The featured student in this issue of IMPACT is Melissa Bainbridge, a PhD candidate in the College of Agriculture and Life Science's Animal, Nutrition & Food Sciences program.

IMPACT: Melissa, tell us where you're from and how you got interested in your undergraduate studies?

MB: I am originally from Burlington, MA, which is 20 minutes northwest of Boston. I studied animal science as an undergrad at UVM; I was originally a horse person. I came to UVM concentrating in Equine Science, then the summer after my sophomore year I got a job working at a local dairy farm. I still remember my first day vividly — I got to assist in a surgery. At six o'clock when it was time to go home, I didn't want to; I had fallen in love with dairy cows and agriculture. I think they probably had to force me off the farm! After that I switched to Dairy Science and never looked back.

IMPACT: What inspired you to go to graduate school at UVM?

MB: My advisor — she's amazing, she changed my life! I started working for Dr. Jana Kraft as her technician in May of 2012. At that point I was in limbo, unsure of whether to pursue veterinary school or graduate school. I wanted to see if research was for me. She gave me a copy of the research grant she had gotten (for what would be my future PhD project). It was genius, and I remember thinking it could immensely improve the health of Americans. I applied for a PhD position in her lab that Fall and started my graduate program in January of 2013.

IMPACT: Tell us about your experiences in grad school, what it is like to work with faculty members and to do your own scholarship or research?

MB: We have an amazing group of faculty in the Animal Sciences program and CALS [College of Agriculture and Life Sciences] in general. I started my program on a teaching assistantship in Animal Nutrition taught by Dr. Sabrina Greenwood, who is a joy to work for. I'm now on a research stipend so my interactions with faculty are from collaborations on research. Last year we collaborated with Dr. Andre-Denis Wright on a year-long cow trial at the Paul Miller research facility. He made every moment light-hearted, even during some very dirty work. And of course the staff down at the research barn is amazing — Matt Bodette and Scott Shumway always went out of their way to help us in any way possible.

I just finished a trial on a dairy farm in Highgate, Vermont, in collaboration with Dr. John Barlow in Animal Sciences, who is an incredibly intelligent researcher and has a great sense of humor, as well as Dr. Joe Roman from the GUND Institute at UVM, a brilliant conservation biologist with big ideas for agriculture, and Dr. Juan Alvez [former GUND PhD student and current Pasture Technical Coordinator for the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture], who is passionate about agroecology and made a really great website [Biodiversity and Livestock Well-being Project] for our research. And of course I can't forget about Guy Choiniere, a very progressive farmer who has great cows (people always say cows are a reflection of the farmer). The last day of our study when I left the farm, I was fighting back tears because I enjoyed working with everyone so much.

Lastly, my advisor Dr. Jana Kraft is there for me every step of the way, supporting and encouraging me to pursue my passions. There is no other faculty member with her determination or compassion. I'm so grateful to have her as my advisor.

IMPACT: Has your research lead to any papers or conference presentations?

MB: I've presented a poster entitled "Feeding Rumen-Protected Echium Oil Increases the Omega-3 Fatty Acid Content of Bovine Milk" at the Vermont Dairy Industry Association and Vermont Feed Dealers Conference, and at the Collaboration and Innovation Across the Food System conference at UVM. I went to the American Dairy Science Association ® (ADSA ®)/ American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Joint Annual Meeting this past July and presented my research entitled "Effects of Supplementing Lipid-Encapsulated Echium Oil on Lactational Responses and Milk Fatty Acid Composition."

IMPACT: Congratulations on your presentations. Where are you currently in your graduate education and what do you plan to do after graduating?

MB: I am about two years into my grad program. I have finished all my on-farm trials and now have a lot of data processing and writing to do! We are about to submit my first manuscript for review in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. After graduating I plan to get a post-doc to expand my knowledge in the field, then I would like to go work for a research institution that develops feeding strategies that not only improve the health of the cow but the health of her milk as well. My ideal job would also include outreach and support to farmers, as they are the key to producing healthy milk for our society.

IMPACT: What do you like to do in the little spare time you have?

MB: I'm an avid long-distance runner. I completed my first marathon this past October! I'm also an avid hiker and skier, which is part of what brought me to Vermont. I really like having a purpose in life and I feel like mine is to change the agricultural system in America to reward farmers for increasing the health quality of their product rather the overall quantity.