Five graduate students have been chosen by the National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors to receive funding through the 2026 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. The awards recognize students whose research work supports dairy cooperatives and producers.
The scholarship winners are:
Pari Baker, pursuing her doctorate at Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Biology, Molecular Virology Program. Baker’s work examines host factors that determine vulnerability to highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in mammary epithelial cells.
Haowen Hu, a doctoral student in Animal Science at Cornell University. Hu’s studies focus on improving whole-farm environmental modeling for U.S. dairy operations using model assessment and field-based improvements.
Gabriela Alejandra Macay Hernandez, working toward her doctorate in Animal Science at University of Florida. Her studies examine how semen components affect endometrial and oviductal responses and influence embryo development, fetal development, and postnatal offspring performance.
Vaishali Poswal, pursuing her doctorate in Dairy Manufacturing at South Dakota State University. Poswal studies environmental listeria persistence and biofilm formation in dairy microbial communities, plus creating an antimicrobial peptide bio-sanitizer for better control.
Jayden Scott, a master’s degree candidate in Food Science at Washington State University. Scott investigates how microbiome, proteolysis and flavor development relate in white cheddar cheese varieties.
“Congratulations to each recipient of this year’s NMPF scholarships,” said NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud. “The dairy industry continues to reinvest in its future, securing academic research and development that is critical to advancing dairy’s mission. We are proud to support these dairy leaders in their educational pursuits.”
The scholarship winners were announced during the NMPF Board of Directors meeting in Arlington, VA, on June 9. Additional information about the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship program is available on the scholarship website.
