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Eighteen undergraduate students will be able to take part in research projects they helped plan thanks to funding from the Ģ������Ƶ College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

The students were awarded grants that will allow them to conduct a research project in an area of their choosing under the mentorship of a college faculty member.

“As a college, we are committed to providing undergraduate students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills through research,” said Jim Connors, associate dean and director of academic programs. “This program provides transformative education and high-impact opportunities, fulfilling SDSU’s promise to students.”

Students work with a faculty member mentor to develop their research proposal and application in the spring for research to be conducted in the following school year. The research can be conducted in a variety of settings, from the faculty mentor’s lab to college livestock facilities to statewide research stations. This year, five of the college’s departments and the agricultural leadership, education, communication and science program area are represented by either an undergraduate awardee or their mentor.

All submissions for the Undergraduate Ģ������Ƶ Program are reviewed by Connors and other college leaders, and the chosen research projects begin either over the summer or shortly after school starts in the fall. During the spring semester of the research project, students present their work as part of a poster session at the Student Ģ������Ƶ, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day, an annual event celebrating all student research at SDSU.

The college’s Undergraduate Ģ������Ƶ Program was revitalized in 2024, and since then more than $100,000 has been awarded to projects, funded by three different research awards: the Gary and Theresa Lemme Undergraduate Ģ������Ƶ Award, the Orville and Enolia Bentley Undergraduate Ģ������Ƶ Award and the DeHaan Endowed Program.

“Students who get involved with research as undergraduates have the opportunity to apply their skills outside of the classroom and grow their critical thinking ability,” said John Blanton, associate dean of research for the college and director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. “The opportunity also helps students clarify career goals, strengthen graduate school applications and build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and innovation.”

Read about one of last year’s grant winners, Brindy Bolander, and her project “Using stable isotopes to determine the effect of hypoxia on bluegill,” which she presented at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference and Student Ģ������Ƶ, Scholarship and Creative Activity Day.

2026 SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Ģ������Ƶ Awardees

• Kaden Ball, Cedar Falls, Iowa; wildlife and fisheries sciences
  • Project: Using recruitment synchronization to identify drivers of success in walleye stocking in Eastern South Dakota
  • Mentor: Alison Coulter, Department of Natural Resource Management
• Sachina BK, Baglung, Nepal; agricultural education, communication and leadership
  • Project: Nitrogen use efficiency and phenotypic diversity of sorghum ex PVP lines for adaptation to Northern Great Plains environments
  • Mentor: Ravi Mural, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science
• John Boerboom, Marshall, Minnesota; agricultural science
  • Project: The impact of limited milk consumption on lamb growth and the final carcass traits
  • Mentor: Keith Underwood, Department of Animal Science
• Madelyn Caulfield, Bradley; animal science
  • Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation during late gestation on colostrum yield and composition in sheep
  • Mentor: Ana Clara Baiao Menezes, Department of Animal Science
• Nora Erickson, Waverly, Nebraska; ecology and environmental science
  • Project: Harnessing native N2-fixing plants for sustainable agriculture in South Dakota
  • Mentor: Lan Xu, Department of Natural Resource Management
• Ava Graham, Aurelia, Iowa; animal science
  • Project: Characterizing longitudinal and diurnal ruminal pH variation in bison
  • Mentor: Phil Urso, Department of Animal Science
• Adam Hosszu, Ujfeherto, Hungary; precision agriculture
  • Project: Investigating phosphorus and potassium fertilizer application timing and management strategy on corn and soybean yield
  • Mentor: Peter Kovacs, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science
• Angela Kovacs, Dabas, Hungary; precision agriculture
  • Project: Corn yield and nitrogen rate optimalization with sulfur application
  • Mentor: Peter Kovacs, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science
• Brogan Mull, Pleasant Hill, Iowa; wildlife and fisheries sciences
  • Project: Multispecies wildlife occurrence in the Black Hills of South Dakota
  • Mentor: Bill Severud, Department of Natural Resource Management
• Jonathon Peterson; animal science
  • Project: Bison myology: Characterizing the tenderness and juiciness of grain-finished bison muscles
  • Mentor: Amanda Blair, Department of Animal Science
• Julia Rain, Carver, Minnesota; animal science/agricultural science
  • Project: Bison myology: Characterizing the color stability of grain-finished bison muscles
  • Mentor: Amanda Blair, Department of Animal Science
• Kyra Rimstidt, Rochelle, Illinois; wildlife and fisheries sciences/conservation management and park planning
  • Project: Measuring stress in bison caused by handling
  • Mentor: Phil Urso, Department of Animal Science
• Amara Roland, Rapid City; wildlife and fisheries sciences/conservation management and park planning
  • Project: Tracking evening bat expansion across South Dakota
  • Mentor: Amanda Cheeseman, Department of Natural Resource Management
• Bhupendra Sen Thakuri, Libang, Nepal; agricultural and biosystems engineering
  • Project: Evaluating the impact of injection swine manure and synthetic fertilizer on soil hydrologic properties and soil health in corn production systems in South Dakota
  • Mentor: Sushant Mehan, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
• Jackson Strong, Fort Collins, Colorado; agronomy
  • Project: Genetic resistance: A sustainable approach to fight bacterial leaf streak disease in wheat
  • Mentor: Gazala Ameen, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science
• Csenge Tarjányi, Budapest, Hungary; precision agriculture – double degree program with University of Debrecen, Hungary
  • Project: Effects of LED spectral composition on growth and nutritional quality of microgreens
  • Mentor: Teng Yang, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science
• Tyler Townsend, Chicago, Illinois; dairy production
  • Project: Adoption of precision technologies for health and reproductive management on South Dakota dairy farms
  • Mentor: Tony Bruinje, Department of Dairy and Food Science
• Isabella Tronnes, Cottage Grove, Minnesota; wildlife and fisheries sciences
  • Project: Modeling harvest impacts on silver carp spawning potential ratio in South Dakota
  • Mentor: Alison Coulter, Department of Natural Resource Management