Minot State University and the MSU Development Foundation invite alumni, friends, and supporters to make a lasting impact during the eighth annual Giving Day on Wednesday, April 8. The annual 24-hour, campus-wide effort supports students and strengthens programs across MSU. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends are encouraged to come together and support the programs and initiatives that matter most to them.

Every gift goes further on Giving Day. The MSU Development Foundation will match 50% of donations up to $1,000, instantly increasing the impact of each contribution. Throughout the day, additional donor-funded challenges will unlock bonus dollars, creating additional opportunities to maximize impact.

Since its launch, Giving Day has generated nearly $2 million in support, fueling scholarships, academic programs, athletics, and campus initiatives. That momentum continues to grow, with the past two years each surpassing $400,000 raised. In 2025 alone, 1,447 donors contributed more than $450,212 — a record-setting show of support.

Giving Day also provides a unique platform for campus programs to highlight specific needs and priorities. These range from scholarships and equipment purchases to travel support and other initiatives that directly benefit students. In 2026, more than 50 projects will be featured across academic and athletic areas, including six key university priorities: athletic scholarships, the Empower Grant, the general scholarship fund, the Hometown Pride Scholarship, the MSU Vision Fund, and the student emergency fund.

From funding scholarships to enhancing learning environments and supporting student experiences, every dollar raised helps shape the future of Minot State.

MSU is also proud to announce a continued partnership with Subway of Minot to provide a free lunch to all MSU Giving Day donors in the Student Center Quad. The lunch includes a Subway sandwich, chips, and a drink, and will be served from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. or while supplies last.

Log on to the MSU Giving Day website, Give.MinotStateU.edu, for more information on the event and project details. For questions, contact MSU Director of Foundation Operations Kate Marshall by email or by phone at 701-858-4158.

The Minot State University Gala will celebrate a new, yet familiar, venue in the Minot State Dome in 2026.

"Be Our Guest" for the 42nd annual Minot State University Gala, hosted by the Minot State University Alumni Association, on Friday, May 1, at the Minot State Dome. Doors open at 5 p.m. with a social and silent auction, and dinner is served at 7 p.m. Following the Gala, join Minot State for an after-party at the MSU Dome until midnight.

The MSU Gala is a premier social event in Minot that includes an elegant dinner, numerous mobile bidding packages, a vibrant live auction, prizes, and entertainment. Proceeds for this event support the Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment, publication of the MSU alumni magazine Connections, alumni programming, and projects that benefit Minot State University and its students.

Individual tickets for the Gala are $75, and tables for eight are still available at the base price of $1,000. The fundraiser is semi-formal. Register for the event by April 10 on the MSU Gala online website.

Individuals and businesses interested in supporting the MSU Gala by purchasing a table, donating a silent auction item, or sponsoring a game or raffle can contact Courtenay Brekhus, director, alumni engagement, by email at or by phone at 701-858-3373.

There’s a certain electricity that comes with a show like “Chicago.” America’s longest-running musical has a pulse driven by brass, rhythm, and the seductive allure of fame. From April 9-12, that energy finds a home at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall as Western Plains Opera and Minot State University Theatre join forces to bring one of Broadway’s most iconic productions to the stage.

Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets for Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb, and John Kander's “Chicago: The Musical” are $35/$30/$25 for adults, and $10 for students under 18. Military ticket prices are $25 for all sections with a valid ID, while MSU students are admitted free with their MSU ID. For more information, see attached poster. To purchase tickets or for more information, see Western Plains Opera’s website and online box office.

The collaboration between MSU Theatre and Western Plains Opera began with “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in 2024 and continues to evolve, blending student talent with community performers and professional-level musicianship.

Set in the roaring 1920s, the musical follows Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two women entangled in crime and celebrity, navigating a justice system where fame often matters more than truth. With its minimalist staging, sharp choreography, and jazz-infused score, “Chicago” relies heavily on performance precision.

Minot State will be well represented in the production, as alumnae Angela Schnaible ’99 and Kylee Cook ’25 have been cast as the iconic rival murderesses, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, and there are at least six other actors who are either current Minot State students or MSU grads. There are also several faculty, staff, students, and grads in the orchestra.

Nationally-known comic book and fantasy artists Tom Fleming and Dave DeVries will once again visit Minot State University’s Department of Art during their visit to Minot’s Imagicon. Imagicon is a three-day pop culture convention featuring gaming, cosplay, anime, and comic books. The 12th annual Imagicon is scheduled for April 24-26 at the North Dakota State Fair Center. More information is available at  imagiconnd.com.

Both artists will present at Minot State following the convention with a featured large-scale public presentation of their respective careers on Monday, April 27, at 10 a.m. in Aleshire Theater in Hartnett Hall. Also, on April 27, there will be a live art demonstration and workshop in Hartnett Hall 236 starting at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, April 28, the pair will conduct an artist-as-entrepreneur forum in Hartnett Hall’s Collaboration Space beginning at 9 a.m.

All presentations at MSU are free and open to the public, with prints, sketches, and books available for purchase and signings after each presentation. For more information or questions about the presentations at Minot State, contact Harbort by email and see attached event poster.

Minot State University is hosting the 33rd annual Northern Plains Conference on Early British Literature (NPCEBL) at Hartnett Hall on April 9 through April 11. The NPCEBL will utilize the Hartnett Hall Collaboration Space and the Northwest Arts Center. An evening of medieval musical works, with arrangements based on the research of MSU Professor of Music Jon Rumney, will open the conference at the Northwest Arts Center on April 9, followed by a keynote dinner open to the public on April 10.

The keynote address is by author Heather R. Darsie, a prosecution attorney by day and a Tudor-adjacent research author for the rest of her busy schedule, on Friday, April 10, from 6-9 p.m., with seats open to the public. Tickets for the keynote dinner are available for $25 on the Northern Plains Conference website. Darsie is the author of “Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The King’s Beloved Sister.” In this work, she translates correspondence to and from Anne that was not originally written in English, offering a fresh perspective on the circumstances surrounding Anne’s marriage to Henry VIII. Darsie’s research also explores the lives of other Tudor women, and she works extensively with medieval manuscripts. Her latest book centers on Anne Boleyn, exploring the legal case brought against Henry VIII's second wife, "‘If Any Person will Meddle of my Cause’ The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn.” Some of Darsie’s books are available in Minot at Mainstreet Books and Barnes & Noble.

The night will also feature England's national dish, curry, served during an Indian feast, with plenty of vegetarian options and classic tikka masala served buffet-style for the event.

Since 1993, the NPCEBL has enjoyed a tradition of convivial, stimulating conferences which focus on teaching and scholarship from the beginnings of British Literature through 1800. Minot State has been the host of the conference twice, the last time being in 2017.

Community members are invited to our keynote dinner evening on April 10, tickets are available at $25 per person. For more information, see the Northern Plains Conference website.

Minot State University’s Native American Cultural Center received a gift from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Tribal Council and Chairman Jamie Azure to upgrade furniture in the center. Azure was on campus and took time with the MSU Native American Club during Minot State’s annual Indigenous People’s Day, serving as a speaker at the event. His time in the Native American Cultural Center led to the idea of the upgrade. Azure and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Tribal Council donated furniture, including a couch, loveseat, two ottomans, two chairs, an entertainment center, a smart TV, room décor, and a dining table with six chairs. The new items were delivered to the Center in January. To read the entire press release and for photos, see the story on MSU's University Communications website.

The Minot State women’s wrestling program didn’t need to search far to find a new coach to guide the Beavers. Minot State’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Harmon, is pleased to announce that Beavers assistant coach Keegan Berry has been named the new head coach for women’s wrestling. Berry spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the program and recently served as interim head coach for the past month after head coach Brittney Mitchem announced her resignation. He begins his duties as head coach immediately.

A 2021 graduate from Minot State with a degree in physical education, Berry also earned his master’s in sports management from Minot State in 2023 while serving as a graduate assistant coach for the Beaver men’s wrestling team for the 2022-23 season. During his time competing on the mats, he racked up 60 career wins, which ranks fourth in Minot State’s D-II era. Berry became an assistant coach with the Minot State women’s wrestling team in the summer of 2023, prior to the program’s second year of competition. Along with his collegiate coaching experience, Berry also served as assistant coach from 2017 to present for the Dakota Rattlers wrestling club, was a camp counselor at the Robinson Intensive Wrestling Camps in Minneapolis, in 2018 and 2019, and served as a volunteer coach for Special Olympics from 2017-19.

Minot State University Staff Senate invites campus and community members to participate in the Silent Auction, taking place April 14-16, open daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Conference Center. Everyone is welcome to participate. In addition to the silent auction, this year's Staff Senate Live Auction will be held on Wednesday, April 15, at 11:30 a.m., featuring donated items and led by auctioneer Chris Lozensky. See attached informational flyer for more information, and stop by, place a bid, and support a great cause.

The Honors 391H class is currently seeking volunteers and donations for a community project, which aims to bring together elderly and the younger generation. The class is accepting donations of new or gently used games and puzzles. The class is also looking for volunteers, especially clubs or groups interested in participating in the Buddy Program. This program pairs individuals or groups with assisted living homes to visit residents and spend time playing games together. Donations can be dropped off in Old Main, Room 101 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Anyone interested in getting involved or would like more information about the Buddy Program or donations, contact Jessica Smestad, director of the Honors Program, by email, and see attached informational flyer 001 and informational flyer 002.

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.

Hartnett Hall Gallery
The Minot State Hartnett Hall Gallery is located within the Hartnett Hall Collaboration Space on second floor and is open throughout the day as long as Hartnett Hall is open.

• Bless Your Heart exhibition is open from April 1 until April 15.

Jillian Ackerman, Erica Fijala, and Journey Miller from the MSU women’s hockey team, were each named to the All-Women’s Midwest Collegiate Hockey (WMCH) Second Team for their performance this season on the ice, while freshman Avary Lazarenko was named to the WMCH All-Rookie Second Team for her play in her debut collegiate season.

Nathan Anderson, director of institutional assessment; Danel Ringrose, professor of history and interim assistant vice president for academic affairs (AVPAA); and Alaric Williams, former MSU AVPAA, had an article published in Research & Practice in Assessment. The manuscript is available on Research & Practice in Assessment's website. In addition, Anderson created a Gemini Pro interactive web-based infographic based on our article.

Colton Bagshaw was named the NSIC Baseball Pitcher of the Week following a stellar performance on the mound. The junior from Lake Havasu, Arizona, struck out a career-best 12 opposing batters, going a career-high seven innings in a 4-1 win over Winona State. The Beaver right-hander scattered four hits and allowed one unearned run in the victory.

Evan Borisinkoff, professor in the Department of Education and Inclusive Services, recently received an outbound award through the U.S. Department of State–funded Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement. Borisinkoff will travel to Nairobi, Kenya, on April 9 as part of the program, which is implemented by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston in partnership with regional organizations, including the African Disability Forum. During the visit, Borisinkoff will collaborate with professional fellow Roselyne Mburu of the Down Syndrome Society of Kenya to implement the iRISE Self-Advocacy Toolkit, a resource co-developed to support individuals with Down syndrome in building self-advocacy skills and leadership capacity. The project includes training sessions with self-advocates, families, and educators, as well as engagement with key stakeholders in inclusive education. Planned activities include collaboration with organizations such as the Down Syndrome Society of Kenya, the Kenya Institute of Special Education, and Kenyatta University, along with meetings involving government and civil society partners and the U.S. Embassy. As part of this work, Borisinkoff will also collect social validity data to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the toolkit, with the goal of informing future dissemination and research.

Jay Buchholz, Colby Joseph, Matthew Yakubowski, and William Dyke, members of the Minot State men’s hockey team, were each named to the Midwest Collegiate Hockey (MCH) First Team, the league announced at the end of the regular season. Joey Moffatt was named to the MCH Second Team, and Blake Sittler was named to the MCH All-Rookie Team. Head coach Wyatt Waselenchuk, was named co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Jamestown’s Dean Stork.

Joseph Collette, professor of geology, presents his second of five photography shows this year, which opened on April 1 at the Taube Museum of Art in Minot. Collette's show, called "Recent Works - Illuminated Photographs of the Unsettling on the Prairie of ND," runs through April 30 and is entirely self-contained gallery room on the lower level to be able to control ambient lighting.

Jacek Mrozik, chair, Department of Business, and Nathan Anderson, director of institutional assessment, received the Academy of Business Research Conference's Best Paper Award in the category of Management, Entrepreneurship and Strategy. They earned the award at the conference last week for their paper, "Data-Informed Strategic Enrollment Management: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Developing Recruitment and Marketing Strategies for the University."

Holly Pedersen, professor of special education, was part of the North Dakota team participating in the annual CEEDAR Center Convening in New Orleans. Located at the University of Florida, CEEDAR stands for “Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform” with a national mission to support students with disabilities in achieving college- and career-ready standards by building the capacity of state personnel preparation systems to prepare teachers and leaders to implement evidence-based practices within multi-tiered systems of support.

Pedersen, along with graduate student Kale Smith presented research at the 25th national Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) conference along with the North Dakota team, including staff from NDCPD, ND Department of Human Services and the ND School for the Deaf in Jacksonville, Florida. Pedersen presented “Faith of Our Fathers: Exploring the Role of Faith, Spirituality and Religion as Support Among Fathers of Children who are DHH” and Pedersen and Smith presented, “Deaf Mentors: Perspectives of Mentors, Families & Program Administrators."

Frankie Piatz, a senior in the social work program, recently published an article in the Minot Daily News. The article, "FFND works to protect children, empower families," can be viewed at the Minot Daily News website.

Ariel Sanchez was selected as the Academic Support Center (ASC) Student of the Month for February. He has contributed to the ASC programs as an office assistant. The ASC Student of the Month recognizes the outstanding contributions of the many student leaders working with ASC's programs.

Jim Sturm, director of the Looyenga Leadership Center, was named the January winner of the Staff Senate High Five Award. He is pictured with (from left) Celeste Simmons, Staff Senate president; Mark Singer, associate professor of history; Minot State President Steven Shirley, and Laurie Geller, vice president for academic affairs. He has been the University's only director of the Looyenga Leadership Center, as he was the Center's first hire five and a half years ago. Outside of work, Sturm enjoys hiking, reading, eating cheeseburgers and doughnuts (usually not together, but he wouldn't rule it out!), making up leadership games and puzzles, and supporting Minot State athletics and the University's student-athletes. "I came to Minot State in the middle of the pandemic without even setting foot previously in North Dakota (even my interview was online) and not knowing anyone in the whole state," he said. "But it has become one of my favorite places with many of my favorite people!" 

Peyton Tuhy and Bailey Wride, from the men’s and women’s track & field teams, were named Pinnacle Employee Benefits Minot State Athlete of the Month honors for February. Tuhy, a senior from Hettinger, was named the Pinnacle Employee Benefits Minot State Male Athlete of the Month, while Wride was the Pinnacle Employee Benefits Minot State Female Athlete of the Month 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.

Wenjing Zheng, associate professor of special education, presented research at the Council for Exceptional Children annual national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Zheng presented “Paraprofessionals in Voluntary Self-Paced Online Training."

Each year, Minot State University selects 10-20 students to receive the Student Leadership & Engagement Award based on their scholarship, participation and leadership in academic and extracurricular activities, service to Minot State University, community involvement, and potential for future achievement. MSU is proud to announce the 2026 winners of the Student Leadership and Engagement Award: Dalton Davis, Cambry Frantsvog, Mateo Funes, Peyton Halverson, Mallory Hoogensen, Jersey Johnson, Mason Lemer, Krista Permentier, Nicole Reeves, Nathan Sagsveen, Kyle Sandy, Sierra Schramm, Megan Swenson, Emma Taylor, and Sara Van Wickler. These students will be recognized at an awards ceremony at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6. Join us in congratulating them on this achievement.