Honors Students Attend Upper Midwest Honors Conference HONORS HIGHLIGHTS NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY SPRING 2025 NSU had six Honors students attend the Upper Midwest Honors Conference held in Mankato in March. The conference hosts students and faculty from numerous colleges and universities across the region. Attendees are able to connect with peers and faculty to discuss research and share ideas. Abiah George competed in the three minute thesis competition and earned second place for her presentation, “The Denial of 'Homegrown Terrorism': Bias, Rhetoric, and the Framing of Domestic Extremism.” Three students, Triston Leidholdt, Stella Meier, and Morgan Sheldon presented their research in the poster sessions. (Continued on pg. 2) Pictured above (L to R): Dr. Hannah Walters, Honors Director, Triston Leidholdt, Avery Kautz, Evelynn Carlson, Stella Meier, Abiah George, Morgan Sheldon Honors student Stella Meier presents her research
Honors Students Attend Upper Midwest Honors Conference (Story continued from pg. 1) The poster presentations displayed the students’ Honors thesis research: Stella Meier – “Rhetorical Shields: The Shaping of Qualified Immunity by the United States Supreme Court” Triston Leidholdt – “Underage Gambling Exposure: Changing Societal Outlook on Sports Betting” Morgan Sheldon – “Testing Moccasin Creek Using ICP-OES Water Analysis for Heavy Metal Contamination” Students find that presenting their research is rewarding not only to showcase their hard Morgan Sheldon work, but also sparks more questions that presents her research they are eager to explore. Students Evelynn Carlson and Avery Kautz also attended the conference and represented Northern State University. “I’m so proud of our students—not just for the outstanding research they presented, but for the way they fully engaged with the conference experience,” said Dr. Hannah Walters, Director of the NSU Honors Program. “Opportunities like this are about more than presenting—it’s about discovering who you are as a scholar and a leader.” Triston Leidholdt presents his research
Spring Activities Honors Mentors hosted events during the semester to engage with students and help relieve some stress with a fun activity. These events included: a Mario Kart tourney, making “Dirt” pudding cups, coloring, and rock painting. The Honors Banquet was held at the end of April. Students enjoyed an evening of awards, dancing, and desserts with the Masquerade Ball theme. Congratulations to the banquet award winners: Caramia Estes, Avery Kautz, Abiah George, Chasity Lewis, and Evelynn Carlson!
Honors Program Alumni Spotlight Laura Linscheid NSU Class of 2014 Laura Linscheid graduated from Northern State University in 2014 with her Bachelors of Science in Biology. While she was a student at NSU, she played on the women’s soccer team and was a member of several organizations and ensembles including the Student Athlete Advisory Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Concert Choir. NSU gave her the opportunity to pursue multiple interests including classical piano performance and scientific research which she used to complete her Honors thesis “The Effects of Supplements on Sea Star Tissue Regeneration.” Her honors thesis encouraged her to continue her research into the medical field, publishing articles in the renowned Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, as well as a widely cited article studying the discrepancy of women in academic surgery, and a chapter on Cartilage Emerging Allograft Technologies. After graduating from NSU, Laura went on to complete medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX where she then stayed and completed her residency in Orthopedic Surgery. She is currently finishing a fellowship specializing in orthopedic sports surgery in New Orleans where she assists with the medical care of the Saints and the Pelicans. She is looking forward to returning home this summer and starting her surgical private practice in Houston, Texas. Laura enjoys going fishing in the Gulf with her fiance Logan and enjoys staying active playing soccer and pickleball. She still keeps in touch with her friends and teammates from NSU and encourages students at NSU to value and build relationships to make the most of their time there. “Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill
Honors Out and About The Honors Program hosted a table at NSU’s Culture Fest. The featured food was Scotcheroos, a true Midwest favorite! Honors students, Nkemdilim Chibuko and Jaeden Shaving, spoke about their Honors Program experiences at the South Dakota Board of Regents meeting which was held at NSU. Honors student, Morgan Sheldon, held a clean-up event at Moccasin Creek as her passion project. Morgan’s thesis topic was “Testing Moccasin Creek for Heavy Metal Contamination Using ICP-OES Analysis.”
Author Loung Ung to speak at Common Read Lecture on her book, First They Killed My Father Internationally renowned author and advocate, Loung Ung, will be the speaker at the annual Larry and Julie Poeppel Family Common Read Lecture. The event will take place on Wednesday, September 24 at 7:30 pm in the Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Theater in the Johnson Fine Arts Center. The lecture is free and open to the public. Attendees have the chance to hear Ung reflect on her life, the power of storytelling, and the lessons she has learned along the way. A Q&A session will follow, providing attendees the opportunity to ask questions and connect with Ung. Ung’s book, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, is a memoir telling her survival of the Cambodian genocide. In 2017, the book was adapted into a Netflix Original Movie directed by Angelina Jolie. NSU Honors Program Earns South Dakota Board of Regents Award for Academic Excellence
Congrats! Honors student, Abiah George, was one of the speakers at a recent TedX Talk in Sioux Falls. When asked about the event, Abiah said, “It was a life-changing opportunity, not because of the stage, but because it reminded me of the power of community. I remember feeling so nervous in the days leading up to it. But on the day itself, I thought about all the people coming down from Northern to cheer me on. I was so filled with gratitude that the nerves completely disappeared.” Honors student, Summer Carlson, presented her research, “Two Digenetic Trematodes (Platyhelminthes) from the American Wigeon (Mareca americana)” at the Legislative Poster Session at the Capitol building in Pierre, S.D. When asked about her experience, Summer said, “Being able to present my project and speak to many of the Senate representatives was a special experience I will never forget. I also enjoyed being able to look at other research completed by students from South Dakota.” The Honors Program had 19 students graduate in May! Congrats to: Simon Bickford, Zoe Boughton, Summer Carlson, Dante Casanova, Nkemdilim Chibuko, Jacob Ebeling, Megan Fastenau, Braden Freeman, Grant Gubrud, Kayleen Hermans, Tucker Hermans, Eva Larson, Peyton Melius, Ava Pickard, Basil Pike, Elinor Sayers, Randi Schuster, Morgan Sheldon, and Tatum Waldrop. Go Wolves!
The 2025-26 Honors Executive Team Chasity Lewis, President Bree Ann Friesen, Vice President Tevyn Lutz, Secretary Audrey Reineke, Treasurer Maggie Kruger, Public Relations Pictured (L to R): Maggie, Chasity, Tevyn, Bree Ann, Audrey Have questions or ideas? Dr. Hannah Walters, Honors Director hannah.walters@northern.edu Laurie Kreber, Honors Coordinator laurie.kreber@northern.edu Want to donate to the Honors Program? Scan the QR code and choose NSU Honors. Editor: Laurie Kreber, Honors Coordinator with assistance from the NSU Communications and Marketing Department
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