FALL 2012
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD
Vol. 12, No. 2
A publication for alumni and friends
Neufelds Donate Their Piece of Heaven
Alumnews Fall 2012
Dear Alumni:
Alumnews is published two times per year by University Marketing, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead MN 56563
Setting priorities is not as difficult as setting aside your time to address those priorities. As I enter this fifth year of my presidency, my priorities and the time I spend on these priorities are shifting a bit, and this involves you.
Editor Kristi Monson (monson@mnstate.edu)
Designer Derek Lien (liende@mnstate.edu)
Photographer Darel Paulson (paulsond@mnstate.edu)
MSUM Alumni Foundation Box 68 Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN 56563
Phone (218) 477-2143 Toll-Free 1-877-270-2586
Fax (218) 477-2909 E-mail alumni@mnstate.edu
Web www.mnstate.edu/alumni
Vice President of Alumni Foundation Laura Huth (laura.huth@mnstate.edu)
Director of Alumni Relations Gina Monson (monsong@mnstate.edu)
Director of Annual Giving Anna Miller
The first stage of my presidency was largely–though certainly not exclusively–focused internally. We had pressing budget issues that required our attention, structural matters, and a flood or two to address. While I can’t say all these matters have gone away, we have made enough progress that I can enter this new stage and spend more time personally involved on external matters. This is where you come in. I intend to spend more time dealing with matters that reengage both our strong alumni base (you) and the institutional partners who can help us achieve our financial goals. This isn’t the forum to rehash the details of the state disinvestment in higher education. For now, let’s just say it is significant and that I will be allocating a lot of time on seeking the new sources of funding needed to maintain the quality and affordability of an MSUM education. Our alumni are critical in this effort and we are taking a number of actions to strengthen the bond with alumni. Why is this so important? Because one of the most compelling measures of success for any university is the success of its graduates. And in this measure, we have a great story to tell.
Directors of Development Matt Baasch ’01 Kim Bair ’04 Mark Lofstrom Jenni Walthall
Best wishes,
Alumni Foundation Board of Directors President Corey Elmer ’94
Vice President Lindsay (Hartmann) Hample ’05
Edna Mora Szymanski President
Past-President Evelyn Quigley ’82
Treasurer Greg Staszko ’72
Secretary Tod Ganje ’98
5th Annual Founders Scholarship Gala
Directors Bob Bowlsby ’75 Maureen K. Brownson ’76 David Daugherty ’73 Lisa Erickson ’79 Jim Fay ’80 Sue Gens ’83 Sandy Korbel ’93 Frank Leidenfrost ’57 Deb Magnuson ’97 Frank Mosier ’67 Scott A. Nelson ’80 Mary Jo Richard ’86 Tomi Sawyer ’76 Jason Sjostrom ’94 Terry Soine ’70 John Thorvilson ’78
Friday, February 15, 2013 • 5:30 p.m. The Founders Scholarship Gala is a night you won’t want to miss. Together we’ll honor MSUM’s Founders and celebrate the students at our biggest scholarship fundraiser of the year. ▸ Actor Kevin Sorbo as Special Guest ▸ Mystery Wine ▸ Silent Auction ▸ Dinner & Cash Bar ▸ Music by the Front Fenders
Visit mnstate.edu/foundersgala or 218.477.2143 for more details. On the cover: Jack and Lorraine Neufeld enjoy country living in rural Lake Park, Minn.
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Alumnews Fall 2012
mnstate.edu Kevin Sorbo
The MSUM Alumni Foundation is an independent 501 (c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to Minnesota State University Moorhead and its alumni and friends.
Alumnews What’s Inside
FEATURES 4 Neufelds Donate Their Piece of Heaven 6 Tour the Neufeld Lake Property, Tree Farm 13 Straw Hat Players Celebrate 50th Anniversary 14 New Master’s Degree in Accounting and Finance
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18 A Peek at Dragons Through the Decades
PROFILES 8 Sadie Thomas Designs for Prestigious Sports Franchise 10 Pakistani Tabish Javed Grows Family Oil Company 27 Great Grads Work in Dragon Athletics
ALUMNI FOUNDATION
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20 Distinguished Alumni Awards Presented at Homecoming 24 Class of 2012 Dragon Hall of Fame 28 Alumnotes * Weddings * Babies * Obituaries
8 Seeking Distinguished Alumni This year’s awards have been presented, but we are now seeking award nominations for 2013. Do you know an extraordinary alumna or alumnus who should be considered for a Distinguished Alumni Award? For more information or to nominate, go to www.mnstate.edu/alumni, email alumni@mnstate.edu or call 218.477.2143.
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The MSUM Alumni Foundation is an independent 501 (c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to Minnesota State University Moorhead and its alumni and friends.
Alumnews Fall 2012
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A little piece of heaven…
Neufelds Donate Minnesota Lake Property
J
ack and Lorraine Neufeld bestowed one of the largest life estate gifts in MSUM’s history—a small piece of heaven nestled in a rolling valley surrounded by hundreds of colorful trees near Lake Park, Minn. The 45-acre tree farm and lake property provide a respite for reflection and rest. They have found peace in their Eden-like surroundings and donated the property to MSUM for future generations to enjoy. They made their gift through a retained life estate so they have full use of and receive income from the property during their lifetimes. Jack, 80, is an education professor emeritus at MSUM. Lorraine, 78, was a full-time homemaker and part-time church secretary until retiring two years ago. They are U.S. citizens who were born and raised in Canada, just seven miles from each other in Winkler (Lorraine) and Morden (Jack), Manitoba. They attended the same Mennonite church and married young.
Life-long learner At 18, Jack started teaching at elementary and secondary schools in Manitoba and Newfoundland to earn enough money to go to college. His first teaching position was at an Indian village in northernmost Canada. When he ran out of money for college, he went back to teaching. He eventually earned three degrees at Goshen College in Indiana—English, education and foreign languages (he’s fluent in German, Dutch and French).
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“I wanted to complete six majors, but ended up with three. I’m a jack of all trades and a master of none,” he quipped. He earned a master’s degree in English literature and a Ph.D. in counseling, both at the University of North Dakota. He’s also attended several seminaries, including Mennonite Brethren Bible College.
The minister Jack was strongly influenced by his Mennonite upbringing. “My uncles came over every Sunday and had theological debates. Had they known I was listening at the door, they might have watched what they said,” Jack said. “That was the beginning of my love of theology, discussion and words.” He’s been a lay preacher much of his adult life, but not a typical one. He questioned too much. “The Mennonite Bible College was going to throw me out because they said I had too little faith and too much doubt. They were right—at least according to their standards,” Jack said. “I asked embarrassing questions, but it wasn’t just on theology—it was on everything!” He has served as a Methodist pastor to several small churches in Minnesota. His latest sermon on “How big is your world?” was delivered Labor Day weekend at Detroit Lakes Methodist Church.
alumni feature Feature
The conductor Monday morning is Jack and Lorraine’s favorite day of the week. At 7 a.m. an interesting group of educators, doctors, business people, theologians, social workers and retirees gather for an intellectual discussion on an assigned book. They’ve studied more than 50 books over the past 15 years. Jack published Monday Morning, a bibliography and summary of the books they’ve read. In the introduction he writes: “When 10 to 16 or more thinking people concentrate on life-changing questions, and give individual responses (not answers), something very powerful happens. It has often felt like we were in the presence of Truth and Love and Beauty. What a privilege it has been, to stretch and grow, in Monday morning.” Father John Husband, an original member of the Monday Morning group, wrote in the introduction: “Simply, yet comprehensively described, Jack Neufeld is the conductor of our Monday Morning Book Group…. He has a team of dedicated, insightful theologians…Jack comes each
Monday morning with a thought provoking and insightful set of notes. From this ‘score’ Jack conducts (that is enables) riveting discussions….He incorporates the input from others with the skill of the most proficient conductors. He skillfully leads so that no one voice dominates each morning’s score.”
The partner Married 51 years, Lorraine and Jack are an inseparable and complementary team. Always the ardent wife and mother, Lorraine dabbled in real estate, teaching swimming lessons and daycare, but her priority was always Jack and the kids. She was a part-time secretary 35 years at United Methodist Church in Detroit Lakes. “That fulfilled the social need I missed when we moved from the city to here,” she said. Swimming in the lake and early morning jogs and walks fueled her spirit and energy. She said, “We follow the puritan work ethic pretty hard. Those white chairs and deck are all unused. We’re workaholics; we might as well face it.” All three Neufeld children attended MSUM; two graduated—Jon (’85, biology) is a doctor in Hougton, Mich., and Joanne (’85, chemistry) is a doctor in Grand Forks, N.D. Tom is a geneticist at the University of Minnesota.
The counselor Students Jack taught at Lake Region Junior College (Devils Lake, N.D.) were drawn to him. He provided a listening ear and fatherly advice.
The author
Besides Monday Morning, Jack has authored three editions of Interpersonal Communication: A Student-Involvement/Text; Klaus, a historical novel he wrote based on his grandfather Heinrich Vilhelm Klassen; and Yahk, written for “specially gifted pre-teen children, by me and my five specially gifted grandchildren.” It chronicles the adventures of a small clan of Eskimos fleeing the encroachment of glaciers.
“He was counseling even before he got into the counseling field,” Lorraine said. “One of the reasons he went into counseling is that people came to him for all kinds of help and advice, so he thought he might as well get some training in counseling so he could do it better.” He completed most of his coursework for the counseling psychology program at Washington State University before completing his Ph.D. at UND.
MSUM President Edna Szymanski described Jack as a pioneer. “In the 1960s, counseling centers were still very new and not very much a part of the fabric of a university. Today we can’t imagine how we would survive without a counseling center.”
The teacher After completing his Ph.D., a friend invited Jack to apply for a job at NDSU. “I heard so many good things about Moorhead State being the Harvard of the North. I really wanted to take a look at the school,” Jack said. “As it turned out, Moorhead offered me a job, too. It was a tough decision to say no to my friend, but Minnesota is where we belong.” He joined MSUM in 1967 and retired in 1995. During his 28-year career, he worked in the counseling center; was one of three original founders of the Professional Fourth Year (PFY) Program for teachers; and taught in the areas of educational psychology, counseling graduate program, interpersonal communication and human growth and development. Jack often invited students and faculty to their home for retreats and community building events, including midnight trust walks in the forest. Extremely grateful for the flexibility and variety that was afforded him, Jack says what he remembers most about Moorhead State is the students. “When the door was shut, that was my kingdom. I loved every minute of it.” These days, their home is their kingdom. They grow, tend and harvest their many gardens. Lorraine freezes, dries and cans everything grown on their property. Jack enjoys crossword puzzles, Scrabble, reading, and of course, Monday mornings. But most of all, they encourage MSUM alumni and friends to come out and enjoy the school’s recent acquisition. You might even get a leisurely tour of the property, a hot cup of mint tea, and an apple for the ride home. > KRISTI MONSON
Alumnews Fall 2012
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A little piece
Neufeld Lake Property & Tree Farm Neufeld Family Scholarship Endowment
The idea of donating their property came to Jack Neufeld, professor of education emeritus, when retired Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs Lois Selberg donated her farm to MSUM. “I thought what a wonderful idea to show our gratitude, because I am tremendously grateful to Moorhead State for so many, many things,” Jack said. The gift includes the Neufeld’s home, buildings and 45 acres of land, including a 40-acre tree farm. Jack and Lorraine want the property to be retained as a permanent asset of the university and be utilized for educational purposes and/or as a branch of the MSUM Regional Science Center, as a university retreat, and for seminars and in-service programs offered by MSUM, as well as for seminars and programs offered by other colleges and universities, and public/private K-12 schools.
> 50+ wild and tame apple trees abound: Beacon (3 varieties), British Columbia (smuggled across the Canadian border!), crab, Fireside, Haralson, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Prairie Spy. The Neufelds consume roughly 3,000 apples in a year.
> Jack took chestnuts from the tree in front of Lommen and planted them on this property! Other nut varieties: acorn, hazelnut, walnut
> In addition to plum (wild & tame) and apricot trees, fruit bushes are plentiful: blackberries, blueberries, chokecherries, currants (red & black), gooseberries, ground cherries, pin cherries, raspberries, strawberries. Jack and Lorraine have made apple and plum wine.
> The 8’ x 6’ foot pantry is stocked full year round!
The Neufeld gift not only serves as a legacy of Jack and his wife, Lorraine, it also serves as a model for others. “This is a unique gift in that it’s a large estate. More people could do a similar gift but they don’t always understand the vehicle and how it can be used,” said Laura Huth, vice president of the Alumni Foundation. “It feels wonderful to be able to share this with others,” Jack said. “I believe we’re travelers and we’re using this property for part of our lifetime.” > 4 kinds of spruce trees: Black, Colorado Blue, Norway, White
> Jack has planted more than 20,000 trees over the years, including 500+ oak!
MSUM President Edna Szymanksi said there are lots of possibilities for the farmstead. “This gift will inspire others in huge ways.”
Fun things to do: Canoe (they’ll provide the boat!), Cross-country ski, Fish, Hike, 6
Snowshoe (they have 2 pairs to lend!), Swim (Lorraine swims daily!)
Alumnews Fall 2012
> Animals the Neufelds have raised: cats, cows, chickens, emus, geese, goats, llamas, riding horses (broodmares) and sheep.
> The Neufelds have 20+ pigeons, 6 miniature horses (with 4 on the way), and 2 dogs (Augen & Teddy).
> Wild animals on the property: beavers, chipmunks, coyotes, deer, ducks, muskrats, rabbits, snapping turtles, turkeys.
Alumni are Welcome
Jack and Lorraine welcome alumni and friends of the university to explore MSUM’s newest acquisition at any time. Guests are invited to hike the trails, canoe on the lake or pick an apple from the plethora of varieties. “We live at the end of a dead-end road in a little valley, Edenish escape from the world, which we love to share!” Jack said. Guests are simply asked to stop and say hello to Jack and Lorraine to let them know you’re out for a visit. They’ll likely show you around with the most generous of hospitality, invite you to sample the luscious fruit, and perhaps send you on your way with a homemade jar of jam! > Jack says Lorraine is “sweet enough,” so her garden includes more vegetables, such as asparagus, beets, cucumbers, eggplant, kale, lettuce varieties, peapods, peppers, poppy seed and Swiss chard.
Directions from Moorhead
Take Highway 10 east (about 11 miles) Turn south onto County Road 1 (also called Upper Cormorant Lakes Rd) Drive south 6 miles to County Road 6 Drive east 2 miles on #6 to 150th Avenue (a gravel road) Drive south ½ mile on 150th Ave to 15561, a redwood house at the bottom of a big curving hill Email: lorrainenuefeld@loretel.net Phone: 218.532.2011
Property facts:
> Jack has a sweet tooth, so his garden includes beans, carrots, cantaloupe, currants, gooseberries, grapes, onions, potatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, squash and watermelon.
▸ Location: Becker County (MN), Lake Park ▸ 45 acres ▸ Purchased in 1972; Moved to in 1975 ▸ 3 cleared 1.5 mile walking trails ▸ 45-minute cross-country trail ▸ 20,000 trees planted by the Neufelds ▸ Bergerson Lake is ½ mile long, 160 acres, 40 feet deep
> No garden is complete without a variety of herbs to accent fresh or canned produce: basil, cilantro, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
Alumnews Fall 2012
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> Sadie Thomas in front of the Dodgers’ stadium where her office is located.
Broncos to Dodgers Sadie Thomas, ’09, designs for professional sports franchises
W
orking for a professional sports team seems to be a natural fit for Sadie Thomas, and graphic design is what she does best. Three years after graduating from MSUM, she is the graphic design coordinator for one of the longest-standing sports franchises in the country, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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a graphic design internship with the Houston Astros. “I was part of the summer 2009 intern class and learned the duties and responsibilities required of an in-house designer with a professional sports team,” Thomas said.
As graphic design coordinator she showcases the well-known and respected brand through visual art, a task that means doing more than ordinary work.
In March 2010, the Denver Broncos hired Thomas as a graphic design assistant. She applied the skills and techniques she learned in Houston to her new position. Success followed her in Denver within the Broncos franchise.
When Thomas joined the Dodgers it wasn’t the first time she had done graphic design for a professional sports team. Thomas’ career began with
“After a few months in Denver, I was promoted to a full-time designer, and then in January 2011 to head designer,” Thomas said.
Alumnews Fall 2012
alumni profiles Profiles
A little over a year later, Thomas was hired as the coordinator of graphic design for the Dodgers. Thomas packed her bags and headed to sunny California looking forward to new experiences and challenges. “Adjusting to my new position was very easy. Many of my projects and responsibilities are the same or very similar to those I had at the Broncos and Astros, so I just needed to adjust to a new team and organization,” Thomas said. “I felt very comfortable knowing how to do the proj-
Her primary responsibilities are ads and publications, but she works on everything from logos to photo mockups. Thomas said her favorite part of the job is, “Having the opportunity to create graphics that represent the integrity, commitment and history of the team and Dodgers organization in ways that provide a visual connection for fans locally and worldwide.” While at MSUM, Thomas’ experiences in and out of the classroom helped prepare her for her career. The professors’ expectations from their students to create high-quality designs for every assignment taught her how to work under pressure.
ects because of my previous experiences so I focused on learning and understanding the standards and operations of the Dodgers’ organization.” Thomas’ work depends on multiple factors that go along with baseball. “My daily projects fluctuate depending on if there are home games, upcoming events and whether it’s during the season or offseason,” Thomas said. © Los Angeles Dodgers and © Denver Broncos
“Learning and studying the essential design elements and principles has created a great base for me to apply in all my designs,” Thomas said. “I feel that my understanding of graphic design, as well as other art forms, has helped me to effectively create designs in an incredibly fast-paced environment.” Al Sheets, professor in the Art & Design Department, remembers having Thomas as a student. He describes her as dedicated, focused, creative and hard working. “She was well liked and respected in class. She was not afraid to go back and rework her projects to take them to higher levels of success.”
She appreciated the small class sizes at MSUM because it “allowed a more personable relationship with the faculty.” One of her favorite memories from MSUM did not take place in the classroom but on a graphic design field trip to Minneapolis. Thomas and her classmates visited design studios to see how they operate and talked with professionals in the field. They also went to a Twins game. Two of her favorite things in one trip: graphic design and sports. “Her senior show was a fictional sports stadium. Even then she showcased her love of sports and graphic design,” Sheets said. Thomas grew up in Parkston, S.D., watching and playing sports, and she competed in four sports while in high school. She never imagined back then that she’d end up working for such a prestigious sports franchise. For Thomas, her dream job isn’t a dream. She lives it when she gets up and goes to work in the Dodgers’ stadium. > COURTNEY WEATHERHEAD Alumnews Fall 2012
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A global journey Tabish Javed, ’05, manages Pakistani lube oil company
A family business The Javed family company started in the 1950s, when Javed’s grandfather moved to Pakistan looking for opportunity after Pakistan separated from India. “Pakistan and India were occupied by the British up to that point. The majority of the infrastructure was in the Indian part, so a lot of people moved to Pakistan. They started to see what to invest in.” It was the perfect time to establish a home and a business in the newly independent country. Lube oil was the path Javed’s grandfather chose and it has proved to be successful.
> Tabish visited Moorhead in July and made stops at MSUM’s Alumni House, Center for Business and International Student Services office.
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abish Javed landed in Minnesota for the first time in the middle of January. It was minus 30 degrees. He wore a light jacket, and once the doors opened at Hector Airport, Javed realized he was not dressed appropriately for a winter on the prairie. He’s from Karachi, Pakistan, a city of nearly 21 million people that is situated on the coast of the Arabian Sea with temperatures averaging 75 degrees year round. Minnesota was a change to say the least. In 2003 Javed arrived at MSUM to finish his degree in computer science. At the time Pakistan only offered three-year degrees, and his goal was to earn his master’s in the United States. Friends
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living in Minnesota suggested he finish his undergraduate degree at MSUM because of the welcoming atmosphere and friendly people. At MSUM, Javed picked up a second major in business. Born into a family who owns one of the original lube oil companies in Pakistan, he took well to the degree. “I loved the business school. I grew up listening and seeing all these things happening. I’d hear, ‘This is the business model. This is how you advertise. This is how you finance.’ It was easy for me to conceptualize all these things because I already was seeing them in the real world,” Javed said.
“Initially when he started, he didn’t choose to launch his own product right away,” Javed said. “Shell contacted my grandfather about setting up an industry in Pakistan, which would manufacture their products. My grandfather said, ‘Instead of you setting it up, let me start a business of my own and I will do a third party manufacturing for you.’ They got into a deal, and he started working with Shell. He set up a 10-acre manufacturing facility. We grew and he thought we were ready to launch a brand of our own.” In the mid-70s, they began manufacturing their own oil. The company is Pakistan Lubricants Private Limited and their oil goes by Master Oil. “Lube oil is famously known as black gold, because it’s a very high commodity product. It’s something you’d never avoid using,” Javed said. The company started from modest means and is now a multi-million dollar company with locations in Karachi, Dubai and the United Kingdom. The Pakistan location employs 519 people.
alumni profiles Profiles > Tabish visited with Alumni Relations Director Gina Monson about the possibility of starting a scholarship for Pakistani students to attend MSUM.
Stepping in Javed graduated from NDSU with his MBA in 2008 and returned to Pakistan in 2009, knowing he’d be stepping into the family business. The oil industry would be his specialty. “One of my reasons for coming to the United States was that I wanted to gain experience here,” Javed said. “I thought there would be a lot of things I could take back and integrate with my company in Pakistan.” Javed is now the director of supply and operations at Pakistan Lubricants Private Ltd. He oversees the operations from supplier to customer. “I manage the inventory for the manufacturing process from the storage, warehousing, transportation models, logistics models and I work with the suppliers. I’m a part of the process from one end to the other. From the operations to the customer,” Javed said.
Javed’s experiences at MSUM and NDSU influence the way he manages and hires. “I always try to find people who are better than me at what they do. If I’m hiring people, and I’m better at their job than they are, then that’s a bad hire for me. That’s how our hiring procedure works,” Javed said. Javed enjoys managing. “It’s my own. I make the decisions over there, so it’s easy for me to adopt the way I want it to be.”
Paying it forward Managing the oil company is one of his many interests. He’s a musician in a band, a photographer, owns a property management business in London and hopes to soon own a fashion label. “Music is the major part of my life. It’s always been since I was a kid and still is. Photography is the new hobby that I’ve picked up. I roam around with my camera. It goes where I go,” Javed said.
During his time at MSUM, Javed embraced campus life. His best memories from MSUM are his times spent with the International Student Organization. MSUM is very special to Javed and he wants other Pakistani students to have the opportunity to discover what MSUM has to offer. Javed is in the beginning stages of starting a scholarship for Pakistani students to attend MSUM. He hopes he can give back to the school and make a positive impact on students’ lives. Javed has travelled around the world, but no matter where he travels or what he does, he says FargoMoorhead will always be home. > COURTNEY WEATHERHEAD
About Master Oil ▸ Master Oil provides lubricating oils for cars, motorcycles, agricultural machinery, etc. ▸ Lubricating oil provides greater efficiency to engines by reducing friction, carrying away contaminants and transferring heat. ▸ Pakistan Lubricants Private Limited (PLL) strives to assure customer satisfaction, by reducing waste and implementing continuous improvement programs for manufacturing operations. ▸ The Quality Policy of PLL is to provide the consumer with the right product, at the right place, in the right condition, at the right time in the most cost effective manner.
> Tabish at MSUM’s Center for Business. Alumnews Fall 2012
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University Prepares for 125th Anniversary
> The Snoopy snow sculpture was a popular entry in the 1964 campus snow festival (when they had time to do these things). Are you one of the alumni who helped build this? Tell us your story!
Planning underway for a variety of activities and events
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n August, 1888, the Moorhead News carried a short item about the “new teachers college:” “We visited the Normal School building this morning. Work is progressing rapidly in finishing it. The building is a magnificent one of large dimensions, and has to be seen to be appreciated. It is expected by the faculty that about 50 to 60 pupils will commence classes at the opening on August 29, which number will be augmented to perhaps 100 by December 1.”
later as a women’s dormitory (male students were expected to live off campus).
At that time, the Moorhead Normal School consisted of one building, standing in the field of prairie grass, some 200 yards west of the rest of the town. A second building was added a few years
When completed, the site will have a timeline of the school’s history, numerous photographs and documents, and reminiscences from former students.
In 2013 Minnesota State University Moorhead will celebrate its 125th anniversary by highlighting how much the school has changed. MSUM will hold a number of events beginning in August 2013. In the meantime, alumni can look at an anniversary website under development: http://web.mnstate.edu/shoptaug/125th/ Timeline/indexanniversary.html
> TERRY SHOPTAUGH
> 1962 cartoon from the Mistic newspaper. Share your class schedule stories at www.mnstate.edu/alumni
Please share your pictures and memories with the Alumni Foundation office at alumni@mnstate.edu or MSUM Alumni House, 1026 7th Ave. S., Moorhead, MN 56563. 12
Alumnews Fall 2012
campus news News
Straw Hat Players are Golden Anniversary events and reunion planned for 50th season Summer in the Red River Valley may look and sound a lot different to those who remember how it was in the 1960s. The pace of life is faster. Traffic is heavier. Farms that bordered Moorhead and Fargo have long since been replaced by housing developments and business districts. But some things are the same. Mosquitoes. Humidity in July. The draw of lake country. And The Straw Hat Players. Come June, The Straw Hat Players will celebrate 50 years as the area’s only professional summer stock theatre company. Since 1963, The Straw Hat Players have entertained thousands of audience members at the height of the community’s summer, first in Fergus Falls for a couple shows that summer, then in Moorhead at MSUM, where it’s been ever since.
So what’s planned for the golden anniversary season? Theatre Director Craig Ellingson has tentatively scheduled six productions listed below. Until performance rights are secured, he won’t guarantee the lineup. But you can probably look forward to: ▸ My Way, a Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. This anniversary special event will feature Straw Hat alumni as performers, as well as guest director (and former MSUM Director of Theatre) David Grapes.
▸ Lend Me a Tenor, a comedy by Ken Ludwig.
▸ The World Goes ‘Round. The Kander and Ebb musical revue features music from Chicago, Cabaret and several other musicals.
▸ A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum closes the season. It’s one of Straw Hat’s most popular musicals, and debuted on New York’s Broadway in 1963, making it especially fitting for the 50th anniversary of Straw Hat.
▸ Godspell, a musical by Stephen Schwartz.
▸ Same Time, Next Year, a romantic comedy and the basis for the 1978 film starring Ellen Burstyn and Alan Alda.
> REBECCA SUNDET-SCHOENWALD
A reunion of Theatre Department and Straw Hat alumni is set for July 20. Look for more information about the coming Straw Hat season and the reunion in a future issue of Alumnews and at www.mnstate.edu/theatre. Alumnews Fall 2012
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campus news News
New Master’s Degree Offered in Accounting and Finance Unique program blends two disciplines
M
SU Moorhead is now offering a new M.S. in accounting and finance—the only graduate program like this in the tri-state area. The University of Minnesota, University of South Dakota, University of St. Thomas, University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University all offer master’s degrees in accountancy, and several schools also offer the MBA, but MSUM’s program is a unique blend of two disciplines and practice.
School of Business chairs and Marsha Weber, dean of the College of Business and Industry, met with the school’s advisory board and area business leaders to develop this program.
master's of Security Analysis and Portfolio Management, and a doctorate in business administration to be completed in 2013, plus his B.S. in accounting from MSUM in 1979!), says the curriculum will position students with a base of exposures that goes beyond anything available in a strictly accounting or finance program.
Students completing the program will be well prepared to pursue careers in investment management or accounting and to obtain professional designations like Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Students must have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance and meet other program requirements for admission to the M.S. program. However, others with bachelor’s degrees in disciplines outside of accounting or finance may also apply to the program. They must have the equivalent of several undergraduate accounting and finance courses and have their transcripts evaluated by the School of Business.
“The rationale behind the M.S. in accounting and finance is quite compelling; by combining the depth of study into both disciplines, it offers an unparalleled breadth of functional business skills that not only expand potential career opportunities along either path, but enhances the range of knowledge a student can bring to any position, greatly improving opportunities for career advancement and success,” Anderson said.
A double focus
A competitive advantage
Improved marketability
The program is designed as a fifth year extension of the undergraduate programs. Accounting and finance majors were surveyed in spring 2011 with the following results:
Finance courses in the program provide a deeper understanding of important financial concepts, models, methods and theories that can be applied in a corporate environment in roles like a finance manager or portfolio manager. It improves quantitative analysis skills and knowledge of the financial markets.
There is an improved job market for students with advanced degrees. Professional association, career and the U.S. Department of Labor websites all state that professionals with advanced degrees and/ or professional certifications will enjoy the best job prospects.
▸ 90% of the accounting majors planned to take the CPA exam. ▸ 44% would like to get their master’s degree at MSUM to obtain the 30 additional credits required for the CPA exam. ▸ 45% of the finance majors planned to take the CFA exam. ▸ 90% of those majors were interested in a master’s degree in accounting and finance.
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▸ Two-thirds of those students would like to stay at MSUM to pursue that degree.
The accounting courses strengthen an individual’s preparation to work in various roles within the field, such as an auditor at a large accounting firm, management positions in corporate accounting or as a CPA for individuals or businesses. Mark Anderson, president and CEO of BlackRidge Financial, Inc., and a quasiexpert on advanced degrees (he holds an MBA, M.A. in history, M.S. in finance,
Graduates with the M.S. in finance and accounting will improve their marketability, strengthen their academic credentials, polish their professional skills and build confidence in their proficiency. For more information about the M.S. in accounting and finance, contact Program Director Sheri Erickson at erickson@mnstate.edu or 218.477.4073, or visit the graduate programs website, www.mnstate.edu/graduate.
Foundation
New Scholarship Funds for Students, Faculty, Departments The generosity of our donors enables Minnesota State University Moorhead to enhance our students’ learning experience. A large amount of funding is received from individual contributions, and these new funds benefit students, faculty and academic departments. In the coming years the generosity of MSUM donors will play an increasingly critical role in our ability to meet the needs of our academic learning community.
The following are some of the funds that have been recently established at MSUM: Clair and Ardith Peterson Endowment Clair ’58 and Ardy ’65 Peterson started this endowment to provide for the greatest needs of the MSUM Alumni Foundation. Uses can include but are not limited to: scholarships, building projects, College programs, and special operational needs.
School of Business Masters Programs Support for faculty and students in new masters programs in the School of Business. A master of science in accounting and finance will begin January 2013. The School of Business plans to introduce an MBA program Fall 2013.
Tracy Lynn Mack Scholarship Established by Darrel Mack ’61 in honor of his daughter, Tracy Lynn. This endowment fund will provide scholarships to students majoring in special education.
JoAnn Sell Education Endowment Joann graduated from Moorhead State College in 1968, and created the endowment to provide scholarships for elementary education students.
Jennifer Rathert-Hughes Endowed Music Scholarship
here 24 years. The endowment fund provides scholarships to attract new business students.
Helen Lucille Wardeberg Elementary Education Endowment As part of her estate, Helen bequeathed over $650,000 to MSUM to provide scholarships for worthy students preparing for careers in elementary teacher education.
Green Family Endowed Scholarship Established by Judy ’85 and Scott Green, funds will be used for: Freshman scholarships for students graduating from Fargo South High School and entering the finance program.
Lyndon Loyal Johnson Endowed Scholarship Lyndon is a 1969 Moorhead State graduate. The endowed scholarship is for students from Big Stone, Traverse or Laq que Parle Counties in Minnesota and whose parents are engaged in farming. It provides academic scholarship for undergraduates who meet the requirements listed, and who are pursuing a degree in the School of Business.
Michlovic Endowed Scholarship
In memory of Jennifer RathertHughes, Jen taught piano in high school and continued piano and voice teaching through college at MSUM. This endowment is for music scholarships.
Mike Michlovic founded MSUM’s department of Anthropology and Earth Science and has been a professor of anthropology here since 1975. Allocations from the Michlovic Endowed Scholarship will be for for anthropology & Earth science students.
George & Marlane Sanderson Endowment
Thomas W. & Linda G. Collins Scholarship Endowment
George’s 31-year career at MSUM includes nine as accounting department chair. Marlene earned her MBA at MSUM and taught
Thomas taught here for 35 years and is a professor of biology emeriti. This endowment provides scholarships to seniors majoring in the biosciences.
Nellie Esselman Special Education Scholarship Fund Nellie, ’68, named the Special Education Department as a beneficiary to her estate, thus establishing this scholarship.
Biochemistry and Biotechnology Industry Scholarship Sponsored by the Greater FargoMoorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC) to support the growth and presence of a highly qualified, technically trained workforce for the biopharmaceutical industry in Fargo-Moorhead.
Arty Heald Memorial Scholarship A scholarship for nursing students, in memory of Arty Heald, son of nursing Professor Donna Heald Clark.
Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Scholarship Established by speech language-hearing science Chair Bruce Hanson for graduate pathology students.
Summer Kodaly Scholarship Established by music Professor Kenyon Williams for participants in the Summer School Kodaly program.
Sigma Tau Delta The English Department Honors Society Fund—striving for excellence and awareness of the literary arts and scholarship.
MSUM Sustainability Scholarship Established by Dennis Jacobs, ’73 physics graduate and MSUM professor, for students enrolled in the sustainability program.
Women’s Center The Women’s Center promotes feminist activism and women’s self-determination; educates the campus; creates a space for students, faculty and staff to socialize and share ideas in a respectful manner; and advocates an understanding of the intersection of multiple forms of oppression and how they affect women’s lives.
Dragon Investment Fund The Dragon Investment Fund is established to allow students to gain practical investment management experience while generating competitive returns. It will enhance students’ understanding of investment analysis and portfolio management; provide students with the opportunity to manage money with real-time consequences; provide students with an additional social setting where they can interact with fellow students and engage in a team oriented process making meaningful decisions; and provide an additional source of funding for merit-based scholarships to School of Business students.
Nick Kochaniuk Football Scholarship An annual scholarship in honor of Nick that exemplifies the passion, toughness, and strength that he displayed during his football career with the Dragons.
Sanford Scholarships Established by Sanford with the funds bring restricted for athletic scholarships to MSUM’s intercollegiate athletes.
Ed Schultz Football Scholarship Scholarship provided by Ed Schultz to support players on the Dragon football team he once quarterbacked.
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Foundation Top 10 Reasons Alumni Give to MSUM 10 To demonstrate pride in the quality education you received.
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To participate in a long-standing tradition of alumni giving.
8 To give current students the benefit
of the same excellent education you received.
7 To make a difference today, this year, and every year!
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To feel connected with the university and know that you are influencing it in a personalized manner–through any fund or program of your choice. To show your satisfaction and belief in the strength of the university and its 125-year legacy. To give back to the alma mater that gave you top-notch faculty, outstanding programs, a personal touch and lifelong friendships.
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> Our Dragon callers look forward to talking with you!
To increase the university’s alumni participation rate, which leads to increased value of an MSU Moorhead degree for alumni and students.
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To pay it forward. As a graduate of MSUM, you have benefitted from past gifts to the university. Tuition has never covered the full cost of education at MSUM. Annual fund gifts have always helped underwrite expenses, so even alumni who paid full tuition benefitted from gifts to departments and programs on campus.
The #1 reason alumni give: because you are asked! Please support your alma mater for all of the above reasons, and because we asked. To make a gift today, use the enclosed envelope or visit our website at www.alumni.mnstae.edu/donate. Thank you so much for your support!
Visit MSUM’s New Alumni Online Store MSUM is pleased to present the NEW Alumni Online Store! Brought to you by the MSUM Alumni Foundation, the Alumni online store is your one-stop shop for a collection of highquality alumni apparel, accessories and gifts—all conveniently shipped directly to you! We encourage you to show your support and promote Dragon pride. A portion of all merchandise sales benefits the MSUM Alumni Foundation.
www.madetoorder.com/MSUMAlumni
alumni foundation Foundation
Dragons are calling…
Take Time to Talk to a Student
W
hen you see Minnesota State University Moorhead on your caller ID during the academic year, it’s your opportunity to hear what’s new at MSUM from a current student. Our Phonathon is now underway. Students will ask for your support of the 2012-13 Annual Fund, but they also want to hear about your MSUM experience. As a graduate, you likely have many fond memories of your time at MSUM, which we hope was not only enjoyable but also had a positive impact on your life. We love to hear about your successes and achievements since leaving MSUM.
Since state funding is decreasing, we want to make sure MSUM continues to attract the best students, develop areas of excellence, and ensure an enjoyable student experience for future students. Therefore, our Annual Fund supports areas of greatest need within the university—scholarships, student activities and faculty development.
An Inexpensive Planned Gift Looking for an inexpensive way to support MSUM that doesn’t require you to give up assets now? Here’s an idea. A Bequest Can be: ▸ from your residual estate (after final expenses are met) ▸ expressed as a percentage or as a dollar amount ▸ a particular asset, e.g., stocks, vacation home May need a will if: ▸ conveying anything to a non-family member ▸ conveying to a family member who would not automatically receive through intestacy (if you die without a will) ▸ conveying anything to an organization such as MSUM
▸ wanting to designate a guardian for minor children ▸ trying to change effect of federal or state tax laws on estate You can revoke or make a change to a will at any time. The only expense usually incurred by creating or changing a will is the attorney fees. (It is advised you hire a qualified attorney to draft or review your will.)
Testamentary Gifts Testamentary (upon death) gifts can go to existing funds or, if a minimum amount is met, a new named endowed fund. Agreements signed in advance may be advised. An idea is to start an endowed fund during your lifetime and add to it when you die.
We hope you enjoy speaking to a current MSUM student and that you make the most of the opportunity to learn about MSUM today. We are always glad to hear from our alumni, and as a graduate of MSUM you remain a valued member of our community.
Other Things to Know All planned gifts should be made or designated to the MSUM Alumni Foundation (or its successor). Currently, MSUM receives only 36 percent of its operating funds from the state legislature. The rest must come from students and private sources. No matter its current or eventual value, any planned gift qualifies you for membership in the school’s Legacy Society. If you wish you may be an anonymous member of the Legacy Society. For more information, to ask about a planned gift, or to tell the school about a provision, call Alumni Foundation Vice President Laura Huth at 218.477.2142 or email Director of Planned Giving Mark Lofstrom at mark.lofstrom@mnstate.edu. (This article or any part of it is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice. For legal advice addressing your circumstances, consult a licensed attorney.) Alumnews Fall 2012
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Minnesota State University Moorhead
OMECOMING Dragons Through the Decades 2012
Join us for Homecoming 2013: September 28-30 DragonHomecoming.com
Distinguish Distinguished Alumni Awards and Athletics Hall of Fame Unite
This year’s homecoming celebration, Dragons Through the Decades, united two great MSUM traditions—the Distinguished Alumni Celebration and the Athletics Hall of Fame—in one combined event called Night of the Dragons. We honored our alumni, celebrated our history and envisioned our future. If you missed this year’s festivities, we hope you’ll join us for next year’s special homecoming activities as we begin a yearlong celebration of our 125th anniversary.
Seven graduates received alumni awards during Night of the Dragons 2012 Alice Richter, Accounting 1975 Retired Partner, KPMG LLP Active Corporate Board Member
When Alice Richter graduated in 1975, she interviewed with a number of Big Eight accounting firms. One interviewer spotted an engagement ring and asked her how long it would be before she would start having kids. “Needless to say, I didn’t want to work there,” Richter said. She did want to work at KPMG (then Peat Marwick) in the Minneapolis office, where she was one of four women out of 40 college graduates hired that year. “I could see that at KPMG, being female wasn’t going to hold me back.” Nothing held Richter back during her 26-year career with the global financial and accounting services firm. She was quickly promoted to manager and in 1980 was selected for a three-year assignment in Germany. She was admitted to KPMG partnership in 1987, and was appointed to the KPMG Foundation board of trustees in 1991, serving until she retired in 2001. As a leader-mentor, she oversaw the company’s recruiting program. She has chaired and served on the Business Economics Education Foundation and
Beth (Thompson) Haseltine, Social Work, 1979
Manager of Clinical Development - Bereavement Hospice of the Red River Valley Beth Haseltine, a native of Crookston, Minn., entered MSUM as a pre-law major but graduated in 1979 with the first group of students to earn a Bachelor of Social Work degree. Despite the switch, she’s been a legal advocate much of her career. “I always knew I would do something as an advocate because I saw my mom advocating for my mentally challenged sister in a system that didn’t have a lot of options.” Haseltine is manager of clinical development– bereavement for Hospice of the Red River Valley. The bereavement team works with 3,000 clients annually to provide support to families after the death of a loved one, and offers grief support groups in the community. For 22 years prior, she was victim services coordinator and then executive director of the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center. As director, she got a taste of what life might have been like if she pursued a law career. However, she likely made a much greater impact on women’s issues through
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the Career Advisory Council of Students in Free Enterprise. She also mentored businesswomen through Menttium’s Minnesota 100 program. The first professor to tell her she was capable of more than a two-year associate degree was Ralph Lee. “The most important thing I took away from MSUM was the realization that you can achieve much more than you ever think possible by listening to others’ input, but then having the confidence to make the courageous decisions,” she said. Richter received MSUM’s first School of Business Outstanding Alumni Award. She has spoken to MSUM classes, mentored our grads working in the Twin Cities, and delivered the university’s December 2000 commencement address. She serves on several corporate boards, and holds membership in several associations, including the National Association of Corporate Directors—recently receiving Board Leadership Fellow status. “I’ve gained personally from all this experience, and I’m using the skills I developed over the years at MSUM and KPMG to give back to others.” She lives in Prior Lake, Minn., and has two grown children.
her leadership and contributions as a legal advocate. “We proposed and got passed lots of legislation in North Dakota and Minnesota related to sexual assault, domestic violence and child sexual abuse. It was some of the most rewarding, and frustrating, work.” Haseltine was a leader and member of numerous coalitions, committees and boards—many related to women’s and children’s issues. Her early career included being a social worker at Luther Hall, a specialized residential treatment facility for youth. “I loved working with teenage girls, which led me to starting a sexual abuse treatment program for young women, and that’s how I ended up at Rape and Abuse.” She was also instrumental in establishing the Red River Children’s Advocacy Center. Among her awards and honors are MSUM Outstanding Young Alumni, Temple Beth El’s Humanitarian Award and the Commissioner’s Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This national award recognized her significant contribution to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Haseltine is actively involved in the local theatre arts community. She and her husband, Rob (’79, social work), have one daughter and live in Fargo.
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alumni awards Nominate Distinguished Alumni at www.mnstate.edu/alumni
Captain David S. Carlson, Music, 1966 United States Navy, Retired Senior Vice President, Unified Communications and Collaboration Sales MicroTech
Parkers Prairie (Minn.) High School graduate David Carlson was active in band, choir, theatre and student senate at MSUM. He credits senate for setting the course for a successful career. Although he graduated with a music degree, his high school band directing plans changed when he joined the Navy and was accepted to its flight program. He received his naval aviator wings in 1968. He then directed the Naval Air Training Command Choir, traveling around the country and performing on television shows like Johnny Carson, Andy Williams and Mike Douglas. Their record sold over 70,000 copies! After leaving the Command Choir, Carlson was assigned to HC-7 (helicopter combat support squadron) in Atsugi, Japan, but spent most of his time flying in the Vietnam combat zone. He spent the next 25 years deployed aboard a variety of ships filling leadership positions, including the aircraft carriers Constellation and Tripoli. He commanded the largest aircraft squadron in the Navy in 1981, training
Deb Dawson, MFA: Creative Writing, 1999 Founder & Board President African Soul, American Heart
Fargo native Deb Dawson has been a food co-op manager, construction company owner, grade school art teacher and sales representative. She eventually came to lead the family business, Dawson Hail Insurance Co., first as vice president then president and CEO. She retired from the company in 1996, and pursued her passion—namely photography and writing— by completing her MFA in creative writing. She’s completed four short films, a novel manuscript (her thesis), and the beginning of a memoir chronicling the joys and challenges of marriage, children and adoption. Dawson said her business career grounded her in the realities and expectations of that world, and MSUM helped integrate that business sense with her love of writing, and later, her eye for photography. Dawson produced, directed and wrote the awardwinning documentary African Soul, American Heart, which tells the story of orphans in Duk Payuel in South Sudan, and inspired her to form African Soul,
and deploying the first female naval aviator along with enlisted crew members, including a group of 40 women among 397 men. He is a graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., and National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He was selected for a special assistant position to General Colin Powell, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to help develop the Desert Storm war plan. His last assignment was director of operations for the Navy Foreign Military Sales program, where he traveled to Asia, Europe and the Middle East to sell U.S. manufactured military hardware and services. After 34 years and 5,500 flight hours flying 23 different aircraft, Carlson retired in 1994 and was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal (the fifth highest in precedence). He then worked as a lobbyist for American League for Exports & Security Assistance before joining SigCom in 1996. While there he led the company’s sales efforts until arranging for the communications division to be acquired by MicroTech in 2008, where he became the senior vice president of sales. Over the past four years, the company has grown from 30 employees to over 400, with $300 million in annual revenue. He and his wife, Marlene, have three children and four grandchildren. They live in Alexandria, Va., and at their Minnesota Lake Ida home. American Heart (ASAH) in 2007. As its founder and president, she has led the development of the ASAH Boarding School for Orphan Girls, housing and educating 15 girls, ages eight to 17. She has logged more than 27 weeks in Kenya and South Sudan since her first trip in December 2007. “Our goal is to shelter, feed, nurture and educate 50 orphan girls all the way through school, teaching them practical life skills, protecting them from marriage at puberty and training them as leaders,” Dawson said. “They will change the lives of those they touch, and together, they will change their world.” Dawson recently returned from her seventh visit to Duk. On each visit, she brings supplies from generous donors, and returns with beautiful images of the people and work that’s being accomplished. These stunning photographic stories have displayed at regional art exhibits and will show through December at St. Croix Galleries in Stillwater, Minn. Dawson has served on MSUM advisory committees for New Rivers Press and the College of Arts and Humanities. She and her husband, Norm Robinson (’73, mass communications), have seven children and live in Fargo.
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Distinguish Distinguished Alumni Awards George Vinson, Criminal Justice & Sociology, 2003
investigator, police-training officer and narcotics detective. He was promoted to sergeant last year. In 2007, Vinson was selected to be a canine handler with his partner Earl, a Belgian Malinois trained to find drugs and track people.
Ruthton, Minn., native George Vinson has carried on the family tradition of working in law enforcement. At MSUM his four-year job as a Campus Security officer gave him a glimpse into his future. His sociology Professor Joel Charon helped him understand human nature, which, he says, makes him a better police officer.
The pair has earned three dozen medals and four “Case of the Quarter” in the U.S. Police K-9 Association (USPCA), a nonprofit organization devoted to training police dogs. They received the top honor from USPC in 2010 for their impressive performance in real casework. Earl alerted Vinson to drugs in a car seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency. After tearing the car apart, no drugs were found, so Earl was brought back to try again. Once more, he alerted the agents to drugs on the seam of the fuel pump. A mechanic removed the fuel pump and in the gas tank was the prize: 3 lbs. of methamphetamine, earning Vinson and Earl “National Case of the Year.” Also that year, they placed 10th in the country at the National Drug Detection competition.
Sergeant Fargo Police Department
“As a police officer for eight years, I’ve never had to kick, punch, tase or shoot anybody—and I attribute that to the social skills I learned at MUSM. If you put yourself in someone else’s perspective, you’re better skilled to deal with them. Putting it all together has made me a better police officer,” he said. Political science Professor Paul Kramer encouraged Vinson to go to law school. “He always said, ‘You’re too smart to become a cop!’ Nevertheless, he inspired me to do well in his class.” Vinson joined the Fargo Police Department in 2004. During his tenure, he’s been a crime scene
Kathleen “Kit” Mitchell, Biology, 2006 Field Researcher Southern Sierra Research Station
Kathleen “Kit” Mitchell has followed a non-traditional career path. “I am a curious person, and an important part of my psyche was supported by the people I was surrounded by at MSUM,” she said. Since graduating with a biology degree in 2006, she’s had an eclectic mix of jobs, following the advice of faculty mentors who taught her there are many different ways to make it in this world. She played Dragon basketball for two years, was a columnist for The Advocate, a member of Model United Nations and a researcher in the Wallert/ Provost lab. She participated in the school’s Hiroshima Peace Studies tour, which influenced her decision to join the Peace Corps. She was a biology teacher for two years at Kerenge Secondary School in Tanzania. After the Peace Corps, she accepted a yearlong science teaching position with an NGO serving underprivileged Masai students.
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Vinson is a two-time cancer survivor and Eagle Scout, and he is an advocate for both the American Cancer Society and Boy Scouts. He and his wife, Danielle, live in Moorhead.
Her work experience includes being a girl’s basketball coach, chemistry teacher, environment and energy policy coordinator and freelance writer/editor, publishing articles related to hiking, backpacking and rock-climbing, as well as science abstracts. Most recently she was a field researcher with Southern Sierra Research Station in Weldon, Calif., studying an endangered songbird, the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. In 2011, she and her husband, Jacob Gallagher, hiked continuously from Mexico to Canada along the 2,650mile Pacific Crest Trail, traveling through California, Oregon and Washington. Their five-month excursion began in mid-April, averaging 20 miles daily with resupply stops every five to seven days. Their next adventure: bicycling from their home in Mountain View, Calif., to Patagonia, the southernmost portion of South America. Graduate school may also be in her future. “I would like to combine basic research with my passion for natural history, wildlife and the outdoors,” Mitchell said. This unconventional adventurer will surely follow her own path.
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alumni awards
Shelda Warren, Mathematics, Physical Education, 1949 & M.S. Education, 1955 Retired Professor Minnesota State University Moorhead
Shelda Jacobson Warren graduated from Borup (Minn.) High School. She earned two degrees at Moorhead State Teachers College (MSTC)—one in mathematics and another in physical education. “I thought teaching phy ed would give me an opportunity to be active,” Warren said. “But it didn’t prove to be at all what I expected. When the girls would dress to play volleyball, I didn’t get to play, which is what I really wanted to do!” She taught English, math and physical education at Waubun and Ada High Schools and directed an occasional school play. In 1955, she was one of three members of the first class of students to earn a master of science degree in education from MSTC.
Warren joined MSTC’s Campus School in 1955 and worked her way into teaching college classes. She joined the college’s math department full time in 1968. After a 38-year teaching career, she retired in 1993. A teacher to the core, Warren volunteers at Moorhead Adult Education, where she works on conversational English with ESL learners. “It’s one of the most rewarding things I do,” she said. “I learn so much from them.” For four years, she visited her husband, Warren Kelly, daily at Rosewood on Broadway. He passed a year and a half ago. That experience, along with caretaking her mother, has inspired Warren to continue being an advocate, escort, friend and activity coordinator for nursing home residents. Other volunteer activities include Churches United for the Homeless and Zippity Zingers, a group that sings to nursing home residents. She survives her husbands, Everett “Red” Warren and Warren Kelly. She lives in Moorhead and has one daughter.
Founding Fifty Honored at Homecoming
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n the late 1960s, the higher education “boom” period in Minnesota was coming to an end. College expenses were increasing and state support was decreasing. Moorhead State’s then-president Roland Dille hired Chet Lacy as the college’s first director of development. He and Dille looked to Moorhead business leaders and MSC alumni for new ways to supplement the college’s official budget. In November 1969, papers were filed incorporating the Moorhead State College Foundation. It is an honor to have the ongoing support and effort of the Founding 50 in meeting the mission of MSUM’s Alumni Foundation by their active participation in the Distinguished Alumni events, the Founder’s Scholarship Gala and the Donor Appreciation event. We are pleased to have their names listed on the Honor Roll of Donors and thank them for their leadership, courage and mentorship. During homecoming’s Night of the Dragons, the following Founding 50 individuals received the designation of Director Emeritus for their outstanding vision and service to the MSUM Alumni Foundation: Fred Allen William Amundson Myrle Anderson Edwin Benedict Davis Butler Pern Canton Chris Christu Frances F. Comstock Kenneth Covey Roland Dille
William Dosland James R. Durham Richard Elken Betty Feder Magnus Foss James Garrity David Gibb Raymond Gilderhus Bernard Gill Clarence Glasrud
> Four of the Founding 50 or their spouses attended the 2012 Night of the Dragons homecoming banquet to receive their Director Emeritus awards. Pictured left to right: Dave Torson, Donna Dosland, Rod McLarnan and Barbara Glasrud. John C.Grant John Heckert Paul T. Horn Sr. Theodore Hornbacher John Jenkins Jacob Kiefer Marvin Koeplin Clara Cupler Kornberg Ronald L. Kost Chester Lacy
Henry C. Mackall William Marcil Rod McLarnan Theodore Mitau Vincent Murphy James Pasch Henry R. Peterson Royce Sanner Hugh D. Schoephoerster Margaret Sillers
Melvin Skarphol Kenneth R. Skjegstad Robert Stenerson Robert Tallman Phyllis Thysell David Torson James M. Trask Dennis Troff William Wallwork Thelma Wegner
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Athletics Hall of Fame Award Winners Announced Class of 2012 includes nine new members and ’72 track team > Members of the 1972 Track and Field team, 2012.
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ine new members have joined Dragons history, as they will were inducted into the MSU Moorhead Dragon Athletics Hall of Fame at the annual banquet Sept. 28, 2012. The 2012 Hall of Fame class featured Bob Beeson, Rosalie Hayenga, Emily Hegg, Erika Hohenstein, Tom Moll, Gary Nordlund, Donella Palmer, Greg Staszko, Al Strandberg and the 1972 men's track and field team. Eight were former student-athletes, a coach who helped spark the future of women's athletics at MSUM and a team in its 40th anniversary of a memorable celebration. “It’s a great representation of our athletic department,” said MSU sports information director emeritus Larry Scott. “These men and women have distinguished themselves on and off the field. What they contributed as athletes is significant but what they’ve done beyond their careers at MSUM is also significant.” The 1972 men’s track and field team is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year of a first in Dragon history. The team was the first to win both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships. They launched a legacy by capturing the Northern
> Bob Beeson
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Intercollegiate Conference Outdoor Track Championships in 1972, the first conference outdoor title under coach Ron Masanz and one of 28 delivered under Masanz’ watch. The squad captured eight first-place finishes on the meet’s final day, including both relay races. They also claimed a third-straight NIC Indoor Title and set six conference records. The Dragons dispatched three individuals— Pete Lapka, Dale Robley and Dan Woodbury—to the 1972 NAIA National Indoor and five Dragons, including the mile relay team of Greg Staszko, Gary Ascheman, Ray Farwell and Woodbury, and hurdler Bob Jappe to the NAIA National Outdoor. The lone senior and team captain, Staszko was voted the Dragons’ MVP. The team included: Gary Ascheman, Mike Bauer, Bob Berschied, Dave Bruggeman, Rich Dokken, Larry Ehnert, Ray Farwell, Mark Gehlen, Steve Gerjets, Steve Henchen, Dan Holoien, Scott Horner, Steve Hoium, Bob Jappe, Jerry Johnson, Don Karlgaard, Pete Lapka, Chuck Leach, John Lindstrom, Mark Liptrap, John Marsh, Stu Nelson, John Puffer, Dale Robley, Ken Scarbrough, Tom Schiltgen, Dan Smith, Frank Snyder, Greg Staszko, Andy Stickney, Gary Tapper and Dan Woodbury.
> Rosalie Hayenga
Bob Beeson, a graduate of Moorhead High School, served as a letterwinner in both cross-country and track. He was crowned an All-American twice after placing 20th at the 1979 NAIA National Cross-Country Championships and finished third in the 1000 meter at the 1979 NAIA National Indoor Championships. Beeson set the current 1000m MSUM record time of 2:27.43 that year. A business major, he was also a two-time All-League crosscountry choice and Dragon MVP. Rosalie Hayenga transferred to MSUM after two seasons at Worthington Community College and left a big impression on the Dragons’ basketball program. The Worthington, Minn., native was a twoyear starter at guard while earning third team NAIA All-American and first team All-NSIC honors as a senior. Hayenga was a two-time All-NAIA District 13 and AllNSIC pick, and was also voted Dragons’ Most Valuable Player in her final season. She matched the MSUM’s single game record with six 3-point field goals. Emily Hegg joins her older sister Carrie in the Dragon Hall of Fame. As a member of the fabled Hegg volleyball family, she was a four-year fixture in the
> Emily Hegg
> Erika Hohenstein
Athletics Dragon Athletics
> 1972 Track and Field Team
> Class of 2012 Dragon Hall of Fame
Dragon lineup while setting records as the Dragons’ career leader in kills (1,788) and attacks (4,784), and was second in career digs (1,807). The McIntosh, Minn., native was named to the AllNCAA Division II North Central Regional first team in 1997. She was a threetime All-NSIC and All-NSIC Academic choice. Hegg was voted the Dragons’ Most Valuable Player and received the Palmer Award in 1996 and 1997. Erika Hohenstein was a member of the Dragons track and field team as well as cross-country. The New Rockford, N.D., native earned All-American honors in 1986 while claiming the NAIA Indoor high jump title. Hohenstein also placed second at the NAIA Outdoor in 1986 and fourth in 1984 in the high jump. She still owns the school indoor record for high jump of 5-10 set in 1986. Tom Moll helped MSUM capture another NSIC title and advance to the NAIA Division I playoffs in 1991. At the end of his three-year stint as a Dragons starter, Moll was named the winner of the Ken Herk Award as the team’s Best Defensive Back. The Glyndon, Minn., native earned a spot on the NAIA AllAmerican second team and All-NSIC first
> Tom Moll
> Gary Nordlund
team. Moll matched a Dragon season record with seven pass interceptions and ranked 10th nationally as a sophomore. Gary Nordlund lettered in indoor and outdoor track, and cross-country. The Clearbrook, Minn., native was known for his remarkable long distance career with the Dragons. Nordlund collected AllAmerican honors for his surprising second place finish in the 10,000 meters at the 1977 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships that helped MSU climb to 10th on the final team standings. He currently owns the fifth-best mark in the 10,000 meters with a time of 30:31.0. Donella Palmer played a major role in the creation of the women’s athletic program at MSU Moorhead. She launched volleyball as a varsity sport in 1968 while spending 14 seasons as the head coach. Palmer fashioned four consecutive 20-win seasons including a 20-8 mark in 1976 that included a Minn-Kota Conference title and a third-place finish at the MAIAW state meet. She also served on the administration side as women’s athletic director. Greg Staszko totaled seven letters in his time at MSUM, four in track and three in football. The graduate of Shanley
> Donella Palmer
High School in Fargo, N.D., qualified for the NAIA National Championships as a sophomore and senior. Staszko was elected track captain of the Dragons as a senior of the fellow Dragons Hall of Fame inductee 1972 track and field team as well as being voted team Most Valuable Player. He set the Alex Nemzek Hall record in the 300-yard dash. A long-time active supporter of Dragon athletics, Staszko has served as honorary chairman of the Dragon Walk. Now retired, he was a senior partner in Deloitte and currently resides in San Jose, Calif. Al Strandberg became an instant starter at safety for the Dragons after transferring to MSUM from Minnesota, Crookston. The Strathcona, Minn., native was a cornerstone in the nation’s top defense with the Dragons. The team set a national record with five consecutive shutouts in 1981 and finished the regular season unbeaten at 10-0-1, ranking first in the nation. Strandberg was an All-NSIC pick that season, as well as being voted the Dragons’ top defensive back. He later signed a professional free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Wranglers of the USFL. > ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
> Greg Staszko Alumnews Fall 2012
> Al Strandberg
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Behind the Science: Building a Dragon Student-Athlete
R
unning, jumping, throwing, hitting and kicking are all basics of most sports at Dragon Athletics. Weight lifting and good nutrition help to shape the bodies of student-athletes that execute these motions. But understanding nutrition and which weight lifting programs to incorporate comes from expertise outside the athletic department. The Health and Physical Education (HPE) Department, together with Dragon Athletics, put student-athletes through body composition testing with one goal in mind. “(Strength and conditioning) Coach (Travis) Anderson and the coaches want their athletes to have a high level of fitness to maximize performance on the field, on the court, on the track,” said Jim Gemar, exercise science program coordinator. Body composition testing measures percent body fat. The HPE Department uses two testing methods with Dragon athletes: hydrostatic weighing and bioelectrical impedance. Hydrostatic weighing weighs an individual in and out of a pool of water. The athlete must breathe out all air in the lungs prior to being submerged into the water. While in the water, the athlete is weighed. Bioelectrical impedance, a method used by sending a small electric current through the body and measuring the speed it takes to move through, is used as a backup to the hydrostatic weighing. It’s used after every hydrostatic weighing test to compare the numbers. Bioelectrical
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Alumnews Fall 2012
> Jim Gemar conducts the first tests with the Bod Pod on the women’s basketball team on Sept. 5. Photo by Jessica Fleming
impedance is slightly less accurate than the hydrostatic method, but Gemar says it works well for the general population. The HPE Department purchased a new Bod Pod last summer that could provide more precise measurements of body fat percentage. It uses air displacement in an enclosed chamber to find the body composition numbers. Gemar first began body composition testing with the men’s and women’s crosscountry and track teams because head coach Keith Barnier wanted to know the body fat percent of his athletes. Once Anderson joined the staff, he used it as well.
fat is in a healthy range and to monitor progress and get a baseline. After a baseline percent is taken, changes can be made in nutrition to lower body fat. “It’s perfect for us to help shape and mold athletes to reach their full potential,” said football head coach Steve Laqua. “Anytime you measure something, you can improve it or change it so it gives us an accurate measurement of where guys are and the work they’ve done nutritionally and in the weight room.” Body composition testing is just one way Gemar says the HPE Department utilizes their area of expertise to benefit MSUM.
Last year the HPE Department tested the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the football team, the men’s and women’s cross-country and track teams, and the volleyball team. Testing was done this fall on 90 football athletes.
“It’s a way our department can be of use to the university community, in this case the athletic department. We see the value of body composition as it relates to athletic performance so we are happy we can help,” Gemar said.
The goals of body composition testing are to determine if the athlete’s percent body
> COLLIN BOYLES
Athletics Dragon Athletics
Grads Come Home to Dragon Athletics Outstanding student experience draws alumni to alma mater
“The people, the atmosphere—it’s a great department to work in,” Fehl said.
> Fehl, ’07
> Swenson, ’08
> A. Scott, ’92
O
> L. Scott, ’67
> Abraham, ’77
ften, when students graduate from college, the first step in their professional journey can take them across the country and into many different careers.
sistant football coach for 40 years. During his tenure, he coached nine All-American linebackers. A Cloquet, Minn., native, Abraham was a standout linebacker for the Dragon football team in the early 1970s.
For several members of the MSU Moorhead athletic department, their career paths led them right to their alma mater. Eleven MSUM graduates work in the Dragon athletic department. For some, the career opportunity presented itself. When you couple that with an affinity for the university, it often provides a perfect match.
“I knew Bo as a player; he was a very good middle linebacker,” Scott said. “We worked together for 35 years. I always enjoyed him as a friend, but he also was a good source of insight for me when it came to football. I like the guy and still do. He is a very important person on the staff. I know how hard he works. He does a lot of stuff people don’t notice.”
Two mainstays in the Dragon athletic department for more than four decades are Larry Scott, aka Scotty, and Robin “Bo” Abraham. Scott, an Alexandria, Minn., native, graduated in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He was named the school’s first full-time sports information director in 1969 and served in that position for 40 years until retiring in 2009. Scott still maintains an office at MSUM and remains active in Dragon athletics as sports information emeritus. He is the Dragon athletics historian, color commentator for football broadcasts, writer for the athletics website and assistant on various special projects, including the annual Hall of Fame banquet. He also teaches a class in the mass communications department. Scott’s love for the university—and Dragon athletics in particular—has kept him involved for more than four decades. “I was lucky. I tell people, ‘it was a toyshop of life,’” said Scott, known by many as Scotty. “I like the campus and the town. The people are friendly, and I always felt comfortable and wanted here. I had good coaches and there were some great teams. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity.” Abraham, who graduated in 1976, has served as equipment manager and as-
More recent graduates have also found professional homes in Dragon athletics. Andy Scott is a former Dragon softball player who earned a bachelor’s degree in health education in 1992. After completing her master’s degree at West Virginia and working at Winona State for two years, the New York Mills, Minn., native returned to her alma mater as an assistant athletic trainer in 1995. She was promoted to head athletic trainer in 1999. “I’ve spent almost my entire adult life here,” she said. “I always knew that I’d come back here to be the head athletic trainer. I loved it here and never wanted to leave. The people, the kids, the school—it’s the whole package. I know I belong here.” Former softball standout Kelsey Fehl and former women’s basketball standout Allison Swenson arrived as students in 2003. Fehl graduated in 2007 with a degree in university studies, and Swenson graduated with a degree in business administration in 2008. Both joined the Dragon athletic staff immediately after graduation. Fehl, a Willmar, Minn., native was hired as a softball assistant coach in 2008 before being named head softball coach in February 2011.
Swenson, who is fourth all-time in scoring at MSUM with 1,446 points, has been an assistant coach under Karla Nelson for the Dragon women’s basketball program since 2008. She was promoted to first assistant in the spring of 2012. The Halladay, N.D., native liked the campus on her first visit nearly a decade ago—and that hasn’t changed as she moved into her professional career here. “I come from a small town, and it has a small-town feel,” Swenson said. “It has a friendly environment where a small-town kid can feel welcome.” Several other staff members are also MSUM graduates. Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations Gloria Riopelle, Marketing Coordinator for Outreach and New Media Jon Wepking, assistant football coach Matt Baasch (who also serves as an athletic fundraiser), women’s basketball assistant coach Joey Waters, assistant athletic trainer Charles Meek and swimming and diving assistant coach Katie Diiro. The layout of the campus—which spans almost 120 acres in the city of Moorhead— was an attraction to Andy Scott, going back to her days as a student. “I have always loved this campus,” Andy Scott said. Larry Scott remains an avid fan of the Dragon sports teams. “When I was younger, when the teams were winning big football or basketball games— you could celebrate for days,” Larry Scott said. “When you got beat, it’d tear your heart out. I’m more accepting now and not as emotionally involved, but the wins still mean a lot.” For Fehl and Swenson, their time as athletes here proved to be an experience they want to share with the athletes they coach. “I had such a great experience here,” Swenson said. “It’s easy to relay my experiences to recruits.” “I liked the Division II level, where you can get a good education and still enjoy athletics,” Fehl said. “The department is moving in a positive direction.” > TOM BERG Alumnews Fall 2012
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AlumNotes What are some of your favorite MSUM memories?
Which teacher challenged you to think outside the box? Who inspired you to pursue your passion? What was your most mischievous residence hall prank? What was your favorite eating (and drinking) establishment? Tell us your stories at alumni@mnstate.edu or MSUM Alumni House, 1026 7th Ave. S., Moorhead, MN 56563. (Have a story idea for Alumnews? Send your suggestions to marketingteam@mnstate.edu.)
Your classmates want to hear about you! Share your news here—whether it’s a new job, a volunteer experience, an interesting hobby, a recent move, a travel adventure or anything else you want to tell us. E-mail your news to alumni@mnstate.edu with a note that your story is for Alumnews, or mail it to the MSUM Alumni Foundation, Alumnotes, MSUM Box 68, Moorhead, MN 56563. (All towns are in Minnesota unless otherwise noted; Fargo and West Fargo are in North Dakota.)
1960s Barbara Floyd ’61 (biolog y), founder of The Country Register newspaper chain, retired this year from actively publishing in Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. Two of her longtime employees bought the four Country Registers and The Antique Register of Arizona. She licenses publishe r s for T he Countr y Register, which is available in 44 states and four provinces of Canada. This niche newspaper is for specialty shops and events and can be found online and in advertising shops. She lived most of her life in Arizona, but was born and raised in Breckenridge. www. countryregister.com and www. theantiqueregister.com Stuart Uggen ’65 (instrumental music education) ’69 (special education/psychology) received his Ph.D. from UND in teaching and learning in 2002. He retired as assessment coordinator with Fargo Public Schools in 2007. He’s been a street missionary in Fargo, Twin Cities, and Bremerton, Wash., since retirement. He lives in Bremerton with his wife of 47 years Susan (Shield) Uggen ’67 (elementary education). He has two children, Steven ’93 (philosophy) and Kristine Walock and six grandchildren.
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Robert “B.A.” Schoen ’69 (mass communications) was n a m e d 2 012 Man of the Year by the Baldwin (N.Y.) Foundation for Education, where he’s been a board member since 1996. In addition to being a school board member, a past president of the group Reform Education Finance Inequities Today, and a board member of the Long Island Education Coalition, Schoen is also a passionate advocate of amateur wrestling. He wrestled for Baldwin High School and MSUM.
1970s Julie Henderson ’73 (mass communic ations) is professor of public relations at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She’s been faculty adviser to the UW Oshkosh PRSSA chapter since 1993, during which time her teams have earned 23 national competition awards, plus numerous other chapter and individual recognitions at the national level. She also served as national faculty adviser to the 10,000-member PRSSA from 2009-11. The name of
the UW Oshkosh PRSSA chapter was officially changed to Dr. Henderson Public Relations Student Society of America. The formal process to change the name was initiated by the student officers; national boards of both the PRSSA and the PRSA approved their request. Larry Morrison ’74 (biology) was elected vice president of the Minnesota Optometric Association at its annual meeting award banquet in Minneapolis. Morrison practiced with his son, Dr. Michael Morrison, and Dr. Becky Mcllonie at Morrison Eye Care in Detroit Lakes and
Sailer Receives Best Aviation Writing of the Year Award earned the Best Aviation Writing by a Minnesotan for the Year 2012.
Author Paul M. Sailer ’69 (history) followed a successful campaign to have Hill City, Minn., native Major Don M. Beerbower, elected to the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2000, by writing a detailed biography of the man for which Sailer
Alumnews Fall 2012
Sailer’s book, The Oranges Are Sweet, portrays Army Air Corps Ace Beerbower from his family roots to his untimely death on a combat mission over Northern France. Sailer worked from multiple sources to produce this vivid picture of a young Minnesota lad turned WWII Ninth Air Force fighter pilot. Sailer, no newcomer to aviation, having served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, did his homework to
create a manuscript that would entertain the most avid WWII aviation buff. The result of Sailer’s effort is a heavyweight hardcover book with more than 200 photos, maps and artwork. Sailer received his award at the annual Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame awards banquet in April. The book is available from local b o o k s to re s o r from the author at: lodenbks@ gmail.com.
Nominate Distinguished Alumni at www.mnstate.edu/alumni Mahnomen. He recently served as treasurer of the statewide organization and has been a board member since 2007. He’s a past president of the Northwest Optometric Association and the Minnesota Board of Optometry. He’s also a board member of the Volunteer Optometrist with VOSH trips to Guyana, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Tanzania, the Ukraine and the Philippines. He received his doctor of optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry. He resides in Detroit Lakes.
1980s Joyce (Schmidtbauer) Walker ’81 (mass communications) has won more than 70 national and international awards during her career as a broadcast producer in various ad agencies on the West Coast. She recently started producing a radio show in Los Angeles called “The Aware Show.” Margaret Unruh ’81 (elementary education) taught third grade for 14 years in Flasher (N.D.) Public Schools. At MSUM she was involved in SPURS and Concert Choir. Tammy Doerr ’81 (elementary education) has taught in the North Dakota communities of Sawyer, Forman and Minot, as well as Dillon, Mont. She also taught K-8 music at Nedrose (N.D.) School for 19 years. Elizabeth Bihrle ’82 (elementary education & individualized studies) taught kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd combination at Sauk Centre Holy Family School; taught 2nd grade in Fairmont, N.D.; taught title one in Wheaton and 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade in Sterling Public School. She’s taught kindergarten for the past 15 years at St. Mary's Grade School, Bismarck, N.D.
Jacalyn Nornes ’83 (elementary education) taught at MariettaNassau, and has been teaching preschool at Crosby-Ironton since 1987. She received a special education degree and her master's degree, both from from SCSU. Jane (Havlis) VanHavermaet ’83 (early childhood & elementary education) taught at St. John’s Academy, Jamestown, N.D., and St. Kate’s, Valley City, N.D. For the past 25 years she’s taught at Hawley Elementary. David Sanders ’83 (industrial technology) has been employed at General Motors Corporation for 27 years. He started as an area service manager in Minot, N.D., and moved up the corporate ranks working in Denver, San Francisco, Houston and New Orleans. In 2008 he moved to Dallas as the regional warranty coordinator for the South Central region, where he’s in charge of warranty waste reduction, warranty audits, and service issues. He and his wife, Cora, have two grown children, and live with their three adopted children in Keller, Texas. Leighan Aker-Monson ’84 (elementary education, special education) has worked at Friendship Inc., and West Fargo Schools.
Tell us your story at alumni@ mnstate.edu or www.mnstate. edu/alumni
Mark Coppin ’8 4 (sp e e c h communicat i o n , sp e c ia l education) has worked at the Anne Carlsen Center, Jamestown, N.D., for the past 25 years. As director of Assistive Technology, he does evaluations and trainings throughout the state and region. He presents at state, regional, national and international conferences on topics such as technology and teaching, special education, assistive technology, iPad and iPod touch and autism. In 2010, he received his master’s in educational media design and technology. He’s also a cer tif ied Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) through RESNA. In 2009, he was selected as an Apple distinguished educator, and serves on the advisory board for the Apple Distinguished Educator program. He’s been married to Rachel (Anderson) Coppin ’85 (M.S. speech language pathology) for 27 years. She’s been a speech language pathologist at the Anne Carlsen Center for 27 years. They have three children: Joshua who’s attending college in Jamestown and daughter Dana who’s attending MSUM. Karen (Gaasland) Willmus ’84 (English) lives on a ranch in the southern Black Hills and teaches middle-school English students from the Pine Ridge Reservation. Her son, a senior, will attend SDSU next year and her daughter is in ninth grade. Her husband commutes from Minnesota where they still own a farm. She started a Facebook page for past MSU Recreation Outdoors Committee members, so if she hasn't found you yet, please "friend" her on Facebook to access the MSU ROC group!
alumnotes
The Gwendolyn O'Connor Broman Memorial Scholarship was established in 2011 by her husband, Leonard Broman, and daughter Stacy Broman ’85 (economics). The scholarship gives preference to students attending MSUM. In this photo is Leonard Broman and 2011 recipient Annie Hockhalter, who attends MSUM. Lana Foss ’85 (elementary education) has taught in California, South Dakota and Killeen, Texas. Bobbi Jo Johnson ’87 (elementary education) teaches first through fourth grade at Minnewaska Elementary School. She received her 25 years award in May 2012. Daniel J. Anderson ’87 (mass communications) was promoted to vice president for University Communications at Elon University in Nor th Carolina, where he’s a member of the president’s senior staff and leads a staff of 14 professionals handling the university’s print and web communications, media relations, news production and distribution, promotion, advertising and marketing. Anderson is a Fargo native. He began his career as a broadcast journalist, serving 17 years at WDAY-TVRadio in Fargo.
Alumnews Fall 2012
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AlumNotes Nominate Distinguished Alumni at www.mnstate.edu/alumni 1990s
Tenley (Anderson) Dvorak ’88 (elementary education) taught 10 years, the most recent with Washington County Schools. She married Rick Dvorak in 1999 and became a stay-at-home mom. Her children are 10, nine and eight. Her life is full of games and practices. Marya Glur ’88 (music industry) is a tour manager for performing artists such as Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard from “American Idol,” Hot Tuna, Montorey Jazz Festival on tour and Mel Tourne. Karen Schaan ’88 (f inance/ business administration) is among 16 North Dakotans serving as Peace Corps volunteers. She’ll f inish her two-year service in Macedonia in December. She is a business and community development volunteer and trains the community in grant writing, graphic design, computer and software use and English education. She’s worked with the Red Cross in youth leadership and children’s story hour and helps organize an international choir festival. She lives on one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world, with an antique theater from 3rd century B.C. minutes from her apartment. Sherry (Flickinger) Kempel ’89 (e l e m e nt ar y e du c ation) ’98 (special education) taught in Cass County, Fargo and West Fargo; tutored Juvenile Detention Center and Prairie Psychiatric summer school; and supervised student teachers at MSUM. She’s been a homemaker and mother since 2000.
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Howard Fisher ’ 92 (sp e e c h communication) graduated in 2012 from Ohio University with a Ph.D. in journalism, successfully defending his dissertation, “Don't Let the Girls Play: Gender Representation in Videogame Journalism and the Influence of Masculine Hegemony, Media Filters, and Message Mediation.” He also earned a master’s in mass communication at Texas Tech University. He’s taught radio production, magazine writing, writing for communication, news writing and radio drama at the University of Scranton since 2009. He’s married to Suzanne (Ness) Fisher ’95 (anthropology). They met at MSUM and married in 1994. Suzanne received an A.A. degree in ecotourism and adventure travel from Hocking College in 2008. She’s membership services assistant at the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. They are joined by twoyear-old Freyja, who is very excited to be a Baby Dragon! Bret Hummel ’99 (art) and his Minn e ap o lisbased design firm created a mobile game called “Bumpin’ U g l i e s .” T h e free game app was released in September for IOS (iPhone, iPad, iPods) with an Android
Alumnews Fall 2012
version following shortly after. Bumpin’ Uglies is a puzzle like game that allows players to navigate their ugly by sling shooting them through different colorful worlds. When their ugly finally get to the end of the world, it bumps with another ugly and creates bumplings, which are a mix of both uglies’ physical traits. Physical traits for uglies are customizable. Hummel’s company star ted working on creating the game last fall. The goal was to appeal to a broad audience, ranging from seven-year-olds to 30-somethings. You can find more information on Bumpin’ Uglies at http://bumpinugliesgame.com.
2000s Amber Ferrie ’02 (accounting) was promoted to the senior manager level in t h e Far go Eide Bailly, LLP office. Ferrie, CPA/ABV/CFF, CMAP, specializes in valuation and transaction advisory services. She’s been with the firm since 2005. She and her husband Joel have two children, Hudson and Boden, and reside in Moorhead. Hilary Jones ’02 (psychology) is the founder and director of Girls Rock! Rhode Island, a nonprofit that helps girls and women empower themselves through music. She’s been a research and education specialist at Day One, violence prevention coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health, and project coordinator at Health Kids
Rhode Island. In 2008, she received her doctorate in behavioral science psychology and is a part-time faculty member in URI’s Psychology and Women’s Studies departments. She received the Women of Achievement Award in 2012. Tera Larson ’05 (early childhood/elementary education) is the new ECFE and pre-school instructor in Alexandria. Previously, Larson was an elementary reading teacher in the Alexandria School District. She’s engaged to Ben Anderson, who works in sales. She enjoys walking, reading, spending time with family, and making crafts. Erik Meyer ’09 (ceative writing/English) worked for the Fargo Public Schools and is an owner of The Red Raven Espresso Parlor downtown Fargo. He’s created a wordpress describing a Fargo dystopia at www.fargone2125.com, and does animation work related to the site. A crowd funding effort is now up at www.indiegogo.com/2125ish and includes the work of a small team working to make near-future office humor come to life! Mariah (Harper) Olson ’12 (early childhood special education) is the new ECSE teacher at Braham Elementary. She lives in Bethel with her husband. Ashley Simmons ’12 (special education) will take over the ECSE program at Nisswa Elementary School from longtime teacher Bev Petersen, who retired. She and her husband, Marly, moved to Baxter from Moorhead.
North Dakota Juvenile Court Administrator Rod Olson (’79 criminal justice) loves the fact that so many court officers are MSUM alumni—eight of the nine court officers are MSUM Criminal Justice graduates! He calls MSUM the “Harvard of the North” and truly believes it. Pictured kneeling: Brad Saville, ’97 and Luke Kalsow, ’82; Left to right, middle row: Nicole Burkhartsmeier, ’93, Dawn Peters, ’93 and Nicole Leitner, ’96; and left to right back row: Matt Byars, ’03 and Jim Grimley, ’88.
Just Married! 1.
3.
5.
7.
1. 2.
4.
6.
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1. Josie Mattheis ’10 & Eric Klingaman June 23, 2012 2. Bora Gang & Sean Syverson ’03 June 3, 2012 3. Angela Heng ’10 & Adam Keeping January 20, 2012 4. Jenny Lende ’07 & Brandon Clouse ’09 May 5, 2012 5. Lesley Richard ’04 & David McNeil April 21, 2012 6. Lisa Langseth ’10 & Harrison Dotson ’10 August 5, 2011 7. Danielle Storch’10 & Tyson Bosse November 12, 2011 8. Joe Nicola ’05 & Jessica Endres-Nicola ’07 October 8, 2011
In Memoriam Hazel A. Anderson ’60 Lorraine V. Anderson ’46 Jane Aune ’81 Laura Barnstuble ’88 Paula W. Bauck ’65 Daniel R. Baumgart ’76 Richard E. Bentrup ’68 Alden Blixrud ’53 Dorothy Blom ’70 Richard T. Boe ’74 Joseph T. Bolger ’91 Mary E. Bolstad Tracy P. Brandt Dorothy D. Bratlie ’67 Wayne B. Brekke ’72 Keith A. Brendemuhl Marcella E. Brinley ’41 Thelma Bromander ’79
Cletus R. Brown ’82 Floyd Brown Pearl L. Campbell ’40 Margaret W. Carr ’66 Dorothy Cederberg ’50 Delmar Corrick Patrick F. Daly ’93 Allison M. Deutscher ’98 Dorothy M. Eckhardt ’48 Richard G. Elken Mildred Evert ’41 Donna L. Fedje ’65 Robert H. Fielder ’47 Kristi E. Garden ’80 Stanley M. Haggart ’90 Tammy S. Halland-Edwards ’95 Helen A. Hanson Gerhard K. Haukebo
Alumni & Friends Ardell Hofstedt ’72 David J. Holsen ’72 John R. Holten Roy Jefferson Alfrieda Johnson ’44 Sarina K. Johnson ’88 Ivan V. Kasin ’59 Bernard G. Kieselbach ’69 Grace A. Kind ’70 Barbara King ’93 Lyle G. Kirkeby ’76 Helen Klassen ’73 Steven Kloeckner ’70 Donald Layton ’48 Benjamin Lin Carol Manning ’80 Robert L. Mason Dorothy A. McGuire ’46
baby dragons Adalyn
Michael Jr. & Karen
Kaylee
Havyn
Paulette (Oven) ’06 & Ryan Churness ’05
Amiee (Clasemann) ’09 & Michael Lieser
Shelli & Matt Wandersee ’05
Ellen & Jonathan Stone ’10
Taliyah
Sawyer
Nora
Freyja
Katie Arias ’12
Melissa (Berg) ’01 & Ben Peterson ’00
Kim (Hancock) ’04 & Dennis Bair
Suzanne (Ness) ’95 & Howard Fisher ’92
The Original Baby Dragons We celebrate the births of our alumni’s children by sending them a dragon T-shirt and publishing their pictures in Alumnews. We call them Baby Dragons. Technically, they’re Babies of Dragons, because the original Baby Dragons are those K-12 students who attended the Moorhead Campus School from 1932-1972. The model school is an important part of the university’s history, which started as a normal school to prepare teachers. Shelda Warren, (’48 & M.S. ’55) a retired MSUM mathematics professor, taught at the campus school before joining the university’s math department. “The campus school was an experimental school in many ways,” Warren said. “We had student teachers who made it possible for us to try new things. I enjoyed teaching there and hated to see it go.” The university and campus school partnership enjoyed a positive reputation for caring about students and providing college students a wonderful place to learn the craft of teaching. Learn more about the original Baby Dragons at web.mnstate.edu/babydragons.
Laura E. McShane ’01 Sandra Molacek ’83 Douglass T. Muir ’74 Michael T. Nelson ’88 Roland D. Nygaard ’65 Mary A. Nylander ’63 Michael D. Olson ’64 Theodore D. Olson ’74 Mary Osterfield Michael Parker ’66 Carl Peltoniemi Florence M. Peterson Rodney W. Peterson
Elsie Pitsenbarger Daniel H. Pullen ’72 Margaret Reed ’40 Maynard Reynolds Doris Sagen Norma L. Sannes ’64 Wesley D. Schierman ’63 Duane C. Scribner ’53 Beverly M. Seashore ’72 Marilyn A. Sell Maryann M. Shores Irene Stein ’73 Harland E. Thompson ’76 Alumnews Fall 2012
Lila Thorstenson Donald R. Tirk ’63 Don R. Torgerson ’56 Karol K. Tougas Carl Turnquist Duane A. Walsberg James M. Walz ’52 Evert Wiisanen Curtis A. Williams ’82 Hubert G. Zervas ’58 Marie Zueger ’77
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Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID MSUM
1104 7th Avenue South Moorhead, Minnesota 56563
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Alumni Calendar 2013
December 2012
April
10
Chicago Area Alumni Reunion
TBD Los Angeles, CA
20
Commencement, Nemzek
TBD San Francisco, CA
> Homecoming 2012
January
19
Minneapolis Economics Reunion/Kips
11
Tailgating, MSUM vs. Concordia St. Paul, Billy’s on Grand Ave. St. Paul, MN
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Tea and Tidbits – 40s
26
Spring Alumni Foundation Board Meeting
18
Alumni and Friends Night at Nemzek
27
Dragon Fire Walk
26
Candlelight Cross-Country Ski, Regional Science Center
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Tea and Tidbits – 50s
February 2
Candlelight Cross-Country Ski, Regional Science Center
8
Go Pink with the Dragons
9
Wild Alumni Night (Hockey)Twin Cities
14
Giving Hearts Day
15
Founder’s Scholarship Gala
March 12
Tucson/Green Valley, AZ
14-15 Phoenix, AZ
May 17 Commencement
June 14
Twins Game & All Alumni Event
TBD Tales of the 60s TBD Wally Golf Open TBD Buffalo River Trail Run, Regional Science Center TBD Dragon Golf Open, Moorhead Country Club TBD Women's Golf Scramble
July 20
Straw Hat 50th Reunion
Calendar and events are subject to change. Be sure to check the Alumni event calendar for details and added events: www.mnstate.edu/alumni