President's Award for Championing Campus Values
Danielle Ulrich
Danielle Ulrich, associate professor in the Department of Ecology, received the President’s Award for Championing Campus Values from Montana State University.
The award recognizes a faculty member who builds a supportive campus environment and fosters access for all, demonstrating a commitment to Bobcat values such as collaboration, curiosity, integrity, inclusion and stewardship. Ulrich, who joined the College of Letters and Science in 2019, will receive a $2,000 honorarium as part of her award.
Ulrich has cultivated an inclusive departmental culture as co-founder of the ecology department’s diversity committee. She organizes cross-departmental events with multifaceted guest speakers, participates in events for first-generation college graduates and women in science, and helps organize safety workshops for field research settings, creating a space for open dialogue among students and faculty.
An expert in plant physiology, Ulrich is committed to sharing her passion for science and conservation through speaking engagements, including for MSU Science Day, Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation meetings, a Greater Yellowstone Coalition podcast episode, the Beartooth Alliance and the Draper Natural History Museum. Ulrich also mentors the next generation of researchers at MSU. She has guided more than 50 students in independent research, including those in the Montana Space Grant Consortium, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates and the Undergraduate Scholars Program. Ulrich has co-authored 17 publications with students and supported more than 30 student conference presentations.
“These collaborations not only advance the frontiers of ecological research, but they also empower emerging scientists to take ownership of their work and develop confidence as independent researchers,” wrote Sarah Bassing, assistant professor of ecology, in a nomination letter.