NMPF Awards 2026 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Winners

NMPF Awards 2026 National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Winners

June 9, 2026

The National Milk Producers Federation Board of Directors selected five graduate students, conducting research that benefits dairy cooperatives and producers, to receive scholarships as part of the 2026 NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship Program. Scholarship recipients include:

Pari Baker, is a doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Biology, Molecular Virology Program. Her research analyzes the host determinants of susceptibility to highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus in mammary epithelial cells.

Haowen Hu, is a doctoral candidate studying Animal Science at Cornell University. His research explores the advancement of whole-farm environmental modeling in U.S. dairy systems through model evaluation and field-based refinement.

Gabriela Alejandra Macay Hernandez, a doctoral candidate studying Animal Science at University of Florida. Her research focuses on unraveling the effects of semen components on endometrial and oviductal responses and their impact on embryo development, fetal development, and postnatal offspring performance.

Vaishali Poswal, is a doctoral candidate studying Dairy Manufacturing at South Dakota State University. Her research focuses on environmental listeria persistence and biofilm formation in dairy microbial communities, as well as development of an antimicrobial peptide bio-sanitizer for enhanced control.

Jayden Scott, is a master's student studying Food Science at Washington State University. His research explores the correlation of the microbiome, proteolysis and flavor development in white cheddar cheese varieties.

"Congratulations to each recipient of this year's NMPF scholarships," said NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud. "The dairy industry continues to reinvest in its future, securing academic research and development that is critical to advancing dairy's mission. We are proud to support these dairy leaders in their educational pursuits."

The recipients were confirmed as part of NMPF's Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, VA, on June 9. To learn more about and contribute to the NMPF National Dairy Leadership Scholarship program, please visit the scholarship website.