The Dairy Innovation Hub held its fourth annual Dairy Symposium on May 14 at UW–Madison’s Memorial Union. More than 250 people attended the event, including researchers, students, campus staff, and others from the dairy community. Throughout the day, attendees shared and discussed research funded by the Dairy Innovation Hub. The event included keynote speakers, breakout sessions, student presentations, as well as research posters. The Dairy Innovation Hub hosts this event as the academic version of the public Dairy Summit held each fall.
The Dairy Innovation Hub is a $7.8M-per-year state-funded effort to support the success of Wisconsin’s dairy community by advancing science, developing talent, and also leveraging collaboration at UW–Madison, UW–Platteville, and UW–River Falls. Since its launch in 2019, the Hub has funded more than 250 projects and 18 faculty positions across the three campuses.
“The Dairy Innovation Hub is a true partnership,” said associate vice chancellor for research at UW-Madison, Cynthia Czajkowski. “It brings together industry leaders, state government, and our universities to support dairy in Wisconsin.”
The keynote speaker was Mike Brown, vice president for dairy market intelligence at T.C. Jacoby & Company. He explained how research from UW–Madison and others helps guide smart decisions in the dairy supply chain. Morning sessions featured topics such as human health, dairy nutrition, and land and water stewardship. Speakers presented on whey protein, phosphorus loss, and new tools like SnapPlus for nutrient planning.
Afternoon sessions focused on animal health and rural community growth. Topics included dairy calf immunity, cattle genetics, and farm labor trends. UW–Madison professor Tessa Conroy discussed her work on rural livability and made valuable research connections.
Later, a panel discussed the $23 million Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration project, supported by many national partners. This effort aims to improve soil health, reduce emissions, and expand economic opportunities in dairy regions.
The Symposium ended with a student flash talk competition and research poster displays. Ten students gave short talks, and more than 50 posters were available for viewing.
Graduate student Fiorella Viquez Umaña won the flash talk contest with her work on calf gut bacteria.
Recordings from the Symposium are available on the Dairy Innovation Hub’s YouTube channel.
