Earnest selected as dean of SDSU College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

David C. Earnest, the Odeen-Swanson Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of South Dakota, has been named dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at South Dakota State University. Earnest was selected following a national search and will begin working on the SDSU campus July 8. 

“I am excited to have Dr. Earnest join South Dakota State University as our next dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences,” said Dennis Hedge, provost and vice president for academic affairs at SDSU. “David is a distinguished scholar and leader with an exciting vision for the college. He and I have had several conversations already about the college’s strengths and its incredible opportunities. I am eager to see the impact of David’s leadership on the college and its outstanding schools and programs.” 

At USD, Earnest manages seven degree-granting programs, 15 faculty and three staff; more than 400 students; an annual budget of $2.1 million; and an endowment of $14 million. He previously served as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Arts and Letters, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Virginia). 

He earned a doctorate in political science and a master’s degree in security policy studies, both from George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University. 

Earnest said SDSU’s goal of becoming a preeminent research institution attracted him to the university. 

“Under the leadership of Dean Lynn Sargeant, the college has become a leader in transdisciplinary research, scholarship and creative activity,” Earnest said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to join a community of such innovative scholars.” 

“My goal is to support the college’s students, faculty and staff so that they may best serve the people and communities of South Dakota and beyond,” he added. 

Earnest’s research investigates how people create institutions to manage complex interactions between economic, political, ecological, technological and physical systems. His publications and research have contributed to several transdisciplinary fields including globalization theory, complex systems theory and computational social science. 

During his career, he has taught at five different universities, including the University of Sydney (Australia) and the University of Southern Denmark. 

Earnest is author of three books: “Massively Parallel Globalization: Explorations in Self-Organization and World Politics” (SUNY Press, 2015); “Old Nations, New Voters: Nationalism, Transnationalism and Democracy in the Era of Global Migration” (SUNY Press, 2008) and “On the Cutting Edge of Globalization” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005). He has published in leading journals including International Studies Quarterly, World Politics, Foreign Policy and Globalizations. He has received more than $500,000 in grants and contracts to support his research.