College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Animal Science

Greetings Friends of ANS!

It is hard to believe we have just completed another academic year! And considerable time has passed since we had a regular newsletter issued to alumni and friends. Last year we struck gold and able to add Michelle Hendrick, administrative assistant, to our ANS staff. Michelle administers our grant pre-awards, department communications, Stakeholder Advisory Council and works directly with the chair. She expertly set to developing the template and gathering news and stories for this issue. The goal is to issue a newsletter twice a year. Thank you Michelle for the good work on reestablishing this newsletter.

We have had a busy year. Many changes have taken place, awards have been won, and students still accomplishing the remarkable. Please see the table of contents and toggle into the stories of interest to you.  As many of you are aware, we initiated a search last fall for a new department chair. It is with pleasure that I can now inform you that Dr. Pamela Ruegg, DVM, MPVM, has accepted the offer to return to Michigan State University as chair of the Department of Animal Science. Notably, she is a Michigan native and received her undergraduate degree and DVM from MSU. Currently she is a professor and extension milk quality specialist in the Department of Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. You can find an article about Dr. Ruegg’s background and accomplishments in this newsletter. I hope you will join us in welcoming Dr. Ruegg when she transitions back to her Spartan roots early next year. Since taking on the role as interim chair in May of 2010, then appointed as the chair in January 2012, it has been a terrific ride with faculty, students, staff and the many great stakeholders, alumni and friends of our department. It has been a humbling and a joy filled experience leading this department for over seven years. When our new chair arrives, I will reassume my original faculty position which is split between Animal Science and the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves, developing programming for stakeholders, expanding my teaching and working with our students – which is the most rewarding part of an academic position. I am proud to be a Spartan.

Finally, we deeply appreciate all the assistance many of you have given by volunteering to serve on our Stakeholder Advisory Council and various events, providing internships to students, and connecting with students in our classrooms. Your contributions are meaningful and bring richness to our programs as students crave to better understand the world beyond the university. Thank you and enjoy reading about our students, faculty, staff and farms.

Best wishes and have a wonderful summer!