ABERDEEN, S.D.(Press Release) – Dr. Alyssa Kiesow has been named the new Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern State University.

Kiesow was selected from a strong pool of national candidates, bringing a wealth of experience as a faculty member and leader, said NSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael Wanous.

“I am excited to have Dr. Kiesow as a member of my leadership team,” Wanous said. “She comes with extensive experience in moving things forward at Northern, has immense energy, and is highly respected by her colleagues across campus.”

Said Kiesow, “Serving as Dean is an ‘action’ not a title. It is an exciting time to serve as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Northern State University. We have a tremendous wealth of knowledge in the College and at Northern, and I am excited to leverage this knowledge to sustain and grow our College and campus community.”

Kiesow, professor of biology, started teaching at Northern in 2007. She earned her A.A. from Winona (Minn.) State University, her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from South Dakota State University and her Ph.D. in biology from the University of South Dakota.

At Northern, Kiesow has also served as Interim Director of Sponsored Projects; Associate CAS Dean; Interim Associate CAS Dean; Chair, Department of Science and Mathematics; and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Research Program. Most recently, she served as Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since last year’s departure of the previous dean, Josh Hagen.

Kiesow was a Joseph F. and Martha P. Nelson Research Fellow in 2006-07. At Northern, her awards have included Outstanding Faculty Member in 2013, Outstanding Faculty for International Students in 2016 and the Teamwork Award in 2018.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Dean,” Kiesow said, “as I see only great things for Northern in the future.”