The 2013 NDSU Distinguished Alumni Award Program is scheduled for mid-October to mid-November. Sponsored by each of the colleges at NDSU, the program recognizes accomplishments of outstanding alumni and educates students by introducing them to successful alumni in their respective fields of study.
The distinguished alumni will share career-related experiences and knowledge as they give presentations to the NDSU community. Classroom presentations and seminars are free and open to the public.
College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resource
Arlen Leholm is executive director of the North Central Regional Association of Agricultural Experiment Stations – one of four regional associations in the U.S. with responsibility for facilitating cooperation of regional and national research.
Leholm has conducted research on high-performing teams in the private and public sectors. In 2006, Michigan State University Press published his book, “Increasing the Odds for High Performance Teams - Lessons Learned” co-written with Raymond Vlasin. He has helped public universities across the U.S. build research/Extension teams and private-sector firms establish cross-functional teams at the top of their organizations.
Leholm was dean and director of the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, and director and associate director of Michigan State University Extension. He served in these roles a total of 12 years with responsibility for more than 1,000 faculty and staff in each state.
Leholm was a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University and co-director of the university’s Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. As a consultant to the World Bank, his work had an influence on improvement of Extension, research and client-linked services in India and other Asian countries.
He has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, including serving as program leader for community, natural resources and economic development in the University of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Extension Service. Earlier, he served as director of the Center for Rural Revitalization and as Extension specialist in farm and financial management for NDSU Extension Service. He established North Dakota’s farm financial analyst program to deal with the farm crisis in the 1980s.
His background includes ownership and operation of a large multi-enterprise farm. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NDSU and his doctorate from the University of Nebraska, all in agricultural economics.
Leholm is scheduled to present a seminar Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. in Barry Hall 368. For more information, contact Patti Sebesta at patti.sebesta@ndsu.edu or 701-231-8524.
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Carol Larsen is president of Carol Larsen Consulting Inc.; Career Development Coaching. Her career spans several reinventions always returning to her fundamental communication skills and formal education as competencies for success. She successfully launched a career in television and radio broadcasting for nine years. She was named Better Homes and Gardens field editor and eventually moved to human resources client services and executive positions.
Larsen is recognized as an engaging and knowledgeable public speaker. Her topics include networking, generational differences, managing change, self-talk management, communication and civility.
Larsen also is known for her commitment to the growth and development of her career management and executive clients who seek fulfillment in career choices and on-the-job skills development. Unique to Larsen’s work, is the linking of emotional intelligence competencies into career and executive coaching.
Larsen is described as energetic and personable with a broad background in consulting, coaching, training, recruiting, management, career development, program development and delivery for all organizational levels. Certified in multiple training programs, Emotional Intelligence, 360-feedback and individual assessments for more than 20 years provides the foundation for her work.
Larsen earned her bachelor’s degree from NDSU in speech and theatre. She is scheduled to return to campus Thursday, Oct. 24, for classroom and faculty visits. Contact Keri Drinka at keri.drinka@ndsu.edu or 701-231-6131 for more information.
College of Engineering
Paul I. Cossette is senior vice president of Mortenson Construction, a privately held, internationally diversified construction organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. A native of Wild Rice, N.D., he has spent 32 years with Mortenson, working his way up through the project management ranks, serving in his current position for 16 years. Cossette earned his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering from NDSU in 1982.
Cossette provides senior leadership to Mortenson's Minneapolis office, which includes work in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. He also has responsibility for Mortenson's Federal Contracting Group and Civil Construction Group. Cossette has led the construction of many challenging projects throughout his career, including the University of Minnesota /TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Denver International Airport Concourse B, and most recently, the new Sanford Medical Center in Fargo. He has earned LEED AP accreditation.
Cossette serves on the NDSU Development Foundation board of trustees, as well as the Industry Advisory Council for the Department of Construction Management and Engineering and the Advisory Council for the College of Engineering.
Cossette and his wife, Suzanne, live in Shorewood, Minn. They have two sons, John and Mark. He is scheduled to return to NDSU Nov. 7 to be recognized as the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Engineering. Contact Nancy Rossland at nancy.rossland@ndsu.edu or 701-231-7994 for more information.
College of Human Development and Education
Heidi Wilcox serves as the chief executive officer of First Call Hospitality Inc., a hotel management company. Responsible for the company’s performance and strategic vision, Wilcox leads the executive team and hotel operations to achieve success in continuing growth and opportunity for the company associates.
Wilcox’s passion for the industry began before obtaining her degree in hospitality at NDSU in the College of Human Development and Education as she began planning events while in high school. During college, she developed recipes for the NDSU food service and also worked at a local resort at the front desk.
Upon graduation, Wilcox became a support manager with Tharaldson Enterprises in Fargo. Over her 14-year career with Tharaldson, she held several positions including area manager and executive director of training/systems. The company had nine hotels when first hired and upon moving on, owned and managed 270 hotels, all developed and built by Tharaldson.
After completing her master’s degree, Wilcox supervised human resources for five call centers with UpStream Inc., a subsidiary of Rosenbluth Travel. The call centers provided support for travel and cargo needs across the globe, as well as customer support for online travel agencies.
Wilcox joined Dakota Hospitality Inc., a hotel ownership group, as regional director of operations in 2003. Today, the company is called First Call Hospitality Inc., managing 10 hotels with more than 2,000 rooms in six states. The company manages hotels under InterContinental, Hilton and Starwood franchise names.
She is chair for the Owners Advisory Council for Hilton Garden Inns and serves as a consulting member on the Hilton Garden Brand strategy committee. Most recently, she has served as co-chair of the NDSU College of Human Development and Education board of visitors.
She also has worked in education, being a hotel management instructor at the University Of Mary as well as adjunct professor in the College of Human Development and Education at NDSU. Having served on training and human resources committees for Marriott and Promus, now Hilton, as well as being a member of NDSU’s Hotel and Restaurant Management Curriculum Advisory Council, Wilcox has distinguished herself as a mentor to hospitality students.
Wilcox earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel restaurant management with a minor in business administration from NDSU and a master of business administration from the University of Mary. She is a lifetime member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Wilcox is scheduled to present “Career Journey” Thursday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m., in Family Life Center 124. For more information, contact Nancy Gress at nancy.gress@ndsu.edu or 701-231-8216.
College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences
Howard C. Anderson Jr. has been the executive director of the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy since 1997. Under his leadership, Anderson has been a pioneer in the area of telepharmacy, a practice that brings pharmacy services to patients in rural North Dakota communities.
Anderson has had an active and influential career as a pharmacist, pharmacy owner and pharmacy association executive leader. After earning a bachelor’s degree from NDSU in 1968, he became co-owner of Turtle Lake Drug store and continued to own and operate the pharmacy for 38 years. In 1976, Anderson became pharmacist-in-charge at Turtle Lake Community Memorial Hospital and co-owner of a second pharmacy in Helena, Mont. He also served as executive vice president for the North Dakota Pharmaceutical Association and the North Dakota Pharmacy Service Corporation.
Anderson is a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association; American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists; National Community Pharmacists Association; North Dakota Pharmaceutical Association where he was president in 1977 and was honored with the Bowl of Hygeia Award in 1981; and North Dakota Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, where he received the Pharmacist of the Year in 1988. He served was honorary president of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy in 2010.
Anderson also is involved in government, church and civic organizations. He has served as mayor, was on the Community Memorial Hospital board, and was chair of the Turtle Lake Mercer School Improvement Steering Committee from 1977-99. He also has served as scoutmaster or assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 88 since 1968 and is an eagle scout. Anderson is District 8 senator in the North Dakota Legislature.
Anderson and his wife, Joan, have four sons, six grandsons and one granddaughter. He is scheduled to be on campus Wednesday, Oct. 16. Contact Sara Wald at sara.wald@ndsu.edu or 701-231-6461 for more information.
College of Science and Mathematics
Alexander Tröster is a clinical neuropsychologist as well as a professor and senior scientist at Barrow Neurological Institute. He is the author of more than 160 scientific and medical journal articles and numerous book chapters. His primary research interests include cognition in movement disorders, the role of the basal ganglia in cognition and neuropsychological outcomes of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, especially deep brain stimulation.
Tröster’s contributions to neuropsychology have been recognized with fellowships from the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the American Psychological Association. He has served as president of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and has been recognized by the society with the Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Clinical Neuropsychology and the Early Career Achievement awards.
Tröster serves on the editorial boards of five scientific journals and several advisory boards and is an examiner for the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.
He earned his master’s degree in psychology from NDSU in 1987. He is scheduled to return to campus Friday, Nov. 1, for classroom and faculty visits. Contact Keri Drinka at keri.drinka@ndsu.edu or 701-231-6131 for more information.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
