BILLINGS, Mont. – With the ensuing retirement of Dr. Scott Harris from his many roles at Montana State University Billings, Dr. Thomas Rust has been appointed the faculty athletic representative announced the athletic department on Monday.
 
"We would first and foremost like to extend our deepest gratitude towards Scott, who has impacted countless students during his tenure as an invaluable member of our staff," said Yellowjacket athletic director Krista Montague. "Scott has had a tremendous influence both as a professor at our university and in his role as the FAR. His work has shaped the lives of our student-athletes, and he is responsible for contributing successfully towards our mission of ensuring a positive experience for each of them."
 
Dr. Harris has served as the FAR since 2004, ending a tenure of 15 years in the role upon his retirement at the conclusion of the 2018-19 academic year. He began teaching in the college of business at MSUB in 1988. "I cannot think of anyone who is better suited to become the next FAR than Tom Rust," commented Dr. Harris. "He is totally student focused, and has the institutional knowledge to be an effective advocate for student-athletes at all levels of the university. Tom is committed to quality academics and to the NCAA principles of institutional control, and I believe that coaches, staff, and the athletic department administration will find Tom an extremely able, dedicated, and easy to work with new member of the team."
 
Dr. Rust will begin his duties as the FAR effective immediately, and will spend the remainder of the academic year under Dr. Harris's guidance to facilitate a smooth transition. "I am terribly excited for this opportunity to work closely with our student athletes," said Dr. Rust. "I've had a number of them over the years, and I am thrilled to help them have the best experience possible at MSUB."
 
The faculty athletic representative primarily serves as the liaison between the athletic department and faculty relating to student-athlete academics and affairs. The FAR works directly with the athletic director and chancellor to ensure the integrity of the athletics program, and to oversee student-athlete well-being.
 
"We couldn't be more excited to have Dr. Rust joining our department, and he has shown great enthusiasm towards athletics and student-athletes throughout his career," Montague said. "Tom's track record of excellence in every area he has pursued makes him a perfect fit to step into this role. We have no doubt that he will continue to elevate our department and build off the sterling foundation Scott has laid over the past 15 years."
 
Dr. Rust is a professor of history at MSUB and a native Montanan. He graduated with a Bachelor of Art in history in 1992 from the University of Minnesota. He received his master's degree in history from the University in Denver in 1995 where his work in American military history, more specifically Fort Ellis, has been published in the journal "Military History of West" and recently the monograph Lost Fort Ellis: A Frontier History of Bozeman, Montana.
 
He went on to receive a M.Ed. from MSUB in 1999 before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Leicester in 2006. He has conducted and published both historical and archaeological research in a variety of areas from ancient Rome to the American West. He has been the primary investigator on more than 20 archaeological projects and from 2011 to 2014 he led the multidisciplinary effort to verify the location of the Clark Canoe Camp on the Yellowstone River near Park City, which was published in the journal Archaeology in Montana and We Proceeded On. He currently has a book on the U.S. Army's administration of Yellowstone Park under review with the University of Kansas press. Dr. Rust has taught at MSUB since 1999.
 
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. Last Thursday, Dr. Rust was honored at the MSUB Faculty Excellence Awards. Dr. Rust's commitment to the university, service, and scholarship endeavors demonstrates his overall excellence and the reason why he was selected as one of the recipients of the Faculty Excellence Awards.
 
"Tom is a very astute observer and fast learner," Dr. Harris said. "I have no doubt that he will hit the ground running and, within short order, will take the FAR position to new heights."
 
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