MSU Athletics

Special Achievement Award
• Professor Emeritus, Sando served Minot State for 36 years as a faculty member, department chair, and Dean of the College of Business until retiring from MSU
in 2002.
• A standout high school student-athlete at Grafton High School, Sando’s passion for athletics continued while at Minot State as he served on the Beaver Booster’s Board of Directors for 14 years and as Board president in 1991-92, served as Minot State’s Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR), as a conference representative for the Beavers to the North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) and Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC), helping form the DAC, and assisted with a variety of gameday operations.
• Served and chaired a variety of campus committees, served 15 years on the Minot City Planning Commission, directed the Business and Community Assistance Center, was an ex-officio member of the Minot Area Develop Corporation, worked closely with the Minot Area Growth through Investment and Cooperation (MAGIC) Fund, and was an active member in the Minot Sertoma Club.
• The first co-recipient of the Burlington Northern Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1985, he also received the MSU Golden Award in 2003, and the MSU Distinguished Lifetime Educator Award in 2006.
• During his involvement with Minot State Athletics, he started the Winter Beaver Booster Party, and with the permission of then-MSU president Dr. Erik Shaar, started tailgating prior to Beaver football games.
• Along with his work with committees and as FAR, he coordinated funding for the Sertoma-funded walking and running path on the 3rd floor of the Minot State Dome, built the Minot State Athletic Christmas display at Sertoma’s annual Christmas light show in Oak Park, established a scholarship endowment for business students at MSU with preference given to student-athletes which has been awarded to more than 70 students to date, and assisted Minot State coaches by driving vans, setting up for cross-country races, and serving as timer at track and field meets.