Faculty Excellence
Tom Rust, Ph.D.
Professor, History, CLASS
Tom Rust is described as an exemplary teacher who has been devoted to MSU Billings for nearly twenty years. Outside of his time at the university, he has earned national recognition as a scholar and has impacted the campus community, the community of Billings and the state of Montana.
Rust has faithfully served MSU Billings as a faculty member and other roles including Director of the University Honors Program, Interim Executive Director of International Studies, and Co-Service Learning Director, a position he voluntarily directed until funding was secured. Rust established the National History Day program in Montana, which quickly grew to 400 students statewide.
To date, Rust has published four books and six articles on topics ranging from ancient Rome to the American West. His most recent article, “An ‘Undesirable Station’ The U.S. Army at Fort Yellowstone and the Creation of the National Park Service Program” received national attention, was a finalist for the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Awards, and is being considered for publication in a book with the University of Kansas Press.
Together with the National Park Service and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Rust conducted archaeological research that confirmed the third known campsite on the Lewis and Clark trail, an endeavor that drew national recognition. He involved students in the excavation of the site as a service learning project, allowing them to gain hands-on experience and share in the excitement of a high-profile investigation.
Throughout all of this, as his colleague notes, “a five-minute conversation with Dr. Rust would reveal that he is first and foremost a teacher.” Rust is described as someone who takes great pride in his teaching and someone who cares deeply about his students. Students in Rust’s classes are not only challenged by the traditional textual learning of history, but are also encouraged to apply the skills they are learning from the classroom to help the community at large through service learning opportunities.
Rust’s commitment to the university, service, and scholarship endeavors demonstrates his overall excellence and the reason why he has been selected as one of the recipients of the Faculty Excellence Awards.