This workshop will be held at the Fargo Hilton Garden Inn, June 26th-27th.  There is no registration fee but pre-registration is required.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Registration Deadlines:  May 24th for those attending both Days 1 and 2; June 14th for those attending Day 1 only. 

Three expert communicators will reveal professional approaches and real-world insights, and let you in on their secrets for communicating effectively.

Dan Agan is a media strategist and communications counselor; Chris Mooney, a best-selling science author and journalist; Joe Schreiber, an Emmy-Award-winning TV producer and filmmaker.

Gain Techniques/Skills for Effective Communications: Professional approaches, real-world insights, and secrets for communicating effectively.  Interactive setting - Develop effective communications—from grant proposals and classroom lectures, to media interviews and presentations.  Practical advice, easy-to-use guides, talk-and-slides, blogs, videos, Twitter, media interviews, and Q&A sessions.  Day Two is designed for a specially-selected group of researchers who apply.  Research participants will build on fundamentals they learned and gain one-on-one mentoring.  A requirement is an investment of preparation time prior to Day Two and a commitment to a full day of training June 27th.

The NSF Registration link and additional workshop information my be found HERE

~ Cathy Lerud, Administrative Officer, UND EPSCoR

The policy applies to cost transfers involving one or more sponsored funding sources.  All FY14 cost transfers must be submitted with the new forms.

If you have any questions, contact Grants & Contracts Administration at 777.4151 or UND.grantcontracts@research.und.edu.

~Trinity Bohlman, Cost/Compliance Analyst, UND Budget Office

The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences is in a virtual tie with two other medical schools for the largest percentage of the graduating class going into family medicine at 20.5 percent.  The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University is first at 20.9 percent.  At a time when the United States is facing a shortage of primary care physicians, filling the pipeline is vital to the health of America, according to A.A.F.P. President Jeff Cain, M.D.

“Family physicians are the foundation of primary care,” Cain said.  “Theirs is the only specialty in which all physicians are trained to provide primary care.  Research has consistently shown that more than six in ten people who have a usual source of health care say a family physician provides that care.  The expertise of family physicians becomes even more important to people who have serious and chronic health conditions.”

Americans make more office visits to family physicians than any other medical specialty, and family physicians provide care for patients who have a sore throat, patients who need stitches, and patients who have multiple, complex conditions such as diabetes with congestive heart failure.

Research has shown family physicians are the usual source of care for more than six in ten patients with anxiety, depression or diabetes; six in ten patients with cancer, and nearly six in ten patients with heart disease.

“These 12 medical schools have demonstrated their consistent commitment to meeting the nation’s need for family physicians,” said Cain.  “I commend them, their leadership and their faculty for helping to ensure that Americans have access to the care they need.”

Stan Kozakowski, M.D., A.A.F.P. Director of Medical Education agreed.  “Initiatives at the medical school level are invaluable to increasing the number of students who choose family medicine for their specialty,” he said.  “Admissions policies, academic and clinical experience with family physicians, and rural medicine tracks have significant influence on students’ choices.”

He noted that 2013 is the third consecutive year that six of the AAFP’s Top Ten schools—the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University; the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences; the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University; the University of New Mexico School of Medicine; the University of Kansas School of Medicine; and the University of Washington School of Medicine—have been cited as a Top Ten school.

“This says much about their focus on educating students to meet the needs of the nation,” Kozakowski said.

Top Ten Award schools employ several initiatives that support students who are interested in and most likely to become family physicians.  Those initiatives include student outreach, admissions policies that target students from rural and medically underserved areas, clinical rotations that emphasize positive experiences in family medicine, faculty involvement in medical school committees, strong family medicine interest groups, and financial aid packages that minimize student debt.

The UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences has several unique programs designed to educate students about the benefits of family medicine.  The nationally recognized Rural Opportunities in Medical Education (ROME) program places third-year medical students in several rural communities in North Dakota for a seven-month rotation.  In 2010, the UND SMHS signed its first RuralMed Scholar; currently there are 13 students enrolled in the program.  The goal of the RuralMed Scholarship Program is to recruit, educate and retain physicians who will practice family medicine in rural North Dakota.  The program absorbs the tuition costs for all four years of medical school for students who agree to practice family medicine in a rural area of North Dakota for five years.

The 2013 award recipients and their percentage of graduates entering family medicine are as follows:
• The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University—20.9%.
• University of Kansas School of Medicine—20.8%.
• University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences—20.5%.
• Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine—20.1%.
• Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University—18.5%.
• University of New Mexico School of Medicine—18.3%.
• University of Minnesota Medical School—17.3%.
• University of Arizona College of Medicine—17.2%.
• University of Washington School of Medicine—17.2%.
• Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine—16.1%.
• University of California-Davis School of Medicine—15.8%.
• University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine—15.4%.

Family medicine physicians are the most sought after specialty in rural North Dakota; 89 percent of the counties in North Dakota are partially or fully designated by the federal government as a primary care physician shortage area.

“We are very pleased to be recognized as one of the nation’s most effective medical schools in encouraging students to pursue the specialty of family medicine,” said Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., UND Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the UND SMHS.  “We are working hard to address North Dakota’s need for physicians and other health care workers, especially those in the field of family medicine, through our Health Care Workforce Initiative.  Although our percentage is among the best in the country, the small size of our class means that we still don’t produce enough family physicians for the needs of the region.  That’s why we are so pleased that the Legislature has funded an increase in our class sizes, which will enable us to produce even more of the health care providers that North Dakota needs.”

Ashley Bentley and Leslie Champlin with the American Academy of Family Physicians contributed to this article.

Contact: Denis MacLeod, assistant director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, (701) 777-2733, denis.macleod@med.und.edu

The High-Altitude Balloon Launch is sponsored by the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium. The public is encouraged to attend and observe the launch. This launch is completely dependent on weather.

Balloon competition

High-altitude balloons are fun, inexpensive and increasingly popular tools to put experiments in a near-space environment. Students will attach payloads (containers holding experiments), along with a ham radio, GPS tracker, radar reflector and a parachute, to a latex balloon filled with helium.

As the balloon rises, the atmospheric pressure drops and the balloon expands. At a certain point in the stratosphere, the balloon can no longer stretch and it pops. As it falls back to Earth, the parachute deploys. Ham radio operators track the balloon as it descends to Earth. After continuously following the balloon’s trajectory with tracking equipment, the chase teams pinpoint the balloon’s final landing destination.

Balloon launch

This is the first launch to include multiple payloads from seventh-grade teams at the STEM Center Middle School in West Fargo. The plan is to launch two balloons from the Red River Valley Fairgrounds. UND is launching a Go-Pro camera to record the entirety of the flight.

The seventh-grade students have been designing their own science experiments throughout the school year and will be launching the high altitude balloons alongside first-grade students.

Space Studies students and faculty will join the student teams in tracking the balloons. They will retrieve the balloons once they descend, usually a couple of hours after launch.

~ David L. Dodds, media relations/writer and editor, University and Public Affairs, 777.5529, david.dodds@UND.edu

~ Deb Kroese, Administrative Officer, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics

Clinical medical projects must be reviewed by the Clinical Medical Subcommittee before being brought to the Full Board.  Proposals for these projects were due in the Institutional Review Board Office before Friday, May 17, 2013.

Minutes from the meeting will be available in the IRB Office approximately one week after the meeting.

~ Janet Elshaug, Administrative Secretary, UND Institutional Review Board

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards are sponsored by the New Jersey-based Arnold P. Gold Foundation.  The awards recognize a physician and a graduating medical student who best demonstrate the foundation’s ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families and health care colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence.  The Gold Foundation sponsors the annual Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards at over 90 of the nation's medical schools.  The awards are made possible through a generous donation from entrepreneur and teacher Leonard Tow.

“Dr. Christianson has exemplified compassion and empathy with our patients; exhibiting care, concern, psychological empathy, and respect for patients who may not be well educated and who have multiple physical and psychological issues,” said Sharon R. Ericson, chief executive officer of Valley Community Health Centers, in nominating Christianson for the award.  “Patients seek out Dr. Christianson, and some of our most complicated patients are part of his panel. Dr. Christianson has provided primary care for patients with long-term pain issues, successfully using patient contracts and monitoring and alternatives to medications.”

Christianson is responsible for coordinating clinical education throughout the four years of the medical curriculum, working closely with campus deans and instructors across North Dakota to educate students on how to provide the best evidence-based care for their patients.  He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.  He completed his post-medical school residency training in family medicine at the University of California San Francisco General Hospital, where he was chief resident.

He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.  His research interests and publications are focused on medical education, family-centered primary care and the ethical issues that arise in patient care.  He has always been highly involved in volunteer community service, particularly to improve the medical care of low-income patients.  He created a clinical experience for second-year medical students to provide health screenings for people living at the Northland Rescue Mission in Grand Forks.

“He seeks out his patients’ opinions, worries and concerns, and addresses them with great empathy and patience,” said Rosanne McBride, PhD, co-director for medical curriculum, Year 1 Clinical Sciences at the SMHS.  “It is very clear that he places the highest value on his patients’ understanding of issues as well as on his understanding of his patients’ beliefs and viewpoints,” McBride said.  “He shows an unusual willingness to take the risk of talking to students not only about the strengths of medicine but also about its frailties at times as well as his own struggles with difficult ethical and patient issues.”

Fargo native Kendra Lystad, M.D., 2013, was nominated by Stephen J. Tinguely, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Professor of pediatrics at the SMHS.  “Kendra’s humanistic aptitude started at an early age,” Tinguely said.  He cited Lystad’s work in high school as a counselor at the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s summer camp.  In college, she volunteered at Sanford’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Simpson Housing Women’s Shelter in Minneapolis, and as an educator on shaken baby syndrome at Regent Hospital Birth Center in St. Paul.

During medical school, she was a Special Olympics volunteer and health screening clinic organizer at Northlands Rescue Mission.  She was president of the Physicians for Human Rights chapter and was elected to the North Dakota Medical Association’s Commission on Socioeconomics as a student representative.  Lystad studied in Bangladesh as a researcher of health care needs of rural people.  She taught children affected by HIV/AIDS in Tanzania and administered vaccines as a volunteer worker at an outreach clinic in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.  She volunteered as a medical student on a mission trip to Chimbote, Peru, and returned to Chimbote as a clinic and pharmacy assistant.  During her fourth year of medical school, Lystad completed international electives in Africa and Thailand.  She also worked with children who have complex developmental and medical special needs at the Anne Carlsen Center in Jamestown, N.D.

Lystad is entering the Pediatrics Residency Program at the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals in Salt Lake City.  At the awards presentation, she was also named to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and she earned the Dr. Marlin H. Poindexter Outstanding Pediatric Student Award.

“When she was a third-year medical student rotating through pediatrics, it was quickly apparent to me that Kendra was uniquely concerned about caring for the needs of all people, especially the poor and those living outside the United States,” Tinguely said.  “Kendra Lystad lives and breathes and thinks altruism and humanism.”

Contact: Denis MacLeod, Assistant Director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, (701) 777-2733, denis.macleod@med.und.edu

It's a major milestone for UND and for a state where petroleum is a vital and fast-growing industry.

"We're very proud of these young people: they worked hard and overcame all the challenges of being the first in our new program," said Steve Benson, professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, part of the College of Engineering and Mines. "Since these four students started three years ago, the program has grown to 130 undergrads enrolled this year – those first four blazed the trail."

While the program is new, the first four graduates have already signed job contracts or have good offers on the table, Benson said. The starting compensation for engineering jobs with the major drillers is $90,000–$110,000, and $70,000–$90,000 for engineering jobs with service companies.

"These guys have been taking heavy course loads–21 units per semester, plus working in the oil industry summers and preparing their senior projects to get through this program," said Benson. "Initially, when we got this degree program going, we planned to graduate our first class next year, but these students were motivated and ready, and eager to get to work, so we accelerated the program. They rose to the occasion by taking significant academic loads."

In their own words, here are UND's petroleum engineering degree program pioneers:

Joel Brown, Watford City, N.D. – I'm a third-generation oil (person).  My grandfather, Alfred, grew up around Watford City, got into the oilfields in 1951, worked on drilling rigs for 20 years, then launched Northern States Fishing Tool. That's a key service provider – a fishing tool is sent down a hole to retrieve anything that gets dropped down the well. Then my dad, Gary, took over the business, with my grandfather continuing to work for the company.

I worked for them all through high school in the fishing business, mostly in shop cleaning equipment or running tools to and from locations, doing stuff that no one else wanted to do. In my sophomore year at college, majoring in physics at Taylor College in Indiana, I heard they were starting a petroleum engineering program at UND. I jumped at the chance. Every summer in college, I tried different jobs with different companies to broaden my experience, including roughnecking for Union Drilling.

"Roughneck" is slang term for the hard labor jobs on an oil rig.

I've interviewed with several companies. I think I'm going to accept an offer with a company outside North Dakota to get more work experience before moving back to work in the family business.

Jake Fladeland, Stanley, N.D. – Like Joel, I'm also a third generation oil (person).  My grandpa Jack "broke out" into the oilfield in 1953 when he was 16 years old, my dad, Lannie, did it at 17.

My grandpa worked winters in the oilfields for 38 years, and he farmed the rest of the year near New Town. My dad worked on the farm but went to the oilfields right out of high school; he was a driller by 21, a tool pusher at 25 and was promoted to the office at 34. He's been a vice president for drilling companies for 12 years, the last nine for Patterson Drilling. There were pictures of me in a hard hat at my dad's tool-pusher shack when I was two.

I found out about the UND petroleum engineering degree program when I was majoring in geology a couple of years ago. I've got a job offer from Cathedral Energy Services, a directional drilling company.

Tyson Page, Bottineau N.D. – I grew up around farming and a family-owned manufacturing company, Quantum Industries in Bottineau. I worked summers all through high school on the shop floor. I also grew up around airplanes, and I have my pilot's license, too. My grandfather, Owen, farmed and ran an aerial spray business.

I helped around the farm and, at 17, I went to work in the oilfield about 20 miles from Bottineau, near Westhope, N.D.

My mom got an aviation degree at UND, and my dad got a UND degree in industrial management. My older brother, Preston, is a landman for a company in Bismarck – he negotiates with landowners for buying and selling mineral rights leases. My sister, who also has her pilot's license, is a freshman in the UND petroleum engineering program.

I've signed a contract with Marathon Oil as a production engineer.

Kyle Wilson, Lancaster, Minn. – I served in the Middle East with the Marine Corps after high school.

After my four years were up, I attended Northland Community & Technical College and transferred into engineering at UND. I learned about the petroleum engineering program shortly after coming to UND and signed up right away. I knew it was a good time to get into this industry, with all the folks getting ready to retire. I've signed a job contract with Murex Petroleum Corp., an independent operator based in Houston, with most of its operations up here. Since it's a relatively small company, I'll be a jack-of-all engineering trades, such as drilling, production and reservoir work. It's a good time to be getting in right now.

All four of us we were kind of born at the right time because the petroleum engineering industry stopped hiring 25 to 30 years ago, so the middle generation is missing. Now all the older folks are retiring so if you perform well, you'll get promoted fast.

~ Juan Miguel Pedraza, University and Public Affairs writer

UND Alumni Association & Foundation Executive VP/CEO Tim O'Keefe has been invited by Nyberg to attend the launch from Kazakhstan.  During his trip, look for tweets from Tim @UNDTimOKeefe.  He'll also be hosting a blog and posting pictures here.

You can also follow Karen on Twitter @AstroKarenN.

Good luck to our out-of-this-world alumna!

• Douglas D. Berglund, M.D., clinical associate professor of surgery, Bismarck, N.D.

• David A. Billings, M.D., clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and alumnus (M.D. Class of 1992,), Minot, N.D.

• Charles P. Dahl, M.D., clinical associate professor of surgery, Bismarck, N.D.

• Christie A. Iverson, M.D., clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and alumna (M.D. Class of 1991), Bismarck, N.D.

• Eduardo E. Meza, M.D., clinical assistant professor of clinical neuroscience, Fargo, N.D.

• Mahesh N. Patel, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics, Bismarck, N.D.

• Kamille S. Sherman, M.D., clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine, and alumna (M.D. Class of 1999), Dickinson, N.D.

• Scott L. Stephens, D.O., clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, Fargo, N.D.

• Chi Kong Yeung, M.D., clinical professor of surgery, Minot, N.D.

“As a community-based medical school, the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences relies on almost 1,000 part-time or volunteer faculty in over 30 communities throughout the state to educate medical students and residents,” said Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., UND vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

“Two out of three of the state’s physicians assist the school in teaching the patient-centered curriculum and conducting performance-based assessments of the professional competence of the 258 students enrolled in the four-year Doctor of Medicine program,” Wynne said.

~ Denis MacLeod, assistant director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, (701) 777-2733, denis.macleod@med.und.edu

The North Dakota Medical Association Awards

Presented to three outstanding students in the class:

Caitlin L. Pandolfo, Bowbells, North Dakota
Joshua R. Pohlman, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Emily R. Stromquist, Duluth, Minnesota

North Dakota District Medical Society Awards

Given by the district medical society on each campus to the student who best exemplifies high scholarship and characteristics of integrity, leadership and initiative:

First District, Fargo
Adrianne R. Racek, Fargo, North Dakota
Chelsea R. Traverse, Munich, North Dakota

Third District, Grand Forks
Sarah J. Chalmers, East Grand Forks, Minnesota

Fourth District, Minot
Virginia R. Keaveny, Minot, North Dakota

Sixth District, Bismarck
Kristen K. Fiest, Mandan, North Dakota

University Alumni Special Awards

For special service to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences:

Aileen M. Aldrich, Minot, North Dakota
Megan J. Christensen, Hettinger, North Dakota
Megan J. Thorvilson, Adams, North Dakota

Dr. Charles H. Fee Memorial Endowment Award

Established in memory of Charles H. Fee, MD, for his many personal and professional accomplishments; awarded to a junior or senior medical student who has strength of character, attitude, desire, academic achievement, and a high potential for success in family medicine:

Allison B. Bastian, Highland Village, Texas

Dr. John Wahl Memorial Rural Health Scholarship Endowment Award

Given by parents and family members in memory of John Wahl, MD, to a senior medical student who has demonstrated an interest in practicing rural medicine in North Dakota and who has shown a capacity for compassionate and dedicated family practice:

Chelsea R. Traverse, Munich, North Dakota

Kokila and Raman Patel, MD, Family Practice Award

Given by the Tioga (N.Dak.) Medical Center to a senior who has been accepted into a family medicine residency in North Dakota and who has shown a strong interest in rural health:

Lindsey J. Lommen Kadrmas, Moorhead, Minnesota

George and Margaret Seaworth Scholarship Endowment Award

Given by Seaworth family members in honor of their parents, George and Margaret, to a student who exhibits scholastic achievement, good character, and is interested in the medical or social issues of gerontology:

Justin J. Rosenau, Carrington, North Dakota

Tiongson Humanities Award

Presented to a graduating senior medical student in recognition of his or her continuing involvement in and appreciation of the arts and humanities:

Megan J. Thorvilson, Adams, North Dakota

Dr. John Graham Memorial Medical Scholarship Endowment Award

Awarded to a senior who possesses the personality and drive to become a competent and caring physician:

Andrew L. Rodenburg, Bismarck, North Dakota

Axel and Agnes Kongslie Memorial Scholarship Endowment Award

Awarded to two senior students who have shown excellence in the field of medical research:

Shannon M. Holsen, Bismarck, North Dakota
Eric A. Schommer, Munich, North Dakota

Dr. Frank E. Stinchfield Award

Received from the Margaret and Frank Stinchfield Foundation in honor and appreciation of all that Dr. Stinchfield received from faculty and friends at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences; he never forgot the educational foundation he received from UND; an annual award given to an academically outstanding student:

Nicholas S. Adams, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Dr. Nadim and Rola Kanafani Koleilat Award

Presented to a senior medical student who has demonstrated the most humanistic character, who conducts herself/himself with high integrity, and who will relate to patients with sincere expressions of compassion and respect:

Adrianne R. Racek, Fargo, North Dakota

Laura Ehmann Memorial Pediatric Scholarship Award

Given by Darcy and Mary Ehmann as a living memorial to their daughter, Laura Marie, and a tribute to an extraordinary child who died at a young age; awarded to a senior student who is entering a pediatric residency and ultimately a career in pediatric medicine

Sarah J. Chalmers, East Grand Forks, Minnesota

Dr. Marlin H. Poindexter Outstanding Pediatric Student Award

In memory of former Fargo Clinic pediatrician Dr. Marlin H. Poindexter, the Poindexter family and Sanford Health pediatricians have established a medical student education award fund. This is a cash award presented to a student who proved to be outstanding during the third-year pediatric clerkship on the Southeast Campus and who has chosen pediatrics as a career:

Kendra Lystad, Fargo, North Dakota

Robert C. Painter, MD, Internal Medicine Award

Awarded to a senior medical student who exhibits scholastic achievement and the attributes of conscientious concern for the patient, exceptional communication skills and a caring, humanistic personality as exemplified by Dr. Painter throughout his 40-year career

Jeffrey M. Wiisanen, Fargo, North Dakota

Lloyd S. Ralston, MD, Memorial Endowment Award

Given by Mrs. Lloyd (Ruth) Ralston in memory and honor of her husband to a senior medical student (or resident) who best displays Dr. Ralston's dedication to excellence, respect for the intrinsic dignity of each patient, and the ability to apply basic science thoughtfully and critically to clinical practice

Marissa L. Brown, Scranton, North Dakota

Dr. Louis B. and Thelma K. Silverman Medical Award

Given by the late Thelma K. Silverman in loving memory of her husband and in recognition of his many professional contributions to the community; given to a graduating senior who shows an interest in becoming a pediatrician and who has the qualities of compassion, dedication, integrity, leadership and interest in community service as exemplified by Dr. Silverman:

Alex J. Thompson, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Altru Clinic Senior Medical Student Fund Award

Awarded to students who display excellent scholarship, character, leadership and integrity; in recognition of physicians who have worked for the Altru Clinic (formerly Grand Forks Clinic):

Ashok R. Jethwa, Minot, North Dakota
Virginia R. Keaveny, Minot, North Dakota
Kate E. Peterson, Bismarck, North Dakota

American College of Physicians—Department of Internal Medicine Mack V. Traynor Award

Given for outstanding humanistic qualities and scholastic excellence to a senior student who has chosen internal medicine as a career:

Amit Sharma, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Senior Award

Given for scholastic excellence and exceptional clinical potential to a senior student who is pursuing a career in obstetrics and gynecology:

Kristen K. Fiest, Mandan, North Dakota
Rachel W. Peterson, Mandan, North Dakota

Department of Pathology Senior Award

Awarded to senior students who have chosen a career in pathology:

Sydney L. Rooney, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Katie N. Schouweiler, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Bradley Neil Meyer, MD, Diagnostic Radiology Award

Awarded to a senior medical student who exhibits leadership qualities, scholarship and cultural understanding of the impact of technology and radiologic imaging in patient care and the medical community; given in honor of Dr. Meyer, the award recognizes his influence in North Dakota as a visionary radiologist and an articulate steward of critical information for the benefit of patients and clinicians:

Bryn E. Putbrese, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Department of Surgery Senior Award

Awarded to a senior student who demonstrates excellent capabilities in the specialty of surgery:

Andrew J. Stahl, Bismarck, North Dakota

Wayne M. Swenson, MD, Award for Teaching Excellence

Awarded to a surgical faculty member who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in medical student education. Presented in honor of Dr. Wayne M. Swenson of Bismarck, who continues to be an example for teaching excellence:

Barry A. Bjorgaard, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Richard P. Stadter Excellence in Psychiatry Award

Awarded in Dr. Richard Stadter's memory to recognize a senior medical student who is planning on a career in psychiatry and who, during the third-year clerkship, exemplified a basic understanding of psychiatric disorders as well as an ability and willingness to respond to the needs of the patients with whom he or she worked:

Adam C. Jangula, Dickinson, North Dakota

Joy M. Query Prize for Social and Behavioral Science Award

Awarded in honor of Dr. Joy Query to a student who has shown outstanding scholarship during the third-year clerkship in behavioral science:

Allison B. Bastian, Highland Village, Texas

The Leonard Tow Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award

Given to a graduating medical student and a medical school faculty member to recognize compassion and sensitivity in the delivery of care to patients and their families; presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation:

Kendra Lystad, Fargo, North Dakota
Charles E. Christianson, MD, Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine (Grand Forks)

H. David Wilson, MD, Academic Award in Neuroscience

Created and endowed by a gift from Manuchair (Mike) Ebadi, PhD, to honor members of the basic and clinical sciences faculty who have exhibited a sustained record of achievements in neurosciences:

Saobo Lei, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Recognition:

Nicholas S. Adams, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Marissa L. Brown,* Scranton, North Dakota
Ashok R. Jethwa, Minot, North Dakota
Virginia R. Keaveny,* Minot, North Dakota
Kendra Lystad, Fargo, North Dakota
Kate E. Peterson, Bismarck, North Dakota
Bryn E. Putbrese, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Andrew L. Rodenburg, Bismarck, North Dakota
Eric A. Schommer, Munich, North Dakota
Chelsea R. Traverse, Munich, North Dakota

*Selected during their junior year

Alpha Omega Alpha Junior Student Recognition:

Krishan R. Jethwa, Minot, North Dakota
Brittany K. Snustad, Wishek, North Dakota

Alpha Omega Alpha Faculty Recognition:

Michael Holland, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Minot, North Dakota
Alan Kenien, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Fargo, North Dakota

Alpha Omega Alpha Volunteer Clinical Faculty Recognition:

Rhonda R. Schafer McLean, MD ’03, PhD ’05, Clinical Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bismarck, North Dakota

Alpha Omega Alpha Alumni Recognition:

Thomas F. Arnold, MD ’84, Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dickinson, North Dakota
Janice M. Bury, MD ’90, Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bismarck, North Dakota

Alpha Omega Alpha Resident Recognition:

Bradley Kohoutek, MD ’09, Psychiatry, Fargo, North Dakota
Disha Shah, MD, Family Medicine, Bismarck, North Dakota
Sunita Sharma, MD, Internal Medicine, Fargo, North Dakota

Outstanding Teaching Awards

Presented to the outstanding clinical teacher on each campus, selected by senior students on that campus:

John J. Hagan, MD, Clinical Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Internal Medicine, Bismarck, North Dakota
Eric R. Lunn, MD, BS Med ’82, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Stephen J. Tinguely, MD ’78, Associate Professor and Chair of Pediatrics, Fargo, North Dakota
Jeffrey T. Verhey, MD, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine, Minot, North Dakota

Gold Humanism Honor Society Inductees (June 14, 2012)

Recognizes senior medical students who demonstrate exemplary humanism and professionalism throughout their medical education. Creation of the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences chapter was made possible by a grant from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation:

Allison B. Bastian, Highland Village, Texas
Emma M. Bjore, Valley City, North Dakota
Marissa L. Brown, Scranton, North Dakota
Sarah J. Chalmers, East Grand Forks, Minnesota
Kristen K. Fiest, Mandan, North Dakota
Richard J. Herold, Merrifield, Minnesota
Adrianne R. Racek, Fargo, North Dakota
Eric A. Schommer, Munich, North Dakota
Chelsea R. Traverse, Munich, North Dakota

Contact: Denis MacLeod, Assistant Director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, (701) 777-2733, denis.macleod@med.und.edu

The UND Office of Research provided us with a random sample of 1,497 student emails, and all 787 fully benefited faculty emails. We compiled these email addresses into Qualtrics and created an invitation message to potential participants. The email feature of Qualtrics was extremely user-friendly, allowing us to send out the messages quickly, accurately, and it documented all information about when and where the messages were sent. It also allowed us to send out reminder emails later in the semester using the saved template message we initially sent out.

Overall, our experience with Qualtrics was extremely positive. We found it much more user-friendly and functional than similar softwares, such as Survey Monkey. We presented our research from this study in Scottsdale, AZ at an international academic conference on April 19, 2013. It was an amazing experience, and we were awarded best presentation in the education track of the conference! Lori and Tim were instrumental in helping us learn the capabilities of Qualtrics, and we are very grateful for their assistance. We extend a big thanks to everyone who helped us make our research study a success!

~ Center for Instructional & Learning Technologies

A panel of state water resource professionals reviewed the applications and selected the fellows and award amounts. Students prepare the proposals with the guidance of their advisers. Regional, state or local collaboration or co-funding are encouraged. The general criteria used for proposal evaluation include qualifications of the students, scientific merit, originality of research, research related to state or region, and extent of regional, state or local collaboration and/or co-funding.

Funding for the Fellowship program comes primarily from the annual base grant provided to the institute by the U.S. Geological Survey, and an additional support of 15 percent of the base grant comes from the North Dakota State Water Commission. The institute is one of 54 located in a land-grant institution of each state and territory under the umbrella of National Institutes for Water Resources.

Fellows, their advisers and Fellowship research projects include:

*Amanda Kreiger, geology and geologic engineering, UND; Scott Korom, “Electron Donor Contributions to Denitrification in the Elk Valley Aquifer, N.D”

*Brian Mager, civil engineering, UND; Howe Lim, “Physical model evaluations of scour holes below a singular and multiple step rock weirs”

*Jiexia Wu, earth system science and policy, UND; Xiaodong Zhang, “Drought monitoring and prediction using NOAH land surface model and GRACE satellite observation”

*Jun Yang, civil engineering, NDSU; Xuefeng Chu, “Improved Overland Flow Modeling for Hydrologic Connectivity Analysis of Potholes”

*Kelsey Kolars, agricultural and biosystems engineering, NDSU; Xinhua Jia, “Development of a Model for Subsurface Drainage and Subirrigation Water Management”

*Kyle Horntvedt, agricultural and biosystems engineering, NDSU; Xinhua Jia, “Measurement and modeling of soil moisture changes for subsurface drained and sub irrigated fields in the Red River Valley”

*Melissa Wygant, geography, UND; Paul Todhunter, “A Place Vulnerability Analysis of Flood Hazard Risk at Grand Forks: 1990-2010”

*Mengqi Xiong, civil engineering, NDSU; Zulu Lin and G. Padmanabhan, “Application of Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model for Estimating Nutrient Loads to Lake Ashtabula, ND, under Different Climate Scenarios”

*Prosper Gbolo, geology and geologic engineering, UND; Phillip Gerla, “The Cycling and Fate of Phosphorus at an Abandoned Feedlot”

*Rick Thalacker, geography, UND; Gregory Vandeberg, “Mapping Techniques for Soil Erosion using Digital Camera LiDAR and GIS”

*Ruchi Joshi, environmental and conservation sciences, NDSU; Eakalak Khan and John McEvoy, “Understanding the Survival of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in North Dakota Under Winter Conditions”

*Tanush Wadhawan, civil engineering, NDSU; Eakalak Khan and John McEvoy, “Investigation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in Influent and Effluent of the Fargo Water Treatment Plant”

*Veselina Valkov, environmental and conservation sciences, NDSU; Wei Lin, “Temporal-spatial distribution (dynamics) of phytoplankton and diversity in relation to lake physical and chemical condition”

*Yangbo He, soil science, NDSU; Thomas DeSutter, “Sodic soil characterization and management on subsurface drainage”

For more information, contact G. Padmanabhan, institute director and professor of civil engineering at 701-231-7043, g.padmanabhan@ndsu.edu, www.ndsu.edu/wrri.

~ Linsey Davis, North Dakota State University, 701-231-8326, linsey.davis@ndsu.edu

Responses from both men and women are still being sought.  Surveys will be anonymous, and data will be reported only in aggregated form.  Those who complete a survey may enter to win a $50 gift certificate to the University Bookstore.  Fifty of these prizes will be given away.  A link to the survey was sent to STEM faculty via email.  Check your inbox if you have not already participated.  Your time is appreciated.

~ Daphne Pedersen, UND Sociology

We invite you to join a study that compares the effect of honey, high fructose corn, and sugar on blood sugar.
• An 11-15 week study
• Men and women between 20-80 years of age.
• Normal to obese body weight (BMI 18-39.9)
• Normal and Impaired Glucose Tolerance Participants
a. Fingerstick fasting glucose between less than 125 milligram per deciliter
• Willingness to comply with the demands of the experimental protocol
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• Do not have diabetes mellitus or uncontrolled medical problem (including blood pressures of >160/110)
• Do not take medications that affect glucose metabolism
• Do not have or have had an eating disorder
• Are not pregnant or breast feeding

Lifestyle Weight Control and Potato Consumption Study

We invite you to join a study to evaluate the role of potato consumption in a lifestyle weight control program.
• An 8 week study
• Men and women between 20-65 years of age
• Overweight or obese (BMI 25-39.0)
• Nonsmoker
• Free of major medical conditions and eating disorders
• May not be pregnant or lactating
• Willingness to comply with the demands of the experimental protocol

These elements are required of you in the study
• Complete a 3 day dietary records
• Attend 8 weekly dietitian led group weight-loss classes
• Consume one potato or alternate starch dish daily prepared by the Human Nutrition Research Center kitchen
• Follow prescribed energy restriction and physical activity regimen

You can apply online and find out more information here. If you have more questions, please call 701.795.8396 or email recruit@gfhnrc.ars.usda.gov.

~ Abigail Bratlien, Human Nutrition Research Center, 701.795.8493, abigail.bratlien@ars.usda.gov

Global Energy and Carbon: Tracking Our Footprint demonstrates global energy use by average families in industrialized, emerging, and developing economies and explores carbon management options that ensure adequate energy access for the world’s growing population. Documentaries such as this are important outreach tools for informing the public about efforts conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy to mitigate greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The 30-minute documentary premiered on Prairie Public Television in October 2010 and has been broadcast more than 100 times in 30 different states. It is the fifth in a series of documentaries produced by the PCOR Partnership and Prairie Public Broadcasting and joins the growing list of award winners, including Out of the Air—Into the Soil, which won a 2009 Gold Aurora Award and 15th Annual Communicator Award, and Nature in the Balance: CO₂ Sequestration, which won a 2006 Bronze Telly Award.

Led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, the PCOR Partnership is one of seven partnerships in the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Initiative, which is funded by the Office of Fossil Energy’s Carbon Storage Program and managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The initiative was launched in 2003 to determine which of numerous carbon storage approaches are best suited for different regions of the country. Since its formation, the PCOR Partnership has included more than 100 public and private partners and covers all or part of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin and four Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

The Aurora Awards are an international competition designed to recognize film and video excellence. Entrants are judged by panels of working film and video professionals, mostly previous award winners.

~ Energy and Environmental Research Center

The North Dakota Spirit Faculty Achievement Awards were established to recognize significant contributions by faculty in teaching, research, and service. The awards are funded by the UND Foundation. Dean Joshua Wynne and Senior Associate Dean Gwen W. Halaas congratulated the recipients for their outstanding achievements. Outgoing Provost Paul LeBel introduced and read the names of the award recipients; incoming Provost Tom DiLorenzo delivered certificates to the awardees:

• Jon Allen, MD, director of ND STAR (North Dakota Simulation, Teaching, and Research Center for Healthcare Education), associate professor of medicine.
• David Relling, PT, PhD, CSCS, associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy.
• Roger Schauer, MD, director of Rural Opportunities in Medical Education (ROME), associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
• Katherine Sukalski, PhD, interim chair and associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

~ Denis MacLeod, assistant director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences