A new collaboration between South Dakota State University and a Hungarian college is branching into livestock genetics.
SDSU and the University of Debrecen entered an agreement last spring on precision agriculture courses. Now an SDSU faculty member who specializes in livestock breeding and genetics is headed to Hungary for four months to teach and conduct research.
SDSU animal science professor Dr. Michael Gonda will teach much of the same classes he does in Brookings. He’ll collaborate with Hungarian faculty and graduate students on their beef cattle genetics research projects.
Dr. Michael Gonda instructs SDSU student Sydney Heins in a lab.
Late this past April, Gonda learned that he received the Fulbright Scholarship Award which allows him to travel to a different country to teach and conduct research. He said he was excited for chance at a new opportunity.
“It made me feel surprised. I did not expect to get the award on the first attempt,†says Gonda. “I have been at SDSU for 17 years and just the opportunity to do something new is really exciting to me.â€
The timing of the university’s new collaboration with the University of Debrecen played into his decision of where to travel under his Fullbright Scholarship.
“The logical choice would be to go to places I already have collaborations established, like with South Africa or Turkey, but I wanted to travel somewhere that was completely different,†says Gonda.
People are also reading…
SDSU swine production chairman and professor Bob Thaler recommended Hungary as a good fit because of the new joint program. Thaler completed a Fulbright stay in Vietnam.
Gonda discovered the University of Debrecen had a Fulbright opportunity, which he applied for and received. While there, he will serve as a representative of South Dakota State, being a resource for Hungarian students who might want to travel to Brookings for the precision ag program.
Dr. Michael Gonda stands next to Jessica Hewitt. Hewitt chose Gonda to be her mentor and put a stethoscope around her neck to celebrate being accepted into veterinary school.
“If you think about how nervous my wife and I are about traveling to the other side of the world for four months, I can image how students currently at this university in Hungary would have this same anxiety about leaving Hungary and going all the way over to the other side of the world to South Dakota for six months to a year,†says Gonda. “I hope I can answer their questions, help them learn a little bit about what to expect while they’re over at South Dakota State University.â€
Answering questions about South Dakota will be the cherry on top for Gonda, but his main source of excitement comes from the chance to collaborate with another country and to help Hungary with beef cattle research. He looks forward to building international collaborations and working on different types of research projects.
Dr. Michael Gonda looks on as SDSU student Sydney Heins works in a lab.
He said he hopes to bring wheat he learns back to the U.S. and help beef producers at home.
For those in Hungary, he said it’s a benefit to have a fresh set of eyes looking at their cattle, and the data their breed associations have collected. Helping them with their analysis can help them understand more about the genetics of the cattle breeds they have there, he said.
As the school year progresses, Gonda is looking forward to seeing where teaching and research with the University of Debrecen goes.
“They’re going to have, I’m sure, different perspectives on beef cattle and agriculture that I don’t have,†says Gonda. “I’m just really looking forward to learning from them about their perspectives and bringing them back to the United States.â€
Gabby Fink is an SDSU graduate with a degree in agricultural communications. She is an award winning journalist for the Volga Tribune and in 2022 served as a Tri-State Neighbor Youth Crop Watcher, sharing updates from her family’s farm in Plankinton, South Dakota.
