Press Release: Announcing the First Singh Maan Memorial Scholarship

Press Release: Two Daughters of Career-Long North Dakota State University Professors Gift Minnesota Native and North Dakota State College of Science Student The First Paul Singh Maan Memorial Scholarship

August 29, 2024 - Rochester, Minn. — Karen Light Edmonds and Ajit Maan, both daughters of career-long North Dakota State University professors, have teamed up to offer the first Paul Singh Maan Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship is designed to support exceptional young people in their educational pursuits focused on mitigating the effects of climate change, including agricultural sustainability, water conservation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems.

Minnesota born native and Mayo Clinic intern Bor Majok Bor Makuach was selected to become the first recipient of the scholarship.

Bor, a student at North Dakota State College of Science, is currently pursuing interests in medical artificial intelligence, minimally invasive device development and endoscopic robotics. His Mayo Clinic internship is part of his studies in robotics, automation and mechatronics engineering. As evidenced by his studies, Bor has many interests; however, his real passion is to find solutions to ending food insecurity. Additionally, Bor’s father was one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, leading Bor to his determination to eventually follow his father’s imperative to ‘go home’ and use his education to benefit his ancestral homeland of South Sudan.

About the Paul Singh Maan Memorial Scholarship:
Karen Light Edmonds, Ajit Maan and Paul Maan were childhood neighbors, with all four of their parents working at NDSU: Merle Light (Animal Science), Dr. Harriett Light (Child Development and Family Science), Dr. Shivcharan Singh Maan (Agronomy) and Ranjit Maan (Library).

Light Edmonds grew up to become the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Rochester, Minnesota-based nonprofit Project Legacy, which serves the mission of lifting disadvantaged children out of poverty by providing education, housing, medical and dental care, mentorship, and advocacy.

Maan, an NDSU graduate, was the first person of Indian origin to be born in Fargo. She is the author of several books, columnist for Homeland Security Today, Professor of Politics and Global Security, and CEO of the award-winning think-and-do-tank Narrative Strategies, which is focused on the non-kinetic aspects of national security.

Paul Singh Maan was a graduate of NDSU, where both his parents were employed for 42 years. As a child, Singh Maan immersed himself in the wonders of the natural environments of Eastern North Dakota and the lakes areas of Western Minnesota, where he enjoyed fishing for northern pike and walleye while on “bike hikes” with his friends. Singh Maan later became the first in his family to serve in the United States Military within the Airforce. After this, he became a nature photographer concentrating on documenting climate change's effects in California and Arizona.

The scholarship is designed to honor Paul’s memory by supporting exceptional young people in their educational pursuits focused on mitigating the effects of climate change, including agricultural sustainability, water conservation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and restoring forests and critical ecosystems.

Press Contacts:
Karen Edmonds, kedmonds@projectlegacymn.org
Dr. Ajit Maan, ajitmaan@comcast.net
www.projectlegacymn.org