By Jim Massey – Freelance writer
A committee within the UW-Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences has come up with a list of eight development priorities to help move the department ahead in the upcoming years.
The department’s External Relations and Recruiting Committee polled the faculty of the recently merged department for items they felt should come before the committee, explored each item, and came up with a priority list.
Following is a brief description of each of the priorities.
- Scholarships for undergraduate students to assist in recruitment of prospective students and career direction of Animal and Dairy Sciences undergraduate students. The general scholarship fund would be targeted toward pre-vet sophomore and junior students based on need and merit. Funding goal: $200,000 endowment fund minimum.
- Scholarships for animal and dairy science majors leading to a senior thesis. Few Animal Science or Dairy Science majors currently enroll in a senior thesis, and the goal would be to have 10 percent of departmental undergraduates participate. Funding goal: $25,000 endowment fund minimum.
- Scholarships for undergraduate Animal and Dairy Science majors to study abroad. The department looks to establish a general scholarship fund to assist students in easing the financial burden of studying abroad and grant them equal access for financial assistance. The scholarship’s goal would be for 10 percent of the department’s undergraduates to have one study abroad experience when they graduate. Funding goal: $25,000 endowment fund minimum.
- Undergraduate Meat Science Scholarships for Animal and Dairy Sciences majors. Students have an opportunity to gain experience in an unmatched state-of-the-art Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery building and program. Scholarships would help students gain experience associated with a research or Extension project or in pursuing production-related career opportunities. Funding goal: $25,000 endowment fund minimum.
- Undergraduate Meat Science/industry-related training with an academic instructor. This position would enable a greater number of laboratory-based courses throughout the year, enhance the ability of Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery and other faculty to offer lab-based courses; support industry-applied type research and development requests; and allow for a graduate student to be involved with coaching the meat/animal judging teams. Funding goal: $1.6 million endowment fund minimum.
- Undergraduate Meat Judging Program Assistant. This fund would be used to recruit a highly talented student into the graduate program at UW-Madison. The program assistant would provide the training associated with the meat judging team and provide the team with the opportunity to tour various meat-packing plants, meat-processing plants and allied industry companies. Funding goal: $500,000 endowment fund minimum.
- “Cows on Campus” Dairy Cattle Center Visitor Area.” Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people visit the Dairy Cattle Center each year to see the cows and tour the facility. The “Cows on Campus” project would create a visitor center to include a welcome area and interactive dairy exhibits. Combined with the exhibits in the new Babcock Hall and Meat and Animal Biologics Discovery buildings, a high-impact tourism destination could be developed in the heart of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences campus. Funding goal: $150,000 for study, design and construction.
- Animal Sciences Library Space. This project would consist of complete renovation of the Animal Sciences building main floor library to transform it into a pleasant space for students to relax, study, hang out between classes, and study and work together on group assignments. Funding goal: $100,000.