UND Today

University of North Dakota’s Official News Source

PHOTOS and VIDEO: On the road again

After two-year hiatus, the New Faculty & Administrators Bus Tour makes latest foray across North Dakota

The bus carrying new UND faculty and administrators across North Dakota sits in front of the North Dakota capitol building in Bismarck. Nearly 30 participants took part in this year’s run across the state, which was the 30th rendition of the New Faculty & Administrators Bus Tour of North Dakota. UND photo.

UND President Andy Armacost and First Lady Kathy Armacost aren’t considered new to North Dakota anymore.

Since arriving on campus in June of 2020, the Armacosts have visited almost every corner of the state on personal explorations, alumni visits and University business. But, on Monday, Aug. 15, they got their first chance to serve as lead tour guides on the New Faculty & Administrators Bus Tour of North Dakota. It was the 30th run of the tour and the first since former Interim UND President Joshua Wynne led the tour in 2019, before COVID-19 reared its ugly head.

The Armacosts were joined on the tour by UND Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Beth Hellwig, new Dean of the School of Law Brian Pappas and UND Associate Vice President for Public Safety/Chief of Police Rodney Clark.

They were among 26 participants total on this year’s bus tour. The others — with their last appointment location in parentheses — included Caitlin Brecklin (University of Wisconsin-Madison), post-doc research fellow in education, health & behavior studies; Bryce Christopherson (The Aerospace Corporation-California), assistant professor of mathematics; Christopher Clark (Northeastern State University-Oklahoma), assistant professor in teaching, leadership & professional services; Ethan Dahl (University of Wyoming-Laramie), assistant professor in education, health & behavior studies; Nikola “Nick” Datzov (Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. attorney at law-Minneapolis), assistant professor of law; Montana Etten-Bohm (Texas A&M University-College Station), instructional assistant professor in atmospheric sciences; Mike Humble (UND Army ROTC-Grand Forks), assistant professor in aviation; Lavinia Iancu (Institute of Biology-Bucharest, Hungary), assistant professor and director of the Forensic Science Program at UND; Blake Klinkner (Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kan.), assistant professor of law; Jared Marquis (Ph.D., University of North Dakota), assistant professor in atmospheric sciences; Whitney Mayo (Michigan State University-East Lansing), assistant professor of music education; Ray Mitic (Council of Graduate Schools-Washington, D.C.), assistant professor of higher education, health & behavior studies; Jake Mulholland (Naval Postgraduate School), assistant professor in atmospheric sciences; Tade Oyewunmi (University of Oregon School of Law-Eugene), assistant professor of law; Joel Schleicher (Grand Forks Public Schools), assistant professor in teaching, leadership & professional practice; Kimberly Schwietzer (University of Wyoming-Laramie), assistant professor of law; and Carolyn Williams (University of Arizona School of Law-Tucson), assistant professor of law.

The three-day tour, free for participants and supported by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, alternates every other year between northern and southern routes of the state. It was introduced in 1990, when Tom Clifford was president of the University. And apart from the last two years, there’s only been one other time when the tour did not happen.

This year’s tour followed a more southern route. It shot down Interstate 29 and then over on U.S. Highway 200 through Mayville/Portland, Carrington and Underwood, before veering south on U.S. Highway 85 to Bismarck. That was just day 1. Days 2 and 3 took participants west on Interstate 94 to Medora, before sling-shotting east to Valley City, down through tiny Nome, on to Gwinner and finally back up to Interstate 29 and an alumni gathering at the Fargo Air Museum (in North Dakota State University’s backyard), and then back to Grand Forks.

Some highlights of this year’s tour (not in order) included visiting North Dakota’s State Capitol and Heritage Center in Bismarck; United Tribes Technical College, also in Bismarck; Theodore Roosevelt National Park; the Falkirk Coal Mine; the Cows & Co. Creamery near Carrington; an old community school house renovated into a beautiful bed and breakfast in Nome; and the Bobcat manufacturing plant in Gwinner.

Tour video and photo album

Throughout the tour, participants learned about North Dakota agriculture, education, tourism, energy development, government and business from experts in the field.

Check out the images and a UND-produced video from this year’s tour below:

UND alumna Maartje (Van Bedaf) Murphy serves up various fresh breads, home-made gouda chees and lattes to new UND faculty and administrators on a bus tour of North Dakota. Murphy owns and operates Cows & Co. Creamery on a family farm just east of Carrington, N.D. She was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of the 30 UND 30 brightest young entrepreneurs in food and drink. UND Today photo.
Bryce Christopherson, assistant professor of mathematics, enjoys a helping of gelato, with other participants of this year’s New Faculty & Administrators Bus Tour of North Dakota, at Cows & Co. Creamery near Carrington.
New UND faculty and administrators get an up close and personal look at the harvesting of lignite coal and the state’s award-winning land reclamation efforts at the Falkirk Mine near Underwood. UND Today photo.
Nick Datzov, assistant professor of law, is dwarfed by a massive coal hauler while posing for a photo inside the mechanics shop at the Falkirk Mine near Underwood. UND Today photo.
The new dean of the UND School of Law Brian Pappas (left) visits with fellow law school colleagues Tade Oyewunmi and Carolyn Williams, while hiking in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora. UND Today photo.
UND alumnus and President of United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck Russ McDonald explains the history and mission of his institution to UND President Andy Armacost and First Lady Kathy Armacost, along with a contingent of new faculty and administrators. UND Today photo.
UND President Andy Armacost and First Lady Kathy Armacost visit with incoming UND Presidential scholars and their families during a picnic-style dinner at Fort Lincoln State Park near Bismarck/Mandan. UND Today.