Another year, another record-setting Giving Day for the Minot State Development Foundation.

Due to the generosity of donor gifts and matching funds from individuals across the country, the MSU Development Foundation reported 2,100 gifts totaling $450,212 raised in 24 hours on April 9, impacting every corner of campus from scholarships to academic enhancements to athletics.

Both the total gifts and the total raised were records for the Foundation. MSU also saw its highest faculty and staff donors at 223 and its second highest total of donors with 1,483. The $450,212 marked the second straight year Giving Day topped $400,000 in total dollars, with the MSU Development Foundation raising $2,249,934 during Giving Day since its inception in 2018.

In the spirit of Giving Day, various departments across campus engaged in friendly competition during the event, with MSU Communication Sciences and Disorders Department narrowly topping the MSU Nursing Department with 233 to 203 donors. Both departments raised funds for simulation equipment to directly enhance student learning. Communication Sciences and Disorders finished the event with $26,610 raised.

MSU athletic teams also battled for a top spot, with MSU softball finishing with 102 donors, MSU women’s hockey 93 donors, and men’s wrestling 88. Softball raised $22,290 towards upgrades to facilities and training, women’s hockey raised $8,235 for equipment, and wrestling finished with $11,949.52 for their practice facility.

The Minot State University Alumni Association is thrilled to announce that the 41st annual MSU Gala will be held on Friday, May 9, at the Clarion Hotel. This premier event of the year raises funds for student scholarships and Alumni Association programming. Semiformal attire is encouraged. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a cocktail hour and silent auction with an elegant dinner and live auction to follow. Guests can participate in the silent auction now until it closes on Friday night at the Gala at 9 p.m.  

Sign up for mobile bidding here: 2025 MSU Gala | ClickBid Mobile Bidding 

New on the docket for this year’s event is a $5,000 cash prize giveaway, sponsored by Integrity Dividend Harvest Fund, and a bourbon raffle with an impressive lineup of rare bottles, sponsored by 701 Realty, Creedence Energy Services, and Rolac Contracting. Back by popular demand will be the iconic Heads ‘n’ Tails game and First Western Bank’s Deal or No Deal, with a $500 cash prize. The live auction will feature an unforgettable vacation in Belize, two tickets to the 16th hole Skybox at the Phoenix Waste Management Open, and a VIP Night of Art with Walter Piehl, just to name a few. 

For more information, contact Courtenay Brekhus by EMAIL or by phone at 701-858-3373.

Minot State University professional communication students were honored at the 2025 Eric Sevareid Awards, earning first place and an Award of Merit in student market television categories.

Each year, the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association (MBJA) presents awards for the best work done by broadcast news operations and journalists working in small, medium, and large markets in their six-state region on radio, television, and online.

The MSU Inside/Out program, produced by the COMM 475 class during the Fall 2024 semester, received an Award of Merit in the Cable Newscast Student Market Television category for the episode titled “Senior MSU Football Captain Emmett Espino & Art Professor Ryan Stander | MSU Inside Out | Fall24 Ep9.”

Owen Patterson, a sophomore professional communication major from Washburn, earned first place in the Sports Play-by-Play Student Market Television category for his broadcast of the October 19, 2024, matchup, “High School Girls Basketball: Minot vs. West Fargo-Horace.”

Three students — Clayton Hawkins, senior; Dalton Davis, junior; and Noah Fredrickson, junior — went to Minneapolis for the Midwest Journalism Conference, where the awards were announced during the MBJA banquet on Saturday, April 12. 

Derek Olson and Neil Roberts, faculty in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, also attended the conference.

As a highlight of the weekend, students received press credentials through KMSU-19 and were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the broadcast facilities at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, ahead of Friday night’s game.

For more information about the Eric Sevareid Award, visit the Midwest Journalists WEBSITE.

GlobalND hosted six Palestinian educators from April 15 to 19. The educators came to the United States under the auspices of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. State Department. Their overall program theme was “Secondary School Administration.”  

GlobalND, a non-profit, all-volunteer community-based organization, fosters international relationships and global understanding through people-to-people diplomacy. It was founded in 1993 as the Minot Area Council for International Visitors through the cooperation of Minot State University and the surrounding community, including the city of Minot, the Minot Education Association, and the Minot Air Force Base. A part of the Global Ties U.S. Network, GlobalND worked with the IVLP of the U.S. State Department.

GlobalND arranged appointments for the group that ranged from the Minot Area Workforce Academy to the ASTEP program of the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities. They also toured the Scandinavian Heritage Center Park and were hosted for dinner by two Minot families. For more information on GlobalND, see the organization’s WEBSITE and Facebook PAGE.

The Minot State University Alumni Association is pleased to announce it has selected four individuals for the 2025 Golden Award and one individual for the 2025 Young Alumni Achievement Award. The honorees include Greg Blikre ’77, Randy Hedberg ’77, Lisa Johnson ’95/’00, and Don Selk ’72. The Young Alumni Achievement Award winner is Joseph Davis ’13. The Golden Awards are the highest award bestowed by the Minot State University Alumni Association. Selections are based on outstanding service to the University, alumni association, or their community, and distinguished leadership in the recipient’s career or community. The Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient is between the ages of 21 and 39. The MSU Alumni Association will honor the 2025 class at its annual awards dinner on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Minot State Student Center Conference Center.

More information on each award winner and dinner tickets will be released later in the fall semester. For more information on the Golden Awards, visit the Alumni Association at MinotStateU.edu/alumni.

Northwest Arts Center
The gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library, with its own entrance on the south side of the library. The arts center is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 1-5 p.m., and by special arrangement. It is closed on holidays.

• Blaire Engel 'BRD' Artist-in-Residence: The Northwest Arts Center presents new work by Minot State University Artist-in-Residence, Blaire Engel. “BRD,” an exhibition of ceramic sculpture, opens with a public reception on Friday, April 25, and is on view until May 31. Engel is a Minot based ceramicist with a BFA honors degree in ceramics from Brandon University. Engel’s work often combines her love of science fiction with her interest in biotechnology and apocalyptic ideas. Her current body of work consists of sculptural birds, telling the story of a world where genetic editing and biotech have gone too far. Engel’s work has been exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally.
• Mosaic of Minds: MSU Senior Capstone Exhibition: Seven Minot State University art students are exhibiting in the annual senior art exhibition, Mosaic of Minds: Dallas Reese, Gabby Reinhardt, Brianna Bonn, Keiley Slorby, Shay Piesik, Tamara Quewezance, and Daniel Mathis. The exhibit will open with a reception at the Northwest Arts Center on Friday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. and be on display until May 31. Capstone is the culminating experience for art majors, allowing them to apply the skills they’ve developed during their time at Minot State University. This exhibition commemorates their years of art experience at the university level and showcases their education.

Flat Tail Press
Flat Tail Press is an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University. The gallery is located in the landing space on the second and third floor of the Minot State Student Center, west entrance. It is open during normal Student Center hours.

• Badlands: Ephemeral Horizons by Michael Baum: Screen prints of the Sage Creek Wilderness by South Dakota Artist, Michael Baum. The exhibition will be on display from Jan. 23 to May 29.

Kyle Bittle, Minot State assistant professor of the Department of Math, Data, and Technology, in collaboration with Omar El-Gayar of Dakota State University, recently co-authored a paper titled "Generative AI and Academic Integrity in Higher Education: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda" and has recently been published in journal "Information." The study synthesizes findings from 41 peer-reviewed articles published between 2021 and 2024, highlighting both the educational benefits and ethical challenges posed by GenAI tools. The authors emphasize the importance of digital literacy and institutional strategies to manage the evolving role of GenAI in academic settings. A link to the full article can be found HERE.

Emerson Eads has been selected as a National Finalist for the American Prize in Vocal Chamber Music 2025 – The Charles Ives Award for his song cycle, "Everywhere is Archipelago," on poetry written by Connecticut’s Poet Laureate Margaret Gibson, commissioned by soprano Teresa Eickel, published by North Star Music. The song cycle’s world premiere was performed here at Minot State University by Eickel and pianist Briana Schwan. For contest details, visit The American Prize WEBSITE, hear the recording of "Everywhere is Archipelago" on YOUTUBE, and learn more about Eickel HERE.

Kata McCarville, Minot State’s associate professor of geosciences, will serve as the president-elect of the North Dakota Academy of Sciences (NDAS). McCarville was nominated for and elected to the three-year position, which begins with one year as president-elect, continues with one year as president, and concludes with one year as past president, at the Annual Meeting of the NDAS, held April 4-5 at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. In addition, McCarville’s GEOL 310 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology students authored a poster that was presented at the meeting, describing their work on a diamond-drill core from the Stillwater Mine in Montana, which produces platinum, palladium, and other metals from a Precambrian-age layered igneous intrusion. The NDAS was founded in 1908, and its purpose is to promote and conduct scientific research and to disseminate scientific knowledge. Membership in the Academy is open to all persons who share this stated purpose of the Academy and who are active or interested in some field of scientific endeavor.

Daniel Ngugi, Department of Business professor and chair, was featured in WalletHub.com's Ask the Experts section of their website. Ngugi advised on USAA Insurance. Read Ngugi's expert advice HERE.

Courtney Olson, Minot State instructor, graduated with her clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professionals on May 5.

Derek "Dare" Olson, professional communication instructor and technical supervisor at Minot State University, served as cinematographer on a recently released documentary by Beyond Meat. The film, "Planting Change," premiered on YouTube on April 24 and has already accumulated over 2 million views.

Dan Conn, Ray Burns, and Matt Spurlin — members of the North Dakota CIRCLES Alliance team — presented their paper, "Blending Brayboy, Cajate, and Eisner: Cultivating Culturally Relevant STEM Curriculum Through the CIRCLES Alliance," at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Their presentation explores how the CIRCLES Alliance is reshaping STEM education by centering Indigenous ways of knowing, building culturally grounded teacher institutes, and applying the seven R’s Indigenous framework (Respect, Responsibility, Relationships, Relevance, Representation, Reciprocity, and Resilience). To view the full program, visit the AERA 2025 program WEBSITE. For more information or questions, contact Conn by EMAIL.

Minot State University congratulates the recipients of the 2025 Board of Regents Achievement Awards. Faculty honorees include Joe Pettit for Excellence in Scholarship, Kelsey Higginson for Excellence in Service, and Rebecca Daigneault for Excellence in Teaching. Staff recipients are Tonya Critz in Financial Aid, Aundrey Livingston in Security, and Doug Tiedman with the Center for Extended Learning.

Jessica Jastrzebski, accountant/purchasing agent, and Stephanie King, accounts receivable technician/assistant cashier, are two new employees who joined the Business Office.

Janese Lehman, congratulations on her new role as accounts payable coordinator.

Caleb Van De Griend, junior forward, turned in a record-setting performance this season on the hardwood for Minot State, and with the season complete, the NCAA announced that the Beavers’ All-American is now a statistical national champion. Averaging 13.1 rebounds per game as he started all 36 games for Minot State, the forward from Bridgetown, Australia, led the nation at the NCAA Division II level in rebounds per game to earn one statistical national championship. Along with leading the nation in rebounds per game, Van De Griend also recorded 30 double-doubles this season to earn another NCAA statistical national championship with the most double-doubles by any NCAA Division II player this season.

Andrew Young, congratulations on being selected as the ASC Student of the Month for March. He has contributed to the Academic Support Center’s programs as a peer tutor. The ASC Student of the Month recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many student leaders working with ASC's programs. Each month, one ASC student leader is selected as the ASC Student of the Month and featured on the ASC website. Anyone may nominate a student; however, a student may only be recognized once during the academic year. Nominations are due by the 1st of each month.

Jace Carlisle, men’s golfer, and Summer Krebsbach, women’s sprinter, are honored for their efforts in April. Setting both a new school and NSIC single-round record at the NSIC Men’s Golf Championship, Carlisle was named Minot State’s Pinnacle Employee Benefits Male Athlete of the Month for April. On the track, Krebsbach also set two records, both new school records, in the 100 meters and 200 meters, while also hitting her first NCAA qualifying mark, earning her Minot State’s Pinnacle Employee Benefits Female Athlete of the Month for April honors. Pinnacle Employee Benefits became the title sponsor for Minot State's Athlete of the Month award during the 2021-22 academic year. The award recognizes the outstanding athletic achievements each month of one male and one female Beaver student-athlete.

Stephen Tao, Jackson Gridley, and Jonathan Noriega, Minot State University students, placed first at the North Central Chapter of the Risk Management Association Credit Analysis Competition in Fargo on April 14. This international collegiate competition couples commercial lending, business, finance, banking, and management concepts. In the competition, students recommend an appropriate financing structure for the approval of a small business loan request. The students were mentored by Grant Wentz (Cornerstone Bank) and advised by Minot State Assistant Professor David Frantsvog.

Four Minot State football players were honored for their overall efforts throughout their collegiate career, both in the classroom and on the gridiron, as they were named to the 2025 NFF Hampshire Honor Society. The Beavers' offensive linemen Max Bray, Emmett Espino, and DJ Schneibel, along with wide receiver Erik Palmquist, were each named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society today. To be honored, a player must maintain a 3.2 cumulative GPA throughout their collegiate career, be a senior who will graduate this spring and has completed his final year of eligibility in 2024, or a graduated player who has been out of high school at least three years, and who was a starter or major contributor for his team during the 2024 season.

The Beavers’ Reegan Floyd, Anna LaCount, and Sara Van Wickler each were voted to the All-NSIC 2nd Team by the league’s coaches for their play during the regular season, while Minot State second baseman Abbey Kelley was voted to the NSIC All-Defensive Team. The All-NSIC honor is the first for Floyd and Van Wickler, and the second time LaCount has been named to the All-NSIC 2nd Team. The All-Defensive Team honor is the first for Kelley.

Teams of Minot State students placed first, second, and third in the Tilt-A-Hurl robotics contest at the Midwest Instruction and Computing Symposium at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In this event, autonomous robots compete to see who can make the most 3-point basketball shots in three two-minute rounds.

• First Place: Cayden White - robot Kobe-otix
• Second Place: Hanna Landry, Cheyenne Douglas, and Travis Smith – Sue Borg
• Third Place: Albert Demotte, Kubsam Daniel, and Hatter Dunham – Shiny Beavers

 Various students presented in the student research paper/poster session:

• Domink Degele, Dawit Tesfaye, Muhammad Abusaqer - Analyzing Ransomware Incidents in Healthcare: Patterns and Risk Assessment
• Toshif Khan, Muhammad Abusaqer - Evaluating Quick-Commerce Platforms: A Sentiment and Topic Modeling Analysis of User Reviews
• Asmita Pun, Breanna Olson, Muhammad Abusaqer - Student Performance & Behavior Dataset
• Cheyenne Douglas - Reducing Bias in AI: Ethical and Technical Approaches
• Stephen Tao (Poster Presentation) - Influence of Non-Smoking Risk Factors on Early Lung Cancer Detection in Older Adults
• Milena Cernjanski (Poster Presentation) - Exploring the Association Between Lifestyle Factors and Obesity Levels.
• Saif Khan, Kaif Khan, Cayden White - Adaptive vs. Traditional Q-Learning Methodology

The Minot State University Concert Choir released their second recording, “Rosanne Olson: Towards the Light,” showcasing three world premiere songs by MSU alumna Rosanne Olson. These songs were arranged by Emerson Eads and accompanied by Abbie Eads, cello, and Briana Schwan, piano. They are thrilled to announce that the recording is available for streaming on SPOTIFY and APPLE MUSIC. They are grateful to MSU Development for making this possible. The CD will also be available for sale, see the cover HERE.