Mechanical engineering student Joe Polo earned Olympic bronze at the Winter Games in Turin, Italy, as a member of the United States curling team. 

Mike Gaffey, professor of space studies, has received the G.K. Gilbert Award from the Geological Society of America for his contributions to planetary geology.  He also received the Leonard Medal from the Meteoritical Society for his work on meteoritics.  He is the first person to receive both awards in the same year.

The SUNRISE initiative, a team of faculty from UND and NDSU organized to study sustainable energy, has received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and nearly $1 million from North Dakota EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research). 

Stephen Wonderlich, professor of clinical neuroscience, has received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder.  Around 120 study participants will keep up-to-the-minute diaries, which will be analyzed to develop more effective treatments.

Chemistry professor and renowned molecular structure theorist Mark Hoffmann was invited to Japan to present his work to peers at the University of Tokyo.  He presented his work on high-performance computing, catalysis, and sustainable and renewable energy at the XII International Congress of Quantum Chemistry Satellite Symposium.  His research group at UND is one of just a handful in the world looking at perturbation theory, which will allow researchers to streamline ways to produce more energy with less waste and fewer emissions.

United Tribes Technical College and UND have been awarded more than $2 million for two grants to help increase the number of American Indian principals and special education teachers in the state.  Both grants will be delivered through the College of Education and Human Development. 

Physicist Tim Young and computer scientist Ron Marsh webcast a solar eclipse from Turkey in March.  The scientists have built a global reputation for their carefully researched and produced multimedia webcasts and podcasts of eclipses around the world.  These have been viewed by tens of thousands of people.

The Special Education Resident Teacher Program at UND and the Rural Special Education Strategist program at Minot State University have received a national award in teacher preparation from the American Council on Rural Special Education.

All UND nurse anesthesia and family nurse practitioner graduates passed the national licensing exam on their first attempt this year.  It’s the sixth consecutive year of 100 percent pass rates for the FNP program at UND, compared to a nationwide 86 percent pass rate. 

It began in 2001 with a goal to raise $20 million and enhance the College of Business and Public Administration.  Today, the Creating Business Leaders Campaign total is $19.6 million and quickly closing in on its goal, thanks to support from alumni, friends, and affiliated businesses. 

Great things are happening in the college.   

Renovations have transformed outdated classrooms into state-of-the-art learning centers providing the tools, design, and technology that students need to excel after graduation. 

Heidi Michaels, a student from Mentor, Minn., who has classes in the Eide Bailly Accounting Learning Center, believes the rooms are a great improvement.  “The design of this classroom is much better than traditional classrooms,” she said.  “Everyone can see the information the instructors or classmates are trying to show you.  Before, there were rows of huge desks that weren’t comfortable and you couldn’t work as a group.  The Eide Bailly Accounting Learning Center is my favorite classroom because I can focus on the work we need to do as a group, rather than fighting the desks and struggling to see what someone is trying to explain to me.”

“The updates create a professional atmosphere and offer experiential learning for our students,” said Dennis Elbert, dean of the college.

Another result of the campaign:  three endowed chair faculty positions, eight faculty fellowships, and two professorships.  These honors recognize outstanding and distinguished faculty who serve as national leaders in their fields and inspire students to pursue excellence in their careers.

The campaign officially ends Dec. 31.