Champaign, IL (June 2, 2026) - The American Dairy Science Association® (ADSA) is proud to announce the election of three new board members for the organization’s 2026–2027 term.
Each of these leaders has built a career alongside ADSA, shaping and being shaped by this community as researchers, educators, and mentors. Elected by their fellow members, they carry those deep ties forward into roles where they will help guide the future of dairy science education, discovery, and public engagement.
The newly elected members are
- Jayendra Amamcharla, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, who was elected to the office of President-Elect for a one-year term.
- Haotian Zheng, an associate professor of food chemistry in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University, who was elected Dairy Foods Division director for a three-year term.
- Jillian Bohlen, an associate professor and state dairy extension specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia, who was elected Dairy Production Division director for a three-year term.
ADSA congratulates all three incoming board members and looks forward to welcoming them into their new roles at the ADSA 2026 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this June 21 to 24. ADSA also thanks the outstanding group of candidates who put their names forward to serve, and every member who participated in this year’s election.
Learn more about each new leader below, and see ADSA’s full Board of Directors at adsa.org.
Jayendra Amamcharla, ADSA President-Elect
Jayendra Amamcharla earned his BS in dairying from Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (India) and his MS in dairy engineering from the National Dairy Research Institute (India). He earned his PhD in agricultural and biosystems engineering from North Dakota State University (Fargo, ND). Following his doctoral studies, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Dairy Science Department at South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD). Subsequently, he was a professor of food science in the Animal Sciences and Industry Department at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) for 11 years.
Amamcharla currently serves as a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota (St. Paul, MN). His research program focuses on dairy fractionation and separation science, with an emphasis on the functional modification of milk proteins through protein–protein and protein–mineral interactions for high-protein applications. Amamcharla has a strong record of scholarly publications, success in securing extramural funding, and extensive teaching experience in both in-person and online formats. He also serves as the director of the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center (MDFRC) and the Joseph J. Warthesen Food Processing Center (pilot plant), both in St. Paul, Minnesota. As director of MDFRC, he collaborates with dairy industry partners, farmer-led organizations, and faculty across six universities to steer industry-driven collaborative research to advance dairy technologies, ingredients, and products.
He is the recipient of the 2017 ADSA Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Foods and the 2025 International Dairy Foods Association Research Award in Dairy Foods Processing. An active member of ADSA, he has served in multiple roles, including as a section editor for the Journal of Dairy Science.
At the University of Minnesota, he teaches Food Processing Fundamentals: I at the undergraduate level and Dairy Product Chemistry and Technology at the graduate level.
Haotian Zheng, ADSA Director—Dairy Foods Division
Haotian Zheng is an associate professor of Food Chemistry in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University (NC State; Raleigh, NC) and is affiliated with the Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center (Raleigh, NC). He holds a PhD in food science from the University of Otago (New Zealand), an MS in food technology from Wageningen University (the Netherlands), and a BEng in food science and engineering from Northeast Agricultural University (China).
Zheng has held several positions within the ADSA Dairy Foods Division; his service began as a member-at-large (2019–2022) and progressed to secretary (2022–2023), vice chair (2023–2024), and chair (2024–2025). He has also been an editorial board member for the Journal of Dairy Science since 2022.
Zheng’s research mines techno-functional properties of proteins from milk and other agricultural products to improve processed food stability, texture, and nutrient delivery efficacy via colloid, interface, and soft matter approaches. His laboratory develops diverse food structures, such as suspensions, emulsions, foams, and gels, utilizing proteins as the principal “building block.” He also teaches food chemistry and food ingredient functionality at NC State. As of spring 2026, his lab hosts five PhD students and two postdoctoral research associates; his students have won awards from organizations including ADSA, the American Dairy Products Institute, and the Institute of Food Technologists.
Zheng was named an ADSA Foundation Scholar in 2024. Before NC State, he was a tenure-track assistant professor at California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo, CA), with prior dairy foods research experience in industry (Fonterra Research and Development Center) and academia (Riddet Institute and Lincoln University) in New Zealand.
Jillian Bohlen, ADSA Director—Dairy Production Division
Jillian Bohlen is an associate professor and state dairy extension specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA), with an appointment spanning teaching, extension, and applied research. Her program focuses on supporting the sustainability and progression of the dairy industry through integrated efforts that connect students, producers, and industry stakeholders. Her applied research examines factors influencing reproductive success, antibiotic-reduction strategies in dairy systems, and the use of technology to improve decision-making on dairy operations. She has translated this work to peer-reviewed publications, invited national presentations, and at more than 100 adult-education programs as part of her extension work.
As an educator, Bohlen teaches 16 credit hours annually across lecture, laboratory, and on‑farm learning environments. She has mentored students at more than 60 professional development events, including 17 national ADSA meetings with 39 national student presentations. She coaches the Dairy Challenge team and has hosted two southern contests as well as the national contest (2019). Her students have earned national recognition through presentations, awards, and elected leadership roles. Her instructional excellence and dedication to young people have been recognized with the ADSA Undergraduate Student Division National Outstanding Advisor Award (2008, 2022), the Hoard’s Dairyman Youth Development Award (2021), the University of Georgia Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2023), and the Purina Animal Nutrition Teaching Award in Dairy Production (2026).
Bohlen has maintained nearly two decades of active involvement in ADSA. Her past ADSA roles include national advisor to the Undergraduate Student Division, president of the ADSA Southern Branch (2019), and participation on several awards committees. Her current roles include vice chair of the Production Division Council, president of the ADSA Southern Branch, and member of the Teaching Undergraduate and Graduate Education Committee. Additionally, she is a graduate of LEAD21 Class 20, reflecting continued investment in leadership and professional service.
About the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA®)
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 the 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