USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Katie Haverly, PA-C
Certified Physician Assistant Katie Haverly is unequivocal when she talks about her experience in the University of South Dakota Physician Assistant Studies Program. "The best decision I ever made was to further my education at USD," says the 2020 graduate. As a PA at Avera Comprehensive Weight Management in Sioux Falls…
USD Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Madison Lindsey
Madison Lindsey knew nothing about Applied Behavior Analysis when she started her career in education. She found her way to it by doing what already came naturally.
Nurturing New Nurses: How USD's DOL Grant Tackles the Shortage Behind South Dakota's Nursing Shortage
Regardless of our job titles, most of us can attribute a good part of our success to goodmentors. Nowhere is that more true than in nursing, where preceptors are key to training thenurses our rural region so desperately needs. In this month's cover feature, how the Universityof South Dakota School of Health Sciences is supporting both students and those who nurturethem.
Dr. Tim Ridgway Appointed to AAMC Council of Deans Administrative Board
The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine has announced that Dr. Tim Ridgway, dean of the SSOM and vice president for the Division of Health Affairs, has been elected to serve on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Council of Deans Administrative Board.
USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Hunter Wookey, OTD
Hunter Wookey grew up in Watertown, South Dakota and earned his undergraduate degree at Minnesota State University Mankato. When it came time to choose a graduate program, he knew he wanted to stay close to home, but he was willing to go further afield to find the right fit.
USD Department of Social Work to Host Third Annual Mental Health Conference
The Department of Social Work at the University of South Dakota will host its third annual conference for mental health professionals from May 13 to 14 at the USD – Sioux Falls campus.
University of South Dakota Names Betsy Becker, Ph.D., DPT, Dean of the School of Health Sciences
The University of South Dakota has announced the appointment of Betsy Becker, Ph.D., DPT, as the next dean of the School of Health Sciences. A distinguished clinician, educator and administrator, Becker returns to her alma mater to lead the school as its fourth dean since its establishment in 2008.
USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Ashley Rucker, DNP
Ashley Rucker was just 16 when she became a nurse assistant, her first step into a field that would define her professional life. After working on a medical/surgical ward, a cardiac ICU, and in home hospice (and earning as MSN), Rucker was ready to further her education
USD School of Health Sciences and Southeast South Dakota AHEC Host Disaster Response Training
On Feb. 19, 319 students from the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University gathered at the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building on the USD campus in Vermillion for Disaster Training Day, an annual event that provides hands-on disaster preparedness training.
New USD Student Organization Boosts Stem Cell Donor Sign-Ups
A new student organization at the University of South Dakota is already making a big impact just eight weeks after its launch.
Becca Jordre Receives National Physical Therapy Award
A professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of South Dakota has been honored with an American Physical Therapy Association award.
USD’s Division of Health Affairs Drives Transformative Change Across South Dakota
From small towns to the most rural corners of the state, the University of South Dakota is delivering education, resources and support where they’re needed most.
USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Jill Baker, MSW, CSW
Jill Baker was born on an Air Force base and joined the Army straight out of high school. When she got out three and a half years later, civilian life felt like a foreign country..
USD Department of Dental Hygiene to Host “Give Kids a Smile” Event
The University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene will host the “Give Kids a Smile” event on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Delta Dental Oral Health Center on the USD campus in Vermillion.
USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Eva Kluender, MPH
Eva Kluender, MPH, was working as a dental assistant when she took her first public health course as part of her undergraduate degree program in Health Sciences at USD. "My original plan was to become a dental hygienist," she says. She reasoned that a Health Sciences degree…
Nursing Alumna Selected for 2025 Dole Caregiver Fellow Leadership Program
At just 23 years old, Kylie Briest has spent nearly her entire life as a caregiver. In 2005, her father, U.S. Army Sgt. Corey Briest, was severely injured by an IED explosion in Iraq. The blast left him with a traumatic brain injury, resulting in limited mobility, vision and speech. Kylie Briest was only three years old at the time.
DNAP Inaugural Cohort Earns 100% NCE Success Rate
The University of South Dakota’s inaugural Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia Practice class has achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Certification Examination within 30 days of program completion, including an exceptional 89% first-time pass rate.
USD School of Health Sciences Success Spotlight: Alex Van Voorhis, MSW, CSW
As an undergrad at UND Fargo, Alex Van Voorhis studied music and communications. But, after a half dozen years in sales and marketing, she realized it wasn't her calling.
University of South Dakota Dental Hygiene Alumna Named ADHA President
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association has elected a 1995 graduate of the University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene as the organization’s 99th president.
USD to Launch Radiologic Technology Specialization Beginning January 2026
Students who want to be part of the growing field of radiologic technology (rad tech)—to perform imaging procedures like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs to help physicians diagnose medical conditions and injuries—have an opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with a specialization in radiologic technology.