SCSU Now

Billboard star

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Sven Sundgaard, St. Cloud State alumnus and KARE 11 weekend weathercaster.

KARE 11 television meteorologist Sven Sundgaard is the latest star in the St. Cloud State University billboard campaign.

Sundgaard's smiling portrait graces a billboard viewable from I-94 in Minneapolis. The north-facing 14-by-48 foot billboard at Glenwood Avenue is part of a "St. Cloud PROUD" campaign that highlights successful students and alumni.

A 2003 meteorology graduate, Sundgaard is the weekend weathercaster for Minnesota's leading NBC affiliate. 

Recent St. Cloud PROUD billboard stars include:

• Jenna Wundrow, an Associated Press award-winner and partner in an Emmy-winning UTVS telecast
• Ethan Wittrock, a published song lyricist, choir president and audio engineer for hockey telecasts
• Rocky Horn, a football player, community volunteer and national NCAA committee member

Sundgaard burst on the Minneapolis-St. Paul media market in March 2006, making an immediate impact with an appeal that transcends age and gender, as evidenced by the numerous blogs devoted to the Minnesota native.

Sundgaard was named 2009 Best Weatherperson by CityPages, a 30-year-old Twin Cities alternative weekly newspaper and Web site.

He holds the American Meterological Society's Seal of Approval and has presented on the Halloween Blizzard of 1991.

At St. Cloud State, Sundgaard did research in thermodynamics, modeling maximum temperatures from weather balloon and forecast data. His research earned him awards from St. Cloud State and the Minnesota Academy of Sciences.

- Jeff Wood

<< Previous  |  Archive  |  Next >>