Dairy Innovation Hub
The Dairy Innovation Hub is based on legislation originally introduced by Senator Howard Marklein and Representative Travis Tranel on May 1, 2019, and the original Dairy Innovation Hub concept that was endorsed 27-1 by the Dairy Task Force 2.0 in December 2018.
The original legislation directed 52% of the funding to UW-Madison CALS and 24% each to UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls, home to UW System’s other agricultural programs. This represents a significant increase in state funding for agricultural research at each of the three campuses.
Learn more about Hub Activities.
The funding supports research personnel, farms and labs in four areas related to dairy that each span many academic disciplines:
- Stewarding land and water resources
- Enriching human health and nutrition
- Ensuring animal health and welfare
- Growing farm businesses and communities
UWRF Steering Committee
- Sierra Howry, Associate Director/Liaison for UWRF-DIH
- Steve Kelm, Animal and Food Science Department Chair
- Holly Dolliver, Plant and Earth Science Department Chair
- Brenda Boetel, Agricultural Economics Department Chair
- Joel Peterson, Agricultural Engineering Technology Department Chair
- Duane Thompson, Farm Director
- Michael Orth, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Advisory Council
The Dairy Innovation Hub’s Advisory Council has 11 members, including five dairy industry leaders, five faculty from participating universities and one representative from DATCP. The representative from UWRF is Sierra Howry. Read more about the Advisory Council.
In the News
- November 2024: Read the fifth annual DIH report.
- June 2024: UWRF announces four faculty fellowships funded by state-sponsored Dairy Innovation Hub.
- December 2023: A year in review with the DIH.
Faculty and Staff
Bahareh Hassanpour Guilvaiee
Education:
- Ph.D.: Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
- M.Sc.: Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
- B.Sc.: Agricultural Engineering, Urmia University
Grace E. Lewis Voronin
Education:
- Ph.D.: Food Science, Pennsylvania State University
- B.Sc.: Food Science, Pennsylvania State University
Maria Jose Fuenzalida
Education:
- Ph.D.: Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- DVM: Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Austral de Chile
- M.Sc.: Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Md Azhar Uddin
Education:
- Ph.D.: Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida
- M.Sc.: Economics, University of Dhaka
- B.Sc.: Economics, University of Dhaka
