Committed to learning

Diligent studies lead to position at Ward Laboratories

Kerry Hoffschneider
May 30, 2025
May 30, 2025

Ward Labs Hope Story 1.jpg — At Ward Laboratories, Dr. Bikram Kumar Das works to improve processes so customers get their data with accuracy and speed.
Submitted photo

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Dr. Bikram Kumar Das has dedicated his life to studying since growing up in Nepal, and today he serves as the feed, forage and environmental department supervisor for Ward Laboratories in Kearney, Nebraska.

kAms2D 62C?65 9:D 5@4E@C2E6 568C66 :? q:@=@8:42= $4:6?46D 7C@> $@FE9 s2<@E2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ W$s$&X :? a_aa] q67@C6 ;@:?:?8 (2C5 {23@C2E@C:6D[ 96 H2D 2 A@DE5@4E@C2= C6D62C496C 2E E96 86?@>:4D D6BF6?4:?8 724:=:EJ 2E $s$&]k^Am

Ward Labs Hope Story 2.jpg — Bikram Kumar Das completed his doctorate at South Dakota State University, doing work on genomics sequencing and soil microbiology.
South Dakota State University

kAms2D 8C6H FA :? 2 >:55=6 4=2DD 72>:=J @7 7@FC :? }6A2= H96C6 9:D >@> H2D 2 9@FD6H:76 2?5 9:D 72E96C H@C<65 @FED:56 E96 9@>6] p7E6C 9:89 D49@@=[ 96 H2D AC6A2C:?8 7@C 2 >65:42= 6?EC2?46 6I2>:?2E:@?[ 3FE 9:D 72E96C 4@F=5 ?@E 277@C5 E96 4@DE 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 >65:42= DEF5:6D[ 96 D2:5] $@[ 96 E@@< 2 82A J62C 2?5 564:565 E@ DEF5J >:4C@3:@=@8J] w6 >256 2? :?4@>6 EFE@C:?8 DEF56?ED[ 62C?:?8 23@FE S`_ 2 >@?E9 7@C 6IA6?D6D]k^Am

kAm%96 E9:C5 J62C @7 9:D 32496=@C’D DEF5:6D :? }6A2=[ s2D E@@< D@>6 6IEC2 EFE@C:?8 4=2DD6D 2?5 5:5 D@>6 8C@FA DEF5:6D H:E9 9:D 7C:6?5D] w6 A2DD65 H:E9 5:DE:?4E:@?]k^Am

kAmuC@> E96C6[ 96 H2?E65 E@ DEF5J 7FCE96C 3FE 5:5 ?@E 92G6 E96 >@?6J] w6 DE2CE65 E6249:?8 9:89 D49@@= =6G6= DEF56?ED D4:6?46[ >2E96>2E:4D[ 962=E9[ 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 A@AF=2E:@? 65F42E:@?] p7E6C 23@FE 7@FC J62CD[ 96 D2G65 6?@F89 2?5 ;@:?65 E96 >2DE6C’D AC@8C2> 2E $@FE9 s2<@E2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 >@G6 42>6 H:E9 3:8 =62C?:?8 4FCG6D @FED:56 @7 D49@@=]k^Am

kAm“x? }6A2= H6 925 2 G6CJ 5:776C6?E :?7C2DECF4EFC6[” 96 6IA=2:?65] “(6 5C:G6 @? E96 =67E\92?5 D:56 @7 E96 C@25[ 2?5 E96 42A:E2= 4:EJ[ z2E9>2?5F[ :D G6CJ 4C@H565] x? qC@@<:?8D[ $@FE9 s2<@E2[ 6G6CJ@?6 H2D D@ 7C:6?5=J] xE H2D ;FDE 2 5:776C6?E 766=:?8 96C6 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]”k^Am

kAmpD 2 E6249:?8 2DD:DE2?E[ 96 =62C?65 E9C@F89 2 =@E @7 EC2:?:?8D[ D6>:?2CD 2?5 E6249:?8 H@C<D9@AD E92E J@F ?665 E@ A6CD@?2=:K6 E96 E6249:?8 6IA6C:6?46 96C6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

Ward Labs Hope Story 3.jpg — Bikram Kumar Das completed his doctorate at South Dakota State University, doing work on genomics sequencing and soil microbiology.
South Dakota State University

People are also reading…

Dairy era ends in sadness
Lifelong cowboy continues team roping career at 87
Plant soybeans early, Below says
Research farm director welcomes next generation of ag
Virtual fence shows potential for producers
Fertilizer prices seasonally higher, rising globally
DSU student designs inventory software for Hadrick Ranch
The sacrifice and perseverance of a ranch woman
Defend Digestive Function to Protect Profitability
Seasonal supply squeeze drives sheep, goat prices
Brooks Chalky Butte Angus Ranch 2026 Production Sale
Nations race to secure enough fertilizer
2026 Farm Financial Stability loans overwhelm BND
Upside Robotics builds robots with sensors to fertilize cornfields in tiny doses
Couples partner to open Sasquatch Acres farmstand

kAmpE $s$&[ s2D 4@?5F4E65 DEF5:6D C6=2E65 E@ D@:= >:4C@3:@=@8J[ >65:42= C6D62C49 2?5 ?6IE\86?6C2E:@? D6BF6?4:?8] x? E96 D@:= DEF5:6D 2C6?2[ 96 7@4FD65 9:D C6D62C49 :? D6G6C2= 2C62Di 492?86D :? E96 D@:= >:4C@3:2= 4@>>F?:EJ :? C6DA@?D6 E@ C@@E 6IF52E6D[ 5:C64E A=2?E 8C@HE9 AC@>@E:@? 3J ?:EC@86?\7:I:?8 324E6C:2 :D@=2E65 7C@> ?2EFC2= 8C2DD=2?5 D@:=[ 2?5 D@:= AC@<2CJ@E:4 5:G6CD6 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 9@H E96J C6>2:? DE23=6 24C@DD D62D@?D]k^Am

kAmw6 5:5 2 9@DE @7 A@DE\5@4E@C2= C6D62C49 2E E96 4@==686[ H9:49 :?4=F565 4@?5F4E:?8 :??@G2E:G6 C6D62C49 :? >24C@A9286 :>>F?6 7F?4E:@? E92E 7@4FD65 @? A928@4JE:4 96E6C@86?6:EJ FD:?8 D:?8=6\46== #}p D6BF6?4:?8 E649?:BF6 2?5 H9@=6 86?@>6 r#x$!# D4C66?:?8] w6 2=D@ >2?2865 E96 D6BF6?4:?8 AC@;64ED 2E E96 F?:G6CD:EJ’D 86?@>:4D D6BF6?4:?8 724:=:EJ]k^Am

kAmpE (2C5 {23@C2E@C:6D[ 9:D C@=6 :D E@ >2<6 DFC6 E6DE:?8 @7 28C:4F=EFC2= D2>A=6D DF49 2D 7665[ D=FCCJ[ H2E6C 2?5 2?JE9:?8 E92E 42? 96=A 72C>6CD :D 5@?6 244FC2E6=J 2?5 :? 2 E:>6=J >2??6C] w:D E62> CF?D E96 D2>A=6D[ 2?5 96 4C62E6D A=2?D D@ 4FDE@>6CD 86E E96:C 52E2 @? E:>6]k^Am

kAm“(6 ECJ E@ >2:?E2:? 2 EH@\52J EFC?@G6C[” 96 D2:5] “|2:?E2:?:?8 BF2=:EJ DE2?52C5D :D @7 E96 FE>@DE :>A@CE2?46 D@ E92E 72C>6CD 42? >2<6 :?7@C>65 564:D:@?D]”k^Am

Ward Labs Hope Story 4.jpg — Bikram Kumar Das and his wife Neha Karna were both SDSU students.
Submitted photo

kAmpD 2 =6256C @7 9:D 56A2CE>6?E[ 96 EC:6D E@ 6?DFC6 =23 E649D 2C6 :?56A6?56?E=J H@C<:?8 92C5 E@ >2<6 DFC6 H@C<7=@H :D ?6G6C 92>A6C65]k^Am

kAm“x ECJ 2?5 36 E96 6IA6CE @7 H92E x 5@ 2?5 ECJ 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 E96C6 :D 2 3:886C :>A24E :? >J H@C<[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6 2AAC64:2E6D 9@H A6@A=6 :? E96 C6D62C49 6?G:C@?>6?E 2C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ AFCDF6 A6CD@?2= 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am

kAm“x 42? 36 5@:?8 @?6 E9:?8 E@52J 2?5 :7 x >2<6 2 DJDE6> D6=7\DFDE2:?:?8[ E96? x 42? DH:E49 E@ D@>6E9:?8 6=D6[” 96 D2:5] “x 92G6 =62C?65 D@ >F49 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ =62C? D@ >F49]”k^Am

kAm(2C5 {23@C2E@C:6D :D =@@<:?8 E@ 6IA2?5 9:D C6DA@?D:3:=:E:6D 2?5 E@ 86E 9:> 6G6? >@C6 :?G@=G65 :? :>AC@G:?8 AC@46DD6D 2?5 677:4:6?4:6D] xE’D 2 H2J 96 42? :?4@CA@C2E6 H92E 96’D =62C?65 E96 A2DE `a J62CD 2?5 FD6 E92E <?@H=6586 E@ 6?92?46 >6E9@5D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmrFCC6?E=J[ s2D :D ECJ:?8 E@ 6IE6?5 9:D H@C< A6C>:E 2?5 86E 2 C6D:56?4J 2?5 9@A6D 6G6CJE9:?8 4@>6D E@86E96C D@ E92E 96 2?5 9:D H:76 }692 z2C?2[ 2=D@ 2 DEF56?E 2E $s$&[ 42? >2<6 2 =:76 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am

kAm“x 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E96 7FEFC6 H:== 36 7@C >6[” s2D D2:5] “qFE x H:== <66A =62C?:?8 2?5 5@:?8 >J 36DE E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 A@D:E:G6=J E@ E96 7FEFC6 @7 D4:6?46]”k^Am

Kerry Hoffschnieder is a founder of the Lincoln, Nebraska-based GrazeMaster Group, who writes Hope Stories to show that caring for the soil and all natural resources is possible, profitable and benefits all life on earth. Reach her at kerry@grazemaster.com or visit grazemastergroup.com.