UMC Commencement on Saturday, May 10th

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Class of 2014 will be honored during commencement exercises at the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, May 10. Nearly 250 students will take part in the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. Graduates will represent 13 countries and 29 states and include more than 35 online graduates who are setting foot on the campus for the very first time. The ceremony also recognizes the 20-year anniversary of the Class of 1994, who were the first to earn baccalaureate degrees on the Crookston campus.

A reception in the Northern Lights Lounge, Sargeant Student Center, precedes the commencement ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to attend both events; no tickets are required. A special reception for international student graduates will be held following commencement exercises at 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.

On Saturday at 2 p.m., the formal procession of faculty, candidates for degrees, and platform guests will begin from the Sargeant Student Center to the gymnasium led by Mace Bearer William Peterson, professor in the Math, Science, and Technology Department. The procession also includes Faculty Marshal W. Daniel Svedarsky, professor and director of the Center for Sustainability on the Crookston campus.

Bringing greetings from the University of Minnesota Board of Regents is the Honorable Clyde Allen, from Moorhead, Minn., who will also assist with the conferring of the degrees. 

U of M Crookston alumnus Tyler Grove ’94 will give the commencement address. Grovewas one of the first to earn a four-year degree from the University of Minnesota Crookston. His major was in plant industries management with an agronomy emphasis. While at the U of M Crookston, he participated in the Crops Team and in NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) competition. In 2007 he earned his master's degree in agronomy from Iowa State University. In 1995, he was employed with American Crystal Sugar Company as an agriculturist for the East Grand Forks district, and in February, 2013, he accepted a position as the ag strategy development manager at the corporate office in Moorhead, Minn. He was named Outstanding Alumni during Homecoming 2013.

University of Minnesota, Crookston Alumni Association (UMCAA) Board President Rory Held ‘11 will bring greetings from the UMCAA and welcome the new graduates to the alumni association. For the first time, the U of M Crookston Community Band under the direction of TJ Chapman will play along with selections during the ceremony by the campus choir under the direction of George French.

Graduating senior Alexmai Addo, Crookston Student Association (CSA) president, will speak on behalf of the Class of 2014 and pass the torch of education, a Crookston campus tradition, to Justin Goodroad the incoming CSA president. Addo, from Monrovia, Liberia, is a communication major.

The 2014 commencement exercises mark the 106th graduating class to be recognized on the Crookston campus. A live audio stream of the commencement exercises will be available at www.umcrookston.edu/people/services/MediaServ/Stream.htm.  

For more information, visit the commencement Web site at www.umcrookston.edu/commencement.

Chancellor Inauguration at UMC on Thursday, April 18, 2013

CROOKSTON, Minn. – Ceremonies for the inauguration of Fred E. Wood, Ph.D., as the fifth chancellor for the University of Minnesota Crookston are scheduled for Thursday, April 18, 2013, in Kiehle Auditorium. The ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. and a reception will follow at 2 p.m. in the Northern Lights Lounge in the Sargeant Student Center. All faculty, staff, students, alumni, along with the public are invited to attend the inauguration and reception as guests of the campus in celebration of this historic event.

At 10 a.m. that morning, everyone is invited to attend the dedication of Heritage Hall, the newest residence hall on campus. Heritage Hall is located west of Centennial Hall and provides students with a new style of suite living. Designed primarily for freshman and sophomores, the two bedroom suites, with study room and private bathroom will provide a spacious living environment for four students. The 43,043 square foot, two-story building can house up to145 students in 35 two-bedroom suites furnished with a study room and bathroom facilities--approximately 700 square feet per suite.

Special guests on campus for the dedication and inauguration will include University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler, Karen Kaler, and several members of the Board of Regents.

An online guest book is available along with inauguration details at www1.crk.umn.edu/events/inauguration.

Commissioning Ceremony for Revolutionary Energy Technology April 10th

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota, along with one of its major corporate partners, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc. (PWR), announces the commissioning of a unique commercial-scale gasification technology on Tuesday, April 10, 2012. A reception will be held beginning at 1:00 p.m., with a program, remarks, and commissioning beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the EERC’s Discovery Hall.

The prototype dry solid s feed pump system developed by PWR can process 400 tons/day of solid fuels, such as coal and biomass, and paves the way for high-efficiency, low-emission gasification.

“The system is designed to align with the needs of a commercial-scale plant, so testing it at the EERC is a perfect fit,” said Tim Saunders, PWR Integrated Process Team Leader. “The fact that the EERC is experienced in coal and coal handling and has the facilities to accommodate a commercial-scale unit prototype makes the EERC an ideal location for verifying performance characteristics on the pump.”

A variety of coal feedstocks will be tested with the pump over the next 12 months.

“This demonstration emphasizes the practical, problem solving, commercial deployment of new technologies at the EERC,” said EERC Director Gerald Groenewold. “It is one of many strategic partnerships between the EERC and the private sector focused on demonstration of cutting-edge technologies, allowing the utilization of fossil fuels in an extremely clean, environmentally friendly scenario that allows for long-term energy security for our country.”

The development of the technology is a result of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), PWR, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Alberta Innovates – Energy and Environment Solutions, and the EERC.

"This project stems from interest on the part of DOE and NETL to commercialize gasification as a strategic energy platform,” Saunders said. “This is an opportunity for us to utilize our natural resources efficiently and, most importantly, cleanly, which is what the whole gasification process is expected to provide,” he said.

Distinguished guests at the commissioning ceremony will include Governor Jack Dalrymple;

U.S. Senator Kent Conrad; U.S. Senator John Hoeven; U.S. Representative Rick Berg; Mr. Charles McConnell, Chief Operating Officer, Office of Fossil Energy, DOE; Dr. Anthony Cugini, Director, NETL; Dr. Michael Brown, Grand Forks Mayor; and Mr. Jim Maser, President, PWR.

The ceremony will showcase the technology, which is designed to feed a wide range of fuels, including coals, petcoke, and coal–biomass blends at a higher pressure (1200 psi) than any current gasifier. The high pressure allows such solid fuels to be utilized more efficiently and cleanly. It also

allows the gasification system equipment to be scaled down in size, reducing the overall cost of the gasification process.

PWR’s compact gasifier is designed to provide a 90% decrease in size compared to competing systems, thereby enabling higher efficiency, and as much as a 25% reduction in cost with enhanced reliability. In addition, the cost to build a commercial-scale compact gasification plant using PWR’s technology is estimated to be 20% less than conventional gasification plants. It’s also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 10% compared to standard gasification technologies.

Design of the system was cofunded by DOE NETL, with the understanding that the pump will be made commercially available to U.S. compan ies in support of several gasification technologies.

           

The commissioning ceremony is open to the public. More than 300 people are expected.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony in St Paul

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Attacks on Pearl Harbor. The 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was a defining moment in U.S. history.

The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and Fort Snelling National Cemetery Memorial Rifle Squad will host a remembrance ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec. 7 to honor those who served, and remember those who gave their lives in the defense of Pearl Harbor. The event will include a rifle salute, and brief program, including remarks by Pearl Harbor survivor Richard Thill.

Minnesotans have had a proud history of service related to Pearl Harbor. Naval Reservists from Minnesota, serving aboard the USS Ward, were conducting a patrol near the entrance to Pearl Harbor. They sank a Japanese midget submarine, thus firing the first American shots of WWII. The number three gun, which fired the shot, sits on the Capitol Grounds near the west side of the Veterans Service Building in St. Paul.
The program begins at 10am and refreshments will be served. It will be held at the Veterans Service Building, 5th Floor, 20 W. 12th Street, St. Paul, MN.

In addition to this event, The 70 Years Project (70years.org) and MN Historical Society are hosting a program at the Minnesota History Center at 7 p.m. Dec.7. For more information visit www.minnesotahistorycenter.org/firstshot.

F-M & Area Emergency Responders Gather to Remember 9/11

FARGO, ND (September 6, 2011) – On Sunday, September 11, 2011, emergency responders from Fargo, Moorhead, Cass County, Clay County, and FM Ambulance will remember and honor their fallen brothers and sisters, as well as the thousands of civilians who died during the 2001 terrorist attacks on our country. The ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m. on the ceremonial observation deck on Veterans Memorial Bridge (Main Ave).

Firefighters, peace officers, and EMT’s will gather on the Minnesota side and the North Dakota side of the river and march two blocks to the center of the bridge. Each side will be carrying a wreath and will be escorted by Honor Guards. One wreath will be carried to the top of a Fargo Fire Department Ladder Truck and one wreath will be carried to the top of a Moorhead Fire Department Ladder Truck.

There will be a short prayer and words of remembrance by Pastor Steve Burrell, followed by a moment of silence until 8:59a.m., at which time the wreaths will be dropped into the river. There will then be a 21 gun salute, taps, and the Heather and Thistle Bag Pipe Band will play Amazing Grace.