BROOKINGS — John Jaeger, the Calvin and Mary Hayenga department head of animal science at South Dakota State University, has a problem: his department is running out of desks for its Ph.D. students.

“It’s a wonderful problem to have,” Jaeger said with a smile.

Jaeger, who took over as the department head in August 2023, said it’s an exciting time for the beef team as a core group of longtime faculty and experts is joined by rising stars in their respective disciplines. The rising rates of graduate and Ph.D. students in the Department of Animal Science are also a way for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences to support SDSU’s vision of achieving designation as an R1 Research University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

For Jaeger, it starts with collaboration. One of the first things he did was charge his team to have regular meetings — monthly, at least — to talk about the work they’re doing. SDSU Extension field specialists can share what they are hearing from producers with researchers, who can in turn share their latest findings with field specialists.

“They each have their own specialties and their own research they’re doing, but we’re growing the collaboration,” Jaeger said.

He’s been pleased with the results and credits the team with embracing the opportunity. With faculty and staff spread across the state in various disciplines, the regular meetings have fostered communication and collaboration.

“True collaboration and wanting to build teams comes from within,” he said. “I just try to create opportunities for that to happen.”

The SDSU Department of Animal Science serves the teaching, research and SDSU Extension outreach focus areas of the land-grant mission. More than 400 animal science undergraduate students are provided hands-on learning opportunities through an in-house meat lab and livestock teaching and research farms.

Undergraduate and graduate students can participate in applied and basic research. SDSU Extension specialists based in the department extend and apply university knowledge and education to the citizens of South Dakota and the Upper Great Plains.

“Part of what drew me to SDSU is this university has not lost sight of maintaining of all three arms of the land-grant mission,” Jaeger said.

Within animal science, a dedicated team has adopted the mission to advance the science of beef cattle production and beef product quality and safety through innovative research, education and outreach. Efficiency, sustainability and profitability while protecting the well-being of the animals and environment are their top priorities.

About 25 people make up the team working to achieve that mission – 18 faculty and seven SDSU Extension field specialists with at least part of their duties relating to beef production outreach and range management. About 20 graduate students are specializing in beef-related research projects.

Sandy Smart, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Senior Program Leader and professor, praised Jaeger’s vision and the team’s embrace of collaboration and innovation as they continue to advance their work.

“We have a group of brilliant people,” Smart said. “It’s a very different group since the old days, but with several longtime members to pass on that institutional knowledge.”

He pointed to Erin DeHaan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension beef specialist, who joined the team in the beginning of 2024 and is preparing to take over the popular beefSD cohort program from longtime professor and SDSU Extension beef specialist Ken Olson when he retires this fall. Another example is Zachary Smith, an assistant professor who was trained by Distinguished Professor Robbie Pritchard before he retired.

Jaeger and Smart also noted the innovative work being done in precision agriculture at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station, like virtual fencing. Researchers are considering new methods of cattle feeding and nutrition, and the various on-campus research facilities are always busy. In Brookings, SDSU houses the Beef Breeding Cattle Research Unit, Ruminant Nutrition Center, and Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility, which can be used to research everything from feeder cattle to purebred bulls and is booked for the next three years.

“It’s a really special facility that we’re very lucky to have,” Jaeger said.

This summer, 16 researchers — nine principal investigators and seven co-investigators — are conducting 40 beef-related research projects, covering a diverse range of disciplines. Eleven are related to reproduction, 10 in nutrition, eight in management/technology, six in management/environment/climate, three in meat quality, one in genetics and one in animal wellbeing.

The projects represent include a wide array of public, private and cross-campus partnerships. SDSU departments collaborating on those projects include Dairy and Food Science; Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences; Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering; Natural Resource Management; Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science; and Mathematics and Statistics.

As the team continues to grow, Jaeger is confident their innovation and drive will change the paradigm in beef cattle research.

“I keep telling our team that we have some of the best beef researchers in the country,” Jaeger said. “They’re thinking at a different level, outside the box of traditional production agriculture.”