Dickinson State University (DSU) proudly recognizes the exceptional achievements of its employees. Their expertise, creativity and leadership are integral to the university’s continued success and growth.
Amy Grinsteinner – School of Education
Amy Grinsteinner presented at the National Business Education Association (NBEA) conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she led five sessions.
Dr. Jinasena Hewage and Dr. Samanthika Hettiarachchi – School of Applied Sciences
Dr. Jinasena Hewage and Dr. Samanthika Hettiarachchi presented student research with Carl Askins and Ryan Wagner at the North Dakota EPSCoR State Conference in Fargo on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Dr. Ayodeji Arogundade – School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Dr. Ayodeji Arogundade, dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, presented a paper titled “Enhancing Student Success and Retention Rates Through Positive Faculty-Student Engagement” at the International Accreditation Council for Business Education’s Regions 4 and 5 conference in Florence, Kentucky, in October. His presentation drew on academic research to highlight how cultivating positive relationships between faculty and students can improve student success and retention rates, ultimately increasing enrollment.
Dr. Chris Olson – School of Education
Dr. Chris Olson was recently featured as a guest on the History on Film podcast, where he discussed the career of exploitation filmmaker Charles Band. Listen here.
Dr. Liz Freedman Fowler – School of Applied Sciences
Dr. Liz Freedman Fowler, dean of the School of Applied Sciences, is a coauthor on a research paper to be published Nov. 4 in iScience titled “Deciphering Causes and Behaviors: A Recurrent Pattern of Tail Injuries in Hadrosaurid Dinosaurs.” The study proposes that these common tail injuries in duck-billed dinosaurs may represent the first indirect evidence of sexual behavior in non-avian dinosaurs. One of the key specimens, known as “Warwick’s Duck,” is on display at the Badlands Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson. The fossil, on loan from the Museum of the Rockies, was collected by Freedman Fowler and her team after it was discovered in 2009.
Olalekan Sipasi – School of Education
Olalekan Sipasi presented at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, as a distinguished speaker at the Fall Sustainable Agriculture Colloquium. His presentation, titled “International Sustainable Agriculture from a Justice Perspective,” explored equity and sustainability within global agricultural systems.
Jiayuan Tian – School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Jiayuan Tian, assistant professor of finance in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, published one of the papers from his doctoral dissertation titled “Effects of Liquidity on TE and Performance of Japanese ETFs” in the International Journal of Financial Studies. The study identifies a nonlinear relationship among liquidity, tracking error and risk-adjusted performance in Japanese exchange-traded funds (JETFs), showing that smaller, less liquid JETFs tend to deliver superior risk-adjusted performance.
Stephanie Osborne – School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Stephanie Osborne, interim assistant dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, attended the 2025 National Business Education Association annual convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, to stay current on emerging business trends, gain insight into pedagogical research, learn about instructional best practices and network with colleagues in the field.