Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Magazine Fall 2006

Transcription

Reel learning:
Fledgling
moviemakers
flock to film
programs
New center:
A source for
computer-savvy
graduates
Mind games:
Simulations
engage students
The Minnesota State Colleges
& Universities magazine
Fall 2006 • Vol. 2 • No. 1
Published by the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities system.
James H. McCormick, Chancellor
EDITOR: Linda Kohl
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Nancy Conner
ART DIRECTOR: Deborah Thayer
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Abdurashid Ali, Paul
Berger, Jonathan Chapman, Dan Conklin,
Nancy Conner, Sally Grans, Whitney
H a rris, Erin Larsen, Roberta Link, Deborah
M o rris, Glenn Morris, Monte Swann
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Paul Berger,
Nancy Conner, Linda Kohl, Todd Nelson,
Melinda Voss
LETTERS: Send letters intended for
possible publication to
Public Affairs
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
Wells Fargo Place
30 7th St. E., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804
or by e-mail to [email protected] .
Include your name, address and
daytime telephone number. The editor
reserves the right to edit letters for
space and clarity.
ISSN 1932-7773
www.mnscu.edu
Phone: (651) 296-8012
Toll-free: (888) 667-2848
TTY: (651) 282-2660
10
A passion for cinema
Filmmaking and screenwriting programs provide a foot in the door for budding moviemakers.
Nearly 500 students are enrolled at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Metropolitan
State University and Minneapolis Community and Technical College as a growing number
see cinema as a viable career choice.
Photos make friends
23
Photographic artist Wing Young Huie and nearly 400 students and
12 instructors at North Hennepin Community College collaborated
on “In FOCUS,” a photo project intended to build ties among
students who otherwise might never get to know each other.
It’s all in a day’s work on ‘the ice’
Welding graduate Glenn Morris, who has served three stints in
A n t a rctica maintaining crucial equipment
for the National Science Foundation,
tells about a typical day. Occasional
26
32
excursions enable employees to
see wildlife such as empero r
penguins and Weddell seals.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is
committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment
and education opportunity. No person shall be discriminated
against in the terms and conditions of employment, personnel
practices, or access to and participation in programs, services
and activities, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion,
age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with
regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or membership
or activity in a local commission as defined by law.
This document is available in alternative formats to individuals
with disabilities by calling one of the numbers above.
© Copyright 2006 by the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities system.
COVER:
Adam Olson, filmmaking instructor at
Minneapolis Community and Technical
College, helps a student adjust the
camera in the college’s greenscreen
studio. Story on Page 10. Photo by
Jonathan Chapman.
Delivering Minnesota’s morning news
Minnesota Public Radio journalist and alumnus Perry Finelli relishes the
daily challenge of crafting and delivering news broadcasts that keep
thousands of listeners informed.
INSIDE: Briefs
Campus Roundup
Faculty Spotlight
Meet New Trustees
Alumni
FALL 2006 | M I N N E S OTA STATE | 1
‘Biker Bob’ rolls again
Grad assists at surprise birth
Over the past five years, former trustee Robert Erickson
For Brainerd Police officer John Davis, a recent Central
has covered 11,500 miles of Minnesota highways and
Lakes College criminal justice graduate, helping at a
byways on his bicycle, visiting all 53 campuses in the
home birth was nothing new. After all, he’d delivered
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities each year.
babies in his previous paramedic career. But this one
His quest? Scholarship dollars and publicity for the
turned out to be a breech birth.
problems that part-time students face in financing
their education.
Heidi Hagen of rural Brainerd began having labor
pains at about 3 a.m. May 18, and even before her
husband, Dave, could get her into the car, contractions
began coming a few minutes apart. The couple imme
diately called 911, which transferred the call to
St. Joseph’s Hospital. Staff stayed on the line to coach
the panicked dad, who could see the baby’s foot.
Davis was the first officer on the scene. Dave
Hagen, in the kitchen tending to Heidi, already had
partly delivered the baby. Davis immediately went
to work, making sure the umbilical cord wasn’t being
pinched and that the baby could breathe as he was
being delivered.
A round 4:25 a.m, Davis brought John Steven into
the world. When he didn’t start breathing, Davis pumped
Robert Erickson rode 2,300 miles this year to raise funds.
oxygen into his tiny lungs, and the baby suddenly let out
squeaks and turned pink, surrounded by the relieved dad,
By the time this year’s trek ended on Sept. 21,
grandmother and other emergency personnel. The
Erickson, 60, had raised more than $295,000 over five
Hagens listed Davis as the person who delivered their
years and more than $33,000 on this year’s ride alone.
son on his birth certificate.
Donations come from all over – townspeople, students,
campus staff and events such as a pizza feed and bicy
cle raffles. Erickson has used the bike trips, each 2,300
miles long, to advocate for a more favorable state
financial aid policy for part-time students. About
40 percent of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
students are enrolled part time; their average age is 29.
“ T h e y ’ re often not eligible for scholarships, and
the financial aid formula does not treat them fairly,”
said Erickson of Bloomington. He is chair of the
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Foundation,
which distributes scholarships to part-time students.
Recipients of the scholarships frequently send
messages of appreciation. “I am a 33-year-old mother
of three who decided to begin work on my college
d e g ree two years ago. …Thanks to your scholarship
(I also received it in 2004), my dream of finishing
college is closer than ever,” wrote an Inver Hills
Community College student who plans to obtain
a four-year degree in theater and Spanish.
Contributions can be made to the foundations
of individual Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Photo by Steve Kohls, Brainerd Dispatch
or to the Trustee Emeritus Erickson Part - Time Student
Scholarship fund of the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities Foundation. See www.foundation.mnscu.edu .
2 | MINNESOTA STATE
FALL 2006
Central Lakes College graduate John Davis of the Brainerd
Police Department provided crucial help when Dave and Heidi
Hagen’s baby made a surprise appearance.
Problem gambling affects
students nationwide
The program’s success has prompted other
P roblem gambling affects college students
State’s assistance in developing similar efforts.
public and private schools to seek Bemidji
nationwide but typically remains unre c o g
nized on campuses, a study by Bemidji State
Building ties with Somalia
University has found. The national statistics
A six-member delegation from the Minnesota
a re disquieting. One-quarter of
the nation’s nearly
16 million college
students gam
ble, and
gambling
p roblems for
college students
State Colleges and Universities system trav
eled 8,200 miles this summer to build ties
with Puntland State University and Nugaal
University, two relatively new universities in
Somalia. The delegation included students
and faculty members from Minneapolis
Community and Technical College, Inver Hills
Community College, Century College, and
are growing at a rate
representatives of the Metro Alliance, which
t h ree times faster than in
comprises the 11 state colleges and universi
the general adult population.
But only 22 percent of college
campuses in the United States
have gambling policies similar to
those for alcohol use.
Bemidji State, as part of a Minnesota
ties in the Twin Cities, and Somali Family
Services, a Minneapolis organization serving
Somali immigrants.
System officials hope ties between the
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
and the two universities in Somalia will
D e p a rtment of Human Services pilot project,
expand into student and faculty exchanges
conducted a study of gambling by students
when the country’s political situation
on its campus. The results showed that
becomes more stable. In return, two gifts
gambling is widely accepted among the
were presented – a live camel to Minneapolis
students. Of those surveyed, 92 percent
Community and Technical College and two
said they have friends who gamble and
Arabian horses to Inver Hills Community
35 percent said they knew someone who
College. The animals will remain in Somalia
had a gambling problem.
as a symbol of sisterhood. System officials
“The results appear to be reflective of
believe that more Somalis attend the
the college population in general,” said Jay
Passa, Bemidji State health education coord i
than any other U.S. higher education system.
nator who coordinated the study. “Our
students are very similar to others at colleges
College alone has 300 to 350 Somali students
and universities across Minnesota and the
attending each semester.
College, was featured in a story in the
Star Tribune newspaper June 9 after
a delivery driver for Galactic Pizza.
playing electronic slots or poker (43 percent),
After he delivered a pizza, Evans was
a c c o rding to Passa. The vast majority of stu
walking back to his truck when he
dents gamble for fun, social reasons and
heard a woman screaming, “Stop him!
excitement. But for a small minority
Stop him!” Wearing a cape, orange
(5 perc e n t ), gambling has led to financial
tights and black boots, Evans, 26, ran
problems, prompting students to turn to
to the rescue, chasing the man who
family, friends, credit card debt or savings
had snatched the woman’s purse.
to cover their losses. A few used student
Evans and two passersby trapped the
loans or other financial aid.
robber in an alley and let him go in
To help students better understand
to illuminate gambling’s lure and dangers.
Cameron Evans, a student at
dressed like a superh e ro in his job as
such as buying lottery tickets (52 percent) or
university has mounted an educational eff o rt
STUDENT
SUPERHERO
FOILS CRIME
he stopped a purse theft while
nation.” Most of the activities seem harmless,
what could become a silent addiction, the
Photo by Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune
© 2006 Star Tribune.
Delegates from Minnesota, along with university
President Abdirahman Ali, second from right, tour
the site for the future main campus of Nugaal
University in Puntland, Somalia.
exchange for the purse, which they
returned to the grateful victim.
C A M P U S RO U N D U P
Alexandria Technical College
Anoka Technical College
Can I test the snowmobile again?
F o rty-five high school teachers from across
the state participated in a two-day training
seminar in August on current technology
in re c reational and power equipment at
Alexandria. The teachers received factory
training from manufacturing re p resentatives
on equipment from Arctic Cat, Briggs &
Stratton, Honda and Stihl. An instructor
who coordinated the event said, “This type
of training for high school teachers is rare,
but due to the partnerships our program has
with the industry, we are able to pro v i d e
s t a t e - o f - t h e - a rt training.”
Quick with words. Jennifer Sati has been
named Instructor of the Year by the Minnesota
Association of Verbatim Reporters and
Captioners. Sati is program director for the
college’s judicial reporting and broadcast cap
tioning program. She holds certifications as a
Registered Merit Reporter (writing at a speed
of 260 words per minute), Certified Realtime
Reporter and Certified Broadcast Captioner.
Before joining the college, Sati worked on
many high-profile cases, including the O.J.
Simpson trial, Minnesota tobacco litigation
and the 3M breast implant trial.
Bemidji State University
SinoSummer connects students with China.
Thanks to a 19-year relationship with China’s
Liaoning University, students enrolled in
Bemidji State University’s SinoSummer program
experience China firsthand and more realisti
cally than many tourists could dream of doing.
“The greatest take-away is how students come
to view China, the U.S., the world and them
selves,” said Sharon Gritzmacher, Bemidji
State associate professor and program director.
Thirty-one students participated in the 2006
five-week, 12-credit program. Students select
a topic and prepare a pretrip research paper.
They record their impressions in daily jour
nals, then complete a paper on their topic and
a comparative rejoinder to their initial research
paper as a final assignment. More than 500
students have participated since 1990.
Instructors Jeff Ruth, left, of Pine Technical College
and Mike Sunblad of Albert Lea High School part i c ipate in industry - s p o n s o red factory training at
Alexandria Technical College.
Student Jessica Swadner assists dentist Kristin Rajala
in the Central Lakes Community Dental Clinic.
Lakes College. A public facility owned and
operated by the state of Minnesota and open
to those insured by the Minnesota Health Care
System, it is the first such partnership between
the college and the Department of Human
Services. Clinic staff includes a dentist, dental
hygienist and dental assisting students working
as interns.
Century College
Mathematics department wins again.
For the third consecutive year, Century has
won top honors for being both the best in the
state and the best in the region in the
American Mathematical Association of TwoYear Colleges Student Mathematics League
contest. Century College is in the Central
Region, made up of 12 states. The Student
Mathematics League contest consists of two
written competitions each year at
two-year colleges nationwide.
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Dakota County Technical College
Underre p resented students get an edge.
A new program on the Cambridge campus
of Anoka-Ramsey Community College will help
pave a pathway to success for students tradition
ally underre p resented in higher education. The
Aspire Program is designed for students of
color, students from low- or moderate-income
families and students whose parents have not
e a rned a bachelor’s degree. Services include
learning communities, one-on-one advising and
tutoring, group social and cultural activities, and
guidance on transfer to four-year colleges and
universities. The Aspire Program is made possi
ble through a grant from the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities system.
A great-sounding care e r. Over the last
decade, voice-recognition technology has
made major advances, increasing the efficiency
of medical transcriptionists. Medical tran
scriptionists now can transcribe 30 perc e n t
more quickly through the use of this new
technology. Dakota County Technical College
i n s t ructor Susan Johanson has brought the
voice-recognition training to her classro o m ,
w h e re students use Dictaphone Enterprise
E x p ress Speech software, a product of Nuance
Communications, Inc. The company worked
closely with Johanson and the college’s
Information Technology Department to
install the software and start the training.
4 | MINNESOTA STATE | FALL 2006
Bemidji State University students spell out BSU
on the eastern fringes of the Gobi Desert in Inner
Mongolia while on a field trip during their
SinoSummer studies.
Central Lakes College
Open wide. The Central Lakes Community
Dental Clinic, a pilot project with full-service
dental procedures, has opened in the dental
assisting lab on the Brainerd campus of Central
C AMPUSROUNDUP
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College
Inver Hills Community College
International consortium. Fond du Lac
Tribal and Community College in Cloquet,
along with the Fond du Lac Indian Reserv a t i o n ,
hosted the 2006 World Indigenous Nations
Higher Education Consortium Annual General
Meeting in August. More than 175 people
attended, including higher education profes
sionals from New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan,
Canada, Saamiland-Norway, South America
and Africa. This was the first time the organi
zation has gathered within the 48-state main
land of the United States.
A national benchmark in student satisfaction.
A new survey shows that the college’s Adult
Success through Accelerated Programs option
has set national benchmarks for student satis
faction. A Noel-Levitz survey of students in
the program found that ASAP ranked first in
four of eight categories. The study compare d
26 institutions; Inver Hills was the only twoyear college in the group. More than 800
students have enrolled at Inver Hills through
ASAP, and more than half went on to bache
lor’s degree programs. The average age of
p a rticipants is 39, and more than 70 percent
a re women.
Lake Superior College
Delegates from Taiwan wore traditional dress
to opening ceremonies at Fond du Lac Tribal
and Community College.
Hennepin Technical College
Chef takes the cake. Culinary arts instructor
Carlo Castagneri has been honored with life
time membership in the Honorable Order of
the Golden Toque, the highest recognition a
chef can receive in the United States. He joined
the Hennepin Technical College culinary art s
p rogram in 1979
and now over
sees third-semes
ter students, w h o
receive training
in the college’s
g o u rmet dining
room. The
Golden Toque
was founded in
France, and
membership is
restricted to
100 lifetime
Chef Carlo Castagneri of
members.
Hennepin Technical College
Going the distance. A Lake Superior
College Vi rtual Campus project is among
the winners of the
Innovations of
the Year for 2006,
s p o n s o red by
the League for
Innovation in
the Community
College. The
college was recog
nized for develop
ing online learn i n g
o p p o rtunities that
tie together dis
Barry Dahl of Lake Superior
tance education
College
and distance
athletic events. Students are instructed via an
Internet-delivered course and training program
for marathon-length events. The final exam
is participation in either Grandma’s Marathon
(running), the NorthShore Inline Marathon
(skating), or the American Birkebeiner
( N o rdic skiing). Barry Dahl, vice pre s i d e n t
for technology and the Virtual Campus,
received the award for his work in implementing
the courses.
Metropolitan State University
‘ C a reerships’ for future leaders.
M e t ropolitan State University is working
with the Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support
Corporation to attract and retain new leaders
who reflect the racial and ethnic diversity
of the neighborhoods in which community
development corporations work. Strategies
include a mid-career apprenticeship pro g r a m
called the Careership Program that off e r s
people who have some work experience a
stipend for an 18-month, part-time appre n
ticeship with a community development
corporation. A Human Capital Development
Initiative grant funds the pro gr a m .
Minneapolis Community
& Technical College
A secure career choice. A new Institute
for Computer Security and Forensics pro
vides cyber-security training for key justice
system and nonprofit organization staff.
The institute, funded by a $200,000 U.S.
Department of Justice grant and $60,000
from the system’s Center for Strategic
Information Technology and Security, is a
two-year initiative to train information tech
nology staff from nonprofit organizations in
techniques to secure computer and technology
systems and to train law enforcement and
criminal justice systems staff in inform a t i o n
security, computer forensics and pro c e d u res
for digital investigations.
Minnesota State College Southeast Technical
Three institutions in one. Students who
come to Winona for college will be able to
take classes from three institutions through
a tri-college collaboration that expands
student options. The presidents of Winona
State University, St. Mary’s University and
Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical
are working together to make it easier for stu
dents to transfer among the three institutions.
A main goal is to increase the number of fouryear programs into which MSC - Southeast
Technical students can transfer without losing
credits from their associate degrees.
Minnesota State Community
& Technical College
Fulbright scholar in residence. Minnesota
State Community and Technical College has
been selected to host a Fulbright Scholar-inResidence for the 2006-2007 academic year.
The program, which brings visiting scholars
from abroad to lecture at U.S. colleges and
universities, is sponsored by the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S.
State Department. Denise Ferran from Ireland
will work with faculty and students in visual
arts on the Fergus Falls campus. Ferran has
exhibited her work throughout Ireland and
the United States and is represented in many
public art collections.
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Aff i rmative action officer honored. Minnesota
State University, Mankato Aff i rmative Action
O fficer Kenneth White has been honored for
20 years of excellence in public service by the
National Forum for Black Public Administrators.
White is president of the Forum’s Minnesota
chapter and has been the university’s aff i rmative
action officer since July 2004.
C AMPUSROUNDUP
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Alcohol and College Life course. HLTH
122: “Alcohol and College Life” is a required
course for all new freshmen beginning this fall.
Fifteen lessons cover a range of topics about
alcohol in the context of college. Each lesson
includes an online lecture, enriched with audio,
video and interactive games, and readings. The
goal is to give new students insights into the
rewards and pre s s u res of freshman year, part i c
ularly around the subjects of socialization, new
friends, parties and drinking. In video and audio
clips, older students offer firsthand glimpses of
campus life from the perspective of those who
have been there.
training for soldiers, ropes courses have been
transformed into developmental activities for
students, staff members or any group looking
to establish unity. Among the benefits a recent
business group noted after its ropes course
experience was the encouragement from team
mates while learning to appreciate each other’s
s t rengths in a new way.
Pine Technical College
Excellence squared. Pine Technical College
has been named to two of the system’s centers
of excellence: the Center for Integrated Health
Science Education and Practice and the
Consortium for Manufacturing and Applied
Engineering. Additionally, Pine Technical
College and Southwest Minnesota State
University are working together to offer bach
elor’s degrees in business administration,
applied science and early childhood education
on the college campus.
Minnesota West Community
& Technical College
Fairmont, Luverne centers open. Classes are
being offered in two new venues in southwest
ern Minnesota this fall. The college’s new
Fairmont Center has begun offering classes in
a newly renovated school building. Other insti
tutions at the center are Presentation College;
Minnesota State University, Mankato; South
Central College; Riverland Community
College; and St. Mary’s College of Winona.
In Luverne, the Luverne Educational Center
for Health Careers is a new joint venture
between Minnesota West, the Sioux Valley
Health System and the Luverne Economic
Development Authority. Housed in a former
hospital, the center is designed to meet the
needs for skilled health care workers and
medical support staff in some of the fastestgrowing segments of health care.
Students try out a ropes course at North Hennepin
Community College.
Northeast Higher Education District
Come CLEAN. A new Career Laddering for
the Education and Advancement of Nursing
program, called the CLEAN program, off e r s
licensed practical nurses and practical nursing
students in rural areas of northeastern Minnesota
the opportunity to complete a registered nursing
degree online. Based at Hibbing Community
College, the distance learning program partnership with Itasca, Hibbing and Rainy River
community colleges was made possible through
a three-year federal grant.
North Hennepin Community College
On the ropes. Wild Woosey. The Circle of
Trust. The Spider Web. These are just some of
the challenges posed in the college’s new ropes
course, a personal development and team-build
ing activity offering opportunities to build
camaraderie, trust, accountability, positive risktaking and critical-thinking skills. Developed
during World War II as a form of military
Ridgewater College
Justice served. Ridgewater College and
St. Cloud State University are collaborating to
offer a bachelor’s degree program in criminal
justice at the Willmar campus. The program
will deliver junior-, senior- and graduate-level
classes taught by St. Cloud State University
faculty on the Ridgewater campus. Instruction
will be a combination of on-site, online and
interactive television classes. The program
allows law enforcement and corrections stu
dents and personnel living in the Willmar area
to continue their education.
Riverland Community College
Normandale Community College
Cursos ofrecidos enteramente en español.
Normandale Community College is offering
a number of classes taught entirely in Spanish,
including Hispanic history and the geography
of Latin America. Class lectures and all support
materials, including textbooks and course syllabi,
are in Spanish. English sections of the courses
also are offered. College officials say the cours
es taught in Spanish are partly geared to people
who grew up speaking Spanish in their homes
but never received a formal introduction to the
language and its grammar.
Northwest Technical College Scholarship/
Intern Program. Marco selected the college
to help the company hire skilled sales
specialists in various areas of technology
solutions. Program highlights include
second-year tuition reimbursement, a paid
internship and the offer of a sales position
after successfully completing the sales
marketing and management program.
Northland Community
& Technical College
American Indian nursing program.
Northland Community and Technical College
and White Earth Tribal and Community
College recently announced plans to offer
a new nursing education program through
a $98,000 matching grant from Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities. Northland has
provided a registered nursing education pro
gram for 20 years, but the percentage of
American Indian students enrolled is extremely
low. The registered nursing program will be
directed toward American Indian high school
students and adults who wish to pursue nursing
as a career. The college hopes to increase
American Indian enrollment in the nursing
program by 10 students per year.
Northwest Technical College
Technically, I’m sold. Marco, a St. Cloud
business products firm, recently established the
A civic thing to do. Leadership Austin, a new
initiative of Riverland Community College
and the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce,
will assist individuals interested in developing
leadership skills, building civic awareness and
increasing their involvement in the communi
ty. Participants become better informed about
community issues, better connected to com
munity leaders and better pre p a red to take on
enhanced roles in the community decisionmaking process.
Rochester Community
& Technical College
On the grid. Rochester Community and
Technical College became a partner in the
World Community Grid last spring, joining
the IBM Corporation and a group of more
than 150 leading organizations that contribute
their idle personal computer time to assist
humanitarian research. World Community
Grid uses grid technology to establish a per
C AMPUSROUNDUP
manent, flexible infrastructure that pro v i d e s
re s e a rchers with a readily available pool of
computational power that can be used to
solve problems plaguing humanity. In July,
the college ranked fourth in the world in
overall runtime contributions on the World
Community Grid.
St. Cloud Technical College
Open your mind to door15. St. Cloud
Technical College’s Continuing Education
division welcomes visitors to its Web site
from the college’s home page through a new
portal known as “door15.” Using icons of
various classroom doors that swing open as
a computer mouse passes over them, visitors
to www.door15.com are invited to find out
more about lifelong learning opportunities,
including continuing education, customized
training and emergency or safety education.
The site introduces itself with the headline,
“At door15, we’re opening doors for you.”
St. Paul College
A trio of new grants. St. Paul College recently
received several grants to better pre p a re students
for the demands of emerging and high-growth
industries such as energy and nanotechnology.
Grants include a $126,000 Noel-Levitz Enable
Math Retention grant, launched jointly with
the Power of You program (which offers free
tuition for two years to eligible students); a
$13,000 system grant supporting a collabora
tion with WomenVenture and Xcel Energy to
create career paths to the energy industry for
students from St. Paul public schools; and
another $5,000 system grant adding to federal
money being used to launch a nanotechnology
program.
South Central College
Now, let’s get technical. TechNow, a summer
computer programming camp for high school
students sponsored by South Central College
Computer Careers faculty and business partners,
was off e red to students with an interest and apti
tude in programming. During the intensive
three-day program, students had opportunities
to talk about career opportunities including the
need for mainframe and Web programmers.
Southwest Minnesota State University
Regional Event Center. A new Regional
Event Center will be built soon at Southwest
Minnesota State University in Marshall.
Construction is expected to be completed by
fall 2007. The 2006 Legislature appropriated
$11 million for the facility, and the university
will work with the Schwan Food Company to
raise an additional $5 million for the project.
The center will provide a multipurpose venue
for economic and cultural events, entertainment,
educational and sporting events, and graduations.
A removable bubble roof will cover the field
from November through April.
Winona State University
“Native Voices” resonate. Winona State
University’s Original Peoples of the Land
“Native Voices” series presented “Honoring
the Earth: Our Native American Legacy”
with Winona LaDuke in September. LaDuke,
an Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe) enrolled member
of the Mississippi Band of Anishinaabeg,
is an activist, environmentalist, economist
and writer, founder of the White Earth
Land R e c o v e ry Project in Minnesota and the
Indigenous Women’s Network, and the
p rogram director for the Honor the Eart h
Fund. Ms. magazine named LaDuke its
Woman of the Year in 1997.
Office of the Chancellor
A grassroots network of community members,
alumni, faculty, staff and students is poised to
help build support for the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities and promote state
investment in higher education during the
2007 legislative session. The Friends Action
Network, or FAN, will encourage support e r s
to talk to friends, family, neighbors – and
especially their elected officials – about the
value of the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities system. “Strong state support
for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
translates into a strong workforce and
i m p roved quality of life for all Minnesotans,”
said Mary Jacquart, government relations
d i rector for the system. During the pro j e c t ’s
launch, more than 900 people signed up at
the State Fair to become FANs and learn
m o re about higher education issues and how
to support the system’s legislative request.
For more information or to become a FAN,
go to www.fan.mnscu.edu .
St. Cloud State University
Aviation students at St. Cloud State University have opportunities
to work with corporate flight depart m e n t s .
Business partnerships take flight. The St. Cloud State University aviation
program is attracting national attention for bringing aviation students together
with flight departments of major corporations. Students get hands-on experience
in projects at 3M, Target, General Mills, Cargill and eight other large Minnesota
companies, and businesses gain a pipeline of future professionals.
Businesses choose major projects to be tackled by the students, who benefit
from technological resources not always available on campus, plus mentoring and
formal evaluations. Student teams have tackled assignments about aircraft and
organization mergers, jet acquisition, and pilot succession and hiring. The teams
present their projects to company management and classmates, then receive
mock corporate interviews for feedback and further mentoring.
The partnership program, developed by Assistant Professor Tara Harl, has
given more than 100 students the chance to work on business aviation projects
over the last four years. The internship and networking opportunities are invalu
able, said St. Cloud State alumnus Benjamin Quinn, now a technical marketing
analyst with Netjets in Columbus, Ohio. “Where else would I get the chance to
connect with people who run flight departments at places like Target, General
Mills and the Metropolitan Airports Commission?”
The National Business Aviation Association, a national organization for
business aviation professionals, recently selected the St. Cloud State program
as a model for similar programs at other colleges around the country.
G R A N T S A N D R E C O G N I T IO N S
Here is a sample of grants and awards
received by the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities and their faculty, staff
and students.
Grants
St. Paul College has been awarded a five-year,
$5 million grant from the U.S. Department
of Education for the college’s Midwest Center
for Postsecondary Outreach to increase and
improve higher education opportunities for
deaf people in 13 Midwestern states. The grant
will help the center train college and university
administrators, faculty and staff in the region
in counseling, tutoring, interpreting, using
listening devices, and communication methods
and technologies. The center, one of four such
centers in the nation, also supports a collabora
tive network among regional higher education
institutions and other regional and national
o rganizations.
Hubbard County’s Beauty Lake. The goal is
to help the state and county better understand
how to protect valuable lake resources.
Collected data will enable the state and county
to track changes in water quality, shoreline
characteristics and overall ecology as a result
of the cumulative impacts of development.
The entire shoreline of the 54-acre Beauty
Lake was platted in 1999 for residential devel
opment with 30 lots; within a year, all the lots
were sold and development began.
Boston Scientific Corp. has donated a $200,000
plastics-molding machine to Hennepin
Technical College. The gesture support s
Boston Scientific’s eff o rts to help pre p a re new
employees with the skills to make high-quality
p roducts in the medical-technology industry.
The program boasts a 100 percent job place
ment rate; about 60 percent of the students in
the program go on to med-tech careers.
Awards
Anoka-Ramsey Community College has
been awarded a $399,099 National Science
Foundation grant to provide scholarships for
low-income, academically talented students
interested in careers in computer science and
networking, engineering and mathematics.
A p p roximately 28 students will be awarded
annual scholarships of $3,125 to offset the cost
of tuition, books and other expenses. The grant
extends for four years. Project goals include
i n c reasing participation in these careers,
i n c reasing the success of participants through
scholarship and support services, and pro m o t
ing full-time enrollment and degree attainment.
The Blandin Foundation recently awarded
the Northeast Higher Education District’s
Itasca Community College $313,000 to
support five financial aid programs for the
2006-2007 academic year, including traditional
scholarships, scholarships for nontraditional stu
dents, part-time scholarships, work study and the
Cooperative Education Subsidy program. The
foundation also awarded the college $250,000
toward the development of an endowed faculty
chair for American Indian studies.
Bemidji State University has received a grant
from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
to conduct a study that will help track the eco
logical impacts of residential development on
Ann Wy n i a, president of North Hennepin
Community College, has received a 2006
Shirley B. Gordon Aw a rd of Distinction fro m
Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society serving
two-year colleges. She was among 19 college
presidents honored for demonstrating contin
ued support for their college’s Phi Theta Kappa
chapters by providing resources such as faculty
advisor release time, a line-item budget and
scholarships for Phi Theta Kappa members.
Kathleen Nelson, president of Lake Superior
College, has been elected to a leadership role
with the Higher Learning Commission, the
accrediting body for more than 1,100 public
and private higher education institutions in
19 states. She was elected vice chair and chairelect of the organization’s Board of Trustees;
next year, she will become chair.
L a rry Litecky, president of Century College,
has been named District 5 Pacesetter of the Year
for 2006 by District 5 of the National Council
of Marketing and Public Relations, an associa
tion of two-year college marketing professionals.
He was honored for providing exemplary lead
ership in community college marketing and
public relations. District 5 includes Minnesota,
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North
Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba.
Dan Jones, Anishinaabe and American Indian
studies instructor at Fond du Lac Tribal and
Community College, received the 2006
Distinguished Person of Color of the Year
Award from the University of WisconsinSuperior. Jones, a member of the
Nicickousemenecaning First Nation from
Ontario, Canada, has taught language courses
at the college since 1997 and at UW-Superior
since 2002. Jones has received the Outstanding
American Indian Post-Secondary Teacher of
the Year Award on three occasions from the
Minnesota Indian Education Association and
was twice named Outstanding American Indian
Post-Secondary Counselor of the Year.
Sheila Gard n e r and 15 accounting students at
Alexandria Technical College have been recog
nized by the Internal Revenue Service for vol
unteering to pre p a re tax re t u rns for low-income
taxpayers. Gardner, a technical advisor for the
p rogram, received special recognition for over
seeing the students’ work and for volunteering
at a senior citizen center for free tax pre p a r a
tion. School officials estimate that the students
and Gardner together helped generate more
than $340,000 in refunds for local taxpayers.
Two graduates of the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities system have been recognized
by President George W. Bush as among
America’s 100 best
mathematics and
science teachers.
Steven Benson, a
graduate of Southwest
Minnesota State
University, and
Debra Las, a graduate
of Winona State
University, received
Steve Benson, Southwest
Presidential Awards
Minnesota State
for Excellence in
University graduate
Mathematics and
Science Teaching.
Benson teaches math at
Owatonna Senior High
School, and Las teaches
science at John Adams
Middle School in
Rochester. Awardees
receive a $10,000 edu
cational grant for their
schools and a trip to
Debra Las, Winona State
Washington, D.C. ■
University graduate
Opening doors to higher education
TRIO programs help
students succeed
A
T 8 A . M . ON A PERFECTLY GLORIOUS
summer day, six high school students
were sitting in a science class at
College analyzing the chemical structure of
copper. Down the hall, another class of high
Two Upward Bound students begin analyzing the chemical stru c t u re of copper as Instructor Ezra Lyon looks on.
school students was learning Spanish by play
ing a game based on “The Simpsons” televi
State Colleges and Universities are among
“These students want to succeed,” said
sion show. Across the hall, about 15 middle
the best in the country. Year after year, the
Shelly Siegel, director of the Student Support
school students were bent over their desks,
system’s efforts to improve effectiveness and
S e rvices program at North Hennepin
revising essays on Liberia.
accountability are evident in the impressive
Community College and president of the
results they produce.”
Minnesota TRIO association. “They just need
What could possibly inspire these stu
dents and hundreds like them to forsake a
For example, about 90 percent of
the tools to help them. We hear from students
summer morning for the rigors of class work?
Minnesota’s Upward Bound students graduate
over and over that they wouldn’t have been
For See Lee, 16, an 11th-grader this fall at
from high school compared with 67 percent of
able to succeed without TRIO programs.”
Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis, the
students who are eligible for Upward Bound
Various social and psychological barriers
answer was a no-brainer: “It’s helping me to
but do not participate. In addition, 70 percent
prevent these vulnerable students from com
get ready for college.”
of the state’s Upward Bound students go on
pleting high school or preparing for college,
And that's exactly the point. “Too many
to college, compared with less than 33 percent
said Jon Westby, an associate dean at
students give up on higher education before
of students with similar backgrounds who are
they ever set foot on a campus," said
not in the program.
College. “They may think they have no way
Chancellor James H. McCormick. “The
Two other initiatives complement TRIO
to pay for it. They may think they’re not
programs. For the last several years, the
smart enough to succeed in college. But
system is working to increase the odds that
Minnesota Legislature has provided about
mostly, their families don’t know how to
these students will complete high school
$150,000 to system institutions for the
help them prepare for college.”
and succeed in college.”
Intervention for College Attendance Program.
The Upward Bound program that serves
Lee is fairly typical, Westby said.
And the Minnesota State Colleges and
Prodded by her 22-year-old brother, Lee took
Lee at Minneapolis Community and Technical
Universities Office of the Chancellor has pro v i d
Upward Bound courses for six weeks this
College is one of the system’s 40 or so federally
ed $1 million a year for the Underrepresented
summer in math, science, English and
funded programs that assist students who need
Student Transitions grants, awarded on a
Spanish. Classes are small and informal, so
extra help. Known as TRIO programs, they are
competitive basis to system institutions.
students receive plenty of individual help.
a potent force. Twenty-two of the system’s
Some of these programs pre p a re middle
High school instructors teach the classes.
53 campuses serve more than 12,000 students
and high school students for college by devel
each year at local high schools or campuses.
oping strong study skills and work habits.
finished, Lee said she felt more confident
Nationally, Minnesota’s TRIO programs
Even before the summer classes were
Other TRIO programs, such as Student Support
about her ability to complete high school.
are highly regarded. As Arnold Mitchem,
S e rvices, help college students succeed and
With a broad smile, she said, “I love learning
president of the Center for Opportunity in
graduate. Typically, individuals who qualify are
something new every day.”
Education, a national advocacy organization,
students of color, low-income or the first in
put it: “The TRIO programs at the Minnesota
their families to attend college.
■
For more information, see www.mntrio.org .
A passion for
Filmmaking and screenwriting programs provide
a foot in the door for budding moviemakers
1 0 | M I N N E S OTA STATE | FALL 2006
AK LEE WAS 12 WHEN SOMEONE GAVE HIM THE
A passion for movies and moviemaking is not
VIDEO CAMERA THAT TRANSFORMED HIS LIFE.
uncommon among the nearly 500 students enrolled
From that time on, Lee and his friends
in film production and screenwriting programs at
spent all their free time making movies. His
MSU Moorhead, Metropolitan State University and
passion led him to enroll in the film production pro
Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
gram at Minnesota State University Moorhead, one
And the number of students interested in filmmaking
of the three fast-growing filmmaking and screenwrit
is growing rapidly.
K
ing programs in the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities system.
Lee, now 23 and a graduate, has turned his inter
est in making movies into a career goal. He wants to
Left and above: Filmmaking
students at Minneapolis
Community and Technical College
practice filming in the college’s
greenscreen studio.
Top right: Teamwork is important
to Moorhead filmmaking
students Kak Lee and Catherine
Erhardt. Students work in teams
to complete their assignments.
“It’s become a popular career choice,” said Adam
Olson, filmmaking instructor at Minneapolis
Community and Technical College. “Maybe it’s
because digital cameras are in everybody’s hands.”
write, produce and direct films in Minnesota or work
While each of the system’s three filmmaking
as a cinematographer in Los Angeles. His long-term
and screenwriting programs is unique, they share
d ream is to make documentaries and create a film
one common element: relatively low tuition.
archive of the Hmong people and culture.
Students attending film schools on the east or west
Lee’s own life sounds like an adventure movie.
coasts easily can spend $30,000 to $40,000 a year on
Born in Laos, Lee remembers fleeing his village for
tuition, while students at Minnesota State Colleges
a refugee camp in Thailand at the age of 6 or 7,
and Universities pay between $4,000 and $6,000
shortly after the death of his father, who had served
per year.
with the CIA. Lee, his mother and siblings hid in the
jungle and made their way to the Mekong River,
crossing by boat at midnight to avoid detection.
WHY GO TO CANNES WHEN YOU CAN GO TO FARGO?
The MSU Moorhead film production major,
He remembers spending nights in tiny jungle
a p p roved in 2004, is the only bachelor’s degree pro
huts with blankets but no food, then hiding under
gram in film production in the state. The pro g r a m
some hay in the back of a pickup truck that took them
has grown rapidly, from 70 students in 2004 to
to the gate of the refugee camp.
about 140 this fall.
“It was very scary,” he said. “It’s not easy to talk
“There is a great desire among students to
about. When you look back, you think, wow, I can’t
study film, especially film production,” said Tom
believe I made it alive.”
Brandau, who teaches directing techniques and
Lee saw his first film – a Jackie Chan movie – in
other filmmaking courses at MSU Moorhead. “Film
one of the three refugee camps the family stayed
is the popular art form of our time. It used to be the
in b e f o re coming to the United States.
novel. People used to read novels, and the novels
“I thought, wow, it’s so fascinating how they
formed their values, their aesthetic. Now, feature
do this,” he said. “You don’t even realize it’s all fake.
films are the art form of this generation, forming
It looks so real.”
their mythology, their moral center.”
FALL 2006 | M I N N E S OTA STATE | 1 1
One factor in the program’s success is the
“People used to read novels, and the novels formed their values,
support it receives in the Fargo-Moorhead
community, said Rusty Casselton, a MSU
their aesthetic. Now, feature films are the art form of this generation,
M o o rhead faculty member. “It’s the play-
forming their mythology, their moral center.”
g round for us,” he said. “Students are always
– Tom Brandau, MSU Moorhead film production faculty member
looking for locations to shoot. It’s a very filmfriendly community.”
Part of that is due to Margie Baily, execu
meet with the film students to talk about their
Hitchcock or one that explored the genre of
tive director of the Fargo Theater, a restored
work. Students can enter their films in the stu
cult movies. And all film students are required
Art Deco movie theater in downtown Fargo,
dent film category.
to take a course in public speaking.
N.D., just over the border from Moorhead.
“Festivals are very important in a film-
“Filmmakers need to be articulate,”
Five years ago, Baily organized the Fargo Film
maker’s development – getting your film out
Casselton said. “They have to be able to pitch
Festival, which has become an annual event
there and seen,” Casselton said. “And the syn
their films.”
that draws filmmakers from around the world
ergy that happens when filmmakers come to
In their senior year, each student produces
to Fargo every March. “Why go to Cannes
town is amazing. We sit down together and
a 30-minute short film. It is a yearlong project
when you can go to Fargo?” was the theme of
interact, students with filmmakers.”
in which students work in teams.
the 2006 festival.
Film production students take courses in
“We are a narrative-based pro g r a m , ”
The festival has become an important part
filmmaking, directing, producing, screenwrit
Casselton said. “It’s about storytelling. We
of the educational experience for film students.
ing and film history and appreciation. Special
teach to a collaborative process. What you’re
More than 50 MSU Moorhead students volun
topic courses are offered, such as a recent
l e a rning is about telling stories, putting togeth
teer during the festival, and visiting filmmakers
course devoted to the work of director Alfred
er a team to tell the best possible story.”
LEARNING FROM A MASTER
Since that film was completed, she has assisted Altman as he directed
several commercials and the Arthur Miller play “Resurrection Blues” in
Molly Getty was well on her way to earning a Ph.D. in science at the
University of Minnesota when her education took a turn so dramatic
it could rival a plot point in a movie.
Following her dream, she quit the doctoral path, ending her 10-year
educational quest in science, and enrolled in the two-year filmmaking
program at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
“It was just crazy. I was just wanting to turn a hobby into a great career,”
she said. Today, more than a year after graduating in May 2005 with an
associate degree in filmmaking, she says, “I have fallen into something I love.”
Getty, 34, now works as personal assistant to famed director Robert
London. “I feel like I’ve lived five years in the past one year,” she said.
Getty, who grew up in Minneapolis, has high praise for the Minneapolis
Community and Technical College filmmaking program. Before enrolling,
her only experience in the field was doing video projects for a Minneapolis
public-access cable channel.
“It meant everything to me,” she said of the program. “I went from zero
to 60 in learning about film. They were very dedicated to helping me learn . ”
Getty said she plans to stick with Altman’s company, Sandcastle 5
Productions, “for as long as they need me.” Then she’ll decide what her next
steps will be in the film industry.
Altman, who spent several months in St. Paul directing “A Prairie Home
Companion” starring Garrison Keillor, Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan and
Lily Tomlin, among others.
The job was a direct outgrowth of a college internship in summer 2004.
An instructor at the college had recommended her as a production assistant
for the movie “Factotum,” which was filmed in the Twin Cities. The following
summer, she got a call from a “A Prairie Home Companion” producer who
had gotten a recommendation from someone who worked on the
“Factotum” production. Getty was asked to interview for the position with
“A Prairie Home Companion” and she ultimately got the job.
What does a director’s personal assistant do?
“Whatever he needs,” Getty said. “If Mr. Altman wants iced tea, I run
and get it. Lunch, coffee, whatever.” As she grew into the job, her re s p o n s ibilities expanded to include driving Altman around St. Paul. Now she
handles his scheduling, mail and e-mail at Altman’s production company
office in New York.
In exchange, Getty said, she’s getting an opportunity of a lifetime.
“It was really a dream come true,” she said of being on the “A Prairie
Home Companion” set. “I was two feet away from him the whole time, soak
ing up his genius, watching how he does things. Talk about film school!”
1 2 | M IN NE SOT A STAT E | FALL 2006
Molly Getty, background, was never far from director Robert Altman on the set
of the “A Prairie Home Companion” movie.
Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon, courtesy of Picturehouse
By the end of the program, each student
has a reel that includes the senior project plus
BREAKING INTO SCREENWRITING
It’s simple: Write a great screenplay
several other shorter projects that can be used
to showcase their talents.
The program attracts students who are
passionate about filmmaking and spend hours
outside of class working together on their films.
A key card gives students access to editing
equipment 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For Lee, the collaborative approach allows
Martin Musatov, a 2001 graduate of the
screenwriting program at Metropolitan
State University, has some advice for wouldbe screenwriters: “Spend as much time as
possible honing your craft and less time
worrying about making connections. My
theory is that if you write a great screenplay, you can bury it in your basement and
students to try out different aspects of filmmak
the very next morning an agent will be there
ing. “You find out what you like to do and are
on your doorstep, trying to break into your
good at,” he said. Lee, who had researched the
Screenwriter and Metropolitan State University
graduate Martin Musatov changed his major from
business finance to screenwriting in one day.
basement to get that script.”
Musatov, 27, should know; a scre e n p l a y
University of Southern California and other
he wrote with writing partner Ethan Erwin has been made into a movie. The film, “Solstice,”
film schools before choosing MSU Moorhead,
filmed in New Orleans in April and May, was directed by Daniel Myrick, co-creator of “The Blair
said the program’s relatively small size gives stu
Witch Project.” “Solstice” is about a young woman who uncovers a disturbing secret about her
dents more opportunities to learn. At the larger
twin sister, who had committed suicide.
film schools, some students never get the
opportunity to shoot or direct their own films.
Lee said he has at least six projects he could
“It’s the first thing I ever got paid to write,” says Musatov, who with his partner has written
three feature-length screenplays and two television scripts. The film, which Musatov described as
“a horror movie with some heart to it,” is being distributed by Lionsgate.
Musatov said he was influenced by the films of director Alfred Hitchcock, which he studied at
show a prospective employer and is finishing a
M e t ropolitan State. “His work was real helpful to me,” Musatov said. “He knew about the impor
feature-length film that began as a 30-minute
tance of the audience’s anticipation, and he knew that what’s in your head is almost always scarier
short for his senior project.
than what’s on the screen. I thought that was genius.”
Musatov’s path to the silver screen began in 2000 in the world of business and finance. He
SCREENWRITING FOCUS AT
METROPOLITAN STATE
At Metropolitan State University, the
screenwriting program emphasizes good writ
was enrolled at Metropolitan State as a business finance major when he stumbled across an online
version of the screenplay for the Quentin Tarantino film “Pulp Fiction.”
“It just amazed me that people got paid to do this,” Musatov said. When he went on the
Internet to see if any colleges taught screenwriting, he discovered that his own university off e red the
program. “I took it as a sign,” Musatov said, and he switched his major to screenwriting that day.
ing. “Excellent writing will go a long way in
Musatov, who grew up in Coon Rapids, took advantage of the Hollywood internship opport u-
any field,” said James Byrne, screenwriting fac
nities off e red by the university, working one summer as an assistant to producer Jerry Bruckheimer
ulty member.
Students in the program take four semes
ters of screenwriting courses – beginner, inter
at MTV films. “I did everything, from going to get medicine for Jerry Bruckheimer’s dog to re a d i n g
scripts for producers, writing coverage and notes, and making recommendations about how to
make a story stro n g e r.”
Another summer internship in Hollywood led to his first job at the talent agency
mediate, advanced and senior projects – along
I n t e rnational Creative Management, where he became friends with a young agent and gave him a
with theater history, playwriting, writing for
script. The agent later recommended that Musatov be hired to write the screenplay for “Solstice.”
television and acting.
“Acting is great preparation for scre e nwriting,” Byrne said. “You have to analyze
scripts, you have to analyze character, you have
James Byrne, the Metropolitan State University screenwriting faculty member who mentored
Musatov, said his experience is not unusual. “Marty Musatov’s first screenplay was not made, nor
was the second or third, but they proved to people in the industry that he could write,” Byrn e
said. “You have to have a couple of screenplays that knock your socks off in order to get noticed.”
Musatov acknowledged that most of what is written will never get produced. “It’s such an
to speak lines of dialogue. Most professionals
uphill battle. But the reality is, you can break through.” Despite the hurdles, Musatov said,
say, study acting if you want to be a good
Hollywood is always interested in good screenwriting. “There is a hunger in this town for good
screenwriter.”
material. Granted, it’s about who you know, but when people see good material, they jump.”
Byrne teaches his beginning screenwrit
ing course like a creative writing class.
Students are assigned four projects of two to
sary? How could you wring more juice, more
six pages each. They bring their rough drafts
emotion, from that line?
“ E v e ryone in Hollywood wants somebody
with a distinct voice, a vision, a sense of author
to class, pick “actors” from among their class
By hearing their dialogue read aloud and
ship, even though they say they want commer
mates and listen as their fellow students read
listening to the chuckles, the silence or the
cial appeal,” Byrne said. “That’s what the
their scripts. Each reading is followed by a
“vibe” in the room, students learn. The goal,
i n d u s t ry thrives on.”
discussion with Byrne asking questions: How
Byrne said, is to help students develop their
did the dialogue flow? Was every line neces
individual voice as a writer.
Students also read screenplays of movies
that have been produced, view films and write
reviews. “We learn how to watch a
a budget, obtaining financing and
film as a screenwriter and not be
dealing with legal aspects involved
swept up in the costumes, the hair,
in making a movie.
the emotion,” Byrne said. “We
Minneapolis students majoring
become hyper-aware of dialogue
in screenwriting take at least one
and stru c t u re. How is the story
production course and are required
put together? When does the
to take an acting course. The
scene end?”
screenwriting sequence starts with
The Metropolitan State pro-
an introductory course in which
gram offers the opportunity for a
students write action scenes but are
Hollywood internship for those stu
forbidden to use dialogue.
dents willing to move there for a
“Beginning screenwriters tend
summer, perhaps sleeping on a bor
to use dialogue as a crutch,” said
rowed couch. Students have landed
s c reenwriting instructor William
jobs as readers – someone who reads
Kruse. “By strengthening the abili
screenplays for a movie production
ty of the writer to think and write
company and then writes “cover
visually, the dialogue, when ulti
age,” a summary of the plot and cri
mately placed into the story, has
tique of the script. It’s a classic entry-
significantly greater impact.”
level job, and duties may include
“Acting is great preparation for screenwriting. …
The heart of the college’s film-
answering phones and running
Most professionals say, study acting if you want
making program is the equipment
e rrands. For students who part i c i-
to be a good screenwriter.”
room, where students can check
pate, the experience is invaluable,
– James Byrne, Metropolitan State University screenwriting faculty
Byrne said. “They meet all these
out cameras, stands, lights, dollies
and other equipment.
stars, read screenplays, make con
“It’s a great deal,” Olson said.
tacts. They see what the business of Hollywood is because the employ
“They get to use stuff that would cost a couple thousand dollars a day
ers work them to death.”
to rent.” Students pay for the film they use, which can get expensive,
By the time they graduate, students in the screenwriting program
will have earned a bachelor’s degree that prepares them to pursue a
but in the end, unlike at some film schools, they own the rights to their
own work. That means that they can control where their film goes.
career in screenwriting and entry-level jobs in other film-related fields,
Students also have access to a gre e n s c reen studio. Actors are filmed
such as producing and directing. Others go on to graduate school, plan
in front of a green background that is later digitally replaced by another
ning to teach. Even if students decide not to pursue a career in the film
b a c k g round. That way, actors filmed in Minneapolis can appear to be in,
industry, Byrne said, the program’s solid foundation in writing is good
say, Guatamala or even on the moon.
preparation for a variety of careers.
Graduates of the Minneapolis filmmaking program have transferred to four-year programs or started working in the film industry.
TWO-YEAR COLLEGE OFFERS FULL FILM CURRICULUM
The art and craft of film production is the focus of the filmmaking
Contrary to popular belief, Olson said, you don’t have to move to New
York or Los Angeles to get a job in filmmaking.
and screenwriting programs at Minneapolis Community and Technical
“ T h e reare jobs in Minneapolis,” Olson said, particularly with post-
College. Instructor Adam Olson said the program packs so many film
production houses, companies that take film that already has been shot
production courses into a two-year program that it rivals the number of
and turn it into a film ready for release.
production courses that would be included in a classic four-year film
school curriculum.
“Minneapolis has a very active post-production industry and
a number of top advertising agencies,” Olson said. “Our students
Filmmaking students take four semesters of production courses and
could walk in the door and get an entry-level job at a postpro d u c t i o n
make a 20-minute film for their final project. “The films run from fairly
house. There is definitely enough work to do to keep your head
simple to fairly extravagant,” Olson said. “We’ve had films that cost
above water.”
■
$10,000 to $20,000 to make, and we’ve had films that cost $800, and
both are quality work.”
Recently, a 2003 graduate of Minneapolis Community and Technical
Students also take courses in film history, documentary film and
College’s screenwriting program, Eric Howell, won the best screenwriting
screenwriting, as well as a production management class that focuses
award at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. His script,
on the filmmaking business, such as writing a business plan, meeting
“Ana’s Playground,” is about children living in a war zone in Sarajevo.
1 4 | MINNESOTA STATE | FALL 2006
From camouflage to campus
Colleges and universities help veterans make the transition to college
F
or Bryan Bearce, a sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserve who P f e ffer said. In 2005, more than 5,000 veterans from the Minnesota
has served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Louisiana, going back to National Guard attended one of the system’s 32 institutions. That’s
college seemed a bit daunting.
in addition to thousands of other Minnesotans who served in the
But with support from the Veterans Center at Central Lakes regular branches of the armed forces or in military re s e rve units and
College in Brainerd, Bearce said adjusting to life as a student has gone re t u rned to college.
p retty smoothly. The center’s staff helped him file
In spring 2007, another 3,000 Minnesota Guard
some complicated paperwork for his educational ben
members are expected to re t u rn from Iraq, the
“The Minnesota
efits and made sure he received a refund when the col
largest one-time release in the state’s history. Many
State Colleges and
lege mistakenly charged him a $30 late fee.
of those veterans are expected to turn to higher
Military veterans, particularly those who have
education.
Universities system is
been in combat, often have a tough time when they
With so many veterans on the state’s campuses,
doing
something
that
enter or re t u rn to college, said Donald Pfeff e r, who
the Legislature provided $600,000 a year for the next
runs the college’s Veterans Center. They may feel
the rest of the nation five years to the Minnesota Department of Veterans
alone because their overseas experiences are so far
Affairs to expand campus services. Pfeffer directs the
should be playing
removed from those of typical college students. They
statewide initiative for the department.
catch-up
on.”
may feel frustrated by the extra hurdles they must
As part of that initiative, regional veterans assistance
clear to receive their veterans benefits. Or they may be
o
ffices
have opened at Minnesota State University
– John Morris, deputy state
chaplain for the Minnesota
haunted by combat memories and lost buddies.
M o o rhead, Lake Superior College in Duluth, St. Cloud
Army National Guard
State University, Southwest Minnesota State University
Pfeffer started the Central Lakes Veterans
in Marshall, Minnesota State University, Mankato and
Center last year because veterans have a better chance
of graduating if they have some assistance. Often, that simply means an the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
o p p o rtunity to support each other. “There ’s a strange culture in the
The regional offices serve the 32 Minnesota State Colleges and
m i l i t a ry,” he said. “They will talk to other veterans, but they’re often Universities, the University of Minnesota and private colleges.
reluctant to talk with family members and others who haven’t had sim- They provide re s o u rces and re f e rrals about veterans benefits, the
ilar experiences.”
M o n t g o m e ry GI bill, psychological assistance and physical injury
B e a rce, who plans to graduate next spring with an associate’s s u p p o rt. Regional coordinators work with faculty and staff to iden
d e g ree in law enforcement, agreed.
tify and remove barriers veterans face in completing a college edu
“It’s a welcoming feeling to know I can just come in here and cation successfully.
shoot the breeze,” Bearce said. “It’s nice to see they’re looking out for
John Morris, deputy state chaplain for the Minnesota Army
their veterans.”
National Guard, said, “The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Smoothing the way for veterans at the Minnesota State system is doing something that the rest of the nation should be playColleges and Universities has become increasingly import a n t , ing catch-up on.” ■
Connecting families
The family of National Guard Capt. Darrin Janisch got a chance to talk with him face to face in June,
even though he was at an air base northwest of Baghdad and they were in North Mankato. A new video
c o n f e rencing Internet-based phone system, installed at South Central College and the other Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities, made the connection possible. Much like a Web-cam but with better quality,
the technology allows two-way audio and visual communication.
Janisch was able to see his wife, Ann; son Zach, 3; daughter Lauren, 6 months; and his parents, Rebecca
and Dan; and they were able to see him. A story in the Mankato F ree Pre s s newspaper re p o rted that the
family was surprised to learn that Darrin had grown a moustache, and he was surprised to learn that
L a u ren, whom he had last seen when she was a month old, had sprouted her first tooth and could sit up.
The Iraq air time for the broadcast was paid for by Freedom Calls, a nonprofit group that provides
equipment for similar calls across the country.
B E AUTIFUL BU I L D I N G S,
New labs, classrooms bolster science programs statewide
Students need state-of-the-art laboratories and
“ s m a rt” classrooms to learn the latest in scientific
techniques. The 32 Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities are benefiting from a significant state
investment in science facilities – $260 million since
1998 – in an ongoing program to update and
expand science buildings, labs and classro o m s .
These projects are selected and approved by the
system’s Board of Trustees and submitted to the
Minnesota Legislature for approval. They are
funded with general obligation bonds. On these
pages are several recently finished projects.
> Multipurpose science laboratories opened this fall at
Ridgewater College in Hutchinson, pictured here. Labs at
the college’s Willmar campus also were renovated as part
of an ongoing science initiative across the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities system beginning in 2002 to
update labs and add them to campuses that had none.
> The Interactive Learning Hall in Winona State University’s
science building is a teaching tool, demonstrating the
geological layers of the Mississippi River valley where the
university is situated. The new Science Laboratory Center
building was completed in 2004, and the adjacent Pasteur
Hall renovation was finished this year.
Photo by Perkins+Will
Clockwise from top, opposite page:
> A cutting-edge nanoscience laboratory at Dakota County
> The Kopp Technology Center at Century College opened this
Technical College in Rosemount supports the nanoscience
fall with classrooms and laboratories equipped with state
technology program. Nanoscience is the study and manipu
of-the-art telecommunication and information technology,
lation of materials at the atomic or molecular level.
including Internet protocol converged applications.
1 6 | M IN NE SOT A STAT E | FA LL 200 6
F U N C T I O N A L S PA C E S
FALL 2006 | M I N N E S O TA S TAT E | 1 7
B E AUTIFUL BU I L D I N G S,
New residence halls,
centers enhance
student life
Student centers and residence
halls, which are financially selfsupporting, are constructed with
funding from a separate bonding
authority established by the
Minnesota Legislature. Before
bond sales are issued, the system’s
Board of Trustees approves the
projects. Several recently opened
buildings are featured here.
> This page: This three-story fireplace
hearth room with glass curtain wall is
a dramatic feature in the remodeled
Centennial Student Union at Minnesota
State University, Mankato, which pro
vides other new places to relax, study
and dine. The center has earned the
national Facility Design Award of
Excellence from the Association of
College Unions International for the
designer, Paulsen Architects of Mankato,
along with a Gold Citation from
American School & University magazine
and the 2006 FAB Award from the
Northland Chapter of the International
Interior Design Association.
Photos by Paulsen Architects
F U N C T I O N A L
S PA C E S
> Left and below: A new student housing complex, the Foundation
Residence Apartments, opened this fall at Southwest Minnesota
State University. Built as a joint project of the city of Marshall,
the university Foundation and Bremer Bank, the university leases
the building. The 141 furnished apartments feature kitchens in
a choice of red, blue or yellow; floor-to-ceiling windows; and
individually controlled air conditioning and heat.
Photos by Horty Elving Architects
> Left and above: The Student Center at Southwest Minnesota
State University in Marshall was a construction and renovation
project following a fire in January 2002 that destroyed the
food service building. The new spaces include an open floor
plan, student activities offices, a coffee shop and café, and
a bookstore. Whimsical chairs add color.
Photo by Horty Elving Architect
Delving into diversity: College,
F
ifteen years ago, people on the streets of Willmar largely reflected
the descendants of the nort h e rn European settlers. But the city
began experiencing a rapid influx of young immigrants – part i c u l a r
ly Hispanics – who were attracted by a rising demand for labor in
p o u l t ry processing and other agricultural industries. By the 2000 census, the
Hispanic population had more than doubled to 2,900, or about 16 percent of
the city’s population, and the trend continues upward.
Today, this central Minnesota hub of just over 18,000 people is a differ
ent place. Bank and clinic signs are multilingual. Organizations run programs
promoting interaction and understanding among the multiple cultures. The
city and schools, where about 40 percent of first-graders are Hispanic, share
a multicultural liaison. And Ridgewater College has become a key player in
diversity projects.
“What some communities see as a problem – the changing demographics –
we’re approaching as a strength,” said Ridgewater College President Douglas
Allen. “I would say we’re standing up to the challenges
that this change brings. The college as an educa
tional institution has to be involved in that.”
What’s happening in Willmar is hap
pening in many of Minnesota’s small towns
as the state’s population grows more
ethnically and racially diverse. The
M in n es o ta St at e Co l lege s a n d
Universities system, with campuses
in 46 communities across the state,
is playing an active role in helping
communities cope with change.
In Wi l l m a r, under Allen’s
leadership, Ridgewater College
has undertaken a range of ini
tiatives to better integrate
minorities into the campus
and help make the city
m o re accommodating.
“I think he (Allen) rec
ognizes clearly the role
of Ridgewater College
Juana Salazar performs
at Ridgewater College’s
Multicultural Week
festivities. The Willmar
high school student
takes college classes at
Ridgewater under the
Post-Secondary Enrollment
Options program.
community grapple with change
as a community asset, and he’s always been
Michael Olson was smiling and sweating in his
“It’s the connections to those who are
there as a partner in this collaboration,” said
traditional buckskin attire as more than 100
different than we are that are so important for
Michael Schmit, Willmar city administrator.
spectators stood to applaud the culminating
our students,” Allen said. “Not only does it
Ridgewater’s eff o rts helped Wi l l m a r
event of Ridgewater’s first Multicultural Week.
broaden their educational experience, but it
win an All-America City Award from the
Olson, a 43-year-old Ridgewater student
prepares them to live and work in what is a
National Civic League in 2005, city and
and member of the Leech Lake Band of
community leaders said. Willmar was one
Ojibwe, had stepped in to perform with the
Olson, who plans a social work career,
of only 10 cities nationwide to receive the
dance and drum group from the Flandreau
has lived in Willmar for seven years and
a w a rd, which honors communities in which
Indian School in South Dakota. As vice pre s i-
watched the diversity increasing. “The
citizens, government, business and non-
dent of the Ridgewater’s new Multicultural
changes have been really positive as far as the
p rofit organizations demonstrate successful
Club, Olson had helped plan the four-day event
community goes, and the college is part of
resolution of critical community issues.
for the college and its community members on
that,” he said.
The city’s award application included
the Hutchinson and Willmar campuses.
multicultural world, increasingly so.”
Still, he felt something was missing
Ridgewater’s work with Rice Memorial
Events also featured Latino performers,
when classes began last fall. “During my first
Hospital in Willmar to recruit more diverse
salsa dancing lessons and Japanese drummers,
week of school, I wanted to connect with
students into nursing and other health care
celebrating the increasing diversity of the
somebody,” Olson said. “I went in search of a
p rograms to help address a shortage and diver
rural area. Allen said the ideas underlying
cultural advisor, and there wasn’t one. I heard
sify the makeup of those treating patients.
Multicultural Week are much the same as
other students say it would be nice to have
“My personal observation is that the city
those shaping the college’s role as an educa
someone in that position.”
has made significant progress toward dealing
tional institution – exploring differences and
with diversity and in a short period of time,”
making connections as people.
So Olson and other students attending a
Diversity Advisory Council meeting raised
said Schmit, who serves on Ridgewater’s
Diversity Action Council and credits the col
lege for its efforts. “We may not have all
melted together as one, but there’s more tol
erance and acceptance now.”
Allen believes that as president of
Ridgewater College, he needs to take a lead
role. “I want to make sure our campuses are
welcoming to minorities and provide a wide
range of services and activities to help them
enjoy the experience and to succeed. And I
believe it’s important to reach out into the
community and provide the leadership and
resources that help residents adjust success
fully to our changing demographics.”
M U LT I C U LTURAL EVENTS BRING
PEOPLE TO G E T H E R
One day in April, with a drum pounding
and a chorus urging them on, dancers dipped
and rose, tracing the circular path of an
American Indian dance on the Ridgewater
College basketball court. Afterw a rd, dancer
Ridgewater College Multicultural Affairs Director Edelgard Fernandez, center, visits with students.
the idea of adding a multicultural affairs posi
ticipated in the camp, designed to provide fun
tion, which Allen, who had formed the coun
while exploring careers through classes on
cil, indeed had been planning to create.
health care occupations, comedic acting and
“What the Diversity Advisory Council
programming Lego robots.
said to me is, we need a friendly face, we need
Training about diverse cultures has been
someone who can, in our own language, com
created for college faculty, staff and commu
municate with us,” Allen said.
nity members, and businesspeople and health
This fall, the college hired a multicultur
care workers are taking conversational
al affairs director, Edelgard Fernandez, who
also coaches the new men’s soccer team.
Allen, responding to student suggestions,
Spanish courses.
“What the Diversity Advisory
The college also sponsored a yearlong
series called “Changing Communities:
introduced soccer – a sport popular with
Council said to me is, we need
Skills into Action” in which 40 student and
Hispanics, Africans and others who fill local
a friendly face, we need someone
community leaders participated. The city
fields for games. “With the addition of soc
who can, in our own language,
of Willmar was selected for this program
cer, more students of color are interested,”
Fernandez said.
One of the first challenges Fernandez
at least communicate with us.”
– Ridgewater College President Douglas Allen
partly because of the college, said Loudi
Rivamonte, co-executive director of the
Center for Cross-Cultural Health, which
conducted the series with another St. Paul
identified is the need to bring people togeth
er to find solutions to the dropout rate among
ness to partner with her agency, a Willmar
nonprofit, Harmony Works. “We had a list
students who are learning English and strug
based nonprofit that promotes cultural inte
of preselection criteria that included having
gle with assignments such as essay writing.
gration in education, health care and busi
key people not only understanding cultural
“For somebody who has not had any prior
ness. The college has become more visible in
competency but really wanting to do some
experience with the language and the gram
the community and better at reaching out to
thing about it,” Rivamonte said. “Enough
mar, it’s really a challenge,” he said. “If we
high school students and families, Leuze said.
people were ready and willing to make
want to have these students succeed, we have
“Families are starting to believe college is
some change, so that’s why we went for-
to figure this out.”
important and that it’s accessible financially
ward with Willmar.” A new class will start
and culturally.”
in January 2007.
G R E ATER DIVERSITY LIES A H E A D
Ridgewater sponsors a variety of col
Meanwhile, closer connections with
The movement of racial and ethnic
lege- and community-based activities to
K-12 school administrators are on Allen’s
minorities into Willmar and other southern
bring families onto campus and to foster
agenda. They met recently to discuss ways
Minnesota cities likely will continue well into
understanding.
to assess college readiness early in high
the future, State Demographer Tom Gillaspy
The Multicultural Club, in its first year,
school, and he’d like to get their faculties to
said. In Kandiyohi County, where Willmar is
initiated Multicultural Week, hosted a Taste
the county seat, the Hispanic population will
of Diversity with dishes from 20 countries and
Another major concern, he said, is that
rise from 4,100 in 2005 to 7,500 in 2030, his
took part in a communitywide Celebration of
many teens drop out of high school and go to
office projects. The trend carries implications
C u l t u res organized by the West Central
work, lured by the availability of jobs in the
for several smaller colleges in the Minnesota
Integration Collaborative.
a rea. “If they are not particularly liking
That’s far more activity than anticipated
State Colleges and Universities system.
meet and explore possibilities.
school, they think, ‘I can work, I can have
and
when the club formed last year, said Ronald
Technical College’s Worthington campus is
Ferguson, the club’s advisor and a sociology
Allen said he is taking a fairly compre
in Nobles County, which is projected to grow
faculty member. The club president, Terielle
hensive approach by working with small busi
from 3,000 Hispanics last year to 6,200 in
Standing Soldier of Kyle, S.D., said the club
nesses, the K-12 schools, community groups
2030; and Riverland Community College’s
makes the campus feel more welcoming to
and people on the campus to strengthen
campus in Albert Lea is in Freeborn County,
minority students. “More people just keep
diversity.
which is projected to rise from 2,600 last year
coming, moving into the area, so people who
“If all these pieces come together, we are
to 4,600 over the same period.
have lived here all their lives have to get used
setting the stage for a dramatic increase in
to that change,” Standing Soldier said.
minority enrollment at Ridgewater,” Allen
Minnesota
West
Community
Idalia “Charly” Leuze, the new city and
that car.’ ”
Ridgewater hosts local youngsters from
said. “Last spring, we had 5.1 percent students
the West Central Integration Collaborative,
multicultural backgrounds for a weeklong
of color. In the next five years, I expect that
praised Allen and his college for their willing
summer camp. This year, 56 youngsters par
number to more than double.”
school liaison who also is executive director of
■
‘In FOCUS’ project: Photos make friends
F
or a full semester, photographic artist Wing Young Huie, 400 students
and 12 instructors at North Hennepin Community College worked on
a project to foster connections between those who otherwise might
never get to know each other.
The project, “In FOCUS: Photography of Connecting, Understanding and
Sharing,” took shape after college President Ann Wynia sat in on a photogra
phy class guest appearance by Wing Young Huie. Wynia said she realized his
presentation actually focused on diversity, and, intrigued by the possibilities,
she initiated the large-scale project.
Students were paired up and sent out with disposable cameras to photograph
each other and write a brief narrative about the experience. The photos and narra
tives were posted in the Brooklyn Park campus hallways as an art exhibit.
“The photos are not really the point – it’s about getting outside your bubble
and seeing others in a new way,” Huie explained at the exhibit’s opening in April.
The exhibit, coordinated by Jane Wilson, professional development and
learning enhancement coordinator, can be viewed at www.nhcc.edu/wing .
Top right: Carissa Johnson produced this composite image showing herself in an archway
near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis as part of the photo project in which her Peace
Ethics class participated at North Hennepin Community College.
Center right: Student Debbie Nguyen jumps for joy in this photo by student Amy Polzin.
Polzin’s essay says: “Sometimes you just have to kick up your feet and let loose! You
cannot let the stress of everyday life get to you; life is too short. Live and let live.”
Below: For the project, student Whitney Hausladen shot this photo of a friend on his way
to work.
North Hennepin Community College
President Ann Wynia, left, and photo
graphic artist Wing Young Huie, center
front, join students and instructors for
the exhibit opening.
Comprehensive computing
New Center of Excellence aims
to become hub of expertise
“We are embedding business purpose into the curriculum,” he said.
“For example, we just negotiated an agreement with a business called
WatchIT.com, which provides lectures by industry experts, along
with white papers and study guides on 300 topics, bundled
and delivered on demand. That will help an instructor tie into
the business purpose of his or her particular discipline.”
Because computer hardware and software are expensive and
complicated, small companies particularly risk making wrong or
unnecessary purchases, he said. That’s where information technolo
gy experts can advise a company on how to best integrate an
overall technology plan that supports its business goals.
At the same time, a good security program is needed to manage
risk while achieving what is called the “security triad”: confidentiality,
integrity and availability. “Information is worthless if it’s not available,” Lindberg said.
The center, located on the downtown Minneapolis campus
of Metropolitan State University, is one of four new Centers of
Excellence in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
The other centers are establishing flagship programs in engineering
and manufacturing, and health science education – areas critical for
the state to maintain its competitive edge. The centers are an out
T
HE INTERNET HAS DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE COMPETITIVE
growth of a Citizens League study on higher education and were
playing field for businesses, presenting significant chal
established with a $10 million appropriation over two years from
lenges such as competitive pre s s u re from around the globe
the 2005 Minnesota Legislature.
and potentially lethal security risks from competitors, criminals and
t e rrorists.
A new Center for Strategic Information Technology and
Center seeks business partners
With an advisory board of business leaders in place for the
Security has been established to help businesses, nonprofit org a n i
Center for Strategic Information Technology and Security, Lindberg
zations and government acquire the expertise to survive and thrive
is encouraging companies to become “enterprise partners” to collab
in this challenging new environment. The center’s lead institution
orate with the center in activities including curriculum development,
is Metropolitan State University, with Inver Hills Community College
applied research, internships, continuing education and employee
and Minneapolis Community and Technical College as part n e r s .
training grants.
The goal is for the center to become a world-class re s o u rce for
The center is preparing new courses and degree programs to
educating a new generation of information technology profession
support fast-growing fields such as Internet protocol transmission
als, providing training for current workers and conducting applied
technology, or IP communications. That involves transmitting data,
re s e a rch in critical areas, said Bruce Lindberg, the center’s director.
voice and video over the same network and delivering it to electro n i c
The center will focus on providing a comprehensive perspective that
devices including desktop computers, cell phones and PDAs.
goes beyond traditional, specialized education in computer fields.
“The integration of strategy, security and technology is the top
priority,” Lindberg said. “It means people in this field now need to
“We’re a little ahead of the curve in the development of this
curriculum, and the job market is growing,” he said.
Computer forensics and IT security positions are other jobs in
understand how their role makes a contribution to the overall suc
high demand, Lindberg said. And open source applications – the
cess of the company – ‘organizational savvy,’ in other word s .
development of software collectively by many individuals rather than
by a single company – is a rapidly growing area.
“We are looking at developing an ‘open source
Demand for security,
voice technologies
accelerator’ here for companies to use,” he said.
Peter Hiestand, Cisco Systems, Inc., senior sys
The center also will focus on making faculty
tems engineer for the Twin Cities region, said two
and student expertise available to companies,
specialties are especially in demand – computer
developing student internships and career network
security and voice technologies.
ing events, and working with K-12 schools to
“I see a lot of employers needing those skill sets,”
encourage careers in computer fields. One such
said Hiestand, a part-time instructor at Inver Hills and
opportunity occurred in August, when 34 high
an advisory board member for the Center of
school students in the St. Paul Connections career
Excellence. “If businesses can go to the center and get
exploration program took a weeklong class on com
well-trained graduates, the center will fill a need.”
puter troubleshooting co-sponsored by the center.
“We can engage students in hands-on experi
This center and the other three Centers of
Excellence will focus on business needs, said Linda
ences such as taking computers apart and putting
Baer, senior vice chancellor for academic and student
them back together and let them know what they
affairs for the 32 Minnesota State Colleges and
need to do to prepare for college,” Lindberg said.
Universities. “The centers will provide a bigger and
“We want to make students aware that a varied set
better pipeline of potential employees and more voice
of interests and aptitudes are needed in IT fields.”
in what their businesses and communities need.”
The center recently moved into the former Billy
Because technology affects everyone in our
Graham Evangelistic Association international head
society, computer security is an essential ingredient
quarters in downtown Minneapolis, now renovated
in the new center, Baer said. “Our vulnerability,
for the co-located campuses of Metropolitan State
along with our extreme dependence on this, makes
University and Minneapolis Community and
it vitally important.”
Technical College. Together with Inver Hills
Minnesota nonprofit organizations and law
Community College in nearby Inver Grove Heights,
enforcement agencies will benefit from free
the three partner institutions are positioned
Security and Forensics Education workshops by a
to coordinate programs and activities.
new and related Institute for Computer Security
Inver Hills contributes expertise in computer
and Forensics at Minneapolis Community and
networking security and IP communications. Dave
Technical College. It was launched with a $200,000
Anderson, dean of continuing education, said the
grant from U.S. Department of Justice with addi
college shares a four-year, $3 million National Science
tional funding from the center. Richard Pollak, chair
Foundation grant with six institutions in other states
of the college’s IT program, said a “cyber attack
for developing cutting-edge curriculum in computer
lab” will train students on how to defend computers
security. “It gives us that connection,” Anderson said,
against attacks and perform investigations after an
“so we’re not in an isolated island of academia.”
attack to figure out what occurred. Also, companies
Inver Hills is one of only 12 national advancedlevel Cisco academic instructor training centers in
the world, Anderson noted. Because the technology
will be able to hook into the lab to test the security
of their own computer systems.
a wide array of goals that could be daunting to
to keep abreast of the developments.
accomplish, but he said a single purpose lies behind
COMPUTER SCIENTIST –
has the highest level of
t h e o retical expertise and
tends to work as a
re s e a rcher or inventor.
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
ANALYST – solves computer
p roblems and applies
technology to help an
o rganization gain maximum
benefit from equipment,
s t a ff and business processes.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MANAGER – plans and
d i rects re s e a rch and
computer-related activities
of an organization; helps
d e t e rmine technical and
business goals and how
computing software,
equipment and staff
can help them.
SECURITY SPECIALIST –
monitors system perform
ance for data and network
f i rewall breaches or threats
and implements measure s
to prevent cyber- t e rrorism.
FORENSICS SPECIALIST
p rovides litigation support
and evidence-gathering
s e rvices for attorneys, law
e n f o rcement and corporate
clients; has skills to extract,
recover and re s t o re
e l e c t ronic data from hard
drive and operating systems
for use in criminal and civil
c o u rt cases.
its work: “Ultimately, a key strategy of the center is
US Bank, said the new center sounds like a more
to reduce duplication and raise
cohesive umbrella that companies can take advan
the visibility of what we offer.”
tage of. “Anytime you can have a broader perspec
COMPUTER ENGINEER –
responsible for planning,
developing and maintaining
hardware and software for
computer and telephone
communications systems.
Lindberg acknowledged that the center has set
advances quarterly, Cisco provides training materials
Michaeleen Kelzenberg, a network planner at
Computer care e r
examples
To learn more about the
tive, it helps you understand the environment you
Center for Strategic Information
are in, both internally and externally.” US Bank has
Technology and Security, visit
participated in a Job Skills Partnership grant to train
www.strategicIT.org .
■
employees in network security over the past three
years. “We have had a positive response from our
employees who were able to take part in the train
ing,” she said.
B ruce Lindberg, director of the
Center for Strategic Information
Technology and Security, in his office
in Minneapolis.
ALUMNI
It’s all in a day’s work on ‘the ice’
Glenn Morris, a 28-year-old welding graduate of St. Cloud Technical College, recently finished a third stint in science support
for the National Science Foundation in Antarctica. Following are excerpts from Morris’ journal of a typical day.
+1 ° F, McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Beeeeep! — Beeeeep! — Beeeeep! The sound of the alarm is the first indication that
morning has come. I can hear the wind as it passes by the window, and I can tell it isn’t
too bad. After I finish tying my boots, I put on my hat and coat and walk over to the
“galley” for breakfast before the shop morning meeting at 7:30 a.m.
At the meeting, I am informed that the plumbers are beginning the boiler
replacement in “Hotel California,” one of the dorms used during the austral summer in
McMurdo. The old boiler will be removed, and if anything is worth saving, I should get
to it as soon as I can.
As one of the two winter boiler technicians, it is my responsibility to scavenge useful
parts from the old boiler. As the day moves on, I find more things in need of repair
(a dripping valve packing on the back of a steam boiler and a noisy circulating pump
Photograph by Emily Stone, National Science Foundation
bearing). Overall, it’s starting out as a typical day spent at 77 degrees south, on a chunk
Top of page: Bundled against temperatures hovering
around minus 40, employees at McMurdo Station disem
bark a C-17 cargo plane on a temporary sea ice runway.
of rock surrounded by ice-covered ocean.
This remote “city” is the largest Antarctic research station. In the Antarctic summer
(August to February), it is home to as many as 1,100 people, and in the Antarctic winter
Above: Emperor penguins take turns diving near
Ross Island, Antarctica.
(February to August), there can be 240 or more.
Right top: Glenn Morris, left, teaches welding
techniques to firefighter Trent Meyers in an
off-hours class at McMurdo.
Foundation is the reason we all are here. They bring down U.S. and international
Bottom right: Glenn Morris, right, and his wife, Deborah,
photographed themselves while traveling in Antarctica.
M c M u rdo Station is about 40 miles behind them in the
middle of the black volcanic rock at the foot of Mt. Erebus.
The people in McMurdo do what it takes to support science. The National Science
scientists and researchers to do science that can only be done in the highest, driest,
coldest, windiest and emptiest continent on earth.
But scientists and re s e a rchers do not build buildings or maintain equipment when they
a re here; that is why the NSF brings down electricians, welders, carpenters and other trade
workers. The scientists do science, and we
life-threatening condition beyond the scope
do science support. The NSF has three major
of the on-ice clinic.
A n t a rctic research stations. The largest one is
As harsh as the weather is, the beauty
McMurdo Station, approximately 2,000 miles
is awe inspiring, and it has brought my wife
south of New Zealand on a volcanic island
and me back to Antarctica for a third time.
tucked deep into the Ross Sea.
In those many months, we have seen some
“So, how did you get a job working
in Antarctica?”
This part of my story has its roots at
amazing things: nacreous clouds that look
like soap bubbles by their colors and splendor,
rugged mountains that are lit by the softest
St. Cloud Technical College. I graduated fro m
purple light I have ever seen, a full moon
the welding program in 2000 and moved
casting shadows on the snow in the middle
to Colorado. While working as a welder in
of a winter’s day. So much of the beauty in
a sheet metal fabrication shop, I heard about
this place is found only by standing outside
“the ice” from a co-worker, and I was
in the weather while you look to the raw
intrigued. He informed me that a job fair
landscape nearly unchanged by our pre s e n c e
would be held in Denver. After talking it over
h e re. At the end of this winter, we will have
be purchased many months (sometimes over
with my wife, Deborah, a theater graduate
been here over 30 months in the last four
a year) in advance, and then they are sent
from the College of St. Benedict, we decided
years! It is that beauty and the friendships we
down by ship once a year. Smaller items or
to go to the job fair. We were both offered
have made here that have brought us back.
emergency parts might be flown in during
But since people cannot live on beauty
the summer months, but in winter, that is
positions: My job offer was for the sheet
metal shop, and my wife’s job offer was in
alone, I must admit the money has helped
the carpenter’s shop.
bring us back here. Directly compared to
not an option.
Some of the equipment we maintain
After getting a job offer, you begin the
state-side wages, we are not at the top of the
includes furnaces and boilers, air handlers,
physical qualification or “PQ” process. Because
pay ladder, but when you add in free housing
fans, hoists, pumps, kitchen equipment,
Antarctica is remote and physically demanding,
and food, the cost savings start to add up.
dishwashers, garbage bailers, garage doors,
the people who come here must be up to the
The six-day, 54-hour work week can be a big
etc. In all, something close to 8,000 separate
challenge. Each person who comes to “the ice”
downside, but it becomes worth it when we
pieces of equipment get regularly maintained
must first have a certain level of fitness, which
leave the ice and are free to travel somewhere
by the PM shop.
is determined by a medical exam. The people
new on our way home.
who stay for the Antarctic winter must also
This season, Deborah and I are working
As the work day nears its end and I finish
tightening the leaky packing on the boiler
pass a psychiatric exam. While this might
in the preventative maintenance shop at
valve, I remember that my team is bowling
sound extreme, it is necessary for the well
McMurdo. My job as a boiler mechanic seems
t o m o rrow night. But tonight is a good night to
being of the community. During the summer
self-explanatory: keep the heat on. While this
work on one of my hobbies – stained glass – in
months, flights to and from New Zealand
seems like a “normal” job, it takes a lot of
preparation for the art show in a few months.
happen every few days, whereas in the
involvement by the community for me to do
winter, there are no flights for a full six
my work. All the parts and pieces we need to
McMurdo, and in nine hours, it will be time
months; the only exception is if one has a
maintain the buildings and equipment must
to get up and do it again.
All in all, an average winter’s day in
■
FAC U LT Y
S P OT L I G H T
‘Gaming evangelist’ shows simulations
engage students, deepen learning
RAIG MILLER MINCES NO W O R D S :
C
into something that students would play on
ential learning” or “problem-based learning,”
THE TIME HAS COME TO REINVENT
their time off,” said Chad Lunnas, one of
which presents students with real-life problems
THE T E X T B O O K .
Miller’s students now at the University of
to solve, has been around for years, said Lynda
“The standard text is two inches thick and
Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
Milne, director of the Center for Teaching and
not all that interesting,” said Miller, a business
“These games have an infinite number of
Learning, a systemwide re s o u rce for faculty
instructor at Normandale Community College
possibilities for answers. There’s no reason to
development in the Minnesota State Colleges
in Bloomington. “Much of what’s in a textbook
sit down with a book and paraphrase and
and Universities system.
is minutia.”
memorize.”
Though many textbook authors may
Most of the system’s career and technical
education programs rely heavily on experien
sharply disagree, thousands of students –
“It’s a real-life application
particularly those who grew up with
of statistics with consequences
are used for training health care practitioners at
Gameboys, iPods and other electronic gadg
not based on how they answered
Riverland Community College, Metropolitan
ets that deliver sound, music and action –
might cheer.
multichoice questions or solved
tial learning, she said. For example, simulators
State University and Ridgewater College.
Computerized “patients” are programmed to
equations but how they applied
cough, vomit, respond to medications and say
ever, lies a broader issue that confronts the
the information, which is the
“Ouch!” if a needle is inserted awkwardly. But
8,700 faculty members in the Minnesota
highest level of learning.”
each simulator costs about $200,000 or more,
Behind Miller’s bold point of view, how
State Colleges and Universities system: What
are the best ways for students to learn in this
—Normandale instructor Craig Miller
high-tech, high-speed, highly visual and
highly interactive Internet world?
so their use is not widespread.
“The new movement is to bring this
instructional tool to courses that haven’t typi
In Miller’s business and accounting
cally used this approach,” Milne said.
For Miller, a 50-something fellow who
courses, students spend from 25 to 30 percent
“Computer-based simulations offer some
exudes the enthusiasm of a 20-year-old, the
of a typical class period playing games in
unique characteristics. They’re less expensive,
answer has been to imbed traditional con
teams. The rest of his classes include lectures
m o re versatile and offer students repeated
cepts taught in a business course into games
and other “standard stuff,” he said. His text
opportunities to run through scenarios.”
and simulations that leave his students rivet
book? A pared-down, custom-published book
That’s one reason they can be so effective,
ed to the material and wildly enthusiastic
that costs his students 60 percent less than
she said. “Repetition is essential for deep learn
about his method.
a standard text.
ing. If you have a computer program that can
“I was so impressed that a business pro
Though computer-based games and sim
take the elements of a situation and create four
fessor could turn a business statistics course
ulations are fairly new teaching tools, “experi
different scenarios, then you can play that
How business students learn through games
In the game for Craig Miller’s business statistics course at Normandale Community
College, students assume the role of a market re s e a rch team for a fictional pharmaceutical
company that wants to launch a new product. The teams must identify a target market,
d e t e rmine the product’s features, estimate demand, price the product and set
p roduction levels. They also must decide where and how much to advertise it –
all to meet the financial goals set by the fictional chief executive officer.
“It’s a real-life application of statistics with consequences not based
on how they answered multichoice questions or solved equations but how
they applied the information, which is the highest level of learning,” Miller said.
The winning team, by the way, gets to skip the final exam. The game also provides
immediate feedback and allows students to play as often as they want, whenever they want
and at their own speed.
Surprisingly, Miller said, the games and simulations appeal just as much to older, nontraditional students
as they do to the gadget-driven generation. A recent study by a Stanford University graduate student found
that of 30,000 users studied, the median age was 27, ranging from 11 to 68, Miller noted. “I’ve also found
that women spend as much time as the men and apparently are as enthusiastic,” he said.
Left: Normandale Community College instructor Craig Miller, right, presents a simulation exercise to a group of students.
game four different ways. That’s not done so
situation comes along, the learned response
easily in a nonvirtual environment.”
comes into play.
So far, other gaming enthusiasts among
the faculty in the Minnesota State Colleges
Some of Miller’s students play the games
Despite Miller’s enthusiasm for the “learn
and Universities system have created games
hundreds of times during a semester. Jodi
by playing” approach, he recognizes that
for courses in English, health care, history,
Obeid, another of Miller’s students now at the
s p reading the practice may not be easy. Well
marketing, sales management, accounting
Carlson School of Management, said: “I would
designed games take a lot of time and skill to
and statistics. And the Minnesota Job Skills
play the games two hours straight to get the
create. They require knowledge in computer
Partnership,
best score. I wasn’t doing it for the A. I was
p rogramming, design, storytelling, advanced
Department of Employment and Economic
doing it because I wanted to be the best.”
math and writing, as well as imagination.
Development, has funded two game projects
A beneficial byproduct is richer class dis
Miller said he typically spends up to 500 hours
– one to help non-English speaking workers
cussions. “The face time with students is still
devising semester-long games and about 80 to
learn English needed in the workplace and
the most valuable and powerful teaching and
100 hours for shorter ones.
t he other for route delivery drivers to
l e a rning experience that I engage in,” Miller
said. “It’s also a heck of a lot of fun.”
A self-described “gaming evangelist,”
But, he said, games and simulations can be
created for any course by anyone willing to
take the time to do it.
an
agency
of
the
state
improve their efficiency.
A cadre of faculty at Norm a n d a l e
Community College; Pine Technical College;
Miller began using games as an instructional
Milne of the Center for Teaching and
M e t ropolitan State University; Inver Hills
tool in 1990. Since then, he has become con
Learning agreed that games and simulations
C ommunity College; St. Cloud State
vinced that games lead students to a deeper and
hold potential but must be used wisely. “These
U niversity; Minnesota State University,
richer understanding of course material than
may be very powerful tools, but they’re still
M ankato; Minnesota State University
conventional lectures, discussions, case studies
going to require a lot of careful planning and
M o o rh e a d ; Bemidji State University; and
and texts alone.
development, and the skill of a thoughtful
Winona State University communicate with
teacher to create meaningful learning experi
e ach other regularly about developing and
ences with them,” she said.
using games and simulations in their class
Recent brain research about learning supports his view, Milne said. Scientists have found
r ooms.
that learning occurs when neural connections
Meanwhile, Miller remains intent on
are formed and stored in the brain. Neural
spreading the use of this inventive teaching
For Miller, the next step is to secure
connections form when the brain responds to
tool to others in the Minnesota State
funding to open a gaming and simulation
a situation, such as figuring out how to price
Colleges and Universities. Last spring, he
center at Normandale Community College
a product. Because the brain does not distin
helped organize a conference at St. Cloud
that would help faculty design games for their
guish between an actual and simulated situa
State University to bring more instructors
courses. He added, “It’s really starting to
tion, once a response is stored and an actual
and professors into the fold.
catch on.”
■
ALUMNI
MeLee Thao, physician assistant
in Wausau, Wis.
Winner of:
■ Distinguished Alumni
Humanitarian Award
■ School of Nursing Outstanding
Alumni Award
■ 2005 Women of Vision award and
Woman of Tomorrow scholarship
from the YWCA of Wausau
BRIDGING THE GAP
Better health care for Hmong is a priority for physician assistant
A
s a Hmong immigrant still learning English, MeLee Thao
is pursuing a grant to finish a video about maintaining a healthy
worked hard to master the college courses required to
heart. She has more projects on the horizon.
become a nurse. “It was tough for me,” she recalls today.
“I really hope to do a collection of the Hmong herbs because
“I was struggling.” But she met the challenge, graduated from
the Hmong people who know how to use them are elderly,” she said.
Minnesota State University, Mankato and has become a leading
“When they die, we won’t know what they are used for.” More herbs
community health professional in Wausau, Wis.
are being brought back from Laos now that travel is allowed, she
“I went to school because I want the Hmong people to under
stand the health care system here in the United States,” said Thao,
who earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1992.
Thao, 40, received the university’s Distinguished Alumni
said, making it important for health care providers to stress reasons
for using prescribed medications.
“For me, if they want to use the herbs, it’s OK if they tell me,”
she said. “But I want them to know the medicine I give them for
Humanitarian Award in April for helping the Hmong community
diabetes or hypertension is tested and that even though the herbs
understand Western medicine and live healthy lives. The award goes
they are taking may be making them feel better, it’s not controlling
to graduates whose lives exemplify service to humankind and who
their diabetes or hypertension.”
have demonstrated exceptional dedication to humanitarian causes.
She also is involved in a project to develop a tool for assessing
At the same time, she was awarded the university’s School of Nursing
community health interpreters’ abilities with Hmong, Spanish and
Outstanding Alumni Award.
Somali languages. It will identify what additional training is needed
Thao’s focus is on bridging the cultural and language gap
for Wausau-area Hmong residents, who make up about 12 percent
of that central Wisconsin city’s population.
She has produced a Hmong-language educational video,
so they can accurately translate medical information and dialogue
between doctors and nurses and their non-English-speaking patients.
Translators also need guidance in dealing with sometimes impa
tient health care providers. “As a provider, one of the hopes is that
“Kab Mob Kascees: Yuav ua li cas thiaj pab tau koj thiab koj tsev
we can develop a video to train the translators,” she said, “because
neeg” or “Sexually Transmitted Diseases: How to protect yourself
we find that doctors are swearing and calling the patients stupid,
and your family,” in collaboration with Wausau nurse Lynn Buhmann
and they have to tell providers that everything will be translated.”
and area health organizations.
In recognition of her efforts, Thao received the 2005 Women of
Thao was born in Laos and fled to Thailand with her family in
1976 after the Communists took control. In 1982, she came to the
Vision award from the YWCA of Wausau and its Woman of Tomorrow
Twin Cities to join an older brother. Thao, who said she became a
scholarship – the first person to receive both honors in the same year.
U.S. citizen in 1987, knew she wanted to be a nurse. She enrolled
Thao and her husband, Chang Yang, a human resource specialist,
at Minnesota State University, Mankato, she said, because the tuition
have four children ages 2 to 7. A recent graduate of the University of
was affordable, the size was right, and it was far enough from home
Wisconsin-Madison’s physician assistant program, Thao is employed at
to stretch her independence but “not too far.”
the UW Health Wausau Family Medicine center. Thao also serves on the
Thao is believed to be the only Hmong graduate from
b o a rd of the Nort h e rn Area Health Education Center in Wausau, which
the university’s School of Nursing, said its chair, Mary Bliesmer.
works to improve access to health care across rural nort h e rn Wisconsin.
“It’s remarkable what she’s been able to do,” Bliesmer said.
The tireless Thao has been involved in a recent communitywide
effort to settle a new group of about 500 Hmong from Thailand and
“She achieved an education and then wanted her people to
benefit from it as well.”
■
Five new trustees appointed
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has named five new members of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. Four of the terms will run through June 30, 2012; the two-year college student trustee term will end June 30, 2008.
Caleb Anderson
Age: 19
OCCUPATION: Student
and peer tutor at
C e n t u ry College; lifeg u a rd and swimming
i n s t ructor at Maplewood
Community Center; assis
tant preschool teacher at Maple Tree Child
C a re Center, Maplewood; co-founder and
co-owner of a cleaning business, MasonAnderson Professional Cleaners LLC
EDUCATION: Pursuing an associate degre e
from Century College
BACKGROUND: P resident of Phi Theta Kappa
honor society, active in Student Senate,
debate team and theater at Century College
REPRESENTS: Two-year college students
HOMETOWN: Maplewood
FAMILY: P a rents Donald and Marilyn;
sister Cherra
Dan McElroy
Age: 58
OCCUPATION: Gov. Tim
Pawlenty’s senior advisor
on innovation
E D U C AT I O N :
B a c h e l o r’s degree in
h i s t o ry from the
University of Notre Dame
BACKGROUND: F o rmerly served as the gover
nor’s chief of staff and commissioner of the
Minnesota Department of Finance, and in the
Minnesota House of Representatives fro m
1995 to 2003. Also served as mayor of
Burnsville from 1987 to 1994 and member of
the Burnsville City Council from 1983 to 1986.
Active in the travel agency business from 1979
to 1994 and in the travel agency software and
consulting business from 1994 to 2003
BOARDS AND MEMBERSHIPS: American Bank
Burnsville (director), Burnsville Rotary Club,
Burnsville Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota
Taxpayers Association, Citizens League of the
Twin Cities, Center of the American Experiment
REPRESENTS: At-large
HOMETOWN: Burnsville
FAMILY: Wife Mary
Christine Rice
Age: 57
James Van Houten
Age: 64
OCCUPATION: Community
and civic volunteer
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s
degree in speech and
communication from
the University of
OCCUPATION: Retired;
consults for profit and
n o n p rofit organizations
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s
d e g ree in English from
St. Mary ’s University, San
Wisconsin-Eau Claire
BACKGROUND: Served as deputy commissioner
of the Minnesota Department of Health from
1995 to 1997, assistant commissioner of the
department from 1993 to 1995 and director
of public and legislative affairs from 1991 to
Antonio, Texas, and M.B.A. from Illinois State
University, Bloomington, Ill.
1993. From 1987 to 1991, served as assistant
to the minority leader of the Minnesota
House of Representatives
BOARDS AND MEMBERSHIPS: HealthFront
(director), Commission on Judicial Selection,
division; vice president of marketing for the
nonautomotive U.S. subsidiaries of
Volkswagen of America; division vice president
for the Wausau Insurance Companies; and vice
p resident and chief marketing and strategy
Board of Examiners of Nursing Home
Administrators, Epilepsy Foundation of
Minnesota; former gubernatorial appointee
to Advisory Council of Community Based
Planning and member of Minnesota
Partnership for Action Against Tobacco board
REPRESENTS: 6th Congressional District
HOMETOWN: Lake Elmo
FAMILY: Husband Daniel; children Marnie,
Peter, Tyler
officer for Country Insurance and Financial
S e rvices. For the past 15 years, has been
a senior lecturer at the Carlson School,
University of Minnesota
BOARDS: Minnesota Business Partnership
C. Scott Thiss
Age: 59
OCCUPATION: President
and chief executive offi
cer for Sailforth, Inc., an
Edina holding company
with selected business
investments
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in marketing
and M.B.A. from Northwestern University in
Evanston, Ill.; holds a CPA certificate
BACKGROUND: Previously served as president
and chief executive officer for S&W Plastics,
LLC, in Eden Prairie
BOARDS AND MEMBERSHIPS: Employers
Association; Edina Planning Commission;
Habitat for Technology; Innovance, Inc. (chair
of governance committee); Northwestern
University Alumni Association (director);
previously, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
(past board chair), Normandale Community
College Foundation (past chair)
REPRESENTS: At-large
HOMETOWN: Edina
FAMILY: Wife Abbie; sons Jason, 27; Andy, 25
BACKGROUND: S e rved as president and CEO
of the MSI Insurance Companies, Arden Hills,
Minn., from 1989 until 2002; sales manager
for Canada with the General Motors insurance
(education committee), Minnesota Association
of Scholars (chair), Hill Business Reference
L i b r a ry, Minnesota Association of Mutual
Insurance Companies (chair), Insurance
Federation of Minnesota (chair), Center
of the American Experiment
REPRESENTS: 5th Congressional District
HOMETOWN: Minneapolis
FAMILY: Wife Mary Ann Nelson is assistant
commissioner of the Minnesota Department
of Education; daughters Kimberly Riley of
St. Louis, Mo., and Lori of Laramie, Wy o .
The 2006-2007 Board of Trustees
David Paskach, chair, Cottonwood
C l a rence Hightower, vice chair, Minneapolis
Michael Boulton, treasurer, Porter
Caleb Anderson, Maplewood
Duane Benson, Lanesboro
C h e ryl Dickson, St. Paul
Ruth Grendahl, Apple Valley
Dan McElro y, Burn s v i l l e
David Olson, St. Paul
Thomas Renier, Duluth
Christine Rice, Lake Elmo
Ann Curme Shaw, Minnetonka
C. Scott Thiss, Edina
James Van Houten, Minneapolis
C a rol Wenner, Alexandria*
*Term expired June 30, 2006; incumbent serves until
replacement is appointed by the govern o r.
ALUMNI
DELIVERING MINNESOTA’S MORNING NEWS
J
UST AFTER 6 A . M . W E E K DAYS, A FAMILIAR
GREETING ARRIVES OVER THE A I R W AVES:
“Good morning from Minnesota Public
Radio News. I’m Perry Finelli.” His mellifluous
tones deliver the latest news to a quart e rmillion listeners across the state, in kitchens
and dairy barns and cars humming down the
highways, grounding everyone in the re a l ities of the day.
Finelli’s voice radiates a calm and relaxed
demeanor, graced with public radio polish.
No hint remains of the shy teenage deejay
who hit the airwaves in Princeton, Minn.,
where he caught the broadcast bug.
“My dad was a public school teacher
and sports director at the local radio station
p a rt time,” Finelli said. “I was fascinated by it,
and I picked up a part-time job on weekends.”
Now 46, Finelli has been an MPR journal
ist for 20 years, preceded by a television stint
in Mason City, Iowa, after graduating with a
mass communications degree in 1982 from
St. Cloud State University.
Perry Finelli broadcasts Minnesota Public Radio
news from the station’s new studios in
downtown St. Paul.
“I love to put together a newscast, moving things around,
seeing how short and succinct I can make it.”
– Perry Finelli, alumnus of
St. Cloud State University
Arriving by 5 a.m. at the station’s sleek
new studios in downtown St. Paul, he quickly
crafts the first newscast from stories by MPR
reporters and wire services.
“I love to put together a newscast,
moving things around, seeing how short and
succinct I can make it,” Finelli said. “I always
want to make a newscast complete. I want
to get more in. I am crafting my own little
masterpieces.”
And radio style is essential. “It’s got to
be clear to the ear – no convoluted sentences,”
he explained.
“Perry, in particular, has a really hard
job,” said Mike Mulcahy, his editor. “He starts
early, and he has the longest newscast of the
day – 3 1/2 minutes.” He said Finelli’s position
takes a unique mix of skills – news judgment,
writing well, staying on top of what’s
happening locally and in the world, and
knowing how to pronounce place names.
Finelli works from a small studio, where
he delivers his newscasts during “Morning
Edition,” hosted locally by Cathy Wurzer, and
then “Midmorning” with Kerri Miller, which
emanate from larger booths nearby. He also
has reported stories and does stints as a
substitute host.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Finelli was filling in as
“Morning Edition” host. “The producer asked,
‘ A re you looking at the TV? It looks like
there’s a fire.’ My first thought was, there ’s
a fire in that restaurant,’” said Finelli, recalling
the World Trade Center image on the screen.
“We broke into the national report
at 10 minutes to 8 and took over, here in
Minnesota, using wire copy and TV,” he said.
A colleague called his daughter living in New
York City. She couldn’t see the towers but
relayed the drama. “We did a live interview
with her within 20 minutes of that first plane
hitting the World Trade Center,” Finelli said.
“I still have people telling me, ‘You are
the first voice I heard,’ “ he said. “It was a
monumental event. It was probably the story
of our lifetime.”
Finelli credits St. Cloud State for enabling
him to do this work. “I learned you can’t wait
for people to come to you. I learned how to
communicate. And I learned how to work
with people. I came out of the university as
a much different person,” he said. “That is
the value of education – you grow.”
His wife, Ann, also earned a mass com
munications degree from the university.
Finelli said he was pleased to be elected
recently to the St. Cloud State Alumni
Association Advisory Board. He said, “It’s my
opportunity to give back to the university.” ■
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
Foundation
With your support, anything is possible.
The gift of education rewards us all.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Foundation serves as a partner and advocate for the
system of 32 state colleges and universities to raise
and distribute funds for the benefit of students,
p rograms and communities.
Private, corporate and foundation gifts supplement
state and federal dollars, support many special pro g r a m s
and projects not possible with government funding
alone, and help keep tuition reasonable.
There are many ways to help Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities while advancing your own
personal and financial goals – including planned gifts,
bequests, annuities, trusts and other forms of deferred
or future gifts.
Gifts may be general contributions or dire c t e d
toward a specific institution or program. To learn
more, visit www.foundation.mnscu.edu or call
(651) 297-5519.
Wells Fargo Place
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804
www.mnscu.edu
Phone: (651) 296-8012
Toll-free: (888) 667-2848
TTY: (651) 282-2660
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system
is an Equal Opportunity employer and educator.
FALL 2006 | M I N N E S OTA STATE | C 3
Creating a legacy
3M retirees pledge
major scholarship
fund for technical
program students
W
HAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO RETIRED 3M
engineers – one an alumnus of the
University of Minnesota, the other
a graduate of Macalester College – combine
their belief in technical education with a com
mitment to their Minnesota roots? The result
is the largest gift ever pledged to the
Foundation.
Wa rren Robens and Henry Dembiczak
have created a trust fund naming the founda
tion as the sole beneficiary. The trust currently
is valued at $2.5 million to $3 million and
primarily will assist students enrolled in a tech
nical program at one of the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities. Often, these students
have limited available scholarship support.
“Education is very, very important, and
I know there are a lot of needs,” said
Dembiczak during a recent tour of a college
campus in the Twin Cities.
Dembiczak grew up in Greenbush, Minn.,
in the northwest corner of the state and
graduated from the University of Minnesota
in 1961. Robens grew up in northeast St. Paul
and graduated from Macalester College in
1949. Today, they divide their time between
Minnesota and Hawaii.
A college education didn’t come easily
for either man, even though the cost of
Henry Dembiczak (left) and Warren Robens are
pledging scholarship funds for technical college
students and others in need.
education was much less than today’s tuition
costs. Dembiczak recalls paying $350 a
quarter for room, board and tuition. “When
I graduated from high school and went to
the university, I didn’t even know there were
scholarships,” he said. “I worked all the time
I was going to school, and that was really
a handicap.”
Robens remembers tuition of $125 per
semester when he started, going up to $250,
plus room and board. He credits his bro t h e r
for helping him through college. “My bro t h e r
was a graduate of a Minnesota vo-tech and
became a very successful businessman in
C a l i f o rnia, and since I was going to college,
I worked in the summertime for him,” he said.
He also was helped by a scholarship for hard
of-hearing students.
Robens, who majored in physics, chem
i s t ry and math at Macalester, worked as a
plant superintendent, process engineer and
p rocess manager in the reflective pro d u c t s
a rea of 3M when the company’s annual sales
w e re less than $100 million per year.
Dembiczak started his career in secondary
education, teaching science and math in the
F o rest Lake schools, later moving into a 3M
division that produced decorative products for
automobiles. “Wood-grain plastic film for the
sides of station wagons is one of the first
things I worked on,” he said.
A portion of the Wa rren H. Robens and
H e n ry P. Dembiczak Endowed Scholarship also
will provide support to students enrolled in
nontechnical courses at one of the Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities.
“It’s great when alumni give to the foun
dation, but the generosity of these two friends
who didn’t even attend our colleges and uni
versities is remarkable,” said Catherine
McGlinch, executive director of the Minnesota
State Colleges and Universities Foundation,
which raises funds to benefit students and
p rograms throughout the system of 32 state
colleges and universities. “We are grateful for
their commitment to making it possible for
m o re students to attend college.” ■
IF YOU HAVE NAMED THE MINNESOTA STAT E
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION IN
YOUR ESTATE PLANS OR WANT INFORMAT I O N
ON HOW TO DO SO, CONTACT CAT H E R I N E
MCGLINCH AT (651) 297-4639 OR
C [email protected] .
Wells Fargo Place
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804
First Class
US Postage
Phone: (651) 296-8012
Toll-free: (888) 667-2848
TTY: (651) 282-2660
www.mnscu.edu
Permit No. 171
St. Paul, MN
PAID

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Magazine Fall 2006

Transcription

Similar documents

industrial - United Properties

The Tomahawk (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.)

2015 highlights philanthropy and community support

National Center for Manufacturing Education

School_Visit_Info_files/Teaching flyer 2012

IndiaFest - India Association of Minnesota

Winter 2016 - Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women`s

Minnesota Flight Log - General EW Rawlings Chapter

a world free of MS - National Multiple Sclerosis Society