Hotline // December 13, 2023

VCSU Winter Commencement set for 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14

Valley City, ND – Valley City State University (VCSU) will host winter commencement at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14, in Vangstad Auditorium.

President Alan LaFave will preside over the commencement exercises. Curtis Biller, will represent the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE). The undergraduate reflections will be presented by graduating senior, Cora Potts, and the faculty reflections will be presented by Dr. Teather Sundstrom.

The in-person ceremony will also be live-streamed at YouTube.com/@VCSUVikings. The program for the event is available online at vcsu.edu.

Potts will receive a Bachelor of University Studies and an Art Minor. She grew up in Bertha, MN, and attended VCSU to play softball and study art. She returned this fall to complete her bachelor’s degree as she prepares for her career in education. Potts currently works as a substitute teacher for Valley City Public Schools and spends most days at Washington Elementary (4-6) and the Junior/Senior High (7-12). She will be teaching 7th grade math in January and next fall plans to teach K-6 art. Potts enjoys working with, and building relationships with learners of all ages and has enjoyed the small community feeling of VCSU.

Dr. Teather Sundstrom is the lead chemistry professor at VCSU and serves as the chair of the Curriculum Committee. Originally from Oriska, ND, Sundstrom earned her Chemistry degree from the University of North Dakota and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Connecticut. She served as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kansas in the Medicinal Chemistry program. Sundstrom received the Senior Faculty Excellence Award in 2023 for her exceptional dedication and commitment to students and the University through outstanding teaching, scholarly activities, and university service. She loves sharing her passion for chemistry with students and strives to demonstrate that it’s not as intimidating a subject as its reputation suggests.

Boll receives ‘Difference Maker’ award

Ryan Boll, maintenance and carpentry, received the Difference Maker award for December. He was nominated by HR/Payroll and the Business Office.

His nomination read, “Ryan does a great job of helping others when needed and goes above and beyond. He spreads positivity on campus to employees and students. If you see a member of the campus community with a smile, you can guess they were just visiting with Ryan. He is often spotted lending a helping hand to anyone in need, visiting with students, or handing out handcrafted VCSU items. Ryan takes pride in his work no matter how small the project. He is knowledgeable, pleasant, and always willing to help. He communicates effectively and often. Ryan’s Viking Pride is contagious. He is the definition of a Difference Maker and very deserving of this award!”

Congratulations, Ryan!

Fenster featured in WalletHub article

Emily Fenster, professor for sociology and department chair for social science, was recently featured in a WalletHub article titled, States with the Best Elder-Abuse Protection (2024). 

Read the article at https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-elder-abuse-protection/28754#expert=Emily_A.S._Fenster

VCSU students take trip to local venue where marketing meets design

Tammy Katuin, associate professor for business, recently took twenty marketing students from the Digital Marketing, Advertising and Promotions, and Retailing classes on a field trip to Brewhalla, a food and entertainment venue in Fargo. The students learned the research, creative design, ideation, planning and efforts that occurred behind the scenes to create the space.

Viking Sports Update

Viking Track shows well at NDSU meet
The Valley City State track and field team recorded ten Top 10 finishes on Friday at the large NDSU Dakota Alumni Classic. Freshman Karina Olson qualified for the 60-meter hurdle finals and placed 6th with a PR time of 9.29 seconds. It was one of two Top 10 finishes for Olson, who also took 9th in long jump (5.08 meters). Read more: https://vcsuvikings.com/news/2023/12/9/womens-track-and-field-vikings-tally-ten-top-10s-at-large-ndsu-meet.aspx

Hansen and Gerhardt named All-American
VCSU volleyball’s Sadie Hansen and Viking football’s Riley Gerhardt were both named All-American this week. Hansen was named NAIA Volleyball 3rd Team All-American as a setter, and Gerhardt was named NAIA 2nd Team All-American as a defensive lineman.

Upcoming Events
Dec. 15: Men’s Basketball at Jamestown, 7 p.m. (Jamestown, N.D.)
Dec. 18: MBB/WBB at University of Mary, 5:30/7:30 p.m. (Bismarck, N.D.)
Dec. 19: Women’s Basketball at Bemidji State, 5:30 p.m. (Bemidji, Minn.)

What's happening at VCSU and around Valley City...

Find out what’s happening at VCSU: https://www.vcsu.edu/news-events/

Find out what’s happening in the community: https://www.valleycitycalendar.com/