of the program. Two alumni were chosen as Truman Scholars in 2004 and 2006.
=== Department of Military Science ===
The Department of Military Science commissions officers into the United States Army and United States Air Force through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.
Some graduates have become general officers, including William E. DePuy, Jake Krull, Raymond W. Carpenter, Franklin J. Blaisdell, Mark A. Clark. Medal of Honor recipients Leo K. Thorsness and Willibald C. Bianchi attended the university.
=== Research achievements ===
South Dakota State University currently ranks among the Midwest's top research universities, notably in the fields of agricultural science, biological science, and engineering. It is consistently listed in U.S. News & World Report's "Top 200 National Universities" in its college and university rankings. The campus is also home to the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, a research and educational collaboration with United States Geological Survey Center for Earth …
