Ruth Harper is Professor Emerita of Counseling and Human Development at South Dakota State University, where she coordinated the college counseling and student affairs administration specialties for over 20 years. She co-authored four books in her field and has special interest in American Indian college student success, the role of tribal colleges in South Dakota, and college student mental health. Ruth holds a B.A. from Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, IA), an M.Ed. from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (Oshkosh, WI), and a Ph.D. from Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). Ruth lives in Brookings, South Dakota, and is married to Lawrence Rogers, mother to adult daughters Libby and Maggie, and Nana to grandsons Max and Miles. She is currently on the board of the local PFLAG (Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians & Gays+) and the Advisory Council of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains (Brookings).For Ruth, reading fiction and poetry has been a lifelong joy; in retirement, writing poetry is a meaningful pursuit and challenge.
