Barry Dunn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at SDSU.

The MVP award is given to an individual or organization that has helped achieve common goals and create advancements in the agricultural industry.

Dunn, who has three academic degrees from SDSU, was recognized for his commitment to agriculture and his vision for the future. Faced with a serious budget shortfall during a time of state budget cuts, Dunn restructured SDSU Extension and placed a bigger emphasis on technology to meet the state’s needs. Under his leadership, SDSU has developed a program known as iGrow, a free web-based service that allows people to access Extension information and resources.

More than 1,000 farmers, industry partners and legislators attended the annual event. William Murphy, administrator of the U.S. Risk Management Agency, spoke in the morning about crop insurance and other federal farm programs. The evening’s keynote speaker was Gov. Dennis Daugaard.

About South Dakota State University
Founded in 1881, South Dakota State University is the state’s Morrill Act land-grant institution as well as its largest, most comprehensive school of higher education. SDSU confers degrees from eight different colleges representing more than 175 majors, minors and specializations. The institution also offers 29 master’s degree programs, 12 Ph.D. and two professional programs.

The work of the university is carried out on a residential campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City, and through Cooperative Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across the state.

Jackrabbits athletic director Justin Sell said that former standout shortstop David Lane has made a donation to cover the cost of adding a grandstand and a press box to the playing surface that’s been in use since 2008. The on-campus stadium will seat 700 to 1,000 depending on subsequent gifts and the number of chair-back seats that are included.

Because the winter weather has been so mild, and the scope of the project is such that it doesn’t have to go through the most extensive Board of Regents approval process, there’s hope the construction can be complete in time for the Jacks’ home opener April 10. Concrete would have to be put down by early March for that to be possible, Sell said.

It would be a memorable way to return to Brookings after a 28-game road trip.

“We’re just privileged and honored to be able to help in a small way,” Lane said via phone from his home in Toronto, Ontario. “We’re excited for the coaching staff and the players. … We’ve got a heck of a program going on there.”

SDSU has won 102 games the past three seasons, reaching the Summit League championship each spring. The Jacks also have had at least one player taken in the past five major league drafts. They have made a splash early in their NCAA Division I history despite imperfect facilities and funding.

Lane, a Minnesota native, was with the program during another golden era. He helped the Jacks reach the Division II College World Series in 1984, and he set a school record for stolen bases in a career that still stands. He also met his wife, Shari, in Brookings. She played volleyball for SDSU.

Lane’s fond memories were rekindled during an October visit to campus for induction into the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame. Lane, head of the Canadian division of Edward Jones Investments, got to meet the players and coaches and came away impressed with their ability and attitude and approach. They had everything except a proper place to play.

“We’d like to get a little more equal footing,” Lane said.

From 2002 to 2008, SDSU played at Bob Shelden Field, a city-owned park in Brookings. Lane helped make the Erv a reality as a donor for that project. The surface itself has drawn solid reviews, but the overall lack of amenities was glaring. It was one reason why the Jacks were host to the 2010 Summit League tournament at Sioux Falls Stadium instead of their home field. Seating has been limited to one set of portable metal bleachers and the press area consisted of tents.

The new stadium will have three seating sections – one squared to home plate with a press box behind it and two spreading down the baselines, Sell said. At a minimum, the center section will have chair-back seats.

“When you have doubleheaders on Saturday, to have some nice seats to sit in will be huge,” said Sell, who declined to reveal the specific amount of the donation. “We wanted to make sure we got solid chair-back type seats, and something that’ll make it look really professional – a Division I-looking facility.”

Beyond that, Sell envisions adding a concession stand, a ticket area, bathrooms and an entry way, while adding concrete by the bullpens and raising the ground in right field where water tends to collect. That will require additional fundraising, a quest that should be accelerated by Lane’s gift.

“We’re very thankful for the Lane family and what they did to get this off the ground,” first-year Coach Dave Schrage said. “It’s another step for our program from a recruiting standpoint, and for the kids that have been with the program as well as the fans.”

Source: Written by Terry Vandovec for the Argus Leader / January 4, 2012

South Dakota State University Pride of the Dakotas marching band will join 50 marching bands and floats on New Year’s Eve morning for the 2011 Fresh from Florida Parade, formerly the Citrus Parade, in Orlando, Fla. The Pride appears as the first of three collegiate bands marching in the parade; the others include bands from the Capitol One Bowl football competitors, the University of Nebraska and the University of South Carolina.

KSFY-TV, in the Sioux Falls region, as well as KABY out of Aberdeen, KPRY, Pierre, and KOTA, Rapid City and outlying Black Hills, will re-broadcast the Fresh From Florida parade on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m. Central time/noon Mountain time.

The Fresh from Florida parade celebrates the state’s agricultural background with floats constructed with more than 100,000 pieces of Florida citrus fruit assembled by nearly 600 volunteers. More than 90,000 spectators watch the parade live.

The Pride received an early invitation last spring to join the parade once organizers learned of their reputation for energetic, enthusiastic performances at national events, according to David Reynolds, SDSU Music Department head.

During the five-day trip to Florida, 200 members of The Pride will experience Disneyworld Parks, The Kennedy Space Center, Universal Studios and the Palms Cocoa Beach Resort. The Pride will also perform in the Stars parade at Universal Studios.

To prepare for the two-mile Fresh from Florida parade route, the band rehearsed Tuesdays and Thursdays between the end of football game performances and semester break. They traveled by bus to the Minneapolis airport at midnight Dec. 27, and will return to Brookings New Year’s Day.

The SDSU Facebook page will post pictures with commentary to follow the trip. More information about the parade can be found at
FreshFromFloridaParade.

“We’re confident the students will represent SDSU and South Dakota well, both musically and as the friendly persons and good citizens they are,” said Jim Coull, director of The Pride.

 In addition to 250 hours of practice and marching the 2 ½-mile parade route, each Pride member is covering $1,150 of his or her own expenses. Private  gifts from generous donors and sponsors are covering the remaining trip costs. Every gift helps provide Pride members with a trip that will be a highlight of their college years and shine the national spotlight on South Dakota State University.

Click here to make your gift for the Pride today.

Hockey team members and their friends will be out in force this Saturday, Hobo Day, in an effort to keep beverage containers out of the waste stream.

“I was completely appalled at the extreme waste going on,” hockey team member and adviser Christa Friedrich said. She and her teammates were cleaning up the Backyard tailgate area Oct. 15 to raise funds for the club sport. Friedrich, a passionate recycler, began picking cans out of the trash.

SDSU women’s hockey player Christa Friedrich, left, hands a recyling flyer and bag to her sister-in-law, Jenna Friedrich, at the Jackrabbit football game against North Dakota State Oct. 22. The hockey team has initiated a recycling program for tailgating areas this season.

She also contacted SDSU Athletic Department Facilities Manager Doug Hagman, who gave his blessing for Friedrich to start a tailgate recycling program.

So for the Oct. 22 game against North Dakota State University, team members handed out clear, 33-gallon garbage sacks to use for recycling items. Friedrich, a graduate student, was impressed with the results. Afterwards, players collected 100 of the 225 garbage sacks they handed out and turned in 123 pounds of cans. The amount of goodwill generated was priceless.

The sacks were wrapped with a recycling flyer that contained the team’s schedule, secured by a ribbon.

The team paid for the schedule printing and the ribbon, but more than met those costs by redeeming the cans at a recycling center. Hagman was willing to have the Athletic Department foot the cost of the bags for that game as well as Hobo Day, when a black trash sack and a clear recycling sack will be given out to tailgaters.

“Some people were using clear sacks for trash, which completely defeated the purpose,” said Friedrich, who plays wing and is the club’s adviser.

This Saturday the team will again focus on face-to-face interaction with Jackrabbit fans. “We could have just hung up bags around. But handing them out individually, finding a can to put in their bags, was really important,” said Friedrich, a 2009 human development and family studies major pursuing the same topic in her master’s program.

The recycling program was the first major recycling project she has undertaken, but she has set up recycling points in her campus work.

“If people know there is a recycling option, they’re willing to do it. You just have to make it convenient for them,” Friedrich said. Toward that aim, players will be standing with clear recycling bags at all exits to tailgating areas when they shut down a half-hour before the kickoff for the homecoming game.

Friedrich was joined by a dozen hockey players for the Oct. 22 game and plans to have 15-20 players and friends on recycling patrol this Saturday.

“The team received many thank-yous from fans who were in support of recycling and appreciative of the effort being put in to encourage recycling at tailgating,” Friedrich said. “It was one opportunity to, hopefully, make a difference. It was a good way to get the word out about our team and good for the environment.”

On the night of Hobo Day, the team will go back to cleaning up on their opponents. The club hosts Minot State at Larson Ice Arena at 7 p.m.

Friedrich hopes fans will support the team and the recycling effort.

About South Dakota State University
Founded in 1881, South Dakota State University is the state’s Morrill Act land-grant institution as well as its largest, most comprehensive school of higher education. SDSU confers degrees from eight different colleges representing more than 175 majors, minors and specializations. The institution also offers 29 master’s degree programs, 12 Ph.D. and two professional programs.

The work of the university is carried out on a residential campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City, and through Cooperative Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across the state.

Those chosen to be in the spotlight at a 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, banquet at theSwiftel Center on the evening before Hobo Day are:

• Harold Bailey, retired administrator;
• Betty Belkham, Class of 1991 (master’s);
• Reid Christopherson, Class of 1982;
• Arlo DeKraai, Class of 1970;
• JoAnn Olson Goodale, Class of 1959;
• Jeffrey Nelson, Class of 1971;
• Dustin Oedekoven, Class of 2000;
• Walter Wosje, Class of 1962.

All but two are current South Dakota residents.

Tickets for the distinguished alumni dinner cost $30 and can be purchased from the SDSU Alumni Association at 605-697-5198 or 1-888-735-2257 or online at statealum.com. Reservations and payment are due by Oct. 28.

Harold S. Bailey Jr.
Non-Alumni Award for Service to South Dakota

Bailey arrived on campus in 1951 as a new pharmacy faculty member with a doctoratefrom Purdue University. He left in 1985 as vice president emeritus of academic affairs.

He became the chief academic officer at State in 1961. No one has served longer in that position than Bailey. He carried out his work with such distinction that on his final day Gov. Bill Janklow designated it as Harold S. Bailey Jr. Day in South Dakota.

Betty Belkham
Service to Education

A life-long educator, Belkham has been superintendent of the 300-student Flandreau Indian School since 2000.

She is known for collaborating with outside entities, including SDSU, as well as securing grants to strengthen the seven-day-a-week boarding school. The school brings in students from tribes throughout the central and western United States, and Belkham is known for meeting the diverse needs of those students.

The former Flandreau Public Middle School teacher is credited for initiating the Flandreau Indian Success Academy partnership with SDSU.

Reid Christopherson
Service to South Dakota

Christopherson, executive officer of the 114^th Fighter Wing in Sioux Falls, has nearly 37 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard. But he hasn’t let his extensive contributions to country crowd out a commitment to community service.

His name has been associated with a bevy of civic organizations. But most notably, Christopherson, of Garretson, has been involved with Boy Scout activities since the early 1970s and has received virtually every participant and leader award the 101-year-old scouting group offers.

Arlo DeKraai
Professional Achievement

A civil engineering graduate from Brookings, DeKraai has become a symbol of industrial success.

During his career, he founded 10 companies and was involved in more than 15 acquisitions and startup divisions. In 1994, he founded Integrated Service Company (InServ), a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based downstream oil and gas construction, turnaround, maintenance and turnkey projects company.

As chairman, president and CEO, DeKraai transformed InServ into a global leader, working in more than 14 countries with more than $400 million in revenue.

JoAnn Olson Goodale
Professional Achievement

Afterworking 14 years as a hospital nurse, Goodale took off a couple years to behome with her children, and then returned to the nursing field in a role that made her an expert as a senior rehabilitation nurse for major insurance companies.

Her knowledge of assessment and treatment procedures and discharge planning in trauma cases has gained her the respect of litigators, her employers and the Illinois Head Injury Association, which gave her a “special friend” award.

Jeffrey L. Nelson
Professional Achievement

Nelson started work for East River Electric Power Cooperative after he finished his four-year commitment to the U.S. Army in 1975 and has been there ever since, being promoted to general manager in 1989.

In addition to overseeing a wholesale power distribution entity serving 40,000square miles, he has been a strong supporter of renewable fuels development in the state and played a key role in establishing the South Dakota Value-Added Agricultural Development Center.

Dustin Oedekoven
Young Alumni

In less than 10 years after receiving his bachelor’s degree, Oedekoven earned his doctorate of veterinary medicine and became the state veterinarian.

Oedekoven, who was raised in Sturgis, joined the South Dakota Animal Industry Board inPierre as a staff veterinarian in 2003, became assistant state veterinarian in 2006 and state veterinarian in 2009. He oversees a staff of seven other veterinarians and is responsible for protecting the health of livestock in South Dakota.

Walter Wosje
Service to SDSU

Wosje, who became a giant in the dairy industry, has served as a strong supporter and spokesman for the recently completed $9.5-million dairy plant expansion.

In addition to speaking on behalf of the dairy science program to gain additional industry support for the project, Wosje was among the early dairy science alumni to donate to the project. He also has supported the program via a Jackrabbit Guarantee Scholarship every year since 2005.

Wosje, a Volga native who returned to the area after semi-retirement, also supported the Pride of the Dakota’s trip to Pasadena, Calif., in 2007.

Distinguished Alumni selections are made by the SDSU Alumni Association based on nominations received by June 1.

About South Dakota State University
Founded in 1881, South Dakota State University is the state’s Morrill Act land-grant institution as well as its largest, most comprehensive school of higher education. SDSU confers degrees from eight different colleges representing more than 175 majors, minors and specializations. The institution also offers 29master’s degree programs, 12 Ph.D. and two professional programs.

The work of the university is carried out on a residential campus in Brookings and at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City.

The Rotunda, built in 1969, will be renamed the Harold S. Bailey Rotunda Classrooms in a ceremony on campus at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, in classroom D of the Rotunda.

“Dr. Bailey led the university through an unprecedented time of growth including refinements in university structure and approvals for many undergraduate and graduate programs. This is a well-deserved honor,” said Laurie Nichols, current provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Harold S. Bailey

To commemorate Bailey’s contributions to SDSU, a plaque with his biography and picture will be displayed in the circular brick building located in the center of campus.

Bailey’s tenure at State spanned from 1951 to 1985. He came to campus as a new pharmacy faculty member after earning a doctorate from Purdue University. Bailey turned to administration a decade later, serving as the school’s chief academic officer from 1961 until 1985, a position no one has held longer. During those 24 years he served as dean of academic affairs followed by being named vice president of academic affairs and dean of the graduate school. Bailey served with such strong conviction that on his retirement day, Gov. Bill Janklow designated June 30, 1985, as Harold S. Bailey Jr. Day in South Dakota.

Speakers and dignitaries taking part in the renaming ceremony with Bailey include, President David Chicoine, Robert Burns, distinguished professor emeritus and dean emeritus of the Honors College, James Pedersen, professor of education and dean emeritus of general registration, Carol Peterson, provost and vice president emerita for academic affairs and Duane Acker, president emeritus of Kansas State University. They will each share experiences of working with Bailey at SDSU.

“I had an amazing career at South Dakota State,” said Bailey, who spent most of his career in Brookings raising a family with his wife, Barbara. “I was a young man from Massachusetts and coming here was a great experience for me, leaving the East Coast and coming to the prairie.

“This honor means a great deal to me,” said Bailey had been involved with the design of several academic buildings on campus including the Rotunda. “I have a great deal of emotion and gratitude connected to these buildings and to the entire university. It was a great 34-year teaching, research and administrative career here at SDSU.  In addition, I had uplifting experiences directing the departmental leadership programs for both the North and South Dakota state Board of Regents and acting as an analyst for the Regents and the South Dakota Legislature in a study of academic space use.  I have had an exciting life here on the prairie.” 

The renaming ceremony starts an important week for Bailey. On Nov. 4, the SDSU Alumni Association will recognize him as a distinguished non-alumnus. The next day, Bailey will ride with other 2011 distinguished alumni in the Hobo Day parade.

Visitor parking for the Bailey Rotunda renaming ceremony is available southeast of the Administration Building in Lot 3.

For more information, contact can be made with Heather Costello, event coordinator, at 605-688-5264 or heather.costello@sdstate.edu.

About South Dakota State University
Founded in 1881, South Dakota State University is the state’s Morrill Act land-grant institution as well as its largest, most comprehensive school of higher education. SDSU confers degrees from eight different colleges representing more than 175 majors, minors and specializations. The institution also offers 29 master’s degree programs, 12 Ph.D. and two professional programs.

The work of the university is carried out on a residential campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City, and through Cooperative Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across the state.

The first Hobo Day took place on Nov. 5, 1912. In 1942, the one-day celebration was canceled for World War II relief efforts, making this year the 99th Hobo Day instead of the 100th.

The celebration starts at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, with a zombie walk in Hillcrest Park. Because the celebration spans Halloween and the contemporary craze surrounding the walking dead, the theme is “Night of the Living Hobos.” The celebration features the annual 9:30 a.m. Hobo Day parade, complete with bands and elaborately decorated flats, and ends with a 2 p.m. football matchup in Coughlin Alumni Stadium with the Jacks facing the Southern Illinois Salukis.

The following schedule describes Hobo Week 2011. This year’s Grand Pooba, or chief planner, is Briana Troske.

Hobo Cam
Can’t make it to the parade? No worries, you can catch the action by watching the Hobo Day Parade from our Hobo Cam. Please note that the Hobo Cam will not become fully active until the morning of the parade.

About South Dakota State University
Founded in 1881, South Dakota State University is the state’s Morrill Act land-grant institution as well as its largest, most comprehensive school of higher education. SDSU confers degrees from eight different colleges representing more than 175 majors, minors and specializations. The institution also offers 29 master’s degree programs, 12 Ph.D. and two professional programs.

The work of the university is carried out on a residential campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City, and through Cooperative Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across the state.

Glasses – and bottles – of milk were raised in celebration Friday as the new dairy plant and dairy science hall at South Dakota State University were officially dedicated.

University and dairy industry leaders, along with state officials, led the nearly 300-member audience in a toast to dedicate the Alfred Dairy Science Hall and the Davis Dairy Plant.

“As we dedicate these two distinct buildings and contemplate all they will do for the students, faculty, our university, the state, the region and the dairy industry, let’s raise our glass to honor the pioneers of the industry, those with the vision to invest in this project, those who will teach and conduct research inside, and those future leaders of business and industry who will learn inside these buildings,” said emcee Walt Wosje of Brookings. Wosje earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the SDSU dairy science program in the 1960s.

First major updates in 51 years

The ceremony marked the completion of the first major updates to the dairy microbiology building and dairy manufacturing plant in 51 years.

“The Dairy Science faculty, in concert with alumni, industry and others, has worked for nearly 12 years to realize the dream of a state-of-the-art plant,” said Vikram Mistry, professor and head of the Dairy Science Department. The idea for the new plant started with the former head of Dairy Science, John Parsons, who joined in Friday’s festivities.

The renovated dairy microbiology building has been renamed the Alfred Dairy Science Hall in honor of the late Alfred Nef and Alfred Gonzenbach, two Swiss immigrants who founded Valley Queen Cheese Factory in Milbank, S.D. Renovation of the building was funded by the students of SDSU and the state of South Dakota.

The newly added manufacturing plant has been named Davis Dairy Plant in honor of the Davis family, owners of Davisco Foods International of Le Sueur, Minn. In addition to remodeling the existing dairy plant, the project added 10,850 square feet of space, creating a state-of-the-art plant totaling 17,900 square feet. The plant project, including equipment, cost $9.3 million. All but $1 million was privately funded by dairy processors, producers, suppliers, alumni and friends.

Showpiece of Philanthropy

Barry Dunn, dean of the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, called the plant a “showpiece of philanthropy” and a “symbol of accomplishment.”

“It has already helped us in student recruiting and faculty recruiting,” Dunn said. “It is already helping in the economic development of the region. And it is simply impossible to measure the impact of the learning, training, and research that will take place in the Alfred Dairy Science Building and our new dairy plant.”

Economic Impact Significant

Secretary of Agriculture Walt Bones told the crowd that the dairy industry is important to South Dakota’s economy. The annual economic impact of a single dairy cow is $13,594, according to the SDSU Economics Department.

District 7 Sen. Larry Tidemann of Brookings was credited for his work to secure Legislative approval for the project. An SDSU dairy science alumnus who once worked in the dairy plant, Tidemann said it took four different bills before the state Legislature approved the dairy project.

The renovation and expansion project will ensure that the dairy industry in South Dakota and the region will remain cutting-edge and globally competitive. The SDSU Dairy Science program is one of only two in the United States that effectively combines both dairy production and dairy manufacturing.

Dairy Ingredient Processing

Included in the dairy plant are teaching, research and service. Of particular note is the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing, which is set up in the plant to develop knowledge for dairy-based ingredients that will assist the U.S. dairy industry with development of domestic and international markets. The Institute was formed through a partnership of SDSU, the American Dairy Association of South Dakota, the Midwest Dairy Association and Dairy Research Institute.

The dairy plant is one of many projects being funded by gifts and pledges made to the SDSU Foundation in support of the university’s comprehensive campaign, It Starts with STATE: A Campaign for South Dakota State University. The campaign aims to raise $200 million by the end of 2012. Funds raised will increase scholarships for students, strengthen faculty excellence, support expanded research opportunities, build and revitalize facilities, and invest in athletics, museums, the arts and international experiences. To learn more, visit www.ItStartswithState.org or call the SDSU Foundation toll-free at 1-888-747-7378.

A dedication ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Friday, October 21.

The renovated dairy microbiology building has been renamed the Alfred Dairy Science Hall in honor of the late Alfred Nef and Alfred Gonzenbach, two Swiss immigrants who founded Valley Queen Cheese Factory in Milbank, S.D.

The newly added manufacturing plant has been named Davis Dairy Plant in honor of the Davis family, owners of Davisco Foods International of Le Sueur, Minnesota. In addition to remodeling the existing dairy plant, the project added 10,850 square feet of space, creating a state-of-the-art plant totaling 17,900 square feet. The plant project, including equipment, cost $9.3 million. All but $1 million was privately funded.

Vikram Mistry, professor and head of the Dairy Science Department, says the renovation will ensure that the dairy industry in South Dakota and the region will remain cutting-edge and globally competitive. The SDSU Dairy Science program is one of only two in the United States that effectively combines both dairy production and dairy manufacturing, which is demanded by today’s global, science-based dairy industry.

Tours of the plant will follow the dedication ceremony and Mistry is looking forward to showing off the long-awaited facility.

“It will be a great day for SDSU, the Dairy Science Department and the dairy industry,” he says. “The Dairy Science faculty, in concert with alumni, industry and others, has worked for nearly 12 years to realize the dream of a state-of-the-art plant.”

The project was made possible by financial support from dairy processors, producers, suppliers, alumni and friends. (See list below.)

Included in the dairy plant are teaching, research and service. Of particular note is the Institute for Dairy Ingredient Processing, which is set up in the plant to develop knowledge for dairy-based ingredients that will assist the U.S. dairy industry with development of domestic and international markets. The Institute was formed through a partnership of SDSU, the American Dairy Association of South Dakota, the Midwest Dairy Association and Dairy Research Institute.

The dairy processing plant is one of many projects being funded by gifts and pledges made to the SDSU Foundation in support of the university’s comprehensive campaign, It Starts with STATE: A Campaign for South Dakota State University. The campaign aims to raise $200 million by the end of 2012. Funds raised will increase scholarships for students, strengthen faculty excellence, support expanded research opportunities, build and revitalize facilities, and invest in athletics, museums, the arts and international experiences. To learn more, visit www.ItStartswithState.org or call the SDSU Foundation toll-free at 1-888-747-7378.

Contributors to the Davis Dairy Plant include:

$2 million and more

• Davisco Foods International Inc.

$500,000-$999,999

• American Dairy Association of South Dakota
• Valley Queen Cheese Factory

$250,000-$499,999

• Agropur inc.
• Ecolab
• Filtration Engineering Co. Inc.
• GEA Westfalia Separator Division
• Glanbia Foods
• Gonzenbach family of Milbank, S.D.
• Jerry and Jolene Lohr of the San Jose, Calif., area and
  Garretson, S.D.
• Midwest Ag Supplements
• SA Education Foundation
• Tetra Pak

$100,000-$249,999

• American Dairy Association of the Midwest – Iowa Division
• ARAMARK
• SDSU College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences
• Daryl and Mary Ann Boddicker of Gurnee, Ill.
• Dahmes Stainless Inc.
• Hilmar Cheese Company Inc.
• SPX Corporation
• South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development
• David A. and Marilyn M. Thompson of Barrington, Ill.

$50,000-$99,999

• CFR
• DR Tech Inc.
• Fristam Pumps
• Land O’Lakes Foundation
• Wells Dairy Inc.
• Werner Electric Supply

$10,000-$49,999

• AGC Heat Transfer Inc.
• Associated Milk Producers Inc.
• Cass-Clay
• First District Association
• Kemps LLC
• Kraft Foods Foundation
• Neil and Rachel Kucker of Eagan, Minn.
• Milk Specialties Global
• Schock Family Foundation
• South Dakota Dairy Association
• Larry Tidemann and Gail Dobbs Tidemann of Brookings, S.D.
• Walt and Yvonne Wosje of Brookings, S.D.

$5,000-$9,999

• Sioux Valley Dairy Herd Improvement Association
• Bruce Unterbrunner of Abrams, Wisc.

Released Tuesday, Sept. 27, by the South Dakota Board of Regents, the total enrollment for SDSU declined less than 1 percent from last year’s record enrollment of 12,816. According to President David L. Chicoine, the numbers fit within the comfort enrollment model at the state’s largest, most comprehensive university.

“Our plans anticipate an incoming freshman class between 2,200 and 2,300 new first-time students each year,” Chicoine said. “The university’s comfort enrollment and student success models, which start with consistent freshman enrollment, enable management of university resources in a way that reaffirms our commitment to on-time degree completion through student retention and academic support.”

Enrollment in Ph.D. programs also aligns with the university’s continued effort to grow research and to impact economic development in the state. The number of students in Ph.D. programs increased to 325 — a gain of 13.6 percent over last year. Enrollment increased 35 percent or more in five Ph.D. programs: nursing, nutritional sciences, agronomy and plant science, computational science and statistics, and geospatial science and engineering.

“I am pleased with the strong enrollment gains in our Ph.D. programs, a primary measurement of the university’s progress toward the strategic goals of fostering economic growth through research and enhancing academic excellence,” Chicoine said. “The increase correlates directly to faculty competing successfully for research grants and contracts. Their research attracts graduate students and leads to new discoveries.”

Additionally, enrollment increased to 370 students, up 10.1 percent, in the pharmacy and nursing professional practice programs. The growth in pharmacy is the result of a planned expansion of the program, while the growth in nursing includes students who moved from a master’s degree program to the new doctor of nursing practice. The additional graduates will help meet the health-care demands of the state, according to Chicoine.

Overall enrollment in graduate programs remained steady at 1,734, a slight decrease from last year’s record enrollment of 1,754 graduate students. The difference, Chicoine said, likely reflects economic conditions of students who may have taken a graduate course last year without being enrolled in a graduate program.

University officials continue to monitor the impact of reduced state appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012 on enrollment and student success.

“We at South Dakota State are committed to providing high-quality undergraduate education and growing research as a driver of economic development,” Chicoine said. “The student-to-faculty ratio is one indicator of a quality academic program. The cuts in state appropriations this year and in the previous two years have reduced the number of faculty, thus increasing the student-to-faculty ratio and limiting faculty research time.”

Forty-five percent of the incoming freshmen scored a 24 or higher on the ACT, according to admissions data, qualifying those students for the Jackrabbit Guarantee scholarship. The guarantee awards full-time students with ACT scores of 24 or higher who attend the Brookings campus a minimum of $1,000 in scholarships per year for four years.

South Dakotans comprise 65 percent of the student body at SDSU.

Recent SDSU enrollment numbers

• 2011 – 12,725
• 2010 – 12,816
• 2009 – 12,376
• 2008 – 11,995
• 2007 – 11,706
• 2006 – 11,377
• 2005 – 11,021
• 2004 – 10,954
• 2003 – 10,561
• 2002 – 9,952
• 2001 – 9,350
• 2000 – 8,719