NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani says a rare "window of opportunity" exists in North Dakota, and challenged the campus community to imagine the opportunity to help shape the state over the next century. That observation came during his first State of the University Address. "We may never have the opportunity we do now to reposition perceptions of North Dakota and NDSU," said Bresciani, who was named NDSU’s 14th president on May 24 by the State Board of Higher Education. "We may never have the opportunity we do now to catapult the economic vitality, diversity and competitiveness of our state past others in the nation, and to enhance its attractiveness to not only the young North Dakotans who are our future, but also to the best and brightest minds of people throughout the country." Bresciani said NDSU has witnessed record student enrollments for the past 11 years, and the level of interest in the university has risen dramatically throughout the nation and world. He noted NDSU has evolved during the past 10 years by increasing productivity, visibility and its contributions to a greater number of constituencies. "The future of our state is at a point of awakening – and our imagination is the only limit to the future. We are the ones poised to make that future a reality," Bresciani said. "NDSU already commands a powerful niche. We are unique in how we successfully balance our roles of being student focused, land-grant and a research university; and that makes us distinctive among our peers."