October 31, 2016
Students at NDSU are building OpenOrbiter 1, a satellite that can upload apps to test how a 3D printer works under Earth orbit conditions. 

The satellite is called a cubesat and could be launched to the International Space Station as soon as early next year. The satellite — called a cubesat — resembles a Rubic's Cube on steroids. It is 10 to 11 centimeters on each side and is the first satellite made in North Dakota, Straub said. Creating and testing the cubesat took about 90 students and faculty from NDSU and UND in various fields. Each school is working on their own version and the best components will be included in the satellite that will be launched. As the cubesat continues to be tested, the printing unit is also being built along with its software. The goal is to determine how materials behave in low Earth orbit. If the experiment proves successful it could have big impact on space exploration, with the long-term goal being able to create a spacecraft using these printers. This is especially useful because these spacecrafts can be lightweight since they will not need to be launched from Earth into orbit.

About $450,000 in funds from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense were available to UND's computer science department for the Research Experience for Undergraduates program, Straub said. Only a few percent of those funds paid stipends to students who contributed expertise to OpenOrbiter 1, he said. Most of the work by REU participants is early-stage development for future satellites, Straub said.

Straub hopes OpenOrbiter 1 will be a positive demonstration of the hardware and software of the satellite that eventually leads to "space qualification," where the design is accepted as reliable for use on future missions.

May 11, 2016
Sam Mayer is a member of Air Force ROTC and will commission as a second lieutenant on Friday. Then he will graduate with a degree in computer science on Saturday. "College and Air Force ROTC had a transformative impact on me over the past four years. I found greater accountability for my actions, increased responsibility and wonderful opportunities with each semester. If my underclassmen years taught me how to live with more autonomy, then my upperclassmen years taught me how to live a balanced life." Following graduation, Mayer will serve as a cyberoperations officer at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and start work on a masters degree. 

March 24, 2016
The Bush Foundation believes the future well-being of our region is directly impacted by investing in individual leadership.  Bush Fellows are leaders with records of achievement and extraordinary potential to make significant contributions in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native nations that share the same geography.  A total of 465 people applied for the 2016 Bush Fellowship. These 24 Fellows were selected through a multi-stage process involving Bush Fellow alumni, Bush Foundation staff and established regional leaders. Applicants described their leadership vision and passion and how a Bush Fellowship would help them achieve their goals. Go to Bush Foundation website for more information: http://www.bushfoundation.org/

Gronneberg sees the gender disparities in computing and engineering jobs, and knows girls can be the driving force in technology, not just the basic consumers of it.  Inspired by the question, "how can I see more of me in the technology industry?" Betty plants to foster opportunities for girls to connect with the world of coding, the global language of the future. To build and foster an organically growing enrichment program with an ecosystem of individuals, educators, clubs, organizations and the community at large.  

“uCodeGirl is a non-profit organization based in Fargo, North Dakota. It is a sisterhood of empowerment, and aims to activate the innovator in every girl by equipping them with computational thinking skills, leadership qualities and entrepreneurial mindset," explains Betty Gronneberg, Founder and Executive Director, uCodeGirl

The Bush Fellowship is distinctive in its flexibility, allowing Fellows to articulate what they need to become better leaders and providing them with the support to make it happen. Betty will use her Bush Fellowship to strengthen her leadership expertise, study model organizations in the field and research ways to attract more girls to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Website: www.ucodegirl.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ucodegirl Twitter: twitter.com/ucodegirl

February 9th, 2016
Ken Nygard named 'the godfather of computer science' in North Dakota. Watch the video