UND Alumni Magazine Summer 2022 by UND Alumni Association & Foundation

T HE F OOD E DI T ION See what’s cooking inside. UNDalumni.org/magazine

S UP P OR T S T UDE N T S IN T HEIR T IM E OF NE E D.

UND ANGEL FUND A family emergency. The sudden loss of a job. Unexpected medical expenses.

Supported by the Division of Student Affairs & Diversity, the UND Angel Fund provides financial help for students so these kinds of challenges aren’t a barrier to completing their education. You can help our students get the help they need.

UNDalumni.org/Angel

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All gifts made to this fund are tax-deductible.

JESSE KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE

#UND PROUD

UND’s commitment has always been to strive for excellence. It’s an education grounded in learning and discovery – emphasizing critical thinking and preparing tomorrow’s leaders to deal with change. Banks operate in an intensely complex and evolving environment. My time at UND developed the analytical, communication and leadership skills I use today to direct Bell Bank’s risk management teams, helping us navigate challenges and prepare for the future. Our core values – family, unequaled service, and giving back – run through everything we do at Bell. Regardless of what challenges we face, our focus will always be on our customers and employees first.

Jesse Schwab

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Deposit and loan products are offered through Bell Bank, Member FDIC. Bell Insurance Services, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Bank. Products and services offered through Bell Insurance or Bell Bank Wealth Management are: Not FDIC insured | No Bank Guarantee May lose value | Not a deposit | Not insured by any federal government agency. www.bell.bank

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Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer

ON THE COVER

Molly Yeh, HON ’22, created this delicious spinach & artichoke chicken & tater tot hotdish, and you can find the recipe on page 21. Yeh is a cookbook author, host of the Food Network’s “Girl Meets Farm,” and restaurateur who’s opening Bernie’s in the space formerly occupied by Whitey’s in East Grand Forks. UND awarded her with an honorary degree in May. Photo by: Shawna Schill

From Alyssa

H O ME IS WHERE T HE

HOTDISH IS

I have a t-shirt,* adorned with a Corelle casserole dish (you know the one – white with the blue flowers). It proclaims, “Home is where the hotdish is.” The tater tot hotdish (not casserole) I grew up with in rural North Dakota was made with cream of mushroom soup, ground beef, and creamed corn, and the thought of it paired with a slice of buttered white bread does indeed invoke a feeling of home. The beautiful creation I’m holding in the picture above – the same one on the cover of this magazine – isn’t necessarily representative of the hotdish I remember, but it is delicious, nonetheless. Probably more delicious if I’m being honest (sorry Mom). It was created for us by Molly Yeh, a cookbook author of Food Network fame who recently was bestowed an honorary degree from UND. Her ceremonial hooding got us thinking about UND’s own food traditions, and the many other food entrepreneurs among our alumni family. We noticed a common thread among the alumni you’ll read about in this issue. Each one of them leaned on their UND education to pivot from their original career aspirations and chase their food-related dreams. We also introduce UND Eats, our online guide to alumniowned food and beverage companies. Check it out on page 20 or visit UNDalumni.org/UNDeats.

COVER STORY

HUNGRY ENTREPRENEURS Enjoy a taste of the food and beverage companies owned and operated by UND alumni.

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Happy reading,

Alyssa Konickson, ’06 Editor, UND Alumni Magazine *Check out gfiscooler.com/store to get yours.

From the CEO

On Campus

From the President

Faculty & Research

ALUMNI IN ACTION

TURNING ON THE JUICE Former singer/songwriter Celeste Krenz, ’90, pours her energy into Urban Juicer.

HONORS

DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP Alumni recognized with the UND Alumni Association & Foundation’s highest award for achievement and service.

Features

Homecoming

UND Athletics

Class Notes

Photo Share

In Memoriam

Thank You Donors

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VOL. 105 NO. 3

SUMMER 2022

UND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION Chief Executive Officer DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86 Vice President of Marketing & Communications Sarah Prout, ’07

UND ALUMNI MAGAZINE Editor Alyssa Konickson, ’06, Associate VP of Marketing & Communications Lead Designer Jenny Wolf, ’03, Director of Creative & Brand Strategy Designer & Photographer Sara Titera, Graphic Designer Associate Editors Milo Smith, Senior Director of Public Relations & Videography Jenn Lukens, Director of Stewardship & Donor Appreciation Contributors, UND Alumni Association & Foundation Jeannie Tvedt, Senior Database Coordinator Melissa Garceau, AVP of Operations Ana Wilebski,’19, Associate Director of Campaign Writing Contributors, UND Marketing & Communications Shawna Schill, ’06; Mike Hess; Patrick Miller; Janelle Vonasek, ’89

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Dr. John Gray, ’87 Vice Chair Jim Poolman, ’92 Directors Darla Adams, ’84, ’85 Troy Bader, ’85 Lisa Barnes, ’88 Kelly (Keeler) Caruso, ’91 Scott Fredericksen, ’74 Angie Freeman, ’91 Randy Gershman, ’84 Mike Hamerlik, ’84, ’88 Marten Hoekstra, ’82 Jonathan Holth Dr. Michael LeBeau, ’02 Rick Lee, ’78 Chuck MacFarlane,’87 Karen Phillips, ’77 Lara (Olsen) Prozinski, ’90 Jodi Rolland, ’92 Dave St. Peter, ’89 Pat Sogard, ’82, ’86 Karen Thingelstad, ’89 Kathryn Uhrich, ’86 Chad Wachter Ex Officio Andrew Armacost Dr. Joshua Wynne Nancy Pederson, ’90

Karla Mongeon-Stewart Eric Link DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86

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The UND Alumni Magazine (ISSN 26896753) is published four times a year by the University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation 3501 University Avenue Stop 8157 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157

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BLEED GREEN

Did you know that you can opt to receive your Alumni Magazine electronically instead of in the mail? If you’re interested in going green, email your request to AlumniMag@UNDalumni.net.

From DeAnna

TASTY TRADITIONS

Food. Nothing invokes warm memories of home like a dish served during special family meals. For me, that food is lefse. Not only do I fondly remember it being served as a child, but also many sessions in the kitchen helping to peel, boil and rice the potatoes, mixing up all the ingredients and roll the patties onto the lefse griddle. It’s a family tradition that I have carried on with my own children and now grandchildren. I know there are foods that spark emotions in our alumni related to their time at UND. Red Pepper grinders invoke strong memories for some. Others remember late-night pizza deliveries from Deek’s Pizza. Still others long for the bottomless cereal and ice cream served at Wilkerson or Squires dining centers. It’s not surprising that so many alumni want to relive those experiences when they return to campus. I’m thrilled to see this issue devoted to our alumni who have taken their passion for food and drink to create thriving businesses. Food brings us all closer together. As the late, great Anthony Bourdain said: “Food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a start.”

HOMECOMING Like comfort food, Homecoming is also a tradition that invokes happy memories of the past. We’ve been holding the classic fall celebration since 1916. Only world wars and a pandemic have put the tradition on pause. I invite you to join us this Sept. 26-Oct. 1 for Homecoming 2022. Some highlights of the week include the grand opening celebration for the new Nistler College of Business & Public Administration building, UND Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, and we’ll present the Sioux Awards for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership and the Young Alumni Achievement Awards at our annual alumni awards banquet (you can read the biographies of this year’s award recipients starting on page 29). I hope to see you back on campus to relive the memories of your college years.

KIM WOODS Speaking of the Nistler building project, the woman who led the critical fundraising for the building, Kim Woods, is going out on a high note and has retired from the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. Kim spent 16 years with our organization and the building is just one of many highlights for this prolific fundraiser. We held a well-attended retirement party for Kim this summer in which many stories were shared and tears shed.

Kim cared so much for the institution and the students who walked the same paths she did as a student. We will miss her expertise and her warm and friendly presence. Good luck on your retirement, Kim!

We celebrated a great achievement this summer when we recorded our second-highest fundraising fiscal year ever! $72.5 million was raised for the benefit of UND students, faculty, facilities, and programs in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Our three highest fundraising years ever have occurred in the last four years! One of the things that really strikes me about this year’s excellent final tally is that it was done without the benefit of an outsized lead gift. While we did have several large gifts like the one from Dr. Gopal Das that established the Wadhwani Family Endowed Chair of Translational Research in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, we accomplished this year’s nearrecord total as a collection of large to medium to small gifts. I was thrilled to see our donor count increase by more than 2,000 over the previous year! It really speaks to the “we” as we, a group who together cares about UND students so much that we change the world for them. Who makes a difference in the lives of UND students? We do. Thank you for being part of the “We.” Sincerely,

DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86, CFRE UND Alumni Association & Foundation CEO deannac@UNDfoundation.org

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Kim’s impact on UND students will carry forward as the millions she raised will fund scholarships, endow faculty, and enhance programming well into the future.

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS

WE ARE

#UNDproud Content courtesy of UND Today, the University of North Dakota’s official news source. Read more and subscribe at blogs.UND.edu/UND-today.

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AV I A T IO N

H U M A N H E A LT H

RUR A L COMMUNITIES

The UND Flying Team took second place overall at the 2022 National Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference contest – the first in-person event since UND’s championship run in 2019. [1]

Is there a connection between why some people with Lyme disease and some with COVID-19 experience long-term effects to their central nervous systems?

A team of UND researchers led by Ryan Summers from UND’s College of Education & Human Development has been awarded a National Science Foundation Discover Research K-12 grant worth $2.9 million over four years.

FLYING TEAM TAKES NATIONAL HONORS

This year’s meet was hosted by The Ohio State University in Columbus. At SAFECON, UND has placed first or second 32 times in the past 38 years and took home several top marks in 2022. The Flying Team has a similar record of excellence at the regional level, including a first-place finish in October at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The team took first place in the ground-based events at Columbus, based on total points, and had first-place finishes in four separate events. Of UND’s 14 students who competed at 2022 SAFECON, only two had previously been to a national-level event.

SCHOL ARSHIPS & FELLOWSHIPS

STUDENTS EARN NATIONAL PRESTIGE

A LINK BETWEEN LYME & COVID

Known as neurological Lyme disease, the condition affects about 10% to 20% of those who contract the infection after being bitten by black-legged deer ticks. Rather than recovering, they continue to experience symptoms ranging from severe headaches to memory loss. What’s learned about the similarities between the long-lasting effects of Lyme disease and COVID could apply to other infectious diseases. UND researchers Catherine Brissette, associate professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, [3] and Timothy Casselli, research assistant professor, are developing a model with funding from the Global Lyme Alliance they believe can help answer these questions.

STRENGTHENING STEM EDUCATION

The project will examine how modest support helps sustain teachers’ professional learning, while benefiting local teachers in the process. The project grew out of a need to provide additional science support to teachers after North Dakota adopted new K-12 standards for science education effective as of the 2019-20 school year. Since then, surveys of teachers and schools have generated concerns about teacher preparedness to create learning experiences aligned with the new standards. Starting this fall, 45 elementary teachers will be recruited from North Dakota, California, Montana and Wyoming, for a total of 180 teachers in the program.

It was a banner year for prestigious scholarships earned by UND students. [2]

“There’s a lot of interest in this now because of long COVID,” Brissette noted. “But there are probably other infections in which you have a post-infectious syndrome.”

“This project will have an immediate impact on grades 3 through 5 teachers and their students across North Dakota,” Summers said.

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RESE ARCH

A BOOST FOR ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY

•

Taylor Roehl was selected as a finalist for the Fulbright German English Teaching Assistant Program. Just three weeks earlier, she had earned the 2022-23 CongressBundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. Both scholarships are highly competitive with only about 15% to 20% of applicants being selected. Sabrina Sullivan was selected as a Goldwater scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship in math, natural sciences and engineering in the U.S. Sydney Menne won the Goldwater Scholarship, and was the first-ever student from a North Dakota institution to win the prestigious Brooke Owens Fellowship. Sullivan and Menne are the only two students from a North Dakota institution to win a 2022 Goldwater award.

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Merrick McMahon was one of only 25 undergraduate students across the country selected for the Indian Health Service scholarship.

A proposal for “An Ecosystem for High Performance Defense Sensitive Materials Research at the University of North Dakota” has been recommended for sponsorship by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The $1 million award, which will provide funding over two years, comes from the U.S. Department of Defense EPSCoR, or DEPSCoR (Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research). The program aims to onboard universities into the Department of Defense, said John Mihelich, vice president for Research & Economic Development. “Because of that, an emphasis was put on how the specific proposed work fits with broader University initiatives and how the University-level research strategies can facilitate, along with the project, building a broader and sustained relationship with DoD/ AFOSR,” he said. Mihelich added that the project represents national security, an area UND is prioritizing. Mihelich and Surojit Gupta [4] in UND’s Mechanical Engineering Department will provide regular research updates to DoD officials.

UND has been honored for its innovative use of Open Educational Resources, classroom materials that improve access and affordability for students. [5] UND received the 2022 Colleagues’ Choice Innovation Award from the Western Academic Leadership Forum, which recognizes achievements among four-year institutions and systems in the West that advance equity for student success. Open Educational Resources, or OERs, are openly licensed and freely accessible materials used for teaching, learning and research, and UND has been committed in two ways to using them. First, UND has promoted the use of OERs by its faculty – in fact, more than 90 faculty from every school and college at UND have used OERs to replace costly textbooks, saving students $11 million since 2015. Second, UND has supported faculty research since 2018 exploring the impact of OERs, including in areas like retention rates and student debt. As a result, UND has funded more stipends and fellowships.

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$1 MILLION FOR DEFENSE RESEARCH

EDUCATION A L RESOURCES

From Andy

YEH FOR FOOD! Food brings us together. It’s where connections with family and friends are maintained. It’s where new relationships with friends and significant others are formed.

We engage in discussion over food, which leads to cooperation, the sharing of knowledge, and solutions to everyday issues. Food helps define the character and culture of communities and nations. To prepare and serve food is an act of generosity known the world over. Thus, it was only fitting during the 2022 University of North Dakota Spring Commencement that we welcomed someone into our University family who exemplifies the most positive aspects of food and cooking. It was my great privilege to present Molly Yeh, who came to the Grand Forks area in 2013 via Chicago and New York, with an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree.

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Molly originally gained fame as a food blogger and cookbook author, sharing Midwestinspired recipes from the kitchen of a Red River Valley family sugar beet farm along the North Dakota-Minnesota border. She now has her own TV show – “Girl Meets Farm” – on the Food Network, where she also hosts the “Spring Baking Championship.”

Regular watchers of “Girl Meets Farm” know the emphasis Molly puts on making the surrounding community an important part of her life and her program. The show opens with scenes from around the Greater Grand Forks area. Molly, her husband Nick Hagen and their children are regularly shown attending community events. Soon, she’ll be

opening a new restaurant in downtown East Grand Forks. And if you pay close attention, you might even see your friends or neighbors sharing a meal on Molly’s TV show. UND has, on occasion, played prominent roles in “Girl Meets Farm.” Former UND studentathletes were once featured watching a Fighting Hawks hockey game on TV.

THE WAY YOU APPLY CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THOUGHT MIGHT JUST TAKE YOU DOWN PATHS YOU NEVER EXPECT. In another episode, Nick, who practices and performs with UND’s trombone choir, brought treats baked by Molly to UND students in the music group. Molly proudly credits UND students with helping her test and perfect recipes. She’s attended hockey games, concerts and the UND Writers Conference. However, what truly impressed me about Molly was her sense of adventure and how she’s used her drive and commitment to excel in areas other than those in which she’s been educated. Trained as a percussionist at the Julliard School in New York, her talents in

cooking, writing, and speaking have helped successfully launch her career in a much different direction. This is an important life lesson for everyone at UND: what you have learned at UND — as a student, staff member, or faculty member — has laid the vital foundation for your lifelong contributions to the world. The way you apply critical and creative thought might just take you down paths you never expect. I welcome Molly to the UND family and commend her for her impressive achievements. I also hope her wish to play the bass drum at a UND hockey game comes true so I can be there to accompany her on the cow bell! In closing, I’ll take this opportunity to heartily congratulate the other two highly accomplished UND alumni who were bestowed honorary degrees this year: business leader and philanthropist Henry Herr, ’68, ’71, and entrepreneur Delore Zimmerman, ’76, ’80. They make us UND Proud!

Andrew Armacost President, University of North Dakota

UND President Andrew Armacost awarded (from left) Henry Herr, Molly Yeh, and Delore Zimmerman honorary degrees in May.

L E A DE R IN A C T ION

STUDENT. SOLDIER. SAXOPHONIST. STAR. Z A CHARY FISCHER, ’22

As a musician with the North Dakota National Guard’s 188th Army Band, Zachary Fischer is the face of the military for many communities. As a future high school band instructor, he hopes his passion will inspire the next generation of lifelong music makers.

Always ready. Always there. It’s more than just a motto for the U.S. Army National Guard. For UND senior Zachary Fischer of Horace, N.D., it’s a whole way of life. The standout Music Education major and 22-yearold sergeant with the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 188th Army Band takes those four words to heart. He’s on a mission to spread a lifelong love of music to as many people as he can, and that’s not exactly light duty. It will take skills, teamwork, leadership, camaraderie and a good dose of discipline. Luckily for him, Fischer says, that’s just what he’s learning at UND. Up and at ’em before 7 a.m., he juggles a full load of classes with regular band rehearsals and hours of practice on multiple instruments — the saxophone is his favorite, but he also plays the piano, trombone, flute, guitar and pretty much everything else. “It keeps me busy, but I enjoy the busy. I know that every experience I’m having at UND and in the 188th is going to help me in my career,” Fischer said. “Music really is my passion, so my time in the practice room doesn’t feel like it’s something I have to do. It’s something that I want to do.”

As the only face of the military that some people will ever know, the various groups perform in parks, schools and other community events statewide. Between those performances, once-a-month Guard drills and everything else, Fischer also finds time to tackle his homework, go to the gym, manage his Guard unit’s website, provide military honors at funerals and give saxophone lessons to four of his own students at Popplers Music in Grand Forks. “One thing we love to say in the Guard is ‘embrace the suck,’ ” Fischer said with a laugh. “When things get tough, you just have to brace yourself, buckle down and drive through it to get it done. “It’s definitely a balancing act, but it’s a really good way for me to boost my knowledge and experience on the music side of things as well as my leadership going into the music education field.” Of course, there are other perks, too. The North Dakota National Guard offers 100% tuition assistance, and he gets a $397 monthly stipend through the GI Bill. Plus, Fischer says, the work doesn’t seem so tough when you’re having fun and everyone feels like family. After all, that’s what brought him to UND in the first place.

“I was really drawn to UND by the faculty’s professionalism and excellence and how much they care for each of their students,” he said. “They create such a great family dynamic, and the students really connect as well. We’re such a tightknit group, and I’ve made a lot of connections I’ll stay in touch with for life.” His professors both challenge and inspire him to dig deeper into his passion for music so he can share it in new ways with his students. Borrowing a quote from his high school band director and current unit commander, James Landman, Fischer said, “I don’t think I ever want to leave the stage. I want to be making music with my students until I can’t physically walk up on stage anymore. “I don’t need a big, fancy job. I want to be the (high school) band director who’s there to have fun and help his students — and supplement that with the military so I can keep performing and connecting with people.” For that, Fischer is always ready. Always there. \\\

LEADERS IN ACTION Scan with your phone’s camera app to meet more UND students. UND.edu/leaders

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And that amounts to some serious dedication when you’re performing at dozens of military functions and public concerts a year — and sometimes, even two shows in one night.

A member of the University Band and UND Wind Ensemble, Fischer also plays with the 188th’s concert, marching and jazz bands, along with its saxophone quartet and pop rock band, Blues in Green.

One professor can touch the lives of many through the opportunities they create. Increasing support for our endowed faculty will allow us to:

Attract and retain outstanding teaching and research faculty

Draw top-notch students who want to work with leading scholars

HONORING INNO VAT ION &

TEACHING EXCELLENCE

Alexandra Sickler, J.D., named UND School of Law Archie Unterseher Endowed Professor. An endowed chair, professorship and fellowship is one of the highest academic honors that the University of North Dakota bestows on a faculty member. Funded by alumni and friends of the University, endowed positions benefit not only the faculty member but their colleagues, their field, the college, the students and the greater University.

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The University of North Dakota School of Law is proud to announce the Archie Unterseher Endowed Professorship title to Alexandra Sickler, J.D., a tenured professor of law. Established through an endowment created by the Oxbow Foundation of Minneapolis, this is now the largest endowed professorship at the UND School of Law.

This position honors a professor who has displayed excellence in teaching and/or research in the areas of business, commercial and/or transactional law. Sickler will hold the position for a three-year term, which may be extended for additional terms.

Sickler has served UND for the past decade, teaching courses in contracts, bankruptcy, and commercial law. McGinniss praised the respect she has earned on a regional and national scale. Internally, Sickler has received the UND School of Law’s 2018 Teacher of the Year Award, been a two-time speaker at the School’s graduation banquet and was selected as the May 2022 commencement speaker. The funds that accompany her new title will allow Sickler more resources to support her educational goals and provide opportunities to elevate UND’s law school in research, publications, and presentations.

Michael McGinniss, former dean of the School of Law, considered this decision a highlight of his deanship before its completion on June 30. “Professor Sickler is an experienced and highly innovative teacher who has an excellent reputation among our students for her dedication to their learning and the practical value of the knowledge and skills they develop in her courses,” he said. Brian Pappas began as the new dean in July.

“I’m honored to have been selected for recognition in this way and hope to leverage this support to bolster student knowledge in ways that will ultimately contribute to critical economic and industry sectors in the region,” Sickler commented. “The Untersehers are part of our extended UND School of Law family, and I am beyond grateful that the Oxbow Foundation has chosen to support student learning through an endowed professorship.”

Alexandra Sickler, J.D. UND School of Law Archie Unterseher Endowed Professor

Secure research grants and private support

Expand the University’s profile and participation across networks

“I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL THAT THE OXBOW FOUNDATION HAS CHOSEN TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH AN ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP.” The Oxbow Foundation receives its funding from Oxbow Industries, LLC, a holding company that invests in leading private companies to support management in their continued growth of business. The Foundation named the School of Law position in honor of Archie Unterseher (1934-2017), a 1959 graduate of the College of Business & Public Administration’s accounting program. Unterseher attended UND on a GI Bill grant and joined Nash Finch Company for a 44-year career. He and his wife, Rosa, raised four children and 10 grandchildren, four of whom obtained degrees from UND. The Foundation released a statement about Oxbow’s decision to honor Unterseher in this way: “Archie was a first-generation UND college graduate from Hazen, North Dakota. He was very proud of his western North Dakota upbringing and his UND experience. As a strong believer in advanced education, he enjoyed a successful career built off his accounting degree from UND.”

“The Oxbow Foundation’s generosity is matched by their ingenuity to use the Challenge Grant to support faculty at UND,” said DeAnna Carlson Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “This is the perfect way for a donor to make an even bigger impact with their gift, as Oxbow Foundation has done. We can’t thank them enough for their generosity in honor of Archie. We are also grateful to the state legislature for their continued support of the North Dakota Challenge Grant program. This public/private partnership has been incredibly important to UND.” To establish an endowment, contact the UND Alumni Association & Foundation at 701.777.2611 or reach out to a development officer (UNDalumni.org/ staff-directory). For more information about UND’s School of Law, visit law.UND.edu. \\\

On Thursday, June 23, a private investiture dinner was held in Wayzata, Minnesota, honoring Barbara Burwell and Greg Page, ’73, HON ’16. The honored guests were thanked for endowing, along with their late spouses, the following positions within the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration (NCoBPA):

Burwell Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship Funded by Rod & Barbara Burwell Held by Dr. Sanjay Goel

Page Endowed Chair in Applied Economics Funded by Greg & Cindy Page Held by Dr. Chih Ming Tan

Robert Page Endowed Professor Funded by Greg & Cindy Page Held by Dr. Jennifer Stoner

Dr. Mark Langemo Faculty Fellow Funded by Greg & Cindy Page Held by Dr. Sandra Braathen Both Barbara and Greg praised the endowed position holders and their work to bring both their passion and expertise to enrich the student experience at NCoBPA.

On Tuesday, July 19, a private investiture luncheon was held in Minnetonka, Minnesota, to honor Ann and Norm Hoffman, ’59. They endowed the Ann and Norman Hoffman Endowed Chair in National Defense/Energetics within the College of Engineering & Mines (CEM). Close family and CEM representatives celebrated alongside the Hoffmans, including Dr. Gautham Krishnamoorthy, who has held the position since 2010. Congratulations, Barbara, Greg, Ann and Norm! Thank you for your ongoing support of UND’s standout faculty members.

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The Oxbow Foundation also recently established an endowment for the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration. The Archie Unterseher Accounting Faculty Fellowship will be

awarded every three years to a faculty member selected by the dean of the College once the payout from the endowment can support a stipend. To establish both endowments, the Oxbow Foundation took advantage of the North Dakota Challenge Grant match, which provided $1 in state funding for every $2 pledged.

Foster media attention and bring in national conferences

Recipes for

SUCCESS From crepes to cupcakes to farmraised protein, UND alumni bring their food and beverage offerings straight to your table.

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Molly Yeh met her husband, Nick Hagen, when they both trained at Juilliard. The pair is set to open a restaurant in the beloved space formerly occupied by Whitey’s in East Grand Forks. Bernie’s, named after their daughter, is set to open this fall. It will “celebrate Midwest traditions, Scandinavian flavors, local ingredients, major coziness, good bread, and HOTDISH, all under one roof,” according to an Instagram post.

Food blogger, author and network television host Molly Yeh received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree during UND’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony in May.

DEGREE HONORARY DOCTOR OF LETTERS

LOCATION EAST GRAND FORKS, MN

BUSINESS COOKBOOK AUTHOR, FOOD NETWORK STAR, RESTAURATEUR.

Yeh was one of three honorary degree recipients recognized during UND’s commencement proceedings. Business leader Henry Herr and economic strategist Delore Zimmerman, both of whom are UND alumni, also received Honorary Doctor of Letters degrees. The star of Food Network’s “Girl Meets Farm,” and author of multiple cookbooks, Yeh said that her ties to UND have only deepened since moving to a farm near Grand Forks in 2013. “Nine years ago, when I moved to Grand Forks and I went to my first hockey game, I was immediately wrapped up in the energy and the excitement and the way the community rallied behind the team,” Yeh said. “And I wanted to be a part of this. I wanted to find a way to become part of UND.” “I feel so proud to call UND my hometown university.”

THE LYN

DUNN BURGE

RS P

AGE 16 P L AL

PAIS

PAG E 1 8 H S A &D

F REN C H

TA S

19 PAGE

UN D

GE A P TS

The shared ingredient

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Like Molly, the food entrepreneurs you’ll read about in the following pages share an ingredient to their success: a pivot. Whether a change in major, career, or location, they all agree that the winding road traveled was necessary for turning their passion into profit. For many of them, that road began at UND. Experiences around food – whether on campus or off – brought each closer to college classmates, roommates, teammates, and the greater Grand Forks community.

the lynhall THE PIVOT

UND EXPERIENCE Anne has learned to stay out of the kitchen to allow her staff creative freedom. But as a restaurant owner, Anne applies her economics and law degrees through circumstances like COVID-19, HIPAA privacy law, unemployment, and daily decision-making.

LOCATIONS

Anne had built a law career but moving to Europe for her husband’s job posed challenges to continue. Instead, she focused on raising her boys and experiencing what Europe had to offer… including its food. After moving back to Minneapolis, Anne jumped back into legal work, but the dream of starting her own restaurant took over. “Before long, we had a building, a brand and all the right people in place to open The Lynhall in June 2017.”

MINNEAPOLIS EDINA, MN

THE CUSTOMERS

DEGREES ECONOMICS & LAW

BUSINESS EUROPEAN MARKETINSPIRED RESTAURANT, BAKERY, EVENT SPACE AND KITCHEN STUDIO.

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Anne (Knipe) Spaeth, ’93, ’98, never considered herself an expert in the kitchen. But a five-year stint in Europe expanded her palate and opened her eyes to what food can do to build a community and culture. While in London, Anne regularly visited public markets, a setting where neighbors gathered and developed relationships around food. Customers knew their foods’ origins and producers and that resonated with Anne.

After moving back to the Minneapolis area, she used her experience abroad and her UND degrees to open The Lynhall, a multi-service restaurant business offering cooking classes, specialty cakes, afternoon teas, and a filming studio. In the public restaurant or private dining rooms, customers are invited to grab a seat at one of its long tables and enjoy the European flavor in every bite.

Edina, a Minneapolis suburb, brings in a predominately female crowd to The Lynhall – especially with its afternoon teas on weekends – while a more eclectic crowd frequents the Uptown Minneapolis location. Professional gatherings, family celebrations and even UND reunions fill up The Lynhall private event calendar. The Linney Studio is booked by startups, network television shows and even families who want to film grandma making her secret recipe.

THE JOYS Anne’s staff of 56 have become her second family. She’s trained five children from one family. She’s mourned with an employee who lost a child to ALS. She’s celebrated a baker’s transition to a dream job in Oregon. And when Anne goes through her own doubts and trials, her team gets her back on her feet.

UND FOOD MEMORY Anne fondly remembers Sanders 1907 Restaurant (now Sky’s Fine Dining & Cloud 9 Lounge) and what it meant to the city of Grand Forks. “Kim Holmes created such a beautiful, welcoming space with those gorgeous rosemaled benches and booths. He found a way to come alongside the community and bring in food on a level that I don’t think a lot of us understood even at the time.”

ADVICE “These last two years have shown us how important it is to reflect on your own mental health, your own physical health, your own self-care. If you’re not willing to do some deep, introspective work, you might as well just close your doors because you have to continue to grow.”

DEGREES BANKING & FINANCE, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

THE JOYS “I just like seeing my progress every day,” Ben said. Unlike the bureaucracy and paperwork he juggled at the bank, he gets a satisfaction from completing a job at the end of a long day or season. Whether it’s cutting hay or branding a calf, Ben says, “I know it doesn’t make a lot of money, but I’m getting it done right.”

LOCATIONS KILLDEER, ND NEW SALEM, ND

BUSINESS DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER BEEF.

dunn burgers Ben Murphy, ’02, ’05, is a fourthgeneration rancher who’s built Dunn Burgers, a direct-to-consumer beef business. But Ben’s path back home to Killdeer, N.D., was not direct. After a stint in the Navy and a banking career, he realized he was not meant to sit behind a desk. The family ranch and great outdoors were calling his name. After moving back home, he noticed no fresh pork produced nearby, so he started raising and selling hogs. That turned into a beef business and a partnership with some longtime friends. They bought a meat processing facility in New Salem, North Dakota, and started 6 in 1 Meats, a USDA-inspected meat processing facility where its six owners have a say in every step to get cows, sheep, hogs and elk from ranch to table.

THE PIVOT

UND EXPERIENCE

In 2012, a medical diagnosis cut Ben’s Navy career short. He then used his UND degrees in banking and finance before returning to Killdeer. Back at the ranch, Ben immediately noticed business opportunities to accommodate the growing population in western North Dakota. He opened a storage unit business, a U-Haul service, and flipped houses for rent. Then came the hogs and the rest is history.

A former student-athlete, Ben has paired his love for UND Football with his profession. He’s participating in Meat Up for UND, an initiative to provide high-protein meals to UND Football student-athletes.

THE CUSTOMERS Ben’s primary customers are North Dakota families who find out about Dunn Burgers through Ben’s deliberate marketing (his cell phone number is on every package of beef). The directto-consumer approach has his phone ringing with orders for specialty cuts as well as whole, half, or quarters of beef. Plans to sell 20 head per year ballooned into 55 in 2021 and a wait list this year.

UND FOOD MEMORY A UND Football tradition dating back to the ’90s: Every Friday before a game, the offensive line would visit Happy Joe’s and “absolutely destroy their buffet.” They would play arcade games and pool their points to win prizes to donate to Holiday Magic from Markus, a startup UND Athletics fundraiser that has since helped hundreds of sick children.

ADVICE “Too many people just are too scared to ask, ‘Hey, does this sound like a good idea?’ or ‘If I did this, would you buy into it?’ Ask for help and then pull the trigger. And when you fail, cut your losses and move on.””

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paisley

& DASH Sara Lien, ’05, graduated from UND with a degree in communication and went on to have a successful 15-year career in investment banking. She loved her career as a financial advisor, but her creative spark was never fully fulfilled in the banking world. So, with a little inspiration from her dogs, Paisley and Dash, she set out to discover how she could turn her creativity into a business. Today, Sara owns and operates Paisley & Dash, an online bakery shop that specializes in customizable cupcakes in a jar.

THE PIVOT Paisley & Dash started as a side business for Sara to express her creativity. Soon after, she found herself baking until 3 a.m. and up at 5 for her day job. Something had to give, so Sara made the difficult decision to leave her career as a financial advisor. Now, Paisley & Dash is a thriving company sending goodies across the nation.

THE CUSTOMERS DEGREE COMMUNICATION

LOCATION FARGO

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BUSINESS

E-COMMERCE BAKERY THAT CREATES CUSTOM, READYTO-EAT CUPCAKE JARS.

Sara’s business primarily serves other businesses around the country. Her personalized cupcake jars act as a highly personalized and high-touch gift option that companies can send to their own customers. Her larger audience, of course, is anyone with a sweet tooth. Paisley & Dash can ship their cupcakes anywhere in the country while maintaining freshness.

UND EXPERIENCE “I am living out what UND taught me every single day,” she says. Her degree in communication and her experiences at UND shaped who she is today. Her sorority, the UND Hockey Cheer team and classes kept her busy. “I was lucky to have the best college experience ever. My time at UND has a special place in my heart.” Falling in love with marketing, visual communications was one of her favorite classes. Now she uses those skills to create her signature personalized cupcakes that help other companies market themselves.

UND FOOD MEMORY “Almonds at the Ralph Engelstad Arena!” she exclaims. Being a hockey cheerleader, Sara has kept her pom poms as memorabilia (pictured with the cupcake jar above) and claims they still smell like the roasted Bavarian almonds served at the Ralph.

THE JOYS

ADVICE

Every day, waking up and smelling the frosting brings Sara joy. “I am literally living my dream,” Sara states. Because of the unique nature of her store, she is writing her own playbook. Her business allows her the freedom to go to bed with creative ideas and wake up and make them come alive every day.

“Never underestimate the power of that first impression! Give extra thought, attention, and emphasis to both presentation and packaging. Not only is it a way to separate your product from the competition, it’s also a unique and nonverbal opportunity to create and inspire emotion from the recipient.”

With roots in Paris, France, Warren Sai, ’20, is determined to give the Grand Forks community a little taste of his home country.

DEGREE

When Warren came to UND in 2015, he noticed that Grand Forks was missing something: crepes! Seeing an opportunity and leaning on his education that focused on entrepreneurship, he established French Taste, a creperie whose mission is to spread French culture through traditional food in the Grand Forks community. Warren has been involved in a variety of partnerships including Ferguson Books & More in the Grand Cities Mall and recently opened his own café in downtown Grand Forks. Both locations offer a variety of sweet and savory crepes, smoothies, caramel macchiatos and an educational experience on the history and culture of crepes.

GENERAL STUDIES

LOCATION GRAND FORKS

BUSINESS POP-UP AND CAFE SHARING FRENCH CULTURE THOUGH TRADITIONAL FOOD.

french taste

THE PIVOT

UND EXPERIENCE

He first came to UND to study petroleum engineering, but a growing passion for business led Warren to compete in the Red River Business Plan Competition. He won third place and $3,000, which encouraged him to start his own business and bring French Taste to Grand Forks. “I really wanted this community to experience crepes like I did in Paris, so I used the money that I won to get started.”

Several UND mentors and professors have helped Warren throughout his journey. “The Center for Innovation and the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration were so supportive and gave me the confidence I needed to start my business. I still stay in close contact with my mentors and a lot of them come into my restaurant frequently to get a crepe or a smoothie. Sandi Luck (’15) at Bully Brew Coffee has been an amazing mentor and sometimes we’ll sell coffee and crepes together.”

THE CUSTOMERS Warren’s customers include downtown professionals on their lunch break, as well as the late-night college-age crowd. French Taste's hours are 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday and 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.

THE JOYS

“Once, a fraternity at UND invited us to serve crepes on campus. It’s really fun to share our authentic French culture with students on campus and put a smile on their faces. And of course, we told them to have a crepe day!”

ADVICE Warren advises aspiring entrepreneurs to conduct careful research before starting their business. “Make sure you have money saved up and are ready for the commitment. If you’re starting a food business, find someone you can share a kitchen with to start. Spread awareness, and then if it works out, you can start your own kitchen.”

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“The customers are definitely what brings me the most joy. I love educating people about the history and culture of crepes. It’s the experience we’re selling, not just the crepes.”

UND FOOD MEMORY

UND eats

food directory Find more restaurants and food products created by UND alumni-turned-food entrepreneurs who’ve made it their mission to bring joy to our taste buds. In addition to those featured in this story, here’s a sample of some food entrepreneurs featured on UND Eats:

REAL GOOD COOKIES Featuring a variety of half-pound cookies, this bakery will ship to you. Sarah Horak, ’08, ’12, ’21 Grand Forks

SULLIVAN’S EATERY & CREAMERY Retro eatery and ice cream shop serving homemade treats. Jerry Sullivan, ’66 Tucson, Ariz.

PECKINPAH Carolina-style BBQ with a Canadian twist. Tyson Reimer, ’92 Squamish, B.C.

from

MOLLY’S KITCHEN The hotdish on the cover of this issue comes directly from the kitchen of our newest honorary degree holder and Food Network television star, Molly Yeh. It’s adapted from Molly’s Spinach & Artichoke Chicken & Biscuits, which you can find on her blog at mynameisyeh.com, along with a more traditional tater tot hotdish recipe. As she said in a blog post: “Tater tot hotdish is quintessential comfort food ... it’s a staple at potlucks and you’re not a Minnesotan until you can properly apply a layer of tater tots to a 9 x 13 casserole dish of creamed soup.”

SPINACH & ARTICHOKE CHICKEN & BISCUITS makes 8 individual servings

ingredients 3 tb unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped Kosher salt 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 c (33g) all-purpose flour 2 c (472g) 2% or whole milk 2 tsp chicken soup bouillon (just the bouillon itself, not diluted in water) 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thigh or breast, chopped into 1/2”-3/4” pieces 1/2 tsp dried thyme Black pepper

VISIT US ONLINE

1 (8 oz) block light cream cheese

Check out restaurants near you and tell us about more UND alumni food entrepreneurs.

1 (10 oz) block frozen spinach, thawed and drained

UNDalumni.org/UND-eats.

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1 (14 oz) can artichokes, drained and chopped Hot sauce 8 store-bought flaky buttermilk biscuits (or homemade biscuits)

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Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a splash of water

Flaky salt, for sprinkling

TAT

RTICHOKE C A & H C HICK PS INA EN

ER T OT HOTDISH

food programs

on campus directions

Preheat the oven to 400ºf. In a large skillet or pot set over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the flour so that it gets evenly distributed and cook for an additional minute (it’s ok if the pan looks dry at this point). Add half the milk, stirring continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon until thickened, and then repeat with the other half of the milk. You’ll know it’s thick enough if it coats the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the chicken soup bouillon and then add the chicken, thyme, and a few turns of pepper and simmer, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Add the cream cheese, spinach, artichokes, parsley, a few good shakes of hot sauce, and a few turns of black pepper. Stir until the cream cheese is melted. Taste and adjust as desired. Divide into eight 8-oz oven-safe ramekins or foil containers and top each with a biscuit (squish the biscuits a little bit so that they’re wide enough to cover the whole top). Brush the tops of the biscuits with egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper and flaky salt. Place on a baking sheet (in case any of the mixture overflows) and bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top; begin checking for doneness at 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

CENTER FOR INNOVATION FOOD INCUBATOR

The Center for Innovation (CFI) Food Incubator helps foodbased entrepreneurs advance their business ideas. How it works: When a student or budding business become a food incubator tenant, they receive: •

Access to a commercial kitchen within the Gorecki Alumni Center to develop ideas and test recipes

•

Assistance and business coaching to launch their business at an affordable price

Learn more about becoming a tenant by emailing info@innovators.net.

DEGREE ANY

LOCATION

BUSINESS FOOD-BASED INNOVATION.

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4200 JAMES RAY DRIVE GRAND FORKS, ND

She faced the music and

turned on the juice

How launching a successful juice startup helped a Nashville singer/songwriter leave the road behind. Celeste Krenz, ’90, has always done things on her own terms. When she was finding success as a singer/songwriter,

she eschewed the record labels that wanted to sign her to contracts she believed would stifle, rather than nurture, her career, so she often acted as her own promoter, booker, and manager. In a career that spanned more than 20 years, Celeste shared the stage with LeAnn Rimes, Hall and Oates, and many others while also filling venues as a headliner. She released 10 albums, with her second, “Slow Burning Flame,” rising to No. 11 on Gavin’s Americana music chart in 1994. But that music career is essentially behind her now. A decade ago, Celeste found the pull of home and family winning out over touring and love of performance after a conversation with her son, Sam. On his 9th birthday, Sam asked how long his mom had known him. She replied that she had, of course, known him his entire life. Sam, however, said the correct answer was four-and-a-half years since “you’re away from home half the time.”

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“It was just like a stab in the heart,” says Celeste. “And at that point, I was just like, yeah, you know, I want to spend my precious time with my kid and maybe find a life partner that I love, and maybe wake up in the same place a month in a row … I hadn’t done that since I was probably 22. I’d been touring anywhere from 150 to 250 days a year.”

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Taking the exit

What does a driven performer do that gives them the same thrill as the road? In Celeste’s case, she found a business to pour her energy into. In 2011, newly married, she and her husband, Bill Feehely, along with a family friend, were discussing the lack of fresh juice options in the city of Nashville. Celeste had lived several years in Denver where juice bars and vegan/vegetarian restaurants were plentiful. The conversation led them to purchase a small juice bar in a Nashville-area YMCA and The Urban Juicer was born. A stand-alone Music City store soon opened. “It was perfect timing. With no advertising, it was a line around the block and parking jams, so we knew there was a real desire for it.” Now, there are six locations around town and the first Urban Juicer outside Nashville operates in the Pittsburgh airport with more airport locations to come.

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In addition to smoothies and juices, The Urban Juicer also offers acai bowls, wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads. The company prides itself on its fresh ingredients. In its shops, fresh fruits and vegetables are juiced when a customer places an order. The company also sells bottled cold-press juices, which are created in a hydraulic press that applies thousands of pounds of pressure without the use of heat to extract all the enzymes and nutrients possible.

Cold-press juices like the Flu Shot Booster are made with ginger, lemon, cayenne, garlic, alkaline water and honey. The Well Being, The Urban Juicer’s most popular drink, contains apple, cucumber, spinach, kale, ginger, and lemon. “This one juice – between our fresh juices, our bottled juices, and our smoothies – accounts for about 38% of our total sales for the whole company.”

SQUEEZING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE

Scan with your phone’s camera app to see a video tour of an Urban Juicer store and hear how Celeste approaches each day with purpose. youtube.com/UNDalumni

A new definition

“For so many years, if you would ask me, ‘Are you ever going to not be a music artist?’ I would almost cry. That’s who I am. Who am I without that? And then I was able to separate from that and realize creativity is not just music. It’s finding things in life that make the world better ...”

The process of creating recipes helped Celeste make a break from the only life she’d ever known. “For so many years, if you would ask me, ‘Are you ever going to not be a music artist?’ I would almost cry. That’s who I am. Who am I without that? And then I was able to separate from that and realize creativity is not just music. It’s finding things in life that make the world better, creating community and jobs and in this case coming up with a beautiful wellness company and yes, an amazing new smoothie or juice. It’s coming up with something that’s nurturing and yummy.” Creativity is not the only parallel Celeste draws between music and running a juice company. She says assembling the right team of workers is like putting a band together: can they play to their strengths and consistently create magic for their customers? The answer for The Urban Juicer is yes; it has been named the best juice company in Nashville three years in a row. Celeste changed her major multiple times during the seven years it took her to earn a degree in Communications from UND. Though she pursued music as a career, she says her time at UND taught her how to market herself and she did graphic design work as a side job while touring. That has come in handy as she’s transitioned into business ownership. “I can mock something up in Photoshop and hand it off to a graphic designer and say, ‘Just fix this and make it great.’”

Music misgivings?

Ask Celeste if she has any regrets about leaving music behind and she’ll tell you she loves her current life and lives with no misgivings. “If I had not followed my passion for music and chosen a safer job, that would have been a box for me. But there’s no box here. I’m happy.”

A note from the author

Milo Smith is the UND Alumni Association & Foundation’s Senior Director of Public Relations & Videography. He has been a mainstay of this magazine since 2010.

UNDalumni.org/magazine

When I interviewed Celeste, a Williston, North Dakota, native, in 2011 for a music-themed issue of this magazine, Celeste told me the highlight of her music career was that she had done it and that it was more about the journey than any one moment in time. When I reminded her of the quote and asked if it applied to this endeavor, she was emotional. “Absolutely. That makes we want to cry because that is exactly how I feel about everything. I’m just loving working with the people here. I love the work I do.”

S U M ME R T IM E

FLYOVER UNDalumni.org/magazine

The English Coulee winds its way through the UND campus, around the Adelphi Fountain and Hopper Danley chapel. The Hughes Fine Arts Center and Chester Fritz Auditorium can be seen in the background.

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2022 UNIVERS

ITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

O C M E ING M O H EST. 1883

Tuesday, September 27 ● Blood Drive

● UND Spirit Day

● Greek Carnival

● Nistler College of Business & Public Administration Grand Opening Celebration

Wednesday, September 28 ● Hawks Hour, Bonzers ● Pep Rally, Downtown Grand Forks

Thursday, September 29

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● Banquet honoring the 2022 recipients of the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership and the Young Alumni Achievement Award

Friday, September 30

● UND Athletics Hall of Fame

Saturday, October 1 ● Homecoming Parade ● Football Tailgate Village ● UND Football vs. Missouri State ● UND Hockey vs. Manitoba (Exh.)

UNDalumni.org/homecoming

Alumni HONORS

The Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership is the highest honor given by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation for achievement, service and loyalty. Since its inception in 1962, this distinguished award has been presented to leaders in government and business, high achievers in various professions and alumni who have dedicated their lives in service to others. The Young Alumni Achievement recipients are role models for those who follow them on campus, as they prove that success can come to those with focus, drive and a willingness to work hard. This year’s Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership honorees are: ● Jody (Varberg) Feragen, ’78 ● Jack Marcil, ’63, ’68 ● Mark Sanford, ’66, ’76 ● Sarah Vogel, ’67 This year’s Young Alumni Achievement Award winners are: ● Meghan Compton, ’06, ’10 ● Paul Sallach, ’03 Read their stories on the pages that follow.

This year’s awards banquet will be held on Thursday, September 29, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. UNDalumni.org/sioux-awards

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LEARN MORE

HONORING OUR 2022 RECIPIENTS

JODY

FERAGEN

1978 accounting graduate built a finance career taking a seat at the table to give others the same opportunity.

Fresh out of UND’s accounting program, Jody (Varberg) Feragen, ’78, found herself outnumbered. Only a handful of women worked at the large, Minneapolis accounting firm where she landed her first job.

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“As a female accountant back then, it was harder to have a family,” said Jody, who stayed home for six years to raise daughters Kari and Kelsey. “Our profession has made accommodations to help young women today have a better work/life balance.”

“It was very rewarding,” said Jody, whose sound financial decisions, acquisitions and good investments also contributed to the company’s growth. “I look at what the company looks like today and it’s much changed since 2000 when I started as the only woman officer. I’m proud to have been part of it.” Jody’s experience being one of few woman around the table began at UND. She planned to major in English when her academic advisor, Rodney Medalen, said, “You know, they’re looking for more women in accounting.” She took the challenge.

After building a career in private industry, Jody was hired as treasurer at Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin, Minnesota. She was the first woman to hold an officer position, a deliberate move from executives who wanted to create change in company look and culture.

In a UND accounting class, she met her husband, Duane, ’78. The two would get together with friends at Frenchy’s, a popular bar close to campus at the time, to do their corporate income tax homework. Now, the couple is funding a patio outside the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration for students to gather and study.

“So many times, I was the only woman around a table to give a point of view,” Jody recalled. But her perspective was welcomed and, after being promoted to Chief Financial Officer, she worked in tandem with Hormel’s CEO to improve equity and inclusion before retiring in 2017.

“We’ve thought about how to make the biggest impact, and that is to help others be successful,” said Jody. The two also established the Jody and Duane Feragen Student Scholarship Endowment in 2010 that has awarded a scholarship to 32 students.

Jody’s work led to Hormel receiving such honors as a 2021 Forbes World’s Top Female-Friendly Company, Best for Vets in 2020, and 2018 Best Places to work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign.

Jody gave of her time and expertise serving on the UNDAAF’s Board of Directors from 2009-2018, two of those years as board chair. She ran tight meetings and drove the board in decision-making efficiency and fiscal responsibility.

“The access the Foundation board has to senior leadership of the University … made it easier to do the ask when you’re looking to fund projects,” said Jody, who has also served as a board member with Patterson Companies, Inc., Graco Inc., and Girl Scouts of the USA.

WE’VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT, AND THAT IS TO HELP OTHERS BE SUCCESSFUL. Although she’s straightforward talking finance, Jody was at a loss for words when informed of her Sioux Award for Distinguished Service & Achievement. At first, the unassuming, first-generation college student who grew up on a farm in Deering, North Dakota, was reluctant to accept the honor. “I don’t like to toot my own horn, and I’d rather not be in the spotlight,” Jody said, but Duane helped change her mindset. She now considers accepting the award as her responsibility – another way to give back to the University that taught her that being outnumbered is not always a bad thing.

J A CK

MARCIL

Longtime attorney and anchor of support for UND School of Law takes pride in seeing the impact of his gifts.

Jack Marcil, ’63, ’68, is an anchor for the UND School of Law, faithfully supporting the school and its students for the past 41 years. Now, he gets to see the fruits of his labor by working alongside the very students he’s helped throughout the years. “I professionally run into great lawyers all the time who tell me that they received my scholarship. I’ve actually met 30 out of 36 of my scholarship recipients, which is extremely special to me. The only reason I didn’t meet six of them was because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I hope to run into them professionally as well,” Jack said. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1963 after serving as president of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and training in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) during his time at UND. Jack served as a lieutenant in the Army during the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and was surprised when he was asked to prosecute special court martial cases, having had no prior experience practicing law.

FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

Upon graduating from the UND School of Law, Jack served as an Assistant Attorney General. He landed a job with Serkland Law Firm in Fargo in 1969, where he still serves as a trial lawyer, arbitrator and mediator. He has mediated over 3,500 cases throughout his career, 95% of which were settled before going to trial. Jack’s positive experiences at UND compelled him to give back. He has been featured in several articles about his diverse giving strategies, impacting our University far beyond the School of Law.

(THE UND SCHOOL OF LAW HAS) BEEN GOOD TO ME, AND I AM SO PROUD TO GIVE BACK. Jack has provided over $1 million to UND Law, helping develop programs, buildings and student scholarships while supporting priority needs of the college. He has given to his fraternity, UND Athletics and Giving Hearts Day, among other initiatives.

Along with his financial support, Jack is a mentor in the classroom, frequently stepping in as a guest lecturer or judging a mock jury case for law students. “I’ve always prioritized teaching because it’s important for me to educate others. We all need to educate each other,” he said. UND pride also runs deep with Jack’s brother, William Marcil, ’58, ’08, who received the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership in 1990. He too has been a stronghold for UND, generously impacting priority needs throughout the years. Now, Jack is thrilled to also be presented with the award. “I’m so honored to receive this award. I hope that I can inspire other lawyers to give back. I feel so strongly about the law school. It’s been good to me, and I am so proud to give back,” Jack said. Jack’s name has been nobly displayed across walls in the UND School of Law – a well-deserved honor for a steadfast anchor of support.

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“Back then, you didn’t need to be a lawyer to prosecute those type of cases. Through that experience I found out that I loved being in the courtroom and decided to go to law school. I’m so happy that the Army led

me into a career that I love and have been doing for the past 54 years,” he said.

HONORING OUR 2022 RECIPIENTS

MARK

SANFORD

North Dakota legislator reflects on a lifetime of service to his community and impact on K-12 education.

Back home in Watford City, North Dakota, Mark Sanford’s grandmother advocated education to her family. “I got the message from grandma at a very young age: ‘You got to go to college, Mark. And you could be a preacher, or a teacher or a doctor.’” Armed with a love for math, he chose the path that would lead him to become a teacher. That quest for greater knowledge grew into a life dedicated to K-12 education and community for Mark, ’66, ’76. The longtime academic administrator served nearly three decades as superintendent of Grand Forks schools, providing a beacon of support through the Flood of 1997, implementing a progressive middle school model, and leading the creation of a new school district for Grand Forks Air Force Base.

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Today, as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, Sanford reflects on a life motto that was instilled in him early and he carries with him today: “You don’t get excellence if you don’t expect it.”

It was a lesson learned by example, starting with his first job after earning his bachelor’s degree in math from Minot State University, when the administration of Stanley (N.D.) High School set him on his path. As a teacher and coach who quickly moved up the ladder to superintendent, he spent the

first years of his career in Stanley and Minot, where 50 years ago he helped build Magic City Campus. There, he initiated the latest educational advances that gave students more control over their education. They included empowering students to run the school store, implementing a quarter system that allowed them to choose a more relevant variety of courses, and allowing students and teachers to work together to create individualized curricula.

The experience pulled him to Grand Forks permanently, and he continued to lean on the principles, philosophies, and research he learned at UND, instituting the middle school model for Grand Forks schools. “The research was very clear that for that age of students, the most successful model – not really used that much in the country and not at all in North Dakota at the time – was middle school rather than junior high school,” Mark said.

IF I’VE DONE SOME THINGS RIGHT, IT REALLY COMES BACK TO WORKING WITH GOOD PEOPLE AND GOOD COMMUNITIES.

In 1997, when the historic flood inundated Grand Forks, Mark was at the helm to guide the district’s 1,400 employees through the most trying time in most of their lives. After the flood, 22 buildings in the district were damaged, and five were total losses. “The way the people of the school district responded was just phenomenal,” Sanford said. Starting from scratch, the district rebuilt.

When he came to Grand Forks to attain his doctoral degree, Mark found himself under the leadership of Dean Vito Perrone in the New School of Behavioral Studies in Education (now called the College of Education & Human Development). “All research under Dr. Perrone started with high expectations,” Mark said. “It was a national laboratory of change for education, especially K-12.”

Mark retired in 2007, and in 2011 was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives. He has chaired the Higher Education Committee since 2013. “I was fortunate – I grew up in a great community and worked in three great communities that were highly supportive of their schools and individuals,” Mark said. “I’m very thankful for what the higher ed system has done for me.”

SARAH

VOGEL

Attorney, activist, politician, writer: UND grad says her liberal arts degree was the basis for her many accomplishments.

Sarah Vogel, ’67, remembers attending the UND Writers Conference in the 1980s as a reprieve from the long hours she was spending on a class action lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of farmers. “It was like oxygen,” Sarah said. Never would she imagine that she’d be a featured author at the 2022 Writers Conference after publishing a book on her fight to save the family farm titled “The Farmer’s Lawyer.” “For me to be invited is just such a thrill. I’m happy and honored.” Sarah’s book documents the case she took on as a young lawyer and single mother whose clients could rarely afford to pay her. The book’s jacket includes a blurb from singer and farm activist Willie Nelson that reads, “Sarah Vogel and I share an ornery persistence in the face of bullies. … Sarah’s story, told in her unique voice, inspires me – and I’m sure it will inspire you – to fight for family farmers.”

FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

The case was a classic David versus Goliath tale. During a farm economic crisis in the early 1980s, farmers were being foreclosed upon and having their assets seized before they could even file an appeal. The Goliath in this scenario was not a bank, but the federal government and a program that was supposed to aid farmers. The book not only documents the courtroom machinations of the case, but also Sarah’s struggles as a young lawyer with no courtroom experience. Sarah found inspiration in her family tree: her grandfather, Frank Vogel, was active in the Nonpartisan League in the ’20s and ’30s and was a trusted advisor to Gov. Bill Langer. Her father, Robert, was a prominent attorney who served as U.S. Attorney and on the North Dakota Supreme Court. Her NPL roots led her to focus on political science classes as part of the Honors Program at UND in the 1960s before earning a law degree from New York University. In addition to winning Coleman v. Block, Sarah is notable for being the first woman in U.S. history to be elected as a state Commissioner of Agriculture. She served two terms from 1989 to 1997.

Sarah calls UND the “ultimate liberal arts university” and credits that background for her successful career. She says it is “extremely moving” to receive the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership from her alma mater. “I’m really grateful to the University for the support over the years and for the wonderful work it is doing. My time at UND was extremely helpful, even when I was Commissioner of Agriculture, because of the history and the knowledge and the skills that I had [thanks to her UND degree].”

I WROTE (THE FARMER’S LAWYER) BECAUSE I FELT THAT IF THERE WAS ANOTHER FARM DEPRESSION, I WANTED PEOPLE TO BE THINKING ABOUT THE LESSONS OF THE PAST.

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Sarah, who would – spoiler alert – go on to win the case against the USDA’s Farmers Home Administration, did not plan on writing a book about Coleman v. Block. But she got tired of waiting for a historian to tackle the story.

“So, I realized it would have to be me,” she says. “I spent years trying to clear the deck so that I would have time to do it. I wrote it because I felt that if there was another farm depression – and they come in cycles, every 50 years, now maybe less – I wanted people to be thinking about the lessons of the past.”

HONORING OUR 2022 RECIPIENTS

YOUNG A L U M NI A CHIE V E M E N T

MEGHAN COMPTON Alumna makes an impact in good company while showcasing the value of hard work.

Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient Meghan Compton had a gut feeling her local hospital was where she belonged. The only problem? They didn’t have a role for her yet. Meghan, ’06, ’10, began her unconventional journey into healthcare at the University of Colorado but soon felt it wasn’t the right place for her, so she returned to her hometown university. “I resisted the idea of going to UND because (Grand Forks) was where I grew up,” she said. “But in the end, it ended up being exactly where I should have been.” Double majoring in philosophy and communication, Meghan credits her degree in philosophy as leading her to law school. Her first philosophy class was an elective course, but her professor challenged Meghan to a new way of thinking. From that point, she knew she wanted to be challenged that way her whole career.

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Upon the advice of her grandfather, Robert McConn, ’57, Meghan chose to attend the UND School of Law.

malpractice and health law. This was where she could see herself making the impact she set out to make in college. But the local health system, Altru, did not have an in-house counsel on staff and didn’t plan to hire one. After expressing her interest to work for the local healthcare system, Altru encouraged her to apply for a patient safety coordinator position. It would mean a complete divergence

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ALL OF US HAVE UNIQUE GIFTS... WE MUST GIVE OUR GIFTS, TO MAKE EVERY DAY A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THE DAY BEFORE.

“I wanted to make a thoughtful impact where I could support people who needed the help, and a path through law school felt like the most natural fit for me.”

from her intended career path, but her gut told her it was the right move. She took the position, moving from a downtown office with a view to a shared office in the middle of the hospital. She was determined to fulfill her vision of making an impact.

Meghan went on to work for a local law firm, where she discovered an interest in medical

Meghan went to work, learning everything she could from her coworkers. Meghan challenged

herself, taking on new responsibilities others would have thought her unqualified for. With each new responsibility came a new role and a new title. She went from patient safety coordinator to risk manager, and in 2016 she was named Altru Health System’s Chief Legal Counsel. She now serves as the Chief Clinic Operations Officer, leading the legal team, outpatient and regional operations, and people resources. Meghan credits her experiences at UND, mentors and the “good company” of her fellow employees in helping her achieve her goal. “Altru has given me the chance to do a lot of really fun things and work with people all over the organization, which fills my cup and is helping me achieve my goal of making an impact.” Meghan’s impact reaches outside the hospital with volunteer work on the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation Board, the Grand Forks Chamber, and Grand Forks Foundation for Education board. “I firmly believe that all of us have unique gifts. Our purpose is not to hang on to those gifts. We must give our gifts, to make every day a little bit better than the day before. And the only way to do that is to give back.”

YOUNG A L U MNI A CHIE V E M E N T

PAUL SALLACH

2003 UND graduate has found success growing a full-service aviation company in Las Vegas.

In the short time since Paul, ’03, and Lindsay (Henke) Sallach, ’05, were featured in the spring 2021 issue of this magazine, their Las Vegas business, All In Aviation, has grown twofold. “We are up something like 38 percent year over year,” says Paul. “It’s been absolutely gangbusters. Since we spoke last year, we’ve doubled the number of airplanes that we have and I have 25 people on the payroll right now.” All In Aviation offers flight training, pilot certifications, aircraft rentals and sells airplanes. The company also was a partner in a 26-hangar development at the Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas. The development was a major undertaking that gave Paul and Lindsay some concerns when the project, started in 2018, was finished in the middle of the pandemic. In reality, the storage hangars turned out to be a hot commodity. “I wish I would have built more hangars. We currently have a multi-year waitlist.”

FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

All In Aviation caters to two main types of customers: career-oriented and recreational. Career-oriented customers want to learn to fly and eventually become commercial or corporate pilots. Recreational pilots are those who want to fly as a hobby. It was those recreational clients who came out of the woodwork during the pandemic because they suddenly had a lot of time on their hands to pursue their bucket lists. Sometimes, those hobby flyers get hooked and buy their own aircraft, which bolsters the sales side of the business.

IT’S A BIG DEAL TO ME. I’M VERY PROUD TO BE FROM UND. While they initially used luxury Cirrus aircraft exclusively for their flight training, they purchased two Cessna 172s from UND in September 2020 to offer a lower cost alternative for wannabe pilots. Given their love for UND, they decided to leave the planes Kelly green in honor of the place where they learned to fly and first met. Since then, they’ve purchased another Cessna from their alma mater.

A 2021 article in this magazine highlighted that Paul had recently been selected as the 2020 U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Person of the Year for Nevada. He’d also been named to Vegas Inc’s 40 Under 40 list, an honor that goes to the Las Vegas region’s 40 most promising and prominent professionals under the age of 40. Now, his alma mater is honoring him with its Young Alumni Achievement Award. “It’s a big deal to me,” said Paul. “I’m very proud to be from UND. It’s an honor to be recognized and I’m really excited [for Homecoming]. I think we have 40 to 50 people coming from all over the country to celebrate with us!” Paul came to UND from Pennsylvania. He landed in Grand Forks after researching the best aviation schools with the most reasonable costs. He first met Lindsay when he was her flight instructor. The two started dating a year later. Both were working for Cirrus Aircraft (based in Duluth with a plant in Grand Forks) when they moved to Las Vegas in early 2009 to work in pre-owned aircraft sales. They began offering flight training as a way to bolster their sales and launched All In Aviation in 2016.

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Paul says while inflation and the cost of fuel is concerning, there is also a major worldwide pilot shortage, so even though it’s more expensive, there’s a ton of demand for learning how to fly.

“We’re in a good spot.”

UN D

ATHLETICS S T UDE N T- AT H L E T E

SPOTLIGHT Sapir Sela, ’21 Women’s tennis

Current Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida Area of Study: Communication (Class of 2021); now pursuing a joint Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor Her scholarships: Valley Dairy Stores Diamond Club Scholarship; Glenn & Mary Geiger Law Scholarship. “I am very grateful and appreciative to be a scholarship recipient. Thanks to my scholarships, I am able to pursue my dreams and accomplish my goals,” she said. Why UND? “I talked to several teams around the country and the UND athletics staff was the most helpful, cooperative, and communicative. I came to UND in January 2020 for a school visit and the atmosphere, people, sports, campus, tennis facility, and the small-town vibe was everything I had been looking for. I was craving a unique college experience and that’s what I have at UND!” Her dream for the future: Become the first Israeli-American Justice for the Supreme Court of the United States. Favorite spot in Grand Forks: Tea & Crepe Café Proudest moments: Being named 2021 Summit League Newcomer of the Year; beating some of the country’s top college tennis players; achieving a top-20 GPA in her 1L law school class; and singing the National Anthem in front of thousands of people before a UND Football game.

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In her free time, Sapir: Composes, sings, and performs music on her guitar, piano, ukulele, and drums.

“I ENJOY THE CHALLENGES OF PLAYING TENNIS WHILE IN LAW SCHOOL; I GET TO COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MY FAVORITE SPORT, STAY IN SHAPE, AND TRAVEL, ALL WHILE PREPARING FOR MY FUTURE LEGAL CAREER.”

WALETZKO

DR A F T E D BY T HE D A L L A S CO W BOY S Red Jarrett Male Athlete of the Year anchored UND’s offensive line. UND offensive lineman Matt Waletzko was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round (155th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Waletzko became the first Fighting Hawk drafted since former wide receiver Kenny Golladay was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Cold Spring, Minn., native is the first four-year player and offensive lineman selected since Chris Kuper in the fifth round in 2006 by the Denver Broncos.

of physical talent and high character will allow him to reach his potential in the NFL,” UND’s offensive coordinator Danny Freund said. “Matt is a hardworking, loyal and caring person who has been a great representative of our football program and university.”

“MATT EXEMPLIFIED ALL THE THINGS THAT REPRESENT NORTH DAKOTA FOOTBALL.”

Waletzko started in 10 of UND’s 11 games in 2021, missing the final contest due to an injury suffered in the penultimate tilt. When he was on the field, he anchored an offensive line that topped the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in sacks allowed (3) and led the Missouri Valley Conference (MVFC) in fewest negative plays allowed (5).

JOE PAWLAK OFFENSIVE LINE COACH “We are confident that Matt will continue to thrive at the highest level. His combination

His standout senior season helped Waletzko earn AllMVFC First Team honors, All-America status from five different publications and invitations to the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. After a sensational junior season, Waletzko was listed high on many post-season watchlists coming into 2021,

being one of seven offensive lineman and one of 43 total offensive tackles listed to the 2022 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Watchlist. He also was on the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist and named a team captain for the 2021 season. “In the three seasons I was around Matt, I was fortunate to witness how he prepared and focused when he wasn’t playing, how he took advantage of his opportunity when he did play, how his leadership, work ethic, competitiveness, drive and willingness to sacrifice for the team made everyone around him better,” offensive line coach Joe Pawlak said. “I will always love Matt for what he did to our position room and the relationship I built with him. I know he will do great things for the Dallas Cowboys; he is a great person and one of the greatest of all time at the University of North Dakota.”

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“Matt means so much to our football program,” head coach Bubba Schweigert said. “He arrived with a mindset to improve every day and excelled both on the field and in the classroom. He displayed a high level of discipline to change his body through proper training along with eating habits to maximize his physical development. He became a top leader on the team and was voted captain because of his commitment to excellence.”

In total, Waletzko is the 26th UND student-athlete to be drafted to the league and becomes the third North Dakota player on an active NFL roster, joining Kuper (offensive line coach, Minnesota Vikings) and Golladay (New York Giants).

CL A S S

NOTES

Updates from UND alumni around the world. Want to share news with your fellow alumni? Email your updates to AlumniMag@UNDalumni.net or mail them to 3501 University Ave Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202.

1969

1978

Jill (Simmons) Techel, ’69, was named Napa County (California) Woman of the Year.

Jacki (Knute) Omland, ’78, has retired after 44 years of teaching. Jacki received numerous awards during her career, including being selected as the South Dakota Teacher of the Year.

1970 David Kahl, ’68, ’70, received the 2021 Bemidji State University Professional Education Hall of Fame Award. Paul C. Simonson, ’70, ’72, has retired after 49 years in human resources, the last 46 years as VP of HR at Trinity Health in Minot, N.D.

1975 Dr. Wayne Anderson, ’75, ’78, ’80, was named 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Provider for North Dakota. He is chief medical officer and general surgeon at CHI St. Alexius Heath in Williston.

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1979 Steve Sitter, ’79, retired after 34 years as a B-747 captain for American Airlines. He lives in Lake Geneva, Wis. Leslie Beiers, ’80, ’83, was named Chief Judge of Minnesota’s sixth judicial district.

1981

1977

Phil Gisi, ’82, was named co-chair of the UND Center for Innovation board. He is CEO and co-founder of Edgewood Management Group in Grand Forks.

Glenn Schuster, ’77, retired from Cummins Sales and Services after 37 years. He resides in St. Paul, Minn., with his wife, Jane.

1988

1991

Anna Frissell, ’85, has retired from the Red River Children’s Advocacy Center after 16 years of service.

Laura (McConnell) Brekken, ’88, retired after teaching for 34 years at Fisher (Minnesota) Public School.

Denise (Bratcher) Bervig, ’91, was selected as the 2021 North Dakota State History Teacher of the Year. She has taught at Williston High School for 26 years and counting.

Dale Lennon, ’85, is the executive director of the State Historical Society Foundation of North Dakota. Tom Woods, ’85, has retired from teaching at Central Elementary School in Worthington, Minn.

1986 Brig. Gen. Joane Mathews, ’86, has retired after 36 years of military service. She was the first female Native American general officer in the U.S. Army National Guard.

1987 Dr. Jon Dangerfield, ’87, ’92, was elected to faculty membership of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He is chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Sanford Health in Fargo.

Steve Larson, ’88, has been hired as chief credit officer at Gate City Bank. He lives in Cormorant, Minnesota.

1990 Paul Noot, ’90, and his father, Dakota Noot, had their art exhibition, “Father & Son: The Beast Within Us,” presented by the North Dakota Art Gallery Association, at the MonDak Heritage Center in Sidney, Mont. Brenda (Hochhalter) Stallman, ’90, was recognized for 30 years of service by the Traill County (N.D.) Health Board. She is the Traill District Health Unit director.

1980

Neil Gulsvig, ’75, was elected to serve as chair of the Sanford Health Board of Trustees. He is a co-founder of Align and ActivLife, software firms focused on the senior care profession. Julie (Anderson) Ferry, ’77, ’11, retired after 30 years of service with the Nelson Griggs District Health Unit, and received the North Dakota Public Health Association Outstanding Service Award for 2022.

Larry Wall, ’78, is the research center executive director of the Center for Financial Innovation and Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

1985

F IN D T H E F L A M E

Jeff Wanek, ’81, joined the staff of the North Dakota Community Foundation as an accountant.

Douglas G. Webster, ’83, will serve as the deputy executive director for operations at Los Angeles World Airports.

1984 Lisa (Ellinger) Ward, ’84, is vice president of communications for the Association of Dental Support Organizations.

1993 James Bervig, ’93, was elected to the Williston (N.D.) City Commission. James’s mother, Denise, was the first and only female mayor of Williston.

1994 Dr. Lance Behm, ’94, has retired from Dakota Kids Dentistry in Minot, N.D.

1995 Sara (Kloster) Bjerke, ’95, was inducted into the North Dakota Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame. Bjerke is the third athletic trainer from UND to be inducted and the first female. Nick Chase, ’95, was appointed to a judgeship in North Dakota’s East Central Judicial District. He had been serving as the state’s interim U.S. Attorney.

1982

1983

Timothy Martin, ’91, studies beekeeping at Western Connecticut State University and translates his research into a Beekeeping Club at Stamford High School, where he teaches science.

Paul Fry, ’89, ’95, was named Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative’s new CEO. Find the Flame contest was a tough one, but three lucky alumni – Nancy Hoffman, ’92, ’06; Nichole Arn, ’19; and Rodney McKinney, ’72 – were drawn from the correct entries to win our brand new prize pack! They found the flame hidden on Robin Hall on the third panel up from the controller. Have you found the flame hidden on the cover of this issue? If so, email AlumniMag@UNDalumni.net for your chance to win something fun.

1996 Stephanie (Smyithe) Mathews, ’96, is the new senior vice president of compliance & audit at TruStar Federal Credit Union, headquartered in International Falls, Minn.

1997 Cory Fleck, ’97, was hired as the varsity girls basketball coach for Williston (N.D.) High School.

A L U M NI IN A C T ION

BACK TO HER ROOTS ELISABETH KOLB, ’22

Jamie (Johnson) Maier, ’97, received the Penny Reed for Excellence in Assistive Technology Innovation and Leadership Award from the Oregon Technology Access Program. She is the assistive technology specialist for the Tigard Tualatin School District in Portland.

1998

Elisabeth Kolb, ’22, will head back to her birthplace of Bavaria, Germany, this fall as a Fulbright Scholar. As part of the immersive 10-month experience, the UND Biology and German Studies graduate who plans to attend medical school will help German educators teach their students English. “I just couldn’t believe I got it. I’m still reeling and letting it all sink in,” she said. Elisabeth said the prestigious scholarship lifted a weight off her shoulders. She hadn’t intended to start medical school immediately after graduation, but she knew she wanted to do something purposeful until she was accepted.

Both sets of her grandparents emigrated from Germany to America after World War II. They settled in a German-American community in Chicago, where her parents met and married. As a young couple, they dreamed of living in Germany,

Until she moved as a sixth-grader with her family to West Fargo, N.D., she was active in the German children’s choral tradition Kinderchor. She and her family traveled to Germany twice as she toured with the singing group. “This whole thing is such a blessing. I’ve always dreamed of going back to Germany,” Elisabeth said. “But I honestly didn’t know how I’d be able to make it work with a life in medicine.” Elisabeth’s mentor and Associate Professor Amanda Boyd, who also serves as UND’s director of German Studies, said she’s certain Elisabeth will be a great mentor to her own students in Germany. While giving her credit for keeping UND’s German Cooking Club alive during the pandemic, she said Elisabeth proved she knows how to get things organized and make learning fun. “She’s a born leader. She’s both passionate and compassionate, and she’s the type of leader who listens and takes other opinions into consideration. \\\

Daniel Bjerknes, ’01, was named regional president and CEO of Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, S.D.

2002 Dr. Kevin Buettner, ’02, ’04, ’07, ’13, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.

Troy Collings, ’98, was promoted to senior vice president, chief information officer at iMedia, headquartered in Minneapolis.

Kelly (Crammer) Madzey, ’02, ’05, was named chief assistant prosecuting attorney of the juvenile division of the Montgomery County (Ohio) Prosecutor’s Office in Dayton.

1999

2003

Joel Bird, ’99, was named to the Ameriprise Chairman’s Advisory Council. He is CEO of Legacy Financial Partners in Bismarck.

Joshua Baker, ’03, is director of the department of lifestyle medicine for St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho.

Jason Kirchmeier, ’99, was named to the 2022 Ameriprise Chairman’s Advisory Council. He’s a certified financial planner in Bismarck.

Kathryn (Hendrickson) Gray, ’04, is a physician assistant with IMA Healthcare in Fargo.

Tony Kvslevog, ’99, was inducted to the Bemidji (Minn.) High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Kvslevog played 121 games for UND hockey as a goaltender. Clint Link, ’99, was hired as the new North Branch (Minn.) Area High School Principal. Mathew Wallace, ’99, has been named executive director of the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks.

2000 David Schlafman, ’00, a private wealth advisor with Legacy Financial Partners in Bismarck, was named to the 2022 Ameriprise Chairman’s Advisory Council. Dr. Thomas Wyatt, ’00, was promoted to associate professor at Hennepin County (Minn.) Medical Center.

2004

Katy Hook, ’04, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. She is a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Brenda Ling, ’04, was selected as the Superintendent of Manzanar National Historic Site near Independence, Calif. Dustin Scott, ’04, was promoted to West Fargo Assistant City Administrator. Scott has worked with the city for 15 years.

2005 Bryan Kellerman, ’05, joined Bell Bank as vice president/commercial banker in Alexandria, Minn. Christopher Schaefer, ’05, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant for the North Dakota Highway Patrol. He will serve as a regional sergeant in the northeast region, stationed in Grand Forks.

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This trip will be meaningful in more ways than one. For Kolb, who has deep family roots in Germany, it will be a homecoming of sorts and a chance for her to grow and give thanks.

and that’s where Elisabeth was born in 2000. They returned to Chicago, where she continued to absorb the rich German culture.

2001

UN D A L U M NI A S S OCI AT ION & F OUN D AT ION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The UND Alumni Association & Foundation’s Board of Directors is composed of true philanthropists who’ve given their time, talent, and treasure to the University of North Dakota. They are elected every three years and serve maximum three-year terms.

From John Greetings from the UND Alumni Association & Foundation Board of Directors! Serving the board has been a great honor, as I have benefited immensely from my University of North Dakota experience and education. Because of that, I feel forever indebted to UND.

These directors began their term on July 1:

KELLY (KEELER) CARUSO, ’91 Former CEO, Shipt “My time at UND was foundational in setting me up for a global career. I am passionate about the opportunity to work with University leaders, the Alumni Association & Foundation, and fellow board members. I look forward to participating in the creation of a clear strategic vision and mission that will ensure students and staff continue to thrive.”

LARA (OLSEN) PROZINSKI, ’90 Teacher, Devils Lake (N.D.) High School “I’ve had a great love for UND ever since I was a little girl. My parents were UND grads and always stressed the importance of giving back to (my) high school, the University of North Dakota and my community. I’m thrilled and honored to be serving on the board. As an educator, I’m hoping to bring a unique perspective.”

Angie Freeman, ’91 Randy Gershman, ’84 Mike Hamerlik, ’84, ’88 Marten Hoekstra, ’82 Jonathan Holth Dr. Michael LeBeau, ’02 Rick Lee, ’78 Chuck MacFarlane,’87 Karen Phillips, ’77 Lara (Olsen) Prozinski, ’90 Jodi Rolland, ’92 Dave St. Peter, ’89 Pat Sogard, ’82, ’86

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TROY BADER, ’85

Karen Thingelstad, ’89 Kathryn Uhrich, ’86

President & CEO, International Dairy Queen Corp.

Chad Wachter

“My time at UND was formative in my life and instrumental to building many of the skills that have been important in my career. I feel fortunate for the opportunity to serve as a member of the UNDAAF Board in an effort to give back just a little of the value that the University provided to me.”

Andrew Armacost

In all my time serving the board, I am more excited than ever with the direction of this University. At a recent meeting, we heard from the dean of each college and school, as well as directors of other campus units such as the Center for Innovation and UND Athletics. Each of them faces challenges and opportunities specific to their areas, and each has a vision for meeting their needs through focused engagement and fundraising projects. The board was especially excited by the inclusiveness and diversity of those involved on the UND Strategic Plan Committee, who along with President Armacost are working diligently to develop our UND long-term strategic plan. I would like to welcome the three new board members who began their service on July 1: Troy Bader, Kelly Caruso and Lara Prozinski; and thank those who recently completed their three three-year terms: Doug Mark and Cindy Blikre. The UNDAAF Board of Directors remains focused on strengthening UND and providing the best opportunities for our students. We also remain committed to lessening the cost and debt burden of obtaining that education. Our board brings commitment, talent and a breadth of experiences focused on making a great University even better. Thanks to each of you who has given back to the University of North Dakota. Your gifts really do change lives.

Ex Officio Karla Mongeon-Stewart Dr. Joshua Wynne Eric Link Nancy Pederson, ’90 DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86

Dr. John Gray, ’87 Chair, UND Alumni Association & Foundation Board of Directors

2006 Dr. Teri (Sigurdson) Johnson, ’06, has joined Essentia Health Fargo Family Clinic.

2007 Jessica (Anderson) Beise, ’07, was appointed as the new city administrator for Corcoran, Minn. Leah (Ackerman) duCharme, ’07, was named Seventh District Court Judge for Minnesota, and is based in Moorhead.

2008 Jaqueline (Wiechmann) Cizek, ’08, was hired as Cuyuna (Minn.) Regional Medical Center’s scheduling manager. Weston Dressler, ’08, will become a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Plaza of Honour this fall. Nate Martindale, ’08, ’12, is the corporate council and external affairs officer at First International Bank & Trust in Bismarck.

2009 Kyle Wanner, ’09, executive director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, has been elected as secretary of the National Association of State Aviation Officials.

2010 Levi Andrist, ’10, was elected to the Starion Bank Board of Directors. He is a Bismarck attorney and shareholder at GA Group, PC. Jersey Benson, ’10, has been promoted to senior vice president of ag and commercial lending manager at First Western Bank & Trust in Minot, N.D.

Julie (Ohnstad) Lamb, ’10, was hired as senior vice president of retail banking at Ramsey National Bank in Devils Lake, N.D. Brady Pelton, ’10, ’17, is vice president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council and a lobbyist for the oil and gas industry.

2011 Brandon Heider, ’11, is market president at Frandsen Bank & Trust in East Grand Forks. Renae (Slater) Heider, ’11, ’19, is a nurse practitioner at Altru Health System. Meghan (Foster) Kjelhus, ’11, joined SMP Health St. Andrew’s Hospital as the director of physical therapy in Bottineau, N.D. Erik Martinson, ’11, was promoted to deputy sports director for UND Athletics.

2012 Melissa Burgess, ’12, associate director for student involvement at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, has earned the Legacy Leader Award from the Association of College Unions International. Melissa Wheeler, ’12, ’16, was one of only 10 Rising Graduate Scholars nationwide selected by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” She is pursuing her doctorate in counseling and school psychology education at Northern Arizona University.

2013

A L U M NI CO N N E C T IO N S

Amy (Kalina) Braddock, ’13, was named 2022-23 professional/licensed staff of the year by West Fargo Public School District. She is a special education teacher at Harwood (N.D.) Elementary School. Meggi (Ihland) Pelton, ’17, was honored with the first North Dakota Association for Justice Rising Star Award. She lives in Bismarck.

2014

TRI DELTS REUNITE

Michael Conlan, ’14, opened Flow Skate Shop in downtown Grand Forks. He’s also an adjunct sculpture instructor at UND.

Alumnae from the UND Delta Delta Delta sorority who graduated between 1969-72 held a reunion Feb. 10-13, 2022, in Tempe, Arizona.

Rachel DeHoogh, ’14, is a nurse practitioner at Essentia Health in Fargo specializing as a hospitalist. Tim Heise, ’14, completed the Hazardous Material/ Weapons of Mass Destruction Technician course at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness in Alabama. He is a firefighter at North Tooele Fire District and a 911 Dispatcher at Hill Air Force Base Fire & Emergency Services in Utah. Brad Loken, ’14, accepted the position of senior process engineer at the American Crystal Sugar Company’s East Grand Forks factory.

2015 Kyle Larson, ’15, is senior wealth investment advisor at Wilmingtion Trust in Buffalo, N.Y.

2016 Ali Church, ’16, was inducted into the Grand Forks Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame for her high school swimming career. Keaton Hanevold, ’16, has been promoted to engineering superintendent at American Crystal Sugar Company’s Crookston, Minn., factory.

THE TA SI G M A C H AP TER

Twenty-eight sisters spent the long weekend getting reacquainted, reminiscing about the special memories made at 2620 University Ave., enjoying Tempe restaurants and the Arizona sun poolside, singing, and making plans for future get-togethers. They were (back row, left to right) Betsy Olson Cipriano, ’70, Andrea DeGrootNesdahl, ’71, Jane Bodmer, ’69, Diane Greenwood, ’72, Paula (Tweten) Loendorf, ’70, Loretta (Smestad) Baumann, ’70, Mary Skorheim, ’71, Susan (Holt) Maas, ’70, Mary (Engebretson) Knudsen, ’71, Linda (Loyland) Olson,

’72, Sue (Wood) Bertsch, ’71, Diane Hedler, ’70, Vicki (Caulderwood) Hegebush, ’69; (middle row) Linda (Hill) Pladson, ’70, Rita (Olson) Sanders, ’70, Patricia (Gilmore) Bye, ’71, Pat (Fagerlund) Zupancich, ’70, Bev (Sitzer) Margerum, ’72, Barb Wyman, ’69, Mary (Flagler) Ihlan, ’71, (front row) Loie (Theel) Tupa, ’69, Lynn (Olson) Otterson, ’71, Peggy (Johnson) Lucke, ’72, Renee (Stenehjem) Lies, ’70, Becky (Geiger) Upsahl, ’70, and Pat (Gallagher) Goldsmith, ’70. Not pictured: Renee Egge Costa, ’72, and Peggy Tyler Undlin, ’72.

A L U M NI A U T H O R S Barb (Varberg) Solberg, ’69, ’72, ’07, published “What We Leave Behind,” a historical novel set during the Dust Bowl about an immigrant family that sends three of their daughters to Norway just as the Nazi party rises to power. Her book is based on the Solberg’s family history, retelling the lives of her grandmother and three aunts. Check out more great reads on our Alumni Authors spotlight at UNDalumni.org/authors.

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Leah (Vail) Benz, ’10, is taking over Morland Financial Services in Bowman, N.D., which was previously owned by Bob Morland, ’75.

Capt. Tymothy Boyle, ’10, ’11, 75th Ranger Regiment, along with teammate, Capt. Joshua Corson, took first place in the 38th annual David D. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga. The pair beat 50 other teams from across the Army to win the grueling annual three-day competition.

C A R E E R H O NOR

POPULAR PROFESSOR RETIRES AFTER 34 YEARS F R A N K W HI T E , ’8 8

2017

2019

Natalie Buck, ’17, was named volunteer coordinator at Rebuild Upstate in Greenville, S.C.

Bryse Asved, ’19, has joined Aaland Law Firm in Fargo as an associate attorney.

Josh Gratton, ’17, is the new president and owner of Popplers Music in Grand Forks.

Evan Holm, ’19, ’22, a defensive back for UND football, has signed with the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Alec Stocker Johnson, ’17, was promoted to associate athletic director for sports communication and content at UND Athletics. Kaley Mills, ’17, was selected as Bottineau (N.D.) County Teacher of the Year. Stephanie Morse, ’17, was named to Delta Zeta National Sorority’s 35 Under 35 list. She is a child welfare supervisor at Buffalo Bridges Human Service Zone in Jamestown, N.D. Nicole (Mears) Mullis, ’17, specializes in sleep medicine at Essentia Health-South University Clinic in Fargo.

Frank White, ’88, has spent the last 34 years teaching in the Sociology Department at UND, working with students in classes including Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Sociology of Sport, and Drugs and Society.

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Over the past 40 years, Frank has also taught at Lake Region State College, Grand Forks Air Force Base, Northland Community & Technical College, the University of Minnesota-Crookston, and American College of Norway in Moss, Norway.

Frank was named the UND Professor of the Year in 1997 and again in 2019. He has earned numerous teaching and service awards, including the Academic Advisor of the Year, Faculty Service-Learning Award, and the North Dakota Spirit Faculty Achievement Award. He was also named a Bush Teaching Scholar for his innovative work on classroom assessment. The UND Alumni Association & Foundation established the Professor Frank White Endowment Scholarship, and his philanthropic and community efforts have helped establish endowed academic scholarships at Mayville State University and Lake Region State College.

Frank continues to share his critical insights at numerous high schools, colleges, and community organizations. His research deals with the stigma, stereotypes, and misuse associated with the current opioid epidemic and other drugs of concern. He has been featured in interviews by USA Today, CBS News, the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times. The Department of Sociology and University of North Dakota wish Frank well in his retirement. His presence on campus will be sorely missed. \\\

FINAL LECTURE

From “wrong major” at the “wrong college” to two-time Professor of the Year, Frank White recounts his academic journey. blogs.UND.edu/UND-today

Lauren (Gonzalez) Rogers, ’17, was promoted to assistant professor and inducted into the Pensacola (Fla.) State College Academy of Teaching Excellence.

2018 Tamika Brekke, ’18, is the assistant volleyball coach at Kent State University in Ohio. Terry Effertz, ’18, joins Olson Effertz Lobbying & Consulting firm as a principal consultant in Bismarck, N.D. Deion Harris, ’18, signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Harris played for UND from 2014-18. Jacob Holmen, ’18, is the new head football coach at Minot (N.D.) High School.

Anthony Mondry, ’19, was hired as a reality capture coordinator at Kraus Anderson in Minneapolis.

2020 Ben Gates, ’20, director of Traill/Steele (N.D.) Emergency Management, completed the Emergence Program at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Caitlyn Meehan, ’20, joins Essentia Health Duluth (Minn.) Clinic as an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner specializing in urgent care. Tanner Sanders, ’20, joined Apex Engineering Group, working with the design and construction of water and municipal projects in western North Dakota.

2021 Katlynn Ellis, ’21, was hired as music teacher at May-Port CG (N.D.) School District. Holly (Lueth) Larson, ’21, was hired as the Valley Middle School associate principal in Grand Forks.

2022 Bennett Lystad, ’22, is employed by Vogel Law Firm of Fargo, where he lives with his wife, Alexa, and their two sons. Kaelan Reedy, ’22, was hired as the new executive director at Evolve Grand Forks. \\\

F U T U R E A L U M NI

FIRST ALL-FEMALE TICKET SINCE 1996 FA I TH WAHL , ’23, & M O R G AN MAST RUD, ’2 3

Only the third all-female executive team in UND history — the others were in 1990-91 and 1996-97 — will represent the University’s nearly 14,000 students for the 2022-23 school year. President Faith Wahl, a native of Bismarck, will be a senior majoring in Business Management and Interdisciplinary Health Studies. She also served with the North Dakota Student Association and is a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. Vice President Morgan Mastrud is a Fargo native who will be a senior majoring in Spanish and Biology (Pre-Medicine). She is a member of the UND Honors Program and the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Both have previously served two years on Student Government. Can you explain the background on your “We Are More” slogan that was part of your campaign platform? Wahl: “We Are More” really encompasses this studentfocused idea that if we’re all connected — and everyone is educated about what’s going on, and all students feel like they belong and have a voice — that we all can do more together. The “we” isn’t the two of us, but rather the whole student body. We want to make sure every single student feels welcome and has the opportunity to succeed.

Wahl: I think affordability is one of the top three. North Dakota has a competitive advantage that I would like to see maintained. And there’s so many different facets we can look at: scholarships, higher education funding at the legislative level, workforce opportunities for students. Second, I would say mental health. One of the goals of the North Dakota University System is to prepare students for the real world, and I don’t think we really can do that effectively unless we’re preparing them not only to succeed academically but also personally and professionally. We need to support them and empower them so they know how to deal with all the different stressors that life throws at you. And I think my third issue would be experiential learning and continuing to provide that through mentoring, internships, coops, partnerships and other workforce initiatives. Mastrud: We are a bigger university, yet we still have that close-knit environment. You don’t see that as much when you tour other universities across the

country. Our undergrads get to do important research, work in internships and network in the local community in ways that advance them toward their future goals. We have the medical school, the law school and all those higher education departments that allow you to progress and stay here. You can heighten your education and give back to your local community. The connections are there for the taking, and they can open so many opportunities for you. You say you’d like to connect every student with at least one career mentor during their time at UND. How do you go about achieving that? Wahl: What we’re planning right now is to look at the core tenets of the Pancratz Career Development Center’s mentor program at the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration and consider how we can expand on that foundation to smaller cohorts in other departments and schools. The mentorship program that’s in place right now works with career professionals, especially alumni. But there also have been discussions about what it would look like to pair a freshman with a junior or senior.

Mastrud: For example, the Medical School started a pilot program where they have some third-year med students take a pre-med student under their wings. They volunteer, and then you can connect and reach out for advice. Staying in tune with everything on campus sounds like a full-time job. How do you balance all the work with your studies? Wahl: There’s a scholarship involved, so that helps compensate for a lot of the time you put in. We both strategically placed our credit loads to give us a little more academic ease next year. But honestly, we’re both so passionate about this and so committed that even though it probably is close to a full-time job, it’s so worth it. Plus, we’ve had an extremely strong team behind us. Mastrud: It’s nice because we have offices in the Memorial Union. We can be in there working on homework and still have students come in and talk to us. We can handle what needs to get done as far as our positions and kind of juggle some other things. We want to have an opendoor policy so students feel comfortable coming in to chat with us. \\\

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Mastrud: The MORE from “We Are More” represents the four main values that we used in our campaign and will continue to follow in our administration. “M” is for mental health. “O” is for opportunities. “R,” resources. And “E” for empower. When we were formulating this, we definitely wanted to make sure that those values and tenets were something we actually

could back up. So, speaking of our previous experiences on campus, one thing we did toward mental health was through the Student Fee Advisory Committee, where we got to allocate $50,000 for the new aviation-focused psychologist. We also got the free Wellness Center parking for students. Parking is a big thing we always heard a lot about, so we wanted to incorporate that. As far as new resources, we just approved funding to put a new outlet in the Memorial Union’s Food for Thought Food Pantry so we can get refrigeration in there to provide students more autonomy in their food choices, as well as provide some healthier options. And then with “empower,” we just want to make sure we’re going to those organizations, making those direct lines of communication and continuing to get younger and new student leaders involved in the process.

What are some of the most important issues facing students today?

C A M P U S HI S T O R Y

FORTY YEARS OF ACTIVISM + SUPPORT LGBTQ + INI T I AT I VES

This year marked the 40th anniversary of the origin of the Ten Percent Society, which was the first gay rights organization in North Dakota.

Dr. Jeff Maliskey, the University’s Director of the Pride Center, focused on that history in his doctoral dissertation. UND Today sat down with him to talk about the changes in the campus climate over the past four decades. Tell us about the Pride Center and your work at UND.

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We support students from the moment they step on campus, all the way up to graduation and getting jobs. And there’s a long history of firsts:

UND was the first to have a recognized LGBTQ student group in the state of North Dakota. We’re the first of any college or university in the state to have a physical space, the Pride Center, dedicated for LGBTQ students. We’re the first to hire a full-time staff member whose job is to support LGBTQ+ students. And I’m pretty sure we’re the first to implement chosen names and pronouns in our campus onboarding. We’re probably the first to offer ally training as well. UND is a flagship institution, and we’re setting those trends for higher education. We’re

also the first to hold a Pride Week during Pride Month, I believe. A big piece of my job is programming and creating educational opportunities for students. I do presentations in classes, work with student organizations and work with systems on campus. Student retention is another important piece. What do you love most about your job? I came from the housing world, so I’ve always gravitated toward student affairs. I love being engaged and helping students. I got more involved in diversity and inclusion work later, and continued as a graduate student, and now I do it full time. My work is really rewarding, and I can see the positive change we’re making on campus. It keeps me motivated. How has the Pride Center evolved? What is its impact? The Pride Center used to be tucked away in a corner on the second floor of the old Memorial Union. Today, we’re part of Diversity & Inclusion in the new Memorial Union. This fall, the Pride Center became a standalone

department. It’s a comfortable space for students to hang out. They can hold events, have meetings, lounge, take a nap. It’s their space. The Ten Percent Society and the students advocated for the Pride Center. They wanted a space where they could be authentic and be themselves, to come together as a community without judgment. They wanted to feel safe and have that sense of community and belonging. We know students who feel connected do better academically, and that part really was missing for LGBTQ students before 2017. Tell us about the history of the Ten Percent Society on campus. There’s a lot of history just behind the name itself. The Ten Percent Society took that name in 1996, but the first organization at UND was founded in 1982 as the UND Gay Community. It was really revolutionary at the time because there was no LGBTQ organization in the state of North Dakota. UND was the first institution to recognize an LGBTQ group. The name has changed a few times, and this year it changed to become the Queer & Trans Alliance to be more inclusive.

We’re celebrating the 40th anniversary because it’s the same organization at its core. The fact that the organization has endured more than 40 years is pretty significant. They’re still going, and there’s still a need. Even through the pandemic, we averaged about 20 members at our meetings on a regular basis. How many members are in the Queer & Trans Alliance? Can you talk about outreach and the impact of the organization? We have about 20 members. National data tells us that

roughly 17 percent of college students identify somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. If you apply that to UND’s roughly 14,000 students, that’s just over 2,000 students who identify. It’s not a huge number, but it’s pretty significant. We know the students are out there. They might not be involved specifically with the Queer & Trans Alliance. Maybe they’re finding other ways to get out and connect, or they’re just more intensely focused on their studies. But the students promote the organization and let other students know there is a

1982

UND Gay Community founded

1st

to have a recognized LGBTQ student group in the state of North Dakota.

members in Queer & Trans Alliance

17%

of college students identify somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

space here for them if they want to engage. They know there is support. They have an option, unlike the ’80s and ’90s, when other departments and organizations weren’t as accepting. Now, we have more LGBTQ organizations on campus. We have the National Gay Pilots Association and Allies in Medicine. Pride Activism is a new group starting this fall. There are more and more ways to get involved. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen?

President Armacost has been really engaged and supportive of our department. And just like the work we’re doing, when we have a leader who models that, I think it has a trickle-down effect. One telling example of how the climate really has changed was with our chalking event. Back in the 1990s, it was National Coming Out Day and students were out there chalking about statistics and just awareness and positive messages about LGBTQ people. And that night, more than 20 people were seen writing messages of hate over the chalk. So, that tells you about the campus climate at that time. There was an uproar of opposition, people were not happy about it, and it was in the headlines for weeks.

In contrast, our office and some members of the Queer & Trans Alliance did some chalking out in front of the Memorial Union during Pride Month in June. We didn’t have the same health education component, but this was loud and out in front of the new building. It was kind of taking a risk because there’s been a lot of “anti” legislation and social discrimination happening across the nation, so I didn’t know what to expect. But we still had a pretty good turnout. People are talking, and you look out there and there’s no hate messages. Nobody scratched it out or poured water over it to erase any of it. That kind of shows you some of the shifts we’ve seen. There’s no hate messaging like there used to be. Now, some people might stop, look at it and not necessarily show support

or even scoff, but they’re not defacing it, whereas in the ’90s, some people were absolutely furious, and the hatred was very present and outward. How do you think campus and the greater community are in a better place today? I think we have more visibility than just five or six years ago, not just on campus, but also in the Greater Grand Forks community. We’re our own tiny, tightknit community, but we’re seeing more inclusion and acceptance, and that’s slowly starting to trickle into the community. It’s a slow-moving process, but visibility has been a big shift. I think it’s changing. We have role models now. Students see the representation, the visibility on campus, they can come to UND and know there

is a Pride Center. There are LGBTQ support services. What do you think the next five years will look like? I think the big thing we’re seeing in higher education around LGBTQ support is a shift toward trans inclusion at the intersection of race and ethnicity. I think we need to watch what’s happening in the nation to see how that’s going to impact our students. How are people seeing themselves reflected in the unique aspects of their race and identity? How are we making our students feel supported and seen and respected and validated? In the next five to 10 years, we need to look at how we make sure people are included and how our practices and policies reflect that. \\\

UNDalumni.org/magazine

I think the biggest thing is that the climate on campus has truly changed. It’s been from 2018 onward when we started to create some of the shifts where people are OK to engage in a conversation. The fact that we’re talking about these issues and

that people sign up for ally training and engage in programs is significant.

UN D A L U M NI

PHOTO SHARE Did you get married, have a baby, get a new pet, meet up with classmates, or travel somewhere great? Share it with your UND family. Send a high-resolution photo to AlumniMag@UNDalumni.net to be included in the next UND Alumni Magazine.

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1. Justine Hesselbart,’19, and her father, Matt Hesselbart, ’91, ran the Fargo half marathon together in May. They especially loved wearing their UND alumni t-shirts in NDSU territory.

2. Dr. Laura (Schumacher) Morgan, ’17, and Dr. Richard Morgan, ’15, welcomed their fourth son, Jack Gabriel, on March 23. Laura is a physician at UND Student Health Services and Richard is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UND. The photo was taken by Jack’s grandmother, Nancy (Schuster) Schumacher, ’82. 3. Courtney (Heupel), ’18, and Zach Muckenhirn,’19, were married on Nov.13, 2021. Courtney is an elementary school teacher and Zach plays professional baseball.

4. Jett Thompson was born in January to Kaylynn (Burgess) Thompson, ’14. He is thriving at home after a 60-day NICU stay. 5. Joe Zidon, ’07, and his wife, Anne Zidon, ’20, welcomed their son Thomas James (TJ) Zidon on Feb. 24, 2022. They are looking forward to his freshman year at UND circa 2040!

6. Dana Schwartz, ’17, and Kyle Torvik, ’16, got married in Farmington, Minn., on Feb. 5. Both are UND graduates, and four more alumni joined their bridal party. 7. Brook (Thompson), ’21, married Connor Smith, ’20, on May 21 at JR’s Barn in Waldorf, Minnesota.

10. Dr. Erin Haugen, ’01,’03, ’06, shared this photo of Bella (#BellaBoo) as a 5-month-old pup with us on Facebook during our Furry Friends of the Foundation photo campaign. 11. Morgan Claire was born on March 26, 2022, to Kristen (Austinson), ’12, ’19, and Jeremy Gourneau, ’10. She is welcomed by big sisters, Avril and Sadie and big brother, Easton. The family lives near Belcourt, North Dakota. 12. Jill (Laturnus), ’13, and Cole Boehmer, ’14, welcomed their daughter, Addilyn Elsie, on March 3, 2022. They live in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, where she is also adored by her big brother, Gavin. 13. Millie proudly dons her UND College of Engineering & Mines bandana. She belongs to Robin (Gray) Turner, ’89, a Director of Development for the College of Engineering & Mines at the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. 14. Frederick Aaron Burr was born Aug. 16, 2021, to Oliver, ’09, and Karissa (Larter) Burr, ’09. He joins big brothers Elliott and Henry at their home in Omaha, Neb. Frederick is the ninth grandchild to our CEO, DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86. 15. Jenny (Leake), ’06, and Jade Jahner, ’04, both former UND student-athletes, married April 21 at their home in Laguna Beach, Calif.

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8. Dustin Gangelhoff, ’07, married Lindsey Eret on May 22. His groomsmen, from left to right, are: Erik Peterson, ’09, Shawn Whiting, ’07, ’12, Jared Gangelhoff, Dustin, Adam DeWenter, ’09, and Ben Wangberg, ’05, ’08.

9. John Christenson, ’18, and Olivia (Keelin) Christenson married on August 14, 2021.

MEMORIAM We dedicate these pages to members of the University of North Dakota family who have recently passed away.

1930s Grace (Johnson) Prince, ’38 Nashville, Tenn.

1940s Joyce (Rinde) Lowe, ..’40 Grafton, N.D. Genevieve (O’Keefe) Johnson,..’43 Santa Ana, Calif. Stanton H. Sykes, MD, ’46 Belvidere, N.J. Ralph S. Johnson, ’48 Moorhead, Minn. Burton Brandrud, ’49 Waconia, Minn. George D. Gackle, ’49 Minneapolis, Minn. Earl B. Isakson, ..’49 Mesa, Ariz. Betty Ann (Tangen) Johnson,’49 Crookston, Minn. James O. Pinger, ’49 Minnetonka, Minn.

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1950s

Alf J. Hulteng, PE, ’50 Skyesville, Md. Mrs. Mary Ann Barnes, ..’51 Kent, Wash. Marjorie (Rabe) Meredith, ’51 Mankato, Minn. Rev. Raymond Milner, Jr., ..’52 Lubbock, Texas William T. Powers, MD, ’52, ’53 Grand Forks Richard C. Quaal, ’52 Ponsford, Minn. Nan (Stokesberry) Vaaler, ..’52 Grand Forks Gerald A. Page, ’53 Portland, Ore. Michael R. Cariveau, ..’54 Fort Mojave, Ariz. Arlie E. Askelson, ’55 Indian Hills, Colo. Edgar T. Gorman, ’56, ’67 St. Paul, Minn. Donald G. Neros, ..’56 Sitka, Alaska Liv (Eid) Volland, ’56 Oshkosh, Wis. Dr. Milton E. Winger, ’56 Grand Forks Phillip E. Wralstad, ’56 Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Gary I. Anderson, ’57 Mandan, N.D. Skip S. Johnson, ’57 Colorado Springs, Colo. John M. McLeod, ’57 Smithfield, Utah Neil Quigley, ’57 Littleton, Colo. Roger C. Zejdlik, ’57 Bellingham, Wash. Barbara (Schmid) Dove, ..’58 Bismarck, N.D. Audrey (Olson) McKeague, ..’58 Greenbrae, Calif. Denise H. Meyer, ..’58 Grand Forks Karol (Korb) Harry, ..’59 Franklin, Wis. Dr. Ronald L. Lien, ’59, ’62 Minneapolis Dr. Roger J. Reede, ’59, ’67, ’72 Fountain Hills, Ariz. Thomas M. Shafer, ’59 Fargo Kenneth M. Thompson, ’59 Devils Lake, N.D.

1960s James L. Hagglund, ..’60 North Plains, Ore. Walter D. Anderson, ’61 Edmond, Okla. Douglas R. Ferguson, ..’61 Fort Benton, Mont. Vernon E. Krile, ’61 Fargo Frank W. Reuter, ’61 Rodeo, Calif. Robert G. Wiedeman, ’61 Sioux Falls, S.D. Paul A. Arness, ’62 King City, Calif. Neil L. Hendrickson, ’62 Anoka, Minn. Clara (Knutson) Laughlin, ’62, ’67 Grand Forks Donald J. Olson, ’62, ’63 Sioux Falls, S.D. Ordeen J. Flom, ’63 Henderson, Colo. Curtis L. Holt, ’63 Gary, Ind. Juanita (Cozort) Luessen, ..’63 Valley City, N.D. Eunice (Rhoads) Petter, ’63 Farmington, Minn.

Richard E. Reiten, ..’63 Cooperstown, N.D. Larry E. Walsh, ..’63 Fort Collins, Colo. Mary (Guloien) Davis, ’64 Atlanta, Ga. David Edward Guloien, ..’64 Emporium, Pa. Stephen Hanson, MD, ’64 Minneapolis Dr. Merril J. Reinhiller, ’64 Fargo Kenneth E. Ross, ..’64 Eden Prairie, Minn. Gerald L. Shern, ..’64 East Grand Forks, Minn. Diann (Anjal) Bratlie, ’65 Grafton, N.D. Edward A. Christopherson, ’65 Alexandria, Minn. Linda A. Gustafson, ’65 Hibbing, Minn. Dallas R. Kopp, ..’65 Erskine, Minn. Dr. James E. Miller, ’65, ’68 Grayslake, Ill. Rev. William Sherman, ’65, ’14 Grand Forks Conley E. Natvig, ’66 Swanville, Minn. John R. Owens, ’66 Bismarck, N.D. Amelia “Bunny” (Charlson) Burns, ’67 Los Alamitos, Calif. Dr. Dorothy (Thompson) Campbell, ’67

Halifax, Nova Scotia Charles H. Gierke, ’67 St. Paul, Minn. Capt. William E. Hart, ’67 Alpharetta, Ga. Gordon W. Hoff, Sr., ’67 Naples, Fla. Leona (Hoverson) Hutton, ’67, ’86 Surprise, Ariz. Jerry W. Lafond, ’67 Dawson Creek, B.C. Charles E. Naplin, ’67, Thief River Falls, Minn. William V. Nehring, ’67 Seattle, Wash. Kathleen (Ronan) Bakke, ’68, ’78 Grand Forks Wayne H. Brandt, ’68 Overland Park, Kan. Robert J. Kallberg, ’68 Bismarck, N.D.

Gary D. Larson, ’68 Leeds, N.D. Lloyd N. Lee, ’68 Minneapolis Dr. David L. Mahrer, ’68, ’69 Lexington, S.C. James L. Wiedrich, ’68 Bismarck, N.D. Dr. Ambrose S. Kodet, ’69 North Mankato, Minn. Jerry L. Stordahl, ’69 Williston, N.D.

1970s Emily (Meyer) Harrington, ..’70 Crookston, Minn. Marcia L. Lindsay, ..’70 Fargo Richard L. Pajula, ’70 Rice Lake, Wis. Russell L. Tirapelle, ..’70 Drytown, Calif. Barbara (Zimmer) Van Dyken, ’70 Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Robert A. Christiansen, ’71, ’73 Plano, Texas Ronald F. Cink, ..’71 Yreka, Calif. Eddie G. Kopperud, ’71 Denver, Colo. Michael O. McGuire, ’71 Fargo Maureen F. Mores, ’71 Norfolk, Mass. Dr. Linda Harness, ’72, ’73, ’76 Minneapolis Donald G. Malsom, ’72 Blairsville, Ga. William P. O’Hara, ’72 Romeoville, Ill. Janice (Curfman) Taylor, ’72 Cornville, Ariz. Frances (Melland) Anderson, ’73 Lakeville, Minn. Margaret Rose Anzevino, ’73 St. Paul, Minn. Gregory M. Edwards, ..’73 Cottage Grove, Minn. Claire (Hodges) Fitzgerald, ’73, ’79 Garrison, N.D. William E. Haun, MD, ’73, ’75 Denver, Colo. Jeffrey N. Hussey, ’73 Grand Forks Dennis L. Lunde, ’73 Dresser, Wis.

Don O. Olson, ..’73 Minot, N.D. Theresa (Mack) Wald, ..’73 Grand Forks Robert D. Bernhagen, ’74 Billings, Mont. Marguerite (Annis) Eagle Staff, ’74 Eagle Butte, S.D. Hon. Beryl (Choslovsky) Levine,’74

San Mateo, Calif. Elaine M. Marzolf, ’74 Groton, S.D. Bernetta K. Odden, ’74 Towner, N.D. Arvid J. Ophaug, ..’74 McVille, N.D. Gregory B. Stites, ’74, ’77 Bismarck, N.D. Craig D. Fink, ’75 Scottsdale, Ariz. Jerome H. Barton, ’76 Eau Claire, Wis. Curtis A. Davis, ’76 Virginia Beach, Va. Robert J. Magowan, ’76 Vernon, B.C. Blair K. Mitzel, ’76 Bismarck, N.D. Stephen C. Dansby, ’77 Brookesmith, Texas Paul L. Dempsey, ’77, ’79 Dallas, Texas Mark S. Mondry, ’77 Orlando, Fla. William M. Robb, ’77 Glenwood, Minn. Clifford M. Terrell, ’77 Montgomery, Ala. Patrice (Michalski) Katz, ’78 Cos Cob, Conn. Joan (Livingston) Orr, ’78 Carlisle, Ind. Carolyn (Baird) Stupin, ’78 Santa Fe, N.M. Carmen (Beckstrand) Veikoso, ..’79

Sydney, Australia

1980s David J. Crothers, ’80, ’85 Mandan, N.D. Ronald C. Rudd, ’80 Baudette, Minn. Clara (Lillehaugen) Knoff, ..’81 Minneapolis David M. Aker, ’82 East Grand Forks, Minn.

U N D L E G A CIE S

Peter J. Ebertz, ..’82 Jamestown, N.D. Karen Kinney, ..’83 Rugby, N.D. Larry D. Shireman, ’83 Burns, Ore. Dr. Larry L. Smiley, ..’83 Banning, Calif. Gregory I. Runge, ’84, ’88 Bismarck, N.D. William P. Gilbert, ’85 Olympia, Wash. Julie Hostak, ’85 St. Paul, Minn. William F. Saefke, ’85 Spring, Texas Crystal Voelk Steffens, ’85 Grand Forks Eric P. Bergeson, ’86, ’90 Fertile, Minn. Janis (Twichell) DeRemer, ’88, ’91 Buxton, N.D.

1990s Chad W. Stone, ..’91 Burnsville, Minn. Allen N. Petrick, ’93 Devils Lake, N.D. Juanita (Merk) Semingson, ’93 Williston, N.D. Kathleen (Kelly) Dodd, ’94 Carbondale, Ill. Daniel K. H. Duong, ’95 Lawrenceville, Ga. Kevin L. Schumacher, ..’95 Roseau, Minn. Ryan P. Cornelison, ’98, ’08 Ramsay, Mich.

2000s Christopher R. Souser, ’01 Anchorage, Alaska Kristi R. Swartz, ’05 Grand Forks Jamie L. Young, ’08 Havre, Mont.

2010s

2020s Paul S. Barrow, ’21 Charlotte, N.C.

Current students Ahna W. Mehus Mayville, N.D.

Former faculty & staff James D. Gard Little Falls, Minn. Eric M. Hammerly Wadsworth, Ohio Raymond I. Johnson Grand Forks Robert A. Johnson Grand Forks Garland R. Montgomery, Sr. Larimore, N.D. Fern E. Swenson Bismarck, N.D. Dr. Richard C. Vari Fincastle, Va. Larry A. Woiwode Jamestown, N.D.

Retired staff Donna M. Boe Hatton, N.D. Roger W. Melvold Grand Forks Jutta K. Platt Colorado Springs, Colo. Wynona (Huchette) Wilkins Grand Forks

IN MEMORY OF NO. 9

SE AN GERSZ EW SKI

Spontaneous. Brave. Funny. Strong. Charismatic. These are the words that come to mind when Tammy (Hollingshead), ’92, ’01, ’10, ’16, and Wayne, ’90, ’91, think about their son, Sean. As a natural athlete used to fighting battles on the hockey rink, lacrosse field and tennis court, he – and they – never expected his biggest battle to be against cancer. When Sean was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at just 15, he remained positive and kept doing the things he loved most: spending time with his family and friends, going to UND hockey games and wearing his No. 9 jersey on the ice. He passed away in 2021 with his friends and family by his side. Sean often expressed his desire to support his fellow hockey teammates at Red River and Central high schools in Grand Forks. Inspired by their son’s compassion, Tammy and Wayne established an endowment to benefit student-athlete scholarships for the UND hockey team. Last year, the team wore a No. 9 sticker on their hockey helmets in memory and honor of Sean and his desire to help others achieve their dreams of playing hockey. The Gerszewskis also support scholarships for hockey players at Red River and Central who dream of competing at a collegiate level.

UNDalumni.org/magazine

Patrick A. Durkin, ’12, ’14 St. Paul, Minn. Joshua B. Stewart, ’13 Westland, Mich. Trevor M. Tharaldson, ’13 Minneapolis Ryan F. Cumings, ’15 Exeter, N.H.

Morgen W. V. Burke, ’16, ’21 Carberry, Man.

ETERNAL

FLAME SOCIETY The UND Alumni Association & Foundation sincerely thanks all alumni and friends who have made gifts and commitments to support students, faculty, programs, and places at UND. The following donors reached a new giving circle in the Eternal Flame Society between April 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022. *indicates deceased

WILLIAM BUDGE CIRCLE $1,000,000 - $4,999,999 Mark & Cindy Fliginger Jane S. Nelson*

DR. CORA SMITH CIRCLE $500,000 - $999,999 Dr. John & Delores Witt

THOMAS CLIFFORD CIRCLE $100,000 - $499,999 Brent & Laura Anderson Darcy & Mary Ehmann in Memory of Laura Marie Ehmann Justus J. Fiechtner, M.D. & Karlene J. Gehler Bob & Jane* Graveline Janet, James and Peter Klosterman in Memory of Annette Klosterman Marv Bossart Parkinson’s Foundation Dan L. Schwartz Dr. Arthur & Doris* Tees Reid A. Walker

Jeff & Jodi Dodson Cory R. Lien Lynn D. W. Luckow Lyle C. Steinmeier* Dr. John & Delores Witt

CORRECTION NOTICE In the Year in Review: Gratitude Edition, we unintentionally omitted the following donor who has generously supported UND. We apologize for this and thank you for your understanding and ongoing support. PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

Dr. James & Jean Webb

Lyle C. Steinmeier*

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE $10,000 - $99,999 Bill & Liz Chaves

Ian J. McGurran

Leslie & James Durkin

Roger W. Melvold*

First Community Credit Union

MicroSeismic, Inc.

F. Gene* & Gail* Gruber

Rainbow Energy Center LLC

Heggy’s, Inc.

Bradley & Heidi Ressler

Gerald & Kathy Henry Family

Donald W. Sand, M.D.

Angie & Josh Kunz

Shannon & Holly Schweigert

Jennifer & Nathan Laframboise

Lyle C. Steinmeier*

John & Theresa Larsen

STRYDE Limited

Leslie Robert Honeyman Trust

Brigetta Thomas

McGough Construction UNDalumni.org/magazine

The 1889 Legacy Society honors alumni and friends who have made a commitment for the future support of the University of North Dakota with estate, planned, or deferred gifts through the UND Foundation.

James Rinde Family

Drs. Ralph* & Barbara Cushing

1889 LEGACY SOCIETY

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

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EQUIPMENT AUCTIONS EQUIPMENT APPRAISALS

Brad Qualley

Realtor UND Alumni - Class ‘14 brad@pifers.com 701.317.4177

For Land Sales & Farmland Management in ND, MN, SD, MT, WI call Kevin or Bob! Kevin Pifer

Bob Pifer

Arizona Broker Grand Forks, ND Broker bob@pifers.com 701.371.8538

Pifer’s

1506 29th Ave. S Moorhead, MN 56560

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BOZEMAN, MT

BISMARCK, ND MOORHEAD, MN (Corporate Office)

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Pifer’s strives to provide you with the best buying & selling experience possible! 10395 E Trailhead Ct. Gold Canyon, AZ 85118

WI JANESVILLE, WI

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UNDalumni.org/magazine

President/Auctioneer UND Alumni - Class ‘81 kpifer@pifers.com 701.238.5810

LAND MANAGEMENT

877.477.3105 www.pifers.com

UND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 3501 University Ave Stop 8157 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157

Want more stories from your alma mater? Let us know how you want to hear from us and update your contact info at UNDalumni.org/updates.

KEEP YOUR CASH

M A K E A DIF F E R E NCE AT UND & S AV E ON TA X E S If you’re 70 ½ or older You can give up to $100,000 per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity like the UND Alumni Association & Foundation without having to pay income taxes on your gift. This popular gift option is commonly called the IRA charitable rollover, but you may also see it referred to as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD.

WHY CONSIDER THIS GIFT? •

It will allow you to make an immediate impact at UND.

•

You can use your gift to satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD).

•

You won’t pay income taxes on the gift amount (even if you don't itemize).

•

Your gift can reduce your annual income, which may help lower your Medicare premiums and decrease your taxable Social Security.

HOW TO DO IT: Contact your IRA plan administrator. Request a direct QCD from your IRA account to the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.

IRA

GIFT

UND

The UND Alumni Association & Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization (tax ID #45-0348296). This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor.

UND Alumni Magazine Summer 2022

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2022 UND Alumni Honors