North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) recently collaborated with the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) and the Colorado School of Mines to provide a group of seven students from NDSCS’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems certificate program with a unique 16-day fieldwork experience. The students traveled to Arizona and Nevada in March, where they used drones to collect data from mining sites using hyperspectral imaging, a technology that captures data from across the electromagnetic spectrum beyond the visible light our eyes can see.

The trip was funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant secured by NCAT, whose mission is to educate technicians for careers in autonomous technology fields. The grant covered all travel expenses for the students and provided them with a stipend for their work.

NDSCS students were responsible for planning missions, flying drones, and collecting data. Seth Simonson, NDSCS associate professor, accompanied the students and led curriculum development for the UAS component of the project. Graduate students from the Colorado School of Mines evaluated the data collected to identify and quantify material in the mines. The group from NDSCS spent eight days outside of Phoenix, Ariz., and eight days in Henderson, Nev. traveling approximately 60 miles southwest from there into California, to complete their fieldwork. The primary drone used for the project was a $70,000 quad drone equipped with a $300,000 camera that collects 490 wavelength bands. This was the NDSCS students’ first time using a camera with this level of spectral range. “Getting flight time with this high-performance camera was an incredible learning experience for the students,” said Simonson. “It sparked a lot of interest in the future of the industry.”

The NDSCS students who participated in the study included:

• Tyler Cunningham, Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, Thompson, N.D.
• Annah Evavold, Architectural Modeling and Design Technology, Battle Lake, Minn.
• Bailey Goschke, Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, Oslo, Minn.
• Mark Jenniges, Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, Brooten, Minn.
• Joel Kavaloski, Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, Lindstrom, Minn.
• Noah Cunningham, Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, Minot, N.D.
• Trenton Thomasson, Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Technology, Fargo, N.D.

In addition to working with advanced technology, the students valued working in different terrain. “Around here, it’s all flat land. Out there, it’s desert and mountains,” said Mark Jenniges. “You had to pick out your vantage points. You had to figure out how you were going to plan your missions so that you didn’t wreck or lose sight of your drone because you always have to have a visual line of sight. You had to pick out take-off and landing spots–it was all very valuable experience.”

The trip also allowed students to collaborate with other professionals. “We were in the field doing a job,” said Annah Evavold. “It was our job to collect the data so the researchers could do their part in the project. We had to know what we were doing and we took it seriously.”

Joel Kavaloski said he enjoyed working with the graduate students. “The geologists explained the science behind why we were capturing the data. We knew where the drones could fly, but we didn’t necessarily know their points of interest. They helped us understand the bigger picture.”

“Overall, it was just a great work experience for us,” said Tyler Cunningham. “If future employers see that on a resume, I think they’ll take into consideration the time we spent planning missions and developing flying skills.”

This collaboration between NDSCS, the Colorado School of Mines, and NCAT demonstrates the importance of partnerships and the potential for groundbreaking research when institutions come together. Simonson looks forward to future runs of the study where he will continue to lead the UAS curriculum.

The success of this project also demonstrates how UAS is one of the fastest-growing industries with new applications constantly being identified. In response to emerging careers in unmanned aerial technologies, NDSCS is expanding its UAS certificate program into a standalone associate degree. Starting in the fall of 2023, NDSCS will offer an Associate in Applied Science degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems with six emphasis areas including Land Surveying, Civil Engineering Technology, Architectural Modeling, Construction Inspection, Business & Marketing, and Transfer. Through a hands-on curriculum, students will learn about unmanned aircraft types, legal operational guidelines, preflight planning, piloting UAS, and collecting and processing data through photogrammetry, thermography, multispectral imaging, LiDAR, photography, and videography. Students also earn a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Remote Pilot Certificate preparing them to become remote pilots in different commercial environments and industries. Simonson said the FAA supports NDSCS’s expanded curriculum because of its industry focus and hands-on approach. “Students use UAS to collect and process data just as they would in industry, which distinguishes our program.”

Additional information about the NDSCS Unmanned Aircraft Systems program can be found online at NDSCS.edu/UAS.

Go Wildcats! Following season-long wins — including being Mon-Dak Champions, Region XIII Champions, and North Central District Champions — the NJCAA has announced that the NDSCS Women’s Basketball team will be traveling to Lubbock, Texas to play in the DI National Championship Tournament. NDSCS Women’s Basketball finished off the season with a 29-4 record and is the No. 21 seed in the bracket. This is the second year in a row that NDSCS Women’s Basketball is making an appearance in the National Championship tournament.

The NDSCS Alumni Foundation is organizing a send-off for the team on Sunday, March 19th at 8:15 a.m. in the north parking lot of the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center, Wahpeton, N.D. The entire community is invited to join NDSCS in celebrating the team’s accomplishments and sending them off to Texas with well wishes. The team bus will leave at 8:30 a.m. with a parade escort out of town.

Wildcat Women’s Basketball plays their first game of the tournament against Eastern Arizona College at the RIP Griffin Center in Lubbock, Texas on Wednesday, March 22nd at 8 p.m. Wildcat fans cheering from home are invited to attend a community watch party at the Wilkin in Breckenridge, Minn. RSVP to the Wilkin is preferred.

North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) announced today that it has earned the 2023-2024 Military Friendly® School designation.

More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-2024 survey, with 665 earning the designation. The 2023-2024 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of the G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com/schools.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in higher education. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

NDSCS offers a variety of online courses and programs to provide an educational opportunity to those who are place bound or timebound and cannot attend traditional classes. These courses and programs also provide an opportunity for current and former members of the military to enhance their education or seek new skills. To find out more about specific military programs that may provide educational information and financial support visit www.ndscs.edu/military.

NDSCS’s VA Certifying Official, Mike Paolini, stated, “This designation serves as an affirmation of our institution’s efforts in serving our military student population. This also serves as a reminder to us to continue looking for new ways to support our military population now and into the future.”

Article written by NDSCS and submitted to external news outlets.

Marlee Schweitzer, a Dental Hygiene student at North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) has been named a 2023 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship.

This scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions on a national scale as they plan to enter the workforce upon the completion of a degree or certificate. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Over 2,400 students were nominated from more than 1,300 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.

“We congratulate Marlee for receiving this prestigious scholarship, and we are honored to partner with The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize these outstanding achievements,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Scholarship programs like this are integral for creating opportunities for students to succeed as they prepare to enter the workforce and for putting college completion within reach.”

The New Century Workforce Scholars will be recognized in the fall.

North Dakota State College of Science will celebrate its 100th Anniversary of Electrical Technology education in 2023! To recognize this milestone, a celebration will be held May 12-13, 2023, on the NDSCS campus in Wahpeton, N.D. All electrical alumni and those from programs housed in Barnard Hall are invited to participate in this event. A special section will be reserved for those returning for the reunion during the graduation ceremony at 3:00 p.m. on May 12. In addition, the weekend will include a Friday evening social, a Saturday night banquet with entertainment, Saturday campus tours, and family-friendly events.

For more information, to register, or volunteer for the weekend, please contact the NDSCS Alumni Foundation at 701-671-2247, email NDSCS.alumni@ndscs.edu. Reserve your hotel room by April 12, 2023, and be sure to mention NDSCS Electrical Reunion. Hotel accommodations are also listed on the website.

We would like to thank the following business sponsors: North American Coal, Coyote Creek Mine, Falkirk Mine and Freedom Mine, Expanse Electrical Co., JDP Electric Inc., Otter Tail Power Company, Encore Electric, Xcel Energy, A&K Development Company, Cass County Electric Cooperative, Electric Utility Workshop, Parsons Electric, Scott’s Electric, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Bergstrom Electric, H&H Electric, Lake Region Electric Co-op and Operation Round-Up, Lesco, Inc., Montana Dakota Utilities, North Central Electrical League, Inc., Summerville Electric, Border States Electric, Central Power Electric Cooperatives Inc., Dakota Valley Rural Electric Co-op, Eagle Lake Electric, Gary & Son Electric Service, Inc., International Association of Electrical Inspectors, North Central Electrical Engineering Society, North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Co-op (NDAREC), and Northern Plains Electric Cooperative.

Return to NDSCS, join your fellow alumni, and celebrate this great program, facility, and milestone!

Fun facts: Other things that are 100 years old – the automatic watch, the bulldozer, instant cameras, cotton swabs, and the 3-light traffic signals.

Spring semester enrollment at the North Dakota State College of Science is 2,991 according to the official census, which is taken on the 20th instructional day of classes each semester. This is the highest spring semester enrollment on record since 2016 and a 13.4 percent increase over spring 2022.

“We are pleased with the significant enrollment growth this semester,” said NDSCS President Rod Flanigan. “This growth comes at a time when many, many community colleges in this region, and throughout the United States are facing declining enrollments. Our growth is the result of the tremendous work our team is doing, including all academic programs, our Enrollment Management office, and our Dual Credit office. It is a team effort!”

There are 1,295 full-time students and 1,692 part-time students, with nearly 48 percent of students residing on-campus at NDSCS in Wahpeton. Additionally, 74.2 percent of NDSCS students are from 48 counties in North Dakota, while 21.1 percent of students are from Minnesota, 1.4 percent are from South Dakota and 0.7 percent are from Montana.

Article written by NDSCS and submitted to external news outlets.