Education and Workforce Development

This page highlights the CSMS activities that have supported the Education and Workforce Development project element of the ND EPSCoR award that currently funds CSMS.

Year 1 (August 2014 – July 2015)

  • CSMS involvement in NATURE University Camp and Sunday Academy programming helps in the effort to increase student interest in STEM fields.
  • CSMS research helps build capacity for interdisciplinary research state-wide with partner institutions Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College and the University of North Dakota.
    • Approximately 7 Postdocs, 17 graduate students, and 15 undergraduate students were active with CSMS at some point during the 2014-2015 fiscal year.
  • CSMS students and Postdocs have helped in the effort to provide educational opportunities to underrepresented groups and younger learners through Outreach involvement.
    • This includes outreach with the NATURE Sunday Academy programming that is for tribal middle and high school students, and is taught at the five Tribal Colleges in North Dakota, as well as general Outreach at events such as the North Dakota Science Olympiad.
    • More outreach is included via links by fiscal year at the bottom of the Outreach page at
      http://csms-ndsu.org/activities/education-and-workforce-development/csms-outreach/

Year 2 (August 2015 – July 2016)

  • CSMS continues to be involved in NATURE Sunday Academy programming and also with NATURE University Summer Camp in the effort to increase student interest in STEM fields.
  • CSMS research continues to build capacity for interdisciplinary research state-wide with partner institutions Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College and the University of North Dakota.
    • Approximately 9 Postdocs, 23 graduate students, and 26 undergraduate students were active with CSMS at some point during the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
  • CSMS students and Postdocs continue to help in the effort to provide educational opportunities to
    underrepresented groups and younger learners through Outreach involvement.

    • This includes continuing outreach with the NATURE Sunday Academy programming as well as other CSMS related and general Outreach such as:
      – STEM Makerspace in the Library (Grand Forks)
      – Avenues of Scientific Discovery (Fargo)
      – Expanding Your Horizons (Fargo)
      – UND Chemistry Dept. STEM day for High School students (Grand Forks)
      – UND Chemistry Department’s 8th Annual High School Workshop (Grand Forks).
    • More outreach is included via links by fiscal year at the bottom of the Outreach page at
      http://csms-ndsu.org/activities/education-and-workforce-development/csms-outreach/

Year 3 (August 2016 – July 2017)

  • CSMS continues to be involved in NATURE Sunday Academy programming and also with NATURE University Summer Camp in the effort to increase student interest in STEM fields.
  • CSMS research continues to build capacity for interdisciplinary research state-wide with partner institutions Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Sitting Bull College, and the University of North Dakota.
    • Approximately 3 Postdocs, 29 graduate students, and 24 undergraduate students have been active with
      CSMS during the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
  • CSMS students and Postdocs continue to help in the effort to provide educational opportunities to
    underrepresented groups and younger learners through Outreach involvement.

    • This includes continuing outreach with the NATURE Sunday Academy programming as well as other CSMS related and general Outreach such as:
      – NDSU Parents Involvement with Children Nurturing Intellectual Curiosity in Science program (PICNICS)
      – Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program
      – North Dakota Governor’s School program
      – Presentation by CSMS graduate students at an NDSU Chemistry Club meeting
    • More outreach is included via links by fiscal year at the bottom of the Outreach page at
      http://csms-ndsu.org/activities/education-and-workforce-development/csms-outreach/

Year 4 (August 2017 – July 2018)

  • CSMS continues to be involved in NATURE Sunday Academy programming and also with NATURE University Summer Camp in the effort to increase student interest in STEM fields.
  • CSMS research continues to build capacity for interdisciplinary research state-wide with partner institutions Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College and the University of North Dakota.
    • Approximately 1 Postdoc, 28 graduate students, and 25 undergraduate students have been active with
      CSMS during the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
  • CSMS students and Postdocs continue to help in the effort to provide educational opportunities to
    underrepresented groups and younger learners through Outreach involvement.

  • ND EPSCoR hired Paul Keidel as STEM Manager to oversee and be responsible for statewide education outreach to all stakeholders, and also to integrate education and workforce development elements with our research components with broader impact areas (i.e. Diversity and Partnerships, Collaboration and Communication)

Year 5 (August 2018 – July 2019)

  • CSMS continues to be involved in NATURE Sunday Academy programming and also with NATURE University Summer Camp in the ongoing effort to increase student interest in STEM fields.
  • Michael Parker and Dr. Brent Voels, with Cankdeska Cikana Community College, was added to the CSMS research group of institutions (Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Sitting Bull College, Turtle Mountain Community College and the University of North Dakota)
    • Approximately 45 graduate students, and 21 undergraduate students have been active with
      CSMS during the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
  • CSMS graduate students continue to help in the effort to provide educational opportunities to
    underrepresented groups and younger learners through Outreach involvement.

    • This includes outreach with STEM programs such as
      – Avenues of Scientific Discovery
      – UND Chemistry Camp
      – UND STEM Day hands-on activities
      – Lab mentorship to Avenues to Disciplinary Research graduate student participant
      – A Forensics station at the North Dakota Science Olympiad
      – Science Fun Day, carrying out hands-on activities at an elementary school
    • More outreach is included via links by fiscal year at the bottom of the Outreach page at
      http://csms-ndsu.org/activities/education-and-workforce-development/csms-outreach/
  • ND EPSCoR hired Paula Comeau as STEM Manager to oversee and be responsible for statewide education outreach to all stakeholders, and also to integrate education and workforce development elements with our research components with broader impact areas (i.e. Diversity and Partnerships, Collaboration and Communication)

Year 6 (August 2019 – July 2020)

  • CSMS continues to be involved in NATURE Sunday Academy programming and also with NATURE University Summer Camp in the ongoing effort to increase student interest in STEM fields.
  • CSMS research continues to build capacity for interdisciplinary research state-wide with partner institutions: Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Mayville State University, Minot State University, North Dakota State University, Sitting Bull College and the University of North Dakota.
    • Approximately 1 Postdoc, 18 graduate students, and 20 undergraduate students have been active with
      CSMS during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
  • ND EPSCoR hired Shireen Alemadi as STEM Manager to replace Paula Comeau. Shireen will provide STEM support throughout the K-Ph.D. pathway, including professional development for K-12 teachers and postsecondary students and faculty.
  • CSMS graduate students continue to help in the effort to provide educational opportunities to
    underrepresented groups and younger learners through Outreach involvement.

    • This includes outreach with STEM programs such as
      – Helping to organize, and support, activities at the NDSU-KU Symposium held October 2019
      – A Halloween-themed event with theme-related lab activities
      – Providing a Chemistry department tour for sophomore high-school aged students