Dr. Laura Munski, Executive Director 2004 – present
Dr. Munski has over 35 years of experience in the field of informal education. She has a MS in Educational Research and Evaluation and a PhD in Teaching & Learning. Over the years Dr. Munski has worked with numerous youth and community organizations to develop new programs and revitalize existing programs. The Dakota Science Center has become a bridge between the University of North Dakota and the community by developing opportunities for university student service learning, teacher workshops, out-of-school programs, community events and summer camps.
Dr. Munski diligently works to implement the Dakota Science Center strategic plan. In 2006 Dr. Munski was awarded the National Wildlife Foundation, Presidential Stewardship Bronze Award for her work with informal environmental education. The Dakota Science Center was presented the Community Partner Civic Engagement Award by the University of North Dakota, Center for Community Engagement in 2007. Dr. Munski was recognized by the North Dakota State Forest Service in 2012 with the Environmental Educator Trees Award. In 2017 Dr. Munski was presented the Community Builders Catalyst Award by the Red River Regional Council and the Library Benefactor of the Year award by the North Dakota Library Association. NOAA awarded the Dakota Science Center the 2018 National Weather Ready Nation Ambassadors of Excellence recognition.
Dr. Laura Munski, Dakota Science Center and
Dr. Matthew Gilmore, UND Atmospheric Sciences
The University of North Dakota is a Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Partner institution, with Atmospheric Sciences as the lead department. Dr. Matt Gilmore is the Department of Atmospheric Sciences GLOBE Partner Coordinator. The Dakota Science Center is the outreach education facilitator for the program.
Professional Presentations
North Dakota State Horticultural Society. 2023. Garden Club Youth Education. Laura Munski [Aug 4-5, 2023 Grand Forks, ND]
GLOBE North American Regional Meeting. 2022. Not for Profit Track: GLOBE within the Young Scientists and Engineers Academy. Laura Munski [Nov 15-17, 2022 Minneapolis, MN]
ND Academy of Science. 2019. Poster Session: Expansion of NASA’s Digital Environmental Watch in Communities of Walsh and Pembina Counties, North Dakota. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski. [March 8, 2019 Grand Forks, North Dakota].
Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers. 2019. Poster Session: Using geography and astronomy for an informal education STEM activity at Heritage Village in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski.
[September 27- 29, 2019 Moose Jaw Saskatchewan]
Stefanich, A., Munski, L. (2019, October 19). Light and Color: A Science Program for Kids. Programming
Librarian, American Library Association. Retrieved from:
https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/light-and-color-science-program-kids
M. Gilmore, Munski, L. 2018. STEAM Science and Math Teacher Conference. Elementary GLOBE: Earth Science books and activities. Valley City State University, Valley City, ND.
Clark, D., Munski, L., Anderson, S. 2018. Coding. Librarian Workshop. Grand Forks Public Library. Grand Forks, ND.
M. Gilmore, Munski, L. 2018. GLOBE Teacher Workshop. University of North Dakota.
Smart, Local, Resilient: Enabling our Communities through Research Partnerships. 2018. Poster Session: Heritage Tourism, Community Development, and Geospatial Activities in Northeastern North Dakota. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski. [July 17, 2018 Grand Forks, North Dakota].
Clark, D., Munski, L., Anderson, S. 2017. STEM Camp. Grand Forks Public Library. Grand Forks, ND.
M. Gilmore, Munski, L. 2017. GLOBE Teacher Workshop. University of North Dakota. Grand Forks, ND.
Clark, D., Munski, L., Anderson, S. 2017. Growing Up Wild Librarian Workshop. Grand Forks Public Library. Grand Forks, ND.
Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers. 2017. Poster Session: Geography Awareness @ the Library. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski.
[September 20- October 1, 2017 Morris, Manitoba]
North Dakota Library Association. 2017. Poster Session: STEM at the Library. Laura Munski. [October 5, 2017, Grand Forks, North Dakota]
Clark, D., Munski, L., Anderson, S. 2016. Geometry & Art. Dakota Horizon Girl Scout Fall Camporee. Turtle River State Park. Arvilla, ND.
University of North Dakota Scholarly Forum. 2016. Poster Session: Measuring light pollution in western North Dakota. Christopher Milford, Christopher Atkinson, Douglas Munski, Aaron Kennedy and Laura Munski. [March 1-2. 2016, Grand Forks, North Dakota]
North Dakota Science Teachers Association. April 23, 2016. Paleontology for Elementary Teachers. Laura Munski and Delores Clark.
North Dakota Science Teachers Association. April 23, 2016. The Science of Color. Delores Clark. and Laura Munski.
National Association of Interpreters, Heartland Region Conference. National Park Service Jr. Paleontology Informal Education. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski. [April 9, 2016, Bismarck, ND]
University of North Dakota Scholarly Forum. 2016. Poster Session: Preparing the groundwork for implement waypointing and geocaching in heritage tourism-based economic development in northeastern North Dakota. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski. [March 1-2. 2016, Grand Forks, North Dakota]
National Association of Interpreters, Heartland Region Conference. Waypointing and Geocaching for Promoting Heritage Tourism in Two Counties Associated with North Dakotas Red River Regional Planning Commission. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski. [April 9, 2016, Bismarck, ND]
Munski, L., & Munski, D. 2015. Red River Watershed Inquiry-based Learning. Discover Today’s Red River Watershed Institute. Mayville State University. Mayville, ND.
M. Gilmore, Munski, L. 2015. GLOBE Teacher Workshop. University of North Dakota. Grand Forks, ND.
Clark, D., Munski, L., Anderson, S. 2015. SciGirls Day. Grand Forks Public Library. Grand Forks, ND.
Clark, D., Munski, L., Anderson, S. 2015. Color and Light. Dakota Horizon Girl Scout Fall Camporee. Turtle River State Park. Arvilla, ND.
Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers. 2015. Poster Session: Geocaching and waypointing to promote heritage tourism in Northeast North Dakota and to develop in-service learning focused on applied historical geography. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski.
[September 26-27, 2015 Kenora, Ontario]
North Dakota Science Teachers Association. March 20, 2015. GLOBE: Inquiry-Based Learning in 5 Disciplines. Laura Munski.
National Alliance for Broader Impacts Summit. April 29-May 1, 2015; Broader Impact Strategies in Rural States. Laura Munski, Robert Wills, and Alena Kubatova.
National Alliance for Broader Impacts Summit. April 29-May 1, 2015; Town, Gown and Beyond: a successful model for an informal inter-organizational outreach education system. Laura Munski, Robert Wills, and Alena Kubatova.
Munski, L. 2013-2014. Dakota Horizon STEM Fun. Girl Scout Fall Camporee. Turtle River State Park. Arvilla, ND.
Munski, L. & Clark, D. 2014. Growing Up Wild Teacher Workshop. North Valley Career and Technology Center, 21st Century Community Learning Center. Grafton, ND.
Munski, L. & Wills, R. 2014-2016 You’re Hired Engineering Summer Camp. North Valley Career and Technology Center, 21st Century Community Learning Center. Grafton, ND.
Munski, L. B., & Gilmore, M. (2014, February 20-22). Earth Systems Science using Elementary GLOBE curriculum. Paper presented at the North Dakota Science Teacher’s Association Meeting, Valley City, ND
Stephanich, Aaron & Munski, Laura. (2013). Stem kids program and the First® LEGO®
League at the Grand Forks Public Library. In C. Smallwood& V. Gubnitskaia (Eds.),
How to STEM: Science, technology, engineering and math in libraries (pp.47-50). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers 2012. Poster Session: Using Geocaching and Waypointing to Create a Bridge in P-20 Geospatial Education in North Dakota. Douglas Munski and Laura Munski.
American Geophysical Union 2012 annual meeting. Communicating Challenges of Communicating Climate Change in North Dakota: Undergraduate Internship and Collaboration with Middle School Educators Gretchen Mullendore, Laura Munski, Andrei Kirilenko, Fred Remer, & Mary Baker.
2012 Northeast Education Services Cooperative Winter In-Service for K-12 educators. Lake Region State College. Communicating Climate Change. G. Mullendore and L. Munski.
Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers 2011. Poster Session: An American Perspective on Geographic Education Through Time. Lori J. Young, Douglas Munski and Laura Munski.
American Meteorological Society 2011 annual meeting. Communicating with Technology. Undergraduates using multimedia to present climate research in their own words: An overview of the Communicating Climate Change program at the University of North Dakota. Gretchen Mullendore, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND; and L. Munski, A. Kirilenko, F. Remer, and M. Baker
Munski, L., Baker, M., Kieilenka, A., Remer, F. & Mullendore, (2011). Communicating with Technology, Undergraduates using multimedia to present climate research in their own words: An overview of the Communicating Climate Change program at the University of North Dakota. Paper presented at the American Meteorological Society 2011 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
2011 Northeast Education Services Cooperative Winter In-Service for K-12 educators. Lake Region State College. GPS in the 21st Century Grant Program. L. Munski.
2011 Northeast Education Services Cooperative Winter In-Service for K-12 educators. Lake Region State College. Geotechnology Curriculum for the 21st Century. D. Munski and L. Munski.
Munski, L. B., Munski, D. C., & Young, L.J. (2011). American Perspective on Geographic Education Through Time. Poster presented at the Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers Meeting, North Battleford, SK, Canada.
Munski, L. B., Munski, D. C., & Young, L.J. (2011). Report on an undergraduate educational initiative that uses multimedia to present how climate and land use are interrelated: an overview of the Communicating Climate Change program at the University of North Dakota. Poster presented at the Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers Meeting, North Battleford, SK, Canada.
Laura Munski, A. Kieilenka, F. Remer, G. Mullendore, M. Baker, (2010). "A Report on an undergraduate educational initiative that uses multimedia to present how climate and land use are interrelated: an overview of the Communicating Climate Change program at the University of North Dakota", Prairie Division Canadian Association of Geographers Prairie Perspectives: Geographical Essays V 14.
2010 Northeast Education Services Cooperative Winter In-Service for K-12 educators. Lake Region State College. What's New in Geographic Education. D. Munski and L. Munski.
Communicating Climate Change; middle school curriculum. (2010) Clark, Delores, Mullendore, G. and Munski, L.B. NASA Global Climate Change Education Program. Dakota Science Center, Grand Forks, ND.
Munski, L. B. & Munski, D.C. (2009, October 23). Geocaching as a Supplement to Teaching about the Landscape. Paper presented at the North Dakota Education Association Instructional Conference, Place. Minot, ND.
Users Conference, November 2-4, 2009. North Dakota Geographic Information Systems: Workshop. Introducing and Infusing Fundamental Geospatial Technologies into K-12 Education. Douglas Munski and Laura Munski. Four-hour workshop introducing K-12 educators to the introductory aspects of geospatial technologies. Sponsored by the Dakota Science Center, University of North Dakota Geography Department, NDView, and ND EdPARC.
Instructional Conference, October 23, 2009. North Dakota Education Association: Presentation. Geocaching as a Supplement to Teaching about the Landscape. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski. An overview to use of GPS-based waypoints to teach about the historical and contemporary geography of a place sponsored by the Dakota Science Center.
Instructional Conference, October 23, 2009. North Dakota Education Association: Presentation. Google Earth Plus History Economics Equals Historical Geography Perspectives on Contemporary Landscapes. Douglas Munski, Laura Munski, Ben Prusa, Danny Fasteen, and Peter Metzger. A NDView and ND EdPARC mini-workshop on using Google Earth to supplement social studies classroom activities. (grades 4-12).
2008 North Dakota Council for the Social Studies conference, October 23, 2008. Geographical Education: The RAD Approach of Using NDView Projects for Middle School Geographers to Teach Skills in Geospatial Technologies. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski.
Prairie Canadian Association of Geographers 2008. Poster Session: Mentoring as a Facet of the 2008 Summer Projects in NDView's K-12 Geographical Education Programming. Laura Munski and Douglas Munski.
Munski, Laura, & Warmus, Therese. (2007, April 27). Example of a Model Heritage Project. Paper presented at the Initiatives in French Midwest Heritage Days, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND.