Russ McDonald's Retirement Reception

Leander “Russ” McDonald, PhD, was presented with a Pendleton blanket from Linda Neuerburg, PhD, and Kim Ruliffson at his farewell reception in December.  The blanket is given in recognition of an individual’s selfless acts of assisting other individuals or groups in a significant way.  McDonald, director of the National Resource Center on Native American Aging within the Center for Rural Health, has accepted the position of vice president of academic affairs at Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten, ND. 

 

Kevin Young's Retirement Reception

Faculty, staff and students gathered in December to bid farewell to Kevin Young, PhD, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and interim chair of microbiology and immunology. He has accepted a faculty position at the University of Arkansas medical school.  Young led an antiphonal song with the help of his wife, Vanessa (right), and Fran Sailer, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, on accordian. 

 

Judy Rieke's Retirement Reception

At a retirement reception in December, Judy Rieke, PhD (center), assistant director and collection management librarian at the Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences, was honored for 16 years of service. Erich Longie (left), president of Spirit Lake Consulting, Fort Totten, thanked her for her support, and presented a star quilt, a symbol of friendship, to her and her husband, Garl Rieke, PhD, retired associate professor of anatomy and cell biology.

Jacque Gray, PhD, assistant professor with the UND Center for Rural Health, presents a talking stick to Sidney McNairy, PhD, associate director for research infrastructure and director of the Division of Research Infrastructure at the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Gray, who is of Choctaw and Cherokee descent, gave the gift during a meeting with students and staff at UND's American Indian Student Services. In some tribes, it is traditional for the holder of the talking stick to speak uninterrupted until passing the stick to another person. McNairy visited UND in September to address the annual North Dakota Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) conference.

 

President Kelley Visit

The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology welcomed UND President Robert Kelley at a luncheon in November at the medical school. The president, who began his new position in July, holds the academic appointment of professor of anatomy and cell biology.