Julie Smith
After mentoring the Vermont Dairy Mapping Project interns for six weeks, I headed to camp at the Mount Norris Scout Reservation in Eden, Vermont. My unit’s campsite evacuated to higher ground the night of July 10, and I drove past a lot of signs of the water’s power on my way home.
The next day I boarded a flight to Denver where the cow from the 2006 CowParade called It’s Your Moove pointed me to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) conference every morning.
Later in the summer, I took on the Vermont Corn Maze with my family and a friend. Had a grand time and saw ASCI alum Jake Bourdeau, who now runs Four Town Lowlines.
Johnbosco Osuagwu, PhD Candidate
As an international student, starting back to school in the fall meant having to balance being both a student and a researcher at an accelerated pace. For me, summer is the best time to take a deep breath, explore the environment, and absorb the beauty of nature.
Something as simple as watching the sunset at the Burlington waterfront was what I needed to reinvigorate my academic and personal goals. I began to see that there are patterns in randomness, a rhythm in quietude, and a straight line connecting academic and personal development.
Some sights are calming, others are surprising. I saw private-owned backyard chickens dance to pop-rock music at Shelburne Farms. Can you top that?
Madeline Beaudry, Master’s Candidate
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to focus more on my research. I traveled to the American Dairy Science Association Conference in Ottawa, Canada to hear about other research in the dairy industry. I spotted Dr. Julie at her poster there. I also toured Shelburne Farms with the Smith lab and summer veterinary student interns.
Much of my focus was on pushing my Vermont Milk Hauler study through IRB approval, so I can recruit participants. Besides research activities, I enjoyed running and hiking around Vermont with fellow graduate students and my dog, Gorgonzola.
Whitney Hull, Master’s Candidate
This summer has been a busy one! I have continued research on my NE-SARE project which involves eight dairy farms, and studying whether there is a relationship between Johnes disease and low milk production in early lactation.
I also hosted a milk quality workshop with guest speaker Dr. Paul Virkler of Quality Milk Production Services, to discuss common milk quality issues in the Northeast.
In my free time, I have visited Utah, Maine, and many mountain bike parks around New England to watch my two daughters compete in Enduro races.
