The Northwest School of Agriculture welcomed Alumni back to the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26, for their annual reunion. Four exceptional alumni were honored with the Top Aggie award, which is the highest honor a Northwest School alumnus can receive. The award recognizes alumni who have displayed exemplary commitment and service to community, church, education, family, or in their occupational field. The Top Aggies for 2010 are Clifford Steinhauer, '48, Thief River Falls, Minn; Terry and Bette (Hovet) Nelson, '60, The Dalles, Ore. ; and Terry Stadstad, '60, Grand Forks, N.D.

The NWSA was a residential high school located on the Crookston campus from 1906-68. The reunion weekend is planned by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations in cooperation with the NWSA Alumni Association board and is always held the last weekend in June.

Honorees for 2010 include:

Clifford Steinhauer, '48

After graduating from the Northwest School of Agriculture, Clifford Steinhauer, photo at left, enlisted in the Air Force, and following his service, attended the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.  After marrying wife, Marjorie Landin, in 1956, they have farmed north of Thief River Falls, Minn., ever since.
 
Over the years, Steinhauer has been involved in several research projects promoting the Attwater Prairie Chicken in Texas and received a Friends of the Prairie Chicken award from the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society in 2000. He was also a member of the Agassiz Audubon Chapter which operates the Wetlands Pine to Prairie Sanctuary, and received two conservation development awards from Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District in 1988 and again in 2002.
 
In 2008, Clifford Steinhauer was honored with the Presidents Volunteer Service award for searching for federal endangered flower species and other volunteer projects. He has been on the Holt Township Board for 16 years and served as a Sunday School teacher and trustee for Nazareth Church in Holt.

Terry and Bette (Hovet) Nelson, '60

After graduating from the NWSA, Bette (Hovet) Nelson, '60, photo right, went on to earn her degree as a registered nurse, while Terry worked on his uncle's farm. After the couple was married, he was employed in the local bank. The couple went on to purchase a roofing company in The Dalles, Ore., using the skills gained as a farmer, a banker and a salesman to help shape this new experience.

Over time, the Nelson's roofing company would grow from one location to three. In 2008 Bette and Terry sold their business and retired, but their son continues his involvement in the company, and Terry still serves as a consultant.

Bette and Terry agree they learned responsibility and independence at the Northwest School of Agriculture and that living right on campus like college students provided them with an important foundation.

Terry Stadstad, '60

After graduation, Terry Stadstad, '60, photo below, enlisted in the Navy and after four years of active duty, he moved to North Dakota to farm and married his wife, Muriel Fee.  In 1967, after the harvest was completed, Stadstad applied to work in Santa Fe Ski basin in New Mexico as a ski patrolman, and eventually went on to become a certified instructor. Terry and Muriel worked as part of the management team there for six years. In the early 1970's, the Stadstad's took over the family farm when Terry's father retired, raising sugar beets, wheat, malting barley, pinto beans, soybeans, and sunflowers. Today, the farming operation is in the hands of the Terry and Muriel's son, Wade.

In 1976, Stadstad served on a steering committee to start an oil co-op in Manvel, N.D. He also served on the board of the Manvel Union Elevator for a number of years, where Stadstad spent two years as chairman. He was a member of the Grand Forks County Fair Board and also served on the race committee for the Grand Forks Country Race Track. Stadstad also served for 12 years on the American Crystal Sugar Company (ACSC) board of directors and represented ACSC for five years on the executive board of the Pro Gold Corn Plant in Whapeton, N.D.

Currently Terry Stadstad is serving on an advisory board for Frandsen Bank and Trust and is the agricultural representative for six of their area banks. He was a board member of the Rye School District #25 for five years, has been on the Middle Grove Lutheran Church Council for thirty five years, and served as president for twenty five of those years.

The NWSA alumni reunion, first held in 1918, brings back alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture, a residential high school located on what is now the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus. The NWSA opened its doors in 1906 and graduated its first class of 8 students in 1909. The campus educated students for 60 years, and during its last two years of operation, the campus transitioned to a two-year technical college, known as the University of Minnesota Crookston Technical Institute. In 1993, the campus transitioned again to offer baccalaureate degrees and became the first-ever laptop university in the nation.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Corby Kemmer, director, development and alumni relations, 218-281-8434 (ckemmer@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu); Jill Zelinsky, student intern in University Relations, (zeli0030@umn.edu)

A bachelor of science degree in accounting offered entirely online through the University of Minnesota, Crookston Online was approved by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents at their June meeting. The online accounting program will launch in fall 2010.

The accounting program in the Business Department at the U of M, Crookston is designed to provide students with both the theoretical and the analytical framework they will need in the workplace and gain the skills required to work effectively in public, private, or governmental accounting. Offering it online allows students interested accounting to earn their degree on a schedule that fits their personal and professional lives. It provides greater convenience and flexibility for working adults and part-time students. It also benefits students who desire a University of Minnesota degree, especially those not living in close proximity to the campus or the ability to attend a physical classroom due to work schedules or personal commitments, to earn an accounting degree from the U of M.

The Business Department at the U of M, Crookston offers online baccalaureate degrees in management, marketing, manufacturing management, and quality management. Sue Brorson, Ph.D., professor and head of the U of M Crookston Business Department believes "the accounting degree online allows us to offer a diverse and comprehensive curriculum for all business degree seeking students.  The online accounting degree was creatively crafted with a focus on meeting the expectations of the accounting profession while exposing students to the technologies and economic trends that are reshaping business today.  A unique feature of the accounting curriculum is that it will feature an optional fifth year of study focused on preparation for the CPA exam.  This program enrichment is not only available to U of M, Crookston students but is also available to accountants that simply desire to prepare for certification."

With the addition of accounting to the online degrees, the Crookston campus delivers seven degree programs entirely online. Michelle Christopherson, director of the Center for Adult Learning, is excited about what this means for students. "The B.S. in accounting available entirely online is another feather in UMC's hat," Christopherson says. "Accounting is a popular degree and having it available entirely online is just one more opportunity to educate many and assist others in completing their degrees without leaving their personal or professional lives."

The U of M, Crookston has demonstrated expertise in online education and the campus has experienced significant enrollment growth since they began offering online degrees in 1996. The number of students taking online courses continues to grow as more degree programs are offered entirely online and as more students--many of whom are already in the workforce--discover the benefits of online study and personal satisfaction while earning a prestigious U of M degree.

Along with approval of the online accounting degree, the Board of Regents also approved the addition of a minor in hotel, restaurant, and tourism management.

For more information on the University of Minnesota, Crookston Online, visit www.umcrookston.edu/online or contact the Center for Adult Learning at 218-281-8681 (cronline@umn.edu).  

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Michelle Christopherson, director, Center for Adult Learning, 218-281-8679 (mchristo@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The Office of the Registrar at the University of Minnesota, Crookston recently announced its list of spring 2010 graduates. Students completed their degree requirements during spring semester 2010. Graduates are listed below with their degree(s) earned.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston enrolls approximately 1,200 full-time students and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The U of M, Crookston is a four-year baccalaureate degree granting institution, dedicated to learning, discovery and engagement in northwest Minnesota.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Spring 2010 Graduates

Name	Major	Minor
Adamns, Andrew Edward	Manufacturing Management BMM
Adamski, Joseph Gerald	Natural Resources BS
Allen, Ashley Louise	Equine Science BS	Bus Mgmt
Anderson, Gretchen C	Natural Resources BS
Anderson, Jacob Alan	Natural Resources BS
Anderson, Kevin L	Natural Resources BS, & Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS	Music
Arne, Brett Ryan	Natural Resources BS
Balsiger, Cathy	Animal Science BS
Bawdon, David Jonathon Earl	Business Management BS
Beck, David W	Natural Resources BS
Biddle, Jessica Ann	Equine Science BS	Animal Science
Black, Shane, R	Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS
Bochow, Aaron Michael	Natural Resources BS
Bochow, Amanda Trish	Natural Resources BS
Carr, Jeffrey David	Sport & Recreation Mgmt BS	Coaching
Dank, Anthony James	Equine Science BS, & Animal Science BS
Dean, Bryan Daniel	Business Management BS
DeBoer, Jessica Lynn	Business Management BS
Dillon, Daniel J	Natural Resources BS
Dimmler, Cole Thomas	Agricultural Business BS	Agronomy
Ellenberg, Jada Kay	Horticulture BS
Erickson, Mathew Donald	Business Management BS
Fjosee, Kirstin Norby	Equine Science BS, & Agricultural Business BS
Freeman, Steven C	Golf & Turf Mgmt BS
Gerver, Jacob Arvin	Agricultural Business BS, & Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS
Grenell, Monica Lea	Hotel/Restrnt/Inst Mgmt BS	Bus Mgmt
Hannon, Megan Elizabeth	Equine Science BS
Harty, Paige N	Business Management BS
Harwell, Lee Eugene III	Natural Resources BS
Hassa, Justin Joseph	Accounting BS, & Business Management BS
Haugstad, Donavan Marvin	Sport & Recreation Mgmt BS	Coaching
Hendricks, Jared F	Business Management BS
Hepola, Danielle Marie	Health Management BS	Bus Mgmt
Herrig, Heather Renee	Natural Resources BS	Communication
Holland, Philip Wade	Golf & Turf Mgmt BS, & Horticulture BS
Hughes, Andrew Wesley	Business Management BS
Huttunen, Reid T	Sport & Recreation Mgmt BS	Coaching
Jensen, Alyssa Nicole	Business Management BS
Karras, Jacob George	Business Management BS
Kaschmitter, Brianna M	Agricultural Business BS	Bus Mgmt
Kern, Elizabeth Renee	Communication BS
Kim, Kyu Tae	Business Management BS
Kitchell, Michael Edward	Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS	Agricultural Bus
Knudsen, Kyle Sten	Early Childhood Education BS	Coaching
Knudson, Michael David	Natural Resources BS
Kooser, Wilfred B. Jr	Business Management BS
Koscielniak, Nicole Marie	Agricultural Business BS	Animal Science
Krebs, Paul	Golf & Turf Mgmt BS, & Horticulture BS
Krecklau, Joshua Lee	Natural Resources BS
Kreutner, Joshua Michael	Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS
Lamecker, Joshua John	Agricultural Business BS
Larson,Joshua Peder	Natural Resources BS
Larson, Scott Leonard	Business Management BS
Logelin, Michael Todd	Applied Studies BS
Lovly, David Ronald	Natural Resources BS
Luna, Tamara Olivia	Biology BS	Communication
Mackedanz, Melissa Kay	Natural Resources BS
McGee, Lorelei A	Hotel/Restrnt/Inst Mgmt BS
McNamee, Amanda Rose	Agricultural Business BS
Mills, Jamie Lee	Natural Resources BS
Munn, Nicole Marie	Dietetic Technician ASS
Mussenden, Athena Gabrielle	Business Management BS
Myers, Kyle	Sport & Recreation Mgmt BS
Nelson, Kimberly Susan	Early Childhood Education BS
Nelson, Krista Rose	Business Management BS, & Accounting BS
Nelson, Shena L	Manufacturing Management BMM
Norvitch, Philip S	Natural Resources BS
Nowacki, Sarah Kristen	Early Childhood Education BS
Nyhus, Tracy Lynn	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr BS
Ogaard, Romuald Jay	Communication BS
Ohmacht, Thomas William	Information Technology Mgmt BS
Oliver, Travis Scott Irwin	Manufacturing Management BMM	Bus Mgmt
Olson, Ellen Michelle	Animal Science BS
Olson, Samantha Tara	Business Management BS
Onken, Stephanie Ann	Communication BS, & Business Management BS
Palmer, Kelsey Marie	Early Childhood Education BS
Pfingsten, Carla Johanna	Natural Resources BS
Plath, Daniel Edward	Manufacturing Management BMM
Rude, Stefanie Marie	Communication BS	Organizatnl Psych
Russell, Amanda Nicole	Early Childhood Education BS
Saari, Brett R.	Business Management BS
Saarinen, Max Peyton	Communication BS
Schein, Jessica JoAnn	Natural Resources BS
Schwab, Brandon James	Agronomy BS
Schwartz, Gary Allen	Manufacturing Management BMM
Seibel, Jessica Marie	Communication BS
Severance, Desiree' Anne	Animal Science BS, & Agricultural Education BS
Shaw, Nathan Allen	Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS, & Agricultural Business BS
Slepicka, Jaclyn F	Communication BS	Bus Mgmt
Solie, Brandin Lee	Agricultural Systems Mgmt BS, & Agronomy BS
Starr, Crystal Nicole	Animal Science BS
Ternes, Kathy Lillian	Hlth Sciences Pre Prof Tr BS
Thompson, Nikolas Clifford	Business Management BS
Tietje, Stepheni Teresa	Horticulture BS
Torkelson, Bobbie Jo	Early Childhood Education BS
Tosh, Abbie Kathleen	Business Management BS
Trestram, Jordan	Accounting BS	Info Tech Mgmt
Tyler, Stephanie Lynn	Bussiness Management BS
Valgren, Yvonne Nicole	Organizational Psychology BS
Veres, Nicole M	Equine Science BS	Animal Science
Vigness, Rose E	Accounting BS
Vikingson, Kevin	Manufacturing Management BMM
Wander, Weston J	Golf & Turf Mgmt BS, & Horticulture BS
Wilson, Jeffrey Alan	Natural Resources BS
Wolden, Tyler Wayne	Business Management BS
Wright, Brett Robert	Business Management BS
Zempel, Eric Dennis	Natural Resources BS

Contact: Andrew Svec, director, communications, 218-281-8438 (asvec@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director of communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu )

Area students named to the spring semester 2010 Dean's List at the University of Minnesota, Crookston were announced by the Office of the Registrar. The U of M, Crookston is one of the most respected career-oriented, technology-based universities in the nation.

To qualify for a place on the Dean's List, students must complete 12 or more letter-graded (A-F) credits while attaining a 3.50 grade point average. The Crookston campus is the online leader in the University of Minnesota system and the only campus providing every full-time student with a laptop computer.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Andrew Svec, director of communications, 218-281-8438, (asvec@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Area students named to the spring semester 2010 Chancellor's List at the University of Minnesota, Crookston were announced by the Office of the Registrar. The U of M, Crookston is one of the most respected career-oriented, technology-based universities in the nation.

To qualify for a place on the Chancellor's List, students must complete 12 or more letter-graded (A-F) credits while attaining a 4.00 grade point average. The Crookston campus is the online leader in the University of Minnesota system and the only campus providing every full-time student with a laptop computer.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Andrew Svec, director, communications, 218-281-8438 (asvec@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director of communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Several of Minnesota's gubernatorial candidates will share their views regarding the potential impact on rural communities from health care initiatives under consideration at the 2010 Rural Health Policy Forum taking place on Monday, June 28, 2010, in Duluth, Minn. The forum will be held from 3:45 to 5 p.m. in the Harbor Side Ballroom located in the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC). The forum is part of the two-day Minnesota Rural Health Conference which begins on Monday, June 28.  The theme for this year's conference is "Leading Change for Rural Health."

Lori Sturdevant, writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, will serve as moderator for the health care policy forum. Audience members will have the opportunity to question candidates about health care reform initiatives being considered at both the federal and state levels, and to express their views regarding the health care priorities the legislature should address during the upcoming legislative session.
 
For more information, visit http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/orhpc/conf.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: : Judy Neppel, executive director, Minnesota Rural Health Association 218-281-8323 (jneppel@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Fifty 4th through 8th grade students from the summer's "Reach for the Sky" Science and Math Academy on the White Earth Indian Reservation will go where few have gone before, without space suits and years of training. They will launch science experiments to the edge of outer space ("near-space" - the upper reaches of the atmosphere, above 80,000 ft) with 30 or more experiments that the students will build, to test science theories and to apply hands-on science and math to their world.  On-board cameras will document the view from so high in the atmosphere that the sky is black even in the daytime, and the curve of the Earth is visible.
 
The Reach for the Sky program will be launching experimental packages on two large helium-filled weather balloons early on Wednesday morning, June 9, 2010, from somewhere near the Circle of Life School (exact launch location is weather dependent and will be selected by Tuesday afternoon). Preparations will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

The two balloons will carry 8 student-built miniature spacecraft, with about 5 science sensors plus a camera in each one, as well as tracking radios. The students will work in teams on Monday and Tuesday to build their flying spacecraft laboratories and outfit them with sensors and cameras. The data they collect will be sent down by radio to computers on the ground, or downloaded once the payloads are retrieved. 

Working with university students from the U of MN's High Altitude Balloon Team, the students will use the data to address questions that they set out to answer earlier in the week when they built their experiments. "What does the landscape look like from that height?" and "Are we really facing global climate change?" and "How does the sun's radiation change as we go up?" and "How does the temperature change with the changes in atmospheric pressure?" are just some of the questions students may be trying to answer.  The balloons will have GPS units on them for tracking and will be recovered after the flight by the University's High Altitude Balloon team, directed by Professor James Flaten from the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium.
 
The Reach for the Sky project is in its 3rd year where culturally relevant science has been used to study various aspect of physics of flight, engineering, renewable energy, wind energy, human powered machines, and more. It is sponsored with the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development and the College of Extension, by a grant from the National Science Foundation ITEST division, and by the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium through the U of MN's Institute of Technology.

Contact Stephan Carlson at 651-283-7261 or Deb Zak at 218-686-6141 with additional questions.

The White Earth Academy of Math and Science, celebrating its twelfth anniversary in 2010, is an innovative summer program that provides opportunities for students and teachers to learn science and math using a curriculum that is relevant to the Ojibwe culture and leading to improved academic performance. The students will be visiting the Crookston campus of the University of Minnesota on Monday and Tuesday, June 28-29.

Contact: Dr. Stephan Carlson, 651-283-7261; or Deb Zak, 218-686-6141

The Statewide Health Improvement Program recently awarded a grant to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of the Red River Valley. The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) funds will assist Deanna Patenaude and Jan Aamoth of RSVP in expanding their system-wide training efforts for their volunteer Bone Builder trainers.

RSVP Bone Builders is an exercise initiative that focuses on enhancing physical and mental well-being and the prevention and reversal of osteoporosis.  RSVP has twenty-five classes and over 375 participants throughout seven counties in Northwest Minnesota including Polk, Norman, Kittson, Marshall, Roseau, Pennington and Red Lake.  Classes are led by trained RSVP volunteer instructors and class participants have experienced great benefits due to their increase in physical activity.

Deanna Patenaude, RSVP Director, commented that "the continued success and sustainability is dependent upon the RSVP volunteers who have been trained as Bone Builders trainers."   Polk County Statewide Health Improvement (SHIP) Coordinator, Sarah Reese shared that "it is exciting to be expanding the current training efforts of RSVP. Bone Builders is free for all participants and provides a great resource for physical activity to our aging population of Northwest Minnesota. I have talked to many Bone Builder's participants and they have nothing but great things to say about it."

The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) strives to help Minnesotans lead longer, healthier lives by preventing the chronic disease risk factors of tobacco use and exposure, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. SHIP seeks to create sustainable, systemic changes in schools, worksites, communities and health care organizations that make it easier for Minnesotans to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily lives.

For more information about SHIP contact Sarah Reese at sreese@pcphealth.org or 218-281-3385 or about Bone Builders contact Deanna Patenaude at 218-281-8288.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Deanna Patenaude, RSVP, 218-281-8288 (dpatenau@umn.edu)

As it continues to develop and refine its portfolio of academic programs to prepare students for the vital and relevant careers of the future, the University of Minnesota, Crookston has taken another step forward. The Crookston campus gained approval to offer a bachelor of science degree in environmental sciences at the May meeting of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, the University system's governing body. The new degree program is currently accepting students and will launch fall semester 2010.
 
The new program is designed to provide students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues. It will also prepare students to be successful applicants to graduate programs. Based on their interests and career goals, students may choose from five different emphasis areas within the new degree program: agricultural environmental stewardship; environmental ecology; environmental health; environmental toxicology and chemistry; and water quality. 

Graduates of the program will be trained in the basics of environmental sciences, the scientific method, and modern remediation techniques. As they enter the workforce, they will be prepared to design effective remediation plans of action, to contribute to academic or industrial research, to create new remediation technologies, and to understand the fate of new chemicals in the environment and the impact those new chemicals could have on the environment.

The environmental sciences program is a collaborative, interdisciplinary program involving the U of M, Crookston's Math, Science, and Technology Department and its Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. It also compliments and leverages strengths from the U of M, Crookston's existing bachelor's programs in biology, agronomy, horticulture, animal science, and natural resources.

Assistant Professor Katy Smith, Ph.D., a faculty member in the U of M, Crookston's Math, Science and Technology Department, led the development of the new degree program. "This is an exciting and growing field," says Smith, "and it fits well with the applied, hands-on approach to teaching and learning for which the Crookston campus is so well known."

Smith points to today's headlines involving the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as just one example of the type of issues environmental scientists increasingly face. "What current and new techniques will we use to help clean up after an accident like the one in the Gulf, and how can we be proactive in protecting the environment?" she asks. "Clean air and clean water--these are practical issues and they affect everyone. I know many students who are tuned in to these and other 'green' issues. It's exciting to be a part of solutions, and that is what this degree program is all about." Currently Smith is conducting research involving greenhouse gas emissions under different land management and fertility programs and in phytoremediation--the use of green plants to remove pollutants from the environment or render those pollutants harmless.

Employment opportunities regionally, statewide, and nationally for baccalaureate degree holding environmental scientists are currently good and are projected to increase through 2016 according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the national level, there is a projected increase of 25 percent for entry-level positions for environmental sciences professionals in the coming decade.

A recent report from the Bureau states that increases in employment in this field are being driven by "increasing demands placed on the environment and water resources by population growth." Further, the report states that "demand should result from the need to comply with complex environmental laws and regulations, particularly those regarding ground-water decontamination, clean air, and flood control." Much of the job growth in this area is predicted to result from a need to monitor the environment "to interpret the impact of human actions on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and to develop strategies for restoring ecosystems," according to the Bureau.

At the May meeting, the Board of Regents also approved the U of M, Crookston's proposal to offer minors in environmental sciences and in chemistry. 

To learn more about the new degree program in environmental sciences visit www.umcrookston.edu/academics.

 
Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology. With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree. "Small Campus. Big Degree." To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Adel Ali, head, Math, Science, and Technology Department, 218-281-8268 (adelali@umn.edu); Katy Smith, assistant professor, Math, Science, and Technology Department, 218-281-8262(katys@umn.edu); Andrew Svec, director, communications, 218-281-8438 (asvec@um

Alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture will come back for their annual reunion on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26, 2010, at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. The theme for this year's reunion is "A Summer Place" and honors the classes of '25, '30, '35, '40, '45, '50, '55, '60, and '65. The annual reunion is hosted by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations on the Crookston campus.

Registration for the reunion takes place in the Northern Lights Lounge in the Sargeant Student Center beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 25. Highlights of this year's NWSA Alumni Reunion include a fish fry in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center on Friday evening followed by a social and dance.
 
Events for the following day, Saturday, June 26, include tours of campus, a slide presentation on campus history, a picnic-style lunch in Bede Ballroom, and a special program featuring the music of Fallcreek Quartet and a video presentation in the Kiehle Auditorium. In the evening, the Top Aggie Awards banquet program will conclude the reunion weekend.

The Top Aggie award recognizes outstanding achievement by alumni over a lifetime and is the highest award given by the Northwest School of Agriculture Alumni Association. This year's Top Aggies are Clifford Steinhauer from the Class of 1948, and Terry and Bette (Hovet) Nelson and Terry Stadstad, all members of the Class of 1960.

The alumni reunion, first held in 1918, brings back alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture, a residential high school located on what is now the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus. The NWSA opened its doors in 1906 and graduated its first class of 8 students in 1909. The campus educated students for 60 years, and during its last two years of operation, the campus transitioned to a two-year technical college, known as the University of Minnesota Crookston Technical Institute. In 1993, the campus transitioned again to offer baccalaureate degrees and became the first-ever laptop university in the nation. 

For more information on the upcoming alumni reunion, contact Corby Kemmer, director, Development & Alumni Relations, at 218-281-8434 (ckemmer@umn.edu).

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Corby Kemmer, director, alumni and development, 218-281-8434 (ckemmer@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

NOTICE: Session 1 of robotics camp scheduled for Mon.-Wed., June 14-16 has been CANCELED.

Two Robotics Camps at the University of Minnesota, Crookston will teach students the skills needed to build and program robots to do tasks such as walk, pick up an object, and sense objects while navigating a maze. Two sessions of the robotics camp, intended for students in grades sixth, seventh, and eighth, are scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, June 14-16 (June 14-16 session CANCELED) and repeated on July 19-20, 2010.

To help students attend the camp, which costs $225 per student, the United Way of Crookston is offering five full scholarships for each camp session for students with financial need who live within 25 miles of Crookston. To be considered for a scholarship, students should fill out the form available at www.umcrookston.edu/camps or contact the Math, Science, and Technology Department at 218-281-8380 or Cynthia at 218-289-1278 (weber434@umn.edu). Students have the option to purchase the robot kit at the end of the camp for $250.

The schedule for the camp, specifically designed to challenge students to think critically and work in teams to problem solve, includes:

Day 1, Introduction to Robotics: Camp will begin with an introduction to robotics and demonstrations of some tasks the Lego MINDStorm can perform. The afternoon will be spent designing, building, and programming robots to do basic tasks such as walking or crawling.

Day 2, Advanced Motion: Day two begins with a brief recap of day one activities and demonstrations by the instructors. Students will program their robots to do multiple tasks; such as walking around a room and calculating the perimeter or navigating a maze. Students will continue experimenting with building various robotic designs and programming more tasks.

 Day 3, Communication and Competition:  Students will learn to program their robots to recognize each other and communicate through Bluetooth. In the afternoon, students will compete using the skills they have learned over the three days of camp.

If you would like more information on these or other camps available this summer on the Crookston campus, visit: www.umcrookston.edu/camps.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: David DeMuth, Jr., associate professor, Math, Science and Technology Dept., 218-280-9322 (demuth@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)