UND Discovery - Spring 2018

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U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O R T H D A K O TA

DISCOVERY

THE FIVE GRAND CHALLENGES

UNIVER S ITY OF NO RTH DA K O TA

DISCOVERY

GRANT MCGIMPSEY Publisher

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Vice President for Research and Economic Development Dean, School of Graduate Studies

In this issue of UND Discovery Magazine, we bring home a clear vision of the University’s

Thomasine Heitkamp, Professor, Social Work, in the College of Nursing and Professional

five Grand Challenges and the people who are collaborating across campus to meet those

Disciplines. Thomasine’s mandate is to help rural communities solve their unique health

challenges. We are all on this mission together.

and social problems.

Although research is the key driver in this effort, long-term it is really all about students:

Mark Askelson, Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, John D. Odegard

we aim to significantly enhance the student experience here at UND. A key way to do that

School of Aerospace Sciences, and Interim Executive Director, Research Institute for

is to strengthen and enliven the University’s research enterprise.

Autonomous Systems (RIAS). Mark’s charge is to drive the world-changing developments

As this University’s leadership has stressed over the last several years, we want to

of UAS and do so in a way that reflects UND’s values.

significantly improve learning opportunities for students, thus improving graduation and

Hesham El-Rewini, Dean, College of Engineering and Mines. Hesham will head the effort

retention rates and helping students stay on track into productive careers. As part of

to effectively, efficiently, and ethically produce, manage, and securely use information in

our strategic planning process, we undertook to define the major challenges that are

the age of big data.

significant to North Dakota and beyond to understand how our incredible pool of gifted researchers could make big gains in tackling those challenges.

The five Grand Challenges included in the strategic plan will guide our research activity: • Promote energy security and environmental sustainability

In the pages that follow, you will learn more directly about these collaborative leaders and how they will facilitate our research to meet the challenges.

The collection of features we include in this issue illustrates the cycle of research. This cycle begins with questions, the kernel of an idea, or a Grand Challenge and launches

• Address health challenges through basic, clinical, and translational discovery

with a search for facts and underlying truths. Those who participate in the research cycle

• Help rural communities solve their unique health and social problems

bring ideas, energy, enthusiasm, and an unrelenting passion to discover, to inform, to

• Drive the world-changing developments of UAS, and do so in a way that reflects UND’s values

educate, and to benefit our world. Much of this issue of UND Discovery is given over to

• Effectively, efficiently, and ethically produce, manage, and securely use information in the age of big data

work align with and address the challenges of our society. From the search for sustainable

Let me introduce our Grand Challenges Champions:

our University’s Grand Challenges, ways in which our research, scholarship, and creative energy, to addressing the problems of our rural world, curing diseases that afflict North Dakotans, driving economic vitality through autonomous vehicles and systems, and making sense and benefiting from the voluminous data in our world, UND’s faculty,

Tom Erickson, CEO, Energy & Environmental Research Center. His mandate is to

students, and staff are engaged at every point in the research cycle, looking for solutions

promote energy security and environmental sustainability.

and generating new knowledge and understanding.

Colin Combs, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and Chair, UND Department of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Colin’s mandate: address health challenges through basic, clinical, and translational research (transitional discovery).

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CONTENTS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA | DISCOVERY | SPRING 2018

U N I VER SI T Y O F N O RT H DAKOTA

DISCOVERY Publisher

i Publisher’s note 2 Five Grand Challenges explored: introduction 4 Five Grand Challenges explored: energy security 6 UND EERC engineer Kerryanne Leroux and industry partners explore novel carbon capture 8 Cross-campus collaboration yields aviation invention

Grant McGimpsey Vice President for Research and Economic Development Dean, School of Graduate Studies University of North Dakota Coeditors

12 Environmental Engineer Frank Xiao develops ag-based activated carbon

Deb Pedraza Juan Pedraza STEMflash Media LLC

14 Five Grand Challenges explored: health challenges

Copy Editor

16 Biomedical researcher Alexei Tulin: searching for cancer magic bullets

Joyce Riske Principal Editor, Editing and Graphics UND Energy & Environmental Research Center

10 Petroleum Engineer Hadi Jabbari digs into enhanced oil recovery with carbon dioxide

18 Biosciences researcher Harpreet Kaur sees food connection in Alzheimer’s 19 Jyotika Sharma and neutrophils 20 Five Grand Challenges explored: rural communities 22 Five Grand Challenges explored: UAS development 24 UAS and autonomous systems research: new institute explores collaborative projects 26 Electrical Engineer Prakash Ranganathan and student team take aim at electronic intruders 28 Five Grand Challenges explored: big data and cybersecurity 30 Tribal students explore STEM with UND biologist 31 BIG ideas competition puts students in the driver’s seat of research and discovery

Designer and Cover Artist Earl Battle Graphic Designer UND Energy & Environmental Research Center Writers Kayley Cusack UND Today David Dodds Editor, UND Today

32 NSF funds Arts & Sciences scholarship grant

Deb Pedraza Juan Pedraza

34 Civil Engineer Howe Lim leads team to find better flood prediction model

Photography

36 Oldest ice on Earth: Geomorphologist Jaakko Putkonen and team dig oldest ice

Jackie Lorentz Juan Pedraza Kari Suedel

38 University postdoc funding program fuels future discovery and innovation 41 NASA, UND team up with big balloons in youngsters’ STEM experience 42 UND Music’s Gary Towne offers new look at art history 42 Parasitologist Vasyl Tkach wins award from peers around the world 43 Aviation’s Kim Kenville advises federal agencies on how to improve airport operations 44 Medical school magazine editor Brian Schill pens book covering the punk scene 45 Scholarly Commons: Chester Fritz Library launches new online repository

UND Discovery is published by the Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development. Please send inquiries and comments to the Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development, University of North Dakota, 264 Centennial Drive, Stop 8367, Grand Forks ND 58202-8367. UND is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

DISCOVERY | 2018

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FIVE GRAND CHALLENGES One UND strategic plan, one objective: excellence

The One UND Strategic Plan 2017–2022 comprises seven goals: Liberal Arts, Graduation

Goal No. 4 five Grand Challenges, Captain—Grant McGimpsey, Vice President for

Rates, Enrollment, Research, Inclusive, Serving Military, and Engaging Alumni.

Research and Economic Development and Dean, School of Graduate Studies:

The plan involved more than 900 individuals coming together to craft the future of the University of North Dakota as a pathway to UND achieving its mission to serve as the Chief Opportunity Engine for North Dakota and UND’s students. In his online introduction to the plan, UND President Mark Kennedy noted that this strategic plan illustrates One UND, touching all corners of the University: research, enrollment, online education, creation of 21st century programs, alumni relations, and so much more.

Grand Challenges “Each component of the Strategic Plan is backed by metrics that will allow us to measure our progress in each of these efforts,” Kennedy said. In the following pages, we describe the captains and teams that are advancing the five Grand Challenges of the One UND Strategic Plan’s fourth goal: research.

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1. Promote energy security and environmental sustainability.

2. Address health challenges through basic, clinical, and translational discovery.

3. Help rural communities solve their unique health and social problems.

4. Drive the world-changing developments of UAS and do so in a way that reflects UND values.

5. Effectively, efficiently, and ethically produce, manage, and securely use information in the age of big data.

The Champion team The five Grand Challenges Champions and their mandates are profiled in the next few pages. The Champions are tasked with assembling faculty and staff teams to help them define and drive research goals for each challenge. The Champions are: 1. Tom Erickson, CEO, Energy & Environmental Research Center. His mandate is to promote energy security and environmental sustainability.

2. Colin Combs, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and Chair, UND Department of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Combs’ mandate: address health challenges through basic, clinical, and translational research (transitional discovery).

3. Thomasine Heitkamp, Professor, Social Work, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines. Heitkamp’s mandate is to help rural communities solve their unique health and social problems.

4.

Mark Askelson, Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, and Interim Executive Director, Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS). Askelson’s charge is to drive the world- changing developments of UAS and do so in a way that reflects UND’s values.

5. Hesham El-Rewini, Dean, College of Engineering and Mines; El-Rewini will head the effort to effectively, efficiently, and ethically produce, manage, and securely use information in the age of big data.

“As we further refine our system of assessing and documenting how our research dollars are spent, UND will be able to make more targeted, mindful investments for the future,” said UND President Mark Kennedy. “That’s how our University will best serve its students, and how it will help address the state’s challenges.”

Bottom line: the Grand Challenge Champions and their teams will address the five Grand Challenges by directly addressing the University’s One UND Strategic Plan research goals. A key objective is to become a Carnegie Level One Research Institution—a peer among the country’s top Ph.D.-granting research universities performing the “Highest Research Activity.” UND today is classified as a “High Research Activity” institution.

Among the actions UND has taken toward this ambition is to make available an additional $2 million a year to support research through competitive seed award programs over the past 2 years. All told, UND spends more than $35 million a year to support research across the University.

And, McGimpsey notes, UND is trying to concentrate its expenses on the Grand Challenges (noted above) areas of state and societal needs, such as medicine, energy, rural communities, and unmanned and autonomous systems needs.

These research areas are among the most actively growing on campus, and McGimpsey wants to make sure that faculty in all disciplines can play a role in their development. He’s calling on the university community to engage with the Grand Challenges teams and

Energizing the research enterprise

collaborate to help drive solutions.

This concerted team effort involving multiple disciplines and faculty research innovation

“I’m excited that we have spent and will continue to spend substantially on supporting

takes many forms. And there is funding to back this effort up. In last year’s Higher

research,” McGimpsey said. “I’m also excited by the opportunity to focus our investments

Education Research and Development Survey, an annual report submitted to the National

in these areas of state and national need. You always get more bang for your buck when

Science Foundation, UND showed a sharp increase in research expenditures for Fiscal

you are able to focus.”

Year 2017 (FY17). In FY16, UND reported research expenditures—external and internal funding spent to conduct research, scholarship, and creative activities—totaling $70 million. For FY17, that number topped $100 million.

But Grant McGimpsey, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, said the spike is about being more comprehensive about how UND categorizes and records its robust efforts.

In reviewing the Grand Challenges, McGimpsey said, “We are good at these things. We already have a lot of activity across a lot of our different disciplines at the University that address these areas.

“The Grand Challenges are great ways for the University and the faculty to think about how their research can fit into a broader picture,” McGimpsey said. —David Dodds and Juan Pedraza

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Research Manager, Associate Director for Research, and Associate Director for Business,

CH A L L E NGE :

PROMOTE ENERGY SECURITY And environmental sustainability

Operations, and Intellectual Property, Now he’s also one of five Champions tapped by the Division of Research & Economic Development to collaborate with fellow researchers and faculty members to promote energy security and environmental sustainability.

One of his first acts: select 12 different authors and coauthors to conduct white paper studies to be presented during an energy week gathering.

“We’ll also do tours of the EERC and the Institute for Energy Studies in the new Collaborative Energy Complex,” said Erickson during a faculty meet-and-greet recently

Team members Mike Mann, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Mines; Executive Director, Institute for Energy Studies Robert “Bo” Wood, Professor, Political Science, College of Business and Public Administration Kathryn Rand, Dean & Floyd B. Sperry Professor of Law, UND School of Law; Co-Director, Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy Brad Rundquist, Professor, Department of Geography and Geographic Information Systems, and Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Ed Steadman, Vice President for Research, UND Energy & Environmental Research Center

organized and hosted by the Division of Research and Economic Development at the Gorecki Alumni Center to encourage faculty to explore the Grand Challenges.

“The purpose of the energy week is to encourage and build collaboration across campus,” Erickson said. “We also plan to roll out a summer program to fund activities on the energy side, and we’re planning to do ‘Energy Ops’—an intensive student 10-week research program over the summer. We’ll bring in ten students from all disciplines working together on energy and environmental problems and challenges in North Dakota.

“We’re also seeking proposals from across campus to enhance energy and environmental sustainability,” Erickson said.

The UND Energy and Environmental Sustainability Grand Challenge team plans to issue 12 awards of $2500 each for new research proposals to enhance activities in that area. At least one award is anticipated in each of the following areas: law and regulation, policy issues,

Soizik Laguette, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Earth System Science and

social impacts, health and well-being, public awareness and education, and environmental

Policy, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences

sustainability.

UND knows energy. The University has a long and distinguished history of research into

Erickson noted during his presentation at the faculty invitational session at the Gorecki that

energy resources—exploration, extraction, management, and environmental impacts,

about half of UND’s external research funding goes to energy-related areas.

among other areas of inquiry, and a long list of undergraduate and graduate degrees related to these fields.

“Energy is about more than extracting it,” said Soizik Laguette, associate professor and chair of Earth System Science and Policy and a member of the energy Grand Challenge

Tom Erickson is a veteran of the University’s energy research enterprise. CEO of the UND

team. “Energy is part of our lives. We need to look at the bigger picture and make sure we

Energy & Environmental Research Center, Erickson began his career in 1986, when he

see all sides of energy for a sustainable, balanced system.”

was hired as a student at the UND Energy and Mineral Research Center (now EERC). He was hired full-time as a Research Specialist in 1988. He’s held several positions, including Research Engineer, Supervisor for Analytical Research, Research Manager, Senior

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It’s a grand challenge, indeed.

TOM ERICKSON GRAND CHALLENGES CHAMPION CEO, UND Energy & Environmental Research Center Photo by Juan Pedraza

“This is an opportunity to take the strengths the University already has in research and

“UND has a long and established track record of conducting energy and environmental

expand and grow it for the benefit of our students and the University as a whole,” Erickson

sustainability research that makes an impact throughout the world,” Erickson said. “We’d

said. “We want to grow for North Dakota, the United States, and the world.”

like to grow areas of the University that haven’t specifically focused on this in the past.”

“We want to get as many viewpoints as possible,” said Grant McGimpsey, Vice President

—Kaylee Cusack and Juan Pedraza

for Research and Economic Development and Captain of the One UND Strategic Plan Goal No. 4. “This call for proposals is a way to do that. We encourage faculty to come to us with ideas, and we’ll give you some funds to pursue and solidify them.”

DISCOVERY | 2018

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Kerryanne Leroux is a Senior Chemical Engineer and the Oilfield Operations Team Lead at the EERC. Photo by Juan Pedraza

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UND EERC AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Win funding to support carbon capture research A partnership that underscores the University of

The Broom Creek Formation, located approximately 6400

With the support of the North Dakota Industrial

North Dakota’s commitment to practical, goal-oriented

feet below the RTE facility, will be considered the main

Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy, RTE and

collaborations is paving new paths in carbon capture,

target for potential geologic storage of the CO2. According

the EERC are investigating CCUS technology as a way to

utilization, and storage (CCUS) research. CCUS

to previous studies conducted by the EERC, this formation

reduce the carbon intensity of ethanol, which would create

technology captures and permanently stores carbon

is expected to provide ideal storage.

additional value for ethanol in low-carbon fuel markets.

“North Dakota ethanol producers are well situated to take

The current phase of the project builds on previous EERC

The research, led by the UND Energy & Environmental

advantage of these low-carbon fuel incentives because

work, which looked at the potential for integrating CCUS

Research Center (EERC), a worldwide leader in the

there is significant production capacity and ideal geology

with ethanol production. Using the RTE ethanol facility

development of solutions to energy and environmental

for carbon storage,” said project manager Kerryanne

in Richardton, North Dakota, as a case study, EERC

challenges, and North Dakota ethanol producer Red Trail

Leroux, EERC senior chemical engineer and oilfield

research successfully demonstrated both the technical

Energy, LLC (RTE), has been awarded a total of $835,000

operations team lead. “The study will provide local ethanol

and economic feasibility of CCUS technology with ethanol

by the North Dakota Industrial Commission’s Renewable

producers a detailed assessment of the commercial

production.

Energy Program to support research into the integration

feasibility of utilizing CCUS technology within their

of CCUS at a North Dakota ethanol facility to reduce the

production operations.”

dioxide emissions.

carbon footprint associated with ethanol production.

The technical partners in this research are RTE, Trimeric Corporation, Schlumberger Carbon Services, and

This project is looking at capturing CO2 generated from the

Computer Modelling Group Ltd. Leroux notes that nearly

“Using CCUS to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of North

fermentation process of ethanol production and injecting

three dozen people are working on this project.

Dakota ethanol demonstrates the commitment of the industry

it underground, Leroux explained. Because of how it’s

to environmental stewardship, as well as contributes to the

produced, this CO2 stream is nearly pure and can be

long-term sustainability of ethanol production in the state,”

captured for underground storage with minimal processing.

said Gerald Bachmeier, CEO of RTE.

Alternative uses could also be to enhance the recovery

This research aims to determine the technical and economic parameters of installing and operating a commercial CCUS system at RTE’s ethanol manufacturing facility near Richardton, North Dakota.

“Energy is one of the University’s Grand Challenges,” she said. “We’re very aware of that focus, so we’re enthusiastic that our team is part of this effort.” —Juan Pedraza

of petroleum that’s currently locked up out of reach of conventional extraction technology or in food-grade applications, such as for the soft drink industry.

More broadly, the project will help to promote North Dakota renewable energy production.

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COLLABORATION FUELS INNOVATION UND faculty bus tour buddies collaborate on aviation invention Call it a sound decision: an invention developed by Kouhyar Tavakolian, Electrical

“haptic” feedback in the form of vibrations in the Smartsealz headset when a plane’s

Engineering, and Nick Wilson, Aviation, is set to significantly improve communication—

operation or pilot’s physiological state deviates from preset limits—sort of a “highway

and safety—in the cockpit. Their headset contains embedded technology that monitors

rumble strip” embedded in the Smartsealz headset.

aircraft operational signals and pilot brain activity for signs of mechanical problems and pilot mental fatigue. This aviation communications invention is set to make the world’s skyways a lot safer.

“We are quite ahead of the game when it comes to the navigation sensors on the plane because these are sensors that have no touch with the human body – you can get a very accurate signal recorded,” Tavakolian said. “But when it comes to cardiac signals from

The inventors met on the University’s annual New Faculty and Administrators Bus Tour

the head or brain signals from this little space (on the headset), that is where things get

in 2014.

complicated.”

The two, with the help of colleagues, students, and private industry partner Rockwell

Wilson said the Smartsealz sensors could tap into either a plane’s flight management

Collins, are developing “Smartsealz,” a patent-pending cockpit integration technology

system to monitor things such as altitude, desired course, and other navigation metrics

designed to alert pilots to dangerous situations by gauging an aircraft’s spatial orientation

or the physiological signals of the pilot for signs of fatigue and other problems. But the

or the pilot’s physiological state.

technology is stronger and more useful when the navigation and physiological signals are

The innovative part derives from how the pilot is alerted, in this case, through signals

combined, reducing the chance for false-positive alerts.

and sensors working in parallel with an aircraft’s equipment as well as in the pilot’s

The two started their combined research in earnest as part of the Alice T. Clark Mentoring

Smartsealz communication headset.

Program, which facilitates cross-campus collaborations.

Sensors set within a plane’s control panel monitor deviations in altitude and navigation

Wilson and Tavakolian used $10,000 from the UND Office of Corporate Engagement &

and send vibrating signals to the Smartsealz headset when necessary. Headset sensors

Commercialization as seed money to secure additional funding to continue research that

are intended to monitor a pilot’s cardiac signals—with a monitor Tavakolian is working

led to the Smartsealz innovation. For example, they were awarded $100,000 in venture

on. Possibly in the future, the wearer’s brain waves will be monitored for signs of fatigue

grant funding from the North Dakota Department of Commerce. Rockwell Collins donated

or the onset of hypoxia, a serious condition brought on by the lack of oxygen to the brain

a Virtual Avionics Procedures Trainer, valued at more than $400,000 to UND for, among

that causes pilots to lose consciousness.

other things, the Smartsealz project.

Through UND’s unique setup of having a world-class aviation education and research

“When you are having these cross-disciplinary opportunities, there is a lot of value in it for

center in the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences and the Biomedical

the general consumer and for safety. Obviously, the University has benefited from this as

Engineering Research Complex at the College of Engineering & Mines, Wilson and

well,” said Tavakolian. —David Dodds, Editor, UND Today

Tavakolian were able to develop a system that provides pilots with subtle but noticeable

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Nick Wilson, Aviation (left), and Kouhyar Tavakolian, Electrical Engineering (right), showcasing a new life-saving invention.

Photo by Jackie Lorentz

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EXTRACTING HARD-TO-GET CRUDE

From the Bakken petroleum system

UND Petroleum Engineer Hadi Jabbari hunts down ways to recover more ND oil.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

North Dakota is home to the Bakken Formation. It’s one of the most fascinating—and

“It’s a big deal for North Dakota,” said Hadi Jabbari, a native of Iran and one of the first

challenging—petroleum reservoirs.

alums of UND’s recently launched petroleum engineering doctoral program. “We are

Like most other reservoirs globally, the Bakken already has surrendered the oil that’s easy

working with industry partners and the state to recover much more oil from the Bakken.”

to get at. Now comes the hard work of producing the oil that’s locked up in a tight, but

Three stages

liquid-rich, shale that resists easy extraction.

Experts agree that as much as half the remaining global oil in the ground—what’s called

Researchers at the UND Department of Petroleum Engineering are digging deep into this challenging resource and developing ways to get more oil out—part of a host of strategies collectively called enhanced oil recovery, or EOR.

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“oil in place”—is locked up in rock that won’t readily release it, like the Bakken. That’s why researchers like Jabbari are figuring out how to get those rocks to give up that crude.

Oil in conventional reservoirs is recovered in three stages.

The first is where the easy money comes: punch a hole into the reservoir, install a well, and the crude gushes out. That accounts for 25 percent or less of the recoverable petroleum.

Not revolutionary Jabbari, an expert on carbon dioxide usage in oil extraction, has a tenure-track faculty

The second stage uses pressurized water or gas to drive the oil out. That will bring up 10 to

appointment in his UND department, which is part of the UND College of Engineering &

20 percent more of the oil in place.

Mines. He and an international team of five graduate students are developing new carbon dioxide-related EOR models to deploy in the Bakken Formation.

“But it’s a different story in ultratight unconventional reservoirs, such as the Bakken Formation,” Jabbari said.

ResearchND, the University, and industry partners all have delivered grants and support to Jabbari and his research collaborators to facilitate their work.

“The development of the Bakken—one of the largest unconventional resources in the world—has been possible with horizontal drilling and multistage hydraulic fracturing,” he said.

“Most of the conventional oil reservoirs, such as in Oklahoma and Texas, are composed of

“Primary oil recovery factors remain very low in the Bakken because of its low porosity.”

sandstone and carbonate, so the recovery process is easier and a lot less expensive,” said

Cost savings Jabbari says this is where carbon dioxide (CO2) comes in since waterflooding may not be a viable option in such a tight shale play.

Jabbari, whose laboratory is in UND’s Collaborative Energy Complex. As he was finishing up his petroleum engineering Ph.D. program here, he worked as a research engineer at the UND Energy & Environmental Research Center.

CO2 EOR itself is not new. “What’s new and challenging is that our team is developing CO2

“This promising EOR technology,” he said, “has many beneficial properties, for example,

EOR for use in unconventional reservoirs, such as the Bakken, where there are limited

lower viscosity and higher injectivity, or the rate at which this gas can be injected into the well.”

laboratory observations and pilot tests to demonstrate its success.”

The problem, according to Jabbari, is that at this stage, things start getting expensive

Research collaborators

and, to some people, environmentally sensitive. But CO2, in this setting, offers several key

Jabbari and his team are collaborating with three companies on two projects: Creedence

benefits, including cost savings.

Energy Services, a local company specialized in acidizing and well services in North

“They’re pumping CO2 through a pipeline from the Dakota Gasification’s Beulah, N.D., plant

Dakota; Vindum Engineering Inc.; and Sasol, a South African chemical and energy company.

to the Weyburn oil field in Saskatchewan, helping them to extend that field’s production by up

“Industry partners bring a lot of opportunities to enhance our research,” Jabbari said. “We

to 25 years that they would have had to leave underground without CO2 EOR,” Jabbari said.

can obtain rock, fluid, and chemical samples from them, as well as share research ideas

Next generation

and build sustainable partnerships.

To encourage that kind of development, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has deployed

“We’re out to make measurable progress in a field that is economically vital to North

an EOR program for CO2. It’s called Next-Generation EOR, and UND is part of that push.

Dakotans,” Jabbari said.

CO2 enhanced oil production has the potential to yield more than 60 billion barrels of crude

That progress will be measured in a lot more barrels of North Dakota crude. —Juan Pedraza

oil from existing oil fields around the country, according to a DOE grant solicitation for the Next-Generation program.

That kind of exploration is right where Jabbari wants to be—and carbon dioxide, or CO2—is the tool he’s figuring will get him and his UND research team the results they’re aiming for.

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UND E N V IRON M E N TA L

ENGINEER FRANK XIAO Develops ag-based carbon technology for water filtration

The little black specks in your filtered water pitchers are nothing more than particles

for water purification and odor and gas removal,” says Xiao, who is collaborating on this

of activated carbon. On a much larger scale, communities use granular and powdered

project with Julia Zhao, professor of chemistry at UND.

activated carbon in their drinking-water treatment systems. Activated carbon is also used sometimes as an antidote for extreme poisoning.

“We’re using a novel approach to make activated carbon, the quality of which compares favorably with commercially available activated carbon—the main difference is that our

“The removal of water contaminants by activated carbon in drinking and household tap

method is greener and more sustainable (from agricultural biomass materials) and takes

water purification is the major market, which constitutes 79 percent of total activated

less energy and less time,” Xiao says. “And we know that our process is scalable.”

carbon demand in the United States,” says Feng “Frank” Xiao, a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering. “That’s about 277 million pounds of activated carbon annually in a market worth about $1.6 billion.”

Xiao, an environmental engineer, and his team are developing a much more sustainable method to produce this vital material in a world that needs evermore clean water.

“Our team is working on activated carbon sorbents produced from biomass materials— we’re converting what’s usually considered waste into clean activated carbon products

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“We see practical purposes for this technology: basic use in water treatment; plus it’s effective as a means to purify water by removing pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and organic materials,” said Xiao.

Funding for this research project was provided by Research North Dakota and by the Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development. Xiao is the PI, and Zhao is the Co-PI. —Juan Pedraza

From front to back: Swetha Mallula (graduate student), Ryan Hansen (graduate student), Feng “Frank� Xiao (faculty of Civil Engineering), Nicholas Lindstrom (graduate student), Hailu Alemayehu Bedane (postdoc), Bosen Jin (graduate student), and Mat Cox (undergraduate student).

Photo by Juan Pedraza

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COLIN COMBS GRAND CHALLENGES CHAMPION Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences Photo by Jackie Lorentz

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CH A L L E NGE :

ADDRESS HEALTH CHALLENGES

Through basic, clinical, and transitional discovery Team members Xiaojun “Julia” Zhao, Professor, Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences Diane Darland, Associate Professor, Biology, College of Arts and Sciences; Epigenetics Core, School of Medicine and Health Sciences Maridee Shogren, Clinical Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines; Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Director Sima Noghanian, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Mines Seema Somji, Associate Professor, Pathology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences Holly Brown-Borg, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, Epigenetics Core, Biomedical

“We want to figure out the expertise and interests of everyone involved to best utilize that talent,” said Combs, who’s noted for his research on neuroimmune interactions during aging and his research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. “We’re trying to establish a searchable database so others can connect.

“The University’s Seed Grant Call for Proposals is about finding collaborative multidisciplinary projects that will focus on growth and high fundability in initial areas of focus and regional importance, including aging, addiction, rural health, and cancer, among others.”

Combs understands the value of collaboration and teamwork in science. He is involved in cross-disciplinary projects in biomedical engineering. He has collaborated with colleagues in the UND College of Engineering & Mines and at North Dakota State University to explore the potential for designing devices that could help physicians better monitor and manage patients, particularly in rural areas.

Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences His efforts have been instrumental in increasing UND’s research capacity and discovery Colin Combs is among the most distinguished researchers at UND. As a leading

(Goal No. 4 of UND’s Strategic Plan) in support of the University’s quest to achieve

biomedical researcher and chair of the biomedical sciences division of the UND School of

Carnegie R1 status. His work also plays a huge role in helping UND take on one of its five

Medicine & Health Sciences, he’s tackling some of North Dakota’s most pressing health

Grand Challenges to solve problems and provide economic diversity in North Dakota by

problems.

addressing health challenges through basic, clinical, and translational discovery.

Combs has earned kudos—he was recently surprised by the University’s naming him

“Alzheimer’s is a big problem in the United States and North Dakota,” Combs said in an

a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, the school’s highest academic honor—and

interview for UND Today. “We’d like to be able to provide something that improves the

several research grants. Now he is also a Grand Challenges Champion, set to lead and

quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s or delays progression of the disease.” —Kaylee

collaborate with a team of faculty members who will help to address health challenges.

Cusack and Juan Pedraza

DISCOVERY | 2018

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Biomedical researcher Alexei Tulin explores molecular pathways that could help defeat cancer.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

S E A RCHING F OR

“MAGIC BULLETS” UND Alexei Tulin probes cancer’s deepest mysteries

Cancer researchers for decades have sought magic bullets. However, the problem persists, as

Vaughan. Tulin uses epigenetics to explore the cellular mechanisms that regulate gene

all too many of these “cures” fall short and can cause terrible side effects.

expression—a key mechanism in the development of many diseases, including cancer.

Enter Alexei Tulin, a biomedical researcher at the University of North Dakota School of

Pulling the curtain open on Tulin’s deeply complex research, the 2-minute version is this:

Medicine and Health Sciences, who studies what controls the normal states of organisms at

The molecules he’s studying interact with the protein involved with the structural component

the cell level.

of chromatin (itself a complicated element in cell life that’s bound up in the cell’s genetic

“We have two meters of DNA in every cell of our bodies,” says Tulin, who grew up in a small academic town outside Moscow dedicated to physics (there were several such communities around Moscow, each focused on a particular scientific field).

Using fruit flies (scientists cannot do such testing on human beings) to probe the mysteries behind the shaping and switching of DNA in cells, Tulin has been working on the molecular control mechanisms.

“I’ve been researching the organization of mammalian genomes,” says Tulin. “It’s taken us

material). Basically, Tulin discovered this protein is involved with malignant transcription and expression of genes that want to transform cells into cancer cells.

“If we inactivate this protein, the cancer cell won’t die but will start to forget that it is cancerous, reverting to its more normal state, allowing the organism to recover on its own,” Tulin said. “We’re reverting malignant transformation back to a normal cell.”

The best news is that this potential therapy is more targeted than chemotherapy but much less toxic.

10 years to figure out how these molecules relate to other molecules. And we found that the

“The cell can tolerate a higher concentration of this protein,” Tulin said. “It also seems

same pathways are also involved in the development of cancers.”

to be very specific to the protein it is designed to work on, not the shotgun approach of

With the help of a $900,000 U.S. Army grant, he and his research team will use mammalian

chemotherapy.” —Juan Pedraza

cell models to explore these pathways with the goal to help cure cancer. The grant is titled “Novel Targeted Therapeutics for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.” The grant was awarded through the Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity program.

“This grant is to help us take previous research to the next step,” says Tulin, who just took over the Center of Excellence in Biomedical Research – Epigenetics from longtime PI Roxanne

DISCOVERY | 2018

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CHASING PROBIOTIC-ENHANCED BRAIN HEALTH FOR ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS Food connection may pave way for Alzheimer’s mitigation and treatment Harpreet Kaur arrived at UND in August 2016. That is not long ago, but already this young neuroscientist is making waves.

“I got a UND biomedical science grant to explore the positive impact that probiotics and probiotic supplements might have on the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s,” said Kaur, who is from Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab. “My mentor is Dr. Colin Combs—chair of the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Biomedical Sciences.”

The grant is part of the UND Division of Research & Economic Development’s Postdoctoral Award Program that encourages early-career scientists to explore topics of major interest to the University’s research enterprise.

In Kaur’s case, the grant was funded through the 2017 Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship—$175,000 over 3 years—for her research into a disease that impacts more than 14,000 people in North Dakota.

UND’s Harpreet Kaur focuses on how probiotic-enhanced brain health might affect Alzheimer’s.

At its core, Kaur’s inquiry into the link between probiotics and Alzheimer’s is to develop the

Photo by Juan Pedraza

knowledge to help clinicians diagnose the disease earlier with her diet-disease model. What you eat, in other words, and how your diet impacts what’s going on in your gut could help your doctor figure out whether you have Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, this neurodegenerative disease is the most common form of dementia; it’s a general term for the progressive deterioration of memory and other cognitive abilities. Eventually Alzheimer’s is serious enough to interfere with daily life. It’s estimated that Alzheimer’s disease accounts for up to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Kaur got interested in a science career when she was in high school in India, where she went on to study biochemistry with a focus on neurological disorders. Among other things, she studied

“Probiotics are the so-called good bacteria in your body,” Kaur said. “Your body already has trillions of microorganisms—viruses and bacteria. Yogurt is a probiotic, and probiotics also are available as over-the-counter supplements. Different probiotics have different strains, or kinds, of bacteria.

“I’m looking at the changing balance of bacteria in the gut,” Kaur said. “We know that ‘bad’ bacteria could be responsible for Alzheimer’s, so we are modeling bacteria in the gut to see if probiotics slow the process.

how turmeric—the most popular spice in India and a common food ingredient in the United

“We know that there are differences in microorganisms in diseased animals compared with

States—impacts brain health. Now her quest into probiotics is about how these foods affect the

control (nondiseased) animals,” Kaur said. “Microorganisms in the gut do affect what is in the

brain and how probiotic-enhanced brain health might impact the onset of Alzheimer’s.

bloodstream, and that affects the brain.” —Juan Pedraza

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

BIO S CIE NCE S R E S E A RCHE R

JYOTIKA SHARMA

Neutrophils: can’t live without them, but they can be trouble Jyotika Sharma, a faculty member in Biomedical Sciences, is from Delhi, India. Sharma’s dad was a school teacher and her mom a homemaker. Now Sharma is a world-class biomedical researcher at UND. Sharma is investigating, among other things, the relationship between the body’s germ-fighting neutrophils and the problems neutrophils can cause if they’re unchecked. Because of her notable research, the National Institutes of Health recently selected her to serve as a standing member of its prestigious study sections. And NIH awarded her a 5-year, $1.5 million grant to study neutrophils, one of several large grants she has received since first getting a 2-year UND Postdoctoral Funding Award, a program instituted by Grant McGimpsey, Vice President for Research and Economic Development.

“Neutrophils are the first cells to arrive at the site of insult—an injury or an infectious disease,” she said. “We’re looking at how that arrival affects subsequent stages of disease development. They’re short-lived—once formed in the bone marrow they must do their job and die. The body needs to get rid of them once they’ve done their job.” Sharma notes that many diseases such as pneumonia are due to neutrophils sticking around. It’s like the Jyotika Sharma, Biomedical Sciences, studies the relationship between germ-fighting neutrophils and subsequent disease.

garbage collectors not showing up, explains Sharma, who team-teaches immunology to medical students. —Juan Pedraza

Photo by Juan Pedraza

DISCOVERY | 2018

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THOMASINE HEITKAMP GRAND CHALLENGES CHAMPION Professor, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines Photo by Juan Pedraza

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

CH A L L E NGE :

HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES

Leading such broad efforts is right where Heitkamp wants to be. The SAMHSA grant, for example, put the University of North Dakota at the regional focal point of a nationwide effort to combat the effects of drug abuse, particularly related to the overdose epidemic of opioids such as fentanyl, carfentanil, and others. And these are the kinds of challenges that Heitkamp and her team are set to tackle.

Heitkamp noted in her presentation at the Grand Challenges faculty get-together at the Gorecki Alumni Center that five seed money proposals are currently funded: ER visits,

Solve their unique health and social problems

dental community, breast feeding, addiction, and a Tri-College project for training of court

Team members

“Our team has the capacity to do great work with far-reaching impact,” Heitkamp said.

Joelle Ruthig, Associate Professor, Psychology

Heitkamp knows how to lay the groundwork in the community. Before applying for the

advocates.

SAMHSA grant, for example, she connected with North Dakota State Senator Judy Lee. Amir Alakaam, Assistant Professor, Northern Plains Center for Behavioral Research, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines

“Sen. Lee said the state needed to expand its efforts in behavioral health (including substance abuse treatment and prevention) and asked whether there was anything that

Laura Hand, Assistant Professor, Political Science and Public Administration, College of

UND could do to assist in that effort,” Heitkamp said. “I then was meeting other players

Business and Public Administration, and faculty member in the UND Master of Public Health

at national conferences, when the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to

Program

Treatment) grant was just beginning.”

Shawnda Schroeder, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Rural Health

In short, Heitkamp was inspired by these and other contacts within the academic research

Ashley Hutchison, Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology and Community Services, College of Education and Human Development Adam Matz, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences Chih Ming Tan, Professor and Page Endowed Chair in Applied Economics, Economics and Finance, College of Business and Public Administration

community to write a grant that would serve the region. She’s putting similar energy to work on the Grand Challenges assignment she’s been tasked with.

It’s a focus that ties in well with one of the top goals of the SAMHSA grant—and with some of the specific problems in rural areas, such as drug abuse—that Heitkamp and her Grand Challenges team will work on.

With the SAMHSA grant project, “what we want is to use the best science we know to

Thomasine Heitkamp, professor in the College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines

treat persons struggling with substance abuse, such as opioids, and that may include

and recipient of the UND Foundation/Thomas J. Clifford Faculty Achievement Award,

medication-assisted treatment, recovery coaches,” Heitkamp said. “That also includes

knows what it takes to move research from concept to action: last year she was awarded

thinking more holistically.

a 5-year grant totaling $3.8 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“The public typically sees research as test tubes, so our challenge is to present it in translational ways so that the public values what we are doing,” she said. “This research

She is now leading a team of fellow faculty members in an effort aimed at helping rural

is all about helping people get on the path to recovery with the appropriate supports.”

communities solve ongoing problems and challenges.

—Kaylee Cusack and Juan Pedraza

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CH A L L E NGE :

DRIVE THE WORLD-CHANGING DEVELOPMENTS Of UAS and do so in a way that reflects UND’s values Team M embers

“RIAS started in the Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development

Travis Desell, Associate Professor, Computer Science

and went down the leadership chain to advisory boards and faculty leaders,” said Askelson,

College of Engineering and Mines

who was part of a team of UND researchers that helped NASA test a new aircraft safety technology that soon will be an integral part of the national aviation system.

Prakash Ranganathan, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering College of Engineering and Mines

“It’s not just about UAS—it is much broader than that and includes all autonomous systems,” Askelson said.

Naima Kaabouch, Professor, Electrical Engineering College of Engineering and Mines

RIAS, Askelson notes, comprises five pillars: autonomous platforms, applications, data supply chains, cybersecurity, and policy.

Jason Jensen, Associate Professor, Political Science and Public Administration College of Business and Public Administration

“The mission of RIAS is to develop autonomous systems and grow and develop policies that will serve our society, as well as encourage a vibrant and growing economy,” Askelson told

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)—drones in popular parlance—are among the

the audience at a recent Grand Challenges event. “UAS is a strength here at UND, so we

technologies for which the University of North Dakota has established a global leadership

clearly have some focus there. But we need to grow that into other sectors.”

reputation.

Askelson brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience to this position and the Mark Askelson, by training an atmospheric scientist, radar expert, and mathematician, has

objectives of RIAS. He received two B.S. degrees (meteorology and mathematics) from the

been there since Day One. He helped to shape UND’s pathbreaking role in UAS research

University of North Dakota in 1993 before moving on to attain both his Master’s (’96) and

and development as the University built a UAS Center of Excellence and developed

Ph.D. (’02) from the Department of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.

the nation’s first UAS degree program. Askelson is champion of one of the five Grand Challenges that are part of the One UND Strategic Plan.

As Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, he specializes in detect-and-avoid technologies, unmanned aircraft systems, and atmospheric sciences through data analysis and modeling.

Askelson, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences in the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace

He also has recently worked in storm dynamics.

Sciences, also recently was tapped as Interim Executive Director of the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS). That connection will immediately help him and his faculty

RIAS was created to help integrate the expertise, infrastructure, activities, and resources

team start working on the challenge of driving world-changing developments in UAS.

of UND and the North Dakota University System. Its goal is to establish ongoing and sustainable externally funded unmanned and autonomous research leading to economic

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

MARK ASKELSON GRAND CHALLENGES CHAMPION Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences Interim Executive Director Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS) John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences Photo by Juan Pedraza

development and diversification in the state of North Dakota. RIAS encompasses all

As champion of the Grand Challenge to “drive the world-changing developments of UAS

research activities in unmanned and autonomous systems at UND and will provide

and do so in a way that reflects UND’s values,” Askelson and his team will help to advance

significant opportunities for collaboration across the North Dakota University System and

the impact of UND’s UAS research. —Juan Pedraza

with the private sector.

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UAS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS RESEARCH New institute supports collaborative projects

Mark Askelson took the microphone before dozens of men and women filling UND’s Robin

“These big questions are going to drive the development of unmanned and autonomous,”

Hall conference room late last year to kick off a discussion of UND’s new Research Institute

UND President Mark Kennedy told the gathering in his introductory remarks. “We risk

for Autonomous Systems (RIAS)—a group he now leads as Interim Executive Director.

leaving big societal challenges on the sidelines, unless we start out first with a big, broad

“We have an amazing group brought together—amazing expertise, amazing knowledge, and amazing will to do great things,” said Askelson, professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

Leaders from the corporate world, public sector, and higher education—both UND and North Dakota State University (NDSU)—talked opportunities, challenges, and applications of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and autonomous systems, locally and globally, and how the three groups could work together to become global leaders in action. RIAS has

overview of the dynamics that are pushing back and forth against each other in relationship to the development of unmanned systems.”

UND’s Strategic Plan includes five Grand Challenges, one of which is driving worldchanging developments in unmanned and autonomous systems. Askelson said meetings of the advisory boards will facilitate the development of corporate and state relationships that will not only help fund UND’s autonomous research, but also help align UND’s Strategic Plan efforts with state and global needs.

already met several times, including a recent virtual meeting and conference call to discuss

“We’re going to have a lot of viewpoints. But the beauty is since it’s happening here with our

the ongoing challenges and opportunities.

advisory boards, it becomes our discussion,” said UND Vice President for Research and

“The point of these gatherings is to focus on collaborations and partnerships,” said Packet Digital CEO Terri Zimmerman, head of the RIAS Corporate Advisory Board. “Collectively, we’ll make a mark and change this industry.”

Questions among the group included “Will autonomy put people out of work?” or “Are we so preoccupied with safety that we will continue to allow other countries to ‘eat our lunch’?”

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Economic Development Grant McGimpsey. “RIAS becomes a thought leader.” —Juan Pedraza

UND Political Science Associate Professor Jason Jensen leads a group discussion during an RIAS meeting.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

DISCOVERY | 2018

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INTERDICTING INTRUDERS UND team and industry partners develop UAS threatcountering security systems

Don’t let the dollar number fool you: it’s a $25,000 exploratory grant signaling an innovative

“That’s anything involving the nexus of sensing, communications, computation, security, and

public–private partnership in the arcane world of cybersecurity.

control,” said Ranganathan. “With this grant we want to develop the advanced UAS swarm

Rockwell Collins, an aerospace tech company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and an employer of more than 140 UND alums, recently awarded University of North Dakota Electrical

technology to control, rather than shoot down, rogue drones. We want to gain access and control of such drones and land them safely, then do postanalysis as well.

Engineering faculty member Prakash Ranganathan $25,000 to open an exploratory UAS-

“We anticipate building our own drone because current off-the-shelf models have limitations,

related research initiative.

such as software, that prevent them from flying into restricted areas,” Ranganathan said.

“This is a unique research project and follows a key interest—cybersecurity—of North Dakota

This grant is important—and signals another industry vote of confidence in the UND UAS

University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott,” said Ranganathan, who is employing several

enterprise—because limited technology exists to address the issue of intercepting rogue

students on the project.

drones in a manner consistent with public safety.

The Rockwell Collins grant, which Ranganathan received after following up on one of

The grant officially is titled “Geo-Fence Detection System (GFDS) for Unmanned Aerial

the company’s annual Call for Proposals, will set up a geo-defense detection system for

Vehicular Airspace to Provide Counter Autonomy”; it was one of 15 selected of 45 submitted.

unmanned aircraft systems.

“We believe Ranganathan’s proposal thoroughly addressed the criteria and that this project

Unidentified small UAS can pose a serious risk to key infrastructures. While used mostly

will further the educational excellence of students while preparing them for rewarding

by the military, small drones are now widely available. With increased availability comes

engineering careers at Rockwell Collins,” said Elise Loan, university relations liaison with

increased risk. Traditional defense mechanisms against small UAS, such as shooting them

Rockwell Collins.

down, pose safety risks in many situations.

“We are very excited about the proposed project and appreciate the effort extended by the

“We want to learn how to set up parameters for drone swarms that can enable them to detect

University of North Dakota to align the project to Rockwell Collins criteria,” said Roger French,

and catch rogue drones, that is, to protect critical infrastructure such as airports and power

UND Electrical Engineering alumni and Rockwell Industry advisor for the project. —Juan

grids,” said Ranganathan, who graduated from North Dakota State University in 2013 with a

Pedraza

Ph.D. in software engineering and has since developed an expertise in cyber-physical systems.

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Prakash Ranganathan, center, an Electrical Engineering (EE) faculty member with student research team Nicholas Christian, foreground, a Grand Forks Red River High School alum and a sophomore EE major, and Joseph Englund, back, from Karlstad, MN, also a sophomore in EE. Not pictured is Mitch Campion, an EE master’s student.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

DISCOVERY | 2018

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HESHAM EL-REWINI GRAND CHALLENGES CHAMPION Dean, College of Engineering and Mines; Senior Vice Provost Photo by Jackie Lorentz

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

CH A L L E NGE

EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND ETHICALLY Produce, manage, and securely use information in the age of big data Dean Hesham El-Rewini, a computer scientist and an acknowledged expert in the field of

As dean of the College of Engineering and Mines, El-Rewini oversees the development

parallel computing with several textbooks to his name, is leading the charge on the big data

and application of cybersecurity technologies crucial to the University’s unmanned and

front of the five Grand Challenges.

autonomous systems operations—including the data that they produce. For example,

El-Rewini’s first book, coauthored with Ted Lewis, was among the earliest books written in the parallel computing area and has been widely referenced and adopted by universities all over the world. Besides his technical expertise, he’s a recognized teacher: in 2016, he was

Rockwell Collins, an aerospace tech company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and an employer of more than 140 UND alums, awarded UND electrical engineering faculty member Prakash Ranganathan $25,000 to open an exploratory UAS-related research initiative.

presented the Gordon Henry Award by UND’s Student Government for his dedication to

“This is a unique research project and follows a key interest—cybersecurity—of North Dakota

student success.

University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott,” said Ranganathan, who is employing several

Grant McGimpsey, who appointed El-Rewini to the champion role, told a gathering of faculty recently that El-Rewini is taking a different approach to the challenge: he and his team are identifying the computational and data storage needs of UND that need investment.

“We’ve made some investments—about $1 million over the last couple of years— to get cores, storage, and other hardware in place,” McGimpsey said. “We’ll soon be at a point to provide computational facilities and infrastructure to allow things to proceed.

“UND is fortunate to have Grand Challenges Champions who are enthusiastic and energetic, working with teams who are equally enthusiastic and energetic,” McGimpsey said.

students on the project. The Rockwell Collins grant will set up a geo-defense detection system for unmanned aircraft systems.

“We are very excited about the proposed project and appreciate the effort extended by the University of North Dakota to align the project to Rockwell Collins criteria,” said Roger French, UND Electrical Engineering alum and Rockwell Industry advisor for the project, underscoring the University’s emphasis on collaborative research projects that encourage the participation of industry partners.

Further, UND is a founding member of the Midwest Big Data Hub, organized by the National Science Foundation as part of a national big data and cybersecurity initiative to make the

Among El-Rewini’s major accomplishments since arriving at UND to helm the College of

most of the fast-growing volume of digital data. The NSF project follows a White House

Engineering & Mines is the Collaborative Energy Complex (CEC), the most impressive facility

announcement in 2012 of the “Big Data Research and Development Initiative.” To accelerate

in the state capable of connecting the oil and gas industry to petroleum research partners and

the big data field, NSF announced four awards totaling more than $5 million to establish

future employees. The CEC serves as the new headquarters for all areas of energy-related

regional hubs for data science innovation. These hubs are a growing network of partners

programs within the College of Engineering & Mines, including the Institute for Energy Studies

investing in data and data sciences to address grand challenges for society and science.

(which El-Rewini helped to launch).

Bottom line: El-Rewini and his team are well positioned to tackle their Grand Challenge in a

El-Rewini also shepherded last year’s transfer of the Department of Computer Science from

campus that already is keenly attuned to the challenges—and opportunities—of big data.

the Odegard School to the College of Engineering.

—Juan Pedraza

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R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

P O S E Q UE S T ION ,

WILL RESEARCH

NATURE students value UND science experience Spending a few days last year in the lab of UND ecologist Robert Newman, Kate Gates got a firsthand—and hands-on—look at real-world science well outside her high school experience.

Gates was one of several tribal high school graduates and first-year college students exploring STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—as part of the North Dakota EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) NATURE program. NATURE stands for Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research and Education.

“I chose this EPSCoR program as a really challenging but fun way to explore different types of scientific and engineering fields,” said Gates.

Gates and two tribal high school graduates—Katelyn Omen and Destin Ironshield—studied

NATURE students Destin Ironshield, Kate Gates, and Katelyn Omen in the lab of UND Biology faculty member Robert Newman.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

with Newman, a faculty member in the Department of Biology. He encouraged the visiting students to dig into computer mapping and digital image analysis of invasive species—in this case, leafy spurge—in western North Dakota.

and physical education and recreation.” Their enthusiasm for learning is infectious—to faculty, too.

“This was real research on the spread of noxious weeds such as spurge, which invade a habitat and can overwhelm native species in North Dakota and elsewhere,” said Newman.

“I took part in the EPSCoR NATURE program because I like to give opportunities to young people so when they take over the world, they will be well-educated and have had a chance

30

The students discovered that hands-on learning is fulfilling. “I chose the EPSCoR program to

to kick around other ideas,” Newman said. “It’s really fun for me. I’ve done it once before and

learn more things and to get ready for college,” said Omen.

would encourage others to take part.

Ironshield found that she enjoyed her NATURE experience. Ironshield said, “I chose Dr.

“We help students find ways to explain so that what they’re doing makes sense,” Newman

Newman’s lab because I’ve always been interested in plants and animals. My major is health

said. “And it justifies in students’ minds why things are being done.” —Juan Pedraza

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

P U T S R E S E A RCH T O W OR K

BIG IDEAS COMPETITION

Students encouraged to innovate

The winning team of last year’s BIG program was “Distill Nation”: Mikaila Kringstad, Chemical Engineering; Annie Miles; Maggie Ahmann; and Bridget Heiland (the last three are all Mechanical Engineering majors; all four are undergraduates). Hesham ElRewini, dean of the College of Engineering and Mines, is in back.

Photo by Juan Pedraza.

This competition encourages simple solutions to complex problems. The engineering students

“Our aim was straightforward,” said Miles. “We wanted a simple technology to provide clean

who participated in last year’s contest developed on-the-ground practical ideas to deal with

water.”

specific challenges. Last year’s competition focused on water issues.

Miles, president of the UND chapter of Engineers Without Borders, said that it was a truly

The competition is part of the Big Ideas Gym (BIG), where students in the UND College of

enjoyable experience to collaborate with like-minded young women. Judges appreciated

Engineering & Mines and others can imagine ideas and make them happen.

the team’s easy-to-understand concept and their practical solution to a globally common

Last year’s all-women winning team, “Distill Nation,” delivered a viable project to purify water

problem—clean water.

more cheaply. Team members were (in alphabetical order): Maggie Ahmann, Mechanical

“I love the idea of the Big Ideas Gym,” said UND President Mark Kennedy during last year’s

Engineering; Bridget Heiland, Mechanical Engineering; Mikaila Kringstad, Chemical

kickoff of the program at the Collaborative Energy Center.

Engineering; and Annie Miles, Mechanical Engineering.

Miles said the object of Distill Nation’s BIG Challenge project was to research the most effective

“UND is the place where big ideas should come from. We’re taking on global challenges,” Kennedy said. —Juan Pedraza and Jan Orvik, Editor, UND ULetter

way to inexpensively help people purify water in cash-strapped areas with little available technology. The team’s winning solution was a simple distillation process using readily available materials, including a quart-size water or juice bottle and a gallon-size milk jug.

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R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E UND FA CU LT Y T E A M S H E P H E R D S

NSF SCHOLARSHIP GRANT

have been in place here at UND for several years,” Kubátová said. “This requires a significant evaluation component, so we teamed up on the US MASTER II grant with Pedersen, a faculty member in Sociology, to do project assessment.”

“This $1 million federal grant is expected to provide funding for at least 35 scholarships, which are awarded according to financial eligibility—not everyone gets the full amount— to support them in experiential learning and research,” Kubátová said. The previous grant ended last May. Kubátová notes that, in addition to solving research

A dedicated group of UND College of Arts & Sciences

Kubátová and a team of faculty members were earlier

questions, the grant supports experiential learning that

faculty were recently awarded about $1 million by the

awarded a $600,000 NSF US MASTER I grant that provided

includes teaching, tutoring, and any other interaction to help

National Science Foundation (NSF) for a project titled

scholarships to talented undergraduate students with

students learn about science and how it works. The grant

“Fostering Science Identity Through Interdisciplinary

interests in environmental sciences.

scholarships are open to majors in Biology, Chemistry,

Research for Underrepresented Students in STEM.”

Environmental Studies, Geography & Geographic Information Kubátová notes that, although she’s listed as PI, this effort

Science, Mathematics, and Physics & Astrophysics.

This project—officially named US Master II

comprises a multidisciplinary College of Arts & Sciences

(Undergraduate Scholarships with Mathematics and

team. Listed on the grant are Kubátová, Chemistry; Shari

“With this US MASTER grant from NSF, all of the natural

Science Training, Exploration, and Research)—is the

Nelson, Student Academic Services; Daphne Pedersen,

science departments in the College of Arts & Sciences are

continuation of an ambitious nationwide effort to provide

Sociology; Rebecca Simmons, Biology; Gregory Vandeberg,

involved,” Kubátová said.

scholarships for students across the STEM curriculum who

Geography and Geographic Information Science; and Ryan

are among the first in their families to go to college.

Zerr, Mathematics.

“We are thrilled for this opportunity to continue our work in

Each team member has an essential role and works with

this area, which is a high priority for NSF and for UND,” said

the grant structure, so there’s more than implementation

a broader group of faculty members. Simmons leads the

Alena Kubátová, professor in the Department of Chemistry in

and evaluation; the agency wanted to study how the grant

implementation of high-impact practices through the seminar

the UND College of Arts & Sciences and the coordinator and

really works,” Kubátová said.

and advising. Vandeberg leads the experiential learning

PI of the project.

component focusing on student research. The essential

“This is where Dr. Pedersen enlarges her efforts—about 10

advising features are coordinated and set in place by Nelson.

percent of the project is for sociological research on science

The full extent of this project’s influence on other education

identity and how we can encourage students, particularly

programs and aspects of student success is investigated by

those who are the first in their families to attend college, to

the research team led by Pedersen.

see themselves as scientists,” Kubátová said.

Kubátová, an analytical chemist and chromatography expert, says it’s vital to the economic health of the state and the country to actively support the interest of undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

“This time, NSF wanted social science research as part of

With many years of hands-on experience supporting STEM

More to the program than scholarships

education, Kubátová sees the future tied closely to today’s

“This NSF program is not only about scholarships, but it also

efforts to energize STEM education.

supports students with high-impact practices which already

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Another key difference this time around

R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E The program this time around added incentive-based funding—in addition to the economic yardstick. In other words, Kubátová points out, up to certain limits, the higher the grade point average (GPA) a scholarship student achieves, the more scholarship money is awarded.

At UND in the previous round of this scholarship program, 38 students participated, plus several students who were motivated to be part of the program but were not funded. At least as many will sign up for the program this time around.

The UND Arts & Sciences homepage describes the US MASTER program as follows: • Our goal is to recruit and provide support for talented students with financial need who demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in their chosen field (excluding professional tracks, e.g., medical careers) and are enrolled in the supported majors (listed earlier). The US MASTER program emphasizes development of scientific research skills.

• Students are expected to participate in interactive seminars and demonstrate active interest in research.

• The US MASTER scholarship program may provide financial support for tuition and fees up to $10,000 a year,* depending on financial aid eligibility, selection/ eligibility criteria, and funding availability.

• Scholarships may be renewed for up to 4 years if renewal criteria are satisfied.

Another key element: peer mentoring “It’s a big part of what we do,” Kubátová said. “We involve advisors, research mentors, and peer mentors. It’s a large collaborative effort!” —Juan Pedraza * https://arts-sciences.und.edu/us-master-scholarship/

UND College of Arts & Sciences US MASTER II faculty leaders team (left to right): Gregory Vandeberg, Geography and Geographic Information Science; Rebecca (Becky) Simmons, Biology; Shari Nelson, Student Academic Services; Alena Kubátová, Chemistry; Daphne Pedersen, Sociology; Ryan Zerr, Mathematics (not pictured).

Photo by Juan Pedraza

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R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

PREDICTING FLOODS UND team facilitates earlier flood prediction

The impressive concrete spillway at the western end of the English Coulee in Grand

• Transport of sediment particles and location of deposition, such as Devils Lake, the

Forks looks more like a World War I battlement. But this structure is not a defense against

Red River, and the Sheyenne River—Lim notes that special membranes

cannonades: its main purpose is to control the flow of floodwater.

are needed in water treatment, for example, to catch sediment. And in events such

The spillway is where Yeo Howe Lim, a faculty member in the UND Department of Civil Engineering, and his team of graduate students do a lot of their research.

“The main focus of our research now is in the hydrology of the snowmelt,” says Lim. “We use computer modeling that we developed ourselves to help us predict flooding based on what we observe with the snowmelt.” And that’s the key word: flooding.

the flow—increases.

Lim works collaboratively with other disaster and water experts across campus, such as Geography’s Paul Todhunter, an expert in hazards who has extensively studied flooding, including in the Devils Lake Basin. He also collaborates with Earth Systems Science and Policy on a NASA grant to research the hydrology of Devils Lake, with a view to predict

Anyone who’s lived on the Northern Plains knows lots about the perennial risk of floods, big,

what’s going to happen there; i.e., is the lake going to rise some more or will it start

small, local, and regionwide.

receding?

“Sure,” says Lim, “North Dakota—and northwestern Minnesota—are unique because of the

Part of what Lim studies are the major differences between lake flooding—such as the

combination of flat terrain and cold conditions. That often leads to lots of water stored in the

decadeslong rise in the Devils Lake Basin—and river flooding.

ground and frozen before winter starts. Then you get the snow piling on and melting in the spring. Often the upstream snow melts before the downstream snow melts, then you get ice jam formation—so the water backs up during the spring melt.”

Lim and his team also do flood frequency analysis: how often it floods and the magnitude of the flooding.

“We also look at changes such as climate and land use, and we use modeling again to predict what may happen. We use both hydrology (the movement of water above and below ground) and hydraulics (how fluids behave in pipes and channels) to make our predictions.”

Lim’s research strategy involves three areas of inquiry: • Flood hydrology—studying large-scale water movements, that is, across large landscapes such a whole basin or catchment. The team looks at this scale to determine how much water is flowing across the landscape.

• Hydraulics—what happens to flood flow on structures such as culverts, bridges, dams, and impoundments.

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as floods, sediment transport and deposition accelerate as the movement of water—

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

“The water that flows into Devils Lake stays there; there is no natural outlet there now like there was many thousands of years ago. There’s no continuous flow out, or it’s very slow.

It’s a big lake with lots of streams flowing into it. Eventually, that water spills into Stump Lake and the Sheyenne River.”

“We need to create a spill to control outflow—including pumping it out—because we need to protect areas downstream,” Lim says.

Lim also works with the North Dakota State Water Commission, the Garrison Diversion Water Conservancy District, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Ultimately, Lim and his student team and their on-campus and state collaborators are looking at a key goal: improving the prediction of flooding.

“That’s a big deal in North Dakota,” Lim says. —Juan Pedraza

R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

L-R Howe Lim, faculty member, Civil Engineering; and Civil Engineering grad students Bahareh Shogli, Daniel Fife, and Joseph Heiden. Shogli and Heiden recently graduated.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

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R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

Geology Ph.D. student Marie Bergelin displays the UND banner at the site of her mentor Jaakko Putkonen’s NSFfunded ice core operation. He’s director of the Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering.

Photo courtesy of Jaakko Putkonen.

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

UND GE O M OR P HO L OGI S T J A A K K O P U T K ONE N CON T INUE S T H E HUN T F OR

THE OLDEST ICE ON EARTH December expedition in Antarctica delivers new take on summer A large drilling rig that took several helicopter flights to move was one of Jaakko Putkonen’s

This expedition was a big first for Bergelin, who is from Denmark. She’s working on a Ph.D.

major challenges in his latest expedition to Antarctica, completed early this year.

in Geology, likely following Putkonen’s path into geomorphology, which studies current and

“It took a whole day to take it down and move it to a more remote location from where we started,” said Putkonen, a geomorphologist and director of the UND Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering. With Ph.D. student Marie Bergelin, Putkonen and his team of colleagues and students from other universities were in the coldest continent to extract ice cores from a desert-like valley where there’s little snow cover.

past changes in Earth’s surface.

The next step: establish the age of the ice to determine if this is indeed the oldest ice on Earth.

Why is “oldest” significant?

“It’s a stepping stone to understanding changes—current and past—in the Antarctic environment,” Putkonen says. “This will add to our knowledge about changes on Earth

“We received funding from the National Science Foundation to drill a massive ice body

itself and to phenomena such as climate change.

hidden under 2 ft of dirt to obtain samples from the interior of this glacier to establish its age without any hesitation,” said Putkonen, an experienced cold zone researcher. “We

“Let’s not forget that 20,000 years ago, we had a mile of ice over this part of North

have dated the dirt on top of this ice, which by definition is younger than the ice itself; now

America,” Putkonen said. “And 11,000 years ago we were under several hundred feet of

we want to date the ice.

water—glacial Lake Agassiz.” —Juan Pedraza

“The ice cores we extracted this trip have a long journey to UND from the valley, first by military transport plane to the U.S. research station at McMurdo, then by ship to California, then by refrigerator truck to North Dakota.”

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R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

UND ’ S S E COND ROUND OF

POSTDOCTORAL SEED FUNDING Underscores Five Grand Challenges and fosters research culture The UND Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development awarded ten UND research teams with Postdoctoral Funding Awards in its second round of this successful program to ramp up the University’s research efforts. The recipients were chosen from 39 research proposals, up from the 31 submitted in the program’s first year.

“There has been an impressive list of accomplishments so far from the first round of funded postdocs, and that’s something we’re trying to drive,” said VP for Research and Economic Development and School of Graduate Studies Dean Grant McGimpsey.

For instance, one of the previous postdoc award recipients, Jyotika Sharma, a UND associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, recently landed her fifth major National Institutes of Health (NIH) research award since 2011. Her most recent NIH award, a 2-year $400,000 grant, will support her ongoing studies on sepsis: a systemic, life-threatening condition where the immune system’s response to infection or injury damages a body’s own organs.

The idea behind funding postdocs is that the assistance will allow faculty researchers more time to write grant proposals and manage more external funding—an internal investment that pays back. In the seed program’s second year, McGimpsey’s team prioritized submissions that aligned with the One UND Strategic Plan’s Grand Challenge areas: biomedicine, rural community health and social support, big data production and management, UAS development, and energy and environmental sustainability.

Julia Zhao, professor of Chemistry, won an award to focus on using nanoparticles to extract more crude from North Dakota’s Bakken oil field. Today, only 5–10 percent of the oil underground can be accessed. The remaining 90 percent is locked inside porous rock.

Zhao and her collaborators believe nanoparticles can help extract more of that locked-up oil.

Zhao knows firsthand how much having a postdoc will help in this research. She was one of ten faculty awarded funding in the program’s inaugural year. She hired an associate for her collaborative research with Diane Darland in the Biology Department. She noted that UND’s financial support helped her obtain additional external research funding from the National Science Foundation: a $420,000, 3-year grant.

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Fostering a postdoctoral culture is one of many steps in Strategic Plan Goal No. 4 (enhancing discovery and research) that UND is taking to approach the level of a Carnegie R1 research institution.

“Carnegie R1 universities all have a healthy continuum from undergraduate student to graduate student to postdoctoral researcher to faculty member,” McGimpsey said. “That vertical integration and side-by-side learning are really important components of what makes a university successful from a research perspective.”

As postdoc numbers climb, McGimpsey says, the Carnegie Commission will take note. “The more people you can attract to your university because they want to do research here, the more evident it is that you’re a successful research institution.”

The Vice President for Research & Economic Development Postdoctoral Seed Funding Program is a partnership with the college deans, who contribute to the second year of the selected postdoc’s term. McGimpsey said that when the program was set up, his office wanted to make sure that the awards were consistent with the research goals of the deans.

“I’m excited by the enthusiasm that the deans have shown about this program,” McGimpsey said. “It’s difficult for deans to find dollars to make this kind of commitment. At the same time, they are making the commitment, which says a lot about their interest in boosting research.”

The UND Alumni Association & Foundation is also lending support in this second round, showing donors and friends the substantial ways in which they can impact positive societal change through UND’s research.

Among all of these programs, UND faculty have written more than 100 research proposals over the past 5 months.

“At UND, people have a passion to help with the nation’s energy problems. And they’re giving us a lot of support,” Zhao said. “They’re not only just saying it – they’re doing it.”

R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

Julia Zhao (right) and Hui Pu were among the ten UND research teams awarded funding to hire a postdoctoral associate for a 2-year period. The ten awardees were chosen from 39 research proposals – up from the 31 submitted in the program’s first year.

Photo by Jackie Lorentz

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R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E 2017–2018 Postdoctoral Seed Funding Awardees: Manu, Biology (PI)/Yen Lee Loh, Physics and Astrophysics (Co-PI) – Proposal: Data-Driven Inference and Modeling of Stem Cell Gene Regulatory Networks Julia Zhao, Chemistry (PI)/Hui Pu, Petroleum Engineering (Co-PI) – Proposal: Development of Novel Nanoparticle Surfactant-Based Fluid for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Bakken Formation Alena Kubátová, Chemistry (PI)/James Moe Aviation (Co-PI) – Proposal: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sampling of Carbonaceous Atmospheric Aerosol Gautham Krishnamoorthy, Chemical Engineering (PI)/ Joshua Stanislowski, EERC; Prakash Ranganathan, Electrical Engineering (Co-PIs) – Proposal: (Super-critical) CO2 Cycle Design and Analytics: A Disruptive Technology for North Dakota Lignite Coal Utilization Prakash Ranganathan, Electrical Engineering (PI)/Will Semke, Mechanical Engineering; Nick Wilson, Aviation; Travis Desell, Computer Science (Co-PIs) – Proposal: Electronic Systematic Corruption of Remotely- Piloted hosTile UAS (ESCORT-UAS), A Multi-Tier, Rapid Deployment Proximity-Based Counter-UAS System

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Kouhyar Tavakolian, Electrical Engineering (PI)/Jau- Shin Lou, Neurology; Colin Combs, Basic Sciences (Co-PIs) – Proposal: Towards an Unobtrusive System for Assessing Orthostatic Hypotension and Fall in Parkinson’s Disease Patients Gretchen Mullendore, Atmospheric Sciences (PI) – Proposal: Determination of Regional Convective Detrainment Levels to Improve Convective Parameterizations in Global Weather and Climate Models Catherine Brissette, Biomedical Sciences (PI)/Archana Dhasarathy, Biomedical Sciences; Junguk Hur, Biomedical Sciences (Co-PIs) – Proposal: Exploring Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transitions in Lyme Arthritis Through a Systems Approach Sergei Nechaev, Biomedical Sciences (PI)/Archana Dhasarathy, Biomedical Sciences; Yen Lee Loh, Physics and Astrophysics (Co-PIs) – Proposal: Transcriptome-Wide Responses of Human Cells to Heat Shock Stress Analyzed by Experimentally Informed Mathematical Modeling Othman Ghribi, Biomedical Sciences/Donald Jurivich, Geriatrics (Co-PIs) – Proposal: Fatty Acid Regulation of Transcriptional Switches Controlling Neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s Disease — Kaylee Cusack, UND Today writer

R E S E A RCH L IF E CY CL E

Photo by Juan Pedraza

ENCOURAGING SCIENCE EXPLORATION A large group of school children gathered at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge near

urban and rural schools, each team designing an experimental payload. The payloads

Detroit Lakes, MN, after a NASA- and state-sponsored Near-Space Balloon Competition.

were attached to a helium balloon launched from a field at Northern Cass School. The

The children, their teachers, and parental chaperones were guided by several UND

balloon—which burst at an altitude of 80,266 feet, parachuted safely with all ten payloads

faculty and graduate students led by Marissa Saad and Caitlin Nolby of the North Dakota

intact in a grove of trees at the refuge—everything was successfully retrieved. The

Space Grant Consortium (the director of Space Grant is Jim Casler, chair of the UND

primary goal of this program is to encourage young school children to develop an interest

Department of Space Studies). Space Studies grad students Denise Buckner and Peter

in STEM-related fields and build their knowledge and teamwork skills with these hands-

Henson organized and managed the teams, launch operations, and overall competition.

on activities. —Juan Pedraza

The children were in ten teams representing several North Dakota DISCOVERY | 2018

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S P O T L IGH T UN D BIO L OGI S T

UND M U S IC FA CU LT Y M E M B E R

PENS AN ART HISTORY Texting of an old-fashioned sort

Photo by Juan Pedraza

Receives top parasitology award for unique zoological research

Photo by Juan Pedraza

Professor Gary Towne is a musician at

“The point of my book is to use a

University of North Dakota parasitologist

“It’s all about people who’ve solved

heart, but he spends a good part of his

variety of art forms to deepen students’

Vasyl Tkach has been recognized by his

important problems,” said Robin

time researching and writing about music

understanding of each culture’s ideals,

peers as a top researcher in the field, not

Overstreet, Professor Emeritus of

history and related topics in the arts.

aspirations, and search for perfection,”

only for his groundbreaking work, but also

parasitology at the University of Southern

Towne said. “By studying a diverse

for his outstanding mentoring of students.

Mississippi and former director of the Gulf

Going with that flow, Towne, a senior faculty member in the UND Department of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences, recently finished a textbook “Perspectives on Humanity in the Fine Arts.” It was published this summer by Cognella Academic Publishing.

“My aim was to help students—and other readers, too—to understand times and places by studying their unique forms of artistic expression,” said Towne, who’s an expert in the culture and music of 16th century (Renaissance) Bergamo, Italy.

The book ranges from prehistory to the 20th century.

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VASYL TKACH

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

grouping of arts within a specific geographical and historical niche, the reader can experience each culture as a contemporary participant might and gain a fuller understanding of that culture.”

Towne earned his bachelor’s degree in music theory at Yale University and his Ph.D. in musicology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Now a professor of music at the University of North Dakota, Towne has taught music history and theory, historical performance, and interdisciplinary courses on the arts and culture. He is a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar, among many other academic honors.

The American Society of Parasitologists

Coast Research Laboratory.

Henry Baldwin Ward Medal is given once

“Vasyl is one of just a handful of people

a year to researchers like Tkach who

who have that level of commitment,”

have distinguished themselves in the field

Overstreet said. “Among other things, he

of parasitology.

developed molecular tools to show things

“It is indeed an honor to be recognized by one’s peers, especially my mentors in this

about the development of parasites that we’ve been researching for 100 years.”

field,” said Tkach, who grew up in a rural

Tkach and his team do fieldwork on all

Ukrainian community. Tkach is on the

continents except Antarctica. —Juan

faculty of the UND Department of Biology.

Pedraza

S P O T L IGH T

UND ’ S

KIM KENVILLE

Among the country’s top leaders in airport management research

Photo by Juan Pedraza

We all use them, some of us weekly or even daily.

But how much do we actually know about how airports work?

Kim Kenville knows—so much so that she regularly consults for several airports and has completed research for the airport industry funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Kenville, professor in the UND Department of Aviation in the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, regularly

funds to build 500 airports. By the end of that project, the

airport emergencies, model mutual aid agreements, and

country actually built 986 public airports, including rural

funding industry aviation activities on airport property.

locations such as Jamestown, Kenville noted.

and she directs the airport management degree program

property, many purchased by cities and counties for $1.

(with curriculum that combines aviation-related courses

“That’s how we got city and county government ownership of local airports that’s still in place today,” Kenville said.

produces research in an ongoing series published by the

She and academic collaborator Jim Smith from Florida have

Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), a part of the

so far completed eight ACRP research projects together, with

National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

more on the way.

Kenville’s first ACRP research grant was in 2007.

Kenville teaches all of UND’s airport management classes,

After the war, more than 500 airports were put out as surplus

Kenville’s research includes many subtopics relating to

During WWII, Congress decided that airports were a national

emergency management and airport operations—from

defense issue and launched an ambitious program of airport

employees coping with traumatic events, social media and

and curriculum in the College of Business & Public Administration); that program was launched in 1968.

UND has one of the few airport management degree programs in the country backed by a Bachelors of Business Administration, and Kenville is one of only a handful of airport management Ph.D.s in higher education around the country.

—Juan Pedraza

construction across the country. Lawmakers then allocated

DISCOVERY | 2018

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S P O T L IGH T

UND A L U M , S CHOOL OF M E DICINE

STAFFER BRIAN SCHILL Pens new book about punk scene

Photo by Juan Pedraza

Days, UND Medical School’s Brian Schill lives and looks the part of a university

movement encompassing fashion, literature, philosophy, music, and even political

communications professional. But when it works out, he relives his more boisterous

attitudes. Schill’s book—The Year’s Work in the Punk Bookshelf, Or, Lusty Scripts—breaks

college days when he was part of a three-man post-punk-rock garage band. The band

stereotypes about punk as a totally violent, drug-soaked culture of dropouts and nihilists.

Straphanger—named after the handles people cling to on subway coaches—recorded on both vinyl and CDs and toured around the country in the late ’90s.

The members, now dispersed, reunited last summer to celebrate their 20th anniversary,

“I’ve always wanted to write,” says Schill, formerly undergraduate research coordinator for the UND Honors Program. “I’ve written professionally and published peer-reviewed stuff, and for a long time I’ve been interested in the punk rock thing.” —Juan Pedaza

practicing like old times and doing a few shows.

Schill, assistant director in the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Office of Alumni and Community Relations and editor of North Dakota Medicine magazine, speaks

GO GR E E N!

fondly of those early days with Straphanger, “practicing in the middle of December with

We need your help as UND pledges to reduce our output of paper while enhancing the

coats and gloves in the back of someone’s garage.”

delivery of the exciting news about UND’s Division of Research & Economic Development.

He recently finished a book about the punk scene published by Indiana University Press.

Punk is about more than nontraditional hairdos and loud music: it’s an influential cultural

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Email us at DiscoveryUND@gmail.com with your preference: U.S. Postal Service paper or electronic. Be sure to include a current street address and a current email. If you have questions, please contact Juan Pedraza at juan.pedraza@und.edu.

S P O T L IGH T S CHO L A R LY CO M M ON S :

NEW ONLINE REPOSITORY Expands UND’s ability to share research, scholarship globally

Anyone in the world can now search for research, articles, art, videos, open educational

Government

resources (OERs), and documents produced by UND faculty, staff, and students. The platform: UND Scholarly Commons, an online institutional repository (https://commons.und. edu) developed over the past year by Zeineb Yousif, UND Digital Initiatives Librarian, with Stephanie Walker, UND Dean of Libraries and Informational Resources. Scholarly Commons, unveiled earlier this year, houses research or creative activity undertaken at UND. “It’s an opportunity to preserve and disseminate your research more broadly,” Yousif said. “It’s our way of drawing attention to the work and making sure that it’s accessible to the public.”

UND Dean of Libraries and Informational Resources Stephanie Walker, left, and Digital Initiatives Librarian Zeineb Yousif teamed up to develop the UND Scholarly Commons, an online institutional repository.

Photo by Juan Pedraza

Documents Librarian Holly Gabriel. With David Flynn, chair of Economics and faculty fellow

The flexible repository holds articles, theses, data sets, image collections, audio, video,

for the Division of Research and Economic Development, they’re helping faculty track

OERs, and much more. For example, UND Art Collections is using the Commons as a

and demonstrate their research impact and productivity. Accurate research tracking is a

display and inventory tool.

vital action item of One UND Strategic Plan Goal No. 4 – enhancing discovery at a level consistent with most research-intensive universities. A part of that work is crafting online

Walker noted that most major granting agencies only award funding if the supporting

guides that lead users through open access publishing, OERs, data management, research

material and outcomes are made publicly available.

communities, author’s rights, and publishing strategies.

“I wanted to make it easier for faculty to get the grants and for them to be able to put their

Scholarly Commons will allow UND’s academic dialogue to cross continents. That extended

research data in a specific place,” Walker said, adding that most U.S. universities UND’s size

reach is the repository’s biggest bonus.

and larger have an institutional repository in place. “It’s pretty much critical for research.”

Now that the Commons is up and running, Walker and her team want the campus to fill it.

Scholarly Commons was developed hand-in-hand with a renewed drive to increase UND’s understanding of scholarly communication and publishing, an initiative led by

“We want to put out a call for faculty champions—those who really understand the benefits

Social Sciences and Scholarly Communication Librarian Sara Kuhn, Education Reference

and want to help sow the seed of promotion within their departments,” Kuhn said. —Kaylee

Instruction and Collection Development Librarian Megan Carroll-Denis, and Business and

Cusack, UND Today writer

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Vice President for Research & Economic Development Twamley Hall, Room 103 264 Centennial Drive Stop 8367 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8367 UND.edu/research ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Kathy Neset, CEO of Neset Consulting and North Dakota State Board of Higher Education member; U.S. Senator John Hoeven; UND President Mark Kennedy; Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford; and others observing the eclipse at the EERC. Photo by Kari Suedel

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