News at SDState

Like so many, the COVID-19 pandemic changed Gavin Eischens’ life in profound ways. While still in high school, he became a certified nursing assistant at the height of the pandemic, an experience he jokingly said means he’s “been a CNA for my whole life.” More seriously, those early experiences inspired Eischens, now finishing his second year in South Dakota State University’s respiratory care program, to pursue a career in respiratory therapy.

Irene Arango Gómez, community care coordinator for the Community Practice Innovation Center in South Dakota State University’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, says her work is shaped by a need to know and understand public health systems and advocate responsibly within them.

Austin Allen, a student in the South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, has been selected as a Pharm4Me Student Ambassador by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

The American Academy of Health Behavior recently honored Christopher Robbins, assistant professor of allied and population health in South Dakota State University’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, and his colleagues with the 2025 Paper of the Year award.

Members of the Brookings community are invited to a facilitated dialogue and expert panel discussion on vaccine hesitancy from 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, May 11, at the McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center.

The South Dakota Perinatal Quality Collaborative, part of South Dakota State University’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, in collaboration with Postpartum Support International – South Dakota, will host a walk and fundraiser to raise awareness about perinatal mental health issues on Saturday, May 23.

Kelsey Pickart, a second-year pharmacy student at South Dakota State University, has been selected as one of only five students nationally to receive the Zada M. Cooper Scholarship by Kappa Epsilon, a national pharmacy fraternal organization.

An interdisciplinary team of South Dakota State University faculty, including Brittney Meyer, professor of pharmacy practice in the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, has received a $3,500 grant from the Karen McComish Interdisciplinary Faculty Research Program to support a series of film screenings and discussions aimed at addressing a complex social challenge that resists simple solutions or explanations: vaccine hesitancy.

Transitions are always a great time to reflect on all that we have accomplished over the past year, including bringing our entire Rapid City team under one roof with our Black Hills State University partners, renovating new space at the SDSU Metro Center in Sioux Falls, increasing nursing research and scholarly activities, and implementing a new competency-based curriculum across our undergraduate and graduate programs.

“Somebody” chose to make a difference, chose to give back, chose to believe in our students.