Dakota State University

Megan Zephier '21

Computer Game Design (BS)

Megan Zephier has always had an eye for video game animation.

“I have always been interested in the animation involved in video games. So my friend and I taught ourselves the basics of game design to perfect our skills,” she said.

With a solid grip on the basics, Zephier chose to embark on an education that would lead her towards her career goal. So when she started thinking about college, she looked at schools that offered game design degrees.

At first, she applied to a private school in San Francisco, CA. But after realizing the tuition was high and scholarships weren’t available until her junior year, she sought other options.

Those options led her to touring and choosing Dakota State, where she’s now a thriving game design major and computer science minor.

“DSU has a great degree, along with the buildings, labs, and technology to give me the hands-on experience I need,” she said.

In addition to the hands-on experience, Zephier has had internship, job, and scholarship opportunities. Because of her high school grades, she was eligible for a Champion Scholarship and the Native American Scholarship.

“I’m grateful that I found a school that’s willing to give me an opportunity to pursue my dreams. DSU has showed me many different programs and given me the skills and knowledge to work in them. I’m excited to see what the future has in store.”

Currently, Zephier works for the DSU Phonathon and helps raise money for student scholarships. She plans to graduate in December of 2021 and work with a media firm to gain more professional experience. Ultimately, she plans to work for a company like Disney or Sony.

computer GAME DESIGN (BS)

Computer Science Minor

Martinson Ofori '21

Information Systems (PHDIS)

Martinson Ofori came to Dakota State University to make a lasting real-world impact.

“I want my work to transcend academia, I want to really impact the world.”

Originally from Kumasi, Ghana, Ofori chose DSU because of the school’s contribution to advancing technology in the domains of decision support, health informatics, and cyber security.

“I wanted to attend a school that would complete my technical education. DSU was the best choice,” he said.

Since arriving, Ofori has taken advantage of research tools and events available to students, including Dakota State’s yearly Research Symposium, where he won first place in 2019.

That same year, he was featured as part of the South Dakota Focus on South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) and he also presented at the 2019 IEEE Big Data Conference in Los Angeles, CA.

“I get to work with several seasoned professionals with whom I have a great working relationship. They’ve made a positive impact on my life both personally and academically.”

So what does his research focus on?

“It involves the use of analytics to make agriculture more efficient and better serve the needs of stakeholders, from farmers to consumers. My research advisor, Dr. Omar El-Gayar, and I worked together to publish a book chapter that discussed the status and prospects for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data in Smart Agriculture.”

It’s research that has the potential to be greatly effective, especially in a state widely known for farming.

The duo then employed social media data mining to identify public perception on the use of AI, big data, and associated technologies in agriculture.

“We trained a machine learning-based social media analytics tool to identify and classify over 40,000 social media posts using lexicons, emoticons, and emojis. Through this process, we were able to identify and validate perceived drivers and challenges of precision agriculture by comparing academic literature with social media data,” Ofori stated.

Their findings led them to the conclusion that agriculture “needed robust regulatory and institutional policies that promote both national and international agenda to foster the adoption of technology for farming.”

Ofori also holds a BS in Computer Science from Garden City University College (2014), an MBA in Finance from the University of Ghana (2018), and an MS in Computer Science from DSU (2019). He will graduate with his doctorate in Information Systems in the spring of 2021.

Learn more about Ofori’s research.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (MSCS)

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Amanda Hargreaves '10

Elementary Education (BSE)

“I don’t know a lot of jobs that give you the reward that teaching does,” said Amanda Hargreaves. “I just can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Hargreaves has been teaching since 2010, after she graduated from DSU with an elementary education degree. She is now the 2021 South Dakota Teacher of the Year.

Throughout the school year, Hargreaves will be a representative for all South Dakota teachers, conducting seminars for future teachers, and giving presentations at a variety of events. She will also represent South Dakota in the national Teacher of the Year event in the spring of 2021. Originally from Parkston, S.D., she is a sixth-grade teacher at Mitchell Middle School.

The message Hargreaves plans to share throughout the year is the importance of building relationships with students, establishing a classroom community.

“Students come to school to be loved, and if they’re loved, they are going to learn, and they will perform up to your expectations,” she said, “My message as South Dakota Teacher of the Year is to love them first, and the other things will fall into place.”

Building relationships is what she experienced as a student at DSU, with small class sizes and faculty who get to know you and what you’re passionate about. “I will be forever grateful for Dr. Mark Hawkes,” she said. “He was that professor for me who continued to drive my passion about teaching.”

Learning about technology was another benefit from her Dakota State education.

“I remember walking into Mike Waldner’s Computer Hardware class not knowing a single thing,” Hargreaves said. “I had to work hard to do well in that class,” she recalls, but that became a lesson in empathy. “After having been in those shoes myself, I know that my students may not catch on quickly with something new.”

Teachers can learn right along with their students, and Hargreaves had a lot to learn this year with the changes created by the pandemic. Teaching e-learners and in-person learners simultaneously, or through recorded lessons, means students can log in and not miss out when they’re away from the classroom for illness. She has discovered that there are advantages to this; an example is for students who are away at extracurricular events. “This use of technology has been such a blessing,” she said, and is something she would like to continue doing post-pandemic.

Despite challenges and changes in teaching, Hargreaves would recommend it as a career. “Teaching is the most rewarding profession in the world. Even on my most challenging days, I can’t wait to go back the next day.”

And she would recommend DSU for that degree. “I think that DSU is a fantastic place to continue your education.”

Elementary Education (BSE)

Kristen Dowling '21

Marketing (BBA)

When Kristen Dowling got married and had two little girls, she knew being a stay-at-home Mom while pursuing her degree part time was the perfect choice for her and her family.

“It was the best decision because it allowed me to focus more on my kids,” she said.

Dowling, a marketing major at Dakota State University, holds an Associate’s degree in Communications, but enrolled in classes at the USD Community College for Sioux Falls (then The University Center) when her second child was three years old.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted a degree. It was something extremely important to me. It’s been 15 years in the making,” she said.

Throughout those 15 years, Dowling had her fair share of in-person and online classes. In-person classes were her preference, as she enjoyed the camaraderie and conversations with her peers. But as the convenience of technology emerged, her classes began to change.

 “A lot of the classes started to change to an online format, which led me to DSU,” she said.

For Dowling, DSU was a perfect choice because they offered her degree at an affordable rate. In addition to all those perks, she also loved the relationships she formed with her professors.

One of those professors is Dr. Deb Tech, Associate Professor of Marketing, in the College of Business and Information Systems.

“She makes her online classes so interesting and exciting because she lets her personality show. Plus, she has so much real-world experience and applies it to each class, each project, each scenario,” she said.

She also credited Tech for “helping her students succeed not just academically, but professionally” by informing students about internship or job opportunities.

For Tech, advising Dowling has been a great experience.

 “Kristen is an advisee that manages her own academic progress, which has made advising her a real pleasure. She plans ahead, is focused, and is quite the professional,” said Tech.

Despite being a part time student and full time Mom, Dowling continues to keep track of her academic progress and be on top of her game.

“There’s many challenges when it comes to getting an education, it’s hard for many people to go full time. But I think that, even if it takes you a really long time to get your degree it’s worth it.”

She added, “I’ll be 35 next year and it doesn’t matter how long it took, the only thing that matters is I got my degree. I want my kids to know that education is important and that it’s something worth working toward.”

Dowling will be graduating in the spring of 2021 and plans to pursue a master’s degree.

Marketing (BBA)

Tom Jones

Professor of Art at DSU

A Kodak 110 camera in the hands of 8-year-old Tom Jones inspired a lifelong passion of photography for the Professor of Art.

“I have always taken photographs, whether it be for my artwork, vacations, events, etc.,” Jones shared. His love of photography began influencing his paintings as a fine artist, leading to more realistic images.

“Photography became another way I could capture, develop, and create artistically,” he said.

Eventually Jones began entering his photographs into competitions. In the first photo competition he entered, he received Best of Show, leading to the permanent placement of his photograph in a museum. This provided him with a confidence boost to continue pursuing the field.

Jones teaches students in his photography courses that a photograph is more than what is captured by the camera. Every setting on the camera, the lighting, and the composition come together to make the photo.

“As a photographic artist, I am passionate about making a good photograph,” Jones said. “The knowledge I have gained through developing my skills, I want to pass on to my students.”

In the classroom, Jones has students complete hands-on photography techniques in the darkroom to help them better understand how to use technological programs as tools to help create their photograph. The vocabulary in the darkroom has translated into technology programs, he explained.

“The format of photography may be changing, but the idea of capturing the perfect moment, the perfect shot, will always be there,” he said.

Over the summer, Jones’ photography was reviewed on LensCulture, a website dedicated to bringing photographers together around the globe. Jones submitted a series of black and white photos in the category of street photography. These images were taken in London, Barcelona, Rome, and Florence, inspired by moments “that the lighting, subject, and action came together for me to capture with a click,” Jones described.

The reviewer was struck by the photographs’ illustrations of characters and sees the photos as a study of the human condition on the streets. The use of black and white photography conveyed a sense of emotional drama.

“Your photos are dramatic and represent frozen moments in time,” the reviewer wrote.

View Tom's Work at LensCulture

Jacia Christiansen '22

Professional Accountancy (BS)

Jacia Christiansen has always wanted to travel, so she was excited when her participation in track and the PBL Business Club enabled her to visit the Gulf Shores, Baltimore, Vancouver, Wash., and San Antonio.

“Exploring the world through DSU has led me to some pretty great adventures and memories,” she said.

Christiansen, a professional accountancy major and entrepreneurial studies minor from Viborg, S.D., originally chose Dakota State because she liked the idea of knowing her classmates, professors, teammates, and community.

“When I first stepped on campus that was the exact impression I got,” she said. “Everyone was very kind and caring. In a sense, it immediately felt like home.”

As an athlete on the track and cross-country teams, being involved with the sports program has been her most enjoyable experience at DSU. She is thankful for the impact her coach, Anthony Drealan, has had on her.

“He not only cares about my success as an athlete, but as a student and person as well,” she said. He has taught me that work ethic and capability go hand in hand. If you are determined and work hard for what you want, you will be capable of much more than you imagined.”

In addition to participating in athletics and the PBL Business Club, Christiansen is a member of the Newman Club, and is in her third year as a tutor on campus.

“I don’t think students realize how many opportunities there are on campus,” she said. “They have a chance to make friends, travel, help the community, have fun, and create memories.”

She hopes other students won’t be afraid to get involved and take a chance on themselves and DSU.

Upon graduation, Christiansen intends to take the Certified Public Accounting Exam to get her CPA license. She would like to start her career as an auditor for a CPA firm, and eventually become a CFO for a small non-profit organization.

Professional Accountancy (BS)

Austin Babcock '20, '21

Cyber Operations (BS), Computer Science (MSCS)

When students say Dakota State faculty care about their students, they mean it. Case in point: the 2020 Wild West Hackin’ Fest (WWHF).

Thirty students attended the 2020 conference free of charge, with tickets provided by Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, associate dean of The Beacom College, and associate professor of Information Assurance and Forensics. In lieu of an honorarium for her talk on “The Workforce Gap in Cybersecurity,” she asked for 30 tickets so students could attend the event. With education being its main goal, the conferences’ labs, competitions, and 50-plus presentations provide an opportunity for students to learn about the cyber industry.

A DSU graduate student was one of those presenting at WWHF.

Austin Babcock, a master’s degree student in computer science with a cyber operations specialization, has been mentored by Dr. Bramwell Brizendine since Babcock was an undergraduate.

When Babcock was completing his undergraduate degree in cyber operations, he took Brizendine’s reverse engineering course.

“Austin has great attention to minutia, fine-grained detail,” Brizendine stated, so “I assigned him a lab with complicated software to reverse engineer and recreate the source code, and he did it 100% perfectly.” Brizendine subsequently involved Babcock in additional projects, which helped inspire him to go on to graduate school.

“I felt like I wanted to further expand my knowledge” Babcock said, so he decided to stay with DSU after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Spring 2020.

“Now, not only is he a graduate student, but he is presenting at a conference,” Brizendine said.

Babcock really likes going in-depth with technology; in fact, the more complicated, the better.

“It’s like a little puzzle to solve, with a million different ways to solve it, and half of those don’t work.” While it is intense working on those projects for hours and hours, he said, “it’s satisfying … and you get to be creative.”

Babcock is also able to do in-depth research with the VERONA Lab, which can lead to journal articles and publications, and presentation opportunities similar to WWHF.  Brizendine is director of the Madison Cyber Labs VERONA Lab, which specializes in vulnerability research, software exploitation, software security assessments, and the development of new, cutting-edge tools and techniques with respect to software exploitation. He is also an assistant professor of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

DSU is one of the few places where students have opportunities for hands-on projects for low-level software exploitation, Brizendine said, and Babcock added, “That’s really nice.”

Dr. Josh Stroschein joined Brizendine and Babcock for the presentation on software exploitation technology called JOP ROCKET, a framework developed by Brizendine. Babcock had helped provide some information for a JOP ROCKET presentation the two faculty gave at the 2019 DEF CON 27. The DEF CON presentation was relatively short; the WWHF will be a 50-minute talk. “I’m excited to be able to cover the topic more in-depth,” Babcock said.

In his future career, Babcock would like to continue to work researching exploitation and malware analysis, ideally with the Department of Defense.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (MSCS)

Annabelle Klosterman '22

Cyber Operations (BS)

Annabelle Klosterman is only a first-year student at Dakota State, but her early experience in technology has helped her earn significant scholarship recognition.

She began exploring cyber studies by attending DSU's GenCyber camps as a middle school student. She took some computer science coursework in high school, and participated in cyber-related extra-curricular activities, working at an area data center, and was active with Civil Air Patrol and Cyber Patriot programs.

“I participated in the Cyber Patriot competitions all four years in high school,” she said, “and we qualified for nationals the last two years.” This is quite an accomplishment, as only 28 of 6,400 teams (in three divisions) make the national finals.

“Annabelle is a perfect example of a young woman who took advantage of opportunities,” said Dr. Pam Rowland. “When she attended GenCyber Camp as a middle school student, she likely did not know the path that would start her down. By exploring and being a part of different programs, Annabelle was able to find the area that she was truly passionate about.”

Klosterman's passion is paying off, with a long list of scholarships:

• Cyber Defense Media Group Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship
• (ISC)2 Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship
• MalwareBytes STEM Scholarship
• Visionary Integration Professionals Women in Technology Scholarship
• Evolve IP Cloud Technology Scholarship
• Civil Air Patrol Academic Scholarship
• Citi Youth Leadership Scholarship
• Sioux Valley Energy Scholarship
• Alliance Communications Scholarship
• StarOne Scholarship

In September 2020, she added to more scholarships to the list, when she was named the winner of a $5,000 ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship, and an Intertech STEM Scholarship.

Scholarships “definitely help,” Klosterman said. “It makes it easier because I don't have to worry about financial details,” she said. “I can focus on my education and other opportunities.”

For Klosterman, these opportunities include studying cyber operations through DSU's 4+1 Program, which allows students to get both their bachelor's and master's degrees in five years. She is also able to participate in the CybHER program, and the offensive and defensive computer clubs.

“These scholarships allow Annabelle to grow and develop into a contributing professional that gives back to the community at large,” said Rowland, a co-founder of CybHER. “As one of our CybHER leaders, she has shown leadership and creativity as she gives back and develops lessons and opportunities for the K-12 population.” Rowland is Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Cyber Security; she is also Co-Coordinator Center of Excellence, Undergraduate Research Coordinator.

It's a bit early in her career to definitively comment on her career path, but Klosterman said, "I aspire to be a leader in the cybersecurity field and want to empower others to have an impact on the safety of our country's future.”

Technology is always changing, and she acknowledges, “It can be challenging to keep up with each new development, but the requirement for cybersecurity won't go away. My goal is to be in a position that changes the way people view and handle security, for their protection and safety, and the benefit of everyone."

Rowland is confident that “Annabelle is a motivated and intelligent student, and I see her making a difference in our world.”

Cyber Operations (BS)

Christina Mulu '23

Computer Science (BS), Mathematics (BS)

As she enters her second year, Christina Mulu has found that opportunities and experiences abound at Dakota State.

Mulu, an international student from Ethiopia, chose to attend DSU after being inspired by Dakota State’s emphasis on IT related majors, small size that allows for high engagement on campus, and affordability.

As a freshman, she got accustomed to college life with the help of Nicole Claussen and Amber Alfson in the International Programs office. She also participated in scientific research and joined a variety of activities.

Mulu is a member of the Computer Club, CybHER Club, and joined the Photography Club and Business Club this year. Her participation in on-campus activities has been positive.

“Most of my memorable moments are when I got to know wonderful people on campus,” she said. “I can’t pin down one memory, but I would say hanging out with my friends off campus, working on campus, and being involved in clubs is among the list.”

Mulu is a computer science and math double major with a chemistry minor. She has always been interested in interpreting scientific data that requires computational capabilities.

“Although computer science was my hobby at first, I developed an interest in becoming an IT person in this technological world,” she said. “I also believe that it will be a unique tool for my future studies in the physical sciences.”

Over the summer, Mulu was one of six students participating in the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program. Mulu worked with three other students under the leadership of Dr. Michael Gaylor, associate research professor of chemistry, to conduct astrobiology research.

The group studied chemical compounds and minerals found throughout the solar system that, in certain planetary environments, undergo chemical reactions that produce molecules essential for life.

Gaylor’s team discovered that chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – found on Earth and Mars and elsewhere in the solar system – undergo chemical reactions in the presence of minerals common on both planets to produce chemicals known as quinones, which are essential for all life on Earth. Working with collaborators at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and the Astrobiology Institute of Colombia, the team’s larger goal is to use these findings to develop methods to determine whether these same chemical reactions are happening on Mars as possible indicators of past or present life on that planet.

Mulu is thankful for the support she’s received from Dr. Gaylor inside and outside of the classroom. “He helped me gain exposure to research so early in my studies,” she said.

Upon completing her undergraduate degrees, Mulu hopes to pursue graduate studies in chemistry and work as a data scientist.

Computer Science (BS)

Mathematics (BS)