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The annual South Dakota State University Celebration of Faculty Excellence recognized 28 faculty members, researchers and scholars Tuesday. The event honors faculty members in the university's colleges for outstanding research, teaching and service. 

Before the evening banquet, four faculty scholars delivered Sewrey lectures to raise awareness and show scholarship in the categories of creative and fine arts, research and scholarship, teaching and learning, and service. 

Kristi Cammack delivered the David Fee Memorial Lecture, "Sustainability — A Look Through the Lens of a Rancher.” She is assistant dean of West River operations, director of ������Ƶ West River Research and Extension and professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Fee taught philosophy and religion at ������Ƶ for more than 20 years. Annual presenters of the named lecture are selected based on their topics and contributions to Fee’s example of crossdisciplinary learning, inquiry and collegiality. 

������Ƶ students Claire Booth, Alex Strawn and Jacob Stevens presented a creative selection from the play “Fuddy Meers,” directed by Jim Wood, professor of theatre, during the event. 


Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension awards were awarded to these faculty members: 

• Dr. Sherwood and Elizabeth Berg Research Young Faculty Award to Aritra Banerjee, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
• Dr. Harold and Barbara Bailey Award for Excellence in Academic Department Leadership to Robert Watrel, department head and associate professor of geography in the College of Natural Sciences.
• F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Community/Professional Service to Amber Jensen, senior lecturer in the School of English and Interdisciplinary Studies.
• F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Extension/Outreach to Julie Walker, professor in the Department of Animal Science and ������Ƶ Extension beef specialist.
• F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Research to Adam Hoppe, professor in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics.
• F.O. Butler Award for Excellence in Teaching to Sanjeev Anand, professor in the Department of Dairy and Food Science.
• Edward Patrick Hogan Awards for Teaching Excellence to Ekaterina Koromyslova, associate professor and M.S. operations management program coordinator in the Ness School of Management and Economics, and Judy Vondruska, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics.
• Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award to Maneesha Mohan, associate professor and Alfred Chair in Dairy Manufacturing in the Department of Dairy and Food Science.
• Excellence in Online Teaching Award to Kristin Lenertz-Kersey, lecturer in the Department of Biology and Microbiology.
• Excellence in Outreach and Engagement Award to Jamie Folsom, assistant professor in the School of American and Global Studies.
• Faculty Awards for International Research to Sunish Sehgal, associate professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, and Luz Kirschner, associate professor in the School of American and Global Studies.
• Timothy J. Nichols Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Advising to Donna Flint, assistant department head and professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
• Distinguished Professor designation to Jihong Cole-Dai, professor in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics. 

The 2025 Outstanding Researchers, Scholars, Performers and Artists from the university’s colleges include: 

• College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Outstanding Researcher to Sunish Sehgal, associate professor in the Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science.
• College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Researcher to Leda Cempellin, professor in the School of Design.
• College of Education and Human Sciences Outstanding Researcher to Allison Barry, assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Sciences.
• Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Outstanding Researcher to Semhar Michael, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
• College of Natural Sciences Outstanding Researcher to Nicholas Butzin, associate professor in the Department of Biology and Microbiology.
• College of Nursing Outstanding Researcher to Theresa Garren-Grubbs, clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing.
• College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions Outstanding Researcher to Jordan Baye, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. 

Delivering the Sewrey lectures were: 

• Creative and Fine Arts: Elizabeth Robinson, assistant professor in the School of Performing Arts, “Imagining a South Dakota Chamber Winds Festival.”
• Research and Scholarship: Allison Barry, assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Sciences, “Improving the Lives of Tactical Professionals: Helping Those Who Serve and Protect Our Communities.”
• Teaching and Learning: Nicholas Uilk, Klingbeil Endowed Educator in Precision Agriculture in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, “Advances in Precision Agriculture.”
• Service: Marina Hendricks, assistant professor and online Master of Mass Communication graduate program coordinator in the School of Communication and Journalism, “High School Journalism Field Trips: Post-Pandemic Barriers and Opportunities.”