ALUMNI & More Alumni Notes ANDREW (A.J.) JOHNSON, a 2009 history graduate of Northern State University (NSU), has made significant contributions to education in South Dakota as both a teacher and principal. His dedication and leadership were recognized when he was named to the NSU Alumni Association’s “Leaders of the Pack” roster in 2025. His career exemplifies the impact of NSU alumni in educational leadership within the state. MENNO SCHUKKING, a 2015 NSU history graduate, has also been honored on the “Leaders of the Pack” roster. Mr. Schukking currently works as a transportation planner for the city of Minneapolis, reflecting the diverse and successful career paths of NSU alumni. Mr. Schukking demonstrates that our students are able to find success across the region. Both individuals have brought pride to NSU’s History and Social Sciences Department through their professional achievements. Obituaries JESSICA WARNS. It is with great sadness that we report the death of Dr. Jessica Warns. Jessica passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 23, 2024, her 34th birthday, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She was born in Toledo, Ohio, Aug. 23, 1990, the daughter of Tim and Beth Warns. She graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 2009 where she enjoyed playing in the marching band. She earned her Master of Science in 2013 from Muskingum College and her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2018 from the University of North Dakota and began her career in January 2023 as an assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern State University (NSU). Dr. Warns specialized in microbiology and her primary research interest was unraveling the molecular mechanisms of early brain development. Despite her short stint at the university, Jessica taught a variety of courses including microbiology, general microbiology, biology survey, general biology lab, biochemistry lab and First-Year Seminar. Prior to NSU, Jessica had spent two years in research at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. She had a great passion for biology and her research and loved to share those experiences. During her career, she had six papers published detailing her research findings. Her passion for learning was so deep she often remarked that she would become a full-time student if she could! She is missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her husband, Colin Carrick, a Northern employee. JEROME “JERRY” ROSONKE. Dr. Jerome R. Rosonke, 84, passed away on Jan. 20, 2025. Jerry was a long-time teacher, mentor, and friend to many NSU students and staff over a career at NSU that spanned decades. As one colleague noted, Aberdeen is now 1.3% less interesting without Dr. Rosonke. Jerry Rosonke was born on Sept. 21, 1940 to Ben and Clara (Schwickerath) Rosonke in rural New Hampton, Iowa. There he attended a parochial elementary school and graduated from public high school. Jerry loved to learn and he went on to earn his undergraduate degree in social science from the University of Northern Iowa and two master’s degrees, one in sociology from the University of Iowa, the other in guidance and counseling from South Dakota State University. Jerry then earned his Ph.D. in sociology from SDSU in 1974. Outside of education, Jerry worked on the family farm and various jobs in carpentry, construction, and gravel trucking. His handson experience shaped his strong work ethic. Jerry later combined his love for education and athletics as a teacher and coach in several communities. He taught and served as assistant wrestling coach in Reinbeck, Iowa, then went on to teach and become head wrestling and cross country coach in Chetek, Wisconsin. He continued his coaching career as a professor and head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and as a graduate assistant at South Dakota State University. As a teacher, Jerry was known for his innovative assignments. In one of his upperlevel sociology courses, for example, he had students write their own obituaries. Ever the good sport, Jerry wrote his own obituary noting his single most important achievement: “The most important and best decision in my life was, after dating a few other girls, to ask Malee Shaw for a date. From that first date in 1958, we went steady through my college years, and later, in 1963 she become my wife. We created and raised four great children: LaCinda, Lisa, Brad, and Kimberly. That was the greatest thing I did in my life.” Jerry came to Northern in 1974 and retired in 2002. Through those years he was a largerthan-life figure who made a lasting impact on Northern and the Aberdeen community. See a student just standing in a restroom doing nothing? See a student in full scuba gear walking through the Aberdeen mall? Chances are, that was a student in one of Jerry’s sociology classes doing an experiment in reactions to deviant behavior. See a professor walk into another’s professor’s classroom, take their coat, and drop it into a trash can, then walk out without saying another word? Well, that was probably Jerry doing what he did best: making sure that, while learning is a serious business, it’s too serious not to treat with a touch of humor. While Jerry retired more than 20 years ago, he is still a lasting presence at NSU. Jerry always said he wanted a step at NSU named for him. People had been stepping on Jerry Rosonke throughout the many years he taught at NSU, and he wanted to be sure they could still do that after he retired. Sure enough, there’s a Jerry Rosonke step in the southeast staircase of Mewaldt-Jensen Hall on campus that administrators, instructors, and students still step on every day. Indeed, some of his colleagues go out of their way to step over Jerry. He’d appreciate that more than anyone. Jerry’s great legacy to NSU, though, is the long-lasting impact of his mentorship of junior colleagues. Jerry’s example gave them permission to experiment, to engage students in new ways and to improve their teaching. Through his colleagues and former students, Jerry continues to make Northern a more interesting place—even after his passing. For Jerry’s legacy beyond the campus, see his obituary: https://www.schriversmemorial. com/obituary/JeromeJerry-Rosonke. MARK CHARLES BARTUSIS, born on Dec. 11, 1953, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died recently in the Philippines, where he had retired. He was the son of the late Charles and Anna Bartusis. Mark was a very distinguished historian specializing in Byzantine studies. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester in 1975, followed by a Master of Arts in 1978 and a Ph.D. in 1984, both from Rutgers University. At Rutgers, he was advised by Angeliki Laiou, one of the leading Greek and Byzantine historians of her time. Bartusis began his academic career at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, serving as an assistant professor from 1985 to 1990, associate professor from 1990 to 1995, and professor of history from 1995 until his retirement in 2014. His scholarly work focused on the Byzantine Empire, with notable publications including “The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society, 1204-1453” (University of Pennsylvania Press) and “Land and Privilege in Byzantium: The Institution of Pronoia” (Cambridge University Press). In addition, he was the author of dozens of articles and book reviews on Byzantine miliary and economic history. He was also a longtime member of the editorial board of Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies. Throughout his career, Bartusis has been widely recognized
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