The big news this week relates to UND graduation festivities. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting the School’s Sophomore Awards program. Congratulations to the students and faculty who were honored. Later today, I look forward to the physician assistants’ hooding ceremony, and then tonight I’ll be at a celebration honoring the UND 2012 Honorary Degree recipients—B. John Barry, Senator Kent Conrad, and our own Dr. Mary Wakefield. On Saturday, Dr. Wakefield is the commencement speaker for UND. As you may know, Mary was the director of the Center for Rural Health here at the School before she left to head the Health Resources and Services Administration in Washington, D.C. The agency she directs has an annual budget of almost $10 billion and is devoted to improving access to health care for the uninsured and medically disadvantaged. That same day we will honor our physical therapy graduates with a hooding ceremony, our medical laboratory science graduates with a graduation reception, and our occupational therapy graduates with an open house reception.

Then on Mother’s Day the School will graduate 61 new medical doctors who will be entering their residencies in July. Judy DeMers, RN, MEd, associate professor emerita of family and community medicine and longstanding former associate dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at the School, will deliver the keynote address titled "The Meaning of Success." She served North Dakota and UND previously as a nurse and health educator. In addition, she represented her constituents with distinction in both houses of the North Dakota Legislature. The North Dakota Women's Network named Judy Woman of the Year in 2011.

Please join me in wishing all of our graduates the very best in their future endeavors. They are well-prepared, and you can be proud of their accomplishments and potential, whether in patient care, research, or teaching. Best wishes to all!

Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH
UND Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences

"Genes, Greens and 65 Roses" is today's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology seminar

Kalai Mathee, PhD, professor and founding chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Disease at Florida International University, who works on P. aeruginosa pathogenesis using genomic approaches, will present a seminar titled "Genes, Greens and 65 Roses—The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Connection" today at 1 p.m. in Room 5510 at the SMHS in Grand Forks. All are welcome to attend.

Jennifer Hershey
Administrative Secretary
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Pahan presents today's Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics seminar

Kalipada Pahan, PhD, Floyd A. Davis Professor in the Departments of Neurological Sciences, and Biochemistry and Pharmacology at Rush University Medical Center, will present a seminar titled "Glial switching in the nigrostriatum of hemiparkinsonian monkeys" today at 2 p.m. in Room 3933 at the SMHS in Grand Forks.

This seminar is sponsored by the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Pathophysiological Signaling in Neurodegenerative Disorders and the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics. All are welcome to attend.

Deb Kroese
Administrative Officer
Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics

UND Spring Commencement Ceremony is May 12

Please join us for the 2012 UND Spring Commencement at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, at the Alerus Center Arena, 1200 42nd St. S., Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Keynote speaker will be Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration and former director of the Center for Rural Health at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at the ceremony.

SMHS Commencement Day Activities

Please join us for the 2012 SMHS commencement day activities scheduled for Sunday, May 13, in Grand Forks. The schedule is as follows:

11:00 a.m. Awards Luncheon—Alerus Center, Ballroom 5
                                           1200 42nd Street South, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Tickets are $15 each, must be purchased in advance, and can be obtained through the Office of the Dean by calling (701) 777-2516 or by sending a request and check (no cash can be accepted) to the

Office of the Dean
UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences
501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037
Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
Please note: Make checks payable to “UND Alumni Association”

2:30 p.m. Commencement Ceremony—Chester Fritz Auditorium

Keynote Speaker: Judy L. DeMers, RN, BSN, MEd, Associate Professor Emerita of Family and Community Medicine and former Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Keynote Address: “The Meaning of Success”

Lori Sannes
Administrative Officer
Office of the Dean

Blakely presents Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics seminar on May 15

Randy Blakely, PhD., Allan D. Bass Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, will present a seminar titled "Genetic identification of novel presynaptic determinants of dopamine signaling In vivo” on Tuesday, May 15, at 2 p.m. in Room 3933 at the SMHS in Grand Forks.

This seminar is sponsored by the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Pathophysiological Signaling in Neurodegenerative Disorders and the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics.

All are welcome to attend.

Deb Kroese
Administrative Officer
Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics

2012 Staff Recognition Luncheon is May 15

Please mark your calendars to attend the 2012 Annual Staff Recognition Luncheon to be held on Tuesday, May 15, at 11:30 a.m. in the UND Memorial Union Ballroom. UND staff employees with continuous, benefited employment at UND will be recognized for their years of service. Also to be recognized will be this year's selections for Meritorious Service, and Ken and Toby Baker UND Proud awards. Read more.

Jean Altepeter
Human Resources Manager

Bruchas presents Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics seminar on May 18

Michael R. Bruchas, PhD, assistant professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Anatomy/Neurobiology at Washington University School of Medicine, will present a seminar titled "Biased signaling at opioid receptors: Mechanisms, circuits, and behavior" on Friday, May 18, at 2 p.m. in Room 3933 at the SMHS in Grand Forks.

This seminar is sponsored by the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Pathophysiological Signaling in Neurodegenerative Disorders and the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics.

All are welcome to attend.

Deb Kroese
Administrative Officer
Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics

Register now for the 2012 Dakota Conference, May 30–June 1

Register for the 2012 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health. Read more

Free Mental Health First Aid Workshop is June 1–2

Mental Health First Aid is an interactive, 12-hour course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the United States. Participants will learn about risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, as well as understand their impact and receive an overview of common treatments. Participants certified in Mental Health First Aid learn a five-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources, and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care. Read more

Kristine Henke
Communications Coordinator
Center for Rural Health

UND Lauded for Percentage of Grads Choosing Family Medicine

Ten medical schools that have contributed the most to the pipeline of family physicians were honored when the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) presented its Top Ten Awards during the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Spring Conference on April 27 in Seattle. The awards recognize schools that, during a three-year period, graduate the greatest percentage of students who choose first-year family medicine residency positions. Read more

Fulbright Canada: Creating a Brighter Tomorrow

Traditional Fulbright Awards for American Students in Canada

Fulbright student awards to study in Canada are intended for graduate students, prospective graduate students, and promising young professionals who wish to enroll in a graduate studies program, continue their current course of graduate study or research, or pursue an independent research project for a period of nine months in Canada.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Program

The Fulbright Canada Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Award is a new initiative of Fulbright Canada, in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and six of Canda's leading research universities. The STEM award is a three-year award valued at some $120,000 (tuition, fees, and an annual stipend of $20,000).

Read more

Kenneth G. Ruit, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean, Undergraduate and Graduate Education
Associate Professor, Anatomy and Cell Biology

2012 Faculty Loan Repayment Program application cycle is now open

The Faculty Loan Repayment Program (FLRP) supports health professions educators who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and serve a vital role in preparing the next generation of health care professionals. If you know any prospective applicants, or belong to an organization that would reach prospective applicants, please make them aware of the following:

• The FLRP will provide a lump sum, up to a maximum of $40,000, for a two-year service commitment. In addition, FLRP requires a funding match from the applicant’s health professions school, which helps program participants further reduce their educational debt.
• FLRP participants who have additional qualifying loans once their service commitment is complete may re-apply for another two-year contract in exchange for additional years of service.
• The financial assistance offered through FLRP decreases the economic barriers associated with pursuing a career as a health professions educator preparing the next generation of health professionals.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. EDT on June 12, 2012.  Please direct prospective applicants to the FLRP website for more information and to begin the application process.

Lynette Dickson, MS, RD, LRD
Associate Director, Center for Rural Health
Director, Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

Physician Assistant Hooding and Commencement are May 11 and 12

The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences will confer the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.) degree during commencement ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, in the Alerus Center. Fifty-five candidates will receive the degree. They are the 38th class to graduate from the UND Physician Assistant (PA) Program. The graduates participate in a special hooding ceremony today. The medical school has more than 1,600 graduates from the PA program. Read more

UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences to present Doctor of Medicine Degrees

The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences will confer the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree during commencement ceremonies Sunday, May 13, at the Chester Fritz Auditorium on the UND campus in Grand Forks. Sixty-one degree candidates will participate in the ceremony. Read more

North Dakota MPH accepting applications for founding class until June 30

The North Dakota Master of Public Health degree program is accepting applications for the founding class until June 30. North Dakota MPH is a graduate program offered jointly by the University of North Dakota (UND) and North Dakota State University (NDSU). At UND, students can concentrate in rural health, including rural health management, rural health research, rural population health, and rural health policy. There are many opportunities to develop skills within the rich academic environment at UND that can be used to improve public health. We invite you to submit your application.

Raymond L. Goldsteen, DrPH
Director, North Dakota MPH at UND
UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences
501 North Columbia Road, Stop 9037, Room 5131, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037
raymond.goldsteen@med.und.edu, phone (701) 777-2375, fax (701) 777-0980

Brand-spanking-new gifts for brand-spanking-new graduates!

From the Shameless Commerce Division of E-News. All new SMHS merchandise from the UND Bookstore will make great graduation gifts:

• White polos—$36.00
• Sweatshirts—$32.00
• T-shirts—$18.00
• Coffee mugs—$7.95
• Decals—$4.95

The UND Bookstore will be selling merchandise on May 13 at the Chester Fritz Auditorium for the SMHS Commencement.

Social Media: Online health articles

On our Facebook page, you will find our faculty cited in articles such as "13 Drugs That Can Make You Gain Weight" and "Shopping Is Not Your Fault." 

You will also find the latest Health Matters column, written by Dean Wynne, which can be found in the Grand Forks Herald every other Saturday. Please submit any general health-related questions to healthmatters@med.und.edu.

You can also get the latest SMHS news by following the School on Twitter.

University Letter: President Kelley appoints provost search committee members

President Robert Kelley has appointed members of a search committee for the position of provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Paul LeBel, who has served as interim provost since 2009 and provost since 2010, has announced that he will step down June 30, 2013.

This and other UND news can be found in the University Letter. Published on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it is distributed electronically to the University community and is always available online. For more information, contact editor Jan Orvik at (701) 777-3621.

Collegiate Inventors Competition entries due by June 15

As a benefit of the University of North Dakota’s membership in the National Academy of Inventors, the Office of Intellectual Property Commercialization and Economic Development would like to bring an exciting opportunity to your attention. The Collegiate Inventors Competition, operated by the non-profit Invent Now and sponsored by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Abbott Fund, and the Kauffman Foundation, is currently accepting applications for a competition designed to recognize and reward students whose research and inventions have potential for a significant impact in their field. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Deadline for entry is June 15, 2012. Read more

Kumi Nagamoto-Combs, PhD
Licensing Assistant
Office of Intellectual Property Commercialization and Economic Development

Library of the Health Sciences hours

Library of the Health Sciences hours for May 11 through May 19 are the following:

• Friday, May 11—7:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
• Saturday, May 12—10 a.m.–10 p.m.

May 13 through May 19 (Assessment)

Sunday, May 13—1 p.m.–midnight
Monday–Wednesday, May 14–May 16—7:30 a.m.–midnight
Thurs, May 17—7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Friday, May 18—8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday, May 19—1 p.m.–5 p.m.   

If you have any questions, please contact Barb Knight, (701) 777-4129.