Alumni Review Fal l 2012
Universit y of Nor th Dakota A lumni A ssoc iat ion
THE UND
CONNECTION School ties lead to successful partnerships like Grand Forks engineering firm AE2S Pg. 6
Inside: Campus Ties
Readers tell their stories about the connections they made at UND
Photo by: Sam Melquist
Pg. 14
TOTAL TO DATE $273.6 MILLION
THE $300 MILLION CAMPAIGN FOR UND
Annual Excellence $100 M
Innovative Programs $49.2 M
Inspirational Educators $28.2 M Passionate Students $71.7 M
Extraordinary Places $24.4 M
Show your North Dakota Spirit
COME BACK TO CAMPUS Thanks to the spirit of our alumni and friends, UND keeps getting better. Join us for Homecoming Oct. 8-14 and see for yourself. Share Your Spirit: spirit.UND.edu | 800.543.8764
CONTENTS
inside this issue ALUMNI REVIEW • VOL. 95 NO. 3 • FALL 2012
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FEATURES 6 Making Waves A water engineering firm headed by two UND alums grows from a modest start. BY MILO SMITH
DEPARTMENTS
10 A Bold Initiative A love of aviation and computers forms the basis of a business. BY MILO SMITH
12 Global Connections UND alums help foreign investors gain a foothold in the U.S. economy. BY JUAN PEDRAZA
14 Your Campus Ties UND alums share their stories of how they made life-long connections at UND.
4 Message from the Executive Vice President/CEO Get ready for the Gorecki Alumni Center.
18 What’s New News from around campus.
19 President’s Letter Exciting times at UND.
28 Campaign News Meet the Sioux Award and Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients.
38 Alumni Class News Who’s Doing What: News About Your Classmates.
48 In Memoriam
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Alumni Review
Universit y of Nor th Dakota A lumni A ssoc iat ion
A SPECIAL START TO SCHOOL DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS, Our beautiful campus is brimming with energy as an expected record 15,000 students have returned to Grand Forks to begin another academic year. Many of us alumni can’t imagine 15,000 fellow students, and I can personally assure you their level of worldly sophistication and knowledge is so much broader than my generation’s at the same stage in life. As the new academic year begins, the UND Alumni Association & Foundation welcomes four new Directors to our Board. They are Terri Zimmerman, ’85; Rob Mitchell, ’74; Phil Gisi, ’82; and Sara Garland, ’68, ’72, who will start her term Jan. 1. We’re excited about the broad base of talent and connections each of the new Directors brings to their role, continuing the tradition of outstanding Board members whose passion and loyalty to UND drives our organization. While every Homecoming is filled with memories, this year’s is particularly special, as we celebrate the Grand Opening of the new Gorecki Alumni Center. This LEED Platinum building is undergoing the final touches from an amazing group of architects, engineers, contractors and skilled laborers as I write, and plans are in place for the biggest Homecoming bash in a long time. While the Gorecki Center will be home to the Alumni Association & Foundation staff of 40, its primary purpose is very focused on serving a wide variety of UND purposes. The Gorecki Center will serve as the “hub” and central gathering point for visiting alumni and friends. UND Admissions will welcome potential new UND students at the Gorecki Center. Their presence ensures the Center will be the welcoming point for visitors to campus on a daily basis. The Gransberg Community Room is available for use by large groups, and through the use of technology can be equally as efficient for small gatherings. With a full kitchen, everything from basic food options to gourmet meals can be prepared on site. This will be the first time in our 123-year history as an Alumni Association where we can celebrate our heritage, have office space, and welcome our alumni and friends, all in one location with PARKING! 4
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Learn more about the Grand Opening on page 27. Also in this issue, starting on page 28, you can read the biographies of this year’s outstanding Sioux Award and Young Alumni Award recipients, who will be honored on Thursday, Oct. 11. The list is led by Ben, ’62, ’63, and Dorothy Gorecki, the namesake donors for the Gorecki Alumni Center; Kathryn Uhrich, ’86, Dean of Mathematical & Physical Sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey; Mark Chipman, ’83, ’85, President of True North Sports & Entertainment, parent company of the Winnipeg Jets; and Garfield Beckstead, ’61, Florida real estate developer and owner of Useppa Island. Our Young Alumni Award recipients this year are incredibly accomplished. They are brother and sister Jim Kleinsasser, ..’99, recently retired from the Minnesota Vikings, and Sherri (Kleinsasser) Stockmoe, ’97, ’99, co-founder of On the Minds of Moms magazine. The theme of this edition of the Alumni Review is “Connections,” an examination of how the bonds we form during our college years can carry on in significant ways into our entire lives. It’s a theme that is near and dear to my heart as I have the privilege of seeing the benefit of these connections on a daily basis. As we enter the final year of North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, those connections are more evident than ever before. As you’ll see on page 32, the campaign is closing in on its $300 million goal! I have great confidence we’ll exceed the goal by the time we celebrate the end of the campaign at Homecoming 2013. We are all very grateful to the tens of thousands of alumni and friends who have contributed to the North Dakota Spirit Campaign. You are making a difference to students of today and into the future. Thank you! Again, stop by and see us in your new home at Homecoming or soon after — we’ll be happy to show you around! Best regards,
Tim O’Keefe, ’71 Executive Vice President and CEO UND Alumni Association & Foundation E‐mail: timo@undfoundation.org
Executive Vice President and CEO Tim O’Keefe, ’71 Vol . 93 No. 4 • Winter 2010 Editor Milo Smith Designer Sam Melquist Contributing Writers Alyssa Shirek, ‘06 Jan Orvik, ‘95 Juan Pedraza, ‘02 Patrick C. Miller Peter Johnson, ‘81, ‘82 Caitlin Slator Emily Aasand Contributing Photography Jackie Lorentz Sam Melquist Patrick C. Miller BOARD OF DIRECTORS UND Alumni Association Chair Carolyn Becraft, ’66 Vice Chair Kris Compton, ’77 UND Foundation Chair Al Royse, ’72, ’73, ’76 Vice Chair Jody Feragen, ’78 Directors: Jill Burchill, ’76; Rick Burgum, ’68; Steve Burian, ’90, ’92; Marc Chorney, ’81; Mark Fliginger, ’74; Phil Gisi, ‘82; Bart Holaday, HON ’06; Chuck Kluenker; Linda Laskowski, ’72, ’73; Rob Mitchell, ‘74; Lauris Molbert, ’80, ’83; Jennifer Neppel, ’86; Carrie McIntyre Panetta, ’88; Fernanda Philbrick, ’94, ‘96; Doug Podolak, ’72; Cathy Rydell, ’88; Lisa Wheeler, ’75, ’82; and Terri Zimmerman, ’85. Ex Officio: Laura Block, ’81, ’10; Alice Brekke, ’79, ’87; Robert O. Kelley; Tim O’Keefe, ’71; Paul LeBel; and Lori Reesor. The University of North Dakota Alumni Review (USPS 018089: ISSN 0895-5409) is published in August, November, February and May by the University of North Dakota Alumni Association, 3100 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157. Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Alumni Review, 3100 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157. For inquiries about advertising, additional copies, reprints, submissions, or general comments, contact 800.543.8764, 701.777.0831 or alumnireview@undalumni.net.
CONNECTIONS Like the connect-the-dots puzzles of youth, the connections we make in college create a wondrous mosaic with each dot helping to form a picture of the person we are today. While some connections are fleeting, others can last a lifetime as business partnerships, friendships and romantic relationships. As you read the stories in this issue, think back to the connections that you made in Grand Forks, and how they have influenced your life in large ways and small.
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FEATURE
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TWO UND ALUMS TOOK A CHANCE ON STARTING THEIR OWN ENGINEERING FIRM, AND NOW LEAD 12 OFFICES WITH 200 EMPLOYEES. By Milo Smith
U
ND engineering grads Steve Burian, ’90, ’92, and Charlie Vein, ’76, made a connection more than 20 years ago that has resulted in one of the largest engineering firms in the area, Advanced Engineering & Environmental Services, or AE2S, of Grand Forks. What makes that connection unusual is that at the time they started the company, Vein was an established engineer in his mid-30s while Burian was still at UND finishing up his master’s degree.
“It’s pretty unique in that respect that the two of us could see a way to come together,” says Vein. “And we were probably pretty naïve, to be honest,” Burian adds. “I didn’t have anything. Charlie had a wife, three kids, and a house payment. I figured if he was going to do it, what did I have to lose.” The two met when Burian was working on a graduate research project at the Grand Forks water plant. He consulted with Vein, whose engineering firm had done work on the plant. Later, when Burian was looking for summer work, Vein helped him get a job with his company on a road construction unit.
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Photo by: Sam Melquist
Charlie Vein, ‘76, president of AE2S, was a three-year letterwinner in Track and Cross Country at UND.
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“We are both early risers,” says Burian. “I started coming in at 6 in the morning and working with Charlie on some of his water projects from 6 to 8, and then from 8 to 6 I’d work out on the road projects.” Burian tagged along to a presentation Vein was making, and during the trip asked whether Vein had ever thought about starting his own firm. “It so happened that I was at the point where I was looking to do something,” Vein says. “I had four or five options. One of them was to start my own firm, which was probably my last choice of options. But through that process of working together and having this common interest (in water projects), Steve was at the point of finishing up his graduate work, and we decided to go for it.”
The two also shared another common interest that helped form their friendship early on: they both were UND Track & Field athletes. Burian is a Hall of Fame shot put and discus thrower who earned four All-America honors. Vein was a three-year letterwinner in Track and Cross Country. “The discipline, the training, the lure of competition,” says Burian. “Even though we seem like pretty easy-going guys, we are both pretty competitive, when it comes down to it. Athletics in general teaches you to set goals, to work toward those goals and to have that competitive drive to be successful.” That competitive drive and the work ethic of a student-athlete were especially helpful in the early days of the newly formed company. “We put in crazy hours to start. It wasn’t unusual to work 80-hour weeks, a
A five million gallon water storage reservoir is part of the work AE2S has done for the Western Area Water Supply Project in North Dakota.
full day on Saturday and part of Sunday. That’s what we needed to be successful,” says Burian. Those hours were spent in the basement of an office building in downtown Grand Forks, in an area previously used as an architecture firm’s break room. Vein and Burian say they didn’t have many resources to start, so they invested their sweat equity into creating a presentation for 30 surface water systems in North Dakota being impacted by a new set of treatment rules from the federal government. The new rules had been the focus of Burian’s master’s thesis. “One of our biggest investments was an overhead projector,” says Burian. “I was only 23 at the time and still had kind of a mullet. I didn’t look like much, so Charlie was the one who handled the presentations. He went to every one of those systems multiple times and explained the regulations. And 16 out of the 30 ended up hiring us in some way.” As the work came in, the two partners used part-time help from some of Burian’s classmates from the UND College of Engineering to supplement their own work. “Steve had close ties to everyone there,” says Vein. “I don’t know how I would have done it without Steve and his contacts.” The two owners say that connection to UND has grown along with their firm, which now employs about 200 full- and part-time employees at a dozen offices around the region. “It’s been a great resource for us,” says Burian. “I think one of our advantages early on was the engineering school right in town. Developing and maintaining
Photo by: Sam Melquist
relationships with professors so you could know which students were solid and maybe had some references. If you are a new firm, those young employees are evaluating you as much as you are evaluating them.” Vein and Burian felt so strongly about their connection to UND that early on they set up current needs funds and endowments in both the Department of Civil Engineering and with the Track & Field program. Burian also currently serves on the board of directors of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “We just saw right away that we wanted to make a connection back to a school that gave us so much opportunity. We did it in a little way, knowing that over time it would be successful,” says Burian. Vein says, “Both of us acknowledge how valuable the athletic side of our time at UND was.” Both men say they have found success through hard work and human resources. “If you don’t have good people, then the rest of it is very difficult,” says Burian. “We’ve always put a significant emphasis on making sure we get good people and
Steve Burian, ‘90, ‘92, CEO of AE2S, threw shot put and discus at UND. He earned All-American status four times and is in the UND Athletic Hall of Fame.
treating our employees well.” At one point, they thought they might end up with five employees. Fast forward 20 years and the water engineering firm has thoughts of even more growth. “I think you have to grow to be successful,” says Burian. “When you hire new people, they are looking for opportunities to advance, and they want to see those opportunities. If you are not growing, you are likely to go in the other direction.” “We just see lots of opportunities out there,” says Vein. “We aren’t going to grow just for the sake of growth, but really are going to capitalize on the opportunities.” In North Dakota alone, water issues range from flooding concerns to tapping a consistent supply for the future to the enormous water needs of the oil industry. “Water is as hot as it’s ever been,” says Burian. AR
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FEATURE
A Bold
Initiative
C
UND AEROSPACE GRADS COMBINE THEIR LOVE OF FLYING AND COMPUTERS TO START A BUSINESS
By Milo Smith
onnections made during their time in the UND Aerospace program continue to pay off for the partners in BoldMethod, an aviation training software company. Not only did co-owners Aleks Udris,
’01, and Colin Cutler, ’03, meet while students in the aviation program, but their ties to the school have helped get their business off the ground. “We build aviation training products, and I can’t name an aviation company that doesn’t have someone from UND working for them,” says Udris. “Without the schooling that we went through and the connections that we made with our peers, our professors and the companies that collaborate with UND, we would not be doing this,” says Cutler. Aleks and Colin met at UND when Colin was a freshman and Aleks was a junior. They shared a passion for flying and an interest in computers. One of their first projects together was to create cockpit training posters for UND’s fleet of planes. 10
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Colin Cutler, ‘03, (left) and Aleks Udris, ‘01, started a consulting business while still students at UND.
BoldMethod has developed training software for a variety of planes, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Grand Forks Air Force Base has recently taken on a UAV mission. Photo: General Atomics Aeronautical
“It grew from there. The computers were a hobby,” says Aleks. “We started building little training programs. So we decided to start a business in college, which meant spending a few more hours at the computer and a few less hours at parties.” Following graduation, the two continued their consulting business on the side as they pursued aviation careers full time. But after Colin was furloughed by the regional airline he was flying for, he and Aleks reconnected as instructors at UND. In 2006, they started BoldMethod to concentrate on aviation training software. “We’d both decided that we didn’t want to be commercial airline pilots,” Aleks says. “It’s a great job, but it just wasn’t for us. This gave us a chance to be extremely creative, and work with a whole bunch of different people and different ideas and still stay involved with aviation at the same time.” “That was a big thing,” Colin says. “In a lot of cases we are working with our friends that have gone off to different aviation companies.” BoldMethod has been strictly a Business to Business firm, providing training solutions for aircraft manufacturers, unmanned aerial systems, and other aviation-related products. Soon, though, they’ll expand their efforts to including training aimed at general aviation pilots. “There’s not a lot of training for them,” says Aleks. “Once you get your license, you’re kind of on your own. So we are calling it continual training. Even though you’ve got your license, even though you don’t have to do anything legally to improve as a pilot, you probably should.” Pilots will be able to access the training over the Internet for use on a computer, tablet or smartphone. The training will utilize all that the company has learned in five years of creating training programs. “It’s more than a simulation. It’s an educational tool,” says Aleks. “The software is smart enough to walk you through the tasks and analyze what you are doing wrong, so it’s a heck of a lot less frustrating. It’s really difficult to learn that stuff if you have to do it by trial and error.” AR
BoldMethod develops interactive training programs for a variety of aviation customers.
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FEATURE
Global
Connections
Photo by: Sam Melquist
T
UND MBA GRADS USE BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE TO DRAW INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES TO NORTH DAKOTA
wo-time NCAA champ and University of North Dakota 2005 Male Athlete of the Year Rodrigo Cintra, ’05, ’09, swims in a very different pool these days.
After four years as a UND varsity long-distance swimmer setting national records along the way, Cintra now is the globe-trotting head of the UND Center for Innovation Foundation EB5 investor program. He made the Center connection through his swim coach, who suggested he chat with Center founder and director Bruce Gjovig. “Definitely, those connections helped,” said Cintra, a Brazilian who connects overseas investors with venture opportunities in the region under the
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By Juan Pedraza
federal “EB5” visa program. “They helped me connect with this job. It’s really exciting work because I get to meet a variety of interesting people while working in this atmosphere of global business.” The Immigrant Investor Program, also known as EB5, was created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by immigrant investors in new commercial enterprises or in troubled businesses. The program has so far generated more than $1.5 billion in foreign investment in the U.S. Cintra, who majored in entrepreneurship and international business while he was on the UND swimming squad, has translated his
Rodrigo Cintra, ‘05, ‘09, connects overseas investors with opportunities in the region.
Alexandra Naastad, ‘12, turned her stint as president of the student-run venture fund into a job with the Center for Innovation.
Olympic athletic dreams into a new vision of striking gold for North Dakota and northwest Minnesota businesses. “This is a major entrepreneurial effort that really is all about economic development and job creation,” said Cintra, who met and married a Norwegian student, and has established a home and roots in Grand Forks with his new family of two girls. Cintra is the EB5 Regional Center Manager/ Entrepreneur Consultant at the Center for Innovation. Prior to joining the staff in July 2007, Cintra worked with the Canadian Consulate and the North Dakota Trade Office on international trade opportunities. With a background in international business, Cintra focuses on assisting entrepreneurial companies that are interested in capturing domestic and international markets. Recently, Alexandra Naastad, a 2003 graduate of Grand Forks Red River High School and 2012 graduate of the UND MBA program, joined Cintra’s EB5 team. Her UND connections helped her land the job and they’re key to getting her new job done. Naastad was president of the Dakota Venture Group during her MBA studies. DVG is the country’s first 100 percent student-run venture, or angel, fund with the Center for Innovation Foundation.
Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
“I became interested in business at Red River thanks to its outstanding marketing program,” Naastad said. “I worked in the Red River School Store to learn the details about running a business, and I really enjoyed the marketing aspects. I also spoke with my dad, who is a local businessperson, about the responsibilities of owning your own business. Then, while completing my undergraduate degree in international business, I studied abroad in Paris for a semester and interned in London for a summer. During my MBA, I completed a fieldwork study in China.” Naastad’s studies, overseas business experience and her leadership role at DVG opened the door at the Center for Innovation. Because of this experience, Gjovig called her into his office one day and offered her a job. “I now work in the EB5 Regional Center,” she said. “My investment work is very similar to what DVG does, but at a higher level; we partner growing companies with international investors under the EB5 program.” AR
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FEATURE
I met my husband, Tyrone Grandstrand, ’11, during my freshman year (2005-06) at UND during a pick-up game of boot hockey with Johnstone and Fulton dorm mates. We got to know each other through shared interests in Student Government (both were Student Senators, and Tyrone was later Student Body President for 2 years), Greek Life (I was a Delta Gamma and the Panhellenic President, and Tyrone was friends with many Pi Kappa Phi’s and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon), the Honors Program, Campus Crusade for Christ, and Ballroom Dancing classes (I was the lead female instructor of Tyrone’s beginner and intermediate classes). It was not until the summer before my senior year that Tyrone and I began dating (I turned him down our freshman year). We were engaged over Christmas of 2008 and married the following August, with 7 UND graduates and 2 UND students in our wedding party — all of which were incredibly involved in activities across the campus. — Becca Grandstrand, ’11 14
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Campus
Connections READERS TELLS THEIR STORIES OF TIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME
It has been 20 years since I was a freshman at UND, but the friends that I made that year are still my closest friends, even though we live in different cities thousands of miles apart. To celebrate our continued friendship, when we turned 35, we got matching rose tattoos with UND colors to symbolize where we met. We just recently got back from one of our annual girls’ trips, this time to Riviera Maya, Mexico. Here’s to another 20 years! — Leanne Fellbaum-Norman, ’96 pictured from left: Sandra Franckowaik, ’96; Leanne; Shannon (Fettes) Farha, ’95; and Denise (Fettes) Scufsa, ’96.
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Like many, I met my best friend and life partner, my husband, Paul Croteau, ’91, at UND. But, our story isn’t as familiar as you might think. We lived next door to each other in student apartments the summer before my senior year. We became friends, but not close friends, right away. Through moves across the country in different directions, we continued to keep in touch. A few times we did live in the same city, and were able to grow our friendship. My last move to Washington, D.C., caused him to realize he didn’t want to live away from me, so eventually he followed me and we were married a year later. I have finally found a man who understands my passion for UND hockey, and will travel to cold climates with me to watch it! Now, that’s love! — Debbie Friez, ’89
In the fall of 1966, I was enrolled as a UND freshman. I had moved to Grand Forks several weeks before school started to work. My job was to serve meals to the 63 members of the UND football team. I smiled, they smiled … oh, what a great job! At the end of the first breakfast, I asked the cashier, whose job it was to check off each player as he went through the line, the name of one young man who had caught my eye. Maybe it had to do with the black eye he was sporting. Maybe it had to do with how cute he was. I just knew I wanted a chance at a future with the guy whose name I was sure had been written on my heart the day I was born. — Barbara (Middleton) Johnson, ’70, ’71 It was our first day of training table breakfast for the football team. We went through the line and the cashier checked off our names. I went and sat down to eat breakfast with a friend. I calmly said “I am going to marry that girl someday,” referring to the girl behind the counter. Two years to the month, that prediction came true. — Chuck Johnson, ’70, ’71 We were married Aug. 31, 1968, at United Lutheran Church in Grand Forks. 44 years, two children, and seven grandchildren later, we still have fond memories of that chance encounter in the cafeteria of the student union at UND. The Lord works in wonderful ways.
It all started at UND! We (Mary Jeske and Doug Shockman) met there in October 1967, graduated in ’69 and ’70, married in 1970. Three children and many years later we’re still together and still in North Dakota. — Mary Shockman, ’69
I could probably write a book about the many meaningful connections and relationships I have made on the UND campus. The relationships I have made with faculty, staff, administrators, and peers as both a student and a staff member have been numerous, and from them I have learned more than I have from any courses that I ever took. One “lunch connection” has lasted nearly 20 years and has been my most significant UND connection. In December of 1992, a friend invited me to have lunch with her and one of her friends, Kari Knudson, in the Terrace Dining Center. Kari was involved in Student Government and getting ready to run for Student Body Vice President, and my friend knew that I had an interest in getting involved with Student Government so she thought the two of us might have some things in common. We immediately hit it off!!! Three months later, Kari was elected Student Body VP and I was elected to the Student Senate and as they say, “The rest is history”. At various times over the past (almost) 20 years, Kari has been my best friend, roommate, travel companion, confidant, maid-of-honor, godmother to my son, and has become more like a sister to me than a friend … she is part of my family. Little did I know 20 years ago the impact that one lunch would have on the rest of my life. — Cassie Gerhardt, ’96, ‘08 UND Assistant Dean of Students for Student Involvement & Leadership
After I had graduated, I returned to Grand Forks and the campus to visit some friends, and with nothing else planned for an evening, made a phone call that set up what was actually a blind date (A friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend type thing. Someone said, “Call her ... you’d like her ...”). So I went to the dorm to pick her (Katherine (Lynn), ..’69) up, we went to the Westward Ho for dinner. Five hours after I met her, I asked her to marry me. Four kids and nine grandkids later, it will be our 43rd anniversary in December. — Jamie Bradley, ’68
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I was 18 years old, a freshman at UND, and it was my second day of class. I was sitting next to a guy in a class in Witmer Hall that I thought was cute. He was 22 (wow, a much older man, I thought). After a few weeks I told him that I would be at a wedding dance at the old Eagles in East Grand Forks that coming Saturday night, and he should stop by if he wasn’t doing anything. I arrived at the dance with my girlfriends, turned the corner and there he was. The rest is history. Thomas Sand, ’78, and I have been married 32 years, and have one son. UND is in my heart. My dad, my husband, myself, some siblings, all graduated from UND. My son is currently attending UND. I have worked here going on 28 years. There’s no place I’d rather be. — Mary Reinertson-Sand, ’81, ’84 UND Center for Rural Health
Short SLEEVE $12 Long SLEEVE $17
The 2012 Homecoming t-shirts are now available for order. Visit www.undalumni.org/tshirts2012 to order yours. Proceeds from the t-shirt will benefit the UND programs of choice selected by our 2012 Homecoming King & Queen.
CAMPUS NEWS
What’s New News from ARO
Campus
Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
A Partnership with University Relations The University of North Dakota uses a variety of communication tools to stay connected with current and prospective students and their families. From direct mail to its website to YouTube videos and traditional media outlets, UND reaches out in many ways. Above, President Kelley shoots a video welcoming students back to campus.
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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Exciting Times
AT UND UND First Lady Marcia Kelley, President Robert Kelley, Vice President for University and Public Affairs Susan Walton and her husband, Mark Walton, attend a reception to welcome Susan and Mark to the community at the North Dakota Museum of Art.
Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS, The fall semester is under way and there is excitement in the air. It is a good time to take stock of what is new and exciting about the University of North Dakota. In July, we welcomed Dr. Hamid Shirvani as chancellor of the North Dakota University System. Dr. Shirvani has been in higher education for 33 years, most recently as President of California State University, Stanislaus. He is internationally known for his contributions to the fields of architecture and urban design and planning. He has authored three books: “Design Review Process” (1981), “The Urban Design Process” (1985), and “Beyond Public Architecture” (1990), and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, recipient of Special Commendation by the American Institute of Architects, and recipient of the Seikyo Culture Award of Japan. As the state’s flagship university, we welcome Dr. Shirvani. We also welcome vice president Susan Walton, who leads our new Division of University and Public Affairs, charged with taking UND to the next level in all of the ways we communicate. Susan has experience in higher education, having served as an associate professor of public relations and as associate chair for student media in the Department of Communications at Brigham Young University. She also has experience in the corporate sector. She led The Dow Chemical Company’s global marketing communications for a business unit in Horgen, Switzerland, and also managed global brand positioning for Dow Plastics. Susan was director of corporate communications for Boise Cascade, and was director of corporate communications for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
A NEW ERA
There is news for UND Athletics, which hit two major milestones this summer. We were officially welcomed into the Big Sky Conference. This is huge for UND Athletics. It gives us a home for many of our programs and greatly helps to ease scheduling issues. We also completed our journey into full membership as a Division I school. Although we have decades of experience as a Division I hockey program, we played at the Division II level in our other sports until we started the Division I process five years ago. That process was completed this summer and we were welcomed as a full Division I school by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Now we are poised for the future. We have signed the coaches of our major sports to multi-year contracts. The outlook is bright for UND Athletics and our student-athletes, who excel in their studies as well as in competition. The most recent example: Our swimming and diving teams have been recognized for their achievements in the classroom, earning College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar AllAmerica status for Spring 2012. Both the UND women and men garnered accolades thanks to cumulative team grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
EXCEPTIONAL UND
Still fairly new is Exceptional UND, our strategic direction based on five priorities: Enriching the student learning experience, Encouraging gathering, Facilitating collaboration, Enhancing the quality of life for faculty and staff, and Expanding UND’s presence. We would appreciate your feedback on Exceptional UND. In this issue you will find an ad that explains how you can share your views about the five priorities. Already, Exceptional UND is having an impact on campus. A very recent example is UND Art Collections, which now has a home in the Empire Arts Center in downtown Grand Forks. Some of you may remember going to movies in the old Empire Theater. Today the theater provides a venue for plays, concerts, community gatherings, other kinds of arts entertainment – and, as of Aug. 29, a home for UND’s extensive art collections, which feature works by some the world’s best known artists: Salvador Dali, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Audrey Flack, to name a few. We are pleased to partner with the Empire Arts Center. We look forward to many more such collaborations, and to your input as well. Together, we will continue to ensure a bright future for an Exceptional UND. Best wishes,
Robert O. Kelley President
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CAMPUS NEWS Dr. Carrie Ranum, ’09, and Dr. Josh Ranum, ‘08, with their daughter, Rebecca, outside their Hettinger, N.D., home.
Continuity of
Care
s
OMETIMES THINGS JUST CLICK. Josh, ’08, and Carrie Ranum, ’09, new physicians and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences alumni, could live and work anywhere. They found a perfect fit at West River Health Services in Hettinger, N.D. As a small community (pop. 1,307) in a relatively remote area, Hettinger might seem an unlikely place to find a national model for health care. But it is the base for a medical complex that serves 25,000 people and covers 25,000 square miles of southwestern North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota. West River has community clinics in Bowman, Hettinger, Mott, New England and Scranton, N.D., as well as Lemmon, S.D., and a foot-and-ankle clinic in Dickinson. Its 25-bed regional medical center has been named one of the top 100 critical access hospitals in the nation. “I was amazed at the capabilities here,” said Josh Ranum. “It’s a cutting-edge medical center that can do advanced diagnostics. I wanted to come back and be part of that.” He began his practice in internal medicine at West River on July 2, and also travels to clinics in Mott and Lemmon. Josh is originally from Scranton, about 30 miles northwest of Hettinger. “I’ve always liked science and solving problems, and knew I wanted to be a physician,” he said. He also liked the flexibility. “Medicine allows you to live where you want,” he said. “I’ve always loved southwestern North Dakota.” Josh lived and trained in Hettinger through UND’s ROME
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RANUMS SAY UND’S PATIENT-CENTERED APPROACH TO LEARNING SET THEM UP WELL
(Rural Opportunities in Medicine) program, which allows future doctors to learn about and provide health care delivery in rural areas. It was a good experience. Carrie Ranum, who is completing a four-week pediatrics residency rotation in Hettinger, took part in ROME in Devils Lake, N.D. After she completes her pediatrics rotation, she will work as a pediatrician at West River and travel to satellite clinics in Bowman, New England and Dickinson. She was impressed how devoted Hettinger doctors are to their patients. “They’re caring physicians,” the Stillwater, Minn., native said. She also likes the continuity of care: “With the hospital and clinic, I can admit my own patients, including newborns, and follow their progress. And I can do my own workups instead of sending them to a specialist.” Josh said his UND medical experience prepared him well for his career. “It’s one of the few with a patient-centeredlearning approach, which is right up my alley,” he said. “UND really excels in the third and fourth clinical years — we’ve seen and done more than students at most other medical schools.” Carrie also appreciated UND’s patient-centered approach. And she wanted to practice medicine in an underserved area. “Everyone here has been great to work with,” she said. “People are more than willing to help out, and the staff makes you feel welcome.” AR — Jan Orvik, University Relations
Musical Connections to Youth Come
NOW AT UND, MELANIE POPEJOY HAS INSPIRED A GENERATION THROUGH HER GRAND CITIES’ CHILDREN’S CHOIR
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ELANIE POPEJOY’S LOVE OF MUSIC EXPANDS FAR BEYOND LISTENING PLEASURE — IT’S ABOUT IGNITING PASSIONS. As the founder and artistic director of the Grand Cities Children’s Choir (GCCC) and director of choirs and voice instructor at Valley Middle School in Grand Forks, Popejoy has always mixed her passions for music and teaching, inspiring hundreds of children in the Grand Forks community. “I saw the kids that loved singing, and thought there should be something for them in town,” she said. “Imagine if we put those kids with students from other schools who love to sing as much as they do?” That idea sparked what is now the very successful GCCC program. Beginning this fall, Popejoy will bring her enthusiasm and passion to the University of North Dakota as Associate Director of Choral Activities. The move will reconnect her with many of the students she taught and mentored as youth in the GCCC. Popejoy’s new duties include directing two ensembles: the Allegro Women’s Choir, composed of students with different majors, and Vivo, a newly reformed women’s chamber ensemble. She also will teach two classes. Popejoy said she is up for the challenge of teaching college students. “I’m so passionate about teaching, I welcome this opportunity,” she said. Her husband, James Popejoy, Director of Bands at UND, will be working in the same department. In 2001, while teaching choir at Valley Middle School, Popejoy launched GCCC as a division of the
Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
Full Circle
Melanie Popejoy, right, with current UND students who were once students in the Grand Cities Children’s Choir; clockwise from Popejoy; Megan Ault, Jacy Thibert and Caitlin Staples.
Summer Performing Arts (SPA) program, and the Grand Forks Public Schools. Before their first audition, Popejoy thought she would be lucky to get 40 students. She got more than 100. Now entering its 11th season, the GCCC attracts more than 200 members each year in grades 3-9. Another thing Popejoy didn’t expect was the lasting impact she and the GCCC would have on children. Three UND students, Jacy Thibert, Caitlin Staples and Megan Ault, all GCCC graduates, have returned to work for the choir in leadership roles. And all three credit Popejoy for influencing their career choices as young adults. “Working with Melanie and the GCCC has made me realize I need to work with children,” said Ault, a Communications Sciences and Disorders major. “Speech pathology isn’t directly related to music, but the vocal-care aspect really got me interested. Melanie helped steer me in the right career direction.” As a double major in Psychology and Music, Staples said working with Popejoy had a lasting effect on her. “She is a major part in my decision to pursue music at the collegiate level. She sees the best in people, and instills faith in them so they believe they are capable of achieving more,” she said. Thibert explained being involved in the GCCC helped her develop her love of music, which led to double majoring in Music Therapy and Vocal Performance. “It’s the (GCCC) that I attribute my major and career choice,” Thibert said. “Music has given me an outlet and a way to express myself.” AR — Caitlin Slator, University Relations www.undalumni.org 21
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo by: Patrick C. Miller
One Big
Hockey Family
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WHEN UND’S FRANK WHITE ASKS, FORMER STUDENTS, MANY OF THEM PRO ATHLETES, RESPOND
ORMER UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA GOALIE ANDY KOLLAR, ’02, REMEMBERS HIS FIRST SOCIOLOGY CLASS WITH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR FRANK WHITE, ’88, MORE THAN 12 YEARS AGO. In describing a theory called phenomenology — how people experience the world through their senses and emotions — White told a story about baseball great Ted Williams, who once remarked that he could smell burning twine after taking a powerful swing and grazing the ball with his bat. As Kollar recalled, “I put up my hand and said, ‘I’m a goalie, and when I get hit in the mask by a puck, I smell burning rubber for five minutes.’ I immediately connected with Frank the first class I ever had with him.” As it turned out, White connected with Kollar, too.
Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
He still uses Kollar’s story to help students understand phenomenology because they can relate better to hockey and the experience of a UND student-athlete. “If you’re going to keep students committed, they need to get something of value and substance out of a class,” White said. “It can’t just be jokes; it has to be applicable content. You have to make your class important, not by making it easy, but by making the knowledge as important, relevant and applicable as biology or any other class they take. You have to show them how what they’re learning is utilized.” When it comes to connecting with students and developing lasting relationships, White is practically in a league of his own. So it was no coincidence that when he asked some of his former hockey-playing students to participate in a charity golf tournament July 14 in his
hometown of Walhalla, N.D., 10 of them showed up along with UND men’s hockey coach Dave Hakstol, ’96. “It speaks for itself in terms of the impact Frank White has had on the lives of these young guys,” Hakstol said. “I don’t think anybody gave it a second thought when the invitation was put out. They just knew it would be a good day for the importance of what Frank meant to them, and that’s why a lot of people are here.” Among the tournament participants was Matt Greene, ..’05, former UND defenseman (2002-2005) and now assistant captain of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, who won the Stanley Cup in June. He brought his father, Jim, with him. “Matt talked about Frank White from the very first class he took from him,” Jim Greene recalled. “He said, ‘Dad, you’ve got to meet this guy someday. He’s just an awesome professor.’ Matt didn’t realize he was learning as much as he was because it was so enjoyable.” Greene remembers White’s Introduction to Sociology classes, which he took with teammates Zach Parise, ..’04, and Lee Marvin, ’06. “The most telling lecture that he ever gave us was about how men and women see commitment differently,” Greene recounted. “Women see it as the diamond ring and everything like that. To show how men see commitment, Frank got up on top of his desk, laid down on his back and hog-tied himself. That’s how men see commitment: being hog-tied in front of 300 people.” Kollar, who came from Winnipeg to be in the tournament, noted that when former UND defenseman Mike Commodore, ..’99, won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, he brought the trophy to Grand Forks and into one of White’s classes without White even asking. “A guy like Matt Greene who just won the Stanley Cup could be in any city right now, and he comes back to North Dakota,” Kollar said. “It says a lot about how respected Frank is.” Greene, who brought an autographed Kings jersey with him to auction off to raise money for scholarships, was right at home. He golfed barefoot against the backdrop of the scenic Pembina Gorge while exchanging pleasantries, barbs and jokes with golfers and former teammates alike. “Matthew is exactly where he wants to be,” Jim Greene said. “There’s no place he’d rather be than here, today.” Former UND captain and defenseman Chay Genoway, ’11, who recently signed a contract with the Minnesota Wild, said, “I was always excited to go to Frank’s class because of the way he related the material, the real-life stuff. The way he presents it, he’s really charismatic.
“It was a tough class, too,” he added. “I remember the tests being tough.” That’s something coming from one of only three players to earn Western Collegiate Hockey Association Scholar-Athlete honors four times and was named the league’s Outstanding Student Athlete of the Year in 2011. Marty Gottschalk, associate professor and chair of UND’s Criminal Justice Program, has known White for more than 10 years. He notes that the student-athletes who maintain connections with White are really no different from other students he’s taught during his 24 years at the University. “Frank has the same type of relationships with all students,” Gottschalk explained. “He makes the effort to get to know them, learn something about them and know their names. It makes them feel like a complete person, not someone occupying a seat in a lecture hall. He’s able to maintain those relationships because he takes time to make them.” White hopes the success of the first-ever Frank White-Roger Snortland Scholarship Golf Tournament will become an annual event in Walhalla involving even more UND student-athletes. The tournament is named for White and Snortland, a longtime teacher in Langdon, N.D. Snortland’s son, Chris, helped come up with the idea for the tournament and was one of its organizers. White said the event raised enough money for three years of scholarships at UND and Mayville State University, White’s and Snortland’s alma mater. “The weekend exceeded all our expectations,” White said. “The community really supported us with volunteers, facilities, sponsorships and food donated by local merchants and farmers. Everybody pitched in and the golf course looked great. Everybody I talked to said it was a perfect tournament.” If White’s former students have anything to say about it, the golf tournament will continue with their participation. “If he asks again, I’d probably pretty much be guaranteed to be in it,” said Robbie Bina, ’08, a Grand Forks native who played at UND from 2003-2008. “When Frank asks, I try to do whatever’s possible because I know he would do the same for me,” Kollar said. “If I asked him for something, he would do what he could for me.” Other former players who participated in the tournament were: Jay Panzer (1995-1999), Andy Schneider (2001-2005), Nick Fuher (2001-2005), Lee Marvin (2002-2006), Matt Watkins (2005-2009) and Jake Marto (2007-2011). AR —Patrick C. Miller, University Relations
www.undalumni.org 23
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo by: Patrick C. Miller
Jay Clark, program director of the Minnesota Center for Neighborhood Organizing, discusses how to appreciate the assets of rural communities during a workshop at the Community Connect Forum.
Community Connect:
c
One Link Leads to Another UND CENTER FOSTERS RELATIONSHIPS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS IN SMALL-TOWN NORTH DAKOTA
ONNECTIONS SOMETIMES HAVE A ROUNDABOUT WAY OF HAPPENING. When the University of North Dakota Center for Community Engagement held its fifth annual “Community Connect Forum” in April in Buffalo, N.D., the town 40 miles west of Fargo seemed a natural fit for the event. Residents were looking to bridge the gap between where the community’s been and where they want it to go. Buffalo also happens to be the hometown of Lana Rakow, ’74, ’77, director of the Center for Community Engagement. One of several programs coordinated by the Center, Community Connect is a prime example of expanding UND’s presence, one of the “exceptional priorities” advanced by UND President Robert Kelley’s Exceptional UND initiatives. “This project helps UND students, faculty and staff connect with community members to find out what they need done, what partnerships should be formed, how we can we be of value and what disciplines we have at the University that can benefit communities in our region,” Rakow explained. Buffalo also is the residence of Rakow’s sister, Liane Stout, ..’67. Forty years after leaving Buffalo, she retired from accounting, moved back to her hometown and became an active participant
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in Community Connect. She’s a firm believer in the project’s importance to Buffalo and its citizens. “Not only were we connecting to UND, but also with each other,” Stout explained. “It connected us with a common purpose. “Small towns can be very independent and never go out to ask for help,” she added. “Through Community Connect, resources are available to us that we didn’t know were possible.” “Part of our job is to get all parts of the University to think about how we connect,” Rakow said. “How do we make our knowledge available to be of service to the region? How do we think about working with and for the public? It’s important for UND to have a place that helps figure out where to get funding to link up those partnerships and the resources to get the work done.” Buffalo, a town of about 190 people, sent representatives to past Community Connect Forums held in the North Dakota towns of Rugby, Fort Totten and Mountain. It was logical for the community to host a forum and discuss what it had learned in the process of saving the town’s only grocery store, building a new fire hall and restoring its historic high school building. Preparation for the event began long before it occurred. Working with Matthew Skoy, assistant director for service learning
and civic engagement at North Dakota State University, Rakow arranged for groups of student volunteers from UND and NDSU to paint Buffalo’s library. Stout said the community undertook the tasks of “planting, painting and paving” to improve the town’s appearance, knowing that visitors from around the state would be attending the Community Connect Forum. Wesley Smith, an associate professor in UND’s Art and Design Department who teaches ceramics, connected with Buffalo’s delegation during the Community Connect Forum in Mountain last year. That led to a pottery project with some of Buffalo’s elementary school students. Smith provided the clay for students to mold into pots. Stout brought the pots to Grand Forks to be fired in UND’s kiln. The finished pottery was part of an art exhibit during the Community Connect Forum, which also featured works by UND artists, First Lady Marcia Kelley and pieces from the UND Presidential Portfolio. “It was fun because unless folks from Buffalo come up to UND, they’re not necessarily going to see museum- and gallery-quality artwork,” Smith said. “It was a chance to let the University share some of its holdings with the public.” About 200 people participated in the Buffalo Forum, including 60 faculty, staff and students from UND. Attending as guest speakers were Jasper Schneider, state director of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Al Anderson, commerce commissioner with the North Dakota Department of Commerce. They also took part in a one-on-one discussion with students from UND and NDSU about the state’s challenges and economic future. “You have to have good connections with government on the state and federal levels,” Stout said. “Little towns like ours can’t just sit back and expect things to come to them. You have to be vigilant, and you have to be connecting with people to figure out what you want to do.” The forum’s theme — Mapping Our Community Stories — attracted the attention of UND graduate student Kiley Wright, a volunteer at the Center for Community Engagement. She grew up in the nation’s “Rust Belt” in Youngstown, Ohio, and is writing a novel based on her experiences there. “My hometown was once a steel town,” she said. “We have abandoned steel mills and abandoned neighborhoods. They still mean something to us, but we’re no longer too concerned about them. In rural areas, a small town losing a grocery store or a post office is a major concern. In urban America, we don’t think about losing the same things.” Stout noted that approaching a university for assistance can be rather intimidating, and Smith agreed. However, having attended and worked at other institutions of higher education in other parts of the country, he believes that compared to UND, most aren’t as helpful or as community-oriented. “When we visit with communities and help them solve problems, it lets the public see the positive side of UND,” he said. “It might be part of the history of the region or the weather that causes neighbors to help neighbors, but I do think that it’s a unique quality of this particular institution.” AR —Patrick C. Miller, University Relations
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Dean’s Corner:
EMERGING LEADERS Dear Alumni and Friends, At the College of Business and Public Administration we are educating tomorrow’s leaders today. As a college we prioritize our programs based on the three main initiatives of our strategic plan: career development, quality research and experiential learning. The CoBPA continues to be a leader among business schools across the country as we received approval in the winter of 2011 for our maintenance of accreditation from AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International. This prestigious ranking places us in the top 5% of business schools in the world. Leadership and ethics continue to be integrated into our faculty support and student programming priorities. We are pleased to have the following leadership initiatives started through the generous support of our donors: • Eugene Dahl Endowed Chair in Leadership & Innovation, funded by Howard and Brian Dahl • UND Alumni Leadership Fellow, funded by Phil Gisi • Dr. Robert Boyd Emerging Leaders Scholarship, funded by Amy and Dr. Ryan Karlstad and Tiffany and Matthew Reis • McCain Foods, LTD - CEO Dennis J. Elbert Summit, funded by McCain Foods in honor of Dale Morrison • Deloitte Leadership Endowment, seed money provided by Al Royse As we continue to plan for the development of a new building for the CoBPA we have the foundation already being built for an extraordinary Center of Leadership & Ethics. In addition, this vision for a new building will provide us with the necessary space to host our four annual events. In the fall of 2012, we will be hosting our annual Mellem Business Symposium focused on the “Business of Healthcare,” in partnership with the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. This is an excellent opportunity for our college to reach across campus and collaborate in developing an event that impacts a large audience of students, faculty and community members regarding one of the largest industries in the world. Through these events students are provided with experiential learning opportunities as well as professional networking that enhance their experiences at UND and create excellent pathways to their future. Other events planned for the upcoming school year: • Mellem Business Symposium – “The Business of Healthcare” October 9, 9:30-3:15 p.m. (Gamble Hall, Room 7) • Olafson Ethics Symposium - November 15, 7:00 p.m. (Gorecki Alumni Center) • Hultberg Lectureship Series - February 5, 2013 7:00 p.m. (Gorecki Alumni Center) • Morrison CEO Summit – April 16, 2013 7:00 p.m. (Gorecki Alumni Center) We encourage you to join us for one of our exceptional events this year and look forward to seeing you back on campus. Sincerely,
Dennis J. Elbert, Ph.D. Professor of Marketing and Dean College of Business and Public Administration
www.undalumni.org 25
CAMPUS NEWS
Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
Ashley Hahn, ‘10, created a video game to aid in muscular rehabilitation.
A Game-Changing Connection
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CHANCE MEETING STEERS UND ALUMNA TOWARD EXCITING CAREER IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY hen a University of North Dakota engineering adviser informed Ashley Hahn, ’10, about a burgeoning new biomedical program at the school, it was the perfect combination of technology and medicine for her. The native of Hazen, N.D., used the connection and the inspiration to get an education and launch a new business. While attending the Graduate School at UND, Hahn melded her academic interests and created “Theratainment” for an electrical engineering project. Theratainment uses electronic video gaming technology for muscular rehabilitation. “We’re adding a gaming component to physical therapy. We’re using electro-technology that is wire-safe connected to the computer,” Hahn said. “You go online, pick a game, and play that game using your muscle contractions. The software in the electrodes tracks the patient’s progress, and automatically adjusts the therapy as needed. “Not only is the physical therapist seeing that you’re doing the exercises, but how well you’re doing them. They can adapt your therapy process and make changes to your exercise regimen.” Hahn is marketing her Theratainment technology as a business, based in Fargo. Hahn’s entrepreneurial interests in science and technology began in high school. “I took a lot of classes that challenged me. I took a lot of anatomy and physiology — but I also took a lot of computer classes. I also took a computer class where we built a computer from scratch and loved the hardware side of technology,” she said.
Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
Hahn had her heart set on medical school, but there were 50-plus students waiting for the medical adviser during new student orientation. “I waited two hours for the medical adviser to open up,” Hahn said. “My friends were all done and were ready to grab some lunch, so I told myself ‘the next adviser who opened up, that’ll be my major.’” It was an engineering adviser, David Heckman, assistant professor of Electrical Engineering. “I sat down and told him ‘I don’t know much about engineering but what are your disciplines?’” said Hahn. “He was describing what electrical engineers do and told me about the biomedical program that was starting up. I told him I’d give it a try — it seemed to be the best of both worlds.” When the engineering adviser explained the biomedical program, Hahn knew it was exactly what she wanted. Declaring an Electrical Engineering major allowed Hahn to connect her technology interests with a medical component. Hahn, who graduated from UND in 2010 with a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Entrepreneurship with an Investment focus, now works at the UND Center for Innovation as a “creatologist.” Hahn organizes workshops for entrepreneurial physicians in the region to connect them with resources to create business plans and explore funding options. AR — Emily Aasand, University Relations
e t a d p U
i
A Grand Celebration
T IS FINALLY HERE! THE GORECKI ALUMNI CENTER GRAND OPENING WILL BE A HIGHLIGHT OF HOMECOMING 2012 ON FRIDAY, OCT. 12. The celebration gets underway at 3:00 p.m. that day with a social, followed by the grand opening ceremony at 3:30. Tours of the first LEED Platinum alumni center in the country will start after the ribbon is cut. The staff of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation is excited to show you around and showcase the most energy-efficient building in North Dakota. The ceremony will also give us a chance to say ‘Thank You!’ to all of the tremendous donors who made the Gorecki Alumni Center possible through their generous support. The Gorecki Center will be home not only to the staff of the UND AA&F, but also UND Admissions. That means the spectacular building will be the first place that prospective students and their families will see on campus. “Their presence insures the Center will be the welcoming point for visitors to campus on a daily basis,” said Tim O’Keefe, Executive VP/CEO of the UND AA & F. “Potential new UND students will have their ‘alpha’ experience on campus through the Center and their ‘omega’ years when they’re welcomed as members of the Alumni Association.” The Gorecki Alumni Center will also host a number of events and meetings in the Gransberg Community Room and its various conference rooms. It truly is a space for all — alumni, students, staff and the community. We can’t wait for you to see it! Save Oct. 12 on your calendar, and take part in the celebration of your new home on campus!
To follow progress on the construction of the Gorecki Alumni Center, visit undalumni.org/alumnicenter.
www.undalumni.org 27
SIOUX AWARD
2012 SIOUX AWARD RECIPIENTS
BENEDICT, ’62, ’63 AND DOROTHY GORECKI GARFIELD BECKSTEAD, ’61 KATHRYN UHRICH, ’86 MARK CHIPMAN, ’83, ’85 The Sioux Award is the highest honor given by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. The Sioux Award is presented to UND alumni and friends who have distinguished themselves through professional or career achievements, participation in community service, involvement in business and professional associations and interest in and loyalty to UND.
Benedict F., ’62, ’63, and Dorothy J. Gorecki of Milaca, Minn., are longtime supporters of the University of North Dakota and the namesakes of the Gorecki Alumni Center. Ben first came to UND in the late 1950s, hoping to enroll in the College of Engineering & Mines. He and Dorothy had already been married for 11 years and had three children. With the demands of a family and a full-time job – Ben worked for Northwestern Bell at the time – he was met with skepticism at the admissions office. “Dean Robertson said, ‘you can’t do it.’” Ben said. “And I thought, ‘Well, you don’t know me, yet.’” In 1962, Ben graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, and in 1963 earned his B.S. in Business Administration. “It was a team effort,” Ben said. While he went to class and worked, Dorothy took care
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YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
JIM KLEINSASSER, .. ’99
SHERI (KLEINSASSER) STOCKMOE, ’97, ’99
The Young Alumni Achievement Award was established in 2002 to recognize UND’s more recent graduates who have achieved great success in the short time since they have left their alma mater. Recipients have demonstrated high levels of achievement, leadership and support for UND.
of their children and home, while employed at various jobs. Four years after Ben’s graduation, he and Dorothy founded Gorecki Manufacturing, Inc., in Milaca, a diverse contract manufacturer. For more than 40 years, Ben and Dorothy ran the company, Ben at the helm and Dorothy providing secretarial and payroll support. It started as a family operation making wire harnesses, quickly grew to seven employees, and eventually employed 250. The employee-owned company now boasts 224,000 square feet of production and warehouse space with locations in Milaca, Pierz, and Foley, Minn. Today, Ben and Dorothy dedicate their resources to helping others. They are unassuming and generous philanthropists who focus their charitable giving on education, health and the special needs of their communities. In 2008, the Goreckis won the Distinguished Philanthropist Award from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. They say they hope to inspire others to also recognize and support the needs of important causes. “It’s a good feeling to see other people support the projects we believe in,” Dorothy said. Together, Ben and Dorothy raised five children. They have two surviving daughters, eight grandchildren and one great-grandson. “We’ve been married 60 years. Our family is our biggest accomplishment,” Ben says. “And our health,” adds Dorothy.
Garfield “Gar” Beckstead, ’61, quit a lucrative job as an international business consultant right as he was on the verge of becoming a partner, and moved to a deserted island off the gulf coast of Florida. But Beckstead didn’t go to Useppa Island to live a life of leisure. Instead, he traded in a business suit and tie for hand-tools and hard labor as he and his wife, Sanae, toiled to bring the island back to its former glory as a resort destination. The island had been owned by famed Florida entrepreneur and land developer Barron Collier, who established a Useppa resort that attracted the likes of the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Rothschilds during the early decades of the 20th century. But the island was later abandoned, and the jungle had reclaimed more than a dozen buildings by the time the Becksteads arrived in 1976. “It was pioneering in a true sense of the word,” said Beckstead. “You have no water, no power. You are cutting jungle. It was pretty Wild West pioneering.” Beckstead had his doubters early on. “The first three or four years on Useppa everybody viewed me as eccentric and a little
crazy for giving up one of the best jobs in the world as a management consultant. A lot of people thought I was nuts!” But he persevered, first building a dock to attract anglers and then fixing up marina buildings, restoring the clubhouse and clearing plots of land for home sites. By the end of the first five years, there were nearly 600 club members, 60 property owners and the island was buzzing with activity. “It was a return to my roots,” said the Emerson, Manitoba, native who played hockey at UND and graduated with a degree in Engineering. “Cutting the jungle, building buildings, making repairs, painting, fishing and running boats around was more who I was than a buttoned up, hat-wearing consultant.” The end result was a private island paradise with a sterling reputation. Conde’ Nast Traveler magazine called it “One of the top 25 true island retreats in the world — serenity, great facilities and fishing, and no cars. Useppa has it all.” Beckstead later developed the Palm Island Resort 30 miles away with his brother, Dean. “I’ve kind of lived the impossible dream. Yes, I’ve worked my tail off, but every morning I’ve gotten out of bed I’m running along in a boat and I’m wondering ‘Am I working or playing?’ That’s been a constant theme of my 35 years on the island.”
Kathryn Uhrich, ’86, is a scientist and researcher, university dean, entrepreneur, world traveler and philanthropist. As a high-schooler at Grand Forks Central, Kathryn’s chemistry teacher connected her with a research internship at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks. She continued that research through high school and college, and would go on to graduate cum laude from UND with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. “Math, Chemistry, German — there wasn’t a class at UND I didn’t like,” she said. Her positive experience and interaction with her professors inspired her to continue her education at Cornell University, where she earned her Master of Science (1989) and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry/Polymers (1992). She completed her post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and AT&T Bell Laboratories. As founder of the Polymerix Corporation, her continued research has focused on polymerized drugs that more efficiently deliver treatment to targeted areas such as orthopedic implants, coronary stents and arthritic joints. In 1997, she patented PolyAspirin, which is now undergoing clinical trials as a material for
a new type of cardiac stent, and co-founded Polymer Therapeutics, which focuses on using PolyAspirin for wound care. In addition, she is serves as Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she oversees six departments and 300 faculty members. “Being a woman scientist, people often say ‘Are you sure you should do this?’” Kathryn said. “Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t run a machine or do cool science.” That prompted her to establish the Jeanette M. and Herbert W.A. Kroll Scholarship Endowment at UND, which is named in honor of her grandparents, who always encouraged her to do what she thought was best for her and is aimed at young women who are interested in science and engineering. Her scientific honors include being named to the New Jersey’s Technology Council Hall of Fame (2006), Outstanding New Jersey Scientist by the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (2004), and the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award (2003). In February, New Jersey’s Star Ledger newspaper named her one of “Jersey’s 20 Biggest Brains.” “Someone forwarded me the story, and I was reading through saying ‘I know him, I know her … wait, that’s me!’” she said. “I still think of myself as some kid from North Dakota.” In her scant free time, Kathryn enjoys traveling the world and hunting for the world’s “10 Best Hikes.” She lives with her husband, Jeff Holmes, another Grand Forks native, in Plainfield, N.J.
www.undalumni.org 29
SIOUX AWARD
Mark Chipman, ’83, ’85, is a successful attorney and businessman, but he’ll always be known in his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the man who brought professional hockey home. In 2011, his company, True North Sports and Entertainment, bought the National Hockey League’s Atlanta Thrashers and moved the team to Winnipeg, bringing the sport back to a hockey-crazed community that was devastated when the original Winnipeg Jets left for Phoenix in 1996. In high school, Chipman’s dad encouraged him to play football instead of hockey. In 1979, he walked on UND Coach Gene Murphy’s squad. While Chipman says he was a “very average” football player, he adds that being on the team and attending UND might have been the “best decision I ever made in my life.” “I grew up at UND. I went down there as an 18-year-old and was blessed to be a part of a great football program and got a world-class education in the process,” Chipman said. “The education, the football experience, law school and ultimately meeting my wife (Patti (Schlenker), ’85) and the friendships I established there are many of the most important friendships in my life today.” After getting his law degree, Chipman moved to Florida, where he worked as a prosecutor and in private practice before returning to Winnipeg to work in his family’s car dealership business. In the mid-’90s when it became apparent that the Winnipeg Jets franchise was in danger of moving, Chipman found himself on a committee of local businesspeople who fought to save the franchise. While the loss of the team was deeply disappointing, Chipman says it made him resolve to create an atmosphere that might someday bring hockey back to Winnipeg. His first move was to buy a minor league team, the Minnesota Moose, and move it to town in order to “keep the market alive and vibrant.” His next step would be the most important. He worked with the city and investor David Thomson to build the 15,000-seat MTS Centre for $133.5 million. The arena opened in 2004, and yet it would be seven more years before Chipman’s quiet, behind-the-scenes campaign would bear fruit. The first effort to land a team failed, but Chipman says he and his partners gained valuable understanding of how the National Hockey League was working. That insight helped True North when the Atlanta Thrashers needed saving. The new Winnipeg Jets played their first season last winter. “If someone had told me back then at UND that 25 years later, you’ll be running an NHL team, I would have thought they were crazy.” Mark and Patti have three daughters: Sarah, Anne and Mary.
ALERUS CENTER THURSDAY OCT. 11 SOCIAL 5:30 P.M. DINNER/PROGRAM 6:30 P.M. EVENING ATTIRE | $50/PERSON | PLEASE RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 26 WWW.UNDALUMNI.ORG/SIOUXAWARDS2012 OR 701.777.0122
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Young Alumni achievement AWARD RECIPIENTS
“Hard work is everything.” It’s one of Jim Kleinsasser’s mottos, and it’s obvious he practices what he preaches. Last fall, Jim retired from the NFL after spending all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after being a second-round draft pick out of UND in 1999. During his time with the Vikings, Jim appeared in more games than any tight end in team history, twice earning a spot on USA Today’s All Joe Team, which honors hard workers and under-recognized players. “There’s a lot of sacrifice and moments wondering if it’s all worth it, but those are the moments you need,” Jim said. “You need to experience the struggles and hardships and motivate yourself to get through the hard spots.” This year, Jim headlines UND’s Athletics Hall of Fame. At UND, he was a three-time first-team All-North Central Conference pick, a two-time All-American, and was a letterwinner in both basketball and football.
He supports UND student-athletes of today by contributing to football Impact Scholarships, and last season, he could be seen in promotions for the UND & Me Vikings Scholarship. “Division I is a different financial world than I was a part of (when UND was Division II),” Jim said. “It’s important to give a student-athlete that opportunity, the same opportunity that I had to play football and get an education. UND is taking some big steps, so it’s our obligation to do anything we can do to better the program.” In the past, Jim has volunteered for Special Olympics, and now devotes much of his time and resources to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, whose goal is to enrich the lives of children with lifethreatening medical conditions. “Every kid deserves every shot at being happy and fulfilled,” Jim said. “My wife and I talk quite a bit about the innocence of children, and starting off their younger years the way they deserve.” He lives in Mound, Minn., with his wife, Christa, and sons Carter and Cayden. “My family is probably my most important accomplishment. I’m pretty proud of it,” Jim said.
Sheri (Kleinsasser) Stockmoe, ’97, ’99, was inducted into the UND Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of her stellar basketball career (1991-95). This year, she is being honored with the Young Alumni Achievement Award for her life off the court as a successful businesswoman and supporter of UND. “I think it’s very humbling,” said Sheri of her latest honor. “The University means so much to me. My time there was completely invaluable. To be recognized at any level by a school I love dearly means a lot to me.” Sheri is a charter member of the University of North Dakota National Athletic Women’s Leadership Council. The council’s purpose is to maintain and build upon the strong tradition of excellence for UND women’s athletic programs. “Too often we see a trend where women leave school and get wrapped up in career and family and all those things and don’t stay as involved with their alma mater,” said Sheri.
“That’s something we want to increase. We want to help keep the competitiveness at a high level, and that requires scholarship dollars and different funding.” Sheri is the co-founder and co-owner of On the Minds of Moms, a bi-monthly magazine distributed throughout the Red River Valley, and mailed to subscribers around the country. It’s far different from the sports training career she pursued upon graduation. “I don’t know that I ever had any intention of doing what I’m doing,” she said. But the idea for the magazine she hatched with a co-worker would not leave their minds, and they decided they had to give it a try. Sheri credits her family and lessons learned at UND for giving her the courage to take a divergent career path. “My experience at UND, just the way I was raised too, you can’t be afraid. You’ve got to give things a shot. There really is no failure. There are just lessons to learn.” She credits legendary UND coach Gene Roebuck with providing her with the tools for success. “It wasn’t just about making baskets, getting rebounds and playing defense. It was about working together as a team. Don’t quit. You are never that much better than anyone. You have to keep working as hard as you can and you are going to be successful. You can apply those lessons to anything in life.” Sheri lives in Fargo with her husband, Stuart, and daughters Seely and Shya.
www.undalumni.org 31
CAMPAIGN NEWS
North Dakota Spirit Campaign Goal: $300,000,000 THROUGH AUGUST 13, 2012: $273,678,594 $100 MILLION
GOAL
GOAL
TO DATE
$80 MILLION
TO DATE
$60 MILLION GOAL
TO DATE
GOAL
$40 MILLION
TO DATE TO DATE
$20 MILLION
ANNUAL EXCELLENCE
EXTRAORDINARY PLACES
PASSIONATE STUDENTS
EXTRAORDINARY PLACES
One of UND’s highest priorities is increasing the number of private scholarships available to students.
Building and infrastructure priorities include: • Enhanced laboratory spaces • Continued investments in technology • An indoor athletic training complex • An alumni center • A new College of Business & Public Administration
INSPIRATIONAL EDUCATORS Building endowments to support faculty will dramatically strengthen the University’s ability to retain our best and recruit additional, inspirational faculty leaders.
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS
UND will strengthen programs in energy, life sciences, rural health care and more.
32
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS
INSPIRATIONAL EDUCATORS
PASSIONATE STUDENTS
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Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
ANNUAL EXCELLENCE Annual gifts provide flexible resources to allow the president, deans and department chairs to invest in any of the four campaign priority areas.
thank you DONORS The University of North Dakota and UND Foundation extend a sincere thank you to all alumni and friends who have made gifts and commitments to support students, faculty, programs, and places at UND since July 1, 2005, when North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND began.
Howard and Brian Dahl have established the Eugene Dahl Endowed Chair in Leadership & Innovation to honor their father at the UND College of Business and Public Administration. “My brother, Brian, and I have increasingly realized what a very special man our father was. His obsession with innovation speaks for itself with the many successful, innovative companies that he gave both inspiration Howard Dahl and leadership to,” Howard said. “Leadership for him was bound up in one word: trust. He always asked, ‘What is the right thing to do?’ before asking, ‘What is this going to cost?’” Visit www.undfoundation.org/createendowment to learn more about endowments at UND. The following donors have reached a new giving level of at least $25,000 between April 1 and June 30, 2012. *
indicates deceased
SIGNATURE $5,000,000+ Altru Health System Glen & Janice Gransberg *
LEADERSHIP $1,000,000 - $4,999,999
gifts gifts gifts
Myers Foundation/Eugene E.* & Florence H.* Myers
MAJOR $499,999 - $1,000,000 Howard & Johnnie Moum Estate
$100,000 - $499,999 Dr. Ramon & Lee Henkel Curtis E. Hogfoss Peter A. Pifer Alvin L. Royse Patrick & Tamara Sogard Alice Steinbach* & Albert L. Steinbach, M.D. Roy A. Wehe* *
$25,000 - $99,999
Events
UPCOMING
North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND seeks to raise $300 million for the benefit of the University of North Dakota. Any private donations dedicated to UND’s passionate students, inspirational faculty, innovative programs or extraordinary places count toward the $300 million goal.
Get Your Green On | UND Homecoming 2012 October 8-14
Janet Baggenstoss Blue Moose Bar & Grill Border States Electric, Fargo Ralph & Kay Botnen Camrud Maddock Olson & Larson, Ltd. Sen. Byron L. Dorgan Patrick & Laurie Hardy James P. Haskins Thomas R. Herman Sherman E. Hoganson Drs. Steven & Teri Johnson Nadim Koleilat, M.D. & Rola Kanafani Koleilat Van & Diane Larson Kevin G. Moug Dr. Mark & Rebecca Odland Thomas* & Nancy* Plante S & S Transport, Inc. Robert J. Schoneberger Dan L. Schwartz Dr.Thomas M. & Mary J. (Langlie) Seaworth Margaret M. Stellon* Strata Corporation Dr. Christina Tello-Skjerseth & Brent Skjerseth Valley Dairy/Valley Car Wash Vital Surge, LLC Wells Fargo Dr. E. James Werre Wireless Concepts
October 11 Sioux Awards Ceremony October 12 Gorecki Alumni Center Grand Opening October 13 Homecoming parade, tailgating, football game For a complete list of events and times, go to undalumni.org/homecoming2012
Golden Grad Celebration November 2 Evening social in Ralph Engelstad Suite for UND Men’s Hockey (7 p.m.) November 3 Brunch at the Gorecki Alumni Center (10 a.m. - noon) UND Football Game (1 p.m.) For more information, go to undalumni.org/goldengrad2012
www.undalumni.org 33
GOLF TOUR
2
The 2012 UND Champions Golf Tour (formerly Sioux-Per Swings) makes a big impact on UND Athletics and gives alumni and friends the chance to enjoy a beautiful day on the golf course with fellow UND supporters. Their generosity allows student-athletes to play the sports they love while getting a top-notch education, resulting in a number of record-breaking seasons. UND supporters benefit UND’s passionate student-athletes through North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND by contributing to Impact Scholarships and other initiatives. Visit undsports.com/championsclub to learn more about supporting student-athletes at UND.
1
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3
5
4
6
7 1 Representing one of the local Oxbow tournament sponsors, First
International Bank & Trust, Peter Stenehjem, ‘07; Troy Ott, ‘08; Adam Bridgeford, ‘08; David Wedin, ‘08; and head women’s golf coach, Natalie Martinson, ‘08, stop for a picture before teeing off.
5 Golfers prepare for the shotgun start in front of the beautiful Legends Golf Club in Prior Lake, Minn.
6 Talk about champions! Former student-athletes, Brent Goska
autographed memorabilia and exclusive UND merchandise worn only by the teams.
(football), ‘11, and Devin Trefz (volleyball), ‘12, hold their respective 2011 Great West championship plaques after participating in the Twin Cities stop of the UND Champions Golf Tour.
3 Big Winners! A few golfers got very lucky at the Oxbow tournament
7 What a kickoff! As the first tournament of the tour, the golfers at
2 Prizes at the 2012 Detroit Lakes tournament included
winning the autographed football helmet, a golf bag donated by the Sioux Shop, a vintage baseball jersey, $500 cash on the 50/50 drawing and a number of other prizes.
4 UND football coaches including head coach Chris Mussman and associate head coach Mike Mannausau, ‘99, ‘03, enjoy time golfing with loyal UND football supporters.
Hillcrest Golf Club in Park River, N.D., never disappoint us. Participants came prepared with personalized UND golf carts and one even brought his own beverage cart!
Are you a grad from 1962? Come back to campus for the Golden Grad Reunion Celebration. You’ll re-live your traditions and see how the University has changed in the past 50 years.
NOVEMBER 2 -3, 2012 Friday
Cheer on the UND Men’s Hockey team from either a suite, upper bowl seating or a watch party at Playmakers connected to the Canad Inns. (Suite seating is limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.)
Saturday
Brunch at the new Gorecki Alumni Center UND Football game Register for the Golden Grad Reunion Celebration today at www.undalumni.org/goldengrad2012! Contact Nicole Preskey at nicolep@undalumni.net or 701.777.5368 for more information. Hotel rooms are reserved under UND GOLDEN GRAD at the Canad Inns in Grand Forks. Call 701.772.8404 to reserve your room by October 1.
Order football season tickets, splurge on a gourmet meal, or contribute to your kid’s college fund…whatever moves you most. As a gradutate of the University of North Dakota, you could save up to $343.90* on your auto insurance with Liberty Mutual. You could also enjoy valuable discounts tailored to the way you live today and save even more by insuring your home as well.
CONTACT US TODAY TO START SAVING CALL
888-373-1152
CLICK
LibertyMutual.com/UNDAlumni
COME IN
to your local office
Client #114081
This organization receives financial support for allowing Liberty Mutual to offer this auto and home insurance program. Savings fgure based on a February 2011 sample of auto policyholder savings when comparing their former premium with those of Liberty Mutual’s group auto and home program. Individual premiums and savings will vary. Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. © 2011 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved.
21 Noun: 1.
2.
The highest point of a hill or mountain.
(Who are we kidding, Grand Forks doesn’t have a hill or mountain.) The highest attainable level of achievement.
(At UND , we do things big. The Gorecki Alumni Center was built to the
highest level of energy efficiency in architecture, building and
)
maintenance standards.
3.
-
A conference or meeting of high
(AKA: UND ALUMNI)
level leaders
Make it to the summit
UND’s Homecoming Summit Celebration! Follow the crowds from the homecoming football game to the Gorecki Alumni Center for a complimentary beverage & music by Fargo band, Front Fenders.
Saturday, October 13
6 – 11 p.m. (band starts at 7 p.m.) Don’t miss the Grand Opening of the Gorecki Alumni Center.
Synonyms: top - peak - apex - pinnacle - height - acme - vertex
ALUMNI NEWS
TAKING A BREAK In the last issue, we featured a photo (below) of a group of studious female students studying at Oxford House in the early ’60s. For this issue, we found this image from the late-1950s that features a male study group. Do you recognize any of these dorm room scholars? Send an e-mail to alumnireview@ undalumni.net or call us at 800.543.8764. Our photo in the summer issue sparked pleasant memories from those pictured. We heard from Doris (Syverud) Moe, ’65, who is in the white blouse on the left. She identified the others in the photo as Grace (Palmer) Weaver (standing); Darlene (Oberg) Stratton (seated left); Jeanne (Thompson) Bina, (second from right); and Judy (Stardig) Tinnes (far right). Joan (Ungerecht) Thralow also emailed in to identify those in the photo. She says many of the women who lived in Oxford House as freshman remain friends to this day. We also heard from Al Olson, who took many of the photos for the Dacotah Annual from 1959-61. He said it’s “wonderful” to see his old photos resurface after over 50 years!
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Remember when, in 1966, the State Board of Higher Education approved the naming of a dorm under construction on campus after Dr. Erich Selke, who died several days after the vote? 1965
Robert Gregoire Jr., ’65, is vice president-investments for Wells Fargo Advisors in Bismarck, N.D., where he lives with his wife, Leigh.
1970s
Remember when, in 1979, the Black Cultural Center at UND was renamed the Era Bell Thompson Cultural Center in honor of the author and magazine editor?
Photograph co
urtesy of Elwyn
B. Robinson de
partment of sp
ecial collection
s/Chester Fritz
Library.
1972
1974
J. Cornelius Brown, ’74, is the president and CEO of Indianapolisbased HealthNet, Inc. HealthNet provides care to more than 50,000 uninsured or underinsured patients in Marion County (Ill.). Brown and his wife, Valerie, most recently lived in Overland Park, Kan. Richard Olson, ’74, received the Top Aggie award from the Northwest School of Agriculture Alumni Association. The NWSA was a residential high school on the University of Minnesota-Crookston (Minn.) campus from 1906-1968. The Top Aggie award goes to alumni who have demonstrated commitment and service to their community, church, education, family or in their occupational field. Olson, an attorney and UND Law School instructor, lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Janice (Kortan), ’88.
1975
Ali Bahaj, ’75, ’76, has retired as vice president of Caterpillar and chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Japan. Bahaj joined the heavy equipment company in 1980 as an account analyst. He was named a vice president in 2002 and took over the Japan division in 2007. Bahaj is married to Gloria (Lembke), ’74, ’76. Arly Richau, ’75, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of El Capitan Precious Metals, Inc. Richau has a private law practice in Phoenix, Ariz., and has been providing legal representation to the company for the past 18 years. Richau and his wife, Kathy, live in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Lee Finstad, ’72, ’94, is the Grand Forks County veterans service officer. He lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Pauline (Haman), ’02, ’05. 1973
John Brown, ’73, is the executive director of the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota, an association dedicated to maintaining the presence and strength of community banks. He lives in Fargo with his wife, Nancy. Colette Erickson, ’73, has been named director of the human resources and payroll Department at North Dakota State University in Fargo. She was the interim director of that department since June 2010. Dr. Kevin Fickenscher, ’73, ’75, ’78, has been named chairman of the Healthcare Advisory Board for Intelligent InSites, Inc., a provider of software that helps hospitals improve patient care and increase healthcare efficiency. Dr. Fickenscher lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife Saundra (Sorenson), ’78. Raymond German, ’73, has coauthored a book with fellow UND alum, Joshua Muro, ’04, and two other estate planning attorneys titled “Legacy Wealth Planning.” It explores the shortcomings of traditional estate planning in addressing the often complex issues families face. German lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Arlene (Althoff), ’71.
REUNION Fourteen members from the University of North Dakota Delta Mu Chapter of Kappa Sigma gathered together in June in Medora, N.D. All of the men were initiated into the active chapter of Kappa Sigma during the 1950s. The group has gotten together many times over the years in North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado. Front Row: Merle Savage, ’67 Middle (left to right): Roman Novak, ’60; Jim Gibbs, ’56; Ron Torgeson, ’58, ’67, ’73; Richard Novak, ’59; Connie Greicar, ’58, ’64; Don Robertson, ’58 and Ron Berger, ’61, ’69. Back (left to right): Jerry Wigness, ’57, Chuck Ingwalson, ’59, V. Frank Kadlec, ’58, Jim Kertz, ’60, and Jerry Nestaval, ’62. Present, but not pictured: Leo Considine, ’58.
www.undalumni.org 39
Please send your news to alumnireview@undalumni.net
1960s
ALUMNI NEWS
Jim Tschetter, ’75, has retired from his position as principal of Erik Ramstad Middle School in Minot, N.D., where he lives with his wife, Kathy. Tschetter spent 35 years in education as a teacher and administrator. His most recent challenge was moving the middle school to a temporary location after its building was damaged by flooding in 2011.
CONNECTING WITH THE BAKKEN A marketing committee helping western North Dakota oil companies make connections with Grand Forks is made up almost entirely of UND alumni. The committee has come up with a campaign called “Expand East. Do Business West.” The goal is to present the community as a viable option for oil companies that find it hard to expand in the Bakken region, the area of oil exploration in the northwest corner of the state, due to infrastructure, workforce and cost issues. “Grand Forks has a lot to offer those companies,” says Hal Gershman, ’66, Grand Forks City Council president, who is spearheading what is known as the Bakken Initiative. “We are not promoting Grand Forks for relocation, but as a place to expand.” The University of North Dakota plays a big part in the marketing campaign, as not only home to the Energy & Environmental Research Center, strong engineering programs and the state Core & Sample Library, but also as an asset that makes the community a great place to live and work. UND also chipped in money to fund the effort along with the city of Grand Forks, Grand Forks County and a number of private companies. “I have never ever seen the level of cooperation and collaboration between all of the entities,” said Gershman. “From the school district to the airport authority, to the county, to the chamber, to the economic development authority, to UND and the city, you pick an entity and we are all rowing in the same direction.” The Bakken Initiative marketing committee includes Doris (Ternes) Cooper, ’91, Andrea (Erdle) Boe, ’94, Derek Walters, ’99, Lisa Swanson and Kevin Dean. You can learn more about the campaign at www.accessthebakken.com.
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Tom Kays, ’76, has been inducted into the Northland Community and Technical College (Minn.) Athletic Hall of Fame. Kays was a co-captain of Northland’s Northern Division champion basketball team in 1973-74, and played doubles in the first Minnesota College Conference state tennis tournament. Kays is a senior partner in a law firm in Thief River Falls, Minn., where he lives with his wife, Dianne, ’85. 1977
Douglas Dafoe, ’77, is a member of the board of directors of Xtreme Drilling and Coil Services. Dafoe is president and CEO of Ember Resources, an Alberta company specializing in coal bed methane production. He lives in Calgary with his wife, Colleen. 1979
Lynn (Huset) Anderson, ’79, has been promoted to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor, one of the highest academic ranks in the State University of New York system. Anderson is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of outdoor, therapeutic and inclusive recreation. She teaches at the SUNY campus in Cortland, N.Y., where she lives with her husband, Dale, ’71.
Wayne Biberdorf, ’79, has been appointed by North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple as his energy impact coordinator. Biberdorf will work with local officials and coordinate their efforts to deal with energy development. He retired two years ago as an engineer with the energy company Hess Corporation. He and his wife, Jean, live in Williston, N.D. Bernard Miller, ’79, has been named recipient of the Gary A. Olson Award for his book, “Rhetoric’s Earthly Realm: Heidegger, Sophism, and the Gorgian Kairos” (Parlor Press). The award, given through the Journal of Advanced Composition, cited “Earthly Realm” as the “most outstanding book in cultural and rhetorical theory” for 2012. Miller has taught rhetoric and literature classes at various colleges and universities and at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti for the last 25 years.
1980s
Remember when, in 1987, former UND student Merv Evenson, chief test pilot with Rockwell International, piloted the first B-1B bomber to Grand Forks Air Force Base? 1980
Lucy Dalglish, ’80, has been named dean of the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. For the past 12 years, Dalglish has led the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a voluntary association of reporters and editors seeking to protect First Amendment rights of the news media. She lives in McLean, Va., with her husband, Mark McNair.
1985
1988
1981
1987
Mark Wilson, ’88, is the new president of Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City, S.D. He and his wife, Renee, had been living in Pierre, S.D.
Vicky (Bowman) Grove, ’81, ’87, is an early childhood program specialist with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. She lives in Thief River Falls, Minn., with her husband, Bryan. Steven Kosmatka, ’81, has been named to the board of directors of the American Concrete Institute. Kosmatka is the vice president of Research and Technical Services at the Portland Cement Association in Skokie, Ill. He has authored more than 50 publications on cement and concrete technology. He lives is Grayslake, Ill., with his wife, Glory (Tenney), ’79. 1983
Vern Findley II, ’83, has joined Southern Air Holdings Inc. as a Department of Defense and business development board advisor. Findley is a retired Air Force Lieutenant General who was the vice commander, Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Lisa Jager, ’83, is a reporter and advertising sales representative for the Devils Lake (N.D.) Journal. She returned to her hometown newspaper after working in public relations for several national agriculture associations in Denver and Washington, D.C. 1984
Doug Darling, ’84, ’92, has been named the interim president of Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, N.D., where he lives with his wife Teresa. Darling has been serving as the vice president of instructional service at the college.
Dr. Genevieve Goven, ’85, ’90, has been appointed by North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple to serve a four-year term on the State Board of Medical Examiners. Goven is a family practice doctor at Sanford Health Clinic in Valley City, N.D. Jeff Thomas, ’87, is the executive vice president of Starion Financial. He oversees business banking in all nine markets where Starion operates in North Dakota and Wisconsin. He lives in Fargo with his wife, Nance.
Steward Sandstrom, ’88, is president of The Greater Springfield (Ill.) Chamber of Commerce. He had been the president of the Kalamazoo, Mich., Chamber for six years. He and his wife, Jean, live in Springfield.
1989
Col. Steve Allen, U.S. Army, ’89, graduated from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa., with a master’s degree of Strategic Studies. He and his wife, Janelle, will be moving to Fort Hood, Texas, where he will take command of the 407th Army Field Support Brigade.
Steve Martin, ’89, has been honored with a Frost and Sullivan Best Practices Award, which recognizes companies in regional and global markets that demonstrate outstanding achievement and superior performance. Martin is the CEO of Kalahari Energy and KS Energy in Botswana, Africa. He lives in Istanbul, Turkey with his wife, Arzu. Col. Jeffrey Doll, ’89, is the Army Support Activity commander at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., where he lives with his wife, Karen. Sherri Bonacci McDaniel, ’89, has accepted a new position as president of ATEK Products, a division of ATEK Companies, headquartered in Plymouth, Minn. She resides in Shorewood, Minn., with her husband, John.
NORTH DAKOTA VOTERS APPROVE RETIREMENT OF FIGHTING SIOUX NICKNAME On June 12, voters in North Dakota approved Measure 4 allowing for the retirement of the Fighting Sioux name and logo. 68 percent voted “yes” to 32 percent “no.” Following the vote, the State Board of Higher Education directed UND to resume retirement of the nickname, which brings relief from NCAA sanctions which were already damaging UND athletics and threatened to be a serious disruption for the future. The UND Alumni Association & Foundation, with the unanimous support of its Board of Directors, led the education and information effort across the state leading up to the vote. We stated clearly from the beginning that changing the name was not our preference, but the price of keeping it came at too high a cost to the University. Every coach at UND agreed that it was time to retire the name. “In any business setting, censor or sanction by the governing body overseeing your work likely would put you out of business,” said Tim O’Keefe, Executive VP/CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “NCAA sanctions are no different in their impact to athletics.” Scheduling issues with long-time rivals, conference affiliation risks, recruiting challenges, loss of home field/ice advantage under sanctions — all are examples of the loss of control UND Athletics incurred under NCAA sanctions. There is still a petition drive in North Dakota that could put the issue before voters one more time. Supporters chose not to file their petitions by an August 8 deadline to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. They say they will instead submit them in December, which would lead to a June 2014 vote.
www.undalumni.org 41
Please send your news to alumnireview@undalumni.net
Dr. David Roth, ’80, in the director of the Center on Aging and Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. Roth spent 25 years on the faculty at the University of Alabama, Birmingham before accepting the appointment at Johns Hopkins.
ALUMNI NEWS
1990s
Remember when, in 1999, Dr. Charles Kupchella was named UND’s tenth president? 1990
Chris Ford, ’90, has been promoted to chief accounting officer at Knife River Corp. and MDU Construction Services Group Inc. Ford has worked for Knife River for 15 years. He and his wife, Jean, live in Bismarck. Tracy Peterson, ’90, is a senior vice president in business banking for State Bank & Trust in Golden Valley, Minn. He and his wife, Lori, live in Minneapolis. 1991
Sandra (Ridl) Kuntz, ’91, ’94, has recently opened Legal Edge Solutions, PLLC; a dedicated Conflict Resolution and Mediation Firm in Dickinson, N.D., where she lives with her husband, Ike. 1992
David Saxberg, ’92, is principal at Will-Moore Elementary school in Bismarck. He had spent the past 12 years as a principal in Jamestown, N.D. He is married to Rhonda (Adrian), ’91, ’93. Shelly (Amberg) Machacek, ’92, has been promoted to vice president – Account Services at Customer Elation in Bloomington, Minn. She lives in Cologne, Minn., with her husband, Jerry. Mike Thorson, ’92, earned Central Region Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association. Thorson coaches men’s and women’s track and field and cross country at the University of Mary in Bismarck, where he lives with his wife, Ann (Dunnigan), ’81. In 19 years at U-Mary, Thorson’s teams have won 41 conference titles. 42
Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
1993
Shelley Earsley, ’93, has been made a partner in Eide Bailly. Earsley is a member of the accounting firm’s Technology Consulting team. She lives in West Fargo, N.D. Julie Henderson, ’93, has had the Public Relations Student Society of America chapter at the University of WisconsinOshkosh named after her. Henderson has been faculty adviser to the chapter since 1993. The formal process to change a chapter name must be initiated by the student officers of the chapter. 1995
David Scott, ’95, is the director of information technology, marketing and process improvement with Butler Machinery in Fargo, where he lives with his wife, Holly. Gregory Wald, ’95, has been promoted to manager of Marketing Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. He lives in West Fargo with his wife, Sara. 1996
Matt Cory, ’96, is the new managing editor of the Grand Forks Herald. Cory has been with the Herald since 1993, and was most recently a news editor. He lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Betsy. Dr. Jonathan Haug, ’96, ’01, has been appointed by North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple to a four-year term on the State Board of Medical Examiners. Haug is an anesthesiologist and chairman of the department of anesthesiology at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, where he lives with his wife Maniphone (Lamkhamphoui), ’97.
Grant Mortenson, ’96, has been promoted to accounting manager at Knife River Corp. where he will manage the consolidation of financial reporting and planning requirements at the company’s corporate office in Bismarck, where he lives with his wife, Cherie (Walker), ’98. 1997
Jason Gelling, ’97, is an environmental department manager with Midwest Testing Laboratory in Fargo, where he lives with his wife, Victoria (Johnston), ’96. Tracie (Sanders) McFarlin, ’97, has joined the board of directors of the Central Lakes College Foundation. The nonprofit organization provides scholarships and other support at the community and technical college in Brainerd and Staples, Minn. McFarlin is the finance director at the Brainerd Family YMCA in Brainerd, where she lives with her husband, Terry. 1998
Jill (Wohler) Baldwin, ’98, Certified Physician Assistant, works as a Geriatric Services specialist at Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, Minn. David Eilertson, ’98, is associate general counsel for Otter Tail Corp. He lives in Dilworth, Minn., with his wife, Tricia. Erik Moquist, ’98, has been named managing director of a new Boca Raton, Fla., branch of Maxim Group LLC, a full service investment banking, securities and wealth management firm. 1999
Ben Adamson, ’99, is the director of Supply Chain Architecture for Anderson Corp. He will be responsible for leading the analysis, development and improvement of enterprise supply chain capabilities. He lives in Woodbury, Minn., with his wife, Trisha (Durbin), ’00.
Staff Sgt. Heith Dokken, ’99, ’01, received a Purple Heart for wounds he sustained in Iraq in 2003 while serving with the North Dakota National Guard. He lives in Devils Lake, N.D.
2000s
Remember when, in 2002, the Soaring Eagle Prairie Garden near the Chester Fritz Library was dedicated? 2000
Becky Dockter, ’00, ’01, is a physical therapist with Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy in Wahpeton, N.D., where she lives with her husband, Matt. L. Erik Fleming, ’00, an air traffic controller and flight instructor, has had his first novel published. “Rolling Thunder” is the story of a Marine Corps fighter pilot set during the Vietnam War. The book is available on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites and will soon be released in ebook and Kindle form. Fleming lives in Monterey, Calif. Karen (Greenwood) Leinberger, ’00, has been named one of the “Women to Watch” by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. She is a public relations manager for Life Time Fitness. She lives in Minnetonka, Minn., with her husband, Jeremy. Andrew Peterson, ’00, is an accounting project manager with TMI Hospitality in Fargo, where he lives with his wife, Laura. Matt Strinden, ’00, ’05, is the executive director of New Tec Inc., an adult technical training center in Aberdeen, S.D., where he lives with his wife Jacqueline (Irion), ’99.
Patrick Samson, ’01, is a project manager for Ackerman-Estvold Engineering and Management Consulting Inc., in Minot, N.D., where he lives with his wife, Mary (Reid), ..’01. Kristi (Balsdon) Smith, ’01, is the finance director for the city of Inver Grove Heights, Minn. She and her husband, Nathan, live in Eagan, Minn. Kirsten (Carlson) Stromsodt, ’01, has been named deputy editor of the The Forum in Fargo. Stromsodt lives in Fargo, and her husband, Bradley, farms near Grand Forks. Brent Walz, ’01, is a senior vice president in business banking for a new State Bank & Trust branch in Golden Valley, Minn. Walz lives in Eagan, Minn., with his wife, Jennifer. 2002
Kennie Berg, ’02, has joined the weather team at NEWS10 ABC in Albany, N.Y. She is a meteorologist for the station’s morning and noon newscasts. Justin Pearson, ’02, is an assistant vice president/business banking officer with Western State Bank in West Fargo. He lives in Fargo with his wife, Anita. Susan Wefald, ’02, has written a book, “Spectacular Day Hikes — Bring the Dog.” The book features 50 North Dakota hikes, organized by eight regions in the state. The book is available at Barnes & Noble and can be ordered online from the North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies (ndsu.edu/ahss/ publications/).
Wefald is a former North Dakota Public Service Commissioner who lives in Bismarck with her husband, Robert, ’64.
2005
2003
Kari (Thompson) Suedel, ’05, has been hired as a graphic designer by the UND Energy & Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks.
Erin Conroy, ’03, has joined the Fremstad Law Firm in Fargo. Her practice will focus on corporate and business law.
Dr. Marissa Wisdom, ’05, has become board-certified through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is an OB/GYN with Mid Dakota Clinic Center for Women in Bismarck, where she lives with her husband, Matthew Welton.
Patrick Chaffee, ’03, is a senior vice president and chief strategy officer for State Bank and Trust in Fargo, where he lives with his wife, Erica.
Laith Hintz, ’03, has been named the North Dakota Society of Professional Engineers Chapter 3 Young Engineer Award winner. Hintz works for Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services in Bismarck, where he lives with his wife, Kristina (Hentegs), ’03. 2004
Joshua Muro, ’04, has coauthored a book with fellow UND alum, Raymond German, ’73, and two other estate planning attorneys entitled “Legacy Wealth Planning.” It explores the shortcomings of traditional estate planning in addressing the often complex issues families face. Muro lives in East Grand Forks with his wife, Jill (Effhauser), ’04. Janice (Holth) Stegmiller, ’04, ’06, has joined the Arlington (Wash.) branch of Integrated Rehabilitation Group. She specializes in shoulder biomechanics, muscle energy techniques, wound care and strains and counter strains for the extremities. She lives in Lake Stevens, Wash., with her husband, Steve, ’02. Sean Kramer, ’04, is a vice president of business development for e4 Brokerage, a North Dakota-based national insurance brokerage. He lives in Fargo.
2006
Daniel Hopper, ’06, ’11, is an associate attorney with the Aaland Law Firm in Fargo. John Lundby, ’06, is an assistant relationship manager for U.S. Bank in Bismarck. Tavia Overland, ’06, is a consumer loan officer at American State Bank & Trust in Williston, N.D. 2007
Joe Ellig, ’07, has been named a full partner in Nycklemoe and Ellig, P.A. in Fergus Falls, where he lives with his wife, Kelsee (Macintosh), ’03, ’06. Phyllis Kadrmas, ’07, was named Devils Lake (N.D.) Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She teaches high school English. She lives in Lakota, N.D., with her husband, Curtis. Michelle (Worner) Kommer, ’07, is the vice president of Human Resources and Development for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. She lives in Fargo with her husband, Toby.
Stuart Schneider, ’07, is the CEO/Administrator at Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd in New Rockford, N.D. 2008
Misti Koop, ’08, performed this summer in the Medora Musical in Medora, N.D. She lives in Grand Forks. Anna Neubauer, ’08, is the new head coach for the Mandan (N.D.) Braves volleyball team. She has served as an assistant coach for the past four years. She lives in Bismarck. 2009
Joel Bickford, ’09, is a secondary principal in the Bottineau (N.D.) School District. He and his wife, Vicki, live in Bottineau. Robert Klenner, ’09, is a research scientist with the UND Energy & Environmental Research Center. He lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Anita. Dustin Moen, ’09, has been awarded the Certified Professional Insurance Agent designation by the American Insurance Marketing and Sales Society. He is an agent with Hunter (N.D.) Insurance. Jay Schroeder, ’09, is a personal banking office at United Valley Bank in Grand Forks. Jeannie Schultz, ’09, is a permitting specialist with Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services in Bismarck.
Kristi Larson, ’07, works in the member service department at Elements Diet and Fitness in Fargo.
www.undalumni.org 43
Please send your news to alumnireview@undalumni.net
Philip Parnell, ’01, ’04, is the associate vice president for Academic and Student Affairs at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, N.D. He previously worked at UND as the director of Online Enrollment Management.
ALUMNI NEWS
2010s
Remember when, in 2011, a bust of the founder of the University of North Dakota, George Walsh, was dedicated outside Twamley?
EXCEPTIONAL We’re soaring to new heights in the 21st century on our way to an Exceptional UND. And as Alumni — an integral part of the UND family — we’d like your input! Here’s what we’re doing already:
Enriching student experiences
• Developing innovative active-learning courses for first-year students • Creating living-and-learning communities for students with shared academic interests
Encouraging gathering
• Enhancing “Welcome Weekend” to embrace and involve new students • Constructing the Gorecki Alumni Center to promote University and community gathering
Facilitating collaboration
• Matching academic interests of students and faculty through a searchable online database • Showcasing undergraduate research and communicating networking opportunities
Expanding UND’s presence
• Establishing a fine art collection in downtown Grand Forks • Prioritizing cutting-edge research, community outreach and experiential learning to serve North Dakota and beyond.
Enhancing quality of life
• Creating new leadership development programs for faculty and staff • Developing nationally recognized health and wellness programs
We want to hear your voice as we continue our journey!
http://UND.edu/provost/exceptional-und/comments.cfm
2010
Steven Allard, ’10, is a credit analyst with Bank Forward in Grand Forks, where he lives with his wife, Danica (Belanus), ’10. Ed Dillman, ’10, has been promoted to maintenance engineer at American Crystal Sugar’s Drayton, N.D., factory. He lives in Grand Forks with his wife Melissa (Bootz), ’10. Eric Lothspeich, ’10, is an engineer for Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services in Bismarck. Jake Lunski, ’10, is a design engineer with Applied Engineering in Fargo. Stacie Shock, ’10, has joined Fraser Ltd. in Fargo as a case manager. Adam Zach, ’10, ’11, is an engineer with Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services in Grand Forks. 2011
Jeffrey Bugliosi, ’11, is an accounting supervisor at the American Crystal Sugar factory in East Grand Forks. Emily Burkland, ’11, is the director of the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks. Brent Collins, ’11, is a fitness coordinator with the Community Center in Madison, Wis., where he lives with his wife, Gwen (Palmiscno), ’00. Nils Eberhardt, ’11, is an associate attorney with Latham Huettl LLP in Bismarck.
For more information on Exceptional UND, check out: http://UND.edu/provost/exceptional-und/
Zach Keller, ’11, is a civil engineer with Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson, an engineering, surveying and planning firm in Minot, N.D. Troy Krieger, ’11, has been appointed by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer to the Clinical Laboratory Science Practitioners board. Krieger is a medical lab scientist with the Big Horn Memorial Hospital Association in Billings, Mont. Jennifer Linstad, ’11, is an associate attorney with the Aaland Law Firm in Fargo. Alex Nikle, ’11, has been hired as a co-pilot by Butler Machinery in Fargo. Jasmine Ottmar, ’11, is a family-based therapist with The Village Family Service Center in Fargo. AR
ALUMNI NEWS
ADDITIONS 1
Jonathan, ’05, and Sarah Bruss welcomed Adalyn Kinley on Nov. 17, 2011. The family lives in Apple Valley, Minn.
2
Sarah (Bernhardt) Prom, ’00, ’03 and her husband, Ryan, welcomed Connor Lawrence to the family on Oct. 19, 2011. They live in Sauk Rapids, Minn.
3
Kelly (Liedberg) Leach, ’01, ’09, and husband, Shannon, are the proud parents of a son, Marshall Lee, born Oct. 25, 2011. He joins big sister, Ruby. The family lives in East Grand Forks, Minn.
4
Jay Praska, ’97, and his wife, Tara, welcomed Samuel Francis, born on May 15, 2012. Samuel joins big brothers, Luke and Elijah. The Praska family lives in Valley City, N.D.
5
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Gabrielle Faye Goetz was born Jan. 6, 2012. Her parents are Kevin, ’94, and Jennifer (Borgen) Goetz, ’00, of West Fargo, N.D. Elle joins older sister, Madelyn.
Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
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Brad, ’03, ’05, and Jill (Holen) Berg, ’03, welcomed Theodore to their family on Jan. 9, 2012. The family, including big brother, Charlie, took this picture at the WCHA Final Five. The live in Maple Grove, Minn.
7
Jason Askvig, ’05, ’08, and his wife, Janelle, welcomed their first child, Westin Michael, on June 17, 2012. The family lives in Grand Forks.
8
Melanie (Hensen) Jones, ’02, and husband, Benjamin, are the proud parents of Mila Drew, born Sept. 9, 2011. Mila joins big sister, Emma Marie. The Jones family lives in Glenburn, N.D.
9
Peter Aldritt, ’10, and Angela (Treece) Aldritt, ’09, were married on May 19, 2012. The couple lives in Chanhassen, Minn. Back row: Brad Treece, ’06, Courtney Welle, ’09, Max Miller, ’10, Charlie Aldritt, Nicole Burg, Aaron Heiber, Brian Treece and Sam Lounsbury. Middle row: Jamie Sandberg, Emily Aldritt, Emily Ronning, Emily Bryan, ’10, Jenna Phibbs, ’09, Marissa Warnert and Ben Schrempp, ’12. Front row: Joe Bartoletti, Peter Aldritt, ’10, Angela (Treece) Aldritt, ’09, Jake Manuel and Kyle Donnelly.
10
Shannon O’Connor, ’92, and Dena Marie Maciborski were married on Dec. 3, 2011, in Warsaw, N.D. The couple lives in Grand Forks.
11
Katy Olson, ’08, and RJ Eagles were married on May 26, 2012 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The couple lives in Greenfield, Mass.
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Tony Goldenstein, ’08, ’10, and Abby (Mueller) Goldenstein, ’07, were married on Sept. 10, 2011 in Spicer, Minn. They live in Granite Falls, Minn. Pictured from left to right: Chris Goldenstein, Beth Nere, Nate Simmonds, ’06, Brianna Goldenstein, ’07, Dan Aspelund, ’08, Tony Goldenstein ’08, ’10, Abby (Mueller) Goldenstein, ’07, Kris Ahmann, ’08, ’10, Karen Doerr, Pam Kautz, Grant Marquardt, ’09, and Laura Mueller.
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in memoriam It is with great honor we dedicate these pages to alumni and friends of the University of North Dakota who have recently passed away. These members of the alumni family helped ignite the spirit of UND, paving the way for a bright future. 1930s
Clarence Dahl, ’51, Dickinson, N.D.
Jean (Torkelson) Hollenbeck, ’68, Grand Forks
Irene R Kroske, ..’35, Apopka, Fla.
Robert Middleton, ’52, ’60, Grand Forks
Neil Smith, ’68, ’75, Grand Forks
Bennie Bunas, ’36, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Melvin Tabert, ’52, Muskegon, Mich.
Roger Gette, ’69, ’72, Irving, Texas
Margaret (Thompson) Lehrkind, ’36,
Carole (Smith) Pender, ’53, Fairbanks, Alaska
Deane Stites, MD, ’69, ’71, ’72, Reno, Nev.
Bozeman, Mont.
Ernest Thorsgard, MD, ’53, ’54,
Madeline (Craig) Nagle, ’37,
Thief River Falls, Minn.
1970s
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Walton Wysong, ’53, Portage, Ind.
Randy Evans, ..’70, Langdon, N.D.
Mary (Woolridge) Peterson, ’37,
Gordon Amb, ’54, ’57, Sun City, Ariz.
Mary (Carmody) Hennessy, ’70, Grand Forks
Eden Prairie, Minn.
Rita (Breen) Mangelsdorf, ’54, Cary, N.C.
David Nelson, ’70, Lansdowne, Pa.
Vivienne (Skadsdamen) Johnstone, ’39,
Armond Erickson, ’55, ’58, Fargo
John Parker, ’70, Minneapolis
Akron, Ohio
John Gaardsmoe, Jr, ..’55, Glenwood, Minn.
Barry Eaton, ’71, West Fargo, N.D.
Keith Hoberg, ’55, Tyler, Texas
Richard Mehus, PE, ’71, Richfield, Minn.
1940s
John DeKrey, MD, ’56, Fort Collins, Colo.
Steven Ritter, ..’71, Williston, N.D.
Louis Gerdine, ’41, Beaumont, Calif.
Richard Wenberg, ’56, Tucson, Ariz.
Rev. Max Christian Schultz, ..’71,
Dennis T Solberg, ..’41, Springfield, Ore.
Cyril Duray, ’58, Mesa, Ariz.
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Gerrie (Sparrow) Anderson, ’42,
Jack Wavra, ’58, Grand Forks
Darlene (Green) Selk, ’71,
Henning, Minn.
Oscar Manz, ’59, Alvarado, Minn.
East Grand Forks, Minn.
Peggy (McKee) Hynson, ’43, Atlanta
Roger Sandven, ’59, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Gloria (Olson) Selk, ’71, Minot, N.D.
Betty (Norby) Jacobi, ..’43, Grand Forks
Richard Tschider, ’59, Bismarck
Lothar Voller, ’71, Valparaiso, Ind.
Marie (Walsvick) Yoder, ’43, Bluffton, Ind.
Gary Woodford, ’59, Minneapolis
Harvey Voss, ..’71, Fairview, Mont. Darold Asbridge, ’72, ’75, Bismarck
LouVerne Beatty, ’45, Grand Forks Lois (Bina) Houkom, ’45, ’70, Grand Forks
1960s
James Jackson, ’72, Eagle, Idaho
Ernest Sands, ’46, Minot, N.D.
Wayne Burslie, ’60, Bismarck
Richard Morehouse, ’73, Williston, N.D.
Harriett (Wagar) Eikenberry, ..’47, Indianapolis
Earl Felland, ’60, Moorhead, Minn.
Iris Peters, ’73, Fort Bragg, Calif.
Raymond Fred, ’47, Biloxi, Miss.
Mildred (Hedman) Granger, ’60, Grand Forks
Richard Schneider, ’73, Sidney, Mont.
Erling Freeman, ’47, Bottineau, N.D.
Joseph Greevers, ..’60, Minneapolis
Kim Petersen, ..’74, Brighton, Colo.
James Johnson, ..’47, Minot, N.D.
Virginia (Cox) Kaloupek, ’60, Grand Forks
Linda (Werre) Becker, ’79, Bismarck
George Longmire, ’47, Hempstead, N.Y.
Gary Tykeson, ’60, Spring Lake Park, Minn.
Muriel (Cleary) Saumur, ’79, ’83,
Maurice Olson, ’47, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
Lloyd Erickson, ’61, Somerville, Mass.
Saint Paul, Minn.
Milton Schroeder, ’47, Cramerton, N.C.
Barton Hayward, ’61, Camden, S.C.
Frank Wikenheiser, ’79, Nags Head, N.C.
Raymond Anderson, ..’48, Hemet, Calif.
James Camerius, ’63, Marquette, Mich.
Daryl Bullinger, ..’48, Oviedo, Fla.
Chi-Sun Lai, ’63, Las Vegas, Nev.
1980s
F. Duane Herrala, ..’48, Apache Junction, Ariz.
Lawrence Mischel, ’63, Los Osos, Calif.
Roberta (Crow) White, ’80, Oglala, S.D.
Herbert Smith, ’49, Murrieta, Calif.
Jerome Furuseth, ..’64, Mesa, Ariz.
Edward D’’Anna, ..’81, Rochester, N.Y.
Jon Boman, ..’65, Lakota, N.D.
Calvin Schaible, ..’81, Fargo
1950s
David Eckberg, MD, ’65, ’67, New Bern, N.C.
Timothy Schultz, ..’81, Grand Forks
Ralph Lang, ’50, Mandan, N.D.
Lorna (Zenner) Young, ..’65, Fergus Falls, Minn.
Rosemary Dreher-Boggetto, ’82,
Col. Edmund Weber, ’50, Tempe, Ariz.
JoAnn (Staver) Griffith, ..’66, Lyons, Ill.
Valley City, N.D.
Myrna (Christensen) Christopherson-Kline, ’51,
Wayne Kuzel, ..’67, Grand Forks
Terry Mercer, ’84, Findlay, Ohio
Lake Bluff, Ill.
Janet (Ferguson) Hanson, ..’68, Vergas, Minn.
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Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
Virginia (Rohr) Remington, ’86,
FRIENDS
Grace (Hawke) Ryan, Red Wing, Minn.
Puyallup, Wash.
Bud Chambers, Grand Forks
James Ryba, Lankin, N.D.
Peggy (Fracassi) McMenamy, ’87, Bismarck
Myron Denbrook, Jr, Hibbing, Minn.
Margurette (Indridason) Sellheim, Grand Forks
Dr. Sandra Parsons, ’88, ’92, McVille, N.D.
Patricia (Hart) Forest, Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Helen Swank, Austin, Minn.
Jennifer (Domrese) Fessel, ’89, Waterville, Minn.
Erna (Raile) Frank, Grand Forks
HJ Webb, Grand Forks
Sgt. Daniel L Wallace, ’89, ’91, Fargo
Donald Johnson, Grand Forks
Betty Witham, West Fargo, N.D.
Craig Scheer, ’90, Fargo
Caroline (Shirek) Karas, Park River, N.D.
Charles Youlden, Bend, Ore.
John Bossoletti, ’91, Grand Forks
Jeanne (Barlow) Kreibich, Crookston, Minn.
Rita (Jackson) Kubal, ’92, Lesterville, S.D.
Johnnie (Allison) Moum, Little Rock, Ark.
FORMER FACULTY/STAFF
Joseph Linnertz, ’96, Bismarck
Kelly (Martinez) Nash, Holts Summit, Mo.
Alice Fladland, Grand Forks
Ardell (Urness) Olson, Cando, N.D.
Vicki (Dorsher) Kavadas, Grand Forks
2000s
Catherine (Eager) Olson, Grand Forks
Jerome Kvidt, Grand Forks
Michelle (Kuntz) Link, ’00, Bismarck
Dr. Louis Palanca, Rockland, Maine
Eleanor Otto, Bagley, Minn.
Peter McKenzie, ’04, Michigan, N.D.
Clarence Peterson, Jr, Stephen, Minn.
Pamela (Bohn) Greenwood, Grand Forks
George Mellone, ’07, Grand Forks
Nancy (Sherman) Plante,
George LaMora, Grand Forks
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Richard Mitchell, Grand Forks
Kenneth Roeder, Thompson, N.D.
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www.undalumni.org 49
Family Weekend Change UND Family Weekend will be held separately from Homecoming this year. It will be Sept. 28-30. Family Weekend is filled with fun and educational activities to acquaint families with the campus and community. For more information and to register, visit www.go.und. edu/familyweekend.
Alum’s Desert Storm Experience Honored A new display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., honors UND alumnus Commander (Ret.) Bob Noziglia, Jr., ’71. In 1990, Noziglia was sent to Saudi Arabia to help reconstruct the Kuwait Air Force, made up of fewer than two dozen planes that escaped Kuwait when it was invaded by Iraq. With the words “Free Kuwait” emblazoned on their fuselages of their planes, the men under Noziglia’s Su command flew 18 to 24 sorties a day during Operation Desert Storm. m m e r 2 0 1 2 For his service, Noziglia was awarded the Bronze Star and received a commendation from the Kuwait Air Force, both of which are on Universit y of N o display at the museum.
Alumni Revie
Corrections
r th Dakota A lum ni A sso
Dedicated to
GOOD DEEDS
Ins
A Promise
Jay Mondry, the retired judge featured in the story “The Vow” in the summer issue of the Alumni Review lives in Park Rapids, Minn., not Fergus Falls. Dr. Kenneth Helenbolt was listed as a ‘Friend’ of UND in the “In Memoriam” section of the spring issue. He was also a former SMHS faculty member.
Find the Flame Winners! More than 100 readers sent in correct answers to our Find the Flame contest from the summer issue. As you can see, the flame was cleverly hidden at the end of the shadow in the child’s right hand. We randomly selected three winners to receive a prize package from the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. Congratulations to Deborah Aleson, Cameron Kerbaugh, and Rob and Aleta Krack! Try to find the flame on the cover of this issue for your chance to win.
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Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2012
A former judge raises mo orphans and terminally i
Yes
Why it’s time t Fighting Sioux
Summer 2012 Alumni Rev
iew cover
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