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Questions for Undergraduates Exploring Social Topics (QUEST) is a joint effort between the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥’s Davidson Honors College and an established community partner. It began in 2017 when two current DHC Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ sought to establish an interdisciplinary program with community impact. Through QUEST, teams of Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ work collaboratively to research, design, and present policy solutions to a major, cross-disciplinary challenge facing the Missoula community. Past collaborations have included partnerships with the City of Missoula, Missoula County government, and the Missoula Food Bank.
Through two semesters of guided research and independent study (HONR 495), Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ gain knowledge related to the topic, develop a solution, and present their proposals to a panel of academic and community experts. The top team is eligible for a scholarship and internship with the City to continue their work on the important challenge topic. QUEST is supported by Assistant Dean Kaetlyn Cordingley and a rotating team of past QUEST participants who take on student leadership roles.
The QUEST Program is an experiential learning opportunity that combines the best of academic innovation and civic engagement. QUEST is open to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ from freshmen to seniors. We invite any interested DHC Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to be a part of this opportunity.
Take a closer look at QUEST by exploring our digital brochure.
If you are interested in the program, please contact kaetlyn.cordingley@umontana.edu or dhc@umontana.edu.
Co-Founders
Noah Hill
Noah graduated from the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ and the Davidson Honors College in 2019 with a degree in microbiology. During his time at the DHC, he helped found the QUEST program to provide a forum for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ to apply academic research skills to current interdisciplinary issues in a way that would positively impact the Missoula community. In addition to his work with the QUEST program, Noah was selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of Baucus Leadership Fellows sponsored by the Max S. Baucus Institute, and conducted independent research examining the relationship between when college Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ declare major and how that affects graduation timelines. Noah is currently a law student at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥. He focuses his studies on tax and intellectual property and serves on the Montana Law Review while working for a full-service law firm in downtown Missoula.
Reid Hensen
Reid graduated in the fall of 2017, studying psychology, minoring in business, and working to understand how people interact with their environments and what psychological impacts that may have. The QUEST program came as an idea to apply research methods that Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ are learning to real-world scenarios in the places that they live. He is thrilled at the opportunity to start this program. An avid backcountry skier and mountain biker, Reid loves getting outside and exploring. He now lives in and works in Sun River, ID.
John Engen, Mayor of Missoula
With each year and each new challenge, we continue to carry on the legacy of our partner, the late Mayor John Engen, who believed so firmly that Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ could make a great and meaningful impact on our community. Mayor Engen was a great advocate and friend of the QUEST program. We are so grateful for his partnership.