MSUM 2019-2020 Retirees
MSUM recognizes and thanks our most recent retirees. We asked them about their favorite memory of MSUM and about their retirement plans. Congratulations retirees and thank you for your many years of service.
Marlowe Kulish, College of Arts, Media & Communication – 7/2/2019
Favorite memory is working with students in the Music Department and acquaintances made with support and teaching staff in managing Weld Auditorium. There are many woodworking patterns to build and books to read and not enough time.
Marsha Weber, College of Business & Innovation – 8/19/2019
Gary Borg, Housing & Residential Life – 11/1/2019
I enjoyed all the great people I worked with, working in Ballard hall with the offices there everyone were happy and positive it made it very easy to work there, The housing group were A #1 . I also enjoyed talking to all the students every day. After retirement my wife and I moved to Sun City West, AZ. We love the winter now. Thanks Moorhead State it was a great place to end my work.
Theresa Johnson, Building Services – 12/13/2019
I plan to spend more time with my family. I plan to stay home when it’s storming and shovel snow only when I want to. I plan to watch Dragon athletic events and travel whenever I can persuade someone to go with me. While at MSUM, I worked exclusively at Nemzek with the student athletes. It was all a favorite experience. I enjoyed interacting everyday with the students, sharing their sports highs and lows and watching them mature.
Dan Bolgrean, Building Services – 1/7/2020
My wife and I have retired to Arizona for the winter months and in the summer will reside at our tiny home in Detroit Lakes. Both homes are on golf courses, so hopefully get some golfing in.
Janet Haak Brandau, Study Abroad – 1/31/2020
Teri Nyhus, Housing & Residential Life – 2/3/2020
Kay Braton, Business Services – 3/6/2020
My favorite memory was helping students and hearing how much they appreciate you.
Gloria Sheldon, Online Learning – 4/15/2020
My retirement plans are to spend more time with my family, become a better, healthier cook, get more involved with my church, and get back to quilting. I’ll need to take a couple quilting classes, to get my skills back, but that will be fun.
Kenneth (Ken) Brown, School of Art – 5/22/2020
When people ask me -what are you going to do all day after you retire? My usual answer is “anything I want”! My long-term plans include moving somewhere warmer. I have lived in Minnesota and North Dakota all of my life, and I really dislike winter! We will probably look for property in Florida and leave these cold winters behind. Since I have been here for 41 years, picking one favorite experience is almost impossible. Each year, it is wonderful to see “green students” come in to the shop without any previous experience running power tools. Many are scared to death, but in a short time they become quite comfortable designing, building, and finishing their Art projects for their classes. I have made many friends over the years, Professors and students, and continue to follow their work in the Art field. I will miss this!
PeggyAnn “Annie” Bergquist, Media Arts & Design, Theatre Arts, Entertainment Industries & Technology – 6/1/2020
Forty-one years ago when I began my career at MSU, I was the age of the students; and as I close out my tenure at what is now MSUM, I’m the age of some of the students’ grandparents! Between those bookends, Great Leaders, Dedicated Faculty/Staff, and Passionate Students have left an indelible imprint on my life…life-long friendships have been forged, and blessed tender memories have been made and will be savored. I must have been having fun, as the time sure has flown…but what a ride it’s been, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend this important stretch of my life anywhere else!
Jan Atchison, Computer Science & Information Systems, Professional Management – 6/4/2020
My most enduring experience and memory of my twenty-six years will be my faculty, who welcomed me into their departments, who entrusted to me the managing of their departments, which as a worker made me feel valued and respected for my contributions. There was a closeness, a trust, and caring that my faculty extended to me that I will be forever grateful as it made my life for 26 years content and secure.
Cathleen (Cathy) Faller, Registrar’s Office – 6/23/2020
My favorite memory is of all the co-workers and students I have met in the 44 years of service. Retirement plans: Enjoying family, the lakes and some travel.
Elizabeth Garcia De Guajardo, School of Social Work – 6/23/2020
Favorite Memory. Meeting my husband 47 years ago under the tree that stands between Livingston Lord Library and Ballard Hall, while students at MSUM, graduating in 1977, then seeing our son, 06’, his wife, 05’ graduate from MSUM, plus seeing our daughter not only graduate from MSUM but also be the student commencement speaker at her graduation in 2017. Retirement Plans. Lord willing, seeing our two-year-old grandson grow to be a Dragon, family time, remodeling some rooms in our house, bigger garden, baking, maybe a new vehicle, and adding many more married years.
Shirlee Holland, School of Art – 6/30/2020
I remember my first day at MSUM, and always appreciated the opportunity to work at such a great, place. I have supervised hundreds of students over my 35 years, and I know that I made a huge impact on many student assistants in learning skills that will help them in their future jobs. I will miss the wonderful faculty, staff, and students. Photography and scrapbooking are on my list to keep me busy. Also, I plan to spend more time with four grandsons and travel with my husband, Dana who retired last December.
Ivy Tysver, Registrar’s Office – 6/30/2020
One of my favorite memories: I know what I will never forget are the people I have worked with over the years. Our Registrar’s Office is like a second family to me that I actually spend more time with than I do my immediate family! My retirement plans: Spend more time with my grandbabies; Spend more time at the lake in the summer; Spend all of winter in Arizona.
Lynn Peterson, Dean of Students Office – 8/3/2020
Looking back on my career at MSUM, my favorite memory is my time spent working at the Hendrix Clinic. I was truly fortunate to work with amazing colleagues who put the interests of students and one another first. I made lasting friendships due to my time at Hendrix. Many of us continue to celebrate each other’s family milestones and share our sorrows. We were there for one another 20 years ago and have continued that connection today. It was also a privilege to run the Wellness Education program and be able to watch students grow, and make a huge impact on the campus community. Many former Wellness Educators are now Doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers and are scattered throughout the united states and abroad. I am a better person for having had the opportunity to work with these students.
Retirement plans The time that is for the hobbies and activities I didn’t have time for when I was working. My plans are probably very similar to others retiring. I am looking forward to spending more time with family and friends, (hopefully I won’t drive them crazy with that extra time). I am looking forward to wintering in Arizona with my husband, volunteering at animal rescues and traveling with friends who are also navigating this new chapter called retirement. Let the adventure begin!
Gloria Riopelle, Athletics – 8/4/2020
I am so appreciative of the many students, faculty and staff who positively influenced my life during my thirty-three years at MSU Moorhead. I had the opportunity to serve in several areas on campus and so my fond memories include the incredible people I worked with and learned from along the way. My plan for the future is to spend more time with my family and continue serving within the education system.
Benjamin (Ben) Clapp, Business Administration – 8/17/2020
I have loved the students, staff and my time here at MSUM.
Deneen Gilmour, School of Communication & Journalism – 8/17/2020
My plans are to build a house in the country where we’ll retire.
My favorite memories are working with student journalists, and watching the light bulb come on when they realize journalism is a public trust … that the responsibility of a journalist is to the seek the truth and report it.
Ruth Lumb, Business Administration – 8/17/2020
I have been doing research on China’s Belt and Road Initiative with several researchers from other countries. We were to travel the New Silk Road–both Maritime and overland over the next 2 years. These plans have been postponed. In the meantime I will be spending time with family and friends, reading and gardening. The Student Academic Conference. I served on the SAC Committee, mentored students who presented at the conference and was a Key Note Speaker. I have been constantly impressed by the first rate projects that have been presented by our students at the SACs. Most students show enthusiasm and often go above and beyond the requirements. Students who have presented have described the experience as ‘extraordinary,’ ‘phenomenal’ and ‘transformative’
Terrie Manno, Music – 8/17/2020
My husband and I will be retiring to Colorado where we’ll immerse ourselves in the beauty of nature that surrounds us. I’ll continue to use music to bring joy and comfort to people near and far. My career at MSUM has been filled with opportunities and challenges but I’ll always treasure those magical moments when my students have made discoveries about themselves and their world through music. Most importantly, I’ll cherish the many life-long friendships I’ve cultivated through my professional activities at MSUM.
Bette Midgarden, Mathematics – 8/17/2020
My memories are about all the wonderful people I got to work with over the years, regardless of what job I was doing at the time. Most of us care so much about the students, regardless of what are jobs are! I’ve just been going through email and reading the kind words so many of them sent this week to thank me for helping them understand that they really can understand and do math when they work at it. I’ll miss those thoughtful comments and words of support, as well as all my friends and colleagues in the department and across campus. I am one who has to stay busy and I have always liked to work hard. I am, admittedly, a hopeless multi-tasker. For the next year, though, I probably will stay close to home and will start to make a dent in the embarrassingly large pile of unread books I have accumulated over the past few years.
Kristine (Kris) Montis, Mathematics – 8/17/2020
My retirement plans include building a house with my sisters (in progress) in South Moorhead. I plan to spend my time and energy on arts & craft, painting, and attending sessions at the William Holland School of Lapidary arts in Georgia when they reopen after Covid-19. I was all enrolled to attend this summer, but they have cancelled their sessions until . . . it would have been more like going to summer camp than an institution of higher ed. Hope they do reopen next year.
Scott Seltveit, Construction Management – 8/17/2020
My favorite memories of MSUM are really the people I have worked with and the students I met over the years. My colleagues made it fun and enjoyable to go to the University every day. It was very satisfying watching students grow and mature while at MSUM and then observe their continued success after graduation. I don’t have any specific plans after retirement other than stay busy, travel a bit and enjoy life.