By Blake Jackson
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) has awarded four faculty fellowships to strengthen dairy research through the Dairy Innovation Hub initiative.
These fellowships support research aligned with the Hub's four key areas: land and water stewardship, human health and nutrition, animal well-being, and farm business development.
Funding comes from the state's $7.8 million annual investment in the Dairy Innovation Hub, a collaborative project across UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls. Since its launch in 2019, the Hub has funded over 220 research projects.
The newly appointed fellows are:
- Dr. Grace Lewis (Animal and Food Science): Her project investigates how processing techniques influence casein protein digestibility in dairy products, aiming to improve protein bioavailability for specific populations.
- Dr. Jill Coleman Wasik (Plant and Earth Science): Her research focuses on developing sensor technology to continuously monitor nitrate levels in groundwater of Western Wisconsin farms, collaborating with the Western Wisconsin Conservation Council.
- Dr. Susanne Wiesner (Environmental Science): Her project tackles improved monitoring of soil greenhouse gas emissions and carbon uptake at the UW-River Falls Mann Valley Farm.
- Dr. Youngmi Kim (Agricultural Engineering Technology): Building on prior research, Dr. Kim's project explores new methods to enhance the strength and water resistance of whey protein-lignin based film materials for dairy food packaging.
These faculty fellowships provide temporary support for research projects and associated costs, allowing faculty to dedicate time to their research while fulfilling their teaching responsibilities. This initiative strengthens Wisconsin's dairy research capacity and contributes to the state's position as a global leader in sustainable and nutritious dairy production.
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Categories: Wisconsin, Education