Author, attorney Michael Punke to deliver Montana State’s First Year Student Convocation lecture Aug. 19

BOZEMAN - Michael Punke, an attorney and author whose literary work includes the novel "Fire and Brimstone," will speak at Montana State University's First Year Student Convocation on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. The event will be held in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and is open to the public. Tickets are not required.

Punke is an acclaimed writer whose first novel, "The Revenant," published in 2002, was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller and was published in more than 20 languages. The novel was adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie in 2015.

Born in Torrington, Wyoming, Punke earned his bachelor's degree from George Washington University and a law degree from Cornell Law School. Punke has worked in the public policy domain for more than 30 years, including serving as the U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization in Switzerland from 2010 to 2017. He previously served in staff positions in the U.S. Senate. He later worked on the White House National Security Council and the National Economic Council. In addition to writing, Punke currently works as the vice president for global public policy at Amazon Web Services. He lives in Montana with his wife Traci, a Livingston native. They have two adult children.

MSU first-year students are asked to read "Fire and Brimstone" in advance of the Aug. 19 event and will be provided a copy as a gift from the MSU President's Office.

"Michael Punke's book 'Fire and Brimstone' will expand the understanding of Montana's history by members of the incoming first-year class and members of the MSU community," Cruzado said. "We are happy that Punke will help us celebrate the beginning of these students' college experience."

MSU's First Year Convocation is the formal welcome of the incoming class, where the university focuses attention on the start of the academic, intellectual and personal journeys of first-year students. Convocation demonstrates the support of the university and community to help students reach the goal of becoming the graduating class of 2029. Punke's presentation will be part of MSU's 18th convocation.

For more information about MSU's 2025 First Year Student Convocation, visit montana.edu/convocation.