Engaging today's undergraduate students in the field of dairy science with a focus on the female student population

Abstract

The dairy industry has profound economic importance, and individuals earning postsecondary degrees within dairy science–related fields are future industry leaders. Yet, enrollment at universities is declining and there is a labor shortage within the dairy industry. The objective of this review article is to highlight current trends within academia, identify some techniques to improve student experiences within higher education, and describe successful education strategies employed within dairy science–related fields. The proportion of female students within academia and agriculture-related degrees is growing; however, women still face gender bias and report higher incidence of mental health symptomology during their enrollment. With this, there is a profound need to address mental health–related issues throughout higher education, especially for the female student population. Additionally, active learning approaches and high-impact practices such as flipped classrooms, animal handling courses, capstone experiences, internships, and undergraduate research have shown promising benefits when employed in dairy and animal science–related fields. Universities play a critical role in guiding the future leaders of the dairy industry into successful and fulfilling careers, and this review highlights some pertinent strategies to improve the engagement of dairy science undergraduate students.