Archive for

March, 2026

Congratulations to second-year medical student Jackson Haug, who was recognized by UND this week as a Lillian Elsinga Outstanding Student Leader for his role in the UND Department of Geriatrics-sponsored Health Promotion Program, a service learning initiative developed with the Grand Forks Housing Authority. “This was an incredible opportunity to get to know a population from the […]

UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) faculty and staff past and present expressed condolences this week on news of the passing of Randy Eken, the School’s former associate dean for administration & finance. “I was lucky enough to join Randy in Administration & Finance at the SMHS in 1990 as the team was […]

“North Dakota has given me all the opportunities I’ve had so far to become an aspiring physician,” said Grand Forks, N.D., native Abby Lund Da Costa. “So I want to give back and serve my community.” Celebrating alongside her family – and the rest of her M.D. Class of 2026 – the UND fourth-year medical […]

Fifteen faculty members from the University of North Dakota were recognized recently as among the world’s most influential researchers in the 2025 Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List, a widely respected global ranking that highlights scholars whose work has had a significant impact on their fields. Of those 15 faculty, four are based at the UND […]

Big congratulations to our alum and UND Department of Sports Medicine faculty member Sara Bjerke on her induction into the Mid-America Athletic Trainers Association (MAATA) Hall of Fame. Sarah played a huge role in helping upgrade our athletic training program into a full Master of Athletic Training (MAT) degree. We’re proud to have her shaping […]

The North Dakota Occupational Therapy Association, in partnership with UND’s Department of Occupational Therapy, will host a conference entitled “The Cost of Caring” at UND on April 17. Burnout and compassion fatigue are widely recognized challenges across healthcare disciplines, affecting professionals in clinical practice, leadership, education, and support roles. In an effort to better understand […]

UND faculty and staff will recall the name Sharon Wilsnack, Ph.D., a long-time faculty at UND’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS), who passed away on Dec. 5, 2025, at age 82. Sharon’s full obituary was only recently made available online. Born July 31, 1943, and raised in Manhattan, Kan., Sharon attended Kansas State […]

I have written previously on the importance of rites and rituals to our well-being. This month, religious practitioners of varying faiths are experiencing Lent, Purim, Ramadan, Holi, Naw-Rúz and numerous other celebrations. To our Muslim colleagues, this weekend we wish you, “Eid Mubarak.” Today is also the Vernal Equinox, with many ancient, including Indigenous, rituals […]

As you might have noticed in your mailbox or in the SMHS buildings, the Spring 2026 issue of North Dakota Medicine magazine is now available in both online and paper formats. This issue’s feature stories include: A new game plan – UND’s first-of-its kind Center for Sports Medicine adjusts to its new digs on the […]

For the next Neurology Grand Rounds, to be held from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, Samuel Birkholz, Ph.D., will discuss oculomotor abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease. The meeting will be held in-person at the Sanford Brain and Spine Center, 2301 25th St. S. in Fargo, Conf. Rm. 1 and online. To join […]