South Dakota State University

Two South Dakota State University students in the landscape architecture program competed in an international competition in Istanbul, Turkey. Jake Pytleski and Miranda Peck represented the SDSU School of Design in the International Federation of Landscape Architects conference Sept. 4-6. Pytleski's team placed third in the conference competition.

Retired NorthWestern Energy general manager Mike Sydow has been awarded the 2024 Wayne E. Knabach Excellence in Power Award. The award is given by the Center for Power Systems Studies, a group of utilities and electrical firms that work with the electrical engineering department at South Dakota State University to promote the industry through and to students and faculty. The Knabach Award is a lifetime achievement award named for a longtime electrical engineering professor. Sydow, a 1978 electrical engineering graduate from SDSU who spent his entire career with NorthWestern Energy, received the award at the center's annual banquet Sept. 30.

The following students graduated after the spring 2024 semester at South Dakota State University. More than 1,500 students completed all requirements for a degree and/or certificate program, and those requirements have been verified by the appropriate college. Overall, students from 35 states and 24 nations graduated following the spring 2024 semester. More than 70 students received two or more degrees or certificates from a college.

For the second time in three years, a South Dakota State University junior has been named a Udall Scholar - one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country. Dallas Kelso, of Chadron, Nebraska, was named a Udall Scholar in tribal public policy earlier this spring. It was her second try at being named to the highly competitive award as she was named honorable mention last year. She follows Jessica Begeman as the second Jackrabbit to be named a Udall Scholar.

More than 3,300 students were recognized for their outstanding academic performance over the sping 2024 semester at South Dakota State University by being named to the dean's list. To earn dean's list distinctions in SDSU's colleges, students must have completed a minimum of 12 credits and must have earned at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students with F, I, U, RI or RU grades are not eligible regardless of system term GPA attained. Note that this report includes courses that were taken at other South Dakota institutions this term. A minimum of 12 credits within the 100-699 course range must be taken. A student who passes pregeneral education courses may still qualify, if the student has 12 other credits that do fall within the 100-699 range. Overall, 3,378 students from 40 states and 37 foreign nations are on the list. More than 1,400 students received a 4.0 GPA, and those are indicated with an asterisk. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement.

By the narrowest of margins - two points out of more than 2,000 - the SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor Team came up just short of winning its third consecutive national title. Competing at the 27th annual International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition at the Expo Gardens Fairgrounds in Peoria, Illinois, the South Dakota State University team placed third out of 21 teams. SDSU scored 2,164 points out of 2,405 possible points. North Carolina State won the event with 2,166 points while Kansas State was runner-up with 2,165 points. The top five teams were separated by just six points.

More than 3,300 students were recognized for their outstanding academic performance over the sping 2024 semester at South Dakota State University by being named to the dean's list. To earn dean's list distinctions in SDSU's colleges, students must have completed a minimum of 12 credits and must have earned at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students with F, I, U, RI or RU grades are not eligible regardless of system term GPA attained. Note that this report includes courses that were taken at other South Dakota institutions this term. A minimum of 12 credits within the 100-699 course range must be taken. A student who passes pregeneral education courses may still qualify, if the student has 12 other credits that do fall within the 100-699 range. Overall, 3,378 students from 40 states and 37 foreign nations are on the list. More than 1,400 students received a 4.0 GPA, and those are indicated with an asterisk. Congratulations to these distinguished scholars on earning this academic achievement.

For the third year in a row, the award for the best student chapter of civil engineering students went to South Dakota State University. The Robert Ridgway Student Chapter Award is presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers to the top chapter nationwide. On April 18, adviser Zach Gutzmer learned that the SDSU chapter was tops among 416 student chapters nationwide and 26 foreign countries. Before its 2022-2024 streak, SDSU also won the award in 1999 and 2004.

Competing against the best and the brightest, a South Dakota State University engineering team finished third overall in a NASA contest and again was awarded for building the best prototype. The SDSU students were one of 14 teams selected from 75 higher education entries to compete in the finals of the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts - Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition June 10-12 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. It is the second straight year for an SDSU team to qualify for the finals. Traditionally, NASA only awards the top two entries in the overall results. In fact, this is only the third time in the contest's 23-year history that third place has been recognized.

Jackrabbits Forensics has just wrapped up a historic season, with several "firsts" achieved by one of South Dakota State University's longest-running cocurricular teams.

A team of South Dakota State University mechanical engineering students has worked to solve this problem by developing a cheap and affordable prosthetic that can be made and built with materials that are readily available around the world.

South Dakota State University's Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering has recently been exploring the viability of automated controlled drainage systems in eastern South Dakota. The systems would allow farmers to maximize the available water and potentially improve their yearly crop yields.

Following a family history of answering the call to serve, Catie Natvig will be commissioned into the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant Friday, May 3. The South Dakota State University senior was preceded in the ROTC program by her grandfather, Virgil Natvig, and her father, David Natvig. There are two more Natvigs in the wings. Sisters Carlee and Kimber Natvig are slated to commission and earn their bachelor's degrees in 2025 and 2027, respectively. Catie Natvig expects 15 family members to gather Friday. For her 6 p.m. Saturday graduation from SDSU, seating capacity at the Dacotah Bank Center limits graduates to six tickets per family.

The career possibilities for athletic trainers in South Dakota are expanding thanks to the efforts of a South Dakota State University clinical assistant professor. Educating future athletic trainers in the SDSU School of Health and Consumer Sciences and serving as the president of the South Dakota Athletic Trainers' Association, Mary Beth Zwart has made an impact on the profession and on her students.

Two faculty members and one graduate student in the School of Communication and Journalism at South Dakota State University received recognition at Central States Communication Association annual conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 2-7. Recognized for their contributions to the discipline and excellence in teaching, these awards underscore the student-focused approach to academia in the School of Communication and Journalism.

Building on the tradition of past student entries in NASA contests, another group of South Dakota State University engineering students has advanced to the finals of a NASA contest. This year's group of five mechanical engineering students will appear before NASA judges to present their idea and prototype of a rover that can explore rugged and permanently shadowed lunar south pole craters searching for water, ice and other volatiles. They are one of 14 teams nationwide that will be in Cocoa Beach, Florida, June 10-12.

South Dakota State University Theatre and Dance will bring a popular children's story to life with its production of "James and the Giant Peach." Performance dates and times are April 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. at the Oscar Larson Theatre in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center on campus.

Eric Lohr, a senior majoring in music education, will present his senior recital at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 14, in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center's Founders Recital Hall on the South Dakota State University campus.

How can marching band members learn the band's formations and their own individual movements more easily? This was the basic question that Grant Sternhagen, a junior in South Dakota State University's Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, asked. The answer has led to a long-term development project that could allow marching band members to learn their spots and moves on a field by following along on their phones through an inexpensive app. And Sterhagen's proclivity to be a changemaker has only grown at SDSU, where he serves in student organizations and activities, volunteers for college events, and even lobbies SDSU and state officials for change on campus.

Joseph Daly, a music education major at South Dakota State University, will present his senior recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center's Founders Recital Hall on the SDSU campus.

Four undergraduate students in South Dakota State University's Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics attended the American Physical Society's annual meeting March 3-8 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cole Brown, Gavin Baker, Matthew Wieberdink and Jax Wysong - all physics majors - presented their research on Heusler alloys, with Wieberdink's poster being recognized as an "outstanding presentation" by the American Physical Society. The quartet's research is under the direction of Parashu Kharel, an associate professor of physics in SDSU's College of Natural Sciences.

Students from the South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions made a trip to the South Dakota Capitol Feb. 13-14, advocating for their chosen profession and offering lawmakers free health screenings.

Two South Dakota State University students were recently selected to receive a $2,500 grant sponsored by the South Dakota Cattlemen's Foundation to support two undergraduate beef cattle research projects.

Connor Ilchuk, a music education major at South Dakota State University, will present his junior recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center's Founders Recital Hall on the SDSU campus.

The following students graduated after the summer and fall 2023 semesters at South Dakota State University. Nearly 1,000 students completed all requirements for a degree and/or certificate program, and those requirements have been verified by the appropriate college. Overall, students from 36 states and 25 nations graduated following the summer and fall 2023 semesters. Nearly 40 students received two or more degrees or certificates from a college.

Josh Howard, a senior majoring in music studies, will present his senior recital at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 3, in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center's Founders Recital Hall on the South Dakota State University campus.

South Dakota State University student Kaitlyn Preszler conducted research on the relationship between cattle and wildflowers in South Dakota.

Los Angeles actor and playwright Deb Hiett is coming to South Dakota State University to celebrate the collegiate premiere of her new play, "The Escape Thingy." Performance dates are Feb. 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center's Fishback Studio Theatre. A public dialogue with Hiett will immediately follow the Friday, Feb. 23, performance.

One of South Dakota State University's most historical cocurricular teams is preparing to make history at its first international tournament in March. Jackrabbits Forensics, SDSU's competitive speech and debate team, will travel to Dublin, Ireland, March 8-14 to compete in the International Forensics Association contest.

South Dakota State University juniors Katelyn Plucker and Brianna Renneker will present a joint recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center's Founders Recital Hall on the SDSU campus.