Ph.D., University of North Dakota
M.Ed., University of North Dakota
B.S., University of North Dakota

Dr. Laurel Vermillion, a recognized member of the Hunkpapa-Lakota peoples of the Standing Rock Reservation, serves as president of Sitting Bull College. She is married to husband Duane and together they have three children and four grandchildren. Dr. Vermillion is an alumnus of Sitting Bull College (SBC).

She began her higher education at SBC when it was known as Standing Rock Community College (SRCC). She received her baccalaureate degree in Elementary Education through an articulation agreement between Standing Rock Community College and the University of North Dakota in 1980. During her 14 years as an elementary teacher for the Fort Yates, ND BIA school, she pursued and completed a Masters degree in Education Administration from the University of North Dakota. Soon after, she relocated to Marty, SD and served as Principal at the Marty Indian School before moving back to the Standing Rock Reservation. In 1995, she accepted the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs at Sitting Bull College and eventually became Vice President of Operations in 1999. During her seven years as Vice President of Operations at Sitting Bull College she completed a doctorate degree in Teaching and Learning, Higher Education from the University of North Dakota.

She is an active board member for numerous non-profit and community service groups, including Bear Soldier Horizons, the Standing Rock Education Consortium, Standing Rock Education Leaders, the North Dakota Association of Tribal Colleges (NDATC), Recruiting American Indian Nurses (RAIN) program, Quality Education for Minorities (QEM), American Indian College Fund (A*CF), and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).