South Dakota Chapter
The mission of the South Dakota Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture (Gamma Sigma Delta) is to promote and recognize high standards of scholarship and achievement in all branches of agricultural science and education. This mission is accomplished by:
- Recognizing high standards of scholarship and leadership in agriculture and related sciences;
- Encouraging high quality achievement, professional ethics and service of those entering into and working in agricultural and related sciences, and;
- Rendering service that will promote understanding of the agricultural sectors.

2nd row: Ryan Samuel (faculty), Lydia Meredith (undergraduate), Alex Kelly (graduate student), Shannon Dierking (graduate student), Sadie VanderWal (undergraduate), Murray Perkins (undergraduate)
Officers
- President: Srinivas Janaswamy
- Vice President: Crystal Levesque
- Secretary: Johnna Jorgensen
- Treasurer: Sandy Smart
- Historian: Vacant
- Past President: Rosie Nold
- Webmaster: Madhav Nepal
Gamma Sigma Delta 2021 Awardees
Faculty and Staff Awards




CAFES Distinguished Alumnus - Dr. Dan Gee, Professor Emeritus, Animal Science
Past Awardees
Student Poster Awards
Department | Faculty Mentor | |
Undergraduate Category | ||
Riley Mounsdon, 1st | Natural Resource Management | Lan Xu, Sandy Smart |
Madison Kovarna, 2nd | Animal Science | Rosie Nold |
Jessica Kading, 3rd | Natural Resource Management | Lan Xu |
Graduate Category (M.S.) | ||
Ratul Kalita, 1st | Dairy and Food Science | Sanjeev Anand |
Adalaide Kline, 2nd | Animal Science | A. Perry |
Talia Everding, 3rd | Animal Science | Crystal Levesque |
Graduate Category (Ph.D.) | ||
Christian Ramirez Camba, 1st | Animal Science | Crystal Levesque |
Ruchika Kashyap, 2nd | Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science | Febina Mathew |
Ajoy Saha, 3rd | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | John McMaine |
Award Descriptions and Nominations
- Faculty Award for Teaching
- Innovative methods for teaching and student engagement
- Excellence in academic advising
- Accomplishment in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL)
- Mentorship of undergraduate students in research projects (outreach, research, etc.)
- Teaching diverse audiences and/or creating an appreciation for diversity within the classroom
- Faculty Award for Research
- Innovative research pursuit or advancement of the field
- Successful grantsmanship
- Excellence in refereed journal articles or other scholarly output or broader impacts
- Special recognition for research (invited presentations, student awards, etc.)
- Faculty Award for Extension/Service
- Development of a signature outreach/education program
- Significant contributions to dissemination (Extension and other scholarly publications)
- Reaching diverse audiences and/or establishment of learning communities
- Honorary Service Award
- This award recognizes a person in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences who demonstrates significant contributions to accomplish the missions of CAFES.
- Support for the GSD mission in South Dakota
- Nominations are due April 1 and include:
- 1 page nomination letter highlighting the achievements of the individual
- An appropriate vita of no more than 4 pages documenting the contributions of the individual in their teaching, research, Extension, or service
- 1-page statement written by the candidate about the category of nomination
Documents and Forms
National/International Awards
Grant Awards
- GSD International Chapter Enrichment Grant 2016 (funded, lead by Dr. Madhav Nepal)
- GSD International Chapter Enrichment Grant 2015 (funded, lead by Dr. Rebecca Bott)
Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Awards
- Dr. Alexander “Sandy” Smart – 2020
- Dr. Sharon Clay – 2017
Chapter Awards
- Gold Chapter – 2019
- New Activity Award – 2016
- Gold Chapter – 2016
- Silver Chapter – 2015
Webmaster: Madhav Nepal