UND Steam Plant to Burn Cleaner and Greener As the University of North Dakota forges ahead with its sustainability strategies, “Powered by Green” is becoming even more of a reality with the help of BenchMark Energy. A major goal of the UND is to burn a cleaner and greener fuel. That includes the University’s coal fired steam plant, which supplies live steam to the campus and several surrounding facilities. Soon, the UND Steam Plant — built in 1909, upgraded several times, with a 13-mile pipeline network rebuilt after the 1997 flood — will add an environmentally friendlier, renewable energy source to its fuel mix: glycerin. “We’re going to blend 10 to 20 percent glycerin into the coal to increase the energy value of the fuel,” said Randall Bohlman, technology advancement coordinator at UND Facilities Management. “This glycerin will be produced in a plant that will be built by BenchMark Energy in Grand Forks starting this fall.” The University’s proposed glycerin-coal blend will reduce the total amount of coal burned at the UND Steam Plant by about 105 rail cars per year; the plant currently burns 536 cars of coal annually, Bohlman estimates. BenchMark Energy, CEO Mark Bateman said the planned 21,600-square-foot plant will employ about 30 people when it becomes fully operational. The facility will process glycerin from several biodiesel plants located in the region.

1. Inside:
Homecoming 2011
Get Your Green On!
A handy pullout guide to
Homecoming activities

3. CONTENTS
Insidethis issue
ALUMNI REVIEW • VOL. 94 NO. 3 • FALL 2011
6
10 14 18
FEATURES
6 Taking Flight
EERC builds a better jet fuel that’s not only
cleaner, but renewable. BY MILO SMITH
10 The Platinum Standard
Great River Energy’s CEO wants co-op to be the DEPARTMENTS
model for green construction. BY MILO SMITH
4 Message from the
14 Waste Management
Grand Forks company is world leader in Executive Vice President
composting and odor control. BY MILO SMITH Getting to work on the Gorecki Alumni Center
18 The Green Mile 20 What’s New
UND grad holds patents for recycling News from Around Campus
worn roads. BY MILO SMITH
21 President’s Letter
UND is ‘Powered by Green’
30 Campaign News
New Education Building is model of energy-efficency
and a confirmation of North Dakota Spirit
38 Alumni Class News
Who’s Doing What: News About Your Classmates
48 In Memoriam
www.undalumni.org 3

4. Alumni Review
IN THE GROUND Universit y of Nor th Dakota A lumni A ssoc iat ion
Executive Vice President and CEO 4 • Winter 2010
Vol . 93 No.
Tim O’Keefe, ’71
DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS,
Editor
The picture accompanying this column Milo Smith
very excited to be “on our way” to LEED
could imply I’ve changed vocations, but anyone Platinum designation. Designer
familiar with my mechanical skills would Homecoming 2011 will again see four Sam Melquist
immediately tell you that there’s zero chance outstanding alumni receive the UND Alumni
anyone would hire me to operate a backhoe! Association’s highest honor, the Sioux Award. Contributing Writers
By association with my role, I had the This year’s recipients are Norm Hoffman, Alyssa Shirek, ‘06
great pleasure this spring of turning over one of ’59, retired cofounder and President/CEO of Juan Pedraza, ‘02
the first spades of Technical Ordnance, Inc.; Gary Marsden, ’63, Patrick C. Miller
dirt for the $12 retired founder and CEO of Marco, Inc.; Dr. Peter Johnson, ‘81, ‘82
million Gorecki Robert Nordlie, ’57, ’60, a retired Biochemistry Jan Orvik, ‘95
Alumni Center, Caitlin Slator
professor from the UND School of Medicine
which began & Health Sciences and the former Chair Contributing Photography
construction the of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Jackie Lorentz
third week in July Department; and Diane Odegard, ’86, a retired Jeremy Jones
and will be ready secondary teacher and former member of the
for a grand opening UND Alumni Association & Foundation BOARD OF DIRECTORS
at Homecoming Board of Directors who played an integral and
in October 2012. continuing role in the development of the John UND Alumni Association Chair
This project will D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. Carolyn (Howland) Becraft, ’66
create our first real Diane and her late husband, John, ’66, ’67,
“home,” welcoming Vice Chair
were founders of what was a concept, and they
Kris Compton, ’77
alumni and friends together drove the development of what has
back to UND and become the world’s top aerospace college. UND Foundation Chair
offering the campus During the same ceremony on Thursday, Rick Burgum, ’68
a new asset. Oct. 20, we’ll also recognize two deserving
The theme for Homecoming 2011 is “Get recipients of the Young Alumni Achievement Vice Chair
Your Green On,”a call for all alumni and friends Award: Amanda Bentow, ’04, ’06, Community Al Royse, ’72, ’73, ’76
to sport one of our school colors during the week Relations Officer in the Office of the Chief
of Oct. 17-23. Information Officer at UND; and John Kutch, Directors: Alice Brekke, ’79, ’87; Jill Burchill,
But the theme could also describe efforts ’93, the President/CEO of Trinity Health in ’76; Steve Burian, ’90, ’92; Marc Chorney,
on campus and beyond to recognize the impact ’81; Jody Feragen, ’78; Mark Fliginger, ’74;
Minot, N.D.
William Guy III, ’68, ’76; Tim Haas, ’68;
our energy consumption has on our planet. You can read more about these worthy Bart Holaday, HON ’06; Robert O. Kelley;
In this issue of the Alumni Review, you’ll meet award winners in the Homecoming booklet Chuck Kluenker; Linda Laskowski, ’72, ’73;
UND alumni, students, staff and professors who included with this issue or by going online to Paul LeBel; Lauris Molbert, ’79, ’83; Jennifer
are working to find alternatives to fossil fuels, www.undalumni.org. In both places, you’ll also Neppel, ’86; Tim O’Keefe, ’71; Linda Pancratz,
reduce our impact on the environment and build find a complete schedule of Homecoming 2011 ’76; Carrie McIntyre Panetta, ’88; Fernanda
energy-efficient buildings. activities. You’ll notice a new event has been (Santos) Philbrick, ’94, ‘96; Doug Podolak, ’72;
The “green” theme of this issue also carries added this year. What’s being called a “Grand Cathy (Wilson) Rydell, ’88; and Lisa Wheeler,
over to the Gorecki Alumni Center, as we have Forks Homecoming Celebration” will be held ’75, ’82, James L. Williams, ’62.
decided to pursue a LEED Platinum designation, Friday night in the concourse of the Alerus
the highest level of energy efficiency and The University of North Dakota Alumni Review
Center. There will be live music, door prizes,
(USPS 018089: ISSN 0895-5409) is published
environmental stewardship. We’re thrilled to a pep rally and appearances by Fighting Sioux in August, November, February and May
finally be “in the ground,” and you can read all student-athletes. by the University of North Dakota Alumni
about it on page 29. I look forward to seeing many of you on Association, 3100 University Avenue, Stop
The LEED Platinum designation came campus this fall at Homecoming. We’ll celebrate 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157.
about in large part because of the persuasion the past, present and future of this great
of David Saggau, ’86, ’89. As the CEO of university together. I hope you can join us! Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND
Great River Energy, David knew firsthand the 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send
benefits of LEED Platinum after overseeing the Best regards, address changes to the Alumni Review, 3100
achievement of such in the company’s new office University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks,
headquarters in Maple Grove, Minn. He made ND 58202-8157.
the argument that we could set an excellent
For inquiries about advertising,
example for our students and state, and serve Tim O’Keefe, ’71 additional copies, reprints, submissions,
as an educational laboratory while benefiting Executive Vice President and CEO or general comments, contact
from energy and water savings and improved air UND Alumni Association and 800.543.8764, 701.777.0831 or
quality. UND Foundation alumnireview@undalumni.net.
Next thing you know, through the E‐mail: timo@undfoundation.org
generosity of Glen and Janice Gransberg, we’re
4 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

5. g oing “green” can be as simple as changing a light bulb to
as challenging as developing an entirely new renewable and
cleaner-burning jet fuel. In ways large and small, UND alumni
and friends, students, staff and faculty are doing their part to
promote a sustainable future.
www.undalumni.org 5

6. FEATURE
6 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

7. A jet propelled by the EERC’s
renewable biofuel shot 20,000
feet into the sky in 2009.
TAKING Flight
EERC DEVELOPS RENEWABLE JET FUEL
T
By Milo Smith
he Mojave Desert has been the The wholly renewable jet fuel director for research at the EERC and
scene of a number of jet engine was created by researchers at UND’s program manager for the EERC’s
and rocket tests throughout the Energy & Environmental Research Centers for Renewable Energy and
history of the aerospace industry, Center (EERC). The team, made up of Biomass Utilization.
so the launch of a small rocket a number of UND graduates, worked Besides the fact that the EERC’s
from its flat valley floor near San Diego for years to perfect the process in order fuel comes from a renewable source, it
in 2009 likely looked much like any to meet the military’s strict standard also has the advantage of fungibility, or
other. But when the rocket zoomed that the fuel meet all the specifications being easily able to mix with or entirely
from its pad and reached an altitude of petroleum-based jet fuel, or what’s replace JP-8. “That’s an exciting aspect
of 20,000 feet, it was historic because known in aviation as JP-8. of this research,” says Zygarlicke. “You
it was propelled by a jet fuel made “It looks, smells and acts just like make a fuel that’s fungible in the sense
not from petroleum, but canola and petroleum-based JP-8,” says Chris that you don’t have to create a new
soybean oil. Zygarlicke, ’87, the deputy associate engine. There are no issues. It goes right
www.undalumni.org 7

8. A rocket test in the Mojave desert in
2009 using the EERC’s renewable jet
fuel was a success. The rocket used
in the launch was originally built as a
test rocket for the Discovery Channel
series “MythBusters.”
Watch a video of the launch
into the engine with no problems. It can be The process is viable because it does not
blended, too.” take a large input of crop oils to produce a
gallon of the fuel. Zygarlicke says it has better
FROM FIELD TO FUEL energy efficiency than ethanol from corn
Zygarlicke describes the process as and could be done without making great
“very simple,” but it sounds like anything demands on U.S. cropland. “If we use land
but simple to someone without a Chemical that is a little marginal to grow crop oil and
Engineering degree. “You take an oil and maybe develop other ways to use a lot of the
strip off the oxygen. We crack that in a waste oil that’s out there, we could replace a
cracker similar to what’s used in an oil significant portion of the military’s need for
refinery and then we upgrade that. It’s called hydrocarbon fuel,” he says.
isomerization. You break the chains into As a result of the EERC’s and other labs’
more of a fuel quality that gives you all the work on renewable jet fuel, Zygarlicke says
properties of a jet fuel.” the military is interested in the product, but
During its research into renewable for now the fuel is too expensive to produce.
JP-8, the EERC discovered that not only “As economies of scale come into play, then
could a number of crop oils like crambe and the costs definitely will come down per
camelina be used in the process, but yellow gallon,” he says.
grease and the byproduct of oil-producing The military has other concerns, though,
algae work as well. that could make renewable fuel viable sooner Josh Strege, ‘05,
Research Engineer
8 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

9. Members of the renewable jet fuel research team:
Front Row (L to R): Paul Pansegrau, ’81, Research
Scientist; Tony Snyder, ‘00, Research Engineer;
Heidi Vettleson, Research Information Associate;
Tera Buckley, ‘01, Marketing Research Specialist
Middle Row (L to R): Alexey Ignatchenko, Research
Scientist; Marc Kurz, ‘93, Research Manager;
Michael Collings, ‘83, Research Engineer
Back Row (L to R): Chad Wocken, ‘94, Senior
Research Manager; Kyle Martin, ‘01, ’02, ‘05,
Research Engineer; Tim Kujawa, Research Specialist.
rather than later. The renewable fuel could
prove to be a strategic advantage. What if a
military unit — JP-8 doesn’t only fuel jets,
it also powers tanks and generators — could
produce its own fuel on the battlefield from
local crops? Congress might also mandate
that a certain amount of JP-8 come from
renewable sources in order to reduce U.S. On the Web
reliance on foreign sources of petroleum. EERC Centers for Renewable Energy & Biomass
The EERC’s research has also shown Utilization
that the renewable fuel burns cleaner than
EERC Flickr photostream
traditional JP-8. “They (the military) want
to go green,” says Zygarlicke. “Most of
the alternative fuels are cleaner burning.
Emissions are huge during takeoff.”
After years of study, the crop oil refining they have family or they love this area and and biomass resources at home in North
process is ready for commercial production. they want to come back. And we end up Dakota and throughout the United States,”
“We have a bid-ready design for an oil hiring people back to the EERC. Three or says EERC Director Gerald Groenewold.
refinery. The refinery could add on extra four key people in our jet fuel project were “We are directly responding to the president’s
equipment, take a triglyceride oil feedstock, UND grads that had been hired away and blueprint for a secure energy future, putting
and make this 100 percent renewable jet fuel then came back.” the EERC front and center in providing
or blend it into a petroleum-based jet fuel. The EERC also employs UND graduate solutions to the pressing energy needs of the
A green fuel is good for public relations and and undergraduate students while they are world by teaming with coal, petroleum, and
good as a first step to prove to the world that in school, giving them valuable hands-on biomass producers.”
this can be done.” experience at a world-renowned research lab. The new fuel burns cleanly and is now
“It’s a great model for us to attract a work being tested further by the U.S. military.
LOCAL TALENT force,” say Zygarlicke. Might it become routine in the future for
While the EERC hires research scientists a U.S. Air Force F-16 to be powered by a fuel
from all over the world, more than half (57 ADDING COAL TO THE MIX grown in a field in North Dakota or derived
percent) of its 350 employees have been This summer, the EERC took its research from a fast food restaurant’s used grease? If
educated at UND. Zygarlicke himself was into alternative fuel a step further when it so, that rocket test launch from the Mojave
a teacher for a while before going back created a JP-8 substitute using biomass and Desert in 2009 will likely be looked at as a
to school to get his master’s degree from coal feedstocks. The EERC says adding coal to watershed moment in aviation history. AR
UND. He says the Chemical Engineering the mix reduces the environmental footprint
department at UND has a “fine program,” of the fuel, limits land use in competition
so graduates can get a good salary working with food production and draws on the vast
for big-name companies around the country. coal reserves of the United States.
“After they’ve been out there a few years, a lot “With this innovative technology, we
of these graduates grew up around this area, can safely and responsibly develop our coal
www.undalumni.org 9

10. FEATURE
Platinum
The
Standard
“E verything old is new again,”
says David Saggau, ’86, ’89, about the
environmentally friendly features of Great
River Energy’s corporate headquarters in
Maple Grove, Minn. Saggau, who became
CEO of the energy co-op in 2005, is referring
to the wind tower out front and a cistern buried
in the ground next to the 166,000-square-foot
building.
“Think about old farms in North Dakota.
UND ALUM DAVID SAGGAU LEADS AN ENERGY They had windmills. They had cisterns to collect
CO-OP WITH A FOCUS ON CONSERVATION. rainwater. We have the same stuff here. We collect
rainwater from the roof and we use that to flush
By Milo Smith our toilets. We have a windmill that provides 10
percent of our electricity. A lot of the ideas are not
new. They are just being rediscovered.”
The cistern and windmill are not the only
green features of the building (see page 13 for
more). It was the first commercial building in
Minnesota to secure Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design, or LEED, Platinum status,
10 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

11. www.undalumni.org 11

12. A wind turbine provides power to the
Great River Energy building, while
36 miles of tubing at the bottom of a
nearby lake are part of the heating/
cooling system.
Saggau says he could not be prouder
UND SPARKS INTEREST that his suggestion has taken root. “For
Saggau credits his time at UND for
UND to be pulling the trigger on a Platinum
leading him to a career in the energy field.
building speaks volumes about the university
The Devils Lake, N.D., native got his
and reminds everyone that when building
the most rigorous standard for sustainability undergraduate degree in 1986 and started
starts again (after the economic downturn),
and environmental friendliness. The law school immediately. While in law
this is the example that you want to follow.
standards are so demanding that there are still school, one of his favorite law professors,
There will be a lot of visitors who just want
only seven buildings in Minnesota that have Owen Anderson, suggested he write his Law
to tour the building. And you are leading by
qualified as Platinum projects. The Gorecki Review article on an oil and gas law case.
example. I think that is very commendable.”
Alumni Center on the UND campus is the “Had I chosen a divorce case, I would be
first to seek that level in North Dakota. a family law attorney today,” Saggau jokes.
So why would an energy company that “On the strength of that (article), I got a job GREEN HEADQUARTERS
derives most of its energy from coal care with FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Saggau is also proud of his company’s
to build one of the greenest, most energy- Commission.” commitment to energy sustainability,
efficient buildings in the world? Saggau says Saggau, whose glass-walled office is showcased in every inch of its four-story
he gets that question all the time and answers decorated with UND and Fighting Sioux headquarters. “It’s a good representation
by saying the cheapest — and cleanest — memorabilia, says his years on the Grand of who we are,” he says. “It’s efficient and
kilowatt-hour is the one they don’t have Forks campus were influential “I loved every progressive and transparent and cutting
to produce. “It is so expensive to build minute of it. My office is an ode to North edge, and those are all things I would use to
new power plants,” he says. “We’ve got to Dakota. The university is really a special describe the company as well. There are a lot
encourage people to use less of our product jewel.” of reasons why this building really fits Great
because the more efficient the buildings, the It was Saggau who floated the idea River Energy.”
longer we can wait before we have to build that the UND Alumni Association and The co-op’s mission is built around three
the next plant.” UND Foundation pursue Platinum status core values: affordable rates, reliable electric
Saggau says it also makes sense from the for the Gorecki Alumni Center now being service and environmental stewardship. “It’s
standpoint of corporate social responsibility. constructed on the UND campus (read a bit unique for an electric utility, especially
“Quite frankly, we are a utility company. We an update on page 29). Executive Vice a coal-based one, to have environmental
burn coal. We run transmission lines. People President/CEO Tim O’Keefe says the original stewardship as one of its key points, but
rely on our products. We have a responsibility goal was to seek LEED Silver designation for culturally that’s just who we are.”
beyond just the customers we serve. We the building, but Saggau made a compelling While the Great River Energy
impact, in a lot of ways, the people of this argument for upping the commitment. “He headquarters building turns heads with its
region. Just from a social responsibility, was really persuasive in saying what a shining form and function, it is on the balance sheet
we have to be leaders in things like energy symbol the Gorecki Alumni Center could be where Saggau says the building really sells
efficiency and environmentalism.” as a Platinum building,” O’Keefe says. itself as a model for developers. “There’s a real
12 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

13. GREEN BUILDING:
What makes Great River Energy’s Maple Grove
office building a model of energy efficiency?
Daylighting: A long east-west orientation of the building maximizes
daylight harvesting.
Windows on the east and west walls, though, are kept to a minimum to
reduce unwanted solar heat gain.
“A lot of points we got on this building (for LEED Platinum certification)
were from daylighting, figuring out where the sun is,” says David Saggau,
CEO of Great River Energy, “where the work spaces are and figuring out how
to get the most daylight to those areas. It’s a combination of art and sci-
ence.”
The building is also broken up by atriums that help direct light into the
interior of the building. Most interior walls are glass, reducing the need for
On the Web artificial lighting.
GRE LEED building webpage
Water: Rainwater is captured from the parking lot and roof and used
Flickr slideshow of building images
for irrigation and for flushing toilets, reducing the use of the municipal water
supply by 90 percent.
Renewable Energy: Nearly 15 percent of the building’s required
misconception that the incremental cost of doing electricity comes from renewable sources: an on-site 200-kilowatt wind tur-
bine and solar energy panels mounted on the roof of the building and in the
a green building is 20, 30 or 40 percent,” Saggau
parking lot. Interesting fact: The wind turbine is a recycled unit that has seen
says. “For large buildings like this, the incremental service in the Netherlands.
costs would not approach this.”
Heat Pump: The 36 miles of tubing that make up the building’s geo-
In reality, the “green premium” on Great thermal heating/air conditioning system are buried not in the ground, but at
River’s building was closer to five percent, a the bottom of a nearby lake. In the summer, the system exchanges heat from
cost that will be paid back in years rather than the building and is cooled by the lake. Warmth from the lake is absorbed by
decades by using 50 percent less electricity and the system in the winter and pumped to the building. The system is so ef-
90 percent less water than a traditional building. ficient that there is no back up chiller or boiler in the building.
“Conservation is a long-term resource,” Saggau HVAC: Under-floor displacement ventilation eliminates the need for
says. “It can’t be judged in a year or even a decade. blower fans to force air through the building. Instead, natural convection
During this building’s lifecycle it will save a lot of drives the airflow from floor to ceiling. “It’s always the perfect temperature,”
energy.” says Saggau. “The beautiful thing about this building is we’ve had zero is-
It’s an uphill battle, though, to convince sues with hot spots or cold spots.”
developers to adopt green building initiatives. Construction:
Electricity is cheap in the U.S., leaving very • More than 95 percent of construction waste was recycled.
• 18 percent of the materials used in the building are post-consumer
little incentive to go green. But Saggau says it’s a
or pre-consumer recycled content.
movement he’d like to see pick up steam. “The • Fly ash, a byproduct created when coal is burned to generate
stuff that we are using is finite, and we better electricity, was mixed into the concrete used to create the building’s
figure out how to make it last. Let’s stretch it out if structural frame. Fly ash from GRE’s Coal Creek Station power plant
we can. This building is an example of how easy it was also used as carpet backing.
can be to do that.” • Local products were used including Mankato limestone and Lake
Saggau also says the fear of trying something Superior granite.
new keeps developers and contractors from • Energy-efficient elevators use 60 percent less power than regular
thinking green. It’s hard to convince them that elevators
they should change the way they’ve been doing
things for decades. “I’m a strong believer that Other Green Features:
• Close to mass transit.
buildings today are very inefficient,” he says. “The
• Showers provided for those who bike to work.
proven technologies are there today. They are cost- • Bicycles can be checked out by employees who need to run errands
effective today. There is no excuse for not building nearby.
to the highest efficiency level possible.” • Prime parking spaces dedicated to fuel-efficient vehicles.
Saggau says there is only one thing about the • Green space around building is 25 percent higher than what was
building’s construction he’d do differently if he required by Maple Grove’s building code.
had a chance to do it all over again: “We should • Building recycling program includes waste bins for compostable
have done it years earlier.” AR waste.
www.undalumni.org 13

14. FEATURE
WASTE
MANAGEMENT GRAND FORKS COMPANY TAKES THE SMELL OUT
OF LARGE-SCALE COMPOSTING FACILITIES
By Milo Smith
14 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

15. A biofilter engineered by
BacTee sits next to one of the
nation’s largest composting
facilities in Rancho
Cucamonga, Calif.
E van Andrist, ’11, graduated
from UND in May with
an Engineering degree and
had already landed a job
with BacTee Systems, Inc.,
of Grand Forks when he
was asked if he could start early.
BacTee has developed a reputation
for design and construction of composting
and biofiltration systems. It is the latter
that initially helped the company gain
recognition and acceptance. Composting
on a large scale has been around for more
than 50 years in the U.S., but BacTee’s
The organic waste management systems chief scientist, Calvin Tininenko, says
company needed Andrist to fly to China nearly $8 billion of constructed facilities
to help work on one of the largest built in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s were closed
composting facilities in the world. “I was for one principal reason: odor.
on my way to Beijing before I got my first
paycheck,” he jokes. ODOR CONTROL
Such is the way of doing business “There is no question that there is a
for the firm, which has its roots in the stigma in the minds of many people when
UND School of Engineering & Mines, you talk about siting a new composting
T
and whose workforce is predominantly facility,” Mathsen says. “The issue of odors,
UND graduates. Founder Don Mathsen, dust, truck traffic, it comes up. But now
’70, ’74, was a teacher, researcher, the there are more and more facilities that you
director of development, and a research can take them to and say, ‘Look, if you do
administrator during two decades with the it right, you can virtually eliminate those
department. As BacTee’s chief engineer, issues and be a good neighbor.’”
he now leads the effort to turn waste into One of those model composting
earth-friendly compost and filter out facilities is in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
the bad odor long associated with such BacTee designed the 3½-acre biofilter for
facilities. “We have found a niche, if you the facility that processes 150,000 tons
will, in the composting world truly on an of biosolids and 60,000 tons of wood
international level,” Mathsen says. and green waste a year. “When they were
www.undalumni.org 15

16. ‘I was on
my way to
Beijing before
I got my first
paycheck.’
marketing that facility,” Mathsen says, “they
had a saying: ‘If it smells, we’re dead.’” With
BacTee’s biofilter in place, they have never
had a complaint about smell, he says with
pride, even though the facility sits in the
middle of an industrial park in a metro area
with a correctional institution nearby.
The odor is controlled by doing the
composting inside a 400,000-square-foot
building. Biosolids and other compostable
material are blended, placed into piles
and aerated. What might take 12 to 18 WASTE DOESN’T “We understand the value of compost
months to become compost under normal GO TO WASTE better than at any time in history,”
About 20 percent of the more than 7 Tininenko says. “We got away from that
circumstances can be accomplished in
million tons of biosolids produced in the in the 1950s when chemistry became
40 to 60 days. The process does produce
U.S. each year are incinerated to create everything. Some of the soil problems that
odors, but at Rancho Cucamonga, air in the
electricity, but there are few other options are occurring worldwide are the result of
building is drawn through the compost piles
for the waste. Historically, biosolids from our dependence upon chemical products
by fans that then route the foul air through
wastewater treatment plants were sent to and the impact of those practices on soil
underground ducts to BacTee’s biofilter.
landfills, applied directly to farm fields microbes. We can grow those microbes
The floor of the biofilter is made up of
or even dumped into the ocean. In a in the compost world and can really help
a series of 7-inch-tall, 2–foot-by-16-inch
landfill, biosolids can lead to methane gas change that situation. With properly
plastic units that help to move air under
problems and take up valuable space. Farm prepared compost you don’t need the
and then up through a wood chip media.
application is cheap, but it can be a messy fungicides or quantity of fungicides that
Over a short period of time indigenous
job that is burdened with odor problems we’ve been using for years. You don’t need
microbes attach, grow on the media and
and it is not always practical in urban areas. nearly as much fertilizer either, and the soil
form a biofilm. The odorous gases are
Ocean disposal was outlawed by the United percolates better.”
absorbed into the biofilm and degraded by
States in 1988. Thanks to new ways to In California, there was some
the microbes. The 38,000 floor units used in
control odors, composting, Mother Nature’s skepticism about the Rancho Cucamonga
the California project were made in Minot,
recycling program, is back in favor in large- facility. Detractors said there was no urban
N.D., from recycled material.
scale facilities. market for the 90,000 tons of compost
produced every year and that it would have
16 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

17. Evan Andrist, ‘11, (fifth from
left) and Don Mathsen, ‘70,
‘74, (sixth from left) attend a
business meeting in China.
The biofilter at Rancho
Cucamonga is so effective,
BacTee chief scientist Cal
Tininenko says you could
“almost put a church next
to it”and no one would
smell the compost.
On the Web
to be trucked out of town to farms. But in credits his UND experience with preparing
reality Tininenko says it all gets used in the him for the trip. “I was able to hop in right BacTee website
local area. “If they had twice as much, they away thanks to the co-op experiences and Flickr slideshow
could sell twice as much,” he says. different classes I took. I was able to come
in, understand things and make decisions.
The China Factor They kind of threw me in the deep end and
The benefits of composting have I started to swim right away.”
convinced planners in China. BacTee Andrist says the company’s
is doing the design and overseeing the environmental work was key to his decision
construction of one of the world’s largest to take a job with BacTee. “I like to be
composting sites for the city of Harbin. The conscious of the environment,” he says.
facility is designed to compost 1,000 metric “That’s one of the things that drove me
tons per day of biosolids from a city of 8 toward this company. We are taking waste,
million people. At two other sites, for the literally waste, and we are recycling it into
cities of Nanyang and Xinxiang, the BacTee something usable. And on top of that, there
team is not only contracted to design and are opportunities to be as eco-friendly as
build compost facilities, but also to operate possible. We are trying to make as small of
them. an eco-footprint as possible.” AR
It is the Harbin project that had BacTee
newcomer Evan Andrist jumping on a plane
to China in his first week of work. Andrist
www.undalumni.org 17

18. FEATURE
THE
GREEN
MILE
UND ALUM HOLDS PATENTS FOR
RECYCLING OLD AND DAMAGED ROADS
By Milo Smith
T he most recycled item in
the world is not aluminum,
plastic or paper; it’s asphalt.
Arlis Kadrmas, ’87, who has made
a career of working in the field, says
about 85 percent of the asphalt you see on
roadways, when it serves its useful life, will
“Basically, you are kind of renewing
the road to where it was when it was
originally placed,” Kadrmas said. “The
patents are on the design process, not
the application process. The in-place
recycling of roads has been done for
decades, but improvement in the design
be recycled in some way. technique make it more acceptable to road
The Chemical Engineering grad is departments.”
an expert on recycling asphalt. He owns Kadrmas has patents for two different
a number of patents on processes for recycling design processes. One called
removing old material, adding asphalt hot in-place recycling involves heating
Arlis Kadrmas, a 1987 Chemical
emulsions to it and putting it back in up the pavement, adding material to it Engineering grad, has patents
place without ever leaving the job site. and putting it back in place. The other for road recycling processes.
18 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

19. process is cold in-place recycling, which eliminates the
need for heat, making it safer for road construction
workers.
“It’s very green in that it is done in place,”
Kadrmas said. “You don’t haul it in and out, which
eliminates the fuel used to move it.”
Kadrmas’ techniques also use more An asphalt recycling project
near Red Lodge, Mont.
environmentally friendly solvent-less emulsions. “It’s
analogous to latex-based paints versus a solvent-based
paint in painting your home,” Kadrmas said. “It
reduces VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions
greatly by reducing the solvent and doing the process
in-place. To specifically design those emulsions for the ‘If you had
told me in
cold and hot in-place recycling processes is where the
Chemical Engineering degree from UND came to be
very helpful.”
Kadrmas is understandably proud of his
patents. “It’s extremely nice to say these are out there, the ’80s that
especially the cold in-place recycling. It’s patented in
China, Russia, Mexico and the United States.”
Kadrmas says the Russian patent is an especially
I would have
prized possession for a person who grew up during the
final years of the Cold War. “If you had told me in the
’80s that I would have a Russian patent in my name, I
a Russian
would have told you [that] you were crazy,” Kadrmas
said. patent in my
name, I would
Kadrmas finds the concept so entertaining that
he has put the Russian patent certificate on display.
“I have the Chinese and Mexican versions in my file
cabinet, but the Russian one I have on the wall next to
my U.S. patent.” have told you
His patented process has been used on projects in
numerous states across the country, with a few projects
in the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota. One of his
[that] you
patented processes was used to design the annual best
cold recycling project three times as determined by the
Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association.
were crazy.’
The Manning, N.D., native started out as a
physics major at UND, but soon changed to the
Chemical Engineering program. There he found a in-place recycling patents. “You have to broaden
mentor in Professor Tom Owens. “He was a great yourself. If you just focus on the chemistry part in
person to have as an adviser, and a great leader in the making emulsions, you don’t understand how they
Chemical Engineering department. He told me how are mixed together. I love to learn and I continued
Chemical Engineering is such a broad degree to have, on and learned how to make these products better by
that you could do a lot of different things with it.” improving the design technique.”
That broad knowledge came in handy as he Kadrmas’ curiosity and desire to learn have not
worked with a civil engineer as a co-inventor to abated. He just received his fourth U.S. patent; this
study and perfect the processes involved in the cold time for a pavement preservation technique. AR
www.undalumni.org 19

20. CAMPUS NEWS
Randall Bohlman, technology
advancement coordinator at UND
Facilities Management, holds one
of the new induction cobra street
lamps that will replace current
high-pressure sodium vapor cobra
lamps in UND parking lots.
What’s New News from ARO Campus Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
A Partnership with University Relations
From plans to green up the coal-burning steam plant to the use of recycled materials in
its cafeterias, UND has focused on green initiatives in recent years. Read all about them
and the people behind the “Powered by Green” push.
20 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

21. PRESIDENT’S LETTER
UND President Robert Kelley is proud of the
display outside his office door which features
work from UND’s extensive art collection. The
display of rotating work could serve as a model
for the remodeled Education Building and new
addition. Dean Dan Rice wants the building
to feature UND and North Dakota artists who
demonstrate a sense of place in their work.
Green Powered by
DEAR ALUMNI & FRIENDS,
The University of North Dakota is “Powered by Green,” as The University of North Dakota is truly “Powered by Green,”
this issue of the Alumni Review demonstrates. As we continue from the color that drives our athletic teams to the focus on
to become an “Exceptional UND,” one of our drivers is a focus sustainability that drives our facilities management. It is just one
on sustainability and being as green as we can be. This issue way we are creating an Exceptional UND.
showcases some of these efforts, from the work at the Energy &
Environmental Research Center and the School of Engineering EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS
and Mines to the “greening” of Dining Services. You can’t have an exceptional university without exceptional
For example, a shining new star in our constellation of students, and we are fortunate to have many examples. I want
buildings is the newly remodeled Education Building and its to mention just two, our Student Government President Kylie
addition. It is the “greenest” facility on our campus to date. We Oversen and Vice President Nate Elness. I am delighted and
have recently broken ground on the Gorecki Alumni Center, impressed by the outstanding leadership we are already seeing
which is being built to the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy early in their term. Kylie is a member of my Cabinet, where she
and Environmental Design) standard. Both projects are excellent has been a thoughtful and strong advocate for students, and
examples of North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, as she engages the rest of the Cabinet with her intelligence and
these buildings will be among the most energy efficient on dedication. Nate has been equally effective. Together, they make
campus. Using about 24 percent less energy than comparably an impressive team working for students and for an Exceptional
sized facilities translates into cost savings in the long run — UND.
another way of being “green.”
You will also learn that evoking a sense of place — of North
Dakota — is a strong focus in the new Education Building and Best wishes,
addition. Dr. Dan Rice, dean of the College of Education and
Human Development, wanted to remind folks that they are in
North Dakota. The story on page 30 explains how the color
palette, for example, provides a rich connection to the crops of
the region and the endless azure sky.
The Education Building was created as a state-of-the-art Robert O. Kelley
teaching facility by integrating the most current technologies. President
UND has made great strides in this area, so much so that national
companies providing this type of technological support for
universities see UND as a model. The North Dakota Legislature,
as well, in recognition of UND’s growing technology leadership,
appropriated funds for the construction of the North Dakota
University System’s Information Technology building on the UND
campus. This system-wide project is being led by UND’s chief
information officer, Dr. Joshua Riedy.
www.undalumni.org 21

22. CAMPUS NEWS
Larry Zitzow, Director of Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
Powered By
UND Facilities Management,
stands in the storm water
filtration system behind
Green
University Place. Selective
planting helps to remove
pollutants from parking lot
runoff from getting into the
storm sewer.
UND PURSUES A GREEN
STRATEGY THAT TOUCHES ALL
a
PARTS OF CAMPUS
— a catchment that collects rainwater from the roof
of University Place and delivers it cleaned-up to the
BIG PATCH OF UNMOWED GRASS AND Grand Forks storm drain system,” said Larry Zitzow,
WEEDS: THAT’S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. director of UND Facilities Management. University
But look a bit closer. There’s a storm drain in the Place is UND’s newest student housing complex that
middle, protected by a domed grate. The “weeds” are includes several “green” technologies, including the
actually native prairie plants that act as natural filters storm water management system.
and a “brake” for fast-flowing storm water. And the “The plants in the catch basin filter out heavy
soils and vegetation along the way reduce the amount metals, too,” said Rebecca Molldrem, an architect
of water that actually gets to the drain through and sustainability coordinator for JLG Architects,
absorption. the company behind University Place, the Education
What ends up in the city’s storm drain from this Building project and the new Gorecki Alumni Center.
catchment is relatively clean water that requires fewer The Center is pursuing LEED Platinum certification.
chemicals to purify in the city’s treatment plant. “That will include a special parking lot designed
“This is a progressive piece of the University of with previous pavement and a trough down the center
North Dakota’s systematic approach to sustainability of the parking lanes to a drain below ground that will
22 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

23. filter the water as it slowly travels to the how UND activities — including students,
city’s drain system,” Molldrem said. faculty and staff — impact the University’s
These are just some ways in which carbon emissions. The GHG Inventory UND Steam Plant
the University is “powered by green,” as
President Robert Kelley puts it. He and
was performed and managed by graduate
students and faculty from the UND
to Burn Cleaner
his Cabinet have been strong advocates for Department of Earth System Science and As the University of
the University matching its practices to its Policy; ESSP also does the updates. North Dakota forges ahead
institutional color. “Energy projects started real hot and with sustainability strategies,
“Sustainability and environmentally heavy with 2001 state legislation,” Bohlman
“Powered by Green” is
friendly construction are a core part of said. “Since that time, the University
becoming even more of a reality.
UND’s long-term ‘green’ strategy,” said acquired $8 million in several grants to
Zitzow, whose division has supervised make improvements to our facilities. The A major goal: burning
scores of energy upgrades and sustainability best thing is that we’ve repaid that $8 cleaner and greener fuel. That
projects across campus over the past decade million through energy savings. includes the University’s coal-
and more. “There’s a lot more going on with “That legislation allowed us, for the fired steam plant, which supplies
sustainability than changing light bulbs, first time, to be our own performance
live steam to the campus and
though we’ve changed close to 20,000 of contractors, thus saving the cost of putting
several surrounding facilities.
them, with energy savings equivalent to these services together by doing a lot of
taking 600 homes off the power grid.” them with in-house expertise,” Bohlman Soon, the UND Steam
“We didn’t just start this yesterday,” said. Plant — built in 1909, upgraded
said Zitzow, who chairs the University “It’s a remarkable effort on the several times, with a 13-mile
President’s Council on Sustainability. part of the University and underscores pipeline network rebuilt after
For Randy Bohlman, the sustainability the administration’s commitment to
the 1997 flood — will add
guru in Facilities Management, it’s a lifelong sustainability,” Zitzow said. “At a time when
an environmentally friendlier,
professional commitment. the state’s economy is as good as it is, we
“UND’s sustainability efforts really continue to make strides to continue to save renewable energy source to its
got going when former President Charles taxpayer dollars.” fuel mix: glycerin.
Kupchella signed the climate commitment, The showier brick-and-mortar projects “We’re going to blend
which was endorsed by President Kelley aren’t all that’s going on. 10 to 20 percent glycerin
when he took over,” said Bohlman, who has “We use all green cleaning products
into the coal to increase the
managed the University’s two $1 million now,” Bohlman said. “We’ve condensed our
energy value of the fuel,” said
North Dakota Department of Commerce former list of about 35 products down to
federal flow-through awards titled “ARRA about 12 green-certified products, including Randall Bohlman, technology
(American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) no ammonia products.” advancement coordinator at
Energy Efficiency Improvement Program for UND also is big on recycling, Zitzow UND Facilities Management.
State Facilities.” noted. “This glycerin will be produced
“It’s becoming even a bigger item
in a plant that will be built in
CLIMATE ACTION REPORT as precious metals have become more
Grand Forks starting this fall.”
A key chapter in UND’s sustainability valuable,” such as those found in computers
plan is the Climate Action Report — first and other high-tech electronic equipment, The University’s proposed
issued in March 2010 and updated since Zitzow said. “This has increased the need to glycerin-coal blend will reduce
then — a living document that’s posted salvage these materials and actually make the the total amount of coal burned
online and reflects the work of more than a effort worthwhile. It all equates to less going at the UND Steam Plant by
dozen committees and subcommittees. into the landfill.”
about 105 rail cars per year;
The report encapsulates very specific Facilities Management also is working
the plant currently burns 536
strategies across campus to save energy, with UND’s food division — part of
reduce carbon impact, and reinvest saved Residence Services in the Vice President cars of coal annually, Bohlman
dollars into future sustainability efforts. The for Student Affairs division — on future estimates.
Climate Action Report also benchmarks sustainability developments, such as an Energy Partners CEO
actions and quantifies the dollar savings of industrial-grade composting site and an herb Mark Bateman said the planned
completed sustainability and green energy garden, Zitzow said. The UND Department
21,600-square-foot plant will
projects—in other words, it measures, in a of Chemical Engineering is examining
employ about 30 people when it
very public way, the return on sustainability ways to use waste grease as a renewable fuel
investments. source. AR becomes fully operational. The
The report is keyed to the University’s facility will process glycerin from
Greenhouse Gas Inventory, updated this — Juan Miguel Pedraza, University Relations several biodiesel plants located
past year, and also posted online. The GHG On the Web in the region.
Inventory documents exactly where and Find UND’s Climate Action Plan, Greenhouse
Gas Report, recycling information and more.
www.undalumni.org 23

24. CAMPUS NEWS
‘Green’
Means
More than Salad
UND SERVES UP WAYS
FOR STUDENTS TO HELP
THE ENVIRONMENT
Orlynn Rosaasen, director Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
of Dining Services, holds a Beef patties, bulk ground beef and whole chicken are 100
reusable to-go container that percent hormone- and antibiotic-free. Seafood purchased
students can use and return. meets the “Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch”
Rosaasen says it’s crucial that
guidelines, a program designed to help restaurants choose
a
Dining Services uses eco-friendly
materials to cut down on waste. seafood that is fished in a sustainable way.
Because so many students, faculty and guests are
served every day, Rosaasen says it’s crucial that Dining
Services uses eco-friendly materials to cut down on waste.
They offer reusable mugs and to-go containers at the
dining centers, and use compostable, renewable products
for cutlery, cups and plates. A 50-cent discount is given
at Stomping Grounds Coffee Shops when customers
LL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HOMES, reuse a ceramic cup. Trayless dining was introduced as a
BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS ARE BECOMING voluntary program for students in the dining center.
“GREENER,” and the University of North Dakota’s Recycling wasted food is another area where Dining
Dining Services is doing its part to help the university Services uses sustainable practices, Rosaasen noted. All
join that trend. pre- and post-consumer food scraps are run through a
Dining Services operates three dining halls that pulper. Edible food is donated to the Northlands Rescue
serve about 7,000 people every day. Orlynn Rosaasen Mission, a Grand Forks homeless shelter, and cooking
is the Director of Dining Services and is also a sub- oil is recycled for biodiesel production. All dining centers
committee chair of UND’s Council on Environmental practice traditional recycling of aluminum, cardboard,
Stewardship and Sustainability. He explains how going glass, paper and plastics.
green is important: “The initiatives are to foster the local Dining Services’ green initiatives coincide with
economy, and environmentally it is the correct thing to the UND’s climate action plan. UND has signed the
do. We are looking at how we can do our part to meet American College and University Presidents Climate
the goals of the institution.” Commitment, which holds the University responsible
Many new sustainable techniques have already been for implementing new ways to reduce its contribution to
implemented to lessen the University’s carbon footprint. greenhouse gases.
One of the largest initiatives is purchasing food locally. Rosaasen says most feedback received from students
This includes food that has been grown, raised, produced about the Dining Services changes has been positive.
or processed within 150 miles of Grand Forks. Currently, Dining Services picks up ideas for green initiatives from
the University receives a variety of food from 17 regional various student committees, other universities and
manufacturers. Purchasing food processed or produced national organizations. Dining Services continues to
closer to UND is an effective way of cutting down on provide a great example to students on how to better
transportation costs as well. protect the planet. AR
Rosaasen points out that food quality has also
improved as a result of Dining Service’s “green” efforts. — Caitlin Slator, University Relations Student Writer
24 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

25. Coal and clean air:
Can they coexist?
EERC OUT TO PROVE COAL
c
CAN BE BURNED CLEANLY
AN YOU REALLY BURN CLEAN COAL? Yes, says Gerald
Groenewold, ’71, ’72, director of the University of North
Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC).
Scientists at the EERC and their corporate partners
have developed technologies to burn coal with little or no
emissions and can design a coal-fired power plant that emits
zero emissions. The cost is about 40 to 60 percent more Gerald Groenewold, ’71, ’72,
than current technology and is expected to decrease as the serves as director of the UND EERC.
technology is enhanced.
WHY COAL? consistently removed 99.99 percent of emitted particulates
“It’s estimated that energy demand worldwide will increase and was recently licensed to a Chinese company, Fujian
by 50 to 100 percent over the next few decades,” Groenewold Longking.
said. “You can’t double petroleum and renewables, at triple the “The people here are very smart and extremely
cost of coal, won’t grow dramatically. The bottom line is that honorable, with a burning desire to do something useful
there are enormous coal reserves, especially in China and India. with their lives,” Groenewold said. “People who work here
Coal is a resource they will use — it’s abundant and cost- want to improve the world.”
effective.” As the world’s population grows, more people will One of the EERC’s greatest strengths, he said, is that
demand a better life. “The only way to meet the demand is by the Center is able to hire many of its staff from the region.
using the most abundant resource — coal — in an absolutely Sixty-five percent of them have graduated from North
clean manner.” Dakota institutions, and 57 percent are UND graduates.
That global outlook and expertise in developing But there is also a strong global presence. The 330 people
and commercializing new technology to help protect the who work at the Center come from every inhabited
environment have helped the EERC thrive. With 11 nationally continent except Australia and speak a dozen languages.
and internationally recognized Centers of Excellence, 26 “We are a family of like-minded, practical, creative
buildings on 15 acres, $194 million in contracts (83 percent people, who receive no state funding,” Groenewold said.
of them with private entities), and over 1,100 clients in 51 “Everything we do is pulled by the market.” AR
countries and 50 states, the EERC is one of the world’s leading
developers of cleaner, more efficient energy and environmental — Jan Orvik, University Relations
technologies that protect and clean our air, water and soil.
On the Web
The secret to their success? The EERC’s staff develops EERC Coal Utilization Technologies Center
commercially viable technology that clients cannot find
anywhere else in the world. “We invent things people want,”
Groenewold said.
For example, the EERC demonstrated a particulate
control technology at the Big Stone Power Plant, a coal-fired
electric generating station, near Milbank, S.D. That technology
www.undalumni.org 25

26. CAMPUS NEWS
Steve Benson, director of UND’s Institute for
Energy Studies (IES) envisions the University’s
steam plant as a facility for testing new
technologies and educating energy experts.
Photo by: Jackie Lorentz
Thinking Locally,
Acting Globally
m
INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY STUDIES: A UND
COLLABORATION ADDRESSING
ENERGY CHALLENGES
AKING THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA platform for testing new technologies and a platform for
A PREMIER ENERGY UNIVERSITY ISN’T ONLY educating the next generation of energy experts.”
ABOUT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH; it’s also Two and a half years ago, Hesham El-Rewini, dean
about making the campus cleaner and greener by putting of the School of Engineering and Mines (SEM), proposed
eco-friendly technologies to practical use. the IES, a coordinated effort to bring together UND’s
For example, Steve Benson, director of UND’s diverse expertise in energy-related fields. Administered by
Institute for Energy Studies (IES) and professor of Engineering, the Institute provides a framework for these
Chemical Engineering, envisions the University’s steam entities to work in collaboration using a comprehensive
plant as a facility that not only provides heat for the approach focused on solving energy issues locally and
campus, but also as a place to demonstrate cleaner, globally.
more efficient technology while serving as a functioning “This is a great opportunity to put ourselves on
laboratory for students. the map,” El-Rewini said. “To become a premier energy
“We’re planning to use proven, ultra-clean technology university, it can’t just be Engineering; it needs to be the
that provides competitive economics, reduces carbon entire University. We’re here to help our community, to
dioxide emissions and is designed to meet changing help our state and to help our nation, and that’s what we
environmental standards,” he explained. “It will be a should be doing.”
26 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011

27. THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
Dean’s Corner:
Transitions: Dean Bonoit
10 Years of Visionary Growth
Dear Alumni and Friends,
It has been another busy year for The Graduate
Benson pointed out that with UND’s School, as we continue to grow enrollment and program
offerings for students both on campus and at a distance.
long history of energy research and a More than 2,500 students are receiving an exceptional
multitude of schools, centers, departments, advanced education from the University of North Dakota
programs and initiatives specializing in in more than 125 graduate programs.
various aspects of energy issues, it could In March, we celebrated 10 years of The Graduate
already be considered a premier energy School’s annual Scholarly Forum — a wonderful
showcase event highlighting the significant research
university. But the IES brings that expertise and creative scholarship of graduate students and
together, enabling faculty and researchers to faculty. Oral presentations and panel sessions filled six
share ideas, develop proposals and work on rooms in the Memorial Union while the Ballroom was
projects as a campus-wide team. brimming with research posters and art exhibitions. This
“The way we look at energy is from is the only event on campus where the UND community
can discover the breadth of graduate scholarship in a
the perspective of a system,” Benson said. two-day conference. A featured event of the Scholarly
“Energy involves science and engineering, Forum was the Dean’s Lecture Series presentation by Dr.
business and economics, policy and Jianglong Zhang (Department of Atmospheric Sciences),
regulation, society and behavior. It has all Joseph Bonoit
who is researching the effect of aerosols on climate
of those components. We’ll make UND change. The next lecture in the series will be presented
by Dr. Krista Lynn Minnotte (Department of Sociology)
a premier energy university built on during the fall semester and will feature Dr. Minnotte’s
professional integrity, ethics, safety and good research on balancing work and family.
management practices. It utilizes all the The Distinguished Dissertation, Thesis and
assets of the University.” Creative Exhibition Awards were presented in May to
Among the assets at UND are the three outstanding graduates. Biswaranjan Pani, Ph.D.,
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
School of Law, which provides expertise in was nominated by his advisory committee for his
policy-making and energy law. The College dissertation, “Functional Regulation of the Transient
of Nursing is currently engaged in studying Receptor Potential Canonical 1 by Caveolin 1 and
societal issues related to the oil boom in Stromal Interaction Molecule 1.” Dr. Pani is continuing
western North Dakota. The School of his research at UND with a Postdoctoral Fellowship. Lisa
Linrud received her Master of Arts degree in English, and
Medicine and Health Sciences conducts recently published her collection of poems, “In Grain”
research on human health. The College (Finishing Line Press, www.finishinglinepress.com). The
of Business and Public Administration Distinguished Creative Exhibition Award was presented
provides insight on the economic feasibility to Matthew Anderson for his work, “(un)Natural.”
of new technologies and technology-related Matthew received his Master of Fine Arts degree from
the Department of Art and Design.
businesses. This year, The Graduate School is pleased to
“When dealing with energy issues, support 11 faculty and 8 doctoral students with their
Wayne E. Swisher
some will tell you that engineering is the research through the Summer Research Professorship
easy part,” said Mike Mann, ’81, ’88, ’97, and Summer Doctoral Fellowship programs. These
Engineering’s associate dean for research programs provide financial assistance to faculty and doctoral students facilitating continued research
during the summer months.
and chair of Chemical Engineering. “As a We continue to discover talented students who are engaged in a variety of research projects
scientist, you can develop a great technology across campus, and those who have since moved into successful careers. I encourage you to learn
that never gets used outside the lab. You also more at http://gradstories.omeka.net. If you would like to share your experience as a graduate
need the politicians, the sociologists, the student, we would love to hear from you. Contact Susan Caraher at The Graduate School for more
business people and the legal people to help information.
you understand the practical side of how Sincerely,
everything works together.”
In addition, UND has world-class
programs and facilities through the Energy Joseph N. Benoit and Wayne E. Swisher
& Environmental Research Center (EERC),
Dr. Benoit was Dean of The Graduate School from August 2001-June 2011, and recently left
the SUNRISE program (Sustainable UND to take the position of President at Mount Marty College in South Dakota. Dr. Swisher has
Energy Research Infrastructure and served as Associate Dean of the Graduate School since 2005 and is presently serving as Interim
Supporting Education) and the Petroleum Dean of The Graduate School.
Research Education and Entrepreneurship
Continued on Page 28 uuu
www.undalumni.org 27

28. CAMPUS NEWS
UND
Green Facts
Center. The University also has initiatives
in advanced power systems, carbon
management, electricity distribution and
storage, bio-energy development, solar
energy and geothermal power.
“When big companies relocate to the • Since 2000, UND has achieved an 11.5% reduction in greenhouse gas
U.S. or another city, they look for nearby
emissions. The goal is to reduce emissions to 49% below 1990 levels by
universities,” El-Rewini said. “They value our
2050.
scientific objectivity and credibility, the ideas
and the supply of talent from the faculty, • 65% of electricity purchased for the campus comes from renewable
and the supply of future employees from the sources.
students.” • UND’s recycling program diverts nearly 500 tons of waste from landfills
With a growing world population every year.
seeking to improve its quality of life, Benson • The campus lighting efficiency program has eliminated the use of the
said that the demand for energy is expected equivalent of 164,000 100-watt bulbs.
to double by 2050 and possibly triple by the • Energy use per student decreased 8% between 1993 and 2007.
end of the century. Meeting these needs will • The nearly $4 million cost of the first phase of UND’s energy efficiency
require energy innovations.
projects was paid for in savings in just over six years.
“To meet the energy challenges of today
and the future, universities need to step up
10
and take a larger role because they’re going to
be educating the next generation of energy
experts,” he said. “The landscape is changing.
We face problems involving national
security, safety, societal trends and concerns THINGS YOU CAN DO TO
about the environment. These are issues, as LIGHTEN YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
well as opportunities, for us.”
The three legs of the IES are research, • Help keep water clean by using biodegradable and environmentally friendly
education and outreach, all of which
cleaning products.
are equally important, El-Rewini said.
• Buy locally or grow your own food.
Educating the public through outreach and
working with government and industry are • Plant native species in your garden.
key objectives of the institute. • When purchasing goods, opt for sustainable, recycled or reused resources.
“We’re not focusing on one energy Choose items in less packaging.
solution,” El-Rewini said. “We are looking • Share your commitment to the environment on social networking sites like
at a diversified portfolio of energy solutions Facebook.
from fossil-based to all forms of renewables • Check your tire pressure. Americans driving on underinflated tires waste 4
to improvements in energy efficiency. I’m million gallons of gas each day.
a firm believer that there is no one solution • Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are great energy savers, but remember
that’s going to be the answer. There will be
to take them to a recycling center when they burn out.
many solutions.”
• Setting your work computer to automatically go to sleep during short breaks
If, in the process of meeting global
energy challenges, UND can also provide can cut energy use by 70%.
greater education opportunities for students • Conserve water by installing low-flow fixtures.
and a cleaner campus environment, so much • Recycle!
the better. Source: epa.gov & sierraclub.org
“Greening the campus is something
that’s always on our minds,” Mann said. AR
— Patrick C. Miller, University Relations
Bonus Tip! Ask to receive your
Alumni Review electronically.
Email your request to save paper,
printing and shipping costs to
alumnireview@undalumni.net
28 Ἅ lu m n i R e v ie w | Fall 2011