Monday Message, Feb. 23
SDSU ĂŰĚŇÓ°Ďń,
The last week of February brings hints that spring is just around the corner and a renewed sense of energy across campus. The changing seasons remind us that growth and momentum are constant at ĂŰĚŇÓ°Ďń — not only in our classrooms and laboratories, but also in the lives of our alumni and students who carry our mission forward each day.
One of the ways we celebrate that impact is through the Distinguished Alumni recognition presented by the SDSU Alumni & Foundation. Each year, a class of Distinguished Alumni is honored for outstanding achievements, service and leadership that have made a lasting difference in their professions, communities and at SDSU. These individuals reflect the strength of a land-grant education and the spirit of service that defines our university.
Honorees are nominated by members of the SDSU community and selected by a committee that considers their impact on the history of SDSU, their contributions to the state of South Dakota and the commitment to service they have demonstrated throughout their lives and careers. Recipients are recognized at the 2026 Legends & Leaders banquet on the eve of Hobo Day — one of our most treasured traditions.
Nominations are now open and will be accepted through May 1, 2026. I encourage you to think about alumni who exemplify excellence, leadership and service, and . Recognizing their accomplishments reinforces the lasting value and reach of SDSU.
This Friday, we will also celebrate TRIO Day at SDSU, marking the 40th anniversary of National TRIO Day. TRIO Day is both a celebration and a call to recognize the extraordinary potential of students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds who seek to improve their lives through education. Nationally, more than 6 million TRIO alumni have earned degrees, pursued meaningful careers, strengthened the workforce and uplifted their families and communities.
All TRIO alumni — faculty, staff and students — are invited to join current TRIO students and staff for an open house from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Larson Commons. The event will begin with a mayoral proclamation from Brookings Mayor Ope Neimeyer, followed by light refreshments. Please feel free to stop by, connect and celebrate the impact of TRIO at SDSU.
Finally, I want to thank the many individuals who work diligently to ensure our university remains safe and well managed. Our recent semiannual risk assessment, conducted in partnership with the Office of Internal Audit, the South Dakota Board of Regents and the Bureau of Finance, resulted in an extremely favorable report. Of more than 500 documented risks the university regularly addresses, only one required a process change — an exceptional outcome.
Thank you for everything you do to make SDSU a premier land-grant university. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
Sincerely,
Barry H. Dunn
President
ĂŰĚŇÓ°Ďń
Above and Beyond recognizes individuals and groups of ĂŰĚŇÓ°Ďń employees, faculty and students for individual and team efforts that go Above and Beyond to make the campus community a better place.
This week, we’re showcasing the more than two dozen faculty members honored at the Celebration of Faculty Excellence, as well as the staff who worked hard behind the scenes to make this event a success.
The annual ceremony took place Feb. 17 and brought South Dakota State faculty members, researchers and scientists together to celebrate and recognize their achievements in research, teaching and service.
It opened at 2 p.m. in the Hobo Day Gallery and Campanile Room in the University Student Union. Todd Letcher, associate professor of mechanical engineering, presented the David Fee Memorial Lecture titled “From South Dakota to the Moon: SDSU’s Emerging Role in Lunar Technology.”
Over the next hour, six faculty presented the Sewrey lectures in the categories of creative and fine arts, research and scholarship, teaching and learning, and service.
They included Anna DeGraff, Bradley Snyder, Mark Stevens, Nicholas Butzin, Hayden Barber and Shola Aromona.
SDSU School of Performing Arts students Jacob Stevens and CJ Richards presented “My Glasses/Lay Low,” a duet from “Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story.” They were accompanied by DeGraff.
From 2 to 5:30 p.m., we had a faculty showcase of research posters in the Volstorff Ballroom followed by a reception and small plates meal.
Then it was time for the evening banquet at 6 p.m.
The awards program held up just a fraction of our exemplary faculty for their successes and accolades over the past year. The full list of awardees includes Srinivas Janaswamy, Karla Hunter, Dakota Witzel, Michael Puthawala, Hankui Zhang, Danielle Schievelbein, Shanna O’Connor, Tyler Miller, Julie Walker, Ryan Hanson, Tong Wang, Ananda Nanjundaswamy, Rachel Busmann, Jeremiah Bergstrom, Ellie Arndt, Randi Anderson, Carmen Paulson, Joshua Westwick, Tadd Hellwig and Sanjeev Anand.
View the full list of awards, recipients and presenters.
Congratulations to the award winners, and thank you to everyone whose hard work made this annual event possible!
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.
SDSU Ambassador Selection
The SDSU Admissions Ambassadors program is a fantastic opportunity for students who are passionate about sharing their SDSU experience. The Office of Admissions is looking for students to be ambassadors during the 2026-27 academic year. Admissions Ambassadors are hired to represent and promote SDSU to prospective students, their families and the general public. Please encourage students who you think would be good in this role to apply online.
Daschle Dialogues
Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham headlines this year’s Daschle Dialogues on April 7 on the ĂŰĚŇÓ°Ďń campus. This year’s event is being held in First Bank & Trust Arena.
Tickets will be made available to faculty and staff at no cost today at noon. There is a limit of two tickets. The tickets will be made available to the general public on Feb. 25 at a cost of $15 per ticket, with all proceeds going to support general scholarships at SDSU. More information will be sent today.
Meacham is considered one of America’s foremost public intellectuals. His body of work includes biographies of George H.W. Bush, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. His bestselling books include “And There Was Light” (a portrait of Abraham Lincoln), “The Soul of America” and “His Truth Is Marching On” (a biography of John Lewis). His latest book, “American Struggle,” covers a wide spectrum of history, from 1619 to the 21st century.
Daschle Dialogues is the public component of the Thomas A. Daschle Congressional Research Study. Daschle, a 1969 SDSU graduate, served in Congress for 26 years. He was one of the longest-serving Senate democratic leaders in history and one of only two to serve twice as both majority and minority leader.
Meacham is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden in 2024.
Private donations to the SDSU Alumni & Foundation for the Daschle endowment are used to underwrite the Daschle Dialogues program.
Information on the event and logistics can be directed to Steve Erpenbach, CEO of the SDSU Alumni & Foundation, or Megan Nelson, administrative and guest experience manager of the SDSU Alumni & Foundation, or by calling 605-697-7475.
Jacks Virtual 5K
The SDSU Alumni & Foundation will host the Jacks Virtual 5K this April. Participants can run, walk or jog anytime, anywhere. to receive your exclusive race shirt, designed by alum Kendra Cersosimo '16. Proceeds from the event benefit Jack’s Cupboard, helping SDSU students experiencing food insecurity.
SDSU Research and Incentive Program
The SDSU Research and Scholarship Incentive Plan has been developed to enhance sponsored research and scholarly activities. By providing the opportunity for faculty and research staff to be eligible for one-time payments, the program provides incentive options to secure externally funded research grants and contracts.
All faculty members on a tenure track and term appointments are eligible for the program. The program is in addition to and complements existing summer salary policies and procedures for nine-month faculty. Professional staff (i.e. non-faculty exempt staff) whose base salary is paid by state general funds or tuition, and fees are also eligible for the incentive program. Incentive payments shall not be paid from grant/contract funds and will be paid from institutional accounts such as state general funds, tuition and fee accounts, and recovered F&A costs allocated to the colleges and units.
can now be submitted via InfoReady. Deadline is March 15.
Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day
Registration is now open for Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day, which will be held Tuesday, April 14, in the University Student Union. The new event merges the events formerly known as Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day and Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day into one daylong event celebrating and promoting student involvement in research and creative activity at SDSU. The schedule and more information about the event can be found on the Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day website.
All students enrolled at SDSU are encouraged to participate. There are separate registration forms for the undergraduate and graduate poster showcases, and those links can be found on sdstate.edu along with an agenda of events. Both events are limited to the first 100 students who register.
LeadState and Huether Public Service Academy Nominations
LeadState is proud to partner with the Mike Huether Public Service Academy, a nationally networked program housed in the School of American and Global Studies. The academy is a selective, cohort-based program that prepares exceptional leaders with the passion to solve problems and serve something larger than themselves.
LeadState provides the leadership development foundation for Mike Huether Public Service Academy scholars, while academy students bring their public service focus and commitment to the LeadState cohort. Faculty who have any current first-year or second-year students who may be interested in LeadState should invite them to participate. Please be selective in your nominations and consider those who would truly benefit from this program. To nominate students, please send each student's name, student ID number and email address to Seth Daughters by Thursday, April 2.
To learn more about LeadState, please visit sdstate.edu. For more information about the Huether Public Service Academy, contact Jon Ruff.
Judges needed for the Eastern South Dakota Science and Engineering Fair
Volunteer judges are needed for the Eastern South Dakota Science and Engineering Fair — an annual event on the SDSU campus that brings more than 500 middle and high school students from the region to showcase their research and creativity in STEM. It is an opportunity to encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers while spending a rewarding day on campus.
- Tuesday, March 31
- Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium – Club 71
- Main judging: 9-11:30 a.m. (orientation at 8:15 a.m.)
- Grand awards: about 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Undergrad volunteers: all day
Opportunities:
- to share personal expertise and inspire students.
- — Advisers of student groups and invite them to volunteer.
- Sponsor an award — Email fair director Brad Blaha.
Judging is flexible, meaningful and a great way to give back to STEM education.
Digital Accessibility Training
The April compliance deadline for universitywide digital accessibility is approaching quickly, and the efforts to ensure digital content is accessible continues to be shared responsibility.
Several training opportunities are available throughout the semester to support this effort. Information about training sessions, resources and expectations can be found online.
Schultz-Werth Award Competition Application
The application portal for the Schultz-Werth Award Competition is open. Faculty and staff should encourage senior undergraduate students from all disciplines to submit their scholarly or creative projects for consideration. Awards up to $2,500 per winning student will be awarded at the end of the academic year. The deadline to submit a paper for the Schultz-Werth award is March 1.
Updated Policies
New and updated university policies continue to be adopted and published. For the most recent updates, visit the New and Recently Revised Policies page on sdstate.edu.
