Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

• Transforming Lives
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  The photography department recently received more than $30,000 worth of high-end photography equipment from Canon in recognition of the University’s strong and growing photography program.
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  The David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union received the 2011 Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Facility Design Award of Excellence for the Student Union addition and remodel.
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  President Kay Schallenkamp was honored with a Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Dakota Horizons. Schallenkamp was one of the five women and four girls honored at the 16th annual Women and Girls of Distinction by the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons. Read more...
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  Black Hills State University was named to the 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools. The list honors the top 15 percent of higher education institutions which are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students. Learn more about the Veteran's Affairs program.
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  The National Science Board (NBS) held its Fall 2010 Meeting on the Black Hills State University campus. NSB is a 25-member policy-making body for the National Science Foundation and advisory body to the President and Congress on science and engineering issues. Read more...
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  For the fourth consecutive year Black Hills State University has been named to the Presidents Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Read more...
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  Black Hills State University has been awarded a $499,844 grant by the National Science Foundation to study plants of this region and neighboring states. Read more...
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  Black Hills State University's proximity to the Sanford Laboratory at Homestake combined with a high level of interest among faculty and staff has created numerous collaborative projects not only in science but also in science education and across the disciplines, giving students the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research. Learn more about BHSU's collaborative projects.
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  BHSU has the highest percentage of undergraduate adult students among the six state universities.
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  Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative high-quality academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

• Students
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  Theatre students received high praise on their performances at the Region Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) held at Iowa State University.  Maxwell Downs, speech communication major from Rapid City, and his partner Alexa Syverson, speech communication major from Rapid City, as well as Tiffany Carter, speech communication major from Newcastle, Wyo., and her partner Jesse Hamer, recent education graduate from Rapid City, were selected to participate in the Irene Ryan acting competition and they were selected advanced to the semi-finals out of more than 290 students.  Mauli Delaney, recent speech communication major from Mitchell, competed in the stage management competition and won praise from the judges for her efficiency in helping run the professional theatre auditions.   Hannah Kloiber, speech communication major from Parker, Colo.; Theo Schmidt, speech communication major from Hot Springs; Phil Braun, recent theatre and mass communication graduate from Gregory; and Jake Roman, instrumental music major from Rapid City; took part in professional auditions, and they all received at least one call-back, indicating that the theatres were seriously considering them for internships or professional jobs. Jessica Juhrend, speech communication from Spearfish, so impressed Actors Theatre of Louisville that she was asked to a call-back and an additional interview.
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  Twenty-two photography students were chosen as finalists in the 31st Annual College Photographers Competition by Photographer’s Forum magazine. One student, Rebecca Gage, sophomore mass communication major from Sisseton, earned an honorable mention for her rodeo photo.
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  Three senior mass communication students, David Poitra, Belle Fourche; Tristen Upward, Vermillion; and Brian Gebhart, Elkton; will present virtually with Dr. Mary Caton-Rosser, assistant professor of mass communication, at EDULEARN11, the third annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies in Barcelona, Spain. They will be presenting research entitled “Socially Learning: Building Campus-Community Bridges with Social Media and Service Learning.” The project was funded last year by the Midwest Consortium, which helped form a virtual cross campus/community forum at ning.com, with more than 125 members.
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  Joseph D. Manthey, integrative genomics graduate student from Fond Du Lac, Wis.; Dr. Garth M. Spellman, BHSU assistant professor of science; and John Klicka, Univesity of Nevada - Las Vegas; had their paper entitled "Cryptic diversity in a widespread North American songbird: Phylogeographyof the Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)" published in the Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Journal.
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  Five students took part in a 17-day field course entitled “Wolves and other large predators: A Northwoods Experience” in northern Minnesota. The students who participated in the field experience include: Christine Bubac, senior biology major from Rapid City; Deidre Shank, senior biology major from Rapid City; Andrew Johnson, junior biology major from Spearfish; Stacy Cline, senior biology major from Rapid City; and Mallory Ageton, sophomore biology major from Brandon.
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  Three students placed in the third annual South Dakota National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition (SD NATS) held recently on campus. Tyler Raad, senior music and theatre major from Spearfish, took second place in the graduate student division. Kathleen McDougall, junior music education major from Gillette, and Kendra Iversen, freshman music education major from Sydney, Mont., both earned honorable mentions, which is the equivalent of fourth place, in the junior women's and freshman women's divisions respectively.
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  Twenty-one students presented their research at the 2011 National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) held at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y.
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  Ten students received the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship established by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Those receiving the scholarship are: Nicole Blakey, sophomore psychology major from Martin; Kaitlyn Dupris, senior business administration major from Cherry Creek; Gunner Krogman, freshman business administration and physical education major from Mission; Marci Lamont, sophomore business administration major from Martin; Kristen Lawrence, sophomore math education major from Timber Lake; Mary Jo May, senior social science major from Kyle; Jordan Murray, junior history major from Dupree; Dallas Nelson, senior American Indian Studies and sociology major from Pine Ridge; Kaylynn Two Bulls, junior human services major from Pine Ridge; and Sasha White, junior music major from Kyle.
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  Three physical education majors were recognized at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) National Convention. Russell Reed, senior from Rapid City; Shannon Hellman, senior from Rapid City; and Kalin Engle, senior from Newcastle, Wyo., received the Outstanding Major of the Year Award by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE); a national professional organization within the AAHPERD.
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  Mary Jo May, senior social science education major from Kyle, earned the opportunity of a lifetime under a prestigious internship through the Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS) program. The internship led to the creation of an exhibit that will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian.
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  The women’s rodeo team earned the 2010-2011 Great Plains Region Year End Championship Title.
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  The Jacket Journal earned a first place with special merit award in the 2011 American Scholastic Press Association’s annual newspaper competition. This is the third consecutive year the newspaper won first place, and the first year the newspaper earned special merit.
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  Students and faculty from Black Hills State University recently presented at the Eighth Annual Ecological Genomics Symposium in Kansas City, Mo. Seven students enrolled in the ecological genomics course at BHSU, a core course in the Integrative Genomics graduate program, presented their research that is part of an ongoing project on natural range limits of plants. The project was initiated by the original cohort of graduate students in 2006 when the graduate program began.
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  Three BHSU students and their advisor, Dr. Mary Caton-Rosser, assistant professor of mass communication, recently presented at the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education Conference in Crete, Neb. Student Project Leaders, Brian Gebhart, senior mass communication major from Elkton; Tristen Upward, junior mass communication major from Vermillion; and David Poitra, senior mass communication major from Belle Fourche; along with Caton-Rosser presented “Building Community Through Social Media.”
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  All student produced media at Black Hills State University have recently been converged into a single site, www.BHSUBuzz.com. The site includes the Jacket Journal, the student newspaper; KBHU-FM, the student radio station; and KBHU-TV, the student television station. Learn more...
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  BHSU is using a $50,000 grant from the South Dakota Department of Tourism to conduct target market research to guide the design of the Sanford Center for Science Education, the education and outreach arm of DUSEL at the former Homestake Gold Mine in Lead. Learn more...
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  Five Black Hills State University students had articles accepted for publication in the 2010 Proceedings of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. NCUR Proceedings is a prestigious national journal which features the scholarship of students who have presented papers at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Cara Bandalos, recent English graduate from Guernsey, Wyo.; Eric Zimmer, recent history graduate from Rapid City; Brian Stampe, sophomore outdoor education major from Spearfish; Monika Hotz, senior English major from Hot Springs; and Justine Burggraff, senior English major from Beulah, N.D.; had their articles published in the NCUR Proceedings. Learn more...
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  Jay Jacobs, a Black Hills State University student pursuing a master’s degree in integrative genomics, was highlighted at a National Institutes of Health meeting in Washington, D.C. He conducted research focused on extracting and purifying antimicrobial compounds from medicinal plants that are native to western South Dakota and was showcased at a general medical science session at the National IDeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence (NISBRE) meeting this summer.
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  Julianne Morse, mass communication major from McLaughlin, was featured in the Native Legacy Magazine, in a section highlighting Native Americans in Military Service. Morse is currently a Specialist E4 in the U.S. Army National Guard.
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  Kristina Young, mass communication major from Spearfish, competed in America’s Got Talent, after becoming a finalist in an online competition. More than 20,000 auditioned on YouTube for a chance to join the live competition and only 12 acts were selected to perform. Read more...
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  Three Black Hills State University students were accepted to the Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute. Tyler Raad, senior speech communication and music major from Spearfish; Ashton VandenHoek, senior vocal music major from Jamestown, Mich.; and Sean Sutton, sophomore vocal music major from Sioux Falls, were all accepted to the institute. Read more...
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  James Louks, art major from Spearfish, received first place award for his artwork in the Third Annual “Impact” College/University Juried Student Exhibition at Northern State University that includes student artwork from South Dakota, North Dakota, and Western Minnesota. Read more...
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  The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi initiated 47 Black Hills State University undergraduate and graduate students to the Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 307. Read More...
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  Black Hills State University freshman science education major Nicole DeJong from Avon, is one of 10 South Dakota students who received a special scholarship for underground science. The Davis-Bahcall Scholarships for Underground Science by 3M Company will pay tuition and room and board for DeJong to participate in a summer study program that visits Sanford Laboratory at Homestake in Lead, S.D., Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy, and Princeton University in New Jersey. Read more...
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  Tyler Raad, music and theatre major from Spearfish, took first place in his division of the second annual South Dakota National Association of Teachers of Singing competition.
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  Katrina Salitros, sophomore mass communication major from Vermillion, accepted an internship at the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in St. Petersburg, Fla. Read more...
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  Andrea Haugen, junior English education major from Spearfish, received a directing internship at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minn. Read more...
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  Riston Haugen from Baltic, was one of only 10 students awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) travel scholarship based on the scientific merits of their work at the Ecological Genomics Symposium. The title of Haugens presentation was Determination of the genetic basis of pseudo flower formation in Boechera holboellii. Cynthia Anderson, co-director of BHSUs DNA core facility, was a co-author of the presentation. Read more...
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  Tyler Raad, theatre and vocal music major from Spearfish, directed the BHSU music departments first-ever full opera, Dido and Aeneas. Radd, who also played the role of Aeneas, also designed and made both the set and the costumes and has hired the conductor and the orchestra for the production. Learn more...
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  Jessica Juhrend, speech communication major from Spearfish, won the Blank Theatre Company's Nationwide Young Playwrights Competition. Juhrends play, Blood, was produced with professional actors in Los Angeles in June 2009 as a part of the Blank Theatre Company's Young Playwrights Festival. Juhrend traveled to Los Angeles to be a part of the rehearsal process. Read more...
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  Several of our accounting graduates have passed all four sections of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam on the first attempt. Only about one in ten candidates nationwide pass all four parts in one attempt. Learn more about the accounting program here at BHSU.

Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

• Alumni
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  Charlotte (Rames) Hildebrant, Attended, is transforming lives as a full-time missionary in Swaziland, Africa.
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  Staff Sgt. Andrew Foxworthy, Class of '04, is currently the bass player for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) International Band in Mons, Belgium. The SHAPE International Band is the official musical representative of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and SHAPE.
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  Shauna (Bruce) Hamburger, Class of '97, published her first book, Beyond Adversity and Into Freedom, in which she shares her story of overcoming Spina Bifida and how she has lived a life of freedom and fulfillment in the midst of adverse circumstances.
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  Jennifer (Wales) Schwartz, Class of ’98, was awarded with the 2010 Nebraska Monument Business and Professional Women (BPW) Young Careerist Award.
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  Captain Brett Theeler, M.D., Class of ‘01, was honored with the 2011 Young Alumni Achievement Award.  Brett is a clinical neuro-oncology fellow at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and will complete a clinical and research fellowship in neuro-oncology in June 2012. Following completion of the fellowship, he will resume serving in the United States Army as the first and only active-duty neuro-oncologist. Read more...
  
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  Deb Thorp, Class of ‘90 and ’02, was recognized by President Obama as being one of only 85 math and science teachers nationwide receiving the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.  She teaches sixth-grade science at Lead-Deadwood Middle School.
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  Leigh Kamstra, Class of ’82 and chef/owner of Roma’s Ristorante in Spearfish, was recently honored by the South Dakota Small Business Administration (SBA) as the Small Business Person of the Year for 2011. She is one of three finalists, vying for a national award. Read more...
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  Teresa Franzen, who recently graduated from Black Hills State University, has been selected to receive a $5,000 fellowship for graduate study from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Franzen was one of only 57 students in the nation to receive the prestigious fellowship.
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  Brie Covert, history and American Indian studies graduate from Pablo, Mont., was accepted into the Professional Masters Program of Ecohydrology at the University of Idaho. Covert will receive a $25,000 scholarship fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Read more...
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  Robert B. Cook, Class of ’90, Summerset, has been appointed by President Obama to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.
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  Robert "Bob" Hellevang, Class of '79, Belle Fourche, was awarded the South Dakota Industrial Technology Teacher of the Year award.
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  Alumna and former cross country and track/field athlete Monica Headlee, Class of '02 was selected as one of the semifinalists for the Minnesota Teacher of the Year Award. Read more...
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  Gary Mule Deer, a Black Hills State University alum, was named to the 2009 South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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  Monica Mills, Class of 82, Washington, D.C., was named one of the top 30 grassroots lobbyists on Capitol Hill by The Hill newspaper, which is Capitol Hills largest publication. Monica is the director of government relations for Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice that urges the nations decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.
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  Jensen Jen (Morris) Moore, Class of 99, Warren, Mich., joined the West Virginia University (WVU) faculty as the director of undergraduate online programs for the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism. She will help WVU enhance its online undergraduate program; develop new courses for the advertising, public relations, and mass communication curriculum; and promote the journalism program. Read more...
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  Jake Miller, biology and chemistry major, who completed his honors project on the relation of genetics to cancer research, was one of only four students accepted into the M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
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  Jared Larson, double major in biology and chemistry, has been accepted to two of the top pharmacy schools in the nation (Oregon State University and University of Minnesota)
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  Tara Buehner, Class of 07, has been awarded the highly competitive Gaylord Ph.D. Fellowship from the University of Oklahoma, which pays all tuition, fees, and travel. The fellowship is awarded to one student each year with three or more years of professional experience in journalism and mass communication disciplines.
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  Lisa Pingrey, Class of 95, received the 2008 American Star of Teaching Award for South Dakota. The award honors teachers who have made a significant impact on the lives of their students. Read more...
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  Kathleen Engle, a 1980 graduate of Black Hills State University who now teaches physical education at the middle school in Newcastle, Wyo., was named to the National Teacher Hall of Fame.

Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

• Departments
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  Dr. Andy Johnson, associate director of the Center for the Advancement of Math and Science Education, presented results of his project, "Radiation By Inquiry" at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. This project is designed to teach radiation to non-science college and high school students.
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  Roberta Sago, special collections librarian and archivist for the Leland D. Case Library, co-authored a book with BHSU alumna, Jan Cerney. Black Hills National Forest: Harney Peak and the Historic Fire Lookout Towers explores the history of the fire lookout tours located throughout the Black Hills National Forest. This is the co-authors’ third book; previous works include Spearfish and Black Hills Gold Rush Towns.
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  Sara Elias, career counselor and internship coordinator, was recently awarded the Keith A. Thomson Professional Development Grant from the South Dakota Association of College Career Centers (SDACCC). Elias serves on the Public Relations Committee for SDACCC, and represents the association and BHSU on the Black Hills Regional Job Fair Finance Committee. The Thomson Grant was established to provide financial support to current members of SDACCC as they pursue professional development activities. In October, Elias will be attending the National Society for Experiential Education’s (NSEE) annual conference in Charlotte, N.C. This $500 grant will be used to pay for pre-conference workshops facilitated by NSEE’s Experiential Education Academy (EEA). Elias has completed 50 percent of the curriculum towards earning the EEA Certificate of Completion, documenting work in theory, best practice and special topics related to experiential education.
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  The Black Hills State University Bookstore was featured in National Association of College Stores e-newsletter for their innovation in community involvement. The publication highlighted the BHSU Farmers Market that was held during the summer and fall. Learn more...
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  Erin Writer, researcher for Center for the Conservation of Biological Resources, presented “Age Constraints on the Duration of Resurgence and Post-Collapse Rhyolites at Valles Caldera, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico,” at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver, Colo. The presentation discusses the volcanic and landscape evolution of the Jemez Mountain volcanic field.
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  Myron Sullivan, director of Public Safety and Parking at Black Hills State University, was recently elected to serve as vice president of the Board of Directors for the MidWest Campus Parking Association.
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  Dr. Erin Holmes, director of Institutional Research and Assessment, had a chapter published in Speaking Green with a Southern Accent: Environmental Management and Innovation in the South. Holmes’ chapter, which is drawn from her dissertation, is on policy instruments used in the Southern States.
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  The Center for American Indian Studies at BHSU used grant funds to host a five-day intensive outreach Bridge Program for American Indian students to make the transition to university life easier. BHSU has the highest percentage of American Indian students of the six state universities in South Dakota. Learn more...
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  Black Hills State University won two awards for excellence in communications materials at the regional Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). BHSU earned silver awards for this poster series and a fundraising publication as a part of the CASE District VI contest. Learn more...
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  Dr. Rajeev Bukralia, dean of Educational Outreach & Libraries presented two sessions at the 2010 Annual Conference of the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) in San Francisco, Calif. Bukralia co-presented a session titled, Getting Personal: The Evolution of Learning Management Systems.  His second presentation focused on using predictive analytics to identify students who are more likely to drop out from online courses. Learn more...
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  Black Hills State University has now established the South Dakota Center for Enterprise Opportunity (SD CEO), funded by a $750,000 Small Business Administration grant, that will provide management and technical assistance, comprehensive training, and counseling for entrepreneurs. Visit SD CEO's website to learn more about the program.
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  Nancy Grassel, director of Human Resources, presented at the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources Midwestern Region Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minn. Grassel, along with her co-presenters presented “Social Media: You Can Be an Innovator! But Should You?” The panel presentation helped attendees learn how social media is being used in organizational settings and specific ways in which social media can be used to support various institutional initiatives and programs. Read more...
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  The John T. Vucurevich Foundation recently donated an additional $72,500 for the scholarship program for math and science students at BHSU. Read more...
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  Garrett Stevens, Systems Software Specialist, was recently re-elected to serve on the South Dakota State Employees Organizations Executive Board for a three-year term. Stevens, who just completed his first term, was also awarded the Outstanding Executive Board Member of the year award, for his creative and innovative efforts to technologically advance the organization.
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  Myron Sullivan, director of Public Safety & Parking, was re-elected as the president of the South Dakota State Employees Organization. The South Dakota State Employee Organization is made up of members from all departments of state government and the Board of Regents Systems. Read more...
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  Arlene Holmes, director of the Career Center, was elected to the South Dakota Association of College Career Centers (SDACCC) Board of Directors during the organizations recent annual meeting. Holmes will serve a two-year term as an At-Large Board Member. Read more...
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  Dr. Rajeev Bukralia, dean of Educational Outreach & Libraries, has been appointed to the executive committee on distance learning for the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). Bukralia was also appointed program chair of the distance learning community of practice for the 2010 UCEA annual conference in San Francisco. Read more...
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  Dr. Kristi L. Pearce, BHSU associate vice president for Academic Affairs, recently authored a chapter in a higher education management and leadership publication. Read more...
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  Erin Writer, researcher for the Center for the Conservation of Biological Resources (CCBR), presented her research poster Predictive GIS Modeling of Rare Plant Occurrence at the 2009 Geological Society of America Rocky Mountain Section Meeting in May at Orem, Utah.
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  Grant and contract funding to BHSU have over 500% in the past decade. BHSU has earned more than $35 million in grant funding in the last 5 years.
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  BHSU's Center for the Conservation of Biological Resources is a state-of-the-art genomics laboratory, the only such facility in the state and region. CCBR along with Westcore at BHSU recently signed the Wildlife Forensic Proficiency Testing Program Charter. CCBR is one of nine United States based laboratories to sign the charter and to consistently pass the proficiency exam twice a year. The mission of the charter is to provide a reliable method by which participating Wildlife Forensic Laboratories can verify their technical procedures are valid and the quality of their examiners work is being maintained. Read more...
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  The Center for Advancement in Mathematics and Science Education (CAMSE) has been enhancing the preparation of future teachers, partnering with school districts, supporting teachers in the field, and enriching K-12 math and science instruction since 1997. Learn more about CAMSE.

Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

• Athletics
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  BHSU Yellow Jackets Athletic teams finished in 2nd place in the Dakota Athletic Conference for the 2009-2010 season.
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  BHSU Yellow Jackets finished 31st for the 2009-2010 season in the NAIA Learfield Sports national rankings.
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  Black Hills State University Athletics has achieved tremendous success in recent years, both at the conference and national level within the Dakota Athletic Conference and NAIA. From 2006 through 2008, 18 DAC Team Championships have been earned by BHSU sport teams with BHSU football competing as NAIA National Qualifiers in 2006 and 2007, men’s basketball 2008-09 NAIA Final Four, women’s basketball 2007-08 NAIA Elite Eight & 2008-09 NAIA Elite Eight, women’s volleyball NAIA National Qualifiers 2008 & 2009, men’s and women’s cross-country NAIA top 10 finishes 2006 2007, & 2008, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field top 20 finishes in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
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  Black Hills State University was given the Champions of Character Five Star Award by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for advancing character-driven intercollegiate athletics during the 2009-2010 season. Read more...
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  Women's basketball team members, Jenna Bolstad, senior education major from Homestead, Mont.; Brittany Fuhrman, senior human services major from Mobridge; Janna Schriber, junior sociology major from Gillette, Wyo.; Mandy Brumfield, junior business administration major from Dickenson, N.D.; and Tiffany Thomas, junior biology major from Laurel, Mont.; were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes. The NAIA Scholar-Athlete award is given to athletes who have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Learn more...
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  Men's basketball guard Cain Atkinson, junior business administration major from Evanston, Wyo., was named NAIA Honorable Mention All-American for his second straight season. Learn more...
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  Men's basketball forward Luke Enos, junior business administration major from Rapid City, was named to the NAIA 1st-Team All-American for his efforts on the court during the 09-10 season, helping the Yellow Jackets win their second Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) title and their second consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. Learn more...
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  Black Hills State University was the highest-ranked school in the Dakota Athletic Conference. The BHSU athletic program was ranked 25th with 266.66 points in the final winter standings of the Learfield Sports Directors Cup. Learn more...
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  The BHSU women's track team placed first for the fourth consecutive season at the 2009 Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) championship. The means team placed second for the third consecutive year. Learn more about Cross Country at BHSU.

Black Hills State University transforms lives through innovative academic programs and a dynamic learning community.

• Arts and Sciences
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  A paper by faculty and a student was highlighted in an issue of the scientific journal Western North American Naturalist as one of four outstanding natural history papers for 2009. Grass Rhizosheaths: Associated Bacterial Communities and Potential for Nitrogen Fixation was authored Dr. David Bergmann, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Mike Zehfus, professor of chemistry; the late Linda Zierer, who was pursuing a biology degree at BHSU, Dr. Brian Smith, professor of biology; and Dr. Mark Gabel, director of the herbarium.
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  Dr. Vincent King, professor of humanities, and Dr. Amy Fuqua, associate professor of humanities, were invited to be reviewers for the Proceedings of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). NCUR Proceedings is a prestigious national journal which features the scholarship of students who have presented papers at NCUR.
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  A photograph by Steve Babbitt, professor of photography, was recently featured in Discover magazine. The photograph, published in a two-page spread on pages eight and nine of the April 2011 issue of Discover, was taken in the Davis Cavern of the Sanford Lab.
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  Dr. Symeon Waseen, assistant professor of music, composed and premiered his concertino, the Second Concertino for Piano and Chamber Ensemble.
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  Dr. John Glover, professor of history and social science, was recently elected to the TREC – Badlands Head Start: Prenatal to Five board of directors. TREC offers Early Head Start and Head Start systemic services to children to several counties in South Dakota.
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  Donovin Sprague, adjunct instructor, is a contributing author of the newest book released by the Smithsonian Institution entitled Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian edited by Cecile R. Ganteaume. The book is part of the current large exhibition that recently opened at the National Museum of the American Indian’s George Gustav Heye Center in Washington, D.C. To learn more visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu. Sprague also contributed to a history paper selected for panel presentation at the recent 50th American History Association Conference in Lake Tahoe, Nev. He is the author of six other books and over 20 magazine and other publication articles.
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  Dr. Holly Downing, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, recently presented and participated as a panelist for a session entitled “On Becoming the Private College within the Public University, or Budgeting in an Era of Rapidly Declining State Support,” at the national conference for the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences for Deans in New Orleans, La. Approximately 500 deans, assistant deans and associate deans from universities all over the United States and Canada attend this conference each year. Downing also served as a facilitator for a discussion group on case studies for the conference and worked on the Committee on Comprehensive Institutions, which organizes a meeting for comprehensive university administrators and a conference session.
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  Dr. Mary Caton-Rosser, assistant professor of mass communications, authored a chapter in The Geopolitics of Representation in Foreign New: Explaining Darfur published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. The book was a five year cooperative effort with Caton-Rosser’s colleague Dr. Bella Mody from the University of Colorado-Boulder and others. Caton-Rosser’s chapter is an analysis of the coverage on Darfur’s uprising published in the New York Times and Washington Post.
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   Jace DeCory, instructor of history and social science, presented at a West River History Conference luncheon. DeCory’s presentation was entitled "Mitakuyepi Wopila Heca" (We are grateful for our relatives).
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  Dr. Ahrar Ahmad, professor of political science, joined Jim Leach, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, to participate in a forum on America and the Muslim World in Sioux Falls. Ahmad gave a brief summary of a Muslim world view toward the U.S. and Western nations.
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  Kent Meyers, associate professor of humanities and writer-in-residence at Black Hills State University, received the Best Fiction award for his novel “Twisted Tree” at the High Plains Book Awards in Billings, Mont.
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  Dr. Roger Miller, associate professor of history and social science, recently presented at the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) 95th Annual Meeting in Savannah, Ga. Miller’s presentation, “Shanghai’s World Expo: a Study in Iconography,” discussed how various country pavilions in Shanghai, China are able to represent their own cultures, often in a grandiose way.
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  Kent Meyers, writer-in-residence and associate professor of humanities, had two essays published this past summer. The fist essay entitled “Law in Western Life and Stories,” was published by The Georgia Review and the second essay entitled “Naked Time” was published by Paddlefish. Meyers will also be speaking at Dickenson State University in Dickinson, N.D., as part of the Heart River Writers Reading Series, as well as, at University of Oregon as part of their Visiting Writers Series. In addition to his recent publications and speaking commitments the paperback version of Twisted Tree was recently released by Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt.
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  Dustin Hinson, adjunct instructor of fine and applied arts, has artwork entitled "Arnold Circular Icon" displayed at the Bond Street Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y. in a group exhibition, New Americana. The exhibition features artists from across the US in media ranging from painting to sculpture.
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  Kent Meyers, writer-in-residence and associate professor of humanities, was invited by the editors of 2010 edition of The Best of the West: New Stories From the Wide Side of the Missouri to write the Foreword, and it appears as the essay “Why All the Law.” The Best of the West is published by The University of Texas Press, and is an anthology of the best short fiction published in journals and magazines throughout the country during the previous year. The stories must be written by writers living west of the Missouri, or be written about the American West.
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  Dr. Randall Royer, professor of music, published an article entitled, “5 Steps to a Musical Performance,” in the June issue of "Keynotes," an online magazine published by the Conn-Selmer Corporation. Read more...
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  Holly Stillson, instructor of mathematics, and Dr. Parthasarathi Nag, assistant professor of Mathematics had their article entitled "Aleks and Mathxl: Using Online Interactive Systems to Enhance a Remedial Algebra Course" published in the Fall 2009 issue of Mathematics and Computer Education (Volume 42, Number 3).
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  A photograph by Steve Babbitt, professor of mass communication, was selected for the Endless Visions: The South Dakota Governor's Fourth Biennial Art Exhibition. Babbitt's photograph entitled Dead End was chosen for this highly selective juried show. Read more...
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  Steve Babbitt, professor of mass communication, was featured in the Black and White exhibition at the Center for Fine Art Photography is Fort Collins, Colo. Babbitt was chosen as one of 52 photographers representing, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, United Kingdom and the United States to exhibit their work at the Center. In addition, Babbitt was recently featured by the Dakota Day blog for his photographic artwork on exhibit at the APEX gallery at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Read more...
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  Dr. Kara Keeter, assistant professor of physics and chair of the Northwest Section of the American Physical Society (APS), represented BHSU at the APS Unit Convocation and Congressional Visit in Washington, D.C.
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  Dr. Nicholas Wallerstein, professor of English, delivered a paper titled "The Art of Glossing King Lear" at the 17th Annual Conference on Early British Literature, held at St. John's University. Read more...
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  Kent Meyers, associate professor and writer-in-residence, recently published his fifth book, Twisted Tree, which received excellent reviews from the Washington Post, the New York Times and Publishers Weekly. Meyers has also been chosen as the winner of the Adult Fiction Committee of the Society of Midland Authors 2009-2010 Awards Competition for Twisted Tree. Read more...
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  Dr. Holly Downing, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, gave a presentation as part of a panel entitled "Pipeline Issues in the STEM Disciplines" at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences held in Baltimore, Md. Downing, has also been selected to be a member for the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) standing committee for comprehensive institutions. Read more...
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  Dr. Brian Smith, professor of biology at BHSU, was recently elected to the Board of Trustees of The Herpetologists' League. Read more...
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  BHSU students will be doing increased genomics and biomedical research as a result of a multi-million dollar grant. Read more...
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  Daluss Siewert, associate professor of mathematics, was elected Chairperson of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). The MAA is the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Read more...
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  Dr. David Siemens, associate professor of biology, recently published two articles in national journals. Ontogenetic Switches from Resistance to Tolerance: Minimizing Costs with Age? was published in Ecology Letters, with colleagues from Stanford and Trinity Universities.
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  Dr. David Cremean, associate professor of humanities, is the active president for the Western Literature Association (WLA). In September 2009 BHSU hosted the WLA Conference.
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  All language classes, beginning with first year, are taught in the target language and all faculty members are fluent in the language and have spent considerable time abroad. Discover the modern language programs available at BHSU.
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  During its 35th anniversary, KBHU, the only 24-hour student-run college radio station in the five-state region, recently expanded its coverage area of a 60 mile radius with a new station KJKT-FM (K-Jacket) on 90.7 .
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  The Johanna Meier Opera Theatre Institute, the only summer opera program in the region, attracts students and instructors from around the world.
• Business and Technology
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  Dr. David Scarborough, associate professor of human resource management, co-authored a paper entitled, “SAS Base(R) Implementation of Information Theoretic Feature Selection for Neural Networks,” that was selected to be presented at the 2011 SAS Global Forum.
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  Don Altmyer, professor of business, and Dr. Sheng Yang, associate professor of finance, had their paper entitled, “The Comparative Effectiveness of Web-Based and Classroom Instruction: Student Demographics vs. Learning Outcomes,” published in the December 2010 edition of Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development.

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  Dr. Annette Ryerson, associate professor of marketing, and Dr. Bobbi Looney, associate professor of business, had their paper entitled “Here, you’re a Millennial – Create us a Facebook Presence” accepted for presentation and publication at the Global Management, Finance and Information Technology Research Conference in Manhattan, N.Y.
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  Dr. Priscilla Romkema, dean of the College of Business and Technology, was named the South Dakota Small Business Association 2011 Women in Business Champion of the Year.
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  Dr. Christian Nsiah, associate professor of economics, and Dr. Chen Wu, assistant professor of economics, were recently informed that their paper entitled "An Analysis of U.S. State's Export Performance in the Asian Market" was accepted for publication by The Annals of Regional Science.
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  Don Altmyer, professor of business, Dr. Ken Schallenkamp, associate professor of business, Dr. Ron DeBeaumont, professor of business, and Dr. Sheng Yang, associate professor of business, had their paper “Student Ethical Awareness and Business Program Matriculation: A Case Study” accepted for presentation at the 2011 Las Vegas Global Conference on Business and Finance in January 2011. As lead author, Altmyer will be delivering the presentation at this conference.
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  Dr. Adam Bailey, assistant professor of business, had his paper entitled "The Nonworseness Claim and the Moral Permissibility of Better-Than-Permissible Acts" for publication in the journal Philosophia. Founded in 1971, Philosophia is a much-respected journal that has provided a platform to many well-known philosophers including Kenneth Arrow, A.J. Ayer, Roderick Chisholm and many others.
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  Dr. Adam Bailey, assistant professor of business, had his paper entitled "Confucianism-Based Rights Skepticism and Rights in the Workplace" accepted for publication in Business Ethics Quarterly.
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  Dr. David Crawford , associate professor of accounting, had his manuscript entitled "Practitioner and Educator Preferences Regarding Accounting Curriculum Meeting The 150-Hour Requirement" accepted for publication in the Academy of Educational Leadership Journal (AELJ).
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  Dr. Liqiang Chen, assistant professor of management information technology, had his paper entitled “Corporate Strategy in Global Warming – A Multiple Disciplines Framework” accepted for publication in the Decision Sciences Institute Proceedings. The Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) is a professional organization of academicians and practitioners interested in the application of quantitative and behavioral methods to the problems of society.
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  Dr. Don Altmyer, professor of business, completed the 2010 Professional Disc Golf Association tour with victories in the Advanced Grandmaster division at the Wintertime Open in Pasadena, Calif., and at the Memorial Championship in Phoenix, Ariz. Altmyer finished fifth at the PDGA World Championships held in Marion, Ohio.
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  Dr. Sheng Yang, associate professor of finance, and Dr. Annette Ryerson, assistant professor of marketing, had their paper entitled, "Correcting for Selectivity Bias in the Estimation of Tourist Spending Surveys" accepted to Tourism Economics for publication.
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  Dr. Ken Schallenkamp, associate professor of business, and his co-author had their paper entitled "Active and Individualized Instruction: Threaded Discussions and Teaching Business Ethics On-line" accepted for presentation at the National Mountain Plains Management Conference (MPMC).
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  Dr. Christian Nsiah, assistant professor of economics, and two co-authors had their paper entitled "Tourism and Economic Growth: Latin America" accepted for publication in Tourism Economics, a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the economics and finance of tourism worldwide.
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  Dr. Don Looney, assistant professor of business, and Dr. Annette Ryerson, assistant professor of marketing, had their case study entitled "Lehman Trikes: A Story Within a Story" accepted for publication in the Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies.
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  Dr. David Crawford, associate professor of accounting, had his article entitled "Deploying Formative Assessment in Accounting Principles" published in Accounting Instructors, a peer reviewed online journal that has a focus on accounting education.
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  Dr. Priscilla Romkema, dean of the College of Business and Technology, has been appointed vice chairman of the Zonta International Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship Committee for 2010-2012 biennium. Read more...
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  Black Hills State University has been awarded a $40,050 Business Incubator Planning grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. BHSU will use the grant funding to perform a needs assessment and to draft a formal business plan for a proposed Northern Black Hills Business Incubator on campus.
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  Dr. Barbara Looney, instructor of business communications, and Dr. Annette Ryerson, professor of marketing, had their paper entitled "Expecting Less and Getting More: Trike Survey Over Performs" accepted for publication in The Business Review, Cambridge, Vol. 14, Summer 2010.
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  Dr. Priscilla Romkema, dean of the College of Business and Technology, qualified for the 114th annual Boston Marathon.  This is the seventh Boston Marathon Romkema has qualified to run. Read more...
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  College of Business and Technology in part with the South Dakota Office of Tourism launched the only online customer training program in the state. Read more...
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  BHSU College of Business and Technology offers one of the few Tourism and Hospitality Management programs in the region.
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  BHSU business students, who take the Major Field Test exit exam before graduation, outperformed the national average in 8 of 9 subject areas.
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  BHSU accounting students, supervised by accounting faculty, offer free income tax return assistance every spring as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program in cooperation with the IRS. Learn more about the accounting program at BHSU.
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  BHSU has one of the largest business schools in South Dakota with more than 650 students enrolled in business programs.
  Learn more about the College of Business and Technology
• Education
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  Laura Turner, instructor of education, had three articles published in the e newsletter Digital Learning Environments. The articles “20 Technology Skills that Every Educator Should Have,” “Web 2.0 Tools for Math Educators,” and “Web 2.0 Science Tools,” were featured as the top three articles in the newsletter.
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  Laura Turner, instructor of education, recently had five articles published in the Digital Learning Environments e-newsletter. Her articles are entitled, “Web 2.0 Science Tools,” “10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators,” “10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators, Part 2,” “Web 2.0 Tools for Math Educators,” and “More Great Web2.0 Tools.”
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  Dr. Kathleen Matthew, associate professor of education, had an article entitled “Origin Stories: Geography, Culture and Belief” published in Social Studies and the Young Learner V22(4).
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  Dr. James Hesson, professor of physical education and health, was invited by the National Strength and Conditioning Association to be the senior and scientific presenter at a three-day Tactical Strength and Conditioning Course (NSCA-TSAC) held this summer and conducted at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in Douglas, Wyo.
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  Dr. Jami Stone, assistant professor of education, was selected for the Service, Teaching and Research (STAR) program, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded program for new doctorates in mathematics education in the U.S. Stone was one of 43 new doctorates in mathematics education selected for this program. The goals of the STAR Institute are: to establish a support structure to help advance the scholarship of recent mathematics education doctoral graduates; expand the networking of the recent mathematics education doctoral graduates; and showcase research priorities for the field and facilitate the establishment and development of research groups involving mathematics education scholars from different institutions.
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  Sandy Klarenbeek, instructor of education, and co-presenters from across the country presented “Healthy Students, Successful Learners: Strategies for Gaining Top School Administrator Support” at the American School Health Association, Kansas City, Mo. She also presented a roundtable discussion entitled, “Congratulations! You Scored the Highest on the Clapping Hands Performance Task: Using Formative Assessment FOR Learning and Student Academic Success.” Klarenbeek currently serves as the Chair of the Health Coordinators Section for the American School Health Association.
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  Dr. Sunhwi Kim, assistant professor of education was invited to present two lectures at Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, Korea. The first lecture was on Different Forms of Feedback and the second on Reflective Teaching & Four-Step Planning Process.
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  Faye LaDuke-Pelster, instructor of education, presented “What if We Work Together?: Collaboration Between a University and Reservation School” at the 55th Annual Meeting of the International Reading Association-Chicago, Ill. Sue McGrath, instruction of education and mentor of the Teacher Learning Center, also presented her presentation "I Never Thought That Would Work," Learning from Master Teachers at the annual meeting.
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  Laura Turner, instructor in the College of Education, had two online articles entitled, "10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators" and "10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators, Part 2," published in the Digital Learning Environments e-newsletter.
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  Dr. Greg Cooch, professor in the College of Education, appeared on South Dakota Public Television in a documentary, "Breaking Shells," about developmental disabilities that included footage from discussions in his classroom and an interview with Cooch. Read more...
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  Dr. Dorothy Fuller, associate professor of education, was among the Teacher Education Editorial Board which received the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) Cup Award. The House Cup is awarded to the Editorial Board that makes the highest level of contributions in an academic year. Read more...
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  Dr. Sandy Klarenbeek, health educator in the College of Education, recently presented a poster session entitled "Using Children and Young Adult Literature to Address Risky Behaviors and Teach Health Skills" at the International Conference on Health Risks of Youth in Cancun, Mexico.
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  Dr. Micheline Hickenbotham, associate professor of education, received the 2010 Distinguished Service Award from the South Dakota Science Teachers Association (SDSTA). Read more...
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  Dr. Lee Pearce, associate professor of education, published his article in the Rural Educator entitled, "Helping Children with Emotional Difficulties: A Response to Intervention Investigation". His article was a program evaluation that reviews the impact of a response to intervention (RtI) process on nine elementary children experiencing significant emotional and behavioral challenges within the school setting.
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  Project PRIME, was singled out by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as an example of high-quality innovative teacher preparation programs. Read more...
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  Dr. Len Austin, associate professor of education; and Dr. John Alsup, professor of education, presented at the World Civic Forum at the United Nations Conference in Seoul, Korea. Austin presented, Teaching People Not Content: Using Higher Education to Develop Humanitarian Skills. Alsip's presentation was titled, Teaching Mathematics in Rural Tanzania. Read more...
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  Dr. Lee Pearce, associate professor of education, presented the results of his research at the annual Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) summit in Albuquerque, N.M. Funding for Pearce's research has been extended through the next academic year. He has also had his manuscript Oral Reading Fluency as a Predictor of Reading Comprehension with American Indian and White Elementary Students published in the School Psychology Review.
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  Dr. Gregory Cooch, associate professor of education, was invited to present his special education research at the National Transition Conference in North Carolina. Funding has been extended for his study, which began with a six-year $330,000 grant from the South Dakota Department of Education/Special Education to address performance outcomes of children receiving special education services once they exit the K-12 system.
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  Dr. James Hesson, professor of exercise science, is currently the only individual in the state of South Dakota that is dual certified with dual distinction. Hesson is certified in two NSCA specializations, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the year 2011. He also spent five weeks as a visiting sport physiologist at the United States Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. Much of his work was to prepare Team USA athletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Read more...
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  Recently 100 percent of the BHSU teacher education students earned passing scores on their first attempt to take their content exams and the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam which is required for South Dakota licensing.
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  Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs. Current student teaching opportunities include teaching in Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and South America.
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  BHSU consistently produces the largest number of teacher education graduates in the State of South Dakota with an annual graduate rate of over 100 teachers. 253 BHSU graduates from 2003-2007 are teaching in South Dakota school districts.
  Learn more about the College of Education at BHSU.
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  The College of Education prepares competent, confident, and caring professionals.