Champaign, IL (May 8, 2026)—The American Dairy Science Association® (ADSA) is pleased to announce Melissa Cantor as the 2026 recipient of the ADSA Foundation Early Career Award: Production Division. The award will be presented on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, during the awards ceremony at the ADSA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The ADSA Foundation Early Career Award was created to recognize two young scholars (one from the Dairy Foods Division and one from the Production Division) for their potential in research and/or educational leadership in identifying critical issues affecting the future of the dairy industry. Nominees must be within the first 3 to 5 years of their position following graduate school/postdoctoral fellowship completion (i.e., assistant professor, industry professional. Domestic and international nominations are welcome. The winner must deliver a symposium style address at the ADSA annual meeting to be scheduled as appropriate by the general program chair. The text of this address should focus on critical issues affecting the future of the dairy industry.
Melissa Cantor, PhD, is an assistant professor of precision dairy at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research is in precision innovation to improve dairy calf disease detection and performance. She is an alumna of the University of Kentucky and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a former postdoc from the University of Guelph. She has served as co–primary investigator on $2.6 million in extramural funding ($550,000 as primary investigator) since 2023, and coauthored 17 of her 39 peer-reviewed publications (corresponding author for 10 articles). Her world-renowned Calf Success Extension Program has outreach for dairy farmers and veterinarians globally, establishing her as a leader for the dairy industry.
It is with great pleasure that ADSA and the ADSA Foundation present Melissa Cantor with the 2026 ADSA Foundation Early Career Award: Production Division.
About the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA)
The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is an international organization of educators, scientists, and industry representatives who are committed to advancing the dairy industry and keenly aware of the vital role the dairy sciences play in fulfilling the economic, nutritive, and health requirements of the world’s population. It provides leadership in scientific and technical support to sustain and grow the global dairy industry through generation, dissemination, and exchange of information and services. Together, ADSA members have discovered new methods and technologies that have revolutionized the dairy industry. www.adsa.org