ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University will hold the investiture ceremony for Dr. Alan D. LaFave, the institution's 19th president, on Friday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. in the Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Theater at the Johnson Fine Arts Center. The South Dakota Board of Regents, along with the faculty, staff and students of Northern State University, invite the campus and Aberdeen community to attend. The event is free and open to the public.
The investiture is a long-standing academic tradition dating back centuries in which the South Dakota Board of Regents will formally confer upon Dr. LaFave the authority and responsibilities of the Office of the President. Similar to an inauguration, the ceremony will include a formal procession, music, remarks from university leaders and the official conferral of presidential authority.
The investiture marks a historic milestone — Dr. LaFave is the first alumnus ever to serve as president of Northern State University. A native of Onida, S.D., he earned his bachelor's degree in music education from Northern in 1985 before returning as a faculty member in 1991. Over nearly three decades at Northern, he advanced from music instructor to department chair, associate dean, dean of the School of Fine Arts and ultimately provost and vice president for academic affairs. As dean, he led a $14.5 million renovation of the Johnson Fine Arts Center and a $4.5 million renovation of Spafford Art Studios. He conducted the NSU Symphonic Band in performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and is recognized regionally and nationally for his contributions to music education.
Most recently, Dr. LaFave served as president of Valley City State University in North Dakota from 2018 to 2025 before returning to Northern as its 19th president. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Arizona State University and has received numerous honors including the South Dakota Music Educators Association Distinguished Administrator Award and the National Federation of State High School Associations Outstanding Music Educator Award.
The investiture ceremony will be livestreamed on NSU's social media channels including Facebook and YouTube, and broadcast locally on Midco TV channels 12 and 588 and NVC TV channel 12.
For a full schedule of Gypsy Days and 125th Anniversary events, visit northern.edu/investiture.