Dakota State College of Business & Information Systems faculty and industry leaders met to discuss the current state and future prospects of the Computer Information Systems (CIS) curriculum.

DSU student working on a laptop computer.

April 17, 2025

DSU adds BBA specialization in Cybersecurity Management

Dakota State will now offer a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in cybersecurity management. This degree will prepare graduates to make business decisions while effectively communicating technical cybersecurity information in business environments.

Governor Larry Rhoden visited Dakota State, part of his Open for Opportunity Tours.

April 17, 2025

Governor visits DSU on Opportunity Tour

Governor Larry Rhoden’s community visit series, the Open for Opportunity Tours, stopped in Madison and Dakota State on April 17.

Bella Maxwell and Mikaila Fluth have been named RSAC™ Security Scholars.

April 15, 2025

DSU students chosen as RSAC Security Scholars

Bella Maxwell and Mikaila Fluth have been named RSAC™ Security Scholars.

Dakota State University recognized 50 employees for their dedication and commitment at the annual Longevity Reception on April 7.

April 14, 2025

DSU recognizes long-time employees

Dakota State University recognized 50 employees for their dedication and commitment at the annual Longevity Reception on April 7. Adjunct faculty and retirees were also honored at the event.

Two high school teachers at a cyber skills camp at DSU.

April 10, 2025

Scholarships bring teachers to DSU to learn cyber skills

High school teachers from around the country have received scholarships through the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy (NCTA) to earn a specialization in computer science and cyber education.

Vendor selections have been announced for the firewall configuration review component of SecureSD.

April 9, 2025

Awards granted in SecureSD initiative

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Dakota State University (DSU) have announced the vendor selections for the firewall configuration review component of the SecureSD: Cybersecurity for Municipalities and Counties Initiative.

Pictured (l-to-r) Shishir Poudel, Dr. Yenling Chang, and Dijesh Shrestha pose for a photo at the South Dakota Capitol.

April 9, 2025

Two DSU students presented blockchain research at state capitol

Two Dakota State University students presented their research project, “Evaluating the feasibility of blockchain technology for secure voting system: a systemic mapping,” at the state capitol earlier this semester.

Two pieces of Dakota State materials were presented with advertising awards at the Annual American Advertising Award.

April 8, 2025

DSU marketing materials receive ADDY awards

Dakota State University marketing materials have been recognized for creative excellence at recent advertising awards events.

Front, From Left: David Siemienas, Ihor Makhynia, Jon Reel, Juleigh Wilson Back, From Left: Derek Manzella, Ethan Clark, Will Tilstra, Malachi Reynolds

April 4, 2025

DSU cyber defense team advances to nationals

The Dakota State cyber defense competition team earned first place at regionals and will advance to the online National Championship in April.

April 1, 2025

PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

Dakota State University is welcoming the PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event to the Heartland Captains Club in the Beacom PREMIER Athletics Complex on Wednesday, April 9.

March

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

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PREMIER Bankcard Women in Business University Event

Danielle Kearin in a photo taken by LilPerspective Photography.

March 7, 2025

Mentorship extends beyond DSU classroom

Danielle Kearin graduated from Dakota State University in 2006, but she’s maintained contact with her mentor, Digital Arts Professor Tom Jones, in the decades since.This mentorship has encouraged and inspired Kearin to pursue her own creative endeavors through her senior and sport portrait photography business, Striped Banana. She most recently earned first place in the black-and-white category of the Brookings Art Council’s 46th annual Photography Exhibition.

Events during research week include presentations, guest speakers, and a research poster session.

March 7, 2025

Research events highlight DSU accomplishments

Dakota State University’s rising research efforts will be highlighted at the annual Research Week on March 17-23. Competitions, student research presentations, a cybersecurity conference, and several guest speakers are on the agenda.

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Photo files

Five DSU students are benefiting from scholarships through a new partnership with UKGs employee resource group. Pictured are Paige Phinney back left, Bella Maxwell, Catherine Hoier, Mikaila Fluth, and Joelle Malacko. Also pictured are Jill Ruhd, with the DSU Foundation, Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, vice president for Research and Economic Development, and Kanthi Narukonda, assistant professor and director of CybHER.

March 31, 2025

UKG lifts up DSU students' cyber efforts

Through a generous donation from Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), Dakota State University has awarded five students with scholarships. The students are all active with the outreach program CybHER, whose mission is to empower, motivate, educate, and change the perception of girls and women in cybersecurity.

A participant of the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway program working in a classroom with students.

March 30, 2025

Third round of South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway funded

The South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP) Program will accept another estimated 50 students with a third cohort, thanks to funding provided by the South Dakota Department of Labor.

Dr. Yenling Chang assisting with JA-in-a-Day.

March 28, 2025

DSU welcomes students on campus for April events

Dakota State’s College of Business & Information Systems will welcome middle and high school students for two events in April.

Dr. Fenecia Homan (right) and Nara Martirosyan, her doctoral dissertation advisor, are the recipients of the inaugural J-NOSS Award for Outstanding Article.

March 28, 2025

Homan publication receives inaugural award

Dr. Fenecia Homan, dean of the Governors Cyber Academy at Dakota State University, is the recipient of the inaugural J-NOSS Award for Outstanding Article.

Brayden Borges finished all the challenges in the 2025 NSA Codebreaker Challenge.

March 27, 2025

DSU ranks #10 in NSA Codebreaker Challenge

DSU students and faculty took part in the 2025 NSA Codebreaker Challenge, and placed 10th on the leaderboard out of almost 600 U.S. academic institutions. One student, Brayden Borges, finished all the challenges.

Pictured (l-to-r) Joe Hammond, Nick Weir, Samyam Aryal, and Ethan Price pose for a photo in Washington D.C.

March 26, 2025

DSU students share AI Deepfake research in DC

Samyam Aryal, Joe Hammond, Ethan Price, and Nick Weir shared their research on Artificial Intelligence deepfakes with online video conferencing software at the U.S. Capitol.

Attending DakotaCon gave Mike Saunders the confidence to become an international speaker and pen tester.

March 20, 2025

DakotaCon impacts careers

DakotaCon is an annual cybersecurity conference that is a great venue for anyone who wants to explore the field of cybersecurity. The agenda includes a lineup of distinctive speakers, a competition, and business trainings.

The team Normalized Pulsars earned first place, winning $2,500. Here they pose with their oversized check and Dean Bennett.

March 19, 2025

Three DSU teams place in annual analytics competition

Three teams of Dakota State University students earned the top three spots in the 3rd annual Data Analytics Competition on March 17. Event sponsored by Sanford Health.

February

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Three DSU teams place in annual analytics competition

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Three DSU teams place in annual analytics competition

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Three DSU teams place in annual analytics competition

The AI Club hosting a AI panel discussion with professors.

February 24, 2025

ArtificiaI Intelligence Club to host AI Week of February 24

Dakota State’s Artificial Intelligence Club is hosting a week of activities to make AI more accessible.

DSU's annual Entrepreneurs Day will be held in the Beacom PREMIER Complex (pictured here).

February 14, 2025

DSU Entrepreneurs Day returns to Madison

Dakota State University’s seventh annual Entrepreneurs Day is returning to Madison on Friday, March 28, in the Beacom PREMIER Complex. The event will be open to the public and livestreamed.

February 12, 2025

Pecherskaia finds home at DSU

Born in Uzbekistan and growing up in Russia, DSU student Irina Pecherskaia didn’t know she would end up at Dakota State for school, but she did know she was interested in computer science.

February 11, 2025

Swenson shares science journey

DSU alumna and Goldwater Scholar Vaille Swenson, who initially studied cybersecurity, followed her passion for biology, graduating in 2019. She thrived in DSU's supportive environment, valuing the small class sizes and research opportunities, including a published paper on Instant Pot autoclaves. Now pursuing a virology Ph.D. at Mayo Clinic, Swenson credits DSU for her success and encourages students to embrace opportunities.

January

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Swenson shares science journey

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Swenson shares science journey

The winning DSU team at the global Collegiate Pen Testing Competition, Merrill Newman, Hunter Wade, Derek Manzella, Gwen Vongkasemsiri, Ryan Kleffman, and Rayn Light.

January 29, 2025

DSU wins global pentesting competition

Dakota State students reached a milestone achievement this year – taking first place at the global Collegiate Pen Testing Competition (CPTC). They competed against 100 schools from seven global regions.

Dakota State University is now a Cisco Network Academy certified campus, and students will be able to take advantage of this curriculum when fully operational later this year.

January 23, 2025

Dakota State joins Cisco Networking Academy

Dakota State University is now a Cisco Network Academy certified campus. When fully operational later this year, this collaboration will provide a huge benefit for faculty and students to draw from Cisco’s resources.

DSU’s role as a founding partner with the ACE Institute will help students train for cybersecurity jobs.

January 22, 2025

DSU founding partner with ASU on cyber education platform

Dakota State University and Arizona State University have created a partnership that will help train individuals for cybersecurity jobs through the American Cybersecurity Education Institute.

Noelle Vainikka art exhibition impulse featuring bright signage of pricing and advertisements with bags of garbage displayed in the middle of the floor.

January 21, 2025

Noelle Vainikka artwork featured at DSU

“Impulse,” an exhibition by Noelle Vainikka, is on display in Dakota State’s First Bank & Trust Gallery now through March 20. Vainikka, an interdisciplinary contemporary artist based in Watertown, South Dakota, explores themes of consumerism, nostalgia, femininity, popular culture, materialism, sustainability, and family.

Assistant Professor Erik Pederson (standing) provides feedback to two students working on a game for Global Game Jam 2024.

January 21, 2025

DSU again hosts site for annual Global Game Jam

Dakota State’s game design program is hosting a Global Game Jam site the weekend of January 24-26. Global Game Jam (GGJ) is an event designed to bring people together for 48 hours to create a game from start to finish. These can be video games, board games, or card games, as long as they relate to a central theme chosen annually.

DSU students pose for a photo with (back row l-to-r): Assistant Professor Kanthi Narukonda, Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, President Jose-Marie Griffiths, Provost Rebecca Hoey, and Dean Mary Bell.

January 16, 2025

Competition wins translate to workforce success

DSU teams swept the top four spots at a recent CTF event, demonstrating that competition experience is a way to stand out in the cybersecurity job field.

Dr. Patti Brooks teaching in a classroom at DSU.

January 15, 2025

DSU health programming benefits from involvement in professional society

Three Dakota State University faculty members are long-time leaders in the Health Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS) Dakotas Chapter, which is part of the largest healthcare IT group in the world. HIMSS is an international association dedicated to transforming health through technology; they have chapters throughout the United States and the world.

List of honor students - DSU Campus Fall 24

January 14, 2025

2024 Fall Honors List Released

A total of 865 full-time and 190 part-time students qualified for the President’s Academic Honors list for the 2024 fall semester at Dakota State University.

Night photo of Piccadilly in the United Kingdom featuring the neon signs, historic architecture, and fountain that draw tourists and locals alike. This image was taken at night with long exposure, creating blur motion in the image.

January 13, 2025

Professor’s photo selected for international exhibit

“Piccadilly,” a photo by Professor Tom Jones, is part of an international exhibition, “Nocturne: Photographs After Dark” by Photo Artfolio. Photo Artfolio is an online gallery and resource center for emerging and established photographers.

Callie Mueller is Miss Rodeo America pictured in an arena wearing her chaps, a sash, and hat. Photo credit to Sherry Smith Photography.

January 10, 2025

DSU alumna crowned Miss Rodeo America

Dakota State alumna Callie Mueller’s 2024 was packed full of travel and accomplishments, serving as Miss Rodeo South Dakota 2024 and publishing her first children’s book “Faith Over Fear.” However, 2025 will be even busier as she takes on her duties as Miss Rodeo America.

DSU alumnus Brandon Daniels (pictured back row third from the left) with his team with the AmeriCorps Rural Health Partnership.

January 9, 2025

Daniels gains rural health experience from AmeriCorps

A recent DSU graduate, Brandon Daniels (B.S. ’24), is working alongside Harvard doctors at Harvard’s teaching hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, while serving with the AmeriCorps Rural Health Partnership.

January 3, 2025

EXPLR ANNOUNCES TOP STUDENT INNOVATORS NAMED NATIONAL STEM CHAMPIONS

EXPLR announced the names of 106 students whose outstanding performance in the National STEM Festival Challenge has earned them the title of National STEM Champion. These students will be recognized at the 2025 National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C., presented by EXPLR with support from Dakota State University’s Governors Cyber Academy. Three of the champions are from South Dakota.