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.…
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University is proud to announce Rick Shamis and Rhonda Rylance as the 2026 Gypsy Day Parade Marshals. The pair share a unique and special connection to Gypsy Days — 50 years ago, they represented Northern State University as the 1976 Gypsy Marshal and Queen.
Both Shamis and Rylance graduated from Northern State in 1977. Rylance earned her degree in English and went on to careers in journalism, retail management and as a paralegal. One of her fondest Gypsy Days memories was being welcomed by former homecoming queens during her reign.
Shamis earned his…
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University will celebrate its 125th anniversary and annual homecoming week with the 110th Gypsy Day Parade and homecoming football game on Saturday, Sept. 26. This year's homecoming theme, "125 Year Anniversary," brings together Northern State University and the Aberdeen community for a week of celebration honoring the university's rich history and bright future.
The parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Main Street, with more than 130 floats, marching bands and community entries expected to participate. Parade-goers are encouraged to bring chairs and bags for…
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Aberdeen community members, professional filmmakers and Northern State University students, faculty and staff have an opportunity to step in front of the camera for the next South Dakota Film Project production.
Actor auditions and crew mentor roles are now open for “Quorum,” a new short film being produced through NSU’s BFA in Art, Digital Media specialization in Filmmaking, Broadcasting and Interactive Media Production program (FBI). Set in present-day Aberdeen, the film follows three middle-aged lodge members racing against the clock to seat a fourth member before…
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University will mark the 239th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution with a series of events Sept. 16-17 on and around the NSU campus in Aberdeen.
The celebration begins Wednesday, Sept. 16, at noon with a lecture by Dr. Jon Schaff, professor of government, in the Beulah Williams Library. Schaff will speak on Abraham Lincoln and his relationship to the Constitution.
On Thursday, Sept. 17 — Constitution Day — campus activities will take place in the Student Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring displays, informational tables and free pocket copies of…
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University reached its highest enrollment in university history this fall, welcoming 3,890 total students. The achievement was driven by 470 new undergraduate degree-seeking students. The freshman class numbered 370, representing a 28% increase over fall 2025, and the largest since 2013. 100 transfer students also enrolled.
Of the 370 freshmen, 36% come from Northeastern South Dakota. Across the entire degree-seeking undergraduate population, 69% are South Dakota residents, and 80% of all enrolled students call South Dakota home.
The surge is visible…
ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University will kick off its Fall 2026 Noon Forum series on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Williams Library Round Room.
Dr. Jon Schaff, professor of Political Science, will be the featured speaker at this forum. His session is titled “Lincoln’s Declaration.” Dr. Schaff’s talk, part of NSU’s Constitution Day celebration, will look at the Declaration of Independence through the eyes of Abraham Lincoln, especially focusing on Declaration of Independence ideas in the Gettysburg Address.
The second Noon Forum of the semester will be on Wednesday, September…
ABERDEEN, S.D. – At Northern State University, career preparation is about more than finding a job—it’s about helping students envision and build their futures. To reflect that focus, the university is renaming its Career Services Department to Career Design, a name that captures its commitment to helping students take an active role in shaping their professional journeys.
The name change reflects the department’s evolving mission to help students navigate the many decisions that shape a meaningful career. Through self-discovery, exploration, skill-building and strategic planning, Career…
ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern Innovation & Startup Center in partnership with the Aberdeen Development Corporation is once again bringing bold ideas and innovative thinkers to northeast South Dakota for the Technology & Entrepreneurship Summit, taking place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Johnson Fine Arts Center on the Northern State University campus.
This year’s Summit features two keynote speakers, as well as a diverse lineup of speakers with experience spanning technology, storytelling, cybersecurity, entertainment and entrepreneurship.
Pixar veteran and storyteller…
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Northern State University's Millicent Atkins School of Education will host its annual Learning Expo on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Gerber Building and Barnett Center on the NSU campus in Aberdeen. The free event invites prospective education students and educators to connect with NSU faculty and learn about Northern's education programs.
Check-in begins at 8 a.m. with the event running from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
South Dakota native Sean Covel will deliver the keynote address. A producer of the film Napoleon Dynamite and a professor at the…