½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï

Evening of Distinction
Registration is now open

Register by April 12, 2023, to join ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïalumni and friends at Evening of Distinction, presented by SEI, on Thursday, April 20, 2023, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Delta Hotels by Marriott Fargo. Each year, the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹ÏFoundation recognizes the accomplishments of award honorees and recognition society donors. The 2023 ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹ÏFoundation Award Honorees include a world-renowned researcher and potato pathologist; a married couple with philanthropic passions for ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïagriculture, education, and football; the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and its philanthropic arm; a College of Engineering alumnus whose leadership helped grow NDSU's endowment; a leader in the field of natural resources management in North Dakota and Washington, D.C.; and a pathogen researcher on the front lines of biosafety for the past 20 years.

Learn more about the awardees and register for the event on the Evening of Distinction event page.

Philanthropy in action
The transformative power of a healthy mind

Business leader and board chair CeCe Morken '79 advocates for prioritizing mental well-being in the workplace, where mental health remains a personal and often undisclosed topic even though roughly one in eight people worldwide are suffering from a mental health condition. She says it is crucial for people in leadership positions to create a stronger organizational culture around mental health.

"If leaders would talk about their mental wellness and what they're doing to take care of it, whether it's, 'Hey, I had something happen in my family, and it was difficult for me. Here's what I'm doing to deal with it. Here's what I might need from you,' you cannot imagine the impact that has on people," CeCe said. "If it's not something that leaders talk about — like me, or the boards that I'm on, those CEOs and senior leaders — we're not going to get rid of the stigma."

According to CeCe, professionals who prioritize their mental health and embrace new ideas are more resilient in the face of challenges and changes in the market. She established the CeCe Morken Thought Leader in Residence Program in NDSU's College of Business to help students build resilience by broadening their perspectives.

Get CeCe's advice for creating your own routine for mental well-being in the winter digital issue of the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹ÏFoundation Magazine.

For the love of music
Jo Ann Miller '74 has spent more than 30 years directing ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïsingers

Jo Ann Miller's musical expression comes from her hands. As director of choral activities, she helps ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïsingers develop vocal technique, language and listening skills, music history knowledge, and more.

"We [conductors] have no instrument without our students," Jo Ann said. "We invest in them in order to realize our own artistic aspirations so they, in turn, will be able to realize some of their own."

Read about Jo Ann's legacy and listen to an anthology of ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ïchoral music recordings from 1990 to 2019 in the winter digital issue of the ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹ÏFoundation Magazine.

½ñÈÕ³Ô¹ÏConcert Choir and Madrigal Singers spring tour

The ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹ÏConcert Choir and Madrigal Singers, under the direction of Jo Ann Miller and Michael Weber, respectively, have embarked on a spring tour across North Dakota and Minnesota. Their repertoire includes the music of Palestrina, Monteverdi, Schütz, Brahms, Holst, Dinerstein, Britten, Delius, Tormis, and Fissinger. They will also premiere four new pieces, including the 2022 Fissinger Prize-winning compositions by Paul Winchester, Jennifer Lucy Cook, and Patrick Vu, and a piece composed by Michael Weber in honor of Jo Ann Miller.

All tour concerts are free to the public. Find locations for the March 16-19 concerts on the .