UND UNVEILS NEW BRAND · UND UNVEILS NEW BRAND. ... Designer fellow classmates. 42 ADDITIONS &...

UND UNVEILS NEW BRAND

UND graduates are leaders in action. A new branding initiative will share

that message with the world. p. 6

Photo by Sam Melquist

Winter 2017

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H A PPY

HOLIDAYSFrom your University of North Dakota family.

Photos by Sam Melquist

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CONTENTS4 MESSAGE FROM DEANNA Counting our blessings at the end of another exciting year at UND.

6 LEADERS IN ACTION UND defines its vision for the future with a new branding initiative.

10 WHY BRANDS MATTER UND Assistant Professor Jen Stoner explains why companies—and universities—need strong brands.

14 PASSION FOR PRESERVATION 2006 graduate's company gets vintage WWII aircraft flying again.

20 HOMECOMING RECAP We lived for gameday during Homecoming 2017.

22 CAMPUS NEWS The latest news from your alma mater.

32 THE UND PROMISE A match program can double your gift and help students at UND.

36 ALUMNI NEWS Who’s doing what: news about your fellow classmates.

42 ADDITIONS & CELEBRATIONS Celebrating alumni weddings, anniversaries, and births.

48 IN MEMORIAM

FIND THE FLAME We’ve cleverly hidden the UND flame somewhere on our cover. Find it for a chance to win a prize! Simply e-mail [email protected] and give a detailed description of the flame’s location. Subject line: Found the flame.

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ALUMNI REVIEW | VOL. 100 NO. 3 | WINTER 2017

CEO | DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86

Editor | Milo Smith

Associate Editor | Alyssa Konickson, ’06

Designer | Sam Melquist

Contributing Writers

Kaylee Cusack, ’10, ’12

David Dodds, ’88

Jan Orvik, ’94

Contributing Photographers

Tyler Ingham

Jackie Lorentz

Sam Melquist

Shawna Noel Schill, ’06

UND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair | Doug Podolak, ’72

Vice Chair | Rick Lee, ’78

Directors

Cindy Blikre, ’91; Steve Burian, ’90, ’92; Kris Compton, ’77; Jody Feragen, ’78; Sara Garland, ’68, ’72; Phil Gisi, ’82; Dr. John Gray, ’87; Mike Hamerlik, ’84, ’88; Marten Hoekstra, ’82; Linda Laskowski, ’72, ’73; Doug Mark, ’86; Rob Mitchell, ’74; Carrie McIntyre Panetta, ’88; Fernanda Philbrick, ’94, ’96; Jim Poolman, ’92; Jodi Rolland, ’92; Cathy Rydell, ’88; Dave Saggau, ’86, ’89; Chad Wachter; and Terri Zimmerman, ’85.

Ex Officio

Laura Block, ’81, ’10; Alice Brekke, ’79, ’87; Mark Kennedy; DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86; Tom DiLorenzo and Dr. Joshua Wynne.

The University of North Dakota Alumni Review (USPS 018089: ISSN 0895-5409) is published three times a year by the University of North Dakota Alumni Association, 3501 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.

Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Alumni Review, 3501 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.

For inquiries about advertising, additional copies, reprints, submissions, or general comments, contact 800.543.8764, 701.777.0831 or [email protected].

ALUMNI REVIEWUniversity of North Dakota Alumni Association

4 Alumni Review | Winter 2017

DEANNA’S LETTER

As another incredible year nears its conclusion, I’m struck by what an honor it is to be a part of the University of North Dakota alumni family and what a privilege I have every day to interact with that family.

For example, in early November, alumnus Mike Hamerlik, '84, '88, generously hosted a party before UND played Wisconsin in Men's Hockey. What a special evening it was with so many like-minded UND Fighting Hawks fans sharing stories and school spirit.

In October we kicked off our second century of Homecomings with a spirited week of student and alumni events. The annual Sioux Awards Banquet is always one of my favorite events as hearing our accomplished alumni talk about what a large role UND has had in their success is truly inspiring. We had nearly 100 students whose tickets were provided by generous alumni and friends of UND.

Following the event, one of the students in attendance posted on social media that “It was beyond inspiring to see international leaders speak about the virtues that made them successful. Even more so, it’s energizing to see how far other small-town North Dakotans have come and how large their hearts have grown with compassion and generosity. All in all, it was a great night that has made me aspire to be as generous, loving and passionate as our greatest alumni!”

Wow! That is what the Sioux Awards are all about.

Many thanks to our Homecoming primary sponsor Rydell Cars and sponsor Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau for their contributions that made it another fantastic UND Homecoming.

UND Promise I have a unique opportunity for you to impact students in dramatic fashion. Under the UND Promise Scholarship program, your gift to UND will be matched dollar for dollar through a fund created by an anonymous donor. If you’d like to contribute to an endowment, the match is 50 cents for every dollar donated.

The goal of the UND Promise program is to increase the amount of money available for freshman recruitment scholarships. We want to help UND recruit the best and brightest high school seniors.

You can read more about the UND Promise on page 32. You’ll meet UND senior Max Ramstad and learn what his scholarship has meant to him. UND President Mark Kennedy also weighs in on the importance of making a strong commitment to prospective high-achieving high school seniors.

There is some urgency if you’d like to participate in the program. In order to receive a match for your gift, you need to make a donation by December 31. So please, during this season of giving, consider giving a life-changing gift for the benefit of a UND student. You can impact the lives of many by showing faith in one.

We can answer all of your questions about year-end giving. Contact us at 800.543.8764 or [email protected].

Leaders in Action We are playing a role in helping UND reach its goal of being the premier flagship university in the Northern Plains, a vision that's part of the One UND Strategic Plan unveiled in May. Several members of our staff are serving on committees tasked with coming up with steps to implement the plan. Our involvement is especially relevant in the goal to attract support for UND by actively engaging alumni and donors.

Speaking of leaders, I want to welcome Jim Poolman, '92, to our Board of Directors. Jim has a strong background in public service — he served in the North Dakota Legislature and as Insurance Commissioner — and as a businessman. He has been a strong advocate for UND, and I look forward to having him serve with the rest of our board to elevate the University.

Here's wishing you a holiday season filled with the love of family and friends and may the new year bring you great happiness!

Sincerely,

COUNTING BLESSINGS Dear Alumni & Friends,


COUNTING BLESSINGS Dear Alumni & Friends, IMPACT

THE LIVES OF MANY

BY HAVING FAITH IN

ONEMAX RAMSTAD, ’18Delano, Minnesota Scholarship recipient

Multiply your impact by giving to the UND Promise Scholarship program. Strengthen UND’s ability to recruit high ability first year and transfer students. Your faith in one has the ability to shape leaders in action at UND. There are two ways your support can be multiplied. Ready to make an impact?

Contact Shane Hersch at (800) 543-8764 or visit UNDalumni.org/promise

MULTIPLY YOUR IMPACT #UNDPROMISE

UND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP

NOW UNTIL DEC 31


FEATURE

LEADERS IN ACTIONNew brand identity chosen, work underway to share the message.There’s just something about the graduates of the University of North Dakota.

They’re committed. They’re practical. They’re proud. They’re innovative, approachable and bold.

UND grads are leaders in action. They know it, they show it – now, we want to share it.

After months of brand research, stakeholder surveys and focus groups, the UND marketing initiative is moving forward with a brand identity that revolves around the tagline Leaders in Action.

“A recurring theme I hear from alumni is that UND graduates are in demand because they are prepared and committed to getting to work to make an impact, to lead,” UND President Mark Kennedy said. “They personify Theodore Roosevelt’s exhortation to ‘Get Action.’ Before UND began amplifying our marketing by upgrading our website and making significant advertising expenditures, it was vital to make a relatively minor investment to first capture the essence of what it means to be a UND graduate.”

“We’re about North Dakota, we’re about people who do hard work,” said UND Executive Director of Marketing & Creative Services Sarah Nissen. “We’re ready to take on big challenges and we make impacts on the world. We’re leaders in action. This is who we are.”

“The new visual design supports the brand message. The design is bold and features dynamic graphic elements that express the concept of ‘action,’” UND Marketing & Creative Services Art Director and Brand Manager Carrie Huwe said.

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ON MESSAGESignage around campus demonstrates that UND is getting the message out that its students are taking action to better themselves and the world around them. Photo by Milo Smith


Tera Buckley, assistant marketing director of web and digital strategies, said the new marketing materials are about more than the right colors, fonts and logos. “More importantly, they carry UND’s distinctive storytelling about our people, our place and our promise. The new website will prominently feature these stories,” she said.

Huwe adds that it’s important to know that “brand” isn’t just a tagline or set of graphics – it’s how people feel when they interact with the University of North Dakota.

“Who we are isn’t new; what we’re creating is a new way to express what’s already there,” she explained. “We’ve always been leaders in action. But now we have a better way to clearly and consistently share that message.”

Investing in the Strategic Plan The investment in UND’s brand research and development will translate directly into metrics that support the One UND Strategic Plan (see p. 9).

A study published in the Journal of Brand Management puts it simply: “Results from successful university branding campaigns include: increased admission applications and better student qualifications; increased retention rates for professors and students; increased faculty recruitment, recognition and donors; and increased graduation rates.” All of these benefits add jet fuel to the power of the plan.

“Leaders in Action expresses what makes the UND educational experience unique. Our graduates not only know the theory, but they have been in action – delivering healthcare in simulated medical

settings, deliberating in a mock courtroom, making discoveries in laboratories, building a robot, teaching in classrooms, flying a plane or operating an unmanned vehicle,” President Kennedy said. “Goal One of our strategic plan commits UND to embed these experiential learning opportunities in every degree.”

UND Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tom DiLorenzo added that the brand message will not only recruit, but also retain the best of the best, driving the action items of Goals Two and Three.

“What we’re trying to show is that at UND you will get your college degree, but you’re really going to be able to affect change wherever you go out into the world,” DiLorenzo said.

Why Leaders in Action? After assessing more than 500 survey responses from UND stakeholders this spring, the branding firm guiding UND to its fresh persona led several weeks of more intimate focus groups in which prospective and current students, alumni, staff, faculty and others discussed and evaluated many branding options.

The Leaders in Action tagline tested well across all groups and was chosen unanimously by students who thought it showed UND was committed to giving them the skills they need to be leaders. The focus groups liked that the phrase encapsulated what differentiates UND from its competitors – a community environment driven by the development of people.

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LEADING THE CHARGEUND President Mark Kennedy shares the branding initiative and strategic plan at the fall Wake Up to UND event. Photo by Shawna Noel Schill

T HE ONE UND

STRATEGIC PLANCORE VALUESCommunity A spirit of collaboration and connectedness across the University and beyond

Discovery An enthusiasm for inquiry, creativity, and innovation

Diversity An understanding and appreciation of diverse people, experiences, and ideas

Inclusivity A welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment for all

Liberal Arts An educational foundation essential for living an intellectually curious, personally fulfilling, and socially responsible life

Lifelong Learning A passion for learning, civic engagement, and community leadership

GOALSLearning Goal 1: Provide a strong undergraduate liberal arts foundation

Goal 2: Increase undergraduate, graduate and professional retention and graduation rates

Goal 3: Deliver more educational opportunity online and on-campus

Discovery Goal 4: Enhance discovery at a level consistent with the most research-intensive Universities (Carnegie R1)

Engagement Goal 5: Foster a welcoming, safe, and inclusive campus climate

Goal 6: Meet educational needs of active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their families

Goal 7: Attract support for the university by actively engaging alumni and donors

Read more at UNDalumni.org/alumnireview

UND’s audiences and stakeholders have been confused, Nissen said, because the institution doesn’t share a single, consistent personality. President Kennedy agreed that a solid brand message was paramount to making One UND work.

“Leaders in Action is meant to be the glue that unites and gives voice to UND’s other branding elements,” President Kennedy said. “Our academic logo reflecting our unrelenting passion that no matter how frigid or harsh the weather; our eternal flame is always lit and always in action, bending to the winds of change, but never surrendering to it; our Fighting Hawk logo embodying the determination to rise above expectations and challenges to find a path to victory that has always been the trademark of UND athletics.”

Implementation plan Buy-in from staff and faculty will be important to make the new brand work. The UND design team will be assisting other marketing and design staff across campus in applying the new elements to their communications, offering training sessions that outline the new identity guidelines.

“We’re excited and we’re hopeful that people will grab onto this and really jump on board, because this is going to elevate UND in ways we’ve never been able to before,” Nissen said. ///

— By Kaylee Cusack, UND Today writer


WHY BRANDS MATTER UND's Dr. Jennifer Stoner explains why companies — and universities — need strong brands.

FEATURE

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The word brand may automatically bring to mind iconic logos such as Apple’s Apple, taglines like “Just Do It” or even sounds like NBC’s three-toned chime, but a brand is much more than merely these symbols of its identity.

For companies, brands are valuable assets. Companies invest extensive resources to grow and protect brands. Interbrand, a brand consultancy firm, recently valued the Google brand at $184 billion. That’s larger than the gross domestic product as reported by the World Bank of Belarus, Bulgaria, and Guatemala combined. The ultimate value of a brand for a company comes from the effect a brand has on consumer behavior; this impact may come in the form of willingness to pay a higher price, positive word of mouth, avoidance of switching to other brands, and even resistance to negative information. Investor Warren Buffett has long touted the value of powerful brands in order to ensure future financial success. He has likened a strong brand name to a barrier that protects the company from assaults by outside forces such as competitors or unfavorable environmental trends. But brands not only serve an important role for the companies and investors who own them, they are also important to consumers.


DR. JENNIFER STONERteaches marketing in the UND College of Business and Public Administration. Photo by Sam Melquist

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Picture driving in an unfamiliar area. On the horizon you see golden arches, Colonel Sanders' face, and a green mermaid. While these symbols immediately tell you your options for food are McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks, they also bring with them a host of feelings and judgments that lead to expectations about the type of food, price range, and service that these establishments will offer. You may also feel drawn by a sense of loyalty to one of these restaurants. All these judgments, feelings, and relationships – both positive and negative – are part of a brand’s equity. These brand associations not only help to set expectations for the product or service experience but also allow consumers to understand the similarities and differences between brands and ultimately help to simplify the decision making process. Instead of checking prices and menus at each of these restaurants, a consumer knows what to expect even without having visited that specific location.

Choosing the wrong restaurant for a pit stop may leave someone unsatisfied, hungry, and out a few dollars, but an error in that decision is relatively risk free. However, brands play an arguably more important role when the decision involves high financial, physical, or psychological risk such as when choosing a car or university. The negative impact of a bad choice in these situations may linger for years or even a lifetime. In these high-risk choice situations, a brand may be eliminated from any consideration merely because of its brand associations. For instance, when choosing a car to purchase, certain brands may be disregarded before even visiting a dealership or googling information because of the perception that they are inadequate on valued attributes such as safety, reliability, fuel efficiency, or cost.

In such a situation, brands may also be eliminated from consideration because a consumer is unsure of what the brand associations are. Consumers may hear one message from company sponsored advertisements or social media posts, gain a conflicting view of the brand via word of mouth from other consumers, and then have a completely different experience once they interact with the brand themselves. Brand imagery is co-created in that it is built not only by the company’s marketing messages but with every touchpoint that a consumer has with that brand. When consumers

receive conflicting information, they become confused about what that brand stands for and whether it is appropriate for them. That is why the strongest brands, in both high- and low-risk choice situations, strive to have a consistent image and message regardless of where the consumer comes in contact with them.

In addition to aiding in purchase situations, brands also have a way of connecting consumers with times, places, and people. When moving to a new area of the country or the world, people often find themselves reaching for a brand that helps them reconnect with “home.” There might be brands that activate memories of a specific person or of a special time and consuming that brand helps create a sense of nostalgia. Some of you have probably made pilgrimages to Red Pepper when you return to Grand Forks to reconnect with your college days.

Brands also serve an important role as social signals. The brands a person uses can say a lot about that person. In my undergraduate classes here at UND, I always have students list their five favorite brands at the beginning of the semester so that I can try to make in-class examples more relatable. About a month later, I’ll display several PowerPoint slides that have logos representing a student’s five favorite brands and say “What can you tell me about this person?” My class has made correct assessments of the person’s gender, values such as environmental consciousness, hobbies, hometown, and, in one case, the person’s fraternity all based on only five brands. The power of brands to signal affiliations should come as no surprise to anyone who is a sports fans and has donned apparel with a team logo to signal belonging to that fan base and not an opposing one.

The role of brands as social signals, points of connection to places and people, and bases of decisions, is not built overnight. Quality brand building is a long-term strategy enacted through repeated reinforcement and reminders of important brand associations. Making a commitment to the brand can help companies gain a competitive advantage over companies who either won’t or can’t make the same commitment to their brand. The cookie aisle in a grocery store demonstrates a perfect example of why brands are important and how a commitment to brand building can pay off. Oreos in every variety line a large space of shelves in this aisle: from Double Stuf to seasonal offerings like the Fireworks Oreo, an Oreo with popping candy in its filling. However, any shopper would be hard pressed to find a package of Hydrox cookies: a crème filled chocolate sandwich cookie which predates the Oreo. After marketing juggernaut Nabisco brought Oreo to market, Hydrox found itself being labeled a generic or copycat Oreo, and its claim of being the original questioned by consumers. The case of Oreo and Hydrox is just a simple example of the power and importance of brands. Companies invest heavily in building, leveraging, and protecting their brands because they want to be the Oreo, not the Hydrox. ///

“Brands also have a way of connecting consumers with times, places, and people.”DR. JENNIFER STONER


FEATURE

“When you drill down to the true motivation of our clients worldwide, it is to honor veterans and their service or sacrifice — that is a great honor and responsibility bestowed upon us.”ERIC TRUEBLOOD, ’06

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Eric Trueblood, ’06, recipient of a 2017 Young Alumni Achievement Award, is founder of a company that restores World War II aircraft to flying condition.

A PA S SION FOR

PRESERVATION

ERIC TRUEBLOODin front of a TBM-3E Avenger. While not a full restoration project, AirCorps Aviation was hired to attach a new wing to the naval torpedo bomber.All photos by Sam Melquist

The experts at AirCorps Aviation of Bemidji, Minnesota, restore warplanes that dominated the skies during WWII. Each plane, says founder Eric Trueblood, ’06, has a unique story to tell of the men and women who assembled it, the pilot who flew it, and the contribution each made to history.

In the following pages, you'll find photographs taken during a typical day at AirCorps Aviation as workers begin the painstaking restoration of their latest project, a P-47D Thunderbolt recovered from Dobodura Airfield on Papua New Guinea where it was abandoned in 1944.


RIVETERSCraftsmen at AirCorps Aviation rebuild parts that are missing or too damaged to return to airworthiness. Here, Randy Kraft inspects rivets on the vertical stabilizer tail section of the P-47D Thunderbolt.

AIRWORTHYWorkers try to restore as many parts as possible, but rebuilds of this magnitude require fabrication of components to exact original specifications.

HIDDEN SIGNATURESAfter receiving surplus parts for use in the

restoration of a P-47D Thunderbolt, workers at AirCorps Aviation discovered two names

written in grease pencil inside a wing. In telling the stories of those who served, AirCorps has begun a search for Eva and Edith. These two

women undoubtedly worked on construction of the wing, which came off a Thunderbolt that was

built in Buffalo, New York, during WWII.

RESTORATIONBecause of the complexity and size of its restoration projects, AirCorps Aviation tackles just two restorations on the shop floor at a time. A single restoration can take up to 30,000 man hours.

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PAINSTAKING PROCESSTo resurrect, rebuild, and assemble the 45,000+ parts in an airframe it can take three to four years for AirCorps Aviation's three dozen employees to restore a plane to its former self.

RIVETSAirCorps is known worldwide

for meticulous detail with a goal toward authenticity. Even parts

like rivets are reproduced to WWII specifications.

FABRICATIONWorkers use 1940's factory drawings and modern technologies like 3D scanning to reverse engineer, fabricate and assemble parts for their restoration projects.


FUSELAGEThis P-47D Thunderbolt was found abandoned in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Once restored, the aircraft will retake the skies as if it rolled out of the factory. It will be one of only two Thunderbolts of this variant still flying in the entire world.

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LOPE'S HOPEThe restoration of this P-51C Mustang, Lope's Hope

3rd, was completed this fall. The restoration was commissioned by the Texas Flying Legends Museum. The

plane was restored and painted to honor WWII Ace Lt. Donald Lopez Sr. Lopez was instrumental in the opening of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and

served as its deputy director and chief historical architect. Photo Courtesy of John LaTourelle

SPARE PARTSAirCorps Aviation will inspect, restore, and reassemble as many original parts as possible. These wings, awaiting disassembly, are for a P-47.

“While these veterans are still alive, I think a lot of our work has been focused on trying to tell their stories.”ERIC TRUEBLOOD, ’06


HOMECOMING RECAP

We celebrated 100 years of UND Homecomings in 2016, which means we kicked off a new century of tradition this year by "Living for Gameday."

HO ME CO MI NG RECAP

EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE!There were more than 60 entries in the Homecoming Parade, including students representing dozens of campus organizations. Photo by Shawna Noel Schill

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HO ME CO MI NG RECAP

HOMECOMING COURTUND elected a Homecoming Court this year, rather than a King and Queen. The Court is (from l-r): Rachael Fix, Alissa Dahle-Koch, Sean McHale, Abigail Wright, and Faith Maendel.Photo by Shawna Noel Schill

PAINT THE TOWNMembers of Delta Gamma gave downtown Grand Forks a UND makeover in advance of Homecoming 2017. Photo by Tyler Ingham

FANATIC FIGHTING HAWK FANS10,234 UND fans attended the Homecoming game, where they witnessed UND beat Northern Colorado 48-38. Photo by Shawna Noel Schill


The entrance to the UND Athletics High Performance Center is now named in honor of UND's first All-American football player and the Athletic Director who brought men's hockey to national prominence. A ceremony was held October 20 to dedicate Glenn "Red" Jarrett Way.

Jarrett was a student-athlete in the late '20s/early '30s who lettered in football, basketball, and track and field. He later coached and became Athletic Director at UND. Members of his family were on hand to dedicate Glenn "Red" Jarrett Way. His grandson showed the crowd his grandfather's vintage football helmet from his time as a UND running back.

NE W S FROM A ROUND CA MPUS

WHAT’S NEW

Photo by Jackie Lorentz

CAMPUS NEWS

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We are well underway in yet another academic year at the University of North Dakota. The fall season has come and gone in a flash of bustling activity and progress that leaves one excited for what is to come at UND.

Now, as the snow begins to fall on our campus, we are reminded of the landscape that has helped shape the resiliency which defines the mindset of our communities. The determination and readiness that underpins this quality in our students, staff, faculty, and alumni has helped to form the direction for our university’s new branding initiative: Leaders in Action.

This branding effort is just one of many steps we are undertaking to advance our One UND strategic plan. It is the result of deep reflection of how we project what it means to be the University of North Dakota. The importance of properly illustrating our story is at the heart of our engagement with prospective students and alumni alike. While we all have our own reasons for cherishing this school, we also need to be able to show the state, region, and nation what makes UND so great.

It is for this reason that we have developed a brand that defines who we are. Through this initiative, we have an opportunity to effectively demonstrate what it means to be UND. As leaders, we equip our students with the readiness and desire to make an impact in their communities, family, and professional careers. Through our action, we represent the hard work and achievement that defines who we are at the University of North Dakota.

Because of this focus, it should come as no surprise that we have been drawing inspiration from those who have graduated from our school. Indeed, our alumni are the manifestation of Leaders in Action, serving as a testament to this expression through their accomplishments. Through this branding effort, our hope is that we can instill an even greater sense of pride in your alma mater.

The arrival of a new academic year also meant the start of a new season for our athletics programs as well. Debbie and I have already had the pleasure of cheering on our teams as they compete in their fall and winter seasons. I have often said that athletics are the front door to a university, they bring excitement and often serve as an introduction to the school for many prospective students.

As you may have heard, Brian Faison, our Athletic Director for nearly a decade, will be retiring from his position at the end of the December. In his time at UND, Brian has amassed a number of tremendous accomplishments: the successful transition to Division I, record years in fundraising, leading the formation of the NCHC hockey conference, academic honors for student-athletes, and last year’s awarding of the Big Sky Presidents’ Cup recognizing the success of our teams in the field of competition and the classroom.

Brian’s talents will be sorely missed, but it also presents an exciting prospect for the next chapter of our athletics program. Our next Athletic Director will have the opportunity to lead our university into new conferences and seasons, providing more excitement and introducing an even greater number of people to UND. This too serves a function in our branding, as our athletics are often a window to the tremendous aspects of our school.

Studies have shown that a prospective student decides whether they want to attend a university within seven minutes of stepping foot on a campus. Due to this fact, it is essential that we are highly conscious of the physical appearance of our campus. By February, we will have completed a Master Planning process which looks closely at how we are utilizing our campus facilities, creating a roadmap for the future development of UND. It is our goal to create a modern campus that will match a 21st century education, requiring us to be acutely aware of the endeavors that are yet to come at the University of North Dakota.

I would like to close by wishing you all the best as we approach the holiday season. This time of year often leads us to reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for, and this is certainly the case for Debbie and myself. We are often humbled by the pride and passion that many hold in their hearts for the University of North Dakota and it continuously serves to motivate us as we progress toward an even greater institution. The promise of the future for the University of North Dakota shines bright, and we are excited to achieve everything together as One UND.

PRE SIDEN T M A R K K ENNEDY

DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS


University surges in 2018 ‘Best Colleges’ rankings, joining elite company.

CAMPUS NEWS

UND A MONG T OP 25

LEADERS IN INNOVATION

Many of the University of North Dakota’s streets carry the names of well-known national universities – Stanford Road, Harvard Street and Berkeley Drive, to name a few. They’ve always been reminders of the caliber of institution UND aspires to match.

Now UND has come to a new crossroad by joining those schools on the route of innovation.

UND landed on the 2018 U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top 25 Most Innovative Schools, placing it in the company of those very colleges – Stanford, Harvard, and Berkeley – and other innovation powerhouses like Cal-Tech, Chicago, Duke, MIT and Yale.

“Being included amongst the ranks of these universities rewards the hard work of all that raised our banner high,” said UND President Mark Kennedy. “It’s gratifying to see the innovative spirit of UND’s faculty and staff being recognized.”

The University scooped up other notable positions in several of U.S. News & World Report’s recently released rankings:

• UND was the highest-ranked university in North Dakota, coming in at 192 on the list of the Best National Universities – a rise of 10 places from last year.

• UND was ranked 102 in Top Public Schools – an 8-position increase.

• UND was named 216 on the top 250 list of Best Undergraduate Business Programs, making it the only ranked program in the state.

• The University also was named number 7 in the nation for rural medicine.

Leaning Forward For three years, U.S. News has surveyed college presidents, provosts and admissions deans, asking them to nominate the institutions they believe are making the most cutting-edge changes.

This was the first time UND gathered enough peer recognition to land in the top 25.

“To have other academic presidents and provosts elevate UND to the ranks of the

nation’s 25 finest universities in innovation means that they have heard of the many advances springing forth from the ‘lean forward into the future’ attitude that permeates our campus culture,” President Kennedy said.

Nominations were based on innovations in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. A look around the UND campus reveals that the honor is well-earned.

Online Development As a part of the One UND Strategic Plan, the University is driving efforts to create more opportunities for online learning, building on an already strong reputation for online programs.

The project manager in charge of this goal, UND Psychology Chair Jeff Holm, said his team has offered forums, best practices support, and other assistance to faculty to help develop these courses and programs – and they’ve embraced the challenge.

“We’re looking for a way to separate ourselves from other universities,” Holm said. “We have every intention of being better two years from now than we are today.”

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UAS Education & Research UND has become a national leader in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), finding new ways to collaborate with industry and create a leading-edge experience for students.

In the last year alone, UND pioneered the collaborative Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS) and became the first school to have its UAS degree program accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International under newly established UAS criteria. UAS has quickly ignited interdisciplinary partnerships all over campus.

Active Learning UND is reimagining spaces on campus to fit the active learning styles of a new generation.

This fall, the math department welcomed students into the new Math Active Learning Lab (MALL), and the Department of Communication began using its technology-forward DigiComm lab – both spaces that use innovative curricula developed by UND faculty.

“We’ve been looking to upgrade the teaching spaces for the past few years with technology, so those areas have been important pieces,” UND Provost Tom DiLorenzo said. “We’re also creating innovation labs in new spaces throughout the University.”

Entrepreneurial Drive UND is driving business innovation in the state of North Dakota.

The UND Center for Innovation has helped regional business owners give life to their ideas, sparking an accelerated rate of new companies in the area and beyond. The Center supports startups through business coaching and collaboration, and fosters learning experiences for UND students.

“People are looking at our cutting-edge programs, such as the Center for Innovation and Dakota Venture Group – the only student-managed investment group in the nation,” said Laurie Betting, interim director of the Center and senior advisor to President Kennedy. “We are continuing to build on these successes.”

Health and Wellness UND leads the pack in finding innovative ways to ensure the physical and mental health of its students, faculty and staff.

Wellness Center and Health & Wellness promotion programs continue to garner national recognitions. UND was also one of the first higher education institutions to become a member of CEO Cancer Gold Standard, with workplace initiatives focused on cancer risk reduction and early detection.

Open Educational Resources UND has turned classroom innovation into student savings by embracing the implementation of open educational resources (OER).

These free digital resources will have the potential to save students nearly $4 million in textbook costs over just three years. As more faculty incorporate OER, the savings will grow.

Betting said that these recognitions are a wonderful acknowledgement, adding that although North Dakotans aren’t known for boasting, it’s a great opportunity to highlight UND’s growing excellence.

“The pursuit of our One UND Strategic Plan to continue to be

a premier flagship will drive our innovation in response to the needs of students, the citizens of North Dakota, business and global enterprise,” she said, “all as we teach, discover and engage as leaders in action.” ///

-Kaylee Cusack with Jan Orvik/UND Today writers


Andrew Hollingsworth loves to be in the air.

“There’s no feeling in the world like rotating the control wheel, taking off, and soaring with the wind beneath your wings,” he said. “It’s what I want to do.”

Thanks to a relaunched program, Hollingsworth is able to pursue his dream of being a pilot.

The National Merit Scholarship, which provides high-achieving students a tuition and fee waiver, is back in place after being inactive for several years.

Hollingsworth didn’t plan it, but he was instrumental in re-establishing the program.

“I was looking at my college options during senior year,” said the Fargo native, a

sophomore who is majoring in commercial aviation and flight education. “NDSU offered me a full ride with a National Merit Scholarship.”

He had been interested in UND since a fifth-grade field trip to campus, and met with a UND admissions representative to see what the University could offer to students like him. After he mentioned that he had been offered the National Merit Scholarship by NDSU, the admissions representative felt Hollingsworth just might be the case model for reinstating the scholarship.

Interim UND President Ed Schafer approved the request, and Hollingsworth was the lone recipient last year.

This year, 11 students received the scholarship, the most ever at UND and up from a previous high of two.

Best and Brightest “This new scholarship is crucial in helping attract National Merit Scholars to campus,” said Jenn Aamodt. “These students are the best and brightest and are real leaders in the classroom and beyond. They raise the bar for all students in research, problem solving, creativity and innovation.”

National Merit Finalists and Semi-Finalists from North Dakota and Minnesota are eligible to receive the scholarship, which covers full tuition and fees. It’s renewable for up to three years, and can be awarded in addition to other scholarships and tuition waivers.

“I probably couldn’t swing both tuition and flight school,” said Hollingsworth. “UND’s package was really great.” He also received a freshman flight school scholarship, which allowed him to earn his pilot’s license.

Hollingsworth, a former UND swimmer, also works at the UND pool as a swim instructor and lifeguard, teaching 3-year-olds to advanced levels.

“I have four younger brothers and love being around kids,” he said. “It’s fun.

“I love it here, and am really glad I came to UND,” Hollingsworth said. “Aerospace is a great program. This is home for me. It’s awesome, and it feels right.” ///

—Jan Orvik/UND Today writer

National Merit Scholar Andrew Hollingsworth unintentionally relaunches high-achieving student program at UND.

CAMPUS NEWS

R A RE

AIRANDREW HOLLINGSWORTHdebated majoring in engineering or aerospace. His scholarship allowed him to take a semester of each major, helping him make a final choice. Photo by Tyler Ingham

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ROA D T O

RECOVERYUND student and brain injury survivor mixes empathy with compassionate care.Matt White is an intern for the Center for Rural Health North Dakota Brain Injury Network (NDBIN).

The Bismarck, North Dakota, native is majoring in rehabilitation and human services with a minor in psychology at UND. And even though working closely with NDBIN falls right in line with his career goals, White’s path actually began before the network even existed.

White started to get headaches when he was 14. At first, doctors didn’t think it was anything serious.

“They thought I was having migraines from the school lights, so they prescribed Tylenol 3 and sent me home,” said White.

But the headaches got worse. Doctors ordered a CT scan and determined he needed a craniotomy for drainage of a frontal intracranial abscess.

“It was essentially a sinus infection that ended up getting into my cranial cavity,” White said.

Doctors removed portions of his skull to clear the infection and replaced them with metal plates to help White heal from his surgery.

Doctors kept White in an induced coma for 30 hours to aid in his recovery, but shortly after waking him, they had him up and walking around. A few days later, White was discharged.

“I had a PICC line in my arm for nine months and received antibiotics through it three times a day,” said White.

White worked with a variety of healthcare professionals including physical, occupational and speech therapists.

“My speech had become slurred with a lot of mumbling and lack of enunciation. The surgery left me unable to use certain facial muscles or even wiggle my ears because my incisions went from ear to ear,” he said.

White’s college advisor suggested he pursue an internship with NDBIN at the Center for Rural Health. She knew it would be the perfect fit for him, both personally and professionally.

“Matt is wonderful to work with and is incredibly humble and open to learning as much as he can,” said Rebecca Quinn, NDBIN Program Director. “His past experiences have enhanced his education and allow him to have a deeper understanding about working with individuals dealing with a traumatic brain injury.”

White often accompanies Quinn when she conducts presentations on recognizing and diagnosing brain injuries. Quinn says White has developed brain injury learning guides for support groups in his short time at NDBIN and, when it comes to promoting the project through social media, White is the go-to guy.

White hopes that one day he’ll be a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. He hopes to turn his experience and his internship with the NDBIN into helping others who have gone through a life-altering event, such as a brain injury.

White believes it’s important for everyone to be educated when it comes to the brain. Don’t be afraid to see a different doctor or request certain services if you feel something is not right.

“I had no symptoms of a sinus infection. I was simply given Tylenol 3 to get me through the school day because I had migraines from the school lights,” said White.

White also offers this advice: “Whether it’s wearing a helmet, or recognizing the signs that something is not right with your head, always protect your noggin.” ///

—Marv Leier/UND Center for Rural Health

MATT WHITE,a UND student majoring in rehabilitation and minoring in psychology, is a brain injury survivor. He’s also an intern at the North Dakota Brain Injury Network, part of the Center for Rural Health at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Photo by Marv Leier


Examine your fingers. Which is longer – the index finger or the ring finger?

And can a difference in digits predict athletic ability? Grant Tomkinson, professor of kinesiology and public health education, decided to find out.

Tomkinson conducted separate research studies with his master’s student, Makailah Dyer, former UND Fighting Hawks women’s basketball standout, and his son, Jordan, a senior and basketball player at Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks.

Males typically have longer ring fingers than index fingers, or a lower digit ratio, than females, whose fingers are about the same length.

Though the relationship between digit ratio and athletic performance is generally stronger in males, important relationships have been found in females.

Dyer looked at digit ratio in semi-pro women basketball players in Australia.

“There is a favorable correlation between digit ratio and semi-pro women basketball players,” Dyer said. “If the fourth finger is longer than the second, you tend to be better at basketball, especially defensively.”

There is some indirect evidence, said Tomkinson, that the digit ratio is determined during early fetal development – as early as the second trimester of pregnancy – by the balance between the steroid hormones testosterone and estrogen. The developing ring finger has a high number of receptors for testosterone: the more testosterone the fetus produces, the longer the ring finger, and so the lower the digit ratio.

The digit ratio points to prenatal events that link with athletic performance, Dyer said.

“I was surprised – digit ratio is not something you’d normally look at,” she said. “It’s amazing. You can look at someone’s hand and potentially predict their athletic ability.”

Her work is under review by the American Journal of Human Biology.

Tomkinson said he encourages his students to publish their work.

“I hate seeing theses only bound and on a bookshelf,” Tomkinson said. “I want to help students publish so they’ll be ahead of the game. All my master’s students submit for publication and then finish their thesis.”

Tomkinson, who studies childhood obesity, physical activity and fitness, said he’s also interested in the quirky.

That interest in the road less traveled attracted his son, Jordan, to do research for his science fair project.

“My dad overheard me talking about what to do for the science fair, and he suggested I do something with digit ratio,” Jordan said. “I was hooked as soon as he started talking about it.”

Jordan measured the digit ratios of 57 male classmates at Sacred Heart.

“The hardest part was getting all the parents to sign consent forms,” he said. Then he tested the grip strength of his classmates.

CAMPUS NEWS

GRANT TOMKINSONCan a difference in finger length predict athletic ability? UND Professor Grant Tomkinson (above middle) conducted research studies with his master’s degree student, Makailah Dyer (right), former UND Fighting Hawks women’s basketball player, and his son, Jordan, a senior and basketball player at Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks. Photo by Jackie Lorentz

I T ’S A L L IN T HE

HANDSWorld-renowned UND kinesiologist joins grad student and own son in studies linking finger length to strength, athleticism

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DE A N’S CORNER College of Engineering & Mines

“The solutions to our current problems cannot be found from the level of consciousness that created them.” This quote, commonly

attributed to Albert Einstein, suggests that adopting the same old mindset to address new challenges will not produce adaptive solutions capable of effectively addressing these challenges.

Higher education today is facing many new challenges that require a new mindset. The cost of public higher education has gradually shifted from state and federal governments to students and families. With the advances in technology and the explosion in low- cost online course providers, universities are under pressure to reinvent themselves to maintain relevance for future students. Improving student retention and graduation rates continue to be among the major tasks facing most campuses today. In addition, employers continue to look for a qualified workforce and demand solutions to emerging problems that increasingly span multiple domains.

In the UND College of Engineering and Mines (CEM), we strive to cope with these challenges and adapt to change. We embrace a “We’ve got your back” attitude to promote innovation at all levels and across all activities – from increasing access and growing enrollment to retaining and creating more opportunities for students, and from improving efficiency and developing new resources to enhancing quality and incorporating new technology. Our faculty, staff, and students are encouraged and incentivized to leave their comfort zones and adopt an entrepreneurial mindset when seeking solutions to new problems. They are empowered to take risks and try new ideas without the fear of failure. Our new strategic plan CEM-2022, which is aligned well with the university-wide One UND strategic plan, is the road map during this time of transformational change to position our college at the right path for the future.

In addition to our strong on-campus programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, we are committed to expanding our online presence to create more learning opportunities to diverse groups of future students not limited to the traditional 18-year-old high school graduates. We are increasing our program offerings and research activities in strategically important areas including energy, data science, cyber security, human health, and autonomous systems.

After the department of Computer Science returned to its original home in CEM last July, we are now at the final approval stages to create the new School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, which will bring Computer Science and Electrical Engineering departments together under one umbrella within CEM. The new school will enhance the potential and capacity for developing interdisciplinary strength in both research and academic programs in several important and emerging areas including data science and cyber security. We are also committed to improving student retention and graduation rates via the enrichment of student experience inside and outside the classroom as well as the utilization of early-warning systems.

As a dean for nearly a decade, I have come to believe that to lead a transformational change, all stakeholders must rally behind a common vision that they all take a part in shaping and play a role in realizing. This is what I call the “power of togetherness.” Harnessing the power of togetherness is the most effective way to have a meaningful change and achieve results. I invite all of you to join our efforts to embrace positive change, to foster innovation, and to prepare our college for the challenges that we know and those that we don’t.

Hesham El-Rewini, Ph.D., P.E. Dean of the College of Engineering and Mines Senior Vice Provost of UND

“The length of the fourth finger compared to the second finger determines how strong you currently are and how much testosterone you were exposed to in the womb,” said Jordan. “Those with a longer fourth finger were stronger, even when we controlled for age and body size.”

Jordan’s science fair project took second place, and his dad suggested that Jordan publish his work.

It’s in the October 2017 issue of The Journal of Early Human Development.

“It’s all about trying to stand out and doing the extras,” said Tomkinson. “This is a high-level extra that will help him with college admissions and post-graduate work.”

“I’m glad to be part of this and glad my name is on a published paper,” said Jordan, who hopes to continue to play basketball, major in physical therapy, and earn his doctorate.

The research has already garnered attention in Tomkinson’s native Australia, and is gaining momentum in the U.S.

Beyond the quirky, there’s a question that goes beyond fun and games, said Tomkinson. Human development is dependent on genetics and environment.

“Between genetics and environment is the mother’s womb, a critical growth period,” Tomkinson said, adding that an expectant mother with healthy behaviors has a healthier baby.

“Good growth and development in the womb bodes well for not only athletic performance, but also good health,” Tomkinson said.

The long and short of it? Sporting success is in your hands. ///



CAMPUS NEWS

ENH A NCING

DISCOVERYUND’s new postdoctoral program adds capacity in the lab in support of strategic research goals.It’s called the snowball effect. And UND’s Postdoctoral Program is starting to roll. The program is designed to increase research capacity and help faculty obtain and manage more grants. As it grows, the program will be an important component in helping the University increase discovery and achieve Carnegie R1 status.

Initiated last year by Grant McGimpsey, Vice President for Research & Economic Development, the first round of the program co-funded 10 postdoctoral positions in response to proposals submitted by faculty researchers at UND. Each postdoctoral position was funded for two years, with support coming from the Office of Research and Economic Development and the college home of the faculty awardees. A call for proposals for the second round of the program was issued last month and up to 10 awards will be made in November.

The long-term plan, said McGimpsey, is to have a sustainable program with a steady population of 20 internally funded postdoctoral positions, which focus on one or more of UND’s Grand Challenges.

Snowball Effect “The faculty – postdoctoral relationship is a partnership,” McGimpsey said. “Postdocs are highly trained and highly productive. They conduct research and advise student research projects and they write manuscripts and proposals. Basically, they provide their faculty advisors more time to pursue external funding and manage more grants and hire more postdoctoral students. It’s a positive feedback loop where our initial investment can drive significant growth.”

In addition to more research funding, McGimpsey’s goal is to create a postdoctoral culture at UND, another strong indicator of Carnegie R1 status (Doctoral University-Highest Research Activity).

“A healthy research enterprise with a large postdoctoral population and a strong postdoctoral culture makes it easier to obtain more external funding and recruit more postdocs, creating a powerful snowball effect,” McGimpsey said. “If we have a strong postdoctoral culture at UND, it will be easier to recruit top faculty and students.”

And it’s working.

COLIN COMBS & HARPREET KAURColin Combs (left), Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Sciences, and his postdoc mentee, Harpreet Kaur, have two lines of research underway. Both target the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer’s and dementia. Photo by Jackie Lorentz

31 UNDalumni.org

Neurodegenerative Research Colin Combs, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and chair of biomedical sciences as the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, was able to use the program to recruit Harpreet Kaur to work with him on his nationally known Alzheimer’s and dementia research.

“The Postdoctoral Program is a big boost,” said Combs. “We’ve already gotten another grant from this. The program is doing what it’s intended to do. It’s a good program, and we’re very grateful for it. Harpreet wouldn’t be here without that funding, and she’s now received a three-year fellowship from the Alzheimer’s Association.”

Combs said that the outside grant means they won’t need the second year of funding from the program. “This helps us successfully compete for funding and bring in new people,” said Combs.

“I am so impressed with the work of Professor Combs and Dr. Kaur,” McGimpsey said, “and I am excited that the postdoctoral program has had a hand in their success to date. Dr. Combs and all the other faculty awardees should know that should their postdoc successfully obtain funding for their own support, the remainder of the award can be used to support a new postdoc.”

It’s not just about the funding. It’s about the work.

Combs is noted for his work on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and on neuroimmune interactions during aging. His research is supported by the highest-level grants from the National Institutes of Health and by private foundations such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.

“Alzheimer’s is a big problem in the United States and North Dakota,” said Combs. “We’d like to be able to provide something that improves the quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s, or delay progression of the disease.”

Two Strategies Combs and his postdocs are pursuing two strategies: classic drug discovery and therapeutic development.

“We identify something that’s wrong and find a drug to target that,” said Combs. The second strategy is to test existing therapies that may affect progression of the disease.

“Right now we’re researching a medical food – a probiotic – that so far has few side effects on patients,” Combs said. “It looks very promising and is hopefully quicker than the long-term strategy, which can take years.”

Kaur, who earned her Ph.D. from Panjab University in India, is interested in neuroinflammation.

“It plays a huge role in any disorder, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” Kaur said. “These are some of the most common disorders, and they affect so many people. We know there are several factors, but there is no cure. Our objective is to find something to alter the progression. Can diet slow the disease? Are there biomarkers we can detect early to find a cure?”

Kaur, who spends about 85 percent of her time in the lab, has received a grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation that will support her work for an additional three years at UND.

“I consider myself lucky to work for Dr. Combs,” she said. “I want to thank my mentor and UND. It’s a great opportunity to work under his guidance, and I’m grateful for the Postdoc Program. It’s an opportunity to work and collaborate in great facilities.”

“Our plan is to justify the investment in us,” said Combs. “Research is both an opportunity and a responsibility. We receive federal funding and are paid by the state. Faculty who received funding are pushing hard, and know this is a huge investment. We want to make sure it pays off.” ///


“ Alzheimer’s is a big problem in the United States and North Dakota.”

COLIN COMBS


T HE UND

PROMISEUND Alumni Association & Foundation offers donors generous matches for recruitment scholarship gifts.

IGNITE THE FUTURE

University of North Dakota senior Max Ramstad has a lot of interest areas. That’s why he’ll graduate next year with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with coursework in business, public administration, non-profits, political science and philosophy to round it out.

Although his transcript shows a wide breadth of classroom experience, his intent is laser-focused.

“When you’re little, you’re always wondering, ‘What do I want to do?’” Ramstad said. “And I always told myself I wanted to do something that helps people on a larger scale.”

In order to do that, higher education was always in the plan – first a UND undergraduate degree, and then graduate school for Public Administration. But Max knew he may need financial help for that first step.

“I applied for a lot of scholarships in high school,” the Delano, Minnesota, native said. “The main scholarship I received from

UND was the Greg and Cindy Page Award when I came here as a business student. That helped me out a lot.”

Stories like Max’s are the fire behind the UND Promise Scholarship Program, launched this year by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation (AA&F).

Through Dec. 31, any gift earmarked to UND recruitment scholarships will be matched 1-to-1 by the Foundation. For those looking to make a continuing impact with a scholarship endowment, the Foundation is offering a 2-to-1 match.

“As a donor, the UND Promise is promising to help you give. As a student, you are promising to do your best, work hard, and go out and carry on the tradition of giving back,” said AA&F CEO DeAnna Carlson Zink.

“The UND Promise came from us being involved with the UND Strategic Plan and hearing how this could benefit students,” she continued. “It perfectly aligns with our mission in helping

33 UNDalumni.org

the University, helping the students, and creating opportunities for students to reach their dreams.”

An important goal of the One UND Strategic Plan is creating more student opportunities on campus and online. “We can’t provide those opportunities without the scholarships to those in need and those highly qualified students to know they are wanted here at the University of North Dakota,” said UND President Mark Kennedy.

UND impact Ramstad became absorbed in the world of philanthropic fundraising after talking with the AA&F staff that helped him with his scholarships. That interest led him to a role with the team.

In his job as a fundraising support intern, Ramstad has the opportunity to chat with alumni and donors.

“They love talking about their experience here. It’s so special,” he said. “When you hear them talk about it, you can tell that UND had a massive impact.”

It’s that impact that leads donors to give. “Impact many by having faith in one” is the UND Promise campaign’s call to action, and Carlson Zink says it’s a sentiment that creates a true ripple effect.

“You may think you are giving toward one scholarship, one student. But what you don’t see is how that may impact their family,” she explained. “Maybe because a student received a scholarship, another family member gets to go to college, too. Or maybe a student is going to become a nurse or a teacher. If that student wasn’t out there, so many people would have missed out on this talented UND alum.”

Continuing gift It isn’t just alumni who are taking advantage of the UND Promise match. Jeff Weatherly, senior associate dean for the College of Arts & Sciences and chair of the Department of Modern & Classical Languages & Literature, decided now was the perfect time to give.

“I was looking to make a gift – I wasn’t looking to start an endowment,” Weatherly said. “But I like to think of myself as financially savvy, and if someone wants to give me 50 cents for every dollar, that’s a pretty good deal.”

Weatherly hopes his UND Promise scholarship endowment will enable students to come to UND for a foreign language education. He said the Department of Languages has great donors, but many of its scholarships and endowments are set aside for juniors and seniors and travel abroad programs.

“We give out tens of thousands of dollars in aid for students to study abroad every year, and that’s great. But that doesn’t get them in the door,” Weatherly said. “These freshman scholarships aren’t going to cover everything, but they may make a college education within reach.”

Campaigns like this, in which passionate donors have the opportunity to give back, are the reason Carlson Zink loves her line of work.

“They literally get choked up and emotional about making this gift,” she said. “Then I get to see the students who received that gift, hear their stories, and see the thank you notes that they send to the donor. To bring that together, knowing this student is going to go out and be as successful as this donor – it’s just a wonderful legacy through scholarships.”

As Max finishes writing the last of his thank you letters and prepares for a life of impacting others, he’s filled with gratitude.

“I really wouldn’t be able to have the opportunities I’ll have past graduation without my scholarships.” ///

— By Kaylee Cusack

For more on the UND Promise Scholarship, go to UNDalumni.org/promise.

MAX RAMSTADis slated to graduate next

year with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.



Why UND? As a junior in high school, I was touring many colleges when I visited UND and immediately felt a difference about the school. The students and faculty that I met were genuine and made me feel like I could make a difference at this university, instead of simply being another number.

Early in my senior year of high school, I visited UND a second time and requested a meeting with an occupational therapy program representative. I was blown away at how much time this advisor spent with me answering my questions. After that meeting, I made my parents take a picture of me in front of a UND sign and posted it on Facebook. It was official. I knew I was meant to go to UND.

What is your dream career? How has UND helped you realize your dream? UND has given me the opportunity to follow my dream career as an occupational therapist. Occupational therapy helps people

discover their purpose in life and restores meaning in their everyday activities. Through a career in occupational therapy, I hope to give back to my community and make a difference in people's lives in the future.

UND has helped me achieve this dream by inspiring me to stretch outside of my comfort zone, meet new people, and volunteer within the Grand Forks community. By encouraging me to stay active on campus and the community, UND helped me realize that I am the happiest when I am helping others and staying active in the community. This led me to where I am today as a first-year student in the occupational therapy program.

Who has believed in you? I am lucky to have a large support system in and outside of UND. While my parents and sister encouraged me to always strive for my best, I would not have been able to survive each semester in college without weekly dinners at Speedway with my grandparents. I have also received constant encouragement

and support from my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, the faculty and students in the occupational therapy program, and my coworkers at the Student Involvement Center. My experience at UND would not have been the same without these support systems in my life.

What's next? I plan to graduate in 2020 with a master's degree from the occupational therapy program at UND, and am keeping my option open following graduation.

The UND spirit of the alumni, students, and faculty is infectious. I have enjoyed watching this university grow and flourish since I toured it for the first time in high school, and I look forward to spreading UND spirit as an alumnus in the future. UND helped me follow my dream, and no matter where I end up in the future, I plan to encourage others to put on their green and pink, and do the same. ///

White Bear Lake, Minnesota Area of Study: Occupational Therapy

MEET A STUDENT

MEE T A S T UDEN T

NOELLE RIVARD


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T H A NK YOU

DONORS

WIL L IA M BUDGE CIRCL E $1,000,000 - $4,999,999Gary & Jane Marsden

T HOM A S CL IFFORD CIRCL E$100,000 - $999,999Daryl* & Diane Anderson John & Doris Black Dr. Francine Cronshaw & Russell Selleck George & Barbara Eidsness Farmers Union Insurance Thomas & Joanne Heck Michael & Linda* Langey Robert & Peggy Petersen James* & Sandra Rader James L. Steinert* Joseph & Lynn Steininger Joe & Bobbi Zahradka in Memory of Buck Zahradka, M.D.

PRE SIDEN T ’S CIRCL E$10,000 - $99,9997 Medical Systems Jason Ackerman Jesse & Megan Ahlers Phyllis & Rod Anderson Alicia & Corey Atkins Maury A. Audet Dean & Carol Bachmeier Andrew T. Bailey Jerry R. Balsdon Todd & Elizabeth Basgaard Roger Berg John & Carol Bowman Joshua & Kelsey Brandsted David & Shirley Breuer Chad D. Broadwell Josh Bummer Burwell Enterprises, Inc. Christopher H. Buslee Paul & Deborah Canton Dr. Kenneth & Barbara Carlson Jack & Bernadine Carney Janice M. Catalan, M.D. Dorian "Pete" H. Cordes, MD* David J. Crothers Rep. Lois & Michael Delmore Jennifer & Randal Duffy Richard A. Ellison Dr. Elton W. Fors Odell* & Eleanor Foss Jason & Tamera Frankl Lorraine Sharp Franz Angela & Russell Freeman Garnet & Kaye Furstenau Jennifer & Chad Gibbs Drs. James & Janet Gilsdorf Vincent Goldade Gregoire Insurance Agency, Inc. Donald & Debora Grinde John & Vicki Grove Terry & Judy Hager Tom & Carolyn Hamilton Family Foundation Laurie B. Hamre Barb Hangsleben Hannaher's, Inc Dane & Wendy Hanson Kevin & Debbie Haugstad M. Bruce & Judith Helgerud Holland Company Mike & Debra Holweger Ben & Dawn Jacobson

L EG ACY CIRCL EThe Legacy Circle includes donors who have indicated they plan to give to the UND Foundation through their wills.Chad & Catherine Brekke Steven & Desilee Brekke Jane E. Duncan Bruce Q. Gjovig Dr. L. Michael & M. Michela Howell Leighton E. Kaloupek Ronald K. Kjos, M.D. Drs. Tom Magill & Sarah McCullough Rodney B. McKinney Col. Kyle & Maija Riedel Larry D. Thompson Dr. Timothy & Kathleen Tinius Chris Wagner

Yanci Morque Johnson & Robbie Johnson Dustin & Erin Jostad Robert J. Kaufmann Mark & Debbie Kennedy John Kertz Jake & Helen Kuntz Greg & Lori LaHaise Mark & Nina Larson Gerald & Connie Long Jeffrey Lundeby Kent M. Lynch Daniel & Dr. Erica Macintosh David M. Mahar Gary & Carol Malm Kirk & Karla Marchell William & Kay McDonald Medicine Shoppe Kjell & Dawn Melvie Michael J. Meyer Minnesota Twins Ken & Deb Nelson Al & Bonnie Nipstad Steven & Barbara Nordstog Margaret J. Norton Kurt & Linda Otto Tory M. Otto Jane & Wayne Peterson Dr. Ross & DonnaLee Pettit Harold* & Karen Rene Joe & Cindy Richter Harris Rouse Julie R. Rubin Brian & Selmara Rydell Daniel & Sandra Samson Tom & Summer Schauer Jim & Joan Shulind Troy & Michelle Skime Michael & Linda St. Onge Drs. Basir & Mohiba Tareen Bruce W. Trager J. Patrick & Jamie Traynor James & Linda Wallace Mitch Wavra Peter D. Welte Brian & Marcia Westlund WIPFLI Foundation, Inc. William & Suzan Zimmerman

The UND Alumni Association & Foundation sincerely thanks all alumni and friends who have made gifts and commitments to support students, faculty, programs, and places at UND. Thank you for all that you do!

The following donors reached a new giving circle in the Eternal Flame Society between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2017.

* indicates deceased

For more information about the Eternal Flame Society, visit UNDalumni.org/EternalFlame


1960s Remember when, in 1962, the first Sioux Awards were handed out during Homecoming?

1960 Tim Gust, '60, '62, '64, has published two children's books, "Contrary Mary" and "Papa's Old Van." The books are published by New York City-based Page Publishing and are available in bookstores and through online retailers.

1962 James Williams, '62, has been inducted into the Northern Cass School Hall of Fame for his distinguished community service. Williams is a banker and agribusinessman in Arthur, N.D.

1968 Clark Tufte, '68, has been inducted into the Oak Grove High School (Fargo) Hall of Fame. Tufte was a teacher, administrator and dean of the school throughout his career.

1969 Drew Dawson, '69, is the Interim Executive Director of the National Registry of EMTs. Dawson is the retired director of the National Highway Safety Administration Office of EMS.

1970s Remember when, in 1974, Professor Richard Hale retired from the English Department after 37 years of teaching at UND? Hale was beloved for his eccentric teaching style; once

he jumped from the window of his classroom, returned, and asked his students to write about what they had seen.

1970 Michael Vandall, '70, '74, '76, is an ob/gyn with Altru Clinic in Devils Lake.

Do you remember…the Link Flight Simulator housed in Gamble Hall in 1969? Link simulators dominated the simulator market since Edwin Link invented the first in 1929 out of frustration for how long it took him to learn how to fly.

ALUMNI NEWS

UNIV ERSIT Y OF NOR T H DA KO TA

ALUMNI NEWSUpdates from around the world.

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1972 John Fleur, '72, '75, has retired as an Assistant District Attorney for Comanche County, Oklahoma, after 18 years. Fleur spent nearly 20 years in private law practice and 26 years with the U.S. Army Reserve JAG Corps.

Deborah (Moen) Slais, ..'72, has retired as director of the Williston (N.D.) Community Library. Slais started working for the library in 1974 and served as director since 2001.

1973 James LeClair, '73, was named one of the Cincinnati Bengals' top 50 players as part of the NFL team's 50th anniversary celebration. LeClair played middle linebacker for the team from 1972 to 1983.

1974 Lyman Bercier, '74, is president of Turtle Mountain State Bank in Belcourt, N.D.

Scott Fredericksen, '74, a former federal prosecutor, has appeared on CBS Evening News twice this year as an expert on obstruction of justice investigations.

1975 James "Sparb" Collins, '75, '85, has retired after serving 28 years as the head of the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System.

1977 Mary Aaland, '77, '78, '80, '82, is providing general surgery services two days a month for Cavalier County Memorial Hospital in Langdon, N.D. Aaland is the director of the Rural Surgery Support Program at UND's School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Darrold Persson, '77, has been named 2018 Lawyer of the Year in personal injury litigation in the Duluth, Minn., community area by "Best Lawyers of America." Persson is an attorney with Trenti Law Firm.

1978 Joni (Martinson) Gilbertson, '78, teaches sixth grade special education at Grafton (N.D.) Public Schools.

1979 Dave Brekke, '79, has retired as a Quality Assurance Manager with the UND Energy & Environmental Research Center. Brekke has been with the EERC for 28 years.

1980s Remember when, in 1984, Athletic Director Carl Miller resigned after eight years on the job?

1981 Dale Ekstrom, '81, is the superintendent of the McClusky (N.D.) School District.

Laurie (Evanson) Furuseth, '81, '83, is a board member for Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota. Furuseth is CFO of the Williston (N.D.) State College Foundation.

Kevin Reisenauer, '81, '91, is a member of the board of trustees of MBA Research. Reisenauer is a supervisor of marketing education and DECA student organization adviser in the North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education.

ALPHA CHI OMEGA REUNIONTwenty-five Alpha Chi Omega sorority sisters from the pledge classes of 1968-70 attended a reunion in late July in Grand Forks.

Back Row (L-R): Carleen (Jonsrud) Shilling, '73; Sharon (Wentz) Flynn, ..'71; Patti (Misialek) Gunville, '72; Janette (Kettleson) Buresh, '71; Karen (Peterson) Klein, '71; Nora (Hamar) Kane, '71; Sheri Hallgren, '71; Dianne (Kettleson) Strand, , '71; Sue Smith, '72, '90; Nancy (Bossman) VandeVegte, '71; Lou (Bertsch) Aronson, '71, '87; Bridget (Narloch) Thompson, '73; and Diane (Johnson) Johnston, '71.

Front L-R: Elizabeth (Lewthwaite) McCarney, '71; Lynn (Gaebe) Kubousek, '71, '79; Lois (Nelson) Lucier, '74; Mary "Mimi" (Halldorson) McKnight, '73; Debrah (Erikson) Wonder, '73; Ann (Harris) Schmitz, '71, '74; Linda (Olson) Lande, '73; Barb Murry, '72; Debbie (Delmore) Duncan, '71; and Janet "Cuypers" Mathson, '71;

Not in photo: Kathy (Keifenheim) Hill, '71, and Kathy Wood, '71, '73.


1982 Alan Anderson, '82, is serving as interim president of the Bismarck-Mandan (N.D.) Chamber of Commerce. Anderson retired earlier this year from his post as Commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

Joel Metz, '82, is an assistant chief financial officer with First Western Bank & Trust of Minot, N.D.

1983 Michael Babinski, '83, '14, teaches seventh grade math, English, reading, and geography at Drayton (N.D.) Public Schools.

Kevin Byron, '83, retired after 30 years of service with the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Diplomatic Service. Byron served at U.S. Embassies in Yemen, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Paraguay, Bolivia, Iraq, Haiti, Honduras, and most recently in Panama. Among his various awards and citations, he received two Superior Honor Awards for his work in Iraq during the invasion of Baghdad in 2003. He now divides his time between Florida and northern Minnesota.

1984 Mark Owan, '84, has been appointed by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to the State Water Commission. Owan is a third-generation farmer near Williston, N.D.

Michael Stermock, '84, is an agribusiness development specialist with the Center for Innovative Food Technology in Toledo, Ohio.

1986 Gary Albrightson, '86, '93, has been recognized by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education for his use of

technology in the classroom. Albrightson is an associate professor, fine arts and communications, at Dakota College of Bottineau. Albrightson also received the Faculty Award for Excellence this year from his peers at DCB.

Dee Jones, '86, is retiring after 30 years of service at the Naval Academy. Jones is the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Jones started in the ticket office at Navy and was appointed to the athletic training staff in 1987. She has taken care of thousands of student-athletes during her tenure.

1989 Dr. Marcel Robles, '89, '91, '96, received the prestigious Jack L. Dyer Award for Teaching Excellence at Eastern Kentucky University, where she has been a Professor in Corporate Communication and Technology in the College of Business since 2002.

1990s Remember when, in 1994, UND celebrated 100 years of UND Football by having fans vote on an All-Century Team and by hosting former players during Homecoming?

1991 Tami Christianson, '91, is a counselor with Catholic Charities North Dakota.

1993 JoAnn (Keller) Almen, '93, '06, '09, is a nurse practitioner at the Sanford West Fargo Clinic.

Cathy (Bernardy) Neuhalfen, '93, is an accountant with DFC Consultants in Fargo.

Kelly (Rahn) Radi, '93, author of "Out to Sea: A Parents' Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage,"

received a Midwest Independent Publishing Association Gold Award in the Family/Parenting category.

Anne (Knipe) Spaeth, '93, '98, has opened a cafe in Minneapolis, The Lynhall. The restaurant was inspired by the five years Spaeth spent in London.

1994 Stephanie (Laure) Barth, '94, is chief accounting officer at MDU Resources Group in Bismarck, N.D. Barth also is controller for the energy company.

1995 Col. Scott Fontaine, '95, '03, has retired after serving in the North Dakota Army National Guard for more than 28 years. Fontaine is a board certified registered nurse anesthetist with Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Trevor Hastings, '95, is president and CEO of WBI Holdings, a pipeline and energy services subsidiary of MDU Resources Group in Bismarck, N.D.

1996 Kent Anderson, '96, is the business manager with Dickinson (N.D.) Public Schools.

Jonelle (Heglie) Burdick, '96, is director of Clinical Excellence at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.

1997 Ben Berogan, '97, is the head wrestling coach for West Fargo High School. Berogan was a two-time state champion at Bismarck (N.D.) High School and an academic and athletic All-American at UND.

Gwen (Rohde) Witzel, '97, is a nurse practitioner with Sanford Medical Center in Fargo.

1998 Leander McDonald, '98, '00, '03, has been appointed by North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to the State Water Commission. McDonald is president of United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, N.D.

2000s Remember when, in 2008, UND was the first North Dakota school to send a team to participate in the EPA’s annual People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability.

2000 Dawn (Murphy) Ystaas, '00, is chief financial officer with First Western Bank & Trust in Bismarck, N.D.

2001 Jason Boergerhoff, '01, '04, '10, is an associate professor of Aeronautics at Kent State University.

Glenn Matthews, '01, has been inducted into the North Dakota State College of Science Letterwinners Hall of Fame. Matthews was a defensive tackle on the 1996-97 Wildcats football team. He transferred to UND, where he was a First Team All-American, First Team All-Conference, Most Valuable Defensive Lineman in the NCC and an Academic All-American. Matthews is now an attorney in Lakewood, Colo.

2002 Amy (Kress) Fankhanel, '02, is a nurse practitioner with the Sanford Broadway Clinic in Fargo.

Jeanne (Grunett) Wurzbacher, '02, is a licensed Realtor with Beyond Realty in Fargo. She specializes in residential real estate.

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Coralyn "Corey" Jensen, '02, is a family nurse practitioner with the pediatric team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Kelly (Crammer) Madzey, '02, '05, is a criminal trial supervisor in the Montgomery County (Ohio) Prosecutor's Office.

Jasmyne Ramirez, '02, '10, is a licensed independent social worker with Abound Counseling in Grand Forks.

Sheryl Sahr, '02, is a surgeon with Sanford Health in Fargo. Sahr is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care by the American Board of Surgery.

2003 Sean Bertie, '03, is a business insurance advisor with Dawson Insurance in Fargo.

Marnie Lange, '03, '08, is a client consultant with Sundog Interactive in Fargo.

Kelsey (Solberg) Roth, '03, is director of Human Resources Operations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.

2004 Pari (Roughead) Becker, '04, is director of Talent & North American HR with Titan Machinery in Fargo.

Ryan Downs, '04, is president of Sterling Management, a real estate management company in Fargo.

Debra Flute, '04, has been designated as a special assistant U.S. Attorney. Flute is the in-house attorney and tribal prosecutor for the Sisseston-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe in northeastern South Dakota.

EVERYBODY LOVES ARNEThe East Asian Room of the Chester Fritz Library turned Scandinavian on October 21, strewn with Norwegian flags, red and blue balloons, and a traditional food spread punctuated with a towering kranskake – the traditional dessert of Norwegian special occasions.

But Arne Brekke had trouble finishing up his plate of homeland goodies. Too many well-wishers were flooding his table.

“Ninety years old now!” one guest exclaimed, hugging Brekke in his seat.

“Ninety years young!” he teased back, with an enormous laugh more befitting the age of nine.

This was a celebration of the former UND languages professor’s 90th birthday – the namesake of the Arne G. Brekke Bygdebok Collection, one of the largest accumulations of Norwegian history and genealogy books in the world.

But there was more to celebrate than years gone by.

“This party was an enormous surprise. I did not know my two daughters were coming until they showed up here. It’s been a combination of incredible events.” Brekke said. “And the UND Alumni Association & Foundation let me know that the endowment set up for this collection had passed half a million dollars.”

To mark the occasion, Brekke’s daughter, Karen Hoelzer – who helped Brekke establish the Arne G. Brekke Endowment in 2010 – made a generous $25,000 gift to the endowment to help hit $500,000. Earlier this year, another of Brekke’s daughters, Karla Marchell, teamed up with ExxonMobil to offer a gift of $30,000.

The endowment was set up in connection with another from Gloria Gransberg, a former student of Brekke’s, to support Norwegian heritage initiatives in the library.

“I think it’s something that he’s been hoping for and was wanting to see done,” Hoezler said of the endowment milestone. “He wanted to know that the collection would be taken care of for years to come, and this gave him a little peace of mind.”

Bygdebøker lay out the detailed local histories of individual Norwegian farms and the people who settled them. Recently, the collection hit a high of 1,700 bygdebøker – and Arne was ecstatic.

“When a new shipment comes in and we get a new set of books, he inevitably comes to look at it,” said Curt Hanson, head of the Department of Special Collections at the Chester Fritz Library. “The excitement, the intellectual curiosity, the drive that he has is just contagious.”



Jeff Glas, '04, '12, is the market leader for Wells Fargo Business Banking in Bismarck and Mandan, N.D. He remains business banking manager in Minot, N.D.

Tina (Hase) Nordquist, '04, was promoted to shareholder at Brady Martz & Associates of Minot, N.D. Nordquist has worked as an accountant with the company for 10 years.

Lance Podoll, '04, is a teacher at Fargo South's Individualized Learning Center.

2005 Darren Albrecht, '05, is the superintendent for Grafton (N.D.) Public Schools. He'd previously served as Grafton High School principal for 12 years.

Mark Longmuir, '05, '09, was named Outstanding Rural Health Provider at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health. Longmuir is chief of staff and medical director at Montrail County Medical Center in Stanley, N.D.

2006 Jon Solberg, '06, is an emergency medicine physician with CHI St. Alexius Health's Emergency & Trauma Center in Bismarck, N.D.

Ana (Buchveitz) Tobiasz, '06, '10, is a maternal fetal medicine specialist with Sanford Health in Bismarck, N.D.

2007 Jesse Elis, '07, '09, is the director of Player Health and Performance for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Elis leads all facets of the Trail Blazers medical staff to provide care to the team's players.

Sarah Hillier, '07, is a family and consumer sciences teacher at Drayton (N.D.) Public Schools.

Joshua Plencner, '07, is a visiting assistant professor in political science at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y.

2008 Christopher Brenner, '08, is a senior vice president of sales - Americas for Jetcraft in Minneapolis.

Bethany (Beyer) Gourneau, '08, '13, has joined the anesthesia team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Brooke (Heitkamp) Hills, '08, '13, is a family nurse practitioner with Sanford Health Wahpeton (N.D.).

Kara (Biel) Kniert, '08, is a certified family nurse practitioner with Family HealthCare clinic in Fargo.

James Miles, '08, '12, is a member of the neurology team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks. He specializes in treatment of neurologic diseases such as seizures, migraine headaches and developmental delays in pediatric patients. Dr. Miles is one of three pediatric neurology specialists in the state of North Dakota.

Kaleen (Skramstad) Peterson, '08, '11, is the Assistant Director for Enrollment Services at Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D.

Craig Peterson, '08, is principal of Breckenridge (Minn.) High School.

2009 Cassey Breyer, '09, '13, is an attorney with Sillers, Laaveg & Wenzel in Langdon, N.D.

Kylee (Ferris) Brightside, '09, has received the Fellowship Award from the Academy of General Dentistry. Brightside owns her own office in Castle Rock, Colo.

Melissa (Johnson) McLean, '09, is a pre-kindergarten teacher with the Mohall Lansford Sherwood School District in Mohall, N.D.

Tara Mertz-Hack, '09, '14, is a family medical physician with Sanford Health-Oakes (N.D.). She primarily sees patients in Oakes, but also provides care in Ellendale, Forman, LaMoure, Lisbon and Gwinner.

Nicholas Milanovich, '09, a radiologist at Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic in Duluth, Minn., has completed a fellowship in musculoskeletal imaging at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and is certified by the American Board of Radiology in diagnostic radiology.

Nathan Murray, '09, teaches world and U.S. history and civics at Grafton (N.D.) High School.

Benjamin Roth, '09, is a member of the family medicine team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Scott Seglem, '09, is a material planner with Cummins Inc. in Fridley, Minn.

Kate Stroh, '09, is an EPIC Implementation Lead at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans.

2010s Remember when, in 2013, North Dakota legislators voted to pay for a new building for UND’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences? The $124 million building opened last year.

2010 David Ackert, '10, is an engineer with Braun Intertec in Bismarck, N.D.

Kelsey (Fletcher) Adams, '10, '12, is a certified family nurse practitioner with the pediatric team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Burke Bolstad, '10, is a real estate agent for Adams Family Real Estate in Blaine, Minn.

Brennan Hack, '10, is a Social Studies teacher at Oakes (N.D.) High School.

Nicole (Hager) Lemieux, '10, is a family nurse practitioner at Heart of America Johnson Clinic in Rugby, N.D.

Braeden Nelson, 10, has joined Dawson Insurance in Fargo as a surety advisor.

Brady Pelton, '10, is a government affairs manager for the North Dakota Petroleum Council.

2011 Brock Callina, '11, is a budget analyst with UND's Energy and Environmental Research Center.

Cassandra Hunt, '11, is a family nurse practitioner with Towner County Medical Center in Cando, N.D.

Megan (Kroshus) Jundt, '11, is a senior credit analyst with Olmstead National Bank in Rochester, Minn.

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Andrew Miller, '11, is an interventional radiologist with Sanford Health in Bismarck, N.D.

Gloria (Volk) Odden, '11, is the elementary school principal, K-12 school counselor, and coaches track at Strasburg (N.D.) Public Schools.

Jasmine Ottmar, '11, is a licensed certified social worker with Abound Counseling in Fargo.

Amber (Bernhardt) Podoll, '11, teaches first grade at Hillsboro (N.D.) Elementary School.

Colby (Peterson) Schaley, '11, is a speech language pathologist with Sanford Mayville (N.D.).

Christopher Wateland, '11, '15, is an assistant county attorney for Wadena County in Wadena, Minn. Earlier this year, he worked as a constituent advocate for U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz.

Erica (Hagert) Wiegandt, '11, is an optometrist with Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

2012 Kelsey (Fletcher) Adams, '12, is a certified family nurse practitioner with the pediatric team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Kevin Beaudoin, '12, is principal of St. Thomas (N.D.) School. He also teaches ELL, special education and is the school's athletic director.

Lance Doeden, '12, specializes in pain management at Sanford South University Medical Center in Fargo.

Ashley Jones, '12, is a physician assistant with the Twin Rivers Medical Group Walk-In Clinic in Kennett, Missouri.

‘A TRUE AMERICAN HERO’“You are a true American hero,” Guillaume Lacroix, Consul General of France in Chicago, told Minot, North Dakota, World War II veteran Lynn Aas before presenting Aas with France’s highest honor, the French Legion of Honor medal.

“Without you, I would not be here. Without you, the French flag would not be flying. Thank you very much for your services,” said Lacroix to Aas at a ceremony attended by many of Aas’ family members and friends on October 9.

Lacroix said France will never forget what was done for them and what they owe the American people. He said this country is France’s oldest ally. “We have never been at war with the U.S. – never,” Lacroix said.

Before receiving the medal from Lacroix, Aas, who was wearing a suit jacket, changed to his World War II Army jacket. Lacroix pinned the medal on the Army jacket.

Aas, who turned 96 in June, entered the Army in 1942 and fought as a rifleman in the historic Battle of the Bulge, serving with the 17th Airborne Division of the 193rd Airborne Infantry in the Europe Theatre. He received both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He earned degrees from UND in 1948 and 1949.

Three years ago, he had the honor of being the official representative of the 17th Airborne Division at the 70th annual reenactment of the historic Battle of the Bulge in the town of Bastogne, Belgium.

After receiving the medal from Lacroix, Aas told those gathered for the ceremony, “It is truly humbling to me to know that you have awarded this to me.”

“I accept this with honor and grace. We have always been friends of the French.” He said he was proud to receive the medal and expressed a sincere thank you to France.

Noting those who spoke prior to the medal presentation, Aas said many of them have talked about World War II veterans coming home and how they have made many changes in this country.

Ceremony speakers included Minot Mayor Chuck Barney serving as master of ceremonies, Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp, '77, Congressman Kevin Cramer and Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, '93, adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard.

— Story and photo courtesy of Eloise Ogden, Minot Daily News


Megan Miller, '12, has joined Braun Intertec as an environmental technician in the Bismarck, N.D., office.

2013 Christopher Bothun, '13, is a dentist with Dakota Dental Associates, P.C., in Grand Forks.

Megan Christiansen, '13, is a member of the anesthesia team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Kyle Kohns, '13, is store manager of the Uptown Minneapolis Target store.

Caitlin Pandolfo, '13, is an ob/gyn with Essentia Health in Fargo.

Heather Sandness Nelson, '13, has joined the obstetrics and gynecology department at the Mid Dakota Clinic Center for Women in Bismarck, N.D.

2014 Dayna (Pierson) Bartlette, '14, is a third grade teacher at Strasberg (N.D.) Public School.

Joseph Dinsmore, '14, is an emergency physician with Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, Minn.

Bryant Friskop, '14, '17, has been named the head golf coach at the University of Minnesota-Crookston. He will continue as an assistant coach for the Golden Eagles' women's basketball team.

Christina Harmon, '14, is a hospitalist with Essentia Health in Fargo.

Jason Henry, '14, is a hospitalist on the primary care and specialty medicine team for the Fargo VA Health Care System.

Andrew Huus, '14, is a senior staff accountant in the tax department of Widmer Roel in Fargo.

Steve Inglish, '14, is an emergency medicine physician with CHI St. Alexius Health's Emergency & Trauma Center in Bismarck, N.D.

Melissa Mager, '14, financial accountant/analyst, has joined the UND Business

Service Center team. Mager's responsibilities with the Business Service Center include the accounting of equipment, buildings, and infrastructure, as well as assisting departments with their annual inventory of capitalized equipment. She will also assist the Business Service Center with cash and investment accounting and International Programs accounting.

David Stenvold, '14, is a customer service representative in student loans at Bank of North Dakota in Bismarck, N.D.

Morgan Wagner, '14, '17, is serving a one-year court clerkship at the North Dakota Supreme Court.

ALUMNI NEWS

TO BOOK YOUR TRIPCall 800.842.9023 or to view all UND alumni travel opportunities,

visit UNDalumni.org/Travel

Hosted by:UND Alumni Association & Foundation CEO DeAnna Carlson Zink and her husband, Wayne.

Zurich to AmsterdamOn this luxury cruise on the Rhine, you’ll have the opportunity to not only marvel at fairy-tale landscapes, but also experience a unique and sublime classical concert in the Baroque Palace of Rastatt, tour the Hockenheim Formula 1 race track, explore the magnificent Rhine Gorge, and much more in our unforgettable, all-inclusive Enrich experiences.

JUNE 12-27, 2 018

ROMANTIC RHINE & MOSELLE

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2015 Rachel Chalupnik, '15, is a preschool and kindergarten speech-language pathologist with Grafton (N.D.) Public Schools.

Chelsea De Bruto, '15, '16, a pediatric therapist with Northwood (N.D.) Deaconess Health Center, has been certified as a Car Seat Technician and will serve the area as a resource for car seat safety in association with Safe Kids Grand Forks.

Michael McNelly, '15, '16, is a special education instructor with Grafton (N.D.) High School.

Brittany Mildenberger, '15, '17, is a speech pathologist

with James River Special Education Unit. She provides therapy to students in Edgeley and Litchville-Marion schools in North Dakota.

John Roll, '15, is a clinical nurse specialist with Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo.

Erica Turner, '15, is a financial analyst with Target Corporation in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

2016 Tyler Demoe, '16, teaches fifth grade in Tioga, N.D.

Shannah Henk, '16, is a training and communications specialist with Best Buy in Richfield, Minn.

Peter Hvidston, '16, is an associate attorney with Nilles Law Firm in Fargo. He is part of the firm's real estate group.

Emily Jones, '16, is a licensed certified social worker with Abound Counseling in Fargo.

Travis Plante, '16, is a kindergarten teacher at Central Cass Public School in Casselton, N.D.

Jeff Stine, '16, is a licensed certified social worker with Abound Counseling in Fargo.

Jeremy Straub, '16, has been selected as a fellow of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society. Straub is an assistant professor in computer

science at NDSU. The society is a forum for the assessment and exchange of research in behavioral and social sciences in regard to civil-military relations and the military establishment.

Madison Weber, '16, is an intensive in-home family therapist with The Village Family Service Center in Grand Forks.

Anna Withee, '16, is a resource room teacher at Griggs County Central in Cooperstown, N.D. \\\


If you would like your addition or celebration to be included in the next Alumni Review, send a high resolution photo to [email protected]. We look forward to helping you celebrate!

Additions 1 Blakely Jane Pearson was born June 20, 2016, to Stephanie (Brandt) Pearson, ’11, and Chris Pearson, ’09. The family, including big sister Kherington, lives in Argusville, N.D.

2 Jason Semerad, ’97, and his wife, Kristi Prochnow Kelley, are the proud parents of Briggs Donald Semerad born October 27, 2016. The family lives in Casselton, N.D.

3 Ryan Davis, ’07, and Amy (Fendt) Davis, ’07, welcomed daughters Kenna and Kyla on April 4, 2017. The family lives in Cottage Grove, Minn. Amy reports she is the fourth Selke RA from the 2005-06 school year to have twins.

4 Holly (Silewski) Osborn, ’08 and Matthew Osborn welcomed a son, Ethan Isaac, on July 19, 2017. He joins big sister, Ava. The Osborns live in Fargo.

5 Jackson Douglas Hansell was born Sept. 25, 2017, to TJ Hansell, ’05, ’12, and Darci Hansell. He, his sister, Lili, and his parents live in Goodyear, Ariz.

6 Kaleen (Skramstad) Peterson, ’08, ’11, and Travis Peterson welcomed Turner Ellis to their family on April 10, 2017. Turner is pictured with his brothers Sullivan and Sawyer. The family lives in Valley City, N.D.

7 Zach Cromley, ’05, and Holly Cromley welcomed Tyler George on April 24, 2017. The Cromleys live in Loveland, Colo.

8 William Frederick Larter was born on April 10, 2017, to proud parents Samantha Braun, ’10, and Kody Larter. They live in Altona, Manitoba.

Celebrations 9 Nicholas Esch, ’16, and Ashley Larson, ’16, were married August 5, 2017, in Grand Rapids, Minn. The couple lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

10 Matt Fossen, ’12, and Jessica Bruns, ’15, were married in Laporte, Minn., on June 24, 2017. The couple resides in Minot, N.D.

11 Cameron Peterson, ’16, and Ashley Bagley, ’16, were married on June 10, 2017, in Stillwater, Minn. The couple lives in Rochester, Minn.

12 Brian Egan, ’07, and Amy Molin and were married June 24, 2017, in St. Paul, Minn. Front row (left to right): Scott Dickmeyer, ’05; Ashley Lasch, Rachel Bredl, and Erik Molin. Back row (L – R): Ryan Lee, ’14, Jenn Hedge-Swenson, ’07; Joe Marx,’07; Brittany Hawke, Amy Egan, Brian Egan, ’07; Amanda Erickson, Troy Redmann, ’05; Lindsey Olson, and Sandy Deach, ’93.

13 Laura Hausmann, ’10, married Sam Benshoof in Fargo on June 10, 2017. Pictured with other UND alumni at the wedding are (from left to right): Ericka (Ludwig) Rose, ..’10; Elizabeth Mickleson, ’12; Laura Hausmann, 10; Jenna (Loeppke) Carr, ’10; and Sean Lee, ’12. The couple lives in St. Paul, Minn. ///

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Leon Osborne Jr., known in the Grand Forks community as the “People’s Weatherman,” died October 24 after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 63.

“Leon was a visionary and a man of the highest integrity,” said Mike Poellot, chair of the UND Department of Atmospheric Sciences and longtime friend of Osborne’s. “He was man of family and strong faith. He was down-to-earth, but dreamed big and worked hard to see his dreams come true.”

“Leon was an amazingly talented atmospheric scientist. He was an even better person,” said Mark Askelson, UND professor of Atmospheric Sciences and interim executive director of the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems. He was a former student of Osborne’s at UND. “I personally owe him for many successes, as he helped me immensely in my career. It’s hard to convey just how much Leon has meant to UND.”

Weather trailblazer A Texas native with degrees in physics and meteorology, Osborne took his career north and found an academic home at UND in 1978.

He immediately worked side-by-side with Poellot to envision and build what is now UND’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences. He led significant research efforts with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Federal Highway Administration that helped grow the campus research environment.

“His early research efforts really helped sustain and grow the John D. Odegard School in its early days,” Poellot said.

A longtime director of UND’s Regional Weather Information Center (RWIC) – as well as a linchpin in its creation – Osborne was vital in helping to forecast the devastating 1997 Greater Grand Forks flood. He was known for urging the community to prepare long before any other organization was willing to make that call.

Osborne joined others at UND in developing the Advanced Transportation Weather Information System in 1996. The system, leveraging new computer and forecasting technology, soon led Osborne’s team to craft what we now know as “511” – an access number that drivers can call for on-demand information on weather and road conditions.

To make 511 applicable to the public, Osborne and his wife, Kathy, enlisted colleagues to start up Meridian Environmental Technology, Inc. The company began with a contract with the State of Minnesota. Today, 511 keeps travelers safe across the country.

Next generation At his core, Osborne was a teacher. He was the director of both the undergraduate and graduate atmospheric sciences programs, and his experience with TV weather jump-started a student broadcast meteorology program, now led by Associate Professor Fred Remer.

“It is amazing the number of alumni and former students that have reached out to the department and to his family over the past year to offer thanks for the motivation, inspiration and education that Leon provided them,” Remer said.

“Leon had charisma,” Askelson added. “He was a tremendous orator who made you want to hear what was coming next. He was compelling and passionate, and that passion carried through to his students.”

“One of the things he would ask every student — whether an undergraduate doing research for a senior project presentation, or a graduate student defending their thesis or dissertation – he always asked them, ‘What’s the value of your work to society?’” Poellot remembered. “That was always at the forefront for him.” ///

—Kaylee Cusack/UND Today writer

OBITUARIES

LEON’S LEGACYUND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor Leon Osborne remembered as a passionate weather pioneer


47 UNDalumni.org

Chris Jacobs, retired senior lecturer in English, passed away October 7 at the age of 63.

Faculty members across campus mourned him. He was known for his love of the arts, especially movies and theater.

A film buff with a special interest in the silent cinema since childhood, he earned a master’s degree in film and dramatic production criticism from UND.

He began teaching introductory film classes as a lecturer in 1995, and continued until his early retirement in May 2017.

He taught the Intro to Film sections from 1995 through 2017, and also taught a Creative Writing class focusing on screenwriting, a class on creative movie production using digital video equipment, and another on the horror film genre. He gave guest lectures on film for the history and communication departments.

From 2006-2011 he conducted a summer moviemaking workshop for teens, and occasionally one for adults, with Kathy Coudle-King, senior lecturer in English.

“He was incredibly knowledgeable about film and film history,” said Coudle-King. “Film was his life and he was happy to share it.”

“A devoted teacher and scholar of a range of films, Chris was also an old-fashioned craftsman when it came to making films, which he produced at his own expense simply for the love of creation,” said Rebecca Weaver-Hightower, professor of English and postcolonial studies. “Chris also had an encyclopedic knowledge of movies. I never asked him about a film, no matter how obscure or from where in the world, that he hadn’t already seen–and most of the time owned, as well. He held weekly film viewings for the University and Grand Forks community in his basement theater, where he exposed many of us to movies we wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. He will be greatly missed by the University and community.”

“He was a kind, funny guy, and a real pleasure to talk with,” said Eric Wolfe, associate professor and chair of English. “He had an amazing knowledge of film, and the number of films he had watched is remarkable. In the last few years he has been teaching film studies for the English department. It’s a big loss for the department. He was a resource for us, and he was interested in so many things.”

“Chris held office hours on the couch at the end of the hall,” said Kristin Ellwanger, administrative assistant in English and a friend.

“Students who took his class seriously got a lot out of it. It wasn’t an easy class and he expected a lot from his students. He loved to talk about old classics. He took film seriously, yet had a lot of fun. He had a deadpan sense of humor.”

Jacobs co-authored an introductory college-level film textbook for Bridgepoint Education, "Film: From Watching to Seeing," with Arizona film critic Bill Goodykoontz, which first published in 2011. They revised and updated it for a second edition that was published in 2014.

Jacobs served as the movies editor for The High Plains Reader for 23 years, and was the longest-running film critic in the region. He also worked as a movie theater manager and a projectionist.

He worked briefly on the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning film “Fargo.” He was involved in writing and producing a number of films, including “Dark Highways,” a North Dakota neo-noir thriller which qualified for entry in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. It was nominated for best screenplay at the SMMASH Film Festival in 2004.

In 2014, he developed a rare blood disorder and bone marrow failure, and received a bone marrow transplant at Mayo Clinic in 2015. He returned to teaching his early retirement in May 2017. ///

—Jan Orvik, UND Today writer

REMEMBER CHRIS JACOBS Campus and community mourns loss of UND educator, filmmaker and all-around good man

CHRIS JACOBS (operating the camera) co-conducted summer moviemaking workshops on campus from 2006-11. Photo by Chuck Kimmerle


1930s Sigrid (Benson) Ott, ’39, Switzerland

1940s Col. Ferdinand Svore, USAF (RET), ’40, Gainsville, Fla.

Helen Frank Challey, ’41, West Fargo, N.D.

Dwight Johnson, ’41, Redlands, Calif.

Ethel (Book) Kent, ..’41, Hatton, N.D.

Lois (Nystrom) Engler, ’42, Bismarck

Charles Noren, ’43, Hagerstown, Md.

Marilyn Mae (Mattson) Bostrom, ..’45, North Branch, Minn.

A. Margaret (Donovan) Kertz, ’45, Langdon, N.D.

Elaine (Ornes) Mack, ’45, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Caroline (Weiss) Buckman, ..’47, Dickinson, N.D.

Myron Fahey, ’47, Gilbert, Minn.

Warren Little, ’47, Omaha, Neb.

Beverly (Hagen) Sabin, ’47, Boulder, Colo.

Dorothy (Anderson) Samuelson, ..’47, Terrell, Texas

Coleman Barry, ’48, Williston, N.D.

Irene, (McCloskey) Campbell, ..’48, St. Louis Park, Minn.

Donald Croy, ’48, Portland, Ore.

George Jones, ’48, Burnsville, Minn.

Jean (Harkison) Knutson, ’48, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Marijo (Loomis) Shide, ..’48, Grand Forks

Geraldine (Stenehjem) Wheeler, ..’48, Fargo

M.H. Atkinson Jr., ’49, ’51, Bismarck

Gordon Christian, ..’49, Warroad, Minn.

Dorothy (Davis) Corbit, ’49, Saint Thomas, N.D.

Richard Mueller, ’49, Ocean Shores, Wash.

Mary Lou (Gies) Scully, ..’49, Fargo

Roger Tunberg, ..’49, Thief River Falls, Minn.

1950s John Bures, MD, ’50, ’55, Saint Petersburg, Fla.

James Elliott, ’50, Sun City West, Ariz.

Stephen Farrington, ’50, Mesa, Ariz.

Robert Jordheim, MD, ’50, ’52, Fargo

Waldo Kroeber, ’50, Bismarck

Mary Lois (Schmitt) McKenzie, ’50, Williston, N.D.

Daniel McKinnon, ..’50, Warroad, Minn.

Lewis Shaw, ’50, Mandan, N.D.

Sidney Anderson, ’51, Grand Forks

Joy (Takeyama) Hashimoto, ’51, Salt Lake City

Colleen (McCullough) Helgerson, ’51, Fargo

O. Richard Lee, ’51, Menasha, Wis.

Marilyn (Klootwyk) Nelson, ..’51, Grand Forks

Howard Russell Jr., ’51, Bethesda, Md.

Roy Stillings, ’51, Oceanside, Calif.

Irven Dahl, ’53, Minneapolis

Ruth (Kobe) Deitz, ..’53, Moorhead, Minn.

Dr. Dick Koppenhaver, ’53, ’54, ’61, Lenexa, Kan.

Connie (Atwood) McCarthy, ’53, Naples, Fla.

Robert Rystad, ’53, Grand Forks

Dr. Trueman Tryhus Jr., ..’53, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Walter Wockovich, ..’53, Grand Forks

D. Ross Halliday, MD, ’54, ’55, Scottsdale, Ariz.

John Iverson, ’54, Bemidji, Minn.

Leland Johnson, ’54, ’58, Green Valley, Ariz.

Warren Loberg, ’54, Grand Forks

Dallas Stetson, ’54, Sheboygan, Wis.

Robert Dunsworth, ’55, Richmond, BC Canada

Duane Fadness, ’55, Saint Louis, Mo.

Justin Hoberg, ..’55, Bemidji, Minn.

Elmer ’Jerry’ Meldahl, ’55, ’56, Billings, Mont.

Dr. John Sagehorn, ..’55, Plymouth, Minn.

Robert Stommes, ’55, Saint Cloud, Minn.

Ross Bestgen, ’56, Bismarck

Edward Fowler, ’56, Caledonia, Ill.

Renee (Erickson) Swenson, ’56, ’63, Sparks, Nev.

Louis Tomaselli, ..’56, Spring Green, Wis.

Robert McConn, ’57, Grand Forks

Edward McCulloch II, ’57, Baxter, Minn.

James Stannard, ’57, ’62, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Jarl Bergland, ’58, Brownsville, Texas

Carsten Birkeland, ’58, Edina, Minn.

LeRoy Bowman, ’58, West Fargo, N.D.

Hartley Brown, ’58, Grand Forks

Leo Considine, ’58, Billings, Mont.

Jan Robinson Culkins, ’58, Kennesaw, Ga.

Paul Flaten, MD, ’58, ’60, Jacksonville, Fla.

Odell Foss, ’58, Grand Forks

Margaret (Tupa) Meagher, ..’58, Grand Forks

Lila (Sjodin) Nelson, ’58, Badger, Minn.

John Scheveck, ’58, ’61, Howard Lake, Minn.

Martha (Thomson) Soter, ’58, Tucson, Ariz.

Evelyn Swenson, ..’58, Canby, Minn.

Patrick McGurran, ’59, Amery, Wis.

Robert Towne, ’59, Cloquet, Minn.

Dorothy (Burtness) Westrem, ’59, East Grand Forks, Minn.

Paul Woutat, ’59, Saint Paul, Minn.

1960s Dr. Jerome Bakke, ’60, Fargo

Bruce Denler, ’60, Greenwood, Ind.

William Gorder, ’60, ’69, Grafton, N.D.

James Nowatzki, ’60, Northridge, Calif.

Betsy (Hokana) Short, ’60, Wayland, Mass.

Donald Foss, MD, ’61, Fergus Falls, Minn.

Jameson Larimore III, ’61, Larimore, N.D.

Donald Sarkinen, ’61, Burnsville, Minn.

A. Stewart Andree, ’62, West Vancouver, BC Canada

George Barron, ’62, Jamestown, N.D.

Sharon (Heiser) Studley, ’62, Cumming, Ga.

Omar Vein, ..’62, Bellevue, Wash.

Charles Walejko, ’62, Stockton, Calif.

Richard Groven, ..’63, Shevlin, Minn.

Glenn Heitzman, ’63, Cold Spring, Minn.

Lowell Akers, ’64, Deerwood, Minn.

James Eissinger, ’64, Lubbock, Texas

IN MEMORIAMIt is with great honor we dedicate these pages to alumni and friends of the University of North Dakota who have recently passed away. These members of the alumni family helped ignite the spirit of UND, paving the way for a bright future.


49 UNDalumni.org

Karen (Leonhard) Kelsch, ’64, Bismarck

Clinton Rodningen, ’64, Grand Forks

Dennis Sailor, ’64, Cameron, Wis.

Wayne Dieterle, ’65, Minot, N.D.

Steve Hensey, ..’65, Lakota, N.D.

Harlan Lien, ’65, Grafton, N.D.

James Lince, ..’65, Vancouver, Wash.

Dennis Schjeldahl, ..’65, Grand Forks

C. Ann (Zea) Cremers, ..’66, Grand Forks

Dr. Robert Hanson, ’66, Watsonville, Calif.

Dr. Barry Johnson, ’66, ’70, ’72, Rapid City, S.D.

Wallace Tate, ’66, Apache Junction, Ariz.

David Walth, ..’66, Halliday, N.D.

Laurel (Bakke) Ecklund, ’67, Fargo

Gary Mott, ’67, Billings, Mont.

Gary Peterson, ’67, Black Hawk, Colo.

Garreth Gunderson, ’68, Englewood, Fla.

Richard Lee, ’68, Minneapolis

John Orvis, ’68, Lineville, Iowa

Wayne Hintz, ’69, ’72, Helena, Mont.

Rodger Johnston, ’69, Browerville, Minn.

Richard Peterson, ’69, North Aurora, Ill.

Cheryl (Berg) Toth, ’69, Aurora, Ill.

Jacob Wolf Jr., ’69, Detroit Lakes, Minn.

1970s Arthur Divers, ’70, Unionville, ON Canada

Arjan Gelling, ’70, Nanaimo, BC Canada

Joseph Hess, ’70, Wills Point, Texas

Viola (Hedman) Larson, ’70, Oslo, Minn.

Roberta (Kringler) Mundahl, ’70, Cando, N.D.

Robert Nordine, ..’70, Jamestown, N.D.

Allen Pedersen, ..’70, Crookston, Minn.

Stuart Sherry, MD, ’70, ’71, Walla Walla, Wash.

Charles Stewart, ’70, Grafton, N.D.

Herbert LeRoy Valgren, ’70, Grand Forks

Kathlyn (Bymers) Heaton, ’71, Ithaca, N.Y.

Jerome Kalenze, ..’71, Garner, N.C.

Donald King, ’71, Onalaska, Wis.

Dr. Christie Logan, ’71, Woodland Hills, Calif.

S. Myron Maurseth, ’71, San Diego

Rebecca (Lee) Pryde, ’71, San Bernardino, Calif.

Charles Weispfenning, MD, ’71, Vashon, Wash.

Bob Boehmer, ’72, Minneapolis

Duane Bokn, ’72, Devils Lake, N.D.

Jarrel Boyer, ..’72, Globe, Ariz.

Paul Felter, ’72, Ponderay, Idaho

Albert Nelson, ’72, ’77, Bismarck

Wayne Peterson, ..’72, Bemidji, Minn.

Sharlene (Melby) Stredwick, ..’72, Boise, Idaho

Richard Joersz, ’73, Bismarck

Stephen Linehan, ’73, Rockwall, Texas

Kay (Connor) Morano, ’73, Yakima, Wash.

Jill Ruzicka, ’73, Minneapolis

Jacqueline (Robinson) Brockling, ..’74, Grand Forks

Robert Kuchar, ..’74, Prior Lake, Minn.

Lynn Anderson, ’75, ’77, ’87, Hutchinson, Kan.

Geraldean Martin, ..’75, Enid, Okla.

Cynthia (Chally) Page, ’75, Wayzata, Minn.

Thomas Steffan, ’75, Jamestown, N.D.

Marvin Christianson, ’76, ’84, Fairmont, Minn.

Dr. Douglas Knowlton, ’76, ’79, Saint Paul, Minn.

James Tracey, ’76, Wildrose, N.D.

Myrtle (Painte) GoodLeft, ..’77, Garrison, N.D.

Craig Holte, ’77, Fargo

Paul Kobilansky, ..’77, Grand Forks

Jim Osborn, ’77, Missoula, Mont.

Trent Heinemeyer, ’78, ’82, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Marilyn (Albert) Bjerke, ..’79, Grand Forks

Cynthia Gornowicz, ..’79, Grand Forks

Janice (Wallette) Shanley, MD, ’79, ’82, Casa Grande, Ariz.

JoAnn (Mattson) Veum, ’79, Grafton, N.D.

1980s Kenneth (Mattson) Peetz, ’80, Elkhorn, Neb.

Connie S J (Johnson) Poppke, ’80, Bismarck

Cynthia (Ring) Stoller, ..’80, Grand Forks

Dolores (Hance) Trudeau, ’80, Stillwater, Minn.

William Joyner, ..’81, Grand Forks

Amy (Seifert) Loeb, ’81, St. Gertrude, N.D.

Orella (Nysveen) Woods, ..’81, Fargo

Jeff Nelson, ’83, Moorhead, Minn.

Troy Bazey, ’84, Grand Forks

Linda (Sinclair) Bennett, ’85, ’01, Grand Junction, Colo.

Daniel Clark, ’85, Corpus Christi, Texas

Mary (Roessel) Engel, ..’85, Bismarck

Jessica Herman Beier, ’87, Leawood, Kan.

Robert O’Keefe, ’87, ’11, ’15, Fargo

1990s Kelly Halvorson, ’90, Jamestown, N.D.

Cory Cadden, ..’92, Summerville, S.C.

Richelle Horsley, ’92, Salt Lake City

Patricia (Montgomery) Roche, ’92, Mentor, Minn.

Steven Bode, ’95, Larimore, N.D.

Gary Hanesalo, ’95, Ely, Nev.

Toofawn (Gunshanan) Simhai, ’96, ’98, Devils Lake, N.D.

Michelle K Fenske, ’97, Oakes, N.D.

Kimberly (Wells) Kramer, ’97, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Avery Paulson, ’98, ’02, Lincoln, Neb.

Dr. Dana (Borowiak) Scheurer, ’99, ’02, Maryville, Tenn.

2000s Tina Grumbo, ’00, Cavalier, N.D.

Janna (Worner) Kunkel, ’00, Prior Lake, Minn.

Jennifer (Holth) Winkels, ’02, Grand Forks

Forrest Cross, ’06, New Town, N.D.

2010s Danielle Bjerke, ’12, ’13, Park River, N.D.

Christopher Greenman, ’14, ’15, Rock Springs, Wyo.

Scott Lindgren, ’15, Leeds, N.D.

Andrew Huot, ..’17, Red Wing, Minn.

Jaclyn Sand, ..’17, Grand Forks

Faculty/Staff Dianna Georgina, Duluth, Ga.

Debra (Kossow) Lee, East Grand Forks, Minn.

Joan (McGlynn) Martindale, Mankato, Minn.

Regina Monnig, Rochester, Minn.

Joshua Omotunde, MD, Grafton, N.D.

Dr. John Owen, Hollywood, Md.

Eugene Purcell, Grand Forks

E. Paul Smart, Grand Forks

Duane Swartz, Grand Forks

Donna (Knauss) Thompson, Grand Forks

Karen (Karner) Williams, Grand Forks

Friends Ellen (Megivern) Austin, Grand Forks

Joan (Ost) Bender, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

James Bowen, Grafton, N.D.

Julie (Selby) Clark, Williston, N.D.

Virginia Franta, Greenville, Del.

Gloria (Gausvik) Haas, Bismarck

John H. Hoeven, Minot, N.D.

Dolores Holwell, Bottineau, N.D.

William Kloempken, MD, Waseca, Minn.

Darlene (Forseth) Leinen, Williston, N.D.

Mona (Bilden) Lund, Northwood, N.D.

Robert McDonald, Saratoga, Calif.

Paulette (Dorr) Moe, Erskine, Minn.

Joe Neel Jr., Grand Forks

James Noss, Grand Forks

Robert Nowatzki, Langdon, N.D.

Debra (Baxter) Thomas-Anderson, Bemus Point, N.Y.

Douglas Treadway, Brentwood, Calif.

Duane Walker, Hoople, N.D.

Gerald Wickman, Burlington, N.D. ///


Fall 2017 INSIDE: Homecoming 2017: Live for Gameday. p. 12

DRU'S LASTING

LEGACYSophomore Kelsey Cariveau is the latest recipient of the scholarship that honors

the memory of Dru Sjodin p. 6

Phot

o: S

am M

elq

uistWomen for Philanthropy

Student organizations had a chance to highlight their community outreach at the Women for Philanthropy Fall Social.

Those in attendance got the chance to meet some bold and inspirational student leaders who take time from their busy school schedules to make Grand Forks a better place through volunteering and community service.

The UND Mortar Board took home a $1,000 grant while UND Delta Gamma received the $500 People’s Choice Award. These groups will use the grant money to advance their philanthropic outreach in the community.

Helping Students Soar A $1.5-million scholarship endowment will help UND’s Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences recruit even more of the best and brightest students in the country.

The James C. Ray Memorial Freshman Scholarship Endowment honors the venture capitalist and UND benefactor who passed away in April at age 94.

The UND Aerospace Foundation established the scholarship endowment with an initial $500,000 investment. The James C. Ray Foundation made a $500,000 commitment as well. The $1 million was matched by $500,000 from the UND Alumni Association & Foundation UND Promise Scholarship Program.

Find the Flame The flame hidden on the cover of the fall issue of the Alumni Review was tough to spot, but more than 50 sharp-eyed readers found it in the leaves (see above).

Three names were drawn at random from the correct entries. Jeff Seurer, David Knittel and J. Gregory Vranna are the lucky winners of a prize package from the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.

Don’t miss your chance to find the flame on the cover of this issue. Send your guess to [email protected] to be entered in our drawing. Good luck!

THE

WRAP

51 UNDalumni.org

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ALUMNI REVIEWUniversity of North Dakota Alumni Association

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