From physics to farming, one animal scientist’s path to innovative dairy calf welfare research
Written by: Meredith Bauer-Mitchell, UF/IFAS
Highlights:
- UF/IFAS animal welfare scientist Emily Miller-Cushon advances dairy calf welfare research by integrating data science and animal behavior, producing evidence-based strategies that improve calf health, social behavior and long-term milk production outcomes.
- Miller-Cushon’s career path — from physics to animal science — highlights women leading STEM innovation, powered by her focus on curiosity, interdisciplinary research and active engagement in the scientific community.
- Cushon is recognized nationally for pioneering long-term dairy cattle welfare studies.
Growing up in rural Ontario, Emily Miller-Cushon had a fascination for the animals that roamed the farmland near her home. Her path took her far from agriculture – into physics and math – but looped back in a way that melded her dual loves: data and animal welfare.
Scientists like Miller-Cushon, a UF/IFAS associate professor of animal behavior and welfare, are shaping the future of animal sciences and inspiring the next generation of women researchers.
“My best advice for the next generation of women in science is to prioritize curiosity and creativity,” she said. “There are so many fascinating paths of study if you try to look at the world differently and ask questions about things you care about.”
Miller-Cushon didn’t have an early interest in dairy farming. Her childhood was spent surrounded by animals, though – spending weekends horseback riding and visiting small family farms.
She had varied interests as a child, including reading, art and music, although science was also on her radar. Her grandfather was a professor of soil sciences, while her father was a computer programmer and her mother taught music.
She entered an undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Waterloo intrigued by math and science but unsure about the real-world applications. She said she loved the intensity of pure mathematical work within her degree but wanted to make a tangible difference in areas that personally interested her. She ultimately spent the summer of her senior year assisting with animal science research, where her mentor saw her enthusiasm and excitement for the research and encouraged her to pivot.
During her doctoral degree in animal science at the University of Guelph in Ontario she explored the “playground of research questions,” truly finding her calling.
Today, she uses behavioral data to study animal welfare, exploring management strategies that improve welfare of dairy cattle from early life until lactation.
Emily Miller-Cushon, UF/IFAS associate professor of animal behavior and welfare, pets a calf at the UF/IFAS Dairy Unit. Credit: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS
Her work has informed best practices for raising calves to meet their behavioral needs – such as socialization. Socializing is good for calves and tells farmers about their health. For example, when calves are getting sick, they may interact less with other calves. This can give farmers early cues for evaluating how and when to treat animals for disease.
“We want to know when and why calves vary in their behavior, including social interactions, so we can meet individual needs and also have insight into welfare risks like disease,” she said.
Early behavioral development also imparts long-term resilience, with findings that early social interaction yields long-term benefits for adaptation to new environments, growth and milk yield.
Her projects aren’t simple – one research project followed calves from birth until lactation, spanning 2020 until 2025, through the pandemic shutdown and many other challenges.
“Tracking animals into adulthood was hard work that took a team of dedicated students,” Miller-Cushon said. “It has been worth it, though, to see the long-term impact of early life experiences for dairy calves on welfare into adulthood. It’s been really exciting.”
It’s work like this that has earned Miller-Cushon awards and accolades, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2025, the highest honor given by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers in early stages of their career, and the Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Production in 2025, which is the American Dairy Science Association’s award for potential in research and educational leadership that affect the future of the dairy industry.
She thinks that the best skill any aspiring researcher can have is curiosity and imagination. She said when she entered undergrad, she thought science was about memorizing facts, but she was excited to discover that it was actually about engaging different skill sets to think outside the box to answer big questions. The key is to “pick something that feels impactful and important.”
She recommends young scientists not underestimate the importance of finding a supportive and inspiring scientific community, which will yield opportunities to collaborate with other researchers and hear new ideas.
“My enthusiasm for research is in part due to the opportunities to mentor amazing graduate students and network with the broader scientific community in animal behavior and welfare,” she said. “Good research is a team effort.”
The post From physics to farming, one animal scientist’s path to innovative dairy calf welfare research, written by Meredith Bauer-Mitchell, first appeared in University of Florida News.
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
