DULUTH, MN (KDAL) - Kjell Knudsen, the dean of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at UMD has announced his intention to retire.  He has been dean for 15 years and was also the founding director of the UMD Center for Economic Development that is now located in the Technology Village in downtown Duluth.  Knudsen is a native of Norway and received a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1973.  He joined the faculty of UMD in 1979.  The school is now conducting a national search to fill Knudsen's position.