Dec. 10—GRAND FORKS — Former North Dakota state Sen. Nicole Poolman will deliver the commencement address at UND’s winter commencement ceremonies later this month.
Poolman, who graduated from UND with degrees in English and Secondary Education, has worked as a teacher for 27 years at Red River, Mandan and Bismarck Century high schools, according to a university press release.
She currently teaches English at Bismarck Century High School, according to the school’s staff directory.
From 2012 to 2022, she served as a state senator representing Bismarck — according to the Bismarck Tribune in 2019, she was at one point the only legislator employed as a public school teacher.
Poolman, a Republican, announced she would not run for reelection in a floor speech in 2021, citing growing toxicity and political division in the state Capitol.
UND will award degrees in three ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 20 at the Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center.
Some 614 undergraduate and 256 graduate students are eligible to walk the stage.
Professional and graduate degrees will be awarded at a 9 a.m. ceremony.
Undergraduate degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Mines, College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines and School of Medicine and Health Sciences will be awarded at a 1 p.m. ceremony.
Degrees from the Nistler College of Business and Public Administration, College of Education and Human Development, and the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences will be awarded at 4 p.m.
University President Andy Armacost will preside over each ceremony.