Is AI helping small-scale farming operations?
Artificial intelligence tools can be found in nearly every sector of society and are quickly becoming this century's great technological advancement. In the agriculture sector, large-scale farming operations are utilizing AI to increase profitability, reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainable practices.
Butzin earns NSF CAREER award
Nicholas Butzin, assistant professor in South Dakota State University's Department of Biology and Microbiology, has been awarded a five-year, $1.3 million grant through the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Program.
Restoring the river otter
In the late 1990s, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe reintroduced approximately 35 river otters into the Big Sioux River. Otters, which at one time could be found throughout the Upper Midwest, had become nearly extinct in South Dakota due to habitat loss, pollution and unregulated harvest. Following a successful reintroduction, the otters began to repopulate the rivers of eastern South Dakota.
Searching for solutions to America's infrastructure problem
Infrastructure—like roads, bridges, dams and airports—form the backbone of society and are essential to economic development. In 2021, the United States earned a "C-" grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers for its infrastructure. One of America's most critical sectors—roadways—earned a "D." It was a troubling sign that the country's key lifeline is crumbling.
SDSU researchers investigating conservation solutions for pinyon jays
A bird that once flourished throughout the Western United States is falling victim to population decline. Two South Dakota State University researchers are currently working on a project to identify what conservation efforts are needed to preserve this iconic blue bird of the West.
Snow to cyanide: The many research applications of mass spectrometers
Ancient snow and ice from the coldest places on Earth can provide insight into our past, current and future climate. Jihong Cole-Dai, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at South Dakota State University, has traveled to the coldest and most remote locations in the world to collect snow and ice core samples.