South Dakota Mines Celebrates 191st Commencement
South Dakota Mines 191st commencement ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in the Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City. Those who wish to view the ceremony online can find information here. No tickets are needed for commencement, and there is no limit on the number of guests per graduate.
This will be Dr. Brian Tande's first commencement as university president.
This event includes a total of 420 graduates. This includes two associates, 327 baccalaureates, 82 master’s and nine doctoral degrees. The names of all graduates and more detailed biographies for our honored guests can be found in the commencement program.
Members of the media are welcome to attend the ceremony and interview graduates and university officials after the event. Mines’ fall commencement is planned for Dec. 20, 2025.
This semester’s senior class speaker is David Robbins. Mines will also award an honorary doctorate during the ceremony to John Henderson.
The university will also recognize the 50-year graduates from the class of 1975, a number of whom will be in attendance at the commencement ceremony.
Senior Class Representative
David (DJ) Robbins
Rapid City native David Robbins started his journey at South Dakota Mines while still a senior at Stevens High School, enrolling in dual-credit courses. In these classes, he forged lasting friendships and embraced the grit required to be a successful Hardrocker. His parents are Doug and Amber Robbins.
During his time at Mines, Robbins has been involved in numerous clubs including the Moonrockers, the lunar robotic mining team, CubeSat Club, the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) and was a volunteer researcher for the ROCKIN Robotics Lab under Dr. Pierre Larochelle, head of the Leslie A. Rose Department of Mechanical Engineering. Also a talented musician, Robbins has been a vital contributor to the university’s music department, performing in the wind ensemble as well as the jazz and pep bands, where he showcases his skills on a variety of percussion instruments.
Outside of the school, Robbins worked for Fermilab in Lead, S.D., at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) as a construction management intern for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility. He also completed an internship at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center in Washington, D.C., where he worked on a modular reconfigurable rover for space applications.
Robbins will graduate with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and continue in the Mines accelerated master’s degree program with a focus on robotics, controls, aerospace and rocket propulsion. This summer, he will intern at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., working on robotic servicing of the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory space telescope.
Honorary Doctorate
John Henderson
Mines alumnus John Henderson will serve as the keynote speaker and receive an honorary doctorate. Henderson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Mines.
Henderson currently serves as the chief executive officer and vice chairman of the board for HDR, Inc., a global company specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services, where he is responsible for the leadership and strategic growth of the company.
As the former assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force and a retired army colonel, Henderson has more than 30 years of leadership experience in engineering, operations, military construction, infrastructure investment, water resources management and environmental programs. During his active duty and federal executive service, he led thousands of service members in dozens of countries, including three combat tours, to accomplish missions in support of the nation’s defense.
Henderson also serves on several boards including the National Construction Industry Roundtable, Omaha Airport Authority, the U.S. Strategic Command Consultation, the Aksarben Foundation and the South Dakota Mines Center of Alumni Relations and Advancement (CARA).
He served as a National Security Studies Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a licensed professional engineer in Nebraska and South Dakota.