the tectonic-thermal history of orogenic systems. Her field areas center on mountains along ancient convergent margins in the western U.S. and Asia. Much of her local research focuses on reconstructing the geologic history of southwest Montana. She has earned numerous NSF and USGS grants, including the prestigious NSF CAREER award, and several educational mapping initiatives to support students at MSU. Devon was awarded College of Letters and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award in 2023. She actively supports field and laboratory research experiences for MSU students, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. She enjoys teaching the summer field geology course, which is based out of the Tobacco Root Mountains and is the Graduate Student Coordinator for the Department of Earth Sciences. Devon is an avid runner, Nordic skier, and biathlete. Her favorite memory of this past ski season was a family trip to participate in the American Birkebeiner, where her daughter experienced the joy and energy of the Nordic ski community. 

Monday, January 26, 2026

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Nicholas Lux

Nick Lux is a Professor of Curriculum and Instruction in MSU’s Department of Education and is an affiliate in the Montana Engineering Education Research Center (MEERC) and the Center for Research on Rural Education (CRRE). He has worked in the fields of K-12 and higher education for over 25 years and currently teaches in the Teacher Education Program and specializes in educational technology. His research and teaching interests include technology integration in K-12 teaching and learning, rural education, STEM education, and STEM identity formation.

 

Monday, February 9, 2026

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Catherine Kirkland

Dr. Catherine Kirkland is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering, where she is affiliated with the Center for Biofilm Engineering and the Energy Research Institute. Her research focuses onbiofilm-based technologies for environmental remediation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study complex environmental systems. Dr. Kirkland completed postdoctoral work at MSU developingmicrobially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) for sealing leaky wellbores—a technology subsequently commercialized with applications in the oil and gas industry and carbon sequestration sector. In addition to herbiofilm and NMR research, Dr. Kirkland is a dedicated educator and co-PI on an NSF-funded initiative to revolutionize environmental engineering education for the 21st century.  She teaches courses onstormwater management,wastewater treatment, and sustainable waste management.  She brings an interdisciplinary perspective to engineering, with a prior BA degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Rhodes College and international research experience as an NSFGRFP Fellow in the Netherlands.

Monday, March 30, 2026

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Jason Bolte

Jason Bolte is a composer and educator. He currently resides in Bozeman with his wife Barbara, their two beautiful daughters, and dog Allie. Jason teaches music technology and composition at MSU and he serves as the Director of the School of Music. Jason earned a B.M. with an emphasis in Music Engineering Technology and a M.M. in Music Composition from Ball State University. He holds a D.M.A. in Music Composition from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, Conservatory of Music and Dance, where he was a Chancellor’s Doctoral Research Fellow, a Dean’s Doctoral Fellow, and an Ovation Scholar. Jason’s music explores the North American mountain west, modular synthesis and live performance, intersections of music, art, and science, and other compelling spaces. His music has been performed and presented around the world by Ensemble Dal Neinte, A/Tonal Ensemble, Maverick Ensemble, Elektramusic, junctQín, NewKeys, Alcome, and the NYU New Music Ensemble, among others.