Dorine Bennett is DSU’s fall commencement speaker
December 9, 2025
Dr. Dorine Bennett, the dean of the College of Business & Information Systems, will serve as Dakota State’s fall 2025 commencement speaker, advising graduates to embrace change and practice persistence.
Not only has Bennett spent nearly 40 years employed by DSU, but she’s also an alumna, earning her associate and bachelor’s degrees in health information technology and health information administration. Prior to taking the role of Dean of the College of Business & Information Systems, Bennett served in various other roles on campus, spending time in nine offices across five buildings over the years.
As she addresses the graduates, she’ll share lessons she’s learned, such as how she’s come to understand that change is a constant that will provide you with opportunities. She’ll also touch on the changes she’s observed at Dakota State and through advances in technology.
But her message doesn’t stop with change; she will encourage graduates to remain persistent in life. Challenges will arise, so it is important to show up even when things get hard.
Commencement information
The fall commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, December 13, at 10:30 a.m. at the DSU Fieldhouse. A hooding ceremony for graduate students will take place prior to commencement at 8:30 a.m. in Dakota Prairie Playhouse. Dr. Omar El-Gayar, professor in the College of Business & Information Systems, will give the hooding commencement address.
Approximately 230 fall graduates will receive associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees, and certificates. Shelby Hernandez will speak on behalf of the graduates.
Dorine Bennett Biography
Dr. Dorine Bennett has an Ed.D. in Educational Administration of Adult and Higher Education, an MBA with emphasis in Management Information Systems, and undergraduate degrees in medical records and health information management. She also earned Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) certifications from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Before coming to Dakota State University, she had experience in health information management across acute care, community health, and long-term care settings, as well as providing consulting services and workshop training related to health information. She began her academic career at DSU in 1987 as an instructor and subsequently progressed through the ranks of assistant and associate professor to attain her current rank of professor. She was selected for the AHIMA “Making Dreams Come True” Educator Award in 2013.
She added administrative duties as the director of DSU’s health informatics and information management programs in 1996. In 2017, Dr. Bennett became the dean of the College of Business and Information Systems.