The program will include on-campus meetings during the spring semester and a 12-day travel experience in May. Students will travel across the state with a focus on the areas in western North Dakota that are contributing to economic expansion and the energy industry.
NDSU has launched a new learning experience program called Bison to the Bakken.
The goal of the program is to introduce undergraduate students studying business, engineering or agriculture to the oil and gas industry, coal industry and all of the economic activity associated with the industry in western North Dakota.
“At NDSU, we serve the entire state. Energy industry partners want to know our students, but many of our students do not have connections or experiences in western North Dakota. There are great jobs across the state, and we have amazing students. Let’s make a connection,” said Kathryn Birkeland, Ronald and Kaye Olson Dean of the College of Business.
Over the last 15 years, the expansion of economic activity in western North Dakota has made a tremendous impact on the state. Many employers who have jobs available for graduates in business, engineering and agriculture are struggling to find workers. The Bison to Bakken program aims to create a deeper connection between NDSU, energy-sector firms and cities in western North Dakota. This aligns with the university’s land-grant mission and efforts with workforce development and retention.
The program will include on-campus meetings during the spring semester and a 12-day travel experience in May. Students will travel across the state with a focus on the areas in western North Dakota that are contributing to economic expansion and the energy industry.
The topics covered in the pre-trip coursework and travel will include a broad range of subjects related to the students’ program of study. Examples of business topics include supply chain management, capital financing, and professional selling. Engineering topics could include automation, sensor development and testing, environmental engineering, and artificial intelligence in the energy industry. Topics related to agriculture could be soil science and reclamation, carbon capture and storage, commodity trading and management of federal lands. They will also learn about North Dakota state government operations, regulation, and economic development.
In addition to the academic topics, the experience will include social and cultural experiences. The group will engage with industry leaders, community members, tourism promoters and economic development professionals.
The Bison to Bakken program is supported by Birkeland, Alan Kallmeyer, Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, and Greg Lardy, Joe and Norma Peltier Vice President for Agriculture.
This program is funded by the Economic Diversification Research Funds. These funds were initiated by the North Dakota Legislature in the 2023 ND Legislative session to ensure that the state economy generates additional revenue streams, particularly through the investment into the research universities that would stimulate economic growth in the state, in part by innovating new technology, ideas and products.
More information about the Bison to the Bakken program is available on the program's website.
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