Dawn Tobacco Frank (Lakota: Ta Oyate Wiyankapi Win) is an American biologist and academic administrator. She is president of the Oglala Lakota College.[1][2]
Dawn Frank | |
|---|---|
Ta Oyate Wiyankapi Win | |
| President of Oglala Lakota College | |
| Assumed office July 18, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Short Bull |
| Personal details | |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Oglala Lakota College South Dakota State University |
Early life
editFrank was born to Sylvia Tobacco and Darrell Two Crow. Her Lakota name, Ta Oyate Wiyankapi Win translates to Her People See Her.[3] Frank's maternal grandparents were Stephen “Psin” Tobacco and Caroline Catches Tobacco.[3] Her paternal grandparents were Justin “Judson” Two Crow and Anna “Annie” Chief Eagle-Two Crow.[3] She is a member of the Oglala Sioux and was raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.[3][1]
Education
editFrank completed elementary and secondary education at Red Cloud Indian School, graduating in 1989.[4][3] While working and raising her kids, she graduated from Oglala Lakota College (OLC) with an associate's and bachelor's degree (2001) in human services.[4][3] At OLC, she began a master's degree in Lakota leadership before being accepted into a W. K. Kellogg Foundation funded "Prairie Ph.D." program at South Dakota State University (SDSU) where she earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences from South Dakota State University in 2010.[4] Her dissertation was titled, Integrating Lakota culture and biological science into a holistic research methodology (Lakol wico un na wico han wopasi).[4] She later earned a master's degree in Lakota leadership from OLC.[4][3]
Career
editFrom 2005 to 2013, Frank was head of the OLC graduate studies department.[3] She served as the OLC vice president of instruction from 2013 to 2022. She became the OLC president on July 18, 2022, succeeding Thomas Short Bull.[3]
Personal life
editFrank is married to Albert Frank and has five children.[3][4] She lives on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Dr. Dawn Frank New OLC President - Lakota Times". Lakota Times -. 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "Oglala Lakota College promotes VP Dawn Frank to succeed retiring president". panhandle.newschannelnebraska.com. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Dr. Dawn Frank selected as president of Oglala Lakota College". Rapid City Journal Media Group. May 13, 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dawn Tobacco Frank earns doctorate from SDSU". Lakota Times. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2022-10-24.