James Drackley, professor in ACES, was elected vice president of the American Dairy Science Association on May 28. His one-year term as vice president of ADSA continues his 43-year membership in the organization. After his term, Drackley will continue to serve the ADSA as its president.
“I feel a great loyalty to the association, and not wanting to completely leave the dairy industry and my relationship with it after retirement, I thought that this would be a good time to give back to the association through leadership,” Drackley said.
Drackley worked at the University for 35 years before retiring in 2024. He led a research group that investigated the nutrition, metabolism and management of dairy cows as they transitioned to lactation.
Working with dairy groups around the world, he was a part of an effort to improve the health of dairy cows. Drackley is renowned globally for his research techniques and how they have helped the dairy industry.
“One of the things that our team has done over the years was to develop a feeding strategy for cows during the transition from pregnancy to lactation, which is the time that most health problems occur,” Drackley said. “Our approach of feeding, what we call ‘controlled energy programs,’ has greatly decreased health problems during that critical time.”
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He says his efforts will be directed not only towards the advancement of dairy science, but also to ensure the ADSA operates effectively.
“I think the challenge we have is growing and sustaining membership,” Drackley said. “It’s a time when there are lots of retirements of the older generation and we need to make sure that we’re bringing in new graduate students and early career investigators to help maintain the vitality of the organization.”
The role will be a welcome challenge for Drackley, who has mentored more than 45 graduate students in his time as professor. He has also co-authored a book and published numerous articles in scientific journals. The position will be an opportunity for him to combine his research with leadership to take the industry forward.
“Giving all the presentations, being able to travel all over the world to give talks and consult with the industry has been probably the most rewarding part of my job, other than the graduate student training,” Drackley said.
