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Each fall—prior to the start of preseason training camp—members of the �ձ�av��Ƶ football team make the trek to Wagner Hall to gather key information about the current makeup of their bodies. Led by Seth Daughters, an instructor in the exercise science program, student-athletes will get parameters on their body fat percentage, lean muscle and fat free mass. This information will help guide the student-athletes in their individualized strength and conditioning plans throughout the season. 

�ձ�av��Ƶ is partnering with hospitals in Brookings, Huron and Madison to expand the public health and respiratory therapy workforce. The Community Practice Innovation Center within the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions at �ձ�av��Ƶ has received a three-year, $1.545 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Bold & Blue, the largest comprehensive capital campaign ever in the state of South Dakota, launched in October 2021. The campaign will raise $500 million and focus on people-centered initiatives, scholarships and faculty support. The campaign has a target amount of nearly twice the funds raised during the �ձ�av��Ƶ Foundation's previous campaign, It Starts with State.

�ձ�av��Ƶ accounts for 45% of the overall economic impact of public higher education in South Dakota, according to a study recently released by the South Dakota Board of Regents using FY19 data. The six degree-granting regental institutions and the BOR office produce an annual economic impact of $2.1 billion, while sustaining more than 12,000 jobs.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at �ձ�av��Ƶ launched its first class in the professional program in veterinary medicine to help solve a workforce shortage problem in the state, particularly in rural veterinary medicine.

�ձ�av��Ƶ researchers are exploring the potential for precision technologies to improve ranch efficiency and producer decision-making processes, and in turn impact profit margins, work-life balance, ranch sustainability and natural resource management. Through its Precision Ranching Initiative, �ձ�av��Ƶ researchers are both using and creating new technologies and techniques that fine-tune the role of beef cattle in the range ecosystem for the benefit of South Dakota’s nearly 14,000 beef producers.

�ձ�av��Ƶ Extension provided critical resources to farmers and ranchers in 2021 as more than 80% of the state was still considered in some category of drought as of September, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In August, more than 90% of the state was experiencing some level of drought.

When commuting between Sioux Falls and Brookings, Jade Larson ’19/M.S. ’21 does her best to not look at her phone. However, there was one day she was glad she did. She saw a subject line of “Congratulations about your thesis award” appear on her phone.

�ձ�av��Ƶ has set records for the number of degrees conferred the past five years. �ձ�av��Ƶ graduated 13,095 students, according to the South Dakota Board of Regents, from 2016-20 with a record 2,671 graduates in 2019.

Students learning in the College of Nursing’s recently renovated simulation labs with high-fidelity mannequins gain a near real-life experience. But sometimes there are scenarios that don’t fully match what would be experienced in the field.