SDSU Community –
A busy week on campus comes after several of us spent part of last week at the South Dakota Board of Regents meeting on the University of South Dakota campus. It was a good meeting that included the regents freezing tuition for another year, meaning there is no increase next year for tuition and activity fees for our returning students and those who will be attending SDSU for the first time.
Freezing tuition and fees is important to the success of our university as it only increases the value of attending SDSU and earning a degree. It is also the result of a lot of hard work by university leadership, the regents and the South Dakota Legislature, which provides funds that support higher education allowing the regents not to increase tuition. The legislative support allows us to have a salary policy this year and pay for other increased yearly costs associated with operating the university. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
Just a reminder that Wednesday we will hold our annual Campus Conversations in Woster Celebration Hall at 1 p.m. Campus Conversations is an opportunity for campus leadership to provide updates on the completion of the legislative session, budget and enrollment, the campus master plan, work on R1 Our Way and several other important items impacting our university. I hope everyone can join us for the event and hear the important updates impacting our campus.
Also, we are beginning the process of on-campus interviews for a couple of key dean positions within the College of Natural Sciences and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The interviews began today in the College of Natural Sciences and will begin soon for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Your involvement in these interviews is important, and I hope that many of you are able to join the public presentation part of the process.
Finally, I just want to recognize some students in the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering and Todd Letcher, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. For the past year or more, we have shared the success Todd and his student teams have had in various NASA-related competitions. Well, they have done it again!
The team has once again been selected as a finalist for NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL competition). The team is one of 14 advancing to the finals from 75 entries. The competition focuses on innovations to improve our ability to operate on the moon, Mars and beyond.
Last year the team was one of four universities chosen as a finalist in the Lunar Surface Transporter Vehicle category along with teams from the University of Maryland, University of Texas and Virginia Tech University. This year the team will compete in the Large-Scale Lunar Crater Prospector Theme against Maryland, Texas, Tulane and Iowa State.
Congratulations to Todd and his team for once again being premier. There will be a lot more to share as the group prepares for the finals in June.
Thank you for everything you do to make SDSU a special place. I hope you all have a great week.
Go Jacks!
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn, President
Graduation planning is underway for the Class of 2024 ceremonies that will be held May 4 at the Dacotah Bank Center, formerly the Swiftel Center. Faculty, please note the following deadlines:
RSVP: Faculty planning to participate in the processional must RSVP by April 26. Seating is limited, and an RSVP must be completed for attendance.
Faculty wishing to attend graduation ceremonies but not participate in the processional will need a ticket for entrance. Further information regarding this process will be available later in the spring semester.
For further information regarding graduation, please visit sdstate.edu. Information for faculty will be updated on this page.
The Professional Staff Advisory Council will host its annual meeting and awards May 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the SDSU Alumni Center.
The event will include an all-staff social with the program and awards beginning at 3 p.m. A Zoom link will be available for those who cannot attend in person.
The program will include updates from the council and the announcements of the Rising Star Award and the Presidential Awards of Excellence.
The SDSU Foundation will host a celebration to reveal the final fundraising total of Bold & Blue, the largest comprehensive campaign in South Dakota history.
The April 25 event will be held at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, starting at 6:30 p.m. The evening’s lineup will include a live band, complimentary food and beverages, and a special performance by members of the SDSU Concert Choir and The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band. More details will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
The entire yellow and blue community has helped the university to surpass the ambitious goal to raise $500 million and transform SDSU for generations to come. The celebration is a chance to recognize the indelible impact Jackrabbit Nation has made.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to attend. Please RSVP online.
A renowned researcher from Mayo Clinic will share how vaccines can be used to combat cancer at a free lecture today.
The 11th annual Francis Miller Public Lecture in Cancer Research will be delivered by Keith Knutson at 7 p.m. in the Herold Crest Room (253C) in the University Student Union on the South Dakota State University campus. It is sponsored by the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. The talk is geared toward the general public, the college reports.
Knutson, a professor of immunology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, has conducted cancer research for 25 years and has completed two postdoctoral fellowships.
Knutson’s research is aimed at preventing patients with cancer from relapsing after receiving optimal conventional therapies. His talk is “Three Ways to Combat Cancer with Vaccines.” Knutson explained that the three ways are primary prevention, secondary prevention and treatment.
The community building workgroup of the Mental Wellbeing Team is hosting the second fireside chats for the semester.
Nicole Lounsbery, Kevin Fullerton and Zane Reinert will discuss career transitions and preparing for the next steps on April 16 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the in the Career Services Office of the University Student Union, room 136. They will discuss graduation and preparing for the next steps, transitioning from college to the professional workplace, and how to reduce stress when it comes to big career changes.
This Fireside Chat is intended to be an extension of the upcoming “Career Transitions” episode of the State of Wellbeing podcast and provides the campus community the opportunity to engage in conversation on the topic. The event is open to students, faculty and staff. It will also be held via Zoom.
The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering will host its 2024 Engineering Expo April 23. The Engineering Expo will include senior design projects. The public is welcome to attend at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center from 9-10 a.m. and noon-2:30 p.m. with an awards ceremony to follow the afternoon session.
The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering will host the National Summer Transportation Institute Summer Camp, June 2-8 and June 9-15. The camp will focus on transportation engineering, including planning, materials, transportation modes and other topics.
Participants must be entering grades 9-12 during the 2024-25 school year, have a cumulative GPA of 2.0, completed algebra and be interested in engineering, science or technology.
All selected students will receive scholarships to attend the camp. Scholarships will cover the cost of on-campus housing, food and workshops.
The South Dakota Art Museum store will hold a sale from Thursday through Sunday this week. All items will be 10% off for guest and 20% off for museum members. Jewelry, artwork, books, pottery and much more is available throughout the store.
The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m-5 p.m., Monday through Friday; Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday from noon-4 p.m.
Robin Sinn, the director of collections and open strategies for Iowa State University, will be on the SDSU campus to discuss open access and open scholarship. Briggs Library is hosting a public session for faculty and staff who have an interest in open scholarship topics from 10-11 a.m. on Thursday in room 130 at the library.
The School of Performing Arts will host “James and the Giant Peach,” a stage adaptation of the child’s tale by Roald Dahl.
“James and the Giant Peach” is told by James himself, along with the insect characters — Miss Spider, Old-Green-Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybird and Earthworm — about how they came to live in the giant peach stone in Central Park.
Performances will be held April 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. in the Oscar Larson Theatre of the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available online.
The SDSU Mental Wellbeing Team has released the “State of Wellbeing” podcast. “State of Wellbeing” is a holistic well-being podcast to support the SDSU community as we strive to be a growing, high-performing and healthy university. This directly connects to Pathway to Premier 2030 and the university’s goals for employee and student success. Episodes will feature meaningful conversations with valuable insights, practical tips and helpful resources to improve health and well-being.
Podcast episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Spotify. New episodes will be released every two weeks.
The Graduate School will host its second annual Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day, April 23.
The day will begin at 2 p.m. with a featured graduate student speaker, Manisha Guha, followed by the graduate student poster show at 3 p.m. and culminating with the Graduate School Recognition Event at 5 p.m. All events will take place in the Volstorff Ballroom at the University Student Union. Additional information is available on sdstate.edu.
The SDSU Alumni Association, along with Jackrabbit Central, will host a Jacks Gear Drive to benefit Jack’s Cupboard. Any donated, gently used Jacks gear can be dropped off through April 11 at either the SDSU Alumni Center or Jackrabbit Central during normal business hours. Jackrabbit Central will give anyone who donates an item to the drive a 15% off coupon to use during the week of #JacksGiveBack, April 21-27.
On April 15 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the SDSU Alumni Association will hold a sale of all the donated items. All proceeds from the sale will go toward Jack’s Cupboard. Jack’s Cupboard combats food insecurity by ensuring students who struggle to purchase food are provided with this free resource supported by students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. It is available to all students with a student ID and a bag to collect food items.
For questions, please call the SDSU Alumni Association at 605-697-5198 or contact the office by email.
The SDSU Alumni Association will hold its seventh annual #JacksGiveBack the week of April 21-27. During the week, Jackrabbits are encouraged to volunteer in their community at a nonprofit, organize a food drive or cleanup project, make a monetary donation or find any project that has a positive impact.
Volunteers are asked to share their #JacksGiveBack stories, photos and projects on social media by using the #JacksGiveBack or by emailing the SDSU Alumni Association.
To make sure photos can be shared:
- Set your post’s privacy settings to “public.”
- Tag the SDSU Alumni Association.
- Use #JacksGiveBack.
Additional information and how to register can be found on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
The SDSU Alumni Association is seeking nominations for its Legends and Leaders recognitions. Information about the awards and how to nominate someone is available on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
Nominations are due May 1.
SDSU students, alumni and friends are invited to join the SDSU Alumni Association for Jumpstart Your Wellness Seminar. The seminar will be held Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Woster Celebration Hall at the SDSU Alumni Center. Information about the speaker and how to register can be found on the SDSU Alumni Association website.
SDSU faculty and staff have access to Nature Masterclasses On-demand courses. The professional development courses are comprised of a range of topics including writing and publishing research papers, networking and collaboration, peer review, persuasive grant writing and data analysis.
The university has an institutional subscription to the on-demand courses through Jan. 30, 2025. This gives SDSU faculty and staff access to all available content on the platform (use SDSU single sign-on credentials). Visit the Division of Research’s Events and Training page for the list of courses and links to the platform.
Instructional Design Services will host its 2024 Summer eLearning Academy aimed to create, connect and support student success through online communities, fostering a positive and student success-centered eLearning environment.
The central theme of the academy is to emphasize the importance of creating a strong sense of presence and community in the online learning environment. By fostering high engagement with course content, peers, success resources and tutors, we can support and enhance the online learning experience for our learners.
The academy will take place May 9-10 via Zoom and offer two sessions each day from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Participants need to register by May 3. Space is limited, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additional information about the academy is available on sdstate.edu.
The Division of Research and Economic Development is hosting a training series to highlight some of the key federal funding agencies for research, scholarship and creative activity during the spring semester.
The informational sessions are to help faculty and staff learn more about the agencies and how to prepare for funding. Sessions started in February and run monthly into April. Dates, times and locations are available on sdstate.edu.
The South Dakota State University Early Learning Center will host Artsy Thursday, this week from 4-5:30 p.m. Artsy Thursday will include hands-on activities for children, such as creating a center community mural, sidewalk chalk and a photo booth.
RSVP to Bright Horizons. Parents who have a child at the center or those families interested in learning more about the center are invited to attend.
The Monday Message appears weekly during the academic year and less frequently during the summer months and holiday breaks.
Information for the Monday Message, including nominations for Above and Beyond, can be submitted online through the submission form.