Alumni review winter 2016

Winter 2016

Photos: Sam Melquist

INSIDE: In search of Prohibition-era tunnels in East Grand Forks. p. 26

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(hint: it’s not the one in the Alumni Association logo). Find it for a chance to win a prize!

Simply e-mail AlumniReview@UNDalumni.net and give a detailed description of the flame’s location. Subject line: Found the flame. We’ll let you know if you’ve won.

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2 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

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ALUMNI REVIEW | VOL. 99 NO. 4 | WINTER 2016

4 Message from DeAnna Homecoming for the Ages!

24 What’s New

News from around campus.

ts ten con

inside this issue

departments 40 Alumni News

Who’s doing what: News about your fellow classmates.

48 In Memoriam

CEO DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86 Editor Milo Smith Associate Editor Alyssa Konickson, ’06 Designer Sam Melquist Contributing Writers Kaylee Cusack, ‘10, ‘12 Matt Eidson Gabriella Fundaro, ’15 Averi Haugesag, ’15 Brian Johnson, ‘08 Jan Orvik, ‘94 Contributing Photography Tyler Ingham Richard Larson, ‘72 Jackie Lorentz Sam Melquist Shawna Noel Schill, ’06 Milo Smith

UND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Jody Feragen, ’78 Vice Chair Doug Podolak, ’72 Directors: Dean Beckstead, ’65; Cindy Blikre, ’91; Steve Burian, ’90, ’92; Kris Compton, ’77; Sara Garland, ’68, ’72; Phil Gisi, ’82; Dr. John Gray, ’87; Marten Hoekstra, ’82; Chuck Kluenker; Linda Laskowski, ’72, ’73; Rick Lee, ’78; Doug Mark, ’86; Rob Mitchell, ’74; Jennifer Neppel, ’86; Carrie McIntyre Panetta, ’88; Fernanda Philbrick, ’94, ’96; Cathy Rydell, ’88; Lisa Wheeler, ’75, ’82; and Terri Zimmerman, ’85.

Ex Officio: Laura Block, ’81, ’10; Alice Brekke, ’79, ’87; Mark Kennedy; DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86; Tom DiLorenzo and Dr. Joshua Wynne.

The University of North Dakota Alumni Review (USPS 018089: ISSN 0895-5409) is published quarterly by the University of North Dakota Alumni Association, 3501 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.

Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Alumni Review, 3501 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.

your legacy

For inquiries about advertising, additional copies, reprints, submissions, or general comments, contact 800.543.8764, 701.777.0831 or alumnireview@UNDalumni.net.

34 A Frozen Tribute

Donor names are enshrined below the ice at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

By Gabriella Fundaro

38 Meet a Student

Alissa Dahle-Koch on how UND is helping her reach for her dreams.

UNDalumni.org | 3

DEANNA’S

letter

A HOMECOMING FOR THE AGES

Photo: Sam Melquist

Dear Alumni & Friends,

A HOMECOMING FOR THE AGES

Wow! What can I say about the 100th

anniversary celebration of Homecoming other than “Wow!” Well, I supposed I could add prodigious, tremendous and stupendous to the list of superlatives to describe this year’s event.

From student events like the Kickoff Lunch in the quad to Saturday night’s Homecoming Dance that put a fun capper on the week, there was one great tradition after another.

Thursday night’s Sioux Awards was another inspirational evening spent celebrating successful UND alumni. Sioux Award recipient Dave St. Peter, president of the Minnesota Twins, was humble and extremely appreciative of receiving the recognition from his alma mater. He spoke of how the success he’s enjoyed in his professional career is a direct result of his time at the University of North Dakota. “This is a place that instills character,” he said.

“It instills community, taught me how to communicate, showed me the importance of resiliency, and, frankly, inspired me every day.”

The night also included our first ever acceptance speech from the cockpit of an F16 fighter jet! Nick Eberling, ’06, could not attend to receive his Young Alumni Achievement Award, so the Lead Solo Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds taped his speech while flying his jet. You can see

4 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Nick’s speech and the entire Sioux Awards banquet program on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/UNDAlumni.

My connection to Homecoming began long ago as a high school band member who marched in the Homecoming Parade.

I’ve also been a part of the tradition ever since as I’m a proud 1986 graduated of UND and I’ve spent most of my career with the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.

During this year’s Homecoming, I was struck by wave after wave of nostalgia and spent many moments lost in thought about what a special place UND holds in my heart and in the hearts of our 120,000 living alumni and friends. What an incredible week it was!

You can experience a bit of Homecoming, or relive it if you were in Grand Forks for the events, on the pages of this issue. We are excited to kick off a new century of Homecomings next year; save the date for Oct. 2 – 6, 2017!

Your Legacy

Thanks to you, our amazing and committed UND alumni and friends, we had a tremendous fundraising first quarter of the new fiscal year. Not only did we did take in enough gifts to use up our allotment of matching dollars from the North Dakota Challenge Fund, but we exceeded our goal for July 1 – September 30 by nearly $3 million.

As we head toward the new year, I hope you’ll consider making a gift to your

alma mater. We have put serious effort into student scholarships in the past several years, but more needs to be done to make sure students who want the same great education you received will be able to pursue that dream. To make a difference in a student’s life, go to UNDalumni.org/ GiveNow or call us at 1.800.543.8764. If you would like information on more complex giving questions, like IRA rollovers, estate planning, or how to make a gift with appreciated assets, we have experts who can guide you through the process. Give us a call and we’ll help you create a legacy at the University of North Dakota.

Your generosity helps us shape champions of all kinds: our students, our programs, our faculty and staff, and our sports teams. And through your gifts, you demonstrate a North Dakota spirit that says “There’s no place like UND.” Thank you for all that you do for the University of North Dakota.

Happy holidays,

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

THE TRADITION

CONTINUES

Homecoming 2016 marked 100 years since the first homecoming was held at UND. Some of the traditions that started in 1916 are still with us today, like alumni get-togethers, a dance, and the football game.

Other events have become part of Homecoming tradition, like the parade and the crowning of a Homecoming King and Queen.

It makes one wonder what Homecoming will look like 100 years from now. As I researched the first Homecoming by reading 1916 student newspapers at the library, will some future editor of the Alumni Review look through this issue to see how we, in 2016, celebrated Homecoming?

If so, they will see in these pages that we honored the traditions of the past, celebrated our students and alumni, and looked to the future with the opening of two new buildings on campus.

Most of all, I hope that future editor gets a sense of just how much PASSION our students, alumni and friends have for the University of North Dakota, and how much FUN was had during Homecoming 2016! — Milo Smith, Editor

FEATURE

story

HAIL ALMA MATER

HAIL

ALMA MATER UND Alumni Association & Foundation uses contribution from local business to make 100th Homecoming celebration one to remember.

By Jan Orvik

I

t was a week long party a century in the making at the University of North Dakota.

And thanks to a generous gift from a longtime UND supporter, the Alumni Association & Foundation was able to make the University’s 100th Homecoming celebration one that won’t be soon forgotten.

Rydell Cars, a longtime local business and supporter of all things UND, provided a financial contribution to the University that helped Homecoming organizers greatly expand their thinking when it came to planning this year’s events. In the past, Rydell Cars has provided

Sponsored by

vehicles for use in the annual UND Homecoming Parade.

This year, the business was asked to up its game as a first-ever exclusive title sponsor. And they didn’t disappoint.

“Rydell’s contribution allowed us to expand our marketing budget to make sure our alumni, the campus and the Greater Grand Forks community were not only informed, but excited, about our 100th anniversary celebration of Homecoming,” said DeAnna Carlson

6 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation. “Thanks to their sponsorship, the 100th Homecoming celebration was a huge success.”

As a result of the contribution, Carlson Zink said the Alumni Association and Foundation’s outreach efforts led to many downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks businesses decorating their store windows with UND school colors in true town-and-gown fashion. The additional advertising got the community energized and it showed in increased attendance across the board at UND Homecoming events.

“I heard from a number of alumni throughout the weekend about how wonderful the Homecoming celebration was this year,” Carlson Zink said. “We had great attendance at the Sioux Awards, at the parade and we served more than 700 people at our tailgating tent.”

UND President Mark Kennedy had the good fortune of making his first UND Homecoming celebration a milestone event. But no matter what year it is, the president emphasized that Homecomings are a special time rife with reconnections.

“They’re powerful moments in the lives of our alumni, bringing us all together again as One UND,” Kennedy said.

The President also thanked Rydell Cars for its support of the University now and throughout the years.

“The people at Rydell Cars believe in our mission as a University and what our Alumni Association and Foundation does for our thousands of alumni around the world,” Kennedy said. “We are proud to have them as a partner.”

A big part of Homecoming Week revolves around UND’s Athletics programs, and this year, UND teams rattled off the

UND students pose for a photo after a day of painting storefronts in downtown Grand Forks.

victories. The Volleyball squad defeated Montana State University on Thursday and the University of Montana on Saturday. The men’s and women’s hockey teams went undefeated against RPI and Mankato State University, respectively. The men’s and women’s

Photo: Tyler Ingham

Swimming and Diving Teams remained undefeated for the year, each with a few more victories during Homecoming. And, of course, the UND Football team took care of the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds with a 45-23 victory at the Alerus Center before more than 10,500 fans.

Tailgating before the football game had a championship feel.

The 1996-97 NCAA Division II National Championship Women’s Basketball Team was on hand to mingle with the crowd and celebrate its induction into the UND Athletics Hall of Fame. Several members of UND’s 2000-01 NCAA Division II National Championship football team were present, too. Also, former UND Hockey standout and NHL player Jason Blake was in town to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Blake was a member of UND’s 1997 NCAA National Championship Team.

In addition to enjoying conquests on the sports field, the University also took time to dedicate its new School of Medicine and Health Sciences headquarters and a new Collaborative Energy Complex for the College of Engineering and Mines. UND leaders thanked donors and lawmakers for helping make the two buildings a reality on campus.

“Both the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Collaborative Energy Complex are great examples of UND’s commitment to continuing to open new frontiers through research and discovery,” Kennedy said.

Other highlights of the weekend included the coronation of UND’s newest Homecoming King and Queen: Paul Butler, a senior business major from Ogden, Utah; and Rachel Thorstenson, a senior biology student from Plymouth, Minn. AR

UNDalumni.org | 7

FEATURE

story

HAIL ALMA MATER

Sponsored by

Monday | Kickoff Lunch | Taco in a Bag

Hundreds of students were treated to a free lunch in the quad as a kickoff to Homecoming 2016.

8 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Tuesday | Frozen Feed | FREE Ice Cream

Paul Butler and Rachel Thorstenson were crowned king and queen at the pep rally.

Wednesday |

Pep Rally, Coronation, & FREE Pizza

Thursday | Homecoming Cash Cab | Sioux Awards

Students earned prizes by answering UND trivia questions in the “Cash Cab.”

Friday | Athletics HOF | Green Gallop 5k Glow Run

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Saturday | Homecoming Parade | Tailgating | Football

Homecoming week wrapped up with a dance at the Gorecki Alumni Center.

UNDalumni.org | 11

More than 700 people were fed in our tailgating tent.

President Mark Kennedy greeted the throngs who lined University Avenue for the Homecoming Parade.

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UND beat Southern Utah University 45-23 before more than 10,500 fans.

SAVE THE DATE! Hosted by Altru Health System

Champions Ball

Saturday, April 29 Alerus Center Grand Forks Register here:

UNDalumni.org/championsball

FEATURE

story

DEDICATED TO HEALTH

Dedicated to Health UND cuts ribbon on new $124-million SMHS headquarters on campus

Photo: Shawna Noel Schill

By Jan Orvik

“I

t’s a legacy that’s far more than a building. It’s a legacy of health for the people of North Dakota,” said Dave Molmen, CEO of Altru Health System about the new UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) building on campus.

“This is the best kind of legacy,” said Molmen, who also chairs the School’s Advisory Council. “This legacy was created for an aging rancher in rural Hettinger who will have a doctor in the community,” he said. “It’s a legacy that ensures future physicians can train in the state and practice in their home communities.”

The $124 million building was dedicated during Homecoming before an overflow crowd of more than 350, and is a testament to partnerships, a focus on the future and trailblazing. Fully funded by the State of North Dakota, the

14 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

four-story, 325,000-square-foot building, features an open design, floating glass stairwells and abundant windows and light.

“We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us,” said Joshua Wynne, dean of the SMHS and vice president for Health Affairs at UND, quoting Winston Churchill. “This will increase the quality of life for all North Dakotans and shape the future of healthcare for decades to come.”

The building brings all eight SMHS degree programs – M.D., athletic training, medical laboratory science, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, graduate studies (biomedical sciences and pathology), and public health – under one roof for the first time. That will enable students to learn in communities,

Dignitaries cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the $124-million UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences building.

Photo: Jackie Lorentz

and learn to work as part of a team, a valuable skill in today’s healthcare industry.

Graduating class sizes will increase an average of 25 percent, enabling the School to implement its Healthcare Workforce Initiative across North Dakota, addressing the state’s healthcare workforce needs. Goals are to reduce the burden of disease, retain more graduates in the state, train more practitioners and improve the efficiency of the state’s healthcare delivery system.

“It was a wise decision to invest in this asset for North Dakota,” said UND President Mark Kennedy. “It’s designed to shape the way healthcare is delivered, and its concept of having healthcare teams work together is a great example of One UND,” Kennedy added.

“This will provide the workforce we need in a very rural state,” said North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who said it’s hard to get healthcare workers in rural areas. “This initiative will do that.”

The building is the result of a partnership with the North Dakota Governor’s Office, State Board of Higher Education, North Dakota University System, the State Legislature, the healthcare community and UND. “UND is exactly the type of team player I’d hoped for,” said Mark Hagerott, chancellor of the University System. “It’s a servant leader who takes care of people.”

“Were it not for the strong support of the Legislature, the building would not be a reality and the Healthcare Workforce Initiative would not be changing the landscape of healthcare in North Dakota,” said Wynne. “North Dakota has a coherent plan to address healthcare needs that wouldn’t happen without legislators who became knowledgeable and passionate about it,” Wynne said.

“The Legislature listened to fresh ideas and made it a reality,” he said.

“I didn’t just wake up one morning on my ranch and decide I wanted to build a new medical school building,” said State Sen. Robert Erbele of Lehr, North Dakota, who carried the bill in the Legislature. Noting that the SMHS leads the nation in the percentage of students who practice family medicine and who practice in rural areas, he said he saw an opportunity to move healthcare forward in North Dakota.

“We’re daring to carve a new road,” said State Sen. Ray Holmberg of Grand Forks, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’ve constructed a building for tomorrow.”

“There are shortages in all healthcare careers,” said State Sen. Judy Lee of Fargo, a medical technology alumna from UND. “A building like this helps recruit and retain students, faculty and staff,” she said, adding that this helps the state “grow their own” workforce in rural communities.

“Like the pioneers, we will be judged by the wagon trails we leave behind,” said Molmen, who thanked the Legislature and Governor’s Office for being bold and courageous, and for looking to the future. He also thanked the SBHE, NDUS and UND administrators for not being afraid to dream outside the box.

“Your state will be grateful to you forever,” Molmen said. “We are witnessing history and celebrating the dawn of a new era of healthcare for our state.” AR

UNDalumni.org | 15

FEATURE

story

FRONT DOOR TO COLLABORATION

Front Door to Collaboration UND credits private-public partnerships for making new Collaborative Energy Complex possible

By Jan Orvik

T

he power of collaboration is bringing new energy to the University of North Dakota College of Engineering & Mines.

More than 200 attended the dedication of the Collaborative Energy Complex (CEC) dedication during Homecoming. The outdoor ceremony was packed with students, faculty, staff, donors, and business and government

16 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

representatives. All represented groups that worked together to power the project and make it a reality.

“Without government, legislators, the North Dakota Industrial Commission, Hess, donors and others, we wouldn’t be here,” said UND President Mark Kennedy.

The new front door to the College of Engineering & Mines opens into a bright atrium and collaboration areas,

Hesham El-Rewini, dean of the UND College of Engineering and Mines, expresses thanks to private donors and public leaders who shared the College’s vision to bring a Collaborative Energy Complex to UND.

Photo: Jackie Lorentz

study spaces, active learning classrooms, new labs and a skywalk to the Wilson M. Laird Core and Sample Library. The Complex contains more than 37,000 square feet of research and teaching labs as well as collaboration areas and a first-of-its-kind Engineering Student Success Center.

The CEC connects to formerly separate engineering buildings, uniting the College’s civil, geological, electrical, mechanical, chemical and petroleum engineering departments, as well as geology.

That was important to lead donor Bob Solberg, ’64, an engineering alum who spent his career with Texaco.

“This building will help all the engineering students get to know each other and work together,” Solberg said. “That will help the University and its students better understand how industry works.”

The CEC also unites donors, industry, business and the state of North Dakota, said Kennedy, and demonstrates the power of One UND, One Grand Forks, and One USA. Donors and industry leaders funded the project and their contributions were matched by the North Dakota Higher Education Challenge Fund. For every $2 given, the Challenge Fund provided another $1.

“The Challenge grant program was so successful,” said North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley, ’88, whose father is a member of the UND Engineering Hall of Fame. The program and donors, he said, helped Engineering take a huge step forward, keeping North Dakota on the cutting edge of energy development.

“We are very grateful to everyone who believed in our vision,” said Hesham El-Rewini, dean of the College of Engineering & Mines.

“This is more than a building, and it’s not just for engineers,” said El-Rewini. “It’s a core for collaboration, innovation and exploring big things in the area of energy, between students and industry, business and the state, donors and supporters, all of whom invested in our students and the future.

“It’s about people and about collaboration.”

A main occupant of the CEC is UND’s Institute for Energy Studies, which will work with UND’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, School of Law, College of Business & Public Administration, Arts & Sciences and other academic areas to advance energy from economic, legal and health perspectives.

“The UND way is the Hess way,” said Steve McNally, general manager for Hess Corp. in North Dakota, which sponsored three research labs in the new building. “Through collaboration, we believe we can make North Dakota an even better place.”

Steve Burian, ’90, ’92, who helped found Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., and was one of the first donors to the project, said that UND is critical to the city, state, region and beyond.

“UND graduates are smart, hard-working, well-educated,” he said. They want to stay in North Dakota, and he said he’s proud to be part of the College’s progress.

Burian and his wife, Barb, ’ 90, ’95, also donated to the project for personal reasons, he said, showing a hint of emotion. UND was generous with scholarships, and he’s glad to help pay back.

“The state match was a great incentive,” he added.

“I love that the title includes collaboration,” said U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, who focused on the collaboration with state and federal government, donors and industry to make the project a reality. “It shows how special UND is.” AR UNDalumni.org | 17

FEATURE WINGING IT

story

Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith, ’79, advises aspiring business students to be curious and never stop learning.

By Averi Haugesag

18 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Photo: Milo Smith

W

hen Sally Smith, ’79, first started working for a small chain of college bars that served chicken wings, she had two young children and planned on working part time.

“That’s what the original plan was, and that lasted about a month. The rest — well, it was kind of history,” said Smith with a laugh. “I was their CFO and when the guy they hired to be CEO didn’t show up, they said, ‘Well, I guess you’re going to have to do it.’ And that is how I became CEO.” CEO of what Business Insider named 2015’s fastest growing chain restaurant in the United States, Buffalo Wild Wings.

Lateral Moves

Photo: Shawna Noel Schill

Following graduation from the University of North Dakota in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting as well as earning her CPA, Smith accepted a position with Peat Marwick and Mitchell, a public accounting firm in Minneapolis now known as KPMG. After almost four years of working in accounting and tax preparation, Smith was offered a job at Dahlberg Inc., a manufacturer and franchisor of hearing aids and hearing aid centers. In the eleven years she worked there, Dahlberg grew from $9 million in sales to over $125 million. As the company accelerated, so did Smith’s career. Four years into her tenure, she was named Dahlberg Inc.’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

By 1994, Buffalo Wild Wings, then owned by “two hungry guys,” Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery, had grown from one tiny college bar established in 1982 to about 35 restaurants, mostly

UNDalumni.org | 19

Photo: Shawna Noel Schill

in Ohio. The partners wanted to expand, but needed money to make it happen.

Disbrow turned to his father-in-law, Ken Dahlberg, who happened to be the founder of Dahlberg Inc., where Smith was employed.

A year earlier, Dahlberg had sold his Miracle Ear business to Bausch & Lomb.

Smith says once the company was sold, her experience as a CFO completely changed and she no longer enjoyed it as much as she once had. So she started looking for a different job and received a few different offers — one of those offers, the CFO position for a small chain of college bars that happened to serve buffalo-style chicken wings.

“Calling my move from CFO at Miracle Ear to CFO at Buffalo Wild Wings a lateral move would have been stretching things a bit,” said Smith with a smile. “As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see,” said Smith. “A lot of people didn’t see the restaurant business as an opportunity. It’s

20 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

your first job or a last resort. I think a lot of things that don’t seem like something at the beginning, turn into something.

As important as it is that you see that opportunity, it’s as important to seize it because you’ll see opportunities pass by if you don’t jump in and be a part of that,” said Smith.

Smith didn’t let an opportunity with a small restaurant that served chicken wings slide by. She has served as the president & CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings, now a chain of 1,200 restaurants, for 20 years.

2016 Mellem Symposium

This year, Smith was selected to be the keynote speaker at the UND College of Business & Public Administration’s annual Mellem Symposium. The symposium is named in honor of College of Business & Public Administration (CoBPA) alumni, Ken, ’70, and JoAnn, ’67, Mellem. The mission is to teach students the necessary skills to excel in business, government and

society. The symposium provides a forum to discuss timely topics with the campus community and business leaders in the region.

Smith’s presentation, titled “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Career in Public Accounting,” recounted her path from a Grand Forks college student to CEO of one of the country’s most wellknown sports bar and grills. Smith spoke of opportunity and how one must see it, seize it and extend it to others to be successful in business and life. The idea of extending opportunity to others really stuck with senior accounting student, John Storebo from Finley, North Dakota.

“I think people from this general area are really good with being personable with people and caring about people,” said Storebo. “She really cares about her employees and building a leadership team, and I think that has a lot to do with being from this area, going to UND and the values that you learn here.”

Photo: Milo Smith

Leading Ladies

The one theme from Smith’s talk that stood out for junior aviation management student Abby Jarvey focused on working women who climb into leadership roles.

“What she said really applies to me because aviation and business are very men-dominated,” Jarvey said. “I think it’s interesting, and almost hopeful, to see that there are strong women in management that you can make a role model of.”

Smith recalled the challenges she faced in the beginning of her career in public accounting. In the early 1980s, women were just entering the business field in large numbers for the first time.

Businesswomen were told to dress as a man in order to land that bigger and better position.

“Back then all of our bosses were men, and they were wearing suits and ties. So what did women wear? Suits with floppy bow ties,” Smith remembered. “That’s one style I’m really happy never came back.”

As Smith moved up in her profession,

she encountered other hurdles. She struggled to find a voice of confidence in a male-driven business world and fought to balance motherhood with career.

“When I was pregnant with my first child, I waited four-and-a-half months to tell anyone at work,” Smith said. “The whole idea back then was to just pretend, even though you just had a baby, nothing really had changed. But, of course, it had.”

Through times of difficulty, Smith surrounded herself with strong female mentors to guide her in her journey; something that resonated with Jarvey.

“She was really empowering to women, and she really emphasized how that affects her company,” Jarvey said.

Sally Smith, ‘79, speaks to a packed house at the 2016 Mellem Symposium.

little nugget from what I had to say today, that made it worth it,” said Smith.

With more than 400 students, staff, faculty and community members in attendance, Smith says there’s two things she hopes audience members took from her presentation.

“If you’re a business student, I hope you realize that you’re getting a great education at the University of North Dakota,” said Smith. “(But) my first thing I always say is be curious and never stop learning. Your education doesn’t end at the University of North Dakota or when you graduate and walk off of campus.

What UND does for you is you learn how to learn throughout your life. So learn, and be curious.” AR

Coming Back

Smith says it was an honor and privilege to come back and speak at her alma mater. She was “kind of in awe coming back.”

“If someone could take away even one

UNDalumni.org | 21

FEATURE

story

THE ETHICAL CEO

The Ethical CEO

Former Cargill CEO Greg Page, ’74, HON ’16, shares insights on the work culture he worked to instill for more than 40 years.

By Averi Haugesag

22 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Photo: Richard Larson

Greg Page, ’74, HON ’16, meets with students during the Olason Ethics Symposium at UND.

W

hen Greg Page applied to work for Cargill, Inc., as a young man fresh out of UND’s College of Business & Public Administration (CoBPA) in 1974, he told the interviewer he only planned on being there two years before going to work for his father.

“His answer to me was, ‘Well, we’ll see about that,’” said Page.

“At the end of two years, I liked the people; I liked the work.”

Page got the job anyway, but a lot happened in the 42 years since he was first assigned as a trainee to the agriculture and industrial support giant’s feed division. He recently retired as Cargill’s chairman and chief executive officer.

“I stayed because of the family and the way they treated the organization from a growth standpoint,” Page said.

Cargill, one of the largest privately held companies in America, provides food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services to the world.

Though he graduated from UND with a degree in economics, Page attributes his success at Cargill to the UND Department of Accountancy.

“I studied economics and accounting, and it proved very serviceable for what I was doing,” he said. “Cargill is a trading company, so the concepts of elasticity and regressions and business law and leans and bailments, all of the things that I learned here (at UND), were useful on the first day.”

Page, a native of Bottineau, North Dakota, also credits his roots for helping him develop the work habits needed to succeed.

“I think growing up in a small town helps you,” he said. “You realize if you want something to happen, you better pick up the shovel yourself.”

Everyday ethics

In November, Page came back to UND to speak at his alma mater’s 12th Annual Olafson Ethics Symposium. The symposium, established and supported by alumnus Robert Olafson, ’71, ’72, and SEI Investments Co., is designed to engage students, alumni and local business leaders in conversations regarding ethical decision-making.

“A lot of good things happened in my life because of UND,

Photo: Richard Larson

so it doesn’t seem too much to ask for me to come back,” Page said. “It’s a small recognition that the tuition I paid was clearly underpriced…in the outcome and totality of my work experience, I got a lot out of the University.”

More than 350 people attended Page’s lecture in which he discussed his experiences at Cargill as well as the ethical standards the company highly values.

Both Page and Olafson feel that ethical decision-making should be a part of everyday life.

“Ethical values are something that are always there, but it’s not something that you always sit down and take the time to think about,” Olafson said. “I hope it’s helpful to the students to have these opportunities to really think about it and be a little bit more prepared as they go out to start the rest of their lives.”

Giving back

In addition to donating his time to UND, Page gives back financially. He is a frequent donor to the CoBPA in the form of student scholarships and other support gifts. For the 2015-2016 school year, scholarships funded by Page went to 29 different students.

“It’s so fun to get the (‘thank you’) letters from the scholarship recipients,” Page said. “They tell me where they’re from, what they’re studying, and what they want to do when they graduate. It really personalizes the fact that it’s not just a financial gift. It comes through in a lot of the letters — how delighted they are to receive it. But more importantly, I’m delighted to hear what they’re doing with this education and what their aspirations are.”

Though he’s recently retired, Page says he’s finding ways to stay busy.

Page currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Eaton Corporation, Deere & Company, and 3M. He is a past chair of the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and immediate past president of the Northern-Star Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Page is a past winner of the Sioux Award, the highest honor given by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, and he also received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from UND earlier this year. AR UNDalumni.org | 23

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What’s New

News from around campus A Partnership with the Division of University and Public Affairs

As part of the October ceremony to raise the 2016 NCAA Men’s Hockey national championship banner, hockey players from each of the championship teams held up the trophy from their era.

24 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

President Mark Kennedy

DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

What a thrill it has been for Debbie and me to be at the University of North Dakota, serving as President and First Lady. And what a whirlwind two months it has been — from throwing out the first pitch at UND Night at Target Field my first day on the job to welcoming the more than 1,400 new freshmen who showed up for the Welcome Weekend Pep Rally and Class Photo.

I have been doing a lot of listening, using a variety of approaches, including Grilling and Chilling gatherings with faculty and staff, Coffee with Kennedy with community members, other forums, small group meetings and one-on-one meetings with faculty, staff and students. So far, I have held more than 100 meetings with more than 2,000 individuals from all walks of the campus, the community, and the state. Now that the faculty and students are back on campus for the fall semester, I am adding Pancakes with the President, a forum to meet with students.

Debbie and I also hosted 30 individuals on the UND New Faculty and Administrators Bus Tour, which took us across the state to Mayville, Carrington, a coal power plant near Washburn, Bismarck, Medora and Theodore Roosevelt National Park — a highlight for me, since he is one of my heroes — Mandan, Fort Lincoln, Oakes, and the Fargo-Moorhead area. Our thanks to the UND Alumni Association & Foundation for funding this great opportunity to help our new faculty and administrators learn about their new state. We met many state and local government officials and community members, legislators, passionate alumni and bright prospective students along the way.

Speaking of students, this fall we welcomed our most academically qualified incoming first-year class ever, with an average high school GPA (grade point average) of 3.45 and ACT score of 24.1. Last year’s freshman class had a then-record 3.42 GPA and 24.0 ACT average. This will be the fourth consecutive year with an increase in freshman average GPA and fifth consecutive year with an increase in average ACT. This is good news for us. Recruiting increasingly better-prepared new students will help UND meet expectations for increasing retention and graduation rates, which helps us continue to be North Dakota’s chief opportunity engine.

Of course, we already have outstanding students at UND. The stars of this year’s convocation welcoming new students were the Varsity Gentlemen, a male a cappella group. The unified sound of the 11 singers merged to produce a magical melody. What a wonderful metaphor for the benefits of embracing One UND. That is the goal of the strategic planning process I have put in place, co-chaired by Dana Harsell, chair of University Senate and associate professor of political science and public administration, and Laurie Betting, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. By graduation in May, we will have a strategic plan to help us focus our efforts as we better serve as the chief opportunity engine of North Dakota.

I have also asked the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, a long-standing advisory committee to University Senate and my office, to examine UND Athletics to make sure we have an athletics program that best fits the University of North Dakota in terms of a number of factors, including the sports we participate in, conference participation, and program costs. This seeks to finalize the conversation started by Interim President Ed Schafer, who suggested that the University take a hard look at our athletics program with an eye to ensuring we have the right number and mix of Division I athletic programs, supported at a level that cultivates championship potential. I have asked the committee to provide recommendations to me by Nov. 1.

I want to be clear: I am pro-Athletics. I am proud of our studentathletes, who are successful in competition and in the classroom.

They are also engaged in the community, contributing more than 9,500 hours of service during the last academic year.

To truly become One UND requires integrating the voices of the entire university community and our supporters. It requires us to accept decisions reached after weighing competing views. It obliges us to keep in mind the interests of the overall university and exploring avenues for collaboration and for driving the University forward, together.

Like the Varsity Gentlemen at Convocation, our University will only reach its potential if we sing in harmony as One UND. Debbie and I appreciate the warm welcome we have received during our first two months here. Thank you for all that you do for the University of North Dakota. Our alumni and friends are an essential part of the UND family and play a vital role in our success and our future. I look forward to working with you as together we continue to build the premier flagship university of the Northern Plains.

Sincerely

Mark Kennedy President UNDalumni.org | 25

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Professor Will Gosnold takes a reading on a gravity meter.

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Photo: Richard Larson

Hands-on History

GEOPHYSICS CLASS GOES IN SEARCH OF RUMORED PROHIBITION-ERA BOOTLEGGER TUNNELS IN EAST GRAND FORKS

t was 8 a.m. on a chilly Saturday and Will Gosnold’s Introduction to Applied Geophysics students were at class – and smiling.

They figured they were on to something big.

Their classroom was the bank of the Red River, along the East Grand Forks Greenway. That’s where they, in addition to a few graduate students who weren’t members of the class, sought the remains of a legendary bootleggers’ tunnel rumored to have run from the river to the basement of the original Whitey’s Restaurant nearby.

The students spent four hours running tests in the field.

And later, back in class and in the labs, they spent even more hours running the data.

And the result? “There’s definitely something there,” said Gosnold. The seismic reflection profile shows what might be a hollow cavern under the river, probably about 20 feet across.” He added that there is a hint of concrete that may have been used to fill part of the cavern.

26 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

“I’d love to go back and do more,” said Gosnold. “I think there’s big stuff down there.

“The students were pretty excited about it,” Gosnold said. “I told them they found it themselves.”

They did the work, he said, as well as the calculations. And they will continue to run more calculations to see if they can learn more.

Boomtown rumors

During Prohibition, Whitey’s was at the center of a notorious speakeasy and gambling operation. It was one of 40 nightclubs that lined DeMers Avenue, giving East Grand Forks the nickname “Little Chicago.” Today, Whitey’s, still up and running, is the only remaining establishment from that era.

After the Red River Valley Flood of 1997, the first floor of the original building was covered with nearly six feet of water.

Whitey’s was rebuilt three doors up the block, and its iconic “Wonderbar” and art deco interior were saved.

Web Extra: To see a video of the search for bootlegger tunnels, go to UNDalumni.org/alumnireview.

Advanced geophysics students lay out geophones as they prepare for seismic testing.

Photo: Richard Larson

There have long been rumors of a bootleggers’ tunnel, and Gosnold thought it would be a great experiential learning opportunity for students to seek signs of its remains with sensing technology.

“Students enjoy learning so much more when it’s hands-on,” said Gosnold, a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Geology & Geological Engineering.

“It’s something we can do outdoors and apply most methods and equipment,” he said. “The project is especially interesting to the students because it carries an aura of mystery, intrigue and adventure.”

Innovative tools

Gosnold obtained permission from the East Grand Forks City Council, and gave his students a take-home exam so they could plan the project and develop cost estimates.

“Everything in the industry is time and money,” Gosnold said.

“The goal was to have the students understand each method and its limitations, plan the survey and estimate costs.”

Once on the Greenway, Gosnold and his students used reflection seismology, gravity, magnetics and electrical resistivity equipment as well as high-resolution GPS. Gosnold knew that some of the techniques wouldn’t yield results, but would pay off in experience for the students.

He did expect, correctly, that the seismic reflection survey would yield results. The device, designed by a UND graduate student, is known as the BOSS (Ballistic Ordinance Seismic Source). They laid out about 48 geophones along the rumored tunnel line and measured seismic waves after firing a blast.

‘Trifecta of learning’

Then the students ran and interpreted the data, which took about two weeks.

“In geophysics, we generate mathematical descriptions of Earth’s properties,” Gosnold said.

And now, he said, computers can generate graphs and maps using that data.

“We couldn’t do that 30 years ago,” Gosnold said. “That’s how much technology has changed.”

“I was glad to do the project,” said Rory Koch, a petroleum engineering junior from Wyoming, Minnesota. “I like supplementing learning with hands-on experience. That, along with books and the lecture, is the trifecta of learning.”

Geological Engineering senior Ryan Limesand said there’s a lot of arithmetic in the geophysics course. The computer program Microsoft Excel helps with the numbers, but they still have to understand and interpret the information they’re getting back.

“It was fun to get out there and do things we talk about in class,” said Limesand, a native of Bowman, North Dakota. “It’s easier to visualize what’s going on rather than look at equations.

“This was better than a classroom. It adds to our education, and when we’re looking for jobs, we can say we’ve gone out in the field and done this.” AR — Jan Orvik UND Today staff writer

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Fantasy Focus

UND STUDENTS MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF AS A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

u

Photo: Jackie Lorentz

UND student Dakota Krout with an electronic version of his novel Dungeon Born.

ND senior Dakota Krout doesn’t like being idle; he’s not a big fan of sleeping, either.

“Sleeping is one of my least favorite things to do,” Krout said, “because you have to just lay there doing nothing. I love being awake.”

The Computer Science major from Luck, Wisconsin, recently found out that innate restlessness might serve him well in a second career as a best-selling fantasy writer. It started last May when he decided to harness all his energy and pour it into writing.

“I got home from work and said, ‘Well, now what?’“ Krout shrugged. “I had nothing to do for the rest of the evening. So, I just grabbed my laptop and wrote for six hours.”

That night, he pounded out the first 30 pages of his recently published Kindle e-book, “Dungeon Born (The Divine Dungeon Book 1).” The book, about a mystical being named Cal, was an unexpected and runaway success with fantasy genre readers, cracking Amazon’s Top 10 Best Seller list in the “Epic Fantasy” and “Swords & Sorcery” categories. Overall, Dungeon Born made it to #324 in the Amazon rankings, an impressive feat considering the many thousands of titles available.

The e-book was so successful that Amazon released a print edition this fall, but Krout seems to be doing more writing than celebrating. He’s already 150 pages into Book 2 of The Divine Dungeon series. Though he preferred not to get into specifics, Krout said the writing gig is making him money.

“I try to channel all my energy into creative things,” Krout said. “I can’t play music, and can’t draw a picture for the life of me. My only creative avenue is writing.”

Krout reads a lot, and that passion for books has fueled

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his desire and ability to write. He’s thankful for Kindle Unlimited and its relatively cheap source of reading material: without it, he would be broke. He was a competitive speed-reader in high school who could devour a 300-page book in an hour-long lunch break.

“I can read much faster when I enjoy what I read,” Krout laughs. “I’ve always enjoyed seeing someone else’s mind. If they had a world all of their own, what would they do with it?”

And that’s fantasy, Krout said: the ability to have absolute control of one’s world without the bounds of science. Realism helps: if it could happen, it’s much better. But to Krout, the most interesting books give the reader a view into the author’s uninhibited self.

“I’m a big fan of world building,” Krout said. “I try hard to make whoever is reading see exactly what I see.”

His ability to create his own world within words isn’t just a product of his busy mind. The lateral thinking involved in his UND computer programming classes helped him develop the mind for executing the ideas that float around in his head. It’s why he fell in love with computer programming after arriving at UND. Anyone can program, Krout says. The problem is getting the logic behind it to be sound.

“Programming has definitely helped with the book. It helps with the logic of things,” Krout said. “To say, ‘here’s what I want it to do and here’s how I’m going to make it happen’ — that mindset really helps in writing and pretty much everything in life.” AR — Brian Johnson UND Today writer

Assistant Professor Surojit Gupta works in his lab in Upson Hall II, part of the UND College of Engineering & Mines.

w

Slippery when dry

UND MECHANICAL ENGINEER RE-ENVISIONS THE MODERN ENGINE TO REDUCE THE NEED FOR OIL-BASED LUBRICANTS

hen people imagine the machines of the future, they might envision flying cars or engines that run without gasoline.

UND Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Surojit Gupta has his own futuristic vision: an engine that doesn’t need oil.

Gupta recently started a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Army Research Lab worth about $360,000 over three years. Per the agreement, Gupta and his team of graduate students will assist the Army in creating self-lubricating materials and high-temperature propulsion systems. UND’s Mechanical Engineering Department is part of the College of Engineering & Mines, a collaborative research leader in five major disciplines: mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical and petroleum engineering.

Part 1 of Gupta’s project is to design solid lubricant materials. The materials will be able to withstand higher temperatures than current designs, making the need for oil a thing of the past. Part 2 involves designing high-temperature materials for high-powered turbines.

Turbines are currently manufactured with nickel-based alloys, which have lower functional temperatures.

Though it’s too early to say how long the materials would last, Gupta hypothesizes that the materials will have a longer life than current traditional oil-based machinery and will be better for the environment.

Photo: Jackie Lorentz

“As you can imagine, if you eliminate oil from machinery you can reduce the cost so much,” says Gupta, who earlier this year was named the winner of the 2016 Global Young Investigator Award at an international conference in Florida.

If Gupta and his team are successful, their designs would enable devices to fly longer in both combat and peacetime environments, for missions ranging from providing improved medical support to protection for troops on-ground.

Gupta believes the day will come when his research will shift from creating self-lubricating materials to actually applying those novel materials to real-world machines.

He says the most realistic application for these new materials is in an aerospace environment, perhaps in the form of a shaft and gearbox that will be made of UND’s new multifunctional materials.

These materials also might be used for numerous civilian applications, such as oil-free engines and other devices — such as “polymer contact devices where solid lubrication is needed,” Gupta said.

“Normally when you have cars, we tend to replace oil, and changing oil is always a problem,” Gupta said. “Imagine if we have structures where you don’t need to change the oil in the system; we can use the solid lubricants and eliminate the oil. We don’t need any kind of coolant system — that will eliminate the cost of that as well as reduce pollution.” AR — Matt Eidson UND Today student writer

UNDalumni.org | 29

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t

Looking Good at 100

Photo: Shawna Noel Schill

UND COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF BUSINESS CLASSES

he brickwork on the exterior of the University of North Dakota’s Gamble Hall is different from the surrounding structures.

Passersby may not notice at first, but a pattern of missing bricks tells a story of the business school’s past — an ode to the now-phased-out Hollerith punch card system used for data processing. It’s a story Denny Elbert, ’68, ’72, dean emeritus of the College of Business & Public Administration (CoBPA), loves to share.

“Over the years, people have been curious,” Elbert said. “When I became the dean (in 1997), I did a little more digging.”

Elbert is familiar with this punch card technology.

It was top-of-the-line when he was a undergraduate student in 1967-68, the year of Gamble’s construction.

“It was just on the front edge of technology,” Elbert said “It was all about the card system, and so students would be seen running around with brown paper boxes with trays of cards to do the simplest things. If you had one out of sequence, or dropped your box, you were toast.”

Through his journey from student to dean — and now as a part-time graduate professor — Elbert has seen UND stay ahead of new trends in teaching and learning.

30 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Now, as UND business classes enter their centennial year in 2017, the school continues to find ways to incorporate the newest technology into its classrooms to prepare students for the careers of the future.

“I started with chalkboards and then we went to whiteboards and then flip charts,” he said. “I think it’s exciting. I think the more improvements you have, the better off you’re going to be. That’s the world we live in today.”

Making connections

If you ask Michelle Garske, CoBPA director of graduate programs and accreditation, UND’s business school today is at the forefront of classroom interaction and technology.

Gamble Hall houses several hybrid classrooms that are set up specifically to allow interaction from online students. They include multiple monitors, microphones affixed to the ceiling, and Adobe Connect web conferencing software.

For CoBPA, interactive capabilities for online graduate students are critical. According to Garske, 70 to 90 percent of the college’s grad students are distance learners.

“Within our graduate programs, our optimal number of students is often beyond the reach of what we can recruit and attract in the community, so the distance programs have been huge for all of our grad programs.

df UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences All of them have a majority of distance students, so technology is very important,” Garske said.

Although many universities offer graduate degrees through online courses, Garske points out that UND’s synchronous program allows for a real classroom experience.

“There are tons of Master of Business Administration programs like that out there, but people really value having the touch and the connection,” Garske said. “It’s an innovative way for alumni who leave Grand Forks to be able to still stick with their alma mater and get their graduate degree and be able to come back and interact with faculty they may have known before.”

Changing landscape

Another point of pride for Garske lies behind the door of Gamble 145, where a new SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs) classroom was just completed for the fall semester. It allows students to watch a lecture online on their own time, and then come to class to work collaboratively with their classmates on what would have been called “homework” in the past. Senior marketing and communication major Peter Monsrud loves the real-world environment the SCALE-UP classroom provides his Relationship Marketing class.

“You really have to rely on your teammates, and I feel I learn more from collaboration and discussion with my classmates than I do from lectures,” Monsrud said.

Among the seating clusters and screens, distance students also are immersed digitally in the SCALE-UP classroom, adding another level of interaction. Monsrud knows this new way of learning will mold him into a better marketer.

“In business, nothing is individual,” he said. “You will always be on a team working with other people toward a common goal.

The more practice we get working in teams in the classroom setting, the more it benefits our professional development.”

“My hope is that students, faculty and staff can move and adapt quickly together, because I think that the landscape is changing quickly,” Garske said. “I think adaptability will really be key.” AR — Kaylee Cusack, UND Staff Writer

Dean’s Corner: A Tale of Three Communities Dear Alumni and Friends, October 14, 2016, marked one of the more noteworthy events in the history of the University of North Dakota, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the state of North Dakota with the opening of the our new building (see p. 14). There was a standingroom only crowd of around 350 people present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a similar number for the gala celebration later that evening. The special guest speaker at the evening celebration was Dr. Darrell Kirch, president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges that represents all 147 U.S. medical schools. Dr. Kirch posited the notion that local communities — of learners, teachers, and donors — have the power to advance projects that are too big and complicated for individuals to accomplish and are not the focus or province of national agencies.

The School has long promoted the concept of small-group learning experiences, but we’ve advanced that idea considerably with the construction of eight physical learning communities in the new building that foster interprofessional and team-based learning — in essence, a community of learners. These learning communities are self-governing groups of about 100 students each composed of trainees in all of the health disciplines sponsored by the SMHS. We believe that the active and interprofessional education that is occurring in these learning communities will better prepare our graduates for the rapidly changing world of clinical healthcare delivery that stresses team approaches to healthcare.

A second critically important community for the School is composed of graduates and other concerned clinicians and practitioners who, through their dedication and altruism, support our students by being clinical faculty members — a community of teachers. These voluntary faculty members teach our students for little or no remuneration and do so to give something back to the profession. In fact, North Dakota leads the nation in the fraction of physicians who are on the voluntary clinical faculty roster of a local medical school —two out of three physicians in the state are faculty members. It would be impossible to train our students without their help and support, that’s for sure!

And the last vitally important community in support of the SMHS is that composed of donors. Even though our educational costs are among the lowest in the region and nation, our medical students, in particular, used to have above-normal educational debt. But through the generosity of our donors, we have been able to reduce their cumulative debt from well above to well below the national average. During the most recent fiscal year that ended this past June, the SMHS set an all-time record for fund-raising.

It is the active participation of the three communities outlined above — learners, teachers, and donors — that have helped propel the School forward. Thanks to all the caring, dedicated, and forward-thinking people who have brought us to where we are. The future looks even brighter thanks to your efforts!

Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH UND Vice President for Health Affairs Dean UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences UNDalumni.org | 31

Lanny LaPlante (left) is a student in UND’s new Veterans Entrepreneurship Program. Tyler Okerlund, ’06, (right) is the director of the program.

Boot Camp: Business Style

Photo: Tyler Ingham

DISABLED MILITARY VETERANS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY LOOK AT UND’S CENTER FOR INNOVATION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING

L

aughter poured through the doors of the James Ray Idea Lab, punctuated by the impassioned shouts of 24 distinguished and disabled military veterans from around the country.

This raucous behavior isn’t typical for UND’s Center for Innovation, which houses the Idea Lab, but recently, during the last week of October, the environment felt a little different.

The boisterous crew was gathered for UND’s first-ever Veterans Entrepreneurship Program (VEP) Boot Camp. The rigorous seven-day experience is Phase 2 of a three-part program that prepares disabled vets to enter the world of business. UND is just the fourth university in the country to offer the free program.

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“Every veteran gave their service to our country,” said VEP Director Tyler Okerlund, ’06, a disabled U.S. Navy and Army National Guard vet. “We at least owe them something, and this is just another type of program that we can offer them.”

One of those veterans, Lanny LaPlante of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, applied to the VEP to get more hands-on learning and professional advice on growing his current venture, Blue Star, Inc., which installs navigation aids and lighting systems for airports. While other participants entered the program with simple ideas, LaPlante already was looking to snap together the final puzzle pieces.

“I’m just waiting to blow the ‘training wheels’ off of mine,” LaPlante smiled. “I’ve gained a lot since being here.”

Former UND College of Business & Public Administration Dean Dennis Elbert, ’68, ’72, a current faculty member in the School of Entrepreneurship, engages students taking part in weeklong “boot camp” for UND’s new Veteran Entrepreneurship Program.

Photo: Tyler Ingham

Lanny’s story

LaPlante recalls his days as a young man in South Dakota as a catalyst to a desire to see more of the world.

“I was working for my dad, and we worked for about $40 a day — manual labor, breaking horses,” LaPlante said. “I got bucked off like nine times in one day.

I wasn’t the stickiest guy in the saddle. I thought, ‘There is more out there than just what’s here, and I wanted to go see that.’”

So LaPlante enlisted in the Marines, exchanging horses for a parachute. He served as a member of a Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance jump team for hostage rescues. It was a dangerous job and the hazards caught up with him in the form of injuries. One of the worst happened during jump rehearsals when LaPlante fell 22 feet onto his tailbone, crushing nerves and leaving him with two herniated discs and a bulging disc.

LaPlante pushed through even more injuries, such as a crushed hand and a couple of broken ankles before his doctor told him it was time to get out.

“He said, ‘You’re broken. You’ve got to seriously consider the quality of your life after you leave the Marine Corps. Because

if you go out and jump again, the screws won’t break — everything around your ankle will break,’” LaPlante recalled.

LaPlante left the Marines at 35, and after trying out other jobs, he started Blue Star Inc. with a friend.

“It gives you financial freedom, and you’re your own boss,” LaPlante said. “But you have to nurture it, you have to invest in it, and you have to bring in what you don’t know. Because you don’t know everything.”

Continuing education

That’s where VEP comes in. For the first five weeks of the program, LaPlante and his fellow veterans participated in an online self-study curriculum to prepare for Phase 2: boot camp at UND. And for those seven days, the veterans attended classes on leadership, marketing, finances, project management and more. Many of the courses were led by faculty and staff in UND’s School of Entrepreneurship, a regional leader in innovative practices for business success.

“A lot of them (faculty members) have been very excited about doing this,” Okerlund said. “They’ve had fun teaching

these veterans because of the way that they think, because they think differently than the average college student.”

On their final day, participants used what they learned to create a competitive business pitch. After boot camp, program mentorship will continue for six to eight months with the help of the VEP. This year’s program was supported in large part by the Edson and Margaret Larson Foundation, the Dakota Foundation and the Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau, but Okerlund said an outpouring of donations also came from area businesses.

“They’re all about trying to help out the veterans as well,” he said. “That’s the terrific support that we have within a small community.”

Okerlund said the plan is to continue VEP for years to come.

“I may not have ever looked at starting a venture or a business, but I would consider this my venture,” Okerlund said.

“As long as I see my venture taking off to help others build their venture — that’s a rewarding experience.” AR — Kaylee Cusack, UND Staff Writer

UNDalumni.org | 33

THIS IS YOUR A FROZEN TRIBUTE

Legacy

A Frozen Tribute

Every time the Fighting Hawks hockey teams take the ice this season, Champions Club members will be there with them

W

hen a fresh sheet of ice was installed at Ralph Engelstad Arena in September, the usual markings went in with it: blue and red lines, faceoff dots, and the center ice logo.

There was also a new addition, however: the names of nearly 2,000 Champions Club members, frozen beneath the surface in front of the home bench.

“It’s a thank you and a tip of the hat to those people that make the atmosphere at this arena so special,” said Mike Mannausau, Executive Director of the North Dakota Champions Club.

“We are extremely grateful to have the support of our Champions Club members in driving our athletics programs forward,” Athletics Director Brian Faison said. “This is our way of saying thank you and showing how much their support means to UND Athletics.”

The list of names in the ice includes all Champions Club members who joined or renewed their membership by June 30, 2016. One of those members is Mark Brown, ’75, CEO of Bank Forward, who has been giving for more than 40 years.

“It’s nice that they appreciate the Champions Club members,” he said.

Brown says he enjoys the atmosphere at UND Athletics events the most. He fondly remembers men’s and women’s basketball

34 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Photo: Sam Melquist

doubleheaders against NDSU, as well as cheering on the men’s hockey team at Frozen Fours across the country.

For him, it’s rewarding to support the student-athletes and set the tone for others to do the same.

“It makes you feel good to help the student-athletes who probably don’t have enough money for scholarships, so in turn when I’m gone, someone else will be doing the same thing,” Brown said. “That’s the main satisfaction I get out of it.”

Mannausau said while working with Jody Hodgson, general manager of the Ralph Engelstad Arena, they found that the Montreal Canadiens had done something similar to honor some of their fans and team shareholders. They decided to do the same for Champions Club members.

UND is believed to be the first college hockey team in the nation to honor their fans in such a way. And, as a way of recognizing every ounce of support for UND’s student-athletes, the names that went into the ice weren’t limited to any specific membership levels or number of years as a member. Mannausau felt it was important to include everyone who gives to the Champions Club, in whatever way they can.

“Everybody makes a difference, just like the atmosphere at this arena,” he said. “Everybody in the building makes it as special as it is.

Everyone who helps with their annual donation to the Champions

THIS IS

YOUR LEGACY.

“It’s nice that they appreciate the Champions Club members.”

— Mark Brown, ’75

Photo: Sam Melquist

Club is just as important and makes the Champions Club what it is today.”

Installing the names in the ice for the season wasn’t the only showing of gratitude for Champions Club members. When the men’s hockey team raised its 2016 NCAA Division I national championship banner on Oct. 1, the top eight members in points were there to help lift it to the rafters, including Brown.

Just eight members participated in that ceremony, in honor of the team’s eight national titles, but it all but sealed every Champions Club member’s place in UND’s championship legacy.

“Our ultimate goal is to have champions in the community, in the classroom and in competition, and every member helps us attain that goal,” Mannausau said.

“We can never thank them enough.” AR — Gabriella Fundaro

You can help make

champions

This year, we’ve loved cheering on UND’s championship hockey, football, and volleyball teams.

They wouldn’t have had success without the support of our fantastic alumni and fans of UND Athletics.

Now, UND Athletics needs your help more than ever to continue funding our championship programs.

You can help by:

- Funding an Impact Scholarship - Creating an endowed scholarship - Joining the Champions Club

Want to know more?

Contact the Champions Club at 701.777.2611 or championsclub@UNDFoundation.org.

NDChampionsClub.com

UNDalumni.org | 35

Taxes have never been

Man’s Best Friend.

Photo: Sam Melquist

This year, make your taxes a little less taxing by giving a gift to support students at the University of North Dakota.

Contact us to find out how you can maximize your tax return while supporting your alma mater. 701.777.2611 or giftplanning@UNDfoundation.org.

thank you DONORS 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. Thank you for all that you do!

The following donors reached a new giving circle in the Eternal Flame Society between July 1 and September 30, 2016. * indicates deceased For more information about the Eternal Flame Society, visit UNDalumni.org/EternalFlame

WILLIAM BUDGE

$1,000,000 - $4,999,999 Stephen P. Kramer Dale & Barbara Morrison

Circle

THOMAS CLIFFORD

$100,000 - $999,999

Circle

160 Investment, LLC Joyce & Aqueil Ahmad Alex Stern Family Foundation Jack & Eileen Crystal First State Bank of North Dakota, Arthur, N.D. Dr. Robert* & Jane* Heen Dean & JoAnn Hornbacher Brent & Heather Kukla Linda J. Laskowski Margaret R. (Hjalmarson) & G. Thomas Lesher Dr. Robert N. Sando Dr. Christina Tello-Skjerseth & Brent Skjerseth Chad & Stacy Wachter

PRESIDENT’S $10,000 - $99,999

Circle

Leonard S. Carlisle Lee & Sandra* Christofferson Don & Patricia Clement Drs. Richard & Glinda* Crawford Dakotaland Autoglass Capt. Jeffrey J. Frane Terry L. Goulet Karen J. Greenwood Mark & Julie Hall Dr. Erica & Daniel Hanson Tanya L. Harlow, M.D. Karla & Peter Harmon John A. Little Duane & Patty Maatz Dr. & Mrs. Eric J. Murphy National Society of the Dames of Court of Honor Clinton R. Nelson Gregory & Michelle Nelson Drs. Sarah & Christopher Paschall Col. Clark R. Penas, RET Jon W. Putnam Rumors Lounge & Plaza Package Robert & Cheri Rydell Jim Sweeney The Gene Murphy Golf Classic

LEGACY

Circle

The Legacy Circle includes donors who have indicated they plan to give to the UND Foundation through their wills. Members of this circle have pledged to have their legacies live forever at the University of North Dakota.

Ross & Emily Brenneman Capt. Jeffrey J. Frane

UNDalumni.org | 37

THIS IS YOUR

Legacy

CREATE THE FUTURE OF UND

Meet a Student

Alissa Dahle-Koch

Hometown: Maple Grove, MN Area(s) of Study: Spanish/Pre-Physical Therapy (Math & Biology Minor) Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2018 Photo: Sam Melquist

Why UND? I originally applied to UND because I was interested in the Physical Therapy program and I toured the campus after a blizzard my senior year of high school. Even though there were still 2 feet of snow blanketing the entire campus (in April) I knew I could find my home at UND. Everyone I met was extremely kind-hearted and made me feel as if I could accomplish anything and everything!

Dream career?

I am not entirely sure what setting I want to work in yet, but I do know that I want to work as a Physical Therapist — perhaps in a Hispanic country/region. Maybe I’ll open my own Physical Therapy orthopedic practice.

How is UND helping you realize that dream?

In my two and a half years here, I have built relationships with professors and mentors that have encouraged me to work hard in my schoolwork and to push myself out of my comfort zone. They have taught me that it is okay to make mistakes and it is the way in which we come back from those events that helps us grow. I am grateful to be enrolled in a university where I know the faculty and staff are personally invested in my success.

38 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

‘More to Learn’ I am currently in the first semester of my junior year. Finals are quickly approaching and I seem to find my head buried in my physiology textbook more often than not. I find great value in my studies, and although it can sometimes be daunting, I love that there is always something more to learn!

At the beginning of my freshman year, I joined UND’s hockey cheer team and I currently serve as an assistant captain. Being able to cheer for hockey has allowed me serve as a representative of the University and to interact with so many community members, students and alumni. I still get goosebumps each home game when I stand on the ice during starting lineup and glance up at the sea of UND fans that fill the Ralph!

Another favorite is being a member on the UND Student Ambassador Executive Board. Greeting new students during Welcome Weekend and helping plan UND’s 100th Homecoming were highlights of my semester. This organization has been my “gateway” to the rest of campus and has encouraged me to get more involved. It has helped me become more confident as a leader, and I have enjoyed sharing my passion for the university with so many people.

The University of North Dakota has shown me how to embrace life and everything it has to offer. I am grateful for the opportunities UND has given me and I look forward to what is to come!

The “Best” Investment

Kris Engelstad McGarry (left) meets scholarship recipient Andrea Kelsch at a scholarship reception in October at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Photo: Sam Melquist

m

THE ENGELSTAD FAMILY FOUNDATION HOLDS A RECEPTION TO RECOGNIZE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

ost people are well aware of the support the late Ralph Engelstad and his family have given to UND Athletics, particularly to the men’s hockey program.

But the impact of the Engelstad Family Foundation on the University of North Dakota campus stretches far beyond the ice rink.

During the 2015-16 academic year, Engelstad Family Foundation scholarship endowments provided nearly $320,000 in support to 38 students at UND. Earlier this fall, students benefiting from these scholarships were invited to a special reception at Ralph Engelstad Arena with members of the Engelstad Family, including Kris Engelstad McGarry, Ralph’s daughter.

The students were recognized for the hard work they’ve put in, while also getting the chance to talk about how their scholarships have impacted them.

“It’s been a huge help,” said Tyler Bentow, a senior studying mechanical engineering who receives support from the Ralph Engelstad Underrepresented Scholarship.

“Over the course of four years, it’s been a big help to not have to worry about trying to find finances elsewhere, so it’s helped a lot.”

Andrea Kelsch, a junior from Bismarck, North Dakota, is a recipient of the Sioux Scholarship, which provides scholarship assistance for Native American students who are members of a Sioux tribe.

She noted that her scholarship has made an especially big difference for her family. As a triplet, she and her siblings were all headed off to college at the same time.

“Sending three kids to college is quite expensive,”

Kelsch said. “During our senior year of high school, my parents were even considering selling our house just to get us through. With this scholarship, my parents didn’t have to do that.”

The importance of scholarship aid is not lost on those whose generosity makes it possible.

“The best thing that we do is scholarships,” said McGarry, who addressed the recipients at the reception.

“We love the building and we love all of this, but by far the best investment is all of you.”

Kelsch, who is studying medical laboratory sciences and pre-medicine, said the reception was meaningful because it gave her and her fellow recipients the chance to thank the Engelstad family for making that investment.

“Most scholarships you just receive it, but you don’t even get to meet the people,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to be able to thank them for what they’ve been able to do and see the people behind it.”

McGarry urged the group to remember the difference their scholarships have made in their lives and pay it forward for someone else.

“Just remember this place,” she said. “If there’s one person along the way that you think you can help, give them a helping hand, and that’s how this continues to roll.” AR — Gabriella Fundaro If you’d like to support scholarships at the University of North Dakota, contact the UND Alumni Association & Foundation at 701.777.2611 or giftplanning@UNDfoundation.org.

UNDalumni.org | 39

ALUMNI

news

UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

1950s Remember when, in 1958,

Photo: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library

Dr. John G. Arneberg’s created one of the largest endowments ever received by UND up to that point? Dr. Arneberg’s $225,000 legacy gift added to a scholarship fund he’d earlier created for the study of foreign languages.

DO YOU REMEMBER… when Art Professor Robert A. Nelson painted the large mural for the reading room of the Chester Fritz Library in 1961? Nelson left UND to get his Education Doctorate from New York University in 1971. He taught at several universities before settling at Millersville University, where he was granted the rank of professor emeritus in 1997. His works are included in the permanent collections of several major museums including the Smithsonian, The Museum of Modern Art and the Walker Art Center.

40 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

1963 Kermit Bye, ‘59, ‘62, has retired from his seat on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bye has served on the federal appeals court, which is based in St. Louis, since 2000. He has maintained his chambers in Fargo during his tenure on the court. Bye was the first UND law graduate to be appointed as a U.S. circuit court judge.

1960s Remember when, in the fall of 1966, UND passed 7,000 enrollment for the first time in the school’s history?

1964 Dr. Mardy Grothe, ‘64, has authored “Metaphors Be With You: An A to Z Dictionary of Metaphorical Quotations.” The book, his seventh major quotation anthology, will be seamlessly integrated by QR Codes to his online database of more than 25,000 metaphorical quotations.

1966 Walter Piehl, ‘66, ‘87, has received the Golden Award from the Minot State University Alumni Association. Piehl has taught art at MSU since 1970. He has exhibited his artworks regionally, nationally, and internationally. In 2008, he was recognized with the Enduring Visions Award by the Bush Foundation.

1968 Duane Anderson, ‘68, ‘70, has retired after 25 years at East Central University in Ada, Okla.

During his time at the school, he served as Graduate Dean, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and six months as Interim President.

1970s Remember when, in

1973, all five justices of the North Dakota Supreme Court were presented with Sioux Awards, the highest honor given by the UND Alumni Association, at a special ceremony held in Bismarck?

1970 Robert Crawford, ‘70, has been selected by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education as a 2016 recipient of the Top Pro Bono Attorneys in Arizona award. The award recognizes attorneys who have tirelessly given of their time and expertise to assist Arizonans who would otherwise have no legal resources.

1971 Nadia (May) Smetana, ‘71, is an assistant clinic director with Dakota Hope Clinic in Minot, N.D. 1973 Gary Hanson, ‘73, has received the Edward L. Bliss Award for Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Education from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Electronic

News Division. Hanson recently retired as a professor from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University.

Edward Thompson, ‘73, ‘75, received the 37th annual Helen Lamb Outstanding Educator Award during the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Nurse Anesthesia Annual Congress.

Thompson was recognized for dedicating himself throughout his career to the education of generations of student registered nurse anesthetists, not only as program director at the Mayo Foundation for Research & Education and the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, but also as a member of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Task Force. Thompson lives in Naples, Fla.

1974 Keith Ronkowski, ‘74, ‘77, has retired after 41 years of teaching. Ronkowski has been the marketing, management, and entrepreneurship instructor at Grand Forks Red River High School for many of those years in the classroom.

1978 John Walstad, ‘78, has retired from his job as a North Dakota Legislative Council Attorney.

Walstad has been with the Legislative Council since 1981, helping draft tax bills for lawmakers during the past 17 regular sessions of the North Dakota Legislature.

1979 Julie (Bjerke) Blehm, ‘79, ‘81, is senior medical director with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota in Fargo.

SS_alumni_review_Layout 1 11/16/16 9:02 AM Page 1

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ALUMNI

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UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

1980s Remember when, in

1986, Olympian Fritz Pollard, ’39, returned to campus during Homecoming to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his bronze medal at the 1936 Berlin Games?

1981 Viola (Champagne) LaFontaine, ‘81, ‘95, is the superintendent for the MottRegent (N.D.) School District.

1982 Michael Gjesdahl, ‘82, ‘85, founder of Gjesdahl Law in Fargo, has been named a 2016 Great Plains Super Lawyer.

1984 Paul Sukut, ‘84, is the chairman of the North Dakota Lignite Energy Council board of directors. Sukut is the CEO and general manager of Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

1987 Joan McCusker, ’87, has been named a 2016 CFO of the Year for Nonprofits by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. McCusker is the CFO and VP of Finance and Administration for the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in St. Paul.

Jeffrey Kuhlman, ‘90, received Wells Fargo Volunteers Minnesota Chapter 2016 Volunteer of the Year award for outstanding service and commitment to the community. Kuhlman is a regional branch supervisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Minneapolis.

Craig Ross, ‘90, has been recognized with the 2016 Gregg B. Rishel Award from the National Weather Service.

Ross is a hydrologist with the Weather Forecast Office in Shreveport, La. Ross was 1989 selected for his outstanding Karen (Dean) Thingelstad, performance and commitment ‘89, vice president and CFO of to the Weather Service’s mission Minnkota Power Cooperative, of saving lives and property has joined the board of during multiple widespread directors of the Altru Health historic flooding events in 2015 Foundation. Thingelstad lives in and 2016.

Grand Forks.

1991 Michelle (Deckert) Lang, ‘91, is an outside claims adjuster with the North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund in Remember when, in Bismarck.

1992, UND graduated

1990s

the first seven students to take the majority of the classes over the North Dakota Interactive Video Network?

Big Sky Saturday

Saturday, November 12, was a big weekend for UND ‘s football and volleyball teams. Both teams secured Big Sky Conference regular season championships with home wins that day.

Volleyball clinched the conference regular season title outright with a 3-0 victory over Northern Colorado, finishing the season with a conference record of 14-2.

Football earned a share of the Big Sky regular season title with a thrilling come-from-behind victory that afternoon over the University of Northern Arizona. Trailing 38-10 almost halfway through the third quarter, UND mounted a furious comeback to claim a share of its first ever Big Sky title.

42 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Susan Reinertson, ‘91, ‘04, has been appointed to the District of Columbia, Office of Mayor Bowser, Homeland Security Commission for a twoyear term. Reinertson is the VP & Chief for the Department of 1990 Darlene (Ryba) Christianson, Emergency Management and Corporate Security at Amtrak.

‘90, is a principal at FordvilleLankin (N.D.) Elementary School. Reinertson lives in Alexandria, Va. Christianson is a longtime teacher at the school, but this fall took on the added principal 1992 Col. Frank Tank, ‘92, duties. graduated from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. He Kelly (Sanders) Grassel, earned a Master of Strategic ‘90, is director of medical and Studies degree. Col. Tank specialty services with Altru is assigned to the National Health System in Grand Forks.

Reconnaissance Office in Chantilly, Va. 1994 Chantell (Chaffee) Christensen, ‘94, ‘96, is a special education teacher at Beach (N.D.) High School.

Steven Lantz, MD, ‘94, ‘98, is an orthopedic surgeon with Sanford Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Fargo.

Shawn Surface, ‘94, is the city auditor for Lincoln, N.D. 1995 Holly (Holland) Fraccaro, ‘95, received the “New Executive Officer of the Year Award” at the National Association of Home Builders Association Leadership Institute this summer. Fraccaro is the executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties in North Carolina.

Randall Slavens, ‘95, is director of the Northeast Human Service Center in Grand Forks and the Lake Region Human Service center in Devils Lake. The two centers serve residents of 10 counties and two tribal nations.

Nate Weisenburger, ‘95, ‘96, is the drinking water practice leader in the Great Falls, Mont., office of Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. Weisenburger worked as an intern with the Grand Forksbased company during college, and then joined AE2S fulltime after graduation.

1996 Kim (Haugen) Hart, ‘96, is a music teacher with the Munich (N.D.) Public School.

Lisa (Miller) LaFleur, ‘96, ‘97, is a per diem physical therapist with Pediatric Therapy Partners in Bismarck, N.D. 1997 Kevin Dykema, ‘97, is Bismarck (N.D.) Regional President for American Bank Center.

Jill (West) Fritel, ‘97, is a retail team lead with Bremer Bank in Grand Forks.

Raymond Grefsheim, ‘97, is the business banking team lead for Bremer Bank. He works in the Moorhead, Minn., branch of the bank.

Matthew Laughlin, ‘97, has been promoted to Shareholder with Brady, Martz & Associates, P.C. He is a CPA who has been with the company since 1998.

Laughlin works in the Grand Forks office.

Brion Mahin, ‘97, is a mechanical engineer with C.L. Linfoot Company, a HVAC, roofing and sheet metal company in Grand Forks.

Melissa (Olson) Nilsson, ‘97, ‘00, was recently selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2017. Nilsson is an attorney with Henson Efron in Minneapolis.

1998 Sheldon Anderson, ‘98, is a senior broker with The Birch Gold Group in Los Angeles. He is also a regular performer at the Hollywood Improv and co-host of Funny Money, a humorous financial podcast.

Katie (Blum) Berryhill, ‘98, earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Wyoming with a focus on astronomy education.

Sara (Leingang) Christianson, ‘98, ‘01, is a CPA with Ritter Adair & Associates, Bismarck.

1999 Sherry Burg, ‘99, is director of critical care and trauma services with Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Rachel Ness, MD, ‘99, ‘03, is a board certified dermatologist with Fargo Center for Dermatology.

2000s Remember when, in

2000, Karen Nyberg, ’94, was selected for NASA’s astronaut candidate class? Nyberg would later fly on a 2008 space shuttle mission and spend nearly six months on the International Space Station in 2013.

2000 Jill (Schmidt) Hankey, ‘00, is a physician assistant at Sanford Broadway Clinic in Fargo.

2001 Glen Matthews, ‘01, has been inducted into the North Dakota State College of Science (Wahpeton) Letterwinners Hall of Fame.

Matthews was a defensive tackle on the Wildcats football team. He was named an Academic All-American and 2nd team All-American in 1996. After transferring to UND, Matthews was an All-American, All-Conference, Most Valuable Defensive Lineman in the NCC and an Academic All-American in 1999. Matthews is now an attorney at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell in Denver.

Kristen (Carlson) Stromsodt, ‘01, is editor of the Grand Forks Herald newspaper. Stromsodt spent 13 years with the Herald in various positions. She also was deputy editor of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and was recently the director of content for Agweek.

2002 Allison Hetland, MD, ‘02, specializes in family medicine at the Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargo.

Kelly (Crammer) Madzey, ‘02, ‘05, is the supervising attorney of the Intake/ Grand Jury Section of the Montgomery County (Ohio) Prosecutor’s Office.

M. Andrew Urano, ‘02, has been awarded the Raeder Larson Public Service Award sponsored by Minnesota State Bar Association and the United States Bankruptcy Court District of Minnesota.

Urano was recognized for his volunteer work with lowincome individuals who need help with bankruptcy and other debt issues. Urano works for a law firm in Houston, Texas.

2003 Casey Holland, ‘03, and Kelly (Janzen) Holland, ‘03, have purchased the Fosston, Minn., Dairy Queen from Tom Holland, ‘68, and Rita (Potulny) Holland, ‘68.

Jennifer (Pearson) Hennen, ‘03, is Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids and Cambridge, Minn., and Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minn.

2004 Erica Marchus, ‘04, is a quality assurance specialist with Aldevron, a biotechnology company headquartered in Fargo.

2005 The Rev. Thai Arul, ‘05, is priest at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Rolla, N.D. and Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Rock Lake, N.D. Carolyn Baker, ‘05, ‘16, associate professor of English at Mayville (N.D.) State University taught a graduate course in Cuba this fall.

ALUMNI

news

UPDATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Anna Giemza-Palmer, ‘05, ‘10, ‘15, is a nurse practitioner with Pearl Health Clinic in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Jordan Vaughan, ‘05, has written a book, “No Good Son,” a thriller set in Seattle. Vaughan lives in Yakima, Wash.

Shannon Peters, MD, ‘08, is an anesthesiologist with Sanford Medical Center Broadway in Fargo.

Valerie (Reyelts) Gudgel, ‘05, is a junior high special education teacher with the Langdon (N.D.) Area School District.

2006 Matthew Hieb, ‘06, is a dentist with Family HealthCare, Fargo.

Richard Pollock, ‘08, is a professional scout with the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers. Pollock founded the hockey news website IllegalCurve.com in 2007.

Corey Kost, ‘05, has been appointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple to a five-year-term on the North Dakota Real Estate Appraiser Qualifications and Ethics Board. Kost is a staff appraiser at Dakota Appraisal & Consulting in Bismarck, N.D. Keith Rutherford, ‘05, is a tax manager with Widmer Roel in Fargo.

Darcie (Martin) Sell, ‘05, ‘09, has been promoted to associate professor of psychology at Concordia College, Moorhead (Minn.).

Jona (Parisien) Peltier, ‘07, is a behavioral health social worker with Seven Stone Center of Behavioral Health and Healing in Belcourt, N.D. 2007 Tiffany Doyle, ‘07, ‘12, is a psychiatrist with Sanford Moorhead (Minn.) 8th Street Clinic.

2008 Dr. Thomas Miskavige, ‘08, ‘12, is a member of the internal medicine team with Altru in Grand Forks. Miskavige, a Grand Forks native, is board certified by The American Board of Internal Medicine and an expert in Bedside Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

Nicholas Nupdal, ‘09, is a business banking specialist in the Fargo South Sales Office of American Federal Bank. Nupdal is working toward an MBA from UND as well.

2010s Remember when,

Adria Ridl, ‘08, ‘16, is a physician assistant at Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargo.

in 2012, the State Board of Higher Education approved a new Department of Petroleum Engineering?

Kimberly Ruliffson, ‘08, is the northeast district director for the North Dakota State University Extension Service. Ruliffson lives in Grand Forks.

2010 Ashley Lemere, MD, ‘10, is a general surgeon with the Williston (N.D.) Medical Center Team of CHI St. Alexius Health.

Krystle (Christinson) Thiele, ‘08, is an instructional coach at Grafton (N.D.) Middle School.

Alison (Hand) Lynch, ‘10, ‘16, is an adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner with Trinity Health in Minot, N.D.

2009 Zach Bopp, ‘09, is a project manager for R.J. Zavoral & Sons, Inc. in East Grand Forks.

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1

Points earned on net purchases (purchases minus credit and returns). Account must be open and in good standing to earn and redeem rewards and benefits. Upon approval please refer to your Rewards Program Rules for additional information.

The creditor and issuer of the UND Visa Card is U.S. Bank National Association, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.

Sarah (Barry) Nupdal, ‘10, ‘13, is an attorney with the Goosmann Law Firm in Fargo.

Nupdal specializes in helping clients preserve wealth through estate planning and also practices in areas of succession planning, business law and health law.

to individuals to achieve social re-integration, in Bismarck, N.D.

Kristen Slominski, ‘10, is an occupational therapist with Drayton (N.D.) Public Schools.

Trisha Page, ‘12, is a behavioral health services program administrator with the Anne Carlson Center, Fargo.

2011 Erik Burke, ‘11, ‘16, is a family nurse practitioner with Sanford Health East Grand Forks.

Courtney Feil, ‘11, ’16, is a family nurse practitioner at Wishek (N.D.) Community Hospital and Clinics.

Megan (Talley) Glasow, ‘11, is a client consultant with Sundog, Fargo, a marketing strategy firm.

Gloria (Volk) Odden, ‘11, is a counselor at Strasburg (N.D.) Public School.

Elle Nelson, ‘11, is an insurance agent with the Chris Heise Agency of American Family Mutual Insurance in West Fargo.

Autumn Nelson, ‘11, ‘16, is a nurse practitioner at the Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargo.

Jenna Scharmer, ‘11, ‘16, is a family nurse practitioner with Sanford Health’s East Mandan (N.D.) Clinic.

2012 Anne Gillie, ‘12, is an account specialist supervisor with Discovery Benefits, Fargo.

Ashley Girodat, ‘12, is a veterinarian with Petcetera Animal Clinic in Grand Forks.

Taylor Isakson, ‘12, is a case manager with Centre Inc., a private non-profit agency that provides rehabilitative services

Brittany Kohler, ‘12, has completed training to become an orthopedic certified specialist. Kohler works at ProRehab Physical and Occupational Therapy in Fargo.

Brenda Collins, ‘14, is a nurse practitioner with Prairie St. John’s in Fargo. Collins is board certified as a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner.

Tasha Dahl, ‘14, teaches math, English and Social Studies in Drayton, N.D. Neba Nfonsang, ‘14, ‘16, is a full-time substitute teacher at New Town (N.D.) High School.

Lucas Reuter, ‘12, is an insurance agent with the North Dakota General Office of New York Life in Fargo.

Jenny Schmidt, ‘14, is a licensed registered dietitian with Mid Dakota Clinic in Bismarck, N.D.

2013 Kayla Chesley, ‘13, is a family nurse practitioner with Family HealthCare, Fargo.

2015 Elizabeth “Ellie” Johnson, ‘15, is a customer service representative with Vaaler Insurance in Grand Forks.

Travis Clark, ’13, ’16, is an assistant professor in the Social Sciences Department at Valley City (N.D.) State University.

James Grossman, ‘13, ‘16, is an associate attorney with Nilles Law Firm in Fargo.

Haley Haugen, ‘13, is the principal at Prairie View Elementary School in New Salem, N.D. Jessie Lindemann, MD, ‘13, specializes in family medicine at the Sanford North Fargo Clinic.

Kayla Odegard, MD, ‘13, is a member of the emergency medical team at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

Kody Stark, ‘13, is a crop insurance specialist with AgCountry Farm Credit Services in the Grafton and Cavalier, N.D., branches.

2014 Audra Braaten, ‘14, is a fourth grade teacher in the Hazen (N.D.) School District.

Kylor Johnston, ‘15, is a game warden for Mercer and Oliver Counties in central North Dakota.

Shane Martin, ‘15, has received the Local Impact Award from the National Indian Health Board. Martin is the athletic director at Turtle Mountain Community High School in Belcourt.

Maria Schmidt, ‘15, was recognized with the American Cancer Society’s Heroes of Hope Award. Schmidt is a nurse on the inpatient oncology/renal dialysis floor at Altru in Grand Forks. She is also a breast cancer survivor who has volunteered extensively with the American Cancer Society.

2016 Ashley Bishop, ‘16, is a nurse practitioner with Prairie St. John’s in Fargo. Bishop is board certified as a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner.

Alyssa Briggs, ‘16, is an occupational therapist with ProRehab Physical and Occupational Therapy in Fargo.

Caitlyn Cameron, ‘16, is a physician assistant with Essentia Health-52nd Ave. Clinic in Fargo.

Brandi Christmann, ‘16, is a family nurse practitioner with Sanford North Clinic in Bismarck, N.D. Christopher Julson, ‘16, is a sixth grade social studies teacher in the Hazen (N.D.) School District.

Mary (Lockett) Karboviak, ‘16, is a music teacher with Drayton (N.D.) Public Schools.

Phillip Manz, ‘16, is an assistant project manager, grain and millwright division, with Industrial Builders, Fargo.

Eric Monticello, ‘16, is a nurse practitioner with Prairie St. John’s in Fargo. Monticello is board certified as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

Carrie Pfaff, ‘16, is a nurse practitioner at the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo.

Ashley Sebelius, ‘16, is a physical therapist at CHI St. Alexius Health in Devils Lake, N.D. Lucas Senske, ‘16, is a Social Studies teacher at McClusky (N.D.) High School. AR The information for Class News is compiled from newspapers, online postings, reader submissions, and the UND AA&F database. If you spot an error, please email alumnireview@ UNDalumni.net.

ADDITIONS 1

The Ginder family welcomed Abraham on March 1, 2016. Rex Ginder, ’99, manages UND Aerospace’s Mesa location and lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with his wife, Katie, 2-yearold son, Ford, and new arrival Abraham.

2

Kyle, ’11, and Kelly (Munter) Entzel, ’12, welcomed Lewis Eugene to the world on August 2, 2016. The Entzels reside in Grand Forks.

3

Dr. Zachary, ’09, and Lyndsey (Sandy) Smith, ’07, of New Rockford, N.D., are the proud parents of Theodore James, born May 3, 2016. Theodore joins big brother, Gabriel, and big sister, Amelia.

4

Lochlan Ryan Benson was born August 9, 2016, to Karen and Bryan Benson, ’05. He is pictured with his proud big brother, Cullen.

The Benson family lives in Thompson, N.D.

5

Luca Christopher Sheldon Leinweber was born on August 16, 2015, to Chris Leinweber, ’03, and his wife, Kara. The Leinwebers live in Calgary, Alberta.

6

Matt Enerson, ’12 and Miranda Bushaw, ’13, were married in Shakopee, Minn., on April 30, 2016.

7

Hayley Hamilton, ’15, and David Nelson, ’15, were married on August 19, 2016. The Nelsons live in Denver.

8

Jessica Rosencrans,’04, ’10, and Justin Reule, ’11, were married on April 22, 2016.

The couple lives in Grand Forks.

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CELEBRATIONS

If you would like your addition or celebration to be included in the next Alumni Review, send a high resolution photo to alumnireview@ UNDalumni.net. We do not accept Facebook or mobile uploads. Photos will be published in the order in which they were received, space permitting, and at the discretion of Alumni Review staff. We look forward to helping you celebrate!

46 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

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In Memoriam

It is with great honor we dedicate these pages to alumni and friends of the University of North Dakota who have recently passed away. These members of the alumni family helped ignite the spirit of UND, paving the way for a bright future.

Photo: Sam Melquist

1930s Jeanette (Halvorsen) Stieler McIver, ’39, Albert Lea, Minn.

1940s Fred Hoesley, ’41, Portage, Mich.

Elaine (Meyer) Seibel, ..’43, Fargo Harriet (Helgaas) Talbert, ’45, Redlands, Calif.

Carlyle Austin, ..’48, Grand Forks Edward Bjork, ..’49, Minot, N.D. Dr. Robert Horgan, ’49, ’50, Midlothian, Va. James Leigh, MD, ’49, ’50, Grand Forks Ellen (Satrom) Ness, ..’49, Fargo Erwin Schuldheisz, ’49, ’54, Springfield, Minn.

1950s Robert Colbert, ’50, Minneapolis Doris (Hermundstad) Liffrig, ..’50, Bismarck Robert Merchant, ..’50, Seal Beach, Calif.

June (Osterberg) Osterberg, ’50, San Francisco Dr. Dale Johnson, ’51, Taos, N.M. Mary Ann (Neff) Dahl, ..’52, Bemidji, Minn.

Richard Earp, ’54, Minneapolis Paul Paulson, MD, ’54, Green Valley, Ariz.

Lawrence Arason, ’55, Santa Ana, Calif.

Joan (Reiche) Sorensen, ..’55, Rockville, Md. Alice (Banik) Aubert, ’56, Saint Helena, Calif.

Timothy Davies, ’56, ’61, Fargo Essie (McCreery) Lyons, ’56, ’60, Elora, Ontario Marjorie (Midge) Nienas, ’56, Hatton, N.D. Richard Thomas, ’56, ’57, Minot, N.D. Dr. John Geyer, ’57, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Reinhold Matulenko, ’57, Clearwater, Fla. Robert Nygaard, ’57, Grand Forks Gerald Halvorson, ’58, Willmar, Minn.

Richard Vinger, ’58, ’64, Grand Forks J. Albert Miller, ’59, Boise, Idaho

48 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Gordon Moore, ..’59, Mesa, Ariz.

Dr. Lowell Barr, ’68, ’75, Rapid City, S.D.

Delores (Moser) Olson, ..’59, Eden Prairie, Minn.

William Peterson, ’68, Severna Park, Md.

Charles Wendelbo, ’59, Norman, Okla.

Joan (Aanrud) Guenthner, ’69, Casselton, N.D.

1960s Howard Alexander, ’60, Spokane, Wash.

Gerald Smith, ’60, Saint Paul, Minn.

Michael Hettwer, ’69, Grand Forks Linda (Burrus) Langey, ’69, Bellingham, Wash.

Dr. Gordon Mortrude, ’69, Saint Cloud, Minn.

Gayle (Kelly) Charnholm, ’61, Green Bay, Wis.

1970s

Merlyn Flom, ..’61, Sartell, Minn.

Richard Bonlie, ’70, East Grand Forks, Minn.

Susan (Samels) Knudson, ’61, Bottineau, N.D.

Dr. Daphne Schaal Ghorbani, ’70, ’08, Bismarck

Judith (Stockert) Larson, ’61, Hanford, Calif.

Ray Moberg, ’70, Reno, Nev.

Chester Nelson Jr., ’61, Bismarck

Georgia (Nelson) Strand, ’70, Minot, N.D.

Larry Olson, ’61, Sarasota, Fla.

Dr. William Zelen, ’70, Duluth, Minn.

Jonathan Thompson, ’61, ’66, Saint Paul, Minn.

M. Jane Ballingrud, ’71, Saint Paul, Minn.

Donald Torgeson, ’61, Gardiner, Maine

Sandra (Curry) Christofferson, ’71,

John Franz, ’62, International Falls, Minn.

Woodlake, N.D.

Ben Gorecki, ’62, ’62, Milaca, Minn.

Diane Heck, ’71, Mandan, N.D.

Karen (Erdman) Johnson, ’62, Carbondale, Ill.

Kathleen (Broden) Parker, ’71, Minneapolis

Jon Norem, ’62, ’65, Las Cruces, N.M.

Donna (Nelson) Grote, ’72, Boulder, Colo.

Sheila (Smith) Wald, ..’62, Mesa, Ariz.

Dr. Larry Jones, ’72, Omaha, Mo.

Kay (Utendorfer) Williams, ’62, Edina, Minn.

Thomas Dunn, ’73, Bismarck

Floyd Wright, ’62, Rugby, N.D.

Stephen McLean, ’73, Oakes, N.D.

W. Neale Bellamy, ’63, Saint Cloud, Minn.

Stanley Miekicki Jr., ’73, Memphis, Tenn.

Harry Lindbloom, ’63, Litchfield, Minn.

Kenneth Wilson, ..’73, Grand Forks

Lt. Col. William Stapleton, ’63,

Bradley Euren, ’74, Longview, Wash.

North Richland Hills, Texas

Dr. Richard Keville, ’74, Salem, Mass.

Wallace Dow Jr., ’64, Tulsa, Okla.

Gary Anderson, ’75, Moorhead, Minn.

The Honorable H.F. Gierke III, ’64, ’66, ’05,

Richard Blotkamp, ..’75, Billings, Mont.

Bismarck

Edward Chorette, MD, ’75, Monroe, La.

Thomas Ladendorf, ..’64, Minot, N.D.

Richard Demers, ’75, ’83, Bemidji, Minn.

Enid (Eckstein) Smeall, ’64, Green Bay, Wis.

Janeane (Klein) Hessinger, ’75, Bismarck

Donald Anderson, ’65, Auburn, Wash.

Mikal Simonson, ’76, Valley City, N.D.

Rudy Mueller, ’65, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Mary (Carlson) Hanna, ’77, Denton, Texas

Laurel (McCoy) Markovic, ..’66, Casa Grande, Ariz.

Connie (Thompson) Thompson, ’77,

Steve Smirnoff, ’66, Hot Springs National Park, Ark.

Maplewood, Minn.

Helen (Stephens) Bogan, ’67, Grand Forks

Jim Burdine, ’78, ’78, Saint Paul, Minn.

Stephen Stennes, ’67, Eagan, Minn.

Delpha (Randklev) Berg, ..’79, Grand Forks

Garylle Stewart, ’67, Fargo

1980s

2000s

Frederick Thomasson, ..’80, West Fargo, N.D.

Shawn Mattingley, ’05, ’07, Fargo

Raymond Frandsen, ..’81, Bismarck Tammy Peterson, ..’81, Minot, N.D.

2010s

John Langhoff, ’85, Milwaukee

Andrew Salmela, ..’16, Plymouth, Minn.

Roger Hochberger, ’86, Fingal, N.D. Jeffrey Ridl, ’86, Hebron, N.D.

Faculty/Staff

Brenda (Knutson) Blair, ’89, North Las Vegas, Nev.

Norma (Opdahl) Robinson, Rogers, N.D.

1990s Scott Fenske, ..’90, Saint Paul, Minn.

Eric Chelberg, ’93, Walker, Minn.

Elizabeth (Wentz) Schwan, East Grand Forks, Minn.

John Stansbury, McCook, Neb.

Melissa (Sullivan) Olson, ’93, Janesville, Wis.

Friends

Shannon Fettes Farha, ’95, Fargo

Leland Anderson, Alvarado, Minn.

Jason Crompton, Rock Springs, Wyo. Dr. Earl Dagg, Thief River Falls, Minn.

Daniel Dubuque, Grand Forks Norvin Elbert, Grafton, N.D. Janet (Eken) Etson, Bismarck Laurel (Gunstinson) Haake, Fisher, Minn.

Carol (Soeby) Hanson, Grand Forks William Hollifield, Grand Forks Norma Johnson, Sarasota, Fla. Jerry Larson, Climax, Minn.

Verna (Larson) Oase, Lynden, Wash.

Lucille (Rykken) Bronson, Grand Forks

UNDalumni.org | 49

THE

wrap

TIDBITS, NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE UND AA&F

alumn

Fall 2016

INSIDE: President Mark Kennedy’s first weeks in office . p. 26

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

WEDDING + EVENT SHOWCASE

REVIEW THE TRADITION CONTINUES

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the very first UND Homecoming.

P. 6

Band Uniform Drive

The UND Pride of the North Band has launched a fundraising drive to purchase new uniforms. The band has been wearing the same uniforms for nearly two decades.

“With the membership of the Pride exploding, the years of wear, and the retiring of the interlocking ND by UND, we’re looking to re-outfit the Pride,” said Robert Brooks, director of the Pride of the North band.

The band is using an online crowdfunding site, sponsored by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, to help it reach its goal of $99,000.

You can donate to the uniform drive online at UNDalumni.org.

50 | Alumni Review Winter 2016

Find the Flame Winners!

Fewer than three dozen readers were able to spot the flame on the cover of the fall issue of the Alumni Review, proving it was one of the hardest Find the Flame contests ever.

As you can see above, the flame was cleverly hidden in the fence along the front of the bleachers in this vintage photo.

Our three winners, selected at random from the correct entries, are Travis Sando, Brent Wickman and Gayle Wilhelmi. They will receive a prize package from the UND Alumni Association and Foundation.

Look for the hidden flame on the cover of this issue for your chance to win! Send your guess to alumnireview@undalumni.net.

Good Luck!

The GO Show

Are you planning a wedding? If so, don’t miss The GO Show in January at the Gorecki Alumni Center.

The GO Show is a reception-style party that has energy, style, thoughtfulness, and FUN — all of the elements for brides and grooms to check out fresh visions and ideas for planning a wedding.

Join us for cocktails, music, and fresh ideas!

Sunday, January 22, 2017 12 - 3 p.m.

Gorecki Alumni Center Tickets: $5 early bird pricing | $10 at the door.

Register at www.goreckialumnicenter.com/GOshow. The first 125 people to register will receive a free Go tote!

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University of North Dakota Alumni Association 3501 University Ave Stop 8157 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157

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