Minot State University continued its long-standing tradition dating back to its first graduating class in 1914 by celebrating its 110th Commencement Exercises on Friday, May 16.

Veronica Pinnick gave this year’s keynote address. Pinnick is a 2000 graduate of Minot High School and 2004 graduate of Minot State with a degree in chemistry, who is an integration and test manager at NASA Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. She attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where she had a chance to work on developing a mass spectrometer set for Mars, which led to her being hired full time at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in 2011.

Along with Pinnick, Craig Schmich ’24, a graduate in the Master of Science in Sports Management program, and Emmett Espino, who majored in finance and accounting, gave the graduate and under­graduate addresses.

MSU received 468 undergraduate and 112 graduate degree applications in its Class of 2025.

Minot State University and the MSU Development Foundation proudly announced the completion of a major milestone.

In just five and a half years, the EMPOWER Capital Campaign raised $54.8 million, the largest comprehensive fundraising effort in the University’s 112-year history.

The EMPOWER Capital Campaign officially launched its quiet phase in July 2019 and closed on Dec. 31, 2024. The collective commitment from the MSU campus, alumni, donors, and friends propelled the campaign beyond expectations, surpassing its $50 million goal.

With a central goal of enhancing student experiences, EMPOWER generated nearly $25 million in scholarship dollars, outpacing its projected goal of $18 million and accounting for 45% of the cam­paign’s total. During the campaign, 171 new endowments were created, growing MSU’s total scholar­ship endowments to 491 at the end of 2024. Minot State’s Annual Fund, which represents unrestricted dollars to offset immediate needs, raised $2.5 million, eclipsing its goal of $2 million. Academic Programs garnered $13.5 million, University Facilities $7.9 million, and Athletics $5.2 million.

Of the 9,741 unique donors, MSU saw 6,270 first-time donors during the campaign. In all, those donors made 43,426 total gifts to the University. During the five and a half years of EMPOWER, Minot State recorded five record-setting Giving Days and four record Annual Excellence appeals.

Neil Roberts, a professional communication professor at Minot State University, has been a storyteller most of his life. His experience as a television anchor and reporter for local television, more than 25 years of doing syndicated radio reporting, and over 30 years as a teacher have helped him hone his skills.

In April, a two-part series for his “Outdoor Issues” series received seven Eric Sevareid Awards, and he won first place for Best Audio in Small Market Radio for “A Chance to Hunt Again!,” and for Sports Reporting for “Nonprofit Groups Help Kids to Hunt.”

Roberts also won five Eric Sevareid Awards of Merit for Best News Series, Best Soft Feature Story, Best Use of Audio, Best Broadcast Writing, and Diversity-Equity & Inclusion.

The competition is available to all radio stations in this category across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska to enter. Roberts sent it under one of his affiliated stations, KZZJ radio out of Rugby, as they are one of more than 15 stations across the region to run his Outdoor Issues reports.

The two stories sent in were part of coverage of a couple of local nonprofit groups that do wonderful things for the community. Pheasants for the Future is a local nonprofit organization that is a group of local sportsmen interested in promoting pheasant restoration in North Central North Dakota for future generations.

Another nonprofit group that helped make this happen was Prairie Grit. Prairie Grit’s mission is to provide sports opportunities for youth and adults living with physical and mental disabilities to enhance their quality of life. They supplied the tools needed for this hunt, including a revamped wheelchair that can get across rough terrain. 

Minot State University has introduced a new Associate of Arts in University Studies degree, offering a strong foundation in general education along with courses tailored to students’ interests. Designed for flexibility, this two-year program can serve as a stepping stone to a four-year degree or lead directly to career opportunities.

Minot State will bundle concentrations or certificates in high-demand fields to support students who pause their studies or transfer. By selecting courses with an advisor based on career goals and transfer plans, students can improve job prospects and streamline the path to a bachelor’s degree.

Two concentration options are currently available: early childhood education and policing.

The early education concentration prepares students to work with children from birth through third grade in Head Start, daycare, and preschool settings. Courses also align with Minot State’s Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education.

The policing concentration is ideal for students pursuing a career in criminal justice or professionals seeking to complete a degree. The program provides foundational knowledge for the field and supports career advancement.

For more information, visit MinotStateU.edu or contact Eric Pietrzak, academic advisor and university studies program contact, by EMAIL.

The MSUWell Committee is excited to bring food trucks to campus throughout the summer. All food and coffee trucks will be parked outside the north entrance of the Beaver Dam, near the picnic tables.

June lineup

• June 4: Prairie Sky Breads, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
• June 11:" Mama Mac's, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• June 18: Backdraft BBQ, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• June 25: Knockout Kitchen, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

View the full summer schedule HERE.

The MSU Summer Theatre is excited to announce season 60 for 2025. Tickets can be purchased ONLINE or by calling the ticket line at 701-858-3228.

Show dates:

• June 10-15: "Nunsense," directed by Sarah Honerman
• June 24-29: "Fiddler on the Roof," directed by Bob Hubbard
• July 8-13: "One Strange Night," directed by Seth Honerman
• July 17-19: "Disney's High School Musical JR.," directed by Jacob Jenkins
• July 23-26, 28-31: "The SpongeBob Musical," directed by Chad Gifford

Join North Dakota University Systems (NDUS) Core Technology Services (CTS) for our Semi-Annual Community Conversations (formerly known as Town Halls). These sessions are designed to keep you informed, engaged, and connected with NDUS and CTS updates. NDUS is excited to have special guest Interim Chancellor Brent Sanford open the conversation and answer your questions. If possible, please submit your questions in advance when registering. You'll also have the opportunity to ask questions during the session. This session is held virtually via Microsoft Teams Webinar and is open to all NDUS faculty and staff.

Choose a session (Same content, different times)

• Thursday, June 19 at 10 a.m., REGISTER
• Tuesday, June 24 at 2 p.m., REGISTER

Agenda highlights

• Welcome – Tom Danford, NDUS vice chancellor for IT/CIO
• Remarks and Q&A – Brent Sanford, NDUS interim chancellor
• Legislative updates impacting NDUS Central IT – Corey Quirk, NDUS deputy CIO
• Digital accessibility update – Corey Quirk, NDUS deputy CIO
• Project & RFP news
• Training and announcements
• Open Q&A – Community conversations

For questions, contact Betsy Watts, NDUS CTS client services manager, by EMAIL.

The North Central College Health Association (NCCHA) board is excited to announce their Annual Fall Meeting in Maple Grove, Minnesota, on October 22 -24. The theme is Digital Health and Wellness: Navigating Challenges and Shaping Solutions in College Health. Participants will explore the risks and benefits of the use of digital platforms by the college students we serve and those posed by the incorporation of digital tools in our delivery of healthcare. The conference draws higher education health and wellbeing professionals from across our region (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) to learn and network together. Attendees represent most areas of higher education health and wellbeing, including medical providers, nurses, health promotion staff, registered dietitians, social workers, directors, administrative staff, and more. For more information, visit their event WEBPAGE. Register HERE and submit your proposal HERE before June 30. For questions about the NCCHA Annual Fall Meeting 2025, contact NCCHA Conference Planner Dylan Karsten by EMAIL.

Minot State hosts the North Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NDCTM) 2025 Summer Conference, Illuminating Possibilities: Empowering Students to Dream Big with Mathematics, June 24-25, in Hartnett Hall. Don’t miss your chance to see Jo Boaler, internationally famous and this year’s 10th most influential educator (2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings)!  A Stanford professor of mathematics education, Boaler has authored many books and given multiple TED talks about reducing math anxiety and unleashing mathematics potential. To view the 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, visit the Education Next WEBPAGE.

More great events await teachers of all grade bands! Here are some highlights:

• Boaler’s workshop!
• Guest Speaker Cathy Williams, co-founder with Boaler of YouCubed.org, a WEBSITE with K-12 classroom tasks, videos, lessons, and more, exhibiting 68 million views. Williams also co-authored a series of books with Boaler for grades K-8 titled "Mindset Mathematics: Visualizing and Investigating Big Ideas."
• Banquet Speaker Ryan Hanson, North Dakota’s 2023 Secondary Principal of the Year and principal at Devil’s Lake High School. Hanson has earned many awards and has a teaching background in math and science.
• Keynote Co-Sponsor workshop by Amplify, pairing Desmos with vertical spaces. Desmos is an online learning platform that offers K-12 problem-based activities, including marble slides and escape rooms. For more information, view co-sponsor Amplify's WEBSITE and Desmos' WEBSITE.
• Option for Professional Development credit

And let’s not forget the awesome breakout sessions and vendors presenting inspiring curriculum and more! The conference is for teacher candidates, too, offering a reduced student registration price. Register HERE today for the NDCTM 2025 Summer Conference.

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.

• ALL MSU: Faculty & Staff Exhibition: The Northwest Arts Center (NAC) invites MSU faculty and staff to submit artwork to be on view this summer from July 17 to Aug. 22 in the Walter Piehl Gallery. There will be a closing reception on Friday, Aug. 22, from 6:30-8 p.m. Celebrating artwork by Minot State University faculty and staff from all departments, this event is an opportunity for artists across our campus to showcase their creativity and passion for art. Do you paint or draw? Maybe you are a photographer or a woodworker? All are welcome! Entry forms are available at the Northwest Arts Center or on the WEBSITE. For more information or questions, visit the website, see the attached POSTER, or contact the NAC by EMAIL.
  
  • All MSU current and emeritus faculty and staff are eligible and encouraged to enter with no entry fee required.
  • Two-dimensional and three-dimensional art and craft in any medium, traditional, or experimental, qualify.
  • Entries will be accepted May 15 through June 30, 5 p.m., at the Northwest Arts Center located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library.

Evan Borisinkoff, associate professor in the Department of Education and Inclusive Services, recently participated in the 2025 North Dakota Annual ABA Workshop and Conference, held in Fargo on April 28–29. During the event, Borisinkoff earned 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), fulfilling the requirements to renew both his national certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and his North Dakota state license to practice as a behavior analyst.

Emerson Eads was just recently featured on Jason Nitsch’s podcast Composer Chats. In the interview, he discusses his early life in music, his path to his current role at Minot State University, and reflections on his creative life and compositions. Listen to the podcast episode HERE. Also, Eads’ song "Patrick’s Rune" included in "40@40 Anthology Volume I" of 40 songs curated and commissioned by Grammy nominated soprano, Laura Strickling, published by New Music Shelf, has been reviewed by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Journal of Singing, by Kathleen Roland Silverstein of Syracuse University. The music is available HERE, the recording is available on YOUTUBE, and the journal review without paywall is available HERE.

David Frantsvog, Department of Business assistant professor, was featured in WalletHub.com's Ask the Experts section of their website. Frantsvog advised on Compare Car Insurance Rates. Read Frantsvog's expert advice HERE.

Ryan Stander and Micah Bloom, Minot State professors of art, are featured in the Spring 2025 issue of New Christian Makers (NCM). NCM is a new journal highlighting artists and their work across styles, genres, media, and the spectrum of Christian churches. This allows for a diversity of approaches and thoughts about the relationship of art and faith. Some represented artists, prefer being known as "Christian artists," while others may prefer to be seen as contemporary artists whose faith implicitly informs their work. This makes for a wonderfully diverse dialogue among the artists featured in the publication united by their faith. Journal copies can be ordered HERE. Stander submitted a body of work titled "Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid." It is a collection of prints (lithographs and image transfers) on wood and plexiglass that wrestle with a variety of ecclesial and social concerns from political divisions, hypocrisy, isolationism, and the search for God. Bloom submitted work from his "Radiosity" project which explores the wonder of light and reflected color. His work is influenced by the Light and Space art movement from the 1960's - 1970's. The visible surfaces of his pieces are white on white, yet they emit glowing color from surfaces unseen by the viewer. This prevention of sight is intentional and generates viewer curiosity.

Randall Herbst is returning to Minot State, this time as the Beavers’ new head men’s basket­ball coach. Minot State’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Harmon, announced Herbst as the Beavers’ 16th head men’s basketball coach, returning to the Magic City where he spent two seasons as an assistant under Matt Murken. Herbst spent the past three seasons as a top assistant at the University of North Dakota. Prior to joining UND’s staff, Herbst spent two seasons as the top assistant at Minot State and replaces his former boss, Murken, who accepted a position as assistant coach at the University of South Dakota in May. Herbst served as an assistant at Minot State for the 2020-21 COVID-shortened season and in 2021-22. The Beavers compiled a 26-17 overall record and advanced to the NSIC semi­finals in 2020-21 during his time on the bench.

Rylee Hernandez is the newest addition to Minot State’s men’s basketball coaching staff. Coach Hernandez brings almost a decade of experience as a junior college head man with him to the Magic City, most recently leading the Seward County Community College Saints for the past four seasons. Hernandez has begun his duties with the Beaver basketball program. Prior to leading the Saints, Hernandez spent five seasons as the head coach for the Williston State College men’s team and led the Tetons to the 2019 District XI Championship and the NJCAA National Tournament. He began his collegiate coaching career while still a player at NCAA Division III Lakeland University in Wisconsin, where he was team captain and junior varsity assistant men’s basketball coach. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Lakeland in exercise science and sports studies. Hernandez is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and a graduate of Roseville Area High School. He began his collegiate career at Vermilion Community College.

Rebecca Ringham, Minot State registrar, co-presented with Shane Schellpfeffer from UND, moderating a discussion surrounding the potential pursuit of a community advisory partnership and feedback from stakeholders regarding general education at the North Dakota General Education Council on April 25.

Zaccharius Brown, a Minot State sophomore, provided the highlight of the NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the Beavers. Racing in the middle of the pack early in the challenging 400-meter hurdles, Brown turned the final corner and turned on the afterburners, racing to a 2nd-place finish and All-NSIC honors on the final day of the NSIC Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Minnesota Duluth. Brown brought home the top finish of the weekend for the Minot State men’s and women’s track and field teams as the Beaver men were 10th with 17 team points and the women 12th with 12 team points. Brown’s runner-up champion finish earned Minot State 8 of those team points as he finished in 53.53 seconds, second only to Minnesota State Moorhead's Manjot Singh, who won the event title in 52.70.

Madison Mundy is the ASC Student of the Month for April. She has contributed to the Academic Support Center’s programs as a POWER/TRIO Peer Mentor. 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.

Conner Meldrim, redshirt-sophomore baseball pitcher, and Emma Mogen, senior women’s basketball guard, earn the most prestigious individual honor the NSIC hands out, the NSIC Honor Student-Athlete Award, which recognizes the top male and female student-athlete at each NSIC member school who excels academically, athletically, and in community involvement. As NSIC Honor Student-Athletes, both Meldrim and Mogen were finalists for the NSIC’s Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete and Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Awards, respectively. Minnesota Duluth’s Austin Andrews was named the Britton Award winner, and Augustana’s Liz Dierks the Kelly Award winner. To be eligible for the Honor Student-Athlete award and be a Britton or Kelly Award finalist, nominees must maintain a 3.5 GPA, or better, achieve academic excellence beyond the minimum GPA by receiving scholarship prizes and other academic recognition, must participation in the life of the institution, and must compete in at least two-thirds of their team’s games.

Oscar Pegg, first baseman and catcher, had a huge debut season for the Minot State baseball team, while Brent Riddle, center fielder, continued to be a standout team leader for the Beavers. Both were honored for their performance on the diamond as Pegg was named to the All-NSIC 1st Team at catcher and Riddle was named to the All-NSIC Baseball 2nd Team at center field. The honor is the first for Pegg, a junior from Bloomfield, Indiana, while Riddle, a senior from San Clemente, California, earned All-NSIC honors for the second time in his Minot State career.

Sierra Schramm, Noah Iosefa, Jake Anthony, Nate Larsen, Mateo Funes, and Haydn Schuler, students from Looyenga Leadership Center Director Jim Sturm's Leadership 201 class, were required to subscribe to leadership dots, a blog by Beth Triplett, a leadership coach and consultant. Each day, Triplett pens a short paragraph on leadership. During the semester, an assignment in Leadership 201 is to write a series of leadership dots for submission. This semester, Triplett chose six submitted posts and featured those students on her blog each day. To read all posts published by Minot State students or to subscribe to leadership dots, see the blog HERE.

The Minot State Athletic Hall of Fame will grow this coming fall with the addition of four former star student-athletes and one more team. Beaver Athletics is proud to announce that women’s basketball player Caroline Folven, men’s wrestler Jeffrey Nelson, and men’s basketball player Tyler Rudolph, along with men’s basketball coach Mike Hultz, and the 1994 Minot State football team have been voted in as the newest members of the Minot State Athletic Hall of Fame. All five will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 12, at the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet at 5 p.m. at the Sleep Inn & Suites. The Class of 2025 will be honored once again as special guests during Saturday’s Homecoming Parade on Sept. 13 starting at 10:30 a.m., and at halftime of the Beavers’ Homecoming football game on Saturday, Sept. 13, against Concordia, St. Paul. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. The final inductee is the 1994 Minot State football team that went 8-3 and qualified for the NAIA National Playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and fifth time in school history. The 1994 Beavers earned a first-round home playoff game, the second time in program history, and Minot State’s 20-13 victory over Sioux Falls is the lone home national playoff win in program history.

The NSIC released the final list of All-Academic Team honorees for the 2024-25 academic year, recognizing its spring sports student-athlete standouts, and 52 Minot State student-athletes were honored for their efforts both in the classroom and in competition in men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, men’s and women’s golf, baseball, and softball. Of those 52 Minot State student-athletes named to the NSIC All-Academic Team, 34 earned special distinction as they were named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. Combining with the 68 Minot State student-athletes named to the fall and winter NSIC All-Academic Teams, the Beaver athletic department finished the 2024-25 academic year with 120 student-athletes earning NSIC All-Academic Team honors. To be named to the NSIC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must be an active member of their respective team, in at least their second season of competition with their respective Beaver team, and maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA. To earn NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.60 cumulative GPA. For the full list of students that made the NSIC Spring All-America Team, view the full press release HERE.

Minot State Beaver Athletics finished 13th in the NSIC as the conference released its final 2024-25 All-Sports standings, following the crowning of the final conference champions for the 2024-25 academic year. The Beavers racked up 77.5 points throughout the year in the All-Sports standings. The Minot State men’s athletic programs finished 13th with 26 points, as well, and the Beaver women’s athletic teams also finished 13th with 51.5 points. The NSIC All-Sports standings are based on points awarded to each school for its finish in an NSIC-sponsored sport. The winner of each title in a conference-sponsored championship sport receives points totaling the number of teams in that sport, plus one. The next-place finisher receives points equal to the number of teams less the number of places from first place. Ties in the standings at any level result in the totaling of points and equal distribution. Minot State sponsors 16 NSIC sports: Football, women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s wrestling, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s indoor track & field, women’s indoor track & field, softball, baseball, men’s outdoor track & field, and women’s outdoor track & field.