South Dakota student recognized as National FFA Star

HARTFORD, S.D. - South Dakota's Elizabeth Renner recently received a national award for her achievements in agriscience, FFA's American Star in Agriscience.
She is a member of the West Central FFA chapter in Hartford, S.D. As a senior at Augustana University, she is a double major in biology, specializing in ecology and environmental science. She's also studying spanish.
"From a young age, I loved being around water," she says. "It's always something that's interested me."
While she always loved spending time outdoors, her interest in ecology and environmental research began when she was 12. She came from a pro-ag background, but quickly became invested in research when she saw issues with a proposed swine farm near her home.
"There was a proposal for a CAFO about half a mile from my house, and it was going to be built right on top of a drainage ditch and had a lacking waste management plan," Renner says. "I realized how much these things mattered and that agriculture needs to be conscious of the environment. It really sparked my interest."
Renner credits her freshman college adviser, Carrie Hall, and FFA adviser Linda Petersen, a teacher with a love of science, for encouraging her to pursue her passion and to be involved.
Petersen has known Renner from a young age and describes her as someone who is passionate about the environment and wants to save the world.
"She is naturally a very curious and smart person," Petersen says. "She was always the last out of a hotel room when we would travel, because she had to make sure there was no water dripping and all the lights were shut off."
Renner's first research project focused on common herbicides, where, with the help of a local farmer, she learned to dilute solutions. From this project, her Supervised Agricultural Experience was born.
At college, Renner participated in academic research with Hall. They studied the effects of herbicide on the mortality and birth rates of the American Burying Beetles, an endangered species.
Her first published research was on local native prairie sites. She analyzed changes in soil samples, using stable isotope analysis on carbon isotope signatures.
"The woodlands currently standing used to be grasslands," she says. "We were looking for that shift in soil from C5 to C4. From that, I was able to help make management recommendations that would help bring back the native vegetation."
This research was published in 2015 in the South Dakota Academy of Science journal. It is currently her only published work, although she hopes to have more in the future.
Renner has worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnehaha Conservation District and South Dakota Department of Transportation, and participated in a research program at Kansas State.
"This would not have been possible if not for my experiences with my SAE," Renner says. "I'm grateful for the preparation FFA gave me."
Renner's goal is to attain an advanced degree in aquatic ecology and to continue doing research on the Great Plains ecosystems.
"We are called to be stewards of the land, and stewardship is grounded in science," Renner says. "We need to understand this important issue and live responsibly."
Renner received her American Star Award in Agriscience at the 89th National FFA Convention which took place Oct. 19 to 22.