My goal for this role is to help the dairy industry remain sustainable in the long term. Understanding and promoting animal welfare is an essential part of achieving this goal. To this end, my applied research program will follow these broad themes:

• Improving the fit between dairy animals and their environments: how do housing and management decisions affect physiology, behavior, and production?
• Understanding the needs of dairy animals from a biological perspective: what behaviors are important for them to be able to express and what resources do they need?
• Developing and validating tools: how do we evaluate animal welfare effectively on commercial operations? How can we use technology to help us monitor animal welfare?

I’m so excited for this opportunity in America’s Dairyland. I’m eager to learn more about the local industry, conduct applied research, and develop outreach programs that will promote best practices and help the Wisconsin industry adapt as our knowledge about animal welfare continues to grow.

Update: the UW-Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences published my new faculty profile here