USD Graduate School

USD was well represented at the Midwestern Association of Graduation Schools (MAGS) conference last week in Kansas City. Former History Graduate Student and current employee Arianna Van Kaley was runner-up for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Award. Current Business Analytics student Nicky Apenahier and USD 3MT winner also competed at MAGS 3MT.
Congratulations to both of these students for their amazing accomplishments!

Congratulations to Anna Van Kley on winning the USD 2026 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award!

Honoring a Voice for the Black Hills: Anna Van Kley’s Thesis Earns USD’s Top Graduate Recognition Anna Van Kley, a ’24 graduate of the University of South Dakota, has received the 2026 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. This honor recognizes the dedication, research and originality required not only to complete a master’s degree, but to craft an exceptional thesis.

Congratulations to the three winners of our 8th Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition!
First Place: Nicky Apenahier
M.S. in Business Analytics
Second Place: Gopala Krishna Murthy Kalapala
Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry
Third Place: Casey Wall
Ph.D. in Data Science and Engineering

Final Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition is today! Join us in MUC Ballroom 225BC to support your USD Graduate Students as they present their thesis/dissertation research today at 3 p.m.

Congratulations to our winners Bethany Larson and Mariana Astete!

USD Graduate School Presents 2026 Excellence in Teaching Awards The University of South Dakota Graduate School is honored to present two graduate students—Bethany Larson and Mariana Astete—with the Graduate Excellence in Teaching Awards for their outstanding contributions to promoting a culture of educational excellence at the university.

Preliminary Round of Three Minute Thesis is today! Join us in the MUC Ballroom 225BC to support your USD Graduate Students as they present their thesis/dissertation research today at 3 p.m.

Last day to apply for Three Minute Thesis is TODAY!
usd.edu/3mt

Want to learn more about 3MT? Join us on February 4, 2026 in MUC 216 at 3 p.m. to learn more!
usd.edu/3MT

Don’t miss this opportunity to practice your presentation skills, meet other candidates, and have a chance to win prizes!
We encourage all Master’s (Thesis option A) and Ph.D. students to participate. (Must be in good standing)
🥇 First place winner will be awarded $350 and will participate in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 3MT competition scheduled for April 4 in Indianapolis.
🥈 Second place winner will be awarded $250.
🥉 Third place winner will be awarded $150.
To learn more about the competition history, rules and gain valuable preparation tips, visit the 3MT website:
usd.edu/3MT

The Graduate School at the University of South Dakota invites you to participate in the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Competition!
3MT®️ is a national academic competition that challenges Master’s and Ph.D. students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience.
Ready for the challenge? Don’t miss this opportunity to practice your presentation skills, meet other candidates, and have a chance to win prizes! Visit - usd.edu/3mt for more info!

🎓 Planning to Apply to Graduate or Professional School?

Join the USD Writing Center's Workshop to learn how to craft a compelling and effective statement of purpose! ✍️

📅 Wednesday, November 12
🕖 7–8 p.m.
📍 Delzell 110
💻Available on Zoom - Contact The Writing Center for more Information

In honor of Graduate Student Appreciation Week, the Graduate School is giving away free tickets to TEDxUSD this Saturday, April 12! All you have to do is comment on this post!