Dakota State University

Madeline Hegg '24

Elementary Education

By the third grade, Madeline Hegg already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Like many individuals who choose to pursue a career in education, she was inspired by teachers throughout her schooling.

“The teachers I’ve had in my educational journey have given me so much and inspired me to do the same for younger students,” Hegg said.

Now in her final semester, Hegg, an Elementary Education major with minors in reading and technology, is currently a student teacher in the Harrisburg School District.

Originally from Mitchell, S.D., she was drawn to Dakota State to earn her degree based on its legacy as a teacher’s college, the technology mission and built-in minor, and the campus size.

“The relationships I’ve built with my university instructors have been amazing,” she said. “They care that I get through school and become a teacher, but they also care about me personally and my goals, aspirations, hobbies, just everything.”

Hegg has grown close to these educators. “They do more than just teach,” she said. “They care. They’re your friend, your mentor, and your guide. The teachers here are 100% invested in their students.”

While all of them inspire Hegg, she especially looks up to Betsy Schamber.

“Every time I’ve mentioned her name, there has been someone who has shared how amazing she was as their teacher in Madison’s middle school,” Hegg said.

Outside of the classroom, Hegg has enjoyed making lifelong friends and finding entertainment in Madison.

“The hard thing is there’s not a lot to do in Madison, but DSU makes up for it with campus activities,” she explained.

One of her favorite memories is attending Zumba classes with all her friends during her freshman year. Another memory is more recent, when Hegg served as a camp counselor for CybHER during the summer of 2023.

“For a week, I got to watch 100 middle school girls gain confidence and knowledge in technology,” she said.

Serving as a camp counselor allowed Hegg to gain more experience as an educator while also enjoying her favorite part of teaching, often referred to as ‘the light bulb moment.’

“Their eyes light up, and they get excited because they’re proud of themselves,” she said. “When a student understands what they’re learning it opens so many opportunities for the next topic, lesson, and subject.”

Hegg is currently finishing up her semester of student teaching, applying for positions in the next school year, and is excited to continue her journey as an educator.

“The relationships that DSU staff have built with me have encouraged me to go out and build those types of relationships with my own students,” she said.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (BSE)

Inspired to Educate

Denyce Bravo '24

Biology (BS)

People have used honey for thousands of years as a medical treatment. A new project at Dakota State University shows why honey is useful to treat infections on a molecular basis by looking at honey produced by bees that gather nectar from alfalfa and its antimicrobial properties. 

Denyce Bravo, a senior Biology major from the Philippines, was interested in a research project about bees, but also enjoyed aspects of microbiology.

“I learned that alfalfa also produces honey, so I decided to do something with alfalfa since it’s such a big part of agriculture in South Dakota,” Bravo said. DSU students have been researching various properties of alfalfa for four years.

Dr. Andrew Sathoff, Assistant Professor of Biology, is serving as Bravo’s mentor on the project and is enjoying the expanding alfalfa research.

The two collaborated with DSU Art Professor Alan Montgomery, a hobby beekeeper. Montgomery used alfalfa for his bees and provided the honey for testing and research.

“I impregnate a small filter with honey in different concentrations, and then I let it grow with the bacteria,” Bravo explained.

“This is a standard antimicrobial activity,” Sathoff explained. “You blot honey on a filter paper disk and then see if the honey kills the bacteria.”

Bravo found that E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus are susceptible to honey inhibiting around 30% of bacterial growth.

“It works against both human and plant pathogens,” Sathoff said. “So, it’s providing broad spectrum activity.”

Bravo also tested Manuka honey, a type of honey from New Zealand and Australia that is sometimes used in hospitals for wound and burn healing. By testing the Manuka honey, Bravo showed that alfalfa honey had similar antimicrobial activity.

The research showed that proteins in honey attack bacteria, and the hydrogen peroxide in honey also functions as the main antimicrobial agent.

While she found that alfalfa honey has antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, she found lower antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens.

“Currently, Bravo is testing the antimicrobial activity of bee defensin-1, which is a bee peptide found in honey,” Sathoff explained. “Defensins are known to have broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi.”

Bravo will attend the American Society of Microbiology Conference in Atlanta with Sathoff this summer to share her research results. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school.

Biology: Integrative Biology (BS)

David Siemienas '25

Cyber Operations (BS)

Dakota State University junior Cyber Operations major David Siemienas attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association, in January.

CES is an annual event where exhibitors debut their latest advancements in consumer technology. Additionally, world business leaders discuss industry issues during a conference program at the showcase. This year, 4300 exhibitors, from startups to tech giants, participated.

While he’s watched CES online in years past, being able to attend in person was beneficial for Siemienas. He really enjoyed seeing the keynote speakers in person, hearing from industry game-changers, and networking.

Much of CES is focused on looking forward to the future, something DSU students like Siemienas are quite adept at. Based on what he saw at CES and advances in the industry, he sees personalized automation and automatic customizations becoming more integrated in consumer technology.

Time at DSU

Siemienas has always been interested in being on the cutting edge, particularly regarding technology.

“Being able to stay one step ahead of people is always a fun challenge, and so is trying to outsmart the bad guys,” he said.

This led him to DSU for its distinguished cyber programs, where he found extracurricular activities that fit his personal interests and allow him to bolster his cyber skills.

Growing up, he was interested in automating home processes and utilizing video security with devices like a doorbell camera in his family’s home. This inspired him to join the Smart Home Lab team in MadLabs. Siemienas works with DSU Professor Tom Halverson conducting smart home and energy-management research.

The project space includes a home kitchen with smart lighting, window shades, speakers, kitchen appliances, and a Rheem Marathon water heater.

“The Smart Home Lab has let me explore the home automation space pretty freely,” he said.

The Smart Home Lab isn’t his only campus activity. This and his experience running his own home network inspired him to join the CCDC team to work in the firewall position. They will be competing regionally at the end of February, and if they advance to nationals, they will compete again in April.

Cyber Operations (BS)