NORTHERN TODAY 6 FALL 2014 Dacotah Bank will provide financial sup- port for NSU to share curriculum and resources in banking and financial services with SDSU. The award will also support SDSU sharing its agricultural economics and agribusiness programs with NSU students. Muehler and Preston, assistant professors of banking and financial services, are the NSU Dacotah Bank Scholars in banking and financial services. Nicole Klein is the SDSU Dacotah Bank Scholar in agribusiness and agricultural economics. Klein is a professor of agricultural marketing and farm and ranch management. Dacotah Bank has made a $240,000 renewable commitment for three years to support the collaboration between the universities. The announcement was made during a ceremony on the NSU campus as part of the recent South Dakota Board of Regents meeting. The Dacotah Bank Scholars are responsible for leading the collaboration and its promotion, student recruitment and advising, engagement with industry, and course and curricula development. This collaboration will allow students to benefit from the curriculum at both institutions. The new offerings will add value to graduates, better preparing them as they enter the workforce. Muehler said he’s honored to be part of this joint venture. “It took a great deal of vision to see this private-public partnership. I would like to see more of this kind of collaboration,” he said. Muehler, who grew up in rural North Dakota, joined NSU in 2013. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a law degree from the University of North Dakota. Muehler was admitted to the bar in North Dakota and Minnesota. Muehler was a law clerk for the United States District Court in Bismarck, N.D., and then began his 20-year career in the financial services industry, with an emphasis in trust management. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to enhance our ability to collaborate on a needed resource for the community,” said Preston. He has a B.A. in economics and Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, as well as a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn. Preston began teaching at NSU in 2012. In his career, he has consulted for more than 150 banks and financial institutions in a wide variety of legal, operational and managerial capacities. He has served as a bank examiner, internal auditor, CEO, CFO and COO of several financial organizations. “We are proud of our Dacotah Bank Scholars. They will help make the program a great experience for our students,” said James Smith, NSU President. JFAC RENOVATION MOVING FORWARD Plans to renovate the NSU Johnson Fine Arts Center moved forward this fall with the help of an anonymous donation of $2.5 million. NSU President Dr. James Smith said the generous donation will help fund construction of a black box theater within the JFAC. “We are very pleased to be the recipient of such a generous gift, and thrilled to be able to tell our stu- dents that we will be able to build the quality performance space that allows them to show their amazing talent,” Smith said. “The size and quality of our fine arts program has outgrown our facility,” Dr. Alan LaFave said. “We’re excited to have a modern, state-of- the-art facility to allow us to thrive and continue to attract the best art, music and theater students in the region.” Smith said that even with the large donation, fundraising will continue. “This is a sizable undertaking,” he said. “Now that we know we can build the new facility, we will be working to make sure we can furnish it and include the technical wizardry that a center of this quali- ty requires.” ARCHITECTURAL FIRM CHOSEN FOR NSU GREENHOUSE NORTHERN NEWS An architectural firm has been selected for the greenhouse project at Northern State University. JLG Architects will design the NSU greenhouse. The firm is based in Fargo, N.D., but also has an office in Brookings. The approximately 960-squarefoot greenhouse, which will be located next to the Mewaldt-Jensen Building, will enhance research and teaching capabilities at NSU while also providing educational opportu- nities for area K-12 students. The goal is to have the building designed and bid out in time to start construction by late spring 2015. (Left to right): NSU President Dr. James Smith, Dacotah Banks Inc. Chairman Rodney Fouberg, Dacotah Bank President and CEO Richard Westra, South Dakota State University President Dr. David L. Chicoine. NSU faculty members named Dacotah Bank Scholars “WE ARE PROUD OF OUR DACOTAH BANK SCHOLARS. THEY WILL HELP MAKE THE PROGRAM A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS.” – James Smith, NSU President Northern State University School of Business faculty members Todd Muehler and Robert Preston, along with a South Dakota State University faculty member, have been named Dacotah Bank Scholars.
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