UND Aerospace is collecting alumni stories for a 9/11 documentary
On a clear September morning many here still recall, classrooms and flight labs across UND went quiet. Now the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is asking alumni to share where they were and what they saw on 9/11 for a documentary project, according to the university’s announcement on its news site, UND Today.
The call is focused on first-person accounts — the moments you remember from Grand Forks, from airline ramps, cockpits, or towers — to help future students understand how the day reshaped aviation and campus life. UND says the project aims to preserve personal perspectives alongside the timeline everyone knows.
Share your story
If you’re a UND Aerospace alum who wants to participate, start by checking the university’s news channels for the official submission instructions — the request was noted on UND Today and will be updated as details post. You can also look to the Odegard School’s site for contact points and directories to reach the project team; the school maintains its program hub at aero.und.edu.
Not sure what to include? The university’s announcement indicates they’re looking for short, first-person reflections that connect your personal and professional experience on Sept. 11, 2001. Think about where you were (on campus, in training, on duty), what changed in your work or studies that week, and how those changes followed you into your career.
Quick tips if you’re drafting today:
- Keep it focused and specific — a moment, a place, a decision.
- Include your name, class year(s), program, and current city.
- Note whether UND may quote you or use photos/videos you provide.
If you prefer to route through alumni channels, the UND Alumni Association & Foundation can help connect you to the project staff; find general contact options at undalumni.org.
Why this matters to Grand Forks
Aviation is part of daily life here — you see it in flight lines west of University Avenue, in UND’s training aircraft overhead, and in graduates who go on to airlines, corporate flight departments, and the military. UND notes the Odegard School operates one of the country’s largest collegiate flight-training programs, with alumni working around the world, according to school materials on aero.und.edu.
Collecting alumni accounts from 9/11 folds a national story into local memory. It preserves how UND students, instructors, and staff navigated grounded fleets, new security rules, and the return to training in the weeks that followed — all pieces of history that mean something different when you live and work in the Red River Valley.
Voices and community support
University leaders have often emphasized UND’s safety culture and the value of storytelling in teaching future aviators, themes echoed in past features from UND Today. That emphasis is part of why this project centers firsthand accounts rather than after-the-fact summaries.
We’ve asked the UND Alumni Association & Foundation about how they’ll help circulate the call to graduates; based on their regular role amplifying campus initiatives, expect to see reminders in alumni newsletters and social feeds as details firm up. We’ll update this post online as the university publishes deadlines or format guides.
Get involved
Here’s how to act on it this week:
- Watch for the submission link and guidelines on UND Today and the Odegard School’s site at aero.und.edu.
- If you don’t see a form posted yet, reach out via the UND Aerospace site’s listed offices or contact the Alumni Association & Foundation at undalumni.org to be connected to the project team.
- Draft your account now while details are fresh in mind; save any photos, scans, or clippings you may want to offer.
If you plan to share sensitive or workplace-specific details, check ahead with your current or former employer about what’s okay to publish.
What to Watch
Look for UND to post a formal submission portal and a clear deadline on its news channels; that’s where final format, length, and media instructions will appear. As the project takes shape, watch for information on whether the finished documentary will screen on campus and how the public can attend.
