Jalyssa Beaudry MS’25 zipped through school.

She grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Otsego, Minnesota, the eldest of seven who comprise the farm’s fourth generation. During high school, she took community college classes. With those college credits, she finished her undergrad degree in two years. At that point, with her friends and peers still in the middle of college, she wasn’t sure what was next – until the Dairy Innovation Hub presented a path forward.

“I knew I wanted to stay involved in agriculture and help farmers,” says Beaudry. “When I got the [graduate] assistantship from the Dairy Innovation Hub, it was my last sign of ‘ah-ha’, that’s what I’m meant to do after [undergrad].”

Beaudry majored in agricultural business at UW–River Falls, where she participated in undergraduate research related to on-farm decision making. During that time, her interests shifted toward agricultural economics and analytics – in particular, understanding how technology and management influence farm profitability. She decided to pursue a master’s degree in agricultural and applied economics at UW–Madison.

“Jalyssa’s enthusiasm and her prior work with UW–River Falls faculty supporting research on automated milking systems made her a standout,” says Charles Nicholson, adjunct associate professor of animal and dairy sciences at UW–Madison, who served as one of her advisors during her graduate program.

Beaudry’s position was a collaborative graduate assistantship, which means she was co-advised by faculty from UW–Madison and UW-River Falls, making a smooth transition from her undergrad experience. This type of cross-institutional position represents a unique way the Hub can build partnerships and leverage strengths across the Hub’s three campuses – UW–Madison, UW–River Falls and UW–Platteville.

For her master’s work, Beaudry focused on the economics of automated milking systems (AMS), exploring how management decisions impact milk production and revenue. The project drew on survey data from 500 randomly selected licensed dairy farms across Wisconsin.

Beaudry’s analysis found that management practices – such as training cows to use the robot, managing cow flow, setting permissions – play a critical role in determining how successful AMS adoption can be. Her research showed cows that achieve an average of three milkings per day early in their lactation went on to produce more milk later in their lactation cycle, ultimately increasing milk revenue.

The study also revealed how farmers view industry risks differently. AMS farms often cite price volatility as their biggest concern, while non-AMS farms more commonly identify labor recruitment and management as their primary challenge.

During graduate school, Beaudry presented her findings at several dairy conferences, and the results of her study have since been published in The Journal of Dairy Science.

Beaudry found meaning doing research grounded in real-world needs. She was the first of her family to graduate from college and then the first to pursue a graduate degree, and she is driven to give back to the industry that shaped her – and to honor the previous generations of her dairy farming family.

“I see my research helping farmers make more informed decisions when investing in or managing AMS technology,” she says.

Since completing her graduate degree, Beaudry has been working in the grain sector, first with CGB Enterprises, a grain merchandising and transportation company, and currently with Star Blends, a dairy-specific feed manufacturer. She has found that the core skills she learned in graduate school are widely transferable across agricultural sectors. Ultimately, she plans to stay in the rural Midwest and pursue roles that integrate analytics, farmer relationships, and leadership responsibilities.

“From our very first meeting, it was apparent that Jalyssa was very passionate about the [agricultural] community and wanted to make a difference,” says Shaheer Burney, associate professor of agricultural business at UW–River Falls. “When someone genuinely cares about improving the lives of farmers like Jalyssa does, they make an indelible impact that resonates far and wide.”