UND Department of Medical Laboratory Science

Thank you to everyone who came to help us celebrate Mary Coleman and Linda Ray's retirement!

Mary and Linda were granted Emeritus status - an honorary title conferred to recognize a retiring facutly member's accomplishments and outstanding service to UND and its academic programs.

Thank you Mary and Linda for your dedication to the UND MLS department. You have made a positive impact on so many students' lives, and we wish you the best in your well-deserved retirement.

Once again, we would like to congratulate Mary Coleman and Linda Ray on their upcoming retirement from the UND Department of MLS after a combined 80+ years of service!

Mary and Linda were interviewed about their time spent at UND:

'The department’s in good hands': Longtime MLS faculty Mary Coleman and Linda Ray to hang up their lab coats - For Your Health “Well, I stayed because I believe in lifelong learning,” smiled Mary Coleman from a conference room in UND’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS). “Like one of my students once said, ‘Mary, you’re just a paid student!’” But even professional students have to graduate sometime....

This week junior high students from across the state of North Dakota came to UND for the Center for Rural Health's Scrubs Academy. This camp encourages students to pursue a career in healthcare. Students participated in hands-on activities and received information related to a variety of healthcare professions.

On the first day of camp, the MLS department helped the students swab various items such as a foosball table or their cell phones. The bacteria was then grown on agar plates. When the students attended the MLS event, they were able to perform a Gram stain to look at the bacteria under a microscope.

Big news from MLS – after 80 years of combined service, Department of MLS faculty members MARY COLEMAN and LINDA RAY will be retiring at the end of June! It is difficult to imagine things without them, but we wish them the best after their amazing careers and dedication to UND and the MLS profession!

If you are in the Grand Forks area, feel free to join us at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences (West Atrium) for a joint retirement open house celebration on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 from 3-4pm.

Do you have a favorite memory of your time with Mary and Linda? Or well-wishes you would like to pass along? Please share them here: https://und.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0UPzppLuazBCOj4

2026 LEND Case Studies are available now! The registration fee is $60 for ten hours of CE. With the ever-growing availability of online CE, we are incredibly thankful that you chose LEND.

⭐️Register for LEND here: https://lend2026certificate.vfairs.com/en/registration-form

Did you know that LEND proceeds fund various MLS student initiatives at UND? As a LEND participant, you are contributing to the future of the clinical laboratory workforce. THANK YOU!

Graduation season is upon us!

Last month, we had the privilege of honoring recent UND MLS Mayo Clinic Cohort graduates during a recognition luncheon. These graduates balanced coursework with many other obligations while successfully completing the program. We have no doubt they will continue their dedication to the profession and patients they serve, and we are proud to call them alumni and colleagues!

We also want to recognize MLS faculty members - Bob Porter and Chris Triske – for their continuous dedication in coordination of the MLS Cohort route, as well as teaching and advising of program students.

Congratulations to all!

Five Medical Laboratory Science students presented at the UND College of Arts & Sciences UNDergraduate Showcase today!

Charlee Schenfisch presented her Honors Program Senior Research Project: A Comprehensive Analysis into the Effectiveness of the Standard of Care for Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Faculty: Shannon Jongeward and Merie Kirby).

Randi Herndon presented her Honors Program Senior Research Project: Skin-to-Skin: Its Impact on Breastfeeding Duration (Faculty: Shannon Jongeward).

Tori Wetterlind was second author for her research project: Characterization of T47D Breast Cancer Spheroid Development and Viability. This project was also authored by Paige Bonnet (Molecular and Integrative Biology) and Aerica Nagornyuk (Biomedical Sciences) (Faculty: Motoki Takaku).

Draven Franks presneted his Biology Senior Capstone Project: Ethics in Healthcare: Diabetes (Faculty: Keenan Stears - BIOL480).

Draven also presented his project for BIOL425: Spineback Walleye (Sander Venenacathus). For this project, students were challenged to create a fictional fish based on what they had learned in class (Faculty: Mark Kaemingk).

Not pictured: Hailey Deltener presented her project for COMM380HON: Between Life and the List: The Human Cost of Transplant Policies (Faculty: Jessica Schanilec-Gowan).

Last week the UND MLS Department, MLS Club, and Undergraduate Medical Association sponsored a DakMinn Blood Drive in celebration of Lab Week. A big shout out to MLS faculty member, Mary Coleman, for organizing the event which was hugely successful as 39 generous donors helped us collect a total of 33 whole blood units! These contributions will make a life-saving impact on the Grand Forks region, as all donations to DakMinn are used within our local healthcare facilities.

Do you want to make a difference too? Stop by DakMinn Blood Bank to make a life-saving donation today – walk-ins are welcome! https://www.dakminnbloodbank.org/

MLS senior, Emma Schweigert, was honored during the Indians into Medicine (INMED) Graduate Recognition Ceremony at the Time Out Wacipi Powwow on April 18th. Each graduate was presented with a uniquely designed star quilt representing the UND colors. A Native American Blanket ceremony is a significant cultural tradition where Indigenous students are draped in a specially designed star quilt to honor their academic achievements, resilience, and community support. This marks the transition into a new journey and recognition of perseverance along the way. A celebration of this nature is often accompanied by traditional singing and drums.

Congratulations Emma!