May 21, 2015
As we celebrated over 400 graduates receiving their degrees at spring commencement, we also celebrated the educators and teachers at all grade levels who helped our students arrive at graduation day.
Whether an educator, dentist,
CEO, or an international event producer like BHSU alum
Michael Shann who received an honorary doctorate at commencement, we are all inspired by teachers.
It was great seeing BHSU
Rodeo in action earlier this month. Good luck and I’ll see you at the National Finals in
Casper!
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BHSU alum Michael Shann shared his experience and offered professional advice to over 400 graduates during BHSU’s spring commencement ceremony May 9.
Shann received an honorary Doctor of Public Service during the ceremony. Shann has built an impressive career producing large-scale entertainment events around the world, including the
2014 Sochi Winter
Olympics Closing
Ceremony.
After receiving his award at commencement,
Shann addressed the BHSU graduates.
“Life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” Shann said. “You’re starting it off right by taking a moment to appreciate, to be recognized and to enjoy what you’ve accomplished so far.”
Michael Shann accepts an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from President
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Education students from BHSU made Teacher
Appreciation Week extra-special for local teachers. Several
BHSU students surprised their former elementary and secondary education teachers with a personal visit thanking them for inspiring their journey to become teachers themselves.
Kathy Christensen (left), BHSU Class of ’73 and ’02, received a surprise visit from her former student
Sara Frasier, elementary education major from
Spearfish, in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.
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BHSU alumna Bjorg
Remmers-Seymour was recently named Rapid
City Educator of the Year by the Rapid City Public
School Foundation.
Remmers-Seymour teaches eighth grade math at East Middle
School in Rapid
City where she was recognized during a special ceremony.
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The BHSU men’s and women’s rodeo teams each qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo for the first time in several years. The Rodeo will be held in Casper, Wyo. in June.

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BHSU observed American Indian Awareness Week last month with notable speakers on campus and over
3,000 participants and spectators for the 32nd Annual
Lakota Omniciye Wacipi (Pow Wow) at the Donald E.
Young Center (photo below).
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“Great meeting with
Dr. Gary Johnson, VP at Hastings College
@HC_Advantage. Beautiful campus and wonderful people.
Above, Charlie Cuny shares her fashion designs as a speaker during American Indian
Awareness Week. The theme for the week was “Draw from the past, design the future” with a focus on new and emerging
Native art.
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Right, BHSU students plant trees on campus during an
Arbor Day celebration. Starting a new tradition, BHSU will plant a tree in honor of each faculty and staff retiree from the University. A metal, engraved tag will be hung on each tree with the name of the retiree and the year of retirement.
BHSU will receive $119,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Education to improve science and mathematics instruction in South Dakota middle and high schools, working with Sanford Lab and school districts from Bennett County, Newell, and White River. The South Dakota Board of Regents administers the federal grant funds.
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Left, Dr. Urla Marcus, director of the Center for American Indian Studies at BHSU, was one of 22 regional leaders named to South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard’s Native American Student
Achievement Advisory Council. Marcus, an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, will work with the Council to identify strategies for improving achievement and graduation rates among South Dakota Native American students.
Right, Dr. Priscilla Romkema, dean of the College of Business and Natural Sciences, was named president-elect of the National Business Education Association (NBEA), the nation’s leading professional association devoted exclusively to serving individuals and groups engaged in instruction, administration, research and dissemination of information about business.
Marcus Romkema