Fort Wayne, IN- The 2024 Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference was held on April 15-17, hosting nearly 400 students, faculty and industry professionals across the Midwest and beyond. With 46 exhibits from leading organizations in the field, experts in the dairy industry, and sponsorship from 61 companies, the conference provided an opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their research, for industry professionals to receive continuing education credits, and for faculty to connect with national and international experts on pressing issues in the industry.
Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Senior Associate Chair of the Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University, leads the Board of Directors for the conference and plays an integral role in developing relevant programming.
This year, topics emphasized dairy sustainability, calf and heifer development, and feeding program management. Representatives of 7 different universities, including one from Brazil, and industry professionals from both the field of dairy nutrition and veterinary medicine presented at the conference.
The student research competition consisted of 12 undergraduates, 12 MS graduate students, and 11 PhD students . Ohio State was well-represented in the research showcase, with PhD candidate April White, advised by Dr. Jeffrey Firkins, receiving 3rd place in her category with her research on branched-chain volatile fatty acids, and Ohio State ATI student Logan Pope, advised by Sara Mastellar, placing 3rd in the undergraduate competition for her research on supplementation effects on rumen fermentation and methane production.
Please join us in congratulating Animal Sciences faculty and staff, Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Dr. Kirby Krogstad, Dr. Jeffrey Firkins, Dr. Chanhee Lee and Michelle Milligan on another successful Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, and students April White and Logan Pope on their success in the research showcase. Proceedings from the Conference are available at https://tristatedairy.org, and the conference next year will be held April 14-16, 2025.