SDSU Names John Blanton Jr. Research Vice President
South Dakota State University has named John Blanton Jr. vice president for research and economic development, effective December 22.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in People
South Dakota State University named John Blanton Jr., currently associate dean for research and director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, to succeed Daniel Scholl, who is retiring in December after more than 15 years at the university. Blanton will assume the position on December 22.
Why it matters
The appointment places a leader with oversight of eight experiment stations, 19 research farms and more than 15,000 acres of research property in charge of the university-wide research enterprise. The role will include efforts to expand sponsored research and build industry partnerships across South Dakota.
Under Blanton's leadership, the college's annual research expenditures reached approximately $61 million, with Blanton participating in 63 externally funded grants and contracts totaling nearly $27 million. Blanton is also a co-inventor on two patents, though the report does not state the baseline period for the growth figures.
The players
John Blanton Jr.
Blanton is an agricultural researcher and academic administrator who previously headed the animal sciences department at Purdue University and has also worked at Mississippi State University.
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is a public land-grant university based in Brookings, with additional campuses in Sioux Falls, Pierre and Rapid City, serving the state of South Dakota.
The details
Blanton currently serves as associate dean for research in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and as director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. He was selected through a national search conducted by the university, and he has led the statewide research enterprise since joining the university in 2023, after previously heading the Purdue animal sciences department.
Timeline
2021 to 2023: Blanton served as head of the Purdue University animal sciences department.
2023: Blanton joined South Dakota State University.
December 2026: Daniel Scholl retires after more than 15 years at the university.
December 22, 2026: Blanton assumes the vice president for research and economic development role.
Market Landscape
The appointment consolidates research leadership under the director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, which Blanton already leads. The university is pursuing a Carnegie Research 1 classification, a benchmark that would place it among the nation's highest-research-activity institutions.
For South Dakotans, the appointment signals the direction of research funded and conducted at the state's land-grant university, which affects agricultural and economic programs statewide. The leadership change is scheduled for December 22, 2026, so the effects on specific programs will unfold gradually.
The takeaway
Leadership transitions at land-grant universities can shape research priorities for years, so the appointment is worth watching as the university pursues its research goals. Readers interested in the sector can track how the new vice president approaches industry partnerships and sponsored research.
What happens next
Blanton assumes the vice president for research and economic development role on December 22, 2026, and Daniel Scholl retires in December 2026.
Further reading
Explore more South Dakota business people news to see other leadership changes shaping the state's economy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Brookings Radio.
