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Toggle Menu Request Info Visit DSU Apply Fill 1 Give a Gift About Academics Research Admissions Student Life Athletics MyDSU Careers at DSU Alumni & Friends Office of the President DSU Cyber 27 Government & Corporate Partners Directory Preparation + opportunity = success That’s the DSU equation. We’re a four-year university with nationally recognized programs, cutting-edge facilities, and the brightest thinkers. But we’re also a tight-knit, inclusive community. Small class sizes mean hands-on training and individualized attention. All this with an affordable, public school price that’s among the best values in the region. Majors & Degrees Toggle Search Request Info Visit DSU Apply Fill 1 Give a Gift Search Popular searches Commencement Majors & Degrees Academic Calendar Tuition and Fees Online Programs Karl E. Mundt Library Map Apply Scholarships Directory Housing Is DSU the right fit for you? Even the best brochures and postcards (and yes, even websites) can only tell you so much about a college. The only surefire way to know if DSU is right for you is to see for yourself. Visit DSU Request Info Visit DSU Apply Fill 1 Give a Gift Close Alert Congrats DSU Class of 2024! Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 4 featuring distinguished speaker and alumnus Matt Paulson and student speaker Zach Rohrbach. Find out the schedule and how you can livestream the event DSU to offer advanced AI degrees Elevating our emerging technology offerings with advanced degrees in Artificial Intelligence Learn more about MSAI DSU game design program ranks in top 50 The Princeton Review ranked DSU’s program 36th internationally Learn more about DSU’s nationwide impact Building the best cyber anywhere See how DSU is accelerating the future of cyber. Learn more about DSU’s Cyber 27 Initiative Experience Life as a Trojan Invest in yourself to rise to the top! Apply to DSU Today A future you can afford Learn more about Tuition and fees Pause Slideshow Play Slideshow At , we are rising. Our students are driven by a singular focus — be forward-thinking. As a community, we strive to define the future for ourselves and the world. We don’t just stand by. We create, we innovate, we push ourselves to action. DSU Cyber 27 Points of Pride 99.7% placement rate for our latest graduating class 80+ Degrees and Programs 36+ student clubs 76% students receiving financial aid Empowered to Define the Next Big Thing Stack view Grid view Madeline Hegg ’24 Elementary Education By the third grade, Madeline Hegg already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Like many individuals who choose to pursue a career in education, she was inspired by teachers throughout her schooling. More about Madeline Open story about Madeline Madeline Hegg ’24 Elementary Education By the third grade, Madeline Hegg already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. Like many individuals who choose to pursue a career in education, she was inspired by teachers throughout her schooling. The teachers I’ve had in my educational journey have given me so much and inspired me to do the same for younger students,” Hegg said. Now in her final semester, Hegg, an Elementary Education major with minors in reading and technology, is currently a student teacher in the Harrisburg School District. Originally from Mitchell, S.D., she was drawn to Dakota State to earn her degree based on its legacy as a teacher’s college, the technology mission and built-in minor, and the campus size. The relationships I’ve built with my university instructors have been amazing,” she said. They care that I get through school and become a teacher, but they also care about me personally and my goals, aspirations, hobbies, just everything.” Hegg has grown close to these educators. They do more than just teach,” she said. They care. They’re your friend, your mentor, and your guide. The teachers here are 100% invested in their students.” While all of them inspire Hegg, she especially looks up to Betsy Schamber. Every time I’ve mentioned her name, there has been someone who has shared how amazing she was as their teacher in Madison’s middle school,” Hegg said. Outside of the classroom, Hegg has enjoyed making lifelong friends and finding entertainment in Madison. The hard thing is there’s not a lot to do in Madison, but DSU makes up for it with campus activities,” she explained. One of her favorite memories is attending Zumba classes with all her friends during her freshman year. Another memory is more recent, when Hegg served as a camp counselor for CybHER during the summer of 2023. For a week, I got to watch 100 middle school girls gain confidence and knowledge in technology,” she said. Serving as a camp counselor allowed Hegg to gain more experience as an educator while also enjoying her favorite part of teaching, often referred to as ‘the light bulb moment.’ Their eyes light up, and they get excited because they’re proud of themselves,” she said. When a student understands what they’re learning it opens so many opportunities for the next topic, lesson, and subject.” Hegg is currently finishing up her semester of student teaching, applying for positions in the next school year, and is excited to continue her journey as an educator. The relationships that DSU staff have built with me have encouraged me to go out and build those types of relationships with my own students,” she said. ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (BSE) Inspired to Educate Denyce Bravo ’24 Biology (BS) Denyce Bravo, a senior Biology major from the Philippines, was interested in a research project about bees, but also enjoyed aspects of microbiology. More about Denyce Open story about Denyce Denyce Bravo ’24 Biology (BS) People have used honey for thousands of years as a medical treatment. A new project at shows why honey is useful to treat infections on a molecular basis by looking at honey produced by bees that gather nectar from alfalfa and its antimicrobial properties. Denyce Bravo, a senior Biology major from the Philippines, was interested in a research project about bees, but also enjoyed aspects of microbiology. I learned that alfalfa also produces honey, so I decided to do something with alfalfa since it’s such a big part of agriculture in South Dakota,” Bravo said. DSU students have been researching various properties of alfalfa for four years. Dr. Andrew Sathoff, Assistant Professor of Biology, is serving as Bravo’s mentor on the project and is enjoying the expanding alfalfa research. The two collaborated with DSU Art Professor Alan Montgomery, a hobby beekeeper. Montgomery used alfalfa for his bees and provided the honey for testing and research. I impregnate a small filter with honey in different concentrations, and then I let it grow with the bacteria,” Bravo explained. This is a standard antimicrobial activity,” Sathoff explained. You blot honey on a filter paper disk and then see if the honey kills the bacteria.” Bravo found that E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus are susceptible to honey inhibiting around 30% of bacterial growth. It works against both human and plant pathogens,” Sathoff said. So, it’s providing broad spectrum activity.” Bravo also tested Manuka honey, a type of honey from New Zealand and Australia that is sometimes used in hospitals for wound and burn healing. By testing the Manuka honey, Bravo showed that alfalfa honey had similar antimicrobial activity. The research showed that proteins in honey attack bacteria, and the hydrogen peroxide in honey also functions as the main antimicrobial agent. While she found that alfalfa honey has antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, she found lower antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens. Currently, Bravo is testing the antimicrobial activity of bee defensin-1, which is a bee peptide found in honey,” Sathoff explained. Defensins are known to have broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi.” Bravo will attend the American Society of Microbiology Conference in Atlanta with Sathoff this...