Winter Student Newsletter
January 2025
A Message from the Department Head
Happy New Year!
Welcome back, and congratulations to our December graduates and those who made the Dean’s list in the fall of 2024.
I am excited to share some great news about the Department. In the fall of 2024, we worked on our new strategic plan (2024-2029), which was approved by the faculty in December at our fall retreat. We also revitalized the Industry Advisory Committee after several years of inactivity. The committee consists of experts in various areas of interest in animal sciences, including Dr. Kim Brinton (veterinarian), Bob Cacchione (equine), Nicole McKay (poultry), Rebecca Rose (ag education), Luigi Sartori (food), Pete Sepe (sheep), Jim Smith (dairy), and Kevin Woolam (livestock/feeds). This committee provides recommendations and advises us on how the department can align itself with allied industries as we move forward.
The Department has hired three faculty members and two staff members over the past eighteen months and is also looking forward to welcoming Dr. Amanda Silva (dairy extension/teaching) this year. Furthermore, we are in the process of hiring a teaching faculty with expertise in animal production. I ask for your continued support and understanding as we go through transitions, mentor new colleagues and refill other positions. In the meantime, I would like to thank our faculty for taking on extra duties in service, teaching, and advising. A special “thank you” goes out to Dr. Amy Safran and Ms. Sara Tomis for teaching the courses left behind by the retired/departed faculty members.
Please join me in congratulating Mr. Trushenkumar Shah, graduate student from Dr. Upadhyay’s lab, on receiving the 2024 Food Safety Scholarship, sponsored by the FMI Foundation in partnership with The Safe Quality Food Institute, undergraduate student Ms. Stephanie Gilroy on being named a CAPS Research Scholar, Mrs. Sharon Aborn for winning the first-ever CAHNR Hallmark Husky Staff Award, and Dr. Mary Anne Amalaradjou on being selected to receive the 2024 Excellence in Research Award in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources/Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. Special shoutouts to both graduate and undergraduate students who won scholarships and awards, presented research data at scientific conferences, and published their research discoveries. Our Kellogg Dairy Center continued its winning streak by receiving two major awards: the Progressive Breeders Registry Award (18th Year) and the Progressive Genetics Herd Award (4th Year) from the Holstein Association USA.
I want to remind those planning to graduate this May or August to please apply for graduation and submit plans of study within the first two weeks of the semester through the Student Admin system. Be sure to check with your advisor to ensure you are all set for graduation.
This semester promises new challenges and growth, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Our Department is a hub of innovation, collaboration and learning. Take full advantage of the opportunities ahead – engage in research, participate in events, and connect with your fellow students, staff, and professors. Your journey is unique, and we can’t wait to see the incredible contributions you will make to our dynamic academic environment. Here’s to a semester filled with inspiration, achievement and success!
We are looking forward to a great spring semester! Let’s make it a fantastic one!
Swara Bhatt '25 MS
Swara Bhatt is a graduate student in Dr. Dennis D'Amico's lab. Her research focuses on the application of protective cultures in high moisture cheese, such as Queso Fresco to combat the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in dairy products. Listeria monocytogenes is a resilient pathogen that poses a significant challenge in food safety, especially in dairy products. Known for its ability to grow even at refrigeration temperatures, Listeria is commonly found in high-moisture environments, making it particularly difficult to control in ready-to-eat soft cheeses like Queso Fresco. Its persistence in food processing facilities, where it forms biofilms, further complicates effective sanitization. Swara’s ongoing research seeks to address this issue by exploring the addition of protective cultures during cheese production. Her objective is to evaluate whether these cultures can effectively control the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, potentially enhancing the safety of high-moisture cheeses if successful.
Shuangshuang Guo '28 PhD
Shuangshuang Guo is a PhD student in Dr. Maria Gracia Gervasi's lab. Her research focuses on the effect of transient sperm starvation on blastocyst development. She is particularly interested in improving the efficiency of artificial assisted reproduction.
Eswari Kanike '25 MS
Eswari Kanike is a graduate student in Dr. Mary Anne Roshni Amalaradjou’s lab. Her research focuses on controlling Listeria monocytogenes on alfalfa seeds during both storage and sprouting using aerated water. Her aim is to enhance food safety by reducing the risk of contamination, while exploring sustainable and effective methods for pathogen control in food systems. Her aims to control Listeria monocytogenes on alfalfa seeds during storage and sprouting using aerated water. This innovative approach has the potential to enhance food safety by reducing contamination risks in sprouted seeds, which are vulnerable to microbial pathogens. By exploring aerated water as a non-chemical intervention, her research offers a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional sanitizers, benefiting both the food industry and public health by minimizing the risks of foodborne illness.
Arya Niraula '25 MS
Arya's research explores how preharvest factors, including animal nutrition and management practices, influence postmortem muscle biology and the muscle-to-meat conversion process. With a focus on meat quality and protein post-translational modifications, it aims to reveal the biochemical processes affecting meat characteristics like texture, flavor, and shelf life. By employing proteomic and metabolic analyses, the study seeks to uncover specific markers and pathways that can be optimized to enhance meat quality, offering valuable insights for both the scientific community and the livestock industry.
Shauneen O'Neill '28 PhD
Shauneen O'Neill is a graduate student in Dr. Breno Fragomeni's lab, studying hemangiosarcoma, a type of cancer that is very prevalent and fatal in dogs (especially Golden Retrievers). She is analyzing a data set of Golden Retriever data to calculate the estimated breeding values of the animals and heritability of the trait. The goal is to hopefully be able to decrease the incidence of this disease by helping breeders make mating decisions so that we can help our canine companions live longer, healthier lives.
Rahat Redoy '28 PhD
Rahat Ahmad Redoy is a graduate student in Dr. Uddin’s lab, working on developing novel feed additives for dairy cows aiming to reduce enteric methane emissions while enhancing productivity. His research utilizes in-vitro rumen simulation and advanced computational techniques, including machine learning, to optimize dosing, considering animal individuality and diet variability. In recent decades, significant strides have been made to reduce enteric methane emissions from dairy cows. However, the most promising intervention—feed additives—often falls short by raising costs without improving productivity. A truly game-changing solution would be a novel feed additive that not only cuts methane emissions but also boosts productivity, providing a self-sustaining, win-win breakthrough for the dairy industry.
Cheyenne Summers '28 PhD
Cheyenne Summers is a PhD candidate in Dr. Sarah Reed’s lab. Her dissertation research focuses on the impact of maternal body condition on metabolism, parturition, and lactation in the mare. She is interested in investigating the relationship between metabolic alterations and early pregnancy in the mare, as well as possible implications of metabolic alterations during late gestation, lactation, and foal development. In addition to her research in equine reproduction and developmental programming, she has also worked on a multi-generational ovine project that investigated the role of maternal nutrition on fetal programming.
Leya Viju '26 PhD
Leya Viju is a graduate student in Dr. Kumar Venkitanarayanan’s lab, working on developing novel preharvest control strategies to reduce major food-borne pathogens including Salmonella Enteritidis and Campylobacter jejuni in broiler chickens. The significance of her research lies in its potential to directly improve food safety, public health, and the economic sustainability of poultry production. Salmonella Enteritidis and Campylobacter jejuni are among the leading causes of foodborne illnesses globally, often linked to poultry consumption. By developing novel preharvest control strategies, her work could significantly reduce the prevalence of these pathogens at the source, leading to safer poultry products and a reduced risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.
