Leah Barnes, a student at North Dakota State College of Science, has been named a 2017 New Century Scholar by achieving the state’s highest score in the All-USA Community College Academic Team competition. This is the third consecutive year in which the New Century Scholar from North Dakota has been a student at North Dakota State College of Science.

The New Century Scholars program, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community Colleges, shares a common application with the All-USA Community College Academic Team program, which recognizes outstanding community college students.

More than 1,800 students were nominated from more than 1,000 community colleges for recognition. Judges consider academic accomplishments, leadership, activities and most importantly, how students extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. New Century Scholars are the highest scoring students in each state.

North Dakota State College of Science will hold its commencement ceremony on Friday, May 12 at 3 p.m. in the Ed Werre Arena located in the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center in Wahpeton, N.D. Six hundred sixty four students from the Wahpeton campus, NDSCS-Fargo location and online are scheduled to graduate. One hundred ninety three of these graduates will be recognized with a Scholastic Achievement Award.

Barry Frank, Faculty Senate President, will serve as the Grand Marshal, Vice President for Academic Affairs Harvey Link will preside as the Master of Ceremonies and NDSCS President John Richman will give remarks and recognitions as well as the presentation of degrees, diplomas and certificates. Dean Emerita Barbara Bang and Faculty Emeritus Max Reinke will be honored. Mason Rademacher, Student Senate President, will share his remarks. The NDSCS Performing Arts department will also perform musical selections.

The North Dakota State College of Science will honor Barbara Bang as Dean Emerita and Max Reinke as Faculty Emeritus at the College’s Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 12, in Wahpeton.

A graduate of the NDSCS Architectural Drafting program, Barbara Bang was an associate professor and department chair for 25 years and served as the Dean of the Technologies and Services Division for 17 years. As Dean, she developed partnerships and strategies to help meet workforce needs in manufacturing, transportation and construction. Bang currently serves as the immediate past-president of the National Council for Workforce Education and is a representative for the Commission on Economic and Workforce Development for the American Association of Community Colleges. She has an A.A.S. degree from NDSCS, a B.S. degree in Technical Education from the University of South Dakota and an M.Ed. in Educational Administration from North Dakota State University.

A graduate of the NDSCS Liberal Arts program, Max Reinke spent 42 years as an instructor and coach at the College, and twice served as Department Chair of the Mathematics and Science Department. Reinke was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Alumni Letterwinners Club for 15 years, a 10-year member of the Catbackers/Letterwinners Club and coordinated Wildcat Athletic Camps for 39 years. He has been honored by the NDSCS Alumni/Foundation with the Wildcat Award and Tradition Award, and was honored four times by the NDSCS Athletic Hall of Fame. Reinke has an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from NDSCS and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Dickinson State University.

The NDSCS Commencement ceremony will be held in the Ed Werre Arena in the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center at 3:00 p.m. on May 12, 2017.

Eight North Dakota State College of Science faculty and staff members have been chosen and named recipients of the College’s Excellence in Teaching Award and Excellence in Service Award for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes instructors who, among other outstanding characteristics, demonstrate competence and sincere interest in their subjects, present material in a suitable, well-integrated fashion and encourage participation from students. Selection criteria include student evaluations, feedback and deliberations by a selection committee comprised of faculty members and students. This year’s recipients were chosen from a group of more than 50 nominees. The honorees are:
• Danielle Erickson: Instructor, Allied Dental Education
• Larry Merbach: Professor, Mathematics and Science
• Bryan Poyzer: Instructor and Program Coordinator, English, Communication and Performing Arts
• Brian Rempfer: Associate Professor, Automotive Technology

The Excellence in Service Award recognizes employees who consistently go above and beyond every day and exemplify the College’s values of learning, integrity, flexibility and excellence. Nominations are open to those serving in the professional, office support, technical, paraprofessional, trades and service positions that are not on probationary status with recipients chosen by the President and Vice Presidents. The honorees are:
• Jill Anderson: Project Manager, Facilities Management
• Tana Erbes: Program Outreach Specialist, Academic Affairs
• Mindy Manock Tayer: Academic Counselor, Student Success Center
• Leslie Shirek: Program Outreach Specialist, Academic Affairs

The North Dakota State College of Science Jazz Band and Wildcat Singers will conclude their concert series with a performance on Monday, April 24, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held at the Bremer Bank Theatre in the Harry Stern and Ella Stern Cultural Center on the NDSCS campus in Wahpeton.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature a variety of genres including rock, pop, country and jazz.

The North Dakota State College of Science recently awarded academic scholarships to 64 incoming first-year students. The scholarships recognize and reward students for academic achievement, test scores and participation in extracurricular and other volunteer activities. The scholarships are applicable during the 2017-2018 academic year. The honorees include:

JOHN & ALYCE TRAVERS SCHOLARSHIP
Williston, N.D.: Brett Doeden, $1000

NDSCS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP

ALASKA
Palmer: Kamari Klawitter, $500

MINNESOTA
Akeley: Milena Cain, $1000
Baker: Ann Halverson, $1000
Breckenridge: Bradley Banken, $1000; Neriah Weinkauf, $1000
East Grand Forks: Christopher Kowalski, $500
Grand Marais: Emily-Kate Jacobsen, $500
Inver Grove Heights: Erich Gosswiller, $500
Moorhead: McKenna Michels, $1000
Morris: Piper Gibson, $1000; Kendra Jergenson, $1000
Park Rapids: Brooke Jerger, $500; Jack Walsh, $500
Perham: Jadyn Benedict, $1000; Olivia Strand, $500
Twin Valley: Janessa Bement, $1000

MONTANA
Glasgow: Trent Herbert, $1000

NORTH DAKOTA
Barney: M'Kenna Krchnavy, $500
Bismarck: Breanna Gartner, $1000
Bottineau: Bailey Schmidt, $1000
Carrington: Justine Finch, $500
Dickinson: Kylie Lantz, $1000
Dwight: Janessa Pote, $500
Fargo: Derek Thompson, $500; Colin Vieweg, $500
Gackle: John Gutschmidt, $1000
Gardner: Nathan Bell, $500
Garrison: Evan Klein, $500
Grand Forks: Andrew Arnold, $1000; Heather Onstad, $1000; Bryce Reller, $500; Mychael Reller, $500; Kaitlin Schrader, $1000
Grandin: Mikayla Branden, $1000
Hankinson: Kaitlyn Hubrig, $500; Ashlynn Stirling, $500
Harwood: Brady Preston, $1000
Horace: Lane Jacobson, $1000
Jamestown: Donovan Ask, $500; Mackenzie Clark, $1000; Ian Johnson, $500
Makoti: Remington Bigelow, $1000
Medina: Dalton Dockter, $1000
Minot: Henry Lemar, $1000; Ariana Steller, $1000
New Rockford: Hannah Heinz, $1000
New Salem: Thad Norton, $500
Thompson: Caleb Horn, $1000
Wahpeton: Alison Greteman, $1000; Carter Kipp, $500; Isaac Samuels, $1000; Mason Vogeler, $500; Dylan Wolfgram, $500; Sylver Zimmerman, $500
Walhalla: Mandi Stark, $1000
Westhope: Emily Lesmann, $1000
Wyndmere: Aaron Bell, $500; Megan Strege, $1000

NEBRASKA
Lincoln: Morgan Larson, $1000

SOUTH DAKOTA
Milbank: Mikaela Hoeke, $1000
Peever: Karlie Karst, $500
Tyndall: Clay Wittmeier, $500
Webster: Ariana Storley, $500