Three board members added
On July 1, the UND Alumni Association and UND Foundation said goodbye to several long-time board members, and welcomed three new members to their ranks. Outgoing members include Kristi Brindle, ’78; Robert Erickson ’71, ’74; Erwin Martens ’83, ’85; Diane Odegard, ’86; and Robert Solberg, ‘69. Board members are elected for three-year terms, and may serve a maximum of three terms. The new members added this year are:
Steve Burian, ’90, ’92
Originally from Bismarck, Burian earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from UND. While in grad school, he co-founded Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc.
AE2S would later prove to be Burian’s ticket to success. Over the years, the firm has grown from a two-person operation into a corporation with more than 100 employees. AE2S is an environmental and civil engineering consulting firm that specializes in water (including drinking water, wastewater and storm water). They have seven offices in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. Burian himself has received several regional and national awards recognizing his leadership and dedication to the engineering profession.
In addition to his engineering studies at UND, Burian was a four-year Letterwinner in track and field from 1987 to 1990. Since his graduation, Burian has remained active in both UND engineering and athletics. He served on two dean search committees for the School of Engineering and Mines, and has been an adjunct professor in the civil engineering department. He served on several athletic committees, including the UND Letterwinner’s Association and the UND Athletics Facilities Master Plan Development Committee. He was recognized by UND with the Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2005 and was an Athletic Hall of Fame inductee in 2006.
Steve resides in Grand Forks with his wife Barb, daughter Tiahna, and son Tyler.
Fernanda (Santos) Philbrick, ’94, ’96
Born and raised in Rio de Janero, Brazil, Philbrick came to UND to study chemical engineering. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University. As a student, Philbrick was involved with the Society of Women Engineers. Her connection to this group continued through her professional career, and in 2006, she was granted the Emerging Leader award.
Philbrick began her career with Intel in 1997, and still works for the company today. She began as a process/equipment engineer, and held several other positions before being promoted to her current role as an area manager. She’s responsible for providing leading edge equipment solutions to meet Intel’s packaging requirements. In addition, she’s been an active participant in the Women at Intel Network since 2000. As part of her work with this group, Philbrick was responsible for starting a new mentoring program at Intel.
Philbrick and her husband Steven, ’95, live in Phoenix.
Catherine (Wilson) Rydell, ’88
Rydell attended UND from 1968-71 and returned to complete her bachelor’s degree in political science in 1988. In between those years, Rydell lived in Bismarck and worked as a director at St. Alexius Medical Center. She was also elected to the North Dakota state legislature in 1984, and represented District 47 until 1996. She held numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives, including chair of the Human Services and Education Committees.
Currently, Rydell is the executive director and CEO of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), a membership organization of over 22,500 neurology professionals. She also serves as executive director and CEO of three affiliated organizations, the American Academy of Neurology Foundation, the American Academy of Neurology Professional Association, and AAN Enterprises, Inc.
Rydell has served on numerous other boards, including those for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, Child Neurology Foundation, and the North Dakota Museum of Art.
Rydell and her husband, Chuck, reside in Bismarck and St. Louis Park, Minn. They have three grown children and six grandchildren.