Farmland gift funds precision livestock systems position at SDSU 

Jeune and Dick Nicolai. (Courtesy photo.)

South Dakota State University is expanding its precision agriculture education efforts after receiving a farmland donation to support livestock technology research and student learning opportunities. 

Retired professor Dick Nicolai and his wife, Jeune, donated about 132 acres of farmland to support the university’s precision livestock systems program. The land sold at auction in March 2026 for about $2 million, creating the Richard and Jeune Nicolai Endowed Professor in Precision Livestock Systems. 

The endowed position will support faculty salary enhancements, research activities, and program resources. University officials said the position will become the seventh endowed role within the Raven Precision Agriculture Center and will support collaboration with the Department of Animal Science. 

Precision agriculture research 

SDSU already has a national profile in precision agriculture through its four-year precision agriculture degree program and the Raven Precision Agriculture Center. The university also partners with the University of Debrecen in Hungary on precision agriculture education initiatives. 

Dick Nicolai recognized a need for stronger coursework and research opportunities focused on livestock technology systems. 

“While assisting with various courses in animal science and agriculture systems, I noticed that students could benefit significantly from this opportunity to grow in precision livestock, especially in waste management,” Nicolai said. “But there are many more aspects of precision livestock that have developed recently and need to be covered in other courses, such as ventilation, pasture systems and virtual fencing. Technology is so much better than it was 20 years ago.” 

Nicolai grew up on a farm and later earned an engineering degree before working for Ford Tractor and returning to farming. In 1994, he joined a University of Minnesota research team studying livestock air quality and odor management issues before later joining SDSU. 

He began teaching in SDSU’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering about 25 years ago and retired in 2011. His teaching and research focused on environmental issues in agriculture and livestock systems. 

Endowed position 

According to SDSU, proceeds from the farmland sale will be invested in an endowment fund, with about 4% distributed annually to support the position and related programming. 

Mark Sandager, development director for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at the SDSU Alumni & Foundation, said endowed faculty positions help strengthen the university’s long-term research and education efforts. 

“As the university grows and stretches to achieve academic and research goals, endowed positions are one of the most important tools we have,” Sandager said. “We are able to attract the best and the brightest talent, make our university more resilient in the dynamic landscape of grant funding, and fulfill the land-grant mission of research, education and outreach much more comprehensively.” 

SDSU said the endowed position will be awarded after the university hires an associate or full professor for the role. The university is currently accepting applications for the Nicolai Endowed Professor in Precision Livestock Systems position. More information about the position can be found on the SDSU Employment website. 

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].