News at SDState

Thanks to the generosity of Paul and Maria Wintrode, South Dakota State University and the Sioux Falls School District are partnering to improve autism-specific education for both young adults and teachers who support them.

The South Dakota Board of Regents approved a request by South Dakota State University on Thursday to offer a new program in engineering.

South Dakota State University’s Center for Online and Professional Education is the first of its kind in the South Dakota Board of Regents system.

A popular camp that jumpstarts the engineering education of South Dakota State University students is back in 2026 under a new name. The fourth annual iteration of what was known as Bridge Camp returns Aug. 16-21 as Jacks ELeVATE. As in past years, it is completely free to all engineering students and emphasizes key skills for new students.

Seventy-three students from eight South Dakota school districts recently competed in the National History Day Contest, held in College Park, Maryland, June 14-18. The students who participated in the national contest were the top entries from the state contest held on April 8 at South Dakota State University in Brookings.

For more than a decade, Andrew Robinette has helped shape the voices of South Dakota State University students. Beginning this fall, he will lead the next chapter of the university's choral program.

The South Dakota State University College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences will soon have an endowed position focused on swine production. The Rick Wahlstrom Endowed Chair in Swine Production will help support a faculty member whose research and leadership will elevate scholarly research productivity and advance teaching efforts within swine production at SDSU.

How much is enough? That depends on the subject. When John D. Rockefeller, the world’s first billionaire, was asked, “How much is enough?” he famously answered, “Just a little bit more.” When it comes to sampling and statistics, the answer usually involves what Rockefeller was well known for — money. “Collecting data can be very expensive,” said assistant professor Felix Gnettner, who just planted his roots in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at South Dakota State University in January. He arrived after completing one year of postdoctoral work at Colorado State University.

When Laura Diddle arrived at South Dakota State University in 2003, she stepped into a role that would allow her to bring together her talents in teaching, conducting and mentorship. Over the next two decades, that role would grow into something greater, shaping not only a choral program, but generations of SDSU students and the musical life of the region.

SDSU's growing teacher education program — including a newly designed elementary education degree — is preparing future educators through early hands-on classroom experiences and a curriculum built to meet today’s varied student needs.