In the Gallatin Valley, where the mountains meet the plains and wildlife corridors still thread through working ranchland, Kathy Crawford and her late husband, Tim, built a life deeply tied to the Montana landscape. Now, through one of the most significant philanthropic gifts in the history of Montana State University, their legacy will shape wildlife conservation for generations to come.
The Crawford Wildlife Habitat Graduate Fellowship is a graduate scholarship program at MSU in Bozeman, made possible by a $30 million endowment, the largest scholarship endowment in the university’s history. The gift reflects the values the Crawfords held close throughout their lives: a belief that Montana’s wild places are worth protecting, and that the next generation of leaders has a vital role to play in that mission.
Kathy spent her career as an Earth Sciences professor at MSU, studying the very landscapes she and Tim called home. Tim, a local entrepreneur, channeled his success into his community and the causes he cared about most. Together, they were passionate advocates for Montana’s wildlife, and the fellowship they’ve endowed is a direct extension of that passion.
Graduate students supported by the Crawford Fellowship will pursue research, education, and outreach focused on wildlife habitat, work that happens in the field, in the lab, and in the communities that depend on healthy ecosystems. Master’s students may receive up to $10,000 per year for up to three years, while doctoral students are eligible for the same annual award for up to five years. With the endowment expected to generate approximately $1.2 million in scholarships annually, the fellowship will touch dozens of students and research projects each year.
What sets the Crawford Fellowship apart is its deliberately broad reach. While wildlife and environmental science students are natural candidates, the program actively welcomes applicants from across the university: engineering, business, art, nursing, and beyond. The Crawfords understood that solving complex conservation challenges requires more than field biologists. It takes communicators, economists, designers, and health professionals working alongside scientists to craft solutions that stick. The fellowship is built on that conviction.
For those who love Montana, who have bought land here, raised families here, or feel the pull of its open spaces — the Crawford Wildlife Habitat Graduate Fellowship represents something profound: a reminder that stewardship of this place is a shared responsibility, and that investing in the people who will carry that responsibility forward may be the most lasting conservation act of all.
The endowment was partially funded by the sale of NF Ranch On The Mussleshell River. Craig Janssen and Jack McInerney of Swan Land Company were proud to be a part of this transaction!
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