July 22, 2011 – July 26, 2011
In this edition:
Published July 21, 2011
WSC breaks ground for science wing
By: Lynne Napton, Williston Herald
Williston State College held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new science wing Wednesday. Construction will begin
this summer and the space will be ready for occupancy for the 2012 fall semester of classes.
Published July 21, 2011
NDSCS program takes to the sky
By: Jennifer Johnson, Wahpeton Daily News
North Dakota State College of Science has partnered with a Grand Forks nonprofit, Unmanned Applications Institute,
to train and educate students for the aviation industry.
Published July 21, 2011
Exploring careers: Program gives youths a chance to ‘test-drive’ job choices
By: Lynne Napton, Williston Herald
Williston State College took part in a preview for a career education program. The youth development program,
"Exploring," teams community organizations and businesses with youth ages 14 to 20 years old.
Published July 22, 2011
Fighting Sioux nickname meeting with NCAA rescheduled for Aug. 12
By: Ryan Johnson, Grand Forks Herald
Meeting about UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname postponed for state Sen. Bob Stenehjem’s funeral: Grant
Shaft, president of the State Board of Higher Education, said the meeting in Indianapolis will now take place Friday,
Aug. 12 and likely will be held in the afternoon.
Published July 22, 2011
Fighting Sioux NCAA Nickname Meet to be Aug. 12
By: Associated Press, KFYR-TV News Stories
The meeting had been set for Monday, but it was postponed because of the death of the North Dakota Senate`s
Republican majority leader, Bob Stenehjem.
Published July 22, 2011
Research Foundation Protects Against Unauthorized Seed Sales
KFGO
The NDSU Research Foundation (NDSURF) recently settled two cases of plant variety protection (PVP) infringement
on the protected Alsen and Glenn wheat varieties.
Published July 23, 2011
OUR OPINION: Higher ed story reflects well on N.D.
By: Tom Dennis for the Herald, Grand Forks Herald
Take pride in the Wall Street Journal's pronouncement, ‘Frigid N.D. is a hot draw for college students.’
Published July 23, 2011
UND awarded grant for ‘clean’ turbine research; fuel derived from coal
By: Associated Press, The Republic
The U.S. Energy Department has selected the University of North Dakota and eight other schools to conduct
research on "clean" turbine technology.
Published July 23, 2011
NDSU professors receive grant for Antarctica climate research
By: Stephanie Fail, Forum Communications Co., Jamestown Sun
Dr. Adam Lewis was excited for the opportunity to tie more future geologists to North Dakota. Since natural resources
such as oil and coal are big industries in North Dakota, Lewis sees lots of potential for NDSU to strengthen the state’s
workforce through education.
Published July 24, 2011
Grand opening held for NDSU beef research facility
By: Dale Hildebrant, Farm & Ranch Guide
Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held June 29 for the new North Dakota State University Beef Cattle Research
Complex (BCRC). The facility, which cost more than $3 million, is a culmination of quite a few years of work by a
large number of people, according to D. C. Coston, vice president for Agriculture and University Extension at NDSU.
Published July 24, 2011
HIGHER EDUCATION NOTES: UND gets grant for turbine study ... Nursing college gets grants ...
UND to offer new nursing graduate degree ... more
By: Herald and Forum reports, Grand Forks Herald
New classes coming to the North Dakota State College of Science will put the college on the forefront of unmanned
aerial vehicle training and education.
Published July 25, 2011
Arizona universities step closer to performance pay
By: Stacie Spring, East Valley Tribune
Arizona’s university funding system could switch to a pay-for-performance model as early as 2013. Arizona would be
the first state to base 100 percent of new money received by state universities on performance, a change from the
current funding model that is tied to the number of students enrolled.
Published July 25, 2011
North Dakota College of Science in Wahpeton on ‘cutting edge’ of unmanned aircraft
By: Amy Dalrymple, INFORUM
Only school in region to offer UAV education, training: New classes coming to the North Dakota State College of
Science will put the college on the forefront of unmanned aerial vehicle training and education.
Published July 25, 2011
Lawmaker involvement in Sioux nickname fight unique among NCAA schools
By: Dave Kolpack, Associated Press, INFORUM
North Dakota political leaders are asking the NCAA to back off and let the state’s flagship university keep its Fighting
Sioux nickname and logo, even at the risk of potential blacklisting and scorn by other universities and its own
conference.
Published July 25, 2011
University of North Dakota Adds to Fleet of Frasca Simulators
Rotor News, Helicopter Association International
The University of North Dakota, Grand Forks has recently ordered two Frasca Flight Training Devices to add to their
fleet of existing Frasca FTDs. The two newest devices will simulate Cessna 172S and Piper Seminole aircraft. Each
FTD will include TruVision™ visual systems and will replicate the cockpits of the aircraft they simulate.
Published July 25, 2011
Hellevang: educator on flood clean-up
By: Katina Tengesdal, Minot Daily News
Ken Hellevang, with North Dakota State University Extension Service, has become nationally known as a specialist
in flood preparation and flood recovery.
Published July 25, 2011
Biomass Conference kicks off Tuesday
By: Herald Staff Report, Grand Forks Herald
The 2011 Biomass Conference, sponsored by the Energy & Environmental Research Center at UND, kicks off
Tuesday in the Alerus Center. Organizers expect hundreds at the two-day event that focuses on topic such as heat,
power, chemicals from biomass and the production of biofuels.
*Click on the title to go to the full article.
**Some of the articles are no longer available seven days after publication. They are, however,
archived on the publication’s website and are available for a small fee.
Published July 21, 2011
WSC breaks ground for science wing
By: Lynne Napton, Williston Herald
To view the original article, please
visit: http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2011/07/21/news/doc4e2850618d099746459986.txt
Williston State College held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new science wing Wednesday.
Construction will begin this summer and the space will be ready for occupancy for the 2012 fall semester of classes.
WSC Foundation Executive Director Terry Olson was on hand to introduce North Dakota Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley.
Other speakers included Mayor Ward Koeser, EAPC Architect Alan Dostert and WSC President Dr. Raymond
Nadolny.
The new science wing, which is 10,000 square feet, will feature classrooms, laboratories and office space for
instructors. The current facilities have not been upgraded in quite some time and are in great need of updating.
“It is time for this upgrade. The science labs are the original facilities that came with the building, and we’re
celebrating our 50th anniversary this year,” WSC Vice President for Instruction Wanda Meyer said. “There have been
no major updates to things such as the gas lines, water lines, ventilation, etc.; nothing has been seriously updated in
all these years. There are lots of potential health and safety issues that we must take care of to be safe. For instance,
we will now have updated and proper ventilation that will make the labs safer, allowing us to do more advanced
work.” “This addition will bring Williston State College into the 21st Century with its science department,” WSC Vice
President of Business Services Justin Maddison said. “All equipment will be state-of-the-art technology, giving WSC
students an education that is second to none among colleges in the state.”
Meyer added that the entire set-up of the new labs will be on the research side of science. “We will be able to get
involved with some very interesting projects that we haven’t been able to do up to this time,” she said. “We’ll also be
able to add more variety to the science courses we offer and with the community changing as it is, this will be a
positive thing for the community. It’s really exciting to have these opportunities available to us now.”
“With the importance of health and wellness in our community, a state-of-the-art science facility is a welcome addition
to our college community,” Nadolny said. “A strong background in science is critical to our young people being able to
maintain a competitive edge in today’s global economy.”
Published July 21, 2011
NDSCS program takes to the sky
By: Jennifer Johnson, Wahpeton Daily News
To view the original article, please
visit: http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2011/07/21/news/doc4e2892593b22a967591333.txt
A triangle-shaped speck flying in the sky Wednesday represented a new endeavor by North Dakota State College of
Science.
The college has partnered with a Grand Forks nonprofit, Unmanned Applications Institute, to train and educate
students for the aviation industry. Classes on geospacial remote sensing, access to security clearance and other
subjects will be offered this fall.
"We'll be able to provide them that highly skilled, well trained technician for the business and industries that choose to
operate here in North Dakota as well as the Upper Great Plains area," said NDSCS President John Richman.
Published July 21, 2011
Exploring careers: Program gives youths a chance to ‘test-drive’ job choices
By: Lynne Napton, Williston Herald
To view the original article, please
visit: http://www.willistonherald.com/articles/2011/07/21/lifestyle/doc4e28689c03ac0336135278.txt
Williston State College took part in a preview for a career education program, along with other area colleges through
a live video conference on Tuesday. The youth development program, "Exploring," teams community organizations
and businesses with youth ages 14 to 20 years old.
The Exploring program pairs up local youth to enable them to explore career opportunities with law and government,
health services, skilled trades, fire and rescue, law enforcement and more. The program is meant to give students a
"test-drive" in career fields in which they may be interested.
WSC officials who attended the video conference mentioned the possibility of internship credits being earned through
the program. The attendees recommended finding out whether there would be an interest among area youth in the
program before deciding to participate in the Exploring program.
For more information, visit www.learningforlife.org.
Published July 22, 2011
Fighting Sioux nickname meeting with NCAA rescheduled for Aug. 12
By: Ryan Johnson, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/210616/group/homepage/
A meeting with NCAA officials about UND's Fighting Sioux nickname has been rescheduled.
Grant Shaft, president of the State Board of Higher Education, said the meeting in Indianapolis will now take place
Friday, Aug. 12 and likely will be held in the afternoon.
The meeting originally was planned for next Monday, but was delayed this week after the funeral for North Dakota
Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem was scheduled for the same day.
Stenehjem, 59, died Monday in a single-vehicle rollover accident in Alaska.
Stenehjem was among several state officials expected to attend the meeting, including House Majority Leader Al
Carlson, UND President Robert Kelley, Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Shaft.
Shaft said he'll talk with Stenehjem's brother, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, next week to see if he will be able
to attend the meeting.
A state law passed this spring requires UND to keep the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, which the NCAA
opposes.
UND faces sanctions if it continues using the nickname and logo after Aug. 15, when the university earlier had agreed
to stop their use.
Published July 22, 2011
Fighting Sioux NCAA Nickname Meet to be Aug. 12
By: Associated Press, KFYR-TV News Stories
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=51069
A meeting between North Dakota and NCAA officials to discuss the University of North Dakota`s Fighting Sioux
nickname has been rescheduled for Aug. 12.
It`s being held in the association`s headquarters in Indianapolis. It is set three days before the NCAA intends to
sanction the university for continuing to use its Fighting Sioux nickname and an American Indian head logo.
The NCAA considers the name and logo offensive, but a new state law says UND has to use them.
The meeting had been set for Monday, but it was postponed because of the death of the North Dakota Senate`s
Republican majority leader, Bob Stenehjem.
State Board of Higher Education president Grant Shaft says the meeting is likely to be in the afternoon.
Published July 22, 2011
Research Foundation Protects Against Unauthorized Seed Sales
KFGO
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.kfgo.com/agri-business-news.php?ID=9213
The NDSU Research Foundation (NDSURF) recently settled two cases of plant variety protection (PVP) infringement
on the protected Alsen and Glenn wheat varieties.
“PVP laws are in place to protect variety owners who have invested significant research dollars in developing new
varieties, as well as the seedsmen who are legally propagating and selling certified seed,” says Dale Zetocha,
NDSURF executive director. “Research fees and royalties from the NDSURF varieties are used to help fund new
variety development at North Dakota State University. Therefore, illegal seed sales of PVP-protected varieties can
result in a significant loss in research fees that go toward future research and development of varieties.”
In both cases settled out of court, the parties agreed to the settlement of infringement issues by paying substantial
monetary penalties for the unauthorized seed sales of NDSURF PVP-protected wheat varieties.
“NDSURF has joined many other wheat variety developers and owners in a strong educational campaign promoting
research and wheat seed stewardship through an educational cooperative known as the Farmers Yield Initiative
(FYI),” Zetocha says. “Through programs such as the FYI, NDSURF informs producers and sellers of the importance
of seed certification and the value it adds to the agricultural community.”
Published July 23, 2011
OUR OPINION: Higher ed story reflects well on N.D.
By: Tom Dennis for the Herald, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/210738/group/Opinion/
Yes, higher education costs money. Yes, drawing large numbers of out-of-state students to North Dakota costs
money, too.
But through the years and across the decades, North Dakota voters have sent to Bismarck lawmakers who support
and encourage the state’s basic higher-ed model.
Why? Why would voters/taxpayers do such a thing?
The answer is clear. It has been highlighted in this space before. It’s being brought up again today only because
critics seem puzzled, given that so few voters go along with the argument that the spending is a colossal waste:
North Dakota voters support the higher education system because they feel they’re getting good value for their dollar.
And it really is as simple as that.
This debate was renewed last week when The Wall Street Journal published a hugely flattering article about colleges
and universities in North Dakota. The state keeps out-of-state tuition relatively low in order to attract students from
near and far, the Journal noted.
The policy works: “Out-of-state students account for about 55 percent of the 14,500 enrolled at North Dakota State
University, as well as at similarly sized UND in Grand Forks. Nonresident students at North Dakota’s 11 public
colleges constitute a higher ratio than in almost every other state.”
The North Dakota Taxpayers Association looks at those numbers and sees “cost.” “NDTA has long argued that the
allocation of these tuition subsidies are not efficiently targeted because so many of these out-of-state graduates
simply leave the state once their cheap education is complete,” the association said in a press release.
But if the association had read beyond the “cost” quote, it would have noted that the rest of the story basically listed
the policy’s benefits and praised the state government’s farsightedness.
Consider:
“Out-of-state students who have stayed after graduation have helped reverse a decade long population decline, with
North Dakota now on the verge of breaking its 1930 record of 681,000 people.”
“Out-of-state students fill both classrooms and budget holes.”
“The influx of out-of-state students to the school (NDSU) has benefited Fargo’s economy. North Dakota research
indicates that about 39 percent of nonresidents remain in the state at least one year after graduation. The city’s
population has risen to 105,000, 16 percent higher than in 2000, and an array of defense, medical, computer science
and other firms have sprouted along the Red River corridor stretching north to Grand Forks and UND.
“City leaders say that its image finally is recovering from the Oscar-winning 1996 film ‘Fargo,’ which described it as
‘the middle of nowhere.’”
So, let’s see. A state policy that has helped “reverse a decades-long population decline,” “fill both classrooms and
budget holes,” launch “an array of defense, medical, computer science and other firms” and improve a famously poor
state image is somehow “not efficiently targeted”?
Then, there’s the fact the policy broadens what the state can offer its own students, vastly improving their prospects
and their lives.
This is not to say the system is perfect. This is to say it delivers significant benefits at reasonable cost.
But don’t take our word for it. Take the word of North Dakota voters themselves. In 1998, those voters had the
chance to dramatically cut higher-ed spending by removing the names of eight campuses from the state Constitution.
Fewer campuses, fewer students, fewer taxpayer dollars all around.
Voters said no. Or rather, they said “hell, no,” 64 percent to 36 percent.
“In the National Science Foundation’s rankings by federal research expenditures — a key measure of prestige for
research universities — NDSU and UND each jumped ahead of more than 30 other institutions over the past 11
years, to the 147th and 143rd spots, respectively,” the Journal reported.
In a knowledge economy, in a world where a college degree is an ever-more important credential, are North
Dakotans supposed to think that surge in the NSF rankings is a bad thing?
If the Taxpayers Association would take off its “government is evil” blinders, it would see that some government
programs deliver good value at reasonable cost. The U.S. Marine Corps is one. The National Park Service is another.
And to a majority of voters across decades of state politics, the North Dakota higher education system is a third.
Published July 23, 2011
UND awarded grant for ‘clean’ turbine research; fuel derived from coal
By: Associated Press, The Republic
To view the original article, please
visit: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/09cb74a10bee40abba9b164fe49dd6a9/ND--Turbine-Research-UND/
BISMARCK, N.D. — The U.S. Energy Department has selected the University of North Dakota and eight other
schools to conduct research on "clean" turbine technology.
The agency says UND will receive $480,000 for the research aimed at studying the clean and efficient operation of
turbines using fuels derived from coal.
The UND project involves testing coatings on turbine parts that are susceptible to corrosion from the fuels.
Other universities conducting research are in California, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, and Texas.
Published July 23, 2011
NDSU professors receive grant for Antarctica climate research
By: Stephanie Fail, Forum Communications Co., Jamestown Sun
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/140604/group/News/
FARGO — Dr. Adam Lewis knows what it’s like to be alone.
Since 1998, the North Dakota State University geosciences professor has been spending time in the mountains of
Antarctica, a place without many life forms.
“No wildlife, no insects, no birds. You and your friends would be the only living things,” he said.
“Antarctica is about as alone as you can be.”
The isolation has paid off. Aside from affording Lewis, and his NDSU colleague Dr. Ken Lepper, to study inland
melting patterns in a rare locale, it’s also earned them a $292,568 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund
research to record ice melt patterns and how Antarctica has contributed to rising sea levels in the past.
“We are very excited about this grant because it gives us the opportunity to take NDSU students to Antarctica,” Lewis
said.
The grant money will be spent mostly on stipends for the students who accompany the professors to the Antarctic
mountains.
Lewis was excited for the opportunity to tie more future geologists to North Dakota. Since natural resources such as
oil and coal are big industries in North Dakota, Lewis sees lots of potential for NDSU to strengthen the state’s
workforce through education.
But before they might enrich North Dakota, the students will be sharpening their skills on the other end of the planet,
a place very different from our currently wet state.
“We work in the Transantarctic Mountains, one of the driest places on Earth, where it only snows a few inches a
year.” Lewis said. “It’s a moon-like landscape with no water.
“You can see the little channels coming down the mountains, so we thought it must get warm enough to carry water.”
The research will contribute unique information on inland melting patterns that will help climate modelers to
understand the effects of global warming in Antarctica.
By studying the flow patterns of gravel and sand left by water in the mountains, the students back home work with Dr.
Lepper to date the samples to determine when temperatures were last warm enough to cause the melt.
Early research suggests a melt of the snow and ice on top of these mountains occurs every 50,000 years in sync with
the Earth’s long-range orbit.
“The organisms that can survive in Antarctica there are just barely able to hang on, so only a tiny change may be
disastrous,” Lewis said.
“The last time it was warm enough to melt was 10,000 years ago. I know this research is controversial but the climate
is changing and it is important to gather background information.”
Published July 24, 2011
Grand opening held for NDSU beef research facility
By: Dale Hildebrant, Farm & Ranch Guide
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.farmandranchguide.com/news/livestock/grand-opening-held-forndsu-beef-research-facility/article_8a041ce2-b5fd-11e0-afd4-001cc4c002e0.html
FARGO, N.D. One of the top beef research facilities in the world is now open for business.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held June 29 for the new North Dakota State University Beef Cattle Research
Complex (BCRC). The facility, which cost more than $3 million, is, ³a culmination of quite a few years of work by a
large number of people,² according to D. C. Coston, vice president for Agriculture and University Extension at NDSU.
³This facility is the piece we needed to allow us to meet the challenges of 21st century beef cattle production,² Coston
said. ³It complements intensive campus-based facilities such as the Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center and the
extensive research capabilities at the Research Extension Centers in Carrington, Streeter, Hettinger and Dickinson.²
Ground was broken for the facility back on May 20, 2008, and almost three years to the day of that ground breaking
event, according to Coston, the research facility is now up and running and receiving its first cattle.
Once fully operational, the research complex will allow state-of-the-art research in a number of areas of beef
production, including: nutrition, reproductive physiology, genomics, cattle management and production, preharvest
food safety, animal behavior, environmental management, nutrient management and meat sciences and carcass
quality.
This facility, which can handle up to 192 cattle, will give NDSU a distinct advantage in beef cattle research. Its
specialized feeding equipment will allow researchers to measure and control feed intake for cattle individually and
provide a variety of diets for cattle in the same pen. Only three other facilities in North America have the same
equipment.
NDSU president Dean Bresciani told the group the new research complex will raise livestock research to a new level
at the university.
³This literally is a game-changer for NDSU and for the state of North Dakota,² Bresciani said. ³It reestablishes our
capacities to advance beef cattle research on a worldwide level and there is no facility at any university in this country
and there are very few in the world that rival what we¹re going to be able to do here in North Dakota.² The complex
consists of a feeding area, cattle handling system, calving pens, an office and laboratory area, and a facility for mixing
and storing feed.
The state-of-the art handling system will allow researchers to process and weigh cattle, do ultrasonography to
determine pregnancy or carcass quality, and collect tissue samples.
Bill Bowman, state senator from Bowman, N.D., picked up the Beef Cattle Research Complex ball when the idea was
first advanced in 2007. He then guided the project through the legislative sessions to completion.
³When I first heard about this project I started to visualize where we could go with this concept,² Bowman said. ³We
started to think about what we could do for our young, potential ranchers. We needed to be as advanced in that as
we are in all other sciences.
³North Dakota can be the best all we need to do is move forward.² Noting his experience in helping select North
Dakota students who are chosen to take part in the veterinary medicine program at Kansas State, Bowman predicted
that a new wave of eagerness will sweep across the state¹s beef industry. This will occur when the enthusiasm of
today¹s youth, interested in a career in beef production, is combined with a first class research facility like the Beef
Cattle Research Complex.
NDSU Experiment Station director Ken Grafton further defined the uniqueness of the facility by noting it¹s the only
Land Grant institution that has a facility like this with these capabilities.
³The information from the research that is carried out here will really help our beef cattle industry in the state. It will
allow our beef cattle industry to remain a vibrant force,² Grafton said.
North Dakota Stockmen¹s Association president Jason Schmidt, a rancher from the Medina area, told those gathered
for the ribbon cutting that the BCRC will be a big boost to the cattle industry in the state.
³This facility is a positive story that¹s going to affect the future of our beef cattle sector and North Dakota¹s economy
for a long time to come,² Schmidt said.
Feeding system is the heart of the facility
The feeding system will allow researchers to measure and control intake on individual animals, even though those
animals are in a group setting. This will allow for different studies on feed efficiencies and using coproducts and feeds
that are grown in this region.
³This is an area we plan on expanding on in this new facility,² said Kendall Swanson, a faculty member in the animal
science department at NDSU, who will be spearheading the feed efficiency studies at the BCRC. ³We know that feed
costs have increased a lot in the last few years. We need to figure out how to get animals more efficient and this
facility will allow us to work on some of those things.² As a way of monitoring feed intake, each of the cattle pens has
a series of individual feed dispensers that were manufactured in the Netherlands. Each dispenser is mounted on a
weigh bar and is wired into the facilities computer system. Each animal in the pen has a unique electronic ear tag that
registers the animal each time it enters the feed dispenser to eat.
Carl Dahlen, NDSU Extension beef cattle specialist, explained how the system gathers a large amount of information
on each individual animal.
Once the animal approaches the feeding side of the dispenser, a sensor bar reads the ear tag information and
unlocks the first step in allowing access to the feeder. The animal then has to move forward a little more and break a
laser beam, which completes the unlock process and triggers a small pneumatic cylinder which lowers a panel and
allows the head of the animal to enter the feeders and start eating.
During the feeding period the individual computer chip on each dispenser will record the identification of the animal
eating, how much feed it consumed, what time the feeding took place and the length of time at the feeder.
Once the animal withdraws its head, the information on this feed visit is sent to the system computer and the panel in
the dispenser returns to the closed position, ready for the next feeding visit.
The animal is free to visit any one of the feeding stations in the pen and their feed consumption will be recorded By
being able to limit an animal¹s feed with these feed dispensers, researchers will be able to mimic such things as
drought conditions.
State-of-the-art equipment included in BCRC
The feeding pens aren¹t the only capabilities in the new facility. A 50 by 83-foot handling area also provides maternity
pens and a working chute system designed with animal comfort and safety in mind, utilizing the best in cattle
psychology and handling technology. A side benefit of the new handling technology is an increased safety factor for
those working with the cattle.
³There¹s a whole science that goes into moving cattle and handling cattle in a calm, collective manner and this facility
is absolutely state-of-the-art in terms of cattle handling,² Dahlen said. ³In addition, all of the latest cattle handling
technology is included in this facility. This is the best of the best.² Other features of the complex include a feed
storage and mixing area that includes the ability to include liquid feed supplements in the rations on a year round
basis and an office and laboratory area.
As said by many speakers during the ribbon cutting ceremonies this new Beef Cattle Research Complex will put
NDSU and North Dakota at the forefront of beef cattle research for a long time to come.
Published July 24, 2011
HIGHER EDUCATION NOTES: UND gets grant for turbine study ... Nursing college
gets grants ... UND to offer new nursing graduate degree ... more
By: Herald and Forum reports, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/210783/group/homepage/
UND gets grant for turbine study
The U.S. Energy Department has selected UND and eight other schools to conduct research on “clean” turbine
technology.
The agency said UND will receive $480,000 for the research aimed at studying the clean and efficient operation of
turbines using fuels derived from coal.
The UND project involves testing coatings on turbine parts that are susceptible to corrosion from the fuels.
Other universities conducting research are in California, Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee and Texas.
College of Nursing awarded $2.9 million in grants
The College of Nursing at UND has received five federal grants totaling more than $2.9 million.
The grants, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, will be used for program and student
support.
Awarded funding include a $1.57 million nursing workforce diversity grant to provide three years of support to the
Recruitment/Retention of American Indians into Nursing Program and $1.13 million to help fund the Advanced Public
Health Nursing graduate track.
UND to offer new nursing graduate degree
UND’s College of Nursing is working to offer a new Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, which will be ready for student
enrollment next summer pending approval by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.
Once approved, the program will include part-time and full-time options for students seeking a master’s degree or
doctorate.
Graduate tracks offered in the degree include family nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, psychiatric and mental
health nursing, adult-gerontological nursing and advanced public health nursing.
UND Nurse Anesthesia program gets accreditation
UND’s Nurse Anesthesia graduate program has received a maximum 10-year accreditation from the Council on
Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
UND’s graduate program is the only one of its kind in North Dakota. Since being established in 1987, more than 200
students have graduated from the nurse anesthesia program.
NDSCS starts UAV education partnership
New classes coming to the North Dakota State College of Science will put the college on the forefront of unmanned
aerial vehicle training and education.
The college is partnering with industry experts to develop a work force for the new and fast-growing industry.
NDSCS signed an agreement with Unmanned Applications Institute International of Grand Forks, an industry-driven
nonprofit devoted to research, testing and consulting.
The organization will work with NDSCS to develop curriculum and offer courses to train technicians who work in the
UAV field.
NDSCS President John Richman said the partnership with UAI International puts the college on the cutting edge.
“This is an industry that we see just starting to be developed in North Dakota,” Richman said.
Shane Goettle, the former state Department of Commerce director who is now state director for Sen. John Hoeven,
said North Dakota is well-positioned for the UAV industry.
A market study by the Teal Group says public and private spending in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry will be
$94 billion over the next decade.
Published July 25, 2011
Arizona universities step closer to performance pay
By: Stacie Spring, East Valley Tribune
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/article_c9ea8f50-b4a2-11e0-907a001cc4c03286.html
Arizona’s university funding system could switch to a pay-for-performance model as early as 2013.
Arizona would be the first state to base 100 percent of new money received by state universities on performance, a
change from the current funding model that is tied to the number of students enrolled.
“It is going to help the long-term goal of increasing the number of bachelor degrees in the state,” said Katie Paquet,
an Arizona Board of Regents spokeswoman. “And it will also show accountability to taxpayers by increasing
transparency.”
University funding would instead be based on the school’s performance, including the number of degrees earned at
each university, the number of successfully completed credit hours and increases in outside research funding.
Talks about an Arizona performance-based model started more than three years ago when the Lumina Foundation
gave money to start what is now known as Getting AHEAD (or Getting Access to Higher Education and Degrees),
said Paquet.
“In order for Arizona to compete globally, we must ensure that our students are prepared for and have access to a
highly effective and efficient postsecondary education system,” said Gov. Jan Brewer in a press release.
Getting AHEAD aims to increase the number of Arizona adults with college degrees, and is a collaborative effort
between Arizona’s state universities, community colleges, K-12 districts, local businesses and the Arizona legislative
and executive branches, the initiative states on its website.
“Initiatives such as the Getting AHEAD project are helping to provide state policy makers with useful
recommendations to consider,” said Brewer in a press release.
Earlier this year as part of the 2011 budget package passed by the state Legislature, ABOR was required to make a
recommendation on a performance-based model by Oct. 1.
“This work is the culmination of a year and a half of planning and presents a solid foundation for a funding formula
that is aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency among our state’s universities and provide Arizona with the best
return on investment,” said Tom Anderes, president of ABOR and co-chair of Getting AHEAD, in a statement.
The proposal ABOR will consider will start state funding with a base pay, most likely the average amount awarded to
each university over a period of three fiscal years. Over the years, this base will fluctuate to allow for changes such
as inflation and cost of living adjustments.
From there, the amount will increase or decrease depending on the performance of the school. To reduce the chance
of extreme fluctuation from year to year, the plan calls for a three-year “moving average.” Earned performance
funding would be added to the base as long as the university does not backtrack on progress made the previous
year.
There are a few problems yet to be resolved with the proposal, according to the Getting AHEAD report. It is unclear
how the performance model will quantify changes in quality. Also up for discussion is whether the universities would
have the same formula, and whether all three universities would be rewarded equally for things like the percentage
increase in degrees awarded or courses completed.
ABOR will discuss how to implement the new higher education funding model at their meeting Aug. 4-5 at Arizona
State University. A final recommendation will be made at the September meeting at Northern Arizona University,
before the Oct. 1 presentation to the Legislature.
Published July 25, 2011
North Dakota College of Science in Wahpeton on ‘cutting edge’ of unmanned
aircraft
By: Amy Dalrymple, INFORUM
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/328109/
WAHPETON, N.D. – New classes coming to the North Dakota State College of Science will put the college on the
forefront of unmanned aerial vehicle training and education.
The college is partnering with industry experts to develop a workforce for the new and fast-growing industry.
NDSCS signed an agreement with Unmanned Applications Institute International (UAI) of Grand Forks, an industrydriven nonprofit devoted to research, testing and consulting.
The organization will work with NDSCS to develop curriculum and offer courses to train technicians who work in the
UAV field.
NDSCS President John Richman said the partnership with UAI International puts the college on the cutting edge.
“This is an industry that we see just starting to be developed in North Dakota,” Richman said.
Shane Goettle, the former state Department of Commerce director who is now state director for Sen. John Hoeven,
said North Dakota is well positioned for the UAV industry.
A market study by the Teal Group says that public and private spending in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry will
be $94 billion over the next decade.
“Even if we get a small slice of that, it could be very significant for North Dakota,” Goettle said. “And we have
everything in place.”
NDSCS would be the only campus in the region to offer this type of UAV education.
“We have a lot of the components on campus right now that would help educate people in these fields,” said Barbara
Bang, dean of technologies and services division at NDSCS.
The courses are still being developed but could be offered as soon as this year at the Wahpeton campus.
In the future, the courses could be expanded to become a complete academic program, Bang said.
UAVs have many potential applications for agriculture, forestry, fire and rescue, and more, making it an innovative
career field for many NDSCS students, said UAI founder Tom Kenville.
“I think it’s very good vision on their part to get into this area,” he said.
Published July 25, 2011
Lawmaker involvement in Sioux nickname fight unique among NCAA schools
By: Dave Kolpack, Associated Press, INFORUM
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/328106/
GRAND FORKS – North Dakota political leaders are asking the NCAA to back off and let the state’s flagship
university keep its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, even at the risk of potential blacklisting and scorn by other
universities and its own conference.
Lawmaker involvement is a strategy even some University of North Dakota boosters question and is unique among
schools forced to decide whether to drop American Indian nicknames deemed hostile and abusive or accept penalties
for keeping them.
North Dakota’s debate appeared to be resolved when the state Board of Higher Education agreed in 2009 to drop the
Fighting Sioux logo and nickname and UND agreed to phase them out by this Aug. 15.
But state lawmakers intervened earlier this year, passing a law that requires the university to retain the moniker and
logo. If the school keeps them past the Aug. 15 deadline, it will not be allowed to use them in postseason
tournaments nor host any such events.
Potentially more damaging, the Big Sky Conference, which UND hopes to join next year, has said the issue will
complicate the school’s conference membership, and some schools may refuse to schedule games with North
Dakota. Some believe that would lead to a broad decline in athletics.
Still, North Dakota lawmakers say hundreds of constituent emails substantiate tremendous public support for the
current nickname. Some legislators have said they resent the nickname being characterized as hostile and abusive
because they believe the name and logo are treated with respect. Others have said the change is being rammed
down their throats by the NCAA and think the higher education board should have done more to adhere to residents’
wishes.
About 20 schools with American Indian nicknames were targeted by an NCAA policy issued in August 2005. Some
teams, like the Florida State Seminoles, were taken off the list when they received approval from namesake tribes.
UND got the OK from the Spirit Lake Sioux but were not able to get permission from the Standing Rock Sioux.
The NCAA hasn’t budged despite North Dakota’s new law, and officials have called for a meeting among state
leaders and league and school officials. The groups were to gather today in Indianapolis, but the meeting was
postponed after Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem was killed in a highway crash last week.
The meeting was rescheduled for Aug. 12, just three days before the NCAA intends to impose sanctions on UND for
the continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname and a logo.
“We’re looking for a final kind of clarity,” school spokesman Peter Johnson said.
UND has not yet formed a committee to recommend a new logo. Rep. Al Carlson, the Fargo Republican who pushed
for the new state law, said he’s holding out hope the NCAA will reconsider.
“I think we have to explain to them why we passed the law,” Carlson said.
History is not on UND’s side.
Bob Davies, who helped lead a nickname transition as an administrator at Indiana University-Pennsylvania, said
officials considered suing the NCAA or living with sanctions rather than surrendering its Indians nickname.
“We didn’t see any long-term value in that, to be honest,” Davies said. IUP teams are now the Crimson Hawks.
Robert Potts, who recently retired as chancellor at Arkansas State University, witnessed the nickname debate in two
states. He was chancellor of the North Dakota university system when the NCAA announced its nickname policy and
UND took the issue to court. He found himself embroiled in the same debate when he moved to Arkansas State,
which eventually changed its teams’ name from the Indians to the Red Wolves.
Potts said he thinks UND needs to resolve the issue or risk erosion of its athletic programs.
“If the university expects to build a first-rate program in all its sports, it can’t do it very well if it’s treated as a pariah by
a lot of other Division I programs and it can’t host NCAA events,” Potts said. “The NCAA is just too big an animal to
thumb your nose at and expect to be a participant in its programs and so forth.”
Potts said some boosters who held out for Arkansas State to keep the Indians nickname reversed course after the
University of Wisconsin pulled out of a football contract that could have been worth about $300,000, citing a
Wisconsin school policy barring them from playing teams with nicknames considered offensive.
“It was just a hassle we didn’t need,” Potts said.
Davies and Potts said neither school’s booster donations suffered.
Income tax documents obtained by The Associated Press show that the Indian Club Inc. at Arkansas State took in
donations of about $1.5 million in 2004, the year before the NCAA edict. Revenue was $1.9 million in 2005, $1.5
million in 2006, $1.6 million in both 2007 and 2008 and $2.4 million in 2009.
“Even the most rabid Indian fans came around,” Potts said.
The University of Louisiana-Monroe Athletic Scholarship Foundation saw a similar pattern when the college was in
the midst of changing its name from Indians to Warhawks. Contributions were at $743,031 in 2004 and increased
each of the next four years to reach $1.4 million in 2008, tax records show.
UND officials have declined to say how much it would cost to change its nickname, saying fees associated with
marketing and public relations required to launch a new moniker are difficult to predict. Nor are they estimating what
kind of money they could stand to lose, or gain, with a new moniker.
The Sioux Indian head is one of the most popular logos in the country, especially on hockey jerseys. But Johnson,
the school spokesman, acknowledged there also would be new merchandising opportunities – “if we get to that
point.”
Published July 25, 2011
University of North Dakota Adds to Fleet of Frasca Simulators
Rotor News, Helicopter Association International
To view the original article, please visit: http://rotor.com/Default.aspx?TabId=177&newsid375=73516
The University of North Dakota (UND), Grand Forks has recently ordered two Frasca Flight Training Devices (FTDs)
to add to their fleet of existing Frasca FTDs. The two newest devices will simulate Cessna 172S and Piper Seminole
aircraft. Each FTD will include TruVision™ visual systems and will replicate the cockpits of the aircraft they simulate.
The Seminole FTD will include Avidyne Entegra avionics, control loading, enclosed instructors station and will be built
to FAA Level 5 standards. The 172S FTD will include WAAS capable Garmin G1000 and a 200 x 50 Field of View
visual display. With the delivery of these devices, UND will have a total of 18 Frasca FTDs in use at their main
location in Grand Forks and at Satellite locations. These include 3 TruFlites, 2 Warrior FTDs, 5 Cessna 172 FTDs, 4
Piper Seminole FTDs, two Mentors AATDs and two helicopter FTDs.
According to Don Dubuque, Director, UND Aerospace; “The University of North Dakota has been using Frasca
training devices for over 35 years. Our current 18 Frasca FTDs provide the highest level of professional aviation
education to our students. Frasca’s commitment to keeping up with technology and their excellent customer service
makes them an easy choice.” stated Don Dubuque, Director, UND Aerospace.”
“We are honored to be the simulator supplier of choice for UND. They have become one of the finest collegiate
Aerospace departments in the world by being true innovators in their programs and by providing the best training and
equipment for their students. We look forward to another 35 plus years as the supplier of choice for Flight Simulators
for UND,” stated John Frasca, VP, Frasca International, Inc.
Both UND and Frasca will be exhibiting at AirVenture, July 25 – 31, Oshkosh, WI. Visit Frasca in booth
#3045/3046. UND will be in booth #4018.
Published July 25, 2011
Hellevang: educator on flood clean-up
By: Katina Tengesdal, Minot Daily News
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/557062/Hellevang-educator-on-flood-clean-up.html?nav=5010
Ken Hellevang, with North Dakota State University Extension Service, has become nationally known as a specialist
in flood preparation and flood recovery.
Hellevang began his specialist journey during the flood in Grand Forks in 1997, serving as a resource there because
he had experience in moisture problems in buildings. His work continued to grow from there, and he wants to
continue helping people deal with the difficulties they face during floods.
"I'm an educator, and my training is engineering. This is an opportunity to help people through a very difficult event.
What I do fits well with the technical background that I have and the interest that I have in education," Hellevang
said.
"You come to see all of the challenges that everybody is facing and dealing with, and your heart just goes out to
them during that process. You just hope that some of that education and assistance you're providing can help them
through with a little less pain and help them work a little more efficiently," he added.
Since the Grand Forks flood, Hellevang has assisted flood-affected areas across the nation by providing information
through NDSU Extension's flood information website and hosting webinar training to universities in various states
through the Extension's Disaster Education Network. This year, he has provided how-to seminars to the public in
Bismarck, Minot and Mohall.
"When I'm doing sessions through the Web, I can be sitting in my office (in Fargo) and I can interact with an
audience in an auditorium in Iowa," Hellevang said.
"Each flood takes on a different atmosphere or experience, but through each one, there is a cycle that people go
through. There's the initial phase where we prepare and fight the flood, then we start going back into homes and
realizing what the damage is, then we have the longer recovery phase," he added.
Hellevang said that his work has continued to change throughout the years, with more information being made
available on a regular basis.
"A person's constantly learning. I could spend a lot of time looking at the various reports that have been worked up,
the references or guides from various companies and organizations. I try to constantly look at the literature that's out
there to keep current," Hellevang said.
"As you continue to work with people, too, you come across new information. People will have ideas they have tried
that have become successful, and you incorporate those," he added.
The body of knowledge that's currently available vastly outweighs what was available when Hellevang began
working with flooded areas in 1997.
"If you go back 15 years ago, we had some basic information on handling flood clean-up, but some of the
recommendations have changed over time. For example, today we have so many more electronics, and when a
person starts dealing with appliances, the way we can salvage things is different today than what it was then,"
Hellevang said.
"We're much more aware of some of the health hazards, too, particularly with mold and the environment we're going
into when we clean up a home. There is much more emphasis on personal safety today," he added.
Hellevang hopes to continue his work, traveling to Extension offices in different counties in the state whenever he's
needed and providing continuing education.
"The offices in the counties keep a pulse on what their communities' needs are, and do a lot of the local education.
As specialists, we're trying to provide assistance to them for their areas of need, and we will come out for
presentations and visiting with people," Hellevang said.
Published July 25, 2011
Biomass Conference kicks off Tuesday
By: Herald Staff Report, Grand Forks Herald
To view the original article, please visit: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/210820/
The 2011 Biomass Conference, sponsored by the Energy & Environmental Research Center at UND, kicks off
Tuesday in the Alerus Center.
Organizers expect hundreds at the two-day event that focuses on topic such as heat, power, chemicals from biomass
and the production of biofuels.
Participants will come from a variety of backgrounds including community and economic development organizations,
government and regulatory agencies, researchers and rural landowners. The EERC estimates more than 60 percent
will come from private industry.
North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., will be featured speakers at the conference,
Hoeven delivering opening remarks and Dalrymple giving the keynote address.
The conference begins at 8 a.m. today and concludes about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The event began in 2002 as a one-day workshop that attracted about 50 participants. The EERC says the conference
has grown from a workshop to an industry-recognized conference with, at one point, more than 400 participants from
28 states and three countries.