Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin grew up on her family’s farm in northeastern South Dakota. Raised in a family involved in government and public service, Stephanie chose to attend college in Washington, D.C., graduating summa cum laude from Georgetown University and cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Stephanie was inaugurated as the 24th president of Augustana University on September 15, 2017. She is the first woman to lead the university in its 158-year history.

In her first two years at Augustana, she and her leadership team engaged faculty, students, staff and alumni in long-term strategic planning and secured unanimous approval from the Board of Trustees for Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030.

Prior to becoming president of Augustana, Stephanie was the first women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota and was the youngest woman serving in the House during that time.

Upon serving 4 terms in Congress, Stephanie went on to practice law in Washington, D.C. She returned to South Dakota in 2012 and served as general counsel and vice president of corporate development at Raven Industries.

In 2017, in addition to becoming president of Augustana, Stephanie was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame for her contributions to the progress, way of life, and values of the State of South Dakota.

With the spirit of a Viking, she understands and believes in the transformational power of education. She is an entrepreneur, an innovator, and a champion for possibility. She has a heart for service and is passionate about using her gifts to make the world a better place.