Centers, Institutes and Museums

Click on the following links for information:

Brian Molyneaux, Ph.D., Director
East Hall Basement
605-677-5402
Email: moly@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/anthropology

The Archaeology Laboratory studies the ancient human past of South Dakota and neighboring regions. Laboratories, curative facilities, and a specialized library occupy the entire basement and part of the first floor of East Hall, which is located on the Vermillion campus. A wet lab and field storage lockers occupy the basement of a nearby building. The Archaeology Laboratories conducts cultural resources management projects as its primary activity. This involves carrying out surveys for archaeological and other important cultural resources for agencies that are required by law to see that cultural heritage is not destroyed by their actions. Beyond surveys, the Archaeology Laboratory conducts test excavations and full excavations where necessary. The Archaeology Laboratory Educational programs have been well received with special recognition by the South Dakota Historical Society and the World Archaeological Congress. Grants and contracts have totaled nearly $2M for numerous projects.

Wade Druin, Director
Patterson Hall, Room 132
605-677-5287
Email: wdruin@usd.edu

The Business Research Bureau is a research organization located within the School of Business, which serves federal, state, and local governments, private business, educational institutions, individuals, and nonprofit groups. The services that the Business Research Bureau provides include: business, economic, and social research; developing and maintaining databases critical to decision making in business and economics; and finally, designing, developing, and maintaining computer system programs.

103 Old Main
677-6338
engage@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/engage

The Center for Academic Engagement is the central point of contact for students interested in ways to enrich their academic experience while strengthening their qualifications for employment and/or graduate study. The mission of the Center is to assist students in identifying and realizing opportunities for quality experiential learning. These activities help students develop essential skills, hone their interests, and become important contributors to the greater community. The Center houses a number of resources to further the academic engagement of students:

• The Student Action Office: Supports the Action component of the IdEA Program and provides guidance and resources for students, faculty, and community.
• Service-Learning: Provides resources to students, faculty, and community members interested in connecting coursework to community issues.
• Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship: Assists students in their efforts to find and become involved in undergraduate research or creative pursuits.
• Civic Engagement: Assists students interested in enhancing the civic life of our communities through their participation in political and civic processes.
• Study Abroad: Offers information for students interested in opportunities for international study.
• National Student Exchange: Provides information on NSE programs that allow students to study at over 175 campuses in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada.
• Experiential Learning and Internships: Presents information about non-departmental academic programs available throughout the world.
• Nationally Competitive Scholarships: Guides and directs students in their applications for scholarships such as the Rhodes, Truman, Fulbright, Goldwater, Jack Kent Cooke, and the like.

Gerard A. Jacobs, Director
SDU 114
605-677-6575 or 800-522-9684
dmhi@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/dmhi

The Disaster Mental Health Institute’s (DMHI) mission is the promotion, development, and application of both practice and research in disaster psychology. Through the USD Department of Psychology the DMHI offers an undergraduate Minor in Disaster Response and for psychology majors a Specialization in Disaster Response (see the psychology department section of this catalog for details). These programs help students learn how to serve their communities in times of disaster, and include real-world practicum experiences in preparing for or responding to disasters with American Red Cross Disaster Services. DMHI faculty are engaged in cutting-edge research and disaster preparedness and response, both in the United States and around the world, and they bring that knowledge and experience into the classroom. Students learn directly from faculty who are shaping the future of the field world-wide.

*Board of Regents designated Center of Excellence.

Jack Marsh, Freedom Forum Vice President/Diversity Programs
605-677-6315
jmarsh@freedomforum.org

The Al Neuharth Media Center was dedicated in 2003. It houses Freedom Forum operations as well as the media and journalism organizations on campus, including South Dakota Public Broadcasting, USD’s Department of Contemporary Media and Journalism, The Volante, which Al Neuharth edited as a student, campus radio station KAOR and television station KYOT. The Freedom Forum’s South Dakota operations focus on journalism education, the First Amendment and diversity in newsroom staffing, with an emphasis on American Indians. The Freedom Forum runs the annual American Indian Journalism Institute at USD, funds the Native American Journalism Career Conference at Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills, and promotes excellence in journalism through teaching, conferences, scholarships and internships. Neuharth is a South Dakota native, a 1950 USD graduate, founder of USA TODAY and founder of the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. In 1988, the Freedom Forum established the Al Neuharth journalism and scholarship program at USD.

William D. Anderson, Ph.D., Director
233C Dakota Hall
605-677-5708
Email: William.Anderson@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/grb

The Mission of the Government Research Bureau is to engage in research on public policy and administration issues for all levels of government. The GRB focuses its attention on advanced methodological approaches to solving challenging public policy problems and draws on a variety of student and faculty contributors to conduct research for its clients.

Dakota Hall 12
605-677-5209 FAX 605-677-6525
iais@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/iais

Established in 1955 by the South Dakota State Legislature [SDCL 13-57-3.2], the Institute of American Indian Studies develops and promotes American Indian-related projects, activities, and programs at The University of South Dakota in collaboration with the Department of American Indian Studies, the Office of Student Life, TRIO Programs, the Native American Cultural Center, Native Students’ Support Services, Building Bridges, The Tiospaye Student Council, USD Program Council, the Oscar Howe Memorial Association, and others. These projects include on- and off-campus programs to promote education and awareness of American Indian culture and issues and strengthening relations with tribes, tribal colleges, and other appropriate American Indian organizations in the state, region, and beyond.

The Institute provides administrative support and coordination for the American Indian Alumni Chapter of the USD Alumni Association. The goals of the Alumni Chapter are to identify, involve, and promote interest in scholarships and other support from American Indian graduates and alumni to assist needs of currently enrolled Native students by building a base for connections among Native graduates and current faculty members, staff, and students.

In addition, the Institute maintains two major research collections housed in the South Dakota Oral History Center. These collections of audio oral history interviews relate to South Dakota history and to American Indian experiences. The American Indian Research Project is comprised of over 2,300 tapes addressing experiences of the Sioux Indian peoples and other tribes of the Northern Plains. Topics range from ancient legends and traditional religious beliefs to recent political and social views reflecting the American Indian way of life. The South Dakota Oral History Project contains 3,500 recorded interviews covering a myriad of aspects in South Dakota history. Interviews in both projects were collected beginning in the 1960s, and interview projects continue to the present. Two additional collections include interviews of varied interest: the Stanislaus Maudlin, OSB and John S. Painter collections. A valuable resource for students and researchers, the Center holds the largest collection of its kind in the country and is located in the Institute’s offices in Dakota Hall. Appointments are appreciated and may be made by calling 677-5209 or 677-5946.

The Dr. Joseph H. Cash Memorial Library contains books, photographs, films, and videos on North American frontier history with special emphases on American Indians, the mining industry, and western literature. The collection is a gift of Dr. Cash’s family to honor his service to the University as Professor of History, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Director of the Institute of American Indian Studies. Located in the Institute’s offices, the library is available for in-house use by students, faculty members, and researchers.

Direct inquiries to:
David Swanson, Ph.D., Chair
Department of Biology
605-677-6175
Email: David.Swanson@usd.edu

Laura Jenski, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
605-677-5370
Email: Laura.Jenski@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/mri

USD established the Missouri River Institute in 1999 to focus the many distinct research initiatives already underway on the river basin. The Institute’s mission is to promote scholarly research, education, and public awareness related to the natural and cultural resources of the Missouri River basin.

As USD is near the last remaining unmodified portion of the Missouri River downstream of the dams, a 59-mile section of river from Gavin’s Point Dam to Ponca State Park, Nebraska, it is an ideal location to house the Institute. The campus is within a mile of the Missouri floodplain, making USD the only major research university capable of integrating river research within campus life on a daily basis. Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the federal government declared this particular section the Missouri National Recreational River in 1978. It therefore provides a natural field laboratory for research, teaching and outreach activities. The Missouri National Recreational River National Resource and Education Center is just 30 miles from campus at Ponca State Park and is available use by The University community.

The Missouri River Institute gives students a unique opportunity to get involved directly in the Missouri River’s natural and cultural heritage. Direct inquires about research opportunities to the Chairperson of the Department of Biology, the Vice President for Research, or the Student Engagement Action Coordinator, or to individual faculty mentors.

André P. Larson, Director
605-677-5306
aplarson@usd.edu

The National Music Museum is one of the great museums of its kind in the world. Housed in a lovingly restored Carnegie library building, the NMM’s ever-growing collections of more than 13,500 American, European, and non-Western instruments from virtually all cultures and historical periods are the most inclusive in the world. Although music museums are found in many cities, the comprehensive nature of the collections at the NMM makes it the premier institution of its kind. Included are many of the earliest, best preserved, and historically most important musical instruments known to survive, dating back to as early as the 16th century. All reflect the ageless, universal power of human ingenuity and imagination. Concerts are presented amid the intimacy and superb acoustics of the Arne B. Larson Concert Hall, and popular brown bag lunch programs explore other facets of the NMM’s diverse collections. Admission to the NMM is free, and self-guided multi-media tours allow visitors to hear, as well as see, some 800 instruments that are on exhibit in nine galleries. Group tours must be arranged two weeks in advance.

The NMM’s Center for Study of the History of Musical Instruments is the leading research institution of its kind and hosts national/international conferences that attract scholars from around the world. In addition to the musical instruments, the NMM’s resources include a specialized library and extensive archives, with special emphasis on the documentation of the American music industry. NMM faculty and staff are leading scholars in the field, publish widely, and provide international leadership. Graduates of the University’s M.M. degree program with a concentration in the history of musical instruments now hold positions with other major musical instrument collections, museums, and libraries, both in the U.S.A. and abroad.

Dakota Hall 12
605-677-5209
http://www.usd.edu/iais/oralhist.cfm

The South Dakota Oral History Center houses two major collections of audio interviews relating to South Dakota history and to American Indian experiences. The American Indian Research Project is composed of approximately 2,300 tapes addressing experiences of Dakota/Lakota/Nakota peoples and other tribes of the Northern Plains. Topics range from ancient legends and traditional religious beliefs to recent political and social views reflecting the American Indian way of life. The South Dakota Oral History Project contains almost 3,500 recorded interviews covering myriad aspects in South Dakota history. Interviews in both projects were collected beginning in the 1960s, and oral history projects continue today. A valuable resource for students and researchers, the Center, with its 5,800 interviews, is the largest collection of its kind in the country and is located in Room, 12 Dakota Hall. Appointments are appreciated and can be made by calling or emailing the Center.

Dorothy Neuhaus, Director
1110 Ratingen St.
Vermillion, SD 57069
605-677-5228
Email: whover@usd.edu
http://www.whovermuseum.org/

The mission of the W. H. Over Museum operated by a privatized non-profit, all volunteer organization, is to collect, preserve, document, exhibit, research, study, and interpret objects relating to natural and cultural history, primarily in South Dakota; and to provide interpretive exhibitions, educational programs, publications and other appropriate means of conveying an understanding and appreciation of this region.

William D. Richardson, Director
233A Dakota Hall
(605) 677-5702
wrichard@usd.edu, chovorka@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/farbercenter

The South Dakota Board of Regents established the W. O. Farber Center for Civic Leadership in the fall of 1997 as a Center of Excellence. The Center is housed within the Department of Political Science and offers a minor in Civic Leadership Studies. The term “civic” was chosen to emphasize that the Center’s focus is not narrowly governmental but rather broadly inclusive of all aspects of our lives together as citizens of a community, state, nation, and world. The mission of the Center is to prepare students and help communities to face difficult public problems in a manner consistent with constitutional values. The Center fosters responsible and ethical leadership through education, service, and scholarship in the public interest.

The W.O. Farber Center for Civic Leadership was founded on the belief that there is leadership within every person. Its initiative stresses the importance of principled leadership based on core values and emphasizes leadership as a process, not just a position. Viewed in this way, leadership requires responsible action of individuals in every part of society-not simply those in formal leadership roles.

*Board of Regents designated Center of Excellence.