The South Dakotan
The South Dakotan is our story hub highlighting the meaningful contributions of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. Find out everything USD is up to here.
The Latest
A High Note: USD Music Students Win Big at Two Competitions
University of South Dakota music students were among the top prizewinners at two competitions hosted by the South Dakota Music Teachers Association at South Dakota State University on Nov. 7 and 8, 2025.
Beacom School of Business Hosts Fall 2025 Coyote Business Consulting Showcase
The University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business hosted its Fall 2025 Coyote Business Consulting Showcase, celebrating a semester of student-driven innovation, real-world problem solving and meaningful partnerships across the region.
USD Sanford School of Medicine to Host Graduation Convocation Ceremony on May 8
The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine will host its graduation and hooding ceremony on May 8, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Sioux Falls.
USD Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Program Earns Prestigious ABET Accreditation
The University of South Dakota’s bachelor’s degree program in biomedical engineering, in the College of Arts & Sciences, has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, a nonprofit, ISO 9001-certified quality assurance organization.
School of Education Expands State-of-the-Art Equipment for Kinesiology and Sport Management
The University of South Dakota School of Education’s Division of Kinesiology and Sport Management has doubled the value of its teaching and research lab inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, bringing the total investment to over $200,000.
Featured
USD Receives Rare Butler Family Photograph Collection; Exhibition Opens Nov. 24
The University of South Dakota’s Archives & Special Collections has received a significant gift from Rex Butler of Cornelius, North Carolina.
Alumni
From Mentee to Employee: USD Experiences Create Path to Full-Time Career for Recent Graduate
For Katie Gellerman ’25, the University of South Dakota offered more than a degree—it offered opportunities to get involved, gain hands-on experience and build connections that opened doors beyond the classroom.
Nursing Alumna Selected for 2025 Dole Caregiver Fellow Leadership Program
At just 23 years old, Kylie Briest has spent nearly her entire life as a caregiver. In 2005, her father, U.S. Army Sgt. Corey Briest, was severely injured by an IED explosion in Iraq. The blast left him with a traumatic brain injury, resulting in limited mobility, vision and speech. Kylie Briest was only three years old at the time.
.jpg?rev=0d292021af7f4991a027758af3fec715&w=350&la=en&hash=441B160EA62C0338F24E58E17FC589F9)
USD Alumnus Frank Leibfarth Named 2025 Laureate in Chemical Sciences
Frank Leibfarth, Ph.D., a 2008 graduate who studied physics and chemistry at the University of South Dakota, and was one of three laureates chosen, was honored on Oct. 7 at the American Museum of Natural History as the 2025 Laureate in Chemical Sciences for the Blavatnik National Awards—one of the country’s most significant prizes for early-career researchers.
USD In The News
-
USD in Argus Leader
USD Discovery District to Hold Ribbon Cutting, Looks to Future Plans for Expansion
-
USD on SiouxFalls.Business
Coyote Business Consulting Prepares USD Business Student for Avera Fellowship
-
USD on SDPB
Teacher Talk | Compassionate Classrooms
-
USD on Dakota News Now
USD Students Excited to Learn About Future Plans on Match Day
-
USD in the Argus Leader
Why This South Dakota City is the Best in the U.S. for Small Town Arts Scene
More Headlines
-
Business Analytics Students Make Their Debut at the INFORMS Annual Meeting
Summary: A group of graduate students from the University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business reached a notable milestone this fall when they became the first USD delegation to attend the INFORMS Annual Meeting, one of the world’s premier conferences in operations research, analytics and data science.
-
USD Accounting & Finance Division Honors Outstanding Alumni and Students
Summary: The University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business Accounting & Finance Division recognized three distinguished alumni and celebrated top-performing students at its annual Accounting & Finance Recognition Dinner, held Nov. 6, 2025, in the Muenster University Center.
-
USD Team Achieves Milestone in Germanium Detector Fabrication
Summary: Dongming Mei, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Physics, and his research group at the University of South Dakota have successfully fabricated high-purity germanium detectors across multiple geometries.
-
Dental Hygiene Implements PerioView Endoscope into Student Learning
Summary: The University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene is the recipient of a new state-of-the-art piece of dental equipment that will heighten students’ understanding of periodontal anatomy and disease.
Guest Column
USD has done a great job of recognizing that higher education is changing, and they provide internship programs and job training opportunities that help students adapt to a changing workplace. The faculty at USD are top notch, and they put focus on providing students with the qualities they will need when they graduate.
A Conversation with the Leader of the Band: Scott Lawrence
USD alumnus Scott Lawrence has had a rather unique journey from high school band director to president and CEO of one of the region’s most successful advertising agencies.
