Hub demonstrates the power of academic and stakeholder partnerships

Heather White at the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station in Marshfield, Wis. during the Aug. 13 advisory council meeting. Photo by Nguyen Tran

By Heather White

Reflection is a valuable and powerful part of growth and advancement. Regardless of if we reflect on the state of our farm, business, research program, department, family, or self, reflection allows us to take a moment to identify next steps, gaps or challenges, and prioritize opportunities. Too often we reach a milestone and then without pomp and circumstance, move on to the next item on our to-do list. 

This year, marks five years since the Wisconsin state legislature approved funding for the Dairy Innovation Hub and did something historic – they identified a key area important to the state and decided to invest in their universities in a way that would ensure that key area stayed strong. No other initiatives like the Hub existed at the time, and there still isn’t anything quite like it. Other states and countries continue to ask us how we got here and how it works, but one thing is apparent to them all: it does work, and it is impactful. 

This five-year milestone gives us a reason to pause and reflect on what has been accomplished and what we are looking forward to. The Dairy Innovation Hub was initiated with a plan to increase capacity, bring in top talent, and fund transformational research. As is the case every year, we have showcased examples of that within this report. With 19 Hub-funded faculty and more than 230 Hub-funded projects to date, we can no longer feature every project in our annual report, but I hope that you are as interested in, and inspired by, those featured as we are. We have impacted undergraduate and graduate students in meaningful ways (more than 850 in fact), enhancing their classroom and hands-on learning opportunities through the expertise, resources, and research funded by the Hub. 

More importantly than the accomplishments that you will find detailed herein, the leveraged research money, or number of presentations, is that we have proven that when there is a challenge, we can work together to achieve a common goal. The initiation and early successes of the Hub have demonstrated the power of academic and stakeholder partnerships, and I am beyond proud of the impact we are having through these efforts. 

We have worked closely together, in a collaborative partnership, as we put the vision of the Dairy Innovation Hub into action. Stakeholder support was essential to garnering initial and continued funding and input from the advisory council and other stakeholders has ensured that the Hub stayed true to the original mission and vision. 

As I reflect on our progress, I am proud of what we have accomplished together to support dairy in Wisconsin, and grateful for this leadership experience and your partnership. That said, it is time for me to pursue other opportunities and since August, I have been serving as the associate dean for faculty affairs at UW–Madison CALS. This is a great opportunity for me to continue to serve the college and to continue advocating for agricultural research, teaching, and outreach. I am committed to helping transition the Hub to a new faculty director and am eager to see what a fresh perspective can bring. I look forward to watching the Hub’s continued success and impact.

On Wisconsin!

Heather White is a professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Her research focuses on the health and nutrition of dairy cows during the transition period. In 2019, White was named faculty director of the Dairy Innovation Hub, and in August, she began serving as associate dean for faculty affairs at UW–Madison CALS. Email White at heather.white@wisc.edu