Tag: dairy scholarship

NMPF Names 2024 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Winners

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors has selected five graduate students researching in areas that benefit dairy cooperatives and producers to receive scholarships as part of the 2024 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. Scholarship recipients include:

  • Agustin Olivo, a doctoral candidate in Animal Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Olivo’s research focuses on evaluation and dissemination of system analysis tools and performance indicators to improve environmental outcomes of New York dairies.
  • Ana Beatriz Montevecchio Bernardino, a doctoral candidate in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Montevecchio Bernardino is studying the effect of a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory formulation on welfare of Holstein cows challenged with E. coli.
  • Grant Fincham, a master’s of science candidate in Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Fincham’s research looks at whole animal energy utilization and manure biogas production in feeding dried distillers grains with solubles to lactating dairy cattle.
  • Lynn Olthof, a doctoral candidate in Animal Science-Dairy Management at Michigan State University. Olthof is studying the economic implications of dairy farm management decisions.
  • Megan Lauber, a doctoral candidate in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lauber is investigating an integrated approach to optimize sexed semen in dairy herds.

“Congratulations to each recipient of this year’s NMPF scholarships,” said NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud. “Supporting high-quality dairy research benefits our members and cooperatives, which fundamentally is what NMPF strives to do every day. We look forward to the contributions these scholars will make to the dairy community and are thrilled to help these students succeed.”

The recipients were confirmed as part of NMPF’s Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, VA, on June 5-6. To learn more about and contribute to the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship program, please visit: www.nmpf.org/programs/scholarship.

Scholarship Fundraising Raffle Live

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF’s annual scholarship fundraising raffle is now live, running through this year’s Joint Annual Meeting that concludes Nov. 15 when winners are announced. Prizes this year include American Express gift cards, Target gift cards, a Cabot Creamery Premium Gift Box, and more. The raffle can be accessed here.

The NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program supports Master’s and Ph.D. students conducting research important to dairy farmers. The scholarship program is largely funded through the raffle fundraiser, making ticket purchases essential to its funding. Sustaining this program means ensuring that critical research benefiting the entire dairy community can continue.

Scholarship winners for 2023 selected by the NMPF Scholarship Committee included five graduate students who are conducting research in areas that will benefit dairy cooperatives and producers. Scholarships, announced to NMPF’s Board of Directors in June, were awarded to:

  • Alanna Staffin, a Ph.D. candidate in Integrative and Biomedical Physiology at Penn State University, whose research focuses on the effects of palmitic and stearic acids on mammary gland uptake, gene expression, and metabolism in lactating dairy cows.
  • Alyssa Thibodeau, a MS candidate in Food Science and Technology and Oregon State University, whose research addresses upcycling of whey to produce craft organic acid-based beverages or vinegar with novel yeast and bacteria co-cultures.
  • Bhaswati Chowdhury, a MS candidate in Biological Sciences – Dairy Science at South Dakota State University, whose research focuses on the control of persistent environmental Listeria monocytogenes within the dairy processing plant using genomic and phenotypic approaches.
  • Luke Fuerniss, a Ph.D. in Animal Science at Texas Tech University, with research focusing on beef genetics in the dairy management system, evaluating the effects of management systems and maternal genetics.
  • Usman Arshad, a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition at University of Florida, whose research focuses on choline and its role in hepatic metabolism and performance in dairy cows.

Application Deadline Approaching for National Dairy Leadership Scholarship

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program’s April 14 application deadline for academic year 2023-2024 is quickly approaching.

Each year, NMPF awards scholarships to outstanding students enrolled in master’s or doctoral programs actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the U.S. dairy industry.

Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application. Applicants do not need to be NMPF members to qualify). Scholarship recipients will be invited to present their research via webinar this summer. Top applicants are eligible to be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz, who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF websiteNMPF website or email scholarship@nmpf.org.

The scholarship program is funded through the National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Fund. If you would like to support the scholarship fund, please consider a donation here.

Applications Now Accepted for NMPF’s Scholarship Program

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF is now accepting applications for its National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program for academic year 2023-2024.

Each year, NMPF awards scholarships to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Master’s or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the US dairy industry at large.

Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify). Scholarship recipients will be invited to present their research via webinar during the summer of 2023. Top applicants are eligible to be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, which was created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

Applications must be received no later than Friday, April 14, 2023.  For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or email scholarship@nmpf.org.

The scholarship program is funded through the National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Fund. If you would like to support the scholarship fund, please consider a donation here.

NMPF Scholarship Supports Dairy’s Future

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Holiday giving season is under way, and NMPF’s National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program is a worthy beneficiary for anyone who cares about a better industry future, explains Nicole Ayache, who leads the program at NMPF, in the latest Dairy Defined podcast. The scholarship supports graduate students, enrolled in master’s or doctoral programs, who are actively pursuing dairy related fields of research that directly benefit milk marketing cooperatives and the U.S. dairy industry at large. To learn more about it or to donate, just go to NMPF’s home page, nmpf.org, and click on the blue bar.

“As we look at the last 10 years or so of recipients, all of those recipients have stayed within agriculture,” said Ayache, who also serves as NMPF’s vice president for environmental stewardship and sustainability and leads the FARM Program’s Environmental Stewardship initiative. “In research, academia, allied industry, whatever it might be, those individuals have stayed within agriculture, and the majority within dairy itself. So we do believe that the scholarships we are awarding are really fulfilling our goal, which is to support the future of dairy.”

The full podcast is here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file below. Please attribute information to NMPF.

NMPF Announces Scholarship Recipients, Recognizes ADSA Winners

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today announced the recipients of its 2022 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship awards, recognizing outstanding graduate students pursuing research of interest to the U.S. dairy industry. The awards, funded by dairy farmers and their cooperatives, support the next generation of dairy researchers, extension staff, academics and industry professionals.

“On behalf of its Board of Directors, NMPF is proud to recognize, support and celebrate this year’s scholarship recipients,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Our scholarship program helps graduate students pursue research that brings scientific solutions to many of dairy’s challenges. We applaud this year’s awardees and look forward to their future contributions.”

Catherine McVey received this year’s top scholarship, NMPF’s Hintz Memorial Scholarship award. A North Carolina native, McVey received dual undergraduate degrees in Animal Science and Statistics at North Carolina State University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Animal Biology at the University of California-Davis, where she is supported by the Dean’s Distinguished Research Fellowship. McVey’s research focuses on extracting complex behavioral patterns from precision livestock farming through unsupervised machine learning.

NMPF’s Board of Directors also awarded a scholarship to Kirby Krogstad. Krogstad grew up on dairy farms in South Dakota and Minnesota. He completed his undergraduate degree at South Dakota State University, followed by a master’s degree in dairy cattle nutrition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Animal Science at Michigan State University and studies nutritional strategies and feed additives to modulate inflammation and health of dairy cows.

NMPF also sponsors student awards through the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA). This year’s Richard M. Hoyt Award winner, Bethany Dado-Senn, was recognized at ADSA’s annual meeting June 21. Dado-Senn grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Wisconsin. Her doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison investigates consequences and solutions to environmental heat stress in dairy cattle.

Michigan State University graduate students Ursula Abou-Rjeileh and Thainá Minela received first-place recognition as part of the NMPF sponsored ADSA Graduate Student Paper Presentation Contest in Dairy Production in the Ph.D. and M.S. divisions, respectively.

Learn more about the NMPF scholarship program here. The 2023 application period will open in January 2023. For information about ADSA awards, visit its awards page here.

2022 Scholarship Winners Announced

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

At their meeting June 7, the NMPF Scholarship Committee selected two graduate students to receive scholarships as part of the 2022 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. These students are conducting research in areas that will benefit dairy cooperatives and producers. Scholarships were awarded to:

  • Catherine McVey, a PhD candidate in Animal Biology at the University of California – Davis, whose research focuses on a model-free approach to extracting complex behavioral patterns from precision livestock farming data streams through unsupervised machine learning. Catie is this year’s recipient of the Hintz Memorial Scholarship given to the top scholarship candidate.
  • Kirby Krogstad, a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Michigan State University, whose research focuses on nutritional strategies and feed additives to modulate inflammation and health of dairy cows.

NMPF will host a webinar this summer to introduce this year’s scholarship recipients and offer the opportunity to hear more about their research. Details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Scholarship Applications Deadline Fast Approaching

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The deadline for NMPF’s National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program is fast approaching, with applications being accepted until Friday, April 15.

NMPF awards scholarships annually, ranging from $3,000 to $7,000, to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Master’s or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the US dairy industry at large.

Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify). Scholarship recipients will be invited to present their research via webinar during the summer of 2022. Top applicants are eligible to be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

Applications must be received no later than April 15. For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or email scholarship@nmpf.org.

NMPF Accepting Applications for 2022 Scholarship Program

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF is now accepting applications for its National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program for academic year 2022-2023.

NMPF awards scholarships annually to outstanding graduate students (enrolled in Master’s or Ph.D. programs) who are actively pursuing dairy-related fields of research that are of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives and the US dairy industry at large.

Graduate students pursuing research of direct benefit to milk marketing cooperatives and dairy producers are encouraged to submit an application (applicants do not need to be members of NMPF to qualify). Scholarship recipients will be invited to present their research via webinar during the summer of 2022. Top applicants are eligible to be awarded the Hintz Memorial Scholarship, created in 2005 in honor of the late Cass-Clay Creamery Board Chairman Murray Hintz who was instrumental in establishing NMPF’s scholarship program.

Recommended fields of study include but are not limited to Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Animal Health, Animal and/or Human Nutrition, Bovine Genetics, Dairy Products Processing, Dairy Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Food Science, Food Safety, Herd Management, and Marketing and Price Analysis.

Applications must be received no later than April 15. For an application or more information, please visit the NMPF website or email scholarship@nmpf.org.

2021 Scholarship Winners Announced

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The NMPF Scholarship Committee has selected three graduate students to receive scholarships as part of the 2021 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. These students are conducting research in areas that will benefit dairy cooperatives and producers. Scholarships were awarded to:

  • Alycia Drwencke, a Ph.D. candidate in Animal Behavior at the University of California – Davis, whose research focuses on the welfare implications of caustic paste disbudding and pain mitigation for dairy calves.
  • Paulo Menta, a Ph.D. candidate in Animal Science at Texas Tech University, whose research focuses on predicting metritis cure as a path to reducing antimicrobial use in dairy cattle.
  • Kelly Mitchell, a Ph.D. candidate in Nutrition at Ohio State University studying the stimulation of microbial protein synthesis by branched volatile fatty acids.