The Lynx Way
Wickersham accepted into SD Mines
2024 President’s Leadership Academy Class
South Dakota Mines recently announced its newest class of students accepted into the President’s Leadership Academy. Brandon native Josey Wickersham, a junior biomedical engineering major and a member of the Hardrocker Volleyball team, is in this class.
Launched last year by former Mines President Jim Rankin, Ph.D., P.E., the year-long leadership development program exposes students to the skills, insights and perspectives that define an effective leader. The academy is sponsored by Mines alumni Lorin and Mary Brass and the Brass Family Foundation.
The program is anchored by a CEO speaker series in October, November, February, and March, as well as exclusive dinner conversations between the speakers and students. The academy also includes engagement with government officials in a visit to the state capitol during the legislative session, networking with campus community and alumni leaders, and conversations and lessons on leadership.
Speakers this year include Paulette Davidson, Monument Health President and CEO who has more than 30 years of experience working in medical environments; U.S. Air Force Col. Derek Oakley, commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, the largest B-1 combat wing in the nation; Dean Schauer, Mines alumnus and president and CEO of Confluent Medical Technologies, a global leading medical device and materials science contract manufacturer; and Renita Mollman, Mines alumna and chief administrative officer and vice president for Burns & McDonnell, a $6.9 billion global engineering and construction firm.
To be considered for the President’s Leadership Academy, student applicants had to submit a cover letter, current resume, and recommendation letter from a South Dakota Mines faculty or staff member.
Dathe joins Raikes School at Nebraska
Jackson Dathe, of Brandon, and a 2024 graduate of Brandon Valley High School, is among 42 students who have been selected to join the latest cohort of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management. It is the largest cohort in the history of the Raikes School, which was founded in 1999.
The 2024 cohort includes 27 students from Nebraska and 15 students from Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas.
“This cohort, besides being the largest in the Raikes School’s history, includes seven students who earned a perfect score on the ACT,” said Adam Britten, the school’s director of recruitment and student success. “These students are exceptionally talented and bring their own unique story and potential to change the world, and we look forward to supporting them in their incredible achievements ahead.”
The Raikes School offers an interdisciplinary education in computing, business and innovation for high-achieving students. The school is committed to creating future leaders for technology-driven industries through opportunities in and outside of the classroom. For the sixth consecutive year, female students make up more than 40 percent of the new cohort, well above the industry average in computing.
