This week’s Hotline! includes the following articles:

• Employee recognition dinner scheduled for May 11, 2017
• STEM student-loan forgiveness program now accepting applications
• Griffin speaks to students in KHP Dept.
• Milner attends Sanford POWER Strength & Conditioning clinic
• Ross to present at CareerTech Vision 2017
• Viking sports update
• What’s going on at VCSU and around Valley City…

The VCSU Hotline! online newsletter is published every Monday during the academic year. Deadline to submit articles (photos encouraged) is 4 p.m. the Friday before publication.

Employee recognition dinner scheduled for May 11, 2017

VCSU will be recognizing employees for years of service and awards at the Employee Recognition Dinner May 11. Congratulations to all being recognized as listed below.

Years of Service

Five Years
Amber Aberle
Dr. Greg Carlson
Dr. David DeMuth
Daisy Figueroa
Dr. Gary Ketterling
Dr. Nicholaus Meyers
Dr. Christopher Redfearn
Lonney Scherr
Dr. Teather Sundstrom
Jeremy Wiebe

Ten Years
Ben Ferguson
Dr. Peder Gjovik
Jennifer Jenness
Pat Johnson
Janice Klein
Stephanie Roelfsema
Dr. Takayuki Yamauchi

Fifteen Years
Dr. Anthony Dutton
Dr. Heather Kvilvang
Dr. Hilde van Gijssel
Everett Walker

Twenty Years
Erik Kringlie

Twenty Five Years
Pat Egeberg

Thirty Years
Dr. Gary Thompson

Thirty Five Years
Tilmer Gienger
Ralph Hooper

Student Advocate 2017
Kim Hesch, Assistant Director for University Advancement & Alumni Relations
Kari Stricklin, Director for Student Center/Student Activities

Teacher of the Year 2017
Jodi Shorma, Assistant Professor in Language & Literature

“The Difference Maker” Award
Erica Buchholz, Controller
Pat Horner, Assistant Director for Facilities Services
Joseph Munowenyu, Computer Programmer
Stephanie Roelfsema, Director for Resident Life
Jeremy Wiebe, Assistant Director for Annual Giving
Dr. Kathryn Woehl, Associate Professor of Social Science

VCSU Staff Employee of the Quarter Awardees
Drew Storbeck, Facilities Services General Maintenance
Misty Lindgren, Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant
Wayne Hammond, Building Services/Central Stores
Anna Bratsch, Head Athletic Trainer

Completion of Degrees and Professional Certification
Teresa Cole, Administrative Assistant (M.Ed.)
Lacey Undem, Payroll and Grants Manager (Grants Management Certificate)
Angela Williams, Assistant Professor (M.A.-Special Physical Education)

Faculty Awarded Promotion for 2017–18 Academic Year
(current rank listed)
Dr. Bob Anderson, Associate Professor, Department of Science
Dr. Joan Aus, Assistant Professor, School of Education and Graduate Studies
Dr. J. Gregory Brister, Assistant Professor, Department of Language & Literature
Dr. Steven King, Associate Professor, Department of Social Science
Dr. Alan Olson, Associate Professor, School of Education and Graduate Studies
Dr. Casey Williams, Assistant Professor, Department of Science
Dr. Jamie Wirth, Assistant Professor/Director, Great Plains STEM Education Center

Faculty Awarded Tenure for 2017–18 Academic Year
(pending SBHE Action, April 27, 2017)
Dr. J. Gregory Brister, Assistant Professor, Department of Language & Literature
Dr. Casey Williams, Assistant Professor, Department of Science

Faculty Excellence Awards 2017

2017 Senior Faculty
Dr. Bob Anderson, Associate Professor in the Department of Science

2017 Junior Faculty
Dr. Emily Fenster, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Science

2017 Adjunct/Special Appointment
Laurel Westby, Instructor, School of Education and Graduate Studies

Retirements
Dr. Patricia Gegelman, Associate Professor, School of Education and Graduate Studies (May 2017)
Wayne Hammond, Building Services/Central Stores (January 2017)
Ron Pommerer, Director of Facilities Services (June 2017)
Everett Walker, Building Services (June 2017)

STEM student-loan forgiveness program now accepting applications

College graduates employed in STEM-related occupations in North Dakota may be eligible for student loan forgiveness through the STEM Occupations Student Loan Program administered by the North Dakota University System and the Bank of North Dakota. STEM-related occupations include jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The program provides loan forgiveness of up to $1,500 per year for up to four years. Eligibility is limited to a cumulative lifetime award of $6,000. Applications will be accepted from May 1–May 31.

More information is available online at www.ndus.edu/students/paying-for-college/grants-scholarships/#STEM.

Griffin speaks to students in KHP Dept.

On Wednesday, April 19, Linda Griffin, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies in the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, served as guest speaker in the Department of Kinesiology and Human Performance.

Griffin spoke on the pedagogy of using a tactical approach to teaching sport concepts and skills with 30 VCSU education majors. Students learned about the methodology of learning specific skills through modified game play in tactical game-like situations.

Griffin is the sister of VCSU Viking Hall of Fame member Charlene Griffin.

Milner attends Sanford POWER Strength & Conditioning clinic

Sarah Milner, assistant professor of health and physical education, attended the 2017 Sanford POWER Strength and Conditioning Clinic in Fargo April 21-22. An incoming student, two current students and two recent VCSU alumni also attended the clinic.

The clinic featured national, regional and local speakers presenting on science-based, practical principles in strength and conditioning and performance enhancement.

Featured topics included “Complete Program Design: Plug and Play Performance Training Design” by Robert Dos Remedios, a Nike master trainer and faculty member at College of the Canyons, and “Continued Focus on Protein” by Sherri Nordstrom Stastny, associate professor at NDSU.

The conference also included three hands-on sessions at Sanford POWER, including “Reflexive Performance Reset” with Chris Korfist, a world class sprint coach, in which Korfist worked with attendees, including Milner and one of her students.

Ross to present at CareerTech Vision 2017

Rick Ross, associate professor in career and technical education, has been selected as a presenter for the CareerTech Vision conference of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) in Nashville, Tenn., December 6–9, 2017.

Ross’s presentation, “Media Tours: Successful Planning and Conducting,” covers the work he did in organizing and executing a series of town hall meetings in September 2016 for the North Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education.

Along with a representative from National ACTE, Ross traveled to 11 North Dakota communities in 5 days to hold meetings with legislators, media and community citizens. Focused on the expanding need for career and technical education training to help fill North Dakota’s 14,000 job vacancies, the tour generated more than 24 newspaper articles, 5 television spots and 4 radio interviews.

CareerTech Vision is the ACTE annual national conference, with more than 5,000 members attending. ACTE is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers. Its mission is to provide educational leadership in developing a competitive workforce.

Viking sports update

Baseball
Saturday: Jamestown 8, VCSU 4; VCSU 3, Jamestown 2
Sunday: Jamestown 5, VCSU 4; Jamestown 12, VCSU 2
The Viking baseball team finished its conference schedule with a 1-3 weekend against University of Jamestown. VCSU is now 25-23 overall and 18-6 in conference play. The Vikings are the No. 3 seed for the NSAA Tournament which begins May 5 in Valley City.

Softball
Saturday: Jamestown 8, VCSU 1; Jamestown 3, VCSU 1
Sunday: Jamestown 3, VCSU 2; Jamestown 8, VCSU 0
The Viking softball team ended the regular season with losses to the University of Jamestown this week. VCSU finishes with a 19-29 overall record and a 10-16 record in conference play. The Vikings are the No. 6 seed for the NSAA Tournament which begins May 5 in Dickinson, N.D.

Track & Field
Lenzel Koskela won the men’s 400-meter dash and Seri Geisler won the women’s javelin as the VCSU track & field teams competed Saturday at the Al Cassell Relays in Jamestown. VCSU had 28 Top 10 finishes at the meet. View complete results at www.vcsuvikings.com/article/2659.php.

Golf
Cameron Rall and Nicole Heinitz both earned second-team all-conference honors as the Viking golf teams wrapped up the season last week with the final 36 holes of the NSAA Championships. Rall finished 13th in the men’s tournament and Heinitz placed 14th in the women’s tournament. VCSU’s men placed fourth out of six teams, while the Viking women placed fifth out of seven teams. View complete results at www.vcsuvikings.com/article/2656.php.

Three Vikings named Conference Players of the Week
Valley City State University had three student-athletes named North Star Athletic Association Players of the Week last week. Andrew Frank was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week and Kadie Anderson was named Softball Player of the Week on April 24. On April 25, VCSU’s Dennis Gonzalez was named the NSAA Track Athlete of the Week.

Valley City hosting conference baseball tournament
Valley City State University and the University of Jamestown are combining to host the North Star Athletic Association Baseball Tournament this weekend. Games will be played in both Valley City and Jamestown on May 5–6, and then Valley City will host the final two days of the tournament May 7–8. VCSU is the No. 3 seed and opens the tournament by facing Viterbo University at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 5, in Valley City.

Upcoming Events
May 2: Baseball @ North Dakota State University, 6:30 p.m. (Fargo, N.D.)
May 5–8: NSAA Baseball Tournament in Valley City
  May 5: Baseball vs. Viterbo University, 4 p.m. (Valley City/NSAA Tournament)
May 5–8: NSAA Softball Tournament in Dickinson, N.D.
  May 5: Softball @ Dickinson State, 2 p.m. CT (Dickinson, N.D./NSAA Tournament)
May 6: Track & Field @ Ron Masanz Invite (Moorhead, Minn.)

What’s happening at VCSU and around Valley City…

Monday, May 1
10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Bleed Cardinal Blood Drive, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Tuesday, May 2
9 a.m.–2 p.m. Bleed Cardinal Blood Drive, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse
11 a.m. General student recital, Froemke Auditorium, Foss Hall
noon Rotary Club meeting, VFW
5 p.m. Kiwanis pancake supper, Valley City High School cafeteria
6:30 p.m. Viking baseball @ North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D.

Wednesday, May 3
noon Kiwanis meeting, VCSU Student Center Skoal Room

Thursday, May 4
7 a.m. Optimists Club meeting, Vicky’s Viking Room
12 noon Toastmasters meeting, VCSU Student Center Norway Room
4 p.m. VCSU Junior Naturalists canoeing, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Fish Hatchery
6:30 p.m. Rally the Family tennis 2017, Valley City Recreation Center
7:30 p.m. Composition Concert, Froemke Auditorium, Foss Hall

Friday, May 5
2 p.m. Viking softball @ Dickinson State, Dickinson, N.D. (NSAA Tournament)
4 p.m. Viking baseball vs. Viterbo University, 4 p.m., Valley City (NSAA Tournament)

7:30 p.m. Choir Concert, Epworth United Methodist Church

Saturday, May 6
Viking track & Field @ Ron Masanz Invitational, Moorhead, Minn.

Sunday, May 7

Monday, May 8

Tuesday, May 9
noon Rotary Club meeting, VFW

Wednesday, May 10
noon Kiwanis meeting, VCSU Student Center Skoal Room

Thursday, May 11
7 a.m. Optimists Club meeting, Vicky’s Viking Room
noon Toastmasters meeting, VCSU Student Center Norway Room

Friday, May 12
11:30 a.m. Senior Honors Luncheon, VCSU Student Center cafeteria

Saturday, May 13
10 a.m. Commencement, W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse

Sunday, May 14