My name is Andy Gray and I’m from Vancouver WA.   I’m a senior majoring in animal science with a minor in Ag Business management and Ag Econ as well as a second year CUDS member. I transferred from Walla Walla Community College where I received an Associate of Science in Agricultural Science.  In high school I was a very active member in my school’s FFA chapter, I showed hogs and also participated in a three year aquaculture project, I also worked on a 1500 head dairy after school.  After I graduate I plan on traveling to New Zealand to work for a year in the dairy industry.  After that I plan on applying for jobs in dairy management or food safety inspection.

        Kevin Hooley-Reproduction

My name is Kevin Hooley and I am from a very small town in Montana called Creston. It is on the outskirts of Kalispell and only thirty miles from Glacier Park . All through high school I worked on a dairy consisting of 100-120 cows. I was involved in everything from harvesting hay and grain to feeding cows and calves. I transferred to WSU in 2007 and currently work and live out at the dairy. I joined CUDS because I think it is a great opportunity for me to learn more about management, interacting with others and experiencing what it takes to make a top producing cow. I hope to gain knowledge of the dairy industry and hopefully find a job pertaining to the knowledge that I have learned. I think that CUDS is a great group of people and it’s a great way to get some hands-on experience if you have an interest in the industry.

        Chris Blaschko- Nutrition

Hi! I’m Chrissy Blaschko and I hail from the foothills of Mt. Rainier from small town called Ravensdale. I am graduating in December 2009 with two degrees, one in Animal Sciences and the other in Spanish. Why two degrees? So I can talk to the cows in Spanish of course! The real reason is that I would like to be a herds manager or assistant manager on a dairy in the future, and I feel one of the best ways to manage a dairy is with strong communication. I have learned a lot through the CUDS program, and I would love to have the opportunity to apply what I know and to learn more about the industry!

        Philip de Vries- Finances

    Philip de Vries comes from the town of Mount Vernon, Washington. He as spent his life growing up on an organic mixed vegetable farm helping where he could and watching the seasons pass. After enough seasons had gone by he decided it could be fun to get into this whole farming thing so he bought some bull calves. That was quite some years ago now and the bull calves stuck around. Much to Philip’s father’s dismay they were joined by a crew of other critters from pigs to ducks to goats and everything in between. Now to Philip’s father’s sigh of relief the calves and most of the other animals are finally leaving and Philip is heading off for new adventures and is planning on studying abroad in New Zealand for the upcoming calendar year.

        Andrea Boucher: Herd Health

My name is Andrea Boucher and I am the herd health manager for CUDS.  I am from the small town of Chehalis, Washington over on the west side of the state.  I am currently a junior Neuroscience major and am planning to go into veterinary medicine after I complete my undergraduate degree.  Coming into CUDS, I had no large animal experience.  In fact, that was the main reason I joined!  I have learned an incredible amount about cows and the dairy industry so far, and still have much more to learn.  Though I did not have any dairy experience beforehand, I have had plenty of dairy product consuming experience in my lifetime.  Cheese, chocolate, and ice cream are three of my favorite foods!  One of my favorite cows at the dairy is 2399.  She freshened this summer and was not a very nice cow to milk!  She’s learned to settle down a little bit and now we’re best friends.   2460 is also my favorite heifer because she’s so friendly!  I have enjoyed working with CUDS thus far and am excited to see what this year will bring.

        Cassie Hoisington: Public Relations/Marketing Chair

    Hello there. My name is Cassie Hoisington and I am a junior zoology/animal-care major here at Washington State University. I am from the small town of Chehalis, Washington over on the west side between Portland and Seattle. Prior to joining CUDS, I had no dairy or large animal experience whatsoever, which is basically why I joined this organization. The experience that I am gaining will help me in applying to veterinary school in the next year, and will most likely benefit me in the future as well. It is amazing how much CUDS has helped me learn how to work with large animals such as giving vaccines and conducting other types of veterinary procedures. Not only do I learn about working with large animals, I have also gained tons of knowledge regarding the dairy industry and how it works successfully on a day-to-day basis. I definitely think the best part of being in CUDS is working with the calves and heifers, they are just so cute! Also, I love ice cream, it is definitely one of my weaknesses, and without it life just wouldn’t be the same!

        Pei-Shin Ku- Drugs and Supplies

My name is Pei-Shin Ku, and I am from Taipei , Taiwan . I am a senior. My major is Microbiology, and pre-vet program. This is my first year in the C.U.D.S. I heard about the program from Krista. I had no dairy experience. When I heard about C.U.D.S., I was really excited that I could have some hands on experience with cows. The first time I went to dairy I was surprised by how big the cows were and how much they urinated. I was little scared by them. But now I really like them, and enjoy working in the diary. My favorite cow is 2413. She is really cute. Currently, I am in charge of milk quality. I hope to gain more knowledge about herd health and dairy business in the C.U.D.S.

        K.C. Fagan: Herd Health

Hello, my name is K.C. Fagan and I am a junior at Washington State University studying Animal Sciences.  I grew up in south eastern Oregon on a commercial cow/calf operation where I learned about beef cattle. CUDS is one of my favorite things about college, as I get the opportunity to learn hands on about the Dairy Industry.  My plan for the future is to become a DVM specializing in Bovine Genetics and Disease.  Currently I live in Palouse, Washington with my husband and several pets. 

        Alex VanTuyl: Secretary/Records Manager

Adna, Washington. I showed Jerseys, Milking Shorthorns, and Brown Swiss in 4-H and Open Class shows for ten years or so. My parents also farm about 60 acres of Organic hay sold primarily to Organic dairy producers, and there are two dairy farmers in my extended family. I joined CUDS because after two years away from home I missed being around cows and didn't feel like I was any more prepared to have my own farm (dairy or otherwise) than when I had started school. From CUDS I plan to get a better understanding of the management of a dairy farm which I can then apply to whatever kind of farm I end up owning. My future plans are to get a job that relates to sustainable agriculture and eventually start my own farm. 

        Chloe Dixon- Milk Quality and Udder Health Manager

I’m Chloe Dixon, I’m a senior Animal Science major and I have lived in the big city of Seattle my whole life. Horses were what I thought my passion was until I arrived at WSU and discovered there were too few practical careers involving them. I joined CUDS in spring of 2008 after developing a profound interest in the dairy industry and a love for cows. After college I plan to have some sort of career within the dairy industry that will support my horse habit, specifically polo. My favorite cow at the dairy is 2375 because she has the most personality and always comes to greet me and put her head on my shoulder.

        AnnMarie Stickney- Sire Selection

AnnMarie is a junior Animal Science major. She grew up in beautiful Snohomish County in Western Washington , surrounded by animals of almost every description. While she has no previous experience in the dairy industry, she does have a love of milk and other dairy products, as well as a special affection for the cows themselves. She is excited about learning everything she can about the industry.

        Jennifer Onken: Cow Comfort Manager

My name is Jenny Onken; I’m from Auburn, WA and am a senior Animal Science major. I transferred from Green River Community College with my AA Degree before digging into Animal Science at WSU. With no previous experience in the dairy industry my interest was sparked in the Intro to Dairy Management class. Since then, the dairy has become a part of daily life. Through CUDS I have learned how even small things can make a big impact on the animals’ wellbeing and production. I would like to continue to improve on working as a team to run an efficient dairy. As the cow comfort manager I plan to work on several cow comfort issues, starting with free stalls. At the dairy I take things one at a time and learn all I can with the help of everyone else. In addition to being involved in CUDS I also work at the University Dairy, am a member of Dairy Club and am the fundraising coordinator of the WSU club water polo team. After graduating I plan on going to grad school in the Dairy Science field and continue to enhance my understanding of the dairy industry.

Nick Barkley-Treasurer

My name is Nick Barkley, I am a senior biology major at WSU  and am currently the treasurer of CUDS.  This is my first experience with both cows and the dairy industry, since I grew up in the city I have not had much of a chance to work with large animals.  I joined CUDS to find out exactly what I missed out on as a kid and to see if working in the dairy industry or just with large animals is something I would potentially want to do in the future.  Having been in CUDS for quite a while now I have found that running a diary is no small task, but at the same time very rewarding.  Having worked with the cows I have found that they are far more dynamic than I have ever imagined,  I have come to find a new respect for them and their function in society.  When I leave CUDS, I hope to have acquired a new set of skills that can be applied to more situations than just running a diary farm, and to hopefully give me a great experience to use on my application to veterinary school.

        Kayla McNett: Nutrition

Hey I’m Kayla McNett and I’m from the marvelous city of Spokane, Washington. I am currently a sophomore here at WSU working on a degree in zoology with a minor in animal science. I hope to, one day, be a veterinarian with a mixed practice, or perhaps be a farm vet; as long as I’m working with animals I’m happy. If you were to talk to me a year ago you would have never guessed I would be working with cows, let alone any agricultural animal. I joined CUDS to gain more experience with large animals, and to feed the calves (but that’s just a perk of being a member). CUDS is a great group to be involved in and I really enjoy it. There is always something new to learn, and there is never a dull moment. I have no previous experience with cows, or really any animal of this size. I never thought I would enjoy it so much, or like cows as much as I do, but they are really amazing animals with a lot of individual personality. I’m currently working on nutrition, learning new things about the intricate diet of the dairy cow.

        Dr. Jude Capper-Advisor

JUDE L. CAPPER, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Dairy Science in the Department of Animal Sciences at Washington State University. Born in the UK, she undertook her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Harper Adams University College (UK) where her post-graduate research focused on the relationship between ruminant nutrition and neonatal behavior. Following a two-year lectureship in Animal Biology at the University of Worcester (UK), she worked with Prof. Dale Bauman as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University. During her post-doc, Jude worked to develop a deterministic model of the environmental impact of dairy production, based on the NRC (2001) nutrient requirements for dairy cows and the environmental mitigating effect of improving productive efficiency.  Jude is continuing her modeling work at WSU, investigating the environmental impact of dairy products produced from differing on-farm management practices; use of feed additives to improve efficiency and the impact of different dairy breeds. She is also developing similar models to evaluate the environmental impact of beef production, comparing historical and modern production practices and the effects of growth-promoting technologies used within the industry.