05/28/2026
Congratulations, Michael!!
This award reflects what many of us in the Physics Department already know: countless student opportunities, activities, outreach events, and successful programs would not be possible without your dedication and hard work behind the scenes!
Your impact goes far beyond teaching physics. You have built a community, inspired generations of students, and helped many discover their passion for science. Your support, encouragement, and genuine care for students have made a lasting difference in the lives of so many people.
Thank you for everything you do for our department, our students, and our community. We are fortunate to have you!!!
Congratulations 🥳🥳🥳👏
Mines Physics Lecturer Earns National Recognition as Outstanding Chapter Advisor:
For years, Michael Dowding, senior lecturer in the physics department at South Dakota Mines, has inspired and mentored countless students both inside and outside the classroom. Now, that dedication has earned him national recognition from the Society of Physics Students.
Dowding has received the 2026 Outstanding SPS Chapter Advisor Award, the organization's most prestigious award. He was also a finalist for the award in 2019.
SPS is a professional association designed specifically for students and their advisers, helping students become contributing members of the professional community. Membership in the collegiate chapters is open to anyone interested in the physical sciences. Aside from physics majors, the Mines chapter includes students in a variety of other majors, including astronomy, chemistry, computer science and engineering.
“Having had the pleasure of advising SPS chapters, I can truly say I am impressed by the depth and personal nature of the comments in your support letters,” said Earl Blodgett, Ph.D., the interim director for SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma.
According to his nomination, Dowding represents the best of what advising can achieve. “Through sustained commitment, thoughtful mentorship, and a genuine passion for student development, Mr. Dowding has created an SPS chapter that not only enriches the undergraduate experience but also helps shape the next generation of the workforce,” his nomination said.
The nominators also added, “Through his unwavering logistical and financial support, his dedication to our professional development, and his genuine care for our community, he empowers us to grow not just as physics students but as future leaders in the scientific community.”
Dowding began serving as the university’s SPS advisor in 2013, helping to create a recognized chapter at Mines. With the department’s growth, physics majors wanted an official chapter to better participate in and network with other physics students and organizations around the world.
He is humbled and honored by the recognition, adding that it is as much an honor for the students. “There are generations of student members from our campus chapter that have been building an organization from the ground up to one that now receives national recognition for their efforts,” Dowding said.
Read the full story here: www.sdsmt.edu/news/releases/DowdingnamedSPSoutstandingadvisor.html
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