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Food Animal Initiative Launches New Leadership

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A black and white cow wearing a teal electronic monitor stares at a camera behind a gate.

Oct 21, 2025

Cow Collar Clues: Electronic Monitoring Helps Keep NC State Dairy Herd Hardy

In the year that NC State’s new dairy facility has been cooling cows, providing state-of-the-art milking technology and giving veterinary students experience in best industry practices, the collars around the cows’ necks have been communicating with computers. When dairy manager Mike Veach gets the resulting report each morning, he knows Cow 708 has been lying… 
Third-year veterinary student Joseph Richardson works his shift caring for dairy cattle at the college's Teaching Animal Unit.

Sep 19, 2025

One Committed and Caring NC State Veterinary Student, So Many Choices

Compassion, community and care are every bit as foundational to Joseph Richardson’s core as calcium and carbon.  His maternal grandfather, likely the first Black physician in rural Hertford County, North Carolina, opened his clinic in 1938, served his country in the medical corps during World War II and then spent five more decades caring for… 
Kaitlyn Valenza, left, collaborates in the dry lab dedicated to the RABapp developed by Dr. Gustavo Machado.

Aug 28, 2025

NC State CVM Invests in First Dry Lab to Support Work on Controlling Disease Spread

Recognizing veterinary medicine’s increasingly important role in safeguarding public health, the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine has created a cutting-edge dry laboratory that will accelerate the work of Dr. Gustavo Machado, an associate professor of emerging and transboundary diseases whose research centers on preventing the spread of deadly diseases among livestock farms. The lab… 
Dr. Nanette Nascone-Yoder in white labcoat stands with her arms crossed in her lab on the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine campus.

Jul 22, 2025

NIH Awards $2.8 Million Grant to NC State Developmental Biologist for Work Investigating Organ Formation

Dr. Nanette Nascone-Yoder, a professor in the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, has been awarded a $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for her research investigating how cellular mechanisms guide left-right asymmetric organ formation. Abnormal left-right asymmetry underlies some of our most common and severe birth… 
A blue box with a picture of Katie Forrest in green overalls and a picture of Katie Forrest operating on a brown cow in the other.

Jun 18, 2025

From a Beef Cattle Ranch in South Dakota, Katie Forrest Reports

This summer, I’m thrilled to be working with Dr. April Schilder, a beef cattle veterinarian and producer in South Dakota. Living with her family on their ranch has given me a unique opportunity to experience both veterinary practice and daily life as a producer. In just one week, I’ve assisted with breeding soundness exams, castrations,… 
Lauren Buslinger walks veterinary technician students from Cape Fear Community College through some of the finer points of working with beef cattle at the TAU.

Jun 17, 2025

NC State Offers ‘Livestock Boot Camp’ to Aspiring Registered Veterinary Technicians

In their navy coveralls and rubber boots, Cape Fear Community College students watched intently as Dr. Allison West, lead veterinarian at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s Teaching Animal Unit, walked around an unconcerned cow in NC State’s state-of-the-art dairy barn and demonstrated how to assess the animal’s health. The students, who are finishing… 
Glowing image of hen with marker on head to show blood flow

May 2, 2025

NC State Research Looks at Laying Hens Best Adapted to Cage-Free Housing

To meet the demand for cage-free eggs, researchers at NC State University are looking for genetic strains of hens that are calmer and better adapted to a cage-free environment. 
a woman making wolfy signs with her hands stands in front of a globe with the logo IPPE on it

Apr 30, 2025

Poultry Potential Takes Flight

From military brat to poultry practitioner, senior Kendall Snyder’s love of farm birds grew from unlikely beginnings. Within the Prestage Department of Poultry Science, she found a community that has helped her goals fly. 
close up of two chickens

Apr 25, 2025

Avian Flu Updates: Agriculture, Food Safety and Trade

An industry forum on avian flu, hosted by NC State’s Food Animal Initiative, provided updates on animal agriculture, food safety and international trade, along with biosecurity resources. 
cows in a field

Mar 31, 2025

Food Animal Initiative Launches New Leadership

The Food Animal Initiative has named six leaders to head its five platforms aimed to further develop the future of the food animal industry.