North Dakotan to take reins of South Dakota Mines in January
Brian Tande hired as 20th president of Rapid City-based university
The South Dakota Board of Regents has selected Brian Tande to be the next president of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City.
Tande, an esteemed engineering academic at the University of North Dakota, has been tapped to lead the Black Hills university after former Mines & Technology President Jim Rankin retired last summer.
“Dr. Tande’s depth of experience in academic leadership and his dedication to fostering innovation and student achievement made him the ideal choice to lead South Dakota Mines into its next chapter,” Regent Jeff Partridge said in a statement Monday announcing the hiring. “We are excited to welcome him to our community and look forward to the vision and energy he will bring to the institution.”
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Tande’s selection follows a nationwide hiring search.
A Stanley, N.D., native, Tande holds chemistry and chemical engineering degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Delaware.
During his five-year tenure as dean at UND, Tande is credited with expanding programming access and strengthening industry partnerships. Prior to becoming dean, he also served as associate dean, department chair and director of the Jodsaas Center for Engineering Leadership and Entrepreneurship at UND. He’s also been a graduate programs director and associate professor at Kansas State University.
"I am incredibly honored to be able to serve as South Dakota Mines' next president. While I have been familiar with its strong reputation for many years, the conversations I have had with students, faculty, staff, and alumni during this process have left no doubt that South Dakota Mines is truly a unique and special place," Tande said. "Along with my dedicated colleagues, I will be working very hard to maintain our strong student-centered culture, conduct impactful research, grow the economy of Rapid City and the Black Hills region, and serve the people of South Dakota."
Tande will assume his role as university president on Jan. 9. His hiring marks the second time in a year that the Regents have chosen new leadership for its two West River universities.
In November 2023, the Regents announced Steve Elliott as the next president of Black Hills State University, with Elliott taking the reins of the Spearfish school a month later.
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