Ph.D. student Ekaterina “Katya” Lopez-Bondarchuk prepares to attach an ear tag during the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in October. Katya was one of four SDSU students recently awarded scholarships for their efforts in advancing bison research.
BROOKINGS, S.D. — Dec. 5, 2025 — Four South Dakota State University students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences have been awarded national bison industry scholarships from the Throlson American Bison Foundation and the Rich Zahringer Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Together, eight students who attend colleges in North America received a combined $30,000 in support of academic excellence and leadership in agriculture, business and bison-focused research.
The Rich Zahringer Scholarship Fund provided $6,000 to students pursuing agricultural business and accounting, while the Throlson American Bison Foundation contributed $24,000 to students advancing bison-related academic work.
“It is incredibly meaningful to SDSU as the leader of bison education to have four students selected for this honor,” Phil Urso, assistant professor of bison studies, said. “To have our students recognized for their hard work and dedication to bison is incredibly impactful not only to the students themselves, but also to SDSU as a whole.”
Scholarship recipients from SDSU are:
- Angela Lemminger, first-year graduate student, West Bend, Wisconsin
- Ekaterina “Katya” Lopez-Bondarchuk, first year Ph.D. student, Silver Spring, Maryland
- Garrett Weldy, first-year Ph.D. student, Elkhart, Indiana
- Kallen Kafka, first-year master’s student, Wagner, South Dakota
Kafka is studying animal science, and his research focuses on bison nutrition. He entered the bison field with limited prior knowledge but said his interest grew rapidly after enrolling in SDSU’s first bison management course offered by Urso.
Kafka said working hands-on with bison and learning from industry leaders influenced his decision to pursue graduate research related to bison production. He also emphasized the importance of bison to conservation and sustainable agriculture, explaining that their ecological contributions and multiuse value provide strong motivation for students pursuing careers in the industry.
Kafka encouraged other students to consider bison-related coursework and highlighted the role of SDSU faculty in the growth of the bison community.
“The bison industry is small but mighty. … Many of these leaders, like Dr. Philip Urso and Dr. Jeff Martin, are professors right here at SDSU.”
Martin, an assistant professor and SDSU Extension bison specialist, emphasized the significance of the university’s representation among scholarship recipients. Martin noted that in addition to the four current students, SDSU had one alum, Bree Eastman, among the eight North American awardees.
“These five scholarships are an indicator of the strong connection that the bison studies program at SDSU has with the bison industry,” Martin said. “The scholarships reduce financial pressure and expand opportunities for research, hands-on learning and industry engagement.”
Martin said the recipients are developing into ethical, innovative and socially conscious leaders capable of navigating the complex relationships between bison, ecosystems and human society through their coursework, campus involvement and industry relationships like those with the scholarship funders.
SDSU continues to advance its leadership in bison scholarship through specialized academic offerings, industry partnerships and field-based learning. The growing academic infrastructure for bison-centered learning includes the newly approved bison studies minor and certificate with curriculum that includes courses such as Introduction to Bison Management and Advanced Bison Production.
For more information about the SDSU Center of Excellence in Bison Studies or bison programs, visit https://www.sdstate.edu/
