Programs meet industry needs

Volume 9. No 2
July 2005
A newsletter for Bismarck State College alumni, contributors and friends.
Programs meet industry needs
www.bismarckstate.edu
BSC’s start-up of a new program this fall
and the redesign of an existing program will
give students attractive career choices in fields
where workers are in demand.
Transportation and Supply Chain Management is a new two-year program that will
educate graduates for work in the transportation industry. Developed in collaboration with
the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
(UGPTI) and North Dakota State University,
the program emphasizes the business end of
the industry.
Meanwhile, BSC’s Process Plant Technology program is undergoing some revisions to
adapt part of the curriculum for the ethanol
and biodiesel industries. With demand growing for renewable and alternative fuels, a
career in Process Plant Technology promises
job opportunities as new ethanol and biodiesel plants are built to process corn and other
feedstocks.
Transportation
“The transportation program deals with
the movement of people, raw materials, and
finished goods,” says Dr. Jane Schulz, BSC
dean of instruction. “Graduates will have
opportunities in trucking, airlines, transportation agencies, shipping services, distribution
centers, and other supply chain employment.”
Study includes a general education component and specialized classes in business,
accounting, management, electronic commerce, transportation regulation and safety,
and geographic information system (GIS)
technology.
Continued on page 2
ArtsQuest guests share techniques
ArtsQuest, BSC’s springtime celebration of the arts, featured the work of Canadian land artist Greg Blair. Pictured
at top left are students and assistant professor of art Brian
Hushagen constructing the
work “Fallen Tree.” The
finished work is shown
below. Art, math and engineering students collaborated with Blair to construct
several sculptural forms that
transformed open spaces
around campus. Sculptor
Brad Bachmeier of Fargo
spent three days sharing his
pottery techniques. View
additional photos on the
Web at www.bismarckstate.
edu/connections
Photos by Jennifer Weisgerber
Grants support campus projects
BSC Connections is
published quarterly at
Bismarck State College,
Bismarck, North Dakota.
Vice President
for College Advancement and Federal Relations
Gordon Binek
BSC Foundation Staff
Jaclyn Bugbee
Barbara Burgum Lee
Julie Erickson
Mary Friesz
Jason Matthews
Rita Nodland
Rhonda Weyer
BSC Foundation
(800) 272-2586 or
(701) 224-5700
BSC Connections Staff
Jordis Conrad, Editor
Crystal Forster
Vicki Voskuil
Connections on the Web
Patrick Bjork
BSC Foundation
President
Barbara Heinle
BSC National Alumni
Association President
Dr. Steve Chuppe
Send alumni notes to:
Jordis Conrad
BSC, P.O. Box 5587
Bismarck, ND 58506
or e-mail to:
Jordis.Conrad@bsc.
nodak.edu
Send address changes to:
Jason Matthews
Alumni Coordinator
BSC, P.O. Box 5587
Bismarck, ND 58506
or e-mail to:
Jason.Matthews.1@bsc.
nodak.edu
or call:
1-800-BSC-ALUM
BSC’s World Wide Web
site address is
www.bismarckstate.edu
The BSC Foundation Programs Committee recently approved $29,676 in grants for
equipment, speakers, student publications,
campus events, and educational travel by
students and faculty.
The BSC-FM Ambulance Paramedic program was awarded $5,948 for video equipment to provide skill demonstrations and
program marketing to rural networks over the
Interactive Video Network.
The committee funded $5,000 for partial
publishing costs of Figments of Imagination,
a student publication coordinated by the English and journalism disciplines, and $1,500
for the 2005-06 Visiting Writers Series.
A $1,448 grant was approved for a student
intern from North Dakota State University to
work in the BSC Library Archives during this
summer.
Several community outreach events received support. The music discipline’s Choir-
Fest was assisted with $3,500. Corporate and
Continuing Education received $1,000 for
the BSC Music Institute for string players,
and the chemistry discipline’s two Science
Olympiads were sustained with $1,700.
These equipment requests were funded:
$1,980 for a public access automatic external defibrillator for the Vocational-Technical
Center; $1,900 for a surgical instrument tray
for the Surgical Technology program; and
$1,000 for a geriatric manikin for the Certified Nursing Assistant program.
Grants for student conference registrations
or display booths went to Kappa Omicron
Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa ($2,400), Board
of Governors ($1,500), and the Automotive
Technology program ($300). Staff Senate
received $500 for expenses related to Staff
Development Day and other presenters.
Program revised for ethanol industry (cont.)
Students earn an associate in applied science degree and can qualify for a variety of
jobs.
Jon Mielke, associate research fellow for
UGPTI, is based in Bismarck and will teach
some of the transportation-related courses.
He says the institute has four-year, master’s
and doctoral degree programs at NDSU,
however, the institute saw need for a twoyear program and BSC was a natural fit.
Mielke says development between BSC
and UGPTI actually took place before plans
were announced to build Bismarck’s Northern Plains Commerce Centre, a huge industrial, distribution, and technology park near
the airport.
“The fact that the center happened emphasizes the importance of this program,”
Mielke says. “What we’re doing dovetails
well with that facility. Commerce touches all
of us and businesses are always looking for
employees with a background in transportation.”
Process Plant Technology
This program, begun in 1982, was originally developed in partnership with industry
to supply workers for the Dakota Gasification Plant at Beulah. The program is now
also offered online, making it possible for
students and workers anywhere to enroll.
“BSC graduates have an edge before even
setting foot in a plant,” says Chad Wetzel,
process plant technology instructor. “Our diversified curriculum qualifies them for work
in all kinds of energy operations. With jobs
expanding for process plant graduates, we’re
making curriculum changes with the ethanol
industry in mind.”
Recently expanded to four semesters,
the curriculum offers campus and online
students more focused instruction and flexibility to take general education classes to
fulfill the associate in applied science degree.
The block-style curriculum allows first-time
students or seasoned plant employees to concentrate on one subject for up to four weeks
and build skills sequentially.
Jeff Zueger, generation and operations
support leader at Great River Energy’s Coal
Creek Station near Underwood, helps select
BSC graduates for 15-month paid internships
at the plant.
“BSC is nationally recognized as producing top quality job candidates– that’s certainly what we find,” Zueger says. “We hear
from a lot of facilities that hire BSC graduates that they’re topnotch people.”
Donors are generous to college
The Foundation welcomes new and renewing President’s Club members for March 30
through June 15, 2005.
Zachery Allen
Patrick J. Atkinson
Bank Center First
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Jay Beyer
Bismarck Title Company
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of North Dakota
Boeing Gift Matching Program
Brock White Company
Butler Machinery Company
Capital Credit Union
Dakota Awards
Falkirk Mining Company
FPL Energy
Gateway Pharmacy, Inc.
Golder Associates, Inc.
Hedahls, Inc.
House of Color, Inc.
Mike and Sue Hummel
Investment Centers
JC Penney Company
KXMB-TV
Jane and Grant Lindstrom
In memoriam
Contributions were made to the Foundation in memory of:
Given by:
John Eckroth........................BSC Employees
Marjorie Thorne
Magnhild Hegland...............BSC Employees
Cecelia Helfenstein...............BSC Employees
Lucille Juhala........................ Dr. Kermit and
Patty Lidstrom
Marcia Olson
Arnold Lahren...........Paul and Judy Bodmer
Marc and Jordis Conrad
Joel and Donna Fricke
Bryce and Maxine Hill
Carol Jean Larsen
Dr. Kermit and Patty Lidstrom
Dr. Jon Martinson
Daniel Rogers and Marlene Anderson
Gary and Jane Schulz
Robert and Linda Tonolli
Debbie and Steve Van Berkom
Duane and Vicki Voskuil
Northland Financial
Northwest Contracting Inc.
Ken and Carmen Reno
Dwight Senne
St. Alexius Medical Center
Starion Financial
Pat and Mary Dirk
VFW Charitable Gaming Trust
Waterford on West Century
The Foundation welcomes new and renewing Executive Club members for March 30
through June 15, 2005.
Bobcat
Chad Gilchrist Financial
Dr. Douglas Eggert and Michelle Lindblom
Prairie Knights Casino and Lodge
Dr. Albert and Carol Samuelson
Rob Schaner
Gary and Jane Schulz
Skeels Electric
Burgum Lee is new grant
writer for BSC Foundation
Barbara Burgum Lee joined the BSC
Foundation in June as grants research specialist. She has more than 15 years experience
in grant writing. A
private consultant for
eight years, Burgum
Lee evaluated business
practices for a Minneapolis company and
most recently did business planning for cities
and nonprofit groups in
eastern North Dakota.
She has worked for the
Barbara Burgum Lee
N.D. Department of
Health as a program
manager and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minn., in cancer education.
“The college has so much to offer the community,” Burgum Lee said. “I’m very pleased
to be part of the team developing resources
for the college.”
Burgum Lee grew up in Garrison and graduated from Wilson College in Chambersburg,
Pa., in political science. She has a master’s
in public health from the University of Minnesota. Burgum Lee and her husband, David,
have two children and one granddaughter.
Students honored for excellence
Lindsay Schatz
Bismarck State College honored its scholars and outstanding students at the college’s
Recognition Ceremony April 20.
Students were honored for selection as
the Outstanding Student in 60 disciplines
and programs; for induction into Phi Theta
Kappa, the international honor society of
two-year colleges; for selection to the 2005
edition of “Who’s Who Among Students in
American Junior Colleges,” and for outstanding level of involvement in the BSC Board of
Governors.
The BSC Foundation sponsors the awards
program, which includes certificates and
a $75 cash award for each honor. Guest
speaker was Dr. Robert L. Potts, Chancellor,
North Dakota University System. Master of
ceremonies was Gordon Binek, BSC Vice
President for College Advancement and Federal Relations.
Other awards acknowledged included
the first place Mark of Excellence as Best
Magazine for the 2004 edition of Figments
of Imagination, student literary publication,
from the Society of Professional Journalists Region 6. Accepting recognition for the
honor was Jennifer Weisgerber, editor.
Officers of Phi Theta Kappa accepted the
Pinnacle Gold Chapter Award, the Phi Theta
Kappa Two-Star Status, and the Minn-WiKota Region Spirit Awards.
Outstanding Phi Theta Kappa Member was
Sarah Perius. Outstanding Phi Theta Kappa
Officer was Melinda Kostelecky.
Students named to Phi Theta Kappa completed at least 15 semester hours of associate
degree course work in residence, with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA)
of 3.75, and are enrolled full- or part-time.
Justin Reinicke, Naomi Harr, Preston Schmidt
Chris Hartze, Tara Karlberg, Arthur Miller
Kirsten Babuik Anthony Bachmeier
*Zach Backstrom Damien Beinhart Brandon Bellerud Kimberla Bohrer Martha Bollin Wesley Braun
Kimberly Cymbaluk Stanley Dembeck
Annie Dockter
Christyl Drake-Tremblay Shananne DuFrame
Shawn Ebeling
Dustin Fleckenstein Adam Gabbert
Edwin Geiger Edward Going, Sr. Jennifer Peterson *Lisa Rebenitsch Dillon Remmick
Jamie Rumple Jennifer Sabo Melissa Sailer *Lindsay Schatz
Rachel Schiermeister *Preston Schmidt
*Danielle Stadick
*BSC Foundation scholarship recipients
Jennifer Swanson
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society
Travis Lang
Mike Wetzel
Brian Gross Kendra Grubb Jacqueline Huber Heidi Jacobs *Danielle Johs Pamela Key Kara Lacher
Travis Lang *Sabrina Lee Susanna Magstadt John McClean
Courtney Meland *Katie Monger Shawn Neidhardt April Neshem Kurt Neuberger Thomas Oakland
*David Peterson Who’s Who
*Ashley Bender
*Laura Evenson
*Jason Fiesel
Naomi Harr
*Sabrina Lee
Joshua Steinert Karmen Ternes Ernest Thurman
Christopher Volesky
Summer Wald Rachel Walker *Shelly Wanek Maynard Williams Crystal Wohl *Sarah Perius
*David Peterson
*Justin Reinicke
*Kristen Schaff
Kristi Wist
Board of Governors
Nathan Arnold
Gerard Beaubrun
*Elon Eisenbraun Tyson Follman Chris Hartze
Jeffrey Haupt
Brandon Jund Tara Karlberg
Catherine Klein
Arthur Miller Deven Moser
*Matthew Reister Jamie Rumple Katie Saueressig
*Ashley Sieg
*Kimberly Spear Kayla Wald
*Sean Wavrin Mike Wetzel Outstanding Students
Troy Ahmann....... Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration
Jerrica Albrecht............................................Nursing, Practical
Jeff Andersen........................Electrical Transmission Systems
Technology - Online
Cynthia Arnold........................................................Philosophy
Kirsten Babuik............................................................. English
Anthony Bachmeier.............................................Mathematics
*Zach Backstrom.......................................................... Speech
*Conrad Bauer........................................ Music - Instrumental
*Eric Bender....................................... Carpentry - Residential
Samantha Berget...................................................... Education
Lee Boehm...................................... Process Plant Technology
Jean Brandt.......................Electric Power Technology -Online
Kimberly Cymbaluk......................................................History
Arthur Duppong.................. Power Plant Technology - Online
*Sara Erhardt..................................................Commercial Art
Sherri Erhardt..........................................................Journalism
Jonathan Fettig....................................................... Humanities
*Jason Fiesel....................Agribusiness - Agriculture Transfer
Tara Fitzgerald............................................... Human Services
Sheila Grimm............................. Computer Support Specialist
Brian Gross.................................................................. Physics
*Jenna Heinle..........................................................Visual Arts
Myles Henne.......Agribusiness - Farm & Ranch Management
Craig Holden................................................Technical Theater
Vanessa Imdieke..........................................................Religion
Devon Jesperson................ Automotive Collision Technology
*Jessica Kalvoda................................................ Music - Vocal Kris Karls.......................................................Political Science
Michael Kindsfater.........Co-recipient Engineering Technician
*Loren Koppy............................................. Computer Science
*Melinda Kostelecky.............................................Accounting
Joleen Krueger.........................................Surgical Technology
Travis Lang................................................Foreign Languages
*Sabrina Lee................................................................ Theater
Jennifer LeMaster............ Paramedic (EMT) Technology - St.
Alexius
Bonnie Lewton..................Administrative Assistant - Medical
Linn Little..................... Co-recipient Clinical Lab Technician
Don Merhar.....................Nuclear Power Technology - Online
Kathy Michelson.....................................................Economics
*Katie Monger......................... Co-recipient Hotel-Restaurant
Management
Randal Nass........................................ Lineworker - Electrical
Maleah Nelsen....................Information Processing Specialist
Leland Nelson................................................ Fire Technology
Darin Okerson...................... Agribusiness - Sales and Service
Samantha Berget, Sabrina Lee
*Laura Page.......................................................... Psychology
*David Peterson....................................................Engineering
Miranda Pfennig.................................................. Management
*Justin Reinicke...................................................... Chemistry
Brooke Reisenauer......................................... Criminal Justice
Ryan Repnow....................................Power Plant Technology
Lori Rittenbach.............Co-recipient Clinical Lab Technician
*Jaden Roehrich................................ Automotive Technology
Charlene Roller........................................................... Biology
Shawna Schatz..................... Administrative Assistant - Legal
Cole Schindler............... Co-recipient Engineering Technician
Eric Schon...................................................................Welding
Susan Schramm........................................................Sociology
Ryan Stockdill......................Electronics/Telecommunications
Technology
Jennifer Swanson..............Administrative Assistant - General
*Christopher Wagner...............Co-recipient Hotel-Restaurant
Management
Shawn Wagner...................... Paramedic (EMT) Technology FM Ambulance
Elizabeth Whitmore..........Process Plant Technology - Online
Kristi Wist............................................................... Pharmacy
David Peterson
Brian Gross
Miscellaneous awards
Chemical Rubber Co. Chemistry Award
*Stephanie Meier
New Century Scholar Award
*Ashley Sieg
Nomination to All-USA Academic Team
*Justin Reinicke
*Ashley Sieg
Ashley Sieg
Jamie Rumple
Foundation adds five trustees
Five community leaders recently joined
the ranks of the BSC Foundation Board of
Trustees.
Jim Rose is quality manager for Bobcat
Company in Bismarck.
Steven Van Berkom
Charles E. Wittenberg
Paul Sandness
Dan Dorfschmidt serves as operations
manager for Butler Machinery Company of
Bismarck. He is a member of the Lignite
Energy Council, the Society of Mining Engineers and the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining
Institute.
Steven M. Van Berkom, president of Van
Berkom Business Products of Mandan,
belongs to the BSC President’s Club and is
the chair of the administrative team at First
United Methodist Church.
Paul K. Sandness is general counsel and
secretary for MDU Resources Group, Inc. of
Bismarck.
Charles E. Wittenberg is vice president and
district manager for State Bank and Trust of
Bismarck. He is a member of Sertoma Club
and N.D. Hunter Education.
Employee endows new scholarship
Dan Dorfschmidt
Zachery Allen
Students interested in Energy Technology
Online (ETO) courses at BSC have a new
financial resource because of a gift from a
BSC employee.
Zachery Allen, ETO multimedia coordinator, has endowed the department’s first
scholarship. The Allen Energy Scholarship is
a $1,000 annual scholarship for any of BSC’s
five ETO programs. Allen’s gift was matched
by the BSC Foundation to create the scholarship.
“I believe in the curriculum and what we
do,” says Allen, who led development of
BSC’s program in Electrical Transmission
Systems Technology. “Without the industry
support of friends and colleagues, I couldn’t
have done these things. I’m not a trained
engineer but have those resources, and the
scholarship is my thank-you back to them.”
Allen spent three years creating online
course content, interactive lab exercises, and
Web-based simulations for ETST.
“The goal of the lab is to allow placebound students to use the equipment virtually
and bring them to a higher level of understanding,” he says.
Part of Allen’s incentive to endow a scholarship was to get new people into the industry and address the aging workforce issue.
Not many people think about energy generation as a career, he says. “It’s not a glamorous
field like CSI (crime scene investigator), but
anything you want to do can be found in the
energy industry.”
BSC group is region’s first
college Optimist Club
BSC’s Energy Club is the region’s first
college club of Optimist International in
the Dakotas Manitoba Minnesota District.
Lonnie Bertsch, assistant professor of commercial art and Optimist member, wanted to
help Energy Club members gain recognition
for the community service projects they have
done throughout the school year.
“The main goal of Optimist International
is friend of youth,” says Bertsch, Optimist
governor assistant of North Dakota. “The
biggest kicker for these energy graduates is
that prospective employers are all looking for
community service on their resumes.”
With benefits of Optimist membership,
students acquire general liability insurance
while acting on behalf of the club. Under
guidance of club advisor John Holtan, assistant professor of power plant and process
plant technology, the club has taken on a
number of projects, such as cleaning the
grounds at Salvation Army sites.
Optimist dignitaries from St. Louis and
Brookings installed the members.
Employees receive recognition
BSC honored six employees with Awards
for Excellence at the spring recognition
ceremony.
Receiving faculty awards were Linda
Tonolli, associate professor of mathematics,
for her patient, generous, and enthusiastic
John Holtan
Linda Tonolli
mentoring of students; and John Holtan, assistant professor of power and process plant
technology, for his contagious enthusiasm in
the classroom and outstanding leadership of
the BSC Energy Club.
Chosen from the adjunct faculty were music instructor Dawn Hagerott for her goodwill and creative approach to student learning; and Jill Carter, biology instructor, for
excellence in teaching and student rapport.
Staff recipients were Dr. Janelle Masters, dean of faculty, for mediating creative
solutions to issues and her caring vision for
enriching teaching quality and student life;
and Kristie Petersen, food service supervisor,
for superior customer service, leadership,
and exceeding expectations for college food
service.
The awards, coordinated by the Learning
First Managing Excellence Team, recognize
significant or meritorious achievement in
performance of professional roles. Full-time
employees received a $1,000 cash gift from
the BSC Foundation. Part-time employees
received a $250 cash gift.
Jill Carter
Dawn Hagerott
Janelle Masters
Photos by Lonnie Bertsch
Commencement 2005
At left: Tim Hennessy, chairperson of the
BSC Foundation Board, speaks after receiving the BSC Distinguished Service Citation,
the college’s highest honor, from BSC President Donna S. Thigpen.
Above: Justin Reinicke of Bismarck and fellow Phi Theta Kappan in procession.
Kristie Petersen
Record numbers take in golf classic
A record number of 184 golfers made their
way around three courses in Bismarck-Mandan for the BSC President’s Cup Golf Classic
on June 24. The tournament was paired with
a welcome home event for Brock Lesnar,
honorary chairperson for the tourney. A 1998
BSC alum and heavyweight championship
wrestler, Lesnar was inducted into BSC’s
Athletic Hall of Fame at the golf social.
Lesnar, who lives near the Twin Cities,
also was the guest at an event for friends and
fans to hear about his experiences at the University of Minnesota and with World Wres-
tling Entertainment.
Proceeds from both events will help fund
athletic scholarships.
First place gross team winners for 3rd
consecutive year, from left, Kevin Gilchrist, Jon
Anderson, Jon Joersz and Kevin Bjork
Brock Lesnar, right,
at his induction into
BSC’s Athletic Hall
of Fame. At left are
Buster Gilliss, BSC
athletic director, and
Frank Bavendick,
BSC Foundation
trustee.
Photos by Michael
McCormack
Hole sponsors and others contributing
$500 or more
4 Bears Casino
Gilchrist Financial
ABC West
I Keating Furniture World
Allegiant Airlines
Jerome Distributing
AWBW Architects
Kevin Gilchrist, DDS
Bank Center First
Kirkwood Bank and Trust
Basin Electric
Reiten Television
Bismarck Bobcats
Marshall Field’s
Bismarck Tribune
Old Dutch
BNC National Bank
Pepsi
Cass Clay
Piper Jaffray
Clear Channel Radio
Polar Package Place
Cloverdale Foods
Prairie Knights
Midwest Coca-Cola
Presort Plus
Congress
Ramkota Inn
Coventry Health Care
Satrom Travel and Tour
Dakota Community
Spit’n Image
Dakota Screen Arts
St. Alexius
Dakota Wizards
Starion Financial
Dan’s Super Valu
Terry Kraft Agency
Doublewood/Seven Seas
Tropical Island
Eide Bailly
United Printing
Fox West
US Bank
Frito Lay
Williston Basin Interstate
Gateway Pharmacy
Pipeline
Wells Fargo
First place net team, from left, Adam Wogsland,
Adam Aarestad, Aric Wogsland and Dan
Wogsland
Supporters with contributions valued
less than $500
Hawktree Golf Club
AFLAC Joe and Kris Harris
Bank of North Dakota
Missouri Valley Petroleum
Bill Barth Ford
Bismarck Parks & Recreation Northwest Tire
O’Brian’s Tavern
District
Peacock Alley
BSC Foundation
Prairie Rose Family DenBismarck State College
tistry
BNI Coal Ltd.
Ramada Limited
Butler Machinery
Ressler Chevrolet
Capital Trophy
Space Aliens
Cashman Nursery
Stan Puklich
Cedric Theel Inc.
Rod Skytland Agency
Country Inn and Suites
Theodore Roosevelt
Dakota Awards
Foundation
Dakota Gasification Co.
Unisys
Dakota Pharmacy
Scheel’s All Sports
Flash Printing
Food Service of America
Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation
Chuck Suchy album gains notice
Chuck Suchy, ‘68, of Mandan has another
hit on his hands. His fifth album has received
kudos from Acoustic Guitar magazine in California and a Chicago radio station.
Producers at WFMT-FM and “The Midnight Special” chose the collection of original
folk music for its Top 10 compact discs of
2004. Twelve Acoustic Guitar magazine editors and reviewers placed “Evening in Paris”
among 60 of their best album picks for 2004.
Suchy’s longtime collaborator, Peter Ostroushko, produced the album, released last
June and recorded at Minnesota Public Radio
studios with Minneapolis musicians Joel Say-
les, bass, and Joe Savage, dobro.
Similar in style and theme to his other releases, “Evening in Paris” attests to the value
of the Great Plains experience. The lyrical
and reflective “Diminishing Winds” takes
listeners inside, while the title cut resonates
with memories of youth.
“It’s a time-of-life song for those who actually know what Evening in Paris is,” Suchy
says. “The image goes back to my sister’s
dresser and seeing a bottle of perfume. The
name seemed like such an exotic idea – to
have that in a farmhouse in North Dakota
was remarkable.”
As folksinger, farmer, songwriter and storyteller, Suchy has reached a national audience with reviews in the Boston Globe, the
French acoustic music magazine, Le Cri du
Coyote, and the Folkworld Website. “Evening in Paris” includes a song written by son
Ben Suchy, a more blues based musician and
singer.
More information is available at www.
chucksuchy.com.
Retired English professor dies
Arnold Lahren, 70, retired associate professor of English, died May 27, seven months
after being diagnosed with inoperable brain
cancer. Relatives and friends filled the BSC
Student Union Missouri Room for his
memorial service on
June 1.
When he retired in
the spring of 2000,
Lahren had taught at
BSC for 32 years. He
spent 10 years in other
schools before coming to BSC in 1968. At
Arnold Lahren
retirement he said, “I’ll
miss the stimulation of
people with ideas and a lot of those people
are in my classrooms. I learn every day from
my students.”
His English faculty colleagues considered
Lahren the mentor and guiding light to new
English instructors. He had served as English
department chairperson for about 20 years,
coordinated the Visiting Writer Series, and
started the literature as film classes in the
early 1970s. In early years at BSC, he also
taught art classes. An accomplished artist,
Lahren spoke on the creative process and reflected upon some of his paintings and sculptures during a showing of his art in January.
Lahren leaves his wife, Lynn, his mother, a
brother, four children, and their families.
Graduate from Drake earns
$2,000 stipend for excellence
Ashley Sieg of Drake, Class of 2005, was
selected as a 2005 New Century Scholar for
outstanding academic excellence and scholastic achievement. Her selection was based on
scores earned in the All-USA Academic Team
competition.
As the highest scoring student in North
Dakota, Sieg received a $2,000 stipend
funded by the Coca-Cola Foundation and the
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. She was
recognized at the convention of the American
Association of Community Colleges (AACC)
in Boston in April.
“A man with a
rich wide-openspaces voice.”
– Boston Globe
“One of the great
undiscovered
treasures of
contemporary
American
folk music . .
. a refreshing
divergence from
the trend . . .”
– Rick Warren, “The
Midnight Special,”
WFMT in Chicago.
1950s
Edward W. Agre, ‘57, Glendive, Mont.,
is sports news director of KXGN RadioTV, the smallest TV market in the country.
Stories about the station have appeared on
HBO’s “Real Sports” and in Sports Illustrated and The Chicago Tribune.
1960s
Ken Davis, ‘68, Belcourt, was elected tribal
chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of
Chippewa Indians in 2004. He was appointed to the National Budget Advisory Council
to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in February.
Tami HalmrastSanchez
Major Tim Holtan
1970s
Natalie (Upton) Wrangham, ‘72, Perham,
Minn., was selected to take part in the Japan
Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher in Japan
Program. She traveled with other educators
from across the country to Japan for three
weeks to study Japanese education and culture. Natalie is a teacher for grades 1-2 at St.
Paul’s Lutheran School.
U.S. Army Major Timothy J. Holtan,
‘74, assumed command of the U.S. Military
Academy Band at West Point, N.Y., in June.
He was recently the Deputy Commander of
the U.S. Army Field Band in Fort Meade,
Md. During his military career, he has
presented concerts and clinics in 35 states,
Canada, Japan, the U.S. Virgin Islands and
Europe. He was named one of BSC’s Outstanding Alumni in 2001.
Tami Halmrast-Sanchez, ‘79, Alexandria,
Va., received a master’s degree in national
security strategy from the National Defense
University, Washington, D.C., in June. She
has been deputy director and acting director of the U.S. Agency for International
Development, and was selected to attend
the University because of her service with
USAID. She has been deployed to more than
40 countries, responding to natural disasters
and civil wars, and led Disaster Assistance
Response Teams into Ethiopia, Kosovo and
Iran.
1980s
Mark Dyrdahl, ‘85, CasaGrande, Ariz., has
been promoted to supervisor of an ongoing unit of child protective services with the
State of Arizona.
Donna (Hennager) Chmelar, ‘89, Echo,
Minn., is working as the human resources coordinator at Project Turnabout, a substance/
gambling abuse treatment center in Granite
Falls, Minn.
1990s
Becky (Serr) Humann, ‘95, Linton, is
working for the N.D. Department of Health,
Health Facilities Division as health care surveyor. Before that she worked at the Wishek
Community Hospital as compliance coordinator for eight years.
2000s
Melissa Schumacher, ‘00, Mandan, is the
executive director of Arts on the Prairie
Theatre.
class
Connections
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Retirees plan to enjoy outdoors
Jeff Auch, assistant professor of computer
information systems, and Sam May, assistant
professor of agribusiness, worked on opposite
sites of the campus, tinkering with the nuts
and bolts of advancing computer technology
and farm equipment. Teaching BSC students
Jeff Auch
Sam May
to understand the network between small and
bigger things culminated in 33 years for Auch
and 31 years for May.
Both retire this summer and plan to spend
a good share of their time outdoors. Auch
has a cattle ranch, and May has a motorcycle
that needs exercise, he says. May also hunts,
fishes, and enjoys competitive shooting, a
skill for which he was named to the N.D.
Marksmanship Hall of Fame in 2004.
“I had a great teaching career and enjoyed
giving students skills they can use the rest of
their lives,” May says.
“I’m not quitting because I dislike my job.
After 36 years teaching it just seems like
enough, and I have a ton of things I want to
do. One priority is my 10-month-old granddaughter in Minnesota.”
May advised the BSC Agribusiness Club,
served as Faculty Senate president, and was
a member of the Learning First Council and
BSC Foundation board. Besides mechanics,
he taught welding and electricity and says
he always strived for high interaction with
students. In 1981, the N.D. Vocational Agriculture Association named him Outstanding
Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Auch was chairman of the Computer Information Systems Department and received
the Faculty Achievement Award in 1988. He
taught word processing and was responsible
for the research, purchase and installation of
the Business and Office Technology Department’s computer network in the mid-1980s.
He chaired the Academic Network Advisory
Committee of the NDUS’s Higher Education
Computer Network.
Auch appreciates the flexibility BSC allowed him to work creatively to design and
constantly upgrade the business and computer
information technology programs.
“We looked at trends and did our homework, so a lot of the advances were initiated
here, like the Web page degree,” Auch says.
“I could dream just about anything and find
support.”
A CISCO network instructor, Auch conducted technology seminars for faculty and
served as a computer consultant throughout
campus. He believed strongly in teaching
students to apply their learning to realistic life
situations.
Jund leaving, Prochnow
retiring from Student Life
Pat Jund, director of student life since
1997, left BSC this summer to pursue a career in the insurance business in Anamoose,
N.D. A 1993 graduate of BSC, Jund was a
strong advocate for students. Through his
advisement, the Board of Governors took an
active leadership role on campus, and began
membership in the American Student Association of Community Colleges (ASACC).
BSC won three national ASACC awards
during Jund’s tenure, most recently this
spring, when BSC was named Campus of the
Year at the National Conference on Student
Advocacy in Washington, D.C. Previous
ASACC awards went to BSC President Dr.
Donna Thigpen, who was named College
President of the Year in 2002, and to Jund,
named Advisor of the Year in 2001.
“It’s my hope that BSC will continue to be
affordable,” said Jund. “It’s a quality institution, a great place for students.”
Replacing Jund is Heather Sheehan, who
has been Swensen Hall residence supervisor
for four years.
Mary Jo Prochnow retired in May from
her position as administrative secretary to Pat
Jund. She has spent the past 14 years helping students and others who visit the Student
Union. She also was the contact for students
applying to live on campus, and assisted with
the Board of Governors.
“It’s been a fun job,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed working with the students and helping
them in any way I could.”
Mary Prochnow
Patrick Jund
Phi Theta Kappa advisor
receives Paragon Award
Dan Leingang, assistant professor of math
and Phi Theta Kappa advisor, received a
2005 Paragon Award
for New Advisors at
the PTK international
convention in Dallas
in April. He was one
of 30 recipients of the
award, which recognizes distinguished
service by chapter advisors who are serving
their second through
Dan Leingang
fourth year. Leingang
and four BSC PTK
members were among 4,000 students and
advisors attending the convention.
BSC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa sponsored several projects throughout the year,
including a satellite seminar series on popular culture; fundraisers and awareness activities for the American Cancer Society, including the formation of a Relay for Life Team;
and collection of children’s books and food
items for area charities during Project Graduation.
Phase 1 of construction on
CTI begins this summer
Part of the campus becomes a construction zone this summer as work begins on the
Career and Technology Institute. Construction
will occur in two phases, with Phase I involving site preparation, utilities, wells for ground
source heating and cooling, and parking lots.
BSC also plans to build a new residence
hall east of Swensen Hall, the women’s residence. Work this summer will include moving
dirt from the hillside east of Swensen to the
CTI site.
Location for the Career and Technology
Institute is southeast of the BSC Armory on
seven acres donated by the city of Bismarck.
It will house a Workforce Training Center, Higher Education Center, and National
Energy Technology Training and Education
Center.
Phase II, construction of the Career and
Technology Institute building, will be bid in
early 2006 with construction beginning in
June 2006. Completion date is December
2007.
Work on the residence hall for 128 students
also will begin in 2006.
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