Summer Commencement 2026

Dan Lewerenz

Dan Lewerenz (Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska) joined the UND School of Law faculty in 2022 after a decade of practicing law and, before that, a decade in journalism.

Dan came to UND from the Native American Rights Fund, where he was a Staff Attorney in the Washington, D.C., office.  At NARF, Dan was one of two attorneys who staffed the Tribal Supreme Court Project, and drafted amicus briefs in both State and Federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the First, Fifth, and Eighth Circuits. Dan's litigation docket at NARF included treaty rights, voting rights, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and other issues. 

Before NARF, Dan was an Attorney-Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Division of Indian Affairs, where his portfolio included both litigation and client counseling concerning the Indian Child Welfare Act, tribal acknowledgment petitions, gaming eligibility determinations, and the development of regulations for acknowledgment of a Native Hawaiian governing entity.  In two-and-a-half years at Interior, Dan was awarded both the Solicitor's Excellence Award (for outstanding legal work) and the Solicitor's Coin (for advancing Solicitor's Office goals).  Dan also clerked for the Hon. Leo I.Brisboiss (D. Minn.) and the Hon. Claudia Wilken (N.D. Cal.), and practiced as an associate in the Oklahoma City office of Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker,LLP, a national boutique law firm serving Indian Tribes and organizations. 

He earned his J.D. (cumlaude and Order of the Coif) from the University of Wisconsin Law School.Before law school, Dan spent more than 10 years as a reporter and editor for The Associated Press in Kansas City, Mo.; Helena, Mont.; Columbia, S.C.; State College, Pa.; and Cheyenne, Wyo.  During his journalism career, Dan was elected twice to the Board of Directors of the Native American Journalists Association, which he served as both President and Vice President. 

He earned his bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Kansas State University.Dan previously taught Federal Indian Law at the William & Mary Law School, and was a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism & Mass Communications (Mass Media and Minorities, Mass Communication Practices) and an undergraduate teaching assistant at Kansas State (Introduction to American Ethnic Studies).

Anna Marie Kinney

Anna Kinney serves as the Coordinator of the University Writing Program at the University of North Dakota, where she directs the Writing Center, leads the Writing Across the Curriculum program, and facilitates writing-centered initiatives across the campus. She is also Co‑Director of the AI and Human Innovation Initiative, supporting pedagogical and curriculum development in response to emerging technologies.

Kinney is a two‑time graduate of UND, holding both her B.A. and M.A. from the university.

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, Pablo deLeón, Professor of Space Studies

Dr. Pablo deLeón has three decades devoted to space science and engineering, both in his native Argentina and in the United States. He is currently a Professor of Space Studies as well as Department Chair. He specialized in the area of Human Spaceflight, Extravehicular Activities, Space Suit Design and surface Planetary Exploration and Habitability. 

Dr. deLeón also acted as Principal Investigator and Science Investigator in several NASA-funded programs.Prior to that, he worked with the Space Shuttle as payload manager and general designer of the Project PADE (G-761) science experiments package. These experiments flew on mission STS-108 to the International Space Station in December 2001.This project carried seven experiments during the 12 day space flight. He was also the Integration and Payload Manager on the Pehuensat-1 educational satellite, launched from India in the PSLV-C7 rocket in 2007. 

His prior experience was as chief designer and fabrications manager for several underwater-simulation, (EVA) analog, pressure suit systems, including the first privately-built launch and entry space suit, theDL/H-1.Pablo has flown, as payload specialist, in the NASA KC-135 aircraft more than 80 weightless parabolas carrying four Zero-G fluid dynamics experiments.Pablo has wrote several books about space projects and space history, founded a magazine of space exploration, and was editor in chief of the "Latin-American Journal of Space Science and Technology".

Pablo has participated in more than 50 technical papers on space engineering and life support systems presented at international congresses. He belongs to a number of professional aerospace engineering societies and is a founding member of the Space Generation Advisory Council.

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

Brayden Bolstorf
Birva Dave
Naomi Fiorella
Nadir Mohamed
Lauryn Perry
Brady Soleta
Aissata Soumare
Tanushri Tallimani
Lorraine Toumou
Brooks Tulo
Mariam Vigoya Holguin
Genevieve Wodrich

Honor Medallions are earned by candidates for the bachelor’s degree who have at least 50 graded hours from the University of North Dakota and achieve a scholastic average of 3.50 (cumlaude), 3.70 magna cumlaude), and 3.90 (summa cumlaude) in courses completed at the University of North Dakota.

For the purpose of the commencement program and publication, honors are based on the UND grade point average at the end of the previously completed term. Once final semester grades are recorded and the degree has been cleared by the college, grade point averages are recalculated and final graduation honors are recorded to the transcript and diploma.

Chilembo Haamankuli
Logistics / MN National Guard

Gavin Mitzel
Holly German
Zoe Thompson