Valley City State University Science Department

10/01/2026

Trista Montgomery's Park Management class (BIOL 280) took advantage of the crisp fall weather while they hiked to North Dakota's only waterfall with volunteers from the Sheyenne River Valley Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. Along the hike they learned about the National Park Service's North Country Trail unit and what it is like to volunteer with a non-profit organization that supports our public land agencies. As a bonus, they got to experience a spectacular sip of water from a fresh mineral spring.

09/30/2026

Dr. Anderson’s Mammalogy class participated in a trapping lab, learning about trapping techniques and their role in wildlife management.

A big thank-you to USDA APHIS Wildlife Services and North Dakota Game and Fish Department personnel for sharing their expertise and providing this hands-on learning opportunity for our students!

09/30/2026

09/28/2026

Trista Montgomery’s Yellowstone Ecology class held their field experience at the national park last week. Students learned first-hand about trophic cascades and wildlife ecology. They got to see the main attractions such as Old Faithful but also got the chance to experience the natural beauty of America’s first national park.

09/16/2026

-The Perfect formula for Homecoming-

👑 Congratulations to Cameron Champagnie and Olivia Backus, our 2026 VCSU Homecoming Royalty!

7 of 12 Royal Candidates are Science Majors ~ Royalty is in their DNA!

09/15/2026

Have you ever been to a missile control center? Did you know that there's one an hour north of VCSU campus near Cooperstown, ND? Professor Lindsey Kiecker took CHEM 411 Physical Chemistry students to tour the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site, learning about the technology and application of chemistry IRL.

09/14/2026

Trista Montgomery's Park Management class (BIOL 280) went on an experiential learning camping trip to Itasca State Park and Lake Bemidji State Park last week. They learned about nature interpretation, managing natural disaters in the parks, and park history and development. Other highlights included climbing trees, salamander hunting (unsucsessful), and listening carefully for bark beetle larvae.

09/09/2026

Yesterday was a great day for some hands on learning at Moon Lake for Dr. Staci Dreyer-Larson's BIOL 470: Limnology class-

08/28/2026

🌱 Learning Beyond the Classroom!
Dr. Green’s Soil Science and Survey class kicked off the year by taking advantage of a beautiful day in the field! Students headed to Medicine Wheel Park to sample, examine, and characterize local soils while connecting what they learn in the classroom to the landscape around them.
From digging soil profiles to identifying horizons and interpreting how soils develop, our students are getting hands-on experience with real-world environmental science.
At VCSU, we believe the best way to learn about the environment is to get out and experience it!
🌱 Hands-on learning
🔎 Real-world field experience
🌎 Explore the landscape
🎓 Build skills for your future
Interested in environmental science, soils, geology, or the world around you? Come explore with us at VCSU!

08/27/2026

THE REVEAL
Meet the Bulletin Brief.
More Viking stories. More often.
The Bulletin Brief is a new, shorter publication designed to complement the traditional VCSU Bulletin—featuring alumni stories, donor impact, campus highlights, and ways to stay connected with VCSU throughout the year.
Whether you graduated five years ago or fifty years ago, you're still part of the VCSU story.
The inaugural edition is in the mail. We hope you enjoy it.
We All Row.