April 4, 2016
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Beier Auditorium on the Montana Western campus.
The Night of Stars festivities will include the Education Hall of Fame induction of four exemplary alumni and will feature a presentation of the lifetime achievement award and recognition of six exceptional teacher candidates.
It is an honor to recognize our outstanding education students and alumni at our annual Night of Stars event, said UMW Foundation and Alumni Director Roxanne Engellant.
In addition to recognizing our outstanding educators, the event will acknowledge 30 years of Rural Fridays on the Montana Western campus. The Rural Friday program is a partnership between the rural schools in Beaverhead County and the University of Montana Western education department.
A social and silent auction will immediately follow the ceremony in the Lewis and Clark room of Mathews Hall.
The 2016 Hall of Fame inductees include Barby Judge, Jim Lodge, Darlene Ruble and Jack Hutchison. Outstanding Teacher Candidates to be honored are Alyssa Endo, Daniel McGuire, Deanna Woodhouse, Michelle Head, Mitchell Thompson and Monica Schwemin.
The 2016 Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to John Kuglin. Kuglin earned his Bachelor of Science in education from Western Montana College (now the University of Montana Western) in 1972. He received his Master of Education in 1995.
Kuglin was hired for his first job just three years after entering Montana Western as a freshman. Upon completing student teaching, he was hired for a position created by a late enrollment increase in Hamilton, Mont. Twenty student teachers from the University of Montana also applied for the position but it was Kuglin who was hired. That was the beginning of a 22-year career that saw him teach, coach and help the Missoula area schools into the computer age.
He left the classroom in 1993 to become the first technology coordinator for the Missoula School District. From there, Kuglin was the first director of TCIs J.S. Sparkman Educational Technology Center. He became the first director of technology for the Mid-Continent research for education and learning. Kuglin then joined the space age as he was the director for NASAs EOS Education Project. He is now a senior education consultant for Kuglin Consulting. Kuglin has won many awards for his work in education including being recognized as a USA Today Power Teacher and in 2003 received the Montana Western Distinguished Alumni Award.
Barby Judge graduated from Montana Western in 1980 with a bachelor of science in elementary education. She received her masters in teaching from Grand Canyon University in 2001.
While at Montana Western, Judge worked as an admissions counselor and was active in Spurs. She was inducted into the Montana Western chapter of Kappa Delta Pi and graduated cum laude. After graduation, Judge began her teaching career in East Helena, Mont. as a second grade teacher. She later moved to Lewistown and Missoula, Mont. before settling in Dillon in 1993.
She has taught in the Dillon School District for over 20 years. She is active in the Beaverhead United Way, P.E.O., Alpha Delta Kappa and the Montana Education Association. Additionally, she has supervised UMW teacher candidates over the years.
Judge has been named Whos Who Among Americas Teachers, Disney Teacher of the Year Nominee and Milken Family Foundation National Educator in 1998. She graduated in the top one percent of her masters class and received student body recognition for her efforts. Judge and her husband Dick are the parents of Brian, Shannon and Taryn.
Jim Lodge attended Montana Western from 1966 to 1970. He obtained his bachelors degree in secondary education with a double major in math and counseling. He was a three sport athlete at Montana Western and was inducted into the Bulldog Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984 for his performance on the football field. In addition to football, Lodge played baseball and basketball at Montana Western.
He began his teaching and coaching career in Glasgow, Mont. in 1970. Lodge moved to Missoula, Mont. in 1973 and spent the next 39 years teaching math at Hellgate High School and at Big Sky High School. Lodge retired in 2012 after spending more than 40 years teaching and coaching.
Lodge was a counselor at Montana Boys State from 1966 to 1980 and was the Director of Montana Boys State from 1980 to 1998. He was named the Western Montana College (now the University of Montana Western) Distinguished Alumni in 1997 and spent 25 years in the Montana Officials Association for Basketball.
Lodge met his wife Vicky at Montana Western. She is also a graduate of UMW. Additionally, Jims father, Bun (B.W.) Lodge, and daughter Kari are graduates of Montana Western.
Darlene Ruble graduated from Montana Western in 1983 with a degree in secondary education with majors in general science and mathematics. In addition to her degree from UMW, she received a Bachelor of Arts in microbiology and botany from Ohio Wesleyan. Ruble received a Master of Science in technology education in 1997 from Montana State University.
After graduation, Ruble began her teaching career at Wolf Point High School teaching math, geometry and basic computer programming for one year. She then moved to Eureka, Mont. and Lincoln County High School where she continues to teach physics, chemistry, physical science, earth science, integrated science and several levels of algebra.
Ruble is a two-time recipient of the Presidential Award for Science Teaching. In 1989, she was the state winner and in 2009 she was the national winner. Ruble and her husband Kevin are the parents of Blake and Hannah.
Jack Hutchison received his Bachelor of Science in secondary education from Montana Western in 1968 and his masters in education from UMW in 1975. He devoted his entire teaching career of 45 years to Lima High School.
Hutchisons daily schedule involved teaching seven different classes, ranging from drama to the history of the Vietnam conflict. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Hutchison served as a sponsor for the high school academic olympics team, judge for the county spelling bee, and the school district computer technology point person.
Outside of the classroom, Hutchison has a combined 84 years coaching eight-man and six-man football (34 years), boys basketball (seven years), girls basketball (11 years), and boys and girls track (32 years). Hutchison retired in 2013 but still remains an active participant as head coach of the girls basketball team.
In addition to the Night of Stars, several other alumni activities are planned around the weekend.
For the full slate of activities, please contact the alumni office at 406-683-7306.
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