NDSU President Cook outlines future of possibility during State of the University Address

President David Cook outlined the positive transformation taking place on campus during his annual State of the University Address on Friday, Sept. 20 in Festival Concert Hall. 

“It’s an exciting time at NDSU. I think we can all agree that with the rapid advancements in technology and artificial intelligence and societal transformation, there is a true renaissance occurring, globally and right here in our back yard,” Cook told the audience consisting of students, staff, faculty, alumni, industry partners and legislators. 

“With these changes, we see tremendous opportunity, and NDSU is making strategic transformative decisions to ensure our long-term success in shaping and creating our future.”

Cook highlighted several areas where opportunities are abundant. They include:

• Transforming facilities
• Investing in students, faculty and staff
• Building industry relations and partnerships 

Facilities on campus will help leverage future teaching, research and service opportunities. New and forthcoming facilities include:

• The Richard Offerdahl ’65 Engineering Complex, an over 100,000 square foot facility, which will allow for the advancement in teaching and research in engineering, precision agriculture, AI, computational sciences, entrepreneurship, analytics and data science through collaborative design studios, and flexible teaching and research laboratories. 
• The Challey School of Music expansion, which is a 9,700 square foot addition to the existing music building. 
• The Peltier Complex, a state-of-the-art facility that supports a wide range of research involving food science, meat science, muscle biology, food safety, nutrition, consumer sensory traits and the development of new agricultural products.
• The Bolley Agricultural Laboratory, which will be one of the largest capital construction projects in NDSU history and will house a variety of agricultural research programs, including plant pathology, plant breeding, weed science, agronomy, soil science and horticulture. 
• The Esports Lab, a space envisioned by students for students where they can go to hang out and play a variety of esports. 

“All of these facilities support our faculty and staff to conduct world-class research and prepare our students to excel in a rapidly changing environment,” Cook said.

Cook pointed out that NDSU remains the No. 1 university destination for North Dakota high school students. About 84% of North Dakota students and 40% of Minnesota students remain in state to work following graduation.  

“In this fashion, NDSU actively imports future talent for North Dakota, unlike any institution in the state,” Cook said. 

NDSU also is stabilizing enrollment for the first time in a while, he said. 

Cook recognized several students and student-athletes who have gone above and beyond in the classroom, lab and on the field:

• Garrett Honzay, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major, who received the prestigious Astronaut Scholarship.
• Mahek Sadiq, a doctoral biomedical engineering student, who is researching the development of cutting-edge technologies for cancer research. 
• Payton Otterdahl, a former NDSU shot putter who took fourth at the Paris Olympics this summer.
• Marena Whittle, a former NDSU basketball player who competed for Australia’s 3V3 basketball team in the Paris Olympics. 
• Erin Teschuk, a former NDSU middle-distance runner who competed for Canda in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, as well as the 2015 World Championship in Beijing, and 2023 World Championship in Budapest. 

NDSU prides itself on the world-class faculty and staff who care deeply about the success of the institution. Amy Gore, assistant professor of English, was recognized for her innovative ways to get students interested and engaged with American Literature. 

“Your work in teaching and research reflects the impact being made by the broader faculty community at NDSU,” Cook said.

The incredible strides faculty and staff are making in research was another highlight of Cook’s speech. In fiscal year 2024, NDSU earned $142.4 million in external funding awards. Earlier this year NDSU, among its partner entities were awarded up to $15 million over the next two years with potential to receive up to $160 million over 10 years as part of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program.

Cook also recognized the NDSU Museum and Collections, which is the first university museum on campus that will unify, catalog and exhibit its diverse collections of more than a million objects and artifacts across campus. 

The future of opportunities at NDSU is shaped through industry engagement and outreach, Cook said. He outlined past and ongoing initiatives to build those industry partnerships. They include:

• The creation of 17 new academic degrees in the past two years informed by industry to address workforce needs of the state.
• A recent partnership with the North Dakota Air National Guard connects the 119^th Wing and NDSU to provide clear degree pathways for North Dakota Air National Guard members to pursue their education.
• A new state-of-the art facility at the Hettinger Research Extension Center is advancing livestock research and education for North Dakota ranchers. 
• The annual Chamber Music Festival allows students the chance to perform with NDSU alums and internationally renowned artists. Similarly, the NDSU Choral Festival held in October brings in 400-500 high school students across the region to rehearse and perform a gala concert led by NDSU choral faculty. 

To sum up his speech Cook thanked members of the NDSU community for playing a vital role in NDSU’s achievements.

“As you’ve all noticed throughout this presentation, we have a strong NDSU community and it takes all of us to be successful,” he said.