GSD Leadership

My name is Heather McCain Keefer, and I was born and raised in Santa Clarita, California. I received my bachelor of science degree in food science at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in June 2016 and masters from North Carolina State University in June 2019. I am currently a PhD student in the same lab I recieved my masters in at North Carolina State University working under MaryAnne Drake. I was first introduced to the inner workings of the dairy industry during the summer of 2015 when I had an internship with Darigold in Portland, Oregon, and I then knew I wanted to go to a dairy-focused laboratory for graduate school. When Dr. Donald McMahon introduced me to Dr. MaryAnne Drake through BUILD dairy, I knew it was a perfect fit. I started working under Dr. Drake in September 2016. When I graduate, I hope to pursue a career in dairy foods.

I have been a member of ADSA GSD since 2017, but am still amazed by all the benefits. GSD has helped me connect with so many people in dairy science and provides a lot of career development opportunities. I am currently the president of GSD so I represent all graduate students on the ADSA board and oversee all the graduate student activities. GSD has so many amazing benefits, so do not be afraid to dive in and volunteer for a committee.

Hello Everyone!

I am Lautaro R. Cangiano, and I am an Animal Sciences PhD student at the University of Guelph, where I study gut physiology and immunology of Dairy calves. Specifically, my work focuses on understanding how microbial colonization of the gut in early life affects immune development of the newborn. I am originally from Argentina, and I grew up in a small city surrounded by dairy farms. I have an Engineering degree in Agriculture from Argentina and an MSc in Animal Science from the University of Florida. I have been a member of ADSA since 2015, where I first attended an annual meeting when I was just stepping into the research world of Dairy Science. Since then, I have been nothing but thankful for all this association has contributed to my development as a scientist, and the opportunities and people that have allowed me to meet. This organization plays a vital role in the development of graduate students that aspire to be future leaders of the Dairy Industry. A key component to the future success of our careers is the network and collaborations that we can establish during our graduate years, and the GSD has a crucial role in being a bridge to providing the opportunities to facilitate those interactions.

I am excited to be serving as the ADSA-GSD Vice President and Career Development Committee chair. I will be planning throughout the year a series of career development webinars, and I highly encourage you all to participate! In addition, I am responsible for maintaining and updating the MyDairy Career web portal and coordinating the annual Career Luncheon hosted at the ADSA annual meeting. The purpose of these educational events is to build career knowledge, so I encourage you to explore, attend, and reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to see specific topics covered. lrostoll@uoguelph.ca

Hi everyone!

My name is Emily Lindner and I am originally from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Florida in December 2019. In January 2020, I began my Master’s at the University of Florida where I’m studying Animal Behavior and Welfare, primarily dairy calves, under the supervision of Dr. Emily Miller-Cushon. Currently, I am studying how early social contact effects a calf’s response to novelty after the introduction to group-housing.

Along with my secretary duties, I am also chair of the social events committee. My responsibilities as chair include keeping GSD members informed through the use of social media and I will plan social and networking events at the annual meeting! I encourage you all to join a committee as it is an overall rewarding and great experience. If you have any questions about the committees please feel free to reach out to me (lindneremilye@ufl.edu) or any of the other board members.

As a relatively new member of ADSA-GSD I have already experienced many of the benefits that are offered. I have formed valuable connections with my fellow board members and I am looking forward to expanding and networking with as many of you as possible. I appreciate that ADSA-GSD allows all of us to connect with hundreds of other graduate students, individuals in academia, and those in the industry. Having the ability to broaden our horizons with each other allows us to bounce ideas and thoughts off of each other with the ultimate goal of improving the dairy industry.

I’m looking forward to working and chatting with you all over the next year!

My name is Tim Lott and I am a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the field of Food Science and Technology at Cornell University under the advisement of Martin Wiedmann. I grew up on a small dairy farm in Northwest Illinois where I got to see the challenges that the dairy industry faces. Having a role in the agricultural part of the food system inspired me to pursue a bachelor’s in food science from Iowa State University, which I received in 2018. Following graduation, I joined my lab, the Milk Quality Improvement Program (MQIP), where I focus on improving the quality of fluid milk, by extending and better-predicting shelf-life with simulation models. Further, I am also researching factors that result in contamination in school milk. I am a sensory panelist in the MQIP’s Voluntary Shelf-Life (VSL) program which helps to monitor the quality of fluid and raw milk in New York State.

In the past year, I became an ADSA member allowing me to expand my connections and attend the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting where I gave a presentation on the effect of pasteurization temperature on fluid milk shelf-life. My vision for ADSA is to strengthen the connection between animal science and food science. As the ADSA GSD Treasurer, I will be responsible for managing the GSD budget. I will also be chairing the Fundraising Committee to raise money for ADSA GSD events. This requires networking with industry professionals to inquire about donations to the GSD. If you would like to expand your network, and be an active member of GSD, ask me about joining the Fundraising Committee!

Hello! My name is Lauren Sipple, and I am a first-year PhD student in Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the advisement of Rich Hartel. My research focuses on the impact of scraped surface freezer design and processing parameters on the microstructure of ice cream. I completed my MS in Food Science at North Carolina under MaryAnne Drake, where I worked on a variety of research studies focused on the sensory, consumer perception, and processing of dairy products. Having grown up in a Wisconsin dairy community, the dairy industry has always meant a great deal to me. I am very passionate about consumer education and promotion of dairy product nutrition and science.

Although I am relatively new to ADSA, I have already realized the value of ADSA with regards to networking and education. My background is in Food Science, but I have a strong interest in the unique “farm-to-fork” story of dairy foods. ADSA has given me a better appreciation and understanding of the dairy food system by learning more about dairy production and connecting with professionals working in this part of the industry. This year, I am excited to serve as your GSD Dairy Foods Director and Education Committee Chair. Please reach out to me if there are any specific topics which you are interested in learning about!

My name is Cora Okkema and I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Livestock Behavior and Welfare under the guidance of Dr. Temple Grandin. My research focuses on udder edema and dairy heifer welfare. After graduating college, I became the herdsman of the family farm and realized that production agriculture is my passion. Experiencing farming on the production side gave me a practical understanding of the issues that farmers face. Working alongside my father, I witnessed the vast areas of knowledge operators must have in order to understand the intricacies of their operation and how an adjustment in one area can impact other areas in the operation. This requires taking a 360-degree approach without fixating on the issue at hand. With this production-based mindset and the desire to grow my understanding of the industry, I arrived at Colorado State University with the commitment to serve my fellow farmers by providing them a team member willing to grow, learn, and mentor alongside them throughout their dairy production journey.

I look forward to serving as your Dairy Production Director. As a newer member of the GSD, I see this as an opportunity to bring my drive and experience to the team in order to serve and learn alongside my peers who have an interest and commitment to the ever-changing landscape of our dairy industry. Alongside my council role I am also the communications chair. I will be communicating with GSD members throughout the year, bringing you up-to-date industry information both on dairy production and dairy foods. Please reach out if you have any suggestions or questions regarding the newsletter or our social media (cora.okkema@colostate.edu).