About President Dunn
Barry H. Dunn was named the 20th president of ĢƵ in April 2016, becoming the fourth alumnus to lead the state’s land-grant institution. He officially assumed office on May 23, 2016.
An enrolled tribal member of the Sicangu Lakota, Dunn lived on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota for many years. He is widely believed to be the first enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe to lead an 1862 land-grant university as president or chancellor. His leadership is rooted in deep cultural understanding, academic excellence and a vision to position SDSU as one of the most impactful public universities in the nation.
Throughout his presidency, Dunn has launched and led several transformative initiatives aligned with SDSU’s land-grant mission, focused on access, student success, community engagement, research growth and excellence. His steady, forward-thinking leadership has helped guide the university through periods of innovation, growth and resilience, ensuring that SDSU remains committed to its founding values while building a future for all South Dakotans.
Strategic Vision and Institutional Priorities
At the core of Dunn’s presidency is the university’s seven-year strategic plan, Pathway to Premier, which sustains the momentum built through the previous plan, Imagine 2023.
Pathway to Premier outlines SDSU’s commitment to becoming a premier land-grant university and serves as the catalyst for the university to explore a future move to R1 status, which would place SDSU among the top research universities in the country.
The strategic plan focuses on four key commitments: academic excellence, student success, community engagement and stewardship.
Under Dunn’s direction, SDSU has made major strides in institutional quality, launching innovative new programs, supporting faculty achievement, increasing student retention and graduation rates, and aligning educational outcomes with workforce needs across South Dakota and the region.
Enhancing Student Success
Dunn has prioritized student success with measurable outcomes reflected in record-setting retention and enrollment figures. Under his leadership, SDSU achieved its highest-ever freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 83.9% in fall 2024 — surpassing the strategic plan benchmark of 80%. The university also welcomed its largest-ever first-year class of 2,449 students that same semester, contributing to a total enrollment of 12,065 students.
This success is rooted in student-focused efforts across campus, including the launch of the Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center in 2022. Serving nearly half of SDSU’s undergraduate population and coordinating 15 student success programs, the center recorded more than 40,000 student visits in fiscal year 2024. Students who utilized the center retained at a rate of 86% — a key indicator of academic progress and engagement.
SDSU also supports postgraduate achievement. In fiscal year 2024, SDSU’s nursing graduates posted a 95.5% national exam pass rate, while pharmacy graduates achieved a 100% first-time pass rate — testaments to the quality of SDSU’s academic programs and core curriculum.
A cornerstone to student success under Dunn’s leadership is academic quality centered around more than 80 accredited programs across the university’s degree-granting colleges. Dunn and his team also received a full 10-year reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission in 2019, which will be in effect until the 2029-30 academic year.
Affordability remains a cornerstone of SDSU’s mission. In fiscal year 2024, the average federal student loan debt for graduates was just over $21,000 — more than $2,000 lower than it was four years prior. SDSU graduates carry $10,000 less in debt than the average South Dakota graduate and nearly $20,000 less than the national average. Notably, 32% of 2024 graduates completed their degrees without any federal student debt.
Dunn’s efforts around student affordability have included a significant increase in student scholarships support through the SDSU Alumni & Foundation and his work with the Board of Regents and civic leaders on the South Dakota Freedom Scholarship, the state’s largest financial need-based scholarship program that launched in 2021.
Dunn’s tenure has also seen multiple prestigious national scholarships and student honors:
- Barry Goldwater Scholar – Andrew Foley (2016)
- Rhodes Scholar – Hattie Seten (2020)
- Udall Scholars – Jessica Begeman (2022), Dallas Kelso (2024)
- NASA Gateway to Blue Skies Competition – SDSU team (2025)
Advancing Native Student Success: The Wokini Initiative
One of the most defining hallmarks of Dunn’s presidency is the Wokini Initiative, launched in 2016 to expand access and opportunity for Native American students in South Dakota. Wokini, meaning “new life” in Lakota, reflects SDSU’s effort to acknowledge its land-grant history and provide meaningful, culturally informed support to the state’s nine tribal nations.
The initiative has increased scholarship support, advising services, academic programs and tribal outreach. With funding from the revenue generated by lands granted through the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU committed to reinvesting in tribal communities by providing:
- Enhanced programming through the American Indian Student Center
- Annual renewable scholarships for tribally enrolled or descendant students
- Expansion of American Indian studies faculty and curriculum
- Stronger connections to tribal colleges and tribal nations
- Dedicated cultural support services and advising
- A new campus facility: The American Indian Student Center (opened in 2019)
- Grant and philanthropic support from partners including the Bush Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, and USDA’s New Beginnings for Tribal Students program
- Greater student success opportunities that result in more students, higher retention rates and higher graduation rates.
The Wokini Initiative has become a national model for open-access, land-grant education and a framework for other institutions seeking to partner more effectively with Native nations.
SDSU Connect: Expanding Access in Sioux Falls
Dunn launched SDSU Connect to deepen SDSU’s presence in the Sioux Falls metro area — home to South Dakota’s largest population. SDSU Connect brings together faculty, students and regional partners to meet workforce demands and engage future learners. One signature program welcomes 1,500 middle schoolers from Sioux Falls to the Brookings campus annually, offering them hands-on academic experiences and student-led tours to promote early college awareness.
This initiative was created in response to data showing that only 55% of Sioux Falls public school graduates attend higher education — compared to more than 70% in other South Dakota communities. SDSU Connect helps bridge this gap and positions SDSU as a proactive, visible partner in the state’s largest market.
The program also enhances workforce development through stronger ties with regional employers, school systems, nonprofits and healthcare institutions, particularly in fields such as engineering, education, health sciences, agriculture and construction.
Academic Innovation and Program Growth
SDSU continues to respond to emerging workforce needs through academic innovation. During Dunn’s presidency, the university has added new degrees in areas such as:
- Concrete Industry Management
- Data Science
- Elementary and Special Education
- Accounting
- Veterinary Medicine
- Business Economics
- Finance
- Healthcare Systems Engineering
- Ph.D. in Social Science
SDSU now offers over 180 academic programs across seven colleges. Individual program accreditations have reached a record high of 64 certified programs — affirming SDSU’s national standing and commitment to continuous improvement.
In 2019, the university completed a successful 10-year reaffirmation from the Higher Learning Commission. This milestone reflected the university’s sustained commitment to academic quality and was the most comprehensive review in SDSU’s history.
Advancing ĢƵ and Innovation
Under President Dunn’s leadership, ĢƵ has significantly expanded its research enterprise, strengthening its national profile while delivering tangible benefits to South Dakota’s economy, producers and communities. In fiscal year 2024, SDSU’s research expenditures totaled $84 million, representing a 13.5% increase from the previous year and a 64% increase since 2021 — a clear indicator of the university’s accelerating research momentum.
A major milestone in this growth was the opening of the POET Bioproducts Center in fall 2023 in the SDSU ĢƵ Park. The center brings university researchers together with industry partners to develop commercially viable biotechnologies, advancing innovation in renewable materials, bioproducts and sustainable manufacturing while supporting workforce development and economic growth.
In summer 2023, Dunn announced SDSU’s intent to pursue ĢƵ 1 (R1) status under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Achieving R1 requires growth in doctoral education and research intensity — areas where SDSU has made immediate progress. By fall 2024, doctoral enrollment had increased 13.1% to 268 students, reflecting successful efforts to expand advanced education and research capacity.
Dunn has also championed major research infrastructure investments critical to the state’s agricultural and biosecurity needs. In 2017, the South Dakota Legislature approved a $58 million expansion of the Animal Disease ĢƵ and Diagnostic Laboratory, including the addition of a Biosafety Level-3 facility — the only Level-3 security laboratory in the state. The facility plays a vital role in protecting South Dakota’s agricultural economy from disease outbreaks and emerging threats.
He was instrumental in securing approval for the $55 million Raven Precision Agriculture Center, which opened in summer 2021. Dunn led efforts to obtain $22 million in legislative support and a $5 million naming-rights gift from Raven Industries. The center anchors SDSU’s leadership in precision agriculture, and SDSU remains the first and only university in the nation to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in precision agriculture.
In 2022, SDSU received the largest grant in university history from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — an $80 million award supporting beef and bison producers who adopt specific grazing and land-management practices. The project creates new market opportunities for producers while reinforcing SDSU’s land-grant mission. The work reflects Dunn’s personal understanding of agriculture, shaped by his background as a rancher and agricultural scientist.
Investing in Infrastructure and Campus Facilities
Since 2016, SDSU has added or renovated more than 568,000 square feet of space across its statewide system. President Dunn has guided projects that support student life, academic innovation, and SDSU’s research and outreach mission.
Key projects include:
- American Indian Student Center (2019)
- First Bank & Trust Arena (renovated and reopened in 2024)
- Lincoln Hall (historic classroom building renovation)
- Pierson Residence Hall (updated student housing)
- Miller Wellness Center (Phase 2 expansion)
- Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center (expansion)
- Cow-Calf Education and ĢƵ Facility
- Swine Education and ĢƵ Facility
- Plant Science ĢƵ Support Center
- Harding Hall Renovation (Ness School of Management and Economics)
- Larson Commons (renovation)
In Sioux Falls, the SDSU Metro Center, developed in partnership with Avera Health, will open in 2026 to support programs in nursing, pharmacy, respiratory care and medical lab science. It is projected to graduate over 300 healthcare professionals each year.
In Rapid City, SDSU will open a new West River Health Science Center in 2025 to expand the College of Nursing and support programs such as Native American nursing, all made possible through clinical partnerships and Monument Health.
Agricultural research and outreach facilities have also been a focus, including:
- Cottonwood Field Station (modernization underway; completion in 2026)
- West River ĢƵ and Extension Center (Rapid City)
- West River ĢƵ Farm (Sturgis area; acquired in 2018)
These efforts ensure SDSU’s continued reach into rural, tribal and urban communities — delivering access and impact statewide.
Philanthropic Momentum: Bold & Blue
In 2017, the SDSU Foundation, in partnership with President Dunn and university leadership, launched Bold & Blue: A Campaign for ĢƵ — the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of the Dakotas. The campaign aimed to raise $500 million to support people, places and traditions.
By April 2024, the campaign exceeded expectations by raising more than $604 million. Nearly 31,000 individuals contributed to the effort, which touched every area of campus.
Scholarships accounted for one-third of campaign funds and doubled SDSU’s scholarship offerings since 2017. Faculty support also grew dramatically, with the number of endowed positions rising from 13 to 58. These endowments help attract and retain top academic talent and elevate student experiences across the university.
National Recognition and Leadership Impact
President Dunn’s leadership has been recognized nationally for its impact on higher education, community engagement and innovation. In 2019, he delivered the William H. Hatch Memorial Lecture, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing lifetime achievement and leadership in agricultural research and land-grant institutions.
That same year, ĢƵ received the Bush Prize for Community Innovation, recognizing the university’s collaborative, community-driven approach to addressing complex challenges and strengthening communities across South Dakota.
In 2022, Dunn was awarded the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Higher Education, one of the most respected national honors recognizing exceptional leadership that advances student success, institutional excellence and public impact. The award reflects his steady, values-driven leadership and commitment to strengthening SDSU’s role as a premier land-grant university serving the state, region and nation.
Organizational Excellence and Safety
President Dunn has emphasized transparency, accountability and safety in university operations. In 2019, he established the Office of Internal Audit and supported the launch of a director of continuous improvement, whose training programs have reached over 1,500 employees and led to 165-plus Lean improvement projects campuswide.
He also supported the strategic partnership of SDSU’s Office of Risk Management, Environmental Health and Safety, Internal Audit, and Continuous Improvement — creating a coordinated team focused on organizational excellence and integrity.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunn formed the JacksRBack Response Team to manage testing, communication, campus operations and public health guidance. SDSU’s continuity of instruction and health protocols were recognized statewide.
SDSU was also named one of the safest campuses in the country, supported by the University Police Department’s national accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators in 2018.
Career and Background
Dunn’s relationship with SDSU began as a student in the 1970s. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, followed by a master’s degree (1977) and Ph.D. (2000) in animal science. He spent 17 years managing his family’s ranch in Mission, South Dakota, before returning to SDSU as an Extension livestock specialist and assistant professor from 1997 to 2004.
From 2004 to 2010, Dunn served as the executive director of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he experienced the impact of endowed academic positions firsthand.
Returning to SDSU in 2010, he became the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, leading more than 550 faculty and staff, managing an annual budget of $78 million, and overseeing 14,500 acres of research land. He also directed SDSU Extension, managing $12 million in annual operations and outreach across South Dakota.
His public service includes appointments to the Governor’s Pheasant Work Group and the South Dakota Habitat Conservation Fund. He has also served on advisory boards for agricultural institutions and ranching organizations across the region.
A nationally recognized expert in beef production and range management, Dunn is a published researcher and member of the Society for Range Management and the American Society of Animal Science.
Dunn and his wife, Jane, live north of Brookings on her family’s original homestead. They are the proud parents of two grown sons.
