NSU, SDSU, Dacotah Bank create faculty scholars program

Northern State University School of Business faculty members Todd Muehler and Robert Preston, along with a South Dakota State University faculty member, have been named Dacotah Bank Scholars.

Dacotah Bank will provide financial support for NSU to share curriculum and resources in banking and financial services with SDSU, according to a news release from NSU. The award will also support SDSU sharing its agricultural economics and agribusiness programs with NSU students.

Muehler and Preston, assistant professors of banking and financial services, are the NSU Dacotah Bank Scholars in banking and financial services. Nicole Klein is the SDSU Dacotah Bank Scholar in agribusiness and agricultural economics. Klein is a professor of agricultural marketing and farm and ranch management.

Dacotah Bank has made a $240,000 renewable commitment for three years to support the collaboration between the universities, according to the release. The announcement was made during a ceremony on the NSU campus as part of the recent South Dakota Board of Regents meeting.

The Dacotah Bank Scholars are responsible for leading the collaboration and its promotion, student recruitment and advising, engagement with industry, and course and curricula development. The collaboration will allow students to benefit from the curriculum at both institutions. The new offerings will add value to graduates, better preparing them as they enter the workforce.

Muehler, who grew up in rural North Dakota, joined NSU in 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a law degree from the University of North Dakota. Muehler was admitted to the bar in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Preston has a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota, as well as a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn. He began teaching at NSU in 2012, according to the release.