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Department of Animal Science

Department of Animal Science

Building the educational foundation for future leaders in the animal industry

Tomorrow's animal and natural resources industries leaders gain the educational foundation they need in the Department of Animal Science. These future leaders study under a dynamic faculty who not only teach but also set the pace with important research and aggressive outreach via Extension.

Throughout our curriculum, a student-centered focus allows ample room for growth and success, including scholarship opportunities and several enterprising clubs.

With our multi-disciplinary approaches towards production efficiency, product enhancement and natural resources management, both our undergraduate and our graduate students gain strong skill sets. Graduates of our program see career options unfold in a diverse and growing range of employment areas, from animal-related industries to natural resources management.

Many graduate students devise their own research or partner with faculty in our many facilities and laboratories, to solve the challenges of 21st century animal agriculture and environmental stewardship.

Animal Science Department Newsletter is archived on

Department of Animal Science News

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The university’s newest endowment holders are, from left, Dan Hansen, J. Bruce Laughrey Endowed Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions; John Jaeger, Calvin and Mary Hayenga Endowed Department Head of Animal Science; Londa Nwadike, David A. Thompson Endowed Department Head of Dairy and Food Science; Cheryl Reese: Klingbeil Endowed Educator in Precision Agriculture; and Biying Yang, Nies Endowed Early Career Faculty Scholar.

South Dakota State honors newest endowment holders

South Dakota State University recently paid tribute to the university’s newest endowment holders. The third annual University Leadership Honors investiture ceremony — honoring six holders of endowed positions across three different colleges and SDSU Athletics — was held Sept. 19 in Founders Recital Hall in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.
An 8th grade student sits in a student-designed vehicle

Experiencing SDSU in Sioux Falls

From NASA rovers and jumping challenges to medieval weapons and a virtual reality exploration of the ocean, South Dakota State University Day at the Washington Pavilion gave students and visitors a taste of what SDSU has to offer. More than a dozen academic programs took over the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls Sept. 20-21 to showcase the many different opportunities at SDSU in a first-of-its-kind event.
The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation was honored as the 2024 SDSU Friend of the Beef Industry at the recent SDSU Beef Bowl Game. From left are foundation board members Ty Eschenbaum and Josh Larson and treasurer Desa Larson; SDSU President Barry Dunn; South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Joe Cassady; foundation President Ryan Eichler and Vice President Todd Wilkinson; and Calvin and Mary Hayenga Department Head of Animal Science John Jaeger.

S.D. Cattlemen’s Foundation receives Friend of the Beef Industry award

The South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation was honored recently as the 2024 recipient of the South Dakota State University Friend of the Beef Industry award for its contributions to the South Dakota beef industry.