Greetings from Animal and Dairy Sciences at UW-Madison!
Sara Gragg, Department Chair
Dear Colleagues, Alumni, and Friends,
I am pleased to share several exciting developments from the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
First, I am honored to serve as the new Chair of the department. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Kent Weigel, who served as an excellent leader in this role for 14 years. Dr. Weigel now continues his leadership at UW–Madison as Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs. We thank him for his many contributions and wish him continued success in this new capacity. I also want to recognize and thank Dr. Hasan Khatib for his excellent service as interim chair from January through June of this year.
As we begin a new academic year, our department is energized by the arrival of new and returning students. This fall, we welcomed 150 incoming freshmen and 10 transfer students across our two undergraduate majors. Our Animal and Veterinary Biosciences major, launched in Fall 2023, has experienced significant growth—from 81 students in its inaugural year to 155 new students (freshmen and transfer) this fall. We are also proud to introduce our newest undergraduate major, Dairy and Food Animal Management (DFAM), which is featured in this newsletter. We look forward to supporting the growth and success of this program in the years ahead.
In support of graduate education, we have recently launched M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Animal and Dairy Sciences, further strengthening our commitment to research, innovation, and academic excellence.
Our department continues to uphold its legacy of leadership in dairy science. This fall, our Senior Dairy Judging Team earned first place overall and first in reasons at the American Collegiate Dairy Judging Contest—a remarkable achievement that reflects the dedication and expertise of our students and faculty. Additionally, our faculty recently contributed their knowledge to support the dairy industry in Thailand, exemplifying our global engagement and impact.
This summer marked the fifth anniversary of the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) building. This state-of-the-art facility continues to advance our land-grant mission by fostering innovation in meat science and biologics, as well as facilitating collaboration among faculty, students, and industry partners.
These highlights represent only a portion of the outstanding work occurring in our department. I invite you to explore the full newsletter to learn more about our programs, research, and outreach efforts.
Thank you for your continued support of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. I look forward to serving in this role and engaging with our excellent community of students, alumni, colleagues, and partners.
Warm regards,
Sara Gragg
Chair, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences
University of Wisconsin–Madison