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Aaron ’22 & Abbey ’22 White
Drew ’21 & Molly ’22 Heiser
Conor ’23 & Allie ’23 McCarvel
Together, Making a Difference Message from the President
By DSU President Steve Easton
You are reading this because you know, as I do, that Dickinson State University is a special place. The College on the Hill has provided a quality and affordable education to students for over a century. The last several years, DSU has rapidly innovated to become a comprehensive, Dual Mission institution, which has resulted in positive growth. During a time when so many institutions are facing enrollment declines, Dickinson State’s student headcount increased by approximately eight percent since 2019.
Growth does not come easily. Our campus adapted to new delivery modalities while building new programming to fulfill industry demands. Degree offerings have been added at all academic levels, and DSU is now officially recognized as a master’s degree granting institution. Dickinson State offers master’s degrees in Business Administration, Education, Education Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Sport Administration, and Teaching.
Hearing the needs of industry in Southwest North Dakota, we developed programming in welding, meat processing and fire science, and soon will launch diesel technology. These majors are in collaboration with the Southwest Area Career and Technical Education Academy.
Thanks to significant gifts, DSU was able to establish three endowed chairs on our campus, providing outstanding academic opportunities to our students. The Lowman Walton Endowed Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies and the Dennis and Vaune Johnson Endowed Chair of U.S. History, held by Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane and Dr. Jeff Wells, respectively, were created to provide exceptional opportunities for students to study with renowned historians. The newest endowed professorship, the Baker Boy Professor of Leadership, was filled by Dr. Debora Dragseth. In this role, Dragseth will work with the company to provide leadership training for its staff in addition to providing outstanding instruction to undergraduate and graduate business majors.
DSU has been fortunate to receive generous substantial contributions to renovate buildings, create new or upgraded athletic competition areas, and expand educational opportunities on our campus. Our students have begun their studies in the Glenice and Dale Hanson Nursing Center with state-of-the-art equipment. Our Theodore Roosevelt Center and the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program are now located in a newly renovated Lowman Walton Hall. The Sanford Sports Complex and youth soccer fields were completed in spring 2023 with major community support.
Up next in capital projects is our Agriculture Building. A staple in our community, expanding the Agriculture building provides academic support for a program that is part of the heart of Southwest North Dakota. This project includes expanding our indoor rodeo arena, which will provide wintertime competition opportunities right here in Dickinson. The DSU Heritage Foundation welcomes anyone interested in being a part of this wonderful development.
Thank you for your continued support. Hawks are up!
Career and Tech Ed Foundation Partner in SWCTE Academy
The DSU Heritage Foundation is contributing $8 million toward development of the Southwest Area Career and Technical Education Academy (SWCTE) to help the university achieve its dual mission role of educating college and high school technical education students.
The much-anticipated project is advancing thanks to a partnership between the university, southwest area high schools, and the local business community. A $26.5 million investment by the state legislature in SB 1543 ensures funding for statewide CTE academies. The SWCTE academy will serve Dickinson State University, Dickinson High School, Trinity Catholic School, and area high schools in Beach, Belfield, New England, Killdeer and South Heart.
“It’s come together beautifully and doing great,” said former state senator Rich Wardner, who dedicated 10 years toward the project. “It’s going to get better and better and better and there will be more people filling the workforce with skillsets that are needed.”
The Academy has a unique collaboration with Dickinson State University. “Other than Fargo, we’re the only other CTE expansion project that is in collaboration with a post-secondary partner within the building and campus itself,” SWCTE Director Aaron Anderson told The Dickinson Press. “The Academy’s programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of Southwest North Dakota. We’re tackling programs that none of these other CTE campuses are even touching. Why? We’re really focused on the needs here locally.”
The DSU Heritage Foundation is a major player in the project, serving as the fundraising lead. “The Foundation is assisting to raise funds to help the university fulfill its dual mission,” said DSU Heritage Foundation Executive Director Ty Orton. “All of the donations raised through the Foundation are going to support the CTE program.”
The new facility is on 40 acres of property previously owned by Halliburton. The project will renovate three of the five buildings on the site to provide 75,000 square feet of indoor training space to go with existing outdoor space. The new investments will allow the project to continue moving forward, much to Wardner’s delight. He anticipates the impact going deeper than workforce development.
“As the (former) assistant principal at Dickinson High, I dealt with many students who were very intelligent and very smart, but
Diesel tech and welding are two programs offered at the Southwest Career and Technical Education Academy.
they didn’t want to be in school. They were a problem. They didn’t like sitting in a desk, they didn’t mind working. Many dropped out because they didn’t want English or math and left unskilled,” Wardner said. “I see this as part of a solution to keeping young people in school. Not only will it make a difference in discipline, but I think it’s a mental health thing, too.”
Wardner has a point, as 84% of North Dakota high school students graduate on time, but 96.7% graduate on time when they complete two or more CTE credits in the same area of study.
Dickinson State already has two labs at the site – welding and diesel tech. New funding will help renovate other areas like laboratories, administrative offices and health sciences classrooms. The Foundation is looking for help acquiring tools, general lab and shop equipment, inspection, maintenance and minor repair tools, truck and master truck service tools, laptop computers, desktop computers, diagnostic equipment, display televisions/monitors, and dealership software.
“It’s exciting collaborating to bring new opportunities to students,” Wardner added. “We want our high school programs to be feeders for those college programs. We’re working on establishing dual-credit opportunities to have those in place in the near future. … I think Dickinson has a solution. This university is very, very important to Dickinson. This will be a positive. Who’s the winner? The employers in the area. The community is going to be the winner.”
Foundation, Cowboy Team Up at INFR
The DSU Heritage Foundation recently teamed with former Dickinson State University football player and rodeo cowboy Rowdy Benson to take the Blue Hawk brand to national heights.
Through a sponsorship with the Foundation, Benson, a 2011 graduate from Morristown, S.D., represented Dickinson State during competition at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. DSU Heritage Foundation Development Officer for Athletics and Rodeo Kyle Smith said the sponsorship agreement was a good thing for the university and Benson.
“We saw an opportunity to work together, supporting him on his journey to Las Vegas while also promoting the DSU rodeo brand at the national level,” Smith said. “Rowdy is a great example of what hard work and taking care of the people around you can do for your life.”
Benson has qualified for two Indian National Finals. The Foundation assisted him with travel expenses to the year’s Finals. “I asked them to sponsor me for one event (steer wrestling) at the INFR. We pay our own hotel rooms, fees and stalls, and by the time you get there you might be in the hole $2,000 before you nod your head. They paid my entry fees. If they’re willing, I’d love to keep promoting the school and the program up there.”
Benson left the family ranch to attend DSU on a football scholarship. “I got a scholarship to play football at DSU. Between
the scholarship, the rodeo team, and the cultural diversity at the school, I didn’t even look at another school,” Benson said.
Benson roped and wrestled his way through college, earning trips to two College National Finals Rodeos for the Blue Hawks.
“That’s what I wanted to do for a living,” Benson said. “My first year, my wife and I had a kid. Working, balancing a wife and new baby, I realized that me doing it for a living would be a pretty scarce living.”
His job as an auctioneer and rancher allows him time to do a little rodeoing on the side, most in smaller circuit and Indian rodeos.
“Rowdy attributes the success he and his family are enjoying now to his time as a Blue Hawk. At the DSU Heritage Foundation, we love hearing about the positive impact that being a Blue Hawk can have on our alumni,” Smith said.
Cowboys & Candlelight Event Recognizes Rodeo Team
Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls are much more at home in an arena than a ballroom, but one night each year is set aside to honor these individuals, connect with alumni and raise funds for the rodeo program. That night, that event, is Cowboys and Candlelight.
The annual event will be held Feb. 24, 2024, at the Eagles Club in Dickinson. “This event serves as one of the major fundraising avenues for the team while also allowing us to connect with alumni and supporters of the program,” said Kyle Smith, development officer for athletics and rodeo for the DSU Heritage Foundation.
The event is sponsored by the DSU Rodeo Council. Each year, it recognizes and celebrates the current DSU rodeo team, while also recognizing individuals who have made an impact on the team.
In 2023, it began welcoming individuals and teams into the Blue Hawk Hall of Fame.
The inaugural Hall of Fame class includes members of the 1958 rodeo team: Tex Appledoorn, Angus Fox, Pete Fredericks, Dale Jorgenson, Dale Little Soldier, and Esley Thorton.
Cowboys and Candlelight
Rowdy Benson
Foundation Presents Annual Alumni Awards Alumni Awards
Troy Kuntz (Young Hawk Award) Recipients of the Young Hawk Award must embody community spirit, passion and a true love for their alma mater. The Young Hawk Award recipient must be 49 years old or younger.
A 2011 DSU graduate and Dickinson native, Troy Kuntz is the Elementary Library Media Specialist for Dickinson Public Schools. He has partnered with city, state, and national organizations and nonprofits to bring STEM education and opportunities to K-5 students in Dickinson. He was on the Homecoming court 2009 and 2010, the Dean’s List spring 2007 and 2009, and the President’s List fall 2007 and 2010. He has served on the DSU Heritage Foundation’s Alumni Committee since 2018 and its president since March 2022.
Dr. Tom and Marie Arnold (Golden Hawk Award)
Recipients of the Golden Hawk Award have shown a long-term commitment to Dickinson State University. They are wellestablished in their fields and show true pride in their alma mater. Recipients of the Golden Hawk Award must be at least 50 years old.
Dr. Tom Arnold graduated with chemistry, biology and coaching degrees from Dickinson State University in 1980. The Richardton, N.D., native also played football for the Hawks from 1976 to 1978.
Tom earned his medical degree from the University of North Dakota in 1984 and completed an OB/GYN internship and residency in 1988. He was a clinical OB/GYN at MedCenter One in Dickinson until 2011, Chief Medical Officer CHI Health St. Joseph’s until 2014, and is currently clinical OB/GYN practitioner at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson.
Tom has been awarded a UND School of Medicine Alumni Service Award, Special Award, Den Harwood Memorial Scholarship, Medical Class president, chair of Pre-Med Day, Medical School
Student Senate, Samuel Perlson Medical School Education Award, and the DSU Young Hawk Award. He has served on the DSU Education Foundation three times.
Marie (Quamme) Arnold graduated from Dickinson State University in 1979. Like her husband, Tom, she chose to attend DSU for several reasons, including its location and the programs offered. Marie was Homecoming princess, Vets Sweetheart, Woods Hall president, student senator, and a TKS daughter. She has also served as Alumni Board president and on the Yuletyme Committee.
Deb and Ken Nelson (Blue Feather Award)
The Blue Feather is the highest level of recognition presented to friends of Dickinson State University. Recipients are not an alumnus, but the recipients demonstrate a passion, love and commitment to Dickinson State University. Recipients must be recognized for providing life-changing experiences to colleagues, friends and the community.
Even though Kenneth and Debra Nelson didn’t graduate from Dickinson State University, they have been steady contributors to school and the community for four decades.
Ken met Deb in Minot and they settled in Dickinson where Ken was an adjunct professor and Deb facilitated many meetings and planning sessions on campus. They raised their sons here and watched their oldest son on the theater stage at Stickney Auditorium and their youngest play high school football on Fisher Field. Ken has earned numerous awards, including ESA Designation from AXA/Equitable, All-American Team Designation from American Funds, national Chair of Champions Award from AXA Advisors, Dickinson Rotarian of the Year, the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship, BSA Roughrider District Spouse of the Year, and he threw out the very first pitch for the Dickinson Diamonds softball team.
Deb, meanwhile, was elected North Dakota Women’s Business Center president and elected to the North Dakota Association of Nonprofit Organizations for three three-year terms. Her awards include North Dakota Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, Governor’s Highway Safety Award, Prevention Coordinator of the Year by the North Dakota Department of Human Services, the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship, and the Kiwanis George F. Hixson Fellowship.
Alumni Awards
Honorees, Fellows Feted by Foundation
Department of Agriculture & Technical Studies - Terrald Bang ’69
Department of Social Science - Kylan Klauzer ’06
Terrald Bang graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in education and tried his hand at teaching before returning to his mountain ranch near Killdeer where he and his wife, Carol ’70, continue to ranch. He has been involved with the Dunn County Fair Board, Dunn County Saddle Club, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Killdeer Mountain Elk Unit Landowners Association. Terrald played football and track and field at DSU.
Department of Natural Science - Travis Booke ’08
A 2006 Dickinson State graduate with a political science major and sociology minor, Kylan Klauzer has put his life on the line daily for the last 18 years as a law enforcement officer in North Dakota. In addition to his All-American football awards, Kylan was the DAC-10 Football Senior MVP and an NAIA Champions of Character Award winner. He graduated first in his class at the FBI National Academy Class 270 and is a 14-year SWAT team member.
Department of Nursing - Brittany Kudrna ’10
After graduating from Dickinson Trinity High School in 2003, Travis Booke completed his undergraduate work at Dickinson State before earning a Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of North Dakota. He served on the Homecoming Committee 2005-2008, as homecoming parade chair 2007, Homecoming Committee chair 2008, Science Olympiad facilitator 2005-2008, Science Club member 2005-2008, student ambassador 2004-2007, and SOAR leader 2006-2008. Travis is a PA-C at CHI St. Alexius Health in Dickinson.
Department of Education - Mary Pat Bruels ’78
Mary Pat Bruels graduated from Dickinson State in 1978 and was selected to receive the Charles M. Scott Student Teacher of the Year Award. In 2020, she was named the Dickinson Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She began teaching in Gladstone in 1978 before moving to Lincoln Elementary in Dickinson for several years. She retired in 2020.
Department of Kinesiology - Randy Gordon ’77
Brittany Kudrna is a 2010 DSU nursing graduate. She was a student ambassador and graduated with an Associate in Applied Science in Practical Nursing Summa Cum Laude 2008. She was on Homecoming Court and Student Nurse of the Year in 2009 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Nursing Summa Cum Laude in 2010. Brittany obtained her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and is a family nurse practitioner at CHI Family Medicine and the DPN/FNP program coordinator at University of Mary.
Department of Math & Computer Science - Brian Kopp ’09
Brian Kopp graduated Summa Cum Laude from DSU in 2009. He was nominated for Outstanding Graduating Senior and has since earned many awards, including 2022 Friend of Transit Award from the Dakota Transit Association and 2022 Friends of Community Action Award.
Department of Arts & Letters - Lori Riehl ‘91
Randy Gordon was a four-year football letterman and played on a North Dakota College Athletic Conference champion in 1975, a team that was inducted into the university’s athletic Hall of Fame. Randy became a teacher and football coach and spent the next 45 years teaching physical education, winning three state football championships and finishing runner-up twice, winning 12 region championships, and earning four North Dakota High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors.
Lori Riehl laid the foundation for a lifetime in the arts at Dickinson State University. She grew up in Dickinson and graduated from DSU in 1991. Lori received her Master of Arts in Education from the College of St. Katherine in 2004. She was 2006 Horizon Middle School Teacher of the Year. In 2000, she was given the North Dakota Speech and Theatre Association Service to the Profession Award.
Department
of Business & Entrepreneurship - Cill Skabo ’93
Cill Skabo has been working her way up the corporate ladder since she earned her first degree at the university in 1993. Cill followed a path set by her brothers and sisters and the family-like atmosphere found at Dickinson State. She has served as a chief technical officer, chief information officer and chief marketing officer.
Athletic Hall of Fame
The Hallowed Halls
Dickinson State Athletics announced its 2023 Blue Hawk Hall of Fame class during Homecoming. The class consists of six individual athletes and two teams that were honored this fall.
“We are very excited to announce the selection of the three men and three women into the Dickinson State Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2023,” said DSU Athletic Director Pete Stanton.
Hall of Fame inductees:
Chioko (Nakasone) Hammel – Superior, Montana
– Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field
Chioko spent five years at Dickinson State competing in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. She was a two-time All-American during her career and spent her final year as a student assistant for both programs. Hammel graduated from DSU summa cum laude in 2007 with a double major in Biology and Spanish, while minoring in Chemistry.
Christa (Hofland) Enebo – Dickinson, North Dakota
– Women’s Track & Field and Basketball
Jason Ackerman – Glendive, Montana – Men’s Wrestling
Jason, originally from Glendive, Montana, wrestled for the Blue Hawks from 1996-2000 and was a three-time All-American while wrestling at 197 pounds and heavyweight. He graduated from Dickinson State with a degree in University Studies.
Francisco Rose – Kingston, Jamaica – Men’s Track & Field
Francisco ran track for the Blue Hawks from 2003-2006, helping lead DSU to NAIA national titles in ’04, ’05 and ’06. He was a multi-time All-American in four different events and was on the 2006 4x400 relay team that set a national record at the NAIA Championships.
Sara Berglund – Hazen, North
– Women’s Golf and Basketball
Dakota
Christa is a Dickinson, North Dakota, native who graduated from DSU in 2009 with a degree in Elementary Education, and minors in Coaching and Leadership. She was a member of the women’s track and field team from 2006-2009, as well as the ’05/’06 women’s basketball team. Christa was a two-time NAIA All-American in track and field, earned DAC All-Conference honors, and held 4 DSU records (indoor shot put, outdoor shot put, weight throw, hammer throw) for 14 years.
Charles McLouth – Circle, Montana – Football
Sara graduated from DSU in 2006 with degrees in Elementary Education and K-12 Physical Education, and a minor in coaching. She was a member of the women’s basketball and golf teams from 2001-2005. Sara was an NAIA All-American in golf, qualifying for the national meet three times and earning DAC All-Conference honors. She set records for both 3-point percentage (single season) and 3-pointers made (career) while leading DSU women’s basketball to a pair of national tournaments. She was named Female Athlete of the Year for DSU in ’04/’05.
2002 Men’s Track & Field
Led by a dynamic group of freshmen and several returning lettermen in the field events, the Blue Hawks won their first conference title in track and field since 1969. The team placed 5th at the NAIA national meet, the highest ever at that time for a Dickinson State track team. Aaron Cleare won the first of 4 national championships in the 400 meters and 6 other Blue Hawks were named All-American.
Charles played football for the Blue Hawks from 1989-1992 and was a two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. He was named NDAC All-Conference in both the ’91 and ’92 seasons. McLouth graduated from Dickinson State in 1993 with a degree in Math Education. Originally from Circle, Montana, McLouth now resides in San Mateo, California, with his wife, Stacy, and son, Alex.
2003
Men’s Track & Field
The 2003 team helped Dickinson State become a national power in men’s track and field for the next several years. In this meet, the Blue Hawks scored 61 points to garner a national runner-up finish. The team was edged out for the national title by Lindenwood in the last few events by 3 points. Future Olympian Derrick Atkins won a national championship in the 100 meters and 9 other Blue Hawks achieved All-American status. The 2002 and 2003 teams were coached by Pete Stanton.
Pursley Joins Foundation Staff
Sometimes it takes a while for something or someone to come full circle, even decades.
That went through my mind when I was approached about working as a communication specialist for the DSU Heritage Foundation. Could I work that into my busy schedule? My response, I’ll make it work.
My relationship with Dickinson State began in 1980 after graduating from Killdeer High School. After a year in school, I took a sports job with the Dickinson Press. After another year in school, I left for the sports writing business, a job I just left in July after 42 years.
In that time, I was a sports writer in Dickinson, Minot and Bismarck and Dickinson State was part of my beats at every stop. I worked full-time for 21 years in newspapers and continued the next 21 part-time with a stint in the Associated Press while working for the state tourism office.
I won a best sports story while at the Dickinson Press for a story on the city and school’s preparation for their first NAIA home playoff game against Carroll College in the mid-1980s. In 2011, I was presented the Honorary Letterman award from the Blue Hawk Booster Club.
My career with the state ended in 2021 and I retired, but I took a new job as senior communications specialist at Clearwater Communications, where I currently have clients that include the Travel Alliance Partnership, Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus, North Dakota Recreation and Parks Association and others. I also continued to write for and edit Pigskin Preview magazine (14 years) and worked in sports information at Bismarck State College.
When the foundation decided to hire me, I cleared my three parttime jobs to concentrate on DSU’s needs. While I live in Bismarck, I know how important Dickinson State is to the community and all of western North Dakota and how enthusiastic graduates –like my wife, Robin – and attendees are about their time there and to the continued success of the university.
Scooter Pursley
I recently met the foundation staff, including executive director Ty Orton, and got a chance to mingle with many people I have known for years at the foundation golf scramble in Bismarck. It never gets old, listening to old stories and making new ones.
I look forward to being part of that success again, to diving into writing, attending annual events, seeing old friends and making new ones as I help the foundation raise funds to provide opportunities and meet the school’s campus-wide financial needs.
To those I know well, and those I will one day know better, be sure to stop me when at a football game or other event and say hello.
Scooter enjoys long trips with his wife, DSU graduate and Clearwater Communications co-owner Robin, on their HarleyDavidson and attending Dickinson State football games. Scooter is a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a 1980 graduate of Killdeer High School.
CONTACT
Scooter Pursley Communications Specialist
Foundation
Homecoming Activities Lead to Record Crowd Homecoming
Homecoming at Dickinson State University isn’t just about football, but football is a big part of homecoming at Dickinson State and has been for nearly 100 seasons. In fact, two years from now, the school will celebrate that centennial and former players, the community, and fans are already making plans to recognize that anniversary.
Instead of waiting for that milestone year, DSU alumni, athletes, and fans turned out in record numbers for Homecoming 2023. Events included tailgating, alumni honors, fellow alumni honor presentations, Hall of Fame recognition, class reunions, and another football victory.
More than 4,000 people took part in three days of events that included the pregame tailgating, a record number of vendors on hand to serve food, and beverages and record concessions sales.
Obviously, Dickinson State Homecoming extends well beyond campus borders and reaches into smaller communities in western North Dakota, eastern Montana and distant points. That was obvious in the turnout for the Touchdown Club’s pre-100th football anniversary kickoff. Many former players from out of state, former head coach Hank Biesiot and longtime defensive coordinator Arlan Hofland were on hand at the BAC. The Touchdown Club and DSU Heritage Foundation collaborates to support the Blue Hawks and raise money for scholarships.
“We’re doing this this year to build up for it,” Touchdown Club
HOMECOMING
president and former player Eric Boettcher said. “When you have a foundation, you have a built-in database. We’re trying to get the word out now. We did well this weekend.”
The Touchdown Club was the brainchild of former Blue Hawk Jace Schillinger to bring alums back into the picture and raise some money for football.
“Almost everything we do is for football scholarships, but we do some team support. We take our fundraising activities for team support if needed and any individual or business donations we get go 100 percent to scholarships,” Boettcher said.
Hofland was on the 1975 team that won a conference championship and coached for 30 years at DSU. Biesiot guided the Hawks for 38 years. Approximately 100 of their players were on hand and recognized at halftime of the football game.
“I always thought the guys I helped coach and graduate were part of my family,” Hofland said.
That camaraderie extends beyond athletics and into the classroom. Those who have excelled in their career fields received alumni awards and honors at a luncheon hosted by the DSU Heritage Foundation at Theodore Roosevelt Grand Dakota Lodge. Recipients were interviewed and met with cheers, tears and laughs as they shared their experiences with friends and families.
Dragseth Honored with Professorship
Dickinson State University School of Business professor
Dr. Debora Dragseth has been a fan of Baker Boy donuts as long as she’s been teaching at the university, which is 34 years. Baker Boy obviously is a fan of hers.
Dr. Debora Dragseth
The DSU Heritage Foundation added another chapter to Dragseth’s illustrious career when it bestowed upon her the Baker Boy Professor of Leadership title
Dragseth was surprised and thrilled by the honor. “I’m super proud. I could not think of a company I’d rather be associated with and to have their title associated with my title,” Dragseth said.
Dragseth said she, the university and Baker Boy will benefit from the relationship.
“I’m just proud to be associated with this company,” Dragseth said. “My students will tour there, I’m going to do leadership training for them, and in southwest North Dakota it does raise the profile of Baker Boy.”
A manufacturer of premium bakery products for foodservice, bakeries, C-stores and private customers, Baker Boy is one of the largest employers in Dickinson. It has been in business since 1955 and in Dickinson since 1957.
DSU Heritage Foundation Executive Director Ty Orton approached Baker Boy President Guy Moos to gauge the company’s interest in sponsoring the university’s third named professorship. Moos, whose company always has been a contributor to academic and athletic needs at the university, jumped at the opportunity.
“I’ve always had a great admiration for Deb and her career as a great educator,” Moos said. “That checked the box there. An opportunity to partner with the university and Dr. Dragseth was certainly appealing to me and Baker Boy. She has touched the lives of a lot of students over the years.”
Dragseth began teaching at Dickinson State University in 1989.
She is the former director of Dickinson State University’s Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program, the former chair of the Department of Business and Management, provost/vice president from 2020-2022, and president of the statewide Council of College Faculties from 2017-2019. She served as the faculty representative on the State Board of Higher Education from 2019-2020.
Dr. Dragseth has received national first-place awards for web writing and business journalism. Her work on outmigration has been cited in both Forbes and Newsweek magazines. Dr. Dragseth has been given Dickinson State University’s highest faculty award, the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award. She was the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce’s Teacher of the Year and was named the university’s Innovative Teacher of the Year. She has also been named the student-elected Outstanding Faculty.
DSU FBLA Students Shine at National Competitions
Dickinson State University students brought home several awards from the Future Business Leaders of AmericaCollegiate National Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Three DSU students advanced to the FBLA-Collegiate National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Atlanta, Georgia, in June 2023, a trip generously funded by the DSU Student Senate.
While at NLC, participants also engaged in a variety of workshops and networking sessions with other students and business professionals.
Kiana Miller, Samuel Adjei, and Abbie Kludt competed at the national conference where Adjei placed an impressive seventh in the Programming Concepts competition.
Go to www.dsuheritagefoundation.org to read more on this story.
FBLA-Collegiate members Samuel Adjei, Kiana Miller, Abbie Kludt at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta.
Athletics McColly Represents DSU at World University Games
Hinsdale, Montana (population 284), is a world away from the sprawling metropolis of Chengdu, China (population 16 million). Last July, the two had something in common, and that was Dickinson State University junior-to-be Kaitlyn McColly.
A little more than two years after standing on the podium to accept the second-place team trophy at the Montana state track meet in Bozeman - where she had single-handedly scored all 42 of her hometown Hinsdale’s points - McColly found herself competing against some of the world’s best allaround collegiate track and field athletes in the heptathlon at the World University Games.
In a two-day competition in the sweltering heat of a Chinese summer, McColly set two personal records and finished 17th in the field with 4,949 points. Not bad for a kid who two years before had committed to attend Williston State College. That was before the phone call, the road trip and the visit that changed her athletic trajectory.
Her journey to eastern Asia started on that podium back in Montana, where Dickinson State track and field coach Shayne Wittkopp took notice of MColly’s all-around state meet: first in the triple jump and 300 hurdles, second in the pole vault and 100 hurdles and third in the long jump. Wittkopp interrupted McColly’s post-meet nap to invite her to compete in track and field at DSU.
“I chose Dickinson State because of coach Wittkopp,” McColly said. “I had signed to play basketball at Williston. After the state meet, I thought maybe I should do track and field. He woke me up from a nap and said, ‘Hey, we’d love to have you. Why don’t we set up a visit.’”
McColly and her mom took a road trip to Virginia to pick up a piano and stopped in Dickinson on the way back. “I immediately loved it,” McColly said. “The small campus, coach Wittkopp, having my own track. It was an easy decision that fell into my lap.”
McColly was All-American in the 2023 indoor pentathlon. She capped her sophomore season with an NAIA national championship in the outdoor heptathlon with 4,922 points.
She started the multi-event competition strong, winning the first event, the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 14.56 seconds. She took sixth in the high jump, 13th in the shot put, and seventh in the 200 meters. On day two, McColly put up even better numbers, taking third in both the long jump and 800 meters and eighth in the javelin to clinch the title.
McColly then became Dickinson State’s first USTFCCA National Scholar Athlete of the Year, carrying a 4.0 grade point average, and was named Midwest Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year. After all the accolades, McColly turned her attention to China. After some initial confusion, she booked her trip.
“Qualifying marks have to be met, but there was no specific score for the multi-events,” McColly explained. “We thought there wasn’t a multi, so I quit registering to compete. The team coach noticed I was half filled out and called and said he’d take me anyway and that I’d be a great addition to the team. … I finished filling out the form and it turned out there was a multi event, so it all worked out.”
The trip to China was a multi-day event itself.
“We got there a week early to adjust to time zones and the weather,” McColly said. “On the flight over there, I was awake for 30 hours and more than 24 of those were in the daylight. That was crazy. It took a little bit of adjustment. Being there a week and getting in practices was very beneficial.”
McColly went on to take 17th place with a personal record score of 4,949. She PR’d in the 100 hurdles (14.36) and 800 meters (2:23.83) and high jumped 1.59 meters. She long jumped 5.29 meters, threw the shot put 10.47 meters and javelin 34.66 meters, then ran a 26.45 in the 200 meters.
“I was going into it not expecting to win or be in the top because there were great athletes there. I was going to have fun and have more consistent results and PR’s,” McColly said. “There was some disappointment, but I just had to remember that I was competing in China, and it was an amazing experience.”
Hansen Gift Benefits DSU Nursing Program
A gift given to Dickinson State University by Dale and Glenice Hansen two years ago began helping the university’s nursing students this fall.
The Glenice Hansen Nursing Center received a $100,000 donation made by the Hansens in 2021. The gift, the largest ever made to the university’s Nursing Department, supported the creation of simulation labs and remodeled classroom space in Klinefelter Hall.
“This is huge and the spaces are amazing,” said Lucy Meyer, chair of the Department of Nursing. “We are ever so grateful for their donation.”
Glenice Hansen was part of the Nursing Department from 19681981, first as a faculty member and later as department chair. Dale Hansen was a Dickinson dentist until his retirement. Dale served on the DSU Heritage Foundation board of directors. Neither attended Dickinson State but felt the need to give back to the community in which they made their home and raised their children.
“Dickinson has been very good to both of us,” Glenice said. “We came here in ’66 but did not plan to make this our permanent home. Dale set up a dental practice and it went very well. We felt we should give something back to the community.”
“We thank Dale and Glenice for the gift they made to the nursing program,” DSU Heritage Foundation Executive Director
Ty Orton said. “With their help, we have updated and added equipment that will benefit our students as they prepare for careers in the medical field. Gifts like these are important to accomplishing the university’s mission.”
When Glenice heard of the Nursing Department’s need for new equipment and space, she and Dale quickly stepped in with the gift. Their donation allowed DSU to transform the nursing department into a world-class health care training site that will provide students with the most advanced technology available anywhere in the region.
“There was some equipment that they could use,” Glenice said. “We just called it Mrs. Chase; it was just a big doll. It was for the learning experience of the students.”
The new simulation labs include two Victoria Advanced Obstetric Patient Simulators, each valued at more than $100,000. Other enhancements include labs, control and debriefing rooms and skills labs in remodeled classrooms.
“Glenice and Dale’s donation initiated an amazing chain of events and led to the creation of simulation labs that will accommodate the educational needs of many current and future students,” Meyer said. “It also gives us an opportunity to work with the community and start partnerships with other clinical agencies.”
DSU Softball Blue Hawks Play on Field of Dreams
They built it, and they came. Dickinson State University this spring hosted its first events at the Sanford Sports Complex, a partnership between the university, Dickinson Public Schools, and Dickinson Parks and Recreation. It has six soccer fields and four softball fields, including a home field for Dickinson State’s softball team with locker rooms, chair seating, and a training room.
“Our Blue Hawk softball team deserves the opportunity to play in a first-class facility, and local and youth softball and soccer teams will have a safe place to practice and play. Inviting younger student-athletes onto our campus will create awareness about what Dickinson State has to offer them in the future,” DSU President Steve Easton said.
Official sponsors include Bravera Bank, Dickinson Eagles Club, Dakota Community Bank and Trust, Ben C. Frank, Dacotah Bank, Brad and Brenda Fong, Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Gate City Bank, Dickinson Soccer Club, Pizza Ranch, Sanford Health, Marathon Petroleum, Dickinson Diamonds, Dan Porter Motors, Sax Motors, Devon Energy and Infinity Real Estate.
Dale and Glenice Hansen
Sanford Sports Complex
Giving Foundation Surpasses Give Day Funding Goal
The DSU Heritage Foundation shot for the moon and reached the stars on Give Day 2023.
Led by the efforts of Alumni Relations and Event Coordinator Kierra Schneider (’22) and student ambassador Xander Beeson, the Foundation exceeded its goal of raising more than $100,000 in one day of targeted fundraising to support scholarships and other areas for students at Dickinson State University. Developed by Myren Moore (’14), Give Day’s 24-hour goal has grown from $20,00 to $100,000 in just three years.
“It was a heavy lift, but the supporters of Dickinson State University have always stepped up to the plate and took things to new heights this year,” Schneider said. “But I’m not surprised by the generosity shown by our DSU family.”
Schneider was a student ambassador in 2021 when the Foundation surpassed its fundraising goal of $20,000 in 24 hours, raising a total of $59,063 through mostly digital means. Emboldened by that success, the Foundation set a goal of $75,000 in 2022 and again surpassed that number with $78,042 from 278 donors.
With an ambitious goal of $100,000, the Foundation on Nov. 14 raised $102,353 from 296 donors, including $9,865.95 from 83 new donors. Donations were received from Canada, England, Germany, and Mexico.
“One of our main goals is to help new donors for Dickinson State feel comfortable giving,” Schneider says. “We want everyone to feel like their gift matters no matter the size, because it does!”
Several creative fundraising opportunities helped the Foundation exceed its goal:
• A breakfast drive that provided a free coffee mug featuring the 1958 Rodeo Team complete with a hot beverage was served at the DSU Heritage Foundation house. The first $1,500 designated for rodeo was matched by the DSU Rodeo Council.
• Following the breakfast drive, a pizza lunch donated by Papa John’s was served. DSU President Steve Easton and his wife, Marivern, matched donations raised.
• The 50 State Challenge had a goal to raise two $50 donations from each U.S. state.
• The Young Alumni Challenge reached out to those who graduated in the last 10 years to show their Blue Hawk pride. They donated based on their graduation year. For example, a 2022 graduate would donate $20.22; 2018 would donate $20.18, etc.
• “This Ain’t My First Rodeo” Challenge asked former Dickinson State Rodeo athletes and supporters to donate during the breakfast drive.
Schneider congratulated and thanked those who took part in Drive Day. “You helped us raise more than $100,000 in 24 hours for student scholarships,” she said. “We feel so thankful and so proud to be part of a community that takes such pride in helping one another. This was possible because of you.”
Give Day sponsors were Joe and Sandi Frenzel of Little Missouri Cattle Co., Dakota Brotherhood, Haylee Culver, the DSU Rodeo Council, Papa Johns, President Steve and Marivern Easton, Sodexo, and all DSU Heritage Foundation board members who went above and beyond for DSU Give Day.
Kierra Schneider and DSU Heritage Foundation Executive Director Ty Orton.
Hawk Hackers Hit The Golf Course Events
Blue Hawks, eagles and birdies were the order of the day in July when more than 100 friends, colleagues and former Dickinson State athletics picked up the sticks for 18 holes of good, bad and ugly scramble golf at Riverwood Golf Course in Bismarck.
For the first time, the Dickinson State University Heritage Foundation golf tournament field was full, with 128 players on the course raising money for the Dick Keller Annual Scholarship. The tournament raised roughly $1,000 in donations, many of those made the day of the event. The day concluded with a social and dinner at the Bismarck Elks Lodge #1199.
The team of Harold Hammeren, Devin Schirado, Jake DeForest, and Jim DeForest blew through the tree-lined par-72 course at 22-under and won custom coolers. One shot behind at 21-under was the team of Rick Kuhn, Ed Dressler, Mike Stumpf, and Tim Hovet, each of whom received camping rocking chairs.
Other prize-winning teams:
8. Derek Selvig, Mike Dahl, Daryl Splichal, Sagan Osbourne (golf towels and glass beer cup).
12. Guy Fridley, Paxton Fridley, Cory Bittner, Grant Bittner (40-ounce tumbler and ceramic mug).
16. James Lorenz, Chuck Smith, Doug Haugtvedt, Cal Wandrey (custom DSU dice sets).
21. Rob Lighthizer, Randy Schwartz, Bob Fischer, Robbie Voigt (limited edition picture).
27. Pete Stanton, Eric Boettcher, Brian Zubke, Kerry Oberlander (DSU hat, DSU cards, DSU glass cups).
The team of Hank Biesiot, Susan Biesiot, Scooter Pursley and Tyson Springer finished last – perhaps from shooting from the wrong tees – to earn cheese balls, DSU socks and DSU ties).
Other awards:
• Closest to the pin - Gary Malkowski (DSU barbecue set)
• Longest putt - Todd Fischer (Coolers with DSU beers)
• Longest drive - Mike Parke (DSU water bottle, 40-ounce tumbler, ceramic mug)
• Golf Bag Winner - Derek Selvig
The DSU Heritage Foundation’s next golf outing has become a midwinter classic. The Arizona Golf Tournament is Feb. 20-21 in Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona. Contact the Foundation for more information.
Bollinger Steps Back From Foundation Role
Rob Bollinger had been a member of the Dickinson State Heritage Foundation board of directors as long as the Heritage Foundation had existed. He recently announced his resignation from the board to concentrate on his current jobs and his growing family in the Twin Cities.
The 1974 Dickinson State graduate has coached and worked in development at the University of North Dakota and Bemidji (Minn.) State University. He currently serves as vice president of advancement and offensive coordinator for the football team at Cretin-Derham Hall School in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is grandpa to 13 grandchildren, 10 of whom live near his Twin Cities home.
With his time stretched to the limit, Bollinger felt the board could find a new foundation development director to take his place.
“It’s been really rewarding working with the board and Ty (Orton) and the staff,” Bollinger said. “I was still at Bemidji when I got on the board and I’m eight years here at Cretin-Derham Hall. You have new
people come on with new ideas and new networking, and I’ll still be involved in some of the events.”
The Development Committee is tasked with:
• Reviewing and approving the following, in compliance with the Heritage Foundation Gift Acceptance Policy:
- New creative gifting options.
- New and existing volunteer engagement development programs.
- Total gift activity.
• Developing policies brought forth by DSU Heritage Foundation staff and/or university personnel.
• Developing and approving a marketing and communications strategy (including branding, positioning, and messaging).
• Developing initiatives to increase the donor base and giving totals.
• Developing strategies to establish, maintain, and enhance the donor development programs.
• Working with the Heritage Foundation’s Strategic Planning Committee for determining goals for giving programs.
During his time at DSU, Bollinger majored in history, teaching and coaching, and played football for the Blue Hawks. He later coached football and served as development officer and assistant athletic director at the University of North Dakota, coached at Central Missouri State, and was head football coach at Northern State and Bismarck State College.
Go to www.dsuheritagefoundation.org to read more on this story.
DSU Flying Legend Shares Stories of Adventure
In Dickinson, those who donate to the university and its students are held in high esteem. Without them, many programs and opportunities would not exist to help the university meet its mission and vision.
Endowments made through various DSU Heritage Foundation programs enable the university to create and maintain excellence in academics beyond that which is accomplished strictly through state funding.
Endowments support scholarships, provide faculty teaching and research support, enhance academic and/or program support like named centers, institutes, departments, or colleges and assure unrestricted support to address new and emerging strategic priorities. The foundation currently manages more than $25 million in
endowments, providing $1.4 million annually in scholarships to more than 700 students.
Without donors, this would not be possible. As a way of thanking donors, the foundation hosted a public event featuring pioneering aviator and Dickinson State graduate Art Mortvedt on Aug. 16 in the Beck Auditorium at the Biesiot Activity Center.
Mortvedt shared more details of his adventures in Alaska and beyond at an evening invitation-only event for Dickinson State supporters and friends at the Biesiot Activity Center.
Go to www.dsuheritagefoundation.org to read more on this story.
Rob Bollinger
Art Mortvedt
Yuletyme is a Great Time for the DSU Foundation
December is considered by many, including the DSU Heritage Foundation, to be the most wonderful time of the year. In addition to it being the holiday season, it’s also Yuletyme at Dickinson State University.
Yuletyme is the Foundation’s annual themed fundraising event held at the Biesiot Activity Center. The theme for Yuletyme 2023 is “Prom through the Decades.” Attendees are encouraged to dress in prom attire from their favorite decades, from tuxedos to leisure suits, and enjoy a night of camaraderie, a social, a meal and a live auction, and conclude the evening with a live band.
The event is sold out, but everyone is still encouraged to take part in the online auction with proceeds going toward scholarships to benefit Dickinson State University students. There will be a great selection of online items on which to bid with all proceeds raised going to a great cause.
For more information on how you can take part in Yuletyme 2023, contact Pamela Rudolph at the Foundation, 701-483-2486
GENERATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
UP TO $2,000
Given to DSU students with a parent or grandparent that graduated from DSU
