Research Highlights
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Dr. Matthew SayreAssistant Professor, Anthropology
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Timothy Farrell, D.M.A.Department Chair, Music
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Dr. Meghann JarchowAssistant Professor, SustainabilitySustainability graduates will be able to look at problems from multiple perspectives to address complex issues. The major is highly interdisciplinary and allows students to specialize in either natural sciences or social sciences. Dr.Meghann Jarchow's research examines reincorporating prairies back into the South Dakota landscape and quantifying the environmental benefits such as less nitrogen pollution, less soil erosion, increased plant diversity, and increased animal habitat in comparison to row crops or livestock grazing. |
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Jeff Eckhoff
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Dr. Miglena Sternadori
Dr. Miglena Sternadori has explored what communication educators believe to be appropriate uses of social media as interaction tools. Although new privacy options have alleviated some of the ethical concerns, educators still acknowledge Facebook's and Twitter's potential to blur appropriate boundaries with students and question their usefulness in comparison to email and university-endorsed learning platforms. Her data suggest that using is believing. She found that educators who already use Facebook and Twitter for class activities are enthusiastic about their teaching potential. |
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Chaya Gordon-Bland
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Dr. David SwansonProfessor, BiologyTo survive the winter cold, small birds generally show substantial increases in metabolic rates that are accompanied by increases in cold tolerance. The size of the flight muscles, which are the primary heat producing organ in birds, typically increases in winter and these larger muscles are thought to help mediate the increases in metabolic rates. However, the mechanisms underlying this winter increase in muscle size are not well understood yet. Dr. Swanson studies factors that might regulate this muscle growth and how the birds might respond to changing climates. |
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Dr. Michael WattAssistant Professor, Basic Biomedical SciencesDr.Watt focuses his research on areas of the developing adolescent brain that may be affected by bullying. Findings to date indicate that the experience of being bullied in adolescence disrupts important functions of the brain that are responsible for normal executive function essential for allowing behavioral flexibility, emotional regulation, planning and decision making. Decreased executive function is a common symptom of all the psychiatric disorders associated with being bullied. These studies have, for the first time, provided important neurobiological and behavioral data connecting exposure to adolescent bullying. |
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Dr. Garreth ZaludProfessor, EducationThe consequences of long-term literacy difficulties are both dire and immense. Irrefutably, children who fail to develop reading skills are woefully ill prepared for a success-driven market that demands a highly skilled labor force. Acknowledging the negative impact on these individuals and society, the Reading Recovery Training Center has provided all-important literacy intervention training for teachers in a five-state region. To date, more than 62,000 children have benefitted. Simply stated, Reading Recovery changes lives. |
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Dr. Jessica MessersmithAssistant Professor, Communication Sciences & DisordersA Cochlear Implant (CI) is a small, electronic device that provides sound to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The device works by converting sounds into electronic impulses. Dr.Jessica Messersmith researches ways to improve post-implant service provision. She is conducting studies in her laboratory, including evaluation of how specific approaches to programming a cochlear implant impact outcomes in children, means for improving music appreciation in cochlear implant users, and national legislation related to early identification and intervention. |
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Dan DailyDean of LibrariesGov. William Janklow (B.S., 1964, LL.B.,1966) donated his gubernatorial and political papers to USD. The letters, reports, and memoranda of Janklow's four terms as governor and Janklow's service in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 are housed in over 600 boxes. Daniel Daily oversees the organization, digitization and preparation of guides to the Janklow Papers. Future students and researchers, from undergraduates to post-doctorate scholars, will certainly delve into the Janklow Papers among other political papers at the University Libraries. |
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Dr. Rick WangAssistant Professor, ChemistryDr. Rick Wang has recently designed and synthesized a series of synthetic container molecules.These molecules are termed metal-organic super-containers, because they are assembled from container precursors, metal ions, and organic components and they are comprised of cavities that can "contain" various materials. Dr.Wang's container molecules are highly unique in several aspects. They contain both endo- and exo-cavities, and thus mimic the structure of viruses. Because of their unique characteristics, the container molecules are highly promising in a wide array of applications, including gas storage and separation, drug delivery, catalysis, and biomedical sensing.
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