Article published by John Anderson at Wahpeton Daily News on December 28, 2024.

For years, Seth Simonson has made headlines for his innovative use of GPS systems and drones. 

It started with approval in 2016 from the North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) for Land Surveying Program Coordinator Jeff Jelinek and Simonson to look into drones when new FAA regulations for commercial operations of drones came out. 

By 2017, Simonson, working with students, came up with a groundbreaking concept, as they flew drones and used GPS to locate graves of veterans in Richland and Wilkin counties. 

Today, Simonson, the Associate Professor/Program Lead of the Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology/Unmanned Aircraft Systems at North Dakota State College of Science has expanded learning past the classrooms in Wahpeton. 

Students travel to Arizona and work with other colleges through the Center to Advance the Science of Exploration to Reclamation in Mining. 

They are working on an incredible 20,000 acre mining project that will take three more years to complete. The best of the best are working in Arizona on this project. 

For Braden Heuer of Mooreton, a Wyndmere High School graduate, taking the courses at NDSCS and going to Wickenburg, AZ., was not only an incredible experience, but he is looking into a new career field. 

Heuer also took an interest in drones as soon as regulations changed. He flew one during a Wyndmere Football game to make a promotional video for the school. The police came and said he could not fly over people. 

He was able to show the police what he was recording and that he was not flying over people and he was allowed to keep recording. 

This may not be Heuer’s last interaction with police. He might be working with them someday. “Thermal drones are an important tool for finding drug dealers,” Heuer said. 

When asked what benefits there are to drones, he said he didn’t know where to start. “There are benefits in real estate, photography, which I do myself, there is light detection and ranging,” he explained. “There is a sensor on the bottom of a drone, you attach a module that spins, it shoots these lasers that scan an entire area efficiently.” 

And he’s learning in and out of the classroom. “You can use drones to find vegetation, farmers use them to detect weeds in the crops,” Heuer said. “They just came out with new technology where you can fly three feet from the ground and you can detect things 10 feet under. I just learned this three weeks ago.” 

And with drones comes responsibilities. “You have to be a good pilot, you need to know the laws and you have to take (a class and pass a UAG test) to be licensed,” he said. “You need to know airspaces ... it’s a handful of work.” 

Simonson knows about that work all too well. 

Simonson’s start 

When Jelinek and Simonson received approval from their industry advisory committee, they wanted to add drone technology “as a new tool in the Land Surveyors toolbox,” Simonson explains. “That turned into a class in 2017 and a one-year certificate program in 2018, and now we have a 2-year AAS degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) which began last year in the Fall of 2023,” Simonson said. 

In just four years, the NDSCS program was recognized. “I was approached in late 2021 by a representative for the National Center for Autonomous Technology (NCAT) about being a part of an NSF (National Science Foundation) grant funding,” Simonson said. “The funding would lead the exploration of the use of drones to map surface mineralogy with hyperspectral cameras together with the Center to Advance the Science of Exploration to Reclamation in Mining (CASERM) at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO.” 

Racing to Arizona 

Drones are technically called UAS, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems. And those drones were the reason this project started in 2023. “In March 2023, I took eight NDSCS students for two weeks (one week, they were north of Phoenix and one week, southwest of Las Vegas) to work on the application of a Hyspex hyperspectral sensor on a heavy lift drone,” Simonson said. “From this, we have branched off on other projects with CASERM and the Colorado School of Mines like this project we took in November to Wickenburg, AZ.”

The most recent trip was a success. “The project went well and we were able to map approximately 3,300 acres of land creating a high resolution image and surface model of the area, Simonson explained. “Students did well and worked long days and hiked lots of miles up and down mountainsides to get the data. Students learned how difficult it is to work and collect data in areas that are a little more vertical than what they are used to around here.” 

Heuer said the goal of his team was “to map out our section of 20,000 acres of land for mining to see if there is copper there. Geologists came out to check on hot spots.“ 

Typical day 

Heuer said his day was different from others. Each group had a different emphasis on the drone program. 

“Three of us were land surveying. We shot points to get better horizontal and vertical precisions,” Heuer said. “We had to get it down to super-accurate precision. We made a huge orthomosaic image of the entire area, all 20,000 acres — at least we tried to! Out of 12,000 photos we took, we stitched them into one massive image. It took two weeks to process all of it.” 

The mining company that owns the land put Heuer’s team in the best place to start, he said. 

“I learned quite a bit. Besides the rapid temperature changes, the terrain was completely different. I did not expect it to be so hilly,” he said. “Two of us were hiking up an almost vertical cliff of rock to set up the (drone cameras). There were a lot of equipment issues to overcome before we could fly zones.” 

Heuer said one thing he learned was “how to find section corners and the original plats. We were told ‘they were over a bridge.’ But they were not. I had to reference them off a controller, then we would hike and shoot a certain point. It took a good hour, hour-and-a-half to shoot it and walk back.” 

The trip is also a big part of his final graduation project. “The section corners are also for a capstone project we are doing,” Heuer explained. “When we shot them with a GPS I had at the end of a stick, it told us in the software exactly where that would be in a photo. 

Why is it so important to be accurate? “Your data has to be right,” Heuer said. “That’s how you do your job well with drones. Drone jobs are so precise these days.” 

And then there was the weather. Arizona seems like a shorts and t-shirt state, but it is not. “The weather was interesting. It got hot, then it got extremely cold quickly,” Heuer said. “I was definitely not ready for it, I did not have a coat. We thought the mornings would be in the 50’s, but it was in the 20’s. I remember waking up at 7 a.m. and gassing up our Ranger as it was so cold, about 20 degrees!” 

The students returned knowing more about each other, new parts of the country and expanded their knowledge from the classroom into real-world use. 

As a result, more students will benefit from this. “It will probably be closer to a three-year project as we may go twice in 2025 (once in April and again in November),” Simonson explained. “We have a total of approximately 20,000 acres to map, but now that we have permanent survey control monumentation on the site which we set for this trip, we should be able to map more area in our week trips there.” 

The trip has also built personal and professional relationships. 

“We also intend to go back to the original hyperspectral project and collect some data in April 2025 while working on this mapping project,” Simonson said. “We have enjoyed working with the Colorado School of Mines students and faculty and they have enjoyed working with us so I am sure this will be a relationship that will continue many years to come.” 

Future heights 

Heuer is taking land surveying and civil engineering classes at North Dakota State College of Science. 

However, taking the main UAS class with Simonson has opened up new doors. As a freshman, Simonson was impressed that Heuer started flying drones at age 12 and already knew how to fly a Mavic 2 Pro Drone. 

The class was learning the basics on a Mavic 3 Pro Drone, but the two had the same software. Heuer was already ahead of the class. Which will once again get him to the top of the class as his higher-education continues thanks to NDSCS. 

“It was so much fun,” Heuer said. “Now, I am in my second year. I am thinking of transferring to USD for drones or NDSU.”

Five higher education institutions – Concordia College, Minnesota State University Moorhead, North Dakota State College of Science, North Dakota State University, and Minnesota State Community and Technical College – came together Wednesday to enter into the Metro College Alliance course exchange agreement to benefit students. 

A signing ceremony was held at M State, with presidents and additional representatives from each institution in attendance. Speakers included M State President Carrie Brimhall, NDSU President David Cook, Tri-College Provost Tim Flakoll, and MSUM nursing student Carley Berg. The agreement, effective January 1, 2025, will allow degree-seeking students at any of the member institutions to enroll in undergraduate courses at the other institutions without undergoing separate admission procedures. 

The Metro College Alliance course exchange agreement replaces the previous Tri-College University consortium, which has facilitated cross-institutional course enrollment since 1970. The new agreement is designed to adapt to the evolving higher education landscape, ensuring that students continue to benefit from the collaborative spirit of the member institutions. 

Key highlights of the agreement include seamless course enrollment and enhanced academic flexibility. Students can register for courses at any of the member institutions through a streamlined process, broadening their educational opportunities and keeping them local. The agreement supports students in completing their degrees by providing access to courses that may not be available at their home institution, especially in their final academic year or for specific program requirements. 

“This agreement exemplifies our commitment to providing flexible and comprehensive educational opportunities for our students. By collaborating, we can offer a richer academic experience and support our students in achieving their educational goals,” said M State President Carrie Brimhall.

Photo caption: Student speaker Carley Berg speaks at the podium with (seated, left to right) Tri-College Provost Tim Flakoll, M State President Carrie Brimhall, MSUM President Timothy Downs, NDSCS President Rod Flanigan, Concordia College President Colin Irvine and NDSU President David Cook.

In the Fall 2024 semester, students in the English 213 Literary Publication class at NDSCS immersed themselves in the world of publishing.

The course offered hands-on experience about the ins and outs of the publishing industry, with a focus on three critical areas: publishing operations, copyediting techniques, and the acquisition process. 

Students used their skills by participating in the creation of the college's literary magazine. Throughout the semester, they reviewed and evaluated a diverse collection of submissions from NDSCS students, faculty, staff, and alumni, applying their understanding of literary quality and audience engagement to select the pieces that best reflected the magazine’s vision. 

Their collaborative efforts ensured that the final publication was a cohesive and high-quality representation of the NDSCS creative community. 

The launch was held on December 17, 2024, celebrating the authors and artists and marking the students’ achievements as emerging writers and editors. 

Headwaters was a publication taught by various instructors throughout the years, and was last published in 2014. We are excited to have a revival of this magazine, and hope you enjoy the creative works that your fellow NDSCS affiliates have created!

Article by Abbie Lill, English Instructor at NDSCS

North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) is thrilled to announce Steven Ness as the first Head Women’s Soccer Coach, marking an exciting chapter in the college’s athletic history. With the establishment of its first-ever soccer program, NDSCS is setting the stage for an exciting addition to its athletic offerings, which will officially kick off in August 2025. 

Ness brings a wealth of coaching experience and a deep passion for the sport to this new role. Ness has dedicated nearly a decade to coaching soccer at various levels, including his most recent position as Assistant Varsity and JV Co-Head Coach at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. Prior to that, he served as Varsity Head Boys Soccer Coach at Kennedy Secondary School, where he was instrumental in developing a robust soccer culture, implementing leadership training programs, and fostering a supportive team environment. 

In addition to his coaching credentials, Ness has held roles as a referee and referee coordinator for the Fergus Falls Youth Soccer Association, further emphasizing his commitment to the sport's growth in his community. His extensive background in team management, program development, and player leadership aligns perfectly with the college’s vision for building a competitive and inclusive soccer program. 

"Building this new Women's Soccer Program is a thrilling step forward for our college and community. It opens doors to transformative opportunities, fostering innovation, education, and collaboration. I’m excited about the positive impact this will have on our student-athletes, faculty, and the community we proudly serve," Ness said. 

NDSCS President Dr. Rod Flanigan also expressed his excitement about the new program. "The launch of our women’s soccer program marks a significant milestone in NDSCS’s history, and we couldn’t be more excited to have Steven leading the way. His extensive experience, passion for the sport, and commitment to student-athlete development make him the ideal person to build this program from the ground up," Flanigan said. 

The women’s soccer program at NDSCS will provide new opportunities for student-athletes to excel both on and off the field while continuing the college’s tradition of offering diverse and enriching extracurricular opportunities. Recruitment efforts are underway, with plans to build a competitive roster that embodies the college’s core values of teamwork, dedication, and success. 

For more information about the NDSCS Women’s Soccer program or to inquire about recruitment opportunities, visit NDSCSwildcats.com or contact Reggie Jackson, NDSCS Athletic Director.