Spartan Geography Alum named 2025 President’s Research Award recipient at University of South Dakota

April 17, 2025

Ranjeet John was awarded the President’s Award for Research Excellence for New or Mid-Career Faculty or Staff for his grantsmanship endeavors from the University of South Dakota. John’s research focuses on the dynamics and human modification of terrestrial ecosystems analyzed in the context of land cover/use change, human-environment interactions and extreme climate events. John has been successful as a PI and co-PI on funded grants totaling more than $2.09 million. He has published 59 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and eight scholarly book chapters. Of these, 19 journal articles and three book chapters have been published since arriving at USD, with seven articles including graduate-student co-authors. John has presented at several conferences and is on the editorial board for multiple journals. He has taken an active role in teaching, mentoring graduate research and growing enrollment for the geospatial analysis programs.  

Candidates were reviewed based on past and current research accomplishments, including criteria such as publications, presentations, successful grantsmanship, peer review experience, maintenance of an active graduate or undergraduate program and being conferred other competitive research awards.  

John received his master's degree in Geography at MSU under advisor Jiaguo Qi with a focus on Remote Sensing. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Biology with a focus in Ecology under advisor Jiquan Chen, from the University of Toledo. Previous appointments include Fixed-term Research Faculty at MSU, a Visiting Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University, and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Toledo. He is currently a Principal Investigator/Co-Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator on National Science Foundation grant-funded projects and Co-Investigator on a NASA Land Cover Land Use Change project. He serves on the Editorial Boards of Landscape Ecology (Springer), Environmental Remote Sensing (MDPI) and previously on the Editorial Board of Environmental Research Communications (IOP).