News from President Tom Jackson, Jr.
January 21, 2016
Faculty Begin Service Learning Program
Ten BHSU students will mentor high school students
in Cebu City, Philippines during spring break as part
of a new experiential learning course at BHSU. The
students will work on a needs-based project before
traveling abroad with their faculty-led group.
Gina Gibson, associate professor of digital
communication, recently met with leaders and
students at the local school.
“As I go into the classroom this semester I’m not
thinking about some theoretical experience, I’m
thinking about real people that I met,” said Gibson.
“I’m looking forward to our students preparing for
this learning experience - it will change them forever.”
Update
Inspire.
Engage.
Innovate.
Imagine.
At BHSU, we’re embracing
the possibilities and potential a
new year brings. This year we’ll
continue to inspire our students,
engage with our community,
innovate with our faculty in the
classroom, and imagine how we
can impact the world.
I hope to see you at the
ribbon cutting event February
16 for the new Crow Peak
Residence Hall on campus. See
page two of this report for more
information.
Sincerely,
on
Campus Upgrades
As 2016 begins, several campus construction projects
are underway or nearly complete.
• Removal of Pangburn Hall, which has significant
infrastructure problems
• Hillside bank stabilization that will connect the
campus to the city walking/biking path
• Addition of an Einstein Bros. Bagels coffee shop in
the E.Y. Berry Library-Learning Center
• Admissions Welcome Center, an easy-to-find space
at the front of campus for prospective students and
their parents
• Crow Peak Hall, the first new residence hall in
50 years
• The Sanford Science Education Center in Jonas Hall
offers science labs, interactive classrooms and displays for visitors to campus. The new addition is a
direct link to the Sanford Science Education Center,
which also has facilities at the Sanford Lab in Lead.
• New suites added to Lyle Hare Stadium
• Continuing BHSU’s commitment to sustainability
and preservation of the beautiful Black Hills by
replacing trees lost in Storm Atlas and planting
additional trees
• Exterior lighting upgrades to reduce utility costs
and enhance safety
BHSU Hosts Women
[Where ANYTHING is possible]
in
in
Philippines
Gibson, third from left, met with teachers in the Philippines
recently to plan a service learning trip for BHSU students.
Top 2015 BHSU Moments
10. BHSU advances green initiatives;
Spearfish Local sees exceptional growth.
9. High achieving scholar athletes, new sports, and first national competition as NCAA Division II.
8. Campus and community engagement. 7. Record fundraising year.
6. Named top school for student veterans. 5. More than 600 students graduate.
4. Increase in international partnerships.
3. BHSU Underground Campus Opens at Sanford Lab.
2. New additions, renovations on campus.
1. BHSU-Rapid City provides increased higher education opportunities.
Read more about the countdown.
Physics Conference
BHSU welcomed 80 undergraduate physics majors from
throughout the Midwest to campus Jan. 15-17 for the American
Physical Society’s Conference for Undergraduate Women in
Physics (CUWiP). The conference was held in partnership with
Sanford Underground Research Facility.
The three-day conference included research talks by faculty,
panel discussions about graduate school and careers in physics,
presentations and discussions about women in physics,
laboratory tours, and a student poster session.
The conference was one of nine held concurrently throughout
the United States in different regions. BHSU, as the Midwest
site, welcomed attendees from Montana, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa and
Wisconsin.
Madison Jilek, left, physical science major from
Spearfish, and Kristen Rath, secondary science
education and physical science major from Canton,
work in the laser spectroscopy lab at BHSU.
January 21, 2016
Join BHSU
in
Celebrating New Spaces
and
New Places
You are invited to the ribbon cutting for the new Crow Peak Residence Hall
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 9 a.m. - Crow Peak Hall, BHSU Campus in Spearfish
Custer
will
Retire
as
Tweets
Provost
Dr. Rod Custer, provost and vice president of Academic
Affairs at BHSU, announced his impending retirement as
provost at the end of this fiscal year.
“I want to express my sincere thanks and admiration to Dr.
Custer for his professionalism, leadership, and dedication to
the faculty and to the entire campus. In the 18 months that
I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with him, I have been
impressed with his pragmatic approach, his scholarly outlook,
and his commitment to higher education,” Dr. Tom Jackson,
Jr., BHSU President, said. “Dr. Custer has clearly had a positive
impact on the campus and the community and we will all miss
his leadership.”
A national search will be conducted to select a new provost.
Read about Custer’s key accomplishments.
Make
nations by donating shoes to
the @Samaritan_Feet Charity
at the Spearfish BB games
this Saturday. #ShoesforHope
---@tomjackjr
Follow President Jackson
on Twitter @tomjackjr
Custer
it a
BHSU Weekend!
Cheer on Rapid City Rush hockey
during BHSU-RC Night
February 20
Visit Terry Peak for BHSU
Alumni and Friends Ski
Weekend
Photography Professor Earns Chamber Award
Professor Steve Babbitt was honored by the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce
for his contributions to arts and culture within the Black Hills community.
Babbitt, professor of mass communication at BHSU, received the Rushmore Honors
Award during at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Celebration Jan. 12.
Babbitt was nominated for his dedication in the creation and growth of the mass
communication program at BHSU, specifically the photography department, his
work with the Rapid City Arts Council, and commitment to mentoring artists in the
region.
BHSU-RC Debuts Speaker Series
Above, Twitter post by Fox Sports reporter Reid Forgrave
shares his story on BHSU student Gage McSpadden with the
world. Read the Fox Sports story profiling how McSpadden’s
father and fellow teammates are taking great strides in his
honor.
Jan. 8
Help those in need in poor
February 19
Fox Sports Shares Legacy of
Student Gage McSpadden’s
Family, Community Impact
Top
Black Hills State University - Rapid City has developed a series of lectures for
the community.
The lecture series will kick off Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. BHSU-RC, room 113 with
Robert Haivala, South Dakota assistant attorney general and BHSU adjunct
professor. Haivala’s topic dissects the Battle of Little Big Horn. His presentation
will look at Custer’s involvement in the massacre and determine political
reasoning behind the historic event.
“We are excited to present this opportunity to the students of BHSU-RC and
the community as a whole,” said Gene Bilodeau, executive director of BHSU-RC.
See the full list of lecture dates and topics.