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 byThomas Short Bull
Personal details
Children5
Alma materOglala Lakota College
South Dakota State University

Early life

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Frank 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

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Frank 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

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From 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

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Frank is married to Albert Frank and has five children.[3][4] She lives on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dr. Dawn Frank New OLC President - Lakota Times". Lakota Times -. 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  2. ^ "Oglala Lakota College promotes VP Dawn Frank to succeed retiring president". panhandle.newschannelnebraska.com. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Dawn Tobacco Frank earns doctorate from SDSU". Lakota Times. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2022-10-24.