Greetings from NSU, This is a wonderful time of year here at Northern State University! I’m pleased to say that it has been an absolutely phenomenal semester. We have unveiled spectacular new artwork; welcomed inspiring speakers; and celebrated achievements of students, faculty and the university as a whole. I hope that this issue captures the excitement we’re feeling on campus. That excitement began before classes even started this fall, when we dedicated our new International Sculpture Garden and unveiled five sculptures by Vietnamese artist Tuan Nguyen. Benjamin Victor, one of our most famous alums and our artist in residence, worked tirelessly to get these magnificent pieces to campus, and we thank him for that. I hope you have had a chance to visit the sculpture garden – the statues are truly breathtaking, and they are perfect symbols of Northern State University’s commitment to internationalism and the arts. We are also, of course, committed to overall excellence, and that was once again recognized by U.S. News and World Report. NSU was included in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges for the sixth year in a row – we were even ranked third among public regional colleges in the Midwest. We’ve seen wonderful progress and celebrated a great deal of success over the last six years, and again, we are extremely proud to have that excellence recognized. Student Mike Newman certainly added to that excellence. This summer, Mike embarked on a research trip to Europe, following the same trail his grandfather took during the Holocaust. He plans to take the information he gathered on that journey – which was partially funded by an NSU Undergraduate Research Grant – and write an honors thesis. Someday, that may even lead to a novel about his grandfather’s life. Mike wasn’t the only student with an amazing thesis idea. We are also very proud of Teresa Edelman, who is spearheading the NSU Cancer Awareness Tree project as her honors thesis. Students and community members alike will be able to remember loved ones who have lost their battle with cancer, and honor those still fighting, by tying a ribbon around the branches of this tree. The Cancer Awareness Tree, located on our campus green, is yet another remarkable feature of our beautiful campus. That tremendous beauty was mentioned, on several occasions, by Jennifer Pharr Davis, one of the outstanding Common Read speakers who visited us this semester. That is a huge compliment coming from Jennifer, who is definitely an expert on (and lover of ) the outdoors. Jennifer, who holds the record for the fastest through hike of the Appalachian Trail, was an inspiration to the approximately 100 people who heard her speak at NSU. There is so much to be proud of here at NSU. I hope this edition of Northern Today offers each of you, as readers, a glimpse into a world of constant change and improvement on our campus. We look forward to continued success and progress in the coming year, and we wish the best to you and yours. Happy holidays, and go Wolves! from the president Letter “NSU was included in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges for the sixth year in a row...” “…Mike (Newman) embarked on a research trip to Europe, following the same trail his grandfather took during the Holocaust.” to read more about his trip see pages 10-11 president james m. smith northern today 3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzkyNTY=