UND Alumni Magazine Summer 2026 by UND Alumni Association & Foundation

ALUMNI OFF THE BEATEN PATH (P10) ALL THINGS HOMECOMING (P32) FOREVER #JAGGSSTRONG (P64)

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

MAGAZINE

DRIVEN IN EVERY DIRECTION

SUMMER 2026 1

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NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA TALES

Hosted by Steve & Desilee Brekke February 21 - March 7 Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia

MYSTERIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN HISTORY Hosted by Sarah & Tom Prout

May 24 - June 2 Rome, Italy to Istanbul, Türkiye

A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER - BALTIC CAPITALS & NORDIC SHORES Hosted by Mike & Tiffany (Pudenz) Mannausau

July 16 - 26 Stockholm, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark

EASTBOUND MEDITERRANEAN ADVENTURE Hosted by Nancy Pederson

October 18 - 28 Rome, Italy to Istanbul, Türkiye

KARLEE KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE

#UND PROUD Karlee Wallender SVP/Director of Credit Administration

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

MRK-11123

“UND fosters a culture of accountability, critical thinking and collaboration that has stayed with me throughout my career. The sense of community and connection among UND graduates is also something I value deeply and continue to benefit from today.”

Contents

RO A D S

LESS TRAVELED

A UND education can point in any direction. These alumni followed their interests beyond the expected and built remarkable careers in places few could have predicted.

52 Forever UND: The Campaign for the University of North Dakota

08 06 A Message from the CEO

News that Makes us #UNDproud

10 4

No Map Needed

The destinations are different, but the spirit is the same: UND alumni are finding their calling in unexpected places.

ON THE COVER Our cover artwork was created by Sam Melquist, graphic designer at the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. Using watercolor, Sam brought the theme of alumni forging their own journeys to life through a landscape of city skylines, wind farms and winding roads, all seen from the driver’s seat. “The rearview mirror represents leaving UND; the direction you take is up to you,” he said. “The plane represents adventure.”

64 56

58 In Memoriam

#JaggsStrong

Class Notes

Alumni Photo Share

32 Homecoming Special

Meet this year’s Alumni Honors awardees and try your hand at our Homecoming activity guide.

A M ESSAG E FR O M D EAN N A

WHERE THE ROAD LEADS Recently, I was asked how many miles I’ve traveled over my years with the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. I looked it up: nearly 1.6 million miles over the past couple of decades — enough to circle the globe more than 60 times.

1.6 million

miles logged by DeAnna Carlson Zink over the past two decades — enough to circle the globe more than 60 times

When I began my career, I never imagined it would take me this far — not only in distance, but in the people I’ve met. At first, that part of the job could be intimidating. I remember traveling to meet Phil Jackson, ’67, HON ’08, early in my career. Even as someone who loves basketball, I wondered: How do you begin a conversation with a former NBA champion player and world champion coach? And then the conversation starts — not with championships or accolades, but with memories of UND, of home, of the people and places that shaped them. The titles fade, and what remains is someone who’s proud of their ties to the University of North Dakota. That realization has repeated itself countless times.

75.7 million

miles traveled by astronaut Karen Nyberg during two missions and 180 days in space

One recent night, I found myself at dinner with astronaut Karen Nyberg, ’94, HON ’14, and her husband, Doug Hurley, who had just returned from NASA work earlier that day. On paper, they are extraordinary. Across the table, they were kind, generous, and deeply interested in others. During dinner, my 8-year-old grandson called. He dreams of becoming an astronaut, so I asked Karen, who grew up in Vining, Minnesota, if she would say hello.

UND ALUMNI MAGAZINE Without hesitation, she took the call. I learned he ran into the house with tears of joy because someone who had been in space twice took a moment to encourage him. That’s what stays with me. Yes, this role means long days, early flights, late nights, and many miles. But at the end of every trip is a person who reminds me what makes the UND community so special. There is no single path after UND, and this issue of the magazine celebrates that. Our alumni have become entrepreneurs, artists, engineers, physicians, educators, explorers, and more. Some are widely known. Many others quietly make a difference every day. This summer, we lost one of those remarkable alumni, Konnie Middleton, ’75. Through her generosity, leadership, and enduring commitment to UND students, she helped create opportunities that will continue well into the future. Konnie’s life is a powerful reminder that the greatest impact our alumni make is often found in the opportunities they create for others. No matter where our paths lead, a common thread connects us: the life-launching place that is the University of North Dakota. I hope you see a bit of your own journey as you read these stories and are reminded of the many ways UND can shape a life. With that in mind, consider coming home this fall for Homecoming 2026, Sept. 28 - Oct. 4. Share your story with old friends and experience this current, wonderful version of your University.

Summer 2026 | Volume 109 | Issue 3 UND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION Chief Executive Officer DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86 Vice President of Marketing & Communications Sarah Prout, ’07

UND ALUMNI MAGAZINE Editor Alyssa Konickson, ’06, Associate VP of Marketing & Communications Designer Jenny Wolf, ’03, Director of Creative & Brand Strategy Associate Editor Stephanie Schultz, ’91, Writer & Editor Contributors Lindsay Benson, ’13, ’14, Operations Project Manager Angela Brayton, ’25, Graphic Designer Melissa Garceau, Associate VP of Operations Jasmine Koenig, Digital Media Coordinator & Photographer Sam Melquist, Graphic Designer Milo Smith, Senior Director of Public Relations & Videography Carly Tate, ’18, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications Jeannie Tvedt, Senior Database Coordinator UND Marketing & Communications Britta the Photographer Siri Raitto Photography

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Darla (Kleven) Adams, ’84, ’85, ’07 Vice Chair Troy Bader, ’85 Directors Andrew Abernathey Twylah (Butler) Blotsky, ’93 Chris Cooper, ’05, ’08 Kaleb Dschaak, ’20 Ann Kerian Fish, ’91 Randy Gershman, ’84 Dr. Mike LeBeau, ’02 Chuck MacFarlane, ’87 Karen (Borlaug) Phillips, ’77 John Solberg, ’76 Kathryn Uhrich, ’86 F. John Williams III Andrew Armacost Dr. Marjorie Jenkins Nancy Pederson, ’90

Lisa (Schmitz) Barnes, ’88 Kelly (Keeler) Caruso, ’91 Lucy Dalglish, ’80 Scott Fredericksen, ’74 Angie (Hovland) Freeman, ’91 Sheri Haugen-Hoffart, ’88 Nathaniel Leben, ’05 Gary Petersen, ’87, ’93 Lara (Olsen) Prozinski, ’90 Dave St. Peter, ’89 Reid Walker

Ex Officio

DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86 Eric Link

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

HOMECOMING 2 02 6 Sept. 28 – Oct. 4

Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: UND Alumni Magazine 3501 University Avenue Stop 8157 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157 For inquiries about advertising, additional copies, submissions, or general comments, contact 800.543.8764, 701.777.2611 or alumnimag@UNDalumni.net.

Mark your calendars! 7

Campus News FIRST IN CLA SS

Astronaut Scholar Casia Steinhaus The first UND student to receive the Astronaut Scholarship since it was established in 1984. The national award recognizes exceptional undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for academic achievement, research and leadership.

Double All-American Jadyn Keeler The first UND student-athlete to earn two All-America honors at the same NCAA Outdoor Championships. She received First Team AllAmerica honors in the 10,000 meters and Second Team All-America honors in the 5,000 meters.

NCAA Finals Qualifier Louis-Lys Fanucchi The first UND men’s track and field student-athlete to advance to an NCAA event final. He earned Second Team All-America honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and posted the highest national championship finish by a UND male in program history.

QUIZ Which NASA technology will UND students help test for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars? A. A mobile wastewater treatment system B. A solar-powered lunar greenhouse C. A spacesuit that generates oxygen D. A next-generation navigation satellite

A) A mobile wastewater treatment system

Q U O TAB L E

From UND to the UN

Lee Ann Williams, clinical assistant professor of Education, Health & Behavior Studies, wrote an article in The Conversation that reached more than 285,000 readers. Her work on accessibility, disaster preparedness, mental health, and education led to speaking engagements, media interviews, and opportunities with the United Nations.

Radon Linked to Cancer

A first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences has found a significant association between residential radon exposure and an increased risk of ovarian cancer among postmenopausal women.

“It’s not only about academic discipline; it’s about preparing our students for the critical abilities that make them great citizens of the world.” UND PRESIDENT ANDREW ARMACOST IN CEO MAGAZINE ARMACOST WAS ALSO NAMED TO THE 2026 PRAIRIE BUSINESS LEADERS & LEGACIES

Years added to Athletic Director Bill Chaves’ contract, keeping him at UND through 2029.

Percent of first-year students in UND’s M.D. and Physician Assistant programs from North Dakota.

Research-based business ideas advancing through UND’s Innovation Moonshot Summer Accelerator.

96,000

Square feet in Phase I of UND’s STEM Complex, now under construction.

Miss ND = Future MD

Emma Tong, Miss North Dakota 2026, will pursue her medical degree at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences. The Williston native, who deferred her acceptance one year, showcased her interest in health at the pageant with her community service initiative, “Heartbeat for Health.”

National 2026 Circle of Excellence Awards won by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Leads

WHERE PASSION

CHARTING THEIR OWN COURSE Few careers follow a straight line. The alumni featured in these pages have pursued passions, embraced unexpected opportunities, and discovered purpose in places they never imagined. Their journeys have taken them from the Iditarod Trail and NASCAR racetracks to undersea medicine, music stages, family businesses, community leadership, and working farms. While their destinations are vastly different, their stories share a common starting point: the University of North Dakota. Together, they show that success isn’t about following a prescribed route. It’s about creating a path that is distinctly your own.

Stories by Stephanie Schultz

U N C O M M O N PAT H S

Sydnie Bahl Hometown: Minot, N.D. Area of Study: Physical Therapy

IDITAROD FINISHER

Dream

(NOT) A CHILDHOOD

An Unexpected Path

“These dogs are family, and the bond is everything.”

Musher completes the 1,000-mile Iditarod in one of the world’s most grueling endurance races. Six years ago, Sydnie (Smith) Bahl, ’13, would have laughed if someone told her she would one day race 1,000 miles across Alaska with a team of sled dogs. “It wasn’t a long-lost childhood dream,” she said. Yet in March, the physical therapist completed the Iditarod, enduring temperatures as low as 60 below zero while covering the distance from Anchorage to Nome in 12 days.

Sydnie and her husband, Nicholas Bahl, ’11, both from Minot, North Dakota, spent several years moving around the country before finding a home in Alaska. Shortly after arriving, one of Sydnie’s patients introduced her to the world of mushing. She started as a handler at the kennel of multi-time Iditarod finisher Vern Halter. “I totally did not know what I was signing myself up for,” she admitted. After only a few weeks, her new coach and mentor changed her assignment. “Vern told me I was going to run dogs,” she said. “Four months later, I ran my first qualifying race.” After completing the three required qualifying races, she entered the 2025 Iditarod. A combination of factors, including the weather, prevented her from finishing the race. She returned in 2026, determined to complete what she had started.

One Team

Before the race even begins, mushers and dogs have already covered thousands of miles together, building trust. “These dogs are family, and the bond is everything,” Sydnie said. “The dogs know they’ll get the best care at the stops and that all their needs are going to be met.” With temperatures between 30 and 60 below zero and winds up to 50 mph, the 2026 race brought brutal conditions. “When you’re out there for that long, your body adapts to it,” Sydnie said. “When you experience 60 below, 30 below feels kind of warm.” Mushers frequently run alongside the sled, help push on climbs, and use voice commands and bodyweight — rather than reins — to guide their teams. “You and the dogs, at the start of the 1,000-mile race, are one person, and by the time you end that race, you and the dogs are a different person,” Sydnie said. Every team is required to take a full 24-hour break and two eight-hour breaks during the race. While the dogs sleep, Sydnie estimates mushers get only about 20 hours of sleep during the entire 10- to 12-day race. At each stop, the dogs are fed, checked, massaged, and cared for before mushers can think about resting. “That’s where my physical therapy background helps,” she said. Mushers help their competition when needed. Sydnie, borrowing from others on the trail, went through what she believes may be a record five sleds. “It’s a small, tight-knit community,” she said. “Even though we’re all out competing against each other, if there’s an issue you’re having, somebody is likely going to help you, and that’s really cool.”

The dogs sleep on straw, and Sydnie sleeps in an Arctic-grade sleeping bag, also on top of the straw. With animal care, sleep for the musher is sparse — about 20 total hours of sleep during the 10-12 days.

AL ASKA T O U G H The Iditarod is the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra, and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness, and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska. (Source: Iditarod.com)

U N C O M M O N PAT H S

Faye Norby Hometown: Des Lacs, N.D. Area of Study: Biology

IDITAROD TRAIL FINISHER

Throughout the race, Sydnie relied on skills developed at UND and in her physical therapy career. She broke the 1,000-mile journey into smaller goals and used her training to help keep her dogs healthy. “You’re out there alone, taking care of 16 dogs and yourself in remote wild Alaska,” she said.

What’s Next?

Crossing the finish line did not dampen Sydnie’s enthusiasm for the sport. Now, her husband Nicholas hopes to begin qualifying for the race himself. Their long-term goal is to run the Iditarod together. “That would be pretty cool,” she said. For Sydnie, finishing the race marked the culmination of a journey she never set out to take — and one that changed how she understands both the sport and herself.

THE LONG

Walk

Alumna crosses Alaska on foot. For 26 days and 19 hours, Faye Norby, ’04, hauled a sled loaded with survival gear across Alaska. When she reached the finish line, she had become just the third woman to complete the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational — the world’s longest winter ultramarathon — on foot. Before reaching the 350-mile checkpoint, she’d already battled fierce winds, deep snowdrifts, and buried trails. “I came in thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. Can I really do 600 more miles of this? I don’t know,’” she said. A meal, a shower, clean clothes, and sleep provided the reset she needed.

Photography by Siri Raitto

Faye settled into the rhythm of the race, pushing each day to the next village or cabin. “Sometimes that’s 16 hours on the move, sometimes 22. We even had one 24-hour push,” she said. Rest stops were hardly restful. Faye still had to gather firewood, melt snow for water, dry clothes, and eat before grabbing a few hours of sleep. A heavy snowstorm made the final miles a challenge. “It was one of those warm storms where everything is wet,” she said. “I’d raced in those conditions before, so I knew what to expect. I still learned a few things.”

Back in the Lower 48

“Once I started trail running, I just kept going farther,” she said. “You make friends, and your friends are doing longer distances.” Before long, she was racing winter ultramarathons — and eventually the Iditarod Trail Invitational. She plans to return to Alaska in 2027 to tackle the race’s alternate southern route. But even if warm weather prevents running that route, the race is always different. “I’ll see pictures from another year and think, ‘Wait, where was that?’ Then I realize I went through there in the middle of the night during a snowstorm,” she said. “It’s a completely different experience depending on the weather.”

Away from the trail, Faye is an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

SER U M R U N 1925 The Iditarod Trail follows the route of the historic 1925 serum run, when mushers and sled dogs carried diphtheria antitoxin to Nome during a deadly outbreak.

Despite recent challenges in the field, she’s optimistic, describing her students as “scrappy, feisty epidemiologists” with skills that extend beyond traditional public health.

“That really set me apart,” she said. “When I applied to master’s and Ph.D. programs, I already had a strong research background. UND set me up for success.” After earning two master’s degrees, the Des Lacs, North Dakota, native returned to the Upper Midwest in 2010 and discovered trail running.

Faye credits UND with launching her career. An undergraduate research scholarship led to cardiovascular research as a freshman. By graduation, she had several publications.

“I’m in the School of Public Health, so I love everything public health,” she said. “One of the coolest parts was following this historic public health route where mushers and sled dogs saved a bunch of kids and people in Nome.”

Faye races year-round but says summer ultramarathons require a completely different approach. “I just have a little pack, and whatever I need along the way, I’ll buy,” she said. “The challenge is finding the right balance between stopping to rest and maintaining my pace.”

UNCOMMON PATHS

Peter Buffington Hometown: Amana, Iowa Area of Study: Aerospace

MUSICIAN

Music

AT 30,000 FEET

From cockpit to studio, pilot/ pianist turns aviation into music. A passion for both aviation and music has helped Peter Buffington, ’96, carve out a unique niche. Through his aviation-themed band, Speed Brake Armed, the airline pilot recently released his ninth album. “I do this because I love aviation, and I love music,” Peter said.

Taking Flight

Peter’s dream of becoming a pilot began at age 3 during a family trip to Hawaii. His love of music developed just as early. His father, a piano tuner for Wurlitzer, worked with musicians like Chubby Checker and Duke Ellington. “I picked up the technical side of rebuilding pianos from my dad,” Peter said. “I learned piano tuning as a teenager. I’ve always tuned pianos on the side.”

Many of Peter’s songs draw from experiences in the cockpit. A thunderstorm diversion on a flight from Chicago to Orlando inspired a country song. His wife, Julie (Hansen), ..’96, lends vocals under the stage name Aurora Flare, adding a female perspective.

Aviation Meets Music

His aviation journey accelerated during his teenage years. He took his first flying lesson at age 15 at the Iowa City Municipal Airport.

A lack of aviation-themed music at air shows pushed Peter to create something new.

“I soloed on my 16th birthday before I got my driver’s license, and I got my private pilot license on the day of my 17th birthday,” he said.

“It was always the same music, year after year,” he said. “I thought it would be nice to have some aviation-themed music.”

Years later, after building his career as an airline pilot, Peter found a way to merge his two lifelong passions.

Although a trained pianist, Peter wasn’t sure he could create professional-quality recordings.

Peter’s wife, Julie Hansen, ..'96, lends vocals under the stage name Aurora Flare — pictured here in the studio with their daughter, Alicia.

After studying how independent musicians used technology to layer instruments and vocals, he began recording and producing his own songs using a digital audio workstation (DAW). Every instrument and vocal track is created and layered electronically. “The only AI I use is in the final remastering of the music,” Peter said. “Everything else is written and produced by a human.” The effort is paying off. This year, Speed Brake Armed signed a contract with aerobatic pilot Greg Koontz’s Super Decathlon routine. The band’s music is also being featured at other aviation events throughout the year. “The cool thing is that these downloads are global,” Peter said. “I’ve been getting fan mail from people over in Asia.” His analytics also show a strong following in South America and the Caribbean.

SQ U AW K 7700 In 2001, Peter published his aviation memoir, “Squawk 7700,” chronicling the challenges of building an airline career at a time when pay was low and advancement opportunities were limited. “I thought those experiences needed to be discussed,” he said. “So I sat down and wrote the autobiography.” The book led to appearances as a featured author at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Several years later, a new edition received an unexpected boost when Jeff Skiles, first officer on US Airways Flight 1549 — the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight — contacted Peter and offered to write a new foreword.

U NCOMMON PATHS

Chantel Carlson Hometown: East Grand Forks, Minn. Area of Study: Philosophy & Religion

COMMUNITY DEVELOPER

Finding HER LANE

Alumna takes an unconventional path to a career with NASCAR. Most fans associate NASCAR with drivers and pit crews. Chantel (Thompson) Carlson, ’14, is focused on the fans. As senior director of business operations at NASCAR-owned Phoenix Raceway, the UND graduate develops the initiatives that drive fan growth and foster community engagement. “Everything I do is focused around bringing new fans to the sport,” she said, “or keeping those fans that we already have engaged.”

Building Community

Since arriving in 2023, Chantel has launched educational programs, expanded track rentals, and established a volunteer group called Accelerators. Recently, Phoenix Raceway teamed up with a nearby district to create a high school with NASCAR woven into its identity. With support from Daniel Suárez, NASCAR’s only Mexican-born driver, the effort aligns with the raceway’s goal of expanding its fanbase. Students will have access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities, including an automotive program with garages modeled after those at Phoenix Raceway. Chantel emphasized that CTE programs in business, medicine, fashion merchandising and accounting all connect to careers within NASCAR.

“When you’re young, you think it will be pretty straightforward. Anytime I can share my zigzaggy path to where I am today, I’m happy to.”

“If you can dream it, there’s probably a way that you can do something within our sport,” she said.

The First Lap

First Lap Experience — one of Chantel’s proudest achievements — introduces newcomers to auto racing through behind-the-scenes tours and educational experiences. “Sports are generational. If you didn’t grow up watching NASCAR, it can feel intimidating to learn the intricacies of the sport,” she said. During this experience, fans are guided through the first few stages of a race by someone who explains the rules and regulations, and what is happening on the track — helping to bridge that information gap. Since Phoenix Raceway launched The First Lap Experience in March 2024, other NASCAR tracks have followed its lead.

The Right Fit

Despite watching auto racing with her father as a child, Chantel’s learning curve at Phoenix Raceway was exponential. She credits her enthusiasm to NASCAR’s collaborative culture and the freedom to innovate. “To execute our unique programs has been one of the greatest blessings of my professional career,” Chantel said. That innovation draws directly on her time in North Dakota. Her studies in anthropology and religious studies, along with her experience in the UND Honors Program, taught her to think critically and view challenges from multiple perspectives. “We’re creating spaces where people feel like they can see themselves in our sport,” Chantel said. “All that goes back to what I learned at UND.”

B EFO R E T H E G R EEN FL AG D R O P S Phoenix Raceway hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year, drawing 75,000 to 100,000 fans to the venue that features 41,000 grandstand seats and 51 suites. For Chantel and the Phoenix Raceway team, the work begins well before race weekend. Community engagement activities start about six weeks before the green flag drops and continue throughout race week. “The NASCAR fan experience is unlike anything else in sports,” Chantel said. “It's like the state fair meets a festival with a race that happens. There is truly something for everyone.”

UNCOMMON PATHS

Angeline Riley Hometown: Acton, Calif. Area of Study: Entrepreneurship & Business Management

ROLLING ON

RESTAURATEUR

Lefse

From UND to Idaho

After one season on the UND softball team, Angeline shifted focus to her studies — adding entrepreneurship as a second major to her business management degree.

MADE WITH LOVE

When assigned to write a business plan, she developed one for Loving Lefse. The idea earned top honors in the Middleton Business Plan Competition, where UND students showcase their ideas and gain hands-on experience.

Former softball player leans on UND degree to open restaurant. For Angeline Riley, ’22, and her brother, John, the biggest challenge isn’t getting customers to try lefse. It’s making enough of it. Nearly three years after launching Loving Lefse in Boise, Idaho, the Rileys have outgrown a tent and a food trailer. In July, they expanded into a 3,000-square-foot brick-andmortar restaurant. “Our main problem has been selling out of lefse,” Angeline said. The idea for Loving Lefse grew out of pre-Thanksgiving family gatherings, where the Rileys made lefse from a fivegeneration-old recipe.

While they still use Nana’s recipe, the pair has found creative ways to serve the traditional Norwegian potato flatbread. “Lefse is super versatile. It’s almost like a vessel,” Angeline said. Menu items range from pizza lefse to dessert creations, but her favorite is the breakfast lefse — filled with chorizo, eggs, bacon, beef-tallow fries, and house-made chipotle mayo. Angeline estimates that about 70% of Loving Lefse’s customers are trying lefse for the first time. For the 30% already familiar with lefse, she enjoys reintroducing them to a food that often brings back memories. “We have people visit in tears saying, ‘My lefse recipe died with my grandma and I haven’t had it for 20 years,’” she said.

Angeline discovered a passion for specialty coffee while working at Bully Brew Coffee in Grand Forks. Today, Loving Lefse serves coffee from North Dakota Coffee Roastery. “All the other coffee shops source their beans locally,” she said. “But I source mine from a special place in my heart. And they have really good beans.” That place is tied to Sandi Luck, ’15, owner of Bully Brew and North Dakota Coffee Roastery, who mentored Angeline and attended Loving Lefse’s grand opening in Boise. Angeline and her brother John, a Boise State business graduate, decided Boise was the perfect place to launch Loving Lefse. “It’s the Potato State and lefse is a potato flatbread, so it made sense,” Angeline said. Angeline’s goal is to bring Loving Lefse to North Dakota and Minnesota. Her favorite coffee is “Love in a Cup” — vanilla, local honey, espresso, and milk, topped with cinnamon. “I do all house-made syrups,” she said.

U N C O M M O N PAT H S

Two U ND women ar e giving a Scandinavian traditio n new life.

Anna Simmers

Hometown: Grand Forks Areas of Study: Recreation & Leisure Services; Special Education

FOOD DISTRIBUTOR

A LEFSE LEAP OF

Faith

Unexpected second career carries on a family tradition. Owning Mrs. Olson’s Lefse was not part of Anna Simmers’ life plan. But when the opportunity arose to buy the family business, she and her husband took a “leap of faith.” “It’s been the best thing in my life,” she said. With degrees in recreation and leisure services and special education, Anna (McIntyre), ’07, ’10, taught for 12 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. “I didn’t realize it was okay to change professions; that you can grow and do something different.”

Mrs. Olson 1959

Mrs. Olson’s Lefse has operated as a small-town family business since its founding in 1959. Today, it occupies the former Winsor Township School and two adjoining warehouses in Gonvick, Minnesota.

The company uses locally sourced ingredients, including regionally grown potatoes and flour milled nearby. While lefse is produced year-round, the busiest season runs from Labor Day through New Year’s Day, when the plant produces about 3,000 pounds each day for distribution across the country. Mrs. Olson’s is increasingly promoting lefse as a wrap. “We’re in the process of developing it as a seasoned potato flatbread.” The company now supplies larger food-service sheets to restaurants in Portland and Seattle, where lefse is used for sandwiches and burritos. Some chefs have found that lefse holds together better than traditional tortillas.

Though there was never a Mrs. Olson behind the business, the name was chosen for its Scandinavian feel. Today, Mrs. Olson’s Lefse produces a private label line, Laura’s Lefse, named for founder Laura Herberg.

Coming Full Circle

Anna said her UND experiences continue to surface in unexpected ways. Classes in recreation and hospitality helped prepare her for the customer-service side of the business. “I feel like I’ve come full circle,” she said. And despite overseeing many thousands of pounds of lefse production each year, Anna still thinks back to making lefse with her grandmother for the holidays.

“I didn’t realize it was okay to change professions; that you can grow and do something different.”

U N C O M M O N PAT H S

Becca Baumbach Hometown: Warroad, Minn. Areas of Study: Psychology & Educational Leadership

FAMILY FARMER

Different Fields, SAME PURPOSE

From nonprofit leadership to farming, Becca Baumbach is guided by the same values. After an eight-hour day as president and CEO of the Community Foundation in Grand Forks, Becca (Bahnmiller) Baumbach, ’09, ’11, drives 30 miles to her farm near Cummings, N.D. When she arrives, she trades her work shoes for barn boots and heads back outside. “I love that I can be a professional, do my job at the Community Foundation, and a half an hour later I’m on my farm, doing my ranch thing,” she said. Nonprofit leadership and farming might seem like different worlds, but for Becca, they’re built on the same foundation: trust. “There’s a lot of curiosity from people I meet with at the Community Foundation about the farm,” she said. “I tell them I value this quiet, natural way of living, and people find that really interesting. When I’m in those meetings, I’m authentically myself, open to learning about who people are and what drives them.”

That same authenticity shapes life at The Pasture, the eco-friendly farm she and her husband, Wayne, purchased in 2018. Neither had a farming background, but both were eager to learn. The couple has restored the property, reintroducing native grasses, wildflowers, fruit trees, and rotational grazing. Their work earned The Pasture designation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat® from the National Wildlife Federation. Today, the farm reflects years of learning by trial and error. “Everything with the bees and the goats and the chickens, we’ve had to teach ourselves,” Becca said.

Same Lesson, Different Classroom

Becca said UND provided the foundation for her professional life. “One of the things I love about UND is that it really encourages involvement,” she said. “I think that enhances the classroom experience, and vice versa.”

Becca with her husband, Wayne, and daughters Flora and Juniper.

As an undergraduate, she served in student government and on the Panhellenic Council, experiences that prepared her for leadership. While earning her graduate degree, she was elected to the Grand Forks School Board. “Having those conversations on campus prepared me for bigger conversations with older people,” she said. After UND, Becca worked in nonprofit arts in Grand Forks, higher education in New York, and special education in Minneapolis. Each stop broadened her understanding of philanthropy, fundraising, and the challenges nonprofits face. She also learned how to build relationships with people from different backgrounds. “Everything I’ve done has been about preparing students, our community, or our grantees to be good citizens and good stewards,” she said. “It’s just a different classroom. Whether we’re teaching stewardship of the land, helping people understand where their food comes from, or strengthening our community, it’s really the same lesson: how to be good stewards of the world around us.” Each evening, that lesson follows her home. Thirty minutes after leaving the Community Foundation, she’s back at The Pasture, where the values that guide her work also shape the land she calls home.

“My career path might look haphazard, but every role prepared me for the next.”

C O M M U N I T Y FU N D R AI SER Since 1998, the Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks & Region has connected donors with local causes, awarding nearly $16 million in grants to nonprofits and community projects. During Becca’s nine years with the Foundation, its assets have grown from $9 million to $28 million. Becca said she gets a front-row seat to the good happening across the region. “I get to be the cheerleader.” Photos by Britta the Photographer

UNCOMMON PATHS

Tony Hebert Hometown: Dickinson, N.D. Area of Study: Anthropology

SAUCY SECOND ACTS

MIXOLOGIST

Mixing Up A SECOND CAREER

Tony Hebert, ’93, goes from Fed to Founder with Punch House cocktails. What began in the dugout as a youth baseball friendship eventually became a business venture for Tony Hebert, ’93, and fellow Decatur, Georgia, resident Chuck Job. The two baseball dads had been experimenting with cocktails at home when they discovered they shared the same hobby. Before long, they were batching drinks for family, friends and neighbors. “We like to tell people we’re just two baseball dads from Decatur who make cocktails,” Tony said. The hobby soon outgrew the kitchen. In 2025, the pair partnered with the Distillery of Modern Art in Atlanta and launched Punch House, a premium bottled cocktail company.

“I’d spent most of my career in risk-averse sectors, so I decided to take the risk, make the leap, and see how it goes.”

Tony’s Path In the early stages of Punch House, Tony was acting chief data officer at the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). Although he planned to retire at 60, an attractive early retirement package accelerated the timeline. “That was my ‘fork in the road,’” he said. “I’d spent most of my career in risk-averse sectors, so I decided to take the risk, make the leap, and see how it goes.” Through his federal work, Tony managed millions of dollars and hundreds of employees. “A lot of those skills transfer,” he said. Tony said UND helped lay the foundation for many of those leadership abilities.

U N C O M M O N PAT H S

For two UND alums, the next chapter begins in the kitchen.

Mark Monson Hometown: Fargo Area of Study: Sociology

CHEF

“UND was totally formative for me,” he said. “The classes and ideas I was exposed to, along with my involvement in the Student Alumni Association and leadership roles in Kappa Sigma, taught me how to organize and lead.”

Building Punch House One of Punch House’s biggest learning curves involved alcohol regulations and licensing requirements. “We were able to get all that done in seven months and launch two bottled cocktails,” Tony said. Punch House currently offers two products, with two more in development. Mai-Tiki is a tropical rum cocktail, and Old Timer is made with rye whiskey. Both have won numerous international awards, and are sold in 20 Georgia businesses, with plans to expand into South Carolina and Florida, and eventually into Minnesota and North Dakota. “Growth into these markets is dependent on our ability to attract investors and scale,” Tony said. “Premium bottled cocktails are one of the fastestgrowing categories in liquor.” For Tony, the uncertainty of entrepreneurship is part of the appeal. “This is a completely different beast,” he said. “There’s less certainty and fewer resources, but there’s more growth each day. When you’re constrained, it really puts creativity on steroids.”

A CARE ER IN THRE E ACTS Tony Hebert, who earned his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Florida, describes his career in three acts: academia, which included a stint as an adjunct instructor in UND’s anthropology department; federal service at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and, most recently, startup founder at Punch House.

Chico's

SECOND INNING Baseball player turns his childhood nickname into a gourmet brand. Mark Monson, ’74, has been known as “Chico” since childhood, when a baseball coach gave him the nickname. In 2015, the former UND baseball player turned that nickname into Chico’s Gourmet Products. Though he initially assumed selling them would be simple, Mark quickly learned the realities of manufacturing and distribution. “I thought I’d slap some labels on the jars and then sell them in a whole bunch of stores,” he said. “I figured out pretty quickly that it doesn’t work that way.” Mark persevered though, expanding his product line and his distribution. Today, Chico’s Gourmet Products are produced in Hillsboro, North Dakota, and sold in hundreds of stores throughout the Midwest. Mark’s lasagna sauce — which he once considered discontinuing — has become one of his best sellers.

UNCOMMON PATHS

Pete Witucki

Hometown: Grafton, N.D. Area of Study: Biology/Pre-health

UNDERSEA PHYSICIAN

Beneath THE SURFACE

Pete is married to Angela (Stavig), ’91, an occupational therapist.

From a childhood far from the ocean to a career spent beneath it, Pete Witucki’s path into diving medicine is anything but ordinary. Pete Witucki grew up about as far from the ocean as you can get. He didn’t know any divers in Grafton, North Dakota, and there certainly wasn’t a scuba tank in anyone’s garage. He was just a kid watching “Sea Hunt” on TV — his only exposure to a world he’d never seen. Today, the UND alum is a Navy‑trained diving physician whose work often starts when a diver is in trouble. His path through emergency medicine and hyperbaric training has put him in the middle of cases where patients arrive confused, weak or unable to speak — symptoms of decompression sickness, also known as “the bends.”

“They come in with some pretty significant neurologic symptoms,” he said. “Sometimes we treat them one time, and they come out, and they’re fixed.” That path began at UND, where Pete, ’90, joined the Navy Reserve while majoring in biology. “Education is a two-way street,” he said. “I was motivated to learn, and I was in a positive learning environment.”

A Different Kind of Medicine

After medical school at Loyola University Chicago, his active‑duty assignments took him to Connecticut and Florida, where he learned to operate hyperbaric chambers and became a diver. “I thought, ‘I might as well get in the water,’” he said. From there, his career moved deeper into the Navy’s underwater world. He served on an Explosive Ordnance Disposal dive team near Seattle and later returned to San Diego to run the medical clinic at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S), the elite program that prepares future SEALs.

“You point young people from our state in the right direction, they’ll work hard and go places.”

Investigating the Deep

Pete completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of CaliforniaDavis and a UC San Diego fellowship in hyperbaric medicine. The fellowship led to a position at UC San Diego, where he has spent the past 23 years as an emergency medicine physician and hyperbaric specialist. Through their work, Pete and his colleagues noticed something: diving fatalities were often attributed simply to drowning, even when circumstances suggested something more complex. To address that gap, they established the Diver Death Review, a multidisciplinary effort to collect more accurate information after diving deaths. “Sometimes that helps families with closure,” Pete said. “And over time it provides information we can share with the diving community to help prevent future deaths.” Diving medicine specialists now participate in investigations of diver deaths in the San Diego area. “The goal is to be more accurate in what we write on the death certificate,” Pete said.

Passing It Along

Pete retired from the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2017 after serving as an Undersea Medical Officer at two additional commands: SEAL Team-17 and Undersea Rescue Command. Today, he mentors medical students, trains paramedics, and introduces younger physicians to hyperbaric medicine. He enjoys watching others experience the excitement he felt early in his own career. “It’s fun to teach somebody something that they don't know how to do,” Pete said. “Working with somebody who’s seeing it for the first time reminds you that this stuff is kind of cool.”

H YP ER B AR I C C H AM B ER In the Navy, hyperbaric medicine primarily treats diving-related emergencies like decompression sickness (“the bends”) and arterial gas embolisms. Civilian medicine uses the same pressurized technology to treat chronic wounds, radiation injuries, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

U NCOMMON PATHS

Joel Rovang Hometown: Ashby, Minn. Area of Study: Aerospace

ACTIVE RETIREE

Retirement REINVENTED

Former student-athlete serves his community in unconventional ways. Retirement hasn’t slowed Joel Rovang, ’..87. Five years after selling the utility pole inspection company he built from the ground up, his alarm is still set for 5:10 every morning. He’s usually awake before it rings. “I live on a farm, and there’s always something to do," he said. “I’m just as busy as I’ve ever been. It’s different, though. I don’t have the stress. I don’t lay awake at night thinking about what could go wrong.” Joel enrolled at UND to study aerospace sciences. Instead of aviation, however, he built a utility pole inspection business serving utilities across Minnesota and North Dakota. At its peak, the business employed 25 people. “Sometimes things aren’t in a straight line,” Joel said.

Relationships Matter

As a member of UND’s cross-country and track teams, Joel was surrounded by teammates and classmates who challenged him to become better. “You get funneled into tight-knit groups, and those friends have made a difference in my life,” he said. “I realized how important relationships were. It was OK to ask for help and bounce things off other people.” After graduation, Joel said it took a while to “get my act together,” but he kept measuring himself against those friends. “They were the bar I needed to raise up to.”

Joel’s daughter, Hope Rovang, his niece, Tuyet Vy Bui — a UND nursing student — and nephew, Ben Bui, all keep busy on the Rovang farm.

A Purposeful Retirement

When an opportunity to sell his company came along, Joel didn’t hesitate. Today, he has redirected his energy toward projects that benefit his hometown of Ashby, Minnesota. He created a World War II memorial overlooking the Central Lakes Trail that honors local veterans and welcomes passing cyclists with a watering station. He built The Rock, a recreation center with a fitness area and space for neighbors to gather over coffee or a game of pool. On the farm, Rovang taps box elder trees for what he calls “low-grade maple-type syrup” and has planted apple, pear, and peach trees. His daughter, Hope, sells their Honeycrisp apples, while his wife, Tuyet, prepares and sells batches of more than 1,000 egg rolls at a time. His latest project brings him back to work he knows well. He and his nephew are mapping area cemeteries and documenting gravestones using the same technology he used to map utility poles. Though Joel hasn’t slowed down, his work now comes with the reward of giving back to the community he loves.

Laura recently attended a Public Relations Society of American conference.

U N C O M M O N PAT H S

Laura Stengrim Hometown: Grygla, Minn. Area of Study: Communication

PR PROFESSIONAL

Impact

LOCAL LEADERSHIP, GLOBAL

Laura Stengrim finds new challenges — and a global perspective — at DigiKey.

Laura (Anderson) Stengrim, ’07, loved her job. For 14 years, she served as executive director of Visit Thief River Falls, a role she said perfectly matched her interests, personality, and skills. “It fit me,” she said. “There was so much freedom. I was the only staff member, working with a 13-member board of directors.” The one problem: there was nowhere to grow. As she looked toward the next chapter of her career, one company stood out. Through her community work, Laura had developed strong relationships with DigiKey, the global distributor of electronic components and automation products headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. “I knew DigiKey would be the best next step for me,” she said. “It has such a wonderful reputation for how leadership treats team members, the benefits it provides, and its connection to the world.” Although she’d worked alongside DigiKey for years, joining the company’s 5,000-person workforce was “eye-opening.”

“I had never really understood the company’s global impact,” she said. “Basically any company that has electronic parts is a DigiKey customer. We sell our products to companies that literally change the world in industries such as medical, aerospace, automotive and automation.” Without an engineering or technology background, Laura had to quickly learn how customers use DigiKey’s products. She drew on her communications expertise, the strong educational foundation she built at UND, and DigiKey’s collaborative culture to get up to speed. Early on, she managed the company’s public relations agency, whose team helped her understand the industry. Today, she leads DigiKey’s Communications Center of Excellence, which includes public relations, internal communications, social media, and public affairs. “There’s always a team to lean on, brainstorm with and solve problems with,” she said. “That made the transition much less overwhelming than you might think.” Her favorite project traces back to her first-day tour of DigiKey’s product distribution center where she observed the scale of its operations and wondered, “Why don’t more people know about this?” That question sparked a customer storytelling campaign, which she and her teams are developing to show how engineers use the company’s products to solve realworld challenges. Four years later, she’s still learning. “The communications skills transferred,” she said. “What I had to learn was the business.” It’s exactly the challenge she was looking for.

UNCOMMON PATHS

Amber & Bobby Hometowns: Bobby: Gardner, N.D. Amber: Argyle, Minn. Areas of study: Bobby: Criminal Justice & Social Work Amber: Social Work

THERAPISTS

Helping OTHERS HEAL

Their paths to mental healthcare looked different, but their purpose was the same. The road to a career in mental healthcare wasn’t the same for Amber (McFarland) Buzick and her husband, Bobby Buzick. Amber, a 2005 social work graduate, always imagined herself one day owning a therapy practice. Bobby envisioned a career in law enforcement. Today, the couple combines those experiences and passions through Beyond Therapy ND, the Grand Forks practice they founded in 2023. “If you had told my 18-year-old self I’d become a therapist, I’m not quite sure I would have believed you,” Bobby, ’05, ’16, said. “My generation’s message was, ‘You don’t talk about your feelings; if you are feeling depressed or anxious, rub some dirt on it, drink some water, and suck it up.’”

From Soldier to Social Worker After serving four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, Bobby enrolled at UND at age 22, where he met Amber. Following graduation, he moved to Texas to begin his career in law enforcement, but soon returned to North Dakota to continue their relationship. Back home, a friend encouraged him to explore opportunities with the North Dakota Army National Guard.

“Staying in the military for 20 years was the last thing I had planned to do,” he said. “I joined the North Dakota Army National Guard on a one-year contract, and I ended up loving it.” Amber and Bobby married in 2007, and as Bobby began thinking about life after the military, Amber suggested social work. At first, he dismissed the idea. Years in the military changed his perspective. “I realized how imperative mental health services are, especially after seeing the difference they made for my Soldiers throughout my career,” Bobby said. “Amber was absolutely right. I think my calling has always been to help people through law enforcement, the military, and now as a therapist.” He earned his Master of Social Work from UND in 2016 while serving, and retired as a first sergeant from the National Guard in 2021. Amber’s path was more traditional. After college, she joined Marshall County Social Services in Warren, Minnesota, where she spent a decade working in child protection, mental health and disability services before earning her master’s degree in 2021.

Building Beyond Therapy The Buzicks launched Beyond Therapy ND in 2023. In just three years, the practice has surpassed 7,500 therapy sessions. Their partnership shapes their business. “We know each other’s strengths and naturally gravitated to the roles that fit us best,” Amber said. “We’ve lived a lot of those same ins and outs as our patients, so helping people strengthen their relationships, become better parents and employees, and pursue their own passions and goals is incredibly rewarding.”

“Other than the patients we work with and serve, working together is the highlight of everything we do here.” BOBBY BUZICK

Many of Bobby’s patients are men hesitant to seek counseling. “Some of them are reluctant to consider therapy as an option,” he said. “But once they do, they realize talking about what they think and how they feel is a sign of strength rather than a sign of weakness.” Amber often works with women seeking a healthier work-life balance, something the parents of three sons understand firsthand.

Lessons That Last Amber credits her UND education with a lesson that continues to shape her work. Social work professor Steve Kraft’s answer to nearly every classroom question was simple: “It depends.” “He told us it was never a textbook answer,” she said. “You always had to consider each person’s experiences, background, and circumstances before deciding how to help.” For Bobby, the connection to UND remains just as strong. “We chose to base our practice in Grand Forks because of our passion for UND and the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks communities,” Bobby said. “If I wasn’t a therapist, I’d probably want to be a UND recruiter.”

CARE FROM A NY W HE RE Beyond Therapy ND also offers telehealth services, helping connect people in rural communities across North Dakota and Minnesota with care they might otherwise struggle to access.

Bobby and Amber with their kids: Mason (17), Chase (15), and Easton (9).

GR E E N & W HI T E A R E C A L L ING

SEPT. 28 - OCT. 4 Join us for a week full of tradition, pride and celebration at the University of North Dakota.

With a full slate of events, familiar faces, and UND pride, campus is ready to welcome you home! Highlights include the annual Alumni Honors Banquet, UND Fan Fest & Downtown Pep Rally, Hawks Hour, Athletics Hall of Fame, parade, tailgating and football. New this year: the Back to Campus BBQ, where all alumni are invited to join us for an afternoon outside the Gorecki Alumni Center. Hope to see you there!

Sept. 29

Oct. 3

Blood Drive

Homecoming Parade

Oct. 1

Alumni Tailgate

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wellness Center

Scan the code for the full Homecoming Week schedule. UNDalumni.org/events

UND Fan Fest & Downtown Pep Rally 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Town Square

Alumni Honors

5:30 - 9 p.m. Alerus Center

Oct. 2 Fan Luncheon

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Ralph Engelstad Arena

Back to Campus BBQ

1 - 3 p.m. Gorecki Alumni Center

Hawks Hour

4 - 6 p.m. Bonzer’s Sandwich Pub

UND Athletics Hall of Fame 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. Alerus Center

9 a.m. University Avenue 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Alerus Center

UND Football vs. Murray State 1 p.m. Alerus Center

UND Hockey vs. Augustana 6:07 p.m. Ralph Engelstad Arena

Oct. 4 UND Soccer vs. South Dakota 1 p.m. Bronson Field

UND Hockey vs. Manitoba 3:07 p.m. Ralph Engelstad Arena

Every year during Homecoming Week, we honor the University of North Dakota’s most esteemed alumni with the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership and the Young Alumni Achievement Award. The Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership is the highest honor given by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation for achievement, service, and loyalty. Since its inception in 1962, this distinguished award has been presented to leaders in government and business, high achievers in various professions, and alumni who have dedicated their lives in service to others. This year’s Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership honorees are: ● Sam Anderson, ’69, ’71

Homecoming continues on pages:

Alumni Honors

46 47

Activity Book

Food Guide

● Dr. Stacie Bell, ’91 ● Tom, ’72, & Konnie (Peach) Middleton, ’75 ● Randy Hatzenbuhler, ’85 ● Jeff Frane, ’84 Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients are role models for those who follow them on campus, as they prove that success can come to those with focus, drive and a willingness to work hard. This year’s Young Alumni Achievement Award winners are: ● Chuck Black, ’10 ● Mickayla Rosard, ’11 This year’s awards banquet will be held on Thursday, October 1, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. We will honor Konnie Middleton posthumously, and Sam Anderson will be unable to attend because of his filming schedule. pd.UNDalumni.org/alumni-honors

SIOUX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

SAM ANDERSON HOMETOWN /// WAHPETON, N.D. AREAS OF STUDY /// SPEECH & AMERICAN LITERATURE

During his five-decade acting career, Sam Anderson, ’69, ’71, has appeared in everything from comedies and medical dramas to blockbuster films and prestige television. He’s now playing Edwin Kingston opposite Kathy Bates on “Matlock.” “I’ve never had a better, more complex, and wonderful time than I have cocreating this relationship of a couple married for 50 years. There’s so much depth and emotional territory to continually explore with these characters. And having the phenomenal Kathy Bates as a partner to create that with is a gift,” he said. The experience appears to be resonating with audiences. In late May, Sam learned that Matlock had been renewed for its third season. Success didn’t happen overnight. After earning two degrees from UND, Sam taught at a California community college before his desire to act pulled him to Los Angeles. At 26, some agents told him he was too old, but after odd jobs and local theater productions, Sam began landing roles on shows including “WKRP in Cincinnati,” “Growing Pains,” and “Perfect Strangers.”

He quickly discovered that "Hollywood was quick to type you to one kind of role, like a thumbprint.” He focused on adding dramatic shows to his repertoire, though it was an uphill battle. “On the same day, someone might say to my agent, ‘Oh, he’s that funny guy. He doesn’t play these dark people.’ And in the afternoon, someone else would say, ‘He’s a psychopath.’” That didn’t stop him from broadening his horizons, and his versatility led to some of his most recognizable roles, including the Oscar-winning film “Forrest Gump,” where Sam played the “very handsy” Principal Hancock opposite Sally Field. For their “heard but not seen” seduction scene, Director Robert Zemeckis asked him to come up with a unique noise that adults, but not children, would understand. “He told me the boy playing little Forrest doesn’t know anything about the birds and the bees, and his mother wants to keep it that way.” Improvising, Sam came up with a pig noise. For years after the film’s release, Sam said he couldn’t go anywhere without strangers approaching him and imitating the sound.

Away from television and film sets, Sam has devoted more than two decades to The Road Theatre Company, a small nonprofit known for championing new, socially relevant plays and mentoring emerging playwrights and young actors.

200+

Television and film credits

Seasons on Matlock (following the recent renewal)

Years as Artistic Director with The Road Theatre Company (2005-2024)

“I knew I was a character actor. I wanted to spend my career as a chameleon who could disappear seamlessly into vastly different roles.”

His years on television also brought memorable moments. While filming “ER,” Sam and costar Sherry Stringfield became so focused on their rapid-fire medical dialogue that she accidentally tied his tie to the intubator. Another defining role came on ABC’s hit series “Lost.” Sam played Bernard Nadler, who, along with his on-screen wife, Rose, played by L. Scott Caldwell, was considered by many viewers to be the heart and soul of the show. Sam remembers diving deep to create this character, which moved the casting director to tears. Soon after landing the role, Sam flew to Hawaii where he learned the identity of his character, which had not been disclosed during the audition process. Bernard was the missing husband Rose had been talking about throughout the first season. Viewers later learned that Bernard had been in the section of the plane that crashed on the other side of the island.

Originally intended to appear in five episodes, Bernard remained on the show for five seasons. Sam’s character also became part of one of television’s first interracial couples.

FROM N.D. TO L.A.

In the late ’60s, UND had a small theater department with “wonderful teachers and directors,” Sam said. “Each of us had to learn and play everything, from all kinds of characters to the technical programs, the lights, the sound, design, everything. It was life changing, and I took it with me.” He remains grateful for the lifelong friendships formed at UND and Wahpeton (N.D.) High School. “I can see my whole history when I think about this incredible award. No matter where I go or what I do, I feel a strong connection and a great deal of gratitude for my time there. It’s definitely a part of my home.”

SIOUX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

STACIE BELL, PH.D. HOMETOWN /// VALLEY CITY, N.D. AREA OF STUDY /// CHEMISTRY When Stacie (Froelich) Bell, ’91, was in just third grade, she watched her grandmother endure chemotherapy. It was then that she set a lofty goal: to find better treatments. Five decades later, Stacie has devoted her career to advancing cancer and autoimmune disease research. “Much of the work that I’ve done is understanding how the immune system interfaces, and how the cells in the body respond abnormally to create or grow cancer,” Stacie explained. “For autoimmune diseases, it’s understanding how cells begin to attack the body, how the immune system reacts, and how we can tone that down to improve the lived experience of those with autoimmune diseases.” Her path into medical research began at UND. “I had all these ideas, and I would go to professors and say, ‘I’d like to do this.’ And all those professors took the time and the chance and enabled that.” While Stacie appreciated many teachers — from her hometown of Valley City, North Dakota, through graduate school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville — UND Chemistry Professor

George Brushmiller stands out. As a freshman, she wanted to study how fiber intake affected cholesterol levels, and he encouraged her to pursue it. The research led Stacie to collaborate with faculty across chemistry, biology, dietetics, and medicine. Her UND experiences led to opportunities as a National Science Foundation fellow and an intern with 3M’s Medical Therapy Division. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in biochemistry at Vanderbilt under the advisement of Dr. Neil Osheroff, who promoted collaboration and built on the multidisciplinary approach developed at UND, including opening the door to work with Merck & Co. on cancer therapies. Over the course of her career, Stacie has worked across academia, biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry, and nonprofit organizations. In one of her most recent roles, she served as Chief Clinical Research Officer for Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical research arm of the Lupus Research Alliance. There, she helped connect patients, researchers, advocacy organizations and industry partners to accelerate the development of new therapies for people living with lupus and other autoimmune diseases.

Stacie’s recent career move allows her to focus on what matters most, professionally and personally. She volunteers regularly in her community, and is learning German and how to swim, a skill that paid off when she completed her first triathlon in March.

70+

Clinical drug development programs

200+

Scientific papers, abstracts and publications authored or coauthored

500+

Collaborations to advance research and patient advocacy

Patents earned throughout her career

CONNECTING PHARMA AND PHILANTHROPY

“I’ve made the biggest impact in my career by being a connector and building meaningful collaborations.”

Stacie recently “pivoted” to lead Froelich Pharma and Philanthropy. She serves as a clinical research and strategy advisor while helping define the role nonprofits can play in drug development. “I want people to understand that pharma and philanthropy are directly connected,” Stacie said. “The only way one or both can be successful is to partner.” Thousands of nonprofits support patients with conditions ranging from autoimmune disease and cancer to asthma and kidney disease, Stacie said. Most are small organizations with five or 10 employees and often are unsure how to influence the drug development process. To help bridge that gap, Stacie launched NODE (Nonprofit Organizations and Drug Development Efforts), a collaborative initiative that brings together nonprofits, industry, venture capital, and pharmaceutical companies. The group develops

resources and practical guides to help organizations engage more effectively and ensure patients’ voices are heard throughout the drug development journey. Stacie is also a co-inventor on a newly filed patent exploring microbiome-based treatments for autoimmune disease and supports a biotech company studying similar approaches for infectious disease, cancer, and autism. She’s most proud of her work’s human impact. “It’s making a difference for that lived experience — whether that was cancer early on in my career, or now focusing on autoimmune diseases such as lupus and Sjogren’s disease and inter-related immunology.” Stacie remains grateful for her amazing supportive family and friends, and her alma mater. “UND made a real difference for this North Dakota kid,” she said. “This award reflects the connection, opportunities and confidence UND helped make possible.”

SIOUX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

TOM & KONNIE MIDDLETON HOMETOWN /// KONNIE: GRAND FORKS; TOM: BOWESMONT, N.D. AREA OF STUDY /// KONNIE: EDUCATION; TOM: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Tom and the late Konnie Middleton embody hard work, lifelong partnership, and heartfelt generosity. Guided by strong North Dakota values, they have created an extraordinary and enduring legacy at their alma mater. “Throughout our careers, we have had many opportunities to receive recognition for our achievements. However, receiving the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership holds a special place in our hearts,” Tom said. “It fills us with pride as we reflect on the outstanding education we received at UND and the lifelong experiences and friendships that began there. We are deeply grateful.” Tom, who grew up in Bowesmont, North Dakota, and graduated from high school in Drayton, credits his father for his pursuit of higher education. Konnie (Peach) moved around North Dakota before settling in Grand Forks, where she graduated from Central High School. Both found their footing at the University of North Dakota, enjoying a well-rounded campus experience.

Tom embraced university life by living in a dormitory, a fraternity house, and an apartment, while Konnie joined the Pi Beta Phi sorority, an experience she credits with fostering her teamwork and independence. The couple first crossed paths at a Phi Delta Theta homecoming party and were married five years later. Tom earned his business degree from UND in 1972, while Konnie graduated with a degree in elementary education in 1975. The Middletons embarked on rewarding careers that took them across the country. Tom spent 35 years in sales, sales management, and marketing with Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical subsidiaries, strategically taking lateral moves to gain a broader understanding of the business and build his career path. After graduating, Konnie became a kindergarten teacher in Minnesota and Iowa. However, her passion for retail led her to a successful 20-year career as a clothing buyer for various department store chains.

In honor of her lifelong connection to Grand Forks and her belief in the power of education, Konnie and Tom Middleton established the Konnie Peach Middleton Scholarship at the University of North Dakota. The scholarship supports graduates of Grand Forks Central High School who demonstrate financial need and wish to pursue their education at UND. Memorial gifts to the scholarship may be made at: pd.UNDalumni.org/give-konnie-middleton-scholarship

3.5 hours

The length of the decisive luncheon with UND leadership — including President Andy Armacost — that convinced the Middletons they wanted to give back “and forward” to UND

$5 Million

The historic donation made by Tom and Konnie Middleton to support the School of Entrepreneurship & Management and its students

1,800 & 325

The average number of undergraduate and graduate students, respectively, served each year by the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration

“With this gift, you will not be changing hundreds of lives, you will be changing thousands. And that goes over and over in my head.” KONNIE MIDDLETON

recalling a conversation with the NCoBPA dean

Notably, she was instrumental in successfully launching the Diane von Furstenberg dress line at her store, guided by mentors like Maxine Clark (founder and former CEO of BuildA-Bear Workshop). She traveled extensively to fashion hubs like New York, Los Angeles, and East Asia before dedicating her time to raising their two daughters, Nicole and Lindsay. In 2010, the couple retired to Arizona. With a shared philosophy of living within their means, Tom and Konnie saved diligently throughout their lives. Their careful financial planning culminated in a historic act of philanthropy in 2021: a $5 million gift to create the Middleton School of Entrepreneurship & Management. Today, the gift stands as one of Konnie’s most enduring legacies, creating opportunities for generations of students to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.

The Middleton School offers five majors, four minors, and two certificate programs, focusing on essential entrepreneurial skills like reasoning, creativity, testing, and critical thinking. The Middletons hope to make UND the leading provider of entrepreneurship education in the Midwest. “I just imagine the students walking through the college as freshmen and how different they’re going to be four years later because of the opportunities they get at UND,” Konnie said in a 2021 interview. That vision feels especially meaningful in the wake of Konnie’s passing. The Middletons’ generosity was more than a gift; it was an expression of faith in what education can make possible. Through that legacy, Konnie’s optimism and belief in others remains at the heart of the UND student experience.

Housed in the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration, the school was the first named school in the college’s history.

SIOUX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

RANDY HATZENBUHLER HOMETOWN /// MANDAN, N.D. AREA OF STUDY /// ACCOUNTING When Randy Hatzenbuhler, ’85, got the news that he would receive the 2026 Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership, he was deeply moved, calling the honor overwhelming and humbling. The announcement came during a 2025 retirement celebration of his remarkable 38-year career with the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF). Randy originally came to Medora in 1988 after being recruited by the foundation’s first executive director, Rod Tjaden. Though he considered it a short-term stop on his career path, the opportunity in the Badlands ultimately defined his professional life. He was officially named President of TRMF in 1997. Under his guidance, Medora saw immense physical and financial growth, culminating in a recent financial package that’s funding roughly $65 million in major projects for the tourist town. He was also loaned to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, where he successfully helped raise more than $100 million for the world-class facility that opened on July 4.

Despite these monumental brickand-mortar achievements, Randy remains most proud of his peoplefocused initiatives. He points to the creation of an international workforce program and a robust volunteer program — which now brings more than 700 people to Medora every year — as his greatest TRMF accomplishments. Over the decades, he’s mentored thousands of seasonal workers, cultivating an inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds could thrive. His leadership philosophy was always straightforward: show people the possibilities and get out of the way. Randy’s connection to the University of North Dakota runs deep. He and his wife, Laurie, spent “the best years of their lives” at UND, where Randy earned a degree in accounting, Laurie studied nursing, and they welcomed their daughter. Today, both of their children, Gina, ’06, and Jordan, ’09, are proud UND accounting graduates. Randy ranks the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership among his top three honors. The others are his induction into the UND Accounting Hall of Fame and receiving the Governor’s Legend Award for Travel & Tourism Industry Leadership in 2023.

Despite holding the title of President, Randy never liked wearing it on his name tag and was known to pitch in wherever needed. His son used to joke that on any given day, his dad might be selling a box of popcorn and later sitting down to secure a major gift from a donor.

Years of the Medora Musical

Months for Randy and the team to secure $100 million in private donations for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, beating the original three-year timeline

9,000

Seasonal workers Randy mentored and worked with over his TRMF career

“Bigger than what I had thought. Greater than what I had imagined. You can’t help but be almost overwhelmed by the beauty of it — the architecture of that place is going to bring people from across the world.”

“You’ll notice that two of them are UND-related,” said Randy. “I love the University of North Dakota. I’m so proud of it and it’s hard for me to describe how honored I am.” After deciding to prioritize his health to ensure a long and active next chapter, Randy officially retired at the end of the 2025 summer season. However, he is hardly sitting still. He and Laurie built a home in Medora, where he now runs “Big, Bold, and Brave,” a summer camp for 10- to 13-year-olds that features hiking, life lessons, and learning the value of hard work.

The camp’s name was inspired by a phrase he used years ago to encourage his young daughter to climb a challenging Medora butte. Between running camps, he is also dedicating time to writing a book about his life experiences. Reflecting on his storied career, Randy is incredibly grateful. He often notes that the only other place he would have ever considered working was UND, making this recognition from his alma mater the ultimate finishing touch to a legendary career.

RANDY HATZENBUHLER referring to the new

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

SIOUX AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT & LEADERSHIP

JEFF FRANE HOMETOWN /// MAPLE GROVE, MINN. AREA OF STUDY /// AEROSPACE STUDIES AND GEOGRAPHY “Captain!” That’s how members of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity address Jeff Frane, ’84, a FedEx Express Boeing 757/767 captain and standards check airman, and president of the UND chapter’s house corporation. But, Jeff said, the nickname has nothing to do with his airline career. “It started when I was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base and promoted to Air Force captain,” he said. “After that, all the kids called me Captain.”

EYES ON THE SKY

Jeff always knew he wanted to fly. “I have a crayon picture of an airplane, and in my 6-year-old writing, it says, ‘I want to be a pilot.’” Years later, Jeff enrolled at UND, where he double majored in Aerospace Studies and Geography. He soloed during his first semester and joined Kappa Sigma as a junior. With airline hiring slow after graduation, Jeff joined the Air Force. After officer training school, he received his first assignment at Grand Forks Air Force Base. “I went to see the world, and I ended up right back here,” he said.

During a distinguished Air Force career, Jeff served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, commanded a six-aircraft C-12F unit, and later became chief of training for the 85th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas.

FEDEX FOR THE FUTURE

Today, Jeff serves as a senior instructor for FedEx’s Asia network, training and evaluating pilots who fly South American, Asian, and transoceanic routes. “A select number of captains can interview and become check airmen, who train new pilots,” he explained. “The next level is to become a standards captain, a role with greater responsibilities that includes conducting evaluations on behalf of the FAA.” Jeff has served in the latter role for the past eight years. “I just renewed my Global Entry application,” he said. “One question was, ‘What countries have you visited since 2021?’ I ran out of space.”

UND FOREVER

Jeff credits UND with helping prepare him for his Air Force career. “The flight training I received at UND gave me a huge leg up in military flight school,” he said.

In 2016, Jeff funded and launched the Kappa Sigma Scholarship Endowment Fund. To date, this endowment has awarded over 35 undergraduate scholarships. Presenting them to deserving Kappa Sigma members is a highlight of Jeff ’s year.

35+

Scholarships awarded through the Kappa Sigma Scholarship Endowment Fund, established in 2016

Countries visited during his career with FedEx Express

“The flight training I received at UND gave me a huge leg up in military flight school. I already knew the basics, so I could concentrate on the bigger picture.”

“I already knew the basics, so I could concentrate on the bigger picture.” He has tried to provide similar support and guidance to UND students. Jeff first served as Kappa Sigma advisor in 1990 while stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base. After returning to Grand Forks in 2012, he resumed his involvement. “I’ve spent almost 20 years working with students,” he said. Jeff spent much of his summer vacation helping remodel the fraternity house in preparation for Kappa Sigma’s 100th anniversary on the UND campus.

He was surprised that it was not a Kappa Sigma who nominated him for the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership. Instead, he had made an impression on a UND flight instructor who had watched him mentor many Kappa Sigmas and aviation students over the years. “I don’t feel deserving of this award,” Jeff said. “I’m so honored.” For someone who has spent decades investing in students, perhaps the recognition shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Many current and former students still know him by the same title they’ve used for years: Captain.

YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

CHUCK BLACK

HOMETOWN /// STILLWATER, MINN. AREA OF STUDY /// WILDLIFE BIOLOGY

Chuck Black, ’10, won the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, an honor he had pursued since his father first showed him the stamp as a child. His oil painting of a northern pintail appeared on the 2024-25 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. Wildlife has always been Chuck’s passion, but winning the contest prompted him to reconsider the direction of his work. “I felt like I was always working rather than enjoying the outdoors,” he said. “I always had to have my camera and didn’t want to miss a moment.” Today, Chuck is exploring a new subject: old farms and ranches. “I’m building a photo library of farms and ranches, with a particular interest in disappearing barns at their most idealized state,” he said. “I think about the history and stories that could be discovered, and that’s lit a fire under me.” For Chuck, these paintings are about more than the image itself. “They touch the stories people want to talk about, share and reminisce about,” he said.

Chuck has worked as a full-time artist since 2015, following five years conducting fieldwork for national parks and wildlife agencies, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “A lot of that work was very hands-on with big game animals, giving me a different perspective on their behavior,” he said. Chuck earned his degree in wildlife biology, rather than art. He suggests students pursue something that genuinely interests them. “I knew I wanted to do something with my artwork, but my passion was wildlife,” he said. “I gravitated toward the subject.” His art was mostly self-taught. “I always wanted to paint the way I wanted to paint,” he said. “It’s been a long trialand-error process. I try to take away something from every painting and apply it to the next one.” Chuck said receiving the Young Alumni Achievement Award feels as meaningful as winning the Duck Stamp competition. “To be sought out among the University’s numerous options is really special.”

Chuck entered 10 Federal Duck Stamp contests before earning his victory. He recently was the featured artist at the Anaconda, Montana, Ducks Unlimited Art Show at the Copper Village Museum & Arts Center.

YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

MICKALYA ROSARD

HOMETOWN /// SARTELL, MINN. AREA OF STUDY /// ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Early in her career, Mickayla (Zinsli) Rosard, ’11, noticed that women often approached investing differently than men. That observation would help shape her professional path. Today, Mickayla is a partner at Groove Capital and Groove Investment Group, which provide funding and support to Minnesota startups. She also founded Angel Fest, an annual conference that has grown into the Upper Midwest’s largest gathering of early-stage investors. Her commitment to investing takes many forms. “One of my personal North Stars is the intersection of empowering women to take agency over their money,” she said. “Financial independence is the key to being able to leave a bad housing situation, a bad job or a bad relationship.” For the past 15 years, Mickayla has mentored her Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sisters and currently serves as the Facility Board’s Treasurer. She is also a fellow with Forge North, a regional coalition working to strengthen the greater MinneapolisSt. Paul startup community. In that role, she leads a statewide initiative aimed at engaging more angel investors, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups.

She also shares her expertise as a columnist for Twin Cities Business. Mickayla’s interest in entrepreneurship began at UND. “I wanted to study entrepreneurship, and at the time innovation and entrepreneurship weren’t common vernacular,” she said. “UND’s program was ranked fourth in the nation, so it seemed like an exciting place to be.” As a student, Mickayla joined Dakota Venture Group, where she first discovered venture investing. “Dakota Venture Group was my first exposure to early-stage investing, and you can draw a clear line from that experience to where I am now,” she said. Mickayla also credits Kappa Alpha Theta and her four years working at an oncampus coffee shop. “Working at Stomping Grounds gave me my core group of friends, and Kappa Alpha Theta taught me the importance of personal excellence and setting high standards,” she said.

As director of the North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center, Mickayla helped grow the organization’s portfolio from $1 million to $138 million in foreign investments, creating a total of 52,650 direct and indirect jobs.

The Playbook Your UND Homecoming-themed activity book!

STORY SCRAMBLE

Verbs = action

Homecoming week had finally arrived, and I was feeling extremely I grabbed my lucky

adjective

and headed to campus.

noun

On Thursday, I made my way downtown for the pep rally, where a food truck was serving plural noun

climbed onto a

covered in

and started

noun

. The crowd got so excited that someone

condiment or sauce

verb ending in -ing

Friday afternoon brought the all-campus BBQ to the Gorecki Alumni Center. I loaded my plate with

and

type of food

condiment

before accidentally wearing more

type of food

than I actually ate.

That evening, I met friends at Hawks Hour, where alumni shared their most UND memories. We raised our schooners, someone yelled “ whole room erupted in

adjective

!” and the

short chant or phrase

plural noun

On Saturday morning, I found the perfect spot along University Avenue for the parade. As the floats rolled by, everyone scrambled to catch One landed right on my

body part

flying through the air.

plural noun

, and I proudly claimed it as my lucky souvenir.

After the parade, it was time for the alumni tailgate. The smell of Red Pepper grinders filled the air while someone insisted on grilling verb ending in -ing

plural noun

with old friends they hadn’t seen in years.

Inside the stadium, the crowd became absolutely touchdown made fans throw verb ending in -ing

. Before kickoff, everyone was

plural noun

adjective

. Every Fighting Hawks

into the air while the mascot started

. As we headed home, I realized I’d somehow lost my

gained three new best friends, and couldn’t wait for next year’s Homecoming.

noun

FOOD GUIDE lunch ALUMNI TAILGATE FEAT. RED PEPPER

The best eats of the week!

THURS

food truck dinner s! UND FAN FEST & DOWNTOWN PEP RALLY

ext ra w hite sauce

ALERUS CENTER

Fuel up before kickoff with great food, Green & White pride, and one of Grand Forks’ most iconic flavors.

TOWN SQUARE

Kick off Homecoming weekend with UND spirit, downtown energy, and food truck favorites.

SAT

dinner SHORT OR TALL

2600 RED JARRETT WAY

breakfast BOARD ROOM

If it’s been a while since your last visit, make sure to stop by one of the newest spots on campus for pizza and conversation between Homecoming festivities.

of former location la bu Ta & es iv Arch

3102 UNIVERSITY AVE Start your day on campus with a fresh cup of coffee and a chance to soak in the sights of UND.

FRI

lunch BACK TO CAMPUS BBQ GORECKI ALUMNI CENTER

Gather with fellow alumni for a classic cookout and a taste of Homecoming tradition.

dinner HAWKS HOUR

brunch BERNIE’S

and a scho

oner

BONZER’S SANDWICH PUB

Reconnect with friends over a local favorite that’s been bringing Hawks together for years.

SUN

eet take a sw e t reat hom

121 DEMERS AVE, EGF Before heading home, enjoy a relaxed brunch and one last taste of Homecoming weekend.

RECIPE DeAnna’s “LET’S GO GREEN” Chip Dip! Ingredients

Directions

8 oz sour cream 8 oz cream cheese, softened 8 oz guacamole

Mix sour cream, cream cheese, and guacamole until smooth. Spread onto a pan and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Toppings

Add toppings before serving.

Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, green olives, green or red pepper, green onions, shredded cheddar cheese

DOUBLE TAKE Find the 11 differences between these campus scenes.

Answers on page 50

ROAD TO HOMECOMING Help the Hawk get to the game. The path will reveal a special message.

COMIC RELIEF

Answers on page 50

If it wasn't for that wind! ANSWER KEY FOR PAGES 50-51 O W

W H

X E

P A

R R

D I

E T

E C

R I

N I

A C

L U

F A

A M E

M N

E O

1) John F. Kennedy 2) D. William Blackburn, Homer Sprague, and Webster Merrifield were all graduates of Yale University 3) A. 1916 4) B. 12,283

It could be worse...

E L

THE BIG REVEAL Connect the dots.

ANSWER KEY FOR PAGES 48-49

TRIVIA

The more you know!

On Sept. 25, 1963, ____________ visited UND and spoke on the importance of conservation in the United States, as part of his five-day tour across the country.

UND’s first three presidents were all graduates of what university? A. NDSU B. Harvard C. University of Minnesota D. Yale

What year did UND have its first Homecoming? A. 1916 B. 1918 C. 1921 D. 1912

What’s the capacity of the Alerus Center for football? A. 9,286 B. 12,283 C. 10,598 D. 14,327

Answers on page 49

HOCO SPIRIT SEARCH How fast can you find them? O W H

W H

R R

U M

M E

O M

M N E

HOMECOMING

RALPH

GREEN

CELEBRATION

HOCKEY

LEGACY

WHITE

PEP RALLY

FOOTBALL

COMMUNITY

LUX ET LEX

UNIVERSITY AVE

ALUMNI HONORS

TRADITION

ETERNAL FLAME

HALL OF FAME

PRIDE OF THE NORTH

ALERUS

PRAIRIE ROSE

GOAL

PARADE Answers on page 49

Forever UND FOR LOVE AND HERITAGE Through the Guðný T. Cronshaw Icelandic Collection at UND, alumna Francine Cronshaw is honoring her mother’s lifelong dedication to preserving Icelandic culture and history. “Losing my mother was a big deal for me,” she said. “I wanted something that would be in her memory.” A UND graduate who studied history and sociology, Francine found the perfect partner in her alma mater. Through gifts to the Chester Fritz Library, she established the Guðný T. Cronshaw Icelandic Collection, a growing resource dedicated to Icelandic language, culture, history and genealogy.

The photograph Francine Cronshaw shared isn’t of herself. Instead, it’s a picture of her mother, Guðný “Gwen” Cronshaw, dressed for an Icelandic celebration that connected generations of family, culture and community. For Francine, ’71, it represents a life devoted to preserving Icelandic heritage and sharing it with others. When Gwen died unexpectedly in 2008, Francine began searching for a meaningful way to honor her.

In 1992, Guðný Cronshaw was named Fjalkonna (Maid of the Mountain) at the annual Íslendingadagurinn festival. She is clad in the formal Icelandic costume of a white gown, green robe with ermine, golden belt, high-crowned headdress and white veil falling over the shoulders to the waist.

The collection reflects a passion shared by both mother and daughter. Francine has long viewed North Dakota as part of a broader Icelandic cultural corridor stretching from Gimli, Manitoba, into communities such as Mountain and Pembina, where generations have maintained ties to their Icelandic roots. She envisioned a collection that would help students, researchers and community members explore the language, literature, history and traditions that connect those communities across borders and generations. The collection bears Gwen’s name for good reason. Raised in Manitoba’s close-knit Icelandic community, Gwen spoke Icelandic before she learned English in school. Throughout her life, she championed efforts to preserve Icelandic culture in North America.

She served in leadership roles with the Icelandic National League, helped coordinate the English translation and publication of Framfari, the first newspaper published in New Iceland, and contributed significantly to the landmark “Gimli Saga” community history. Her dedication earned her an honorary life membership in the Icelandic National League and recognition as Fjallkona, or presiding matron, of the 1992 Íslendingadagurinn festival. “My mother was very much involved in all that kind of stuff,” Francine said, recalling her mother’s commitment to historical and cultural preservation. Those values left a lasting impression on Francine, whose own appreciation for history deepened during her years at UND. “UND was very important to me,” she said. Francine and her husband, Russell, have established a charitable gift annuity that will ultimately provide additional support for the endowment funding the collection.

The arrangement provides them with fixed income payments while creating a future gift to UND, allowing them to support Icelandic heritage at the University in a meaningful way. Recent additions have expanded the collection’s emphasis on Icelandic language and culture, and Francine continues to work with library staff to identify materials that will serve researchers and members of the broader community. She hopes others with Icelandic materials or an interest in preserving Icelandic heritage will become involved in the collection’s future. For Francine, every new resource added to the Guðný T. Cronshaw Icelandic Collection extends the work her mother cared about so deeply. What began as a daughter’s tribute has become a lasting home for stories, traditions and connections that might otherwise be lost, ensuring that Gwen’s lifelong commitment to preserving Icelandic heritage will continue to inspire future generations at UND.

Forever UND: The Campaign for the University of North Dakota Together, we are undertaking a $625 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to build a UND for the future. As we enter the final months of this historic effort, we are grateful to the alumni and friends whose generosity has propelled us beyond our original goal and toward an even bolder vision. Your support helps pass the torch of knowledge to the generations who will lead the way.

If you are interested in supporting the collection: Material donations can be directed to Laura Egan at the Chester Fritz Library (laura.egan@UND.edu) Financial contributions can be made at pd.UNDalumni.org/give-cronshaw

Eternal Flame Society The UND Alumni Association & Foundation thanks all alumni and friends who have made gifts and commitments to support students, faculty, programs, and places at UND. The following donors reached a new giving circle in the Eternal Flame Society between April 1 and June 30, 2026.

ADELPHI CIRCLE $5,000,000+

Craig & Dr. Patricia Kipp Drs. Basir & Mohiba Tareen

WILLIAM BUDGE CIRCLE $1,000,000 - $4,999,999 Mark & Marlys Brown**

DR. CORA SMITH CIRCLE $500,000 - $999,999

$10,000 - $99,999 Robert L. Anderson Archer Daniels Midland Company Jennifer Behr-Soper Berg Insurance Alvin Boucher & Thomasine Heitkamp Matt & Michelle Bredemeier Samantha Buhl Carpet Care

Donald O. Bergquist

Susan & Don* Clasen

THOMAS CLIFFORD CIRCLE

Dr. Thomas* & Nancy* Cruden

$100,000 - $499,999

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

Michael Collazo Adam Davis

Kelly & Giuseppe Caruso

Eddie J. Droge, M.D.

Joyce J. Corey*

Deborah & Dale Duchscherer

Dr. Theodore & Barbara* Galambos

Hilary Ecklund

Christopher Griffin & Haley Wamstad

Sheila K. Edwards

Duane & Sue Hafner

Electrocraft, Inc.

RADM Gary & Janet Hartz

FM Title, Inc.

Jared Herndon

Paul Gilmour

John Kuklenski

Dr. Marci & David Glessner

John & Zoanni Liffrig

Jean Gray (Houghton)

Rick & Holly Lowenberg

Brenda Halle

Dr. James O’Connell

Mark & Kirsten Hanson

Dr. Ronald & Scharlene* Pynn

Ron & Cheryl Hoime

Tom & Brenda Rosendahl

Kevin & Veronica Holweger

K. Wayne & Geri Rye

Helen & Casey Hutton

Steven & Renae Troyer

Brian & Annette Ingulsrud

Dr. William F. Wosick

Andrew C. Jabs

Timothy & Tracy Spooner

Jim Knox, Inc.

Paul J. Stoxen

Richard & Joy-El Johnsen

Troy Syversen

Dr. Loretta Knutson & Gary Soderberg

William J. Thingelstad

Jacob & Madison Kunz

Deborah & Paul Thompson

Marnie & Jon Larsen

Mark A. Thompson

Larson Family Farms, LLC

U.S. Bank Minneapolis

Paul C. Larson

Richard & Margaret* Wall

Bret & Stephanie Lathrop

Dr. William & Patricia Waswick

Merilynn A. Liebelt*

Jon & Toni Watt

Richard D. Lugert

Anthony J. Weiler

Scott Maves

Jon & Jan* Wennberg

Chris McConnell

White Water Truck Wash, Inc.

William & Judy McLean

Tyler & Cassandra Wilson

Gary & Beverly Nelson

Thomas G. Zick

THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Scott & Stacy Jensen

Alan & Susan Olson Mark A. Osland Dr. David & Danette Pengilly Brian & Allyson Peterson Mari Pillar Jeremy & Erin Roesler Tysen Rosenau Patricia A. Ryberg Don Sandbothe Hans & Kristine Sande Michael Sansom Dr. Michael* & Cynthia Schlosser Jenny Schmidt Kerry & Larissa Schmitz Justin & Lindsay Schulz Jeffrey J. Simon*

1889 LEGACY SOCIETY The 1889 Legacy Society honors alumni and friends who have made a commitment for the future support of the University of North Dakota with estate, planned, or deferred gifts through the UND Foundation. Pat* & Bev Altringer Mark & Marlys Brown** Dean W. Clark & Jan Simon Clark Jane Fercho Ludlow & Thomas W. Ludlow* Patricia A. Ryberg Tamara & Daniel Satterlee Dr. William & Patricia Waswick

Smith Construction Co. Gregory & Jodi Sorum Randy & Kristine Spies

*indicates deceased **In the 2026 Gratitude Edition, we unintentionally omitted these donors, who have generously supported UND. We apologize and thank them for their understanding and ongoing support. For more information about the Eternal Flame Society, visit UNDalumni.org/giving-impact/donor-recognition.

5 6

Photo Share 1. Eight members of the UND Law class of 1966 gathered in Chandler, Ariz., in April — 60 years after their graduation. Law school grads attending included Wes Argue, Gerald Galloway, Fred Gerszewski, Lawrence Jahnke, Timothy Keating, Adrian (Sid) Overton, John Sherman, and Michael Ward.

7. Margaret Bartz, ’10, ’21, Sherry Miller, ’03, Megan Klasen, ’12, and Bryce Klasen, ’14, cheer on the Fighting Hawks Hockey team.

2. Hailey (Fitzgerald), ’20, and Jacob Loing, ’20, ’26, cheer on the Hawks with their son, Macklin, born in November 2025.

10. United Airlines pilots John Murphy, ’97, and Peter Buffington, ’96, shared the flight deck of a new United Airlines 737 MAX 9 in May.

3. Tom Gaudreau, ’94, and Mark Gunter, ’93, visited campus with their families last summer. The friends introduced their kids to UND, shared campus memories, and explored the new developments.

4. Gloria and Dick Hedahl, ’72, celebrate the graduation of their granddaughter, Grace Hedahl, ’26.

5. Three generations of the Storhaug/Leifur family celebrated Ava Leifur’s UND graduation, including David Storhaug, ’67, ’71, Jan (Button) Storhaug, ’70, Sadie (Sondeland) Storhaug, ’16, Ben Storhaug, ’13, Ava Leifur, ’26, and Jill (Storhaug) Leifur, ’96.

8. Chloe Artis, ’26, is celebrated by family at her spring graduation. 9. Brianna (Busch), ’23, and Brandon Cozzi welcomed Jeran James on Oct. 17, 2025, in Bismarck, N.D.

11. Future UND Cheerleader Penny Lindseth is the daughter of cheer alumna Sierra Ferdon, ..’19, and Lane Lindseth, ’21. 12. Braden (Vetter), ’22, and Caleb Aba-Onukaogu, ’22, were married June 6, 2026. They met while working in campus dining as UND students. 13. UND hockey fans in Austin, Texas, gathered to cheer on Hawks during their NCAA tournament run. Pictured are Stephanie Schultz, ’91, Owen Anderson, ’71, ’74, Lisa (Michels) Bales, ’96, and Cal Smith, ’94.

6. Brian Mathews, ’25, a former four-year member of the UND men’s basketball team, is now a police officer in Chicago.

Send your high-resolution photos to alumnimag@UNDalumni.net.

In Memoriam We dedicate these pages to honoring members of the UND family whose deaths were reported to us between April 1 and June 30, 2026.

1940s Lenore (Spitzer) Thompson, ..’49 Sioux Falls, S.D.

1950s Avis (Easton) Tilden, ’50 Burnsville, Minn. Lois (Dawes) Dowling, ..’51 Tacoma, Wash. Richard LaBerge, ..’51 Sioux Falls, S.D. Raymond Russell, ’51, ’56 Minneapolis Neal Greenwood, ’52 Centennial, Colo. Thomas “Pat” Griffin, ..’54 Larimore, N.D. Bradley “Pat” Hendrickson, ..’54 Edinburg, N.D. Dr. Philip Berg, ’55, ’57 La Crescent, Minn. Helen (Haugo) Hanisch, ..’55 Thompson, N.D. Ronald Nelson, ’55 Kewanee, Ill. Kenneth Oslund, ’55, ’56 Queretaro, Mexico Lt. Col. Carl Lasiter, USAF (Ret.), ’56 Surprise, Ariz. Leon (Rolzinski) Rollin, ’57 Golden, Colo. Gerald Wigness, ’57 Bemidji, Minn. Duane Fike, ’58 Minneapolis Jean (Njaa) Gryte, ..’58 Mayville, N.D. Joan (Pierce) Lazorenko, ..’58 West Fargo, N.D. Alan Leupp, ’58 La Quinta, Calif. James Olson, ’58 St. Paul, Minn. David Rinn, M.D., ’58, ’59, ’60 Dickinson, N.D. William Slight, ’58 Naperville, Ill. Ronald Betts, ’59 Jackson, Mich. Kathleen (Kirsch) Fleck, ’59 Solen, N.D.

William Hanus, ’59 Waxhaw, N.C. Allan Huseth, ’59, ’68 Menomonee Falls, Wis. M. Joan (O’Neil) Solie, ’59 Minneapolis James Strandberg, ’59 Fairlawn, Ohio Karen Trydahl, ’59 Los Gatos, Calif.

1960s Janice (Soltis) Dobies-Hein, ’60 Minneapolis Kenneth Gust, ’60 Fergus Falls, Minn. Eugene Moe, ’60 Park Rapids, Minn. Patricia (Benson) Swangler, ..’60 Grand Forks James Weigum, ’60 Bismarck, N.D. Kathleen (Ellingson) Carlson, ’61 Portola Valley, Calif. Robert Langford, ’61 Minneapolis Col. Richard Mann, USA (Ret.), ’61, ’64 Maple Valley, Wash. Dr. David Monson, ’61 River Forest, Ill. Lyle Niemeyer, ..’61 Brainerd, Minn. David Onstad, ’61 North Las Vegas Adrian Pulczinski, ..’61 Greenbush, Minn. Janet (Richards) Sausker, ’61 Englewood, Colo. Jack Stoskopf, Sr., ’61 Eagle River, Wis. John Benson, ..’62 Cottage Grove, Minn. Alice (Keller) Danduran, ..’62 Columbus, Ohio Jerome Koskovich, ’62 Rochester, Minn. Patrick Riely, ..’62 Petersburg, N.D. Edith (Mellor) Snortland, ..’62 Hancock, Mich. Philip Teigen, ’62, ’64 Greenwood Village, Colo.

Bonnie (MacMaster) Andersen, ..’63 Napa, Calif. Dr. Wayne Anderson, ’63, ’65, ’68 Rockville, Md. Charles de Montigny, ’63 Kent, Wash. William Funk, ..’63 Monticello, Minn. Martin Johnson, ’63 Minneapolis Donald Jungling, ’63 Tucson, Ariz. Mary (Chambers) Kotchman, ..’63 Bismarck, N.D. Guy LaFrance, ’63 Louisville, Ky. Loretta (Windingland) Moe, ..’63 Grafton, N.D. Ardelle Stenson, ’63 Anaheim, Calif. Robert Turner, ..’63 Bismarck, N.D. Margaret (Thorstenson) Wall, ’63 Placentia, Calif. Iver Bakkegard, ..’64 Birmingham, Ala. Curtis Bradford, ’64, ’65 Hutchinson, Minn. Phyllis (Przybylski) Harris, ’64 Champlin, Minn. Dennis Honch, ’64 Marquette, Mich. Esther Jurchen, ’64 Seward, Neb. William McBride, Ph.D., ’64 Woodway, Texas Albert Pernichele, ’64 Corvallis, Mont. Dr. Henry Reichert, Jr., ’64 Bismarck, N.D. Alvin Schmierer, ’64 Bismarck, N.D. Eileen (Senn) Schneider, ..’64 Bismarck, N.D. Ronald Sem, ’64, ’69 Wausau, Wis. Joseph Taylor, ’64 Eagle, Idaho Ronald Vantine, ’64 Minneapolis Wayne Anderson, ’65 Bismarck, N.D. James Brousseau, ..’65 La Salle, Manitoba Dr. Richard Featheringham, ’65 Portage, Mich. Emil Hamann, Jr., ’65 Alexandria, Minn.

Hazel Hovde, ’65 Pelican Rapids, Minn. Jerome McCallson, ’65 Hannaford, N.D. Marion (Delaney) Skogen, ..’65 Scottsdale, Ariz. Peter Willyard, ’65, ’67 Bowbells, N.D. Marilyn (Miller) Bader, ’66, ’86 Maple Grove, Minn. Charles Blomquist, ’66 Hibbing, Minn. Richard Crockett, ’66 Minneapolis Darral Dablow, ’66 Mount Juliet, Tenn. Leo “Tom” Doppler, ..’66 Bismarck, N.D. Robert Hillman, ’66 Knoxville, Tenn. John Potiuk, ’66 Calgary, Alberta William Rosen, M.D., ’66 Eagan, Minn. Jacqueline (Thomforde) Spillum, ’66 Norwalk, Iowa Herbert Becker, ’67 Albuquerque, N.M. Richard Brownson, ’67 Grand Forks Albert “Marv” Cooley, M.D., ’67, ’69 Grand Forks John Corbid, ’67 Park Rapids, Minn. David Faulkner, ’67 Fort Collins, Colo. Sherman Goplen, ’67, ’69 Fargo Dale Neppel, ’67, ’68 East Grand Forks, Minn. Gaylord Saetre, ..’67 Brainerd, Minn. Gerald Tollefson, ’67 Portland, N.D. Kenneth Bloom, ’68 Sioux Falls, S.D. Marjory (Holler) Bruszer, ’68 Alpharetta, Ga. Gerald Evenson, ..’68 Holly Springs, N.C. Perry Fast, ’68 Surprise, Ariz. Thomas Henry, ..’68 Lakewood, Wash. Heather (Teevens) McCann, ’68 Spring Lake, Mich.

Patricia McCarty, ’68 Minneapolis Carol (Thompson) Watne, ’68 Chattanooga, Tenn. Richard Besse, ’69 Wasilla, Alaska Suezette Bieri, ’69, ’70, ’89 Grand Forks Keith Brundin, ’69 San Tan Valley, Ariz. Arthur Kuss, ’69 Bakersfield, Calif. Helen (Koblitz) Kuss, ..’69 Bakersfield, Calif. Matthew “Jim” Stroup, ’69 Washburn, N.D. David Vondra, ..’69 Lincoln, Neb.

1970s Mary (Bernath) Burley, ..’70 Tucson, Ariz. Michael Carney, ..’70 Walterville, Ore. Jill (Gregoire) Devos, ..’70 Grand Forks Susan (Erickson) Foster, ’70 Spokane Valley, Wash. Terrance Gleason, ’70 Littleton, Colo. Donald Klostreich, ’70 Yuma, Ariz. Dianne (Myron) Larson, ’70 Grand Forks Shirley (Kinzler) Mercado, ..’70 Hudson, Wis. Frank Murphy, ..’70 Grand Forks Constance Rumreich, ..’70 Grand Forks Elva Simundson, ..’70 Winnipeg, Manitoba Timothy White, ’70 Cooperstown, N.D. Glenn Williams, ’70 Fargo Jerry Wurtz, ..’70 Bismarck, N.D. Susan (Bushaw) Campbell, ’71 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Douglas Crosby, ’71 Williston, N.D. Dr. Wayne Erickson, ’71 Winona, Minn. Douglas Graupe, ’71 Crosby, N.D. Kathryn (Blecha) Manus, ’71 Springfield, Ore. Beverly (Hicks) Weaver, ’71 Lewes, Del.

Marilyn (Peterson) Baumann, ’72 Grafton, N.D. Janice Flaagan, ..’72 Edmonds, Wash. Louis Burkhardsmeier, ..’73 Fargo Carleen (Jonsrud) Shilling, ’73 Tucson, Ariz. Kenneth Shilling, ’73 Tucson, Ariz. Mark Anderson, ..’74 Forest River, N.D. Timothy Beaton, ’74 Crossville, Tenn. Barbara (Wangerud) Downs, ..’74 Fargo Michael Kills Pretty Enemy, ’74 Selfridge, N.D. Dr. Janette (Juntunen) Murray, ’74 Custer, S.D. Christopher Pray, ’74 Minneapolis Susana Schmidt, ’74 Harpers Ferry, W. Va. Keith Fitzsimonds, ’75 Walhalla, N.D. Roger Fincher, M.D., ’76 Spokane, Wash. Rev. Janis Kana-Mackey, ’76 Hampden, N.D. Mary (Dibbern) Sabo, ’76 Decorah, Iowa James Steckler, ..’76 Grand Forks Randal Albrecht, ..’77 Coleharbor, N.D. Nicholas Andre, ’77 Springfield, Va. Steven Gleave, ’77 Fort Collins, Colo. Martin Naughton, M.D., ’77 Reno, Nev. Peter Scheel, ’78 Fargo Gordon St. Michel, ’78 Richmond, Ky. Vonne (Bourgois) Tarnavsky, ’78 Watford City, N.D. Randy Berntson, ’79 West Fargo, N.D. Brent Nowacki, ..’79 East Grand Forks, Minn. Violet Palm, ..’79 Hannaford, N.D. Gregg Solem, ’79 San Francisco Charlotte West, ..’79 St. Paul, Minn.

1980s Thomas Bentley, ’80 Howards Grove, Wis. Rick Raatz, ..’80 Lincoln City, Ore. Geraldine Azure, ..’81 Belcourt, N.D. Donald Beck, ..’81 Pound, Wis. MaryAnn (Moose) Gold, ’81 Dickinson, N.D. Stuart Johnson, ..’81 East Grand Forks, Minn. Jeffrey Simon, ’81, ’88, ’93 Minot, N.D. Eugene “Ken” Retallic, Jr., ’82 Idaho Falls, Idaho Thelmer Jore, ’84 West Fargo, N.D. Sister Laurie Kelly, ’85 St. Paul, Minn. Mark Lagodinski, ’85 Chicago Gerald Paulson, ’85 Big Lake, Minn. Jeffrey Dale, ’86 Chanute, Kan. Dr. Jeanette Karjala, ’86 Menahga, Minn. Ella LaRocque, ’86 Belcourt, N.D. Janice Lindberg, ’86 West Fargo, N.D. Dr. Daniel Scharf, ’86, ’88 Portland, Ore. Barbara (Walker) Broadbear, ’88 Bloomington, Ill. Dr. Daniel Lemke, ’88 La Pointe, Wis. Paul Ruzynski, ’88 Gaithersburg, Md.

1990s Gregory Ammon, ’91 Omaha, Neb. Phillip Hebert, ’91 Fargo Paul Kucera, ’91 Erie, Colo. Dr. Michelle (Stanhope) Oman, ’91 Aurora, Minn. Laura Bachinski, ’92 Rockford, Minn. Jan Heimdal, ’92, ’02 Granville, N.D. Marianne Allen, ’93 Hot Springs, S.D. Carl Schoenfelder, ..’96 Lakeville, Minn.

Kristien (Marsh) Grzadzielewski, ’97, ’00 Grand Forks

2000s Martha (Yellow Wolf) Birdbear, ’00, ’10 Mandaree, N.D. Carrie (Voeller) Hille, ’00, ’01 Littleton, Colo. Janene Lee, ’00 Minot, N.D. Penelope “Penny” (Sholes) Wedin-Gorden, ’00 Bismarck, N.D. Anthony Trangsrud, ’02 Thompson, N.D. Samuel Quady, ’03 Salem, Ore. Daniel Ledahl, ..’05 Williston, N.D.

2010s Brittany (Johnston) Nakamura, ’10 Honolulu Dr. Brett Debele, ’11 Kramer, N.D. Melissa Rodriguez-Senum, ’14 Middle River, Minn.

2020s Alexander Ebert, ’20 Chaska, Minn. Andrew Seneker, ..’26 Tulsa, Okla. Tyra St. Claire, ..’26 Bottineau, N.D.

Former Faculty & Staff Marilyn (Vonasek) Baessler Grand Forks Marilyn Bowman McVille, N.D. Beverly (Gregoire) Cariveau Grand Forks Dr. Madhusudan Joshi Madison, Wis. Keith Myers Grand Forks Deborah Radi Grand Forks Vernon Rasmussen East Grand Forks, Minn. Chester Rose East Grand Forks, Minn. Allan Smith Grand Forks Dr. David Uherka Cedar City, Utah

Class Notes 1969

1980

Clifford “Kip” Cranna, ’69, was honored by San Francisco-based Opera Parallèle for his impact on contemporary opera. Cranna is Dramaturg Emeritus of San Francisco Opera, where he spent 40 years.

Jay Gibson, ’80, is Fargo Davies High School football team’s defensive coordinator.

1973 Greg Page, ’73, has been named independent chair of the board for Corteva’s future standalone crop protection company, slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026. Page is the retired chair and CEO of Cargill Inc.

1974 Ronald Goodman, ’74, ’81, a former state district court and county judge, retired from the North Dakota Ethics Commission, where he was serving as acting chair.

1976 Tom Stroup, ’76, was inducted into the Wireless History Foundation Hall of Fame. Stroup is President of the Satellite Industry Association and former CEO of the Shared Spectrum Company.

1979 Jeffrey Myers, ’79, retired in 2025 after serving 43 years at the University of Michigan Medical School, most recently as A. James French Professor of Diagnostic Pathology and vice chair for clinical affairs and quality. He is now an Emeritus Professor in Thoracic Pathology.

Jon Johnson, ’80, was named Man of the Year as part of McMinnville, Oregon’s Distinguished Service Awards. Johnson retired last year as vice president and branch manager of Citizen Bank in McMinnville and continues his community service through Rotary and A Family Place relief nursery.

1983 Bill Cosby, ’83, a project engineer at Lockheed Martin Aerospace, is working on rocket capsules and docking systems for Artemis missions in 2027 and 2028. Tim Rude, ’83, technologist, patent agent, and independent experimental physicist, was recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for his long career in military and civilian roles. He lives in Front Royal, Va.

1986 Todd Cresap, ’86, served as a North Dakota district judge since 2009. He retired in July.

1988 Jonathan Rudman, ’88, who was Assistant Chief of the Operations Training Division at Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command before retiring in 2006, was keynote speaker at the Lycoming County Memorial Day Ceremony in Williamsport, Pa. Rudman lives in Orlando.

1989

1994

Tim Tandeski, ’89, retired from a 41-year career as javelin and throws coach in Grand Forks. He was inducted into the North Dakota High School Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2015 and is a math teacher at Grand Forks Red River.

Ben Jacobson, ’94, was named head coach of Utah State men’s basketball. He previously served as head men’s basketball coach at the University of Northern Iowa for 20 years.

David Leker, ’89, was named executive director of the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District. Leker previously was the director of the Fargo Park District.

1990 Kevin Klipfel, ’90, retired as executive director of the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District after a three-decade career.

1991 Tamala May (Scheid) Anderson, ’91, ’12, founded Single Parents Pursuing Christ, a ministry aimed at supporting single parent families based in Fargo.

1992 Paul Kadrmas, ’92, is international marketing director for Sea Foam International in Bismarck, N.D. Jeffrey Gorder, ’92, is CEO of Mono, a boutique creative agency in Minneapolis. Ian Swanson, ’92, editorin-chief of The Hill, a nonpartisan publication in Washington, D.C., spoke at UND’s Hagerty Lecture in April. Veronica (Wigness) Holweger, ’92, CEO of Med Park Credit Union, is a member of Dakota Credit Union Association and the first vice chair representing her district, ND Division C. She lives in Grand Forks.

Roger Hardaway, ’94, retired after 36 years as a history professor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He is the longest-serving faculty member in the history of the university and became professor emeritus upon retirement. He continues to teach part-time. Eva (Spindler) Keiser, ’94, received the Platinum Award, the Public Relations Society of America Midwest District’s highest individual honor. Keiser has owned her own consulting practice, Plural I, since 2011 after working in agency leadership and communications education for 15 years.

1995 Michelle Jackson, ’95, serves as board counsel to Public Company Accounting Oversight Board member Mark Calabria. An attorney with more than 25 years of experience, Jackson most recently ran her own law practice while serving as director of risk management and interim CEO for the Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors in California. Michael “Mick” Gibbs, ’95, president and CEO of The Heart Hospital of South Dakota - Avera Health, gave the spring 2026 commencement speech at Mt. Marty University, a Catholic university in Yankton, S.D.

Scott Diezman, ’95, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, military historian and battlefield guide, spoke at the Civil War Round Table of the Mid-Ohio Valley. He is a satellite engineer and program management advisor at TriSept Corporation in Chantilly, Va.

Esther Tailfeathers, ’98, was appointed associate dean of Indigenous Health at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Tailfeathers has served rural communities as a family physician across Alberta and Montana for more than 30 years.

1996

1999

Patricia Hill, ’96, recently retired chief learning officer at the National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC), was named a 2026 Top Women Chief Learning Officer by Women We Admire.

Christy Hansen, ’99, is acting director of the Commercial Space Division within NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Peter Hanson, ’96, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, joined the Great Falls Clinic Capital City Specialty Center in Helena, Mont.

Joel Bird, ’99, a private wealth advisor with Legacy Financial Planners, was named to AdvisorHub’s list of Top Advisors to Watch Over $1 Billion. Bird manages more than $1 billion in client assets and was recognized for his growth, quality of practice and character.

1997 Jill (West) Fritel, ’97, is vice president/head of deposit operations at United Valley Bank. Fritel lives in Grand Forks. Tom Dosch, ’97, is head football coach at the University of Jamestown. Dosch was head coach at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., and has coached at UND and Southern Illinois.

1998 Jason Markusen, ’98, is owner and CEO of Energized 4 Life, an online leadership business. Jeffrey Sather, ’98, executive medical director and emergency physician at Trinity Health in Minot, N.D., was a commencement speaker at Minot State University’s spring graduation.

Jason Hastings, ’99, is the Wilkin County (Minn.) attorney. He has practiced law across North Dakota and Minnesota for nearly 30 years.

2000 Jennifer (Gienger) Schlinger, ’00, ’04, ’23, and Anne (Gregoire) Bodensteiner, ’07, ’17, developed content for an online continuing education course for North Dakota nurses, social workers and dietitians that explores the effects of emotional trauma on the body and behavior.

2001 Anne (Schiller) Riddle, ’01, a family medicine physician, joined the Essentia Health-Lakeside Clinic in Duluth, Minn.

FI N D T H E FL AM E

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

MAGAZINE

REACHING LEARNERS EVERYWHERE (P10) TRAINING RURAL PROVIDERS (P24) SHAPING WHAT’S NEXT (P28) 1

Finding the flame hidden in the wood grain of the table proved easy for many readers of the Spring 2026 issue. Several said they spotted it almost immediately. Among our winners was Deanna Weiser, ’85, who wrote, “This was an easy one!” Max Kahlhamer, ’08, said the first thing he does when the Alumni Magazine arrives is search for the flame. For Sue (Tripp) Bernard, ’91, it took a little longer. “I had a hard time with my first search, but when I came back to it later, it jumped right out! I guess it’s all about the angle,” she wrote. Finally, Cole Wagenaar, ’07, of Oroville, California, has a secret weapon: his 10-yearold son, who has correctly identified the flame in each of the past two issues. There’s another flame hidden on the cover of this issue. Think you’ve spotted it? Email us at AlumniMag@UNDalumni.net with its location for a chance to win a UND prize pack.

AUT HOR SPOTLIGHT

2003 Loren Wold, ’00, ’03, is vice president for research at the University of Cincinnati, a public R1 University. He previously served as senior associate vice president for research at The Ohio State University.

2004

Brian Petersen, ’81, published “Harlo,” a contemporary Western novel about Chet Norem, a banker who returns to his hometown of Harlowton, Montana, to rebuild his life after a career-ending divorce and personal setbacks in Bozeman. The story follows Chet as he navigates small-town life, a complicated friendship with a troubled childhood friend, and a new relationship, all while confronting past mistakes and the challenges of reputation, duty, and redemption in a place where life is hard-won. Set against the vast landscape of Montana cattle country, Harlo moves across generations of Harlowton’s secret loves, vendettas, and hidden parentage, weaving its characters into intricate patterns of resentment and obligation. Kirkus Reviews named Harlo one of the Top 100 Indie Books of 2025. Check out more great reads from alumni authors at UNDalumni.org/authors.

Justin Ahmann, ’04, is the land development lead at the Minot, N.D. office of Ackerman-Estvold. Ronald Ferguson, ’04, a sociology instructor at Ridgewater College in Willmar and Hutchinson, Minn., received the 2026 Education Minnesota Human Rights Award.

2005 Branelle (Cibuzar) Rodriguez, ’05, a 21year NASA employee, was vehicle manager of the Orion spacecraft, which carried four astronauts to the moon in the Artemis II mission. She works at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Erika (Wishart) Brouillette, ’05, founded Reclaim, a peer-led coaching community and podcast supporting wives of people with traumatic brain injuries. Brouillette was inspired to create the resource after her husband sustained a TBI in 2020. Nate Fiala, ’05, ’07, is maintenance superintendent at American Crystal Sugar Company’s East Grand Forks factory.

Vance Taylor, ’05, retired in July as president and CEO of North Dakota Mill and Elevator. He was the longest-serving president in the Mill’s 103-year history.

2009 Pam Skon, ’09, is a licensed clinical social worker at Newport (Wash.) Hospital and Health Services.

Benjamin Swanholm, ’06, is crime laboratory director of the Phoenix Police Department.

Yisa Akinbolaji, ’09, is a member of the Order of Canada. He is the founder and chairman of the Creative Foundation Inc.

2007

2010

Joshua Plencer, ’07, is an assistant professor of American politics at SUNY (State University of New York) Oswego.

Nicholas Vetter, ’10, was promoted to vice president of construction at Schoenfelder Renovations, a general contracting firm based in the Twin Cities.

2006

2008 Tali Best Collins, ’08, was named a managing partner at Best Law Firm in Scottsdale, Ariz. Kayla (Hoerth) Dornfeld, ’08, ’14, a teacher in Mapleton, N.D., was named the Empowered Woman of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals, and will be featured on a billboard in New York’s Times Square. Jamie (Brandenburg ) Worden, ’08, ’12, was named North Dakota Art Educator of the Year. She teaches visual arts at Hillsboro Public Schools. Jonathan Toews, ’08, retired from the NHL after 16 seasons, which included winning the Stanley Cup three times as a Chicago Blackhawk. Toews, who was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017, played his final season with the Winnipeg Jets.

Amber Laffin, ’10, is dean of public safety and transportation at Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wis. She previously served as associate professor and program coordinator for the criminal justice program at Bemidji State University.

2011 Stephanie Bauer, ’11, owns Floralia Therapy and Wellness in Lake Oswego, Ore. Tyler Parisien, ’11, ’14, is a 2026 Bush Fellow. A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Parisien is working to revitalize the Michif language — a unique blend of Cree, Ojibwe and French.

2012 Carolynn (Orey) Keck, ’12, is director of accounting at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn.

LETTERWINNERS ASSOCIATION

HALL of FAME

AMONG THE GREATS

The University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame will celebrate its 2026 induction class during a ceremony Oct. 2 as part of UND Homecoming festivities.

Michelle Karvinen Women’s Hockey (2011-14)

Becky (Moen) Behrens, Women’s Basketball (1999-03)

Karvinen totaled 131 points in three seasons and helped lead UND Women’s Hockey to its first NCAA Tournament. A WCHA Rookie of the Year and three-time All-WCHA selection, she has also represented Finland in five Winter Olympics.

Behrens finished her career with 1,762 points, ranking among the program’s leading scorers. A twotime All-NCC selection and threetime All-American, she helped UND compile a 104-20 record during her four seasons.

Jen (Cilz) Hodny Soccer (1999-2001, 2003) Hodny finished her career with 38 goals and 87 points, leading the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. She is one of two players in program history to earn both All-America and First Team AllRegion honors. Jenny (Boll) Christofferson Women’s Basketball (1999-2003) Christofferson had 1,651 career points and 771 rebounds as the program captured two NCC titles and reached four NCAA Division II tournaments, including an Elite Eight appearance. Weston Dressler Football (2004-07) “Mr. Electricity” set 19 school records and earned 14 AllAmerica honors. He built a standout professional career in the Canadian Football League.

Chad Mustard Men’s Basketball (1996-2000) Mustard scored more than 1,500 points in basketball and earned All-America honors. He later helped UND football win the 2001 NCAA Division II national championship before spending five seasons in the NFL. Brian Strom Swimming & Diving (1990-2016) Over nearly three decades, Strom built UND into one of the nation’s premier diving programs. The longtime coach mentored 21 All-Americans, earned multiple national coach of the year honors and helped produce generations of conference champions.

1957-58 Men’s Hockey Team This squad established several program firsts, including UND's first 20-win season, conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The team advanced to the national title game, laying the foundation for future success. 2000-01 Men’s Hockey Team Fresh off the program’s seventh national championship, the 2000-01 Fighting Hawks won the WCHA title and reached the NCAA championship.

Thomas J. Clifford Award Steve Van Dyne Swimming & Diving

Van Dyne, ’96, has excelled as a high school and Paralympic coach. His athletes have earned numerous state titles, while Paralympian Mallory Weggemann won multiple Paralympic and world championship medals under his guidance.

Jeff Panzer Men’s Hockey (1997-2001)

Honorary Letterwinner Award

Panzer recorded 228 career points and helped lead UND to the 2000 NCAA national championship. A two-time First Team All-American, he remains among the school’s all-time leaders in points and assists.

Longtime supporters of UND Athletics, Susan and the late Scott Sayer have contributed to scholarships, endowments and facility enhancements since 1996. Their philanthropy has had a lasting impact at UND.

Susan & Scott Sayer

U N D H O C KEY

THE TEAM AROUND JAGGER

How the UND hockey family rallied around one of its biggest little fans. Every member of the UND hockey team wore green wristbands during games and interviews throughout the 2025-26 season. #JAGGSSTRONG, they read. “UND is my favorite team,” said Jagger Lindsey, the 6-year-old son of Mike, ’02, and Blair Lindsey. “And hockey is my favorite sport.”

Weeks after attending the Mario Lamoureux Hockey Camp in Bismarck in the summer of 2025, Jagger was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Since then, the family has endured bone marrow transplants, medical airlifts, and lengthy hospital stays. As this story was being written, Jagger was cancerfree, and in late July, he laced up his skates and returned to the ice for the first time in a year. Cancer is part of Jagger’s story. But it isn’t the whole story. This is also a story about the way the members of the UND hockey family rallied around one of their biggest (little) fans. Among the Lindseys’ many memories, one hospital visit stands out.

When Ben Strinden, ’26, Abram Wiebe, and Zach Sandy visited Jagger in Fargo, Mike and Blair expected a quick hello. “I thought they’d stay 10 minutes,” Blair said. Instead, the players stayed for more than an hour. “We played knee hockey with him,” Ben Strinden said. “We pretended it was Minnesota vs. UND. I think Jags scored eight goals.” While visiting, the players each put on #JAGGSSTRONG wristbands. “We weren’t thinking they’d even wear them,” Mike said. “Then the whole team wore them all season.” “Jags was part of our team this year,” Ben said. “ His and his family’s support mean everything to us.”

“It’s pretty cool to see the support they’re giving Jagger, and the support Jagger gives them right back just by watching.” MIKE LINDSEY

Throughout the season, the family spotted the green wristbands everywhere. E.J. Emery wore one while flashing a “W” sign on television. Will Zellers wore one during an interview. Before every game, head coach Dane Jackson texted Mike a photo of his own wristband. For Coach Jackson, supporting Jagger was simply part of what the program represents. “It’s a two-way street,” he said. “We have awesome fans, and we appreciate the support they give our team. When someone in our hockey family is going through something difficult, we want them to know we’re behind them. Character and leadership are important values in our program, and this was one way we could show that support.” On a recruiting visit to Seattle, Dane took the early morning flight, allowing for lots of time to visit Jagger, who spent nearly a year receiving treatment in Seattle. “It helps Jagger to know there are people 1,000 miles away rooting him on,” Mike said.

Support came from former players as well. Brock Boeser sent an autographed jersey, while Dave Hakstol, Brock Nelson, Jonathan Toews and Ryan Duncan also reached out with jerseys, notes and video messages. “Jagger has a closet, like totally full, of UND stuff,” said his older sister, Brinkley. “He never wears any of it.” “I gotta keep them fresh,” Jagger said.

FAMILY SHOWS UP Blair appreciates the maturity and kindness the UND hockey team has shown her son. “These are college boys,” Blair said. “They’re supporting some kid they barely know. We are so grateful for the love and compassion.” Ben Strinden, whose father passed away from cancer last summer, understands how important support can be. “Family shows up when times get hard,” he said. “You never want someone to feel like they’re going through things alone. Hopefully, something as simple as wearing a wristband brought joy to Jags and his family. “The UND family is with Jags, and always will be.”

2013 Jessica Gilbertson, ’13, is the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network government relations director for North Dakota and South Dakota. Georgia (Holmen) Schelberger, ’13, was named among the 2026 Virginia Business 40 Under 40. She is vice president and associate managing director at Town Insurance in Williamsburg, Va. Michael Henderson, ’13, is director of the Division of Dental Therapy at the University of Minnesota. Henderson, a clinical assistant professor, is a board member of Ready, Set, Smile and a member of Critical Access Dentists – Minnesota.

2015 Sandi Luck, ’15, founder and CEO of Grand Forks-based Bully Brew Coffee and ND Coffee Roastery, was named 2026 North Dakota Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Patrick McClellan, ’15, is controller at Fargo Jet Center. Holland Slick, ’15, a senior wealth advisor at Alerus in Grand Forks, earned her Certified Private Wealth Advisor certification. Anna Kinney, ’15, is the AI instructional manager for UND’s Teaching Transformation and Development Academy.

Marisa Gonzalez, ’15, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at New Mexico State University, received the Fulbright U.S. Scholar award. She spent 10 months at Dalat University in Vietnam during the 2025-26 school year.

2016 Jessica (Christofferson) Salinas, ’16, ’23, a licensed graduate social worker, joined RiverView Health’s Senior Life Solutions team in Crookston, Minn.

2017 Matthew Ipolito, ’17, was promoted to captain at United Airlines. He is based in Chicago.

2019 Nick Niederkorn, ’19, is a process engineer at American Crystal Sugar Company’s Moorhead, Minn., factory. Jessica (Pigeon) Rost, ’19, ’22, is a family nurse practitioner providing primary care at Rolette (N.D.) Health Center. Carly (Dawson) Schultz, ’19, is a certified physician assistant at Essentia HealthLisbon (N.D.) Clinic. She practices family medicine.

2020 Morgan Tuss, ’20, is an attorney practicing at the Silverman Law Office in Billings, Mont.

2021 Lauren (McIntosh) Meier, ’21, runs True Treatment Physical Therapy in Mott, N.D.

McKenzie (Johnson) Novak, ’21, a chemistry and life science teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic School in East Grand Forks, directed the school’s spring musical, “Grease.”

2025

2022

Sara Margit Wallace, ’25, a chemistry stockroom and safety technician at UND, was profiled by Influential Women, a media platform that highlights women’s professional achievements and leadership.

Hunter Cowdrey, ’22, ’25, is an associate attorney at Nilson Brand Law in Fargo.

2023 Kerry Toups, ’23, director of clinical lab sciences and instructor at Fletcher Technical Community College in Schriever, La., was nominated for a Promising Practice Award from the American College Personnel Association. She created a satellite food pantry in a student lab closet. Amanda Higginbotham, ’23, was crowned Miss Volunteer America 2027. Higginbotham, the Miss Texas Volunteer, is a first officer at SkyWest Airlines.

2024 Kouhyar Tavakolian, ’24, a biomedical engineering professor at UND, was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. It is one of the highest honors in the field, recognizing the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. Anna (Hochhalter) Wiemken, ’24, joined Essentia Health-Osgood Clinic in Fargo as an elder care practitioner. Miranda Gardina, ’24, is an assistant athletic trainer for Brevard (N.C.) College Athletics’ sports medicine team.

Nate DeMontagnac, ’25, a former UND Football wide receiver, was selected seventh overall by the BC Lions in the 2026 CFL Canadian Draft.

2026 Denver Flanagan, ’26, is a junior investment advisor with FS Wealth Management in Grand Forks. Grant Richtsmeier, ’26, is a control systems engineer at American Crystal Sugar Company’s East Grand Forks factory.

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UND Homecoming activity guide inside!

T HE GR E E N & W HI T E A R E C A L L ING

SEPT. 28 - OCT. 4

Check out page 32 for the event schedule and Alumni Honors info.