Dakota State University

Tamara Deutz '06

Accounting (BBA)

Since her sophomore year of college in 2006, Tamara Deutz has taken the accounting world by storm.

First she was an intern with the local H&R Block while earning a BS in Professional Accountancy along with a BA in Finance at Dakota State University. There she gained valuable experience preparing individual tax returns and bookkeeping for a few small businesses.

Now she’s the Partner in Training for Hoffman & Brobst, PLLP, where she’s been since 2011.

There she works in both tax and audit areas, with business and individual tax clients, and on government, not-for-profit and for profit audits. Her newest position keeps her busy with firm management, firm decisions, staff training, and client work.

“Every day is different. I have always loved the variety that public accounting has provided. It has its challenges, but the rewards are great,” she said.

Deutz, who chose to attend DSU after a visit to campus with friends, graduated in 2009 and praises the school for the education it gave her.

“I can’t say enough great things about DSU. My professors were great, took time to explain things, and helped when needed. The smaller class sizes were a big bonus because all the classmates really got to know each other, we’re still connected today.”

She also commended DSU for the technological edge they provide students, saying that it “has proved to be an essential skill in the workforce.”

Deutz’s internship with H&R Block also became an essential asset in the workforce because it laid the groundwork for her current career.

“It put me leaps and bounds ahead of other staff accounting candidates. I knew how to prepare tax returns and interview clients to get the return completed,”  she said.

“If you can find an internship, you’ll definitely have a jumpstart over other new hires.” - Tamara Deutz '09

After her internship and before Hoffman & Brobst, Deutz worked as a Billing Support Specialist for a telecommunications software company, where she traveled around the US conducting trainings. But after two years she came back home, applied to Hoffman & Brobst, and began studying for her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam; she passed all four parts by 2013.

“Passing the CPA exam was huge! But any promotion I’ve had has been a highlight since you have to work hard to get to that next level. Becoming a partner takes time, but I’m excited and honored to be part of this time in history where women are making huge strides in leadership.” she said.

In her spare time, Deutz is involved with the Marshall, MN Chamber of Commerce’s Marshall Area Young Professionals and Women’s Connect groups, United Way campaign ambassador, and involvement in the family farm operation. Originally a Canby native, Deutz and her husband Jesse, have two children and reside on their farm just outside of Marshall.

Accounting (BBA)

Finance

Katherine Cota

Director of Economic Development

As the new Director of Economic Development, Katherine Cota is excited to share her vision for the Dakota State University.

“I want DSU students to realize that entrepreneurship – being your own boss – is an option. Every student should realize that the skills of entrepreneurship will serve them well in any company for which they work.”

Cota, who started her first business when she was just 12 years old, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) with a BA in anthropology. Since then, she’s worked for a law firm, accounting firm, an office machine company, an internet service provider, and an industry magazine.

In 1996, she returned to her alma matter to help launch the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), where she worked until 2018. During that time, she earned an MA in Communications from UNI and an MBA from St. Ambrose University. Afterwards, she moved to Northern California to start a new entrepreneurial center and program for California State University, Sacramento. Upon leaving that position, she made the decision to return to the Midwest.

“These university jobs have provided me the opportunity to work in the fields of entrepreneurship, commercialization, intellectual property, and economic development,” she said.

“They’ve provided insight and experience in innovation and technology transfer.”

Her experience will also play a critical role in the importance of intellectual property (IP) to both the university and researchers within, as well as in developing a licensing and commercialization process of our growing research environment.

The process of disclosure of intellectual property at a university is required under federal law and allows the university to protect faculty and university interests. When protecting these interests, it is important for the faculty member to be part of the process of protecting and using the IP. As research at a university increases, it is important for faculty to disclose their research and IP so resources can be allocated to help that faculty member finalize that IP. This benefits the university and the faculty member in many ways – financially and professionally.

So, what will her day-to-day duties include?

Licensing or commercializing the intellectual property of DSU faculty, directing the Paulson Cyber Incubator and Entrepreneurship Center, helping DSU students and community entrepreneurs start businesses, and working with community organizations to increase the economic development activity in the region.

“I enjoy forming relationships that will help us achieve our goals and those that are necessary to do the work. Plus, the confidence gained by students who go through an applied entrepreneurship program is one of the things that makes my job enjoyable.”

Mostafa Haque '16

Computer Game Design (BS)

Mostafa Haque is using his DSU education to advance his game design career to the next level.

Haque is a Game Designer for Haiku Games, working on their “Adventure Escape” franchise for mobile, but in the next 5 or 10 years, he wants to be a Creative Director/Lead Designer on a Triple A game. (In the computer game design world, Triple A games are like movie blockbusters.)

This is not an easy task, as computer game design has a reputation for being a difficult field to break into, and to advance through. By having a goal and a quality education, Haque has a good game plan for success.

A 2016 graduate in computer game design, Haque credits courses such as Game Narratives and Contemporary Mythology, along with Dr. Justin Blessinger's poetry course, as helping him define his own style as a game designer.

The year-long Game Projects course, which was the culmination of DSU’s Game Design undergraduate program, “was definitely what got me into my master's degree program at New York University,” he said. He graduated from NYU in 2018 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in game design.

DSU’s small classroom sizes helped him get personalized feedback from instructors, but he learned important life lessons outside DSU’s classroom, too.

Working in Residence Life gave him the work ethic to succeed in his completely unrelated career field. Helping manage the International Club for several years honed his people skills. “I am able to set more reasonable deadlines, and manage expectations better because of that experience,” he said.

A native of Bangladesh, he made friends with people from all over the world through the International Club. “Learning about other cultures and practices definitely made me a more open-minded individual,” Haque said.

He also developed strong friendships during his time at DSU.

“I still hangout regularly with the core friend group I made in my DSU years. I consider them my absolute best friends.” - Mostafa Haque '16

Computer Game Design (BS)

Jon Schemmel

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

After playing baseball for the University of Minnesota and Concordia University, St. Paul, Jon Schemmel joined the New York Mets and San Diego Padres, making it to the AAA level.

Now, he’s the new Vice President for Institutional Advancement at DSU.

Once his baseball career came to an end, Schemmel transitioned into the world of higher education as the senior associate athletic director for development at the University of South Dakota (USD).

While at USD, he led all aspects of athletic development, which resulted in building the new Sanford Coyote Sports Center, soccer and track complexes, while also tripling the annual fund. He was able to raise several million dollars for the DakotaDome renovation project before leaving for Miami University in Oxford, OH. At Miami, he oversaw all aspects of athletic development while successfully completing the $80 million Graduating Champions campaign and launched the newly established Miami Athletic Fund (MAF).

“I’ve had many opportunities to build teams and promote a collaborative environment,” he said, “Athletics has prepared me for my new role because of how similar their fundraising and revenue techniques are. I’m excited to implement these factors.”

Schemmel, who is from Eden Prairie, MN, has made a jump start on the goals he hopes to instill at Dakota State’s Foundation and Alumni Association.

Such goals include leading all aspects of development and engagement, in addition to creating relationships with both internal and external individuals, the Madison community, corporate partners, donors and investors, as well as alumni and the student body.

“I want to create a culture of philanthropy and build a Foundation and Alumni Association that everyone is proud of, as well as form and continue the great relationships that will lead to significant investments at DSU and President Griffiths’ vision for the future,” he stated.

He also plans to continue fostering the collaborative environment amongst faculty and staff within the various departments at Dakota State, to further promote the greater good of the institution.

Other opportunities he’s excited for?

Being back in Madison.

Schemmel has close ties to the area, as his grandparents, Bud and Marcia Wenk, live one block from the DSU campus. His grandmother even served on the DSU Foundation Board. His parents also grew up in Madison and graduated from the Madison High School.

“The timing was right for our family to come home. Having the opportunity to further promote the growth and vision President Griffiths has created is incredible. Dakota State University is truly poised to build something special.”

Josh Snook '22

Business Management (AS), Accounting (BBA)

“I loved the family feel that came with the university,” Josh Snook said. “A lot of bigger campuses can cause you to get lost, whereas DSU really reaches out and makes everyone included.”

A business management and accounting major from Yate, Bristol, England, Snook is a student athlete and Campus Watch employee.

From athletics to the classroom, Snook appreciates the support he receives at DSU. Faculty members like Scott Richardson have made an impact on his time here. “His interest in where I am from is what initially connected me with Mr. Richardson,” Snook said, “but his constant reaching out and care for my well-being is what grew the relationship.”

Some of Snook’s favorite experiences at DSU so far involves his participation in athletics. He was recruited as a sprinter. As part of the track team, Snook has earned back-to-back indoor track conference titles. “The team effort and resilience to do it back-to-back was something great to be a part of,” he said.

This fall he also joined the football team and is glad he has expanded his activities on campus, something he recommends to other students as well. “There are so many opportunities out there to suit a wide range of interests,” he said. “Even if there’s not something that initially interests you, try it anyway. I would have never thought I would be playing American football, let alone making so many new lifelong relationships.”

Additionally, Snook has added to and strengthened relationships with those on campus by working as security member of Campus Watch, a safety program at DSU in which two student employees patrol the campus Tuesday through Sunday evenings to provide assistance.

“Participating in activities is what calmed my nerves about being so far from home,” he shared.

Snook recommends all students get involved in activities, adding that it completes the university experience. There are many opportunities that suit a wide variety of interests and can help students find new hobbies and make friends.

He is thankful for Dakota State’s many courses, majors, clubs, and organizations that help students find their interests and passions.

Snook is excited to continue his track and field career at DSU and hopes to obtain a graduate position in England after graduation.

Business Managment (AS)

Accounting (BBA)

Tavyn Hallan '21

Professional Accountancy (BS)

“DSU stands out by having a five-year professional accounting degree that sets you up for the CPA exam,” said Tavyn Hallan, a senior from Madison, SD, who is majoring in Professional Accountancy.

A business teacher introduced Hallan to the world of accounting in high school, and he found immediately that he enjoyed it.

While at DSU he has continued learning about business and accounting, with professors teaching him about every aspect that goes into running any type of business organization.

“Many of my professors have left long-lasting impacts on me,” Hallan said. “My professors have supported me during my time at DSU and helped me make professional connections that will help me to succeed in my young career.”

The importance of these connections is the one of the vital lessons he’s learned at DSU.

“Having others that you can rely on for expertise, advice, and opportunity are key factors of establishing a successful career, and I am confident in my connections at DSU.”

Hallan has built some of these connections through his involvement on campus. He is vice president of public relations in the Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) Business Club, a Trojan Ambassador, and a varsity member of the esports team. Additionally, he has been a work-study student for Enrollment Services for the entirety of his college career.

With involvement in activities, time management skills become necessary for students, and Hallan’s advice for other students is to develop those skills. This will help them juggle classes, homework, friends, work, and free time at home.

Upon graduation, Hallan plans to pass the CPA exam and pursue a job at a CPA firm to gain experience. Eventually he hopes to become a leader in his field and be an executive of a strong business or hold a role in governing accounting policy.

Professional Accountancy (BS)

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

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)