BROOKINGS – Four members of the professional staff at South Dakota State University have been honored for their quality of work.

• Kyle Schaefer, grant specialist for the colleges of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions and Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, was given the Rising Star Award. The award honors an employee within three years of initial hire.

Outstanding Professional Awards were given by the SDSU Professional Staff Advisory Council to:

• Mary Christensen, coordinator of the agricultural leadership, education, communication and science program within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences;

• Nathania Knight, an associate in the SDSU Extension Family and Community Health program; and

• Jamison Lamp, the university event coordinator.

Schaefer’s efforts have helped the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions increase its grant awards from $526,000 in FY 2018 to $2.34 million in FY 2019. Research expenditures have increased by more than 10% in pharmacy and more than 5% in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Christensen advises 160 students, coordinates advising for the entire college, directs the college’s advising team at New Student Orientation and teaches a first-year seminar.

Knight serves as a SDSU Extension representative to tribal offices on the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River reservations, where she works with the youth of those communities.

Lamp provides oversight for all of the large events on campus, including commencement, fall convocation, Celebration of Faculty Excellence, Family Weekend and  ribbon cuttings.

The recipients were to be honored at the PSAC annual meeting in mid-March, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 safety precautions.

Each recipient receives a plaque and a cash award.