Demonstrating expertise in the field of higher education, Dr. Douglas C. Munski has accrued more than 45 years of experience at the University of North Dakota. Joining the academic institution in 1978, he has been recognized as a professor in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science. In his professorship, Dr. Munski has been responsible for teaching undergraduate students general education courses in geography, such as human, regional, North American and world geography at the 100 and 200 levels. In addition, he has taught selected 300 and 400-level specialized courses and graduate classes.
Concurrently, Dr. Munski was the department chairperson at the University of North Dakota from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2020 to 2023. Previously, he rose through the ranks of success at the university, starting as a non-tenured visiting assistant professor and escalating to the rank of tenured associate professor and full professor. Notably, Dr. Munski has accepted a plethora of campus awards during his tenure, the latest being the Outstanding Course Development Award from the University of North Dakota in 2021.
Although he has experienced several career highlights, Dr. Munski is especially gratified by the opportunities presented to him to teach the grandchildren of the students he previously had in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as their grandparents, parents and siblings often recommended his courses. He has also encouraged his students to thrive in their studies and professions and pay it forward in their communities, demonstrating his aptitude for both personal and professional development. Advocating for his own community as a civic-minded citizen, Dr. Munski is a commissioner of the Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission and a board member of the Grand Forks County Historical Society.
Likewise, Dr. Munski is a life member of the National Council for Geographic Education, which bestowed upon him its national Distinguished Teaching Award in light of his academic prowess. An alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Arts in geography, and a Doctor of Philosophy in geography and urban planning, receiving the lattermost degree in 1978. Looking forward, Dr. Munski aims to continue making a lasting impact on his students’ lives.
