News at SDState

of Engineering at South Dakota State University. On the afternoon of March 13, just before spring break began, Todd Letcher, associate professor of mechanical engineering, was notified that all three of the SDSU teams he oversees had qualified for the finals of the Gateways to Blue Skies competition, which is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of NASA. That means three of the eight finalists for the national contest are from South Dakota’s land-grant institution.

From health care to agriculture to education, artificial intelligence is reshaping the modern world, and college graduates must have the skills, knowledge and tools to meet the challenges and demands AI presents across nearly every industry. To ensure its graduates are ready to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world, South Dakota State University has announced the establishment of the Center for AI Innovation and Emergent Technologies.

The 2026 Midwest American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting was held March 8-11 in Omaha, Nebraska, bringing together researchers and students from 12 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. “Faculty and students from South Dakota State University were highly successful at the Midwest ASAS Annual Meeting, showcasing the strength of the university’s teaching, research and extension programs,” said John Jaeger, Calvin and Mary Hayenga Endowed Department Head of Animal Science.

Thanks to a series of grants, South Dakota State University offers a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling with tuition, fees and books all covered — meaning these counselors could get a graduate degree debt-free.

The Midwestern Higher Education Compact has awarded South Dakota State University, in partnership with Black Hills State University, a $250,000 Strategic Impact and Innovation Grant to support success for students pursuing careers in health professions.

The Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering at South Dakota State University will host the Innovate AI 2026 Symposium, a one-day convening of leaders from academia, industry, government and the startup ecosystem to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming critical sectors of regional and national importance.

American music history will come to life in Brookings as the South Dakota State University School of Performing Arts presents “A Sousa Symposium” on April 10-11 at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

Research is the engine behind innovation, commercialization and economic growth across nearly every industry. At South Dakota State University, that innovation doesn’t stop in the lab; it goes to work. In this episode, we explore how a single research idea can become a commercial product with real regional and global impact.

Srinivas Janaswamy, associate professor in South Dakota State University’s Department of Dairy and Food Science, has been named to the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List for 2025.

For qualifying students at South Dakota State University, it’s the best of both college experiences: the appeal of a Division I university combined with the personal experience of a school that feels much smaller.