The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) chose Emil Walleser, son of Anne Marie Elwing and Kevin Walleser, De Soto, Wis., as this year’s $1,000 scholarship recipient. The DCHA scholarship program honors an outstanding student pursuing a degree in agriculture, with a particular interest in calf health and future productivity.
Walleser earned a bachelor’s degree in dairy science, with a pre-veterinary emphasis, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and will receive his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine this year. Also, he gained certifications in collection and in vitro embryo production, financial management, business, basic fish health medicine and beef quality assurance.
Following completion of his DVM degree, Walleser will embark on a master’s degree program that focuses on data science, computer learning and artificial intelligence. “By combining cameras, robots and advanced computing, we will be able to predict sickness in animals before they exhibit major signs and thus improving response time and outcomes,” he said. Next, Walleser plans to pursue a doctorate degree and then work with animal health companies and animal management systems to further integrate these technologies into the equipment used every day in animal production facilities.
Walleser grew up with Walleser Cattle and Wall-Stone Holsteins. He owned and managed a cow-calf herd, along with feeder and finisher operations. On the family’s 1,000-cow dairy, Walleser developed and implemented standard operating procedures, and hired, trained and mentored employees, and used computer management software to develop economic reports to assist in key financial decisions.
In addition, Walleser worked as a research project assistant in UW’s School of Veterinary Medicine, a veterinary assistant at Prairie Veterinary Service, De Soto, Wis., and a research project assistant in UW’s dairy science reproductive physiology program. For two years, he served as Bovine Club vice president and is currently a UW-Madison Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club officer.
The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association was founded in 1996 based on the mission to help dairy producers, calf managers and those professionally focused on the growth and management of dairy calves and heifers. With a national membership of producers, allied industries and research leaders, DCHA seeks to provide the industry’s standards for profitability, performance and leadership, serving as a catalyst to help members improve the vitality and viability of their individual efforts and that of their business.