Partnerships and Activities COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Year in Review Newsletter The College of Arts and Sciences (College) is grounded in the liberal arts. We have an excellent reputation and are well-respected across the region. Faculty are actively engaged in research and scholarship while also delivering an exceptional education to students. They are committed to the success of our students, now and in the future. The College and university offer a wide range of practical experiences, internships and international opportunities. This annual newsletter highlights many of these impactful endeavors. Our students continue to distinguish themselves as leaders and experts—earning recognition in speech and debate, writing and editing for The Exponent (NSU’s student newspaper) and conducting meaningful scholarly work. These experiences foster strong, authentic connections between faculty and students. By actively engaging students in research, creative activity and dynamic classroom learning, faculty mentor them toward academic and professional success. Students are the foundation of the College and our faculty are committed to cultivating a vibrant intellectual community where every student can thrive. The College is challenged to continue and grow these efforts each year and we continue to move forward. As we navigate new waters with degree options, internships, careers, etc., we will continue to provide updates and information on our progress through the “Year in Review.” We appreciate your interest in the College of Arts and Sciences. A MESSAGE FROM COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DEAN Dr. Alyssa Kiesow CHECK OUT this fall's NSU TV recording on some CAS activities
2 | College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter Feature HOMECOMING AND HISTORY: THE COMPLICATED LEGACY OF ‘GYPSY DAYS’ AT NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY Northern State University’s homecoming celebration, known since 1916 as “Gypsy Days,” began eight years before Northern athletes were named the Wolves in 1923, when student newspaper editor Charles Fleischman anonymously proposed a fall festival modeled loosely on South Dakota State College’s Hobo Day and suggested the “Gypsy Day” name for Northern Normal and Industrial School. As former history professor Mark Bartusis recounts in Northern State University: The First Century, 1901–2000, Fleischman renewed the idea in early 1916 after it initially drew little notice and by November faculty approved the plan, tying the first celebration to a football game against Madison Normal. That inaugural day featured the crowning of a “Gypsy Queen,” a parade that wound through downtown Aberdeen and around Aldrich Park, a 26–12 Northern victory and a large barbecue that fed hundreds. Over time the event expanded into a weeklong homecoming with coronation, pep rallies, bonfires, athletic contests and a regional parade, while the Royal Order of the Gyps, founded in 1941, became a prominent alumni and athletic support organization. National figures such as Duke Ellington in 1948 and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife in 1954 lent extraordinary visibility to the festivities. For many alumni, the name signifies continuity and community pride; for many current students, it functions simply as homecoming week. The Roma are a very diverse transnational people whose ancestors migrated from the Indian subcontinent to Europe roughly a millennium ago. Linguistic, historical and genetic evidence traces the Romani language to Indo-Aryan roots, even as centuries of movement across the Balkans, Central Europe and beyond (including to North America) produced numerous regional communities with distinct dialects, occupations and religious affiliations. Today Roma live throughout Europe and the Americas and in many countries they constitute one of the largest minority populations. Despite this long presence, they have frequently been marginalized, subjected to enslavement in parts of Eastern Europe, restrictive settlement laws, forced assimilation policies and, during World War II, mass murder at the hands of Nazi and allied regimes. The term Roma, derived from the Romani word for “people,” is the accepted designation in scholarly and official usage, reflecting selfidentification rather than labels imposed from outside. Yet the language at its center carries a longer, contested, history. Roma is the accepted term used by scholars and most public institutions (such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) to refer to the diverse Romani people, whereas “Gypsy” originated in a mistaken identification and accumulated centuries of associations with exoticism, deception and marginality. As Bartusis and former history student Lauren Paatela have each shown in their careful studies of the celebration’s origins and evolution, the Aberdeen tradition drew on popular, often highly racialized, imagery rather than real lived local encounters. What began as pageantry rooted in borrowed symbols, eventually became embedded in institutional memory, leaving the university with a custom that reflects both enduring school spirit and the complicated legacy of the term it continues to use. The controversy that followed former NSU President Timothy Downs’s 2020 effort to discontinue the name underscored how deeply tradition and terminology are intertwined and how difficult it can be for institutions to disentangle affection for ritual from the historical weight carried by now-unacceptable words.
College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter | 3 HCC ENGLISH 201 “My ENGL 201: Dystopian Classics students recently joined local community members at the Huron Public Library for a screening of the documentary The Librarians on February 24, 2026. The film’s exploration of information access, censorship and the role of public libraries connected directly to our upcoming discussions of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. After the screening, students participated in a short but thoughtful discussion with the library director and other attendees, drawing parallels between the documentary’s real-world stakes and the themes we’ve been analyzing in class. It was a meaningful opportunity for students to engage with the broader community while deepening their understanding of the social issues that shape the texts we study.” INSTRUCTOR OF ENGLISH AND READING AT NSU’S HURON CAMPUS Sarah Meirose COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES There are four departments in the College, each with its own focus. These include English, Communication and Global Languages; History and Social Sciences; Nursing; and Science and Math. For more information on each department and its degrees, please feel free to scan the QR code to visit our website. SPEECH AND DEBATE The Northern State Unviersity Speech and Debate team returned from Springfield, Mo after competing at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament with multiple awards. The Northern State University team took seven students with 13 total entries to the tournament and returned with the following awards: Abiah George received excellence awards (top 20%) in extemporaneous speaking and student scholarship and a superior (top 10%) award in interviewing. She was also the 10th place speaker in Open IPDA debate and received an excellence award in IPDA. Haylee Bohnet received an excellence award in Dramatic Interpretation. Hannah Smith and Liv Ashley were national runners up in Junior Varsity Public Forum debate. Hannah was also the top JV Public Forum debate speaker while Liv was the 8th place Open Public Forum debate speaker. Elana Bishop and Lauren Carpenter were national runners up in Novice Public Forum debate. Jericho Jones was a quarterfinalist in Novice IPDA debate. In addition to these awards, Haylee (Dramatic) and Abiah (Extemporaneous) were chosen to perform in the PKD Showcase events, highlighting some of the best performances of the tournament. Overall, there were just more than 1,900 total entries from 438 students representing 59 schools competing at PKD Nationals this year.
English, Communication and Global Languages 4 | College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter ABERDEEN, SD - The Northern State University Speech and Debate team braved winter weather and the Big Apple to compete in the 2025 Off-Broadway Speech and Debate Tournament at Hofstra University in New York. Over Dec. 6–7, the team competed in multiple speech and debate events. Neither the snow nor 19 other schools could keep Northern State University from returning to campus as champions in public forum debate. The team of Hannah Smith and Liv Ashley won first place in public forum debate and placed as the second- and third-place overall speakers, respectively. Their success earned Northern State University second place in overall combined team debate points. Abiah George earned a bronze placing in international public debate and finished seventh in impromptu speaking. Haylee Bohnet also competed for Northern State University, earning the team valuable points in both dramatic and prose speaking. “Transitioning to a new form of debate this fall proved challenging, but the hard work of the team paid off as we returned to this exceptional tournament and came home with another debate championship. I could not be prouder of the work my students have done not just in competition but in the support and encouragement they provide each other,” said Dr. Justin Gus Foote, director of Northern State University Speech and Debate. BRIDGET FUHRMANN 1st place Winner BCHS Research Paper Award AVERY KAUTZ 2nd place Winner BCHS Research Paper Award SPEECH AND DEBATE WINS DEBATE TITLE Foote added, “Experiencing the unique culture of the nation’s largest city provides the students with contextual knowledge of their own lives. Getting to then combine this experience with what they have learned in practice and their own coursework truly allows the students to see how applicable their academic learning can be used outside the classroom.” The success of the team would not happen without the dedicated work done by first-year competitors who helped prepare the team in both research and practice. Northern State University thanks Andi Mehrer, Eden Ford, Dexter Hanson, Lauren Carpenter, Elena Bishop, Kim Portillo and Jericho Jones for their dedication this semester. The team will look to continue its success at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament March 18-22 in Springfield, Mo. For more information, contact Dr. Justin Gus Foote at justin.foote@northern.edu.
History and Social Sciences College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter | 5 CRIMINOLOGY STUDENTS TOUR STATE PENITENTIARY ABERDEEN, SD – Students in Northern State University’s Prisons and Penology course participated October 2025 in an educational tour of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. The trip was organized by Dr. Lucas Z. Wiscons, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences, with support from Dr. Elizabeth Haller, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of English. Fifteen students took part in the tour, including six enrolled in the online section of the course. Prison officials led the group on a three-hour tour that included both the historic “Hill” facility—originally constructed in 1881—and the modern maximum-security Jameson Annex. According to penitentiary officials, this was the largest tour and the only university group to visit since the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials commended the students for their professionalism, engagement and thoughtful questions throughout the experience. Students also shared positive feedback, with one participant describing it as “one of the most informative experiences I’ve ever had.” “We place high-impact learning opportunities at the center of our teaching in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program. You cannot replicate the experience of visiting a prison in a classroom. We’re also in a historic moment. The Legislature has approved over $650 million for a new prison near Sioux Falls. It’s difficult to have an informed position on such a large investment of public money without seeing firsthand the facility that we are replacing,” said Dr. Lucas Wiscons, assistant professor of criminal justice at Northern State University. The Prisons and Penology course is part of Northern’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program, housed within the College of Arts and Sciences. The program emphasizes hands-on learning that prepares students for a wide range of careers in the justice system. “Traveling classrooms” to South Dakota and regional prisons were first initiated in the 1980s by the late sociology professor, Dr. Jerry Rosonke. For more information about Northern’s Criminology and Criminal Justice program, visit northern.edu or contact Dr. Lucas Wiscons at lucas.wiscons@northern.edu
Partnerships and Activities 6 | College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter Nursing Department BUSINESS & HEALTH INNOVATION CENTER The Department of Nursing relocated to the new Business and Health Innovation Center (BHIC) in December 2025. This state-of-the-art facility was purpose-built to support excellence in nursing education and all spring 2026 courses took place in the new building, lab and simulation center. An official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony is forthcoming. SIMULATION & SKILLS LAB The BHIC houses a comprehensive simulation and skills complex designed to mirror real-world clinical environments. The simulation suite features six beds across multiple specialty settings, each configured to replicate specific areas of patient care. Dedicated suites include an OB/Pediatrics room equipped with a warmer and delivery-style bed, a clinic and home health setting, a large medical-surgical room, a critical care suite with advanced ICU equipment and ventilators and multipurpose rooms used for skills validation and testing. This multi-room, hospital-style layout allows students to experience realistic transitions between care settings, much as they would in an actual healthcare facility. In addition to the simulation suites, a separate eight-bed skills lab provides dedicated space for students to practice foundational nursing procedures such as wound care, medication administration, catheter insertion and patient assessment. Students have access to a dedicated locker area for lab preparation, ensuring a professional, organized environment for every session. The center’s technology investment is substantial. Equipment includes several high-fidelity (lifelike) manikins, a Pyxis automated medication dispensing system—the same technology used in hospitals—virtual reality equipment and a variety of task trainers for focused skill development. Audiovisual recording equipment and two dedicated debriefing rooms support the full simulation learning cycle: preparation, hands-on practice and guided reflection. Together, the simulation and skills lab areas support 945 hours of clinical learning, giving students extensive opportunity to build confidence and competence before entering real patient care settings. The Department of Nursing completed a landmark first year, transitioning from program development to active instruction of the university’s first-ever BSN students. In fall 2025, the program welcomed its inaugural cohort of 30 students, followed by a second cohort of students admitted in spring 2026. Cohort 1 achieved 100% retention from fall to spring, reflecting both the strength of the program and the dedication of its students. In addition to the traditional BSN pathway, the department launched an LPN-to-BSN pathway, expanding access for licensed practical nurses seeking to advance their education. Induction ceremonies were held for both cohorts, marking each student’s formal entry into the nursing profession. The spring 2026 induction was held in the new Business and Health Innovation Center on Jan. 26, 2026. The program also reached a critical accreditation milestone: CCNE applicant status was granted, putting NSU on track for its accreditation site visit in fall 2026. INAUGURAL YEAR MILESTONES
College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter | 7 STUDENT ENGAGEMENT & SERVICE NSU nursing students hit the ground running in their first year, demonstrating a strong commitment to professional development and community service. The NSU Student Nurses Association (SNA) has been very active including events such as organizing a Trunk-or-Treat event in October, a stethoscope beading activity with Sanford Health in November, a donut delivery to construction workers in December and a visit to Conklin Clinics in February. SNA also participated in several on-campus events and joined efforts to host a blood drive on campus. Students also represented NSU Nursing at Christmoose with the Chamber, the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce’s signature holiday event featuring the popular moose races. Beyond campus, students embraced service-learning and volunteerism throughout the year. Nursing students sent Christmas cards to area nursing homes and volunteered at the 40&8 Fundraiser Evening. The SNA is also looking forward to participating in “Goalball” with the SD School for the Blind and Visually Impaired this spring. Through the First-Year Seminar course, our pre-nursing students provided fluoride varnish applications to area elementary students, combining early clinical skill-building with meaningful community health service. COMMUNITY OUTREACH & RECRUITMENT The Department of Nursing invested heavily in pipeline development and community engagement throughout the year, building connections with future students and the broader community. Recruitment efforts included Scrubs Camps held in Aberdeen and Huron, introducing high school students to nursing careers through hands-on activities and healthcare experiences. The department also participated in Camp Med for area youth and partnered with the NSU Science Department to offer Anatomy & Nursing Day tours, where visiting students explored healthcare education firsthand— including a cadaver lab experience with the Science department and simulation event with nursing. Additionally, the department supported a South Dakota HOSA training event, teaching students how to insert nasogastric tubes. Faculty and staff also volunteered to serve meals alongside the Salvation Army for Thanksgiving. Students and faculty maintained a strong presence at community and campus events, including the Gypsy Days Parade, Brown County Fair, NSU Move-In Days, the NSU Involvement Fair, the fall Career & Internship Fair, the Chamber Block Party, the Youth Career Expo and the first-ever “Chili ‘N with NSU Nursing” tailgating event. The department also engaged with area educators through a High School Teachers Back-to-School Workshop and an Area Counselors Conference. NSU Nursing also sponsored lunch for the Avera CNA training event and will be hosting some exciting events with SD AHEC in April including a board meeting in the new BHIC building and a Disaster Training event for all pre-health & counseling students in addition to community healthcare & EMS trainees. LOOKING AHEAD: 2026–2027 The Department of Nursing enters its second year with strong momentum and several key milestones on the horizon. The CCNE accreditation site visit is scheduled for fall 2026, a defining moment for the program. The first graduating cohort is anticipated in spring 2027, marking a historic achievement for NSU. Enrollment will continue to grow with the admission of third and fourth cohorts and the department is expanding its clinical partnerships and community engagement. The faculty team is also growing: three new faculty members started in fall 2026, one additional hire joined in February 2026 and another hire is anticipated. This growth positions the department to continue delivering an exceptional nursing education and to meet the healthcare workforce needs of the region. The first cohort of nursing students pose with nursing faculty and staff after the nursing induction ceremony in September 2025. These students received their maroon coats, marking their official initiation into the nursing program. The maroon coat symbolizes their first clinical coat, a symbol of their entry into the profession.
8 | College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter LOCAL ROOTS RESEARCH AWARD ($1,500 STIPEND AND $1,000 IN RESEARCH SUPPLIES) Ayden Viox with his research entitled: “Chroma analysis of carotenoid pigmentation variation in male and female Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) in northeastern South Dakota.” Working with Amy Dolan. Sloan Johannsen with his research entitled “Variation in early and late carotenoid pigmentation via chroma analysis in Western Painted Turtles in northeastern South Dakota (Chrysemys picta bellii).” Working with Amy Dolan. Diego Nava Remigio - Diego will be engineering genetic tractability Porphyromonas species. He is engineering a plasmid reporter construct to fluorescently label cells under anaerobic conditions. These data will be used to study Porphyromonas species during intracellular infections. Working with Taylor Crooks. Brandi Baumeister - Brandi will be characterizing newly synthesized thiol targeting compounds to determine whether they have potential as antitubercular therapeutics. Working with Taylor Crooks and George Nora. STUDENTS ACCEPTED TO PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS Riley Reading – Pharmacy School Jessica Splichal – PA school Megan Fastenau – Medical School Mary Fites – Dental School PRESENTATIONS Mazie Finch presented her research poster to congress in Pierre: Effects of dietary aspartate supplementation on mitochondrial metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. Working with Samantha St Clair. Owen Douglas presented both a poster and oral presentation at the SD INBRE winter networking meeting: Topical Application of Curcumin Regulates FGF-Mediated Tissue Regeneration Mechanisms in Adult Zebrafish. Working with Samantha St Clair. STEM OUTREACH SUMMARY During the 2025–2026 school year, STEM Outreach Graduate Assistant Grace Humann, Dr. Amy Dolan and a team of dedicated undergraduate volunteers visited 12 classrooms each month, leading more than 1,350 hands-on STEM activities for area 4th graders. “This has been one of our best years ever for the program!” said Dr. Dolan. “Grace developed fun, engaging projects for the students and we had our largest group of undergraduate volunteers to date.” In total, the team worked with approximately 225 elementary students across the Aberdeen, Britton-Hecla and Evergreen Hutterite Colony schools. This year’s STEM lessons included: • Bristle Bots – Exploring circuits and the science of motion. • Build a Robotic Hand – Understanding the anatomy and mechanics of the hand • Forensic Science – Investigating chromatography and fingerprinting • Diaper Testing – Learning about the scientific method and sodium polyacrylate. • Engineering Helicopters – Discovering weight, thrust, drag and lift. • Butterflies – Studying pollinators and the life cycle of butterflies. SCIENCE FAIR UPDATE This year’s science fair will be held on March 26. For the first time, it will be held in the science building and projects will be open to the public from 1–7 p.m. In 2025, 157 students from 11 area schools participated in the fair. The top two individuals and the top team of two later attended the national fair in Columbus, Ohio in May. Those students were: 2025 Individual winners Kirra Stillman from Aberdeen Central High School: Anthocyanin in Zooxanthellae: Combatting Coral Bleaching Breckan Santjer from Aberdeen Central High School: Food Additives and Their Effects on Enzyme Activity 2025 Team winners Anna Ahlberg and Corban Landis from Aberdeen Central High School: AI Personalized 3D Printing of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Dr. Amy Dolan Dr. Jodie Ramsay Dr. Sam St. Clair Partnerships and Activities FELLOWSHIPS Chloe Voss, Mary Fites, and Owen Douglas each received a fellowship from the SD INBRE program, which will encompass research and other activities during the next academic year. SD INBRE has been funded since 2001, but these three students are the first from Northern State University to be selected.
Partnerships and Activities College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter | 9 CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENT ACCEPTED TO TOP-10 GRADUATE PROGRAM MacKenzie Turner of Belgrade, Montana, a spring 2026 graduate with a major in criminal justice and minors in psychology and Spanish, earned a merit scholarship and acceptance to the Master of Science in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy at American University’s School of Public Affairs. U.S. News & World Report ranks American University’s School of Public Affairs No. 9 in the nation and first among public affairs schools in Washington, D.C. At Northern State University, MacKenzie played women’s soccer, served as Chief Communications Officer in Student Government and completed an internship with the Aberdeen Police Department. She is also one of the first students to complete NSU’s newer course offerings in American Extremism and Domestic Terrorism and Crime and Emergent Technologies, which Dr. Lucas Wiscons developed and launched. “MacKenzie is a stellar student with a bright future ahead of her. She’ll be a tremendous asset to the program and we’re proud she got her start here at Northern,” said Dr. Wiscons. With Dr. Austin Clements joining Northern’s history program in fall 2026, bringing expertise in domestic terrorism and radicalization, NSU is building the foundation to send many more students down this career path. NSU ALUM MacKenzie Turner Grace Humann (STEM Outreach GA) delivering a STEM lesson. RETIREMENTS RIC DIAS-PROFESSOR OF HISTORY After thirty-one years at Northern State University, Professor of History Ric Dias will retire at the conclusion of the 2025–2026 academic year, closing a career that began when he arrived at NSU in the fall of 1995 after earning his doctorate in History from the University of California Riverside and that quickly made him one of the most recognizable and beloved figures on campus. A California native, he needed time to adjust to Aberdeen winters, but not long to fall in love with the people of Aberdeen and Northern State University and what followed was a career defined by teaching, mentorship, service and an unmistakable classroom presence. For nearly three decades he served as the back end of the American History sequence to recently retired Professor Dave Grettler’s front end, taking students from the post–Civil War era through courses on the American West, the Cold War, the 1960s and his legendary History of Rock and Roll, where his energy, humor, refined taste in music, bad jokes, Simpsons references and infamous B.S. stamp on wandering papers became part of campus lore, converting countless students who entered History 152 with other plans into history majors instead. Beyond the classroom he advised student organizations including the History Club and Student Ambassadors, spent more than a dozen years cooking Valentine’s Day dinners as a fundraiser for the NSU Thomas Aquinas Newman Center and in later years became a tireless advocate for international students, particularly those from South Korea, traveling there multiple times to recruit students and reconnect with former ones. He was equally generous with his colleagues as a longtime mentor to new faculty, the driving force behind NSU’s faculty mentorship program and a multi-term chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee whose influence quietly shaped professional lives across campus. Outside the university Ric and his lovely wife Shelly are known for their love of travel and their enthusiasm for cuisines from around the world, especially South Korean food, interests that fit neatly with Ric’s long service as a food judge at both the Brown County Fair and the South Dakota State Fair and that once led, during a visit to Cambodia, to a brief and memorable encounter with fried tarantulas, an experience he insists was enjoyable at least the one time. He is also the author of two books on industrial history, one on the Hall-Scott Motor Company and another on the Kaiser Steel Company and can occasionally be spotted locally showing off his restored 1951 Kaiser automobile at area car shows. Professor Dias’s retirement will leave a hole at NSU (though, based on his size, perhaps not an especially large one). For more than three decades, students, faculty and staff have known and loved Ric Dias - he will be deeply missed. JULIE BACKOUS-SENIOR SECRETARY Ms. Backous graduated from Northern State University with a BS in psychology. In 2013 she joined Northern as senior secretary for the Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and department secretary for History and Social Sciences. Recently, she added the department of English, Communication and Global Languages to her responsibilities. Ms. Backous has more than 20 years of experience as an administrative assistant and 16 years working with children in residential behavioral settings in South Dakota and Colorado. Ms. Backous spent the last 13 years at Northern dedicating her time to students, faculty and staff, helping to move CAS and department strategies forward through her administrative support. This June she will retire to satisfy her passion for travel, concerts and the outdoors.
10 | College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter Obituaries September 25, 1934 - November 2, 2025 On Nov. 2, longtime English faculty member David L. Newquist passed away at the age of 91. His funeral was a private family affair, so there was probably little opportunity for the department to say its farewells in any public way. But let me take a moment to say a short farewell of my own: Dr. Newquist taught at NSU for 20 years, from 1979 to 1999 and he was one of the first people in the department that I met when I arrived on campus as a fresh-faced assistant professor in the fall semester of 1985. I found him a little aloof at that first meeting as he and Dennis Scott showed me around and took me to lunch, but I later decided he was something of an introvert—though he was never shy about letting you know what he thought of something, especially if it was something political. He was a staunch Democrat in the old sense of labor-friendly in his politics and he was President of the Faculty Union at the local level and later the state level. Perhaps as a consequence, he wasn’t always on the most cordial terms with administrators. I remember a department meeting in my early days that very nearly ended in fisticuffs. Which explains why I became Department Chair as an untenured Assistant Professor after just three years at NSU—I was the only person in the department that nobody hated. Or so I thought. Returning from a summer NEH Institute in fall of 1988 to spend my first day in the chair’s office, I checked my campus mailbox to find a three-page letter from Dr. Newquist listing a number of significant sins I had committed in my new role as administrator. And this before I had even set foot in my office my first day. WALTER JOSEPH KING, PH.D. DR. DAVID L. NEWQUIST I didn’t go to my office at that point. I went to his. I sat down and talked to him and he opened up to me about his concerns. When I left his office, we understood each other. From that point on, I never had a problem with Dave and I don’t think he had any with me. I was his department chair for six years, his dean his last four years before retirement and he was one of the most reliable and collegial of my English department colleagues. One of my most vivid memories of him was listening to a presentation he made at a sponsored activity of Sigma Tau Delta (the English Honor Society) demonstrating how the lyrics of the familiar spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” could be seen as code for the Underground Railroad. It may be that the pinnacle of his time at NSU was his co-directing a seminar for high school teachers sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1994, focused on “The Literature of the Plains Indians,” in which our traveling classroom went to the Black Hills, the Little Bighorn battlefield and selected reservations and brought in several big-name scholars in the field and poets as well. Participants appreciated David’s knowledge and encouragement in what was probably his favorite field. My wife, Stacey, was a student of Dave’s, taking four or five classes from him over her five years earning a double major in English and Elementary Education at Northern in the late ’80s and early ’90s. She speaks quite highly of him to this day. She loved to listen to his thoughts on the reading of the day and appreciated so much his sincere and energetic response to her papers as she explored the ideas that lit up her mind in the class. As a teacher herself, she’s come to value most that one semester when she needed another English class, he agreed to oversee an independent study for her on “Folklore in Literature.” When other English majors heard about it, they asked to join, until there were five students in the “independent study.” He didn’t get paid for all the extra work he did in this impromptu seminar and he still approached it with his typical enthusiasm and academic generosity. She still recalls it as one of her favorite classes of her undergraduate years. So farewell David, my friend. It’s been some time since your retirement, but you’re not forgotten and you live on in our memories. Here’s hoping that chariot came to carry you home. January 10, 1943 — January 16, 2026 Walter Joseph King, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History and Philosophy at Northern State University, died on January 16, 2026, at his home in Des Moines, Iowa. He was 83. Born in Leominster, Massachusetts and raised in Shirley, Massachusetts, Dr. King pursued a life shaped by sustained intellectual commitment and a deep respect for learning. He completed his undergraduate and graduate education in history at the University of Michigan, earning his BA, MA and PhD and went on to a long career devoted to teaching, scholarship and academic service.
Obituaries College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter | 11 BECKY MALSOM June 9, 1978 — January 22, 2026 Becky Ann Malsam, 47, a beloved daughter, sister and partner, passed away peacefully at her home in Aberdeen on January 22, 2026, surrounded by family. Becky’s wishes were to be cremated with no formal services held. Becky was born to Ron and Melinda (Kahl) Malsam on June 9, 1978, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Raised in Aberdeen, Becky graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1996. She furthered her education at Northern State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and graduated at the top of her class. Her academic achievements reflected her dedication and passion for learning. Becky lived a life characterized by her warm spirit, creative talents and deep affection for her family and friends. She was known for her love of photography, particularly black-and-white imagery and for her skill in ceramics. She found joy in cooking and baking, often sharing her culinary creations with loved ones. Travel was another one of her passions and she cherished the many adventures she had with her significant other of many years, Scott Suedmeier. Together, they explored various countries, enjoying the sun-soaked beaches of Mexico, where the couple loved to parasail. They also visited enchanting destinations, including England, Ireland, Scotland, Paris and Rome. In addition to her many interests, Becky had a particular fondness for animals, especially her beloved dogs, Logan and Ralphies, whom she affectionately referred to as her boys. Becky is survived by her parents, Ron and Melinda Malsam; her brother Chad (Kara) Malsam; her significant other, Scott Suedmeier; her nephew, Connor; her extended family sisters, Jessica SundbergStage and Mindy Santema; and, of course, her cherished dogs, Logan and Ralphies. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandpa, Reinhart Kahl; her paternal grandparents, Romanous and Virginia Malsam; and her aunt, Angie Malsam. Becky’s life was a tapestry of love, adventure and creativity. She touched the hearts of many and will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Avera Hospice and Sanford Oncology for the wonderful care they gave to Becky. Dr. King joined the faculty of Northern State College in 1980 and taught through the institution’s transition to Northern State University, remaining there until his retirement in 2005. Over more than twenty-five years, he played a central role in the intellectual life of the university. He taught widely in European history, Western civilization and philosophy and was known for courses that demanded careful reading, disciplined thinking and engagement with enduring questions. He believed that students should encounter ideas seriously and directly and he approached teaching as a shared intellectual endeavor rather than a performance. He was widely regarded as a challenging and exacting instructor, a tough grader who held students to high standards of clarity, evidence and argument, an approach that many former students later came to value deeply. Dr. King also contributed significantly to the university beyond the classroom. In 1984, he was the recipient of Northern State College’s Outstanding Faculty Award, reflecting the respect he earned from students and colleagues alike. He served as Director of the Honors Program, where he worked to sustain a culture of intellectual seriousness and independent thought among motivated undergraduates. Many former students remember him as a professor who listened closely, expected much and took their work seriously. As a scholar, Dr. King specialized in early modern English history. His research took him repeatedly to archives in the United Kingdom, where he worked patiently with local court records and related materials. His publications contributed to the preservation and understanding of sources that remain essential for historians of early English legal and social history. His scholarly work reflected a quiet rigor and respect for evidence that also characterized his teaching and professional conduct. Former colleagues at Northern State University have remarked on a line from his family’s obituary: “Walter valued observation over noise, substance over show and connection over convenience.” These words resonate strongly with how he was known on campus, as a colleague and friend who listened carefully, worked thoughtfully and treated both people and ideas with seriousness. May we and our university, strive to uphold those same values. Dr. King is survived by his wife, Janet King; his daughter, Tamara King; and a large extended family. He is remembered with respect and gratitude by his colleagues, students and the wider Northern State University community. Obituary Link: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/walterking-obituary?id=60632966
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