Presenter Bios
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Dr. Samuel Boerboom
Dr. Samuel Boerboom has an MA in English from the University of Nebraska and a PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Minnesota. This is his fourth year teaching at MSU Billings. Sam researches and teaches Political Communication, Media Theory, and Media Criticism. This past year he served as editor of and contributor to the book The Political Language of Food, published by Lexington Press.
Dr. Melissa Boehm
Dr. Melissa Boehm is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Theatre at MSUB. Her research interests include the framing of poverty in news media with a specific focus on the intersections of gender, race, and place; the framing of the Obamas on whitehouse.gov; and the framing of dialysis in ABC News Transcripts. She teaches courses in mass media and public relations.
Dr. Matt Queen
Dr. Matt Queen received his BS in physical chemistry from the University of Montana, and his PhD in Physical Inorganic Chemistry from Montana State University. He has been a faculty member in the biological and physical sciences department since the fall of 2014. Before discovering his passion for chemistry Dr. Queen spent six years as a line cook working at various fine dining establishments in the Missoula MT area.
Seabring Davis
Seabring Davis has covered lifestyle and food stories from Mexico to Montana. She is a journalist and foodie who loves to cook and eat with family and friends. Writing about restaurants in the West over the last 15 years has given her a true appreciation for long drives and good pie. She is the former editor-in-chief of Big Sky Journal and the founding editor of Western Art & Architecture magazines, as well as the author of numerous books, including A Taste of Montana. From her home in Livingston, Seabring reaches out to Montana chefs who focus on fresh ingredients and locally grown products.
Reno Charette
Ms. Charette currently serves Montana State University-Billings as the Director of the American Indian Outreach Office. She teaches American Indian and Indigenous Studies courses and works on cultural projects that help American Indian students feel comfortable and succeed while attending college at MSU-B. Ms. Charette is a member of the Ties-In-Bundle clan of the Crow Nation and a descendent of the Pembina band of Turtle Mountain Chippewa. She was raised on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation where she attended school in Busby and St. Labre. Ms. Charette holds a Master of Arts degree in History with a specialty in the American West supported by a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Above all, her most important contribution to the world is that she is a mother of six children and grandmother of nine.
Stella Fong
Stella Fong writes, cooks and plays in Billings, Montana. For sixteen years, she has called Montana’s Trailhead (once also known as the Magic City) home after relocating from San Diego, California. Fong shares her love of food and adventure through her contributions to Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine, Big Sky Journal, Blue Water Sailing, Western Art and Architecture, and Magic Magazine. Online, her blog postings and stories can be found at thelastbestplates.com, lastbestnews.com, vinography.com and stellafong.com. Her articles have also appeared in Cooking Light, Fine Cooking and the Washington Post. Through her food and wine classes she teaches for the Montana State University–Billings Foundation, she continues to bring flavor and knowledge. For years, she taught cooking classes for Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma, Gelson’s Super Market, Macy’s Cellars and Great News! Cooking School.
