Dakota State University

Aaron Baker 23

Cyber Operations (BS)

Aaron Baker fell in love with programming when he was in the fifth grade.

That passion led to professional programming and software development jobs, starting when he was about 15. He got his first internship when he was a junior in high school. That led to contracts for things like ethical hacking bug bounties.

After high school, he started working towards a cyber security associate degree at the community college in his hometown of Sheridan, Wyoming. There he heard about a new cyber research opportunity at Dakota State, so in 2019 he came to Madison to be part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at DSU, researching Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Baker discovered malware analysis during this REU, and connected with a faculty member doing research in this area. After completing his A.A., he came to DSU to earn a bachelor’s degree in Cyber Operations.

“I enjoy school,” he said, “I like to focus on learning and address the problems that exist today.”

Malware is one of the security issues today, and Baker was able to continue researching this topic during the last school year, work sponsored in part by funding from the NSA. This effort has resulted in the creation of a tool for modular automated large-scale malware analysis framework.

This tool is novel enough to have been accepted for presentation at the 2022 Black Hat USA Arsenal this month. The Black Hat Arsenal website said that presenters there are “the best of the best in the world.” Researchers and the community showcased their latest open-source tools and products. This year, Arsenal provided tool demonstrations in an open, conversational, and hybrid environment where presenters are able to interact with attendees.

“I had a booth with a time frame to talk about it, demonstrate the tool and talk with people about it.” Baker’s presentation was titled “SubParse - Malware Artifact and Correlation Framework.”

“This tool allows for many file types to be analyzed, determining the file type,” he explained, “and run parsers to do static analysis directly on specific file types and enrichers,” which means doing post-data processing to get more information from threat and intelligence groups.

One advantage of this is that it gives the user several options, and has a web interface. “This allows for searchability of all results to narrow it down to the samples that might be interesting,” Baker said.

It was quite the experience,” he said, with the added advantage of networking with people from companies such as Hacker One and Synack, “to pick the brains with others in ethical hacking.”

He appreciates the experiences DSU offers “to continue with my education and dive deeper into the area of study that I’m enjoying more and more every day!”

Dakota State also offers him the option to get additional certificates before graduation.

Baker will graduate in May 2023, and hopes to end up in a cyber position, as a developer. He has always wanted to have his own software company but that is a long-term goal. In the meantime, he plans to network, meet people, and get more experience.

Cyber Operations (BS)

Patti Beck '84

Music Education

Patti Beck is here to help students, a motivation that has been the theme throughout her entire career.

Straight out of college with a Dakota State music education degree, she spent 10 years as a band instructor, helping students learn the joy of music.

She returned to the DSU campus to assist college students, first as Assistant Director of Financial Aid, then in Career Services, as part of the Student Affairs Department. Beck is now the Coordinator of Academic Support Services, overseeing tutoring and supplemental instruction, which is housed under Academic Affairs.

“In this role with Academic Affairs, it feels the most like ‘teaching,’” she said. Beck and her team of tutors help students with their coursework but also work to improve students’ study skills and time management.

“I really like finding students the help they need to be successful,” she said. “The Trojan Tutor team is trained to assist students in moving from thinking ‘I can’t do it’ to ‘I can’t do it yet,’ and to find ways to do that.’”

She also acts as a liaison for students. “If somebody comes in with an issue and I can’t answer it by myself, I know where to get the answer and make it happen.”

Beck has always put effort into finding new ways to make things happen for the benefit of students. She worked to create DSU’s first early alert system, a method for faculty and advisors to communicate with students who were struggling in class. It also notified the Student Success staff, who would reach out to the student. The program was homegrown and award-winning.

“In 2008, we presented our early alert program at the WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) conference and won the WOW (WCET Outstanding Work) Award for Excellence in Education programs.” The university now uses a mobile app called TrojanConnect to help students thrive, but the original program “shows we had the right idea.”

Beck was also instrumental in making sure DSU’s tutors are certified. These students are already subject matter experts, but to better learn how to communicate and work with people, they also receive training through the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA), and its International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC).

“We are a certified program, so students can know that our tutors are experienced, but also approachable and friendly.”

And when COVID-19 changed the format for tutoring in Spring 2020, making all sessions virtual instead of mostly in-person, she was proactive. Beck contacted ITS, who found a free program to help them go from about 80 online tutoring sessions to over 600. This was very successful and now takes place through TrojanConnect. Now that in-person sessions are again offered, it has been surprising how many on-campus students prefer to schedule online sessions.

This reflects what she finds unique about the DSU environment. “Students are comfortable with technology because they need to be. Our students so easily move into new technology. They just are fluid with it.”

Her advice to any DSU student is simple. “Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, because on our campus, we’re here for you, no matter what help you may need.”

Digital Arts and Design: Digital Sound Design (BS)

Sascha Walker '22

Cyber Operations (BS)

DSU faculty in The Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences tell students to “Know your offense so you can know your defense. They are two sides of the same coin.”

In addition to this good advice, DSU provides students with research resources to study questions they may have about topics related to offense or defense.

Sascha Walker took advantage of this opportunity after an assignment in an advanced forensics course sparked an interest to further delve into the topic, and he applied for a Student Research Initiative (SRI) grant to research “Fileless Malware: Lessening Indicators of Compromise.”

Research is often a new experience for students, and Walker discovered it was completely different than a class project.

With research, “there are more amounts of data to collect and analyze,” he said. He spent a lot of time collecting data, analyzing data using various analysis tools, and drawing points from the data.

He was surprised to learn that “interpretation is a big part of it, too,” he said. The SRI also includes a presentation on his research results at the Dakota State Research Symposium in March 2022. This scale of a presentation will also be a new experience, but he’s enjoying the process.

“It’s pretty fun, seeing all the data and all the work you put into it,” he said.

This experience is very practical for his career, and after he graduates with his BS in Cyber Operations in Fall 2022, he will be able to market himself as a malware analyst or researcher.

“Once I know how a malware author thinks, it will better help me as a malware analyst,” said Walker. “A lot of employers might look at this research experience as a bonus.”

His faculty mentor for this project is Dr. Bramwell Brizendine, Assistant Professor of Computer & Cyber Sciences.

“This sort of research can allow Sascha to better understand some of the techniques embraced by malware authors,” Brizendine said. “This makes him much more capable of recognizing and understanding the nuances of malicious code he may encounter.”

Walker’s extra-curricular experience could be advantageous as well. A native of Estelline, SD, he is interested in working in other parts of the world, such as Germany. His experience as co-founder and President of the World Languages Club will help this, as he keeps up with German, and a little Russian and Korean.

Cyber Operations (BS)

Lisa Leuning '02

Multimedia/Web Design (BS)

Lisa Leuning learned about computer programming, design, marketing, and a lot more when she attended DSU.

Leuning, known by her maiden name Hubbell when she attended DSU, is a 2002 graduate who earned two degrees, a BS in Multimedia/Web Design, and a BS in English for Information Systems.

“I may not have been sure what I wanted to do with my degrees when I graduated, but having the variety of coursework allowed me to steer my career in the direction I wanted,” she said.

DSU’s strong reputation for being a forward-thinking, technology-focused school with great placement rates drew Leuning, a Madison native, to attending Dakota State.

The English classes she took while at DSU helped her be able to proof materials well, which resulted in employment.

“My second job out of college had an editing test during the job interview and I was the applicant that scored the highest. I’m not sure if I would’ve gotten the job if I hadn’t scored the highest – so I think you can safely say my English classes helped me get that job and move me into my marketing career.”

While Leuning started out as a technical writer, she later moved on to work marketing jobs at two companies in Sioux Falls. “I worked at Paulsen Marketing, which focuses on agricultural marketing, and then worked at Insight Marketing Design.”

She ultimately moved on to Avera Health where she works as Director of Marketing, Strategy, and Product growth.

“I’ve now been with Avera for over six years and that is where I have found my passion in health care marketing,” she said. “Using the skills I have acquired over the years and being able to market a company whose mission is truly about helping others fills my bucket every day.”

In her position she manages a team of marketing strategists, calling them “some of the most creative people in the health care industry.” Together they develop marketing strategies for several areas at Avera, such as Avera Health Plans, Avera PACE, and Avera@Home.

Some campaigns focus on branding and awareness, while others focus on driving volume and leads to our sales teams, she explained. The team recently won Best of Show award for the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association for their Avera Health Plans campaign.

“Getting to work with such talented and dedicated people makes my job very enjoyable,” Leuning said.

Her day-to-day work involves a lot of meetings that allow her to talk with the experts at Avera to really understand the goals of each department. She also meets with the internal marketing team to make sure they’re supported and able to bring forth new and innovative ideas, she said.

Leuning finds marketing to be one of the best fields to work in because nothing stays the same and it is ever-evolving.

“It can be challenging because everyone has an opinion about marketing, but in the world today you can use A/B [comparison] testing and real-time data to determine what works best for each target audience and continue to refine marketing campaigns until you get the results you are looking for,” she said. “And this industry allows you to take risks and try new things. We always ask, ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ and make decisions from there.”

For current students, Leuning offers some advice: be kind to everyone, continue learning, read more books, and “enjoy and embrace your time at college – but be very cautious what you put on social media.”

Multimedia/Web Design Minor

English for New Media (BS)

Karen Hildebrand '03

’03 BS in Marketing; ’04 MS in Information Systems; ’12 PhD in Information Systems

Karen Hildebrand came to Dakota State from Canada, not quite sure what career to pursue.

She had an interested in technology, and received an academic and athletic scholarship for softball here, so for her, “DSU was an awesome fit.”

“I really loved my time at DSU,” and her three degrees prepared her well to be successful.

A fourth-generation farmer, Hildebrand is now the Worldwide Technology Leader for the Agriculture Industry at Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company recently featured her in a recruiting video in which she discusses ways technology is being used with agriculture, and how cloud technologies help industries. Hildebrand also hosts the company’s technical livestream “All in the Field.”

“Sometimes there are misperceptions about how much technology is involved in farming, and how food gets to the table, so hopefully the video addresses ways we can break down those barriers,” she said. 

It’s interesting to think about the ways technology is used, and all the diversity that makes up every industry, she stated. “People need to see the potential paths they can take, and know that if you’re really passionate, you can be a global technical leader.”

For Hildebrand, it’s important to determine the next generational skills that will sustain multi-generation farms. In addition to past skills, she references add-on skill sets with technology, such as computer vision, or robotics applications that include picking apples with robotic arms, and animal health monitoring.

There are some concerns about workforce displacement with technological advances, but she said “there is so much room for humans to be in the loop in everything that is artificial intelligence and machine learning. The only way models get better is if humans remain involved.”

She also noted that in ag there isn’t a huge growing population of people who want to become farmers, “so we’re at risk if we don’t augment the labor force that we have with jobs that are rewarding as a human.”

DSU has new degrees that address these opportunities, in Artificial Intelligence and  Artificial Intelligence for Organizations. DSU also offers a PhD in Computer Science, offered jointly with South Dakota State University, with areas of emphasis in machine learning, analytics, and precision ag.

“Everything I learned at DSU I use on an almost daily basis,” she stated. Her 2003 marketing degree gave her an understanding of digital user engagement; her 2004 master’s degree in information systems brought experience with the technology underlying purpose-built databases and SQL databases. Her 2012 PhD experience in information systems helped her gain confidence with research and expanding what’s possible in making new contributions to the field.

“I feel really confident that I can speak intelligently and be the voice in the room that explains how this works technically, and why it impacts ag.”

Hildebrand said, “that’s what I rely on most, knowing that I’m doing things that have not been done before, and I am confident that I can innovate by applying rigorous research standards to break down barriers.”

College of Business and Information Systems

Nathan Ord '23

Cyber Operations (BS)

Nathan Ord was inspired to attend Dakota State University by his high school counselor, Andrew Franklin, in Elburn, Ill.

“He first told me about DSU after he had recently visited,” Ord said. “He told me about the growing cybersecurity program and the comfortable campus size, all of which had me intrigued.”

After Ord graduated high school in 2018, he attended community college for two years to complete his general requirements. He is now earning his bachelor’s degree in Cyber Operations and master’s in Computer Science at Dakota State.

“I appreciate the growth mindset and comradery everyone seems to have,” Ord said of DSU. “This leads to a great learning environment and strong personal development in and out of the classroom.”

Since transferring to DSU, Ord has become involved on campus. He started by joining DSU Esports. He is the social media coordinator, sending out tweets and running live streams, among other things.

“Esports is a constantly evolving landscape that also has a plethora of possibilities,” he said. “It’s not just gaming as some may think, as there is management, scheduling, public relations, team building, and much more involved.”

Additionally, Ord is the president of the Student Senate, where he and fellow students look for ways to make the campus a better place.

He recommends all students get involved with something. “Barring anything else, showing that you are a good all-around person and have soft skills looks great on a résumé,” he said. “Besides that, being a college student to me means being a part of the campus and community.”

There are over 35 student-run clubs, as well as institutional organizations, academic teams, and honor societies for students to participate in. “But if one doesn’t fit, you can make your own as well,” Ord added.

Cyber Operations (BS)

Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)