For release: Aug. 25, 2004
Contact: Vikram Mistry, (605) 688-4116

Four SDSU students win national dairy scholarships

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Four dairy science students at South Dakota State University have won scholarships for the academic year 2004-2005 from the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board.

Ryan Tollefsrud of Murdoch, Minn.; Amber Sperlich of Parkston; Annie Milbrandt of Elmore, Minn., and Rindy Harkness of Gillett, Pa., each won a $1,500 scholarship.

The National Dairy Promotion and Research Board each year awards up to 20 scholarships of $1,500 to eligible undergraduate students enrolled in college or university programs that emphasize dairy science.

SDSU students have historically done well in competing nationally for these scholarships, said Vikram Mistry, professor and head of the SDSU Dairy Science Department.

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic performance; coursework related to dairy; commitment to a career in dairy; involvement in extra-curricular activities, especially those related to dairy; and leadership ability, initiative, character, and integrity.

“Our students are very competitive nationally. We have a strong program, both in terms of dairy coursework and hands-on experience. Students work at SDSU’s Dairy Research and Training Facility and the Dairy Processing Plant,” Mistry said. “There are also many extra-curricular activities available for students in the Dairy Science Department.”

More than 60 undergraduate students are enrolled in SDSU’s Dairy Science program. Employment for graduates has generally been 100 percent, with starting salaries averaging more than $40,000, Mistry said.

Marianne Stein
SDSU AgBio Communications Unit
Box 2231, ACC 203
Brookings, SD 57007
(605) 688-4647
marianne_stein@sdstate.edu