Jennifer Van Os is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Animal Welfare in the Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Van Os received her PhD in the interdisciplinary Animal Behavior graduate program at the University of California-Davis. She then conducted postdoctoral research in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia before joining the faculty at UW–Madison in 2018. The research in her lab at UW–Madison focuses on understanding, evaluating, and improving the welfare of dairy animals from biological- and social-science perspectives. The goal of Dr. Van Os’ extension program is to promote best practices in management and housing to help the dairy industry adapt as our scientific knowledge about animal welfare continues to grow.
Peer-reviewed articles
Select multimedia and press coverage
Giving cows a voice through science: Developing science-based animal care practices. Recorded presentation for SoundWaves: Developing Ideas, Part 3. February 21, 2025. (Length: 16:40; full program 1:26:21).
UW Dairy Animal Welfare Specialist Thankful for the Cows. By Andy Soth. Wisconsin Life, Wisconsin Public Television. December 24, 2019. (Length: 4:51; full episode 26:47)
Is dairy farming cruel to cows? By Andrew Jacobs. The New York Times. December 29, 2020.
Giving cows a voice in their welfare. By Ben Rush. Badger Talks Podcast. July 5, 2022.
What would a cow prefer? By Michael P. King. Grow – Wisconsin’s Magazine for the Life Sciences. February 26, 2019.
New faculty profile: Jennifer Van Os specializes in animal welfare. eCALS (University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences). May 14, 2018.
Select extension articles about farm animal welfare
Cows are “fans” of high-speed air in summer. By Jennifer Van Os. Hoard’s Dairyman Intel. March 2025.
Engaging positive animal behavior. By Jennifer Van Os. Hoard’s Dairyman Intel. January 2025.
How do we maintain consumer confidence? By Jesse Robbins, Beth Ventura, and Jennifer Van Os. Hoard’s Dairyman. October 2020.
Let cows choose. By Jennifer Van Os. Dairy’s Bottom Line. July 2019.
Animal welfare should be a strength for a dairy operation, not a threat. By Jennifer Van Os. Wisconsin State Farmer. June 2019.
Animal care includes providing dairy cattle with opportunities for important behaviors. By Jennifer Van Os. Progressive Dairy. June 2019.
The applied research in my lab is highly integrated with my extension-outreach program. I focus on science-based solutions for real-world challenges with dairy cattle welfare.
Major themes and presentation topics:
- Appropriate practices for handling dairy cattle
- Social rearing (pair or group housing) of pre-weaned dairy calves
- Thermal comfort across dairy cattle life stages – heat and cold stress, heat abatement
- Other welfare issues / opportunities for enrichment for calves and heifers
- Animal welfare science and policy