MSU President's Newspaper Column
March 14, 2026
When faculty go the extra mile, students carry the impact forward
At Mayville State, personal service isn’t just a tradition. It defines who we are. Our commitment to knowing students by name, understanding their goals, and supporting their journeys creates a welcoming environment where every individual feels valued and finds success. This hands‑on, caring approach strengthens relationships across the university and reinforces the spirit of community that sets Mayville State apart.
In a recent conversation with a Mayville State freshman who enrolled last fall, I learned how personal service, together with educational experiences, truly make a difference. This student has been employed for years, doing hard physical work and helping to support his family. He told me about a lesson in personal finance that had been taught by Professor of Business Dustin Olson. Mr. Olson doubled down on the theme of “personal” and hit the message home with his students by presenting them with scenarios that caused his students to seriously think about how their decisions make an impact for today and for tomorrow.
To start out, students were to imagine they were employed in the banking industry, making a pretty good salary. Topics of purchasing a home, marriage, and having children were added as the discussion progressed. In each instance, the impact of these events and actions was applied, demonstrating what it takes to live the life you wish to live, and underscoring the importance of setting goals and acting responsibly when dealing with finances.
It was obvious that our student took what he learned to heart. I couldn’t help but think about how Dustin and his course material have made a difference for countless students over the years … with more to come in the future. The impact of this practical and important lesson is profound. For new college students standing at the crossroads of opportunity and responsibility, personal finance knowledge can be life‑changing.
I am grateful for the conversation with the student, as it truly reinforced the importance of what we do at Mayville State; and for Dustin Olson, and faculty members like him, who are impacting the future on a daily basis just by doing what they do. I could not be more CometProud!
In another CometProud moment this week, I was honored to welcome students from Larimore High School, along with their teacher, 2025 Mayville State graduate Kaitlyn Ensign, to campus on Tuesday, March 10. The students were at Mayville State as part of Sustainable Programs Advancing Research and Knowledge across North Dakota (SPARK-ND) activities.
SPARK-ND is a first for North Dakota and for Mayville State. MSU will receive $479,608 to be distributed from Aug 1, 2025, through July 31, 2029. The program aims to build a sustainable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and education ecosystem in North Dakota. Dr. Khwaja Hossain, Professor of Biology, is the principal investigator for MSU.
Mayville State’s grant award is being used to support activities such as Scientist in the Classroom, where STEM faculty visit high school classes across the state. In addition, high school students are being 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, we’ll offer research experience for high school students.
The Larimore students were engaged in a scientific experiment led by Dr. Tom Gonnella, Professor of Chemistry. The significance of the research happening at Mayville State truly came full circle with Kaitlyn, Dr. Gonnella’s former research lab assistant, returning to her alma mater with her own students. Watching her introduce them to the very lab where she once worked was a powerful reminder of how hands‑on research experiences shape not only our students’ futures, but also the next generation they go on to inspire.
I commend Dr. Gonnella for the work he is doing in his research lab, and for sharing these experiences with his students … and now their students. This is not only a sharing of knowledge, but it also exemplifies personal service at its finest, displaying what can happen when a faculty member goes above and beyond to provide life-changing experiences for students. I thank him for his work, and for taking time during spring break to expand the circle of influence to Larimore Public School students.
At Mayville State, our faculty members consistently go above and beyond, not only in delivering exceptional instruction, but also in teaching the life lessons that shape students far beyond the classroom. The work of all educators matters today, tomorrow, and in many cases, for a lifetime. Willingness to invest personally in each student, dedication, and compassion create an environment where learning is meaningful, confidence grows, and futures are strengthened. The impact reaches well past course content. It fosters character, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.