Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
In 1998, Peggy Gordon (Elliott) Miller became the 18th President of South Dakota State University and the first woman to lead this institution. She came to South Dakota State from Washington, D.C. where she was a senior fellow and acting vice-president for Academic and International Programs at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Prior to that she was president of the University of Akron from 1992 to 1996. She received her Ph.D. from Indiana University and served as the school’s chancellor for its Northwest campus from 1984 to 1992. During her tenure as president of SDSU, the university celebrated its 125th anniversary, and began the Jackrabbit Guarantee scholarship, new Ph. D and research programs, the Center of Excellence, and the Vanguard Center. New buildings were constructed, including the Performing Arts Center and Caldwell Hall. Plans for a wellness center, an equestrian practice facility, and the research park were underway. It was also at this time the university began the process of moving to NCAA Division I athletics. She stepped down as president of SDSU in 2006.