South Dakota
South Dakota State University launches interdisciplinary Ph.D. in social science
South Dakota State University is expanding its graduate offerings with the launch of a new social science Ph.D. program, an interdisciplinary program designed to address complex challenges facing rural communities and society at large.
Approved by the South Dakota Board of Regents in April 2025 and the Higher Learning Commission shortly after, the program will welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2026.
The program is housed in the School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Rather than focusing on a single discipline such as sociology or psychology, the new Ph.D. brings together faculty expertise from across SDSU’s colleges — including nursing, natural sciences, agriculture, pharmacy and allied health professions — to train scholars equipped to tackle today’s “wicked problems.”
“The world’s complex issues require interdisciplinary teams,” said Paul Markel, professor and director of the School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies.
The launch of the social science Ph.D. program also marks a new chapter for SDSU’s historic tradition in graduate social science education. The university’s sociology program dates back to 1925, once producing nearly a quarter of all doctorates on campus during its peak. Admissions to the previous sociology Ph.D. were suspended in 2020 due in part to faculty staffing and shifting academic focus.
Rather than simply reviving the former program, faculty and administrators chose to reimagine it. The resulting social science Ph.D. program addresses the current, complex research needs of the university in alignment with Pathway to Premier 2030 and the “R1 Our Way” initiative — SDSU’s commitment to reaching high research activity designation. The program not only advances interdisciplinary research but also increases the number of research doctorates SDSU produces, a key benchmark in the journey toward R1 status.
“The interdisciplinary approach allows complex problems to be taken seriously and explored in depth, so that you can come up with real practical solutions in a way that no single discipline could do alone,” Markel emphasized.
The program’s creation involved a working group of faculty representing multiple disciplines and colleges, including:
- Abigail Tobias-Lauerman, School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies
- George Tsakiridis, School of American and Global Studies
- Heidi Mennenga, College of Nursing
- James Amell, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions
- Jason Zimmerman, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek, Department of Natural Resource Management
- Kimberly Johnson Maier, Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences
- Londa Nwadike, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
- Shola Aromona, School of Communication and Journalism
- Stephanie Hanson, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions
- Tyler Miller, School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies
Members met regularly to design curriculum, define core requirements and develop the program’s first two proposed specializations: 1) environmental and rural development and 2) rural well-being.
“At one point we had rural sociology on our campus,” Markel said. “So even with this program, both specializations represent a rural theme, specifically rural development and rural well-being. It’s honoring and rejuvenating our rural studies roots.”
The program’s structure allows students to ground themselves in social science theory while applying research methods to practical challenges like sustainable land management or rural health disparities. It also aims to revive SDSU’s historic partnership with SDSU Extension through renewed attention to rural vitality, echoing SDSU’s land-grant mission.
“The rural environment is very complex, and there are incredible challenges in the rural space,” Markel explained. “When we identify a problem in a rural community, whether it’s health care, access to food, education or workforce development, it’s not enough for any one discipline to focus on the problem because we really need to bring in teams and have multiple disciplines looking at the same problem to make a difference.”
From concept to approval, the Ph.D. in social science moved with rare speed in higher education. The initial proposal, written by Markel in collaboration with faculty such as School of Communication and Journalism Director Josh Westwick, School of American and Global Studies Director Christi Garst-Santos and MaryJo Benton Lee, adjunct faculty member and evaluation specialist, was submitted to Dean David Earnest of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in September 2024. By December, the curricular paperwork was complete, and the program received final Board of Regents approval by April 2025.
The program is now included in SDSU’s Graduate Catalog, with recruitment and marketing underway for the first cohort’s admission in fall 2026. An advisory council composed of faculty from across participating colleges will oversee program evolution and ensure continued interdisciplinary collaboration.
The social science Ph.D. program positions South Dakota State University as one of the few institutions in the nation — alongside models like Syracuse University and Johns Hopkins — to offer an interdisciplinary social science doctorate.
“I am excited about the impact that the social science Ph.D. program will have on our local communities and university,” SDSU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dennis Hedge said. “While providing a significant boost to our university’s Carnegie R1 designation pursuit, this interdisciplinary Ph.D. program will importantly provide graduating students with a solid foundation of perspectives and methods in the social sciences that will serve as a framework for addressing complex issues faced by communities in our state and region. By doing such work, our communities will ultimately be stronger.”
Markel summarized the program’s aim this way: the doctoral training will ground students in social science theory and research methods while requiring them to work with interdisciplinary advisory committees and teams so their research and solutions are applied and relevant to an ever-changing, complex world.
“We want to be able to take the research that comes out of this program and apply it in meaningful ways to the people of South Dakota and the region who are living in rural environments,” Markel said.
Watch the SDSU men’s basketball team at a postgame press conference
South Dakota State head coach Bryan Peterson and guard Joe Sayler talk about the Jackrabbits’ loss to South Dakota on Feb. 7, 2026.
The South Dakota State men’s basketball team has a chance to get some payback against South Dakota today in both teams’ final game before the Summit League Tournament begins.
The Jackrabbits (14-16, 7-8 Summit League) have won three of four and just beat Kansas City 73-59 on Thursday, Feb. 26. The Coyotes (15-15, 7-8) are headed in the opposite direction, having stopped a three-game skid with an 89-72 win over Omaha on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Here’s how to watch the two rivals battle again.
South Dakota State at South Dakota men’s basketball TV, radio, stream
- Radio: Jackrabbit Sports Network, Coyote Sports Network
- Stream: Summit League Network
South Dakota State at South Dakota time today
- Location: Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion
South Dakota State at South Dakota prediction
Paul Cifonelli, Argus Leader: Like the first time these two teams met, this is a matchup between two squads headed in different directions. Somehow, they’ve managed to flip roles in just three weeks.
South Dakota looks like it is running out of steam quickly after impressing and threatening the third spot in the Summit League in early February. South Dakota State has rebounded from losing five of six nicely, giving themselves a chance at hitting .500 on the season.
I expect the Jackrabbits to continue playing inspired and hard, and for them to overwhelm a Coyote side that has shown more fight than anyone could’ve imagined.
South Dakota State 73, South Dakota 65
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Feb. 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from Feb. 27 drawing
03-04-13-28-42, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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