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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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VERMILLION, S.D. – Eric Kurtz, '09 Ph.D., 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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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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.

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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.

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VERMILLION, 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.

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VERMILLION, S.D. – Brendan Johnson, B.S. ’98, lead counsel for Amendment A discussed the implications of marijuana reform on the podcast Credit Hour.

“What is not up for compromise is the fact that [marijuana] is decriminalized,” Johnson said. “The people have spoken very clearly on that.”

Johnson served as lead counsel for Amendment A. He is a former U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota and practices at Robins Kaplan in Sioux Falls.

Johnson said the law will go into effect in July of 2021. Johnson said taxes on marijuana will be capped at 15 percent split between the general budget and education. He also said it may have benefits for tribal communities and from a social justice standpoint.

“Some of the biggest benefits are from a social justice perspective. We lock up too many people in our country. We lock up too many people in South Dakota,” Johnson said citing statistics that marijuana arrests account for over 10 percent of arrests in South Dakota.

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.

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VERMILLION, S.D. – Major Chris Mercado, ’04, founder of Objective Zero, discussed his military service and suicide prevention efforts on the podcast Credit Hour. 

“What we’re doing with Objective Zero is crowdsourcing peer support,” said Mercado. “The idea is that we’re trying to get ahead of those downward spirals into suicide by providing peer support as a pre-crisis service.”

Objective Zero was established in 2015. It released a mobile app in December of 2017 that instantly connects veterans-in-need to a community of fellow veterans, current service members and concerned citizens.

Mercado mentioned the recent spike in suicide rates as an alarming trend amongst the military. 

“Early indications are that in 2020, suicide rates in the military are up over 2019 by 20 percent. In the U.S. army, suicide rates are up over 30 percent,” said Mercado. “It’s very concerning.”

In 2017, Mercado was named the Military Times Service Member of the Year for the U.S. Army in recognition for founding Objective Zero, a suicide prevention platform. He has served five tours overseas, three during the surges in Iraq and Afghanistan, and earned three Bronze Star Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, 10 Army Achievement Medals and the NATO Medal.

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.

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VERMILLION, S.D. – Elise Boxer, an assistant professor of Native American Studies at the University of South Dakota, discussed the importance of Native studies and her new role as the director of the Institute of American Indian Studies on the podcast Credit Hour.

“I really believe that Native studies is for everybody as it will result in understanding what is happening in the state and region,” said Boxer. “If you are going to live in this region, having a working understanding of tribal nations and people will better facilitate an individual in their profession whether its education, social work or law enforcement. The list goes on.”

Boxer was recently named the director of the revitalized Institute of American Indian Studies at USD. The Institute has a rich history in South Dakota and a notable reputation throughout the nation. Originally established in 1955 through the concerted efforts of Dr. William O. Farber and Dr. Wesley Hurt, the Institute of American Indian Studies was part of a nationwide effort to aid in the preservation of American Indian heritage and to promote opportunities in higher education for Indigenous students. During its first decade of existence, the institute sponsored programs and conferences centered around economic, legal and political issues facing the Lakota and Dakota people during the period of federal termination. The Board of Regents formally established the institute on April 30, 1955 and was the first of its kind in the nation. It was later formally recognized by the South Dakota Legislature in 1974.

The Institute will award more than $80,000 dollars in scholarships to Indigenous students at USD. In addition to offering educational opportunities to American Indian students, USD will actively focus on encouraging student engagement through cultural workshops and Indigenous research and connecting USD students to tribal communities and to each other.

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.

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“For me, I can only be negative for so long. At what point do we start offering solutions or seeing something from an alternative perspective,” said Destin, discussing graduating during the pandemic. “We have to make the best of the situation we’re in.”

Destin is a communications major, minoring in multicultural studies. He is the president of the Coyote Crazies, co-president of the Cultural Wellness Coalition, and has served as a president of the Union of African American Students. Destin also hosts a podcast called “Films in Black and White,” available on most podcast listening applications. 

Answering what piece of advice he would give a new student, Destin answered simply, “Enjoy it.”

“Enjoy every step because once this is over, it’s over,” said Destin. “Ask yourself—what did you invest your time in. Who did you invest your time into. Just enjoy the overall experience.”

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.

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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.

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“What happens a lot when we talk about issues affecting and impacting marginalized groups of people, those in the dominant culture tend to feel attacked, and that really shuts down conversations,” said Hernandez, a member of the Yankton-Sioux Tribe. “I wanted to talk about these issues in a way that’s disarming, and I think that’s where art plays a huge role. It abstracts language in a way where we can have these conversations without putting someone on the defense. I think that’s a really meaningful way to talk about these issues.”

Hernandez discussed a mural project she led that was completed in Vermillion this summer and how public art can help break down class and racial barriers.

“Public art matters because of how accessible it is. It doesn’t feel reserved for any person, race or class. It’s there for anyone to visit, for anyone to see,” said Hernandez. “Art is supposed to create these conversations to help us see one another and help us empathize and connect with one another on a really basic human level. That’s not going to happen if people don’t feel welcome in these spaces.”

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.

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“To address these problems, we have to understand, identify and engage with our differences, and then seek out points of commonality. That requires having difficult conversations in a patient way,” said Fulton. “None of us are really built to do that without working at it. Higher education can help us be prepared to do that.”

Fulton discussed the legal aspects of criminal justice reform efforts like removing qualified immunity and defunding the police as well as the ways higher education can address issues like systemic racism.

“I think particularly here in South Dakota it’s so important because coming to a college campus may be the first time where a lot of students have a sustained encounter with someone who isn’t like them, that doesn’t look like them, who isn’t of the same race or who doesn’t have the same socioeconomic background,” said Fulton. “This can be one of the first places where we have the sustained opportunity to have those conversations and build up both the skills and inclinations to attack these problems.”

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.

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On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Sam Herley, Ph.D, curator of the South Dakota History Center, about its mission of preserving unique stories of South Dakota’s history for future generations. 

“The diversity of the state is pretty remarkable, and that’s reflected in the history. I think that’s maybe something that most people today don't think about,” Herley said. “There’s an incredible number of cultures and perspectives when it comes to South Dakota and the history whether, its Native American, European, African American or blending a combination of others. Within that diversity is our universality as a state.”

Find Credit Hour on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and usd.edu/podcast.

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On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Brandon Ness, Ph.D., assistant professor of physical therapy, about his career with outpatient and sports physical therapy practice, his research in the physical therapy field, and what he teaches his students on a daily basis.

“I always tell my students to make sure you know what you’re getting into. I think a good way to do that is to get a diverse array of observation experiences,” Ness said. “I think with physical therapy and occupational therapy, I’d recommend observing both and being able to really see what goes into each different profession and what differentiates those so you can make an educated decision that's best for your future.”

Find Credit Hour on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and usd.edu/podcast.

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With the developments of body cameras, citizens using their own smartphones worked into investigative journalism, this is what police stations around the country have to manage in today's society. 

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Tom Mrozla, assistant professor of criminal justice about police misconduct and police accountability, the history of these issues and what it means for society today.

“The police occupy a really interesting position within society. On one hand they are the public and on the other hand they are supposed to police the public,” Mrozla said. “So there’s an interesting power dynamic there that really intrigues me.”

Find Credit Hour on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and usd.edu/podcast.

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On campus, students had the opportunity to collaborate with Jing Williams, Ph.D., on her research honoring fallen veterans of Clay County.

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Professor Williams about the project, resources available to her students, community partnerships that were engaged and why Professor Williams teaches her students the importance of community engagement.

“These veterans died for us and for the future of the country at a time, no matter what the political winds were, they were the ones actually fighting the war and they didn’t make it back,” Williams said. “I then asked myself the question, what can I do to find out these veteran's stories?”

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Dusty Johnson, U.S. Congressman and USD alumnus, has been serving the state of South Dakota for more than 12 years and has an interesting story to tell. 

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Congressman Johnson about life on Capitol Hill, his personal journey through the political landscape and his advice for students looking to get involved in politics.

“If you want to do something then I think politics is a great place to be—if you’re motivated by mission, if you’re trying to live a purpose driven life then I think instead of being worn down by politics, it's going to build reputation because that mission is more important than you, it is more important than your political ambition,” Johnson said. “Make sure you’re getting into public service for the right reasons, it will serve you much better long term.”

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Those are the implications stated by the First Amendment. It’s a topic that gets discussed weekly by our country and has implications for college campuses. 

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Education (FIRE) is an advocacy group about free speech on campus, freedom of association, academic freedom, due process and freedom of conscious. 

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Mariene Beak-Coon, director of litigation for FIRE about free speech issues affecting college campuses. 

“I think it’s super interesting to think about how you view the first amendment not being somebody who is not being a First Amendment scholar, just someone who interacts with the idea of the First Amendment,” Beak-Coon said. “How does it affect you? How is it coming up in your life?”

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Those individuals go on to become superintendents or principals who serve teachers and staff. The job is based around getting to know a given school and its priorities, and then these educational leaders take their job to the next level in terms of service. 

In order to facilitate student learning, train educators and improve accessibility, these educational leaders are embracing a powerful tool: technology.

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with David De Jong, Ed.D., assistant professor in the Division of Educational Leadership in the School of Education, about technology in the classroom and simulation based learning. 

“There are some pretty exciting things happening in technology. What I love the most about it right now is people are really focusing on using technology that improves student achievement or improves access for students,” De Jong said. “I’ve been able to latch onto some pretty exciting things just in my three and a half years here at USD. The two big ones that I’ve been able to dive into is educational leadership simulations and also telepresence robots.”

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On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Susan Anderson, chair of family medicine at USD’s Sanford School of Health. They discuss the status of telehealth in South Dakota, why it’s important and the growing changes the field faces daily.

 “Taking a good history doesn't change, having repore with a patient and being that partner with a patient and their healthcare doesn't change but how we receive the information, maybe some of the diagnostic tools that we were able to utilize, those continue to change and we want to adapt to those changes,” Anderson said. 

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Those are words spoken by former North Dakota U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp at the University of South Dakota School of Law regarding Savanna's Act.

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Senator Heitkamp about this piece of legislation involving murdered and missing indigenous women.

They discuss Savanna's Act and why law enforcement offices must be held accountable for cold cases and the lack of attention for murdered and missing indigenous women

“Over many years, what became increasingly apparent is that where the rest of the world would pay a lot of attention to a missing white person, it did not get the same reaction for Native American people,” Sen. Heitkamp said. “There was and continues to be a backlog of cold cases involving missing and murdered indigenous people in which their families were never given the opportunity to tell their story.”

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One man has a different job this week. Coach Bob Nielson of the USD football team not only prepares for his team to pull a win on Saturday but also wants to offer the community a unique homecoming experience, 

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Nielson, about Dakota Days, preparing for the big game and talking more about Nielson’s 36-year long career. 

“What makes Dakota Days unique is for many people, they get to come back and there’s a different level of pride that shows up whether you have more people come back or they draw their experience from being at homecoming,” Nielson said. “We want it to be a win on Saturday.”

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September is National Yoga Awareness Month, a national awareness campaign to educate people on the health effects of yoga and how to take a step into a more active life.

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Rebecca Johnson, USD alumna and owner of Soul Story Yoga in Yankton, S.D.

They discuss why the yoga artform is important and what people can learn from the artform.

“It helps people to manage stress, yoga helps to reduce Cortisol, the stress hormone in the body. It helps to lower blood pressure for a lot of people, it is a weight bearing exercise still so it does improve strength and muscle tone,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of health benefits to it.

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On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Greg Magarian, professor of constitutional law at Washington University.

They discuss why constitutional law is important and how free speech is relevant to society today.

“The most important values in terms of moving forward with free speech are inclusion and diversity of a certain type,” Magarian said. “What we want I think in public discourse is an environment where no one is excluded from expressing their ideas and from considering ideas that other people express.”

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This week is National Suicide Prevention Week, an awareness strategy designed to inform people about how their actions and conversations can go a long way to save someone’s life. 

On this week's episode of Credit Hour, Host Michael Ewald has a conversation with Kari Oyen, assistant professor of school psychology at USD. 

They discuss how suicide can be prevented, what one can do to help people that might be struggling with mental illness, and the resources offered for students on campus. 

“The best thing we can really do for someone that is really struggling with mental illness, is taking the time to listen. Know that talking with someone about suicide does not increase the chance for them to die from suicide,” Oyen said. “Talking with someone about their suicidal thoughts can be a mechanism for getting help.”  

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Marisa Cummings gives you a look inside the NACC in this episode of #CreditHour!

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He has performed in the world's most premier symphonies.

He is a jazz artist, teacher and father.

He is the featured artist of USD's Signature Sound.

He is Vince DiMartino & he is on this episode of #CreditHour.

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The Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media is presented by USD and the Freedom Forum Institute, a nonpartisan foundation that champions the First Amendment. The award is named after Allen H. Neuharth, a 1950 graduate of USD and founder of “USA Today,” the Freedom Forum and the Newseum.

Visser got her start covering sports for the “Boston Globe” in 1974. In 1976, she would become the first-ever female beat writer, covering the New England Patriots. In 1992 she became the only female to have handled the Super Bowl trophy presentation. She is also the only sportscaster in history to work on network broadcasts of the Final Four, World Series, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, Olympics, Triple Crown, World Figure Skating Championship and U.S. Open. 

Visser is currently the only woman to be recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. She was awarded the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2006 and was also a recipient of a Gracie Award from the American Woman in Radio and Television, Inc. that same year. In 2008, she was honored with a Billie Jean King Award for Outstanding Journalists, and in 2009, she was voted the number-one female sportscaster by the American Sportscasters Association.

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Each year, Pommersheim takes law students on a two-day trip to the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation to see various tribal court cases in action.

“I can talk about Indian Law in class, but we need to go out there,” Pommersheim said. “Students need hands-on experience.”

Pommersheim has taught at USD for over 30 years and has won many awards for his work. He recently was honored by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for a career and lifetime of work in Indian Law.

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The art institute provides high school and USD students an opportunity to network and interact with, and get inspired by, other artists. Quick-to-See Smith and Ambrose-Smith agree that collaborating, networking and connecting with other artists have been important to their careers.

“We bring new technology in printmaking with us to show new things that may not have been done before, but we are rewarded in return,” Quick-to-See Smith said. “Students often do something that we don’t expect with materials. They show us something new, and out of that comes something that we will carry forward and teach someplace else.”

Quick-to-See Smith and Ambrose-Smith said they travel around the country to encourage artists to follow their dreams and help them turn their passions into careers.

“Your passions are different than a job. You’re not clocking in and clocking out; it’s twenty-four seven,” said Ambrose-Smith. “It’s a process of life to find what it is that you love and then make it your job.”

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Herbster defines USD’s champion culture as “growth, empowerment, expectations, holding people accountable and giving them the resources to be successful.”

He discussed that in all aspects of life there are games within games. In order to grow, one must learn how to face unforeseen challenges, physical and mental, and learn to cope with failure.

Champion culture is ultimately achieved when the process of being a team is met, Herbster described. “One has to understand how integral the pieces of every teammate needs to be in order to win,” Herbster said.

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May, who started as a basic researcher at USD 24 years ago, says his research interests have evolved over time. He now considers himself a laser spectroscopist, a physical chemist.

May works with researchers from all backgrounds to create new solutions to end counterfeiting with an interdisciplinary approach. New ideas, May said, come from a collaborative type of environment.

“For most scientists, working with a broader community of people who have complementary skills and ideas has proven to be very productive,” May said. “Science has become so multi-disciplinary in general.”

SPACT was established in 2014 by researchers from USD, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and South Dakota State University. Each campus hosts a facility that serves as a research center for SPACT. The goal is to develop research solutions that help avoid counterfeiting. 

At SPACT, May focuses on anti-counterfeiting security for products, documents of identification and more. He works with nanoparticles that can generate light to extract DNA from fingerprints and nanoparticle-based ink to make covert marks on any product. 

The research SPACT is doing protects personal safety as well as intellectual property, said Michael Ewald, host of Credit Hour.

"Stanley's research has implications as diverse as policing and national security to consumer safety," Ewald said. "He is an extraordinary asset to USD and the state of South Dakota."

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The GEAR Center was opened in 2009 to provide students with a solid foundation in the sciences to prepare them to work in the evolving biotech and medtech economy. It is an intersection of academic research with industry so students at the center can work on real problems found in clinics and hospitals in hopes of solving them.

In the past, the biomedical engineering department only offered graduate level classes, however, Engebretson saw an opportunity to build an undergraduate program to support the industry in Sioux Falls and to grow the workforce in the field. The department now offers certificate programs, an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree, and it is always changing to support students’ interests.

“I’m finding a lot of our students are interested in entrepreneurship,” Engebretson said. “We want to equip the students with the technical skills they need and get students familiar with funding they can receive to start their business.”

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Red Star visited USD as a guest artist and instructor during the Oscar Howe Summer Institute. As an artist and instructor, Red Star offered mentorship and guidance to high school students as they expanded their knowledge of Native American art. 

Red Star grew up on the Crow Reservation in Montana, and much of her art features cultural items from her community. She often collaborates with Beatrice, and spoke of the intergenerational influences that are important to her work.

“I think we are all of the past and of all the collected experiences leading up to now,” Red Star said. “For me, it’s about looking back to where we came from and what’s going to happen now. Beatrice is a part of the next chapter and adventure.”

As she learns more about her community through research, Red Star hopes to help fill in the gaps and offer new perspectives of Native American history with her art.

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Head Start has been housed within the University of South Dakota for the past 40 years. It is federally funded to help low-income families by offering education for parents and age-appropriate education for children ages 0-3 and 3-5.

“The purpose of Head Start is to provide high-quality early childhood services to children for families who can’t afford it,” Stewart said. “Those children may be at risk and may not be as successful in school as children who come from more affluent families.”

The partnership between Head Start and USD has seen successful outcomes.

“There are opportunities for our program to work with experts on campus in a variety of fields: speech and language development, education, occupational and physical therapy, dental hygiene--we’re so fortunate to have experts if we need advice on our programming,” Stewart said. “They support us and they use our program to support research.”

Instructors also often implement service-learning in their coursework so students can gain hands-on experience working with children.

Over the years, the program has expanded, and it now provides services at no cost to children and families in Clay, Lincoln, Union and Turner counties. Stewart said Head Start is a community-based program, and it focuses on being responsive to the needs of the children and families that reside here.

“Head Start has provided early childhood education in South Dakota for over 50 years,” said Michael Ewald, host of Credit Hour. “Carmen explains what the program offers and, most importantly, why it matters.”

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The sustainability undergraduate program started in 2012, and six years later, students can now receive a Master’s and doctorate degree in sustainability. This makes the University of South Dakota one of the few institutions in the country to offer an undergraduate and graduate education in sustainability.

“I think sustainability is the ultimate liberal art in that it is more of a way of thinking about the world or a different lens or worldview of understanding how we might think of topics,” Jarchow said.

Jarchow describes sustainability as a proactive way of thought to improve the environment, improve social well-being and to have financial systems that could continue over time. The end goal is to find solutions that make change. 

“Sustainability is more than recycling,” Jarchow said. “It is trying to create a better world and actually taking steps to make it happen.”

There are several easy steps a person can take to make the world a more desirable place, Jarchow said, such as using a reusable water bottle or grocery bag. Additionally, with the free bike share program the sustainability department helped develop, Jarchow hopes it becomes normal for more people to bike around town all year around.

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Thin Elk spent over three decades at the university in a variety of roles such as a volunteer sweat lodge provider, adjunct professor and Native cultural advisor for students, faculty and staff. He served as NSS director – his final position at USD – for 15 years.

“As I turn around and look back from the higher hill, I see the tremendous amount of progress that has been made here at the university, all the way from race relations to opportunities to resources. I think equity is coming into balance, and recognition of our uniqueness without compromise has come to the university, so I think these things are very vital,” said Thin Elk. 

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Bahnson was a 2018 recipient of the Excellence in Public Health Award presented by the U.S. Public Health Service. She was recognized for research and education project about skin cancer risks associated with working in agriculture, and the importance of educating cosmetologists to identify skin cancer symptoms on their clients.

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“If I had to take away one thing from my career, it’s the sort of wonderment that there are so many good people in the process,” Policinski said.

Gene discusses how free speech impacts protests, the impact of technology on media and his favorite Al Neuharth story.

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“I think that fundamental to our mission as journalists is to give people the information they need and deserve to know as citizens of this country,” Baron said.

An acclaimed investigative journalist, Baron’s role uncovering the Boston Catholic sexual abuse scandal was highlighted in the Oscar award-winning movie Spotlight.

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The wide ranging discussion covered a variety of topics including his childhood experiences attending a one-room country schoolhouse, driving a bus during law school in Chicago, his path to public service and what advice he’d offer the next Governor.

“I know for sure I’ve had just a great life,” said Daugaard “And I know for sure I am a very lucky man.”

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Baugh earned his Ph.D. in brain and cognitive sciences in 2010 from the University of Manitoba. He also directs the Human Functional Imaging Core at USD.

“PTSD is a condition that we’ve known about for essentially hundreds of years ever since people have been exposed to trauma. What’s really changed about it is the way it’s framed,” Lee said. “During the days when railway travel was very common, you’d hear it referred to as 'railroad spine' because traveling the railways was so dangerous. In World War I, it was known as 'shell shock.' At its heart, it’s really a magnified response to fear stimuli that shouldn’t be there.”

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Tune in to part one of a two-part podcast series on how USD researchers are studying Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how it affects the brain.

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“One of the aspects of inclusive excellence that I really enjoy is that it moves it from being the singular focus of an individual or office to really becoming the responsibility of everyone on campus to be pay attention to these things,” said Sellers.

Enjoy this weeks episode of Credit Hour.

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Plitzuweit was named the 2018 Summit League Coach of the Year after guiding the Coyote women's basketball team to an undefeated regular season in the Summit League. The Coyotes reached the quarterfinal round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament this year.

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