UND is one step closer to officially having a new nickname, with a new committee meeting on March 10 to begin the final process for picking a name.

The committee was formed after the Nickname and Logo Task Force met last fall and made a recommendation regarding the selection process to UND President Robert Kelley.

The new committee is made up of 11 people, all representing stakeholder groups the task force identified. There are current students, student athletes, community members, UND alumni and faculty on the committee.

“President Kelley felt that the task force had delivered some very solid recommendations,” Vice President for University and Public Affairs Susan Walton said.

Walton served as the project manager for the task force and will fulfill the same role for the committee.

The committee will be in charge of creating its own meeting schedule and for designing the exact process by which the new name will be chosen.

UND student Landon Bahl expressed his excitement as being a part of the process.

“Pumped to be a part of this process,” Bahl wrote. “Also excited to assist in seeking public input through the committee’s work to come up with a nickname that will encompass and be a good representation of everything that our retired nickname and logo did, such as pride, tradition, strength and so much more. I believe the future of UND is going to be great.”

The committee will be doing a lot of work in the next two months, as the university anticipates having a short list of names available for public vote by early May. The final decision could follow shortly.

“We anticipate an announcement in early May,” Walton said. “We are grateful to the people who are volunteering their time, knowledge and effort to this really important task and process.”

The March 10 meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in Twamley 404.

Megan Hoffman is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].