und alumni review spring 2012

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GROWING INTO THE FAMILY BUSINESS Family Law A law office started in 1917 remains a family affair. Pg. 14 Family Asset Former hockey star Bryan Lundbohm hangs up his skates to work with his dad. Pg. 10 Inside:

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Page 1: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

GROWING INTO THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Family LawA law office started in 1917 remains a family affair.Pg. 14

Family Asset Former hockey star Bryan Lundbohm hangs up his skates to work with his dad.Pg. 10

Inside:

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CONTENTS

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inside this issue

FEATURES

6 Newsmen The Andrist family name has been atop the masthead of a weekly paper for nearly 100 years. BY MILO SMITH

10 All in the Family After a professional hockey career, Bryan Lundbohm came back to UND to earn a degree and go to work with his father. BY PATRICK C. MILLER

14 Family Law The Benson family has seven UND law degrees to its name. BY MILO SMITH

18 Grand Inspiration A UND grad knew as a child she wanted to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps. BY LEANNA IHRY

DEPARTMENTS

4 Message from the Executive Vice President Spirit Week celebrates Spirit Campaign

20 What’s New News from around campus

21 President’s Letter Nickname debate distracts from mission

32 Campaign News Student Spirit Award Winners show what the Spirit Campaign is all about

42 Alumni Class News Who’s Doing What: News About Your Classmates

52 In Memoriam

ALUMNI REVIEW • VOL. 95 NO. 1 • SPRING 2012

6 1410 18

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DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS,Greetings from the University of North

Dakota campus, where winter has been an unusual fleeting experience this year. With 40-degree days more prevalent than below-zero weather through early February, it’s been downright wimpy!

Despite winter’s near absence, in cooperation with our UND partners, the UND Alumni Association & Foundation sponsored what many of you would recall as an old-time winter celebration reminiscent of King Kold Karnival, in this case called “Spirit Week.”

Spirit Week is a takeoff from North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, the $300 million fundraising effort undertaken as a joint effort between UND and the UND Foundation. During the week, several activities celebrated both winter activities and campaign accomplishments.

A UND flame ice sculpture brought back memories of less “professional,” but maybe more creative sculptures all along Greek row on University Avenue during King Kold Karnival activities that were a highlight of winter for decades. I hope we can build off a very successful first Spirit Week into traditions like those from our past.

During Spirit Week, we focused on the impact of the campaign on students and others on campus during a first-ever “State of the Alumni Association & Foundation” address. I was thrilled to report we have raised more than $249 million in the drive toward the campaign goal of $300 million by Homecoming 2013. Further, I was especially pleased to note we have seen donor numbers reach record numbers every year during the campaign. In fiscal year 2011, 13,751 people made donations to UND. Consider in contrast that the 10-year average prior to the campaign was just over 8,500 annual donors.

Speaking for my colleagues on our staff and for our terrific Board of Directors who have

Vo l . 9 3 No. 4 • W i n te r 2 0 1 0

been so supportive: We have been humbled and inspired by the campaign’s success, and are most proud to be associated with all of you! We are hopeful of not simply achieving $300 million, but rather “bursting through” that number, setting in place a philanthropic culture around our University as the true legacy of North Dakota Spirit!

We also gave out our first-ever Student Spirit Awards during Spirit Week. It was such a pleasure to meet the two outstanding recipients of the awards, Adam Swigost and Chelsie Bickel.

Each student received $500 to use for tuition and fees, and another $500 to gift to a philanthropic cause. You can read more about these impressive students on page 39.

Spirit Week closed with a Text to Pledge drive during the weekend hockey series against Minnesota to benefit the Pride of the North band. You can see photos from Spirit Week starting on page 40.

This edition of the Alumni Review announces the Builders Society, a special opportunity for all to participate in the historic construction of the Gorecki Alumni Center. We want to ensure there is a way for everyone to participate. Thus, you can pledge a payment schedule of $100 a year for 10 years, become part of history, and be recognized in Gorecki Alumni Center as part of this special group. Please refer to page 31 for details. You can follow progress on the Gorecki Alumni Center’s construction at undalumni.org/alumnicenter.

In the conclusion of my inaugural “State of the Alumni Association & Foundation” address, I noted our organization is a mere reflection of the University it represents — strong, progressive, proud, and growing. I hope you can find a way to work with us in accomplishing even more in the final months of North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND!

Best regards,

Tim O’Keefe, ’71Executive Vice President and CEOUND Alumni Association & FoundationE‐mail: [email protected]

P.S. The picture above is at Machu Pichu, Peru, taken during a UND Alumni tour. These trips, in partnership with Go Next Travel, to various parts of the world are first-class, relaxing and extremely interesting. I highly recommend them! See undalumni.org/alumnitours for details on future trips.

Al u m n i Re v i e wU n i v e r s i t y o f N o r t h D a k o t a A l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n

Executive Vice President and CEOTim O’Keefe, ’71

EditorMilo Smith

DesignerSam Melquist

Contributing WritersAlyssa Shirek, ‘06Leanna Ihry, ‘02Juan Pedraza, ‘02Patrick C. MillerPeter Johnson, ‘81, ‘82David Dodds, ‘98Caitlin Slator

Contributing PhotographyJackie Lorentz

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

UND Alumni Association ChairCarolyn (Howland) Becraft, ’66

Vice ChairKris Compton, ’77

UND Foundation ChairRick Burgum, ’68

Vice ChairAl Royse, ’72, ’73, ’76

Directors: Alice Brekke, ’79, ’87; Jill Burchill, ’76; Steve Burian, ’90, ’92; Marc Chorney, ’81; Jody Feragen, ’78; Mark Fliginger, ’74; William Guy III, ’68, ’76; Tim Haas, ’68; Bart Holaday, HON ’06; Robert O. Kelley; Chuck Kluenker; Linda Laskowski, ’72, ’73; Paul LeBel; Lauris Molbert, ’79, ’83; Jennifer Neppel, ’86; Tim O’Keefe, ’71; Linda Pancratz, ’76; Carrie McIntyre Panetta, ’88; Fernanda (Santos) Philbrick, ’94, ‘96; Doug Podolak, ’72; Cathy (Wilson) Rydell, ’88; and Lisa Wheeler, ’75, ’82, James L. Williams, ’62.

The University of North Dakota Alumni Review (USPS 018089: ISSN 0895-5409) is published in August, November, February and May by the University of North Dakota Alumni Association, 3100 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.

Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Alumni Review, 3100 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.

For inquiries about advertising, additional copies, reprints, submissions, or general comments, contact 800.543.8764, 701.777.0831 or [email protected].

SPIRIT WEEK HIGHLIGHTS CAMPAIGN

Photo by: Erwin Martens, ’83, ’85

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Whether following in their career footsteps or through the doors of the family business, the appeal can be strong for kids who see their parents in fulfilling jobs.

In this issue, you’ll read the stories of several UND graduates who found career inspiration from their parents or grandparents as new gen-erations step in to keep the legacy alive.

FAMILY BUSINESS

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FEATURE

NEWSMEN

Steve Andrist holds a picture of his grandfather, Calvin, while posing with his father, John, outside the newspaper office in Crosby, N.D.

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FEATURE

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A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER STAYS IN THE FAMILY

By Milo Smith

NEWSMEN

HE CROSBY (N.D.) JOURNAL NEWSPAPER HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY THREE GENERATIONS

OF THE ANDRIST FAMILY OVER THE LAST 90 YEARS, but if the last two members of the newspaper clan had listened to their teenage selves, those decades would not have added up.

DOUBTING ANDRISTSSteve Andrist, ’76, says following

his father and grandfather in the family newspaper business was far from his mind as a teen. “You know, when you’re in high school and you are looking at going out and saving the world, the last thing you want to do is come back and work in the family business. I can remember being irritated when people would say ‘Where are you going to college?’ ‘UND.’ ‘What are you studying?’ ‘Journalism.’ ‘Oh, you’re going to come back and take over the Journal.’ ‘No.’ I had absolutely no intention of doing that.”

Just as his son had doubts as a young man, John Andrist had also wondered whether his father’s business was for him. “Back in high school, we were pretty naive kids,” John says. “My

dream was to be a big-time sports radio announcer.”

By different paths, though, John and Steve Andrist did end up at the northwestern North Dakota community newspaper. For John, the reality of life crept in when he met his future wife and realized that chasing a career in sports radio was not a family-friendly thing to do. When he started looking around at what he could do for a career, he recognized that his father, Calvin, had been preparing him for a job at the paper all along, though he never came right out and asked him to come to work for him. That’s why, years later, he did not want to ask Steve to join him at the paper. “I didn’t want him to do it because I invited him.”

John instead helped Steve look for a newspaper to purchase in Minnesota in the early nineties. At the time, Steve worked as a city editor at The Post Bulletin in Rochester, Minn., but had the itch to buy a newspaper to run. “I guess I figured if I was going to work long hours for low pay, I might as well be my own boss,” he says. Instead, father and son eventually started talking about the possibility of Steve returning to Crosby.

T

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TAKING OVER“He’s a brilliant man,” Steve says of

his father. “One of his philosophies is one of the most important things you can do in your life is replace yourself. He wasn’t quite ready to be replaced, but he saw it as an opportunity to do it on his terms, so he sold me the business immediately.”

Steve says there were no conflicts in taking over, even though John stuck around to write a column and help out in the print shop. “I know other people who have gone into family businesses where the previous generation was still active, and it’s not always easy,” Steve says.

“My dad’s philosophy was he wanted to be here to help when the help was constructive. Otherwise, he wanted to stand out of the way and let me make my own mistakes. I have been tremendously fortunate to get into the business in that situation and it’s been a blessing.”

John says he wasn’t ready to settle down in retirement, so he decided to take advantage of the situation and pursue an interest in public service. He ran for the North Dakota Senate in 1992 and won, despite his concerns that his newspaper past made him a controversial choice. He has been re-elected four times since.

Calvin Andrist purchased the Crosby newspaper in 1921. He sold it to his son, John, in 1961. John sold it to his son, Steve, in 1991. Steve would later purchase The Tioga Tribune as well.

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A FATHER’S PRIDEJohn, who published the Crosby Journal

for 40 years, says he’s proud of the paper under his son’s guidance. “I think I’m a decent judge of newspapers,” John says. “If you asked anybody in the business to name the best three or four newspaper products in the state, he’d be on the list. You bet that makes me proud; it makes me feel like any dad would. Every week I open up the newspaper to see how they did, and it is way better than what I was able to do.”

John says he published a better newspaper than his father, Calvin, who died in 1974, although he says his father had a natural talent for communication and wrote some “pretty good stuff” on his manual typewriter.

“He learned it by grunt work,” John says of his father. “He was a survivor. He just sort of grew into the job.”

LIQUOR OR INK?Calvin Andrist almost didn’t get into the

newspaper business at all. John says his father would often tell the story of how he was all set to go to work making illegal liquor runs across the border from Canada into North Dakota. When he told a local newspaper owner of his plans, the man took pity on the young Calvin and instead offered him room and board — and a little money “to buy cigarettes” — to work in his print shop.

John would relate this story to audiences around the country when he served as the president of the National Newspaper Association in 1989. “I would tell them, if it hadn’t been for that kindly newspaperman worrying about my father’s career choice,

I might have been talking to the National Bootleggers Association!”

Instead Calvin took what he learned at that job and proceeded to move to other newspaper jobs with ever-increasing responsibilities until he was able to purchase the newspaper in Crosby in 1921.

It’s a legacy that is not lost on Calvin’s grandson Steve, the current publisher of the paper, who says it has always been a point of pride that there were two generations in the business ahead of him.

THE BUSINESS OF NEWS But history and pride don’t make a

profit, and Steve took over the paper at a time when outmigration was the big story on the front page. “It’s pretty clear that if you want to be able to practice good journalism, you have to make sure you are giving back to your community so you have a community to cover.”

Steve says he soon realized that community service was just as important as the journalism, business and personnel sides of the newspaper. While that doesn’t mean slanting the news or avoiding controversial topics, it does mean providing readers with both sides of controversial topics and coverage of the more mundane happenings around town.

Fortunes have changed in northwestern North Dakota since Steve took over. The current oil boom has been a boon for

the paper. Steve credits the area economy with turning around several years of slowly declining circulation. And, perhaps surprisingly, he also attributes some of the paper’s success to the Internet.

While the World Wide Web has been a thorn in the side of major metropolitan newspapers (data from the Editor and Publisher Yearbook shows a 30 percent decline in daily circulation from 1990 to 2010), Steve Andrist says he’s been able to charge for an online edition, something the big papers have struggled to accomplish. “People don’t usually want to pay [for online access], but we have information that nobody else has and we have people that are eager to have access to that information.”

Steve says some “locals” who now live in other parts of the world can get their Divide County news faster than subscribers to the hard copy of the paper who live right in town. In the past, those far-flung readers would have had to wait days, if not weeks, for the paper to arrive in the mail. “They are tickled pink,” he says.

So even with all the talk of the demise of newspapers, Steve is confident of the future of his and many other small-town newspapers. Just like his father and his father’s father, Steve knows that if he puts the “community” in community newspaper, people will want to read it. AR

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I would tell them, if it hadn’t been for that kindly

newspaperman worrying about my father’s career choice, I might have been talking to the National

Bootleggers Association!

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FEATURE

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AFTER AN INTERNATIONAL PRO HOCKEY CAREER, BRYAN LUNDBOHM

RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS

By Patrick C. Miller

All in the

Family

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POPULAR POST-WORLD WAR I SONG ASKS: “HOW YA GONNA KEEP ’EM DOWN ON THE FARM AFTER THEY’VE

SEEN PAREE (PARIS)?” Former UND hockey star Bryan

Lundbohm, ’11, can probably answer that question, having concluded a 10-year professional hockey career that took him all over the United States and across the Atlantic to Europe. He’s not down on the farm, but he did recently return to his hometown of Roseau, Minn., where he’s now working for Michael Lundbohm Accounting — his father’s firm.

He’s seen a lot of the world, thanks to hockey. For a time, Bryan and his wife, Misty (Badger), ’02, a Grand Forks native, lived in Switzerland at the confluence of three mountain ranges.

“It was a place right out of a movie,” he recalls. “It was the neatest place we’d ever been.”

When playing for the Houston Aeros in the American Hockey League (AHL), Bryan enjoyed golfing and wearing shorts to practice every day. While playing for teams in Norway, Denmark and Finland, he was able to learn more about his family’s Scandinavian roots.

And yet, when it came time to decide on what he’d do with his life after hockey, returning to UND to finish his degree and moving his family back to the area in which he and his wife grew up wasn’t a difficult decision.

“UND was always going to be an option,” he explained. “A lot of the same teachers were there from when I attended, and they have a very good accounting program.

“Misty and I remembered all the things we did as kids and the freedom we had,” Bryan continued. “It’s neat that our kids are going to have the same experiences that we had.”

Bryan’s father, Michael, who played hockey at UND from 1968-72 and graduated from the University with an accounting degree, is thrilled to have his son back in Roseau and involved in the family business.

“I have a lot of clientele that have been with me a long time,” he said. “To have someone I know and they know get involved in the business, having the family home and the grandkids to chase around in the small-town atmosphere, it’s really great right now. When grandkids are young, you really have a wonderful time and a chance to be involved with them.”

As a sophomore, Bryan played on the last UND men’s team to win a Division I national championship, which was at the 2000 Frozen Four in Providence, R.I. The next season, he played on what was dubbed UND’s “Line of Fire” with Grand Forks native Jeff Panzer, ..’01, and NHL draftee Ryan Bayda, ..’02. They made it to the national championship game once again, but lost to Boston College in a 3-2 overtime thriller.

Bryan’s 32 goals and 37 assists that season caught the attention of pro scouts. He

decided not to return for his senior year and signed with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.

“It was a real tough decision for me,” Bryan remembered. “When you have a year like I had my junior year, teams were offering me good money, and I had the chance to step into the NHL. You can’t really look back at your decisions, and that’s kind of the way it went.”

Although Bryan didn’t make it to the NHL, he played for several NHL affiliates and helped the Admirals win the Calder Cup,

A

I put the same work ethic into school that I put in hockey.

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presented to the AHL champions. He also played for Team USA in the Deutschland Cup, an international tournament held in Germany, where he skated once again with Panzer, winning the gold medal one year and the silver the next. He also played for the cup with his brother, David, ’04, a former UND teammate, who’s still playing professionally in a Swedish hockey league.

Bryan never regretted turning pro, but he also never forgot about the camaraderie of playing on a college team.

“When you play with college guys, it’s different than pro where a lot of times you don’t play with anyone for more than a few months,” he said. “It gets to be really special when you’re playing and practicing with the same guys. We won a lot of games, which made practices a lot more fun.”

In 2010, with his oldest son about to enter kindergarten and facing the prospect of returning to Europe to play hockey, Bryan decided it was time to put long bus trips and being away from his family for months at a time behind him. They returned to UND, where he finished his degree in accountancy and graduated this past December.

“I put the same work ethic into school that I put into hockey,” Bryan said. “It was a little bit difficult at first, but I got to know the teachers again and they helped make the transition easier. It was amazing how young some people looked when I walked around campus. Some of the students couldn’t believe I was 34 and had three kids.”

Being back in Roseau gives Bryan’s three sons the same childhood opportunities he had, such as hunting, fishing and having a backyard hockey rink.

It also gave Michael and Bryan a chance to lace up the skates and play against a team of pee wee league fathers from Wayzata, Minn., that featured ex-Golden Gopher goalie Rob Stauber. Bryan scored one goal and his father scored two.

“It was good to see that some old UND alum could still score against a Gopher,” Michael chuckled.

If the family tradition continues, it might not be long before another generation of Lundbohms is once again ‘lighting the lamp’ for UND. AR

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Bryan Lundbohm wore a Team USA jersey to compete in the Deutschland Cup in 2003 and 2007.

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FEATURE

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FAMILY LAW

N THE TOP FLOOR OF THE UND SCHOOL OF LAW, A PAINTING THAT DEPICTS A BYGONE ERA HANGS ON THE

WALL OVERLOOKING THE COURTROOM. It shows horses and a wagon moving down the dirt-covered main street of Bottineau, N.D. On the front of one building, a sign reads “Asmundur Benson, Attorney at Law.” While the main street of Bottineau was paved long ago, pickups have replaced wagons, and the building is now a historical display, there is a connection between that long-ago time and the present: an Asmundur Benson still practices law in Bottineau.

The current inhabitants of the Benson Law Office on Main Street are Asmundur Swain Benson III, ’72, ’77, and his son, Anthony Swain Benson, ’00. They are two of seven Benson family members who have received law degrees from the UND School of Law since 1915.

The first Bensons to set up practices in Bottineau were Asmundur III’s great-uncles, Asmundur, ’15, and Oscar, ’21, ’23. Asmundur III, who goes by Swain, followed his father, Asmundur II, ’52, into the family business, and Anthony, who also goes by Swain, joined his father at the practice over a decade ago.

OTHE BENSON FAMILY HAS A LONG

HISTORY OF PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES IN BOTTINEAU COUNTY

By Milo Smith

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For Swain Sr., the choice to study law was an easy one. He remembers being captivated by his father’s profession. “I can remember as early as sixth or seventh grade I was fascinated by the law,” says Swain Sr. “I suppose the only reason was because of the vicarious experience of living around my father. It just seemed like a fascinating sort of endeavor. I can remember as a young person going up to jury trials. I just wanted to be part of that.”

The path for Swain Jr. was not so clear. He got his undergraduate degree at North Dakota State University and says a career in law was the furthest thing from his mind upon graduation. He instead worked at a bible camp near Bottineau and

as a youth director at a local church. Eventually, he came around to the idea of attending law school at his father’s, grandfather’s and great-great uncles’ alma mater.

He applied to UND with the thought that he wanted to work in Bottineau, although he never made that clear to his parents. “In retrospect, I never sat down and had a conversation with Dad. So it was near the end [of his schooling] and Dad was kind of ‘What? Are you going to come back?’ It was not a clear plan, but that certainly was my thought — that I would end up back in the area.”

Swain Jr.’s sister, Sarah Cheshire, ’02, is also a UND Law School graduate. She clerks for a district court judge in Fergus Falls, Minn. And another sister is considering attending UND as well. Swain Sr. says he has never pushed any of his kids into law school, although there were expectations about higher education. “What my wife (Kathy) and I encouraged our kids to do was to get an education,” he says. “Wherever that took them, it didn’t necessarily have to be a legal education. It just so happens that Swain and Sarah

In a general practice, you are a jack-of-all-trades

and master of none.

Anthony Swain Benson (left) stands with his father, Asmundur Swain Benson III, outside their law office.

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continued on into law school. I think it was solely their choices. I certainly didn’t put any pressure on them in terms of any sort of professional career.”

Though he didn’t push his children toward the law, Swain Sr. says he is pleased with the choices they’ve made.

“We all like to think that we have some sort of impact on our children and we hope that it’s going to be positive rather than negative,” he says with a laugh. “Certainly, I couldn’t be prouder to have two of my children being lawyers and the third one talking about law school now.”

And one of those children is just down the hall from his office. Swain Jr. says his family’s legal history in Bottineau County had a certain appeal as he was deciding where he wanted to go with his career. “I am certainly reminded when I go in the courthouse that my family has done this for an awful long time,” he says. “I am certainly cognizant and appreciate that it continues on a tradition of a number of years.”

He also likes the variety of work he sees in a small law office. There is no specializing — he might handle a divorce case in the morning and a land dispute in the afternoon. “There are pros and cons. In a general practice, you are a jack-of-all-trades and master of none,” he says. “At the same time, it’s interesting in that no day is ever the same. It’s not one area. There’s always something new.”

Case in point: Swain Sr. is also the state’s attorney for Bottineau County and Swain Jr. is the assistant state’s attorney, which means they handle criminal prosecutions in addition to their general practice.

It’s no surprise that there’s a family history here as well. Swain Sr.’s father was state’s attorney in Bottineau County for 28 years before becoming a judge. Asmunder I was also a judge. “It’s interesting,” says Swain Sr. “I know it’s clichéd to say, but it is funny how history repeats itself.”

Both Swains say they went to UND partly because of its proximity to Bottineau, but benefited greatly from the quality education they received.

“UND has a great, great history,” Swain Sr. says, “but once I got into the law school, I really did appreciate more what is there. When you’d hear the stories that my father would tell about law school, until you are there, you don’t appreciate it.”

Swain Sr. says he wasn’t the only classmate following in his father’s footsteps. He says two others in the Law School Class of ’77 had fathers who graduated with his dad in 1952. “That’s the kind of thing that’s so neat in terms of a small state like North Dakota,” he says. “You can make those connections and we have that kind of closeness as alumni of the Law School.”

Before it was moved to the Law School Baker Courtroom, the painting featuring Asmundur Benson’s law office hung for many years in the student lounge. Perhaps it was meant to serve as career inspiration. Above artist J.A. Kirkpatrick’s name in the lower left-hand corner of the painting is its title, “The Greatest Satisfaction-Private Practice.” After nearly 100 years of history, the current inhabitants of the Benson Law Office in Bottineau would certainly agree, but might add the words “with family” to get the sentiment just right. AR

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The current home of the Benson Law Office on Main Street in Bottineau.

Artist J.A. Kirkpatrick painted a Bottineau scene that features Asmundur Benson’s Law office. The painting hangs in the courtroom at the UND School of Law.

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FEATUREFEATURE

E ARE ASKED THE QUESTION DOZENS OF TIMES THROUGHOUT

CHILDHOOD: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For some kids, the answer changes from elementary school to high school to young adulthood. But for Michelle (Gourneau) Robinson, ’09, the response never wavered. It was always, “a nurse.”

The notion came to her early in life, but it wasn’t without some unintentional influence from someone she thoroughly admired. “I remember being in the first grade and my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Without

hesitation I answered, ‘I want to be a nurse like my grandma.’”

From that day forward, Michelle made up her mind to achieve her goals and be just like her grandma, Dorothy Schmiess. “Walking around the house with a Fisher Price medical kit was a daily ritual for me,” Michelle recalled.

While Michelle was certain from an early age that she wanted to be a nurse, she also knew from the get-go that she wanted to specialize in labor and delivery. “I remember thinking Nana [grandma] is a baby nurse. She gets to have fun all day and play with babies. I want to do that,” Michelle laughed.

Fast forward 20 years, and Michelle

Grand Inspiration

Robinson believes she has the best job in the world as she experiences

the miracle of new life every day.

Michelle Robinson checks the vitals on a newborn baby born at Altru Health System in Grand Forks.

MICHELLE (GOURNEAU) ROBINSON, ’09, PICKS UP WHERE HER GRANDMA LEFT OFF, CONTINUING

TO ‘DELIVER’ IN HER CAREER.

By Leanna Ihry

W

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is doing exactly what she set her mind to back in elementary school. After earning a nursing degree from the University of North Dakota, Michelle landed a job with Altru Health System in Grand Forks working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “This was a wonderful opportunity, but this is also where I learned it wasn’t all fun and there were tough times, too,” Michelle said of her stint in the NICU.

“But, I knew if I wanted to pursue my dream of being a labor and delivery nurse, I would need to get through some of these harder times,” Michelle said, alluding to the fact that her heart went out to the struggling premature babies and their oftentimes distraught parents.

Soon, persistence paid off and Michelle was offered a position in labor and delivery. “I was so ecstatic and am so lucky! I get to experience miracles every day. It doesn’t get much better than that,” Michelle said.

Grandma Dorothy agrees. Altru, formerly known as United Hospital, is where she experienced many miracles herself. “I was there with the doctor when the first baby was delivered at United Hospital,” Dorothy proudly recalled.

When asked how many deliveries she was a part of during her 20-some years of nursing Dorothy just smiled and said, “Thousands.”

Less than a year into the job, Michelle can still keep track, and is able to quickly recall that she has been involved with hundreds of births, and even delivered two babies who decided to come quick. “Already I have had a lot of interesting situations. A couple of babies have come so fast the doctor wasn’t able to make it in time, and I and other nurses delivered the baby. Many fathers

get close to fainting so I have to calm them down. Once, a mother had postpartum hemorrhaging. It isn’t just about taking care of the baby. I have two patients: the baby and the mother. And sometimes the father,” Michelle explained.

While the job can be stressful at times, Michelle is calm and collected. After all, she had a good role model growing up. “I hear stories about what a wonderful nurse my grandma was. Still, many of my co-workers at Altru who worked with her still talk about her.”

In speaking to Michelle and her grandma, it is obvious the similarities between the two go far beyond the profession they chose. Their love for people, new life and each other is contagious. “I am so proud of her. I couldn’t be happier,” Dorothy said of Michelle, who echoed, “I love my job, and I owe it all to my grandma.”

Just as her grandma helped her achieve her dreams, Michelle hopes she can be an inspiration to current UND student-nurses who come to Altru for their practicum studies. “This is such a rewarding career and a blessing in my life. Anyone who is headed down this path has a rich and fulfilling future in store.” AR

Robinson is thankful for her grandma, Dorothy Schmiess, who inspired her

to become a labor and delivery nurse.

Walking around the house with a Fisher Price

medical kit was a daily ritual for me.

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20 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

CAMPUS NEWS

What’s NewNews from ARO Campus

A Partnership with University Relations

Legacies can be found all over the UND campus, from students attending their parents’ alma mater to faculty and staff who have made UND a family affair. In the pages ahead, you’ll read some of their stories and find out how family ties strengthen the University of North Dakota.

Photo by: Jackie Lorentz

President Kelley shows off his Ski UND t-shirt at the start of the Spirit Week event. Despite being held in early January, there wasn’t enough snow to cross-country ski, so the group took a walk instead.

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21www.undalumni.org

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS,

I would prefer to spend my time with this letter telling you about all of the great things happening at our exceptional University. The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education, for example, just approved a new Department of Petroleum Engineering, which will be the home of our new Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering program and will connect to our fairly new Institute for Energy Studies.

We also recently announced that the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Neomatrix, LLC, are developing technology for the early detection of breast cancer using the HALO® Breast Pap Test

device, which will help screen and assess breast cancer risk in women using techniques from cell biology. I am also happy to report that the Department of Occupational Therapy has received a 10-year reaccreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, the accrediting agency for the American Occupational Therapy Association.

But I want to spend the bulk of this letter talking about the critical crossroads we now face related to UND athletics, which ultimately could negatively affect the university as a whole.

Let me be clear: Two petition drives threaten the future of our athletic program in all sports. If either of these drives is successful, there will be severe consequences for UND athletics, for the reputation of the University, and for the economy of Grand Forks through the loss of our ability to host post-season games and the loss of competitive games that will draw crowds to the city and to our athletic venues.

Make no mistake: Our athletics partners across the United States — those in the Big Sky Conference, those in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference, and other schools we play now or will want to play in the future — are watching this situation closely. And frankly, if we are forced to keep the Fighting Sioux nickname by either of two possible statewide votes, it will threaten the viability of UND athletics.

The first petition drive is ended and the petitions have been turned into the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office. If the petitions are certified, it will mean a statewide vote this June on whether to rescind or uphold a law passed in November. If that law is repealed, it will mean that the University of North Dakota will have to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. That would put UND back on sanctions by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which means key athletics programs will not want to compete against us. The NCAA is encouraging its members not to schedule even regular games against teams on this sanctions list. This could

mean loss of affiliation in the Big Sky Conference, which will likely compromise our overall standing in collegiate athletics. And this, in turn, will likely compromise UND in other ways, from enrollment to national reputation, which will make it difficult to recruit and retain the best faculty, staff and students.

If you are a North Dakota resident, I hope you will keep this letter in mind as you consider your vote. If you are no longer a resident of the state but still have family and friends here who can vote, I urge you to help ensure that they are informed. There is a lot of misinformation related to this issue. The situation is this simple: Repealing the November law will hurt UND athletics and our outstanding student-athletes.

As you may know, the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education is seeking a declaratory judgment on the constitutionality of the original law, passed by the North Dakota Legislature last spring. That law — the one repealed by the Legislature in November — requires us to use the nickname and logo. If the law that was passed last spring is declared unconstitutional, it would make the June vote moot.

The second petition drive seeks a statewide vote to change the North Dakota Constitution to mandate that UND use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo. If enough petitions are secured to put this on the November ballot, and if the voters approve, this would have the same dire consequences as I described above. Again, we need your help in informing North Dakotans about the consequences of this petition drive and the possible statewide vote that would result if the petition drive is successful.

While I fully understand the difficulty of letting go of past traditions, the stakes have never been higher for our student-athletes and our athletics program. I hope you will help us work to ensure a bright future for both at UND.

Best wishes,

Robert O. KelleyPresident

ThreatensNickname Bright Future for UND

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22 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

TUDENTS AND STAFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA-SUPPORTED American Culture Center in Shanghai, China, got a surprise recently when U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke paid a visit.

Locke’s visit, which took place Dec. 7, underscored the U.S. State Department’s interest in giving Chinese college students more access to information on the United States and its cultural heritage.

Located at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST), the American Culture Center opened about a year ago under an agreement UND President Robert Kelley signed last year to extend the University’s relationship with USST. Jennifer Tarlin, an adjunct professor in the UND College of Business and Public Administration, became the Center’s first director last October.

For security reasons, the Center didn’t receive word of Locke’s planned visit until six days before it happened, and news of the event was blacked out until the day after it occurred.

“Organizing for the ambassador’s visit in six days was an adventure,” said Tarlin. “My hosts were concerned about our lack of ceremony — no flag-waving, no speeches, no fireworks and no gifts — but we all learned a lot about cultural differences.”

The itinerary included greetings from high-level USST administrators, a tour of the Center, and a conversation with 25 students. Locke, who is third-generation Cantonese, extended his planned half-hour informal discussion with students to an hour.

“The questions asked by students ranged from the general and personal — such as ‘What is your family background?’ — to the highly specific, including a detailed question on the reporting of pollution in Beijing,” Tarlin said.

Last September, UND was awarded a grant from the State Department to partner with USST to develop programs and activities for the American Culture Center. It is part of the University’s International Cultural Park, designed to encourage greater international awareness on campus. The grant was one of 10 awarded by the American Embassy in Beijing to pairs of Chinese and American universities throughout the United States and China.

USST has had an ongoing relationship with UND’s College of Business and Public Administration for more than 10 years and has hosted 30 foreign exchange and research programs throughout the world. Under the terms of the program, UND faculty spend four to six weeks in Shanghai teaching undergraduate business majors, some of whom have subsequently traveled to Grand Forks to earn MBAs or study in other business-related master’s programs.

In addition to sponsoring concerts, lectures and art exhibits, the American Culture Center hosts visiting American faculty and provides opportunities for students to discuss graduate and professional plans and visit informally with American scholars and artists. The Center occupies a restored three-story brick house that was one of the original structures on the 105-year-old campus. AR

— Patrick C. Miller, University Relations

Surprise! U.S. AMBASSADOR POPS INTO UND-SUPPORTED CULTURE CENTER IN CHINA

CAMPUS NEWS

U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke (wearing red tie) pays a visit to the American Cultural Center in Shanghai, China. UND uses a State Department grant to fund the Center.

s

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Going the Distance

tHE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA earned the No. 3 spot in the nation in two recent independent assessments, including one by U.S. News & World Report, for the school’s exceptional online programs.

U.S. News put UND’s online program near the top in the “student services and technology” category in the first-ever Top Online Education Program rankings by U.S. News & World Report. UND also placed in the top 75 in five different category rankings for its online graduate programs in business and nursing.

UND also is one of the top schools in the nation for military-friendly online schools, according to the 2012 “Guide to Online Schools,” a leading education portal for aspiring college students.

UND’s online programs were ranked No. 3 on the Guide’s list after an evaluation of more than 200 accredited online schools. The top 30 schools are listed on the Guide’s official website at guidetoonlineschools.com/online-colleges/2012-military-friendly. This year, the University of Wisconsin-Madison took the top spot in the rankings followed by Iowa State University and then UND.

“UND is committed to providing high quality educational experiences for all of our online students, and to be recognized by U.S. News in multiple categories, including a No. 3 ranking for our student services and technology support, is an honor, ” said Philip Parnell, director of Online Enrollment Management. “We are very proud of the hard work put forth by all our faculty and staff involved in online education.”

Parnell also touted UND’s Military Affairs Committee as a big reason that the University’s online education programs are being recognized as military-friendly on a national scale.

“The Committee, which is made up of current and former military members who volunteer their time, provides ongoing guidance on how UND can best meet the needs of our servicemen and women.”

Guide to Online Schools stated that UND has a “particularly robust” online learning program that “encompasses all levels of learning, from professional development classes and certificates to graduate degrees.” The Guide to Online Schools also noted that UND “offers a number of accredited online programs that are hard to find at other institutions, such as undergraduate engineering degrees.”

In addition to recognizing UND among the Top Online Education Programs, U.S. News recently profiled UND online student, Dalene Erickson of Bethesda, Md., for a feature article titled, “Why I Chose Online Education.” Erickson is pursuing her graduate degree in early childhood education while she balances the demands of work and family.

“We are very pleased that U.S. News chose to feature one of UND’s online students,” Parnell said. “Ms. Erickson’s experience of juggling multiple responsibilities while earning her master’s degree online is typical for many of the adult learners that UND serves through distance education.”

UND offers more than 45 online degree and graduate certificate programs as well as hundreds of online academic and lifelong learning courses.

To learn more about UND’s online and distance education programs, visit http://distance.UND.edu. AR

— David Dodds, University Relations

ONLINE PROGRAMS MOVE TO HEAD OF THE CLASS

Dalene Erickson is taking online classes from UND in order to earn her master’s degree in early childhood education.

WEB EXTRAUseful links:To learn more about the rankings, visitusnews.com/education/online-education

Page 24: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

24 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

tOM RAND TAKES NOTES THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY — small paper notebook, standard No. 2 yellow pencil (with eraser), and attentive ears.

His children, Kathryn, ’90, Douglas, ’88, ’99, and Steve, ’91, are on the other end of the tech spectrum—Doug is a programming whiz, the chief technology officer at a company that’s considered a pioneer in the use of super-fast computing. Steve is a physical therapy assistant at Altru Health System in Grand Forks. And Kathryn is dean of the UND School of Law. All three are UND alums. All three left the area for varying periods of time, but returned, in part, because of their UND connections.

“We also returned to give back to the University and the community that helped each of us in our careers,” Kathryn said.

Tom has been at UND since 1968 — the year Kathryn was born — as a faculty member and administrator. He’s very well-known to generations of UND students as the low-key can-do associate dean of Arts & Sciences who’ll get you through just about any academic crisis with little fuss and a lot of good humor.

“Tom’s own undergraduate experience convinced him that students who struggle in college sometimes just need a little help to find their calling and reach their potential,” Kathryn said.

“I began my academic career at Macalester College until they kicked me out,” said Tom, who received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Divinity from Harvard University. “While I think the records may have been

ADMINISTRATORS CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH

CAMPUS NEWSTom Rand, associate dean of Arts

& Sciences, started at UND the year his daughter, Kathryn, was

born. She is now the dean of the UND School of Law.

The Rands: Family Fixtures at UND

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25www.undalumni.org

destroyed, I believe I flunked only two classes at UND when they admitted me for a summer: Differential Equations and American Lit, if I remember correctly.”

Since 2010, he has devoted all of his time to associate dean duties.

Tom provides general academic advising for students and faculty. He serves the students by reviewing and approving reinstatement requests, student petitions, and various appeals. He is the advisor for General Studies, Social Science majors, pre-law students — which included advising his daughter Kathryn when she was an undergrad here — as well as Continuing Education.

“Kathryn, when asked, declined to put in print the oral comments she once made about the quality of her pre-law advising,” her dad said. “I thought that helping pay for Kathryn’s law school education could get me some free probate advice.”

“It didn’t,” said Kathryn.The Rand clan has deep roots at UND. Tom’s parents, Al Rand, ’21, and Minna Harm

Rand, ’19, both graduated from UND. Tom knew first hand, from his parents and from his position in the College of Arts & Sciences, the value of a UND degree, and encouraged all three of his children to attend UND.

“My grandfather, Al Rand, was a UND School of Law graduate as well, and that tie has been very meaningful to me as I’ve been lucky enough to dedicate my own professional career to the law school,” Kathryn said. “In fact, most of my parents’ families, the Rands, Gronvolds and Skybergs, are UND graduates — three of my grandparents, great-aunts and — uncles, and all sorts of cousins. One of those great-aunts, Eunice Gronvold Kalloch, ’30, was a Sioux Award winner.”

“UND has had a huge impact on our family,” Kathryn said.

ABOUT THOMAS RANDAfter graduation, Tom went to Macalester College

in Saint Paul, but later attended the University of Minnesota. He later completed a divinity degree at Harvard University. A veteran bridge player, Tom also has been writing a weekly bridge column for the Grand Forks Herald for more than 30 years. He also plays squash. Tom is married to Alice Jean Skyberg.

In 1968 he began teaching humanities at UND and serving as associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. Since 2010, he has devoted 100 percent of his time to his associate dean duties.

ABOUT KATHRYN RANDKathryn Rand is dean and Floyd B. Sperry

Professor of Law at the UND School of Law. Kathryn is the school’s 16th dean and the first woman to serve in that position in the school’s 112-year history.

A former federal prosecutor who tackled violent criminal and drug offender cases, Kathryn also is a nationally known and highly respected expert on American Indian gaming law and policy. With longtime collaborator Dr. Steven Light, professor of political science and associate vice president for academic affairs at UND, she has authored several books on the subject, all of which are now standard texts in courses on Indian gaming around the country.

Kathryn received her J.D. (cum laude) from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993 and her bachelor’s in anthropology (summa cum laude) from UND in 1990. Her many connections to North Dakota and UND brought her back to Grand Forks in 2000 to join the law school faculty.

ABOUT DOUGLAS (DOUG) RANDDoug is chief technology officer with Meridian

Environmental Technologies Inc., a high-tech company founded in 1996 by UND atmospheric science researchers. The company, acquired in 2010 by California-based Iteris, is on the forefront of an industry that provides weather information to travelers and the transportation industry. It also provides state-based 511 road weather information services.

“After receiving my B.S. in computer science in 1988, I decided to experience a slightly different climate and moved to Phoenix to work for Honeywell,” Doug said.

Doug spent most of his years while getting bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science at UND working part time, and then full time, at the Scientific Computing Center in the Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, eventually becoming the center’s director.

ABOUT STEVE RANDSteve is a physical therapy assistant at Altru Health

System in Grand Forks. He graduated from UND’s Athletic Training program in 1991. He has three daughters. Like his brother, Doug, he worked for years in Phoenix before deciding that the weather was better in Grand Forks. In 2010, Steve received the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association’s Citizens Valor Award for helping save a snowmobiler who plunged through the ice on the Red River. AR

— Juan Pedraza, University Relations

Page 26: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

26 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

iN 2010, GRANDMOTHER GINNY VALENTINO BEGAN A VERY UNIQUE JOURNEY. After being out of school for 40 years, she enrolled at the University of North Dakota at the age of 58. But she didn’t do it alone.

Joining Valentino that fall were her son, Jason Yorba, 41, and granddaughter, Hailey Hill, 19. The freshmen represented three generations pursuing their educational degrees together at UND.

Valentino was born and raised in New York, and eventually moved to California. There she became a mother of seven children, Yorba being her oldest. Today she has 17 grandchildren, the most recent addition born on Christmas Eve.

Having never graduated high school, both Valentino and Yorba completed their General Equivalency Degree in 1990. Hill graduated from Larimore High School in 2010.

Valentino is working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in graphic design and new art media. “I love to draw and decorate, so it seemed like the perfect major for me,” she said.

Yorba is going to school for a similar degree in graphic design technology. “I’m interested in more of the computer and technology side of it,” Yorba explained. “I also really want to get my master’s.”

Hill is working toward an entirely different career, going to school for a nursing degree. She explains she grew up wanting to be a doctor and help people.

Going back to school after a long period away can be difficult. Valentino and Yorba started out as Lake Region State College students in the LAUNCH program, a partnership between Lake Region State College and UND. The program, which provides a seamless transition and transfer of credits for LRSC students enrolling at UND, helped them settle back in.

“It basically slowly works you into college life again if you’ve been out for too long,” Yorba said. LAUNCH helped Valentino and Yorba adjust to college and they have had a busy first year. Both were enrolled as full-time students for their first two semesters through LAUNCH.

CAMPUS NEWS

Ginny Valentino, son Jason Yorba and granddaughter Hailey

Hill are all students at UND.

Photo by: Jackie Lorentz

Family ties become school ties

MOTHER, SON AND GRANDDAUGHTER AT UND TOGETHER

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27www.undalumni.org

“At first it was difficult. Jason and I were the only two older students in LAUNCH. We thought it was going to be really tough, but it wasn’t,” Valentino said. “I have a lot of younger kids in my class, and they ask questions, but they’re friendly. I felt a little overwhelmed during the first semester, but I no longer do.”

Yorba replied teasingly, “No one really cared or knew I was 41, until she started telling everyone she was my mom.”

Now, more than halfway through their sophomore years, the three are involved in many activities that keep them busy and involved. Hill is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She had been coaching a dance team at Larimore High School, and enjoys taking hip-hop classes at the Wellness Center. She balances her sorority activities and love of dance with working at Cold Stone Creamery and the Student Union computer lab on campus.

Last semester, Valentino tutored students in speech, history and note-taking through the TRIO program in McCannel Hall, which offers support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Valentino has also been taking care of a person with disabilities for the last 31 years. Also, she and Yorba enjoy participating in functions and events at the Era Bell Thompson Multicultural Student Services Center. Even with all that, Valentino said she attained a 3.75 grade point average last semester.

Yorba, a husband and father of three children, balances a very hectic schedule. His wife, Tammy, also attends UND full-time and is studying special education. He said it’s difficult being a full-time student and parent.

“You do what you can,” he said. “We make sacrifices, but in the end, it’s worth it.”

While life may be busy, Yorba likes to keep things interesting. “When I turned 41, everyone was telling me I was old. So I went out for the UND rugby team to prove I wasn’t.”

The young-at-heart dad definitely proved his point and he made the team but decided not to play for the season. “Just because I can play, doesn’t mean I should,” he said jokingly.

Having three generations of one family in college at one time is very rare, and Yorba explained his family’s involvement at UND will be growing even more next fall. Hill’s younger sister and Yorba’s daughter will begin their college education, bringing the total to six family members attending UND at the same time.

This hard-working family assures they still make time for each other, even with busy schedules.

“We try to share time, and meet up for lunch,” Valentino said. “And we call each other if we need help with homework.”

That kind of support network is hard to beat — anywhere. AR

— Caitlin Slator

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Dean’s Corner:

RECOGNITIONDear Alumni and Friends,

This is the time of year when the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars and other events recognize excellence in the world of entertainment. It is also the time of the year when the University of North Dakota recognizes our exceptional faculty and departments.

The Founders Day banquet was a big night for UND. Faculty from past and present gathered with friends, administrators, family and other supporters to recognize the University’s proud past and look ahead to our bright future. It is also the time when some exceptional UND faculty members are recognized for their achievements.

We at the College of Arts & Sciences proudly recognize our Founders Day award recipients:

• Dr. Diane Darland in the Department of Biology, who received the Individual Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

• Dr. Brett Goodwin in the Biology Department, who received the Faculty Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty Development or Service.

• Dr. James Popejoy from the Music Department received the award for Individual Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Founders Day recognition does not stop at the individual level; departments and programs within Arts & Sciences excel in collaborative efforts across the campus. These exceptional efforts were recognized:

• The Department of Chemistry partnering with the Chemical Engineering Department from the School of Engineering and Mines to earn the Collaborative Research Award.

Although she wasn’t recognized at Founders Day, an equally noteworthy award recipient is Katie Jo Flint, a student in the Non-Profit Leadership Program. Katie Jo’s work was honored with the Internship of the Year Award from the National Leadership Alliance.

As acceptance speeches at awards shows acknowledge, individual success requires the help and support of others. Of course, this is true at UND as well. The unprecedented support given to the University and the College of Arts & Sciences by our alumni and friends during the North Dakota Spirit Campaign provides us with the resources to attract and retain talented faculty and students like those I have just mentioned.

Arts & Sciences faculty members provide world-class educational opportunities for students across all disciplines and colleges at UND. I would like to thank everyone who has supported the departments and programs that compose the College of Arts & Sciences. If you haven’t yet shown your support, I hope you will do so. Again, thank you for your support of the exceptional students, faculty and programs offered in the College.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Tiemann, Dean of College of Arts & Sciences

Kathleen Tiemann

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Scoring a Scholarship

tHE END OF JIM KLEINSASSER’S PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CAREER MIGHT ALSO MARK THE START OF JACOB GREENMYER’S CAREER IN MEDICINE.

On Jan. 1, in Minneapolis, during the final game of the regular season between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, Greenmyer, a 17-year-old senior from Stirum, N.D., who attends North Sargent High School in Gwinner, N.D., was named the recipient of the Vikings $10,000 academic scholarship to UND.

It was the final game of his career for Kleinsasser, a native of Carrington, N.D., who recently announced his retirement after playing 13 years as a tight end for the Vikings. The former UND star took time out to congratulate Greenmyer during pre-game activities at Mall of America Field.

In his essay, Greenmyer, a cancer survivor, recounted his medical battles since age 9, how he overcame them and how those experiences led to the idea of pursuing a career in medicine.

“Reflecting on the early stages of my life and the virtues of hard work and perseverance I had based my ethics off of, I realized that the University of North Dakota was the only possibility for my college education,” he wrote. “It has a top tier medical program, and just as importantly I believe it embodies the same values and beliefs that are home grown in North Dakota, attributes I have used on the farm and to fight for my life.”

Attending the game with Greenmyer were his parents, Ron and Chelie; grandparents Connie and Jerry Zetocha; two brothers, Andrew and Joseph; and his sister, Annah.

Kleinsasser was one of the best players ever to suit up for UND. Following a four-year career at the University from 1995-1998, he was drafted by the Vikings as a tight end in the second round of the NFL draft. He is the longest-tenured pro athlete in the Twin Cities and was inducted into North Dakota High School Hall of Fame in 2008.

The scholarship — intended for an incoming freshman in 2012 — attracted applicants from 18 states and the United Kingdom.

Greenmyer was also selected based on his high school grade point average and standardized test scores, as well as his personal statement highlighting his career goals, achievements, how he overcame adversity and what the opportunity to study at UND would mean to his future.

Kleinsasser participated in promotional television and radio spots to promote the scholarship. In them, he talked about his love for UND and how his years at the University have helped him in life.

Off the field, Kleinsasser has worked extensively with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, serving with his wife to host the annual fundraising ball in the Twin Cities. He participates annually in the Epilepsy Foundation Clothing Drive and the North Dakota Special Olympics Games. AR

— Patrick C. Miller, University Relations

NORTH DAKOTA STUDENT NAMED VIKINGS SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

CAMPUS NEWS

Steve LaCroix, Minnesota Vikings vice president of sales and marketing (left), Jacob Greenmyer, Stirum, N.D., recipient of the “Vikings plus UND and Me” $10,000 scholarship, and Tim DeBolt, UND director of eMarketing and communications, pose for a photo during pre-game activities at the Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears game Jan. 1 at Mall of America Field in Minneapolis.

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29www.undalumni.org

HE GORECKI ALUMNI CENTER, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEXT TO THE CHESTER FRITZ AUDI-TORIUM, will truly be a multi-use building. In addition to housing the staff of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation and hosting a number of events in the Gransberg community room, the Gorecki Alumni Center will also be home to UND’s Admissions Department.

The decision to locate Admissions in the new building is the result of collaboration between the UND AA&F and its University partners. The Admissions Department will be housed on the main and lower levels of the building. UND AA&F staff will occupy the second and third floors.

“It means the Gorecki Alumni Center will be the ‘alpha’ and ‘omega’ for UND students,” said Tim O’Keefe, Executive Vice President/CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “The building will be the first place prospective students visit when they initially come to campus, and it will be their alumni home after they graduate. We’re very excited about what this will mean for the student and alumni experience.”

Prospective students will be greeted by what O’Keefe calls “5-star” space on the main floor of the Gorecki Alumni Center. While they wait to take their campus tour, they’ll be immersed in the University’s history through heritage displays on the main floor. “It will be a great way for them to learn about the outstanding and inspirational alumni who are proud to call UND their alma mater,” said O’Keefe.

The grand opening of the Gorecki Alumni Center is set for Friday, Oct. 12, as part of Homecoming 2012. Save that date to take part in the celebration of your new home on campus!

To follow progress on the construction of the Gorecki Alumni Center, visit undalumni.org/alumnicenter.

t The Beginning and the EndThe warmer-than-normal Grand Forks winter has been kind to those constructing the Gorecki Alumni Center.

Update

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30 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

Thousands of University of North Dakota alumni answered our online survey during the fall of 2011, and we want you to know that we are listening to what you had to say.

The Alumni Attitude Survey was administered by the Performance Enhancement Group, which tailored some questions specifically to UND, but also included questions that have been asked of 400,000 alumni at 160 universities and colleges over the past nine years. That allows us to compare your answers to those given across the country.

When compared to all the schools that have taken the survey, UND alumni felt more strongly that history and tradition, providing scholarships, and accomplishments of students impacted their overall current opinion of the University. Also interesting, UND alumni were much more likely than alumni from other schools to feel that the success of athletic teams affected their opinion of the University. 54 percent of UND alumni picked success of athletic teams as one of their top two choices. 42 percent of alumni of all other schools made that one of their top two choices. Value and respect for their degree was by far the most important to alumni of UND and all the other schools. Nearly 90 percent of all survey takers picked that as one of their top two choices.

The survey also points to some areas where you would like the University to do a better job. Many survey takers said that it was important to them that UND help identify job opportunities for graduates, but far fewer felt the University was doing a good job of performing that task. On a scale from 1 to 4 (with 1 being “not important” and a 4 being “critically important,”) the average response

to the question was 3.05. But when asked how well UND was performing in the area of identifying jobs for graduates (with a 1 being poor and a 4 being excellent), the average score was 2.5.

On a positive front, our alumni were more likely than those from other schools to say that their degree prepared them for their current job and helped them prepare to contribute to their communities.

We also got verification of something we’ve always believed: UND alumni are some of the most loyal around. On every question related to loyalty, UND alumni scored higher than alumni from other schools (see accompanying graphic).

The survey also shows that we have some work to do. For one, the results show us that we need to do more to communicate with students while they are on campus and for the first few years after they leave in order to instill in them the importance of being an involved and engaged alum of UND and how crucial alumni support is to the school’s future. The idea for Spirit Week sprang from this finding. Through signs posted around campus and other events, we worked to raise the profile of the Spirit Campaign to help students understand the significant impact of philanthropic support on campus.

And finally, we learned that you want to be more involved in shaping our mission going forward. You want us to ask your opinions, act on them and give you feedback. That just means we need to further embrace our Alumni Association slogan: Connect. Engage. Grow.

SURVEYALUMN I ATT ITUDE

2011

UND in general

My major or academic area of study

My undergraduate college

UND athletics

All Schools

Not Loyal Somewhat Loyal Loyal Very Loyal

UND

A faculty member or instructor

A student organization or activity I was associated with

WE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION AND YOU RESPONDED.

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SURVEYALUMN I ATT ITUDE

Please send in the accompanying reply card to be a part of this exciting opportunity.

Fellow UND grads,

All of us, as UND alumni, began to build our UND house the moment we set foot on the University grounds. Our house became a home, as our education laid the cornerstone and our memories raised the walls.

I was honored to make one of the first gifts in support of the Gorecki Alumni Center. As a journalist who decided to follow my passion by pursuing a career in public radio, my $1,000 donation was a substantial

financial commitment. But I’m also a proud third-generation UND grad, and I strongly believe the investment is worth it. I hope all of you are willing to make a similar gift to help build a home for UND alumni.

The UND Alumni Association & Foundation are seeking distinctive supporters to take part in a one-time opportunity called the Builders Society. This unique group of supporters will be recognized through a prominent recognition display within this impressive new structure on the UND campus.

A $1,000 investment in the Gorecki Alumni Center will add your name to the Builders Society, and there are multiple payment plans available to fit your budget. As an alum, your legacy can now be

recognized within your Gorecki Alumni Center home. Together, let’s create a place to educate, entertain and gather, as only a home can do.

Thank you for considering this opportunity,

Laura McCallum, ’89

Your home T O D A Y, T O M O R R O W A N D F O R E V E R .

Builders work with their hands to create a home. Create your UND home by joining the Builders Societywith an investment in the Gorecki Alumni Center.

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

whether it’s playing “Stand Up and Cheer” or “In Heaven There Is No Beer,” alumni and friends of UND recognize the Pride of the North band for getting the crowd on its feet at hockey, basketball and football games.

The band is important to the spirit of the University of North Dakota, and its members represent every field of study. So, the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, in conjunction with Hugo’s Family Marketplace, UND, UND Athletics and Ralph Engelstad Arena, sponsored the Text Your Pledge campaign in support of the Pride of the North during Spirit Week Jan. 9-14.

On Jan. 13-14, the UND men’s hockey team faced off against Minnesota at Ralph Engelstad Arena. During those two games alone, $2,120 was pledged via text message, and total pledges were $4,400. Hugo’s Family Marketplace generously matched pledges made during the week, bringing the total to $8,800.

“The Pride is the backbone of support and leader of spirit for the University, alumni and fans at events and games,” said Rob Brooks, founder and director of the Pride of the North bands, now in their 14th year. “They are proud to represent the University at over 90 events a year. They appreciate being recognized for their

BY ALYSSA SHIREK

SPREADING NORTH DAKOTA SPIRIT: THE PRIDE OF THE NORTH BAND

LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA SPIRIT | THE CAMPAIGN FOR UND AT SPIRIT.UND.EDU.

Text Your Pledge event dedicates almost $9,000 to beloved student organization

Photo by: Jackie Lorentz

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Cory Driscoll

Heather Church

effort, talent and over 700 hours of time they dedicate to supporting the University.”

Brooks said that funding priorities, now that the Pride of the North is a Division I band program, are instruments, uniforms, scholarships and travel.

The text-based fundraiser was the first of its kind in support of a UND program

through the UND Foundation, and utilized the most current mobile technologies to collect pledges. All pledges also supported North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, which seeks to raise $300 million for the benefit of UND’s passionate students, inspirational educators, innovative programs and extraordinary places.

FRIENDS, FAMILY, WORK ETHICWhen Heather Church and Cory Driscoll came to UND as

freshmen, they found a big new campus, an unfamiliar place full of strangers, and unlimited possibility for their futures. They also found a second family — a big one. Their new family consisted of 150 flutists, drummers, trumpet players and saxophonists. Their new family was the Pride of the North band.

“It gives you a family when you first come to college; it gives you friends you can count on. Instantly, everybody respects each

other, and you learn a good work ethic,” said Driscoll, 23. “I wouldn’t be the person or musician I am today without the Pride of the North.”

Church, a 21-year-old drummer and senior music education major, says she would like to see the money used for new uniforms or for travel costs. “The Pride of the North works as a team to represent the University of North Dakota,” she said. “I’d like to see some new uniforms that match our high standard of playing. It’s also a good opportunity to take trips with the teams to other states.”

Driscoll also points to the band’s national representation of UND. “Scholarships would increase the band’s size, and make the band better to represent UND,” he said. “And if we could have more support for traveling and new instruments, we’d look and feel more like other D-I bands.”

For more information on the Text Your Pledge program, visit undalumni.org/text. For more information on North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, visit spirit.und.edu.

Some members of the Pride of the North pose with their cell phones to promote the Text Your

Pledge fundraiser.

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

YOUNG

ALUMNI SHOW THEIR NORTH DAKOTA SPIRIT

Eric Schoch, ’07College of Business & Public Administration, AccountingAnnual donor and instrumental in organizing the upcoming Deloitte Leadership Endowment Fund.

Josh Morton, ’96College of Arts & Sciences, Broadcast JournalismServes on Studio One Advisory Council and volunteers time to host UND Sports TV show.

What are some of your favorite memories of UND?

I always enjoyed attending UND sporting events. One of my favorites was being at the last UND football victory over NDSU in 2003!What were you involved in at UND?

I was primarily involved with Intramural Sports and Beta Alpha

Psi (national accountancy honor society for accounting, finance, and information system students).What is your motivation for giving back?

I originally chose to stay in North Dakota and attend UND primarily because of the scholarships I received (the Presidential Scholarship at UND and the North Dakota Scholars Program). So, I have always appreciated the people who were responsible for contributing to those scholarships, and wanted to pay that generosity forward.

Is there anyone who inspired you along the way?In September 2011, I met Al Royce (’72, ’73, ’76) in San Francisco,

and hearing his story and how he has given back to UND has been really inspiring — especially since he was born and raised in North Dakota, and had a really impressive career at Deloitte. It is through Al that I am helping a little bit with the Deloitte fund. What is your vision for the results of your generosity?

I am going to help the Accounting Department and the Deloitte Leadership Council in any way I can to establish the Deloitte Leadership Endowment Fund. This endowment will be great for students by eventually creating conferences, programs, networking, etc. What does North Dakota Spirit mean to you?

North Dakota Spirit means that I am proud that I grew up in North Dakota and graduated from UND. Anything that I can do to help UND is worth the time and effort.

What are your most memorable moments as a student at UND?

My first day of football practice as a walk-on quarterback in 1992 — maybe the scariest day of my life! And the first time doing a live TV show with Studio One — maybe the second scariest!In your current role as executive director of the North Dakota

Champions Club, you see generous contributions to UND’s athletic programs daily. How does that inspire you?

It makes me want to show those generous investors the impact their gifts make, and how it all comes back to the student-athletes. Every September we have our student-athlete/investor social where those who have contributed named scholarships get to meet the student-athlete recipients. It’s great to be able to make that connection for both sides, and that inspires us.

Giving to the University doesn’t have to be financially. How do you give back to UND through your time?

I’m proud to serve on the Studio One Advisory Council, and I also host the weekly “UND Sports” cable television show. We talk to alumni and friends about investing time, talent and treasure, so if there’s something I can offer, I’m happy to do it.What is your motivation to give back?

I talk to people about giving to their passion, and I left UND with a passion for UND football and Studio One. My wife feels the same about the swimming & diving program, so we give what we can. It’s not always about the size of the investment. We’re motivated to give back because we understand the need.

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Vicky Hoffarth Jensen, ’93College of NursingEstablished the Tom and Shirley Hoffarth College of Nursing Scholarship Endowment.

Matt Brown, ’02College of Business and Public Administration, Aviation ManagementEstablished Memorial Union Leadership Award scholarship, Leader in Management Scholarship.

EXPLORE NORTH DAKOTA SPIRIT | THE CAMPAIGN FOR UND AT SPIRIT.UND.EDU.

What are some of your favorite memories of UND?

The beautiful campus, attending football games as a member of the marching band and long study sessions with friends. What were you involved in at UND?

The Nursing Student Association, Wind Ensemble and Marching Band.

What is your motivation for giving back to the College of Nursing? My motivation for establishing an endowment in honor of my

parents was to thank them for the wonderful gift of a baccalaureate nursing education, and to extend that gift to others for years to come. I have never regretted or doubted my choice to enter into nursing practice with a bachelor’s degree. It is my hope to enable other aspiring nurses to start their careers with the skills necessary to be an asset and example for nursing practice — a UND Nursing degree.

Is there anyone who has inspired you along the way? In addition to my parents, I was inspired by my professors at the

College of Nursing. They shared their passion for and love of the nursing profession and their own specific areas of concentration. Specifically, I was very inspired and motivated by Dr. Sharon Lambeth, both through participating in her nursing leadership class and serving as her research assistant.What is your vision for the results of your generosity through the Tom and Shirley Hoffarth College of Nursing Scholarship Endowment?

My vision is to provide a nursing student with the opportunity to concentrate on their nursing education through a tuition gift.What does North Dakota Spirit mean to you?

It is something that you don’t appreciate until you move away. It is a way of life, a culture of honest, hard-working people who treat everyone like family.

What are some of your favorite memories of UND?

My favorite memories of UND all relate to the great people I met during my time there. From fellow students to staff and faculty, UND was the catalyst for creating lasting relationships that remain important in my life today. What were you involved in at UND?

During my time at UND, I was actively involved in a number of student organizations including Student Aviation Management Association, University Program Council, and I served as UND’s Student Body President from 2001- 02. I was also a resident assistant for two years at Walsh Hall.What is your motivation for giving back to the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences?

Simply put, it’s the students. UND provided me with vast

opportunities that I was able to take advantage of as a student. I give back today as a means to help preserve and grow opportunities for tomorrow’s students.Is there anyone who has inspired you along the way?

There are too many to list! Many faculty and staff at UND were great motivators. At the Odegard School, Dr. Kim Kenville mentored and inspired me and she continues in that capacity today. I also found tremendous encouragement from the amazing staff at the Memorial Union, an environment that I believe does a great job fostering leadership developmentWhat is your vision for the results of your generosity?

I’m convinced that UND produces the world’s best and brightest emerging talent for the work force. I’m hopeful that my support continues to enable this unique differentiator for UND.What does North Dakota Spirit mean to you?

To me, North Dakota Spirit is a proud declaration that “I am UND.”

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

North Dakota Spirit Campaign Goal: $300,000,000THROUGH FEB. 9, 2012: $249,111,178

Annual gifts provide flexible resources to allow the president, deans and department chairs to invest in any of the four campaign priority areas.

PASSIONATE STUDENTSOne of UND’s highest priorities is increasing the number of private scholarships available to students.

INSPIRATIONAL EDUCATORSBuilding endowments to support faculty will dramatically strengthen the University’s ability to retain our best and recruit additional, inspirational faculty leaders.

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMSUND will strengthen programs in energy, life sciences, rural health care and more.

EXTRAORDINARY PLACESBuilding and infrastructure priorities include:

• Enhanced laboratory spaces• Continued investments in technology• An indoor athletic training complex• An alumni center• A new College of Business & Public

Administration

ANNUAL EXCELLENCE

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The University of North Dakota and UND Foundation extend a sincere thank you to all alumni and friends who have made gifts and commitments to support students, faculty, programs, and places at UND since July 1, 2005, when North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND began.

The following donors made campaign commitments of at least $25,000 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011.

* indicates deceased

DONORSUPCOMING

thank youEvents

Helen A. Dahl

Benedict F. & Dorothy J. Gorecki

Lucille M. Nilson Estate

$1 ,000 ,000 - $4 , 999 ,999

$5 ,000 ,000+

$499 ,999 - $1 , 000 ,000

$25 ,000 - $99 ,999

$100 ,000 - $499 ,999

Owen & Kathie Anderson

Paul & S. Gail Busch

Wayne & Pamela Dewald

Forum Communications Co.

Gary & Char Griffeth

Jacquelyn & Patrick Grinde

Gretchen Gulmon

Dean & JoAnn Hornbacher

Charles M. & Julie Horter

William & Marcella Kunkel Estate

Dale & Roberta Lalim

Paula H. Lee in Memory of Randy H. Lee

Dr. Amy I. Lind*

Dr. John & Donna Linfoot

Jeremy S. Lunde

Patricia Kalil Margarit

Thomas & Shannon Matson

John & Nancy McEnroe

Kenneth* & JoAnn Mellem

Robert & Grayce Mitchell

Dr. James O’Connell

Kathering G. Overstreet

Edith & Michael Ruby

Terry & Diane Severson

Howard M. Skjervem Estate

Jane & Scott Swenson

David & Linnea Veeder

Rod* & Betty Webb

Dr. Richard P. & Paula J. Wenham

Todd & Suzanne Zahnow

Jack & Yvonne Cronquist

Brian & Terrie Dahl

Judith R. Dickinson Estate

Dennis A. Hill

Mary Lou J. Kojancik Estate

Loren R. Kopseng

Margaret (Peggy Paupst) Kruta Estate

Roger L. & Glenda Minerman

March 10 Arizona UND Alumni & Friends Reception 4-6 p.m.; 1130 Restaurant, Arizona Center; 455 N. Third St. #1130, Phoenix, Ariz.; Hors d’oeurves & cash bar. Contact Brooke at [email protected] 800.543. 8764 for information.

March 13 Washington, D.C. Alumni & Friends Reception/Business & Govern-ment Symposium 5:30-7:30 p.m. EST; Russell Senate Office Building Room 325; complimentary hors d’oeuvres & cocktails. RSVP by March 6 to [email protected] or 800.543.8764.

June 7 Park River, N.D. (Hillcrest): UND Champions Golf Tour

June 11Prior Lake, Minn. (Legends Golf Club): UND Champions Golf Tour

June 18Fargo (Oxbow) UND Champions Golf Tour

July 19Detroit Lakes, Minn. (Detroit Lakes Country Club) UND Champions Golf Tour

August 27Grand Forks (Grand Forks Country Club) UND Champions Golf Tour 2012-13 Season Kick-Off Event

October 8-14 HomecomingOctober 11 Sioux Awards ceremonyOctober 12 Gorecki Alumni Center Grand Opening

LEADERSHIPgiftsSIGNATURE gifts

MAJOR gifts

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

STUDENTS JOIN FORCES TO SAY

‘THANK YOU’uring Spirit Week, individual colleges and schools within the University hosted Share Your UND Spirit events, where students signed thank-you notes for various groups of UND investors. More than 1,000 students, like the ones pictured here at the College of Arts & Sciences, signed

North Dakota Spirit thank-you notes. The event aimed to raise awareness of philanthropy on campus and call attention to generous alumni and friends who benefit UND’s passionate students, extraordinary places, innovative programs and inspirational educators.

dPhoto by: Aimee Abentroth

Page 39: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

As part of Spirit Week, the first-ever UND Spirit Award winners were selected based on their demonstrated leadership in service, philanthropy, community involvement and academics. Honorees will serve as student ambassadors for UND’s philanthropic endeavors and were awarded $1,000 each — $500 for their personal tuition and fees and $500 to be gifted to a UND program of each recipient’s choice as it matches their philanthropic focus.

THE WINNERS WERE:

39www.undalumni.org

2012 UND SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS

ADAM SWIGOST Sophomore, Biology major (pre-

med) with a minor in Chemistry “My goals include going to

medical school to become a surgeon or anesthesiologist. I’d love to do health

mission trips throughout my career in order to give of my time and talents. After practicing, I would like to transition into health care management, policy or politics.”

• Adam is a Bismarck native who says his family instilled the importance of service in him at a young age, when he first began to volunteer for community service organizations.

• Involved in Student Government (College of Arts & Sciences Senator), Lions Club, Undergraduate Medical Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Arts and Sciences Technology Fee Committee, Emerging Leaders, and is a UND Presidential Scholar

• 4.0 GPA• Plans to gift $500 of his scholarship to Emerging

Leaders to help fund their end-of-the year philanthropy projects that impact a wide array of UND and community organizations.

CHELSIE BICKELJunior, Communication

& Sociology double major“I’ve been inspired by

so many people at UND. As such, my goal is to work in Student Affairs after graduate school. I want to be a factor in providing positive student experiences that expose them to endless opportunities.”

• Chelsie is originally from the small town of Kindred, N.D. Her small-town upbringing inspired her commitment to be involved in “everything.” Her involvement in high school spurred her interest in getting involved when she came to UND.

• President of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Student Ambassador, PRSSA, passionate volunteer for Community Violence Intervention Center

• Plans to gift $500 of her scholarship to Alpha Chi Omega to help establish an ongoing scholarship for an Alpha Chi Omega committed to the continued partnership between the sorority and CVIC.

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Maurie Pearson of Metro Ice Sculptures carves a sculpture of the UND flame outside the Memorial Union during Spirit Week. (PHOTO BY JACKIE LORENTZ)

UND Alumni Association & Foundation Executive Vice President & CEO Tim O’Keefe delivers the first-ever State of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation Address in the Chester Fritz Library Reading Room. (PHOTO BY JACKIE LORENTZ)

Work Well coordinator Kim Ruliffson, ’08, UND First Lady Marcia Kelley, and UND President Robert Kelley lead the Spirit Walk With the Kelleys event at the UND Wellness Center. Due to unseasonably warm weather and little snow, the scheduled “Ski UND” cross-country ski event had to be modified.

Student Ambassadors man the Plinko board at Spirit Headquarters in the Memorial Union during Spirit Week.

The University gave complimentary shirts to UND faculty & staff, such as this one modeled by Memorial Union Director Tony Trimarco.

The Pride of the North band surprised the Memorial Union lunch crowd on Friday by giving a noon performance.

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ALUMNI NEWS

We had several readers email a response to our request to help identify the cheerleaders in this picture from the 1965 NCAA Small College Tournament in Evansville, Ind. The consensus seemed to be that the cheerleader whose face is obscured is Joan Kieffer, Kay Boyum is on the left, Jill Westlind is the in the middle and Dixie Karol Konrad is on the far right. Joan (Meyers) Baker wrote in to say that she was also a cheerleader at the national tournament and she remembers that flowers would arrive at the girls’ rooms each morning from adoring fans. Dr. Wayne Houtcooper remembers attending the tournament and says it was “a blast.”

The 1968 UND Debate Club was tasked with resolving this national collegiate debate topic: “Resolved: That the government should guarantee all U.S. citizens a minimum annual cash income.” Do you recognize any of the debaters in this photograph?

Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call us at 800.543.8764.

THE GREAT DEBATE

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1950sRemember when, in 1953, Hancock Hall opened as a dormitory for 122 men, who made do for a time without curtains in the new building’s windows?

1958Charles Argue, ’58, is the author of a new, two-volume work, “The Pollination Biology of North American Orchids.” Argue was a biologist in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Minnesota for more than 30 years before retiring. He and his wife, Joanne, live in St. Paul.

1960sRemember when, in 1966, Dr. Avard Fairbanks spent a year on campus as a sculptor-in-residence? Fairbanks’ statue of former North Dakota Gov. John Burke is housed in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

1962Dr. Don Bartlett, ’62, was the keynote speaker for the North American Association of Christian Social Workers convention. He and his wife, Julie, live in North Canton, Ohio.

1963David Bossart, ’63, ’65, was named Fargo Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers magazine. In addition to his private practice, David lectures across the U.S. in the field of trial advocacy.

1966Curt Eriksmoen, ’66, ’71, released the fifth book in his popular “Did you Know That?” series. He lives in Fargo with his wife, Jan.

Ken Mukomela, ’66, ’68, was named a Volunteer of the Year by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. He is a retired professor of Business and Office Education at Southwest Minnesota State University. He previously received an Honorary Alumni Award and was selected to the University’s Athletic Hall of Honor. He and his wife, Gwen, reside in Marshall, Minn.

Bob Stroup II, ’66, ’67, has been named Fargo Real Estate Attorney of the Year for 2012 by Best Lawyers magazine. Bob is with the law firm of Kennelly & O’Keefe and specializes in real estate and business-related law and banking issues. He lives in Fargo with his wife, Colletta (Albers), ..’60.

1967Dr. Walter Greene, ’67, has been re-elected as “Dean of Fellows” by the Association of Small Business & Entrepreneurship. After 20 years of active duty in the Air Force, Walter taught business administration at the University of Texas-Pan American. He and his wife, Gloria, live in Edinburg, Texas.

Barbara (Finney) Ruzicka, ’67, ’93, retired after 30 years of teaching, 20 of which were spent in the Special Education Department at Fargo South High School. She and her husband, Charles, ’72, live in Fargo.

A HELPING HAND

UND student-athletes appear at school and community events all around the Grand Forks area. In November, members of the Cross-Country and Track & Field teams were at Valley Middle School to assist with the school’s Carnival.

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ALUMNI NEWS

1969J.J. (Sean) Sweeney, ’69, was awarded Life Membership by the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Manitoba. Sean is the managing director of Sweeney Marketing Systems and is a fellow and past president of the Provincial Institute and a past director and national committee chair of the Canadian Institute. Sean and his wife, Marcia (Hilken), ’69, live in Winnipeg.

1970sRemember when, in 1974, Oscar- and Tony-winning actress Patricia Neal was on hand for the dedication of the Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital?

1970Henry Eslinger, ’70, ’85, retired from his position as Grand Forks municipal judge. Henry started his career as a high school teacher, but went back to school to get his JD. Henry spent the last 13 years as municipal judge. He and his wife, JoAnn, ’90, live in Grand Forks.

Ted Frederickson, ’70, ’75, has retired after 31 years as a journalism professor at the University of Kansas. He and his wife, Merrilee Cooper, live near Tonganoxie, Kan.

1972Steve Caspers, ’72, retired as executive vice president and CFO of Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative. Steve spent 37 years with the company, starting as an accounting supervisor in 1974. He and his wife, Joyce, live in Chaska, Minn.

Gail (Hallowell) Ebeltoft, ’72, and her husband, Paul, were awarded the Blue Feather Award by the Dickinson (N.D) State University Alumni Association. The award recognizes the Ebeltofts for their significant contributions to the university. They live in Dickinson.

Susan Rhode, ’72, ’74, has been named by Best Lawyers as the Minneapolis Family Lawyer of the Year. Susan is co-chair of the family law practice area at the business law firm Moss & Barnett. She lives in Plymouth, Minn.

1973Karen (Kosanda) Braaten, ’73, ’79, a state district judge, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UND Department of Social Work. She and her husband, Gerald, ’71, live in Grand Forks.

George Berg, ’73, ’85, retired from Nodak Electric after 37 years with the co-op. Berg lives in East Grand Forks with his wife, Patti.

1975David Clinton, ’75, ’77, ’86, received the Service to the Profession award from the Communication, Speech, and Theater Association of North Dakota. David is an administrative law judge for Job Service North Dakota. He and his wife, Diane (Thomte), ’74, live in Bismarck.

A summer reunion of the Rasmussen family turned out to be an UND alumni gathering as well, with graduates from four decades in attendance. Pictured from left to right: Kim Rasmussen, ’75; Lisa (Rasmussen) Tuzel, ’00; Kurt Rasmussen, ’84; Laura (Rasmussen) Devney, ’05; Jake Devney, ’05; Jessica (Kuster) Rasmussen, ’07; David Rasmussen, ’07; and Colleen (Ishaug) Kuhn, ’94.

A UND FAMILY

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Owen Puhl shares a high five with his dad, Jacob, ’97, ’02, at the 2011 men’s hockey Final 5. More than 20 members of the Puhl family try to make it to the tournament every year. Owen’s mother is Jennifer (Klemetsrud) Puhl, ’97, ’00.

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1982Dr. Stephen Linn, ’82, ’86, works in the obstetrics and gynecology department at Essentia Health in Fargo, where he and his wife, Tammy, live.

1984Mary (Kelly) Jagim, ’84, is chief nursing officer for Intelligent InSites. She lives in Moorhead, Minn.

Dean Rinday, ’84, joined Kennelly & O’Keeffe Attorneys in Fargo. He specializes in real estate law and title insurance. Dean lives in West Fargo with his wife, Karen.

Kathy (Hoagie) Davison, ’75, ’79, was named the 2011 recipient of the Larry Rowen Remele Award by the Northern Plains History Conference Council. She was selected for her work as a member of the NPHG Conference Council and as a program coordinator for the annual conference. She and her husband, Phil, live in Bismarck.

1979Rita (Skurdell) Schuster, ’79, was named North Dakota Realtor® of the Year. She works for Greenberg Realty in Grand Forks, where she lives with her husband, Thomas, ’81.

1980sRemember when, in 1988, Dr. LaVernia Jorgensen, long-time statistician for the UND women’s basketball team, retired? “Dr. J.,” as she was known, spent 25 years teaching health, physical education and recreation.

1980Rebecca Theim, ’80, has been elected chair of the board of trustees of the national Conference of Bar Examiners. She is a vice chairman of the Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court and a fellow in the International Society of Barristers. She lives in Bismarck.

1981 Kathy (Blum) Johnson, ’81, has been hired by Achieve Therapy and Fitness in Grand Forks as a physical therapist. She specializes in treatment of chronic pain conditions as a result of injury and disease. She and her husband, Bruce, ’78, live in East Grand Forks.

1986Scott Thomsen, ’86, was named president of the Flat Glass Group for Guardian Industries Corporation. He will oversee the worldwide operations of the company’s float glass manufacturing, marketing, distribution and product development. He and his wife, Mary Jane (Luney), ’86, live in Brighton, Mich.

1988Tania (Paulson) Eichhorst, ’88, is a science teacher at Underwood (N.D.) High School. She lives in Coleharbor, N.D., with her husband, Ward.

Ritchie Loerch, ’88, was named regional controller for Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports television networks. Ritchie resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

1990sRemember when, in 1996, award-winning author and UND alumnus Jon Hassler dedicated the one millionth volume to the Chester Fritz library?

1990Mylo Einarson, ’90, has been named president and CEO of Nodak Electric Cooperative, which provides power to more than 13,000 customers in northeastern North Dakota. Mylo lives in Grafton with his wife, Darcie (Seboe), ’89, ’92.

THE NEXT GENERATION

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Julie (Liffrig) Fedorchak, ’90, was named state director for Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) after working as his deputy state director since he took office in January 2011. Julie and her husband, Mike, ’97, live in Bismarck.

1993Garrett Devine, ’93, was appointed to the board of directors of The Hammer Museum of Los Angeles. He runs a wealth management practice at the Wells Fargo Private bank in Beverly Hills, where he lives.

Dean Rau, ’93, works as a project engineer for Interstate Engineering. He works in the company’s Beulah, N.D., office.

1994Eva Keiser, ’94, is a public relations director for KC Associates, a business-to-business information technology marketing and public relations firm in Minneapolis, where she resides with her husband, Jack.

Miranda (Timpe) Kleven, ’94, is an environmental engineer with AE2S Nexus in Grand Forks. She specializes in public utility cost of service and rate analysis for municipal and private utility operators. She lives in Grand Forks with her husband, Jay, ’96.

Jeff Lancaster, ’94, is an account manager with the Grand Forks Park District. He will supervise the administrative department. He and his wife, Susan (Eggers), ’90, ’98, live in Grand Forks.

Justin and Maureen Curtis stopped by the alumni party before the Northern Colorado football game this fall. The two met at an alumni gathering several years ago and are now married. Glad we could help play matchmaker!

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46 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

A PERFECT MATCH

1995Kathleen Larson, ’95, was named by Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R-N.D.) to the State Board of Medical Examiners. Larson is the first physician assistant to serve on the board. She maintains a family practice at the Garrison Family Clinic and Hospital in Garrison, N.D., where she lives with her husband, Gary.

Nonda (Osowski) Mack, ’95, is an administrative assistant and receptionist with the North Dakota State University Development Foundation and Alumni Association. She lives in Fargo.

Arie Schaap, ’95, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by the U.S. Air Force. Lt. Colonel Schaap currently serves as the Staff Judge Advocate and Deputy Squadron Commander for the 426th Air Base Squadron located at Stavanger Air Station, Norway.

Brenda Werner, ’95, has been named North Dakota’s 2012 Teacher of the Year. She is an English teacher at Bismarck High School.

1996Mason Engstrom, ’96, was named national sales manager for Skyy Spirits, LLC. He and his wife, Kristi, live in Dallas.

1997Darla (McQueen) Miller, ’97, is the business development director for KK BOLD, an advertising and marketing agency. She lives in Minot, N.D., with her husband, Matthew.

Craig Nelson, ’97, is a part-time design engineer with Applied Engineering Inc. in Bismarck, where he lives with his wife, Denise (Gross), ’94, ’09.

1998Robert A. Gerhart (BSEE, ’98) has passed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s patent bar exam. By passing the patent bar, Robert becomes a registered Patent Agent and is recognized to practice before the USPTO in patent cases. Robert has been employed in the Minneapolis office of the law firm of Fish and Richardson, P.C. since 2006. He and his wife, Tiffany, live in Maple Grove, Minn.

1999Tracy Kennedy, ’99, has been chosen by her peers to be in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights, insolvency and reorganization law. Tracy is a stockholder and director of the Grand Forks law firm of Zimney Foster P.C. She lives in Grand Forks with her husband, Jay.

Tobias Klipfel, ’99, is a digital solutions specialist working in central and western North Dakota for Midwest Business Systems. He lives in Mandan with his wife, Sarah.

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2000sRemember when, in 2001, Dr. David Yearwood, his wife and three daughters, bicycled across North Dakota from north to south on a “bicycle built for five?”

2001Amber (Kitzman) Caster, ’01, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner, joined Medcenter One Q&R Clinic in Bismarck, where she lives with her husband, Colby.

Kallie Naastad, ’01, is a trust officer with Bremer Bank in Grand Forks, where she lives with her husband, Benjamin.

Paul Konickson, ’01, is a civil engineer at Widseth Smith Nolting in Crookston. He lives in Grand Forks.

2002Andrew Barker, ’02, qualified for the National Quality Award from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Andrew is a financial representative with Northwest Mutual Financial Network in Fargo. He lives in Detroit Lakes, Minn., with his wife, Meagan (Johnson), ’03.

Audra (Vanhoff) Myerchin, ’02, ’03, was named Scholar of the Year by the North Dakota Communication, Speech and Theatre Association. Myerchin teaches public relations courses at Minot State University and is pursuing a Ph.D. from UND. She lives in Minot with her husband, Brad.

2003Steve Best, ’03, is an environmental planner with Kadrmas, Lee & Jackson in Bismarck, where he lives with his wife, Ariana (Feldner), ’04. Dr. Jessica (Miller) Carlson, ’03, ’08, is a family medicine doctor at Medcenter One Bismarck Family Clinic North.

DeAnn (Burckhard) Hecht, ’03, is a public relations lead for Altru Health System in Grand Forks. Her husband, Justin, ’05, is an agent with C&H Insurance. They reside in East Grand Forks.

Dr. Stephanie (Lill) Miller, ’03, ’07, a neurologist, has joined Medcenter One in Bismarck, where she lives with her husband, John, ’02, ’06.

2004Stacey (Horter) Dahl, ’04, ’08, is an attorney with Swanson & Warcup in Grand Forks, where she lives with her husband, Gabriel, ’01, ’05. Her practice includes general civil litigation with an emphasis on municipal and family law.

Dr. JoEllen Kohlman-Petrick, ’04, joined Sanford Broadway Clinic in Fargo as a cardiologist. She and her husband, Jeremy, live in Fargo.

Kelly Koppinger, ’04, is the superintendent of Dickinson (N.D.) Catholic Schools. He lives in Dickinson with his wife, Judy.

Kris Lillestol, ’04, is an information systems manager with Lillestol Research in Fargo.

Jill (Gustafson) Nelson, ’04, has been named internal operations manager with the Grand Forks Parks & Recreation Foundation. In addition to being responsible for marketing and internal foundation business, Jill will also work as a communication specialist for the Park District and its golf courses. She lives in Grand Forks with her husband, John, ’01.

2005Kendra (Hunter) Wentworth, ’05, is a human resources analyst at Eide Bailly LLP in Fargo, where she lives with her husband, Nick. She is responsible for compensation and human resource information system analysis.

2006Dr. Katie O’Brien, ’06, works at Oakes (N.D.) Community Hospital/Clinic. She and her husband, Jason Paradis, live in Oakes.

Craig Foss, ’06, joined the Minnesota Bankers Association as associate counsel. His focus will be on providing legal and regulatory advice to the MBA and its members. Craig lives in Brooklyn Park, Minn., with his wife, Aubrey.

FRATERNITY REUNION Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity brothers from the early 1960s

attended a reunion during Homecoming 2011. Front Row (L to R): John MacFarlane, ’61, HON ’99; Tom

Moga, ’62, ’66; Bob Graveline, ’66; Charlie Graveline, ’61; Duane Littlejohn, ’60; Gary MacFarlane and former North Dakota Governor Allen Olson, ’61, ’63.

Middle Row (L to R): Carl Wysocki, ’61; Tom Olson, ’63, ’65; Gary Wysocki, ’63; Milt Lindvig, ’61; Jerry Brunsoman, ’61; Ed Odland, ’63, ’66; Parm Narveson, ’68; Mike Lodoen, ’65; and Rod Charnholm, ’61, ’67, ’69.

Back Row: (L to R): Gary Nelson, ’63; Dave Koland, ’72; Chase Madsen, current Lambda Chi Alpha president, Roger Stebleton, ’64; Chuck Farra, ’60; Ronald Lodoen, ’68; Ray Wiper, ‘63; and Bob Dunbar, ‘61.

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For families with generations of UND graduates, their shared pride instills a strong family connection to one another and keeps their family flame of passion for the University eternally glowing.

For the first time, legacy students will be honored at this year’s spring commencement. Students with UND graduates in their family history (parents or grandparents) will wear a specific cord to recognize the connection they share with their family members who have graduated before them. The cord serves as a token of the personal ties our legacy students have to the University. Its woven design symbolizes how each family member’s contributions as students and alumni are intertwined within the University’s history.

A NEW TRADITION AT UND: LEGACY RECOGNITION

48 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

Dr. Roxanne (Larson) Keene, ’06, joined Mercy Medical Center in Williston, N.D., as an orthopedic surgeon. Her husband, Dr. David Keene, ’08, has also joined the staff as a family practice doctor.

Jaroslav Solc, ’06, is a project engineer with AE2S in Grand Forks, where he and his wife, Tabitha, live.

Patrick Streyle, ’06, is a loan officer for United Community Bank in Leeds, N.D., where he and his wife, Melissa, reside.

2007Samantha (Keller) Berg, ’07, has been promoted to customer service manager-frontline at Choice Financial Bank in Grand Forks. She is responsible for employee development, training, performance, mentoring and hiring of the bank’s frontline team members. Samatha lives in Grand Forks with her husband, Brady, ’06. Jamie Brose, ’07, has been hired as a payroll specialist at RDO Equipment’s field support office in Fargo.

Dr. Kirsten (Hall) Juhl, ’07, internal medicine physician, joined Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargo, where she resides with her husband, Jonathan.

Dr. Jill (Detwiller) Klemin, ’07, family medicine, has been hired by Medcenter One Bismarck Family Clinic North. She lives in Bismarck with her husband, Peter, ’07.

Dr. Peter Klemin, ’07, obstetrician/gynecologist, has been hired by Medcenter One in Bismarck, where he lives with his wife, Jill, ’07.

2008Jeffrey Fix, ’08, joined Widmer Roel P.C. in Bismarck as a staff accountant.

Dr. Nicole Gullickson, ’08, family medicine physician, has joined Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargo.

Mark Klabo, ’08, physician assistant, joined the Family Medicine Department at Valley City (N.D.) Clinic.

Anna Glock, ’10, is a preschool teacher with the Missouri Valley Family YMCA in Bismarck.

Shelby Larson, ’10, is a land administrator at Behm Energy of Minot, N.D. She assists in the preparation, updating and maintenance of the company’s land documents and lease records.

Megan Lonski, ’10, accepted a position with the Overseas Education Group to teach for a year in Thailand. She will be teaching English at a school in the Suphanburi Province in Thailand’s central region.

2011James Arneson, ’11, was appointed a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual in Bismarck.

Alishia (Salmen) Daily, ’11, joined Pediatric Therapy Fargo.

Kristen Foss, ’11, joined Brady, Martz & Associates P.L.C. in Bismarck as an accounting associate.

Ryan Geltel, ’11, was hired as an associate attorney with MacMaster Law Firm in Williston, N.D., where he lives with his wife, Tara.

Benjamin Williams, ’11, has joined the Nilles, Ilvedson, Plambeck & Selbo law firm in Fargo as an associate attorney, where he will practice civil litigation. AR

Meg (Kraft) Swenseth, ’08, joined the staff at The Village Family Service Center in Devils Lake, N.D., where she lives with her husband, Brian, ’08. She works with both the Employee Assistance Program and the Family Group Decision Making Program.

Dr. Eric Wiest, ’08, joined Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, where he lives. He specializes in emergency medicine.

Dr. Nicole Gullickson, ’08, family medicine physician, has joined Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargo.

2009Aaron Fornshell, ’09, has joined Ackerman-Estvod Engineering and Management Consulting as a project engineer in Minot, N.D.

Jane Hefta, ’09, is a special education/autism instructor with Century Elementary School in Grafton, N.D.

Alicia Kerian, ’09, is a speech therapist at Century Elementary School in Grafton, N.D.

2010sRemember when, in 2010, Sanford Health announced a $1.5 million gift to establish the Dr. Roger Gilbertson Endowed Chair of Neurology?

2010Katie Darling, ’10, was promoted to commissions and revenue accountant with Alerus Financial in Grand Forks. She is responsible for managing the commissions, revenue and billing of retirement accounts.

ALUMNI NEWS

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o begins a Letter to the Editor written by UND Alumni Association & Foundation Executive Vice President/CEO Tim O’Keefe to newspapers around the state of North Dakota in early February.

O’Keefe says he felt the need to write the let-ter after a group gathered petition signatures that could lead to a statewide vote, which could require UND to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

O’Keefe says while he has always been proud of the nickname, continuing to use it poses a num-ber of problems that could threaten the viability of Division I athletics at UND.

For me, the name has always been a source of pride, tradition, honor and excellence, and al-ways will be. As a letter winner and part of a family of four generations of UND athletes, the Fighting Sioux will always be a part of who I am and those close to me. But those feelings and pride are not the focus of this matter any longer.

O’Keefe says the problem is not just the sanc-tions imposed on UND athletics by the NCAA, but also a host of related issues that add up to a big problem for UND.

One of the major concerns is that UND’s ac-ceptance into the Big Sky Conference is clearly threatened. Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton said after the petitions were filed that conference institutions do not want a member that cannot be an effective Division I program and a benefit to the Big Sky.

O’Keefe says the message is clear: “They don’t want our problems on their campuses.” He says the Summit League made the same points during early discussions with that conference.

“If we lose our spot in the Big Sky, I don’t know where we would go to find a conference home,” says O’Keefe. “We will be isolated. UND cannot operate as an independent.”

Since the petitions were filed, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa have reiterated their poli-cies against playing UND in any sports. With the Gophers and Badgers moving to a different hockey conference in 2013, those storied rivalries will come to an end as the Fighting Sioux. “Everyone talked about how magical the atmosphere was in the Ralph when the Gophers were here in January for a men’s hockey series,” says O’Keefe. “That could be the last time those teams meet in the regular season in Grand Forks.”

Minnesota’s athletic director called UND Direc-tor of Athletics Brian Faison after the petitions were filed and said that he would have to follow his school’s institution-al policy that prohibits playing teams with Native American imagery.

“That’s very concerning to me,” says O’Keefe. “And it seems as if that is a trend that is growing around the country.”

Between sanctions that eliminate home playoff games and the loss of rivalry games, O’Keefe believes that recruiting will become a nightmare for coaches. “Top student-athletes want to compete against the best and in front of their home fans during the playoffs. They won’t get that opportunity if the name stays.”

O’Keefe says his goal in writing the letter is to encourage North Dakota residents to educate themselves on the consequences of keeping the name. “This is no longer about standing up to the NCAA or the forces of political correctness. With the name and logo, UND moves forward with many restrictions and a damaged University. Without the name and logo, our student-athletes have the max-imum potential to achieve, by conference affiliation, schedule and in recruiting, free of NCAA sanctions. I don’t like it, but the choice is clear to me.”

Update: Just before this issue of the Alumni Review went to press, the State Board of Higher Education voted to challenge the constitutionality of the original law passed by the Legislature requiring UND to use the Fighting Sioux name and logo. If the board’s challenge is accepted by the courts, the law being addressed by the petitions filed in early February might be ruled unconstitutional, meaning no vote would be held in June.

A second petition is circulating that calls for a statewide vote in November on putting the Fighting Sioux name in the state constitu-tion. That effort requires about 27,000 petition signatures by Aug. 8.

“The retirement of the Fighting Sioux nickname must continue.”s WEB EXTRA

Useful links:To read Tim’s letter, go to undalumni.org

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ALUMNI NEWS

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1ADDITIONS

Anne (Baier) Sedore, ’04, and King Sedore, ’03, are the proud parents of Archer James, born October 3, 2011. Archer joins big sisters Adelaide and Greta. The family lives in Naperville, Ill.

Luke Jacobsen, ’10, and Sarah are the proud parents of Liam, born March 15, 2011. Liam joins big sister Brenna. The Jacobsen family lives in Rosemount, Minn.

Nick Wangler, ’04, and wife, Ashley, welcomed daughter, Sophia, on April 23, 2011. The family lives in Deming, N.M. Mitchell Schull, ’03, and his wife, Sushma, welcomed Sakshi Laxmi Schull on Sept. 6, 2011. The Schull family lives in Columbia, Md.

Ann (Fritel) Hall, ‘07, and Chad Hall welcomed a daughter, Zoe Annabelle, on Oct. 21, 2011. The family lives in Munich, Germany.

CELEBRATIONS

Samantha Szczech, ’09, married Kevin Axt in May 2011 in the Twin Cities, where they now live.

Raschael Mauer, ’09, and Jacob Ellering, ’09, were married on May 28, 2011, at Harriet Island Pavilion in St. Paul.

If you would like your addition or

celebration to be included in the next

Alumni Review, send a high-resolution

photo to [email protected].

We do not accept Facebook or mobile

uploads. Photos will be published in the

order in which they were received, space

permitting, and at the discretion of Alumni

Review staff. We look forward to helping

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Stephanie Sellers, ’08, and Matthew Hoffman were united in marriage July 23, 2011, in Grand Forks, where they now live. Pictured from left: Nathan Sellers, Kristin Sellers, current UND student Derek Roppel, Melissa McGlynn, Matthew Hoffman, Stephanie (Sellers) Hoffman, ’08, Ashley Hoffman, Alise Juve, Jaime Sellers and Hunter Haider.

Megan Volz, ’09 and Marcus Starr, ’09, were married on June 25, 2011, at the Hopper-Danley Memorial Chapel on the UND campus. Pictured from left: Dan Tienter, ’09; Stacy (McGill) Narlock, ’08; Kelsey Erickson, ’10; Rachel Parramore, ’09; Megan (Volz) Starr, ’09; Marcus Starr, ’09; Tim Paul, ’10; Emily Miller, ’11; Courtney Welle, ’09; Karl Larson, ’10; and Miles Starr. On the ground: Ben McLean, ’09.

Brandon Hellevang, ’10, married Mikaela Kleeb on May 28, 2011, in Lincoln, Neb., where they live.

Kevin Till, ’05, married Teresa Angulo on Sept. 10, 2011, in Carpinteria, Calif. Also pictured is Teresa’s son, Kai.

Nathan Schleicher, ’08, and Eve Eisenbeis were married Aug. 13, 2011, in Detroit Lakes, Minn. Pictured from left: Natalie Keller, ’08; Adam Lembrich, ’06; Emily Schultz, John Schuh, ’08; Andreas Sklavenitis, Alison Gerwood, Zoltan Callaghan, Nathan Schleicher, ’08, Eve Schleicher, Eric Lorenz, Anna O’Rourke, Tom Headrick, ’03, ’10; Axel Chevaillier, Jane Eisenbeis, Kjell Kroh, ’07; and Benjamin Carlson.

Alisa Kosse, ’10, married Brandon Rokoczy on Sept. 10, 2011, in Grand Forks, where the couple lives.

Vicki Aldridge, ’84, and her husband, Ken, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 29, 2011.

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in memoriam

1930s

K. Margaret (Olson) Schlegel, ’31,

Fanwood, N.J.

Donald Sloan, ..’35, Lakota, N.D.

Col. James L. Kilgore, ’38, Denver, Colo.

Veronne (Wagness) Crawford, ’39,

Springfield, Ill.

Harry E. Lee, ..’39, Keizer, Ore.

1940s

Dr. Lorraine (Hagen) Westerberg, ’40,

Catonsville, Md.

Philip E. Doak, ..’41,

Hampshire, United Kingdom

Margaret (Cashel) Phelan, ’41, Grafton, N.D.

Bernard A. Schauss, ’41, Grass Valley, Calif.

John G. Winger, ’41, Asheville, N.C.

Dr. Luke J. Braxmeier, ..’42, Battleboro, N.C.

Wesley G. Grapp, ’42, Calabasas, Calif.

A.K. Lewis, MD, ’42, ’43, Lisbon, N.D.

Genevieve (Connelly) Arntz, ’43,

Elizabethtown, Pa.

Eldon L. Goebel, ..’43, Ariz.

Glendora M. Werblow, ’43, Rocky River, Ohio

James P. Fick, MD, ’44, Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Muriel (Olson) Kelly, ’44, Boise, Idaho

Walter M. Westberg, ’44, Gainesville, Fla.

Sally (Chernich) Schimpff, ’46, Whiting, N.J.

John C. Peterson, ’47, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Clifford E. Seglem, ’47, Media, Pa.

Herbert H. Paulson, ..’48, Langdon, N.D.

James E. Leahy, ’49, San Diego

Betty Undeberg Tritten, ’49, Carlsbad, Calif.

1950s

Paul E. Gilbert, ’50, Bellevue, Wash.

Dan E. Hansen, ’50, ’55, Lakewood, Colo.

Royal G. McKay, ’50, Denver

John R Muus, ..’50, Velva, N.D.

Beverly (Wilde) Sproul, ..’50, Palm Desert, Calif.

Max H. Adams, ’51, Parshall, N.D.

F. Winston Allen, ..’51, Mohall, N.D.

Jo Anne (Bridston) Hedlin, ’51, Naples, Fla.

Robert E. Kleve, ’51, ’57, Grand Forks

Erwin O. Kval, ’51, Grand Blanc, Mich.

Capt. John D. Stensrud, ’51, Charlotte, N.C.

Eugene V. Swartz, ’51, Grafton, N.D.

Marian (Dominick) Evjen, ’52,

Fergus Falls, Minn.

Barton K. Slemmons, MD, ’52,

Birmingham, Ala.

Kent R. Zimmerman, ’54, Dilworth, Minn.

Donald L. McMasters, ’55, Bloomington, Ind.

Stanley D. Thompson, MD, ’55, ’57, ’57, Fargo

Roger E. Blue, ’56, Concord, Calif.

E. William Casey, ’56, Clitherall, Minn.

Gail (Brocopp) DuLac, ’56, Edina, Minn.

Robert A. Smith, ’56, Santa Monica, Calif.

John J. Spolar, ’56, Milwaukee

Joan M Roberts, ’57, ’69, Fargo

Dr. Edward R. Christianson, ’58, ’82, Fargo

Dr Ramon E. Henkel, ’58, Riner, Va.

Robert T. Shepherd, ’58, Chico, Calif.

Glen A. Gransberg, ’59, ’61, Grand Forks

Charles E. Kuznicki, ..’59, Lake Wales, Fla.

Michael R. Neis, ’59, Devils Lake, N.D.

1960s

Raymond G. Larson, ’60, Los Angeles

Jean (Bostrom) Cossette, ..’61, Grand Forks

Harland E. Lee, ’61, ’64, Sheboygan, Wis.

Bonnie (Lee) Olderbak, ..’61, Grand Forks

John Yonker, ’61, Bismarck

Dalen D. Green, ’62, Devils Lake, N.D.

Wayne A. Kinney, ..’62, Fosston, Minn

Gerald E. Peterson, ’62, Langdon, N.D.

Jane (Kaiser) Gordon, ’63, Detroit Lakes, Minn.

Eugene V. Murphy, ’63, ’64, ’76, Placentia, Calif.

Richard O. Bye, ’64, Federal Way, Wash.

Sharon (Austinson) Cobb, ’64, Bakersfield, Calif.

Dean W. Colgrove, ’64, Georgetown, Texas

Sister Anna M Hillenbrand, ’64, Saint Paul

John C. Lund, MD, ’64, Silver City, N.M.

Robert O. Olson, ’64, Elk River, Minn.

Philip R. Schmidt, ’64, Lakeside, Calif.

Donald M. Gulseth, ..’65, Minneapolis

John W. Hoper, ’65, Maryland Heights, Mo.

Darrel L. Rolph, ’65, Punta Gorda, Fla.

Samuel Herron IV, ..’66, Minneapolis

Boneva O. Braaten, ’67, Bismarck

James E. Leo, Jr, ’67, Orange Park, Fla.

Raymond A. Myrvik, ’67, Spokane, Wash.

John M. Senger, ..’67, Grand Forks

James E. Thompson, ’67, Bismarck

Lt. Col. Gordon D. Tollerud, ’67,

Honolulu, Hawaii

Kathleen A. Cook, ’68, Grand Forks

Jerry C. Gulbranson, ’68, Mesa, Ariz.

Robert J. Horst, ’69, Rock Springs, Wyo.

Sister M. Elizabeth Klein OSF, ..’69,

Hankinson, N.D.

Dr. Gary P. Storhoff, ’69, Danbury, Conn.

James A. Van Berkom, ’69, Powers Lake, N.D.

1970s

Larry D. Gorospe, ’70, Belcourt, N.D.

Gordon H. Pomplun, ’70, Frankston, Texas

James K. Nomeland, ..’70, Grafton, N.D.

Richard D. Vanderloo, ’70, Sioux City, Iowa

Ellen (Sather) Wilhelmi, ’70, Devils Lake, N.D.

Del L. Bjork, ’71, Minot, N.D.

Peter J. Levasseur, ’71, Newport Beach, Calif.

Janis (Schneck) Wood, ..’71, Madison, Wis.

Kevin J. Cooper, ..’72, Grand Forks

Mark E. Cooper, ..’72, Grand Forks

William W. Condon, ..’72, Minot, N.D.

Edwin S. Plissey, ..’72, Gold Canyon, Ariz.

Thomas K. Schoppert, ’72, Edmonds, Wash.

Scott W. Albrecht, ’73, Sparks, Nev.

David M. Blehm, MD, ’73, ’79, ’81, Fargo

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

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Douglas A. Holm, ’73, Burnsville, Minn.

Kenneth L. Larson, ’73, West Roxbury, Mass.

Darleen M. Shelquist, ’73, Saint Paul

Gail (Conrad) Connor, ..’74,

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Dr. David D. Jenkins, ’74, Sparta, Wis.

Deborah Nicoloff, ..’74, Fargo

Lowell P. Stevens, ..’74, Fletcher, N.C.

Carol (Hagerty) Werner, ’75, Merino, Colo.

Rita (Poeske) Nimz, ’76, Duluth, Minn.

Russell D. Ober, ’76, Leesburg, Ga.

Susan (Martinovic) Wilson, ’76,

Randolph, Mass.

Craig B. Oksol, ’77, Williston, N.D.

Michael R. Watson, ’77, Grand Forks

Clarence N. Bedenbaugh, ’78, Clarkston, Mich.

Annie L. Daley Kingsbury, ’78,

West Fargo, N.D.

Jack L. Berry, ’79, Octonto, Wis.

Louise R. Crosby, ..’79, Belcourt, N.D.

John C. Doyle, ’79, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Dianne Iverson, MD, ’79, ’81, Grand Forks

1980s

Leo J. Jennewein, ..’80, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Robert G. Brown, ’84,

Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

Kevin L. Sullivan, ..’84, Minneapolis

Maureen F. Haman, ’85, Dickinson, N.D.

Jenny West, ’91, North Charleston, S.C.

Louis P. Stich, ’93, Red Lake Falls, Minn.

Jennifer (Stites) Roberts, ’94, ’95, Dulles, Va.

Rev. Harold W. Patchin, ’97, Fargo

Former Faculty/Staff

George A Andrys, Jr, East Grand Forks, Minn.

Wayne Huebner, El Cerrito, Calif.

M. Sue (Bushaw) Murray, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Mary (Adams) Severinson, Grand Forks

James F. Vivian, Sun City, Ariz.

Friends

Mrs. Ray G. Baker, Grand Forks

Hazel Boren, Bismarck

Ben Dusek, Grafton, N.D.

Mrs. J. Carleton Green, Grand Forks

Kenneth S. Helenbolt, MD, Prescott, Ariz.

Mrs. Warren E. Miller, Saint Petersburg, Fla.

Isabel M. Narloch, Grand Forks

Helen (Bernasek) Rolfstad, Scottsbluff, Neb.

William G. Saumur, Grand Forks

Fred Scheel, Fargo

Howard M. Skjervem, Grand Forks

Jean St. Michel, Glastonbury, Conn.

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Page 54: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

54 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

FEATUREOBITUARY

ene Murphy, ’63, ’64, ’76, a former UND all-conference quarterback who went on to coach the team to a conference championship, died Oct. 29 in the University of Southern California hospital in Los Angeles. He was 72. He coached at UND from the late 1960s into the late ’70s and then burnished his reputation with 14 years at California State Fullerton, where his assistants included soon-to-be pro coaches Steve

Mariucci, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson. Murphy still was consulting with Fullerton, a community college, helping one of his former players, until shortly before his death.

Roger Thomas, who coached under Murphy at UND and at Cal State Fullerton, before coming back to UND as head coach and later athletic director, expressed his grief.

“He was one of my best friends.

He was an amazing guy, very fun guy to work for. We talked all the time,” said Thomas, who is now athletic director at the University of Mary in Bismarck.

Through Murphy’s son, Tim, Thomas learned of his friend’s strong fight against cancer and the later heart failure that took him.

“Football was his life. He still would be calling coaches about players and players about coaches. If it wasn’t for

gFrom UND to California, everyone knew ‘Murph’

FORMER SIOUX COACH GENE MURPHY DIES AT AGE 72

COURTESY OF GRAND FORKS HERALD

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football, it was his family and there is a fine line between the two,” Tim Murphy said in a column in the Orange County (Calif.) Register.

Murphy grew up in New Brunswick, N.J., where his father coached football. He came to UND in 1959 after a year at the University of Minnesota, playing quarterback four years and graduating in February 1963.

He came back as an assistant coach in 1966, and when Jerry Olson retired in 1978, he was named head coach.

Murphy coached for 14 years at UND, the first dozen as an assistant making less than $15,000 a year, the Grand Forks Herald reported at the time.

As head coach, Murphy led the Sioux to a 5-5 record his first year and 10-2 his second year, as the Sioux won the North Central Conference then lost to Mississippi College in a first-round Division II playoff game, 35-15, led by quarterback Tom Biola, running backs Dale Pietruszewski, Milson Jones and tight end Paul Muckenhirn.

“When Jerry Olson retired, Murph had been offensive coordinator, and he moved up to head coach and hired me to take his old job of offensive coordinator,” Thomas said. After the 1979 season, when Murphy took the Cal State Fullerton job, he brought along Thomas, who shared an office with Steve Mariucci, who went on to

coach in the NFL, and Jerry Brown, now an assistant coach at Northwestern in the Big Ten.

“That was a fun time,” Thomas said.

Also coaching under Murphy at Cal State Fullerton with Thomas were Tom Cable and Hue Jackson, who both went on to become head coaches for the Oakland Raiders.

Murphy’s record at Cal State Fullerton was 59-89-1, but he was 31-19 at home, the Orange County Register reported.

In 1992, the school dropped football and Murphy went to coach at Fullerton Community College.

One of Murphy’s assistants, Pat Behrns, succeeded him at UND, until Thomas took the job in 1986.

Many of Murphy’s players, including UND players, went on to play pro ball in Canada and in the NFL.

“It was obvious, when you look at the guys who coached with him and played for him, that he had kind of an amazing knack for hiring people and people wanting to work with him,” Thomas said. “I know for a fact that he influenced hundreds of young guys as a coach. He was a charismatic kind of guy and just fun, kind of a joker; yet a great coach and motivator. I just had a world of respect for him.”

Despite being gone so long from UND, Murphy never quit being a Sioux fan, Thomas said.

“You couldn’t have a more loyal guy to UND. All those years in California, he still had this great passion for UND,” Thomas said. “When I was head coach there and he was in

California, we talked all the time and he was really into what was going on at UND, in general, and UND football in particular. He just really loved the institution.”

In 2001, when then-Coach Dale Lennon, ’85, — who Murphy recruited as a freshman in 1979 — led the team to their only national championship against Grand Valley State in Florence, Ala., Murphy caught a 2 a.m. flight out of Los Angeles to be with the team. He addressed them after the last practice, as did other team alumni. Then, he spent the game on the sidelines, taking it all in with old friends, Thomas said.

Thomas would get to California most years to visit family and last saw Murphy last summer. But they talked “all the time,” he says.

Thomas can’t easily explain what Murphy meant to him as a friend and mentor.

“It is not so much about coaching, but just how he was as a person. He had a unique way of dealing with people. He kind of treated everyone the same, whether it was the college president or the guy who mowed the field.

“He had nicknames for them and joked with them, just this crazy Irishman kidder,” Thomas said. “If you mentioned him to other people who hadn’t seen him for a long time, they would all of a sudden get big grins on their faces. Everyone had a Murph story.”

Murphy is survived by his daughter, Aileen; her mother, Christine McCarthy; and sons Tim and Mike and their families.

— Stephen J. Lee; Herald Staff Writer

From UND to California, everyone knew ‘Murph’

Gene Murphy

Page 56: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

56 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

FEATUREOBITUARY

OVING HUSBAND, FATHER AND CHERISHED FRIEND TO MANY, a highly decorated war hero passed away peacefully at home on Sept. 6, 2011.

Virgil Banning was born in Mott, N.D., the youngest of Ira and May Banning’s 11 children. He spent his early years there and then attended and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1940, where he met and married his college sweetheart, Mabel ‘Birdie’ Hatcher, ’41, who passed away in 1991. Married over 45 years, they had one son, Craig, who preceded his father in death in 2003.

Upon his graduation from the University of North Dakota, he entered the Marine Corps, commissioned as a full lieutenant. During his illustrious career, he served in multiple wars, earning several medals and citations,

including the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, three Legion of Merit medals, two Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, as well as three presidential commendations. He was also one of the few to personally witness both flag raisings on Iwo Jima.

After returning from the Korean Conflict, he became an instructor in logistics and strategy at the Senior Military Academy in Quantico, Va. He also served in the Pentagon for six years, reporting directly to President Lyndon Johnson.

In 1969, having retired as Commanding General at the military base in Twentynine Palms, Calif., he and his family moved to Northern California where he began a distinguished and successful career in property management

l

General Virgil W. Banning, USMC (Ret.)

FEB. 10, 1918 – SEPT. 6, 2011

Virgil Banning with wife, Birdie, and son, Craig.

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and development with Gerson Bakar & Associates. He remained an active partner and close personal friend of Mr. Bakar, since his retirement from day-to-day business activities.

A caring and generous individual, Virgil also provided for hundreds of unfortunate and underprivileged children worldwide.

Virgil leaves behind a tight nuclear family, loving friends who took care of all his needs for many years: Bonnie and Jason Verbelli, Vance Carpenter, Rich, Valerie and Gregory King and John and Filomena Reilly, plus a host of others too numerous to mention.

— Bonnie Verbelli and Vance A. Carpenter

IF YOU KNOW OF A DISTINGUISHED UND GRADUATE WHO HAS PASSED AWAY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEIR OBITUARY FEATURED IN THE ALUMNI REVIEW, PLEASE EMAIL THE OBITUARY AND PHOTOS TO [email protected]. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT SPACE IS LIMITED AND THE EDITORIAL STAFF WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO PICK A SMALL NUMBER OF OBITUARIES TO FEATURE.General

Virgil W. Banning, USMC (Ret.)

Brigadier GeneralVirgil W. Banning’s medals

Navy CrossNavy Distinguished Service MedalLegion of Merit with Valor device and 2 stars Bronze Star with Valor device and 1 starPurple HeartAir MedalNavy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor device and 1 starAmerican Defense Medal with Atlantic deviceAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 starsWorld War II Victory MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalNational Defense Service Medal with 1 starKorean Service Medal with 1 starUnited Nations Service Medal - Korea clasp

Source: USMC/Senior Leaders Services Portal

Page 58: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

58 Ἅ l u m n i R e v i e w | Spring 2012

Roebuck Retires

Capital Event

Find the Flame Winners!

Gene Roebuck, one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, has stepped down as UND’s head women’s basketball coach.

Roebuck, a native of Velva, N.D., transformed UND into an NCAA Division II powerhouse program and has taken his program through a successful transition to Division I status.

Roebuck entered the 2011-12 season as the NCAA’s 11th-winningest active coach with a winning percentage of .819 and ranked 12th as the winningest NCAA women’s basketball coach of all time.

The highlight of Roebuck’s career at UND was winning three consecutive national NCAA Division II women’s college basketball championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

“I am proud to have represented this University with pride and respect,” said Roebuck. “After five years of the transition, the program is going in the right direction. The tradition of women’s basketball at UND will go on. It’s time for me to move on. Thank you, University of North Dakota, for 25 great years.”

Thank you, Gene, for an amazing run at UND!

UND alumni will gather in Washington, D.C. for a reception and Business and Government Symposium on March 13. The event will be held in the Russell Senate Office Building, Room 325 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. EST. There will be complimentary hors d’oeuvres & cocktails. RSVP to Brooke Conlin at 800.543.8764 or [email protected].

We apparently stumped a lot of people with our Find the Flame contest on the cover of the Winter 2011 issue of the Alumni Review. We usually have dozens of correct answers, but this time around, only a handful of people got it right. It was certainly well-hidden. See the photo at right for the location. Wally Lang, Brian Lofthus and Andrea LaDouceur were randomly drawn from the correct responses and are winners of a prize package from the Alumni Review. Play Find the Flame now for your chance to win! Hint: It’s not the flame in the UND logo on the boy’s button. That’s too easy!

Al u m n i Re v i e wU n i v e r s i t y o f N o r t h D a k o t a A l u m n i A s s o c i a t i o n

W i n t e r 2 0 1 1

CAREER PROSUND alumni make

their mark onprofessional sports

Hometown Hero Mark Chipman brings the

NHL back to WinnipegPg. 6

Championship Season

Alum works for Boston BruinsPg. 10

Inside:

Winter 2011 Alumni Review cover

Page 59: UND Alumni Review Spring 2012

For more information or to apply, visit www.usbank.com/UND_business or call 866-472-6423 ext. 79100.

We may change APRs, fees, and other Account terms in the future based on your experience with U.S. Bank National Association ND and its affiliates as provided under the Cardmember Agreement and applicable law. 1 Account must be open and current to earn and redeem points. 2 U.S. Bank provides zero fraud liability for unauthorized transactions. Cardholder must notify U.S. Bank promptly of any unauthorized use. Certain conditions and limitations may apply.

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

Small business. Big world.

HUGE SUCCESS.UND introduces the UND Visa® Business Rewards Card.

• Double reward points on every net dollar spent on gas, cell phone, office supplies, and airline travel1

• 1 reward point for every net dollar spent on purchases everywhere else Visa is accepted

• Free online reporting tool, ScoreBoard. Easily keep track of your business expenses!

• Redeem points for cash back, airline travel, gift cards, and merchandise – with reward redemptions starting as low as 1,500 points!

• Be protected with zero fraud liability.2

• Every purchase helps support the UND Alumni Association and valuable alumni programs.

UND grads are successful. Here’s a tool to make your road to success even easier. With the UND Visa Business Rewards Card, you receive:

Plus, there are even more benefits with the UND Visa Business Rewards Card:

Sunny skies and beautiful weather are on their way and so is the UND Champions Golf Tour*! Golf with fellow UND alumni and friends, athletics coaches and enjoy a post-tournament social. Meals are provided for each tournament. Mark your calendars and register today to reserve your spot in the summer’s most anticipated golf tournaments with proceeds going towards UND Athletics.*Formerly named Sioux-per Swings

June 7 Park River, ND – Hillcrest Country ClubJune 11 Twin Cities (Prior Lake, MN) – Legends Golf ClubJune 18 Fargo (Oxbow, ND) – Oxbow Golf & Country ClubJuly 19 Detroit Lakes, MN – Detroit Lakes Country ClubAugust 27 Grand Forks, ND – Grand Forks Country Club*

*Help us kick off the 2012-2013 athletics season. Can’t make it to golf? Please join us for the awards ceremony, social and dinner as we preview the 2012-2013 athletic teams with a few special guests!

Please contact Katie Horob if you are interested in becoming a hole or local sponsor for any one of the UND Champions

Golf Tour tournaments at [email protected].

Please contact Carrie Kachena to register at 800.543.8764.

#ForeUND

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OCEANIA CRUISES: Singapore to Hong Kong

February 2 – 21, 2013From $6,201 per person double occupancy (including airfare)

Discover the exotic and unique ports of East Asia while cruising for 17 nights aboard the deluxe Oceania Cruises Nautica. See the legendary Buddhas in Ko Samui and Bangkok, stroll the lovely beaches of Sihanoukville, and discover Vietnam’s rich heritage with visits to Saigon, the Mekong Delta, and Da Nang. Marvel at the exquisite beauty of Ha Long Bay, take in an emperor’s tomb in Canton, and explore vibrant Hong Kong. Experience these fascinating sites and more with stops in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China on this sea-swept voyage.

OCEANIA CRUISES: Papeete to Papeete

January 16 – 28, 2013From $3,117 per person double occupancy (including airfare)

Imagine a cruise on one of the finest vessels afloat, Oceania Cruises Regatta, where every port of call is a Polynesian paradise. Savor the tropical island splendor of Moorea, Bora Bora, Hiva Oa, and more as you sail the beautiful South Pacific.

Join Associate Executive VP and Chief Develop-ment Officer, DeAnna Carlson Zink and her husband, Wayne, as they host the Asian Wonders cruise. This trip will mark their third as hosts of UND’s alumni travel program.

TO BOOK YOUR TRIP, call 800.842.9023. Or, to view the 2013 travel opportunities, visit undalumni.org/alumnitours.

Al u m n i Re v i e wUniversity of North Dakota Alumni Association3100 University Ave Stop 8157Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157

Hosted by DeAnna Carlson Zink and her husband Wayne.