Betsy Palmer, a 54-year-old associate professor of education at Montana State University (MSU), died May 20 of injuries suffered in a landslide while travelling in Nepal.

Palmer and a group of 16 students were on an extended expedition to an isolated village in the Arun River Valley in the Himalayas as part of 'Great Expeditions', a University Honors Program course. All students escaped unhurt.

The university is currently collaborating with the U.S. Embassy, Senator Max Baucus' office and emergency transport services in Nepal to speed up the students' arrival in the country.

The extended trek was the final phase of an educational outreach trip to study and examine the education and economic development in remote areas of the developing Third World.

Tracy Ellig, spokesman for MSU, said that the group left May 10 and was supposed to return home May 27.

Palmer's tenure at Montana started more than a decade ago, teaching varied courses at the university - statistics and research methods courses, in addition to programs that concentrated on college student research and theory, student services, and college curriculum and teaching.

Apart from teaching, she has also spent a considerable amount of time conducting research on college students and the institutional methods to improve the results for students.

"Betsy was a strong, spirited, amazing woman filled with graciousness and kindness for every person she met. She was a gifted and award-winning teacher, researcher, and scholar because she cared deeply about her students and was passionate about finding ways to promote their success and well-being throughout their college experiences," said her friend and colleague Jayne Downey, head of the MSU Department of Education.

Last May, Palmer was conferred with MSU Department of Education's Outstanding Research Award.