Our Vision: Premier Engineering College in the Nation, Recognized for Academic Excellence, Accessibility, Industrial Partnerships and Community Engagement
New CCIM Department Head
New department head Julian Kang didn’t have much time to decide which clothes to pack for his new job as head of the Department of Construction and Concrete Industry Management within the Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State University.
He accepted the college’s offer on Aug. 14 and was at his new position Aug. 22 with classes beginning Aug. 26. “Indeed, it has been a whirlwind start, but I am thrilled to be a member of the Jackrabbit family,” Kang said.
For all of the current century, he had been part of the Aggie family. Originally from Busan, South Korea, Kang earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Yonsei University in Seoul in 1986 and 1988, respectively.
After working as an associate researcher for Tong-Yang Cement
(1988-89) and as a 3D CAD team leader for KEPCO Engineering and Construction (1989-98), both in South Korea, he came in Texas A&M University in College Station to earn his doctorate in civil engineering. He received that in 2001 and immediately joined the Aggie faculty.
Kang was an assistant professor from 2001 to 2008 and then an associate professor from 2008 until arriving at SDSU.
He said he was drawn to SDSU because of its “strong commitment to solving real-world challenges through academic excellence and industry partnerships. I was particularly impressed by the university's initiative to launch the concrete industry management program, which represents a forward-thinking approach to education that prepares students to become leaders in the highly dynamic construction industry.
“This program resonated deeply with my goals to foster innovation and develop future leaders in the construction industry as does SDSU's vision to be a recognized leader in research and education.”
For the second year in a row, South Dakota State University doctoral student Shuchen Huang had her research writings chosen as one of the best papers submitted to the general meeting of the Power and Energy Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
As a result, she was able to give a nine-minute presentation to some 200 scientists and advanced scholars at the group’s annual meeting in Seattle July 23. More than 1,500 papers are submitted each year, with 60 to 80 papers in a variety of categories earning best paper designation, Huang said.
Huang is her second year of doctoral studies at SDSU. Her adviser is Junjian Qi, the Harold C. Hohbach Endowed Assistant Professor in Electrical Engineering. Both Huang and Qi arrived at SDSU in August 2023 from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, where Huang had been a Ph.D. student for two years.
Huang’s paper dealt with what can happen when wind power is added to the electrical grid.
She explained that the controls used on generators for renewable energy (wind and solar) are more sensitive than those for electrical generation through coal, natural gas and hydro. As a result, there have been rare instances of cascading failures due to voltage dips and electromagnetic disturbances, she said.
Two of the most notable were in South Australia in 2016 and in the United Kingdom in 2019.
Research in South Dakota State University's Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering is making a growing impact on the state, region and world, and the U.S. federal government is taking notice. Within the last eight weeks, five faculty members in the Lohr College have received sizeable awards from the National Science Foundation — a clear signal of the college's growing research profile.
“If you need something done, find a busy person and they’ll get it done.”
The adage certainly applies to senior mechanical engineering student Cherish Stern of Brookings. She is in her second year as president of the Joint Engineering Council within the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State University, an intern at Daktronics and a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society.
While at SDSU she also has been a member of The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band and the Civic Orchestra. In calendar year 2023, she was vice president of communications for officer in the SDSU Robotics Club.
In the winter, the 2021 state girls wrestling champion also is a volunteer assistant coach for her alma mater, Brookings High School.
“Cherish is the epitome of an organized leader. She knows what needs to be done when, and she makes sure others are on the same page,” Jenny Bickett said of Stern. Bickett, the college’s event coordinator, is the liaison to the Joint Engineering Council from the dean’s office.
In that role, she has seen Stern conduct the group’s meetings, which draw about 60 students, arrange for and introduce guest speakers, and promote the club’s presence off campus.
“Cherish really thrives in these situations. You can tell she has a lot of pride in the college and our students and enjoys sharing our success with those outside the college,” Bickett said.
A chance to move in early, meet faculty, explore Brookings and develop leadership skills. The benefits of the South Dakota State University Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Leadership Summer Bridge program spans beyond academics.
Growing from eight students at the inaugural camp to 53 participants this August, the Summer Bridge program serves as a metaphorical bridge from high school to college. The programming aims to develop community among the students and set them up as future leaders, both in the College of Engineering and in their careers.
One Day for State is Tomorrow:Message from the Dean
Greetings from the Jackrabbit nation. The day of excitement and celebration is finally here. As the clock rings at midnight tonight, Jackrabbits and friends of Jackrabbit from around the globe will gather online once again to celebrate the success of students and showcase their support for the continued success of the next generation of students in the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering. Last year, a record 365 individuals participated to raise record funds for students in engineering. This year we have set a goal to increase the number of donors to 400. I know Jackrabbits are never afraid of aiming high and achieving new heights. All funds raised during the 24-hour period tomorrow, which are not marked for specific programs, will be used to directly support our student clubs and design teams. So, may I request all of you to please join me again, starting at midnight tonight, to achieve our goals? Let’s work together to get this done.
Please use the following link to donate and share this link with others. This link is specific to our college. Please help make the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering the leader in fundraising using this link.
Sincerely,
Sanjeev Kumar
Jerome J. Lohr Endowed Dean
College Events
The College of Engineering recently got the pleasure of attending 'Downtown at Sundown' and 'The Levitt'. Students volunteered to bring their Engineering projects from clubs and senior design. Both events were well attended by community members and the students truly enjoyed spending time with them sharing their work.
Downtown at Sundown
Levitt
Upcoming Events
Sept 5thOne Day for State
Sept 12th CIM Golf Tournament
Sept 14th Senior Day
Sept 18th - 20th College of Engineering Career Fair
Sept 20th - 21st SDSU College of Engineering Street fair at the Washington Pavillion
Sept 28th Jacks BEST Robotics Kick-Off
Oct 15th SD Student Water Conference
Oct 16th Eastern SD Water Conference
Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering, 1151 8th St, Brookings, SD 57007
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