Alumni Academy 2025: love, gratitude and community
Three new College of Engineering & Mines alumni are inducted into the Alumni Academy Hall of Fame during Homecoming Week 2025
On Friday of Homecoming Week, families and friends came together to celebrate the induction of three College of Engineering & Mines alumni into the college’s Alumni Academy: Robert Cole (Mechanical Engineering ’76 & Industrial Technology ’79), Sandra Lindeman Cole (Chemical Engineering ’79) and Dr. Michael Mann (Chemical Engineering ’81, Energy Engineering ’97).
This year’s celebration was particularly meaningful: for the first time, the college inducted a married couple into the Hall of Fame side by side. The occasion was further enriched by the induction of not only a distinguished alumnus but also a long-serving professor and cherished mentor.
As each inductee shared their reflections, a powerful theme emerged — one of love, gratitude, and the profound bonds that unite the CEM community.
Robert Cole offered heartfelt advice to students: never lose sight of your values. He encouraged all to embrace change and care deeply for those around them—principles he embodied when he transitioned from a successful oil field career to teaching high school woodworking. Both Robert and Sandra also expressed sincere appreciation for their colleague and friend, Kristine Brindle, a 2022 Alumni Academy inductee, highlighting the spirit of camaraderie that defines the CEM family.
Sandra Lindeman Cole reflected with heartfelt gratitude on her formative college years, recalling the mentors and friends who shaped her journey. She spoke warmly of the Society of Women Engineers, whose support helped her thrive, and cherished memories of events like the Naismith Ice Cream Social, which brought connection and sweetness to student life. Among those who made a lasting difference was Joyce Medalen, whom Sandra described as a guiding, motherly presence during her time at CEM.
Dr. Mike Mann, affectionately known these days as “Grandpa Mike,” also took the moment to honor those who shaped his path. He reminisced about the invaluable lessons in empathy passed down from his grandparents — wisdom that illuminated his career as both educator and mentor. The profound impact of his compassion resounds in the voices of students and colleagues, including one former student who once told him, “You believed in me when no one else did — even myself.”
Written by Paige Prekker // UND College of Engineering & Mines
