BISMARCK (North Dakota Monitor) — The State Board of Higher Education on Tuesday looked to a North Dakota native for the next president of Bismarck State College.
The board voted to pick Brian Kalk after interviewing four finalists. Kalk is a former Public Service Commissioner, which regulates parts of North Dakota’s energy industry, and is currently chief research officer at the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center.
Bismarck State, which has a polytechnic mission, has many programs tied to the energy industry.
After being introduced as the next president, Kalk said his background in natural resources and energy and his connections to Bismarck made the position a natural fit.
“BSC is positioned beautifully to continue to have a managed growth and meet the workforce needs of the state,” Kalk said.
In his interview with the board Tuesday morning, he discussed how Bismarck State College hard trained his father to work on powerlines, giving him a career that supported the Kalk family.
“So BSC has always had a special spot in my heart,” Kalk said. He said he wants to give students that same opportunity his father had.
“I think the students will always be the priority, making sure we’re taking care of our students, making sure we’re getting them the right curriculum, making sure that they’ve got a job when they finish up their time,” Kalk said after the board vote.
Kalk has a doctorate in natural resource management from North Dakota State University, where he also earned a master’s degree in environmental engineering. His bachelor’s degree came from Campbell University in North Carolina. He also served in the Marines.
Kalk also has experience in NDSU’s Research and Technology Park, where he said got his first exposure to working in academics. He also has taught at NDSU, the University of Mary and Park University. He has taught classes in logistics, environmental policy, energy management and organizational leadership.
“With Brian Kalk chosen to lead Bismarck State College, the institution is poised to strengthen its role as North Dakota’s polytechnic,” Board Chair Kevin Black said in a statement. “His approach reflects a future where education and industry work hand‑in‑hand while anticipating workforce needs, expanding partnerships, and equipping students with the skills that will drive the state forward.”
Kalk ran as a Republican for the Public Service Commission, serving from 2009 to 2017.
Bismarck State College is the third largest by enrollment of North Dakota’s 11 colleges, behind UND and NDSU. Its enrollment of 4,549 students in the fall of 2025 was a record.
Bismarck State has been a two-year college through most of its history. The State Board of Higher Education approved Bismarck State’s mission change to a polytechnic institution in 2018. The Legislature approved the change and additional funding in 2021. It began offering bachelor’s degrees in 2022.
Kalk said the role as a polytechnic gives Bismarck State more flexibility in what it offers students and how it fills the need of industry.
“Talking to the companies, finding out exactly what they need, getting the right curriculum, I think, will be the right measure of success,” he told the board.
Kalk replaces Doug Jensen, who left in January 2025.
The other finalists were Gaby Hawat of Catalyst Partners; Rai Kathuria, former provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Empire State University; and Dan Leingang, interim president at Bismarck State. Leingang, BSC’s vice president of academic affairs, has been interim president for nearly a year.
The board on Monday named Marshall Stewart as the new president for North Dakota State University.
Valley City State University also is searching for a new president.
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