instructor biographies
 
Wade Aanderud , adjunct instructor.
 
Mark Abramovitz , nuclear power adjunct instructor.
 
Chere Allard , ETO instructor, retired from 24 years in the Operations Department at Coyote Power Plant in Beulah, ND in 2004. She attended UND and the University of Mary and has several Energy Technology Certifications from Industry accredited colleges.
 
Zachery Allen , curriculum manager for the Electrical Transmission Systems Technology program, produces interactive content and Web-based simulations. He has expertise in transmission systems operation and helps manage relations with the electrical industry. Mr. Allen worked for Perot Systems in Minnesota as a project manager on the Midwest Independent System Operator team. At Perot, Mr. Allen also developed Helpdesk and network infrastructure for the North American Electric Reliability Council’s Interchange Distribution Calculator (IDC) program. He attended the University of Minnesota and majored in communications and also studied in Japan.
 
Dan Anderson , power and process plant adjunct instructor.
 
Joel Aslakson , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Dennis Bartholomew , ETST adjunct instructor.
 
Joe Bawolek , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Terry Bilke , ETST adjunct instructor.
 
Doren Jay Billingsley , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
David Bosch , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Wesley Braun , simulator instructor, worked 21 years for Great River Energy at Coal Creek Station Generation Station in Underwood, ND. His most recent position was project control coordinator for two boiler upgrades to Honeywell and GE control systems. Braun was a control room operator for 15 years, a back-up shift supervisor, and unit outage tagging coordinator. He began teaching at Bismarck State College in 1999.
 
Holly Burch , power and process plant technology instructor, has a BS from UND and an AAS from BSC. She was a Turbine Operator at Madison Gas and Electric and has been classroom faculty at BSC in the Power and Process Plant Technology since 1992.
 
Ryan Caya , power and process plant technology instructor, has an A.A.S. Degree from BSC. He worked at Marathon-Ashland Petroleum, St. Paul Park, MN for one and one-half years. Ryan was a Utility Operator, move-up Crude Operator, and an FCC Operator. At DGC He worked in the Gasification/Satellite areas for about one year. Ryan then worked in Product Loading/Wastewater areas for two years, and worked in the Boiler house/FGD areas for his final three months.
 
Travis Chrest , power and process plant technology instructor, has worked the past four years as a plant operator for Calpine. He worked with gas and steam turbines at cogeneration facilities in Illinois and Florida. He also spent two years working in the refinery and natural gas compression fields. He graduated BSC with a certificate in process plant technology and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Business.
 
Walter Cintron , adjunct instructor.
 
William Cohen , ELPW and ETST adjunct instructor.
 
Jim Conley , electric power technology instructor since March 2003, was the manager of the Basin Electric Power Cooperative Transmission Systems Maintenance Division for more than 20 years. He brings to BSC a total of more than 45 years electrical work experience, from Electrician's Mate 1/C in the Navy, to construction electrician/line worker at Armco Steel Corp, to test area electrician at Pratt Whitney Aircraft, to power coordinator at the Kennedy Space Center, FL during the Apollo/Saturn Moon Exploration Program, to Relay Engineer at Florida Power & Light and Basin Electric and finally the manager of transmission maintenance at Basin.
 
Walt DeLeeuw , ELPW, ETST and PWRP adjunct instructor.
 
Don Doll , power and process plant adjunct instructor.
 
Bruce Emmil , electric power technology program manager and instructor, worked for 13 years at two Northeast Utilities' fossil fuel plants in New Hampshire. He covered all areas of operations including control room operator and designate in charge. Emmil graduated from Bismarck State College's Power Plant Technology program in 1987. He began teaching at BSC in January 2001 and is a leader in our online curriculum development.
 
Howell Flowers , power and process plant adjunct instructor.
 
Donald Fricke , nuclear power adjunct instructor.
 
James Hale , power and process plant and ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Kevin Holmstrom , energy work force training program manager and instructor, worked for Dakota Gasification for 13 years as an operator in the satellite, methenation gasification and air separation units. He also has experience as a field technician, control room operator and step-up supervisor. Holmstrom earned in Applied Science in Computer Support Specialist and a certificate in Process Plant Technology at Bismarck State College. He began teaching in 2001.
 
John Holtan , power and process plant technology instructor, has been with BSC since January of 2000. He worked at the AVIKO USA L.L.C. Potato Plant and at the Federal Beef Processing Plant as a boiler and refrigeration operator. He has an AAS in Process Plant Technology from BSC in the spring of 1994. John is currently working on a Bachelors from Valley City State University.
 
Michael Hubbell , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Lane Huber , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Michael Jordan , ELPW and process plant adjunct instructor.
 
Dan Landeis , power plant and ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Francis Miller , power plant technology instructor, worked in the refinery industry for 23 years. He has experience in process, power generation, mechanical applications, safety and OSHA.
 
Kyren Miller , ETO instructor, graduated from Bismarck State College in 1998 with an AAS degree in Process Plant Technology. He worked for Bunge North America, Soybean Processing Division as an Extraction operator and a Control operator/ Boiler operator until 2005. He has a B.A. in secondary education from the Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha.
 
Tom Price , ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Jordan Privratsky , power plant and ELPW adjunct instructor.
 
Dan Schmidt , power and process plant technology program manager and instructor, worked for Dakota Gasification for 17 years. He spent six years in the air separation unit, and 11 years in the gasification area, where he advanced to control room operator and step-up supervisor. Schmidt earned an Associate in Arts degree from Bismarck State College. He then entered the Process Plant Technology program and graduated with a certificate in 1983. Schmidt began teaching in 2000.
 
Carol Stanek-Marke , ETST adjunct instructor.
 
Paul Steinberger , ETST adjunct instructor.
 
Barry Wallace , nuclear power adjunct instructor.
 
William Walz , power and process plant technology instructor, holds a B.A. in chemistry from the University of Colorado and B.S. in chemical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He was hired in January 2001 to teach and develop online curriculum for the energy technology program. Walz most recently worked as an environmental engineer for the North Dakota Department of Health's air quality division. From 1989 to 1998, he was a process engineer at Dakota Gasification Company, with responsibility for wastewater treatment and the cooling tower.
 
Chad Wetzel , power and process plant technology instructor, has worked in the ethanol industry at several ethanol plant start ups in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. He also does consulting work with VeraSun Energy and ICM engineering. He is currently pursuing a BA in science and technology through Dickinson State University distance learning.
 
Rick Wilke , ETO instructor, was employed for over 25 years at coal-fired electrical generation stations where he was a Control Room Operator and a Shift Supervisor. He has a B.S. Degree in Business from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. He began employment at BSC in 2005.
 

man checking levels

Bismarck State College

1500 Edwards Avenue
PO Box 5587
Bismarck, ND 58506

701-224-5600
800-852-5685

backreturn to top