Kevin Fullerton
Director of Career Development
Biography
I oversee the Office of Career Development. In this role, I direct and manage the university career services as it assists all students, alumni, faculty and employers in the development of career education, career search and identification pursuit of employment opportunities aligned with academic pursuits. Further, I handle strategic initiatives for my office as we continue to innovate and adapt to meet changing needs of our students.
Clifton Strengths: Relator – Individualization – Ideation – Deliberative – Futuristic
Education
2018 Ph.D. Musicology, University of Kansas
2007 Masters of Musicology, University of South Dakota
2002 Masters of Music Performance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2000 Bachelor of Arts, Iowa State University
Professional Memberships
Society for Experiential Education
National Association of Colleges and Employers
National Career Development Association
Becky Pistulka
Assistant Director of Employer Engagement
Working Genius: The Adaptable Designer, Invention and Enablement
Clifton Strengths: WOO – Positivity – Relator – Adaptability – Responsibility
Biography
I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement. I assist our recruiters in connecting with our students on-campus for jobs and internships. My team organizes career fairs on campus for several of our colleges and departments.
Education
BS – Marketing and Communications, Truman University
Professional Memberships
National Association of Colleges and Employers
On Campus Involvement
LeadState Coach
Jordan Feist
Employer Engagement Coordinator
I am the Employer Engagement Coordinator at South Dakota State University. I handle employer outreach and work to connect businesses to our students to provide opportunities for success and professional growth.
Education
B.S. Communication Studies with a Marketing Minor – SDSU 2018
Stephen Miedema
Biography
I am the Assistant Director for Career Education and Career Coach at South Dakota State University. In my role I lead the Career Education Team, as well as, act as a career coach for all SDSU students, staff, and faculty. You can schedule a career coaching meeting with me on Handshake: sdstate.joinhandshake.com
Clifton Strengths: Ideation – Strategic – Input – Intellection – Includer
Education
B.S. Human Biology – SDSU 2017
M.Ed. Administration of Student Affairs – SDSU 2019
Erin Pedersen
I am a Career Education Coordinator at South Dakota State University. In this role, I work as a career coach for SDSU students, staff, faculty, and alumni. I am available to meet for resume and/or cover letter reviews, job and/or internship search, personal and/or professional statement reviews, career and major exploration, interview preparation and practice, and graduate school preparation.
I am passionate about supporting students as they prepare to and apply for jobs, internships, academic/professional programs, and graduate schools. I hope to help students identify their strengths, skills, experience, and education and confidently showcase these in resumes, cover letters, personal statements, and interviews.
I went into college undeclared on a major. After taking an interpersonal communication course, I found enjoyment and great interest in learning how and why people can communicate effectively. Some of my favorite undergraduate courses were family communication and health communication. I earned a B.S. in Communication Studies from USD.
With the encouragement of USD’s outstanding and impactful Communication Studies department chair, I decided to pursue a M.A. in Communication Studies. I was fortunate to work in graduate school as a graduate teaching assignment, teaching the SPCM 101 course – Fundamentals of Speech Communication. Teaching and working with students was a life-changing experience. I found the influence that one can have on undergraduate students by showing genuine care and encouragement and by connecting with them. I also confirmed that I loved being around the energy of a university.
After graduate school, I felt that I needed a change and decided to challenge myself by moving away from the area I had grown up in. After a handful of applications and interviews, I was offered a Public Speaking instructor position at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. I taught MSU’s public speaking course to approximately 100 students each semester. This involved a large lecture, covering the textbook content and speech examples, and smaller recitation sections, where students would practice and deliver their speaking assignments. Within my first year at MSU, I developed and taught the first online public speaking course. Such a course is important as it meets the needs of students who are working, traveling, or have other obligations, which make them unable to attend traditional, in-person set-scheduled classes.
After being in Montana for over five years, my family and I decided to look for opportunities closer to where we grew up. And we found Brookings, SD, and SDSU! After getting settled into our life in Brookings, I was ready to find a career myself. I found that career as a career coach. This position allows me to use my experience and skills in communication – as a teacher, advisor, presenter, and writer -, connecting with students in both large and one-on-one settings.
Clifton Strengths: Discipline – Consistency – Achiever – Responsibility – Developer
Meghan Kelly
Career Education Coordinator
Biography
I work as a Career Education Coordinator in the Office of Career Development at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. In this role, I work as a career coach for SDSU students, staff, faculty, and alumni. I am available to meet for resume and/or cover letter reviews, job and/or internship search, personal and/or professional statement reviews, career and major exploration, interview preparation and practice, and graduate school preparation.
I am passionate about helping clients reach their career goals and am grateful to work with a team that is committed to the SDSU community.
Clifton Strengths: Responsibility – Empathy – Belief – Communication – Developer
Education
2022 Masters of Education, University of Sioux Falls
2003 Bachelor of Science, South Dakota State University
Pam McBride
Clifton Strengths: Responsibility, Adaptability, Harmony, Consistency, and Empathy
Administrative support professional with experience in the fields of education, law and medicine. Prior to joining SDSU as a secretary in University Housing in October 2020, I worked as a legal assistant in various law offices throughout South Dakota. I joined the Offices of Career Development and Student Activities in September 2021 as a Program Assistant where I provide administrative and programmatic support.
I have three children: Jakob, Peyton, and Haley. In my free time, I enjoy watching my kids play soccer, volleyball, and bowling.