New professor has big plans for dairy sciences at Texas A&M
- Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
- Contact: Dr. Sushil Paudyal, 979-458-8182, sushilpaudyal@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Sushil Paudyal, assistant professor of dairy science in Texas A&M University’s department of animal science, plans to reinvigorate the dairy program in College Station.
Paudyal hopes to engage students, producers, the U.S. Dairy Education and Training Consortium and industry groups like the Texas Association of Dairymen in the 90 percent teaching, 10 percent Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service position.
“The plan is to rebuild the dairy course by reaching out to dairy producers around the state and connecting them with students and connecting both producers and students with the the consortium,” he said. “That type of engagement can produce well-rounded teaching opportunities and knowledge sharing that benefits the students and everyone in the industry – the animals, the producers and, ultimately, consumers.”
Aside from classroom discussions and lectures, Paudyal said students would also be engaged in off-campus instruction at dairy locations. As a part of the department’s emphasis on providing high-impact learning experiences, he will be leading dairy challenge activities and the internship program for animal science students.
Paudyal will also be the Texas A&M representative on the steering committee for the dairy consortium, formerly known as the Southern Great Plains Dairy Consortium, a multi-university organization established in 2008 to meet the educational and training needs of the U.S. dairy industry.
The consortium is a partnership between academia, allied industries and dairy producers whose goal is sustainable dairy farming. He will serve on the steering committee, which includes assisting the six-week student training program that includes bringing visiting professors and students from different universities to the consortium and providing hands-on training on various aspects of dairy science.
Paudyal’s research focuses on using herd- and animal-level data for decision making in dairy farms, as well as utilizing innovative technologies to optimize production, health and well-being of dairy cattle.
The dairy industry is poised to benefit from emerging technology that will change the way producers manage and monitor their dairy cows, Paudyal said. Paudyal and AgriLife Extension dairy specialists are prepared to offer options in various ways, whether in disease detection or applying treatments in ways to help maintain an operation’s profitability.
Paudyal said addressing the economics of the dairy industry will be critical to their success. Smaller operations are going out of business, and the industry is trending toward larger operations and labor-reducing technology.
“We want to be there for the producers, whether they are large operations or niche market operations,” he said. “It may be that we help producers diversify to remain in the market or introduce them to technology to reduce their costs, but a big part of our mission will be addressing financial sustainability.”
Paudyal earned a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science and animal husbandry from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He was a graduate research assistant with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Amarillo. While in Amarillo, Paudyal earned a master’s degree in animal science from the department of agricultural science at West Texas A&M University. He then earned a doctoral degree at Colorado State University, specializing in dairy herd management.
Paudyal is a member of the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science, and has received accreditation as a professional animal scientist from the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists.
