CANR Alumni Board Spotlight – Brian Troyer

CANR is releasing a series of spotlights on Alumni Board members. Brian Troyer is currently an Executive Board member representing the Department of Animal Science.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has nearly 60,000 alumni living around the world. The CANR Alumni Board plays a critical role connecting this large and diverse alumni community to meaningful ways to engage with the college after graduation.

The mission of the CANR Alumni Board is to build relationships that serve the college, alumni, students and friends of MSU. The board consists of volunteer members representing each of the college departments, MSU Extension, young alumni and at-large members. These members meet four times a year: September, December, March and July in East Lansing.

Alumni Board members have a variety of responsibilities, including promoting college events and philanthropic opportunities. They also serve as liaisons between the college, academic departments, alumni, and the agriculture and natural resources industries, among other duties. The work of the Alumni Board helps to keep the CANR community vibrant and connect.

CANR is releasing a series of spotlights on Alumni Board members. These stories will highlight each member's motivation for joining the board and share their experiences in this role.

Brian Troyer (’81, B.S. Dairy Science, ’90, M.S. Animal Science) is an Executive Board member representing the Department of Animal Science. He is currently serving as a Dairy Consultant with Caledonia Farmers Elevator.

How did your experience at CANR set you up for success in your career after graduation?

CANR greatly expanded my network of contacts within my field of interest, the dairy industry, through classroom learning, extra-curricular activities and student organizations. It gave me a strong technical background in the dairy industry and taught me the scientific, research-backed reason for various management practices with classes taught by world renowned research scientists.

What inspired you to become a CANR Alumni Board member?

The desire to give back and help the college serve its students and faculty.

What advice do you have for CANR current students?

Learn as much as you can, but also learn how to keep learning after you leave school. Participate in as many student organizations as you can and be actively involved. The friendships you make in these organizations will last a lifetime.

How would you encourage other CANR alumni to get involved and connect with the college?

Serve as guest speakers in classes and student organization, be a mentor to students who seek that experience.

What kind of impact do you hope to have as a member of the CANR Alumni Board?

I want to help in any way that I can to make the college better and improve the experience of the students.


Learn more about the responsibilities and mission of the CANR Alumni Board and its members. To learn more about how you can get involved or serve on the CANR Alumni Board, please contact the CANR Advancement team.

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