Ryan Lefers Joins SDSU as Water Expert

By Scout Nelson

South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension has announced the appointment of Ryan Lefers as the new Griffith Endowed Chair in Agriculture and Water Resources, Director of the South Dakota Water Resources Institute, and SDSU Extension Water Management Specialist.

In his new role, Lefers will lead the South Dakota Water Resources Institute, which focuses on advancing research, education, and outreach related to water use, conservation, and sustainability. Based in Brookings, he will work with communities, students, and professionals to address emerging water challenges across the state.

“Ryan’s life and work experience are an excellent fit for SDSU Extension,” said Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension interim Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director and Livestock Business Management Field Specialist. “Water is one of South Dakota's precious resources that affects every citizen in some manner. In this position, he will be able to incorporate those past experiences and guide best management practices across a broad range of water users.”

A native of Corsica, Lefers grew up on his family’s dairy and mixed crop farm. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture and biosystems engineering from SDSU and later received a doctorate in environmental science and engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Before joining SDSU Extension, Lefers co-founded several agriculture and water resource companies, including iyris (formerly Red Sea Farms), which develops technologies for growing food in hot climates.

His professional background also includes roles at Wenck Associates (now Stantec) in Minnesota and as an assistant professor at Texas A&M University.

“As the state's population increases and demand for water resources changes, having that experience from arid climates is really valuable as we also shift our design and thinking to account for water scarcity,” Lefers said.

Photo Credit: south-dakota-state-university