Meet the Armacosts — UND President and First Lady headed to Bismarck, Dickinson to meet friends and alums
President Andy Armacost and Kathy Armacost will be visiting Bismarck on July 20 and Dickinson on July 21
Editor’s Note: If any local media would like to request an interview with the Armacosts before, during or after their visits, please contact David Dodds, UND Communications Director, at david.dodds@UND.edu; or call 701.777.5529.
The President and First Lady of the University of North Dakota are on a mission to learn all they can about their new home state, and they want to meet alumni and other friends of UND along the way.
Andy Armacost and Kathy Armacost will be in Bismarck on Tuesday, July 20; before heading 90 miles west on Interstate 94 to Dickinson on Wednesday, July 21. The visits, billed as “Meet the Armacosts” events are being organized by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation (AA&F). UND alumni and other friends of the University are encouraged to go to the AA&F webpage to RSVP for the events (undalumni.org/meetthearmacosts).
You’ll have the opportunity to connect with the Presidential Couple and gain exclusive insight into President Armacosts’ first year as the 13th president of UND. You’ll also learn about the Armacosts in a social-like setting, participate in an interactive program and connect with other attendees.
The Armacosts are headed to Watford City and Williston the following week, July 27 and 28, respectively, for more Meet the Armacosts gatherings. They were part of similar events on June 2 in Grand Forks and June 24 at the Dakota Medical Foundation in Fargo.
In Bismarck, the Armacosts and other visitors will be the guests of Chad and Stacy Wachter at their home, 2032 Harbor Dr. That event will run from 5-7 p.m. The Dickinson Meet the Armacosts event, hosted by UND alumnus Josh DeMorrett, is set for 5-7 p.m., MT, and will take place the 701 Social, 36 W. Villard St.
All events are free.
President Andrew Armacost and First Lady Kathy Armacost bios:
Andrew P. Armacost was selected by the State Board of Higher Education on Dec. 3, 2019, to serve as the University of North Dakota’s 13th President. He officially began his tenure as President on June 1, 2020.
Armacost started his new duties at UND in whirlwind fashion as the Campus Community and beyond coped with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the challenges, Armacost was able to keep the University operating throughout, with all-online and eventually hybrid-style instruction for students, as well as remote work for most employees. He has also initiated renewed emphasis on diversity and inclusion efforts on campus by forming the UND Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion, pledging to incorporate key recommendations from the Task Force into the strategic direction of the University.
Armacost came to UND after completing his service as Dean of the Faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. With more than 30 years on Air Force active duty and 20 years at the Academy, Armacost rose to the level of Brigadier General. At the Academy, he attained the academic rank of Professor and was the Chief Academic Officer of the nationally ranked undergraduate research institution, overseeing more than 550 faculty members and 4,300 students. He also gained a reputation as a champion of inclusion, student growth, academic freedom, shared governance in academia, and applied learning and research.
Before serving as Dean, Armacost served as head of the Air Force Academy’s Business Management program, the institution’s largest academic major. From 1995 to 2007, he moved up the academic ranks as an Operations Research faculty member within the Business Management program. His career as a scholar has been highlighted by academic leadership, a reputation for his disciplinary expertise, and a strong commitment to interdisciplinary learning.
Armacost’s other service assignments included stints as Chief Analyst at U.S. Air Force Space Command in Colorado from 2007-2008, and Program Manager for systems supporting the U.S. intelligence community and the White House, at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts from 1989-1993.
Armacost has earned lifetime achievement awards from the Air Force and the Military Operations Research Society. He also is recognized as a Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, in addition to receiving numerous teaching, research, and curriculum design awards at the institutional, national, and international levels.
Over the years, Armacost also has been active on state and local nonprofit boards, including serving as an inaugural member of the Colorado Innovation Network, and a founding advisor to the QUAD Initiative, a collaboration between local colleges to craft innovative solutions for community organizations in Colorado Springs. He’s also served on the Board of Directors of the Military Operations Research Society and in key editorial roles for professional journals.
A native of Glendale, Wisc., in suburban Milwaukee, Armacost earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. At Northwestern, Armacost’s career was highlighted with achievement in and out the classroom, including campus leadership roles, participation in Division I sports, and selection as an inaugural member of the university honors program.
Armacost would go on to receive his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning international honors for his work in air transportation planning and combinatorial optimization.
A graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.A. in Speech Communications, First Lady Kathy Armacost has always been a great partner in building a sense of community, wherever the Armacosts have lived, to include the Air Force Academy in the City of Colorado Springs. Her volunteer service has included work on the board of directors for the Pikes Peak Performance Company and significant committee work in strategic planning for local school districts. She brings that same strong sense of service and selflessness to UND and the City of Grand Forks.
Andrew and Kathy Armacost are the proud parents of two grown daughters, Ava and Audrey.
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