MSU President's Newspaper Column
September 13, 2025
Mayville State faculty and students impact society through research and STEM-related careers
The North Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (ND EPSCoR) announced in August that its partnering institutions had been approved for a National Science Foundation (NSF) E-CORE award for their Sustainable Programs Advancing Research and Knowledge across North Dakota (SPARK-ND) proposal. This is the first such grant awarded in North Dakota, thus the first for Mayville State as well. The National Science Foundation has awarded the total project an anticipated amount of $7,963,804 over four years. We at Mayville State are excited to be among ten North Dakota colleges and universities participating in SPARK-ND. We have been awarded $479,608 to be distributed from Aug. 1, 2025, through July 31, 2029.
SPARK-ND aims to build a sustainable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and education ecosystem in North Dakota. Led by North Dakota State University, Mayville State will be among ten North Dakota colleges and universities that will collaborate to expand STEM research capacity in the state, connect research communities, build STEM research literacy in rural populations, and strengthen the STEM community at the five Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in North Dakota.
Mayville State’s grant award will be used to support activities such as Scientist in the Classroom, where STEM faculty will visit high school classes across the state. In addition, high school students will be invited to shadow the research of Mayville State faculty. The Year-Round Undergraduate Research Experience program will allow three students to conduct research and enroll in research credit courses. The grant will support tuition and pay for their research hours. During the summer months, Mayville State will offer research experience for high school students.
Dr. Khwaja Hossain is the principal investigator (PI) representing Mayville State University. Dr. Hossain is a Professor of Biology at Mayville State. He is active in several scientific research projects at the university, working in conjunction with North Dakota INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) and ND EPSCoR (North Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research). In addition to current projects underway, he’s working to receive funding for some agricultural and medical research projects that would begin in 2026.
Through his work, Dr. Hossain offers opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in real-world research. These are invaluable opportunities, and they provide employment as well as chances to delve into the world of science, where students often find their ultimate career paths. Many of these students have presented their work and the work of their research teams at local, regional, and national conferences.
Dr. Hossain is not alone in offering research opportunities for students at Mayville State. Other Mayville State faculty members who are leading research projects on campus and employing students as members of their teams are Dr. Michael Kjelland, Associate Professor of Biology and Agribusiness; Dr. Joseph Mehus, Professor of Biology; and Dr. Thomas Gonnella, Professor of Chemistry.
Research projects range from finding ways to use wheat bran to strengthen plastic to catching and identifying various mosquito species in the area and using the findings to inform the public regarding the spread of disease. Other research topics are related to cancer, breeding of cattle, and studying how medications travel through the body.
Many Mayville State students have chosen to pursue further education in the area of science, while many others are well into successful science-related careers. Brooke Roeges, who was a member of Dr. Hossain’s research team as a student and graduated in 2023, is now in medical school. Brady Nygaard, a 2019 graduate, is also in medical school, as is Creighton Pfau, 2021 graduate. Taylor Painter, 2023 graduate, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
I applaud our Mayville State faculty researchers who are advancing Mayville State while inspiring students to pursue careers in the field of science. I tip my hat to our graduates who are making the most of the opportunities before them as well. Their Mayville State undergraduate experiences provide invaluable information for society as the students expand their horizons and consider bright futures in the world of science.