President's Message | Fall 2026

As president of SDSU, I have always said one of my greatest enjoyments is to be able to share the stories that make SDSU a premier land-grant university and the connection people across our state have with the university. 

Recently that was reinforced when results from a statewide survey found that 92% of South Dakotans are aware of SDSU, with 77% holding a positive or very positive impression of the university. What really stood out to me was that the more familiar people are with SDSU, the more positively they view our academic excellence, research, workforce development and community impact. 

The results confirm that we reach people throughout the state. But a strong brand is about much more than awareness. Our brand reflects what SDSU means to the people and communities we serve — and the impact our graduates have long after they leave our campus. 

Our academic programs are designed to prepare graduates to build and strengthen South Dakota. They become nurses and pharmacists who make our communities healthier. Teachers who educate the next generation. Engineers who design infrastructure. Entrepreneurs who create businesses. And agricultural professionals who manage our state’s natural resources and help feed the world. 

The access to higher education that our graduates have been given and the impact they have on society define what it means to be a premier land-grant university and to live our mission created back in 1862 through the Morrill Act. 

Examples of this impact can be seen throughout our great state, and it will certainly be felt as we look at Horizon 2035, Sioux Falls’ next effort to further develop and expand a vibrant downtown area that will include the new Sanford District.

Redeveloping more than 100 acres requires talented people from many disciplines working together. SDSU graduates in civil engineering, architecture, finance, construction management and many other fields will be among those who plan, design, finance and build developments like this. They will also work for and lead the businesses that locate there. Our alumni will provide for a healthy and educated community, manage businesses, support community organizations and contribute to the quality of life that attracts people to this community and encourages them to stay. The connection is clear. As communities grow, it is SDSU’s alums who are building South Dakota’s future. 

Sioux Falls is just one example. The same story is unfolding in communities throughout South Dakota, like Parkston, Rapid City, Winner, Yankton and dozens of others in the state. In our largest cities and smallest towns, SDSU graduates are solving problems, filling critical workforce needs and creating opportunities for others.

That is what we mean by our most recent campaign, #GreaterSDState, with the goal to help people recognize the connection between the work taking place at SDSU and what they experience in their own communities. It demonstrates how our graduates, research, Extension and industry partnerships contribute to a stronger workforce, healthier communities and greater economic opportunity. 

As our recent research tells us, the more South Dakotans understand those connections, the greater their appreciation for SDSU and its impact. That creates both an opportunity and a responsibility for us to continue telling these stories. 

For 145 years as South Dakota’s land-grant university, our responsibility has been to prepare people and create and disseminate knowledge in order to improve lives. That responsibility continues today. When our graduates succeed, their communities succeed. When those communities grow and prosper, our entire state becomes stronger. 

That is a Greater South Dakota — and South Dakota State University is proud to be helping build it. 

Go Big. Go Blue. Go Jacks.

Sincerely,

Barry H. Dunn
President