ntspring2017

NORTHERN TODAY 7 SPRING 2017 NORTHERN NEWS RSEC will enhance collaboration Construction is set to begin next year on the RSEC, which Kiesow said will provide a more cohesive, collaborative environment for faculty. The building will include shared research spaces and labs, a biotechnology room, an imaging suite and a cadaver suite. The center will allow expansion of NSU’s environmental science program, and it’s being designed for even more expansion in the future—it’s expected to lead to increased student numbers, and eventually more academic programs. But the center won’t just belong to NSU faculty— it’s meant for the community as well. There will be an educational outreach area, and some labs will have a glass wall to allow visitors to watch research in action. “Our idea is to make it welcoming to all,” Kiesow said. Coordinates STEM outreach The RSEC will also allow for more STEM outreach activities—a passion for Kiesow, who currently coordinates STEM outreach to nine elementary classrooms in Aberdeen. Kiesow and her biology students present interactive programs at schools and also bring elementary students to the NSU greenhouse. Kiesow is also Northern’s undergraduate research coordinator, and she serves on the executive boards for the Sanford Promise and the South Dakota Academy of Science. In 2020, the Academy of Science meeting will be held in the Regional Science Education Center, which is set to open in fall 2019. When Kiesow started at NSU, it was her first teaching position. She worked for almost five years as a wildlife biologist for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department in Pierre, but it wasn’t the right fit. She eventually remembered she loved teaching in graduate school, and pursued her doctorate in biology from the University of South Dakota. A passion for ‘the universal language’ Kiesow’s emphasis was genetics —another passion for her. “I truly enjoy genetics because it is the universal language,” she said. “It applies to everything that is a living, breathing organism— and I shouldn’t say breathing, because if it’s a living organism, genetics will apply to it. Whether it be a virus, whether it be a bacteria, whether it be a human being. Genetics is the foundation.” Her research is primarily in epigenetics, which explores how genes move during development. Kiesow and her students study organisms whose development stages are similar to humans, and their findings have implications for human development. They have studied the impact of substances such as cortisol, nicotine, probiotics, THC and antibiotics to determine their effects on embryonic development. One student’s research is being considered for publication—a rarity for an undergrad—and Kiesow takes pride in that kind of accomplishment for her students. Kiesow has received prestigious awards, including Outstanding Faculty Member in 2013 and Faculty of the Year for international students in 2016. Those honors were highlights in her career, but, “From a faculty standpoint, the mentorship we have with students is by far the most rewarding.” Faculty members serve as parental figures for students, and Kiesow often advises students on personal and academic issues. “That’s because we’re Northern,” she said. “We have that engagement with students.” Advice for faculty, students Now in her 10th academic year, Kiesow’s advice to new professors is not to take on too much right away and to focus on excellence in teaching. Her advice for students: “If you have a goal, stay the course and try to meet that goal. Don’t give up.” Goals aren’t achieved without difficulties, even if it looks easy from the outside. In Kiesow’s first year at NSU, she was pregnant, teaching two courses she’d never taught before, and completing her Ph.D. But she worked hard and kept going. Today, she’s a tenured, award-winning faculty member. Kiesow, a native of St. Cloud, Minnesota, is grateful for her supportive husband, Josh, a fellow biologist. They have two kids: Kaylee, 9, and Donovan, 7. She’s also thankful for her supportive parents, Tom and Karla Kalis. Kiesow encourages students to keep going through the hard times and keep their eyes on the finish line. “It’s the bumps in the road that make you stronger and make that goal that much better.” “It’s the bumps in the road that make you stronger and make that goal that much better.”