North Dakota — anchored by industries like agriculture, engineering, energy, health care, and technology — demands a dynamic workforce. As the state continues to grow, so does its need for skilled professionals, especially with a projected 23% population increase by 2050 (State Data Center).
NDSU has become a pivotal player in the state’s workforce development effort. In 2022, NDSU President Dave Cook and the NDSU Foundation Executive Governing Board (EGB) established the Industry and Workforce Ad Hoc Committee to assist the president in catalyzing NDSU’s position as a land-grant institution committed to serving the citizens of North Dakota.
The committee, which was led by EGB Chair and former MDU Resources President/CEO Dave Goodin ’83, consisted of 21 members representing various industry sectors and communities across North Dakota. The committee’s focus was to provide Dave Cook with recommendations on ways NDSU can continue helping students develop the skills necessary to launch successful careers in the state after graduation.
“President Cook was intentionally seeking industry input in how to lead NDSU in meeting North Dakota’s workforce needs,” Dave Goodin said. “Instead of speculating, the University prioritized direct input from industry experts.”
The committee provided recommendations for strategic action across three domains: independent initiatives, peer partnerships, and collaborative efforts that require state legislative support.
Dave Cook has latitude to drive change at NDSU, and the committee recommended the expansion of mentorship programs across NDSU’s five Colleges.
Mentorship programs at NDSU connect students with established business professionals in the area. This initiative would benefit students and also strengthen ties with industry partners.
“Employers clamor to get early connections with students who could be prospective employees,” Dave Goodin said, emphasizing the broader impact that such programs have on state workforce success.
As part of the North Dakota University System, NDSU is one of 11 institutions led by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education (SBHE). Currently, under SBHE policy, NDSU can only offer dual-credit hours to high school students if the courses are unavailable through the state’s school of science. The committee has identified this as an opportunity for change, recommending that Dave Cook partner with the SBHE to update policies that would allow for more dual-credit opportunities at NDSU.
“We need to connect with students as early as possible,” Dave Goodin said, “and allow for high school students interested in our programs to take applicable courses with NDSU professors.”
The committee believes this would help high school students build a strong bond with NDSU, encouraging future enrollment.
“You can’t always predict behavior,” Dave Goodin said, “but you can create early relationships.”
Some initiatives require legislative support, such as the North Dakota Challenge Grant, which matches private philanthropic dollars with public funds.
Since the Challenge Grant’s launch in 2013, there has been a variability in funding that is dependent on the legislative cycle. The committee’s recommendation to Dave Cook and University leadership is to advocate for consistent funding at each legislative session.
“We have found that the Challenge Grant is extremely valuable in ensuring students receive scholarships and access to a quality education,” Dave Goodin said. “This would also benefit the state with a skilled workforce.”
Wyatt Warkenthien ’24 and Hannah Lingen ’17 are NDSU alumni who received support from the Challenge Grant as students. They both exemplify how scholarship support enhances educational experiences, creates job opportunities, and fuels the ongoing and vital cycle of workforce development in North Dakota.
Wyatt showcases how strategic involvement in NDSU’s extracurriculars paves the way for a successful start to a career — which, for him, means building his own company right here in North Dakota.
Wyatt is a co-founder of Frontier Bioforge, a genetic engineering service provider specializing in optimizing biological fertilizers for agricultural use. He built the company with fellow NDSU alumni Riley Williamson ’18, ’24 and Cam Landis ’24 and Richard and Linda Offerdahl Faculty Fellow Dr. Barney Geddes, an assistant professor of microbiological sciences at NDSU.
“Biological fertilizers use microbes in the soil to produce nitrogen,” Wyatt said. “Then, taking nitrogen out of the air, you can harness the nutrients to boost yields while reducing fertilizer use.”
Riley developed a screening platform to identify and engineer microbes for improved efficiency, enhancing their impact on soil health and crop productivity.
“Our focus is on ensuring high-quality biological fertilizers and helping companies optimize their products,” Wyatt said. “By reducing fertilizer costs and increasing yields, we aim to boost farmer profits. Ultimately, we want to help feed the world.”
The idea for Frontier Bioforge emerged from Wyatt’s participation in NDSU’s Possibility Fellowship, a one-year entrepreneurial program housed under NDSU’s College of Business that provides students with networking and internship opportunities, hands-on learning, and mentorship.
“The Possibility Fellowship was incredibly helpful because it enabled students who had a technical idea to connect with other students who had more of the business acumen,” Wyatt, who majored in biotechnology and microbiology, said.
Seeking additional practical experiences, Wyatt joined Pathway Ventures, a program through the NDSU Foundation that enables students to make data-driven investment decisions and manage a real portfolio funded by philanthropy.
“I knew I wanted to learn more about venture capital because eventually, I would be asking investors for funding,” he said. “Now I have the experience of what an investor is looking for when I pitch to them.”
Wyatt also pursued technical skills outside of his class schedule and was encouraged to seek out an iGEM team at NDSU. Luckily for him, one had just been established the year prior under the advisory of Barney.
The iGEM competition asks teams to go out in their communities, find a problem, and create a solution using synthetic biology. NDSU teams have explored natural dyes produced by bacteria and a parasite detector for honeybee hives.
Wyatt believes his college experience was shaped by the programs and teams he was involved with and the skills those opportunities taught him.
“I’m a firm believer in the power of experiential learning,” Wyatt said. “I have the knowledge from my degree, but the practical application has given me the confidence to build my own company — hopefully, one North Dakota is proud of.”
Hannah demonstrates how connections with industry can lead to career opportunities.
In 2014, Hannah took an intro to industrial and manufacturing engineering class taught by an adjunct professor who worked at Marvin, a window and door manufacturing company. At the next NDSU career fair, she approached the Marvin booth and applied for an internship.
She interned for three years and was hired for a full-time role after graduation. This spring marks 10 years with Marvin, where she currently serves as a process project manager II.
In 2023, NDSU’s College of Engineering launched its pilot mentorship program, Industry Connections. The College contacted Marvin, and Marvin shared this opportunity with Hannah, who jumped at the chance to give back to her alma mater.
Industry Connections puts the mentee in charge of what they want to receive from the mentorship.
“The mentees are encouraged to contact you,” Hannah said. “I told mine, ‘I’m here for you if you need me,’ and I’m so happy he was so motivated to connect with me.”
Hannah’s mentee reached out and said, “I want an internship,” to which she responded, “Send me your resume.”
Hannah gave feedback and encouraged him to attend NDSU’s career fair. She helped him prep for interviews and, after receiving an offer from one employer and waiting to hear from another, she assisted him in navigating hiring conversations — how to talk about pay, how to ask for time to decide, and then, when the decision is made, how to politely decline the other offer.
“Those things can be difficult for people of all ages, and especially for someone 18 to 22,” Hannah said. “It was rewarding to play a role in empowering my mentee to create those skills early in adulthood.”
By participating in Industry Connections, Hannah is continuing the cycle of helping others build their own career toolkits. Through Hannah’s connections and assistance, her mentee was able to obtain an internship at Marvin.
“I encouraged him to apply elsewhere as well because I didn’t want to pressure him to apply somewhere only because I worked there,” she said. “But I have had such a great experience with Marvin that I was excited he was interested in a position here.”
Hannah’s commitment to mentorship extends beyond NDSU — she has also volunteered with Fargo’s local chapter of BIO Girls, an organization striving to increase the self-esteem of elementary-aged girls.
“I have received opportunities to learn and grow from others and want to be able to pass that on,” she said. “Mentoring, both at NDSU and in the community, is a great way for me to do just that.”
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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.
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