Campus Directory

Dr. Holly Gruhlke began working for Dickinson State University (DSU) in 2008. In 2018, Gruhlke was promoted to the rank of associate professor of business. She served as the chair of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship from 2017 until 2020, before being promoted to the position of dean of the College of Education, Business, and Applied Sciences. In 2023, Dr. Gruhlke was appointed to the position of Vice President.

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. Her research has been published in the Leadership & Organizational Management Journal, Ethics Journal, Career Journal, Texas Business & Technology Educators Association Journal, and the Quarterly Review Journal, as well as in local newspapers.

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. M-PBEA is a professional organization devoted exclusively to serving individuals and groups engaged in instruction, administration, research, and dissemination of information for and about business that covers nine states and two provinces: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

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

“‘Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.’ This is the perfect example of how my teaching has grown and evolved throughout my tenure at Dickinson State University,” said Gruhlke. “I have come to the understanding that in order to influence student growth, students must be able to ‘touch’ complex aspects with their own hands. Students have come to enjoy the experiences they are having within the classroom, and I have found that this method of instruction applies to all courses I teach, regardless of the topic.”