School of Public Affairs 2022 Annual Report

Second decade: Let’s go!

We hear from friends and colleagues that 2022 was the first ‘normal’ year since the pandemic.

I disagree: There is no ‘normal’. And that’s great!

Buddhism has the concept of ‘beginner’s mind,’ which is the mind that is open to learning. The opposite is an expert’s mind, one that believes you have figured things out, have a competitive advantage in the world. The expert mind tends to lock us into a single view of a world which is rapidly changing and disrupting our strategies. A beginner’s mind encourages us to think, “I might have had something figured out before, but that does not mean I have it figured out now.”

Now past our 10th anniversary, you might think we have learned how to be a school of public affairs. I disagree, and not just in the “we’re always learning” sense.

Much of what we learned in the first five years is no longer useful. That world – that “normal” – no longer exists.

Example: The mode of instruction of our classes. We used to offer 80% or more of our classes in a traditional, face-to-face format. Now more than half of our courses offer at least some online component: The demand for such courses has changed as students have shown a desire to change how they engage in their own education.

Example: Students are taking advantage of the real-world experiences we offer. The pandemic did not change the fact that almost a third of our graduates have an internship experience, many of which are electives for those students. Our partnerships with area employers, non-profits and public institutions are supporting these greater opportunities.

We often hear leaders refer to “skating to where the puck is going” (attributed to Wayne Gretzky, and more often used in hockey-obsessed Minnesota.) But a hockey rink has fixed boundaries; there are only so many places the puck can go.

Our students and our faculty are skating on a surface that is changing shape, adding ice here and subtracting it there.

It may sound hard, but with a beginner’s mind it is exciting, with so much new to learn. Please join me in this report as we learn about where our students and faculty are going.

King Banaian Dean, School of Public Affairs

School Profile

Dean King Banaian

Administrative Director

Lisa Spethmann

Student Relations & Experiential Learning Director

Kristy Modrow ‘03 ‘05 ‘17

Communications & Outreach Director

Danae Swanson

IT Coordinator

Tom Oien ‘96

Student Success Center

Kimberly Johnson

Our Mission

Through active, experiential and global learning opportunities, we prepare our students to be stewards of the public interest and practitioners and leaders in the public and private sectors.

St. Cloud State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or status as a U.S. veteran. For additional information, contact the Office for Institutional Equity & Access, (320) 308-5123, Admin. Services Bldg. Rm 121.

Deep down, even despite how you may think you feel, you want responsibility because responsibility is the only way to a meaningful life. Sure, you may claim to want happiness, you may claim to want wealth, but the only thing that can never be taken from you, no matter the circumstance is meaning. And that is something that is much bigger than happiness, wealth, and even yourself.

So, your work here is far from over. The journey continues. You have a sacred obligation, should you choose to accept it, to take on a posture of humility, to lean into curiosity, and to take on things that stretch you, that scare you, but that ultimately grow you.

Your hardships faced will have built character, your victories realized will have produced a joy within you not easily extinguished and taken together these will keep you resilient to persist in your calling. This is what it is to live a meaningful life. It is not the easy life, but I promise you that it is the good life.

Hannah Mayhew ‘22 Economics Spring 2022 Commencement

Poised to make a difference

St. Cloud’s Jugaad Leadership Program teaches “innovative” leadership skills, empowering future leaders

Babra Mumia and Sharon Oluwaseun may not have known each other a year ago, but they now know they have a lot in common. They are international students navigating their way through a new country and community all while working on their masters in Public Administration (MPA) at St. Cloud State. They also share a deep desire to make the world a better place, especially for women and children.

Add to all that the Jugaad Leadership Program and these two young women are poised to make a difference in the world.

– Babra Mumia

The Jugaad Leadership Program, founded in St. Cloud in 2015, is designed to provide people of color and other underrepresented community members with skills and resources to become effective leaders. “Jugaad” translates to “innovation” in Hindi and Punjabi.

Mumia, a native of Kenya, is determined to make the most of her MPA whether she serves the immigrant community in St. Cloud or improves policies that affect women’s inequality, poverty, and oppression with the United Nations. “In any role I possess, I will lead and advocate in the maternal and child health sector in creating a bridge between governments, organizations, and communities to ensure they work together to improve the health of women and children,” Mumia said.

“I had dreams wanting to help people around me, especially young girls who were deprived of primary education, but I had no idea how,” said Oluwaseun.

As a volunteer for UNICEF in her home country of Nigeria, Oluwaseun learned ways to enroll, retain, and eventually graduate young girls from elementary school. She is passionate about girls having the same rights to education as boys.

Over the seven-month program, Jugaad participants meet monthly with different community leaders, many of which are persons of color or immigrants themselves. They visit various governmental, business, and non-profits in the area to receive a first-hand look at their successes, struggles, and to learn from their leadership in the community.

“It is hard to pick a favorite one because with each session you learn something new that you did not know,” said Mumia.

On week one, participants gathered at Metro Bus in St. Cloud to meet CEO Ryan Daniel. Daniel began his career in the industry at age 20 driving a bus in New York City. Mumia immediately noticed his infectious passion for the industry. “I was very excited to see a young person of color in a leadership position,” she said. “It gave me hope as a young African female.”

Oluwaseun was greatly impacted and enlightened by Dawn Zimmerman’s presentation on shaping your personal brand. Zimmerman is the founder of The Write Advantage in St. Cloud, a marketing and communications company. “You are your own brand. Your brand is who you are, your passion, your purpose, and your personality,” Oluwaseun emphasized.

The sell on the Jugaad Leadership Program is not a hard one, especially the international student or immigrant looking to become a leader in their community. “We come to America not knowing anything about the community we are going to live in,” Mumia said. “The Jugaad Leadership Program is the best place to start.”

“It gave me hope as a young African female.”

Sharon Oluwaseun (left) and Babra Mumia on a visit to St. Cloud City Hall where they met the mayor and toured the new facilities.

The program is designed to connect participants with community leaders, by sharing their experiences and skills, who will help influence positive change at the city, county, state, and national levels.

Jonathan Wong completed the Jugaad program in 2017 and is a 2020 graduate of the MPA program. A doctoral candidate in public administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha and Jugaad’s board chair, Wong boasts of the program’s ability to be a cultural bridge and community platform for emerging leaders to connect and learn about their communities.

“I am immensely grateful for the program to open pathways and routes for people who look like me,” Wong said. “Jugaad widens the perspectives and expands emerging leaders’ experiences in greater St. Cloud beyond their situated environment.”

Getting out, getting comfortable

Criminal Justice scholars welcome ex-inmates assimilating back into society

Lindsey Vigesaa’s Theories of Crime and Justice class had the honor of welcoming guests from the Overcomers International Fellowship (OIF) in St. Cloud in March. Under the leadership of Pastor Michael Laidlaw, OIF serves as a bridge to men who are released from prison or civil commitment, among other populations.

OIF residents are taught and given the tools to have accountability for their actions and two of their residents shared their stories and how they are working today to better their lives.

Luis, who spent most of his young adult life in prison, always felt “cool” while committing his crimes. After presenting, he shared his pride with Dr. Vigesaa. “All I have ever done was make my mom cry,” he said. At the end of class he requested a photo be taken so he could show his mom he was doing something good.

Talking about the things he is ashamed of is incredibly difficult for Adam, another OIF

resident, but understands it is part of his recovery to be accountable for his actions.

“I’ve got to get comfortable in my own skin,” he told the class. He is now four years sober and able to hold his head high.

“I’ve got to get comfortable in my own skin.” – Adam, OIF resident

Adam also spoke about the efforts he took while in prison to better himself and prepare for life after incarceration. With very limited access to computers and internet, inmates are often limited to using paper mailing systems. Correspondence that could take a day or two often takes weeks, and sometimes months, while in prison.

OIF’s residents are in need of great support with 63% meeting the criteria for “triple stigma,” meaning they have a history of a mental illness diagnosis, substance abuse, and incarceration. Brittney Clark, a senior Criminal Justice and Sociology double major works as a case worker where she helps residents obtain health insurance, birth

certificates, and other resources. With her experience she feels she is “far beyond her peers” when it comes to being ready to graduate and enter the workforce.

For a student preparing to enter the field of criminal justice after graduation, David Hudson was disappointed to hear how the internal prison system works for transitioning an inmate back to civilian life. “They really need to find a way to create a faster messaging system and maybe even create a new position of transition officer that helps people transitioning out of prison get a head start on getting their life together on the outside,” he said.

Presentations and experiences such as these are of high value to Criminal Justice students and to the men of OIF. “I love this event because it is so beneficial for all parties involved. The guys truly own it and it is so inspiring,” said Vigesaa.

Sharon Oluwaseun (left) and Babra Mumia enter St. Cloud City Hall through the hallway of national flags.

“Jugaad widens the perspectives and expands emerging leaders’ experiences in Greater St. Cloud.” – Jonathan Wong ‘20

NOTE WORTHY

Great work we would like you to know about

According to the syllabus, the assignment comes down to this: Complete a thesis project which adheres to the guidelines presented herein. Students will develop a hypothesis, review literature, design a research study, collect data, and report the results in a formal written thesis.

Senior Criminal Justice Studies student Vanessa Deerberg did all of that and more when she looked into military sexual trauma which is a tricky topic to tackle.

Deerberg, inspired by her own experience with military sexual trauma (MST) was at a bit of a road block at the start of her thesis. The idea of writing a thesis on MST was strong, but lacked foundation and viable research methods. “Dr. Vigesaa helped me every step of the way,” she said.

Vigesaa guided Deerberg to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval process where she could collect original data from human subjects.

As an IRB-approved researcher, Deerberg completed the required Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI training), submitted supporting materials to her study, and eagerly waited to be approved by a three-step review process.

Seeking to understand the barriers victims face when considering whether or not to report an incident of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or rape, Deerberg tapped into her military community via a social media group. Here she reached 70 current and prior members of the U.S. Armed Forces who completed an anonymous survey.

SCSU Survey: Polling showed deep partisan divide heading into midterms

TheSCSU Survey’s Annual Fall Statewide Survey suggested voters were sharply divided along partisan lines heading into the November 8 midterm elections.

Respondent attitudes on hot-button issues like abortion, immigration, and K-12 curriculum differed by 60 percent or more between Democrats and Republicans and job approval ratings for President Joseph Biden and Governor Tim Walz were more sharply opposed than ever.

In the case of President Biden, not a single Republican in the sample approved of his job performance, while 69 percent of Democrats rated him as either “excellent” or “pretty good.” At the state level, Governor Walz enjoyed the approval of 83 percent of Democrats, but only six percent of Republicans.

Of the Minnesotans surveyed, the most important state and national issues are the economy/inflation, with crime and partisan division rounding out the top three.

The results for election preferences in the races for Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State suggested an advantage of 16, 12, and 15 percent, respectively, for the Democrats, but with caution as there was an unusually large margin-of-error (+/- 8 percent). Non-response rates from conservative Republicans were also unusually high, rendering those findings unreliable.

“The War Within:” A capstone thesis project

Read more about Vanessa’s research techniques and findings.

Running onto the field from the front doors of the Boys and Girls Club at 4:45 p.m. Sept. 26 were dozens of incredibly energetic and eager kids ready to practice their soccer skills. Waiting for them at the adjacent Haws Park were St. Cloud State University Criminal Justice Studies students.

Matthew and Allan signed kids in at the registration table, Sam handed out water bottles and wrote each name on them, and Emma found the perfectly sized (and color-coded) scrimmage vest for each bundle of energy. Off to the side Zach, Cosette, and Nick were planning and setting up the activity at each station.

The lesson of the day: Community policing and effective citizenship.

Lieutenant Lori Ellering ’95 ‘06 of the St. Cloud Police Department is the instructor of CJS 421 P.O.S.T. Administration, a required course for students wishing to become licensed peace officers in Minnesota. In this course,

Soccer camp offers hands-on experience for future peace officers

students take an in-depth look at the principles of law enforcement, stress/crisis intervention, crime prevention, community relations, court testimony, communications, and cultural awareness.

“I think effective citizenship and effective policing go hand in hand,” Ellering said. “In order to serve your community you need to be a citizen of that community.”

While she does not mean this in the literal sense in that an officer needs to live where they work, but she does believe they need to experience life in that city. Ellering wants future peace officers to have those experiences so they can relate to those they serve.

Future peace officer Zachary Bares recognizes the value in the camp as it relates to building trust in the community. “It is good to interact with the community when times are good and build meaningful relationships with those in the community,” he said. “When times become rough you know that those in the community will fully support and trust you.”

Pictured: Zach Bares lines up soccer camp participants for a warm-up.

ECOClaude Haneum Lee received the Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award at the 2022 Huskies Showcase. His presentation was titled “Effect of Teleworking on Retirement Age.” Faculty mentor: Monica García-Pérez, Economics.

Ismail Mohamed ‘17 ‘19 was appointed to the Minnesota Emerging Entrepreneur Board by Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan.

Mohamed, an Enterprise Academy Program Officer for the Initiative Foundation, is a two-time SOPA graduate with an undergraduate degree in Planning and Community Development and Master of Public Administration.

Photo: Initiative Foundation

HEROES AMONG US HEROES AMONG US

Excellence in Leadership Awards

St. Cloud State University’s Excellence in Leadership Award honors students across the campus who demonstrate outstanding leadership in and outside of the classroom. We asked our winners what leadership means to them. The School of Public Affairs is incredibly proud to have these six budding leaders represent the 2022 cohort. They are heroes in our eyes.

Studies Club

Leadership means being someone people can count on. If people ask you for help or guidance, you respond with 110% and always put your best foot forward. You are a leader among those around you, and help people reach the best they can be.

Hannah Mayhew Economics Sauk Rapids, Minnesota Economics Association Initiative Foundation

True leadership is created in humility and fueled by responsibility. A good leader lives deeply convinced of the value and potential of the people they serve and takes personal responsibility to continually become their best so they can serve the best in those they lead.

Aaron Soderholm Social Studies Education Sartell, Minnesota Newman Center Youth Leader Social

Mohamad (Damien)

Imran Bidari

International Relations Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Malaysian Student Association Center for International Studies

Leadership means inspiring others to work together toward a common goal. It encourages and enables people to do their best work. Leadership is understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the team, then leveraging individual strengths to compensate for individual weaknesses and overcome insurmountable challenges. It is recognizing that a team is more than the sum of its parts, and people work best when they work together.

Jenna Voigt

Master of Public Administration

Becker, Minnesota

Reserve Officer Assistant Coordinator Reserve Officer/Sergeant/Lieutenant (Becker) Minnesota Association of Women Police

Leadership begins with how one chooses to lead their life which determines how they inspire and influence others to lead their best lives. A true leader has the ability to inspire individuals to achieve a certain goal with a sense of purpose and value.

International Relations and Political Science Ankeny, Iowa

Women’s Swim and Dive SCSU Survey Research Lab University Ambassadors Period Chapter

To me, leadership means being someone who inspires, motivates, and acts in a way that other people want to follow. Being a leader does not mean you are better, but rather it means you are capable of guiding others to achieve a common goal.

Patrick Ken Kalonde

Geographic Information Science, M.S. Lilongwe, Malawi

SCSU Fulbright Scholars

Open StreetMap Malawi

Space Generation Advisory Council Youth for Environmental Development State of the Map USA

Leadership simply means taking the responsibility to do something even if there is no one to watch your actions. When one takes charge of personal aspirations, it becomes easy to see the essence of leadership. I know that by leading by example others will be inspired, learn from my accomplishments and failures and do their part in ways that are possible.

Andrea Rodriquez-Arzola

WITH JOHN CAMPBELL Giving

Professor Emeritus Criminal Justice Studies

Myties to St. Cloud State University root back to the 1930s. My father, Christian Peter Campbell, earned teaching and history degrees here in 1932 and 1935, respectively. When my career with the FBI came to an end, I was given the opportunity to reconnect with St. Cloud State as a faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice.

During my over 20 years as a professor, I had the privilege to study, travel, and work with so many outstanding students whose accomplishments live on in today’s criminal justice system.

In 2020, I was honored to develop the Campbell Criminal Justice Scholarship, which allows me to recognize the outstanding students of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. My hope is that the fund also contributes to the future of law enforcement and continues to develop future leaders in probation, parole, and corrections at the local, state, and federal level.

As we prepare for the future, I would encourage you to consider recognizing and sponsoring our outstanding students in need through St. Cloud State University’s scholarship programs.

$10,000+

Blackbaud Giving Fund

John • ^ and Marlys Campbell

Lori Sabet +

Mike + and Gretchen + Sieben

$5,000+

William A. Hyers +

Dale J. Trippler +•

$1,000-$4,999

Barbara + and King * Banaian

Benevity Community Impact Fund

Barclay + and Janet Carriar

Eungmin * and Monica Kang

Landform Professional Services, LLC

MetLife Foundation

Minnesota Land Surveyors’ Foundation

Susan Purcell +

Ben ^ and Barb Richason

Bill +• and Courtney Schramm

Dick + and Martha Theilmann

Chris Thiebaut +•

Brenda Tritz

David ^ and Margaret + Wall

Westwood Professional Services, Inc.

Debra Yerigan +•

$500-$999

Beth Becker

Great River Federal Credit Union Peterson Productions, LLC

Jane + and Chris Peterson

up to $499

Dr. James and Linda + Addicott

Douglas Altrichter +

Anonymous

Chelsey Bagent +

Randal * and Torene Baker

Rachelle Carlson-Oien +

Carol + and Greg + Baron

Ellie Boisen +

Jody Boisen

Matt Boisen

Ann + and Art Chaika

James Cottrill *

Lori Danzl

Nancy Dyson

Jeff + and Dena Ehrich

Julie Elmquist

Luis Estevez *

Holly Evers ~

Cindy Fitzthum +

Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

Eric * and Carrie Fuller

Richard ^ and Mary Gleisner

Megan Gustenson

Darla *+ and Gregory Hamann

Michelle Hammes *

* SOPA faculty or staff

~ SCSU faculty or staff

^ Professor emeritus/retired

• Advisory Board + Alumni

Matt Henry +

Nathan Hermiston +

Don Hickman •

Stephanie Holland +

Gareth John *

Adam Klepetar +

Tyler Knudson +

Lee Larson +

Joshua Lease +~

Jason Lindsey *

Richard ^ and Tracey MacDonald

Cynthia Magallanes +

Evan Markle

Kristy Modrow +*

Sherri + and Henry + Munneke

Randy Pearson + and Mary Pettis

Erin Rieder +

Bill + and Anne Riggs

Lyle + and Julia Rust

Pat Schumacher +

Lisa Spethmann *

Mike Staedy +

Christopher Stromwall

Danae Swanson *

David Switzer *

Robert Sylvain

Maureen Tubbiola

Kathleen Uradnik *

Giving data, provided by the St. Cloud State University Foundation, is dated January 1 through December 31, 2022.

School of Public Affairs Advisory Board

Debra Yerigan ‘82, Chair

Attorney, Messerli & Kramer

David Borgert, Vice Chair

Director, Community and Government Relations, CentraCare Health (retired)

Chas Anderson ‘96 Co-Founder and partner, MZA+Co

James Bullard ‘84

President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

John Campbell

Professor Emeritus, Criminal Justice

Santo Cruz

Executive Director, Government and Community Relations, CentraCare Health

Patti Gartland ‘80 President, Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation

Don Hickman

VP of Workforce and Economic Development, Initiative Foundation

Shaunna Johnson

City Administrator, City of Waite Park

Jeffery Magee ‘91

Deputy Assistant Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Jermaine Ogaja ‘07

Economist, The International Monetary Fund

Dan Rogan ‘00

Senior Assistant, Hennepin County Attorney

Bill Schramm ‘04

Senior Vice President, Logan Circle Partners

Steven S. Smith ‘75

Professor of Social Sciences & Director of Wiedenbaum Center, Washington University

Jim Steve ‘87

St. Cloud Police Department (retired)

Chris Thiebaut ‘05

Director, U.S. Head of Corporate Actions, BlackRock

Our deepest gratitude goes out to Dale Trippler ‘69 who recently stepped down from our board, serving on it since its beginning in 2015. His wisdom, experience, and unwaivering generosity will live within our school for years to come.

Our TOWN

Our CLASSROOM

By Danae Swanson

One day our students will not be shielded by a classroom or textbook. The day will come when our students become graduates and are woven into the fabric of local governments and nonprofits organizations, serving the public interest.

Over the past year, our faculty have found opportunities to weave in learning experiences that took students out of the classroom and into the St. Cloud community.

Darla Hamann is a professor in the Master of Public Administration program and teaches courses in nonprofit theory and executive directorship. Hamann secured opportunities for her students to work with and support community partners in their endeavors.

“Service projects balance the needs of our community partner with the needs of the students with the students’ needs always being paramount,” she said.

Students aspiring for leadership opportunities post-graduation, the work done with Recovery Community Network (RCN) in St. Cloud was a perfect marriage.

MPA students were instrumental in securing RNC’s 501(c)(3) certification at the state and federal level and training their (mostly green) Board of Directors.

“Many of our board members had no previous nonprofit experience and the training was really eye-opening as to their roles and responsibilities,” John Donovan said.

Donovan, co-founder and board chair of RCN, has maintained a mutually beneficial relationship with Hamann and her students since 2015. He celebrates and supports future practitioners getting out in the field and becoming familiar with how nonprofits operate.

MPA students worked with RCN to draft and revise articles, by-laws, and the mission statement. One of those students was Cynthia Garcia Magallanes.

Cynthia Garcia Magallanes, MPA

Budding leaders in public affairs optimize learning potential through local governments and nonprofits, a mutually beneficial relationship.

As a nontraditional student, practical experience was critical to Cynthia’s learning. “The hands-on approach worked best for me,” she said.

Garcia Magallanes had to stretch herself when it came to grant writing.

“I was intimidated to write grants, however, after the first grant was submitted, it took the edge off,” she went on to say.

The “stretching” and guidance from her professors and community partnership paid off because in October of 2022, prior to completing her degree, Garcia Magallanes took on the role of executive director of Recovery Community Network.

“I am truly delighted with where I am and how I came to be here,” she said.

Matt Glaesman, St. Cloud’s Community Development Director, was thoroughly impressed with the outcome of this impact project.

Over the course of the semester, Glaesman and his staff would exchange comments with the class, comparing and aligning Department of Interior standards with the city’s current manuals.

Together, a summary of concise observations and recommendations was formed to be conveyed to consultants who will update the manuals.

In local governmental affairs, Chukwunyere Ugochukwu’s Community Heritage class spent a semester reviewing, editing, and clarifying the residential and commercial historic preservation design manuals for the City of St. Cloud and presented their findings to city administrators.

Their assignment was designed to illustrate the real world complexities of policies as interpreted and applied at the local levels.

“Local governments have unique challenges a student can really focus on,” Ugochukwu said, “National level policies cannot always accommodate this.”

A closer look by the class at the downtown district brought ideas on how to improve it for residents and visitors alike.

“What would make anyone visit downtown or move here?” Fatima Mohamed, a junior Planning and Community Development major and St. Cloud native asked herself.

Mohamed answered that question and sees opportunities in affordable mixed-income housing, a recreation center, ice skating in winter, and a small park for St. Cloud’s growing and diverse community.

“The student recommendations regarding form, content, presentation, and accessibility was valuable as a perspective of the ultimate users: The general public and trained historic preservation professional,” Glaesman said.

St. Cloud’s downtown is home to the

community’s common heritage where social, economic, physical, and cultural existence was first brought to life.

“There is a communal (tax) interest in historic structures,” says Ugochukwu. “A downtown is a communal asset.”

These projects and many more will live on through the fabric of our community for years to come.

Katie Morrill was also part of the cohort of students working with RNC and cannot speak enough on the soft skills she developed.

“You can be told how to write something,” Morrill said. “But how to correctly word and address by-laws and use soft tones, that all comes from experience and hands on work with feedback.”

Dean King Banaian fully celebrates partnerships such as these that strive to create memorable experiences for students and renew the greater commitment to applied research for faculty.

“Our partners in local government agencies, nonprofits and for-profit businesses allow us to build experiences for our students and faculty,” Banaian said. “We are grateful to those partners for both of these.”

Meanwhile, outside of city limits...

Erin Reider’s thesis project focuses on how drone/ UAS imaging technology can detect and subsequently aid in the prevention of the spread of purple loosestrife. The invasive plant chokes out other native plants and negatively impacts ecosystems.

Reider is researching whether or not spectro signatures could pick up on the distinct coloring of the plant’s flower, enabling cultural control measures to be put in place to prevent its spread.

Stearns County Agricultural Inspector Bob Dunning was on site to observe the technology’s capabilities and guide the flight path to known locations of the plant.

Books: $200 Tuition: $350-500 per credit Daily coffee: $3

Hands-on experience: Priceless

I AM TRULY DELIGHTED WITH WHERE I AM AND HOW I CAME TO BE HERE.

– Cynthia Garcia Magallanes ‘22

Dr. Chukwunyere Ugochukwu

FACULTYHIGHLIGHTS

DICK ANDZENGE

Presented “Applied Victimology: The Professional Practice of Victimology” and “Cyber Crime, Media & Victimization” at the 11th International Conference on Victim Assistance, O.P. Jindal Global University, India, October 2022.

GILVERT ANGERVIL

American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Conference, Jacksonville, Florida, March 2022.

Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference, April 2022.

JOHN BAKER

Minnesota Continuing Legal Education presentation “Judicial Review: Gun Regulation after NY State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. v. Bruen”, August 2022

KING BANAIAN

Serves on the St. Cloud Regional Airport Advisory Board.

President, St. Cloud Economic Development Authority.

KING BANAIAN AND MANA KOMAI MOLLE

Produced and presented third and fourth quarter St. Cloud Area Quarterly Business Reports.

MIKHAIL BLINNIKOV

Joint American-RussianMongolian expedition to obtain natural paleoarchives of vegetation and climate change in the region of Mongolian Altay, western Mongolia June/July, 2022.

PATRICIA BODELSON

Consultant on and teaching global disaster response at the National University of Athens.

ZHENGYANG ‘ROBIN’ CHEN

Midwest Economics Association presentation, March 2022.

Presenter at the 29th Annual Symposium of the Society of Nonlinear Dynamics and Econometrics (SNDE), March 2022.

97th Western Economic Association Annual Conference, July 2022.

Presenter of “Embedding rational expectations in a Structural VAR: Internal and external instruments for set identification” at Midwest Macro Meeting, Dallas, Texas, November 2022.

JIM COTTRILL WITH AMANDA HEMMESCH (PSYCHOLOGY), ANN FINAN AND SANDRINE ZERBIB (SOCIOLOGY) OF THE SCSU SURVEY

Sponsored Research

Agreement with the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce resulted in the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce Report on Member Satisfaction. Inperson presentations May 11 and 24, 2022.

MONICA GARCÍA-PÉREZ

Member of the Committee of the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession, an American Economic Association Committee.

Senior research associate at the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University.

LEE GILBERTSON

Staff and instructor at the 25th International Gang Specialist Training Conference in Chicago, August 2022.

MANA KOMAI MOLLE

MCEE Economics Boot Camp session: “Economics of Social Issues” with Cindy Fitzthum, June 2022.

Conducted study: UMN Teamsters Local 320 Inflation.

MICHELLE KUKOLECA HAMMES

Interim Director of Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

FEILIN ‘FALINA’ LAI

“Improving Land Cover Classification Over a Large Coastal City Through Stacked Generalization with Filtered Training Samples” published in the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

JASON LINDSEY

“Russia’s Unconsolidated Regime,” Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Southern Political Science Association, San Antonio, Texas, January 2022.

Chair of Panel on “Shaping the State,” the Annual Conference of the Southern Political Science Association, San Antonio, Texas, January 2022.

LYNN MACDONALD

Concluded term as president of the Minnesota Economics Association.

KRISTY MODROW

Minnesota Young American Leaders Program, Summer 2022.

KENNETH REBECK presented “Assessment in the Economics Classroom Workshop” to the students in the University of Delaware’s Master of Arts in Economics and Entrepreneurship for Educators, July 2022.

Congratulations to Cindy Helm, Rich MacDonald, and David Wall on their retirements!

See page 18 for David Wall’s ReTIErement.

Faculty and staff-driven Events

HUNGCHIH ‘ALVIN’ YU

“How festival brand equity influences loyalty: the mediator effect of satisfaction” published in the Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, Vol 23, Issue 4.

CHUKWUNYERE UGOCHUKWU St. Cloud State University representative for the St. Cloud Heritage Preservation Commission.

Lindsey Vigesaa and Mary Clifford awarded 2022 Hellervik Prize

Lindsey Vigesaa and Mary Clifford, Professors of Criminal Justice, were formally recognized for their ongoing research of the use of artificial intelligence in criminal justice fields.

The nearly $10,000 grant is used on a project titled “Public & Private Collaborations to Promote Student Success: Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Analyze Agency Data in the Criminal Justice Classroom.”

The Hellervik Prize, St. Cloud State University’s premier award, encourages research or scholarly activity which advances knowledge on issues of importance to students, the university, society, and beyond.

ASHE Individual Service Award goes to García-Pérez

Mikhail Blinnikov and Jason Lindsey Ukraine vs. Russia pop-up seminars

Mana Komai Molle The Crypto Ecosystem

Kristy Modrow

Start Smart salary negotiation workshop, a collaboration with the Herberger Business School

Alvin Yu

Judge Shan Wang, Seventh Judicial District Judge, Sex Trafficking in Minnesota

Falina Lai and Jeff Torguson GIS Day with Sentera

Michell Hammes

Mourning & Monarchy: The Death of Queen Elizabeth

Mary Clifford and Lindsey Vigesaa

Frank Weber, forensic psychologist, author, and St. Cloud State alumnus

The American Society of Hispanic Economists (ASHE) awarded Dr. Monica García-Pérez the 2022 ASHE Individual Service Award for the work she has devoted to ASHE.

“I am deeply honored by this award and the recognition of my service to ASHE,” García-Pérez said. “All previous individual service awardees have devoted their professional life to elevate the Economics profession with their research and their commitment to elevate their colleagues and the community along this professional journey. It is now humbling to be part of them.”

García-Pérez has been a Professor in the St. Cloud State Department of Economics since 2009, with her research concentrating on health economics, immigration, and labor economics. She also works on wealth inequality across race/ethnicity and the impact of health shocks. Her research also looks at the intergenerational effects of barriers to access to health care and health coverage.

MARY CLIFFORD

LINDSEY VIGESAA

MAPP NG RET REMENT

After 25 years of teaching Geography at St. Cloud State University, and on the eve of his retirement, Dr. David Wall decided it was time to “cut ties” and raise money for students attending and presenting at geography conferences.

The scene: St. Cloud, Minnesota, April 1998. A young professor of geography, having spent a good part of his career teaching at various universities across the country came to St. Cloud to interview for a job.

At the time, the area south of Crossroads Mall was still a vacant field. He stayed at the Super 8 and went to and from the campus of St. Cloud State University along Division Street. Interviewing on campus in a room without windows, the nerves of interviewing flowing strong, he had no idea the Mississippi River was on the other side of the wall.

Dr. Randy Baker, Professor of Geography, was a member of the search committee. “It was clearly not the most aesthetically pleasing part of town, but we rationalized that David was an economic geographer, so this put him right in the middle of St. Cloud’s economic center,” Baker recalls.

Returning to his hotel room that evening, he looked out the window and thought to himself, “This is the ugliest place I’ve ever been. I hope they don’t offer me a job.”

They offered him the job.

“What makes the world a better place is how each of us acts each and every day.” — David Wall

Outside of the windowless interview and lackluster Super 8, Baker showed Wall some of St. Cloud’s outdoor recreation activities knowing he was an avid outdoors person. “I made sure to show him places like Quarry Park, Munsinger Gardens, and the other parks along the Mississippi River, and talked up the plans for a regional bike trail (Wobegon Trail), the first phase of which had just been completed,” he said.

Twenty-five years later, David Wall has since discovered the North Shore as a favorite travel destination and the self-described “mountain snob” is only a day’s drive from the Rocky Mountains.

Wall is known for always wearing a tie when he teaches. Often paired with his favorite shirt, a white oxford button down, Wall’s “old school” approach to teaching is on display.

Having spent extensive time in Central America and Mexico, he noticed that people in Latin American countries dress their best when going out in public, regardless of their economic status. “It is a sign of respect,” said Wall.

Being chair for the Department of Geography and Planning for nine years prompted Wall to up his tie game. He would have to adapt to a number of situations at a moment’s notice – students, donors, colleagues, and more. “I always felt I needed to respect the position by dressing in a way that I thought respected the position and represented the department,” Wall said.

The habit stuck.

About halfway through his final year of teaching, Wall realized he was no longer going to have a need for his extensive tie collection. He also wondered if the unused ties could be used for good. Could he sell them to raise money for Geography students?

A Student-centered Retirement

The Geography faculty at St. Cloud State believe strongly in taking their students to conferences where they can learn from others and showcase their research and work.

“It is delightful to see their maturity when they do present,” Wall said. “It is like they are all grown up and ready to go out and be professionals.”

Fellow professor of Geography Gareth John has witnessed for himself Wall’s dedication and devotion to student research

excellence. Even when young Geography scholars are no longer students of Wall, he still guides them on research projects, particularly when census data and statistical analysis is involved.

“David generously shares his time and expertise with so many students,” John says. “This support of student research was echoed in his championing their attendance at national professional conferences, where they consistently presented their research alongside seasoned professors and advanced graduate students from around the world.”

where he can go to the 9 a.m. yoga class instead of the one at 6:30 a.m.

Travel with his wife, Margaret, is definitely in the future – New England in the fall, Washington, Costa Rica, Zion National Park, hiking the entire Narrows, and many more places on both of their lists.

Another piece of advice Wall is channeling is for the first year of retirement is to say “no” to all new requests. Advice easier said than done, Wall doesn’t want to say “no” forever. He is more than willing to continue working on small GIS projects or teaching a class as an adjunct every once in a while.

Honesty, integrity, kindness

$1,120 raised!

Wall goes on to emphasize, “I think the student’s ability to see the wide variety of research presentations at a professional conference further solidifies for them, that their choice of a geography major was the right one, and that they can be very proud of the discipline of geography.”

An online store was created where Wall’s ties were on display for friends, family, colleagues, former students, and all to see. Each were given a name and a little story – some true and some completely fictionalized. David Wall’s ReTIErement Store was open during the month of April and raised $1,120 to be used towards students presenting at conferences.

The well wishes and advice of retirement have been flooding in. One bit of advice he is taking to heart is “be active, but not busy.” Wall looks forward to this new lifestyle

Wall approaches everything he does with honesty, integrity, and kindness. His focus is always on the student. In Wall’s 32 years of teaching, he has learned all the names of all the students in his classes (except the very large auditorium sections).

“What makes the world a better place is how each of us acts each and every day,” Wall says.

In his very first semester of teaching at the University of New Mexico, just before the middle of the semester, a student came up to him and said, “I’ve been a student at UNM for two years and you are the first professor to learn my name.”

St. Cloud, April 2022: Wall completes the grading of Latin American maps early and places them at the desks of each of the students. After class, a student walked up to him and excitedly said, “You are the first professor who has learned my name.”

Department of Geography faculty gathered to celebrate David Wall’s last class on April 27, 2022.

ALUMNI

‘80s

STEVEN R. BUCK ‘85 is a radiological emergency preparedness planner for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety - HSEM as well as a retired U.S. Army Major.

LISA RANDALL ‘85 is a 911 emergency communications supervisor for the City of Eden Prairie.

‘90s

SPENCER BAKKE ‘98 is a captain for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

JOSEPH BERUBE ‘96 has been active with the U.S. Army Reserve and was promoted to Colonel in May 2022. He also works as a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Litchfield, Minnesota.

DAN KELLOGG ‘91 has been a higher education professional for over 30 years, including 27 years in the University of Wisconsin System. Today he serves as Registrar and Director of Admissions for the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus.

THOMAS KISCH ‘97 is a Colonel for the United States Marine Corp.

ALADE ODULOYE ‘86 ‘96 is a residential counselor for Ramsey County.

EMMET O’MEARA ‘91 is the director of the Los Angeles VA Regional Office.

JEFF OXTON ‘98 became chief of the St. Cloud Police Department in November. He succeeded Chief Blair Anderson who served for 10 years.

‘00s

TOM ANDERSON ‘08 is the Director of Finance for the Redwood Area Schools. He is married to fellow Husky Alyssa (Buysse) and together they have two boys – Gabe and Donny.

RYAN BASSETT ‘01 is a police officer for the Albert Lea Police Department.

HIGHLIGHTS

JESSICA (O’HERN) BASTIL ‘02 is a senior special agent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

ANDY BERTRAM ‘07 is the VP of Commercial Lines at North Risk Partners. He lives in River Falls, Wisconsin.

NATHAN BRITZ ‘05 is the Director of Estimating at Cutting Edge Steel in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

MIKE CEYNOWA ‘05 became the Duluth Chief of Police in September. He is a 24-year veteran of the department.

ZACHARY DORHOLT ‘05 ‘08 is a psychotherapist at CentraCare Health and currently serves on the District 742 School Board.

ROCHELLE (ARELLANO) DYER ‘08 ‘11 ‘17 ‘20 leads the Social Studies Education program at St. Cloud State. In the summer of 2022, she celebrated the launch of the new M.S. program and pathway to 18 graduate certificates in Economics, Geography, Political Science in partnership with several departments across campus.

TERRI (CLEVELAND) GAUERKE ‘06 is a background investigator for Paragon and lives in Appleton, Wisconsin.

CRAIG GEYEN ‘06 is the recipient of the MCEE Minnesota Educator of the Year (Grade 9-12). Geyen is a Social Studies/Economics teacher at Monticello High School.

JON GUSTAFSON ‘07 is the Director of Artificial Intelligence at Woolpert.

MITCHELL SCOTT MALCOLM ‘08 works at Summit Brewing Company in St. Paul where he is a production operator and sanitation lead.

STACY (HELLMICH) MCCLURE ‘00 works as a detective for a sheriff’s office in Wisconsin.

RYAN CARLOS MONT ‘09 works for Paradies Lagardere and was awarded the Palm Beach International Airport’s Security Award in 2019.

BRETT MUSHATT ‘07 was promoted to assistant police chief of the St. Cloud Police Department in November.

ERICK J. ORTIZ-COLON ‘09 is CEO of Eagle Consultant, Inc.

BILL SCHRAMM ‘04 is the director of municiple research at MetLife Investment Management. He also serves on the School of Public Affairs Advisory Council.

KELLY ANN SCOTT ‘02 is the editor in chief/VP of content for the Alabama Media Group. In 2021 her newsroom won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for work related to the criminal justice system.

ANDREW SMITH ‘07 is a GIS analyst for Phillips 66 and lives in Sugar Land, Texas.

TIMOTHY SNYDER ‘08 lives in Gilbert, Arizona where he is a senior finance manager for NAGRA Kudelski.

ERIC THOMPSON ‘03 is a fire captain for the Duluth Fire Department.

SHANNON WUSSOW ‘02 ‘07 is the Executive Director of Relationship Safety Alliance in Brainerd, Minnesota. She is the proud mother of Levi and Harper.

DOMINICK OLIVANTI ‘21

CRAIG GEYEN ‘06

JESSE WESTBERG ‘12

DAN KELLOGG ‘91

Jamie Verbruge ‘92 (left) and Belinda Lee ‘16 ‘20 serve on the board of Minnesota Expo 2027.

All eyes are on Bloomington, Minnesota!

‘10s

KATIE ABERNATHY ‘19 lives in Edinburgh, Scotland where she is a research associate for Wittkieffer International.

CYNTHIA BARNES ‘14 is a public safety dispatcher for Ramsey County.

JOE BRULEY ‘18 is a risk and reporting associate at AB CarVal Investors LP.

KATIE GILLEN ‘19 lives in Savannah, Georgia and works as a judicial assistant.

SAMANTHA K. IVEY, ESQ. ‘12 practices family law at Atticus Family Law, S.C. She is engaged to Alexander Hsu.

JACK JOHANSEN ‘18 lives in the Twin Cities and is a transportation planner for Carver County. After St. Cloud State, he went on to earn a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Iowa (2021).

SABRINA KOELSCH ‘17 was promoted to Executive Director at the Little Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau.

REID LARSON ‘14 is a senior account executive in food service sales at Hormel Foods.

AMY LIND ‘16 is a criminal law attorney living in Bellville, Arkansas.

NATHAN (MEINTS) MCQUINN

‘07 ‘11 is the Director of Residence Life and Community Standards at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.

ISMAIL MOHAMED ‘17 ‘19 was appointed by Governor Tim Walz to serve on the Minnesota Emerging Entrepreneur Board. His appointment ends January 5, 2026.

HANNAH K. MUERHOFF ‘13 is the manager for operations and continuing medical education at the Society of Interventional Oncology and the American

Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. She also serves as the president of the Resilience (formerly Rape Victim Advocates) Associate Board.

KELLY NELSON ‘18 works as an attorney for Stoneridge Software.

MORGAN C. NELSON ‘19 is a trust and estate paralegal at Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.

EMERALD PELTIER ‘16 is an accountant at ProMach.

MARIE PFLIPSEN ‘14 is the corporate economic development manager for Xcel Energy, a position she took on in May 2022.

MOLLY LOU PINTOK ‘16 ‘18 is an assistant area supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, a position she considers her “dream job.”

JONATHAN POWELL ‘16 lives in Utah where he is a field engineer for FedEx Freight.

DEREK RANDALL ‘18 is Chief of Police for the Cloquet Police Department.

RUPAK SHRESTHA ‘12 is a visiting assistant professor of geography at Macalaster College in St. Paul.

DEONDRE SMILES ‘13 is an assistant professor of geography at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia.

BENJAMIN SPARTZ ‘19 is a data analyst for Stuart Delivery in London.

SONIA TAUER ‘17 lives in Woodbury, Minnesota where she works as an operations specialist for Travel Leaders Market Square Travel.

JACOB THOMFOHRDA ‘14 is a financial advisor for Eagle Strategies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

JESSE WESTBERG ‘12 is a task force manager for Leisure Hotels and Resorts where he oversees multiple properties in different geographical locations. He lives in Little Falls with his wife and three children.

‘20s

behavioral specialist for the ISD 742 school district in St. Cloud.

ELLIE BOISEN ‘20 was promoted to Environmentalist GIS Specialist II at Westwood Professional Services where she finds unusual ways to solve problems.

AUSTIN JENTZSCH ‘20 works at Optum (UnitedHealth Group) as a cyber threat intelligence analyst.

PATRICK KALONDE ‘22 began his doctoral studies at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine where he will study the problems of open waste dumping in Malawi and Tanzania using geospatial methods for public health surveillance in urban environments.

HANNAH MAYHEW ‘22 accepted a research assistant position in Washington D.C. with the American Enterprise Institute. DANIEL MCCULLOUGH ‘20 is a law student at the University of North Dakota.

COREY MCINTIRE ‘11 ‘20 is an operations supervisor for the Minnesota Sex Offender Program where he oversees two living units of civilly committed individuals and dining operations.

HUNTER MOEN ‘21 is a property claims adjuster for Grinnell Mutual. He was married in fall 2021.

ANNA NELSON ‘20 is in the FDIC’s Division of Resolution’s Recent Graduate Program.

DOMINICK OLIVANTI ‘21 is the Director of Vocational Opportunities at Range Center Incorporated.

TAJUDEEN POPOOLA ‘20 was appointed to the Emerging Leader Board for the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.

SPENCER ROJAS ‘21 is living in Minneapolis and attending the University of Minnesota Law School.

JOSH SNAPP ‘22 is an Associate Data Analyst for the Education Advisory Board (EAB).

ALISON VOIGT ‘18 ‘21 is the emergency management specialist and PHEP coordinator for Stearns County. She is the proud mother of Cyril.

Amanda Othoudt ‘12 was formally recognized for her outstanding achievement in her career and service to the community at the Oct. 21 Alumni Award ceremony.

Othoudt earned a bachelor’s degree in Planning and Community Development and is certified as an economic development finance professional from the National Development Council. She also continued her education by earning a certificate in economic development from Hamline University.

The nomination for Othoudt came from Dr. Aspasia Rigopoulou-Melcher. “Amanda was a non-traditional student, mother of three kids at the time, and one of the best students in the planning and community development program,” Rigopoulou-Melcher celebrates.

Othoudt is the executive director for Benton Economic Partnership Inc., a public-private, nonprofit organization with an overall goal of promoting and facilitating economic development throughout Benton County.

DEONDRE SMILES ‘13

HAFSA ABDI ‘21 is a

AMANDA OTHOUDT ‘12

50 YEARS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

In1972, St. Cloud State College put out the call for someone to start a brand new program in criminal justice. Bob Prout, a retired Ohio state trooper was selected. The rest, some may say, is Central Minnesota history.

The first graduating class in 1975 had 15 undergraduate students and has since produced thousands of graduate and undergraduate degrees.

Graduates of the program become valuable practitioners and innovative leaders in the criminal justice field in St. Cloud, across greater Minnesota, and in all pockets of the world.

Bob Prout started from scratch. He worked with faculty from across the college to draw together existing courses and develop core courses that would be the beginning of bachelor’s degree program.

In a 1972 interview with the St. Cloud Times, Prout made his objective clear: “Police, corrections personnel and the courts

at times are at odds with one another. But to be productive, those in all three types of work must understand each other.”

“Police, corrections personnel and the courts are often at odds with one another. But to be productive, those in all three types of work must understand each other.” — Bob Prout

The Criminal Justice program at St. Cloud State was from day one, and still is today, a program that gives graduates the flexibility to work in a number of careers, builds in components from other academic areas (sociology, psychology, etc.), and complements the required formal training of some professions.

On to the next 50 years!

50th celebration at the Park Event Center October 21, 2022

Richard Lawrence

Calvin Miller ‘92 ‘96 Pastor Michael Laidlaw

Jeff Oxton ‘98

Mario Hesse

Lindsey Vigesaa

Bob Prout, Anthony Deutsch ‘21, and Chuck Seefeldt

SOPA

Geospatial Intelligence Analyst

Washington, D.C.

stcloudstate.edu/sopa

We provide the highest quality and most comprehensive undergraduate and graduate public affairs education in the upper Midwest by engaging our students and faculty in the study and critical analysis of public policy and by serving as a rich source of knowledge for our stakeholders, both local and global.

^ Ndumezulu Mpofu ‘19

“You might not think that what you do needs heart, but to a certain degree, you need to have a little bit of your heart in everything you do. In those difficult situations you may find yourself in, when you get push back and someone questions your expertise, do not take it personally but stand your ground, stand for the facts, the evidence, stand for the rational and use your heart to remember the ways in which your recommendation, as the expert, makes this world a better place.”

Dr. David Wall Professor Emeritus of Geography