The following is reprinted with permission from The Forum (Fargo, North Dakota).

Going Division I did more for North Dakota State University than reclassify its athletics teams.

It also is helping the university expand academically and increase its diversity.

Ten students from Mississippi Valley State University are doing eight-week research internships at North Dakota State this summer. The new partnership developed after a husband and wife from North Dakota State visited the historically black college last year when the two teams played in football.

Evie Myers, North Dakota State’s chief diversity officer, and Deland Myers, the faculty athletics representative, worked together to recruit the biology majors with grade-point averages of 3.4 or higher.

The undergraduates are working with North Dakota State faculty mentors and are getting their first taste of scientific research. Some goals of the partnership are to help North Dakota State faculty do more research while expanding and diversifying the university’s recruiting base.

“It’s a good pipeline to really bright students,” said Charlene Wolf-Hall, a faculty mentor in food microbiology.

Courtney Carson, a junior who is working with Wolf-Hall, said working in the research lab has opened her eyes to new career possibilities.

“I wanted to experience what research is about and see what they do,” said Carson, who said she will consider North Dakota State when she’s looking at graduate schools.

Haleigh Eubanks, also a junior, is working on a research project involving the respiratory system of caterpillars.

“You learn better if it’s more hands-on,” Eubanks said.

Eubanks will accompany her faculty mentor, Kendra Greenlee, to the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago to use specialized equipment.

Students accepted into the program receive a $4,000 stipend, as well as on-campus housing and meals. There’s also one student from Delta State University in Mississippi.

At the end of the program in late July, the students will present their research at North Dakota State. They also may present at national conferences in the future and be listed as contributors on publications.

“It helps to increase the national recognition,” Greenlee said.

In addition to the academics, the students have been able to experience living in another part of the country.

Last week, they visited Itasca State Park to see the headwaters of the Mississippi River. They also visited the Mall of America and some sites in the Fargo area.

Junior Ursula Johns said once she and the others adjusted to the weather, they’ve been enjoying their time in Fargo.

“It’s a long way from home for a long time,” said. “But I’ll miss it when I leave.”

Faculty members are working to continue and expand the partnership next year.

“Hopefully this is going to be the start of something big, that’s the goal,” Evie Myers said.