the partnership of hope - university of north dakotasummer 2017 volume 42, number 2 the partnership...

Summer 2017VOLUME 42, NUMBER 2www.ndmedicine.org

The Partnershipof HopeUND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Class of 2017

Student Writing and Art

2 NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Summer 2017

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Summer 2017 3

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17FEATURESDoctor of Medicine Class of 2017 10

The Partnership of Hope 14 It began with a phone call three decades ago.

Student Writing and Art 17

DEPARTMENTS Dean’s Letter 4 News Briefs 6 Guest Author—Richard Van Eck 18 Student Profile—Ciciley Littlewolf 20 Alumni Profile—PT Family Tree 22 Alumni Notes 24 Philanthropy 25 Workforce 26 In Memoriam 28 Parting Shots —Class of 2017 30

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POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to:ND Medicine Address Correction UND School of Medicine and Health SciencesOffice of Alumni and Community Relations, Attn: Kristen Peterson13 01 North Columbia Rd. Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037 E-mail: [email protected]: 701-777-4305

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE is available online at www.ndmedicine.org

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

MARK KENNEDY, President, University of North Dakota

JOSHUA WYNNE, Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences

EDITOR Denis MacLeodWRITERS Stacy Kusler, Denis MacLeod, Pablo Pedraza, Jessica Sobolik, Richard Van Eck CONTRIBUTORS Kristen PetersonGRAPHIC DESIGN Laura Cory, John Lee, Victoria Swift PHOTOGRAPHY Lifetouch Special Events, Heather Liebe, Wanda Weber

www.ndmedicine.org

WEBMASTER Eric Walter

ON THE COVER Ed Carlson addresses the audience at “Sight Night.” See the story on page 14.

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE (ISSN 0888-1456; USPS 077-680) is published four times a year (March, June,September, December) by the University of North DakotaSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, Room W103, 1301 N. Columbia Road Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND58202-9037.Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND.

Printed at Forum Communications Printing, Fargo, ND.

All articles published in NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE, excluding photographs and copy concerning patients, can be reproduced without prior permission from the editor.


It was twenty years ago this spring thatGrand Forks and UND endured the floodof 1997, one of the worst natural disastersever to affect this region. But look at theremarkable progress and growth that theSMHS has experienced since then. Therehas been a dramatic growth in healthcareer programs, with an attendant growthin facilities to support those variousprogrammatic advances. Out of theflooded basement of the old building camea bevy of new student spaces for the small-group-based patient-centered-learning(PCL) approach that the School institutedtwo decades ago. Then it was novel tointroduce students to a patient case studyin their first year of medical school, andeven more revolutionary to have thestudents be active learners, rather thansitting passively in a lecture hall. Now thisapproach has become the standard.

So too is our more recent emphasis oninterprofessional education as a prelude tointerprofessional patient care once ourstudents graduate and go into clinicalpractice. And here, too, we’ve been able toshape our educational space around ourcurricular approach, just as we did withthe old PCL rooms and patient-centeredlearning. Now we have eight learningcommunities in the new building, wherestudents studying a variety of healthdisciplines are housed together toencourage interprofessionalism. Ourcurricular innovations have continuedover time, and we’ve been able to adapt ourfacilities accordingly. Adaptability andbeing responsive to changing times clearlyis important, but change itself can bechallenging.

For example, the transition from the2016–17 academic year to the start of thenew one on July 1 will bring manychanges. This past May, we wished severalhundred graduating students well in theirhealthcare and related biomedical careersthat they would be pursing followinggraduation. And we will welcome

hundreds more over the summer and withthe start of the fall semester this comingAugust. One thing is for sure—ourstudents are wonderfully prepared for theirburgeoning careers, thanks to the efforts ofthe faculty and staff at the School.

Similarly, it is bittersweet toexperience the departure from the Schoolof faculty and staff because of retirementand relocation, but this is balanced by theexcitement of new arrivals. Over a dozenfaculty and staff have executed voluntaryseparation agreements from UND as a partof the budget reconciliation process, andseveral others are leaving for other reasons,often family- or career-related. Two of theretirees are members of the School’s seniormanagement team—Senior AssociateDean for Education Dr. Gwen W. Halaasand Associate Dean for Administrationand Finance Randy Eken. Dr. Halaas willbe leaving us in mid-July. However, theimprint that she left on the School will lastwell beyond her last day. Dr. Halaas hasbeen a passionate advocate forinterprofessional education and patientcare delivery, an approach that has beenemulated elsewhere and is accepted as oneof the bedrocks that will form thefoundation of the healthcare system of thefuture. There is no more tangible evidenceof this critically important tenet of theSMHS approach than in the new building,with its eight learning communities thatembody interprofessionalism. Dr.Halaas—leader, teacher, scholar, doctor,mentor, and friend—has contributedgreatly to the students, faculty, and staff atthe SMHS, and has enriched our programsand activities. She will be missed.

The School—and I—also will greatlymiss Randy Eken after his 38 years ofservice here. He is one of my most trustedadvisers, and his influence and advice willbe dearly missed. On the other hand, I’mthrilled that he is choosing to do what heand his family have decided is best forthem—and that’s to have husband, father,

DEAN’S LETTER

Groundwork, Growth, and Gratitude


and grandpa Randy around more! Luckyfor them, that’s for sure. But Randy hasbuilt a great team here at the SMHS, andI’m confident that they will carry on ingrand fashion after July 1.

If there was one component of his jobthat Randy enjoyed most, it probably washis involvement in new facilityconstruction. Looking back over the lasttwo decades since the flood, here are thebuilding projects where Randy played amajor role:

• Renovations on the old buildingfollowing the flood, including theconstruction of the PCL rooms.

• Construction of a state-of-the-artvivarium.

• Construction of a neurosciencesresearch laboratory building.

• Construction of the ClinicalEducation Center on the Northeast(Grand Forks) Campus.

• Construction of the new home forthe Center for Family Medicine onthe Northwest (Minot) Campus.

• Construction of the new home forthe Center for Family Medicine onthe Southwest (Bismarck) Campus.

• Construction of the 325,000-sq.-ft.spectacular new SMHS building onthe Northeast (Grand Forks)Campus.

If there is one design theme that isfound over and over in the new building, itis the focus on team approaches tolearning, research, and service. Thebuilding abounds in small-group learningspaces and the aforementioned eightlearning communities to developinterprofessional experiences and skills.But “team science” also is featured throughthe construction of open researchlaboratories that foster interdisciplinaryresearch. Unlike the labs of old, where eachinvestigator had her own laboratory thatwas separated from her colleague’s lab by asolid wall, we’ve figuratively (and literally!)knocked down the walls in the newbuilding, where research tables rununimpeded throughout the labs withoutwalls that, in the past, also functioned asbarriers to collaborative research.

And we will miss Assistant Director ofAlumni and Community Relations DenisMacLeod, who also is the editor of NorthDakota Medicine. He, too, will be retiringat the end of June. Denis has contributedto most of the School’s publications as writer,editor, or reviewer. So if you notice anytypos in this issue, you can blame only me!

On balance, though, in the twodecades since the flood, the SMHS hasexperienced phenomenal growth in itsprograms and facilities. Our purpose isclear—to help secure the necessaryhealthcare workforce for North Dakotaand the region, and to improve the lives ofNorth Dakotans through the discovery ofnew knowledge and service to the people.We take that charge seriously, and strive tolive up to the high expectations that thecitizens of the state have for us.

Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPHUND Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean


We want to thank all of you whoparticipated in making the 37th AnnualFrank N. Low Research Day a success. Weappreciate the high level of participation bystudents, faculty, and staff at the School ofMedicine and Health Sciences. Specialthanks to UND Vice President for HealthAffairs and Dean of the School of Medicineand Health Sciences Joshua Wynne, MD,MBA, MPH, for ongoing support of thisimportant annual event and for providingwelcoming remarks for the keynote speaker.

We were pleased to have keynotespeaker T. Colin Campbell, PhD, JacobGould Schurman Professor Emeritus ofNutritional Biochemistry at CornellUniversity, present his address, “Nutritionshould be a medical specialty.” He serves onthe board of the Ithaca, New York, based T.Colin Campbell Center for NutritionStudies.

Participants presented 109 posters.Invited talks were given by Travis Alvine,SMHS Department of Biomedical Sciences,(mentor: David Bradley); Peter Knopick,Department of Biomedical Sciences, (mentor: David Bradley);Timothy Casselli, postdoctoral, (mentor: John Watt); BrandonFisher, medical student, (mentor: Dinesh Bande and Tze Lo);Samantha Guenther, Department of Occupational Therapy,(mentor: Janet Jedlicka); Brent Klinkhammer, resident, (mentor:Thomas Haldis); Waqas Kayani, resident, (mentor: Dr. Khan);and Alexander Fife, medical student, (mentor: Suba Nookala).

Among the poster judges was special guest Professor KurtH. Albertine, PhD, University of Utah School of Medicine inSalt Lake City, whose research focuses on acute and chroniclung disease, with an emphasis on neonatal chronic lungdisease. He is the editor of the Anatomical Record, a journal ofthe American Association of Anatomists. He was visiting theSchool to honor Edward Carlson, PhD, Chester FritzDistinguished Professor Emeritus and Karl and Carolyn KaessProfessor of Anatomy and Cell Biology. Albertine volunteeredto be a judge when he heard that his visit coincided with FrankN. Low Research Day.

Special thanks go to Assistant Professor Xuesong Chen,PhD, Department of Biomedical Sciences; and Frank N. LowResearch Day Coordinator Joann Johnson, whose effortsensured the success of the event.

The winners of the best student poster awards earned $100each from the Office of the Dean. The winners by category(mentors in parentheses) were the following:

Biomedical Sciences Graduate StudentsBrandee Stone (Catherine Brissette)Peter Knopick (David Bradley)Daniell Stanislowski (Roxanne A. Vaughan and James D. Foster)

Health Sciences Graduate StudentsCourtney Funk (Julie Grabanski), Occupational TherapyLeah Sherman (Sarah Nielson), Occupational Therapy

Master of Public Health Arnold Forlemu (Yvonne Jonk)

UndergraduateDanielle Germundson (Colin Combs and Kumi Nagamoto-

Combs)

Medical Student—ClinicalAlexis Hanson (Marc Basson)

Medical Student—BasicAlexander Fife (Suba Nookala)

PostdoctoralJanani Kumar (Archana Dhasarathy)

ResidentTravis Swartz (Andrew Bakken)

Congratulations! Frank N. Low Research Day award winners named

NEWS BRIEFS

Frank N. Low Research Day poster session


NEWS BRIEFS

The 9th annualStudent Employee ofthe Year was recentlyannounced at theLeadership Awards.Megan Hilgersreceived the award forher position as thefacility manager at theUND WellnessCenter. As the winnerof the 2017 UNDStudent Employee ofthe Year, Megan wasawarded a $500scholarship.

Megan is asecond-yearoccupational therapy student at the UND SMHS and hasworked at the Wellness Center for almost four years. She hasrisen from her position as a desk assistant to facility manager,and has excelled greatly in each and every role she takes on.

As facility manager, Megan oversees the welcome desk areathat includes student access, sales, and equipment checkout. Shealso supervises other student staff and is the chief policyenforcer in the building. She initiates facility safety and requiresin-depth knowledge of all emergency response protocols.

“It is almost not worth mentioning that Megan is everpunctual, cheerful, and effective in her work; these are traits allnominees possess. What sets Megan apart from other studentemployees at the Wellness Center is twofold: her passion for herwork and her continued growth in the position,” said Megan’ssupervisor, Paul Jensen.

Jensen talks highly of Megan’s attributes, expectations thatshe has raised, leadership style, and overall impact that she hasmade at the Wellness Center throughout the time she hasworked there.

Megan was also named 2017 Student Employee of the Yearfor the state of North Dakota by the Midwest Association ofStudent Employment Administrators and was presented with acash award.

This article originally appeared in the University Letter.

Megan Hilgers named Student Employeeof the Year

Megan Hilgers

Outstanding Teacher Awards • Portrait Award—Michelle Montgomery, MSW, LCSW,

Wellness Advocate, Psychiatry & Behavioral Science; andCo-Team Leader, Interprofessional Healthcare CourseFor outstanding support of students during their firsttwo years of medical education.

• Golden Apple AwardFor excellence in teaching, presented to the instructorwhose instruction has had the greatest impact on the class.Presented by Sophomore Students to Walter L. Kemp,MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Pathology.

• Golden Apple AwardFor excellence in teaching, presented to the instructorwhose instruction has had the greatest impact on the class.Presented by Freshman Students to Jane R. Dunlevy,PhD, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences.

For the names and hometowns of all the award winners,please visit https://goo.gl/td5r70.

Sophomore Awards presented at Schoolof Medicine and Health Sciences

Portrait Award—MS II Jacy O’Keefe, Michelle Montgomery,and Dean Joshua Wynne

Medical students of the MD Class of 2017 and faculty of theUniversity of North Dakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences were recognized by the School at the CommencementAwards presentation on May 14. For the names and hometownsof the award winners, please visit https://goo.gl/PeukhJ.

Doctor of Medicine Class of 2017 AwardWinners


NEWS BRIEFS

UND doctors honored with Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards

A Grand Forks, N.D., native, Raum has been a faculty memberof the UND SMHS since 2008. She is a 2001 graduate of theUniversity of North Dakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences and completed her residency training in internal medicineat Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She isboard-certified in internal medicine by the American Board ofInternal Medicine.

“I am a better person for knowing her,” Schlotterback said. “Ibelieve her colleagues and patients would say likewise.”

Brandon L. PotterIn June of 2016, Denver, Colo., native Brandon L. Potter, MD 2017,was nominated by his peers to be one of 10 students inducted intothe Gold Humanism Honor Society. Nominees were chosen basedon the characteristics of humanism—integrity, excellence,compassion, altruism, respect, and empathy.

This year, Potter was chosen from the 10 inductees by theSchool’s Gold Humanism Honor Society Selection Committee toreceive the 2017 Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. Thecommittee is composed of the third- and fourth-year classpresidents and six faculty members.

“Brandon is the embodiment of what we look for in aphysician,” said Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences PatrickA. Carr, PhD, director of Education Resources and assistant deanfor Faculty Development, in his nomination letter. “He is selfless,personable, calm, understanding, and most importantly, places thehighest value on the human connection. Brandon is most highlyrespected by both his peers and faculty.”

Jennifer D. Raum, MD, clinical associate professor of internalmedicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicineand Health Sciences, and an internal medicine specialist forSanford Health in Fargo, N.Dak., was honored with theprestigious Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Awardat the School’s commencement on May 14. Brandon L. Potter,MD, a 2017 UND medical school graduate, received the TowAward for graduating medical students.

Each year, Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awardsare presented to a graduating student and faculty member atover 100 of the nation’s medical schools. The Gold Foundationbegan the award in 1991 at Columbia University College ofPhysicians & Surgeons. The Healthcare Foundation of NewJersey began replicating these awards nationwide in 1998, withparticipation from the Gold Foundation. In 2003, with agenerous donation from Leonard Tow, these awards becamesolely sponsored and administered by the Gold Foundation.This award is given to those who best demonstrate theFoundation’s ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery ofcare; respect for patients, their families, and health carecolleagues; and clinical excellence.

Jennifer D. Raum“Though her teaching and clinical skills are superb, Dr.

Raum’s most defining feature is her genuine care for the well-being of others,” said Mark Schlotterback, MD Class of 2017. Heworked to nominate Raum for the award. “Dr. Raum exudesgenuine care, professionalism, and compassion in all that shedoes.”

“She speaks with integrity and carries herself with richauthenticity. She inspires me to view medicine as a sacredcalling of service, a calling for which she demonstratesreverence and selfless devotion.”

Jennifer Raum, her nominator, Mark Schlotterback, and UNDSMHS Dean Joshua Wynne

Patrick Carr, Brandon Potter, and UND SMHS Dean JoshuaWynne


NEWS BRIEFS

Ashley Evenson earns Meritorious ServiceAward

Ashley Evenson, MPH, program manager in the Master ofPublic Health Program, was honored with a prestigiousMeritorious Service Award from the University of NorthDakota at the 2017 Annual Staff Recognition Ceremony andLuncheon on Tuesday, May 9.

The Meritorious Service Awards are given in recognition ofindividuals who best reflect honor upon the University andcommunity through a combination of job performance,relationship with associates, and the ability to relate their workto the missions and values of the University. The $1,000Meritorious Service awards are given to employees chosen bythe selection committee based on nominations submitted toHuman Resources by employees at UND.

Ashley was nominated by MPH Assistant Professors ArielleSelya, PhD, and Laura Hand, MPP, PhD. At the ceremony, UNDPresident Mark Kennedy presented the award to Ashley, andPatricia Hanson, UND director of Human Resources, read thefollowing citation from the nomination letter about Ashley’sservice to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences:

“This employee is essential to upholding the missions andvalues of our program. She was heavily involved in helping usachieve our first accreditation. She is genuinely interested inmaking our program the best it can be. She regularly alertsfaculty to relevant opportunities for them, including fundingopportunities, teaching workshops, and professional conferences.She frequently attends campus workshops and webinars andwill report interesting take-aways to faculty, covering anythingthat can improve our program. She also takes the time andeffort to tailor these activities and tips to specific needs ofindividual faculty members. Additionally, she disseminatesopportunities to students such as assistantships, scholarships,jobs and internships, and professional developmentopportunities. She initiates social events in our area to keep usengaged and connected. After student orientation in ourprogram, she personally hand wrote thank you notes to all ofthe participating faculty members. Through actions like these,she makes everyone in the Master of Public Health Program feelwelcome and appreciated.”

UND School of Medicine and HealthSciences recognizes volunteer facultyThe University of North Dakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences presented the Dean’s Special Recognition Awards forOutstanding Volunteer Faculty to the following physiciansduring commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 14.

• Jacob A. Fish, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofPediatrics and alumnus (MD Class of 2011) Fargo, NorthDakota.

• Amy M. Juelson, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofPediatrics and alumna (MD Class of 2005) Bismarck,North Dakota.

• Robert G. Kemp, MD, Clinical Instructor of Family andCommunity Medicine and alumnus (MD Class of 1992)Williston, North Dakota.

• Patricia J. Lindholm, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofFamily and Community Medicine, Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

• William Matt Lowe II, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofObstetrics and Gynecology, Dickinson, North Dakota.

• Alicia M. Norby, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofInternal Medicine and alumna (MD Class of 2006)Minot, North Dakota.

• Timothy L. Pansegrau, MD, Clinical Associate Professorof Surgery, Bismarck, North Dakota.

• Douglas J. Renton, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofInternal Medicine and alumnus (MD Class of 2002)Bismarck, North Dakota.

• Troy S. Russon, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofSurgery, Bismarck, North Dakota.

• Sara R. Solberg, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofObstetrics and Gynecology and alumna (MD Class of2000) Williston, North Dakota.

• Eduardo P. Yabut, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor ofPsychiatry and Behavioral Science, Jamestown, NorthDakota.

“As a community-based school, we could not carry out oureducational mission without the dedication and sacrifice of ourvoluntary faculty members,” said Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA,MPH, UND vice president for health affairs and dean of theSMHS. “In large measure, the quality of our medical educationprogram is dependent on the many physicians throughout thestate who serve as volunteer faculty members. They have addedand incorporated this activity into their daily medical practicesand welcomed our medical students to learn from them andtheir patients.”

“We are fortunate to have many dedicated physicians fromacross North Dakota who teach,” Wynne said. “In fact, a largerproportion of the physicians in North Dakota are voluntaryfaculty members than in any other state. Of the roughly 1,700physicians in the state, over 1,200 have voluntary clinical facultyappointments at the School. That’s more than two out of three—quite a remarkable and noteworthy indication of the degree ofcommitment that our doctors have to educating the nextgeneration of caregivers.”

President Kennedy and Ashley Evenson


UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Doctor of Medicine Class of 2017

Tanner AndersonDrayton, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, GundersenLutheran MedicalFoundation, La Crosse,Wisconsin; Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,Mayo Clinic College ofMedicine and Science,Rochester, Minnesota

Rebecca AspHankinson, NorthDakota, PediatricsResidency, University ofWashington, Seattle,Washington

Ryder BekkedahlFargo, North Dakota,Obstetrics-GynecologyResidency, University ofArizona College ofMedicine–Phoenix,Phoenix, Arizona

Amy BorysCando, North Dakota,Emergency MedicineResidency, HealthPartners Institute forEducation andResearch/RegionsHospital, Saint Paul,Minnesota

Collette ChorneyTownsend, Montana,Pediatrics Residency,University of WisconsinHospital and Clinics,Madison, Wisconsin

David CollinsCarrington, NorthDakota, EmergencyMedicine Residency,University of Missouri–Columbia School ofMedicine Program,Columbia, Missouri

Natalie CrawfordDevils Lake, NorthDakota, Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,Providence Sacred HeartMedical Center, Spokane,Washington

Cassandra CrossOregon City, Oregon,Neurology Residency,Mayo Clinic College ofMedicine and Science,Rochester, Minnesota

Kelvin DanChilchilbeto, Arizona,Internal MedicineResidency, University ofArizona College ofMedicine–Phoenix,Phoenix, Arizona

Siddhant DashFargo, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo, NorthDakota; Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,University of Colorado–Denver School of Medicine,Aurora, Colorado

Jennifer DobisFargo, North Dakota,Family MedicineResidency, Altru HealthSystem, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Andrew DockterBismarck, North Dakota,Surgery-PreliminaryResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Tyler DowningLocust Grove, Oklahoma,Surgery-PreliminaryResidency, University ofColorado–Denver Schoolof Medicine, Aurora,Colorado

Jason DuchschererBismarck, North Dakota,Neurology Residency,University of IowaHospitals and Clinics,Iowa City, Iowa

Shelby DvorakDickinson, North Dakota,Family MedicineResidency, ChristHospital/University ofCincinnati College ofMedicine, Cincinnati,Ohio

Graduates listed byhometown and residencies.

Erin FollmanDevils Lake, NorthDakota, General SurgeryResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Zachary FowlerMinot, North Dakota,General SurgeryResidency, HofstraNorthwell School ofMedicine, New Hyde Park,New York

Alec GanskeMankato, Minnesota,Transitional YearResidency, GundersenLutheran MedicalFoundation, La Crosse,Wisconsin; Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,Mayo Clinic College ofMedicine and Science,Rochester, Minnesota

Marcus GeffreMayville, North Dakota,General SurgeryResidency, HennepinCounty Medical Center,Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kelsey GladenWahpeton, North Dakota,Pediatrics-AnesthesiologyResidency, Johns HopkinsUniversity, Baltimore,Maryland

Malia GrosskreutzHonomu, Hawaii,Medicine-Preliminary/Dermatology Residency,University of KansasSchool of Medicine,Kansas City, Kansas;Dermatology Residency,University of KansasSchool of MedicineKansas City, Kansas

Michael GruchallaFargo, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo, NorthDakota; AnesthesiologyResidency, Mayo ClinicCollege of Medicine andScience, Rochester,Minnesota

Wesley HalsethMinot, North Dakota,General SurgeryResidency, University ofSouth Dakota SanfordSchool of Medicine, SiouxFalls, South Dakota

Erik HeitkampLisbon, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo, NorthDakota

Regan HelblingFergus Falls, Minnesota

Christopher HelleksonBillings, Montana,Transitional YearResidency, SpokaneTeaching Health Center,Providence Sacred HeartMedical Center, Spokane,Washington; RadiationOncology Residency,University of Utah, SaltLake City, Utah

Alec HildenbrandMinot, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, CreightonUniversity, Omaha,Nebraska

Ashley HornerValley City, North Dakota,Family Medicine Residency,University of NorthDakota School of Medicineand Health Sciences,Fargo, North Dakota

Kimberly HushagenYpsilanti, North Dakota,Pediatrics Residency, PennState Milton S. HersheyMedical Center, Hershey,Pennsylvania

Luke HushagenBismarck, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, Penn StateMilton S. Hershey MedicalCenter, Hershey,Pennsylvania

Alexander JohnsonBismarck, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, SouthernIllinois University,Springfield, Illinois



Brady JunesMenahga, Minnesota,Family MedicineResidency, Altru HealthSystem, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Amanda KleppeCarrington, NorthDakota, Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,Indiana University Schoolof Medicine, Indianapolis,Indiana

Brent KlinkhammerMahnomen, Minnesota,Internal MedicineResidency, University ofNebraska Medical CenterCollege of MedicineProgram, Omaha,Nebraska

Ethan KraftFargo, North Dakota,OtolaryngologyResidency, University ofMinnesota, Minneapolis,Minnesota

Bradley KvammeWest Fargo, NorthDakota, Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,University of IowaHospitals and Clinics,Iowa City, Iowa

Cole LaberNapoleon, North Dakota,Anesthesiology Residency,Mayo Clinic College ofMedicine and Science,Rochester, Minnesota

Bryan LaBoreBismarck, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, University ofUtah, Salt Lake City, Utah

Grant LarsonFargo, North Dakota,Radiology-DiagnosticResidency, University ofMinnesota, Minneapolis,Minnesota

Lucy LedyardWhitefish, Montana,Transitional YearResidency, SpokaneTeaching Health Center,Providence Sacred HeartMedical Center, Spokane,Washington; DermatologyResidency, University ofVermont Medical Center,Burlington, Vermont

Heather LiebeCary, North Carolina,General SurgeryResidency, Ochsner ClinicFoundation, New Orleans,Louisiana

Matthew McGeeMinot, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, University ofIowa Hospitals andClinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Steven McKnightGig Harbor, Washington,Neurology Residency,National CapitalConsortium Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter, Bethesda,Maryland

Megan MeyerFairmount, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, Mayo ClinicCollege of Medicine andScience, Scottsdale,Arizona

Laura MorganThompson, NorthDakota, Family MedicineResidency, Altru HealthSystem, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Amber NielsenNew England, NorthDakota, Family MedicineResidency, Idaho StateUniversity, Pocatello,Idaho

Adam NygardGrand Forks, NorthDakota, Medicine-Preliminary/RadiologyResidency, University ofKansas School ofMedicine, Kansas City,Kansas; Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,University of KansasSchool of Medicine,Kansas City, Kansas

Jamie OddenFargo, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, University ofPittsburgh Medical CenterMedical Education,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;OphthalmologyResidency, University ofPittsburgh Medical CenterMedical Education,Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


Sejal ParikhGrand Forks, NorthDakota, PsychiatryResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo, NorthDakota

David ParkerWildomar, California,Orthopaedic SurgeryResidency, University ofTennessee, Memphis,Tennessee

Scott PoswilkoDickinson, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo, NorthDakota; Radiology-Diagnostic Residency,Cleveland ClinicFoundation, Cleveland,Ohio

Brandon PotterDenver, Colorado,Anesthesiology Residency,University of WisconsinHospital and Clinics,Madison, Wisconsin

Kara PrussingBismarck, North Dakota,Psychiatry Residency,New York UniversitySchool of Medicine, NewYork, New York

Stephen RostadKindred, North Dakota,Neurology Residency,University of IowaHospitals and Clinics,Iowa City, Iowa

Kyle RudningenClearwater, Minnesota,Transitional YearResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo, NorthDakota; DermatologyResidency, University ofWisconsin Hospital andClinics, Madison,Wisconsin

Hasanga SamaraweeraFargo, North Dakota,Pediatrics-Health ServicesResidency, University ofChicago, Chicago, Illinois

Mark SchlotterbackBillings, Montana,Psychiatry Residency,University of IllinoisCollege of Medicine,Peoria, Illinois

Emily SchwartzForest River, NorthDakota, EmergencyMedicine Residency,Mayo Clinic College ofMedicine and Science,Rochester, Minnesota

Joclyn SeilerRugby, North Dakota,General Surgery/Preliminary Residency,University of NorthDakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Anna StecherBismarck, North Dakota,Internal MedicineResidency, Oregon Healthand Science University,Portland, Oregon

Courtney SteichenGwinner, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, Mountain ViewHospital, Las Vegas,Nevada

Erika SteinLangdon, North Dakota,Family MedicineResidency, Altru HealthSystem, Grand Forks,North Dakota

Brynn StenehjemBorup, Minnesota, InternalMedicine Residency,Abbott NorthwesternHospital, Minneapolis,Minnesota

Christopher TraynorFargo, North Dakota,Orthopaedic SurgeryResidency, WesternMichigan UniversityHomer Stryker, MD,School of Medicine,Kalamazoo, Michigan

Laurel WessmanFargo, North Dakota,Transitional YearResidency, University ofNorth Dakota School ofMedicine and HealthSciences, Fargo NorthDakota; DermatologyResidency, University ofMinnesota, Minneapolis,Minnesota


From left, Kurt Albertine, Pam Carlson, Ed Carlson, and Barb Nordstog at “Sight Night.”

The Partnership of HopeIt began with a phone call three decades ago.

Early one morning in the early summer of1988, Edward Carlson, PhD, picked up hisphone; David Bowen, an administrativeofficer for Academic Affairs at theUniversity of North Dakota, was calling.

“If you haven’t met this gentleman,you’ve missed something,” said Carlson.“Bowen wanted to speak with me becausehe was representing the Lions of NorthDakota, and he would like to discuss theLions getting involved with diabetesresearch.”

As an anatomy researcher, Carlsonwas most interested and most heavilyinvested in diabetes research.

“So I quickly invited David to comeand visit me at his earliest convenience,”Carlson said. “About a half hour later, therewas a knock on my door—it was David.”Bowen, second vice president of the GrandForks Lions, said that the Lions would liketo donate $20,000 for each of the first threeyears toward Carlson’s diabetes research,particularly diabetic eye disease research.

Lions Clubs contribute to theircommunities through five service areas; oneof which—their vision program—is wellknown for recycling eyeglasses, but it isextensively involved in improving eye healthand eye care for millions around the world.

Thus the meeting between Carlsonand Bowen led to the unique Partnershipof Hope between the School and the NorthDakota Lions in the late summer of 1988.This wasn’t the first time that a not-for-profit group has supported research at theSchool; however, it was a first for theSchool to enter a long-term agreementwith a not-for-profit volunteerorganization.

The firstfruits of the Partnership ofHope were the North Dakota LionsDiabetes Ocular Research Center at theSchool of Medicine and Health Scienceswith Professor and Chair of Anatomy andCell Biology Ed Carlson as the codirectoralong with Professor of BiochemistryHarvey Knull. The Center was dedicated to

By Denis MacLeod


“investigating the chronic complications ofdiabetes with particular emphasis on eyeand kidney diseases, which frequently leadto blindness or renal failure.”

Fortunately, for the School, theLions—and most importantly the field ofdiabetes research—Carlson chose to switchhis college major from music to biologyand chemistry. Playing the trumpet wasoriginally where Carlson thought he wouldmake his mark in the world. However, amusic theory class he took convinced himthat science was the field where he belonged.

Carlson was born and raised in IronMountain, Michigan, about 100 milesnorth of the home of his beloved GreenBay Packers. You can cross one of itsstreets and step into its sister city:Kingsford, the home of KingsfordCharcoal Briquets. Carlson graduated fromKingsford High School, where one of hispursuits was ski jumping, which is still apopular area sport. Nearby Pine Mountainplays host today to a world-class ski-jumping competition.

After high school, Carlson graduatedfrom Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota.He came to UND, where Carlson’s interestin and technical expertise with anatomicalimaging were cultivated by Professor Dr.Frank N. Low. Carlson received his PhDfrom UND in 1970. He lauded Low for hisinspiration and mentoring in a publicationfor the American Association ofAnatomists: “Frank N. Low: Gentle Giantof Electron Microscopy (1911–1998),”which can be found athttps://goo.gl/4JvD77.

Carlson was professor and chair of theDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biologyfrom 1981 to 2010. UND bestowed on himits highest faculty honor when Carlson wasnamed a Chester Fritz DistinguishedProfessor in 2006. He was named the Karland Carolyn Kaess Professor of Anatomyand Cell Biology in 2007.

Carlson and his research team havepublished more than 100 peer-reviewedpapers. And since the opening of theNorth Dakota Lions Diabetes OcularResearch Center, they are perhaps mostwidely recognized for their significantcontributions to the literature on diabetesresearch, including more than three dozenfull-length manuscripts.

Through the Center and at the SMHS,Carlson has mentored numerous graduatestudents, many of whom went on tocareers at the School. He is revered andhonored—in the mold of his mentor FrankN. Low—as a seminal researcher, teacher,and mentor by medical and graduatestudents as well as by colleagues and staffat the School.

Carlson, in his self-deprecating way,refers to the Center with the acronym ofDORC (yes, it’s pronounced “dork”).However, make no mistake; the workproduced by the Center is anything butdorky. The Center’s research has receivednational and international recognition forits excellence.

In 2001, Carlson earned the MelvinJones Fellowship Award from the NorthDakota Lions. Named after the founder ofthe Lions, the honor is the highest award aLions club can give to someone and is anationwide recognition of the recipient’s“humanitarian ideas consistent with thenature and purpose of Lionism.”

A view to the end of an era—“SightNight”On the evening of April 5, 2017, the threeGrand Forks Lions Clubs gathered at aspecial combined meeting—“SightNight”—at the invitation of Ed Carlson.The meeting was emceed by Grand ForksLions Club Treasurer Steve Johnson.Carlson requested the meeting to thankthe North Dakota Lions for theirconsistent and committed donations to hisresearch for three decades. Also inattendance were Dean Joshua Wynne andmany of Carlson’s colleagues from theDepartment of Biomedical Sciences at theSchool. David Bowen was ill and could notattend the meeting, but he sent his regards.

Carlson’s “flagship manuscript andprobably his most important researchpaper,” which he coauthored with colleaguesfrom the School and from the University ofLouisville, Kentucky, was published in theMarch 2017 issue of the AnatomicalRecord, a journal of the AmericanAssociation of Anatomists: “RenoprotectionFrom Diabetic Complications in OVETransgenic Mice by Endothelial CellSpecific Overexpression of Metallothionein:A TEM Stereological Analysis.”

”“If you haven’t met thisgentleman,

you’ve missed something.


The paper discusses his researchteam’s work in genetically producing a newmouse through genetic engineering thatcan generate its own antioxidants—molecules that protect cells from theeffects of free radicals: very small buthighly charged tissue-damaging moleculesthat are overproduced as a result of thebody’s exposure to stress, including highblood sugar in diabetics, smoking, alcohol,drugs, sunlight, and pollutants.

Because mice are genetically andphysiologically similar to humans (miceand humans share 95 percent of theirgenes), scientists find mice to be incrediblyvaluable experimental tools for researchinto the genetic basis of diseases. Carlsonand his team found that when they bredtheir new mouse with an existing severelydiabetic mouse, many expected chroniccomplications of diabetes in their progenyare mitigated or eliminated. To Carlson’sknowledge, this is the first experimentaldesign to consistently mitigate orcompletely eliminate a number of chroniccomplications in severely diabetic animals.

“That’s remarkable,” Carlson said.“That’s why we call this publication ourflagship paper. We have been givenpermission by the editor of the AnatomicalRecord to dedicate the entire paper to theLions of North Dakota.”

The special guest for the evening wasKurt H. Albertine, PhD, the editor of the

Record, who spoke about the significanceof Dr. Carlson’s research and hiscontribution to the advancement of scienceand medical education. Albertinepresented a copy of a Tribute to the LionsClub of North Dakota for Vision andSupport of the Lions Diabetes OcularResearch Center to Carlson and BarbNordstog, president of the Grand ForksLions Club. The Tribute was a compilationof the research papers published in theRecord over the years by Carlson andcolleagues that were supported by theNorth Dakota Lions. Carlson served asassociate editor of the Record from 1987 to1998.

The meeting also marked the eventualclosing of the Diabetes Ocular ResearchCenter. Carlson addressed Dean Wynne inhis remarks announcing the closing out ofrespect and gratitude for the years ofsupport Carlson and the Center receivedfrom the School and Dean Wynne thatbegan years ago with then-Dean EdwinJames. Less than two weeks after themeeting, David Bowen passed away onApril 15. In his memory, Bowen’s familydesignated that donations be made to theNorth Dakota Lions Diabetes OcularResearch Center.

”“That’s why we call thispublication ourflagship paper.

PDFs courtesy of Kurt Albertine, Anatomical Record.


Photography by Heather Liebe, MD Class of 2017, Cary, North Carolina

Student Writing and ArtForgotten Treasure

Grasses


Richard N. Van Eck, PhDAssociate Dean for Teaching andLearning, and Dr. David and LolaRognlie Monson Endowed Chair inMedical Education

Last September, we welcomed the futurehealthcare workforce for North Dakotainto the new 325,000-square-footUniversity of North Dakota School ofMedicine and Health Sciences building. Asimpressive as this building is, both outsideand in, the real story lies in its design.People and teaching practices are thelifeblood of a learning institution—noamount of steel, concrete, and glass canteach students. That is why we designedour building around the best evidence-based teaching practices, and why ourpeople, supported by this space, representa new era in healthcare education.

As forward thinking as this buildingis, it represents less a change in directionthan an amplification of our culture ofteaching innovation that has been decadesin the making. The School was among thefirst to fully integrate problem-basedlearning (patient-centered learning) intothe medical curriculum in 1998 and, in2006, to mandate an InterprofessionalHealthcare course for thousands ofstudents. These are not the only examplesof how our building and curriculum arereflections of our core beliefs and practices.

The medical curriculum recentlyadopted the Association of AmericanMedical Colleges’ new set of physicianguidelines, the Physician CompetencyReference Set (PCRS). Domain 7 of thePCRS focuses on interprofessionalcollaboration—the ability of healthprofessionals to interact in teams toprovide the best possible patient care. Ourbuilding is designed to supportinterprofessional education (IPE).

Our professional programs used to belocated in different buildings acrosscampus. Now, all nine are collocated,making interprofessional exposure aneveryday occurrence. Under the leadershipof Senior Associate Dean for Education Dr.Gwen Halaas, we designed eightinterprofessional student-learningcommunities (LCs) with group

collaboration rooms, quiet study spaces,clinical exam practice spaces, opencommunity gathering spaces, and kitchens.Students from all programs are randomlyassigned proportionately to each LC forthe duration of their studies. The SMHS isthe first U.S. healthcare educationalprovider to institute LCs on this scale, andwe just collected our third round of dataon the impact LCs have oninterprofessional collaboration. What welearn will inform healthcare educationpractice nationally.

Like healthcare itself, teaching alsocontinues to evolve and so do we, asevidenced through our history ofinnovation and the design of ourclassroom and learning spaces, all of whichemphasize active learning (AL). ALmaximizes group interaction aroundproblem solving under the guidance of aninstructor who facilitates rather thanlectures. Meta-analyses have shownunequivocally that AL produces powerfullearning outcomes across multipledomains and settings.

While AL can be implementedanywhere, careful design of space canfacilitate AL, which is why our 200-plusseat auditorium allows chairs to be rotated360 degrees so learners in adjacent rowscan easily collaborate. Four of our largeclassrooms have tables with monitors forstudents to use in collaborative problemsolving, and all simultaneously supportgroup work as well as whole-classcollaboration and direct instruction. Evenour 25-seat classrooms have flexiblefurniture that allows them to bereconfigured on the fly, and all classroomsallow distance and on-campus students tointeract via cameras and microphones.

These examples show the intersectionof space and teaching, but the newbuilding also promotes systemicintegration of teaching strategies. TheAmerican Medical Association invited theSMHS to join its Accelerating Change in

Past and Future Converge to ShapeHealthcare Education on the PrairieBy Richard N. Van Eck, PhD

GUEST AUTHOR


”“ People and

teaching practices are the lifeblood of a

learning institution—no amount of steel, concrete,and glass can teach students.

Medical Education consortium of 32innovative medical and health scienceschools based on our telemedicine ruralhealthcare simulations, which combineIPE and AL approaches. Our state-of-theart simulation center, led by Dr. Jon Allen,is the site for these simulations, whichinvolve students in five professions andfollow the trajectory of a patient with amyocardial infarction from the ER torehabilitation in-home to an end-of-lifescenario in a long-term care facility. Atelemedicine consult with a cardiologist isintegrated throughout via “robots” (iPadson wheeled carts controlled remotely) inorder to reflect the needs of ruralhealthcare settings. See the photo above.

Many more challenges are on thehorizon, of course. Our adoption of PCRSwill necessitate new educational outcomesaround payment models; the use of bigdata for population and individual health;and the integration of wearable, networkedhealth devices like fitness trackers, glucosemonitors, and even joint replacements intomedical practice. Promoting andmeasuring attitudes such as empathy,

professionalism, and healthcareprofessional wellness (e.g., combattingburnout) cannot be done the same way wedeliver and measure medical knowledge.Novel approaches such as gamification,interactive online simulations, artificiallyintelligent tutoring systems, and sociallearning theory are just a few of the otherinnovations we are considering.

Thanks to the leadership of the SMHSand UND, the generosity of our alumni,and the people of North Dakota, we havethe building, people, and means to meetthese challenges, and we can’t wait tosee what the future brings!


STUDENT PROFILE

Ciciley Littlewolf

Ciciley LittlewolfShe is a medical student, a member of the National Guard, andcopresident of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group.

Ciciley Littlewolf never did shake anitch for medicine.

Today she’s in her second year at theUniversity of North Dakota School ofMedicine and Health Sciences. Littlewolf

also is copresident of the EmergencyMedicine Interest Group.

Born on an Indian reservation insoutheastern Montana, Littlewolf moved toSouth Dakota when her mom decided to

By Pablo Pedraza


”“I really like UND’s patient-centered

curriculum.

attend the University of South Dakota,where she earned a degree in counselingand has continued to work in thecommunity since.

Littlewolf ’s itch for medicine startedearly.

“I remember in kindergarten puttingon my mom’s white coat,” said Littlewolf,who also serves in the National Guard. “Iremember standing in front of my momand saying, ‘I’m going to be a doctor.’ ”

Littlewolf graduated from NorthDakota State University (NDSU) with adegree in criminal justice; she then workedin the Fargo area for a few years before theurge to practice medicine surfaced again.

“I actually went to NDSU to get ascience degree in order to apply to UND,”she said.

Littlewolf chose the UND School ofMedicine and Health Sciences because sheknew she’d be well prepared after gettingher MD degree there.

“I really like UND’s patient-centeredcurriculum,” she said. “UND focuses onseveral systems that are intricately related,rather than the old didactic, or text-and-lecture, method.”

First-year medical students at UNDare exposed to many new experiences,including Simlympics, a competitioninvolving simulation and patient-carescenarios that tests both the knowledge ofstudents and gives them hands-onexperience.

“A program like Simlympics is criticalfor students because it renews this love ofmedicine we all have,” Littlewolf said.

Having competed herself inSimlympics, she and a few peers wanted tobe more involved in their second year.

“We decided to make the EmergencyMedicine Interest Group our thing, and weactually changed it and molded it this yearfrom past years,” she said.

Her desire to be involved in thecommunity and to always help others ledher to the Himalayan Health Exchange.This organization was founded in 1996 byRavi Singh, a native of Himachal Pradeshnow living in the United States. Heorganized a medical camp for a U.S.-basedgroup in the Indian Himalayas. HHE is across-cultural community service.

“I wanted to do something reallymeaningful to me,” Littlewolf said. So she

contacted the HHE and decided they hadexactly the type of experience she waslooking for.

“When we got there to the makeshiftclinics in the mountains, we had lines ofpeople waiting,” Littlewolf said. “We sawfamilies, probably everything a familyphysician would see. Each of the 30students were split among the twoattending physicians and five residents.They tried to mimic what we’re going to doin our third and fourth years. So we had tosee the patients and do the history andphysical exams.”

Many of the patients she saw werechildren.

“I saw a girl, maybe 13 or 14 years old,and I was looking in her mouth,” Littlewolfsaid. “She actually had a cleft palate thatnobody had noticed before. The little girlcouldn’t speak very well.”

As a result of this encounter, Singhmade it a point to contact the surgeons—periodically scheduled to come into themountains to perform procedures—so thatthe girl could have her palate fixed.

Given Littlewolf ’s passion, commitment,and experience, one might wonder whatwill come next.

She’s interested in pediatrics,emergency medicine, and family care.

Littlewolf says she aims to do what shecan to help her community and those inneed.

No doubt, that’s an appropriateambition for someone who has a brightfuture in medicine.


ALUMNI PROFILE

From the left, Drew Weaver, BS ’11; Molly (Brenner) Weaver DPT ’13; Abby BrennerDPT ’17; Terri Brenner BSPT ’83, MPT ’93; Mark Brenner BS PT ’89; and Haley Brennerfirst-year PT, Class of ’19.

PT Family TreeWhile each member of the Brenner family took a different route to theirprofession, they all agree that physical therapy was the best fit for them.

Chronologically, the Brenner physicaltherapy family tree starts with Terri(Senger) Brenner, BSPT ’83, MPT ’93.Overall the tree includes her husband,three children, sister and brother-in-law—seven in total.

While attending high school in the smalltown of Crary, North Dakota, she spentafternoons with her classmates at the LakeArea Career and Technology Center in DevilsLake, about 14 miles away, where theycould choose from a number of classes.Terri chose Health Occupations, whichincluded physical therapy. Although Terriinitially thought she wanted to become anurse, she observed a practicing physicaltherapist for one week, which quicklybecame three to four afternoons per week.“I knew it’s what I wanted to do,” she said.

Terri was attracted to the physicaltherapy profession because she’s a self-proclaimed “people person” who wanted tohelp others. “There are very fewprofessions where you’re allowed to touchpeople, which is important for healing,”

she said. “And there is such variety to thethings you can do: inpatient, outpatient,sports medicine. There are many morespecialties today.”

Today, Terri works at Sanford Healthon South University Dr. in Fargo, focusingon acute orthopedics. Her husband Markis a physical therapist at Sanford onBroadway near downtown. He and Terrimet in high school; Mark grew up in DevilsLake. He earned his Bachelor of Science inEducation degree from UND in 1981, taughtand coached for five years, and then wentback to school to become a physicaltherapist, earning his BSPT degree fromUND in 1989. “I guess he saw how muchfun I was having,” Terri joked. “He says ifhe had known about PT during his firsttime at UND, he may have chosen thatfrom the beginning. However, he’s a bornteacher, and you do a lot of teaching in PT,just more one-on-one versus the classroomsetting.”

Indeed, Mark said working one-on-one with patients is one of the things he

By Jessica Sobolik

”“There are very fewprofessions where you’reallowed to touch people,

which is important for healing.


”“

likes most about the profession. Both heand Terri cited great colleagues as anotherpositive aspect of the position.

Mark’s brother Tim earned his BSPTdegree from UND in 1990 and currentlyworks at Prairie River Home Care in Buffalo,Minnesota. Terri’s sister Beth (Senger)Kocher earned the same degree from UNDone year later. “I did a lot of observing andgot really excited every time I observed,”she said. Beth is now retired. “You got toknow your patients and their families anddevelop a relationship with them. Youwould go home inspired every day.”

Terri added that she appreciated thejob flexibility that she and Markexperienced while raising a family. “I couldwork full-time, part-time, as little or asmuch as I wanted to,” she said. That camein handy as they raised three girls: Molly,Abby, and Haley. When Molly started tothink about her own career, her parentsencouraged her to look at health careersother than physical therapy. “They didn’twant to skew me in one way,” Molly said.“So I observed other health professions,and they were all great and interesting, butI just felt PT was my niche.” Molly alsoexperienced physical therapy as a patientwhen she was in high school. “Goingthrough PT and seeing how important itwas in order to return to sports and myprior level of function impacted me too.”She now works for Sanford Health inBemidji and is married to Andrew Weaver,a dentist who also graduated from UND.

Molly and her sisters recalled seeingpeople approach their parents when theywere out in the community. “People wouldalways come up to my parents and be sograteful,” Molly said. “They would thankthem for their help. I realized that way howrewarding the profession is.”

When Abby and Haley were older,they participated in Sanford’s MedicalExplorers class, which allowed them toobserve different health professionals.Terri recalled, “They would come homeand say, ‘Well, I know what I don’t want todo.’ I wasn’t going to discourage them fromPT, but I wanted it to be an informeddecision, not just because it was what theywere familiar with.”

Abby said she and her family jokedthat she might be the one to break the

mold and not go into physical therapy.“Then, after doing observations with allthe disciplines, I realized that PT wasindeed what I wanted to do,” she said. “Ilike that you’re able to help people and seetangible progress and help them achievegoals physically so they can get back todoing what is really important to them.”

Abby earned her Doctorate in PhysicalTherapy (DPT) this spring. She mostrecently completed a pediatrics clinical atthe Sanford Southpointe Clinic in Fargoand an inpatient rehabilitation clinical inOmaha, Nebraska. “I liked all of myclinicals and all for different reasons,” shesaid. “It’ll boil down to job openings andwhat’s the best fit for me.”

Haley said her high school anatomycourse is what piqued her interest in healthprofessions, which led her to the MedicalExplorers class. When Haley was a seniorin high school and considering physicaltherapy, Terri brought her to the UNDPhysical Therapy Department. “AlysonWhite, the Department’s administrativeofficer, said, ‘Another one?!’” Terri laughed.“I promised her this was the last one!”

Haley just completed her first year ofthe DPT program at UND. “Everyonewondered if I was going to be the one tochange it up, but I didn’t,” Haley said. “Ilove the variety of the PT profession: theage groups, the specialties. One of myprofessors just calls me ‘No. 3.’ ” She willcomplete her two clinical rotations in Fargo.

All of the Brenners recalled how kind,caring, and supportive their faculty were atUND (they all were students of SMHSAssociate Dean for Health Sciences TomMohr, PT, PhD), even though it may havebeen difficult to keep names straight. “I gotcalled ‘Molly’ all the time,” Abby joked. “Ieven got called my mom’s name once.”

Terri recalled telling her daughters toconsider what their goals were in lifebefore choosing their professions.“Whether it was nature or nurture, I’m notsure, but I feel the girls may have chosensome profession that involved workingwith people,” she said. “It’s rare andunusual that we ended up doing the samething, but I don’t think it’s a bad thingeither. I’m excited to see where the girlswill end up.”

I realized that way how rewarding

the profession is.


ALUMNI NOTES

Rachel Redig, MD ’10, has joined TriCounty Hospital in Wadena, Minn.Redig specializes in emergencymedicine and holds certification fromthe Emergency Medicine Board.

Sanford Health in Bismarck recently awarded a Soaring toExcellence award to Justin Reisenauer, MD ’08. This award isgiven to employees and departments who go above and beyondand live out Sanford’s mission, dedicated to the work of healthand healing.

Andrew McCoy, MD ’07, recently joined the Mark TwainSpecialty Care Practice in San Andreas, Calif., as a generalsurgeon. McCoy obtained his fellowship in an advancedGastrointestinal and Laparoscopic Fellowship Program at St.Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. He is board-certified.

Karey Breen, MD ’04, has been named director of functionalmedicine at Renew Medical IV Spa & Urgent Care, Charleston,S.C. She is a board-certified family medicine physician.

The Fargo VA Health Care System hashired physician assistant MarianneFoldesi, PA ’01, as a provider on theprimary care team. Foldesi earned abachelor’s degree in community healthfrom St. Cloud (Minn.) State University.She received her physician assistantcertificate from the University of NorthDakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences Department of PhysicianAssistant Studies.

Kay Haraguchi, PA ’94, retired in April 2014 after 20 years as aprimary care physician assistant. Graduating from the PAprogram at age 56, she spent 10 years at the Amarillo, Texas, VAhospital. After retiring from government service, she spent two-and-a-half years doing intermittent locum tenens work andthen spent the last eight years with a federally approvedcommunity health organization.

’90s’00s

At the UND SMHS Physician Assistant/FNP reception inMay, department Chair Jeanie McHugo presented twoalumni with Outstanding Community Faculty Awards:Amanda Kittelson, MPAS ’10 (above), and Terrie Jo Wold,PA ’95. Wold retired from Sanford Health in Fargo in2013, and Kittleson sees patients in family medicine atRenville County Hospital & Clinics in Olivia, Minnesota.


Dave GregoryDirector of Development

School of Medicine and Health SciencesUND Foundation

[email protected]

For additional information on how to best structure your gift to benefit the University of North Dakota, please contact

Jessica SobolikDirector of Alumni and Community RelationsSchool of Medicine and Health [email protected]


Celebrating 50 years of physical therapyThis year, the UND School of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of Physical Therapy is celebrating its 50thanniversary. To kick off the celebration, Professors Tom andPeggy Mohr recently established a $50,000 scholarshipendowment benefiting PT students. It’s the 11th endowmentspecifically for PT students, who each graduate with about an$80,000 debt load. To build upon the Mohrs’ gift celebrating ourmilestone and to support students in need, the Department isasking for your help in creating a 12th endowment, the PhysicalTherapy 50th Anniversary Scholarship Endowment. The goal isto raise $50,000. Please make a gift today by going online athttps://undalumni.org/smhs, or contact Associate Director ofDevelopment Deb Wilson at 701.777.6428 [email protected]. All donors will receive a personalthank you note from a current Physical Therapy student. Thank you in advance for your support!

Sports Medicineawards first Jim RuddMemorial Scholarship This spring, theDepartment of SportsMedicine awarded theinaugural Jim RuddMemorial Scholarship.As the first scholarshipdesignated specificallyto athletic trainingstudents at UND, thiswas a great honor andrepresents all the hard work that Jim put into building theprogram as its first chair. Two winners were selected: TiffanyBarth and Kerry Hoffman. Both will enter their second year inthe athletic training program next year. Tiffany Barth (pictured above on the left) is a native of Fargo,N.Dak., with goals of pursuing medical school to become anorthopedic physician once completing her athletic trainingeducation.

Kerry Hoffman (pictured above second from the left) isfrom Glasgow, Mont., and plans on applying to physical therapyschool. She hopes to be able to build on the skills she’s learnedfrom athletic training to become a better sports medicineclinician.

who recently gave gifts or made pledges.to our thoughtful donors

PHILANTHROPY


WORKFORCE

For the second year in a row, NorthDakota communities were able to connectwith our state’s medical students andresidents at the annual CommunityShowcase events held between March 8and April 6. More than 50 students, residents, andtheir guests attended one or more of thefour showcase events held in Minot,Fargo, Grand Forks, and Bismarck. Theevents were a collaborative effort of theCenter for Rural Health, the UND SMHSDepartment of Psychiatry and BehavioralScience, and the Area Health EducationCenter. The purpose of the CommunityShowcases is to make early connectionsbetween future physicians and NorthDakota healthcare facilities to increasechances of recruiting physicians back tothe state, or to stay in the state afterresidency. Twenty-three different North Dakotahealthcare facilities enjoyed theopportunity to connect with an audiencethey rarely get to see or communicatewith. Laura Fiedler is the outreach andenrollment coordinator for NorthlandHealth Centers, which has 11 medical anddental locations in rural or underservedareas across the state. She attended two ofthe four Showcase events. “The Community Showcases were awonderful opportunity to introduce ourlocal clinics to young medicalprofessionals,” she said. The unique layout of the Showcasesallowed each facility, large or small, tohave the stage in front of the entireaudience to share a brief five-minutesnapshot of what it’s like to live and workin their respective communities. Facilityrepresentatives, medical students, andresidents then had the chance to introducethemselves and network further with eachother after the presentations concluded.

Laura Fiedler from Northland Health Center shares information about theirvarious locations.

A Wider LensCommunity Showcases broaden the view for future practiceopportunities.By Stacy Kusler


“Presenting to the entire groupenabled us to make the case for theimportance of rural healthcare and thelarge impact these young professionalscould have in a small community,” Fiedlersaid. Other facilities enjoyed the smaller,less-crowded atmosphere that theShowcases offered. Steph Everett,foundation director for Mountrail CountyHealth Foundation, attended three of thefour events on behalf of Mountrail CountyHealth Center in Stanley, North Dakota. “It’s a very comfortable setting wherethe students and the facilities can reallyvisit with each other one-on-one veryeasily,” she said. Rocky Zastoupil, CEO, also fromMountrail County Health, attended theShowcase events for the second year in arow. “I felt this year was fantastic becauseit enabled us to speak to medical studentswho were from rural North Dakota andrural U.S.A., making it realistic forplanting seeds with potential providers,”he said. Just as the facilities enjoyed a chanceto promote their practice to futurephysicians, the students and residents alsoenjoyed learning about the variousopportunities that exist across NorthDakota. Kimberly and Luke Hushagen,both fourth-year medical students (andnow graduates of the MD Class of 2017),attended the Bismarck CommunityShowcase. This husband and wife duo are bothfrom North Dakota, and both matched to

residency programs in Hershey,Pennsylvania; Kimberly inpediatrics and Luke in internalmedicine, which will eventuallylead to hematology and oncology.Kimberly was excited to learnabout areas in North Dakota thatwould allow her and her husbandto return to practice here. “There will be the ability topractice beyond primary care inNorth Dakota and outside of thefour major cities,” she said. She added that she and herhusband learned, through theShowcase event, about communities thatare expanding medical services, whichwould allow them to both live andpractice in areas of the state they didn’tthink were possible given their respectivespecialties. Shane Gores, a second-year medicalstudent, attended the Grand Forks event.While the Grand Forks native is stilldeciding between emergency medicineand internal medicine, he felt theShowcase event was worth his time. “Itwas a great event, and I learned more thanI would have thought about organizationsand communities around the state,” hesaid. The showcase events were supportedby Trinity Health, Sanford Health, andAltru Health System. The next showcaseevents are tentatively planned for thespring of 2018.

Students talk with representativesfrom various North Dakotahealthcare facilities at the GrandForks showcase on April 5.

Students andresidentsintroducethemselves atBismarckShowcase onApril 6.


IN MEMORIAM

The Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicineand the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience announcedwith great sadness that John Belknap, PhD, died suddenly andunexpectedly February 22, 2017. Dr. Belknap was a professor ofbehavioral neuroscience, OHSU School of Medicine, and asenior research career scientist at the VA Portland Health CareSystem. He earned his BA, MA and PhD (1971) in psychologyfrom the University of Colorado, Boulder. He was one of thefirst graduates of both the new biopsychology program and thenew Institute for Behavioral Genetics, where he studied with apioneer in the field, Dr. Jerry McClearn. After a postdoctoralfellowship and a position as assistant professor of psychology atthe University of Texas, Austin, Belknap moved to thePharmacology Department at the University of North DakotaSchool of Medicine. He became acting chair of that departmentuntil moving to Portland, Ore., in 1988.

Dorian Henry “Pete” Cordes, BS Med, ’64, medical educator,age 78, died on February 10, 2017. Born in North Dakota in1938, he was an Arizona resident since 1980. Apart from a two-year stint as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy during theVietnam War, Pete spent the majority of his adult life in school.He received a BA degree from Concordia College; a BS degreein Medicine from the University of North Dakota; an MPHdegree from the University of Texas; an MD degree fromTemple University, and a diploma in Tropical Medicine fromWalter Reed Army Institutes of Research. Pete completedresidency training in general preventive medicine andoccupational medicine at the University of Arizona and wasboard-certified in each specialty. He served as clinical faculty atNorthwestern University and the University of Minnesota andas full-time academic faculty at the University of South Dakotaand the University of Nevada. Cordes served on the Universityof Arizona faculty at the College of Medicine from 1980 untilhis retirement in 1997, directing two residency programs andhelping to set up a graduate degree program in public health.

Delton Emanuel Gehring, BS Med ’65, Davenport, Iowa, wasborn May 13, 1936, in Washburn, North Dakota, a son ofEmanuel and Elsa (Vetter) Gehring. He had been married to thelate Margaret Fern Stout. He was later married to Lorna Greene.Del graduated from the University of North Dakota, TempleUniversity, and did his residency at University of Iowa Hospitalsbefore entering practice as an OB-GYN. He went on to deliverover 9,000 babies in the Quad cities area during his 32 years ofpractice. Del proudly served our country in the U.S. Army,where he earned the rank of captain as a flight surgeon. Whilein Vietnam, he was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Thomas Gretter, BS Med ’58, died April 4, 2017, surrounded byhis family—his wife Joan, sons Craig (Gwynne), Brock (Abby),and Gavin (Elizabeth). Six grandchildren—Katie and Gage,Henry and June, and Harper and Margaret—survive him. Hewas born in Fargo, North Dakota, to Albert C. and Ann B. Hissiblings, Barbara Nelson and Gary, predeceased him. Tomattended the University of North Dakota School of Medicineand graduated from the University of Pennsylvania PearlmanSchool of Medicine. He completed his residency at theUniversity of Iowa. Last year marked Tom’s 50th year working inthe Neurology Department at the Cleveland Clinic.

Marlin Paul Krenz, BS Med, ’52, age 88, of Norton Shores,Mich., died Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at Sanctuary at the Oaks,Muskegon, Michigan. He was born July 27, 1928, in Litchville,North Dakota to Carl Krenz and Amalia (Kolke) Krenz. Marlingrew up on a farm homesteaded by his father. With manyopportunities to learn self-sufficiency, he started driving himselfto school at ten years old. Inspired when he was young by aphysician who cared for him, he decided to become a doctor. Heearned his undergraduate degree from the University of NorthDakota and his MD from Northwestern Medical School, where,although mentored by renowned neurosurgeon Loyal Davis, heelected ophthalmology as his future. Most importantly, upongraduation, he went to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where hemet the nurse who became his lifelong love, Joan. They weremarried April 1, 1956, beginning a marriage that would last 60years. After an Alaska tour in the U.S. Air Force and a time inChicago for Marlin’s ophthalmology residency, the familymoved to Muskegon, where he opened his practice.

Rolf C. Olness, BS Med ’68, was born February 5, 1944, toClarence and LuBell Olness in Williston, North Dakota. Hepassed away on October 24, 2016, in Sonoma, Calif. Followinghis graduation from Williston High School in 1962, Rolfattended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and later theUniversity of Arizona. He spent two years in the medical schoolat the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ultimatelygraduating from the University of Texas Medical Branch inGalveston. Rolf then went on to start his residency in Surgery atQueens Hospital in Honolulu, where he met his future wife,LeeJay. Rolf served his country, drafted into the Navy in 1972.He was assigned to duty at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka,Japan. It was while he was stationed there that he and LeeJaymarried in Yokohama. Following his discharge from the Navy,Rolf and LeeJay settled in Sonoma, where their daughter, KaraLee, was born in 1974.


Dr. George Lincoln Osland, BS Med ’68, age 73 ofMinneapolis, Minn., died on March 20, 2017. George passedaway Monday morning peacefully with his wife, Heather, whomhe loved dearly, at his side and with his children near him. Hedied of complications stemming from numerous heart andpulmonary illnesses, and cancer. Similar to how he lived his life,he died quietly but affected those around him immeasurably. Hewas born February 12, 1944, on the family farm in Mayville, N.Dak.Even though he pretended not to know a lot, he graduated fromHillcrest Academy, the University of North Dakota, theUniversity of Minnesota Medical School, spent two years in theNavy, and completed a four-year residency at the Mayo Clinic.He joined Northwest Orthopedics in Robbinsdale, Minn., in1977, where he practiced as an orthopedic surgeon for 20 years.

Dr. Mechele Marie Peterson, Med ’91, 52, of Aberdeen, SouthDakota, and Fort Defiance, Ariz., passed away in her sleep,Monday, April 4, 2017. Mechele is preceded in death by herparents, Merton and Lucille Peterson. She is survived by herhusband of 22 years, Ben Brotbeck, her step-son Jacob Brotbeck,her sister Elizabeth Wallery, and niece Isabel. Mechele wasalways destined for great things. After a summer spentvolunteering as a candy striper, she knew she wanted to becomea doctor. Receiving her undergraduate and medical degreesfrom the University of North Dakota in 1991, Mechele turnedher love of infants into a professional career. As a pediatrician,she was adored by her colleagues and patients alike. Her worktook her all over the United States, and even offered her achance to help new mothers in Kabul, Afghanistan. WhileMechele achieved many impressive job titles in her life,including head of Pediatrics, chief of staff, associate professor atDartmouth University, and liaison chief for the Special ForcesMedics Program from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Mecheleremained humble and down-to-earth.

Dr. Donald J. Strand, BS Med ’44, Lt. Col. U. S. Army Ret.,died peacefully in hospice care, April 18, 2017, at the age of 94.He was born November 13, 1922, in Mandan, North Dakota, toRose and Jalmer Strand. He attended the University of NorthDakota, Temple University, and Harvard University, earningadvanced degrees in public health and preventive medicine. Hewas head surgeon in a MASH (mobile army surgical hospital)during the Korean War. During his Army career, he served inthe United States, Europe, and the Far East. Retired from acareer in the Army, he set up a private practice in Albany, N.Y.He was the coroner physician for the City of Albany, physicianto the State Legislature of New York, physician for five countynursing homes, and worked with the Albany Police and FireDepartments. He also earned his pilot’s license and flew his ownplane. Leaving Albany, he relocated to Florida, married JudithPape Donovan, and set up a new practice in Pompano Beach, aswell as being the physician for Stimson Inc., a manufacturingplant. He and Judy lived in Lighthouse Point for 43 years andwere longtime members of the Lighthouse Point Yacht andTennis Club.

Robert L. Van Dyken, BS Med ’71, age 78, passed away onSunday afternoon, Feb. 12, 2017, at St. Joseph’s Hospital inMarshfield, Wisconsin. Bob was born June 29, 1938, inManhattan, Montana, the son of Bert and Rose (Vander Ark)Van Dyken. He attended Manhattan Christian School, CerritosCommunity College, Montana State University, and theUniversity of North Dakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences. He graduated medical school from the University ofTexas-Galveston Medical Branch and completed residency atScott & White University Hospital in Temple, Texas. He marriedBarb (Zimmer) Van Dyken on Nov. 26, 1971, in Alta Loma,California. Bob and Barb moved to Wisconsin Rapids in 1977when he became the first OB-GYN specialist at RiverviewHospital. He served the Wisconsin Rapids community as anOB-GYN doctor for 28 years and delivered over 5,000 babiesthroughout the course of his career. Bob loved fishing,woodworking, golfing, hunting, watching sports, and spendingtime with his family. He and Barb enjoyed traveling cross-country with their family on many summer vacations. Havingbeen raised in the mountains of Montana, he loved spendingtime in the mountains. He was able to take his “dream trip” toAlaska twice with some of his children and grandchildrenafter his retirement.


Doctor of Medicine Class of 2017

Front Row (from left): Associate Dean Richard Van Eck, Assistant Dean Stephen Tinguely, Associate Dean Cornelius “Mac” Dyke,Assistant Dean Scott E. Knutson, Associate Dean A. Michael Booth, Assistant Dean Susan Zelewski, Dean Joshua Wynne, SeniorAssociate Dean Marc D. Basson, Senior Associate Dean Gwen W. Halaas, Associate Dean Randy Eken, Associate Dean JoycelynDorscher, and Assistant Dean Patrick Carr.Row 2: Anna Stecher, Emily Schwartz, Amy Borys, Cassandra Cross, Joclyn Seiler, Kimberly Hushagen, Alec Hildenbrand, MeganMeyer, Erin Follman, Malia Grosskreutz, Laurel Wessman, Hasanga Samaraweera, Adam Nygard, Jason Duchscherer, andCourtney Steichen.Row 3: Brynn Stenehjem, Kyle Rudningen, Amanda Kleppe, Regan Helbling, Laura Morgan, Erika Stein, Scott Poswilko, JenniferDobis, Tanner Anderson, Heather Liebe, and Jamie Odden.Row 4: Shelby Dvorak, Kara Prussing, Amber Nielsen, Sejal Parikh, Kelsey Gladen, Rebecca Asp, Ashley Horner, Cole Laber, MarkSchlotterback, Siddhant Dash, Lucy Ledyard, Natalie Crawford, Collette Chorney, Christopher Traynor, Steven McKnight, ErikHeitkamp, and Andrew Dockter.Row 5: Grant Larson, Brent Klinkhammer, Zachary Fowler, Wesley Halseth, Bryan LaBore, Luke Hushagen, Stephen Rostad,Ethan Kraft, Matthew McGee, Marcus Geffre, Brady Junes, Alexander Johnson, David Parker, Alec Ganske, Tyler Downing,Brandon Potter, Bradley Kvamme, Ryder Bekkedahl, Michael Gruchalla, David Collins, and Christopher Hellekson.Not pictured: Kelvin Dan.

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On March 2, Dean Wynne gave a Dean’s Hour talk on “Practical Electrocardiography: Tachyarrhythmias.”

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Master of Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2017Front Row (from left): Elizabeth Morton, Lisa Steers, Matthew Ryba, Lindsay Venn,and Agatha Ottem.Row 2: Mitchel Leers, Travis Booke, Vicki Andvik, Savannah Prodzinski, andBrianna Strube.Row 3: Angela Schuster, Rachel Watson,Katayoon Mohammadi, Kathryn Dietz, Togan Cottrell, Rebekah Dunn, Emil Trutwin, and Boris Davydov.Row 4: Jessica Anderson, Leslee Graff,Nicole Lemieux, Brian Steen, and MichaelButler.Row 5: Tim Olsen, Rebecca Hoistad,Benjamin Beuchler, Brian Adams,Katherine McFarland, Pamela Flavin-Lee,Annette Larson, Alyson Dahl, and DennisStewart.Not Pictured: Charlie Wood

Bachelor of Science in Athletic TrainingClass of 2017Front Row (from left): Alexandra Olson,Kathleen Bartuska, Garrett Thompson,Derek Anderson, and Amanda Tangen. Row 2:Morgan Kirchmeier, Sydney Larson,Hannah Freden, Lea Aaberg, and HaileyLick.Row 3: Alex Nagel and Blaine Birtzer.

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Master of Occupational Therapy Class of 2017Front row, (from left): Sara Johnson, Kate Gearman, Emily Germolus, April Schmiesing, Olivia Isaacson, Brooke Friederichs,Amber Daly, Brittany Davis, Leah Sherman, Michael Thurn, and Warren Ross. Row 2: Jessica Nordmeyer, Kelsey Kanwischer, Alison Ikeogu, Jamie Schacht, Courtney Jacobson, Mikayla Greely, KatherineErickson, Kelsey Glatt, and Dr. Jan Stube.Back Row: Tessa Richards, Anna Huss, Amy Fitzsimmons, Ashley Zimmer, Alexa Martel, Luke VanHavermaet, Rachel Kos, JacyWhaley, Courtney Funk, Carissa Birchem, Lynn Bielski, Brian Lefavour, Samantha Guenther, Andrew Ostander, Emilee Rath, Alison Tonsager, and Tracy Perish.Not pictured: Marcus Sickler, Esada Mujcic, and Jessika Lackie.

President Kennedy is shown with Ann Sanoji Samarakkody,PhD 2017, who earned her degree from the Department ofBiomedical Sciences. Her dissertation project focused oninvestigating molecular mechanisms that regulate theprocess of transcription, which is the first step of geneexpression, specifically in the context of gene activation. Herwork demonstrates that transcription factors orchestrate theactivity of a gene in a stimulus-specific manner. She hasbeen working as a postdoctoral research fellow (divisionHematology and Oncology) at Boston Children’s Hospital andHarvard Medical School since April.

Master of Public Health Class of 2017Front row (from left): Arnold Forlemu, Xia Lu, JessicaKnutson, and Ryan Fischer.Back row: Benjamin Larson, Skyler Ienuso, Michael Strinden,and Michael DulitzNot pictured: Allie Canoy Illies, Saima Choudhry, TempestDawson, Emily Hallie, and Lauren Whitted.

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Courtesy of Lifetouch Special Events

Courtesy of Lifetouch Special Events


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Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2017Front Row (from left): Shelby Carlson, Courtney McDonald, Marcé Schultz, Kelley Olson, Kelsey Lafond, Ashley Hickox, Erin Yankovec, Chase Kerber, Corey Langerud, Megan Sween, Lindsay Palmquist, and Stephanie Erlandson.Row 2: Brittany Bleichner, Tiffany VanHaaften, Daniel Himmerick, Megan Shanahan, Brianna Gustafson, Abby Brenner,Melanie Fuller, Marissa Adolphson, Lauren Trudel, Kelsey Wiskow, Lauren Graham, Isaac Bitter, and Alicia Bullinger.Row 3:William Hunt, Benjamin Holter, Brianna Albrecht, Jenna Goecke, Brittany Tronnes, Kelsey DeCamp, Evan Condry,Jamie Drevlow, Jenna Wyffels, Ashley Fedie, and Jordan Peterson.Row 4:Mason Hegna, Shelby Trosdahl, Nicholas Hastert, Aaron Bakker, Jedrick Mazion, Wesley Anderson, Joshua Johnson,Brock Clements, Roy Nelson, Benjamin Lofgren, Allen Kennedy, and Joe Perry.

SMHS and UND students who participated in the Indians IntoMedicine Program at UND were acknowledged at the HonorCeremony held during Wacipi in April at UND. Dean Wynnespoke at the Honor Ceremony.Front row, from left: Kelvin Dan, MD 2017; Brandon Potter, MD2017; Mary Leaf, Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN); KateyMonette, BSN; Cassandra Cross, MD 2017; Brandi Champagne,2017 Bachelor of Science Medical Laboratory Science; andMamie Bender, BSN. Back row, from left: James Lindgren, Bachelor of Science SocialWork; Tyler Downing, MD 2017; David Parker, MD 2017; MelissaWheeler, Master of Arts Counseling Psychology; and NicoleBeston, BSN. Not pictured were Cole Allick, Master of HealthService Administration (at the University of Washington);Bethany Davis, PhD, Biomedical Sciences; and TempestDawson, Master of Public Health.


Department of Medical Laboratory Science Master of Science, Bachelor of Science, and Certificate Graduates for August 2016, December 2016, and May 2017

Students enrolled in the BS degree or MLS certificate program are required to complete an on-campus summer sessionimmediately before completing a two-semester clinical practicum in their final year of academic study. This summer session(also known as Summer Practicum) is an intensive 40-hour-per-week experience that consists of 13 credits of academic study.In the photo are the students who completed the 2016 Summer Practicum.

August 2016 GraduatesBachelor of Science: Larisaa Dube, Shelby Morcomb, Samantha Christensen

December 2016 GraduatesBachelor of Science: Liban Adan, Regina Haeflinger, Abigail Miller, Zuhur Muhumed, Andres SalinasMaster of Science: Samantha Peterson

May 2017 GraduatesBachelor of Science: Brianna Abrahamson, Joyce Anderson, Teal Bjerk, Hannah Charpentier, Alex Donadio, Jacob Erickson,Sarah Hartenstein, Masami Hida, Meagan Hollis, Grant Jacobson, Jacob Karsten, Kassandra Kompelien, Kaitlyn Kraska,Jessica Latterell, Jennifer Loff, James Mayes, Scott Metzger, Amy Oftedahl, Karissa Olson, Karlie Ostrom, Connor Robley,Abigail Salinas, Lakyn Sandness, Stephanie Shimota, Temesgen Sinamo, Amy St. John, Erin Todd, Tori Torok, Brett Vogel,Kelsey Weber, Kelli Williamson, Ashlynn Windjue

Certificate Medical Laboratory Science: Ahlam Alchikh, Ghaleb Aldossary, Christopher Barton, Edward Bernas, Jannati Bristi, Kevin Chalich, Jonathan Clark,Benjamin Dreher, Jessie Elliot, Molly Evans, Jade Finstad, Ismail Hassan, Aisha Hawsawi, Angela Hegland, Jessica Hennings,Justin Howard, Rebecca Huppler, Maisie Januszewski, Samantha Karl, Ashley Kaya, Leah Klosiewski, Austin Korczak,Nicholas Lemon, Morgan Long, Hallie Meink, Sawyer Merry, Raeleigh Moe, Joseph Moberg, Brian Monson, SamanthaNellessen, Jasmin Peterson, Jenessa Phillipczyk, Nathan Rongstad, Jeffyvonne Sands, Jeongseung Son, JeffreySpangenberg, Jerrod Stoker, Hailee Swennes, Samantha Vang, Mickenzie Welder, Halie Werner-Osterloh, Kathryn Worrell

Master of Science: Guilaine Deberry, Alex Hastings, Shannon Hughes, Amanda Kirts, Emily Knutson, Deborah McClelland,Michelle VanAcker, Kati Visser, Kipp Wilson

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University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health SciencesA National Leader in Rural Health - Serving North Dakota since 19051301 North Columbia Road Stop 9037 � Grand Forks ND � 58202-9037 701-777-4305 www.med.und.edu

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