National Milk Producers Federation

2011 Winners

In 2011, the National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program continued to fund graduate-level research projects of immediate interest to NMPF member cooperatives in areas such as animal health, economics, food safety, and nutrition. NMPF's Scholarship Committee again received a record number of applications this year and acknowledged the high quality of the applicants. Ultimately, four students were awarded a total of $8,000.

The 2011 Hintz Memorial Scholarship, given to the top scholarship candidate, was awarded to João Paulo Nascimento Martins (right), a Ph.D candidate at Michigan State University. The title of his research proposal was “Effect of enhanced luteinizing hormone pulses during ovulatory follicle development on oocyte competency and subsequent pregnancy losses in dairy cattle”.

Additional scholarships were awarded to:

• Daniel Garrido, a Ph.D. candidate in Food Science at the University of California-Davis. The title of his research proposal was “Molecular validation of the prebiotic properties of casein glycomacropeptides”.
• Amanda Sterrett, a M.S. candidate in Animal Science at the University of Kentucky. Her research proposal was titled “Characterization of relationships between lying behavior, rumination behavior, and core body temperature using novel precision dairy farming techniques”.
  
• Laura Bradner, a M.S. candidate in Biochemistry at Iowa State University. The title of her research proposal was “Optimization of methods for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in milk and colostrum of naturally infected dairy cows".
  

2010 Winners

At their June 2010 meeting, the NMPF Scholarship Committee was pleased to select five M.S. and Ph.D. students to receive $9,500 in scholarships as part of the 2010 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program.

These five scholarship recipients were all conducting research in areas that will benefit dairy cooperatives and producers.

The 2010 Hintz Memorial Scholarship, given to the top scholarship candidate, was awarded to Chad Mullins (left). As a student at Kansas State University, Mullins was working toward his Ph.D. in Animal Science. His research tested whether or not zilpaterol hydrochloride could improve transition cow health. Mullins hoped to provide the dairy industry with a way to enhance the metabolic status of periparturient dairy cows by inducing prepartum lipolysis and increasing lean tissue mass.

The other four scholarship recipients were:

• Karen Lobeck, a student at the University of Minnesota, was working toward her M.S. in Animal Science. Her research examined dairy calf health and behavior with automated group feeding.
• Phil Cardoso was attending the University of Illinois as he worked for his Ph.D. in Animal Science. Cardoso studied the bioavailability of Naringenin administered to lactating dairy cows and their metabolic responses to an insulin resistance induction (IRI).
• Jaymelynn Farney, a student at Kansas State University, was pursuing a Ph.D. in Ruminant Nutrition and Physiology. Her research addressed the therapeutic treatment of bovine fatty liver by sodium salicylate.
• Joseph Loquasto was pursuing his Ph.D. in Food Science at Penn State University. Loquasto conducted a comparison of the complete genomes of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis ATCC 25527 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DSMZ 10140.
  

2009 Winners

At their June 2009 meeting, the NMPF Scholarship Committee was pleased to select five M.S. and Ph.D. students to receive $9,500 in scholarships as part of the 2009 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program.

These five scholarship recipients were all conducting research in areas that would benefit dairy cooperatives and producers.

The 2009 Hintz Memorial Scholarship, given to the top scholarship candidate, was awarded to Matthew Ranieri (right). As a student at Cornell University, Ranieri was working toward his Ph.D. in Dairy Science, Microbiology, and Applied Economics and Management. His research examined the development of a single raw milk assay to predict shelf-life performance of pasteurized milk. Ranieri hoped to provide the dairy industry with appropriate tests for measuring raw milk quality that would accurately predict the performance of the milk in commercial products.

The four other scholarship recipients were:

• Jessica Tekippe, a student at Pennsylvania State University, was pursuing her M.S. in Animal Science. Tekippe's research studied the effect of plant extracts on production, nutrient utilization, and ruminal fermentation.
• Jaime Curbelo was working for his Ph.D. in Animal Physiology at Mississippi State University. He researched the use of biophotonic imaging technologies as a novel approach to understanding pathogen progression in bovine uterine infections.
• Amy Hazel was pursuing her M.S. in Animal Science at the University of Minnesota. Her research examined rotational crossbreeding in 10 Minnesota commercial dairies.
• Corwin Nelson, a student at Iowa State University, was pursuing his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Immunobiology. His research studied the effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the expression of genes involved in the immune response of the bovine mammary gland.