Credit Hour Publishes Season 3 Finale—What do you know for sure?VERMILLION, S.D. – Michael Ewald, host of the University of South Dakota’s podcast Credit Hour, recapped the series on the program’s final episode of season 3.Ewald reviewed the answers provided by many of the podcast’s guests to the question—“what do you know for sure?” “I know for sure I was lucky to end up back at USD—first in media relations, then as a part-time podcast host, and finally as a student getting to pursue my dream of a career in law,” said Ewald. “I know for sure that education is life-changing because it changed mine.” Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni, and faculty. Started in the Spring of 2018, Ewald hosted the podcast as he attended law school interviewing over 90 USD community members including three current and former U.S. senators, a congressman and a former South Dakota governor. Credit Hour hosted two special series on Covid-19 and criminal justice reform last year. A diverse array of guests including artists, scientists, and members of the medical field frequented the program. Listen to the final episode of season 3 of Credit Hour by following on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Credit Hour

MICHAEL EWALD | What Do You Know For Sure

Fulton Discusses How to More Effectively Engage Others During a Pandemic on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – Neil Fulton, dean of the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law, provided his thoughts on the academic school year and how to more effectively engage others during a pandemic on Credit Hour.“Excellence, service and leadership,” said Fulton. “I hope those values are ingrained in every student that leaves this law school. I hope our graduates excel in their craft, serve the people around them and lead in their communities.”Speaking about the recent renaming of the law school to the USD Knudson School of Law in honor of Sioux Falls businessman and lawyer, David Knudson, Fulton stressed the importance of student scholarships. Accompanying the renaming was a $12.5 million gift from Knudson’s friend and colleague, T. Denny Sanford, dedicated to student scholarships. “A scholarship says somebody else believed in me. We as a law school believe in them,” said Fulton. “We are the state’s law school and I never want to see a talented South Dakota kid not be able to chase their dream because of cost. Everybody should have an opportunity to be a lawyer.”Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NEIL FULTON | Engaging Others

USD Center for Disabilities Executive Director Eric Kurtz Discusses Center’s Mission and 50th Anniversary on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – Eric Kurtz, '04 Ed.S., the executive director of the USD Center for Disabilities, discussed the Center’s mission and 50th anniversary on the podcast, Credit Hour. “I wish people would perceive disabilities as being a natural part of the human existence,” said Kurtz. “People with disabilities make up a large proportion of our population. One in six children are diagnosed with a developmental disability. Sixty-one million adults live with a disability. They shouldn’t be shamed or thought of as needing fixing.”Kurtz was named the executive director of the USD Center for Disabilities in 2019. Kurtz earned a Ph.D. in school psychology at USD and has served as an associate professor of pediatrics at the USD Sanford School of Medicine.The Center for Disabilities is South Dakota’s federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) which provides training, clinical services, research and information dissemination with a vision that all people, including individuals with disabilities, can achieve independence, self-determination, productivity and community inclusion. It was established in 1971 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year.“The mission is to improve the care and lives of individuals,” said Kurtz. “We do that through direct clinical services, research, training and technical assistance, information dissemination and policy work.”Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ERIC KURTZ | 50 Years of Service

USD Associate Professor of Law Hannah Haksgaard Discusses South Dakota’s Early Homestead Days on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – University of South Dakota Associate Professor of Law Hannah Haksgaard discussed her career and research into South Dakota’s early homesteading days on USD's podcast, Credit Hour.“When we gave women the right to homestead and economic control of their livelihood, we saw women developing a level of independence that they may not have had in the Eastern part of the country,” said Haksgaard. “In that sense, it’s not terribly surprising that suffrage—the women’s right to vote—started first on the Western frontier.”A University of California-Berkeley School of Law graduate, Haksgaard was an editor on the Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice. Following law school, Haksgaard clerked for the Honorable Roberto Lange of the District of South Dakota and the Honorable Kermit Bye of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Haksgaard joined the USD Knudson School of Law faculty in 2016.Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

HANNAH HAKSGAARD | Women Homesteading

Poet and journalist Christopher Vondracek discusses new book, Rattlesnake Summer, on Credit Hour.VERMILLION, S.D. – Poet and journalist Christopher Vondracek, B.A. ’07, M.A. 09, discussed his career and new book on South Dakota’s 66 counties, Rattlesnake Summer, on the podcast Credit Hour. “There were all these documents and stories and human tales that I felt couldn’t come out in journalism, but they could come out in poem,” said Vondracek, discussing his travels across South Dakota. “That reignited my love of poetry as a medium.”Vondracek was an Allen H. Neuharth Excellence in Journalism Scholarship recipient getting his start in journalism at USD’s student newspaper, the Volante. His new book, Rattlesnake Summer, provides a glimpse at South Dakota’s 66 counties through 66 poems written while traveling across South Dakota. He currently covers government and politics and South Dakota for Forum News Service.Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

CHRIS VONDRACEK | Rattlesnake Summer

South Dakota Department of Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon Discusses South Dakota’s Successful Vaccine Rollout on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – South Dakota Department of Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon discussed the state’s pandemic response and successful vaccine rollout on the podcast, Credit Hour. “The vaccine you should get is the first one that’s available to you,” said Malsam-Rysdon. “They are all incredibly effective.”Malsam-Rysdon earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Dakota. She was an initial graduate of the University Honors program. Serving in state government for 20 years, Malsam-Rysdon has also served as Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Social Services, and as Director of the Divisions of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services. “The fact that we’re even talking about a vaccine—let alone three vaccines as of today—that are incredibly effective is amazing,” said Malsam-Rysdon.Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

KIM MALSAM-RYSDON | Pandemic Response

USD Assistant Art Professor Amber Hansen Discusses Community Based Mural Making on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – University of South Dakota assistant professor of art, Amber Hansen, BFA ’07, discussed the process of making murals through community based art engagement on the podcast Credit Hour.“Community based art allows us to not only activate a part of our collective community, it invites people to imagine or reimagine the place they live,” said Hansen.Hansen actively exhibits in the mediums of film, drawing, and musical performance and has been the lead artist in many public murals located throughout the country. This past summer she helped lead several community based art projects in Vermillion and Miller, South Dakota, and Alton, Iowa. She is the co-director and co-editor of a documentary film about creating community based murals in Middle America titled, "Called to Walls", that was released in the spring of 2016.Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AMBER HANSEN | Mural Making

Mortenson Discusses his Perspective from PierreVERMILLION, S.D. – Representative Will Mortenson, B.A. '10, discussed his decision to run for public office and his perspective from the capitol in Pierre on Credit Hour.“You run because you have ideas in some of these areas,” said Mortenson. “Policy works best when you work it through with all the people who are going to be involved.”Mortenson, a University of Virginia law graduate, is in his first term representing District 24 in the South Dakota State House of Representatives. He manages his own law practice in Fort Pierre, and has prior experience serving as a policy advisory for former Gov. Dennis Daugaard and managing Congressman Dusty Johnson’s election for public utility commissioner in 2010.“The thing I know for sure is that we’ve got something good in South Dakota,” said Mortenson. “I love this state and I love USD because the priorities here and the things that are status-inducing are authenticity and caring for communities and they are understanding that we have a shared history that we get to build upon.”Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

WILL MORTENSON | Perspective from Pierre

U.S. Senator John Thune Discusses Career in Public Service and Senate Leadership on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – U.S. Senator John Thune, M.B.A. ’84, spoke about his career in public service and experience serving in Senate leadership on this week’s episode of Credit Hour. “You have to maintain that optimism and have a sense about the future that keeps you moving forward,” said Thune. “More than anything else to me if any of the lessons that we learn from all this try to extend grace to yourself but also to other people when you’re going through a tough time and look for ways to serve other people.”Thune discussed the political polarization in the country. “A lot of people say that politics is upstream from culture. I think it’s downstream from culture,” said Thune. “I think what happens politically mirrors or reflects what’s happening in the country and I think the country has been very divided and polarized and I think our politics reflects that.”“To me, your political party needs to be anchored in something more than just the changing personalities because they come and go,” said Thune.“I’ve always felt politics ought to be about appealing to people’s hopes, and not preying on their fears,” said Thune.Speaking about his experience earning a master’s degree at USD in business administration, Thune reflected on the benefits of the program.“I really appreciate and value looking at the world and looking at issues and problems through the prism of that MBA background,” said Thune.Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

JOHN THUNE | Leadership and Public Service

Sandhurst Discusses DRACO, Biotechnology on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – Eric Sandhurst, Ph.D. ‘20, president and founding partner of the Dakota Research and Consulting Organization, discussed entrepreneurship and the future of biotechnology in South Dakota on Credit Hour.  “One of the reasons I got into biomedical engineering is that it was a cutting edge field,” said Sandhurst. “It paired really well with entrepreneurship. If you’re developing new research that’s going to change the field why not go into that research with the mindset that this can be a product or service that can be commercialized.” Sandhurst obtained his bachelor's degree, master's degree and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of South Dakota. His research is focused on tissue engineering, biomaterials development, stem cell biology, and creating organoids for high-throughput drug screening. He has filed for a patent related to Multifunctional Microspheres – biodegradable, porous polymer microspheres that act as a local drug delivery platform and a three-dimensional cell culture system. “Looking out five years or ten. I think South Dakota is a great place to start a company,” said Sandhurst. “We have a really attractive business environment and tax structure –especially to scale up. I think that’s valuable to investors to know the manufacturing space and capabilities are here.” Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ERIC SANDHURST | The Future of South Dakota Biotechnology

Sanderson Discusses State of Child Maltreatment on Credit Hour VERMILLION, S.D. – Carrie Sanderson, the director of the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment at the University of South Dakota, discussed the state of child maltreatment in South Dakota and how the pandemic has influenced children on the podcast Credit Hour. “In South Dakota, children have the highest rate of victimization for multiple crimes,” said Sanderson. “A very high percentage of victims of sexual violence in South Dakota are under the age of 18.” Sanderson also discussed the mental health implications of the pandemic.  “Nationally, we are finding that children are having a higher stress response to Covid-19 than any age demographic,” Sanderson said. “We have to be prepared to help our kiddos respond. How do we do that? We create safe, loving and stable relationships.” Sanderson earned her Bachelor of Arts, Master of Public Administration and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of South Dakota. She has previously served as the executive director for the South Dakota Association for County Officials where she represented South Dakota’s Auditors, Treasurers, and Registers of Deeds on a state and national level and coordinated training opportunities for officials. She also worked in private practice at Moreno, Lee & Bachand, P.C. Law Firm in Pierre, South Dakota, and prosecuted violent crimes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota. In 2017, Sanderson became the inaugural director of the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment at USD. Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

CARRIE SANDERSON | Child Maltreatment in South Dakota

Biology Professor Discusses Covid Numbers on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – Jeff Wesner, an associate professor in the University of South Dakota Department of Biology discussed the data behind the Covid-19 pandemic in South Dakota on the podcast Credit Hour. “While I hope we are past the worst point, I thought that also in July. Whether we’ve reached our peak is essentially up to us,” said Wesner. “Today, the death rates in South Dakota are higher than they were in the spring and summer. The number are down relative to where they were, but the numbers were so bad, they’re not where they need to be.” Wesner earned his Ph.D. in zoology from University of Oklahoma and M.S. in biology from Western Carolina University. Wesner traditionally studies fish ecology, but started to analyze the data Covid-19 numbers for the State of South Dakota to determine its severity in South Dakota in order to help public health officials combat the pandemic.  “Testing was so sporadic, we gave up trying to track and predict the number of positive cases reported,” said Wesner. “We began tracking the number of hospitalization and deaths—the things we were really worried about happening in order to predict how many hospital beds we would need.” Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

JEFF WESNER | Counting Covid-19

Credit Hour Discusses Inauguration Politics VERMILLION, S.D. – David C. Earnest, Ph.D., the chair of the University of South Dakota Department of Political Science, and Julia Hellwege, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department, discussed the riots in Washington D.C., the end of President Donald Trump’s term in office and President Joe Biden’s inauguration. “The inauguration is the formal embodiment of the democratic pillar of the transition of power,” said Hellwege. “It’s the visual moment we see a previous president stepping down, and a new president coming in. It’s what democracy truly looks like.”“Part of the challenge we have these days is that our elected and appointed leadership no longer operate from a common set of facts,” said Earnest. “To me the way we grow as a society – our leadership must demonstrate a shared commitment to a basic set of values and ideas including objective fact and science.”Earnest is the Odeen-Swanson Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science. His research uses computational social science to study how communities manage complex interactions between physical, natural, ecological, technological and social systems. He earned his doctorate and master’s degree from George Washington University. Hellwege earned her doctorate and master’s degree in political science from the University of New Mexico. Her research focuses on institutional behavior and representation, particularly in relation to gender, race and ethnicity. Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

JULIA HELLWEGE & DAVID EARNEST | Inauguration Day

Justice Meierhenry Discusses Life and Career on Credit Hour VERMILLION, S.D. – Former South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Judith Meierhenry, '66 B.A., ’68 M.A., ’77 J.D., discussed her life and career on the podcast Credit Hour.  “This year’s been hard. You don’t know things for sure. I think you have to live your life as well as you can wherever you are,” said Meierhenry. “Family first. If there’s anything I know for sure. It’s that.”Meierhenry was appointed the secretary of South Dakota’s Department of Labor by Gov. Bill Janklow in 1980 and served as the state’s Secretary of Education and Cultural Affairs in 1983. She was appointed a South Dakota Supreme Court Justice in 2002, becoming the first woman in South Dakota’s history to be appointed to the state Supreme Court, where she served until her retirement in 2011.“It was a good experience,” said Meierhenry of attending law school at USD. “There wasn’t another time before or since where you feel like you are learning so much. And there is a joy in that.”“Once I got on the bench, I loved that every day. It really was a dream job for me,” said Meierhenry. “I don’t remember a day that I wasn’t looking forward to going to work.”Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

JUDITH MEIERHENRY | Legacy in Law

Red Shirt-Shaw Discusses Native Student Services on Credit HourVERMILLION, S.D. – The University of South Dakota’s new director of Native Student Services, Megan Red Shirt-Shaw, discussed the importance of creating welcoming spaces on campus on the podcast Credit Hour. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for us to engage as friends and colleagues,” said Red Shirt-Shaw. “Just being able to make these connections across disciplines and do community building is important. Red Shirt-Shaw started this fall as the Director of Native Student Services and the Native American Cultural Center. She has previously held positions in undergraduate admissions, college counseling, and student advising at the University of Pennsylvania, Questbridge, Santa Clara University, Albuquerque Academy, and the 7th Gen Summer Program. Red Shirt-Shaw said she is excited to bring different indigenous voices to campus. “I think some of the challenges we’re facing in student services with being really cognizant and responsible with social distancing and mask wearing is that with the power of zoom, we can bring different Native people into our spaces virtually from across the country,” said Red Shirt-Shaw. “I think it is so important for students to see themselves reflected in a lot of different ways—especially in the fields they are pursuing or excited about.” Red Shirt-Shaw’s earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Higher Education. At Harvard, she was co-chair of FIERCE — Future Indigenous Educators Resisting Colonial Education. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development with a focus on Higher Education and a minor in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. Red Shirt-Shaw is the founder of Natives In America, an online literary publication for Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian youth. Credit Hour is the University of South Dakota’s podcast highlighting the achievement, research and scholarship of its staff, students, alumni and faculty. Follow Credit Hour on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.usd.edu/podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

MEGAN RED SHIRT-SHAW | Native Student Services

Welcome to Credit Hour, a weekly, thought-provoking conversation with the brightest minds from the University of South Dakota. They get the credit – we ask the questions. This is Credit Hour.

hubhopper

Credit Hour

hubhopper