A NEWSLETTER FOR EMPLOYEES AND FRIENDS OF MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY » Archived Issues
May 11, 2016
Next Issue: May 25, 2016
Submissions Due: May 18, 2016
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Voice: 858-3298 - Fax: 858-4481
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Minot State graduates and alumna to speak at commencement

Graduate student Nichole DeSautel, undergraduate student Jacques Stanley and alumna Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota superintendent of public instruction, will address the Class of 2016 at Minot State University’s commencement ceremony Friday (May 13).

MSU graduate students will participate in a hooding ceremony at 8 a.m. in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall. The commencement ceremony for graduate and undergraduate students begins at 10 a.m. in the Dome.

DeSautel is graduating with a Master of Science in special education, deaf and hard-of-hearing emphasis. The Devils Lake native experienced deaf culture through the North Dakota School for the Deaf and holds an associate degree in American Sign Language interpreting from Lake Region State College and bachelor’s degrees in child development and family science and women’s studies from North Dakota State University. To achieve her dream of becoming a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, DeSautel utilized MSU’s flexible online-distance program, which fit perfectly into her full-time work schedule. She completed her master’s degree with a 4.0 grade point average. Her thesis research, a study of rural general education teachers’ knowledge related to working with interpreters in the classroom, was accepted for presentation at two national conferences. DeSautel currently works as a sign language interpreter for a school district in the Fargo area. 

Stanley completed a Bachelor of Science in management information systems in December 2015. His university recognitions comprise summa cum laude honors, inclusion in the President’s List and “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges” and a Bachelor of Science in management information systems Outstanding Student Award. The Minot native was active in the Student Government Association, Jazz Ensemble and MSU Community Dance. He is a member of Little Flower Catholic Church, Minot Brass Band and the National Eagle Scout Association.

“I am grateful for the number of people who have supported my education,” Stanley said. “I have been privileged to work with outstanding mentors at Minot State who hold themselves and their students to high standards.”

Stanley completed an information technology internship with the City of Minot. Then, he began as an information systems specialist at Ackerman-Estvold and is presently completing graduate school requirements to obtain a Master of Science in information systems at MSU. His recent entrepreneurial endeavor is a technology integration business, Pointer Integration.

Baesler took office with the N.D. Department of Public Instruction in January 2013. The department, which oversees the education of more than 110,000 public and private school students, monitors K-12 programs, administers state aid to schools, and approves credentials for administrators and education specialists. 

During her 23-year career with Bismarck’s public schools, Baesler’s roles included vice principal, library media specialist, classroom teacher and instructional assistant. She worked for the N.D. School Boards Association; she also served on the Mandan School Board for nine years, including seven years as its president.

The Flasher native holds two associate degrees from Bismarck State College, a bachelor’s degree in education from Minot State University and a master’s degree in education and library information technology from Valley City State University.

Mike Ness, retired superintendent of the Hazen School District, is representing the State Board of Higher Education. Appointed to the board in 2015, his term expires June 30, 2018.


Five at MSU earn achievement awards

Three faculty members, Sarah Aleshire, DeVera Bowles and Heidi Super, and two staff members, Sue Mosser and Bonnie Trueblood, will receive MSU Board of Regents Achievement Awards Wednesday (May 11) during Minot State University’s annual Employee Recognition and Retirement event. The awards are as follows:

Teaching — Aleshire, instructor of English and coordinator of the gender and women’s studies program, has taught full time at MSU since 2009. The Minot State alumna wanted to return to Minot after graduate school to work with and for the community. As a research writer with foundations in literary theory, Aleshire teaches a variety of courses on composition, literature, theory and gender studies, as well as working with the Honors Program and First Year Experience program. She is also the chief coordinator of WORDSTOCK, the English component of MSU’s annual NOTSTOCK Festival.

During her very first semester teaching, Aleshire’s composition director, upon observing her class, told her that she had “a great gift of productive silence” that, if harnessed, would serve her well as a teacher. She uses that silence in the classroom to create the space students often need to grapple with complex issues, from systemic social injustices, to dense literary theories, to the intricacies of Modern Language Association format. She also uses it outside of the classroom to encourage student-driven dialogue about students’ individual projects, questions and interests.

Service — DeVera Bowles, professor of voice, and her husband, Kenneth, came to Minot in 1993, when Minot State hired him as a director of choral activities. She was hired the following year to teach voice. Thus far, 50 voice majors have completed their MSU degrees under her guidance. Currently, she is active as vice president for the North Dakota Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

In MSU’s Faculty Senate, she advanced from Student Government Association liaison to secretary, then vice president and president. She has served on numerous Faculty Senate committees including tenure, promotion, intellectual climate, curricular diversity and campus climate, sabbatical, and faculty rights. She served on two search committees for the vice president for academic affairs and two inauguration committees, where she coordinated two Celebration of Talents variety shows featuring MSU students, faculty and staff and community members.

Currently, Bowles is active on the Faculty Handbook Committee and the Strategic Planning-Student Life, Athletics, Fine Arts Subcommittee. She serves on the executive board of the Campus Beautification Committee, represents College of Arts and Sciences faculty on the Budget Reduction Committee and will continue activities into the next academic year as Council for College Faculty secretary.

Within the Division of Music, Bowles has actively participated in numerous music faculty searches and gathered thousands of photos of music events to market the program. She routinely hems and alters dresses for choral program and enjoys accompanying the concert choir and other singers within the program in recital.

Scholarship — Super, professor of biology, has been part of the Division of Science and Department of Biology since 1999. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Carroll College in Helena, Mont., and her doctorate in molecular genetics and cell biology from the University of Chicago. Her primary mentor was Janet Rowley, a pioneer in identifying specific gene alterations in cancer.

Super’s teaching and research expertise are in genetics and molecular biology. Her research focuses on the abnormal genetic mechanisms associated with human cancer, primarily leukemia. She has mentored more than 20 undergraduates through research projects and into their careers in medicine in biomedical research.

Her husband, Joe, teaches biology at Minot High School. They have three children, Claire, Meg and Sam.    

Mosser, cashier for both the Beaver Creek Café and the C-Store, began working at Minot State in 1985 and is the sole remaining MSU food service employee. Previous to that, she worked at Trinity Nursing Home and the Minot Eagles Club. She graduated from Minot High School in the Class of 1976.

“The students make MSU a very nice place to work,” Mosser said. “They keep me young.”

Every university student who eats in the Beaver Creek Café fondly knows Mosser by name. Students even discuss on social media how much they like her and how she is the sweetest lady on campus. She is warm, genuine and always professional, serving everyone respectfully and responsibly. She is a master at multitasking, as she is running the register for the busy café and convenience store.

At MSU, Mosser served on Staff Senate. Within the community, she belongs to the Minot Eagles Auxiliary #2376.

Mosser and her husband, Robert, have two children, Renae and Darrin, and three grandchildren, Kianna, Logan and Brekken.

Trueblood, administrative assistant to the vice president for advancement, is the mainstay behind the Office of Advancement. She repeatedly goes above and beyond the call of duty, working tirelessly with a positive attitude. Not only does she excel in her job responsibilities, she has initiated and completed new processes supporting the MSU Development Foundation and the Alumni Association. Trueblood continually identifies initiatives to benefit MSU, most importantly the students, and seizes opportunities to serve.

The Linton native completed an associate degree at Bismarck State College. She joined MSU after working for 32 years in the banking industry.

Trueblood and her husband, Don, are strong MSU supporters. Although she participates in all advancement activities, she also assists other MSU departments, such as volunteering at enrollment services events. She is highly respected by her peers and members of the MSU Development Foundation and Alumni Association.

Gary Leslie, George Slanger and Jonathan Wagner, professors emeriti, will receive Distinguished Lifetime Educator Awards.

Retirees to be honored

Minot State University employees, who recently retired or will retire at the end of this semester, will be honored Wednesday (May 11) at the Employee Recognition and Retirement Event. This year’s retirees include Ken Bowles, music; Patti Fedje, accounting and finance; Koletta Ficek, North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities; Cheryl Gilson, communication disorders; Stephen Hayton, mathematics and computer science; Susan Herzog, Center for Extended Learning; Joan Houston, accounting and finance; Donna Just, library; William Klimpel, facilities management; Kevin Neuharth, communication arts; David Rochholz, teacher education and human performance; Marv Semrau, advancement; Thomas Seymour, business information technology; and Rebecca Volk, publications and design services. For questions, contact Wes Matthews, director of human resources, at 858-4610 or wes.matthews@minotstateu.edu.


Service awards to be presented

Seventy-three Minot State University employees will be acknowledged for five-year increments of service at the annual recognition event May 11. They are:

45 Years — Walter Piehl, humanities.

35 Years — Donald Burke, addiction studies, psychology and social work; and Susan Podrygula, Gordon B. Olson Library.

30 Years — Larry Chu, mathematics and computer science; Pamela Hopkins, veterans services; Susan Mosser, MSU food service; Ron Royer, science; Thomas Seymour, business information technology; Mary Smith, nursing; Eileen Solberg, College of Business; and Judith Swanson, nursing.

25 Years — Brent Askvig, North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities; Roderick Cook, facilities management; Linda Olson, humanities; Leon Perzinski, Student Center; Linda Schaefer, nursing; Jay Wahlund, accounting and finance; Darla Weigel, student affairs; and Nelrene Yellowbird, addiction studies, psychology and social work.

20 Years — Deborah Brothers, social science; Warren Gamas, teacher education and human performance; Sheila Green Gerding, athletics; Andrew Heitkamp, veterans services; Kathryn Hintz, teacher education and human performance; Deanna Klein, business administration; Nancy Pearson, humanities; Daniel Ringrose, social science; and Sherie Saltveit, Office of Instructional Technology.

15 Years — Vickie Brabandt, NDCPD; Ronald Fischer, humanities; Julie Keller, Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning; Robert Kibler, humanities; William Klimpel, facilities management; Vicki Michels, addiction studies, psychology and social work; Trisha Nelson, Center for Extended Learning; Brenda Roedocker, nursing; Mohammad Saeed, business administration; and George Withus, Information Technology Central.

10 Years — Shanette Haarsager, College of Arts and Sciences; Kelly Drevecky, NDCPD; Susan Lommen, facilities management; Lesley Magnus, communication disorders; Cory Mattern, science; Darren Olson, ITC; Jerusha Olthoff, NDCPD; Brian Otto, facilities management; Rebecca Ringham, Registrar’s Office; Susan Routledge, NDCPD; and Avis Veikley, Northwest Art Center and music.

5 Years — Lindsey Benson, financial aid; Timothy Bingen, facilities management; Suzanne Blessum, NDCPD; Shawn Chaffin, athletics; Debbie Eslinger, Student Health Center; Stacey Folstad-Magandy, CEL; Randy Hartley, facilities management; Thea Holm, NDCPD; John Johnson, facilities management; Hilory Liccini, NDCPD; Holly Major, POWER Center; Cheryl Merck, NDCPD; Jean-Francois Mondon, humanities; David Ostlund, facilities management; Diane Pierson, communication disorders; Charlene Radke, facilities management; Jacqueline Reep-Jarmin, nursing; Barbara Rings, facilities management; Kristi Schaefer, NDCPD; Alexey Shipunov, science; Scott Sigel, humanities; Julie Wetzel, NDCPD; Jane Wiedewitsch, NDCPD; and Stacy Wold, facilities management.


Powwow honors Class of 2016

The Native American Spring Honor Dance and Powwow Celebration, sponsored by the Native American Cultural Awareness Club and Minot State University, honored all 2016 graduates. The event also promoted understanding and appreciation of Native peoples.

At Friday evening's Grand Entry, MSU senior Clifford Klimpel was honored. Klimpel will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing this week.

Wylie Hammond, past MSU Native American Center director, was honored at Saturday evening's Grand Entry. Hammond died in April 2015. His joy and passion were working with Native American students, especially at Minot State for 18 years.

Several dance competitions were held for various age groups. Dances included traditional, grass, fancy, and jingle styles.


In the galleries

May 11-13 — “Weather Forecast: American Storm,” paintings by California artist Benny Alba, Library Gallery.

May 11-27 — “Facing the Future,” charcoal portraits by MSU senior art student DelRay Audet of Minot, Minot Public Library.

May 11-June 9 — “Archetypes,” charcoal drawings by MSU senior art student Justin Stevenson of Minot, Hartnett Gallery.

A public reception for “Archetypes” will be Thursday (May 12) in the Hartnett Gallery from 6:30 to 8 p.m.


Faculty and staff achievements

The Office of Public Information proudly shares the many accomplishments of faculty and staff with the campus community in every issue.

Jamie Hammer, instructor of nursing, was awarded the North Dakota Center for Nursing Legendary Nurse Award for Leadership. This award honors exemplary nurses across the state.

Hammer also completed the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program. The purpose of LEND is to develop leadership potential to improve the health status of infants, children and adolescents with or at risk for neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and to enhance the systems of care for these children and their families. This program allowed her to explore multiple optimal services available to children and adolescents with special health care needs in the region. This opportunity also allowed Hammer to participate in clinical hours at Primary Children's Hospital in Utah and Kapiolani Medical Center in Hawaii.

Paul Loree, assistant professor of computer science, and Kendall Nygard, North Dakota State University professor of computer science, received a Best Paper Award for their paper on cybersecurity strategies at the Future Computing Conference in Rome.

Minot State University's chapter of the National Students Speech Language Hearing Association raised $3,308.38 toward 13.78 cleft surgeries through Operation Smile at the fifth annual Miles for Smiles walk April 30. In five years, the students have raised monies for 186.87 surgeries (each surgery costs $240). Lesley Magnus, associate professor of communication disorders, advises NSSLHA.

Daniel Ngugi, associate professor of economics, was awarded for outstanding research and presentation for the article titled “Do Traders Really Know Their Customers? Evidence from a Fresh Produce Market in Kenya.” The paper was presented at the International Journal of Arts and Sciences Conference in Las Vegas, March 21-25.

Cheryl Nilsen, dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences, served as co-chair of a N.D. Education Standards and Practices Board site visit team that examined and made program approval recommendations regarding education programs at Sitting Bull College in April.

Susan Peterson, director of the MSU social work program, along with colleagues, Peter Kindle, Elena Delavega and Charles Schwartz, will have their article, “The Blame Index: Exploring the Change in Social Work Students’ Perceptions of Poverty,” published in the Journal of Social Work Education. The article is based on research conducted in their respective social work policy courses.

Dane Schaffer, MSU science education assistant professor, Will L. Romine, of Wright State University, and Lloyd Barrow, of the University of Missouri, had their paper, “Development and Application of a Novel Rasch-based Methodology for Evaluating Multi-Tiered Assessment Instruments: Validation and utilization of an undergraduate diagnostic test of the water cycle,” published online Nov. 16, 2015, and then in the November issue of International Journal of Science Education.

Schaffer presented “Developing and Validating Quality Science Assessments: The Construction of the Diagnostic Test of the Water Cycle” Feb. 22 at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

Schaffer delivered the presentation, “The UV Challenge: UV Radiation and Our Eyes,” April 2 at the National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference held in Nashville, Tenn.

Schaffer and Barrow presented “Strand 8: In-service Science Teacher Education Issues About Earth Science in Teacher Education” and “Geoscience Teachers’ Visual Representations of Plate Tectonic Boundaries: Development and Validation of a Scoring Rubric” April 15 at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching International Conference in Baltimore.


Minot State University mission
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.