NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY SPRING 2024 Honors Program Newsletter Upper Midwest Honors Conference The Upper Midwest Honors Conference was held in April in Dubuque, Iowa. Four Honors students attended and presented their research in the poster division. When asked what they enjoyed about the conference, they said it was good to see some familiar faces and to also meet new people from other universities. They were able to showcase their research and discuss it with others, which sometimes presents new questions or topics to pursue that they hadn’t thought about previously. Honors student Randi Schuster said, “This conference is something that I truly look forward to every year because of the connections that I have been able to make!” Pictured below are attendees Kayla Jensen, Kendall Kelly, Randi Schuster, and Jessica Splichal. In This Issue: Upper Midwest Honors Conference PAGE 1 Alumni Spotlight PAGE 2 Honors Students Present Research PAGE 3 Common Read PAGE 3 Honors Events & Awards PAGE 4 Pictured above: 2023-24 Executive Team - Thank you for your leadership! Editor: Honors Coordinator Laurie Kreber with assistance from NSU Communications and Marketing Department NSU HONORS PROGRAM PAGE 1
Honors Program Alumni Spotlight BRETT MARTIN - NSU CLASS OF 2015 Brett Martin graduated from NSU with a double major in Marketing and Management. He participated in several campus activities including Baseball, Speech and Debate, and the Honors Program. Brett’s thesis was titled, “Fortune 500 CEO’s: Analysis of Post-Secondary Education, Power Motivation, and Homogenous Hiring.” His research revolved around the Glass Ceiling, and what external factors were hindering women’s abilities to advance their careers in the modern workforce. Pictured below is Brett on an NSU trip to Ireland. After graduating from NSU, Brett earned his MBA with a marketing concentration from the University of Tampa. He then worked as Business Analyst at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. In 2022, he began working for Katie Couric Media where he was a Business Analyst until 2023, when he was promoted to Chief of Staff. In this role, he works across all departments, helping facilitate analytical, operational, and revenue goals for a growing media company. His current, and most frustrating hobby is golf. Brett says, “If you want to do something that both challenges you, and drives you slightly crazy, it’s for you.” When asked what he would tell current students, Brett said, “As someone not even 10 years removed from undergrad, I can say that I don’t remember any of the papers I wrote, or the homework I turned in. But I always remember the random, goofy fun I had with my friends. Also, your professors truly have your best interests in mind.” "College is a great place for learning, but an even better place for living." BRETT MARTIN NSU HONORS PROGRAM PAGE 2
Honors Students Present Research Honors students Megan Fasteneau and Jessica Splichal, and NSU Professor Dr. Jon Mitchell attended the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in San Antonio, TX in March. The conference gathers over 2,000 attendees, including researchers, educators, undergraduate and graduate student researchers, and many industry professionals. Megan and Jessica were both accepted to present in the open poster session as well as the Undergraduate Research competition. They also had the opportunity to attend numerous workshops and keynote speaker events. Honors students Sierra Sweeney and Kendall Kelly attended the Northland Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting held in March in Duluth, MN. Both students were able to present their research at this conference. Sierra’s research was titled “Reactive Strength Index and Force Production in Triple Jump Athletes.” Kendall’s research title was “Nutritional Impact on Heart Rate During Athletic Performance within Female Collegiate Soccer Players.” Common Read Lecture Internationally acclaimed Ruta Sepetys will return to campus for NSU’s annual Larry and Julie Poeppel Family Common Read Lecture on Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. The lecture will be held in Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Theater in the Johnson Fine Arts Center. It is free and open to the public. In 2017, Sepetys delivered the lecture on her novel, Salt to the Sea. This year, Sepetys will present her latest historical fiction novel, I Must Betray You, which was awarded the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal. I Must Betray You is set in Romania in 1989, during the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, who uses isolation and fear to keep the citizens under control. When Cristian Florescu, a 17-year-old with dreams of becoming a writer, is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, he’s left with two choices: betray everyone or undermine an evil dictator. NSU HONORS PROGRAM PAGE 3
2024 MAKE IT HAPPEN Honors Program received SDBOR Award for Academic Excellence Stop the Bleed Training Girl Scout Event Honors Banquet Honors Student Alex Arndt Placed 3rd at SD Governor’s Giant Vision Competition 2024-2025 Executive Team NSU Cancer Awareness Tree In Honoribus Grads May 2024 NSU HONORS PROGRAM PAGE 4
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