Scholarship committee
See the full University of South Dakota Scholarship committee.
| Anne Cipperley |
Anne Cipperley, CFA, works at the South Dakota Investment Council as a high yield bond portfolio manager. She mostly covers companies in the energy, healthcare, gaming/leisure, metals/mining, and retail industries. Anne graduated summa cum laude with honors from the University of South Dakota in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a minor in Mathematics. Anne played basketball for the Coyotes for two years, was a Presidential Alumni scholarship recipient, participated in the Honors Program, studied abroad in both the Czech Republic and Greece, and won the Midwest Economics Association’s 2009 Undergraduate Paper Competition with her honors thesis titled “The Cost European Union Consumers Bear to Support Rural Dairy Farmers.” Anne and her husband, Kyle, currently reside in Sioux Falls with their two sons. |
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Abigial Saylor USD Student |
Abigail Saylor is a sophomore majoring in Sport Marketing and Media with a minor in Social Media Marketing. She is a member of the Honors Program, where she serves as an Honors Peer Mentor and Co-President of the Honors Student Advisory Board, helping to guide program development and curriculum improvements. Abigail is a recipient of the Presidential Alumni Scholarship and the Allen H. Neuharth Excellence in Journalism Scholarship. She is actively involved in student media and currently works as the Student Engagement Marketing Coordinator, managing social media and digital content for various campus events and organizations. Additionally, she serves as the Marketing Director for the Campus Activities Board and co-hosts her weekly radio show “Off the Record” on USD’s student-run station, KAOR 91.1 FM. |
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Associate Professor, English |
Benjamin D. Hagen, Associate Professor in the Department of English, received his Ph.D. in English from the University of Rhode Island in 2012. His research interests include modern and contemporary fiction and poetry, the history of criticism and theory, affect studies, and the intersections of literature, pedagogy, and philosophy. At USD, he teaches graduate courses in these areas as well as sections of ENGL 284 (Introduction to Criticism), ENGL 222 (British Literature II), and UHON 110 (Honors English). Though coming to South Dakota from Rhode Island, he is originally from a small town (Gladstone) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. |
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Associate Professor and Chair of Teacher Residency & Education |
Daniel Mourlam earned his Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Northern Iowa in 2015. He joined the University of South Dakota in 2015 and teaches courses in educational technology, secondary teaching methods, and STEM Education. His research focus is at the intersection of digital technologies and media with the beliefs and knowledge of pre- and in-service teachers, PK-12 learners, and university faculty. Prior to joining the university, he was a technology coordinator, teacher, technology specialist, and project manager at both PK12 and post-secondary institutions. |
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Professor |
Eric M. Jepsen has been at the University of South Dakota since 2006. He is the Coordinator of the Political Science major at USD and helps students secure internships across the state, region, country, and world. He teaches classes on comparative politics, international relations, democracy, authoritarianism, and the politics of economic development. His research interests revolve around subnational development policies in federal countries within the constraints and opportunities of the global economy. He lives in Vermillion with his wife Kaiya who also teaches at USD along with their teenage son Sver, a dog named Freyja, a cat named Spy Spy, and another cat named Specter. |
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Associate Professor |
Haoran Sun earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Jilin University. Prior to joining the Department of Chemistry at the University of South Dakota (USD), he worked on fluorinated metalloporphyrins and highly reactive nucleophilic fluorinating reagents at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Sun joined the USD Department of Chemistry in 2008, and he teaches organic chemistry and electrochemistry courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. He also routinely mentors undergraduate and graduate research, which provides students indispensable hands-on learning experience outside the classroom. His lab’s research focuses on study of fluorinated materials for renewable energy generation and storage, as well as developing new fluorination methods for medicinal applications. He has authored and co-authored five book chapters and 84 peer-reviewed journal articles, and he obtained four U.S. patents. Awards include the NSF CAREER award and the USD President's Award for Research Excellence. Dr. Sun enjoys working with students and supporting their future success. |
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Jeff Wesner Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Biology |
Jeff Wesner is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Biology. He received his Ph.D. in 2010 in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma. His research interests cover multiple aspects of freshwater ecology, including fisheries, food webs, ecotoxicology, and statistics. At USD he teaches Inquiry and Analysis, Biology for Non-Majors, Environmental Science, and Bayesian Statistics. Jeff is from a small town (Cordell) in Oklahoma and has been at USD since 2013. He lives in Vermillion with his wife, Chelsea Wesner, Ph.D., daughters Lily and Isla, and "groodle" Coco Bean Arms Wesner. He also plays drums for local indie band Fine Mess. |
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Jong-Sung Yoon Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology |
Jong-Sung Yoon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Dakota. He earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Florida State University and has been a faculty member at USD since 2019. Dr. Yoon’s research focuses on two main areas: (1) the study of aging and (2) the development of expertise. He teaches courses in cognitive psychology, aging, cognitive neuroscience, and expertise. Another fun fact about him is that, although originally from South Korea, Dr. Yoon fulfilled his military duty as a Korean citizen by serving in the U.S. Army (the 2nd Infantry Division). He currently lives in Vermillion with his wife and two teenage children. |
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Kal Hartung USD Student |
Kal Hartung is a sophomore Communication Sciences and Disorder major with minors in Deaf Education and Child and Adolescent Development. She was awarded the Mickelson Scholarship and serves as a Drum Major for the Sound of USD Marching Band. In addition to her musical leadership, Kal is also involved on campus in Soundbites, which is the Marching Band outreach group curated for interacting with High School Music Programs and the community, Volleyball and Basketball Pep Band, Symphonic Band, and the Honors Program. Beyond her campus commitments, she volunteers weekly at Vermillion Middle School and works during the summer as a Manager at a children’s amusement park, Storybook Land, in Aberdeen, SD. |
| Melissa Berninger Director of Honors Program |
Melissa Berninger came to the University of South Dakota in 2018. As director of the University Honors Program, she advises and teaches honors students, provides administrative leadership for the program, and serves as the campus coordinator of nationally competitive scholarships. Before coming to USD, she spent nearly twenty years at Long Island University Brooklyn, where she served as writing program administrator, campus coordinator of assessment, and associate director of the Honors College. Melissa earned a master's degree in English from Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree in library and information science with a certificate in archives and special collections from the Palmer School at Long Island University. She is a merit badge counselor for the Vermillion BSA troop and a regular volunteer at the Vermillion Welcome Table. |
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USD Alumna |
A third generation USD alum, Michelle Maloney graduated with a degree in English and a minor in mass communications (now known as contemporary media and journalism). A supporter of all things USD, she serves on the Howling Pack Board of Directors for USD and is a Trustee at the University of South Dakota Foundation. Michelle owns Maloney Real Estate and Property Management in Vermillion where she lives with her husband Kevin Murley (MFA 96'). |
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Michael Hook Professor for Department of Art |
Phillip Michael Hook came to the University of South Dakota in 2006. He teaches two-dimensional design, color theory and all levels of drawing in the Department of Art at USD. Hook is also the academic advisor for all freshmen in the art department as well as mentor for all graduate teaching assistants teaching art classes. Professor Hook’s research interests are in the areas of landscape and abstraction, works on paper, printmaking and hand-bound books. Professor Hook grew up in the small town of Boonville, Missouri though originally from Kansas City. He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Missouri. Hook has frequently exhibited work throughout the Midwest and has been selected to participate in many juried competitions and invitational exhibitions throughout the United States. |
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Rebecca Feldhaus USD Student |
Rebecca Feldhaus is a second-year student studying Political Science with a Business Administration minor. She is a Presidential Alumni Scholar and was awarded both the Mary B. Edelen Student Internship Award and James Abdnor Scholarship. Rebecca is a member of the Political Science League, Pre-Law Society, the Honors Program, and Model United Nations. She serves as a Research Associate for the Government Research Bureau on campus and spent time as an intern in the South Dakota House of Representatives and in Senator Thune’s Southeast Area Office. |
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Academic Advisor |
A graduate of USD with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication ('91) and a master’s in communication studies ('06), Sara Mart worked for six years in admissions for Southwestern College (Kan.) before returning to USD in 1997 to work in the Admissions Office as an Admissions Counselor and then as the Associate Director of Admissions. In 2007, she transitioned to the Academic Advising & Success Center where as Assistant Director, she advises nursing majors, coordinates the First-Year Experience, and enjoys teaching USD 101 to freshmen each fall. Sara’s children have all left her nest, so she enjoys life on the Missouri River with her dog, Bella. |
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Community Member |
Susan Tuve attended the University of South Dakota for two years and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in anthropology (a degree not available at USD at the time). The experience at both schools gave her an appreciation for the faculty support and academic and service opportunities afforded at USD as opposed to a much larger university. With a liberal arts background she had a successful career in the business world as a trust and investment banker. She retired in 2018 from the University of South Dakota Foundation, an entity dedicated to raising private dollars for support of the University of South Dakota. She and her husband are chaperones for the USD Chamber Singers when they go on tour. She is an avid Coyote fan. Her hobbies include reading, biking and jigsaw puzzles. |
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Steven Harmon USD Student |
Steven Harmon is a sophomore biochemistry Major with a minor in sustainability and mathematics, also in the honors program. He’s part of the College of Arts and Sciences ambassador program and leads a bible study through Cru, which is a campus ministry at USD. He also plays cello in the USD symphony orchestra and this past summer participated in a Chemistry REU program under Dr. Sun, working on electrochemical research which he hopes to use for his honors thesis. He volunteers at the Sioux Falls Ronald McDonald house and enjoys helping out with Make-A-Wish in Sioux Falls as well. |
