MELISSA GJELLSTAD

 Melissa Gjellstad, a native North Dakotan and UND Norwegian professor, announced her candidacy as a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL for the state Senate seat representing District 42, which includes north central Grand Forks and UND. 

Gjellstad: “Some of our leaders have lost sight of the state’s most valuable resource – our people. My decision to run for Senate in District 42 rests in the desire to lift up my community and to work on their behalf to shape a state that is responsive and inclusive to all North Dakotans.”

Gjellstad will be on the ballot as the Senate Candidate for District 42.

Since 2008, Gjellstad has been a faculty member at UND where she has been actively engaged as a teacher, researcher, and university citizen. Gjellstad served as Chair of the University Senate and champions collaborative governance. Within the state, Gjellstad served on and chaired the Humanities North Dakota Board, and is a member of the Grand Forks Downtown Rotary and the Grand Forks Curling Club. She received her B.A. in Biology and Scandinavian studies from Concordia College, Moorhead, and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Seattle