This week, President Kumara Jayasuriya has served as Southwest Minnesota State University’s president for six years, starting in 2019. We discussed his successes at SMSU with him and what he will miss most. He will retire after the 2025 spring commencement. President Jayasuriya will be greatly missed here on campus as he helped grow SMSU during his…

This week, we have Alyssa Miessner, Assistant Director of Development, on to talk about the Fourth Annual M4L Day of Giving. The event is to call upon the Mustang Family to support current Mustangs in a variety of different ways! There are timed challenges, matching goals, and so many other opportunities to support SMSU!…

This week, the first STEM Symposium will be taking place on campus, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Trachette Jackson, Associate Vice President for Research, DEI Initiatives, and University Diversity and Social Transformation at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The topic of her keynote is “Mobilizing Mathematics”.…

The Natural History Museum is located in the Science and Math building on SMSU's campus. The Museum recently underwent a facelift with the help of both Katie and Alyssa, who gathered funding and helped see the completion of the new Natural History Museum. The Museum has many more interactive spaces and engaging displays that you won't be able to ke…

The English department puts on the creative writing series to showcase what students can do once they earn their degree at SMSU. Nick Northrup, aka Crowfather, is this year’s featured guest. Nick and Jesse go over how SMSU can help students make a career with a creative writing degree, along with Nick’s journey at SMSU and how his experiences here …

Throughout April, SMSU hosts events featuring many of our different programs, including English, Music, Theatre, and more! Each area on campus has different events to highlight the work students do!By Southwest Minnesota State University

This week we get a preview of this spring's Theatre performance, “SHOUT The MOD Musical”. Sheila and Olivia go through the process of what it takes to get a musical up and running, talking about everything from costumes to stage direction and choreography!By Southwest Minnesota State University

This week, we walk through the different concerts that will be put on with Dr. Daniel Rieppel and the Music Department as a whole! We also go over some work that Dr. Rieppel has been working on with the Bill Holmes DocumentaryBy Southwest Minnesota State University

This week, we go over questions you might have about the FAFSA and what you’ll need to do in preparing for college! We also discuss other options besides just filling out the FAFSA.By Southwest Minnesota State University

This week, Housing sign-up has opened for on-campus residents starting on the 25th with Juniors and moving down through future students. Jerry goes over everything students need to know and may have questions about when it comes to living on campus and how many opportunities students have to save money while living on campus through the opt-on adva…

This week, SMSU has brought back one of our alumni, Cassie Williams ‘07/’16, for a poetry reading on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 6:30 in the Whipple Gallery on campus! Cassie’s writing covers all aspects of her life, from her work advocating for marginalized groups to her life as a woman of color and mother to five children. Michele spoke about …

This week, Broadcasting & Digital Media Majors Seely Stockmoe and Landon Kruse join the show to highlight the Mustang Blueprint Podcast, a student-run podcast highlighting self-improvement, college life, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the local area! Seely and Landon talk about how the podcast came to be, along with their involvement and pass…

This Saturday is Tropical Night, and activities are happening all day. Athletics will start the day with their hall of honor event at 10:30 a.m. The Alumni Association will host a social event in the RA Facility starting at 3:30 p.m. and continuing through the basketball games. Anyone is welcome to enjoy the Mustang Ale! The Women's game begins at …

The Ag Bowl Scholarship Invites over 1,500 high school students from across multiple different states in the Midwest, including Wisconsin! The students start the day off bright and early with an introduction to the university in the RA facility and spend the entire day competing in a wide range of FFA competitions! In addition to their competitions…

With the start of the spring semester, future college students begin to feel the pressure of applying for scholarships, writing college admission essays, and trying to navigate filling out the Fasfa. This week, Taylor McKittrick goes over why, when looking at SMSU, none of that worries students or their families. Taylor goes over what students shou…

This week, Charlotte Wahle joins us to discuss the college admissions process and what you need to know as a parent! We also discuss why you might want to consider SMSU, with its great scholarship opportunities, small class size, and affordable tuition prices!By Southwest Minnesota State University

This week, Dr. John Ginocchio joins us to discuss the many concerts SMSU is involved in during this holiday season! The activities start as early as December 3rd with the SMO Holiday Cheer concert. The Festivities will start right before finals week with the annual Tuba Christmas Concert on December 14th. You can find the full list of concerts at h…

This week, Associate Professor of Exercise Science Mostafa Hegazy will join us to discuss this year's Undergraduate Research Conference, which will be held on December 4th. This will be the university's 19th conference, and it provides students with the opportunity to showcase their impact on the world.…

This week, Assistant Athletic Director Kelly Loft joins to discuss the wrapping up of the fall sports season for the Mustangs and the kickoff for the winter season.By Southwest Minnesota State University

This week, Director of Bands and Professor of Music John Ginocchio prepares for guest artist Tom Scott, who will perform with the SMSU Jazz Ensemble and area high schools. This activity is funded with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, made possible by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State's…

This week, Director of the SMSU Center for Civic and Community Engagement Melissa Scholten, along with Student Election Engagement Fellows Ashton Ayres and Mary Newton, recap how successful the Mustangs Vote Initiative was along with the ups and downs they dealt with leading up to Tuesday's election. The initiative was created to inform SMSU studen…

This week, Assistant Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Dr. Erin Kline discusses the importance of the First Generation student population across the nation and what SMSU does on its campus to make those students feel welcomed and part of a community that they are new to and have no idea how to navigate.…

This week, Professor of Theatre Nadine Purvis Schmidt and Bryn Mongeau, a double major in Theatre Arts and Music, hop in the booth to discuss the upcoming performance, "46 Plays for America's First Ladies.” The production will be held October 30-November 3, 2024. Tickets are $10 and available only at the door, but admission is free for SMSU student…

This week, Director of Admissions Charlotte Whale joins us to discuss “Fall Discover Day.” The event is organized by the admissions team here at SMSU and allows high school students to discover SMSU. Students can expect a choose-your-own-adventure approach to the event by attending mock lectures, campus tours, and a planetarium show! Make sure you …

This week, Director of Career Services Melissa Scholten discusses the importance and history behind the Day of Service - Mustangs Give during Homecoming. It’s also Homecoming, and the campus is buzzing; there are events throughout the weekend that can be found here. ⬇️ https://www.smsualumni.com/homecoming/homecoming-schedule.html…

This week, our new Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Hannah Abel, discusses her journey here at SMSU and what she looks forward to in her new role. She also goes over all the activities that future, current, and lifelong Mustangs can look forward to next week during homecoming!By Southwest Minnesota State University

This week, we dive into how our very own TikTok account, @smsuofficial, has become the highest-ranked D2 TikTok account based on engagement! Mitch goes over what work needs to go into achieving this and what the Marketing and Communications office plans to do to carry this momentum throughout the school year.…

This week, we go over Kevin’s visit to campus on the 16th of September. Kevin is the first of many renowned authors that the SMSU English Department is bringing to campus as a part of the visiting writing series! Kevin has published his works in venues such as The New Yorker, The Georgia Review, McSweeny’s, and many others. His reading will take pl…

This week, we will cover all the activities with Ag Bowl starting on Saturday, with pedal pulls and a petting zoo out in the tailgating lot from 3-5 pm, with the home opener for the Mustangs Football team following those events. The theatre department has also been busy. With the 50th anniversary of Watergate events, the program is putting on a sta…

This week, Angela Lee joins us to discuss the upcoming Women’s Leadership Conference presented by the SMSU Alumni Association. The event focuses on the theme, “Lead Where You Are.” The day is packed with professional development that enforces this theme, networking opportunities, and three speakers. Julia Walfoort graduated from SMSU in 2016 and wo…

This week, SMSU is busy preparing for its 56th commencement ceremony on Saturday, April 4th. To discuss the social media and content creation surrounding commencement and for the university as a whole, we invited Mitchell Riibe, the Digital Marketing Strategist, to go over what SMSU is doing regarding content creation.…

This Week is the SMSU Alumni and Foundation’s “M4L Day Of Giving”. On April 25th, M4L Day (Mustangs 4 Life Day) will bring alums, friends, students, parents, faculty, and staff for Southwest Minnesota State University's Day of Giving. This 24-hour online fundraising event offers opportunities to show your Mustang Pride. Your support will directly i…

This week the computer science student’s have been busy this year putting together an app that they call, Calbuddy, short for “Calendar Buddy”. It allows students to fill out what type of events they would like to be notified about, it can also work for class notifications through the work they did with the SMSU IT department.…

This week, Tayyaba Rahman is in the studio discussing her upcoming event, the Future Forward Speaker Series, presented by North Star Mutual School of Business. Tayyaba comes from Pakistan and is pursuing her Master of Business Administration at SMSU. The event occurs on Monday, April 15, from 3-5 pm in the SMSU Conference Center! RSVP for this free…

Next week, the SMSU Theatre Program presents “An Inspector Calls.” Director Nadine Schmidt chose this show because it's a classic detective story that fits this year's theme: Timeless and Timeliness. Senior Theatre Major Colton Jensen plays Eric Birling, a member of the family called on by Inspector Goole. Colton touches on how he prepared for the …

This Week, Dr. Ken Murphy joins us to discuss the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. In preparation for that, the planetarium at SMSU is putting on a show this weekend. Tickets are sold at the door for five dollars, and SMSU students get free admission. Dr. Murphy discusses the significance of this solar eclipse and provides “need to know” in…

This week, Dr. John Ginocchio is preparing for guest artist Tom Scott, who will perform with the SMSU Jazz Ensemble and area high schools. This activity is funded in part with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State's general fund. Tom will ho…

We’re back after Spring break with SMSU Student Body President Sam Lund. Sam goes over his journey at SMSU, recapping what led him to choose SMSU, how he dealt with online learning through the pandemic, and how important it is to be involved on campus. Sam also goes over what he’s been up to the past few weeks and the great opportunities that have …

This week we call up SMSU alumni Wokil Bam who earned a degree in environmental science and chemistry and a minor in biology from SMSU in 2012. Since then he’s been busy studying and researching earning his master's from LSU in 2015 and his Phd in 2021. Since June 2023, Wokil has worked with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) as a postdoct…

On this week’s episode, Vickie Abel gives us an in-depth look into what challenges SMSU students face and how Accessibility Services helps give them the best opportunity to succeed. Vickie is also the coordinator for the Mustang Market which helps provide basic living items ranging from food to hygiene products. If you would like to donate to the M…

This week we are joined by Karalyn Closs and Cameron Peterson, students enrolled in the culinology program at SMSU. The on-campus restaurant, “The Mustang Kitchen”, is preparing to open its doors every Tuesday this semester with their first night of service being February 20. Service will run 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm with the last order going in at 7:30 …

On this week’s episode, Dr. Rieppel lets us in on a “grand” update for the music department at SMSU. This past fall the department gained possession of a baby grand piano through funding from the SMSU Foundation. On February 12, The Southwest Minnesota State University Music Program presents “Pairs and Doublings” a dedication recital for the new ba…

SMSU will host the 12th annual Ag Bowl Scholarship Invitational this week. The event is spearheaded by the SMSU Ag Club, with Hannah Myers and Madison Douvier coordinating the day's events. On Friday over 1,300 high school FFA students will compete in a wide variety of FFA competitions, along with a chance to receive scholarships from SMSU. The eve…

With Tropical Night taking place Angela Lee, Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, is on to talk about what is happening for the Alumni returning to campus. Angela also goes over what’s happening at the new “Elizabeth Lockwood Alumni Center” and the changes happening.By Southwest Minnesota State University

As the second half of the school year gets underway financial aid is something high school seniors should be aware of. There have been quite a few changes that have been made to the application process and Director of Financial Aid, Natasha Boe goes over what those changes are and some of the misconceptions that surround financial aid. If you have …

We kick off the new year by discussing the Mustang Pathway Program with Jeet Sausen, Associate Director of the program. She talked about how the program started and the success it has generated for SMSU. The Mustang Pathway is the only program of its kind in the state, across both public and private higher education. The program serves historically…

In today's episode, the VP for Government Relations, Communication & Marketing, Bill Mulso goes over his history at SMSU as he retires after working at the university for 35 years. Marcy talks with Bill about some of their best memories as students along with going over SMSU's most monumental changes throughout the years.…

On this today's episode, the Director of Choral Activities, Music Education, and Music Theory at SMSU, Stephen Kingsbury, goes over the upcoming trip to Prague and Vienna the SMSU Chorale will be taking over Christmas break. For more information on how to get involved with the SMSU Chorale and other vocal groups at SMSU contact Dr. Kingsbury throug…

On today's episode, Associate Professor of Biology Alyssa Anderson and Associate Professor of Exercise Science Mostafa Hehazy give an update on the 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference which took place on November 29th in the campus of SMSU. Anderson and Hezahy tell us a little bit more about their role as co-organizers of the events and t…

On today's episode, Communications and Marketing Office Graduate Assistants, Juliana Villa and Jennifer Aguilar give us an update on their responsibilities as content strategists for SMSU social media channels. Juliana, a native from Colombia, and Jenny a native from Minnesota, talk to us about their roles, challenges they faced, and how they come …