Did you know there are 67 animal and dairy science programs at accredited universities across the Southeast that will prepare you for a career in the dairy industry? Degrees from animal science to agribusiness have prepared numerous professionals who work across the industry today. This is in addition to the hands-on experiences required to obtain these degrees, such as interning on a working farm, research in a lab, or working part-time on the university dairy.

Last week we shared the experience of Virginia Tech students working on the school’s dairy farm. Today we share the answers of students from other universities excited to share their experiences working on their university's dairy.

Brilee Tucker, Bachelor of Science Agriculture

Western Kentucky University (WKU)

Dairy Consultant at Kentucky Dairy Development Council

“WKU Dairy has been in operation since at least the 1930s. For almost 100 years it’s provided a home and learning environment for many students, including myself.

“I graduated from WKU in the spring of 2021 with my bachelor’s degree in agriculture. Five of my six semesters I was employed at the dairy and lived on the university farm.

“I did not grow up with a dairy background but knew that I wanted to be involved in the industry when I started showing dairy cattle through 4-H. I’ve made a lot of friends showing cattle and would often say that my friends went to college to get a break from milking cows while I went to college so I could milk cows!

“Working on the university dairy gave me the practical knowledge I would need to be able to relate to the producers that I work with now. I currently work for the Kentucky Dairy Development Council as a dairy consultant. My main goal as a consultant is to be a resource for Kentucky’s dairy producers and work with our organization to provide educational opportunities that allow those producers to enhance and progress their operations.

“Having hands-on experience from my time at the university dairy allows me to understand on a personal level the hardships that producers face on a day-to-day basis and how strenuous the job is having a herd of cattle that rely on you every day. I was also able to see the growth that can happen on a farm when you pay attention to detail and really dial in your management. The change that WKU Dairy was able to make from the time I started in the spring of 2019 to the end of my time there in spring of 2021 was astounding. We grew in cow numbers, quality, and production. Witnessing that improvement also gives me a testimony to producers that small details really do add up – what you feed, how you feed, when you feed, the way you interact with the cows, calf care—it all matters!

“Today WKU Dairy is now home to the SmartHolstein Lab, a partnership with Holstein USA. There are projects and new technologies on display there for producers to come see for themselves and potentially implement them on their own farms. Working on the university dairy was one of my favorite phases in life and I feel certain that it helped mold the career I have today. Tops on top!”

Sarah Johnson, Deleval, M.S. Animal and Dairy Science

University of Georgia (UGA)

“I graduated from the University of Georgia with my bachelor’s in animal science with a minor in dairy science in 2021. I returned to UGA to continue my dairy education and graduated with a master’s in animal and dairy science in 2023.

“I do not come from an agriculture background and actually gained interest in the industry during my undergraduate experience. I was in an applied reproduction of domestic animals class taught by Dr. Jillian Bohlen in which a majority of our laboratories were focused on dairy cattle. It was love at first sight (and smell!). I loved spending my time on the farm working cattle during our labs, but it wasn’t enough, so I began working as a student worker at the dairy to milk cows, feed calves, and assist with farm chores.

“When I graduated, I knew I hadn’t quite fulfilled my desire to learn about dairy cattle physiology and wanted to keep my education going. I started a master’s degree under the supervision of Dr. Jillian Bohlen, who teaches several classes in dairy production and works closely with youth and producers throughout the state with her extension appointment. It was this variety of in and out-of-classroom opportunities that drew me to working with her. I was able to assist with lectures and labs, work with producers in the state, travel to the Georgia Dairy Conference and American Dairy Science Association Conference, help advise the UGA Dairy Science Club, and more. These real-life experiences were invaluable and taught me how to get out of my comfort zone by taking what I learned in the classroom and applying it to an operational dairy farm.

“I began working for DeLaval as an advisory product specialist immediately after graduating with my master’s. I currently travel across the country to support dairy farms with our line of products, including products like our voluntary milking systems, our rotaries, and our activity detection systems. I work hand in hand with dealerships and farm owners to troubleshoot and optimize dairy production on a large range of farm sizes.

“Without my exposure to working on the dairy farm in undergrad, I certainly wouldn’t have garnered interest in working in the dairy industry. I actively use information from my reproduction classes to support DeLaval’s activity detection systems. Lactation physiology, taught by Dr. Valerie Ryman, taught me about the process of milk letdown and is something I keep in mind every time I am evaluating one of our milking systems. Dr. Sha Tao’s research introduced me to a dairy farmer in Georgia who had DeLaval VMS and working on that farm is why I pursued my current position. The University of Georgia dairy team was critical to my development of confidence in working in the dairy industry and I wouldn’t have this job without the 3 of them and their support.”