Dr. Holly Gruhlke

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Dr. Holly Gruhlke joined Dickinson State University (DSU) in 2008. During her tenure at DSU, Gruhlke has held roles across academic and student affairs in addition to serving as a business faculty. In 2024, she was promoted to the rank of professor of business. From 2017 to 2020, she served as chair of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. She then advanced to dean of the College of Education, Business, and Applied Sciences in 2020, and in 2023, became Vice President of the university.

Gruhlke is a graduate of Dickinson State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, the University of North Dakota with a Master of Business Administration, and Wilmington University with a Doctorate in Business. Gruhlke’s dissertation research focused on understanding the preparedness of undergraduate business students for the workforce. Other areas of research that she engages in include topics in strategic planning, management issues, and corporate leadership.

In addition to her administrative duties, Dr. Gruhlke teaches various courses for the School of Business and Entrepreneurship to stay connected with faculty and students. Topics she has taught include strategy, human resources, management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and internship experiences. Gruhlke was recognized as DSU’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in Education, Business, and Applied Sciences in 2016 and the Distinguished Educator of the Year in 2017. In December 2017, she received the distinction of Prairie Business Magazine’s “40 Under 40”, an annual contest that names 40 people from throughout the Dakotas and western Minnesota who have "impressed in their careers and enhanced their communities.” Gruhlke was recognized as a 2018 Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) national “Top Future Leader Under 35.” In 2019, the Mountain-Plains Business Education Association (M-PBEA) selected Gruhlke as the Collegiate/University Teacher of the Year. Dr. Gruhlke was recognized as one of the 2025 Top 25 Women in Business by Prairie Business Magazine.

Gruhlke enjoys being a member of the Power of 100 Women and serving on various community boards. She currently serves on the CHI St. Alexius Hospital of Dickinson Patient and Family Advisory Board and the Regional Quality and Values Committee for Common Spirit Health’s Midwest division.

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