Lifeblood of Research - University of North Dakota · Fifth Annual ND INBRE Undergraduate Research Symposium The fifth annual North Dakota INBRE Undergraduate Research Symposium was

Lifeblood of ResearchEpigeneticsCelebrating the Power of Rural

Ghana 2013: Life Without Barriers

EpigeneticsCelebrating the Power of Rural

Ghana 2013: Life Without Barriers

Holiday 2013VOLUME 38, NUMBER 4www.ndmedicine.org

Holiday 2013VOLUME 38, NUMBER 4www.ndmedicine.org

Share Your Spirit: spirit.UND.edu | 800.543.8764

Thanks to our generous donors, North Dakota Spirit |The Campaign for North Dakota will direct more than $324 millionto the University of North Dakota’s passionate students, inspirational educators, innovative programs, extraordinaryplaces, and priority needs. For specific campaign results for the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, please see page 32.

THANK YOUNorth Dakota Spirit

THE $300 MILLION CAMPAIGN FOR UND

2 NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Holiday 2013

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Holiday 2013 3

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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 Peterson501 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

ROBERT O. KELLEY, President, University of North Dakota

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

EDITOR Denis MacLeodWRITERS Emily Aasand, Mark Barclay, Alyssa Konickson, Lonnie Laffen, Dave Miedema, Juan Pedraza, Jessica SobolikCONTRIBUTORS Kristen PetersonGRAPHIC DESIGN Laura Cory, John Lee, Victoria Swift PHOTOGRAPHY Wanda Weber

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WEBMASTER Eric Walter

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FEATURESLifeblood of Research 10 Funding for the School’s researchers is critical for advancing their

knowledge of human health.

Epigenetics 14 The School’s new research center will focus on the epigenome’s role in disease development.

Celebrating the Power of Rural 18 National Rural Health Day showcases the strengths of rural America.

Ghana 2013: Life Without Barriers 28 Students and faculty from the Department of Occupational Therapy serve to learn during a special assignment in the Republic of Ghana.

DEPARTMENTS Dean’s Letter 4 News Briefs 6 Guest Author - Lonnie Laffen 16 Student Profile - Brandon Johnson 22 Alumni Profile - Christopher Anderson and Allison Clapp 24 Alumni Notes 26 In Memoriam 30 Philanthropy 32 Parting Shots 34

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The School of Medicine and HealthSciences is extremely fortunate to haveongoing strong financial support from thepeople of North Dakota throughappropriations authorized by theLegislature. Such contributions constituteabout a third of the School’s overalloperating budget, a budget that will exceed$100 million this fiscal year. But even withsuch terrific support—which exceeds thepercentage of support most other publicmedical schools like ours receive fromtheir states—we still rely on the generousphilanthropy of our alumni, friends, andothers. While these contributions maysupport faculty, programs, and facilities,their most important use is to support our

students, mostly by providing scholarshipsfor needy students. But even with thestrong financial support from the state andconscientious efforts on our part to limittuition increases to the smallest amountpossible, medical and health sciencesstudent debt is a major concern. The School of Medicine and HealthSciences has among the lowest costs ofattendance in the country, ranking at aboutthe 25th percentile (meaning that 75percent of medical schools across thecountry cost more). Our tuition isconsistently lower than our peerinstitutions, and our tuition increasesusually smaller. Yet despite this, ourstudents graduate with higher than averagedebt, at about the 75th percentile level(meaning that only about 25 percent ofschools have higher average debt). So whyis it that we have below average cost toattend and above average student debt? Ithink that there are at least two importantreasons: first, we take students from acrossNorth Dakota. Eighty percent or more ofour medical students hail from the state.We don’t take the offspring of just the well-to-do, but we take students from ruraltowns as well as the larger cities, rich andpoor and everywhere in between.Accordingly, many of our students comefrom modest backgrounds and do notcome from families that can just pick upthe tab. Second, we simply don’t havesufficient funds to provide all needystudents with the financial aid they need.

DEAN’S LETTER

PhilanthropyWhy

Still Matters


As a consequence, the average medicalstudent graduates with about $160,000 ofmedical school debt, and about $190,000in higher education debt if one includesundergraduate debt as well.

Thus, I have established mitigation ofstudent debt as the highest priority goal forthe School and for our fund-raising efforts.Dave Miedema, our development director,working with Tim O’Keefe and DeAnnaCarlson Zink of the UND Foundation,shares our passionate belief that the focusof our fund-raising activities over the nextfew years needs to be on students andstudent debt. That’s why your support ofour students is so important. Can youimagine the difference that a justgraduated student will feel if she faces herfirst day as a doctor with little or no debt,or conversely, has to step out into her newprofession at an almost $200,000disadvantage? You can make the difference. Largecontribution or small—all matter. But forthose of you considering an endowmentgift, the State of North Dakota has furthercommitted to UND to provide anadditional $1 (up to a total of $10 million)for every $2 raised in endowments. Forthose of you who are considering a largergift, please consider one of the namingopportunities we have available in the newbuilding, which will open in the summerof 2016. Your dollars will go to support

students (or for whatever other purposeyou designate), but in recognition andappreciation, we will offer a wide variety ofnaming opportunities. Please see ourmenu of opportunities on page 33 of thisissue, and contact Dave to discuss theoptions and procedures for your donation.

But please remember that you are thekey to reducing student debt. I and theSchool’s dedicated leadership team willcontinue to keep the cost of education aslow as possible and tuition increases assmall as possible, but we need your help ifwe are going to reduce student debt. Ittakes almost a million dollars in cashdonations each year to reduce eachgraduating medical student’s debt burdenby $10,000. So we really need everyone’shelp as we struggle with the debt problem. Please consider a generous donationto your School of Medicine and HealthSciences. The North Dakota Legislaturehas done its share; now it is time for you todo yours. Thank you and best wishes for awonderful holiday season!

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

”“You can make the difference. Large contribution or small—all matter.


UND biochemist garners funding tocontinue study of congenital heart disease

The National Institutes of Health awardedLinglin Xie, PhD, a research assistantprofessor in the Department of BasicSciences at the University of NorthDakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences, a $394,128 grant over the nextthree years for her molecular and geneticstudy of the proper development of theheart in the womb. The NIH’s grantcontinues Xie’s work on the poorlyunderstood mechanisms underlying acommon type of heart condition at birth. Xie’s research is aimed at understanding why some kids areborn with a “hole in the heart,” clinically known as septaldefects. Her group is specifically studying what causes atrialseptal defect, in which there is an abnormal opening in thedividing wall between the upper filling chambers of the heart(the atria). As a group, atrial septal defects, ASDs, are detectedin 1 child per 1,500 live births, and account for 30 to 40 percentof all congenital heart diseases. “We specifically study a gene, Tbx5, whose mutation causesa disorder called Holt-Oram syndrome in humans,” Xie said.“These patients are characterized by arm and handmalformation and heart defects, especially ASDs.” The hole in the dividing wall allows oxygen-rich bloodfrom the upper-left chamber of the heart to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the upper-right chamber, resulting in excessiveblood flow through the lungs. Atrial septal defect may cause anenlarged right heart, heart failure, heart arrhythmia, stroke,pulmonary hypertension, or other conditions. “My previous work at the University of Chicago found howthe Tbx5 gene is a must in the formation of the atrial septum;however, many other factors are also needed in order for anormal septum to occur,” she said. “We are now identifyingwhat these other factors are and how they work together informing a normal atrial septum.” For more information about Holt-Oram syndrome, see theNIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Scienceswebpage at http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/gard/6666/holtoram-syndrome/more-about-this-disease.

Fifth Annual ND INBRE UndergraduateResearch Symposium

The fifth annual North Dakota INBREUndergraduate Research Symposium washeld on November 4 at the Alerus Centerin Grand Forks. ND INBRE is the NorthDakota IDeA (Institutional DevelopmentAward) Network of Biomedical ResearchExcellence. The goal of ND INBRE is tobuild biomedical research capacity byserving research universities,baccalaureate institutions, and tribalcolleges within the state. The focus of the symposium was “Epigenetics – A NewCenter of Biomedical Research Excellence.” Health and theenvironment are the focuses of research conducted under theND INBRE program, which lends significant financial supportto research projects at predominantly undergraduateinstitutions in the state. Information about the INBRE programcan be found at http://ndinbre.org/. The statewide INBRE network is administered by theUniversity of North Dakota School of Medicine and HealthSciences under the direction of Donald Sens, PhD, a professorin the Department of Pathology at the UND School of Medicineand Health Sciences. “INBRE provides a broad range of benefitsin biomedical research and science education encompassingresearch universities, baccalaureate institutions and tribalcolleges across North Dakota,” Sens said. The morning session of this year’s symposium was devotedto a series of presentations by UND scientists, who outlined theepigenetics-focused research that is pursued at UND’s newepigenetics research center. In the afternoon, research posterswere presented that highlighted the research by undergraduatesfrom Dickinson State University, Minot State University,Mayville State University, Valley City State University,Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Turtle MountainCommunity College, the University of North Dakota, andNorth Dakota State University.

NEWS BRIEFS

Linglin Xie, PhD Donald Sens, PhD


NEWS BRIEFS

The 11th Annual American Indian Health Research Conferencetook place on November 4 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.The conference offers opportunities to discuss researchdirections, partnerships, and collaboration in health researchfocusing on American Indians. The conference featured JerilynChurch, MSW, CEO of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’sHealth Board, who provided the conference’s keynote addresstitled “Public Health in Tribal Communities.” Church, a Miniconjou Lakota, was born and raised on theCheyenne River Sioux reservation in South Dakota. She is asecond-language learner of the Lakota language. Church is theformer executive director of American Indian Health andFamily Services of Southeastern Michigan Inc. Church has worked to improve the health of AmericanIndian families since 1981 when she promoted children’simmunization as Miss Indian America XXVII. She graduatedwith honors from Michigan State University with a Bachelor ofScience in Social Work and an American Indian specialization.She obtained her master’s degree in social work from theUniversity of Michigan, where she was a Child Welfare Fellow.She earned the 2009 International Women’s Who’s Who inMichigan Professional Women from the International Instituteof Metropolitan Detroit. In December 2011, she earned aSpecial Tribute of Acknowledgement from the State of Michiganfor “hard work, dedication and leadership, and public service onbehalf of Native Americans and their families in SoutheasternMichigan.” Numerous posters and exhibits were on display at theconference, and there were sessions focusing on health risk andhealth promotion among Native American communities. The11th Annual American Indian Health Research Conference wassponsored by the North Dakota IDeA (InstitutionalDevelopment Award) Network of Biomedical ResearchExcellence, UND Center for Rural Health, UND SevenGenerations Center of Excellence in Native Behavioral Health,and the UND Chapter of the Society of Indian Psychologists.

UND medical students receivescholarships for 2013–2014

A total of $384,859 in scholarships has been awarded to 143medical students at the University of North Dakota School ofMedicine and Health Sciences for the 2013–2014 academic year.Funds for the scholarships come from various private sources,endowments and scholarship funds. A complete list ofscholarship recipients is available online athttp://bit.ly/1bJfeNH.

The American Society for Microbiology(ASM) selected Tammy Gonzalez from theUniversity of North Dakota School ofMedicine and Health Sciences as a 2013award recipient of the ASMUndergraduate Research CapstoneProgram. The goal of the capstone program is to“fulfill the later stages of undergraduateprofessional development” forunderrepresented minority students. Thisprogram seeks to enhance the presentation skills of students aftertheir research experiences. The ASM Undergraduate ResearchCapstone Program focuses on enhancing presentation andnetworking skills, and provides students with resources totransition to disciplinary scientific meetings. Capstone awardees demonstrate superior research projectinvolvement and knowledge, commitment to research, andacademic achievement. Each awardee received up to $1,500 intravel support to the ASM Capstone Institute and 113th ASMGeneral Meeting (if their abstract was accepted) and a two-yearASM student membership. This year, 32 applications were received and 18 wereawarded. Of the 18 awardees, eight students are from researchand doctoral granting universities and 10 students are fromundergraduate and master’s degree granting institutions. Catherine Brissette, PhD, an assistant professor in theDepartment of Basic Sciences at the School of Medicine andHealth Sciences, is Gonzalez’s mentor. The title of Gonzalez’sresearch project is “Characterization of Escherichia coli Lpp as aPlasminogen-Binding Protein.” The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), headquarteredin Washington, D.C., is the world’s largest scientific society ofindividuals interested in the microbiological sciences. Please visithttp://www.asm.org/students for more information on thisfellowship.

11th Annual American Indian HealthResearch Conference

Tammy Gonzalez

Gonzalez earns American Society ofMicrobiology Fellowship


The UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences is one of thefew medical schools that currently require all medical students tocomplete a clinical research project. The project is a requirementin the third-year clinical epidemiology course taught by AssociateProfessor James Beal, PhD, director of Research and ProgramDevelopment in the Department of Family and CommunityMedicine at the School. Krishan Jethwa, a fourth-year medical student from Minot,N.Dak., and his fourth-year colleagues Brooke Settergren fromBismarck, N.Dak., and Brittany Berg from Hawley, Minn.,under the direction of Dr. Beal, found that women with breastcancer who had to travel long distances to a comprehensivecancer center were more likely to have later-stage disease atdiagnosis and a mastectomy at surgery. Their results werepresented at the 12th Annual American Association for CancerResearch International Conference on Frontiers in CancerPrevention Research, held in National Harbor, Md. Data analysis showed an association between patients’distance from a comprehensive cancer center and stage atdiagnosis, as well as an association between distance and surgerytype. The longer the travel distance, the more likely women wereto have later-stage disease at diagnosis, and the more likely theywere to have a mastectomy. “The main purpose of this study was to determine if womenin rural North Dakota and Minnesota were at a disadvantage interms of breast cancer screening, treatment, and, ultimately,survival outcome,” said Jethwa. “Travel in this part of thecountry can be long and difficult, especially during the winter.While investigating the public health implications of this, wefound that women who live farther from a comprehensive cancercenter were more likely to be diagnosed with later-stage disease.This highlights the need for improved access to screening andtreatment for rural populations.”

Jethwa and his colleagues analyzeddemographic and clinical data from260 women who were diagnosed withbreast cancer between Jan. 1, 2007,and Dec. 31, 2007, and receivedtreatment at a comprehensive cancercenter in Fargo, N.Dak. The studyinvestigated women aged 29 to 94 atdiagnosis, with an average age of 60.All patients were white, and none hada prior cancer history.

Using the Mantel-Haenszel test for linear association, theresearchers found that travel distance was related to both stageat diagnosis and surgery type. They found no associationbetween distance and age at diagnosis, treatment withradiotherapy, or five-year survival. Jethwa et al. highlighted several areas for future analysis,including how much the risk of later-stage disease at diagnosisincreases as a function of travel distance and whethermastectomy among rural women is linked to more advanceddisease. They noted it is possible the choice of mastectomy is

independent of stage at diagnosis and related to daily travelrequirements. Jethwa et al. also said that additional research onhow travel distance affects the number of women receivingscreening mammograms could help policymakers and health careproviders devise effective interventions. Nathan Carpenter and Samuel Lohstreter, fourth-year studentsfrom Bismarck and Mandan, presented their findings on theassociation between statin use and the risk of developing cataractsat the Association for Research in Vision and OphthalmologyAnnual Meeting in Seattle, Wash. Statins are widely prescribedcholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lipitor and Crestor. There is conflicting evidence that the use of statins mayincrease the risk of cataracts. A hospital-based case-controlretrospective chart review was conducted on patients with andwithout cataracts from October 31, 2010, through October 31,2012. The patients were predominantly from northeastern NorthDakota and northwestern Minnesota and between the ages of 30and 79 years. Institutional review boards of both Altru HealthSystem and the University of North Dakota approved the study.Results of the study indicated no association between statin useand the risk of developing cataracts. “Doing a research project in our third year gave us great,firsthand insight into how epidemiological studies are conducted,”said Nathan Carpenter. “We came away with a greaterappreciation for both the difficulties involved with testing ahypothesis as well as the great importance and impact thesestudies have in medicine. We chose to do our project within thefield of ophthalmology because it is a topic that interests us bothand will be relevant to our futures in medicine.” Carpenter and Lohstreter said that residency programslook for candidates’ interest in their particular field. Conductingresearch in that field is just one way of showcasing that interest.They said it is worthwhile to the student to conduct a project

Medical students’ research is recognized at national conferences

NEWS BRIEFS

Jim Beal Krishan Jethwa Brooke Settergren Brittany Berg

Michelle Cho Nathan Carpenter Samual Lohstreter


related to their medical career objectives and to set goals for theresearch project beyond the walls of the medical school byseeking to get their research published in a journal orshowcased at a conference. “We believe it makes the student more passionate about theproject throughout the process and the successes that become ofit that much more rewarding,” Carpenter said. “We werefortunate enough to see our work pay off as we presented aposter at the annual ARVO conference.” Carpenter and Lohstreter worked with coauthors clinicalfaculty member Michelle Cho, MD, an ophthalmologist with AltruHealth System’s Eye Department in Grand Forks, and Dr. Beal,

faculty advisor for the project “I think both groups’ projects were a good representation ofa new student-driven clinical research approach, in which thestudents generate the research project idea that can be furtherdeveloped with the medical expertise of a clinical faculty physicianand aided by the research and analytical expertise of an academicfaculty member,” said Beal. “The traditional student-mentorapproach is often a more mentor-driven approach with thestudent working on an existing project or developing a researchproject closely tied to the mentor’s research.”

NEWS BRIEFS

Joseph Adducci ..............................................Williston, ND

Robert Arusell and Janelle Sanda ....................Fargo, ND

Steve Bagan ................................................West Fargo, ND

Philip and Sandy Barney ..................................Polson, MT

Ida Bergstrom ............................................Washington DC

Heidi Bittner ..............................................Devils Lake, ND

Stephen Clifford ..................................................Sherrill, IA

Scott Fillmore........................................................Fargo, ND

Richard Flom ....................................................St. Paul, ND

James Frisk ............................................................Fargo, ND

Susan Gallo ....................................................Miles City, MT

William Heiser ..............................................Scottsdale, AZ

Louis Howell ................................................West Fargo, ND

omas Hutchens ..........................................Bismarck, ND

Andrew Hvidston ................................................Fargo, ND

Shiraz Hyder ..................................................Bismarck, ND

David Jose ..........................................................St. Paul, MN

Mark Koponen ..........................................Grand Forks, ND

Gary Kosel..........................................................St. Paul, MN

Larry Leadbetter ......................................Park Rapids, MN

Jared Mahylis ....................................................Portland, OR

William Mayo ..............................................Wahpeton, ND

Jeffrey Meland ..............................................Northfield, MN

Margaret Traynor Mickelson ............................Fargo, ND

David Monson ..............................................River Forest, IL

Candice Nelson ............................................Sioux Falls, SD

Rick Paulson ..................................................Bismarck, ND

Donald Person ..........................................San Antonio, TX

Brett Pinkerton ..................................................Sartell, MN

Kent Sack............................................................Pacheco, CA

Michael Traynor ..................................................Fargo, ND

Joshua Wynne and Susan Farkas ......................Fargo, ND

The third annual Adopt-a-Med-Student Luncheon was heldon October 31 in the Vennes Atrium at the School. Theprogram was created by Dean Joshua Wynne and the Officeof Alumni and Community Relations in 2011. For a gift of $250, sponsors give first-year medical schoolstudents stethoscopes, a staple tool of all physicians. Thestudents select the model and color they want, and theirnames are then engraved on the diaphragm. The stethoscopesare presented to the students at the luncheon in October. Sponsors who attended the event were Heidi Bittner, MarkKoponen, Margaret Traynor Mickelson, and Michael Traynor.

Sponsors are paired with students mostly based ongeographic location, possibly by other interests such as sportsor hobbies (if evident) but sometimes simply at random.Some students have been surprised to learn they know theirsponsor, and sometimes sponsors have attended the luncheonto personally present the stethoscope to the students. If you are interested in sponsoring a member of the Classof 2018 next fall, please contact the Office of Alumni andCommunity Relations at (701) 777-4305 or [email protected].

Adopt-a-Med-Student


o blood, no go. That’s the fundamental truth for

just about all creatures above the cellularlevel. Metaphorically, that holds for institutions too.

Ask Dr. Joshua Wynne, cardiologist,UND vice president for Health Affairs, anddean of the School of Medicine and HealthSciences: he’ll tell you that cash—includinggrant awards—is the go or no go of the research enterprise.

What’s notable in this context is thatby any measure of health, the SMHS’s circulation—especially counting its flow ofgrants—is remarkably fit.

“The reason that we have been successful in getting grants in an incrediblycompetitive environment is that we have astrategic vision of where we were goingfrom the research enterprise point of view,”said Wynne, who, in addition to his MD degree, also holds an MBA and an MPH,

By Juan Pedraza

N

Lifeblood of ResearchFunding for the School’s researchers is critical for advancing theirknowledge of human health.


both testifying to his keen understandingof how a business such as the SMHS livesor dies by its cash flow.

“We provided appropriate support, encouragement, and rewards to carry outthat vision. We were careful in our recruitment of younger faculty with highacademic potential, and that has paid off toa remarkably positive degree,” Wynne said.

How positive?In its most recent summary of grantawards, covering the federal fiscal year of2012, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)reports that it awarded nationwide 13,989grant applications out of the nearly 70,000applications it received and reviewed. TheNIH in 2012 awarded $5.5 billion, or a 20percent success rate (NIH defines successrate as the percentage of reviewed grantapplications that receive funding).

Compare that success rate to theSchool’s, where from July 1, 2012 to June

30, 2013, SMHS researchers submitted $90million in grant applications to not onlythe NIH but also to the state as well as pri-vate and foundation sources. The SMHSgot about $27 million—a success rate of 30percent. For fiscal year 2013, the SMHSrecorded $27.12 million in grant awards,more than double fiscal year 2012’s rate;this number does not include the recentlyannounced $10.5 million five-year grantfor a Center of Biomedical Research Excel-lence in epigenetics research.

“That’s a remarkable achievement,”said Wynne.

He notes that since 2002, SMHS scientists have filed nearly $1 billion ingrant applications and received close to$240 million, for a long-term success rateof 25 percent, significantly higher than thenational average for research universities.

The School’s grant success rate—a cleartestament to the quality of grant proposals—is all the more significant when comparedto the benchmark NIH funding successrates, which have dropped in the last 10years to an average of 20 percent.

“The key is having a vision; puttingthe vision into play; and then getting theright people to carry it out,” Wynne said.

Part of that strategic vision was breakingdown departmental barriers by consolidatingdepartments into one basic research unit.That unit organizes research into functionaland scientific interest groupings, ratherthan departments based on disciplines.This move was launched this summer withthe appointment of Malak Kotb as chair ofbasic sciences.

As Wynne noted at the time of thatmove, most science historically was theproduct of lone geniuses, such as AlbertEinstein.

“That model governed biosciences,too, such as Charles Darwin, taking notesby himself on the voyage of the Beagle andcomposing them in a lone study into hismagnum opus, On the Origin of Species,”Wynne said.

Today, a new model—called team science—is taking over the research enterprise. The UND SMHS has forgedahead with this model, which underscoresits commitment to forward-looking research—and to the grants that support it.

”“We’re going to build on our success.


The NIH—the world’s largest funderof biomedical research—has a detailedhow-to manual about doing team science.And to go a step further, there’s a recentlydeveloped software package—the ScienceCollaboration Framework—to help researchmanagers handle this type of science.

The SMHS formalized the team con-cept with its Department of Basic Sciences, approved by the North Dakota State Boardof Higher Education and headed by Kotb,herself an active biomedical researcher andscience administrator.

Wynne says it’s all part of a longer-term health care strategy adopted by theNIH.

Wynne sees the new research structureleading to bigger and better things, and theSchool’s funding success rate—as comparedto NIH success rate standards—under-scores the wisdom of the vision.

“We hope to see as a result of all ofthis over the next decade a doubling of ourresearch enterprise, whether measured byfunding, grants, publications, or, evenmore importantly, by actual contributions tohelping people live better, fuller, healthierlives,” Wynne said.

“We’re going to build on our success,”Wynne said. “With our strategic vision wesaw that for programs that were doing well,or that demonstrated great potential, thosewere the ones that we were going to invest in.”

It also meant making choices and sayingthat in those four or five areas of strategicimportance to the SMHS.

“Our vision was that we were notgoing to simply invest in everything,” hesaid. “Making choices means not only sayingyes but it’s also figuring out where you’regoing to say no. And we’ve done that.”

But, Wynne notes, success—such as thekind enjoyed by the School’s research enterprise—depends on establishing priorities and making productive choices.

“It also means saying yes! instead ofjust yes,” he said.

IDeA counts“Clearly we’ve benefited by being an IDeAstate,” Wynne said. “It’s still very competi-tive—NIH doesn’t just hand out the moneybecause you’re an IDeA state.”

What does the IDeA program do?The Institutional Development Award

(IDeA) program broadens the geographicdistribution of NIH funding for biomedicaland behavioral research. North Dakota isone of 23 states designated in the IDeAnetwork. The program fosters health-related research and enhances the competitiveness of investigators at institutions located in states in which theaggregate success rate for applications toNIH has historically been low.

The program also serves unique populations—such as rural and medically

Roxanne Vaughan, left, and Joyce Ohm


underserved communities—in these states.The IDeA program increases the competitiveness of investigators by supporting faculty development and researchinfrastructure enhancement at institutionssuch as the SMHS.

COBRE grants—Centers of BiomedicalResearch Excellence—of which the SMHShas two, totaling more than $20 million,augment and strengthen institutional biomedical research capabilities. Thesegrants—one of which was just awarded toUND this year for epigenetics research—expand and develop the biomedical faculty’s research capability through support of a multidisciplinary center led bya peer-reviewed, NIH-funded investigatorwith expertise central to the theme of thegrant proposal.

“Our most recent COBRE reflects a lotof credit to UND Vice President for Research and Economic DevelopmentPhyllis Johnson and Associate VP for Research Development and ComplianceBarry Milavetz (who also is an active scientist at the SMHS) for first getting theepigenetics group together, which culminatedin the awarding of a $10.5 million grant,”Wynne said.

SMHS funding over the last 10 yearsalso includes a 10-year INBRE grant totaling$15.9 million—the largest grant in SMHShistory. INBRE stands for Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Network ofBiomedical Research Excellence, also partof the IDeA program. For Don Sens, thosefederal dollars are the key to helping theyounger generation develop an interest inscience and the health professions. Sens,professor of pathology and a longtime cancer researcher, coordinates the NorthDakota INBRE.

INBRE grants are used to develop infrastructure, for example, labs, not justhere at UND but around the state. A bigpart of that is getting undergraduates in allof North Dakota’s colleges and universitiesinterested in research and health professions.

The School’s total grant awards overthe last decade result from having a lot ofsmart people with excellent ideas, Wynnesays.

“The institution is the people thatmake it up,” Wynne said.

And that, he noted, is the result ofstrategic recruiting.

“We look for people with a combinationof excellent pre- or post-doc experience,coming from good scientific environ-ments,” Wynne said. “The second factor inselecting good people is the record of productivity. We look at what they’ve done,their track record in research. Third, weexamine the chemistry when they comehere—how would their personalities, talents, experiences, etc. fit with what wehave to offer here.”

The recruitment includes a final andvital step.

“Most important is the group estimateof their potential for major achievement inthe future,” Wynne said. “If you pick right, youget some of the people such as epigeneticsresearcher Joyce Ohm, who hit a lot ofhome runs, including helping to put togetherthe COBRE epigenetics grant application.”

About 40 percent of the external sup-port received by the SMHS comes from theNIH, an agency of the federal Departmentof Health and Human Services; the Schoolreceives about 67 percent of its fundingfrom the federal government. Last year’sNIH funding to the medical school in-cluded two new R01 grants, five years eachat $250,000 per year, including one toOhm.

“We see that we’re getting better at research—and at getting research funding—and we’re doing it in an increasinglycompetitive environment,” Wynne said.

”“The institution is the people that make it up.


A Scientific Illustration of How Epigenetic Mechanisms Can Affect Health. Image courtesy of NationalInstitutes of Health

The School’s new research center will focus on the epigenome’srole in disease development.

Epigenetics—the hard science behind themystery of who each of us becomes—isgaining lots of international attention. Somuch so that the federal government is in-vesting a lot in programs that dig into theelusive mystery of this relatively new fieldof research.

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded the University of NorthDakota $10.5 million in a five-year grant tosupport an Institutional DevelopmentAward (IDeA) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE).

“This COBRE is focusing on the roleof epigenetic changes in human disease

development and progression, a cutting-edge field of scientific inquiry that couldlead to new approaches to treatment andprevention,” said W. Fred Taylor, PhD, whodirects the IDeA program at the NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

This UND COBRE—an existingCOBRE at the School is for neuroscience—will research the epigenetics of develop-ment and disease.

Epigenetics relates to the biochemicalmachinery at the cellular level thatswitches specific genes on—or doesn’t—affecting what each of us does, for example

EpigeneticsBy Juan Pedraza


what we choose to eat, how wesleep, how we get sick—for example, cancer or Alzheimer’s—and how we express a whole rangeof other behaviors, some good,some not so good.

“This grant will significantlyexpand epigenetic research atUND by instituting a variety ofprograms that will support younginvestigators at early stages in theircareers, establish core facilities andpurchase major equipment, and assist with faculty mentoring anddevelopment,” said Roxanne A.Vaughan, principal investigator ofthe COBRE and Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor at theUND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences.

“Together these programs willenhance research across multipledisciplines and elevate the researchcapacity of the university.”

As an established biomedical researchscientist, Vaughan’s participation in thegrant proposal was crucial. The NIH expects that the principal investigator for anew COBRE must be able to ensure highquality research and has the experience toadminister effectively and integrate allcomponents of the program.

Vaughan will help support the projectsof the new center’s core team members,who are early career investigators or thosewith established research programs inother fields whose research has led them tothe exciting area of epigenetics: Lucia Carvelli,PhD, assistant professor; ArchanaDhasarathy, PhD, assistant professor;Sergei Nechaev, PhD, assistant professor;and Joyce Ohm, PhD, assistant professor.

The new center expands UND’s ongoingepigenetics research program, which includes a group of interested scientistsfrom several different departments andcolleges as well the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Grand Forks Human NutritionResearch Center; the group has been meetingregularly on campus since 2010.

The question of the epigenetic role indisease is uppermost on the horizon forthis COBRE team.

“Abnormal epigenetic regulation hasbeen implicated in a variety of human diseases,” said Ohm, who investigates,

among other things, the abnormal epigenetic events in the initiation ofhuman cancers. “Those diseases includecancer, obesity, diabetes, infertility, andneurodegenerative disorders such asAlzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.Researchers at UND are actively workingto understand the bases for these diseasesand to develop new strategies for treatmentsor preventions.”

Ohm and her epigenetics research colleagues note that the cancer you havetoday might be the result of your grand-parents unhealthful habits, and yourovereating or cigarette smoking today mayhave an effect on not only you but alsoyour grandchildren.

Learning more about how that all happens is the key to UND’s new COBRE.

”“Abnormal epigenetic

regulation has beenimplicated in a variety of

human diseases.

Participating in UND’s second Epigenetics and Epigenomics Symposium on September 12were, from left, Dean Joshua Wynne, Malak Kotb, chair of the Department of Basic Sciences,and epigenetic researchers Archana Dhasarathy, Lucia Carvelli, Joyce Ohm, and Brij Singh.


GUEST AUTHOR

Finalizing Schematic DesignInterdisciplinary learning communities are one of the hallmarks of the new SMHS facility.

In the last issue, I wrote of the kickoff ofthe new School of Medicine and Health Sciences, a facility which is part of the University of North Dakota’s Health CareWorkforce Initiative to grow more NorthDakota medical and health sciences pro-fessionals and, as a result, affect health carein our state for generations. Since thattime, the design team of JLG Architects,Steinberg Architects, and Perkins+Will hasmade significant progress on the building.

As you may remember, over the pastseveral months, the design team has beeninvolved in programming, or the discussion of what actually goes into thebuilding. The programming process involved hundreds of discussions with faculty, staff, students, and administrators—because who best to decide the usefulnessof the spaces than those who actually usethem? After presenting several options tothe University, we now have a final buildingprogram, which integrates new ways ofthinking about learning, researching, and

working together, and includes the following:Interdisciplinary learning communitiesfor all of the SMHS programs. TheSMHS will feature eight learning communities, with 100 students each,which will be paired around a sharedstudent lounge and practice examroom space, and have their own groupstudy rooms, tutoring rooms, openwork environments, and individualstudy stations and lockers. Each learningcommunity will gather students fromdisciplines across the medical and healthsciences spectrum—medical students,graduate students, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and others—in order to encourage collaborationbetween departments and promote in-terprofessionalism. Shared and flexible research spaces.To allow successful grant programs togrow and contract as needed, the standard small, fixed, and “owned” labspaces will now become large, open,

By Lonnie J. Laffen, AIA, LEED AP


and flexible spaces to foster collaboration.An interdisciplinary anatomy program with shared cadavers.Currently, medical students and healthsciences students study anatomy independently. Integrating medicalstudents and health sciences studentswithin anatomy further strengthensthe goal of providing a meaningful in-terdisciplinary education.Simulation training in all programs.With five simulation rooms, 14 standard patient rooms, five debriefrooms, and a clinical skills laboratory,students will have multiple opportunitiesto hone their interpersonal and physicalclinical skills.Extremely flexible and agile large-group space and conference space.Small, medium, and large conferencerooms will be paired with break-outconversation spaces for any type ofgroup meeting. The building will beopen (but secured) 24 hours a day toact as a home away from home to bestmaximize collaboration and learning.All of these learning and collaboration

spaces have been designed around a central,sunlit “Main Street,” to make it easy forstudents and visitors to find their wayaround. A café is at the center of the buildingand will be a key aspect of the lobby andcirculation space. Outdoor space for students and staff has been provided adjacent to the lobby and café, creating anactive center of the building with directviews to the outdoors and a way to bring ineven more daylight.

Interestingly, our programming sessions led to the one major change fromthe current SMHS facility—the eliminationof the traditional library. We live in a digitalworld, and book stacks would take up precious space that will be better put toother use.

As we enter the design phase, we haveadded the final integral piece to our team.UND recently hired the team of PCL Construction Services and CommunityContractors to provide construction manager at risk (commonly called CMaR)services. In a typical design-bid-build construction method, the entire projectwould be designed, and then contractorswould be called to bid on the project by

looking at the drawings and providingtheir lowest estimated cost for construction.In CMaR delivery, the contractor teamworks alongside the architecture team fromthe beginning of design to provide cost estimates and identify potential schedulingand constructability issues. For a project ofthis size and complexity, the CMaR delivery system will help ensure that the

SMHS project will be delivered on timeand on budget because it ensures that every-one is on the same page throughout the en-tire process.

And, thanks to the inclusion of PCLand Community Contractors, constructionhas already begun. Although we are stilldesigning the facility, geotechnical investigations have been completed on thesite, and the grading of the physical land-scape has begun so that foundation construction can begin in winter 2014 assoon as we finalize the design and construction documents.

Speaking of design, we are currently inthe process of finalizing schematic design,which will start to further detail the buildinglayout, circulation, adjacencies, and theoverall building appearance. We will continue to host workshops with users tomake sure spaces connect where theyshould and stay separate when needed. Bythe end of schematic design, we will beable to show you a site layout, buildingmass, the arrangement of departmental adjacencies—and, most interestingly—theform, shape, and presence of the overallbuilding.

“

”

Each learning community willgather students fromdisciplines across the

medical and health sciences spectrum . . . in order to encouragecollaboration between

departments and promoteinterprofessionalism.

Lonnie Laffen


National Rural Health Day showcases the strengths of rural America.

Today more than ever, rural health care, amajor economic and quality-of-life factor inrural communities, is facing tremendousneeds unique to rural areas. Health systemissues like availability and accessibility tohealth care, workforce shortages, and reimbursement and payment structuresalong with population health issues such asbehavioral risks, disease conditions, andhealth disparities are exacerbated in ruralcommunities. While these struggles are veryserious and demand complete attention,

they often overshadow the tremendous accomplishments and the power of rural.Rural communities are a wonderful placeto live and work, and continue to makestrides even when faced against the steepestof challenges. This message is the corner-stone of what has been an annual eventsince 2011: National Rural Health Day.

This year, National Rural Health Daywas celebrated on November 21 acrossNorth Dakota and the entire United States.First and foremost, National Rural Health

Celebrating thePower of Rural

By Mark Barclay


”“

Day is an opportunity to honor the selfless,community-minded, entrepreneurial spiritthat resonates across rural America. Ruralcommunities are and always have been a placewhere neighbors know each other and worktogether for the benefit of the community.Health care is a central part of any com-munity, and often the largest economicdriver in a rural community. NationalRural Health Day is a chance to celebratethe power of rural and rededicate ourselvesto ensuring that every rural citizen has accessto high-quality local health care.

History of National Rural Health DayNational Rural Health Day was establishedin 2011 as an initiative of the National Organization of State Offices of RuralHealth (NOSORH). NOSORH created National Rural Health Day as a way toshowcase the good works of America’s 59.5million rural citizens and to promote theefforts of NOSORH, state offices of ruralhealth, and others in addressing rural concerns. “At the same time, NationalRural Health Day gives us an opportunityto raise awareness of the unique healthcare issues being faced by rural citizens,particularly a lack of health care providersand affordability issues resulting fromlarger percentages of un- and underinsuredcitizens and greater out-of-pocket healthcosts, to name a few,” says NOSORH DirectorTeryl Eisinger.

State offices of rural health play a keyrole in the promotion and coordination ofrural health across America. Each state hasa federally funded state office of ruralhealth, which can vary greatly in size andscope; however, all offices are tasked withcreating partnerships, developing programs,and providing resources that help theirstate address the health care needs of itsrural citizens.

The Center for Rural Health (CRH) atthe University of North Dakota School ofMedicine and Health Sciences, is the designated state office of rural health inNorth Dakota, and one of the nation’s oldestand largest offices, employing approximately51 faculty and staff and coordinating over 40separately funded program areas to improverural health in North Dakota and acrossthe country. The mission of the Center forRural Health is to connect resources and

knowledge to serve the people in ruralcommunities. In fiscal year 2012, the CRHprovided assistance to 121 North Dakotacommunities in 47 counties and awardedapproximately $924,000 in grant awards torural health providers.

The Power of Rural in North DakotaNorth Dakota has always taken pride in itsrural heritage. Talk to any of the state’s362,000 rural residents and you will hearpassionate stories of why rural NorthDakota is a great place to live and work.Too often rural communities are viewed asremote patches of isolated farms, open andunpopulated landscape, and even quaintreminders of bygone eras. This clearly isn’tthe entire picture. While agriculture is acritical piece of the rural economy, thereare many other large industries and smallbusinesses that also play a central role.Rural communities also tend to stronglysupport local activities with a natural senseof interdependence. Attend a rural highschool sporting event, theatre production,or a Native American Pow-Wow and youwill see everyone in attendance from thelocal doctor to the mayor. This communityfocus builds extremely strong relationshipswhere people aren’t just acquainted buttruly do care for one another.

At the heart of rural North Dakota is avibrant and expansive health care system inwhich the state’s 36 critical access hospitals(CAH) are the primary providers of care.These hospitals are classified as critical access because they have 25 beds or fewer,and are located at least 35 miles away fromanother facility (15 miles if the terrain isdifficult). The effect of a CAH extends muchbeyond the hospital; it serves as a centralizedhub for health care in its rural community.All but three of the 36 CAHs own and operate another health care business such asa primary-care clinic, nursing home, seniorresidential setting, or ambulance service.Additionally, CAHs play a large economicrole in a community—contributing about$6.4 million and 224 jobs on average to thelocal economy.

To help celebrate National RuralHealth Day in North Dakota, a number ofevents took place across the state. November21 was officially proclaimed National RuralHealth Day in North Dakota by Governor

We are so extremely blessedto have the level of

dedication and commitmentin North Dakota from ourrural health care providers.


Jack Dalrymple. In his proclamation, Governor Dalrymple touted the benefits ofrural living, while recognizing the uniquechallenges facing rural health care, and acknowledging the distinct critical roleplayed by the UND School of Medicineand Health Sciences to lead efforts to address these unique challenges. Ruralhealth care organizations from Berlin,Lamoure, Edgeley, Dickinson, and Belcourtpartnered with SIM-ND (Simulation inMotion—North Dakota) to offer on-siteemergency training the week of NationalRural Health Day. SIM-ND uses four largetrucks equipped with human patient simu-lators to train North Dakota health careproviders on emergency situations throughadvanced simulations.

The Center for Rural Health and theNorth Dakota Rural Health Association also

partnered to conduct the annual NationalRural Health Day photo contest. Submissionswere received from across the state withthe subject of “What does rural mean toyou?” The winner of the 2013 contest willreceive a free registration to the 2014Dakota Conference on Rural and PublicHealth. The Center for Rural Health andNorth Dakota Rural Health Association(NDRHA) also sent a thank you letter andtoken of appreciation to all rural NorthDakota health care providers thankingthem for their service. According toNDRHA Executive Director Kylie Nissen,“We are so extremely blessed to have thelevel of dedication and commitment inNorth Dakota from our rural health careproviders. In addition to the doctors andnurses, many rural residents play a crucialrole in maintaining access to care for their

Celebrating National Rural Health Day at Goose River Dental Associates in Mayville are, from left to right, Kelly Aarsvold, Dr. Rob Lauf, LuAnn Pedersen, Cindy Ingebretson, Lori Stenehjem, and Danielle Erickson.


community. The overall health of NorthDakota is greatly improved by their service.”

Future of Rural HealthDespite the great advances being implemented throughout the state, therecontinues to be significant health needs inour rural communities. These needs wererecently identified through a processknown as a Community Health Needs Assessment. The Affordable Care Actmandates that every non-profit hospitalconduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) of the communities itserves at least once every three years. TheCenter for Rural Health assisted 21 of the36 critical access hospitals in the state, andan additional 18 CHNAs were done byhospital staff or consultants for a total samplesize of 39 hospitals out of 41 non-profits inthe state. The CHNA process is informed byboth primary (community member interviews, focus groups, and surveys) andsecondary data (e.g., Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation County Health Rankings, andNorth Dakota Department of Healthpopulation health data). Although methodsdiffer between assessments, as a whole, thegoal of the CHNA is to solicit communityinput on health needs and service gaps.The significant need most frequently reported in CHNAs was a health care work-force shortage. In 28 separate assessments,the need for more health care staff was expressed. The next most frequently perceivedcommunity health needs were obesity andphysical inactivity (16 communities), mentalhealth (15 communities), and chronic dis-ease management (12 communities).

It is important to look at the identifiedneeds not as a weakness but as an opportu-nity to make improvements in the healthof our communities. The CHNA process iscommunity directed and driven throughcommunity engagement techniques elicit-ing community input. Through the CHNAprocess, communities also implement astrategic action plan to take steps to addressthe health needs in their community. Forexample, if obesity/physical inactivity wasidentified as a major need, the communitymay look for opportunities to build a well-ness center or walking path. Communitiesdon’t need to approach this by themselves,however. The Center for Rural Health,

works with communities to build capacityand facilitate strategic planning around theidentified needs and share potential resourcesto support implementation projects. If onerural community has had success buildinga wellness program, another community canlearn from their efforts. This collaborationis ever present in rural North Dakota.Communities understand that they arestronger by working together, and while nocommunity is perfect, every communityhas strengths.

As health care delivery continues toevolve, in many ways, rural health carefacilities have an advantage as comparedto their urban counterparts. The main emphasis of rural health has always beenon providing affordable, team-based, primarycare. This focus on patient-centered preventive care is at the forefront of manyupcoming changes in payment structuresenacted as part of the Affordable Care Act.Rural health care, like so many otherthings in rural America, has always focusedon relationships. Health care providers getto know the people they care for and havethe opportunity to practice more patient-centered medicine. Rural health care hasalways faced a daunting task—providingquality care with very limited resources.National Rural Health Day is one day ayear to acknowledge the tremendouspower of rural in spite of the enduringchallenges.


STUDENT PROFILE

The Medical Laboratory Science (MLS)Program is for people who possess nothingshort of motivation and discipline. Not onlydoes UND junior Brandon Johnson havethose attributes but he has also decided totake his college career a step further byjoining the school’s band—The Pride ofthe North along with its drumline.

The Lino Lakes, Minn., native wasaware of his interests early in life and knewhe wanted to have a career in health care.

“I knew my interests weren’t exactly inthe one-on-one interaction, but more in

the behind-the-scenes, lab work analysis,”Johnson said. “I want to be a part of healthcare, and I want to be one of the individualswho get to make a difference in the field.”

Johnson began his college search byattending a college fair at the MinneapolisConvention Center. He knew he wanted aschool that offered a Doctorate of Medi-cine and a Doctorate of Philosophy Degree(MD/PhD) because of his interest in oncology and research, and UND had justwhat he was looking for.

Marching to His Own Beat By Emily Aasand

Brandon Johnson in the Dr. Robertand Charlene Kyle MedicalLaboratory.


Brandon Johnson playing with thePride of the North in the Potato BowlParade.

“I spoke with a UND representativeand told him that my interests includeddoing lab work and research,” Johnsonsaid. “That’s when he introduced me to theMLS Program, and it was exactly what I waslooking for. I later came to Grand Forks fora tour and was blown away by the program.They absolutely sold me on it.”

One of those selling points was the UNDfaculty. “I’ve really been able to spend more one-on-one time with my instructors,” Johnsonsaid. “Having that experience, you feel morecomfortable asking questions and gettingto know more about what you’re studying.The atmosphere is one of my favorite thingsabout UND.”

Not your average student When Johnson’s not in class or studying,there’s a good chance you’ll find him atband practice. The “quints” (tenor drums)player spends an average of six to sevenhours rehearsing with the Pride of the Northand the UND drumline who perform atfootball games, and the men’s and women’shockey games.

“It gets busy, but I love it,” Johnsonsaid. “It’s my free time. It’s the time I get tospend with my friends in the band, and I getto do something I enjoy. It’s a way I can stayinvolved and be doing things on campus,but it’s a nice break from all of my classes.”

Johnson began playing the drums insixth grade and is on his third year with theUND band. He’s also been the equipmentmanager for the Pride of the North marchingand athletic bands since his freshman year.

“It is truly a pleasure having BrandonJohnson as a student and a member of thePride of the North,” said Rob Brooks, director of the Pride of the North Bands.“Not only is he a talented percussionist, heis a student leader within our group andour equipment manager.”

“My duties as equipment manager include loading the instruments and equip-ment onto the truck as well as driving thetruck to rehearsal and performance sites,”Johnson said. “Clearly, I like to stay busy.”

All about balanceLeading such a busy life, Johnson said thekey to being successful is remaining balancedand focused.

“I have to use the time that I have toits maximum potential,” Johnson said. “Ineed to stay focused in what I’m studyingand utilizing my time. In the limited timethat I have, I want to make sure that I getthe most out of it.”

“He effortlessly balances all of his involvement with the band with his rigorousstudies as a medical laboratory science majorand always does so without hesitation,question or complaint,” Brooks said. “I cantruly count on him. Brandon exemplifiesthe meaning of our program’s name: ThePride of the North.”

This studious band student is also thepresident of the MLS Club on campus.

The club sponsors the Dak-MinnBlood Drives, presents at UND WellnessCenter events, and takes an annual trip tothe Mayo Clinic to tour their labs.

“On campus, we’re the voice behindthe MLS Program,” Johnson said. “We getto explain to people what we do and whatour involvement is in the health care field.”

Looking aheadJohnson still has a year and a half left ofschool, but upon graduation, he’s weighingtwo options. One would be going on to gethis master’s in MLS, and the other wouldbe going into the MD/PhD program tospecialize in pathology and oncology re-search.

“It’s great to see where health care isgoing and where the next generation oftechnology is going to come from,” John-son said. “We’re on the brink of new tech-nology, and it’s great that we’ll be the onescoming in with the knowledge of how to useit and how to help advance health care.It’s really exciting to be a part of that.”


ALUMNI PROFILE

Christopher Anderson and Allison Clapp, both MD ’08, are returning totheir hometown of Fargo to practice emergency medicine and radiology,respectively, and start a new chapter in their lives.

Chris Anderson and Allison Clapp are atthat point in their medical careers wherethey have finished their residencies and,for Allison, completing a fellowship. Butthey didn’t have to think long about whereto go next. The couple is moving back to theirhometown of Fargo, following theirresidencies at Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minn. They have purchased a new homeand will be getting married in December.The pace of their lives at the moment is alittle hectic. Throughout all this, however,they made time to give back to their almamater, where they repeatedly say theyreceived a top-quality education. “UND trained us well for the clinicalchallenges of residency,” Allison said. “Wefelt fortunate we got into medical school,

and each scholarship helped so much, sowe wanted to give back.” The couple has created the Drs.Christopher and Allison Clapp AndersonScholarship Endowment, which willprovide scholarships to UND medicalstudents from North Dakota, withpreference given to students whograduated from Fargo South High School,where both graduated in 2000. While they knew of each other at thattime, they didn’t reconnect until medicalschool. Allison earned her bachelor’sdegree in biological sciences from theUniversity of Nebraska, while Chrisreceived his bachelor’s degree in chemistryfrom UND. When looking at medical schools inthe region, they quickly realized that they

By Jessica Sobolik

Returning Home


could get a quality education for much lesscost at UND. They have not regretted thatdecision. “When you go to bigger medicalschools and you’re in the patient room,there is a doctor, a fellow, and a number ofresidents and medical students,” Allisonsaid. “As a third-year medical studentthere, you’re pretty much going to sit in thecorner and observe. But at UND, third-yearmedical students are actively participatingin clinical work. It made such a hugedifference for us.”

SpecialtiesWhile their lives have followed a similarpath, Chris and Allison have differentprofessional interests. Chris likes the action and variety ofcases in the emergency room, thus hisresidency at Mayo was in emergencymedicine. He started his new job inOctober at Essentia Health in Fargo, wherehe also completed a surgical rotationduring medical school. “This was the bestfit for me,” he said. Allison, on the other hand, discoveredshe likes diagnostic work, and though sheinitially considered internal medicine as aspecialty, she enjoyed aiding clinicians inthe search for a diagnosis throughradiology. After completing her radiologyresidency, she signed on for a Mayofellowship specializing in breast andwomen’s imaging. She’ll finish thesubspecialty fellowship this summer andalready has a position with Sanford Healthin Fargo. She will be one of the fewphysicians in the state with this experience.She chose Sanford because of its highthroughput of cancer images provided bythe Roger Maris Cancer Center. When considering coming back toNorth Dakota, they both recognized aneed for physicians in the western part ofthe state. “But Fargo is where our familyis,” Allison said.

Scholarship SupportWhen Chris and Allison created theirendowment at UND, they were able to takeadvantage of two programs to maximizethe effect of their gift: the North Dakotatax credit and the North Dakota HigherEducation Challenge Fund. The NorthDakota tax credit allows them as North

Dakota residents to receive a state incometax credit equal to 40 percent of theircharitable gift. And the North DakotaHigher Education Challenge Fund, passedby the North Dakota Legislature this year,adds $1 to every $2 of private gifts givenfor endowments, significantly growing theClapp Anderson Endowment and creatingmore and larger student scholarships. “Itwas pretty obvious that we should takeadvantage of both opportunities,” Chrissaid.

Allison Clapp and Christopher Anderson on commencement day in May 2008.


ALUMNI NOTES

Gaurav Bansode, FM Res ’13, has joined the family medicineteam at Trinity Health in Minot. Bansode provides primary careservices to people of all ages, including diagnosis and treatmentfor a wide range of illnesses, management of chronic conditionssuch as diabetes and high blood pressure, geriatric care, andcounseling patients on self-care skills to prevent disease.

Jennifer Mullally, MD ’10, is a pediatrician at Essentia Health’sSouth University Clinic in Fargo. She served her pediatricsresidency at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education inRochester, Minn.

Stephanie Delvo, MD ’09, recently joined Mid Dakota Clinic.Delvo is a member of the American College of Obstetriciansand Gynecologists and the American Medical Association.

Brad Kohoutek, MD ’09, has joined Sanford Health in Fargopracticing psychiatry.

Jon Kolberg, MD ’09, has joined the Family Medicine andSports Medicine departments at Altru Health in Grand Forks.

Collette Lessard, MD ’09, has joined Altru Health System inGrand Forks, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.

Carrie Ann Ranum, MD ’09, is now practicing pediatricmedicine at West River Health Services’ Dickinson Clinic.

Christopher Anderson, MD ’08, has joined Essentia Health inFargo as an emergency medicine specialist. A native of Fargo,Anderson completed his residency in emergency medicine atthe Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester,Minn.

Amanda Huber, MPAS ’08, has joined Essentia Health’s clinicin Jamestown. Huber will be practicing in the family medicinedepartment. She is certified as a physician assistant by theNational Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Joshua Knudson, MD ’08, has joinedthe care team at Sanford Clinic inBismarck as a general surgeon. A nativeof Bismarck, Knudson provides surgicaltreatments for a wide range of diseasesand conditions that involve thestomach, esophagus, pancreas,gallbladder, thyroid, lower intestines,and abdomen.

Richelle Knudson, MD ’08, a board-certified dermatologist anddermatologic surgeon, has joinedSanford Health and opened SanfordDermatology in the Sanford NorthClinic in Bismarck. A Dickinson native,Knudson evaluates, treats, and providesconsultation for skin conditions,diseases, and cancers.

Peter Biegler, MD ’07, has joined the Sanford Health staff inFargo practicing interventional radiology. Biegler completed hisresidency in diagnostic radiology at Mayo Clinic and GraduateSchool in Rochester, Minn., and his fellowship training ininterventional radiology at Baptist Cardiac and VascularInstitute, Miami, Fla.

Aaron Luebke, MD ’07, is now at the Hematology/OncologyDepartment at Mid Dakota Clinic in Bismarck. A native ofMohall, N.Dak., Luebke has a special interest in the researchand treatment of prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer. He isboard-certified in internal medicine and a member of theAmerican College of Physicians and the American MedicalAssociation.

Alicia Glynn, MD ’06, was recently hired by Sanford Health inFargo. Glynn will be practicing emergency medicine.

Jeremiah Penn, FM Res ’05, has joinedthe comprehensive care team at SanfordOrthopedics & Sports Medicine inBismarck. Penn is a fellowship-trainedprimary care sports medicine physicianand provides nonsurgical sportsmedicine care.

Andrew Mutnan, BSAT ’02, recentlybecame head football athletic trainer forthe Washington State Cougars,members of the PAC-12 Conference.Mutnan is originally from Arvada,Colo. After graduating from UND, heearned a master’s degree from theUniversity of Minnesota, where he alsoworked as an assistant athletic trainer.He worked at the University of Nevada from 2008 to 2013. Heand his wife Amy have two sons.

’00s’00s


ALUMNI NOTES

Chris Cleveland, MD ’00, has joined Sanford Health, Fargo,practicing in the areas of pediatrics, allergy, and immunology.

Lisa Henry, MD ’00, has joined Hospice of the Red River Valley.Henry and the hospice team provide care to patients in 29counties of North Dakota and Minnesota. Henry is board-certified in internal medicine and most recently was a medicaldirector with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.

Anthony Johnson, MD ’94, recently passed the 2013Maintenance of Certification for Family PhysiciansExamination given by the American Board of Family Medicine.The American Board of Medical Specialties issues thiscertification to ensure physicians meet the highest standards ofaccountability. ABFM MC-FP is a requirement that encouragesclinical excellence and benefits both physicians and theirpatients. Johnson has been with Sanford Health, legacyMedcenter One, for 16 years.

Paul Hendrickson, FM Res ’90, practices at Essentia Clinic inFrazee, Minn. The clinic recently ranked third out of 651 inMinnesota in patient satisfaction. The survey is part of theAffordable Care Act in which quality indicators such as surveysand patient satisfaction will play a role in clinic funding.

Dick Fraser, BS Med ’76,MD ’78, has retired after32 years of practicingpediatrics withHealthPartners in theMinneapolis and St.Paul,Minn., area. Afterparticipating in thetransitional “2-1-1”program of the new four-year UND medicalschool, he did hispediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of San Francisco andcompleted the residency (3rd year) at Milwaukee Children’sHospital (now the Childrens’ Hospital of Wisconsin). Hepracticed for 20 years at the HealthPartners Spring Lake ParkClinic and the last 12 at the HealthPartners Woodbury clinic.He and his wife Julie live in Roseville, Minn., and have threegrown children and one grandson.

’70s

Got news?We want to hear it!

Please send your news items for the next issue of

North Dakota Medicineto Kristen Peterson:

[email protected] call 701.777.4305.

’90s

’00s

Join our PA Faculty in North DakotaThe state’s economy is healthy and

so is its health care education!The position includes good benefits and access

to state-of-the-art simulation technology.

See job description atmed.UND.edu/physician-assistant/job-opportunities.cfm.

New building

Coming in 2016


Students and faculty from the Department of Occupational Therapyserve to learn during a special assignment in the Republic of Ghana.

In a detailed guide to cultural competence,UND’s Department of Occupational Therapy(OT) outlines why such knowledge is essential to becoming a professional in thisfield. Faculty in the department are keenlyattuned to the department’s commitmentto graduating culturally competent OTs.

A trip to Ghana this year by a group ofOT faculty and students—both from theUND home campus and from its Casper,Wyo., facility—underscored the vitality of this educational concept. Students participating from the Casper campuswere Anne Lee and Megan Mordecai; participating students from Grand Forkswere Maranda Myrold and Taryn Wagner.They were also joined by UND OT alumnaAllison Kalb, MOT, OTR/L, who is an

adjunct faculty member; and Janet Jedlicka,PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, chair of the UNDDepartment of Occupational Therapy.

On this trip, the connection with cultural competence may have started witha breakfast in one of the Ghanaian villagesthe group visited.

“For me, for most of us (in the UnitedStates), breakfast takes five minutes,” saidAnne Haskins, PhD, OTR/L, associate professor of OT and one of the faculty onthis trip. “But that’s our culture. There,breakfast took nearly two hours to prepare,starting with flour ground in a mortar andwith a pestle and baked in an outside brickoven. For our students, learning to adaptculturally—cultural competence—is a coreOT skill.”

By Juan Pedraza

Ghana 2013: Life Without BarriersAllison Kalb, right, and a physical therapist provide care for a child.


Haskins says there’s a special value as ateacher of OT in communicating this cultural message.

“We want our students to learn aboutcaring for people regardless of culture,”said Haskins. “Occupations are still occupations no matter where you are,whether it takes you five minutes or twohours to make breakfast.”

The trip to Ghana was a model service-learning opportunity, resulting from anearlier scholarly project of two OT studentson how to set up a service-learning experience.

“Those students had an opportunityto go to Ghana with an organization calledWheels for the World, which provides refurbished wheelchairs to people whoneed them,” Haskins said. “They had aphenomenal experience, so we decided toset something up as a course.”

The result: three months of course-work before the trip last spring; an informalseminar about Ghana with a UND groupof Ghanaian students, faculty, and some oftheir family members; and a detailed travelplan for the actual journey to Ghana.

“We did it in conjunction with StudyAbroad resources right here at UND,” saidSonia Zimmerman, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTAand associate professor of OT, who hadbeen to Ghana previously with her husband Delore, a well-known economicdeveloper in the Red River Valley.

“This was organized because wewanted our students to experience the culture firsthand through service,” saidZimmerman, who also went on the OTtrip to Ghana this past summer.

Among the preparations for the tripwas a special manual—a course capstoneproject—designed by two OT studentsspecifically to educate Ghanaian parents ofchildren with cerebral palsy. Illustrated byone of the students, the manual shows howto position and handle children afflictedwith this neurodegenerative disease.

“This project was used as the founda-tion of a workshop for parents and hospitalcaregivers while we were in Ghana,” saidZimmerman, who noted that Ghanalaunched its first OT training program—based at the University of Ghana—lastyear.

“It’s terrific for an occupational therapystudent to be able to see people living in

such different circumstances, doing thingswe take for granted—such as preparingbreakfast or dealing with daily power out-ages—in such radically different ways,”said Haskins. “On this trip, they got them-selves immersed in the day-to-day life ofanother culture.”

For Zimmerman, there are many pedagogical benefits of a trip such as OT’srecent Ghana service experience—especially acquiring some new cultural experiences.

“It’s important that the occupationaltherapist recognizes the patient’s cultureand its impact on occupation,” Zimmermansaid. “Doing a trip like this forces studentsto grapple with different experiences, different ways of living life.”

Instead of a scholarly report about thetrip, Haskins noted, students assembled aShutterfly project comprising 1,775 clearlyorganized and documented images theytook during the trip. The Shutterfly page isavailable to everyone who took part in theGhana trip and is open to additions fromthe faculty who accompanied the students.

At Hohoe Regional Hospital in Ghana are, left to right, Sonia Zimmerman, TarynWagner, and Maranda Myrold.

”“We wanted our students to

experience the culturefirsthand through service.


IN MEMORIAM

Walter M. Callan, BS Med ’71, 73, of Farmington, Conn.,beloved husband of Marta (Zakrzewska) Callan, passed awaypeacefully on Friday, September 13, 2013, at Hartford Hospital.He was born September 14, 1939, to the late Walter P. andAnnie (Long) Callan in Hartford. Walter was a graduate ofHartford Public High School, the University of Connecticut,University of North Dakota (B.S. in Medicine), and received hisdoctorate from the University of Connecticut Medical School in1974. He served his country as a member of the United StatesAir Force during the Vietnam War. After establishing his ownmedical practice in Bloomfield for many years, Walter laterworked as an emergency room physician at many area hospitals,including Windham Hospital, Willimantic, where he worked forover 15 years and experienced many fond memories with hiscoworkers. He had a passion for both playing and watchingbasketball. He enjoyed traveling to remote places, especiallyCulebra, Puerto Rico, where he spent many wonderful vacationswith his wife. After his retirement, Walter enjoyed his time athome working on his amazing gardens and perfectly manicuredlawn. Walter was most happy just tinkering around the houseon various projects and was known for his ability to fix justabout anything. He had a passion for all sciences, especiallyastronomy. When his children were little, he would have themclimb up on the roof with him to gaze at the stars as he toldthem all about the various constellations. Even in his later years,he loved to bring out his telescope to examine the night sky. Heoften referred to the solar system above as the “cathedral in hisyard.” In addition to his wife of 20 years, he is survived by hischildren, Michael P. Callan of Baltimore, Md.; Marjorie Carsonand her husband Thomas of Wethersfield; his stepdaughter,Patricia Bourque and her husband Abraham of Berlin; his sister,Agnes Gregan, his grandchildren, Edith and Charles Carsonand his step-granddaughter, Alexis Bourque. He also leaves hisbrother-in-law, Arthur Tuttle, nieces, Wendy Watts, KimberlyGottschall, and nephews, Richard Gregan, Robert Gregan,Arthur Tuttle Jr., and William Bazinet. In addition to hisparents, he was predeceased by his sister, Patricia Tuttle.

Twila Ann Mitchum, BS PT ’87, 50, passed away Sunday,September 15, 2013, in Salinas, Calif. She was born July 10,1963, in Laramie, Wyoming. Twila attended Slade School,Laramie Junior High School. She graduated from Laramie HighSchool in 1981. She attended the University of Wyoming forpremed education in 1981 and 1982. She received her physicaltherapy degree from the University of North Dakota. Shepracticed physical therapy in South Carolina for two years. In1988, she realized her lifelong dream to live by the ocean andmoved to Monterey. In 1990, she moved to Salinas and workedthere for several years. In 1995, Twila opened her own business,Mitchum Physical Therapy Center, in Salinas. Twila was a giftedathlete and loved to compete. She was on many different sportsteams from grade school through college. She eventually turnedher talents to triathlons and competed in Ironman Hawaii andIronman New Zealand. She enjoyed the competition, and her

talent and determination helped her win the 1990 IronmanJapan at Lake Biwa. Twila is survived by her parents, Douglasand Marcella; sister, Dawn; and brother, Derek of Laramie; andbrother, Robin of Grand Junction, Colo.

Albert L. Steinbach, BS Med ’44, 93, died Wednesday, July 3,2013. He was born October 24, 1919, in Hettinger, N.Dak., toAlbert and Leah Steinbach and earned a doctorate of medicinedegree from the University of Illinois in 1945. He had a privatepractice for many years in the David Whitney Building andHarper Hospital in Detroit. He later joined the Henry Fordmedical staff and was assigned to the Pierson Clinic in GrossePointe Farms, Mich. A major in the U.S. Army, he collectedartifacts and had an interest in the Civil War. Steinbach issurvived by his wife, Alice (née Woods); son, Joel of Romulus;sister, Leah Ann Wieland; and brother, Calvin.

Edward Elvis Waldron was born on June 5, 1943, in Sparta, Ill.,to Billie Rafael and Alta Gayl (Becker) Waldron. He diedSeptember 11, 2013, in Portland, Ore. Ed was proudly namedfor his grandfathers, Elvis Waldron and Edward Becker. Ascholar, teacher, lover of the arts, and jazz musician, Ed was agracious and caring person, a man of humor and heart, who lefta mark on the lives of countless friends and students, as well ashis family. The middle of three sons, Ed enjoyed music andlearning. Ed’s love of music followed him to Southern IllinoisUniversity at Carbondale (Go Salukis! ), where he received aB.S. in Education and an M.A. in American Literature, all whileplaying his bass trombone in every instrumental groupavailable. It was at SIU that Ed found instrumental jazz, apassion for the rest of his life. While at SIU, Ed was inductedinto Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national music honorary society.He was granted an NEH Fellowship in Afro-American Studiesat Howard University while he conducted research at theLibrary of Congress for his dissertation. Ed received his PhD inmodern American literature, with a minor in Afro-Americanliterature, from Arizona State University. His love of teachingand widely varied career, included positions at the University ofArizona, Yankton College, the University of North DakotaSchool of Medicine, the University of Tampa (Fla.), and theUniversity of South Florida. After supporting his wife SusanRoark through the trials of law school studies, Ed enjoyed thefreedom of being the trailing spouse, continuing his musicalpursuits, writing, and love of cinema when Susan’s career ledthem to Washington, D.C., and then to Tampa. Ed used hiswriting skills as senior writer and editor at the Health IndustryManufacturers Association, and as a writer for Florida MedicalQuality Assurance Inc. Mourning their loss are Ed’s wife Susan;his son, Aaron (Michelle Diaz); brothers Thomas R. (Sandra)and W. Terry (Diane); maternal aunt, Katy Simonds; fournephews, two nieces, and six great-nephews and great-nieces,and their families; and an extended family including manycousins. Ed’s parents predeceased him.



During Homecoming week in October, UND celebrated NorthDakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, which will direct morethan $324 million to the University of North Dakota’s passionatestudents, inspirational educators, innovative programs, extraor-dinary places, and priority needs.

At the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Robert andCharlene Kyle made a signature gift during the campaign. Their$300,000 commitment to the Medical Laboratory Science Program moved its laboratories from a traditional microscopelab to a technologically advanced digital slide lab.

“Because of their donation, faculty in our program havebeen able to enhance their current teaching methods, providemore effective feedback to students, and develop innovativetools for evaluation,” assistant professor Brooke Solberg said.

“As an educator, it is so exciting to know that, because ofthis gift, we are actually ahead of the trends and that faculty andstudents will reap the benefits of this donation for many, manyyears to come,” Solberg said.

Campaign 101Campaign counting is confusing, because dollars raised don’tnecessarily equal immediate cash in hand. Campaign dollars arealso future gift pledges as well as end-of-life gifts.

Of the $324.1 million raised for the University of NorthDakota, our alumni and friends directed $30.8 million to theSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Of that, $7.1 million are gifts available to spend, $8.6 million went to the School’s endowment, and the rest —about$15.1 million—has been promised in the form of pledges andother future commitments.

So what does that all mean?� Gifts available to spend ($7.1 million). These gifts are orhave been available to spend since the beginning of thecampaign in 2005. They have already been directed to specific funds at the SMHS. Example: A 2007 gift from BlueCross Blue Shield of North Dakota immediately providedmore than $4 million to the ND STAR (Simulation, Teaching,and Research) Center for Healthcare Education.

� Endowment ($8.6 million). $8.6 million in new gifts to endowments were added to the SMHS endowment fund, whichhad a total market value of $20.2 million on June 30, 2013.Endowments fund the School of Medicine and Health Sciencesfar into the future. Gifts are invested to provide support forspecific purposes with the intent of growing the principal.Currently, our annual endowment payout is 4 percent,meaning that a fully funded endowment will pay out 4 percentof its average market value every year. In FY 2013, the SMHSendowment provided more than $490,000 to programs, students, and faculty. Eighty new endowments were createdduring the campaign: 52 dedicated to new scholarships and10 dedicated to educators, including one new chair.

� Pledges and other future commitments ($15.1 million).Pledges are gifts that donors have promised to pay overtime, typically five years. For example, a donor may pledge$25,000 to the SMHS through the UND Foundation. Toachieve that, they may choose to pay $5,000 per year for thenext five years. The Kyle lab gift is an example of a pledgethat will be paid to the SMHS over time. Future commitmentsare often end-of-life or planned gifts. They can includetrusts, gift annuities, life estates, bequests, and more.

Exceptional SMHS—Building a new visionfor North Dakota health care education

PHILANTHROPY

By Alyssa Konickson

Barbara Cushing, BS Med ’65, of Grosse Pointe, Mich., hasestablished the Ralph and Barbara Cushing ScholarshipEndowment, which will provide scholarships to UND medicalstudents. Her husband, Ralph, also a BS Med ’65 graduate,passed away in January 2013.

Christopher Anderson, MD ’08, and Allison Clapp, MD ’08,natives of Fargo, N.Dak., have established the Drs. Christopherand Allison Clapp Anderson Scholarship Endowment, which willprovide scholarships to UND medical students from NorthDakota with preference given to students who graduated fromFargo South High School, as both Anderson and Clapp did. Thecouple will be married in December 2013. See their AlumniProfile on page 24 for more information about them.

to our thoughtful donors who recently gave gifts or made pledges to support the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Please contact

Dave Miedema, Senior Director of [email protected]

Jessica Sobolik, Director of Alumni and Community [email protected]

$100 millionUND School of Medicine and Health Sciences building

$40 millionHealth Sciences Educational Building

$15 millionLearning Center

$1 million–$10 millionBiomedical research facility ....................................$9 millionEndowed chair, dean of the School........................$5 millionOffice of the Dean suite ..........................................$4 millionSimulation suite........................................................$3 millionBasic Sciences suite ..................................................$3 millionEndowed faculty chair position ..........................$2.5 millionCenter for Rural Health suite ..............................$1.5 millionEndowed faculty professorship position ..............$1 million

$550,000–$700,000Digital/biohazard lab ................................................$675,000Learning hall ..............................................................$600,000

$100,000–$500,000Med gross anatomy lab ..............................................$500,000Information Resources suite ....................................$500,000PT/OT Anatomy lab ..................................................$475,000Classrooms, extra-large ............................................$450,000Department of Pathology suite ................................$400,000Department of Occupational erapy suite ..........$350,000Office of Medical Education suite ............................$350,000Classrooms, large........................................................$350,000Lobby ..........................................................................$350,000Food vendor + seating ..............................................$300,000Library suite ................................................................$300,000

Department of Physical erapy suite ....................$300,000Medical Laboratory Science/Histotechnology suite ..$275,000Indians Into Medicine suite ......................................$275,000Family and Community Medicine suite..................$250,000Multi-purpose therapy lab ........................................$225,000Classrooms, medium (4) ..........................................$225,000Physician Assistant Program suite ..........................$225,000Public Health Program suite ....................................$225,000Sports Medicine Program suite ................................$225,000Academic and Faculty Affairs suite..........................$225,000Department of Surgery suite ....................................$200,000Research core: Mass spectrometry/proteomics......$175,000Department of Pediatrics suite ................................$175,000Office of Student Affairs and Admissions ..............$175,000*Research labs ..............................................................$150,000Student lounges ..........................................................$125,000Student collaboration spaces ....................................$125,000Classrooms, small ......................................................$125,000Conference rooms, large............................................$100,000Lab................................................................................$100,000Surgical suite/demonstration....................................$100,000Standardized patient skills lab ..................................$100,000

$55,000–$95,000Office of Alumni and Community Relations suite ..$60,000*Geriatrics suite ..............................................................$55,000

$25,000–$50,000Simulation Center debriefing rooms ........................$50,000Faculty lounges/breakrooms ......................................$50,000ICU patient simulation room ....................................$45,000Conference rooms, small ............................................$35,000Anatomy imaging area ................................................$35,000*Small-group learning spaces ......................................$35,000Regional Campus office suite ......................................$25,000

Your commitmentThe new building at the SMHS will serve as a solid foundation formedical education at the University of North Dakota. To thank you and properly recognize you for financiallysupporting our students, programs, and faculty, a number of namingopportunities will be available throughout our 320,000-square-foot,four-story building. Named faculty positions are also available. These naming opportunities are provided to recognize and honoryour generous contribution to our students, faculty, and programs.

Naming Opportunities


* Reserved


Marilyn Martin was bid a fond and heartfelt farewell for her more than 47 years of service to UND and the School at a specialceremony on November 7. The Vennes Atrium was filled with well-wishers, including many family members. At left, Marilyn’sdaughter Lori Beck and granddaughter Claire listen to former Associate Dean Judy DeMers, who saluted Marilyn viavideoconferencing from Phoenix, Ariz.

PARTING SHOTS

In March 2013, graduates of UND and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences gathered in Palm Desert, Calif. Shown, fromleft, are Dr. John N. Youngs (MS Biochemistry 1962, BS Medicine 1964); Linda (Carlson) Youngs (Master’s in Counseling 1991);Myrna (Bowman) Tarnasky; Dr. William Tarnasky (MS Biochemistry 1962, BS Medicine 1964); Dr. Darold D. Holten (PhDBiochemistry 1965); Dr. Virginia (Zewe) Holten (Biochemistry MS 1962 and PhD 1965); Janice B. (Nygaard) Nelson (BS MedicalTechnology 1960); and Dr. Dennis R. Nelson (PhD Biochemistry 1964).

Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions Dr. JoycelynDorscher and Dean Joshua Wynne present Marilyn with aplaque to honor her service to the School.


PARTING SHOTS

Celebrating 60 years of Medical Technology/Clinical LaboratoryScience/Medical Laboratory Science at the SMHS were, left toright, 50-year grads Linda Larson, Eunice MacFarlane, and MaryNoble with Dean Joshua Wynne. They were attending the School’sHomecoming reception held at the North Dakota Museum of Art.

Neither wind nor rain dampened the spirit and enthusiasm of the medical laboratory science and occupational therapy studentswho represented the School in the 2013 UND Homecoming Parade. They brightened the day for the children and adults whobraved the weather to watch the parade.

Michael Traynor, MD ’86, presented astethoscope to his niece Erin Follman of DevilsLake, Class of 2017, at the Adopt-a-Med-Student Luncheon on October 31.

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health SciencesA National Leader in Rural Health - Serving North Dakota since 1905501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037 � Grand Forks ND � 58202-9037 701-777-4305 www.med.und.edu

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Periodical POSTAGE PAID

*Exact dates TBD. Invites are sent via e-mail or mail. To ensure you receive this information and thatour records are up-to-date, please submit your contact info at www.med.UND.edu/events/contact.cfm.

Alumni Receptions*Upcoming

Held in conjunction with national conferences

Athletic Training

June 25-28, 2014, Indianapolis

Occupational Therapy

April 3-6, 2014, Baltimore

Physician Assistant

May 24-29, 2014, Boston

Physical Therapy

Feb. 4, 2014, Las Vegas

www.med.und.edu/events/pt-2014.cfm

Documents

Lifeblood of Research - University of North Dakota · Fifth Annual ND INBRE Undergraduate Research Symposium The fifth annual North Dakota INBRE Undergraduate Research Symposium was