Program

Preconference symposia and workshops are scheduled for Sunday, June 27; scientific sessions will begin on Monday morning (June 28) and run through 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30.

All information and times below are subject to change.

Networking Events for 2027

• First-Time Attendees’ Reception: Sunday, June 27
• Opening Session and Reception: Sunday, June 27
• ADSA Awards Program: Tuesday, June 29
• Chill & Cheers: Ice Cream Social and Awards Party: Tuesday, June 29

Scientific Program Format for 2027

• Poster sessions
  • Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: 7:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
• Morning scientific sessions: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• Lunch breaks: 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.
• Afternoon scientific sessions
  • Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: 1:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
• Afternoon ice cream breaks
  • Monday and Tuesday: 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.

Susceptibility to Disease in Dairy Cows: How Variation in Immune and Inflammatory Responses Shapes Disease Persistence and Recovery

This symposium will focus on how infectious and inflammatory challenges accumulated throughout a cow’s life may influence disease resilience, biological aging, and, ultimately, productive longevity. Rather than focusing on individual diseases, the symposium will examine the longer-term consequences of disease and how these processes may affect a cow’s ability to remain healthy and productive over multiple lactations.

Understanding Dairy Systems Through Models: Methodological Choices and Their Implications

Dairy scientists employ an increasing diversity of modeling methodologies to understand biological and production systems, monitor animal and farm performance, quantify environmental outcomes, and support decision-making. Each model is both enabled and constrained by the assumptions and data requirements of its underlying methodology. No single approach provides a complete representation of the system of interest, and different methods can offer complementary or conflicting insights.

This symposium will examine why methodological choices matter in dairy systems modeling, clarify the consequences of those choices, and demonstrate how different approaches can complement, and at times challenge, one another.

Honoring Dr. Jeffrey L. Firkins: Celebrating Four Decades of Discovery in Ruminant Nutrition and Microbiology

Dr. Jeffrey L. Firkins is a College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Distinguished Professor at The Ohio State University, an ADSA fellow, and a member of the JDS Club 100. During Firkins’ career, he has improved our understanding of rumen ecology, ruminal protein and carbohydrate metabolism, modeling ruminant digestion, and feeding byproducts to dairy cattle. The symposium will reflect on Firkins’ tremendous impact on dairy science and highlight what research should come next, thanks to Firkins’ career.

Postpartum Disease and Subfertility in Dairy Cows: From Associations to Mechanisms—Individual Short- and Long-Term Effects of Postpartum Diseases on Reproductive Performance in Lactating Dairy Cows

This symposium will explore the latest scientific advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying subfertility associated with major postpartum disease categories in dairy cows. By integrating molecular and physiological discoveries with epidemiological evidence, the symposium will place these findings within the context of the whole cow and translate them into an applied understanding of how disease affects reproductive performance in dairy herds.

Postpartum diseases are major contributors to subfertility in lactating dairy cows, but their effects on reproductive performance vary considerably according to the disease and reproductive outcome evaluated. Moreover, the biological mechanisms linking disease to impaired fertility are complex and differ across disease categories. This symposium will integrate current evidence on the short- and long-term reproductive consequences of postpartum disease with mechanistic perspectives on metabolic disorders, mastitis, and uterine diseases. By connecting population-level associations with underlying biology, the symposium will provide a comprehensive understanding of how postpartum health influences reproductive success and identify opportunities to mitigate disease-associated subfertility in dairy herds.

Dr. Thomas McFadden Symposium: Career Questions and Contributions

Dr. Thomas (Tom) McFadden has had an accomplished academic career that has tackled many foundational questions regarding mammary gland physiology and lactational biology. McFadden has also served as an ADSA board member and on several ADSA program-planning committees. Foundational aspects of McFadden’s career have centered on the local and systemic regulation of milk synthesis, mechanisms of colostrogenesis, and the identification of factors driving mammary gland growth and development. His academic career has spanned appointments at the University of Idaho, the University of Vermont, AgResearch (New Zealand), the University of Alberta, and the University of Missouri.

The Next Frontier: Accurate Forage Composition for Sustainable Dairy Production

This symposium will examine how advances in forage sampling, analysis, and characterization can improve accuracy, timeliness, and the economic value of ration formulation in dairy production systems. Expedited and reliable feed analyses are essential for enabling timely nutritional decisions that maximize forage use and animal performance while reducing feed costs and nutrient losses. Presentations in this symposium will address forage quality requirements for precision nutrition, best practices for minimizing sampling variability, methodological factors that influence analytical accuracy, the critical role of laboratory infrastructure, and the integration of laboratory and on-farm technologies. The presenters will emphasize the importance of fast and accurate feed characterization for more precise nutrient management, enhance production efficiency, and improve dairy operations’ sustainability.

Behavior-Driven Dairy Systems: Integrating Science, Housing, and Management to Advance Welfare, Health, and Productivity

The dairy industry is rapidly evolving as producers adopt new housing systems, feeding technologies, and welfare-focused management practices. These changes require clear, science-based guidance to ensure that innovations support, rather than compromise, animal welfare, health, and productivity. This symposium brings together three internationally recognized experts in animal behavior, cow–calf management, housing design, and welfare science to translate current research into practical, farm-ready recommendations.

The speakers will address behavior-driven management, early-life calf care, cow comfort, pain mitigation, and the human decision-making factors that influence welfare outcomes. Attendees will gain evidence-based strategies to reduce stress and disease, improve housing and management systems, and meet emerging welfare standards within certification programs and sustainability frameworks. This session offers timely, actionable insights for professionals seeking to advance welfare and productivity in modern dairy systems.

Advancing Dairy Innovation Through Biotechnology: From Microbial and Metabolic Engineering to Scalable Innovation

When biotechnology is integrated with dairy science, it creates new opportunities to produce high-value ingredients, valorize underutilized dairy coproducts, and develop more efficient manufacturing processes. Successful translation of these opportunities into practical industry solutions requires an alignment of microbial and metabolic engineering, robust fermentation, downstream recovery, economic feasibility, and scale-up infrastructure. This symposium will present emerging platforms, including CRISPR and metabolic engineering, precision fermentation, microbial conversion of dairy coproducts, and bioprocess scale-up. By connecting biological discovery with dairy processing and commercialization, the symposium will demonstrate how biotechnology helps unlock greater value from dairy resources, establish scalable pathways for industry growth, and shape the future of dairy innovation.

Milo Wiltbank Recognition Symposium: Dairy Cattle Reproductive Performance—Part I

Milo Wiltbank and Richard Pursley revolutionized dairy reproductive management by developing the Ovsynch program. Wiltbank, along with his collaborators and former students, has continued to build on this foundation by developing new reproductive management strategies based on Ovsynch. However, Wiltbank is now known for much more than Ovsynch. He has continued to produce an impressive body of valuable, federally funded research and has made significant contributions across many areas of reproductive biology. In addition, he is a truly exceptional educator and mentor. Most recently, his contributions to mentoring were recognized with the Society for the Study of Reproduction’s Mentoring Award in 2026. This symposium will celebrate Wiltbank’s career, from Ovsynch to beyond.

Artificial Intelligence–Powered Transformations in Dairy Science: Innovations for Research and Farm Management

The Human Factor in Dairy Success

The dairy industry has successfully developed research-based strategies that improve productivity and efficiency. However, despite strong scientific evidence supporting many of these practices, adoption and outcomes remain variable across dairies.

The success of dairy innovations depends on biological factors and on effective implementation. Human skill, protocol execution, leadership, communication, training, and management culture can all influence whether research-based practices achieve their intended outcomes. Human factors are routinely recognized as important, yet they remain the least understood and quantified in dairy research and extension programs.

This symposium will examine the role of human factors throughout the research-to-practice process. The outline will progress from defining human skill to measuring impact to developing practical training tools that improve implementation. The goal of this symposium is to identify workforce opportunities where research, extension, and industry can work together to reduce the gap between potential and successful implementation impact.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Use and the Evolving Nutrition Landscape: A Strategic Role for Dairy Foods

About 15% of American adults have used GLP-1 medications for weight loss, according to 2016 Gallup polling and Mintel’s US Weight Management Trends Report. Awareness and interest in these drugs for multiple health benefits continue to increase, but many patients experience gastrointestinal side effects when first starting GLP-1 that affect their food choices. Some evidence suggests that patients no longer crave high-fat and ultraprocessed foods. 

Additionally, many GLP-1 users experience a decreased appetite, which may introduce specific challenges for maintaining intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Individuals using GLP-1 medications may also be at an increased risk for muscle loss, with increased caloric deficits and in the absence of resistance training. In response to these considerations, foods to help support GLP-1 patients require favorable sensorial characteristics with maximum nutrient content.

Dairy food products are ideally positioned to fulfill many needs for all consumers looking to lose weight because they are naturally rich in high-quality protein and vitamins and minerals, and many are also low in total calories. Low-fat and nonfat dairy foods provide nutrient-dense options for consumers who no longer tolerate higher-fat foods. In fact, the opportunity for dairy foods to meet changing consumer needs is already evident in the rapidly growing market for whey and casein protein powders. These powders offer consumers high-quality protein, low calories, and convenience, but continued development of new flavors and viscosities is needed to cater to the changing sensory needs of GLP-1 patients. In addition, fermented foods such as yogurts and kefirs may be ideal products for delivering additional nutritional benefits such as fiber and micronutrients when incorporating dairy-derived bioactives or fruit or vegetable components. The nutrient density and adaptability of dairy foods allow for a wide variety of options to support GLP-1 patients as their food preferences evolve throughout the course of their treatment and beyond. The aim of this symposium is to discuss the nutritional and sensory priorities of GLP-1 patients and how the dairy foods industry can improve formulations to increase enjoyment of nutrient-dense products.

Joint ADSA-CSAS Symposium: From Ruminal Acidosis to Gastrointestinal Health—Celebrating the Scientific Legacy of Dr. Kees Plaizier

Dr. Kees Plaizier was an internationally recognized leader in dairy cattle nutrition and gastrointestinal health whose research fundamentally changed our understanding of digestive disorders in dairy cows. Through decades of innovative research, he demonstrated that subacute ruminal acidosis is not simply a disorder of rumen pH, but rather a complex gastrointestinal syndrome involving interactions among diet, microbial communities, epithelial barrier function, inflammation, animal health, and productivity. His work helped establish the modern concept of gastrointestinal health as a central determinant of dairy cow performance, welfare, and sustainability. His contributions continue to influence researchers worldwide and have inspired a generation of scientists investigating the role of the gastrointestinal ecosystem in dairy production. This memorial symposium will bring together leading Canadian researchers whose work reflects and extends Plaizier’s scientific legacy. The presentations will highlight advances in rumen physiology, gastrointestinal health, microbiome science, nutritional management, and future opportunities for microbiome-informed interventions to improve dairy cow health and sustainability.

Adaptation, Mitigation, and Genotype-by-Environment Interactions in Dairy Cattle Breeding

Climate change is increasing environmental variability and exposing dairy cattle to more frequent heat stress and other environmental stressors. At the same time, breeding programs are expanding to include sustainability traits such as methane emissions, feed efficiency, and resilience. These developments require new approaches to understanding and implementing genotype-by-environment (G×E) interactions. This symposium will bring together experts in quantitative genetics, genomic evaluation, and climate resilience to discuss advances in defining environmental descriptors, modeling G×E, incorporating adaptation and mitigation traits into breeding objectives, and implementing these approaches in national genetic evaluations. The session will highlight both methodological developments and practical applications that can improve the resilience and sustainability of dairy production worldwide.

Milo Wiltbank Recognition Symposium: Dairy Cattle Reproductive Performance—Part II

Milo Wiltbank and Richard Pursley revolutionized dairy reproductive management by developing the Ovsynch program. Wiltbank, along with his collaborators and former students, has continued to build on this foundation by developing new reproductive management strategies based on Ovsynch. However, Wiltbank is now known for much more than Ovsynch. He has continued to produce an impressive body of valuable, federally funded research and has made significant contributions across many areas of reproductive biology. In addition, he is a truly exceptional educator and mentor. Most recently, his contributions to mentoring were recognized with the Society for the Study of Reproduction’s Mentoring Award in 2026. This symposium will celebrate Wiltbank’s career, from Ovsynch to beyond.

Preparing Career-Ready Graduates for the Dairy Industry

Today’s animal and dairy science graduates will take on careers facing complex challenges in animal nutrition, sustainability, welfare, health, data analytics, and economics, among other disciplines. Although strong technical knowledge is essential to success in the dairy industry, employers consistently report a need to hire individuals with professional competencies such as communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability. Universities play a pivotal role in preparing future dairy professionals by aligning undergraduate and graduate training with the evolving needs of the dairy industry, fostering the competencies needed for successful transitions into industry, veterinary medicine, extension, consulting, and related professions. This symposium will bring together educators and industry leaders to develop career readiness in the college classroom.

Career Development in the Dairy Sheep and Goat Sector

As the dairy sheep and goat industries continue to expand, so does the need for innovative research and highly trained professionals. This symposium will provide graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career researchers with a unique opportunity to learn from academia, industry, and production professionals. Speakers will discuss the current state of the small ruminant dairy industry, identify high-impact research opportunities and funding priorities, and share perspectives on career development in academia, industry, and extension. The symposium will conclude with an interactive panel discussion designed to foster networking, mentorship, and dialogue on the future of small ruminant dairy science.

Mycotoxins

Rethinking the Weaning Window: Integrating Behavior, Gastrointestinal Development, and Precision Management of the Milk-to-Solid-Feed Transition

Weaning is one of the most consequential developmental transitions a dairy calf experiences. Within days, the calf must replace a milk-based diet with solid feed while simultaneously adapting nutritionally, physiologically, behaviorally, and environmentally. On most farms, the decision still rests on using age as the main weaning criterion, as though every calf arrived at the same door on the same day.

Successful weaning depends on interacting factors: calf behavior, dry feed intake, gastrointestinal and ruminal development, milk allowance and feeding management, housing and environment, and substantial individual variation in readiness. Weaning strategy shapes growth, rumen function, health, and behavioral indicators of hunger and stress, with developmental programming effects that may persist across the animal’s productive life. Recent reviews expose major gaps in how we understand the calf’s experience of weaning and how these factors combine to determine welfare and future performance.

No single discipline can address this. Behavior and welfare science define what weaning costs the calf, nutrition and gastrointestinal physiology explain the mechanisms of adaptation and their lifetime consequences, and precision technology supplies the measurements needed to act on either. Today, those conversations happen in separate rooms. This joint symposium will put them together for a productive and forward-thinking discussion.

International Partnership Program (IPP) Symposium