South Dakota State University
Joye Ann Billow was born July 28, 1943 in Middletown, Pennsylvania to Mary Dorothea (Pierce) and Schuyler Elsworth Billow. In 1961 she graduated from Middletown High School. She received a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy in 1967, and a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Billow joined the SDSU College of Pharmacy faculty in 1972 and served for 30 years until her retirement in 2002. She was a professor of pharmaceutical sciences and a licensed pharmacist throughout her career.
Dr. Billow was faculty advisor to the Chi Chapter of the Kappa Epsilon Fraternity for women pharmacy students for 29 years. She won the Kappa Epsilon Outstanding Advisor Award (1991), The Unicorn Award (1991), and the Career Achievement Award (2003) during her tenure. She also guided the fraternity to become Outstanding Collegian KE Chapter for 2002-2003.
The SDSU Woman of Distinction award was presented to Billow in 2002 for her excellence in service as a pharmacy faculty member and her involvement in and contributions to numerous campus and community organizations, including coordinator of the Bush Project, chair and vice-chair of the Academic Senate , writing the 1990 self-study for university accreditation, and helping establish the Brookings Women’s Center, Brookings Domestic Abuse Shelter, and Brookings Hospice.
Following retirement, Billow became an art student and produced work that was featured in local shows. She was also a board member of the Brookings Arts Council. She died on December 6, 2013 at the age of 70.
Bradley, Omar N. (Omar Nelson), 1893-1981
Burns, Robert V. (Robert Vincent)
Robert (Bob) Burns was born in Flandreau in 1942. He is the youngest of six children of the late Joseph and Marie Burns. He developed a habit of participation and assumption of leadership roles while attending Flandreau High School. His high school leadership roles and academic success paid dividends in the form of a four year Briggs Scholarship awarded him by SDSU in mid-summer of 1960.
Bob graduated from SDSU in June of 1964 with a BS in Political Science and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the US Army through ROTC later that summer. The spring of 1964 also marked his marriage to Donna Bozied. The University of Missouri-Columbia awarded him a full ride three year National Defense Fellowship in their political science doctoral program.
Bob subsequently earned a MA (1966) and a PhD (1973) in Political Science from the University of Missouri- Columbia with the financial support of his Fellowship and Donna’s earned salary. Bob reported for active duty at Ft. Benning, Georgia as an officer in the US Army. Bob’s two year active duty time (1968-1970) included one year as an Army Captain in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster while serving in Vietnam.
While serving in Vietnam, Bob was invited by his undergraduate mentor, Professor Hendrickson, to join the political science faculty of SDSU for a one year term appointment. His one year term appointment was transformed into a 38 year professional life due to some fortunate circumstances and the endorsement of students, colleagues and superiors. During his tenure at SDSU he received many teaching awards including being named College of Arts and Sciences “Teacher of the Year” seven different years, Burlington Northern Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching (1989), Distinguished Professor of Political Science in 1994 by the SD Board of Regents and 1995 South Dakota Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching. He also served as department head for the Departments of Political Science and Philosophy and Religion for nearly 20 years. He served as Acting Director of the USD Farber Center from January to July, 1998 while on leave from SDSU. During the last ten years of his tenure at SDSU he served first as Director and later as the first Dean of the SDSU Honors College while continuing his teaching and department head duties. He also assumed many leadership roles on several key campus organizations during his SDSU tenure. Early in his career, his nine month teaching contract afforded him an opportunity to do summer policy research for Governors Kneip, Wollman and Janklow and serve as a Humanist- in- Residence for the SD Committee on Humanities three separate summers.
Upon his retirement in June, 2008, the SD Board of Regents honored him with the titles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Dean Emeritus of the SDSU Honors College. He was also honored as a SDSU Distinguished Alumnus for Service to Education by the SDSU Alumni Association in 2008. He continues to be a well-known print and broadcast media commentator on South Dakota and national government, politics and legal issues. Bob has also received recognition for community service. He served on the National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education (1997-1998) and he continues service as a SD Commissioner on the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (1996-present). His belief that democracy requires active citizen engagement and a strong civil society has prompted him to serve on and sometimes lead multiple state and local civic and government boards, commissions, task forces and councils during his professional life. That service continues into retirement as evidenced by his chairing the SD Budget and Policy Institute and the SD World Affairs Council in addition to regular teaching of OLLI courses in Sioux Falls and Brookings.
David L. Chicoine, Ph.D. was named the 19th president of South Dakota State University in 2007 and was the third alumnus to hold that position. He received his B.S. in agribusiness in 1969 from SDSU, M.S. in agricultural economics in 1971 from University of Delaware, M.A. in economics in 1978 from Western Illinois University, and Ph.D. in agricultural economics in 1979 from the University of Illinois. Prior to becoming president of SDSU, Chicoine held several positions in the University of Illinois system, including Extension economist and specialist; head of the Department of Agricultural Economics; dean of the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; and Vice President for Technology and Economic Development. During his presidency, SDSU heavily invested in upgrading and building new academic buildings, residence halls, and athletic facilities. Chicoine also oversaw SDSU’s move from NCAA Division II to Division I athletics. The university’s emphasis on research grew during his term as well. Chicoine left his position as president in 2016, and is now on the faculty in SDSU’s Department of Economics.
Committee for a Safer Brookings (Brookings : S.D.)
Corothers, Thomas E. (Thomas Edward), 1927-1998
Council of Higher Education (S.D.)
Through the latter half of the 20th century, there have been attempts to unionize faculty at South Dakota State University and across South Dakota. Short-lived attempts by the American Association of University Professors and the South Dakota Higher Education Faculty Association ultimately failed, although they did lay the groundwork for the eventual success of the Council of Higher Education.
In 1978, the Board of Regents officially recognized the Council of Higher Education.
The Council of Higher Education (COHE) is the exclusive representative of the collective bargaining unit for the purpose of collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, grievance procedures and other conditions of employment. The bargaining unit includes full-time and regular part-time instructional-research faculty in college and universities, the Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension Service, Auxiliary Services, the South Dakota School for the Visually Handicapped and the South Dakota School for the Deaf. These faculty may not be supervisors. The unit does not include the Medical School, the Law School, or the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences.
The unit excludes deans, directors, department chairpersons, department heads, principals, superintendents, program managers, and others who are supervisory and managerial, and also emeritus faculty; teaching and research assistants, clinical faculty; county agents, county home economists and ROTC personnel.
Dakota Agricultural College Board of Regents
An agricultural college for the Territory of Dakota was established February 21, 1881. At the Fifteenth Legislative Assembly, provision was made for a Board of Regents of six members, exclusive of the governor of the Territory, who was the ex-officio President of the Board. A board was selected with three members serving terms of three years and three members serving terms of four years. This board was formed to establish and organize the Dakota Agricultural College.
In 1887, the Legislative Assembly of Dakota Territory established a method of government for the Dakota Agricultural College. This method established a governing board made up of five appointees, the governor and one member of the Territorial Board. The Territorial Legislature approved the appointees biennially, while the Territorial Board member served a one-year term. An elected president and treasurer ran the board, and the president of the college served as a non-voting secretary. The board held up to six meetings, totaling no more than 24 days, each year, and board members received compensation for attendance.
For two years, this Board of Regents governed the Dakota Agricultural College [D.A.C]. In 1889, in anticipation of statehood, the legislative assembly dissolved the Board of Regents and established a five-member Board of Trustees to govern the institution through the transition period.
Jay Dirksen graduated from General Beadle High School in Madison, South Dakota. During his high school career Dirksen won the State Class B Championship in the mile.
He attended South Dakota State University and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Physical Education in 1968 and a Masters in 1969. He took a position as the men's cross country and track coach at South Dakota State University. He also began a women's cross country program during his time at S.D.S.U. In 1977, he became the assistant men's track coach at the University of Illinois. He took a position as the head womenâ's track and field coach at the University of Missouri in 1982. After just one year at the University of Missouri, Dirksen moved on to become the head cross country coach and assistant head track coach in charge of distance runners at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He spent 29 seasons at University of Nebraska-Lincoln retiring in 2011.
Jay Dirksen married Diane Stewart in 1972. Together they have two children, a son, Derek, and a daughter, Kristi.
Education
Work history
Organizations
Fields of research competence: plant ecology, fire ecology, range plant physiology, range soils, range improvement and management