Graduate School Newsletter – February 2026
Graduate Alumni on the Move: Dr. Ghallab Alotaibi
Dr. Ghallab Alotaibi earned his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from South Dakota State University in Fall 2019. Originally from Saudi Arabia, Dr. Alotaibi returned home after graduation and is now serving as an Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy at Shaqra University, where he is committed to advancing pharmacy education and research.
Since completing his doctorate, Dr. Alotaibi’s academic career has progressed rapidly. The skills, discipline, and confidence he developed at SDSU helped accelerate his professional growth, leading to leadership roles including Vice Dean of Academic Affairs and later Dean of the College of Pharmacy. In these roles, he has focused on strengthening academic programs, supporting research initiatives, and fostering an environment where students and faculty can thrive.
Among his proudest accomplishments are securing competitive research funding and leading the College of Pharmacy to success in several local competitions, achievements that reflect the dedication of both students and faculty. Dr. Alotaibi credits SDSU with preparing him well for the demands of academic leadership. He describes his graduate experience as transformative, highlighting the rigorous scientific training, supportive faculty, and the welcoming community of Brookings as key influences that shaped his professional and personal growth.
Outside of work, Ghallab enjoys spending time with his family and following soccer as a longtime Manchester United fan.
His advice for prospective graduate students: “Choose a field you truly care about, surround yourself with mentors who will challenge and support you, and approach research with curiosity and persistence. The environment you study in matters just as much as the degree itself, and SDSU is a great example of a place that offers academic rigor, supportive faculty, and welcoming community that helps students succeed. Being in a setting like that makes the journey not only achievable but genuinely rewarding.”
Graduate School Travel Awards (Deadline: Feb 1, 2026)
The SDSU Graduate School Travel Awards help provide funding for graduate students to present original research and scholarly activity at professional meetings and conferences. These monetary awards subsidize travel costs and serve to encourage scholarship, recognize excellence in research and support opportunities for professional development.
Guidelines:
- Awards will be made for costs to attend meetings and conferences only and will not exceed $500.
- Members of the Graduate Council will select awardees.
- Application deadline will be Feb. 1 annually.
- Applications must be submitted electronically.
- Departments are encouraged to supplement these awards where possible to cover full travel costs.
- Travel awards will not be given to students who have completed degree requirements.
Graduate School Travel Award applications must be submitted electronically.
Three-Minute Thesis Competition (Deadline: Feb. 4, 2026)
South Dakota State University invites you to participate in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition. The 3MT is an academic competition that challenges Ph.D. and master's students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. 3MT celebrates the discoveries made by research students and encourages them to communicate the importance of their research to the broader community.
This year’s 3MT competition will be held in the Lewis and Clark Room, University Student Union, on Feb. 10, 2026, at 5 p.m. We encourage all graduate students to participate.
Interested students must register no later than Friday, Feb. 4, 2026. More detailed information will be sent out to registered students after that date.
Distinguished Innovation and Creative Work Award (Deadline: March 30, 2026)
The SDSU Graduate School is seeking to recognize outstanding creativity, impact and innovation in all disciplines offered at the university. This award includes original works accepted by the university in lieu of thesis — including nonthesis papers, projects, portfolios, media, computer software, etc. Nominations should be made by the student who is completing either a nonthesis master's or a Doctor of Nursing Practice student.
Submission requirements include:
- Completion of electronic nomination form.
- A nontechnical summary prepared by the nominee (two pages max) describing the research, impact, innovation and/or benefit to the field and its significance.
- A nomination letter from the major adviser and/or faculty member who can speak to the student’s contributions to the discipline.
- An updated résumé or curriculum vita.
Nominations must be submitted electronically via the MyState submission form. Deadline: March 30, 2026.
To , log into MyState and click the Dashboard tab. Under the forms portlet, click the Distinguished Innovation and Creative Work Award link.
SDSU Distinguished Dissertation Award (Deadline April 13, 2026)
This award recognizes a doctoral student who has completed a dissertation representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to their discipline.
There are two broad fields of competition that rotate yearly: mathematics, physical sciences and engineering; and the social sciences or biological and life sciences, and humanities and fine arts. If a dissertation is multi- or interdisciplinary in nature, a significant portion of the work must be comprised by at least one of the fields of competition.
Eligibility
- The effective date of the degree awarded, or the completion of doctoral degree requirements and dissertation, must be within the period of July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, for each nominee selected. Such degree award or completion is to be confirmed by the Graduate School.
Nominations must include:
- Completion of .
- Abstract of nominee’s dissertation.
- Three letters of recommendation evaluating the significance and quality of the dissertation work. One of these letters must be from the nominee’s dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee and the third from a person of the nominee’s choice.
- Nominee’s curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages).
Please Note: All parts of the nomination should be uploaded when completing the electronic form. Questions can be directed to the Graduate School email .
The Distinguished Dissertation award operates on a two-year cycle with regard to fields of competition. For 2026, the fields will be biological and life sciences or humanities and fine arts.
Award information
The award recipient will be selected by a committee of graduate faculty. The recipient will receive a certificate and $250 cash prize. The SDSU awardee’s dissertation will also be submitted to the national CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards competition with the opportunity to receive $2,000 and travel costs to attend the CGS Annual Award Luncheon in December 2026.
Feb. 10, Tuesday – Three-Minute Thesis Competition
Feb. 13, Friday – Graduation application deadline for Spring 2026 graduates
Feb. 16, Monday – Presidents Day holiday
March 16-20, Monday-Friday – Spring break
Bangladesh Night 2026
This event brings together students, faculty and staff to enjoy cultural performances, traditional music and authentic Bangladeshi cuisine. Your presence at this event would be an honor for us and a source of encouragement for the Bangladeshi student community.
We would also appreciate your assistance in sharing the event information through department’s channel and social media platforms to help us reach a wider audience and ensure a wonderful evening together
Feb. 8, 2026, from 6-9 p.m. at Volstorff Ballroom, SDSU University Student Union
Graduate Professionalism Academy
The Graduate Professionalism Academy is an optional, flexible and self-paced program designed to help graduate students build valuable skills while earning badges/certificates along the way. Through the academy, you’ll be able to:
- Boost your resume or CV.
- Build personal and professional skills that last a lifetime.
- Explore current career trends and tools.
- Earn digital badges and certificates to showcase your achievements.
This year, you’ll have the chance to earn credentials from Beyond Graduate School, SDSU Credly and Coursera. Digital badges are verified credentials that recognize your skills, knowledge and accomplishments. They can be shared on LinkedIn, added to your resume and even included in your email signature.
If you receive a digital badge, you can email the badge to gradschl@sdstate.edu before April 1, 2026 to recognition at SRSCAD.
