Spring Commencement 2026

Tim Mihalick

Tim Mihalick was appointed to the State Board of Higher Education to fill the remainder of an open term vacated by a previous member. Mihalick was also appointed to a four year term (2019-2023) beginning July 2019.

Mihalick is employed at First Western Bank & Trust as a Senior Vice President responsible for Business Development and Facilities. Prior to that, he was part of IRET and its affiliated companies for over 36 years before his retirement. He served as the President and CEO during his last eight years at IRET. Throughout the years, he has been involved in numerous civic organizations dedicated to Minot’s betterment. He is a current member and past chair of the MSU Board of Regents, past member of the board of the Minot Family YMCA, and he is a past board member of Trinity Health.

Ohio native Mihalick attended Minot State University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 1981. During his college career, he played football for four years and participated in track for two. He was inducted into the MSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the MSU Alumni Golden Award in 2014.

He and his wife, Laura, have been married for 40 years and are partners in their conviction to civic engagement. Laura is a past member of the Minot Public School Board. The Mihalicks have two adult children living in Minot, ND.

A UND faculty member, chosen from the ranks of the Chester Fritz Distinguished Professors, carries the University flag and leads the commencement procession.

Honorary Faculty Flag Marshal, Sandra Moritz, Professor of Education, Health & Behavior

Dr. Sandra Moritz, is a professor of Kinesiology in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of North Dakota. She joined the UND faculty in 1999 as an assistant professor, earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2002, and became a full professor in 2007. Prior to UND, she held a faculty position at the University of Rhode Island. She completed her doctoral work at Michigan State University, specializing in the psychosocial aspects of sport, and earned a Master of Arts in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Calgary.

During her tenure at UND, Moritz has served in several leadership roles, including department chair for Kinesiology & Public Health Education and both chair and associate chair for Education, Health & Behavior Studies. She has been instrumental in supporting the growth and visibility of the Kinesiology program as it expands its impact across North Dakota and the region. Through her work with students, research, and service, she continues to advance Kinesiology as a STEM discipline centered on human health and performance.

Moritz is internationally recognized for her contributions to sport and exercise psychology, particularly in understanding how confidence, imagery, and other psychological variables influence performance in sport, exercise, and emerging areas such as esports. She has authored more than 60 research publications, including the book Self-Efficacy in Sport, and has delivered over 150 presentations at major professional organizations such as the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, the American Psychological Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine. Her scholarship has been cited more than 8,000 times, and she is a two-time recipient of the UND Foundation Thomas J. Clifford Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Research.

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Moritz is also the proud mother of two sons—Stoker, graduating today with an MBA from UND, and Brecken, a UND business student.

A tradition since the early years of the University of North Dakota, students serve as the honorary marshals and ushers for commencement exercises.