MSU Launches the Careers of Health Professionals President’S Welcome
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SPRING 2009 Minot State University Alumni Association & Development Foundation connectionsMSU Launches the Careers of Health Professionals PRESIDENT’S WELCOME These successful graduates ‘ point to faculty advisors who made special time to help, small class sizes, academically demanding courses and instruction, excellent individual programs and faculty and one-on-one relationships with faculty. ’ inot State University with a few schools reporting ratios as high and strong observation that the nature of continues to do exception- as 20:1 and 22:1. I am very proud to our classes and our teaching is second to M ally well in our classrooms, report that our ratio in 2008 was 15:1. none. These successful graduates point to our activities on campus and our general That ratio is the lowest of the 10 aspira- faculty advisors who made special time initiatives and strategies for improvement. tion schools. Our commitment for to help, small class sizes and favorable Our university’s exciting work to reach students to be seen and be heard is realized faculty-to-student ratios, academically our Vision 2013 goal is progressing well. clearly in this favorable student-to-faculty demanding courses and instruction, We’re taking significant and notable steps ratio. While we have a way to go on some excellent individual programs and faculty to examine our university’s performance indicators, we are doing exceptionally and one-on-one relationships with faculty. on regional and national benchmarks to well on others, which suggests to me that It is certainly reassuring to read how well determine how well we are doing and we will be able to claim proudly by 2013 we fulfill our mission and historical com- what we can do to improve our support or before that we are indeed one of the mitment to student success. It is also a and academic services for students. premier universities in the Great Plains. pleasure to read that these graduates have To become one of the premier, public, This edition of Connections provides concluded that coming to Minot State regional universities in the ‘’great” Great testimonials of our university’s outstand- University was the best decision they have Plains encourages us to compare our ing character and ample evidence to made. One of these graduates exclaimed performances to 10 aspiration universities indicate we are a premier university. The that he is a “proud Beaver.” These stories in the Great Plains. stories of our graduates who have gone of our graduates make it pretty clear why For example, the faculty-to-student into medical fields describe Minot State all of us are proud to be Beavers! ratio is a good indicator of quality and University students with a variety of — daVID fullER enhanced classroom learning. The average interests and backgrounds. There is, as President ratio for the 10 aspiration schools is 18:1, you will read in these pages, a consistent 2 CONTENTS volume 19 — number 1 Offspring follow different medical paths 4 Being on the right path 6 A host of mentors benefit grad 7 Quite a pair 8 Student discovered a career at Minot State 10 Grad carves out unique niche 11 Spotlight on Excellence 12 History 14 Development Foundation 15 Alumni Happenings 16 Athletics 18 Alumni Features 20 Class Notes 22 MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2009 In Memoriam 27 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL President: Brenda Foster ’84/’92 Baby Beavers 30 President-Elect: Linda Christianson ’72 & Deb Schultz ’72/’91 Vice President for Outreach: Linda Christianson ’72 Vice President for Events: Kelly Hayhurst ’87 Vice President for Promotions: Ryan Hertz ’00 Past President: Darwin Langseth ’74 OFFICERS EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS ON THE COVER Robert Anderson ’83 Dr. David Fuller, MSU President Dr. Jack Wilson ’84, doctor of anesthesiology, Amy Artz ’01 Marv Semrau, Vice President for Advancement stands in the hall of Mayo Clinic. See story on page 6. Leslie Barney ’80 Tawnya Bernsdorf ’04/’08, Director of Alumni Kristi Berg ’95/’00 Relations & Annual Giving (Wilson and Dascher photos courtesy of Mayo Clinic.) Randy Burckhard ’74 Larry Eidsness ’76 CONNECTIONS STAFF Dennis Faulkner ’71 Writer & Editor: Frank McCahill Greg Fjeld ’81 Writers: Cathy Jelsing,Mark Lyman Mike Gietzen ’01 Layout & Design: Sandra Nordstrom ’77, Blake Hanson ’04 Director of Publications & Design Services Kelsey Holt ’97 Judi Kitzman ’92 MSU ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Gloria Lokken ’72 Vice President for Advancement: Marv Semrau Lisa Olson ’89 Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving: Tonya Pearson ’91 Tawnya Bernsdorf ’04/’08 Alison Repnow ’95 Donor Relations Coordinator: Chuck Repnow ’83 Kate Neuhalfen ’07 Jan Repnow ’84 Major Gifts Officer: Mark Schnabel ’74 is published two times a year by the Minot State University Alumni Association and Ann Rivera ’04 Database Manager: Kathy Huettl ’08 connectionsDevelopment Foundation. Send comments, articles or photo submissions to Connections, MSU Alumni Ellen Simmons ’68 Director of Marketing: Teresa Loftesnes ’07 Office, 500 University Avenue West, Minot, ND 58707. Telephone 701-858-3890 or 1-800-777-0750. Angela Zerr ’00 Fax 701-858-3179. E-mail: [email protected] DelRae Zimmerman ’04 Printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified stock. Third class postage paid at Fargo, ND 58101 3 Offspring follow different medical paths 4 4 Photo courtesy of Otis and James Photography. FEATURE STORY Three siblings … Three health care professions ll three of Randy and Pat Burckhard’s children have But chiropractic medicine intrigued her as a career. She entered the medical field, although each has selected attended Minot State and credits professor Michael Thompson A a different niche. with preparing her for the rigors of professional school. Randy Burckhard credits his wife with their children’s Burckhard-Teets completed her education at Northwestern academic achievements. College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, Minn. She then “My wife is a teacher, so my kids had a great start. They all returned to Minot and joined the practice of Steven Lipp and loved school,” he said. Mark Mosser, two other Minot State graduates. Ironically, neither parent is in health care. Randy Burckhard “There’s a sense of gratification in knowing I’m helping works in public relations, and Pat Burckhard teaches fifth-graders. somebody,” she said of chiropractic medicine. “I enjoy connect- Both are Minot State graduates. ing with people.” The transformative event for all three kids was a health care Burckhard-Teets is married to Brock Teets, an MSU grad and occupations class they took at Minot High School. They visited former basketball player at Minot State who currently teaches clinics, hospitals and offices, job-shadowing and questioning and coaches at Berthold High School. The couple has a 3-year- medical professionals. Each was drawn to a different field. Minot old daughter and an infant son. State served as an early nexus for their diverging paths. “I brag about Minot State to my friends. My kids got a great The Future Orthodontist education there,” Randy Burckhard said. Jason Burckhard, the youngest in the family, decided to Despite their common background, each of the Burckhard pursue a dental career. At MSU, he appreciated the small classes children has constructed a distinct narrative. and a dynamic biology faculty. “They demanded a lot,” he recalled. The Nurse “It wasn’t like I could just show up and “I always wanted to be a nurse,” said Jerica (Burckhard) get by. It was a lot of work to get through Larson, the oldest sibling. “I always dressed up as a nurse at the program. I’m very happy I went to Halloween. That was what I was going to do.” Minot State.” To achieve her life-long goal, Larson enrolled at the University He remembers his pre-dental advisor of Mary in Bismarck but then transferred to MSU after a year. Richard Barkosky fondly. “It was more affordable at Minot State,” she said. “All three “He always made time for you,” of us were able to live at home during some of our college years, he said. “He was a good guy; he was fun to hang out with.” I came out with no loans, which is unheard of.” After Minot State, Jason Burckhard attended the University The MSU nursing program allowed her to explore the of Minnesota Dental School. He is currently completing a profession’s many options. residency in orthodontics at the University of Missouri-Kansas “The area that sparked my interest was the operating room,” City. He is engaged to Andrea Albertson, who is attending said Larson, a 1999 graduate. “That’s where I’ve been working chiropractic school in Minneapolis. for 10 years. I like the teamwork there. I like having to focus on “She and I would both like to come back to North Dakota,” one patient at a time.” he said. “We need to find a place that can offer opportunities Larson and her husband Lance have two boys, ages 3 and 7. for both of us.” With a little help from MSU, a generation of Burckhards The Chiropractor will contribute to the state’s health and well-being for years As Tifany Burckhard-Teets explored health care careers, she to come. — FRANK McCAHILL had to confront some messy realities. A weak stomach excluded dentistry, and a fear of large dogs ruled out veterinary medicine. 5 Being on the right path Jack Wilson’s journey to the Mayo Clinic f someone had told a teenage Jack Wilson he’d someday be working for Mayo Clinic as a doctor of anesthesiology, he probably would have Ithought they were crazy. His high school grades were mediocre. His greatest interest was running track. And a career in medicine was never on the radar. But two weeks after starting business classes at Minot State University, Wilson switched his major to biology and started thinking about medical school.