In 1997, Michael Chambers (B.S. Biotechnology) and John Ballantyne (Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Sciences) graduated from NDSU; in 1998, the two built upon research forged in NDSU labs and founded Aldevron, a company that has become a leader in advancing biological sciences, headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota.
They remember the early days of Aldevron — the long nights and early mornings required to meet a delivery time and the trust researchers placed in them to deliver the crucial DNA needed to expand medicine. The company grew organically. They built a commercial infrastructure and focused on keeping costs down while providing exceptional products that would lead to scientific breakthroughs such as mRNA vaccines and personalized medicine.
“You understand that your job is to get stuff made so the next people in the chain can make the discoveries that make the drugs that save the lives,” John said. “You don’t set out for glory or anything like that, but it is absolutely a remarkable thing to look back on when you see something that showed up 14 years ago, 12 years ago, that’s a drug now, and you can go back to your database and look at the first time it arrived and you made it. There’re not many people in the world who get to experience that.”
Aldevron produces high-quality plasmid DNA, mRNA, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and other biologicals to scientists around the world; all of the DNA that goes into the creation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is made by Aldevron.
“Back when we started the company, you could sort of see some of these technologies coming,” Michael said. “But all these new gene therapies we have right now — the COVID vaccine, the oncology products that will save millions of lives — didn’t exist back in the day, but you could predict it.”
By providing large quantities of highly pure nucleic acids used universally in the advancement of gene therapy, Aldevron greatly accelerated scientific progress.
Aldevron’s success captured the attention of global science and technology innovator, Danaher. In June 2021, Danaher Corporation purchased Aldevron for approximately $9.6 billion. The company joined Danaher’s Life Sciences segment.
“What is most exciting and most relevant are Aldevron’s employees, the best people in our industry. Most of our executives and impact players are NDSU graduates. These leaders have built an incredible company that is approaching 1,000 associates,” Michael said. “We are one of the flagship innovation engines in genomic medicine for Danaher Corporation, which is 80,000 associates. Many of the best people in Danaher’s genomic medicine division are NDSU graduates.”
When they look to the future, they’re excited about how NDSU and Aldevron will advance genomic medicine and how NDSU’s land-grant mission can bolster the industry by inspiring innovation. They’re looking to the horizon for the next “Aldevrons” that will create new technologies necessary to advance medicine, keep costs down, and treat diseases. John and Michael hope this award will inspire future NDSU graduates who have the drive, desire, and understanding to act on their ideas, and they believe Fargo is the perfect place.
“I don’t think of this as flyover country,” John said. “I think of this as the central part of North America. I think of it as a hub of production and capability. You’re only as good as your locale, and we’re very fortunate to be in a great one.”
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding volunteer service for the benefit of the University or someone who has played...
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The Partner in Excellence Award recognizes a corporation, foundation, or organization that has given significant support as well as demonstrated inspirational philanthropic giving in the University.
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Margaret and her husband, Hugh Veit ’79, established the Eleanor S. Fitzgerald Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship to support NDSU students earning advanced degrees in the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences or the Department of Human Development and Family Science.
Core areas of home economics remain part of current NDSU degree programs such as accounting; apparel, retail merchandising, and design; education; family and consumer science; financial planning; human development and family science; interior design; and nutrition science.
Home economics programs opened doors, particularly for women, to earn college degrees and pursue careers in education, Extension, state and federal government, business and industry, health care, and more. NDAC listed domestic economy as one of its courses in its founding year, 1890.
Established by Dr. Teresa Conner, dean of the NDSU College of Health and Human Sciences, and co-chaired by Dr. Margaret Fitzgerald ’83 and Col. Esther Meyers ’75, the Wisdom Keepers provide support and share their knowledge and expertise with students, faculty, staff, and leadership in the College.
The home management house at NDAC was the first facility built on a college campus specifically for home management practice. In 1954, it was named in honor of Alba Bales, the first female academic dean at NDAC.